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fined £26m by UK regulators after one of its traders was discovered attempting to fix the price of gold.
In April, Barclays agreed to a $280m (£167m) settlement with the US Federal Housing and Finance Authority (FHFA).
The agreement settles claims by the FHFA that Barclays misled US mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac during the housing crisis.
In 2012 it was fined £290m by UK regulators for attempting to manipulate an important lending rate, known as Libor.The TV pundit and former England striker on his ongoing love of matchdays, why he’d never get a tattoo and his need for cheese
Hello Michael. Let’s talk football first – who’s going to win the Premier League this season? Chelsea will win the league. I think goals have been their achilles heel in the past, in many ways. Not that they don’t score any, but last season Manchester City and Liverpool were scoring all these goals and Chelsea didn’t have a striker to speak of. I think that was a problem last year, but Diego Costa is a good signing for them, and Cesc Fábregas is a goalscoring midfielder. I think they’ve bought well, and they’ve bought players to go straight into their team, rather than just bolster their squad.
Is Didier Drogba a good signing? It’s hard to say. Costa will be the main man this time. Drogba won’t play so many games, and when he does he won’t be as electric as he once was in a blue shirt.
People do say you should never go back … I suppose it’s easy for other people to say. You’ve got to live your life and if it means you’re going to have a year or two of real enjoyment again, and go to a place that you love, then there’s nothing wrong with that. I would never have been scared of going back to any club, just because I’d loved it before.
Now you’re forging a new life in punditry. How are you finding it? I’m new into the business. I’ve only been out of the game one year, and I’ve done bits and bobs on the BBC, and for something called PLP which is a foreign broadcaster. But I really enjoyed last season with BT Sport. I think I came in at a fantastic time, and it was a brilliant league last year. Since then even more money’s been spent on players, and the league gets better and better. I don’t know how to compare it with any other broadcaster, but I’ve really enjoyed my experience.
So what makes a good day now? Matchday’s still the highlight of the week. There’s still a buzz when you get to the stadium, and then just before the game, when you’re about to go to work.
That’s amazing. What do you listen to in the car on the way there? I don’t listen to anything. I don’t know why, but the car’s always been my own quiet space. When the kids are in the car they always want a song on, but I’m just happy with my thoughts.
What do the kids listen to? I’ve got three girls and a boy, and the girls are all about One Direction. They know every word to every song. They’ve been to a concert – my wife took them. I couldn’t go because, um, we only bought three tickets.
What’s the last film you saw? It’s very boring, but I don’t watch films. I think I’ve seen about five in my life. I just can’t get into them. I do try – someone will say, ‘Watch this film, it’s great,’ and I’ll try but after half an hour, 40 minutes I can’t take it any longer.
So what were those five? They must have been absolutely terrible. Rocky, Jurassic Park, Cool Runnings, Ghost. Um, I can’t remember any more. [Small Talk drums fingers on table encouragingly] Er … and Heat. I’ve seen Heat. I can’t think of any more.
But they’re all ancient! Someone might have made the perfect film in the last 20 years! Maybe. All the films I’ve seen were when I went training with clubs, when I was about 12 and my dad wanted me to visit Arsenal or [Manchester] United or whoever wanted to sign me at the time. A lot of the time you’d go and there would be 20 trialists, all staying together the night before, and instead of sitting all night in the hotel they’d take you to the cinema. And I’d go, ‘Oh no.’
Who would play you in a film of your life? What, an actor? I don’t know any actors.
I suppose you’ve got to pick one from those five films. It’s got to be Sylvester Stallone, because Patrick Swayze and John Candy are out. Tom Cruise is a good-looking fella, he’ll do.
So you don’t listen to music. You don’t watch films. What do you do with your spare time? I’ve not got a spare minute in the day. I have a management company, we look after quite a few young football players. Obviously there are my TV commitments. And then I’ve got sponsors, and then I’ve got a horse racing business, and then I’ve got a physiotherapy business, and then I’ve got four kids. I try to sit down to watch live sport and after that I don’t have time for anything else.
What’s your favourite sandwich filling? Um, turkey, brie and cranberry.
Wow, unusual choice. Yeah, well it was an unusual question.
Who would win a fight between a lion and a tiger? A lion. Why? Well, it’s the king of the jungle.
How often do you fly your helicopter? I don’t have a helicopter. I owned one, but I never piloted it. I only had it when I was at Newcastle so my family could watch me play, or I could go home on a day off. Newcastle was never going to be the place I would live for the rest of my life – I’ve always been around Chester. So the family was living there, and the helicopter was the easiest way for me to see them.
Aintree or Anfield? Anfield, definitely. Aintree’s more jump-based and I focus my attention on the flat.
What have you got in your pockets? Train tickets. Credit card, and about £20, (takes out money and counts it) £70.
Have you got any tattoos? No.
Ever thought about it? It seems to be very on-trend with footballing folk these days. Never. It’s not my style. My mum and dad were against piercings and tattoos. You tend to pick up some opinions from your parents, and it’s one of those. I wouldn’t want my children to get tattoos or have loads of piercings, and I’ve never wanted to do it myself.
What wakes you up sweating in the middle of the night? You know, I don’t really worry about much. My mum’s a big worrier. My dad couldn’t give a monkey’s. There could be a world war in his garden and he’d sleep through it. I’m like that. When I sleep I don’t have any worries.
Cheese or chocolate? That’s a tough one. Probably cheese.
Well you did want cheese in your sandwich. Yes, though funnily enough brie is not a cheese that I would eat on its own – it just goes well with turkey and cranberry. If I’m eating cheese on its own with a cracker it has to be really strong. I can handle a strong cheese. Stilton, things like that. If you’re buying mature cheese, than Canadian is probably the strongest one. Canadian extra mature, or Stilton, or anything that really stinks. That’s only really happened in the last five years. Before that I preferred a milder cheese.
And what would you like to drink with that? I’ll have a glass of wine. I don’t really like lager, and I don’t drink spirits. I like light reds, pinot noirs. I went to Melbourne last year and some of the wines out there, the pinot noirs, were unbelievable. Mind-blowing. Just fantastic.
Have you got a bit of a collection? A little one. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a conoisseur. I’m not Sir Alex Ferguson. I’ve got loads of champagne – all my man of the match awards, which I’m a bit scared to open.
How much is a pint of milk? That’s a good question. Probably about 60p.
Not a bad guess. It costs 49p at the shop at the end of Small Talk’s road. And you live in London, so it’s probably about 30p where I live.
Can you tell me a joke? [Thinks for a while] Err … I’m one of those people who’s awful at telling them. I get told so many. Oh god, I heard a good one the other day. Come back to me.
Do you laugh easily? I love, love a night out where there’s a comedian. Do I laugh easily? Yeah, I’d say if you came into my house, you’d be surprised how loud and happy I am. I think most people see me as quite straight and boring, but we have a lot of fun at home.
Well Small Talk’s always up for a laugh – you should have us over for some cheese. We’ll bring a stinking bishop if you like. Sure thing, Small Talk. I’ll be in touch.
• Manchester United v Swansea City is one of 38 Barclays Premier League matches exclusively live on BT Sport this season, along with top games from the FA Cup, Europa League and live action from more top-flight football leagues than any other UK TV provider.PATERSON — A disgraced former Passaic City cop, who perplexingly had been selected to run the city's recreation department, was indicted on Tuesday for allegedly extorting more than $5,000 from participants of the city rec programs.
Eriberto "Eddie" Carrero, 54, was fired as the city's recreation director in March after a city audit revealed massive discrepancies in the department's finances.
Prosecutors said Carrero charged participants in recreation programs additional fees, depositing the money in a trust account only he had access to. The alleged corruption, which netted him more than $5,000, occurred between 2009 and 2012, prosecutors said.
Tuesday's grand jury decision marks the second time in 20 years Carrero has been brought up on official misconduct charges.
Carrero was forced to resign from the police department after he pleaded guilty to official misconduct and theft charges in 1997. He accepted payments for security details at public schools in the city but never actually performed the work, prosecutors said.
Carrero completed a pre-trial intervention program and was rehired by the city four years later, according to records.
Mayor Alex Blanco in 2012 said he was willing to overlook Carrero's criminal past, telling The Record that the ex-cop "deserved a second chance."
Blanco could not immediately be reached for comment on Tuesday.
James Kleimann may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @jameskleimann. Find NJ.com on Facebook.NEW DELHI: Saying that it was "disturbing" to see the pictures of the Army during the 1987 communal riots in Hashimpura, Lt Gen. HS Panag (retd) has sought a thorough probe by the force so that lessons can be learnt.
A former General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Army's Northern and Central Commands, Panag has said he would soon write to Army chief Gen. Dalbir Singh seeking a probe into the incident, which was the precursor to the Hashimpura massacre.
"It was disturbing to see the pictures published now of Army personnel pointing gun at a child," he said after airing his views on social media.
Panag said he would write to the Army chief seeking a probe into the matter so that a lesson can be learnt and an advisory prepared for the future.
Meanwhile, Army sources said that no case has "come to light" in respect of Army's role in the incident.
"It has been almost 30 years. No case has come to light with regard to the Army's involvement in this particular incident," he said.
The pictures shows Army personnel rounding up people as they tried to quell the communal riots in Hashimpura. Panag was then a Lt Col. posted with the Army headquarters here.
Eyewitness accounts say that the Army carried out house- to-house searches in Hashimpura and rounded up people who were eventually handed over to the Provincial Armed Constabulary.
A sessions court on March 21 had acquitted the 16 surviving PAC personnel accused of massacring 42 Muslims in Hashimpura.
"Ashamed in 87, more ashamed now as was not aware of the dubious role of the IA. Salute to Praveen Jain!," Panag said in a tweet after seeing the photos by Praveen Jain. The retired Army officer's tweet also gave the Youtube link to a witness account video by Jain.
Panag also tweeted that all the records were available with the office of Military Operations.
"Even if an exception deserves to be investigated. Never seen such disturbing photos of IA," he had tweeted.
Panag also sought to distinguish between the role of the PAC and that of the Army as he tweeted that these were two different issues. The PAC's case related to the massacre while the Army's misconduct was a fallout of the incident, he said, adding that the "photos tell the tale".By DeAnn Presley, Extension Soil Management Specialist
Dec. 23, 2015 — Cover crops can have several potential benefits for soil quality in a no-till rotation.
Greater biomass input from cover crops can potentially increase soil organic carbon (C) concentration, enhance nutrient cycling, regulate soil temperature, and help protect the soil from water and wind erosion.
In short, cover crops may improve soil physical properties by increasing soil organic C concentration.
But there is surprisingly little scientific documentation of these effects. Because changes in soil properties tend to happen very gradually, data from long-term cover crop experiments can provide insights into the potential of cover crops for improving soil functions.
A few years ago, Kansas State agronomists measured the effects of cover crops on soil physical properties and studied relationships between crop-induced changes in soil organic C concentration and soil physical properties on a long-term cover crop experiment at the former Harvey County Experiment Field in Hesston (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Cover crop experiment at the former Harvey County Experiment Field in Hesston.
The experiment was initially established in 1995 with hairy vetch as a winter cover crop following winter wheat in a wheat/grain sorghum rotation compared to the same rotation without a cover crop. Management involved reduced-tillage and four levels of N fertilizer at 0, 30, 60, and 90 lb/acre. This system was tested through 2000.
Starting in 2002, sunn hemp and late-maturing soybean as summer cover crops replaced hairy vetch, with all phases of the experiment managed exclusively under no-till. Other treatments (N rates and the no-cover-crop check) were kept the same. Sunn hemp and late-maturing soybean were planted after wheat in early summer, terminated in September or October, and grain sorghum was planted in June of the following year.
Crop Yields
In 6 site-years during the period 2002 through 2008, soybean and sunn hemp produced dry matter yields of 2.42 and 3.43 ton/acre with total N contents of 111 and 134 lb/acre, respectively. Overall, both cover crops had a positive impact on grain sorghum yield, particularly at N rates of 60 lb/acre or less.
At the highest N rate of 90 lb/acre, the soybean cover crop didn’t increase sorghum yields. However, sunn hemp tended to result in a sorghum yield benefit even at the highest N rate, over the 6-year average. Averaged over N rates, soybean and sunn hemp resulted in 6-year average grain sorghum yield increases of 8.8 and 14.9 bu/acre, respectively.
Positive residual effects of soybean and sunn hemp cover crops on the yield of wheat after sorghum were small and mostly observed at N rates of 60 lb/acre or less. Five-year mean wheat yields combined from the two sites and averaged over N rate indicated increases of 2.2 and 2.9 bu/acre in rotations with soybean and sunn hemp vs. no cover crop.
Soil Organic Carbon
Sunn hemp and late-maturing soybean cover crops increased soil organic C concentration relative to plots without cover crops. Averaged across N rates, soil organic C concentration in the 0 to 3 inch soil depth was 30% greater in sunn hemp and 20% greater in late-maturing soybean plots than in plots without cover crops (Figure 2). Cover crops did not, however, affect organic C concentration in the 3 to 6 inch depth.
Figure 2. Effects of cover crops on soil organic C concentration at two soil depths. Bars with the same letter within the same depth are not significantly different.
Aggregate Stability
Cover crops improved soil wet aggregate stability in the 0 to 3 inch depth (Figure 3A). The proportion of macroaggregates was greater in cover crop plots than in plots with no cover crops. The increase in soil organic C concentration with cover crops was partly responsible for the improved aggregate stability (Figure 3B).
Figure 3. Wet aggregate stability expressed as mean weight diameter of aggregates (A) and relationship between aggregate stability and cover crop-induced increase in soil organic C concentration (B). Bars with the same letter within the same depth are not significantly different.
Water Infiltration
Sunn hemp increased water infiltration by about three times when compared with plots without cover crops. Cumulative water infiltration was greater in sunn hemp than in no-cover crop plots by about 3 times (Fig. 4). Late-maturing soybeans had less effect on water infiltration than sunn hemp. Water infiltration rate was positively correlated with an increase in soil organic C concentration.
Figure 4. Cumulative water infiltration for the three cover crop treatments. Means with the same letter are not significantly different.
Soil Compaction
Soils with cover crops were less compactable in the 0 to 3 inch depth than soils without cover crops. At 0 lb/acre of N, maximum soil compactability was about 5% lower under cover crops than under plots without cover crops. At 60 lb/acre of N, soil compactability was not, however, affected by cover crops.
Maximum soil compactability was negatively correlated with soil organic C concentration. This indicates that the increase in soil organic C concentration from the use of cover crop plots was partly responsible for the reduced soil compactability in plots with cover crops.
Earthworm Abundance
Averaged across all N rates, sunn hemp led to higher total earthworm numbers, followed by soybeans and no cover. A separate article in this issue of the Agronomy eUpdate (No. 542) addresses this in detail. The eUpdates are available at: https://webapp.agron.ksu.edu/agr_social/eu.throck
Cover Crop Residues
Sunn hemp produced more residue than late-maturing soybean. Averaged across the three previous rotation cycles and N rates, sunn hemp produced 3.13 tons/acre of residues while late-maturing soybean produced 2.37 tons/acre.
Thus, the greater benefits of sunn hemp than late-maturing soybean for increasing water infiltration may be due to the greater residue input with sunn hemp. Both cover crops, however, had significant benefits on reducing soil compactability, improving aggregate stability, and increasing soil organic C concentration.
Nitrogen Fertilization
Nitrogen application did not affect aggregate stability, but it did help reduce soil compactability and increase organic C concentration in the 0 to 3 inch depth.
When averaged across the four N rates, aggregate stability was positively correlated with organic C concentration, which indicates that cover crops can indeed improve aggregate stability by increasing organic C concentration. Looking at the specific N rates, the same effects occurred at the 0 lb/acre N rate.
At 30, 60, and 90 lb/acre of N, however, aggregate stability was not significantly correlated with organic C concentration. This suggests that the increase in organic C concentration from the use of cover crops possibly diminished, to some degree, with N fertilization. The same is true for cash crop yields; the benefits of cover crops decrease as N fertilization rate decreased.
Summary
Addition of cover crops enhanced no-till performance. It improved soil physical and hydraulic properties, and increased soil organic C concentration near the soil surface. Results suggest cover crops may reduce some risks of excessive near-surface soil compaction and help improve soil structure in no-till systems.
Cover crops, particularly sunn hemp, may reduce runoff and soil loss by increasing water infiltration. The improvements in soil physical properties are directly related to increases in soil organic C concentration. Results suggest cover crops should be used as companion to no-till systems to enhance the potential of no-till technology for improving soil properties.Getting a solo kill in lane is all about awareness, anticipation, and execution. In this video, Phroxzon demonstrates how to punish your opponent’s bad habits, finding the perfect moment to all-in for the kill.
What’s the best 1v1 play you’ve ever made? Let us know in the comments below!
Phroxzon is a student at the University of New South Wales and member of the school’s LoL Society. Wanting to help his fellow students get better at League, he held LoL strategy talks in campus lecture halls and uploaded these lectures to YouTube. Thus the Leaguecraft 101 video series was born. The series has grown to over 34 videos, covering topics ranging from basic laning mechanics to 80+ minute deep dives into specific champion strategy.
Learn more about Phroxzon and UNSWLoLSoc via the links below!Welcome my child to a world filled with only the best T-Shirts online! Each tee is hand picked by me, Lord Teesus. When you click on a featured shirt design, it will open up a heavenly gateway which will take you to the site selling the shirt. Each shirt site has many more designs not shown on Let There Be Tees. So put the shirt you came for in your cart and check out all the other amazing shirts on their site. If the t-shirt you want to buy is not available just send a Facebook message to me and I will look for it. I can usually find it. With so many t-shirts available on here, it can be hard to keep all the links up to date. Partner sites can put up and take down shirts at any time.By Portia Crowe
Inter Press Service
NEW YORK, Jun 2, 2011 (IPS) - Several years ago, anyone calling for an end to Washington's "war on drugs" would be considered a heretic. Today, high- level politicians and business people, backed by thousands of regular citizens, are doing just that.
"The idea that there could be a mass public campaign for decriminalisation, because I didn't know anything about the issue, I thought that was a fringe perspective," Ricken Patel, co-founder and executive director of the global web movement
Avaaz.org
, told IPS.
He presented a global petition calling for an end to the drug war to the
Global Commission on Drug Policy
Thursday. On Friday, he will meet with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to present him with the same petition.
The Global Commission, whose members include former U.N. chief Kofi Annan, Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, and the former presidents of Brazil, Columbia, Mexico, and Switzerland, released a
groundbreaking report
Thursday calling for a paradigm shift in international drug policy.
"The war on drugs has claimed countless lives, it's cost hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars, it's funneling trillions of dollars into organised crime – which poses a profound threat to our governments, to our societies. It's a brutal and senseless war and it needs to stop," Patel told IPS.
In its 2011 report, the Global Commission endorses approaching drug use as a public health problem as well as examining alternatives to the incarceration of drug users, farmers, and petty sellers. But it also recommends more revolutionary approaches like decriminalisation of drug use and the possibility of legal regulation.
"Now is the time to break the taboo on discussion of all drug policy options, including alternatives to drug prohibition," said former Colombian president César Gaviria.
The report also calls on governments to offer health and treatment services to drug users, to increase harm reduction measures like syringe access, and to ensure a variety of treatment methods, including methadone and heroin-assisted treatment.
The world must "respect the human rights of people who use drugs", says the report.
"We need a new approach, one that takes the power out of the hands of organised crime and treats people with addiction problems like patients, not criminals," said Richard Branson, a Global Commission member and founder of the Virgin Group.
"We need our leaders, including business people, looking at alternative, fact-based approaches," he added.
Former Brazilian president Fernando Cardoso said that the commission is not calling for an end to the fight against drugs. "It's not peace instead of war," he clarified, "it's a more intelligent way to fight."
Ruth Dreifuss, the former president of Switzerland and minister of home affairs, highlighted the plight of farmers in the developing world. For many of them, producing poppy seeds and coca leaves is "the only way out of misery".
Currently, the only solution for these farmers is to switch to alternative crops. "But there are not a lot of alternatives," Dreifuss told IPS, adding, "a regulated market for these people would be the best way."
Regulating, rather than criminalising, drug production in the developing world would provide safer environments for farmers, "independent of crime, of Taliban, and so on," Dreifuss said.
Critics of this new position fear that decriminalisation will lead to a rise in drug consumption, but Cardoso and Dreifuss pointed to Europe's success stories.
Portugal was the first European country to decriminalise illicit drug use and possession. According to the Commission's report, that country saw a fall in the use of heroin, which was the government's main concern, and no variation in the use of other drugs compared to the rest of Europe.
In Switzerland, officials have based drug policies on public health instead of criminalisation since the 1980s, and these policies – including controversial heroin substitution programmes – have led to an overall fall in heroin addiction in the country.
"Overwhelming evidence from Europe, Canada, and Australia now demonstrates the human and social benefits both of treating drug addiction as a health rather than criminal justice problem and of reducing reliance on prohibitionist polices," said Dreifuss.
That is why the commission is calling on the United Nations to apply these policies worldwide.
"It's not that we don't want to obey the treaties," Marion Caspers- Merk, former state secretary at the German Federal Ministry of Health, told IPS, referring to the 1961 United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.
"We want to open the debate that our policy has proven better results than the policy we have implemented via the U.N. treaties right now," she said, adding, "We would have a better result with a better policy."
How likely is the commission to succeed in changing the current approach?
"I think it's a good sign that Kofi Annan has joined the group," Caspers-Merk told IPS, noting other high-level commission members like the executive director of the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, Michel Kazatchkine.
She also cited the World Health Organization. "They support our perspective," she said, "and therefore I think we have a good chance to influence the process."
And the commission has the backing of the nearly 600,000 people from every country in the world that have signed the Avaaz petition online.
"That is important," said Cardoso, noting the international acceptance of the petition. "It's not just America, or Brazil, or Columbia, but all of humanity," he said.
Source: Inter Press ServiceScam artists often target senior citizens. (Photo: Thinkstock)
Criminals masquerading as Internal Revenue Service agents have bilked more than $1 million from thousands of taxpayers in the largest such phone scam the IRS has seen, the agency's watchdog said Thursday.
J. Russell George, Treasury inspector general for tax administration, said more than 20,000 taxpayers have been targeted by bogus tax agents who claim victims owe taxes and demand they pay with a prepaid debit card or by wire transfer.
The thieves tell victims they could be arrested, deported or lose their business or driver's license if they refuse, George said in a news release, the latest in the agency's year-long awareness campaign.
Taxpayers who owe are generally contacted first by mail, and bona fide IRS agents never insist on payment by debit card or wire transfer, and they don't ask for credit card numbers over the phone.
The agency began warning last March of a "dirty dozen" tax scams, including the one involving fake agents calling taxpayers. Complaints, mostly from immigrants, began coming into the inspector general's hotline in August and has expanded since then. Residents of nearly every state were targeted, George said.
STORY: IRS releases 'Dirty Dozen' tax scams for 2014
On Halloween, acting IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel warned of a "pervasive telephone scam."
"If someone unexpectedly calls claiming to be from the IRS and threatens police arrest, deportation or license revocation if you don't pay immediately, that is a sign that it really isn't the IRS calling," Werfel said in the news release.
Another warning came a week later.
The thieves spoof caller ID to appear to be calling from the IRS, and often know the last four digits of a target's Social Security number, he said. They also use common names, fake badge numbers and follow up with official-looking e-mails.
"This is the largest scam of its kind that we have ever seen," George said. "The increasing number of people receiving these unsolicited calls from individuals who fraudulently claim to represent the IRS is alarming."
The IG's office is working with major phone carriers to try to track the origins of the calls, which investigators believe are connected.
The agency has information about tax scams and how to report them.
Contributing: The Associated Press
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1g5SywvAN AMERICAN president’s most important power is not the veto pen or the ability to launch missiles. It is the bully pulpit. When a president speaks, the world listens. That is why Barack Obama’s credibility matters. If people do not believe what he says, his power to shape events withers. And recent events have seriously shaken people’s belief in Mr Obama. At home, the chaos of his health reform has made it harder for him to get anything else done. Abroad, he is seen as weak and disengaged, to the frustration of America’s allies.
Not all the barbs aimed at Mr Obama are fair. Our special report this week on American foreign policy notes that he inherited two miserable wars. He began his first term during the worst recession in 80 years. And the Republicans who shut down parts of the federal government last month and flirted recklessly with default bear much of the blame for Washington’s disarray. But the excuse that it is all someone else’s fault is wearing thin. Under Mr Obama, America seems rudderless and its power is being squandered. A more engaged president would handle the Republicans—and the rest of the world—with more skill.
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An exchange you can believe in
The debacle of Obamacare has gravely weakened the president (see article). In the days before October 1st, when the online health-insurance exchange opened, he seemed blithely unaware that anything was amiss. Using it would be “real simple”, he told voters in Maryland on September 26th; it would work the “same way you shop for a TV on Amazon”. Alas, it did not. Millions tried to log on; few succeeded. The website was never properly tested, it transpires. Although this was Mr Obama’s most important domestic reform, no one was really in charge. Crucial specifications were changed at the last moment. Contractors warned that the website was not ready, but the message never reached the Oval Office. Big government IT projects often go awry, but rarely as spectacularly as this.
The Economist supported Obamacare when it passed Congress in 2010. We worried that the law was too complex (see article) and did too little to curb medical inflation, but it extended health insurance to the millions of Americans who lack it. The basic idea is sound: everyone must have insurance or pay a penalty. The cash-strapped receive big subsidies, and insurers are barred from charging more to those who are already sick. A more modest version of this reform works quite well in Massachusetts. A man with little interest in details and a disdain for business, Mr Obama tried to impose a gigantic change on the whole country all at once and far too casually.
The longer it takes to fix the website, the greater the chance that Obamacare will fail. Insurers have set their premiums on the assumption that lots of young, healthy people would be compelled to buy their policies. But if it takes dozens of attempts to sign up, the people who do so will be disproportionately the sick and desperate. Insurers could be stuck with a far more expensive pool of customers than they were expecting, and could have no choice but to raise prices next year. That would make Obamacare even less attractive to the young “invincibles” it needs to stay afloat.
To make matters worse, this sorry saga has caused American voters to doubt Mr Obama’s honesty. Time after time, when selling his reform, he told voters that if they liked their health insurance, they could “keep that insurance. Period. End of story.” Policy wonks knew this was untrue. Mr Obama’s number-crunchers quietly predicted that up to two-thirds of people with individual policies would be forced to change them, since the law would make many bare-bones plans illegal. But ordinary Americans took their president at his word; many were furious to learn last month that their old policies would be cancelled.
The poisonous politics of health care point to another common complaint about Mr Obama: that he gives great speeches but fails to build relationships. Abroad, he has cool relations with foreign heads of government. The leaders of allies such as Israel and Saudi Arabia scorn him. Europeans grumble that they are ignored when they want to be heard and spied on when they want to be left alone. Latin Americans feel neglected. Mr Obama’s “pivot” to Asia has made China feel threatened, without reassuring other Asians that America will be there in a crisis. Many doubt Mr Obama’s word—remember his “red line” over the use of chemical weapons in Syria?—and lament his inability to get things done.
At home, he seldom schmoozes with his political opponents—or even with his own side. Past presidents put in far more effort to charm and bully lawmakers, business moguls and anyone who could help them. Lyndon Johnson was famous for blackmailing congressmen to do the right thing, which is a hard art to practise if you barely know them. Mr Obama remains aloof—he has no regular breakfast or lunch even with the main Democrats in Congress. You cannot slap backs and twist arms if you are not in the same room.
Forget the Nobel halo—and roll up your sleeves
There is a personal tragedy in this: a talented man who too often does not follow through. As Bill Clinton is reputed to have said, Mr Obama got all the hard stuff right, “but didn’t do the easy stuff at all”. Assuming that he still has the stomach for the fight, what can Mr Obama do to win back that lost credibility?
At home, the priority is simply to get his health exchange fixed. His announcement last week that people who have lost their old insurance will be allowed to get it back is a sham: he has given insurers neither the time nor the incentive to recreate the policies he previously ordered them to ditch. He should stop making empty promises, get rid of the aides who filter out bad news and roll up his sleeves.
Can he get any more done? Immigration reform is still just possible. He now says he is open to tackling it piecemeal, rather than in a comprehensive bill, which raises the chance that it will happen. An even bigger prize would be a long-term fix for America’s finances, with Republicans accepting some tax rises and Democrats tolerating cuts to entitlements. He has little to lose: at present he will go down in history, alongside George W. Bush, as a skipper who ignored the looming fiscal iceberg.
Fixing those problems would require Mr Obama to discover both Clintonian skills of triangulation and some Republicans who don’t hate him. As with other second-term presidents, foreign policy may offer more opportunity. The Obama brand is less tarnished abroad. And American power is sold short by a lot of people—including, sometimes, Mr Obama. With its matchless armed forces, a web of alliances and omnipresent soft power, the United States is still the world’s indispensable nation—as it has shown in the rescue efforts in the Philippines (see Banyan). When Mr Obama ordered a strike against Osama bin Laden, he proved that he can be decisive; when he patiently built the case with China and Russia for imposing sanctions on Iran, he was persuasive.
So Mr Obama can get things done when he puts the effort in. Our special report lays out the opportunities that a more committed and confident president could seize. In many regions, such as Latin America, just a little bit of attention could yield impressive results. Free-trade deals could tie in allies across the Atlantic and the Pacific. Having over-reached in Asia and with a string of domestic problems, China needs Mr Obama to keep the world stable. If Mr Obama can build a better relationship with China, he will advance both countries’ interests. An immediate test is Iran: an interim agreement to halt its nuclear programme would be a first step towards re-engaging America in the Middle East. But only if Mr Obama works at it and sells a deal to Israel and his Arab allies.
Mr Obama may not be able to walk on water. That is now painfully clear, perhaps even to him. But America’s first black president still has it in his power to leave the Oval Office famous for what he did, not just what he was.Sometimes you stumble across a piece of history that is too good not to follow up on. Sparko, the robot dog, is one such piece of history. |
filing.” Mills' office confirmed to WMTW that month that it was investigating a case of sexual abuse involving a former Biddeford police officer from the late 1990s, but would not name the officer involved or the alleged victim.In May, Gov. Paul LePage said he was asking Republican leaders to give his office the power to move the investigation along.Last week, Biddeford Mayor Alan Casavant said he had received new information regarding allegations made against the Biddeford Police Department.Casavant said the information came in a letter that is allegedly signed by a former Biddeford police officer who served 25 years ago, which is during the timeline of when the alleged sexual abuse took place."I trust and respect the professionalism of the Attorney General, and the difficult conclusions that she and her senior prosecutors have reached after their extensive investigation,” Casavant said in a statement Wednesday. “The city of Biddeford appreciates the strong statement by that office many weeks ago that the Biddeford Police Department and its chief have acted properly and in full cooperation with the investigation.”Biddeford’s City Council will meet Tuesday night and Casavant indicated there will be another discussion about the allegations.Attempts to reach Dodd have been unsuccessful.I came home to a fairly large manila envelope. My eyes glisten and my hands quiver as I reached for it. I practicably ran to my room. Went to open up my blinds to reveal that beautiful yellow packet. I went to open this beauty. A wonderful spectacle of work, I proceeded to undress. I tore the top off in a frenzy. I reached inside the bag to grab the first thing. A note. But this note wasn't just any note it was hope. After reading it a big smiled emerged from my face to know someone else played the same instrument as I. Then I realized"wow someone actually plays the same instrument as me?" The next thing I felt was something vaguely familiar. Could this be?! And yes yu-gi-oh packets. I was a bit skeptical knowing getting great pulls is like trying to get that first serving of a meal at a buffet when it comes fresh off the stove. So I proceeded to open up the first packet. So far so good... then BAM!!! The light from my window shinned onto the card knocking my flat on my ass. I was hazed by the beauty of these cards. After further investigating I just hit the jackpot. So my head was held up high, I didn't care if I even got coppies in my next pack. I proceeded to open up the next pack. HOLLY MOTHER OF YUGIOH... I just won a ticket to a brain surgeon. You know those scenes from a movie where the people open up the chests or boxes, and the light shines. Yup that just happen. So as I sat there awe-ing in the beauty of this card. I think i'll marry it, have kids and live a happy life on a farm with it. Finally, I come to some Microsoft points. Again I felt my heart grow three sizes that minuet. The most best thing about the gift was my rematch. He took the time to write a letter and a bit of back story to everything. Thank you SS rematch and SS rematch wife for being a awesome viola player. I don't have to know how you play, all viola are united under the C,G,D,A corporation!!When the US bid and won the 1994 World Cup, FIFA laid down one requirement: the tournament must result in a US domestic league; a league that could would both help develop top-level soccer talent at the youth level, and serve as the destination for the best American soccer players. Major League Soccer was created not just to allow fans of the most popular sport on earth to have a local club: it was created as an incubator for American youth soccer at a higher level.
Twenty years on, the Rapids have developed a couple of professional soccer players out of their academy: Shane O'Neill, Davy Armstrong, and Dillon Serna. But obviously, those players represent a tiny fraction of roster spots. They also have have a limited impact on the team's success. And... it's been a while since any Academy player made the senior roster. Serna and O'Neill were signed in 2012. The only MLS teams to have gone that long without an Academy signing are Portland and NYCFC; neither of whom have even signed a youth player to their Senior roster in their history.
This is the first part of a three-part series on the Rapids Development Academy. This article will serve as a basic primer and update about the state of our Rapids Youth development pipeline. In parts two and three, I sit down down with Colorado Rapids Senior Director of Soccer Development Brian Crookham to find out where we are, and where Crookham thinks we're going.
What, exactly, is the Academy?
Youth soccer in the US is a rigorously tiered system teams, organized by both talent and age. The major youth teams in the Colorado region; Colorado Rush, Colorado Storm, Real Colorado, St Vrain, Pride, and the Rapids; maintain a top-tier team at each of the age-divisions (U18, U16, etc) called their ‘Academy' team. In addition, they have several teams in each division that are a notch below the top. The Rapids designate these teams ‘Burgundy' and ‘White'. And then there are recreational teams.
Rapids academy boys teams at the U18, U16, and U14 level are free: travel, uniforms, and fees are waived. Other teams are ‘pay-to-play', and for travel teams, that can run families well into the five-figures.
It's not an ideal structure for producing a bevy of US soccer talent, and it creates an inequitable soccer divide based on class and race in our country. But that's another article entirely.
Who do they play?
Academy teams play other academy teams all over the US. All are overseen and accredited by the US Soccer Development Academy (USSDA) program, under the direction of US Soccer. Each is arranged regionally, and teams schedule most or all of their games against other USSDA teams. At the end of the season, which runs September to April, the top 32 (out of 74 in the U18s and U16s) are invited to the USSDA Playoffs, which concluded this past weekend in Frisco, Texas.
So, uh, how'd the Rapids do this season?
Not good. Here's the U16 results:
...
And the U18 results:
...
So that's 9-13-4 (WLT) for the U16s, and a lousy 4-17-5 for the U18s, with a -27 goal differential for them.
There might be an individual talent or two wedged in between an overall sub-par team of youngsters, but it's hard to discern that. On its face, the Rapids academy teams haven't produced a Senior team player in four years, and based on current performance, it would be a surprise if they produced an MLS-caliber player in the next three years.
How about other Colorado teams? And does that matter?
Rush and Real's U18 teams were a little better, finishing 6th and 8th in their USSDA division, respectively. Rush's U16 finished last, but Real qualified for the playoffs with a 16-4-6 record. They went on to top Group F with wins over Orlando City and Columbus Crew's academies, and a tie against the San Jose Earthquake U16s.
Does that matter? Sort of? Not really? It tells us that there is talent in the Colorado area for boys soccer. And it's not all concentrated with the Rapids. If a player felt ready to jump to pro soccer at the age of 18, or felt an affinity to Colorado and wanted to stay, that could mean that a Rush or Real player might switch club teams, since only the Colorado Rapids have a D1 senior professional team. And six current Rapids U16 came from Real, Pride, or Rush.
If the Rapids want to sign a youth player to a professional contract, they can do that outright with any player in their academy at any time. Additionally, the Rapids MLS team can designate any player that comes from their academy team as a ‘Homegrown Player', even if they don't sign them immediately to the Rapids 28-man roster. There are a few benefits to having an HGP. For one, their salary doesn't count against the MLS salary cap. For another, an HGP player that comes out of the Rapids academy and goes off to college can be signed outright by the Rapids at any time over the next four years: they won't be subject to the MLS Superdraft. That's why the Rapids could let Dillon Serna head off to the University of Akron, watch how he did, and then sign him after his first year when he looked ready for the Senior team. So an HGP is kind of like having a bunch of draft picks, stashed all over the country, while their development is paid for by university academic scholarships.
Unfortunately, a Rush or Real player isn't available as an HGP for the Rapids - only players out of the Rapids system can earn the tag. So as much as it is nice to see talented local kids make good, if they didn't play in the Rapids Academy, they don't help the senior team much at all. That's why Colorado product Taylor Kemp is a right back for DC United. Since he played for the Colorado Foxes, he went to the 2013 SuperDraft..
Where would a Homegrown Academy player play if not for the Rapids senior team?
If we were almost any other MLS team, we could sign our academy players and place them on our USL ‘B' team. The LA Galaxy have Galaxy 2. Real Salt Lake have the Real Monarchs.
The Rapids don't own a USL team. We have an affiliation with the Charlotte Independence, but although the Rapids regularly stash around four players with them annually, we don't control the Independence. The front office doesn't have the right to place twenty-three youngsters there. Additionally, there's the practical challenge of having a large coaching staff operate out of the Commerce City office working with your Academy and your Senior team... but not the four guys in North Carolina. That's a problem.
What that means is: if a Rapids Academy player is really talented, but not quite ready to step onto the field alongside Jermaine Jones and Shkelzen Gashi, we let them go to college. At that point, the Rapids coaching staff has to trust that the player will continue to develop under the tutelage of an NCAA coach. The other problem with sending a soccer player to college is the NCAA soccer structure itself. The NCAA season is four months long, and teams play between 21 and 28 games in that short time.
Then, NCAA players are off for eight months, training not included. Some players will join PDL amateur teams in summer, but not all. The Rapids, with this in mind, will have some of their college homegrowns playing with a brand-spankin' new U23 side. Their first game is Wednesday versus #bullshitpubteam Harpos FC.
This NCAA setup isn't great for US soccer development: players get too many games in too short a time, and the season isn't anything at all like the length or intensity of the professional game in any league. That's in addition to the long-held belief that college soccer emphasizes physical skills over technical ones. US Soccer recognizes the problem, and Technical Director Jurgen Klinsmann is on-record as supporting systemic changes to the NCAA that would improve soccer in the US. Whether that happens or not is another story.
Should I even care about the Academy? Why don't we just buy players and draft players? Seems to work so far in 2016.
The Rapids sit top of the table in both the Supporters Shield and Western Conference. They've purchased three Designated Players in the last 12 months: Kevin Doyle, Shkelzen Gashi, and now Tim Howard. Off-season acquisitions Zac MacMath, Jermaine Jones and Marco Pappa have helped turned last years pumpkin into a nifty carriage. And Superdraft selections like Axel Sjoberg have been critical elements to a successful 2016. So who needs an academy?
One could easily argue that a solid youth development system is unnecessary to a successful MLS team. And until recently, they'd probably be right. No team has won MLS Cup thanks to their own homegrown players.
Yet. But the NY Red Bulls just signed six academy players. Atlanta United signed their first homegrown before they even have a Senior team.
FC Dallas' academy U18 was the best in USSDA, and it's U16 team was number 2 in the division. FCD is so stacked with youth, they could sell talented midfield playmaker Alex Zendejas to Chivas Guadalajara.
That's money the club can use both in acquiring players over the MLS cap next year - teams receive additional undisclosed allocation dollars to compensate player sales. So it's beneficial and lucrative to develop your own academy talent. Not only that, but staffing and funding a youth system can cost a team between $2-4 million. The Red Bulls, meanwhile, sold Matt Miazga for $5 million.
So first of all, many MLS teams are building strong teams with kids out of their academies. Second, developing a talented player can be financially lucrative if you end of selling them on.
A good player can both help your team win and more than pay for the investment they made. I'm sure the Sounders are feeling pretty good about having developed Jordan Morris. Lastly, if your team has an identity or a philosophy, your academy can potentially produce the thing you want a lot easier than trying to acquire it on the free market. If you want to develop players that can run for days, then that is something you scout and train for at your academy. If technical prowess is going to be your hallmark, then look for those guys and train them the way you want them to play. Having a strong academy is good for business and good for winning soccer games.
So we're not where we need to be. How do we get there?
With all of the above facts in place, and all of the challenges clearly before us, there were a lot of things to talk about with Rapids Soccer Development Director Brian Crookham. Part 2 of my series on the Rapids Academy continues later this week.Pin 3 14 Shares
(ANTIMEDIA) While Donald Trump was in Riyadh, raving incessantly about the over-hyped Iran threat, Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif was trolling America’s foreign policy establishment. He advised Trump to discuss with Saudi Arabia how to avoid another 9/11 atrocity rather than making baseless claims against Iran.
Zarif said:
“[Trump] must enter into dialogue with them [the Saudis] about ways to prevent terrorists from continuing to fuel the fire in the region and repeating the likes of the September 11 incident by their sponsors in Western countries.”
He added:
“You will find out who really knocked down the World Trade Centre because they have papers out there that are very secret. You will find it’s the Saudis, you will find that is the case.”
As the Independent has noted:
“Most of the 19 terrorists who murdered nearly 3,000 people in New York in 2001 were Saudi citizens and there have [sic] repeated accusations that members of the Saudi hierarchy were complicit in the attack.” [emphasis added]
Foreign Policy, among many other mainstream outlets, has documented many instances of reported Saudi government officials’ role in the 2001 terror attack — and even President Trump has promulgated these claims.
As Anti-Media has pointed out multiple times, the U.S. government cannot claim the moral high ground in combatting terrorism while signing multi-billion dollar arms deals with the birthplace of radical Islam (not to mention, one of ISIS’ core sponsors). In this context, the Iranian foreign minister’s advice to Donald Trump is actually quite honest.
However, what was really stunning about the Iranian reaction to Trump’s sword-dancing visit to Saudi Arabia was its outright warning to the Saudi Kingdom.
Mohammad Hashemi Rafsanjani, a leading member of the Iranian parliament’s Expediency Council, claimed these multi-billion dollar arms sales may ultimately backfire on the Saudi regime. Rafsanjani warned that one day, the Saudis may end up turning these weapons against the Saudi royal family.
“We have seen it all before. The Saudis are spending billions on arms which they don’t have the capacity to absorb. At the same time they are facing rebellion at home they are trying to hide and a costly war in Yemen,” Rafsanjani said, according to the Independent.
Drawing a parallel with recent Iranian history, during which the U.S. was very friendly with the Middle Eastern nation while it was under the rule of Shah Reza Pahlavi, a brutal, U.S.-installed dictator, Rasfanjani stated the following:
“The Shah, too, spent billions of dollars buying arms from America, he too had capacity problems. We had 65,000 Americans in Iran, most of them in the armed forces. But then came the revolution and the weapons were used against him and his regime.
“We watch what is going on in Saudi Arabia and I think the fate of the Saudi royal family will be the same as that of [the Shah’s dynasty] the Pahlavis. There is less and less space in the world for absolute monarchies like the Saudis”. [emphasis added]
Creative Commons / Anti-Media / Report a typo
Pin 3 14 SharesMuch like Diamonds Are Forever, as are the friendships forged in the Bond franchise, it seems.
Because 007 songstress Dame Shirley Bassey and James Bond himself Pierce Brosnan acted like they'd never been apart when they enjoyed a chance meeting at the lotsofcharity.com Remarkable dinner on Wednesday night.
Pierce, 61, was even channeling his Hollywood alter ego at the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, looking sharp in a bow tie, while the ever-glamorous Dame, 78, wore scarlet red lace.
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Reunited: Former 007 star Pierce Brosnan and Bond songstress Dame Shirley Bassey reunite at lotsofcharity.com Remarkable dinner at the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel on Wednesday night
Even though Bassey, who is the legendary voice behind three of the famous film soundtracks, never produced a theme for one of Brosnan's four films, they certainly shared a strong 'bond', so to speak.
Dame Shirley made the perfect, elegant counterpart to the debonair actor on Wednesday and looked utterly ravishing in a floor-sweeping dress.
The 78-year-old music veteran was youthful with her hair coiffed in a signature bouffant style, and her decolletage adorned with precious jewels.
We've been expecting you: The former James Bond star looked debonair in a black bow tie on the night
Sharp: The handsome actor scrubbed up well in a familiar black suit and crisp white shirt look
Meanwhile actor Pierce was busy proving that he still had that 007 charm when he slicked back his hair to highlight the odd silver fleck.
He looked tanned against a crisp white shirt and dressed sharply in a black suit with satin lapels, something that would have certainly been fit for James himself.
And while Pierce was later superseded by current 007 Daniel Craig, there are calls for Shirley to return with a fourth theme, 51 years since her last one.
Still got it: The actor charmed with a deep tan to complement his white shirt on Wednesday
Catching up: While Bassey never produced a theme for one of Brosnan's four Bond films, they certainly shared a strong 'bond'
She's got a Goldfinger: The playful pair joked as they reminisced inside the lavish party
The next Bond movie Spectre is already in the works with Craig and new Bond Girls Stephanie Sigman, 28, and 50-year-old Monica Bellucci at the helm.
But Bassey beat previous theme-makers Adele, Madonna and Tina Turner to win over fan support for the upcoming offering as some of her biggest fans launched a campaign to get her the deal.
Spectre's soundtrack singer remains unconfirmed, though as far as leading men go, Pierce recently revealed that he never felt adequate in the role.
She's fabulous: At 78, the brunette was looking better than ever as she confidently leaned against a wall
Bejeweled: With precious stones hanging from her ears and her neck adorned with sparkle, she really looked the part
Double act: Glamorous Shirley made the perfect counterpart on Bond's arm that night
Elegant: The elegant songstress looked sensational in a red lace gown that swept across the floor
He told The Telegraph: 'It was a very hard one to grasp the meaning of, for me. The violence was never real, the brute force of the man was never palpable. It was quite tame, and the characterisation didn’t have a follow-through of reality, it was surface.
'But then that might have had to do with my own insecurities in playing him as well.'
Speaking about whether he'd ever watched himself on film, he said: 'I have no desire to watch myself as James Bond. Cause it’s just never good enough. It’s a horrible feeling.'
Big names: (L-R) Lord Sebastian Coe, Gareth Edwards and Sir Steve Redgrave talked shop at the charity event
Golden girls: (L-R) Dame Zandra Rhodes, Dame Shirley Bassey and Twiggy looked fabulous
Stunning sports star: Dame Kelly Holmes was effortlessly elegant in a mauve dress
Old friends: Dame Kelly Holmes and Sir Steve Redgrave reunited on the night
A touch of fabulous: Model Larelle Sheikh looked sensational in a floral dress with cutout detail
Pierce was certainly in a room full of intimidating talent on Wednesday night.
Stars attending the charitable bash in central London sportsmen Lord Sebastian Coe, Gareth Edwards and Sir Steve Redgrave all talked shop inside the lavish venue.
While iconic fashion face Twiggy, Dame Kelly Holmes and Dame Zandra Rhodes were all showing off their charitable sides at the midweek bash.
Actors Jeremy Irons and Rory Bremner were also scrubbing up for the star-studded event.
Showing his charitable side: Impersonator Rory Bremner gave a smile as he mixed with the crowd
Keeping it cool: Actor Jeremy Irons wore a vintage waistcoat with his ensemble
All that glitters: Iconic face of fashion Twiggy covered up a black dress with a sequinned tie up top
Standing out: Grayson Perry toasted the occasion in a large-collar coat dress and cream handbag
Isn't this Coe-sy! Lord Sebastian Coe (right) was joined by his handsome son Harry for the night
Sporting royalty: (From left) Lord Sebastian Coe, Sir Stirling Moss, Dame Kelly Holmes, Gareth Edwards and Sir Steve Redgrave teamed up for a photo
In the presence of stars: Children's writer and illustrator Sir Quentin Blake stepped out to honour the charity night
Vogue: Twiggy struck a pose on the ornate staircase on Wednesday night
Plenty to talk about: (From left) Twiggy, Lord Sebastian Coe and Jenny Agutter hung out insideTom Perez, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, has been enjoying a good week as the Republican Party flounders over the damning CBO score that came out Wednesday. Perez was fortunate enough to appear on NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers" to talk about the GOP's health care bill and how the Democratic Party plans to fight it.
"This bill is an unmitigated disaster," Perez told Seth Meyers Wednesday night. "In order to provide $600 billion of tax relief to the wealthy, not only are 23 million people going to lose their coverage, but million of other folk who have a pre-existing condition... you are out of luck, potentially and probably."
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Meyers asked Perez where the Democratic Party stands when it comes to health care, as many on the left have started clamoring for a Medicare-for-all system.
"Health care should be a right and not a privilege," Perez said. "If I were king for the day, to do something akin to Medicare for all."
"But the reality right now is that the Affordable Care Act has been a lifesaver as well," he added. "The irony of this, Seth, is that the Affordable Care Act, the structure of it, was actually the brainchild of the Heritage Foundation, which is a conservative think tank."
Near the end of the interview, Meyers asked Perez what he and the DNC was doing to ensure that Democrats start winning seats back in Congress. Perez provided an answer that should please liberals:One of my main New Year resolutions is not to eat anything until AFTER I have it entered into a tracking app. In the past I’ve used MyFitnessPal (hereafter referred to as MFP) – it works fine, has pretty good social sharing so friends can see what you want them to see; and they have a massive user contributed database of foods. The website and app are free (though they hit you up pretty hard to buy the premium membership). It’s kinda like the wild west so far as their food database is concerned, though: anybody can add any food with any information. If you look in MFP for “Keto Chow” you’ll find several dozen entries, some that I made =) MFP does have some serious shortcomings though. First and largest is that user contributed database, it has a lot of good stuff in there but it also has a lot of junk: entries with incorrect or incomplete information, duplicates and more, including linking barcodes to incorrect products. Sure there’s an entry for food X, but you have to verify the information – it’s about the same as entering it yourself anyway, advantage lost. MFP also doesn’t know how to track net carbs, only total carbohydrates (including fiber). There is a Chrome browser script that you can use to add net carbs to MFP but it doesn’t work with mobile and is a bit of a hack.
By comparison, there’s Cron-O-Meter (hereafter referred to as CM) – free via browser, paid as an app with barcode scanning. The biggest difference with CM is the food database is curated – it only has validated, correct entries. It also has a lot more detailed information. You can add your own foods and recipes that combine foods together – if you buy the “gold” membership you can share foods and recipes with friends. CM also added a Ketogenic Diet mode back in March 2016 (I even posted to /r/keto about it =) – it’ll help you track net carbs and other nutrients. Set your macronutrient targets and go! I recommend CM over MFP for these two features alone. The problem becomes: How do you get custom foods into CM? I have the process for getting Keto Chow officially added to the database going but that could take years! The solution is to add it yourself with some handy information I’ll give you.
To start off, you’re going to want to add an entry for just the 50g of Keto Chow powder. You can refer to the entry I created for Keto Chow 1.9 Rich Chocolate. If you add a new food, there’s a gear icon on the far right that you can import a JSON file with the nutritional information so you don’t have to type it all.
UPDATE: The developer of Cron-O-Meter contacted me and said I should just submit all the flavors for publication in the general database. I had previously tried that but nothing ever happened. About 15 minutes after I submitted them they were approved and ready to use. So you can now simply search for “Keto Chow” in Cron-o-Meter! END UPDATE.
I was excited to find an entry already in CM for “Darigold, Whipping Cream, Heavy Classic 40%” which is the stuff I get from Costco in 2 quart packages. BUT the entry was missing a key element: the 0.48g of carbs per serving I know are in there. The solution was to find the USDA entry for “Cream, fluid, heavy whipping” and edit a copy with the specific values on the Darigold label (since the Darigold has more calories and fat at 40% fat instead of the standard 36%) see here for the complete entry I created.
OK, so you have an entry for the powder and the heavy cream. You can enter the powder and cream separately every day (tedious) or you can bundle the heavy cream into a “recipe” with the powder. I created a recipe that includes the powder, heavy cream and MCT oil (since I use MCT oil, I’ve been at this 2 years =) – you can check it out here. Now every time I want to add Rich Chocolate Keto Chow the way I like to mix it up, I just add 1 full recipe of “Keto Chow 1.9 Rich Chocolate plus 50ml heavy cream and MCT”. What about Chocolate Peanut Butter? Since it’s my #1 favorite flavor of all time you gotta know I have a recipe for that too! I made a custom food entry for “Peanut Flour Light Roast 28%“. I cloned the Rich Chocolate recipe and added 10g of the peanut flour to give me “Keto Chow 1.9 Peanut Butter plus 50ml heavy cream and MCT“. In case you’re curious, here are the entries for KC2.0 Chocolate+heavy cream and MCT and the corresponding KC2.0 Chocolate Peanut Butter. Finally, make sure you are getting your Ω-3 fatty acids – here’s an entry for the new Keto Chow Fish Oil pills.
One thing to note about CM: If you edit a food entry you created, the change will propagate back to previous days. This is handy for fixing an error you discovered but sucks for revisions. The solution is to edit a copy of the food, then “retire” the outdated one. The existing entries will remain unchanged and the old food will not show up as a suggested entry when you add food to your diary.
Here are my entries for yesterday (January 2, 2017):
The target values were derived from the Keto Macro Calculator coupled with some details I got from my DEXA scan last year.Displaying stats on broadcast has been a headache for all tournament organizers in the Overwatch scene. In some cases context is missing, in other cases crucial stats are missing and in others stats are just little fun facts with no real value. In this article, I am going to discuss three approaches from recently concluded tournaments, the pros and cons of each one of them and share some of my thoughts on how Blizzard should handle them for the Overwatch League.
The tournaments I will examine in chronological order are: Overwatch Contenders S1, APAC Premier 2017 and the Overwatch World Cup playoffs.
During Contenders S1, a serious attempt was made to incorporate stats in the desk analysis segments and to try and present to the audience another layer of information regarding players’ performances. However, the time to break them down was very limited and the presentations suffered from grave mistakes at times, making it very difficult for everyone to understand the comparisons or take them seriously. More than that, the audience was not familiar with some of the metrics used at all and especially the way they are calculated so as to be able to understand the comparisons or how big the differences were. In my opinion, focusing too much on the player level was a big mistake, since there were other categories of data to show, like map winrates, map pickrates and such, which are far more objective and crucial when discussing a team game like Overwatch.
This was the case with APAC Premier 2017, that had a very clear hierarchy in the stats displayed. The organizers presented data for both teams and players in a very pleasant and visually engaging way but it still wasn’t perfect. Ranked SR or DPI on a player card in a tournament environment are plenty meaningless. They are surely numbers that casual players can relate to or maybe want to know, but they are not at all performance-related. On the other hand, map stats and their presentation were fine and all I could ask for. One could see how many times a team had picked the map before, their winrate on it and also which maps, in general the team preferred the most. At the end of each map, a player from the winning team was crowned the MVP of that map based on his performance and a stats card was shown with his eliminations, deaths and hero damage done. These were definitely not the best stats to judge playesr’ performance by but it was a step in the right direction.
APAC concluded on the week prior to the Overwatch World Cup playoffs, in which the new spectating features were to be revealed. In the video that teased them one segment was devoted to a new way to view all player in-game stats side-by-side, and possibly compare them, that we never got to see on broadcast. What we got actually were mostly fun facts about players’ performances with very limited context and the same player cards we got last year, with hero use stats that offered little insight since they were missing crucial information. No map stats. No stats analysis segments on desk. And every time I read those popups mid-fight, I was trying to understand if what was said had any substantial value or was just a fun fact. Player stats tabs (deaths/eliminations/damage done/ultimate kills) were fine, though.
The answer on how to properly utilize stats on broadcast, going into the Overwatch League, is in the middle of these three approaches, combining the good points of all of them.
Map stats are very crucial in order to understand the strengths and weaknesses of teams map-wise and how the match can unfold, while at the same time they are the most objective ones and help keep track of teams’ progress throughout the tournament. Analysts don’t even need to waste time analyzing them since they are so straightforward. MVP cards at the end of the maps, combined with proper “wow” stats for the players who had the best performance with certain abilities/ultimates, would also work wonderfully to help viewers identify the players that had the most impactful performances per map and keep an eye out for them moving forward. Finally, for pre-match analysis, I would avoid doing player comparisons, unless there is a large enough sample size of matches played between the teams, and I would focus more on the player’s progress throughout the tournament, comparing his own numbers to the averages and highlighting the areas he’s way above or below.
I am looking forward to seeing how the OWL organizers will handle this aspect of the tournament in the preseason matches.
Featured image is courtesy of Blizzard.On Wednesday 1st of April Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands abdicated the throne in favour of her son. This event made the news all over the world. In modern Europe monarchies are no longer the norm. The Dutch monarchy was a relative late-comer to the history of European kingdoms, being established during the Napoleonic wars. The ruling dynasty descends from the prestigious house of Orange-Nassau, whose importance stretches beyond the borders of the Netherlands. In 1688 Queen Beartix’s ancestor, William III of Orange was invited by Parliament to invade England and overthrow the Catholic King, James II. This would become known in Britain as the Glorious Revolution and William of Orange would co-rule England for 12 years. In that time Protestantism was further entrenched in England and William also became infamous among Catholics for his invasions of Ireland and France. However, prior to the Glorious Revolution William, as Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, had orchestrated another, less glorious, revolution to overthrow his rival Johan de Witt, the Grand Pensionary (Prime Minister) which ended in the later being butchered and eaten by a riotous mob.
In the 17th century the Dutch Republic was one of the powerhouses of the world. Dutch trade, science, military, art and finance were the envy of the world. In this period known as the Dutch Golden Age this young republic (founded in 1581) produced artists such as Vermeer and established trade routes all over the world (they even maintained a small outpost in Japan which at the time had entered a period of seclusion from the rest of the world). However, within the Republic there were internal divisions between the House of Orange and the republicans. The House of Orange held the position of Stadtholder, a similar role to that of President. This office was for life and the holder would be chosen by a regency council (similar to the House of Lords in Britain). However, by the 17th century the office had become a hereditary position for the House of Orange and, as such, a symbol of a possible monarchist future.
The secondary office of the Netherlands was that of Grand Pensionary which was elected by the Estates (Similar to the House of Commons). From 1653 this office was held by Johan de Witt. The de Witt family was a Patrician family of great influence. As a result Johan and his brother, Cornelis received a top education at the Latin school which imbued them with fantasies of recreating the Roman Republic in the Netherlands. Johan left the Latin school to go and study mathematics and law at Leiden university. He excelled at both subjects and received a doctorate from the University of Angers in 1645. After university Johan moved into a career as a lawyer and quickly rose to prominence until he was elected as Grand Pensionary in 1653. The Dutch at the time were at war with the English Commonwealth, led by the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell. England had recently cast off its own monarchy when Parliament had executed Charles I. De Witt sought to make peace with the new English Republic which was arranged in the Treaty of Westminster in 1653. One of the clauses of this treaty was that William (future William III of England and Stadtholder of Orange) could not be elected as Stadtholder on the death of his father (confusingly also called William). Cromwell had insisted on this clause as William (III) was a blood relative of Charles I and a threat to the English Commonwealth. This clause would ultimately be the downfall of de Witt as it created a rift between the pro-monarchy Orangists and the republican Statists.
This problem did not come to the fore until 1672 due to Johan’s skill as a political manipulator and his success at blocking William from succeeding as Stadtholder. 1672 would come to be known in Dutch history as the Rampjaar or “disaster year”. In this year the Republic was attacked simultaneously by France, England (under a restored monarchy) and the German states of Galen, Munster and Bavaria. The invading armies overwhelmed the Dutch forces and conquered a large portion of the Republic. The result of this catastrophe was that the Orangists siezed power in the remaining provinces of Holland, Zeeland and Utrecht. William was installed as Stadtholder forcing Johan de Witt to resign as Grand Pensionary (William had the word “honourable” removed from the declaration of resignation). William announced that the people responsible for the disaster would be held responsible. One of the first to be held responsible would be Johan’s brother, Cornelis who had been the head of |
: Impossible, the original Batman franchise, Indiana Jones, 22 Jump Street, etc.). But now even a top-billed star of a successful female-centric franchise is not even safe from being removed from her own franchise to make room for the guy.The Georgian Lelos face off against a resurgent US Eagles for the fourth time in the past five years hoping to get revenge for their loss in Colorado last June.
GEORGIA vs UNITED STATES
Saturday, November 16, 10:00 GMT, Rustavi
Both sides will field vastly different lineups despite the relative proximity of last year’s test, with only five Americans and four Georgians repeat starters. The Lelos are on a high following their scrappy win against Canada a week ago, while the Eagles will also be feeling good about themselves after an inspired performance, albeit a losing one, against the Maori in Philadelphia. Interestingly where the Canadian match took place in the national stadium in Tbilisi, this one has been allocated to the newly built and creatively named Rustavi Rugby Stadium, the home of Georgian premiership club Kharebi Bulls. The good news is that tickets have sold out, the catch being that the apparent capacity is only around 2,700.
Milton Haig has made only three changes to the side that faced Canada, two of them enforced. Last week’s villain Viktor Kolelishvili has been suspended giving lightweight flanker Shalva Sutiashvili a shot at openside flank, and captain Irakli Machkhaneli’s foot injury means former captain Tedo Zibzibadze, normally a centre, lines up on the wing. Metro Racing prop Davit Khichagishvili exchanges his bench spot with Mikheil Nariashvili at loosehead.
Interestingly Mamuka Gorgodze has been selected as captain despite reportedly being injured during the fracas in Tbilisi. Tarbes lock Giorgi Nemsadze joins the bench, so too experienced flyhalf Lasha Malaguradze. Top goal kicker Merab Kvirikashvili is retained at fullback after being an injury doubt during the week.
The Eagles have added several professional players to their squad since arriving in Europe. Northampton powerhouse Samu Manoa adds some much needed weight to the second row, and Aviva Premiership regulars Blaine Scully and Chris Wyles come in at wing and fullback respectively. Scott LaValla, initially ruled out with a neck injury but since recalled, was not considered for selection as precaution, though Inaki Basauri and John Quill are among the reserves.
With Quill only recently recovered from knee surgery and short on game time, Derek Asbun has been picked to replace unavailable Peter Dahl at no7, while Adam Siddall is bumped up from fullback to flyhalf in light of the injury sustained by Toby L’Estrange. For many Eagle fans that might look like a blessing in disguise as the NYAC playmaker’s form has been short of spectacular this year, and Siddall at last has his opportunity to impress ahead of the World Cup qualifiers in March.
Two particularly interesting selections are that of Tim Maupin, making his official test debut, on the left wing and Folau Niua at centre. Maupin is a bold call ahead of Luke Hume, excellent against the Maori and consistently among the Eagles’ best performers, with his larger physical stature possibly preferred against the imposing Georgian wingers. Niua has already showed his attacking prowess with both the 7s side and in his limited cameos, albeit as a flyhalf, and replaces another who impressed last week, UCal’s Seamus Kelly. Niua is untested as a midfielder at this level, and will be up against two-time World Cup participant Davit Kacharava.
The American backs certainly have a more offensive-minded look to them this week, though one wonders how many opportunities they will be given against a bloody-minded Georgian pack who prefer keep the ball in tight. The forwards must front up at the scrum, and Cameron Dolan’s ability to disrupt at the lineout will be critical in combating the rolling maul that steamrolled Canada in the second half. Above all they must play their own game and avoid being sucked into the trench warfare that was the undoing of the Canadians a week ago.
If they can achieve close to parity in possession, the United States could become the first team from the Americas to achieve victory on Georgian soil. It’s a tall order but one that’s essential to prove last week’s performance wasn’t a fluke. Take the Americans to upset the hosts and win a ferocious battle by 5.
EDIT: A late change for the Eagles sees Eric Fry replace Shawn Pittman at tighthead with Titi Lamositele added to the bench.
Referee: Mike Fraser (NZRU)
Assistants: Ian Davies (WRU) & Chris Williams (WRU)
TMO: n/a
AdvertisementsODEMIRA, Portugal — Portugal may have 15 percent unemployment, but that does not mean that Reiter Affiliated Companies, an American fruit producer, can find local people to pick berries on its 76-hectare farm here.
Last year, the company, also known as RAC, began a nationwide recruitment campaign and hired 40 Portuguese. Half quit after the first day. By the end of the week, not a single one was left.
“They wanted a job, but this wasn’t what they were looking for, because it was basically too hard for too little money,” said Arnulfo Murillo, the farm’s production manager. “Farming here isn’t harder than in America, but the big difference is that being unemployed in the U.S. is a lot harder and in no way an attractive alternative.”
Instead, the farm has imported a third of its labor force all the way from Thailand — 160 of 450 employees — a more expensive alternative, but one that has filled its ranks.For other uses, see Public Eye
The Public Eye on Davos, held every year between 2000 and 2015, was a counter-event to the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos.
The project involved non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from around the world and was coordinated by Swiss organizations Erklärung von Bern (EvB, renamed "Public Eye" in 2016) and Greenpeace Switzerland.[1] The Public Eye is a platform for substantial criticism of "purely profit-oriented globalization".[2] The focus of the Public Eye Awards since 2005 has been on corporate social responsibility.[3] In 2009, the Positive category was for the first time awarded for a courageous employee for his or her exemplary contributions.[4]
History [ edit ]
The Public Eye was first hold in the year 2000 to accompany the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos critically. Together with the newspaper WOZ they organized an event under the name ″Who rules the world″ and organized a public discussion with the president of the WEF, Klaus Schwab.[5] In the following year the Public Eye was extended to a multiple day counter-conference with 20 participants from NGOs and critical scientists. They also followed the WEF to New York in 2002, where the President of the Swiss Confederation, Kaspar Villiger, opened the conference.[6]
In 2005 they introduced the Public Eye Awards as a renewal of the event, which was in future the main event of the Public Eye on Davos. In 2007, after Pro Natura stopped working on the event because the use of the event was too one-sited on the organizers of the WEF, Greenpeace was beside Erklärung von Bern the new organizing partner of the event.[7] The Public Eye celebrated its ten-year anniversary on 28 January 2009.[2] In 2015, Davos was for the last time the venue of the Public Eye Award with Chevron Corporation as winner of the lifetime award.[8][9]
Laureates [ edit ]
Public Eye Award Awarded for Purely profit-oriented globalisation (bad corporate environmental or social responsibility) Date 2000-2015 Country Switzerland Presented by Public Eye and (since 2009) Greenpeace Switzerland Website http://www.publiceye.org/
2015 [ edit ]
Winner of the Lifetime Award: Chevron Corporation
Chevron was 'awarded' namely for its activities of the past 10 years in Bolivia, that caused enormous ecological damage.[10]
According to Schweiz aktuell broadcast on 16 January 2015, a public presence during the WEF 2015 may not be guaranteed because the massively increased security in Davos. The Public Eye Award will be awarded for the last time in Davos: Public Eyes says Goodbye to Davos, confirmed by the Rolf Marugg (now Landrats politician), by not directly enganed politicians, and by the police responsible.[8] As communicated before by Erklärung von Bern on 19 November 2014, following the announcement of the Lifetime Award winner on 23 January 2015, a closing conference will be hold, with the participation of the Yes Men, Sven Giegold, the Attac co-founder and European Parliamentarian, and Adrian Monck as Managing Director und Head of Public Engagement of the WEF association, as well as Noreena Hertz, economy professor and best-selling author.[9]
2014 [ edit ]
In December 2013, Gazprom became the first company in the world to start drilling for oil in the Arctic Barents Sea. Since the drilling began, the corporation has already violated several federal safety and environmental regulations. Fashion giant Gap has refused to sign the binding agreement «Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh». Instead, it is actively undermining serious reform by promoting a non-binding corporate-controlled program.[11]
2013 [ edit ]
Nominees were Coal India, G4S, Lonmin, and Repower
2012 [ edit ]
Winners: People's award: Vale, Jury award: Barclays
Nominees were Freeport, TEPCO, Samsung and Syngenta
2011 [ edit ]
Nominees were Axpo (a Swiss energy company), BP, Foxconn and Philip Morris
2010 [ edit ]
The Public Eye Award in the category Swiss and People was given to the Swiss health care-company for the selling of the drug Cellcept in China, where over 90% of the organs for transplantation comes from executed prisoners - against their own will.
Nominees: International Olympic Committee
2009 [ edit ]
Newmont received the 2009 award for its Akyem project in Ghana. According to the jury it had destroyed unique natural habitats, carried out forced resettlement of local people and polluted soil and rivers.[12][13] Newmont described the information as misleading and said the project had been extensively studied by international and national environmental experts, members of the local communities, and by the appropriate governmental agencies and departments.[14]
BWFK FMB Energie AG received the Swiss Award for their participation at German coal-burning power plants and the same time propagation of power efficiency and renewable energy in Switzerland.
The positive Award was given to two members of the union Sintracarbon in Colombia for their fight for better work conditions for the workers in the country's biggest coal mine (El Cerrejón).
2008 [ edit ]
Winners: 2x Areva (Global, People), Glencore (Swiss)
Positive Award: Hess Natur
Both the People’s Award and the Global Award were given to French state-owned Areva for the suppression of true health conditions of uranium mine workers at subsidiaries Somaïr and Cominak in northern Niger.[15] Therefore, the hospitals would diagnose patients with HIV when they were actually displaying symptoms of cancer caused by radioactive contamination of air, water and soil. Glencore was "honored" for its opaque business practices and unacceptable labor rights in Colombian coal mines.[16]
The Positive Award went to Hess Natur, Germany’s largest mail-order house for natural fabrics, for its social and ecological involvement that stresses fair trade of its raw materials.
2007 [ edit ]
Bridgestone received the Global Award for the disastrous working conditions at a subsidiary in Liberia.[17] The workers lived in mud huts, the children were forced to work, and they had to handle highly toxic materials without protection.[18] Novartis received the Swiss Award for the patenting of the cancer drug Imatinib, forcing a halt in production of Indian generics. As a result, ten thousand patients worldwide could no longer afford medication that slowed the spread of leukemia.[19] The product from Novartis is ten times more expensive than the generics.[20]
Coop received the Positive Award for its dedication to ecological products and farming in Switzerland.
2006 [ edit ]
For 30 years, Chevron allowed highly toxic waste water to flow into the Amazon in Ecuador, and for cost-saving reasons it did not pump the waste water back into the earth, which was normal practice at the time.[21] Chevron refuses to pay for the environmental consequences and the health problems of the local communities.[22] Citigroup received its award for the unscrupulous advice it gave to tax evaders. Disney produces toys in China and does not disclose the names of the suppliers, thus protecting them from industry monitoring.[22]
The Positive Award was given to the three organizations for their efforts against the unlawful closure of a Continental tire factory in Mexico, in which all of the organizations’ demands were met.
2005 [ edit ]
Dow received its award for the refusal to accept any responsibility for the 1984 catastrophe in Bhopal. Dow merged with the company responsible for the accident.[23] Shell received its award for gas flaring in Nigeria in residential areas.[24] Wal-Mart denies responsibility for working conditions at its suppliers.[25] KPMG received its award for encouraging its clients to practice aggressive tax evasion.[26]This has been going on for three years, yet I just learned of it:
In 2008, Japan’s Ministry of Health passed the ‘metabo’ law and declared war against obesity. …
Japanese people are normally envied for their lean physiques. In fact, the OECD ranks them, with only 3% population obesity, one of the least obese developed countries. … Comparing the time periods 1976-1980 and 1996-2000, prevalence of obese boys and girls increased from 6.1% and 7.1% to 11.1% and 10.2%. …
The law mandates that local governments and employers add a waist measurement test to the annual mandatory check up of 40-75 year olds. For men and women who fail the test and exceed the maximum allowed waist length of 33.5 and 35.4 inches, they are required to attend a combination of counseling sessions, monitoring through phone and email correspondence, and motivational support. …
Employers or local government … are required to ensure a minimum of 65% participation, with an overall goal to cut the country’s obesity rates by 25% by year 2015. Failure to meet these goals results in fines of almost 10% of current health payments. (more)
Even before Japanese lawmakers set the waistline limits last year, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) amended its recommended guidelines for the Japanese. The new IDF standard is 90 centimeters (35.4 inches) for men and 80 centimeters (31.5 inches) for women. But the Japanese government has yet to modify its limits. (more; HT Melanie Meng Xue)
Two interesting patterns:
Japanese waist limits are stricter on men, yet since men are taller health-based rules would be stricter on women. The thinnest rich nation (Japan) passed a big law to make itself thinner just as the biggest medical spending nation (USA) debated a big law (Obamacare) ensuring it would spend more on medicine.
My tentative explanations:
Most societies find it easier to disrespect/mistreat/etc. low status men than low status women. National policy is more about reaffirming and supporting symbols of national pride than about addressing national needs. The USA is proud of its medicine and Japan is proud of its thinness.
Note that that if you want to regulate health it makes far more sense to regulate weight than medicine, since weight is far more related to health than medicine.
GD Star Rating
loading...The Vancouver Police Department says it’s identified the three men seen in security footage at Pacific Centre and “determined their actions were completely innocent.”
“All three men were cooperative with investigators and they had a very logical explanation regarding their behaviour,” said the department in a statement, hours after it held a press conference asking that the three people who were seen filming inside the mall on January 12 to come forward.
Late on Friday, Global News learned what that logical explanation was. The youngest of the three males is a 14-year-old from England with vision impairment, and the two adults with him – his father and a family friend – were taking additional photos and video so he could better remember his visit to Canada after the fact.
“Because they don’t see well, they take more photos,” said Dr. Weidong Yu of the Wellspring Clinic, who said the family was in Vancouver so the child could receive treatment from him, and that they phoned Vancouver Police from his office Friday morning.
“It’s an innocent accident.”
READ MORE: Vancouver Police ‘not racial profiling’ suspects who took video of Pacific Centre
Police had been investigating the situation for two days, but an internal memo with photos of the men was leaked to a local media outlet on January 14, and subsequently confirmed by the department itself.
VPD Chief Cst. Adam Palmer said there was no risk to the public, but said describing the individuals as “Middle Eastern looking” in their original release about the situation was not a case of racial profiling.
WATCH: Vancouver police Chief Cst. Adam Palmer says the investigation of three men, described as Middle Eastern, taking photos at Pacific Centre is not racial profiling.The subpoena served on St. Louis Public Radio Thursday is both baffling and disturbing.
It arrived the day after the Board of Aldermen's Public Safety Committee hearing devolved into shouting and shoving. The topic under discussion was a plan for a civilian review board for police. Police union representative Jeff Roorda, accompanied by union members, was among those present when the scuffle broke out. No arrests were made at the meeting, but police announced Thursday they would investigate complaints.
The subpoena commands us to provide: “All raw and aired video and audio footage of the meeting... including footage of interviews, the meeting itself and any events that occurred in the meeting room or in the area outside the meeting room. We are further requesting any and all handwritten notes and/or names of witnesses contained in said footage, coverage and articles from January 28, 2015 to the present,” it says.
Then it asks us to keep the whole thing mum, saying: “Pursuant to Sections 540.110 and 540.120, RSMo, you are requested not to disclose the existence of this subpoena or that you have provided information pursuant to this subpoena. Such disclosure would impede investigation at this time.” Those statutes relate to secrecy of grand jury proceedings and do not require that subpoenas be kept secret.
What's baffling is this: Why subpoena a news organization for information when this was a public meeting with many witnesses present, including several police officers? Why assert that public disclosure of the subpoena would impede the investigation when the investigation was publicly announced?
There are good reasons why news organizations generally resist turning information over to authorities – and why prosecutors usually force news organizations to get involved only as a matter of last resort. Freedom of the press is a constitutional right – guaranteed because the country's founders recognized that it's essential for keeping the public informed and for checking abuses of power. When prosecutors seek journalists' notes, images and recordings, that impedes their ability to function.
You've seen news organizations playing a vital role in the aftermath of Michael Brown's death in Ferguson. Though the work has been far from perfect, reporters and photographers have been crucial in helping St. Louisans and the world understand what's happening, what's at stake, what's fact and what's rumor.
Sometimes, the journalists have faced hazards or even threats as they've witnessed looting or found themselves in the midst of confrontations between protesters and police. How much riskier will that work become if people think everything journalists observe will end up in the hands of prosecutors?
There has been long and vigorous debate over whether reporters should have an absolute right to shield sources and information. But you need not resolve that question to see that it's a mistake to subpoena St. Louis Public Radio in this case. Authorities have many other ways to obtain information. And the public has much to lose if the functioning of the press is compromised.
That's why this particular subpoena is so disturbing. And the “request” to keep it secret makes it even more so. When public interests are at stake, then public scrutiny and debate are essential. It's unreasonable to take action that could impinge on the ability of news organizations to serve the public, then ask that the public be kept in the dark.
Soon after it arrived, St. Louis Public Radio reported the existence of the subpoena. We will continue to do our best to keep St. Louisans well informed.Foto: Guliver Image/Getty Images, Hina
AUSTRIJA slavi! Mario Matt pobjednik je slalomske utrke na Zimskim olimpijskim igrama u Sočiju! Kostelić je na kraju završio na 9. mjestu u slalomu, a zlato ide u Austriju. 34-godišnji Mario Matt olimpijski je pobjednik u slalomu, drugo mjesto osvojio je Marcel Hirscher, dok je bronca pripala Henriku Kristoffersenu!
Tijek druge vožnje:
10 skijaša od njih 25 koji su nastupili nisu završili utrku. Među njima je i Neureuther.
Pratimo skijaše koji imaju zaostatak manji od sekunde. Marcel Hirscher je preuzeo vodstvo!
Larsson je uspio izgurati Kostelića sa četvrtog mjesta.
Oni sretnici koji su stigli do cilja, uzeli su prva dva mjesta. Kristoffersen iz Norveške trenutačno je prvo, dok je drugi Dopfer iz Njemačke. Kostelić je pao na četvrto mjesto.
Krenuo je Kostelić! Prvi dio staze odradio je bez pogreške, ali Profesor je usporio u drugom dijelu te je u cilj ušao sa zaostatkom od 0.83 stotinke. Kostelić je trenutačno na diobi drugog mjesta. Vodeći je Adam Zampa.
Stazu u drugom laufu postavio je Ante Kostelić. Trojica skijaša na samom početku druge vožnje nisu uspjela završiti utrku.
Katastrofalno je Kostelić otvorio utrku, napravio veliku pogrešku na startu i već na prvom prolazu zaostao 1.12 sekundi za Austrijancem. U drugom dijelu staze je bio bolji, no nedovoljno da upadne u prvih dvadeset. Na 21. mjestu je.
Zanimljivo, na prve tri pozicije su prva trojica skijaša koji su se spustili niz stazu. Vodi Austrijanac Mario Matt, drugi je Šveđanin Andre Myhrer koji zaostaje 45 stotinki, a treći je još jedan Šveđanin Mattias Hargin sa 75 stotinki zaostatka. Isti zaostatak kao Hargin ima Talijan Stefano Gross.
Razočarao je prvi favorit Marcel Hirscher koji zaostaje 1.28 sekundi iako nije napravio niti jednu vidljivu pogrešku.
Natko Zrnčić-Dim kasni za Mattom 3.54 sekunde.
Dalibor Šamšal je završio prvu vožnju! Sjajan rezultat budući da je riječ o svjetskom rekorderu po broju odustajanja. Zaostaje četiri sekunde. Sekundu više kasni Matej Vidović.
Prvu vožnju postavio je njemački trener Dopplehofer, a drugu Ivičin otac Ante koji je u Sočiju već postavio kombinacijski slalom gdje je Ivica doskijao do srebra, svog četvrtog olimpijskog.
Tijek utrke:
Više od pet sekundi zaostatka za Vidovića.
Natko Zrnčić-Dim kasni za Mattom 3.54 sekunde.
Dalibor Šamšal je završio prvu vožnju! Sjajan rezultat budući da je riječ o svjetskom rekorderu po broju odustajanja. Zaostaje četiri sekunde.
Kostelić je 20. poslije 30 skijaša.
Konačno netko iza Ivice. Šveđanin Baeck kasni 2.32 sekunde.
Razzoli, branitelj naslova, zaostaje 1.80 sekundi. Na 14. je mjestu.
Tekst se nastavlja ispod oglasa
Nakon 20 skijaša Ivica je i dalje posljednji.
Gross je treći! Ima isti zaostatak kao Hargin.
Ligety, zlatni iz veleslaloma, pustio je skiju i doskijao do petog mjesta. U igri je za medalju!
Nakon 15 skijaša Kostelić je dvanaesti s najlošijim vremenom budući da su trojica odustala.
Kraj i za Raicha.
Grange je sjajan! Četvrti je, ima 77 stotinki zaostatka!
Herbst je imao dobro prolazno vrijeme, no pao je i pridružio se Thaleru koji je ranije odustao.
Pinturault je peti, malo više od sekunde iza Matta.
Kostelić je posljednji, sedmi s 2.05 sekundi zaostatka. Katastrofalno je otvorio utrku, napravio veliku pogrešku na startu i već na prvom prolazu zaostao 1.12 sekundi. U drugom dijelu staze je bio bolji, no nedovoljno da izbjegne posljednju poziciju.
Neureuther, jedan od favorita za zlato, napravio je veliku grešku na startu. Zbog nje je na prvom prolazu kasnio više od pola sekunde. Završio je četvrti s 87 stotinki zaostata za Mattom.
Thaler je solidno odradio gornji dio staze, ali je u donjem izletio iako je mogao u TOP 3.
Nevjerojatan zaostatak Kristoffersena! Kasni čak 1.79 sekundi.
Hirscher, prvi favorit utrke, zaostao je na prvom prolazu čak pola sekunde. Na sredini staze je imao sekundu zaostatka, a u cilj je ušao četvrti s 1.28 sekundi zaostatka.
Matt je stvorio prednost na početku, a do cilja ju je povećao na 45 stotinki. Najava njegovog dobrog rezultata.
Drugi je krenuo Myhrerov sunarodnjak Hargin. Loše je odradio gornji dio staze, te je u cilj ušao s 30 stotinki zaostatka.
Myhrer je otvorio olimpijski slalom. Solidna vožnja švedskog skijaša.
Uoči utrke:
Ove sezone Ivica ne briljira u slalomu, te je nakon sedam utrka u Svjetskom kupu tek 15. slalomaš svijeta sa samo 98 bodova. Jedini top 10 rezultat ostvario je na početku sezone u Leviju gdje je bio na korak do postolja, plasiran na četvrto mjesto. U ostalim utrkama bio bio plasiran između 17. i 27. mjesta, a u omiljenom Wengenu je odustao.
"Ja uopće nemam nikakav osjećaj. Ništa mi se ne čini, samo uđem u cilj i vidim da imam očajno vrijeme. Tako je to cijele sezone", rekao je razočarani Ivica nakon olimpijskog veleslaloma u Sočiju.
Od četiri olimpijska srebra, tri su iz kombinacije, a jedno je slalomsko. Prije četiri godine u Vancouveru Kostelić je zaostao 16 stotinki za pobjednikom Giulianom Razzolijem - dovoljno za drugo mjesto.
Četiri godine ranije je bio blizu medalje, završio je šesti, a od brončanog Rainera Schoenfeldera ga je dijelilo samo 30 stotinki.
Na svojim debitantskim Igrama u Salt Lake Cityju Ivica je sjajno odradio prvu vožnju na "ludoj" stazi na kojoj je odustalo čak 28 skijaša. Bio je četvrti i jako blizu prve medalje. Ipak, nije se uspio izboriti s pritiskom, te je u drugoj vožnji ispao.WikiLeaks announced Tuesday on Twitter that it is offering $20,000 for information leading to a conviction in last month's shooting death of Democratic National Committee (DNC) staffer Seth Rich.
ANNOUNCE: WikiLeaks has decided to issue a US$20k reward for information leading to conviction for the murder of DNC staffer Seth Rich. — WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) August 9, 2016
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Police say Rich, 27, was shot multiple times at around 4:19 a.m. Sunday, July 10, while walking to his apartment in the Northwest Washington, D.C., neighborhood of Bloomingdale.
At the time, police say they believed Rich could have been killed in an attempted robbery, though nothing was stolen.
The WikiLeaks announcement, however, appears to be related to unsubstantiated conspiracy theories that Rich’s death could have been politically motivated.
Wikileaks Editor-in-Chief Julian Assange seemed to suggest during a Dutch TV interview on Tuesday that Rich was the source of the leak of DNC officials' emails.
“Whistleblowers go to significant efforts to get us material and often very significant risks. As a 27 year-old, works for the DNC, was shot in the back, murdered just a few weeks ago for unknown reasons as he was walking down the street in Washington,” he told Nieuwsuur.
“I’m suggesting that our sources take risks.”
When pressed, however, Assange said Wikileaks does not comment on who its sources are.
“We have to understand how high the stakes are in the United States,” he added.
WikiLeaks is offering the reward more than two weeks after the group published thousands of internal DNC emails on the eve of the party's national convention, which caused an uproar among supporters of Bernie Sanders Bernard (Bernie) SandersSenate Dems seek to turn tables on GOP in climate change fight Bernie Sanders Town Hall finishes third in cable news race, draws 1.4 million viewers Woman to undecided Biden: 'Just say yes' to 2020 bid MORE and forced Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz to step down.
The anti-secrecy organization has been accused of having an agenda against Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonREAD: Cohen testimony alleges Trump knew Stone talked with WikiLeaks about DNC emails County GOP in Minnesota shares image comparing Sanders to Hitler Holder: 'Time to make the Electoral College a vestige of the past' MORE, who has long been a target of conspiracy theories related to the death of onetime White House aide Vince Foster.
Police in Washington have been tight-lipped about the Rich investigation but have suggested they believed the crime was a robbery.
Just last week, D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier said it was possible that Rich was killed in an attempted robbery. She spoke at an event with Rich’s mother, and both made a plea for tips that might help solve the case.
There have been 77 homicides in Washington in 2016, though Rich’s death is the only one recorded in the last year within 1,500 feet of where he was killed.
Fifty-one violent crimes have been recorded by D.C. police in that area in the last year, however, including 19 robberies with guns and 10 assaults with a dangerous weapon, according to the police crime map.
After Rich’s killing, neighbors told Fox 5 that violence in the area had recently spiked, especially in a nearby construction zone.
One Howard University student said he had been the victim of an armed robbery just a week before Rich’s death, according to the Fox 5 report.
“I was walking through this construction area, and as soon as I got into the construction area, there was a spotter that walked past me on my left,” Brandon Alexander told the television station. “As soon as he passed me on my left, the shooter came out of basically the construction area with a gun, put it to my face and basically took everything I had.”
D.C. police are offering their own $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for the shooting death of the DNC staffer.
Police said in a press release at the time that patrols heard gunshots around 4:20 a.m. and found Rich suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead later that morning.
--This report was updated on Aug. 10 at 10:41 a.m.The actress who already boasts an Oscar, Emmy and Tony, becomes that rare octogenarian making a narrative directing debut.
At the age of 84, Oscar-winning actress Ellen Burstyn is about to add director to her long and impressive résumé.
Burstyn will make her feature helming debut with the comedy Bathing Flo, which will be produced and financed by upstart QC Entertainment. The Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore actress also will co-star in the film and executive produce.
With Bathing Flo, Burstyn joins Eleanor Coppola as that rare octogenarian making a narrative directing debut (the 80-year-old Coppola's Paris Can Wait debuted at the Toronto Film Festival in September, though both she and Burstyn are younger than record holder Takeo Kimura, who was 90 when his Dreaming Awake was released in 2008).
Inspired by a true story, Bathing Flo centers on Danny, a down-on-his-luck man who is offered the opportunity to house-sit in exchange for free rent. What isn’t mentioned is that an eccentric woman named Flo (Burstyn) is part of the bargain. As comedy and tragedy ensue, Flo and Danny reluctantly agree to share the apartment and in turn share invaluable life lessons.
Actress Lauren Lake wrote the screenplay, which was based on an initial draft by Danny Brocklehurst and Danny Sherman. Casting currently is underway, with production set to begin in the spring in New York. Lake also will co-star in the film.
Bathing Flo will be introduced to buyers at EFM in Berlin by QC, which recently was formed by Darko Entertainment’s Sean McKittrick and Ted Hamm and Movie Package Co.’s Ray Mansfield and Shaun Redick. ICM Partners is handling the film domestically.
Bathing Flo is being produced by McKittrick and Mansfield alongside Thruline Entertainment’s Sherman and Lake. QC’s Edward H. Hamm Jr. and Redick are executive producing. Erica Steinberg will serve in a producorial capacity.
As a performer, Burstyn is a Grammy shy of an EGOT, having won an Oscar for Martin Scorsese’s Alice (she has been nominated five other times, most recently in Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream), an Emmy for a guest appearance on Law & Order: SVU (she most recently received a nomination for her performance as Elizabeth Hale on House of Cards) and a Tony for Bernard Slade’s Same Time, Next Year.
“We’re incredibly excited and honored to be joining this fantastic team, both as producers and financiers, in working with a singular artist such as Ellen in making her feature directing debut,” McKittrick and Mansfield said Tuesday in a statement.
QC has quickly carved out a niche as a backer of first-time directors' projects, including Jordan Peele’s Get Out and Zoe Lister-Jones’ Band Aid, both of which debuted last month at Sundance, as well as Michael Sheen’s true-crime thriller Green River Killer.
Burstyn is repped by ICM and Courtney Kivowitz of MGMT Management. Lake is handled by attorney Sean Marks. Brocklehurst is repped by UTA, United Agents and Thruline. Mansfield negotiated the deals on behalf of QC.CLOSE Gov. Terry Branstad originally proposed spending $7.5 billion in fiscal year 2017-2018. His revised budget lowers that by $173.3 million. His proposed reductions would come from the following areas of the state budget. Wochit
Buy Photo Gov. Terry Branstad talks with reporters on March 6, 2017, as Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds stands at his side. (Photo: William Petroski/Des Moines Register)Buy Photo
Gov. Terry Branstad is responding to a shortfall in state revenue by cutting $173 million in spending from a budget blueprint he previously proposed to the Iowa Legislature for the fiscal year that begins July 1.
Branstad aides |
audiences will likewise tend to polarize." But this isn't the first study to show that (others are cited in the study).
The disturbing thing here is that it's not simply a different view of reality; Fox is disputing reality itself. The change in our climate and the scientific community's widespread attribution of it to human influences are both factual, yet Fox has managed to help foster doubts about these facts.
This is made even more disturbing by the fact that they didn't actually have to do this. Facts don't necessarily dictate a specific policy response, and there is plenty of ground to argue policy from a partisan perspective. But, rather than focus on the policy, the network has chosen to dispute the facts themselves.
The International Journal of Press/Politics, 2011. DOI: 10.1177/1940161211425410 (About DOIs).There's a chance the Charlottesville man put into the spotlight by his speech at the Democratic National Convention could run for public office.
A crowdfunding effort started by a veteran is hoping to encourage Khizr Khan to make a run for a state position.
Vietnam War veteran and longtime Democratic activist Thomas Keefe started the "Yes We Khan" fundraising effort at crowdpac.com.
Keefe is hoping to draft Gold Star father, Khizr Khan, to run for Virginia's 58th District House of Delegates. That would put him up against a Republican nominee to represent Charlottesville, Albemarle and surrounding portions of central Virginia.
Incumbent Rob Bell plans to run for attorney general in 2017.
Since the campaign's creation Tuesday, it has garnered nearly 150 pledges and raised more than $14,000 Those donations are only cashed if Khan decides to run, and at this point, it is unclear if Khan would accept.
NBC29 reached out to the Khan family through a media relations person, but have yet to hear back. In a statement to the Washington Post, Khan declined comment, saying the family is "grateful for the outpouring of love, support and respect."
Khan, a 2000 graduate of UVA, was killed by a car bomb while on guard duty in Baghdad in 2004. The 27-year-old soldier was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for his service.SLO City Council appeases the bike zealots
August 28, 2017
On Aug. 15, our San Luis Obispo City Council unanimously voted to ram a “cycle track”– essentially a bicycle highway—right down the throat of the Broad Street, Mission Street, and Chorro Street neighborhoods–despite the overwhelming neighborhood opposition that spoke against such an action. It was a remarkable display of our council’s arrogance, disinformation, and unshakeable ideology without an ounce of compassion for our neighborhood.
Yes, the council embraced the selfish “bike zealots,” regardless of the consequences to those of us who live on these residential streets. But not all cyclists are selfish.
As a former cyclist, I was an unselfish one who had no problem getting around town before it had any bike boulevards or bike paths. For example:
1. I actually obeyed traffic laws and stopped at stop signs, while the bike zealots blast through them at full speed without hesitation.
2. I respected vehicular traffic, while the bike zealots curse the automobile.
3. Motorists pay gas taxes and registration fees to fund our roads, but bikes pay nothing for our streets.
4. As a motorist, I respect the space and safety of cyclists, but they want priority use of our streets at the expense of the rest of us.
5. While they may feel they are doing “God’s work” in terms of healthy exercise and not polluting our air, they have no compunction about functionally and visually polluting our neighborhoods.
We should be preserving 0ur neighborhoods
Instead of dividing our neighborhoods and destroying their character, our city should be focused upon preserving their physical and social distinctness. Instead of growing by and reacting to one individual development project after another, we should be growing by fully functional neighborhoods with a strong sense of place and cohesion. Non-neighborhood traffic should be routed around neighborhoods, not through them. Yet these principles seem to be missing in action in the planning of our city and in the minds of our council members.
Now it’s great that people want to ride bicycles to work or to recreate with their families on Broad Street. After all, it is already a shared corridor with painted bicycle symbols located in the travel lanes. With its stop signs and speed bumps to control speed, Broad Street works well and safely with both cars and bikes.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!
Despite voting with the council majority, Councilmember Andy Pease was the only one who seemed to have some concern for our neighborhood. She asked the Public Works Department why they hadn’t considered running bike boulevards around the neighborhoods rather than through them. A good question. She was onto something.
Bike highways belong on the arterial streets that frame our neighborhoods rather than through the middle of them. The Broad/Chorro corridors are designated as “residential collector” streets rather than “arterial” streets like Foothill Boulevard, or Los Osos Valley Road, or Johnson Avenue, or the Higuera/Marsh street corridors.
The residential streets within our neighborhoods should be treated like Broad Street is today: as a shared street for both cars and bicycles in keeping with the character of our neighborhood, not as a bicycle highway.
But they want to trash our neighborhood
But such principles of neighborhood preservation are lost on the bike zealots. They can’t stand sharing the road. It’s just not enough.
They want our roads all to themselves. Get rid of on-street parking, despite the fact that some residents have no off-street parking. Let those people park in somebody else’s neighborhood. They want to trash Broad Street by turning it into a hideous obstacle course bristling with plastic pylons, cluttered with public signage, and clogged with goofy traffic circles that require eight public signs per intersection wherever they are placed.
The bike zealots constantly preach for bikes over cars and they do so with a religious zeal. They exhibit a smug sense of moral superiority over those who drive cars, as evidenced by the flippant comments of Councilmember Dan Revoire, an avid cyclist himself, as he blithely dismissed the concerns of those who live in the neighborhood at the hearing. They are also very well-organized.
The bike lobby is one the most powerful special interest groups in the city, and they have apparently gotten a lock on the San Luis Obispo City Council.
Despite their proselytizing, not everyone wants to join the bike religion. Ask my disabled wife to go grocery shopping on a bicycle or ask my eight month pregnant daughter-in-law to do the same. And what about when it rains? Yet one avid cyclist said recently on Nextdoor that even 100-year-olds should ride bikes (emphasis added). There’s that arrogance again!
Bikes and fiscal responsibility
Bikes and fiscal responsibility should go hand-in-hand, but in San Luis Obispo they are way out of whack. Remember that cars pay all the taxes and fees for the construction and maintenance of our roads. Yet bikes don’t pay anything for them. If that is more than tough to reconcile, what the city proposes to do at Highway 101 and Broad Street is downright ridiculous.
Part of the city’s Broad Street Bicycle Boulevard concept is the eventual closure of the Broad Street on and off ramps at Highway 101 and the construction of a pedestrian and bicycle bridge over the freeway as well as over the large drainage systems of Stenner Creek and Brizzollara Creek.
Caltrans has already announced that it will never close the Broad Street on and off ramps to Highway 101 until it can resolve how to deal with freeway traffic at the intersection of Highway 1 and 101. That project, anticipated to take well over $65 million at a time when the state has no money, will not happen anytime soon, if ever.
How our city can make sense of spending millions of dollars building such a project when bikes provide no funding, only to dump high speed bicycle traffic directly into what should be the pedestrian district of Mission Plaza, is beyond me. But building such a facility just one short block away from the Chorro Street underpass that already has bike lanes is the height of fiscal insanity.
Consider other cities like Los Angeles, Baltimore, MD, and others who have done similar installations to those proposed on Broad Street, only to later recant the problems they’ve caused and remove such installations. Councilmember Michael Bonin of the City of Los Angeles who championed a number of “road diet” projects openly issued a profound personal apology for messing up city streets and wasting the city’s money in doing it.
Rather than trashing our neighborhoods and wasting our money, the bike lobby and the city should focus on projects of true benefit to the bike riding community like completing the rail trail from the Edna Valley to Cal Poly or the Bob Jones City-to-the-Sea Greenway. Building a pedestrian and bike bridge adjacent to the Monterey Street railroad bridge and extending the existing rail trail to the north is something that can become a true bicycle highway running on essentially flat ground to easily convey cyclists from north to south across the entire community. That’s where the city should be spending its bicycle money.
Just say no
Quite simply, has our SLO City Council become a government of, by, and for the bike lobby, our neighborhoods and the rest of us be damned? Apparently so.
But it isn’t over yet. The council gave direction to staff to come back with another alternative, and our residents are starting to organize to parry this blow to their neighborhood character and the quality of their lives. When it comes back to the SLO City Council, we’ll be back in force.
Loading...The structures, grounds and landscaping of Balboa Park are managed and maintained by the City of San Diego Park and Recreation Department.
Smoking
Smoking is not permitted in Balboa Park.
Alcohol Permitted:
Alcohol is permitted from noon until to 8:00 p.m. in the following locations: Botanical Building East Lawn and West Lawn; House of Pacific Relations Lawn; International Lawn; Mall Lawn; Moreton Bay Fig Lawn; Pan American Plaza Lawn; Recital Hall Lawn.
Alcohol NOT Permitted:
Alcohol use is not permitted in all other areas of Balboa Park. Please review the San Diego Municipal Code on Alcohol Consumption for details.
Dogs
Dogs must be leashed and under control of owner at all times throughout the park, including trails and canyons.
There are two exceptions: 2 legal areas designated and posted as 24 hour dog-off-leash zones at:
Balboa Dr. at El Prado, Nate's Point, south side of Cabrillo Bridge
Morley Field, northwest of tennis courts. SDMC 63.0102(b)(2)
Grape St. Park is designated and posted as dog-off-leash area during the following times: Monday-Friday, 7:30--9:00 p.m.; Saturday, Sunday & Holidays, 9:00--9:00 p.m. Dogs off leash other than the posted times is a violation of SDMC 63.0102(b)(2)(c)
Owners must pick up and dispose of dog feces in all areas.
Plants
It is unlawful to destroy or remove any vegetation in the Park. Collection of plants/seeds may be arranged through the Balboa Park horticulturist by calling 235-1114. SDMC 63.0102(b)(4)
Barbecues
All fires must be contained within barbecues. Portable barbecues are permitted and coals must be emptied into the concrete hot coal containers or permanent barbecues.
Glass containers
It is unlawful to possess any cup, jar or container made of glass and used to carry or containing liquid. SDMC 63.0102(b)(7)
Sale of merchandise
It is unlawful to sell any goods or merchandise without written consent of the City. SDMC 63.0102(b)(13)
Solicitation
It is unlawful to practice, conduct or solicit any occupation or profession without the written consent of the City. SDMC 63.0102 (b)(14)
Outdoor Entertainment Permits
Balboa Park Entertainment Permits are issued by lottery (random drawing). Find more information on how to obtain an Outdoor Entertainment Permit for Balboa Park and the rules and regulations in the Balboa Park Entertainer brochure (PDF).
Bicycles
Bicycles are permitted in the Park except at the Spanish Village, House of Pacific Relations International Cottages, and the Rose and Desert Gardens east of Park Blvd. SDMC 63.0102 (b)(19)
Large Groups
Groups of more than 49 persons must obtain a permit to hold or participate in any celebration, parade or special event. Contact Park and Recreation Dept. at 235-1169. SDMC 63.0102 (b)(24).
Roller skates, skateboards and similar devices
The above are NOT permitted on ANY roadway or sidewalk in Balboa Park. Exceptions: Park Blvd., Richmond St. or Sixth Ave. and those areas of Balboa Park located west of the Cabrillo Bridge or east of Park Blvd. (Morley Field.) SDMC 63.0106(b)
At NO time shall skaters damage Park property (skating on benches, stairs, rails, ledges, ramps etc. is prohibited.) SDMC 63.0106(a)
At NO time shall skaters inhibit Park users access or enjoyment of the Park. SDMC 63.0103(a)
Trails
Stay on designated trails.
Hiking and biking is permitted.
Removal of any plants, rocks, natural resources is strictly prohibited and enforced.
Dogs must be leashed and under owner's control and owner must pick up and dispose of feces.
Garbage must be properly disposed of.
Balboa Park Trail Maps are available at the Balboa Park Visitors Center for $5.50. There are interpretive panels at the main trail heads with maps and regulations. Main trail heads are: Park Blvd./Zoo Place, Park Blvd./Morley Field Drive, Florida Drive/Pershing Drive and Morley Field west of tennis courts and southwest of velodrome.
Refer all questions/comments to the Park Ranger office at (619) 235-1122.It's probably fair to say that the program didn't take off the way Walmart wanted, but the company spun it a different way. "In this day and age, two-day shipping is really just table stakes -- people shouldn't have to pay for it and certainly not a membership," said eCommerce President Marc Lore, in a mild dig against his online arch-rival.
However, people are certainly willing to pay for it with Amazon, as the online retail giant now has some 50 million US subscribers, 90 percent of whom renew each year. And while the streaming, lending library and same-day shipping are nice perks, most folks say they do it because of the free two-day shipping, according to Kantar.
In this day and age, two-day shipping is really just table stakes -- people shouldn't have to pay for it and certainly not a membership.
Walmart's $500 billion in sales still dwarfs the Amazon's $110 billion figure, but Amazon customers tend to be loyal once then sign up to Prime and spend twice as much as non-members. Amazon also has 40 million products eligible for Prime shipping, 20 times what Walmart offers. Lore says, however, that "there won't be too many products that you'll want that won't be available [with] two day shipping."
Walmart was reportedly planning to offer a Prime-like service with the streaming service it purchased in 2010, Vudu, along with other perks. At this point, it's not clear if such a program is still in the works, unless it's using the free two-day shipping as a stopgap while it re-tools its own membership program. The company declined to say how many folks signed up for ShippingPass, but it will provide full refunds for all members, according to CNBC.Willie Taggart was tasked with going out and hiring a good defensive coordinator upon his hire. He exceeded those expectations.
In fact, he went out and hired the best according to footballscoop.com.
To truly understand the job done by Jim Leavitt at Colorado, one must go back to the year before he was hired, in 2014. Miracles do not happen overnight in college football, after all. And in the year prior to Leavitt’s arrival, the Buffaloes were one of the worst defenses in the Power 5.
CU ranked 103rd or worse in total defense, yards per play allowed, rushing defense, pass efficiency defense, scoring defense and takeaways, stumbling their way to a 2-10 season. Just two short years later, Colorado ranked eighth nationally in yards per play allowed and takeaways, in or around the top 20 in scoring and total defense and third in pass efficiency defense.
That turnaround helped Colorado pull one of the most improbable worst-to-first seasons in recent memory, rocketing from a 5-40 all-time record in Pac-12 games to a 10-3 season with a Pac-12 South Division championship.
The hire of Jim Leavitt has been announced by Oregon officials. He's also expected to coach the linebackers at Oregon.
Oregon has yet to announce any other defensive staff members yet.
The Ducks were one of the worst defenses in the nation last season. Leavitt will once again have his work cut out for him turning around a poorly performing unit.
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An analysis of network television news coverage reveals what supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders have long suspected; the three broadcast television networks are intentionally ignoring the Sanders campaign.
Eric Boehlert of Media Matters has the revealing details:
So in terms of stand-alone campaign stories this year, it’s been 234 minutes for Trump, compared to 10 minutes for Sanders. And at ABC World News Tonight, it’s been 81 minutes for Trump and less than one minute for Sanders.
Bernie Sanders polls equal to or better than Donald Trump in every single poll, but the corporate owned network news divisions have given Trump nearly 30 times more airtime than Sanders. These same broadcast networks also spent nearly the same amount of time covering the bogus Republican email scandal as they did discussing Hillary Clinton’s campaign, so it’s not as if the networks are anti-Sanders and pro-Clinton.
The corporate owned profit first network news divisions have made the editorial decision that they are going to lavish airtime upon the presidential candidate who most fits their corporate owners’ ideology.
The networks are ignoring Bernie Sanders because his anti-corporate message is dangerous to their well being. The broadcast and cable networks both have a habit of ignoring stories that can hurt their bosses’ bottom lines.
Sen. Sanders is trying to inform the electorate, but the broadcast networks would rather focus on keeping voters ignorant by focusing on Trump.
Donald Trump is the perfect corporate media candidate. The mainstream press has decided that has to be entertaining and turn a profit. Trump is an entertainer who is masquerading as a presidential candidate. Trump has turned the Republican primary into his own reality show.
Sen. Sanders has consistently criticized the media for their coverage of the election. In August, Sanders said, “I want you to talk about and force discussion about climate change. Do you think you do that enough? I would like you to force discussion of poverty in America. I have talked over and over and over again that 51 percent of African-American kids are unemployed or underemployed. You think that’s an important issue? I do. Are you going to discuss it?”
The data shows that the corporate media is not going to give any coverage to Sanders or the issues.
Bernie Sanders is a huge threat to the corporate media, which is why they are ignoring his campaign.
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:Bethlehem Steel FC have announced season ticket pricing for their inaugural 2016 season, the club announced Friday.
Full season tickets packages consist of 16 games and start at $176 for general admission seats and range up to $400 for field-side seats. Fans can also purchase reserved seats for $192 and chairback reserved seats for $256. To purchase tickets, fans can call 1-844-STEELFC or visit bethlehemsteelfc.com to see full ticket prices and view a stadium map.
The Philadelphia Union announced the USL expansion team at Goodman Stadium on the campus of Lehigh University on Aug. 19. Fans chose Bethlehem Steel FC as the team name via a vote which, along with the colors and logo, was unveiled to the public on Tuesday, Oct. 27.
The team will play its games at Goodman Stadium, located at 150 Goodman Drive in Bethlehem, Pa. Former Reading United head coach and Philadelphia Union assistant coach Brendan Burke will serve as the head coach of the new team.Recon-ng
Recon-ng is a full-featured Web Reconnaissance framework written in Python. Complete with independent modules, database interaction, built in convenience functions, interactive help, and command completion, Recon-ng provides a powerful environment in which open source web-based reconnaissance can be conducted quickly and thoroughly.
Recon-ng has a look and feel similar to the Metasploit Framework, reducing the learning curve for leveraging the framework. However, it is quite different. Recon-ng is not intended to compete with existing frameworks, as it is designed exclusively for web-based open source reconnaissance. If you want to exploit, use the Metasploit Framework. If you want to social engineer, use the Social-Engineer Toolkit. If you want to conduct reconnaissance, use Recon-ng! See the Usage Guide for more information.
Recon-ng is a completely modular framework and makes it easy for even the newest of Python developers to contribute. Each module is a subclass of the "module" class. The "module" class is a customized "cmd" interpreter equipped with built-in functionality that provides simple interfaces to common tasks such as standardizing output, interacting with the database, making web requests, and managing API keys. Therefore, all the hard work has been done. Building modules is simple and takes little more than a few minutes. See the Development Guide for more information.
Consulting | Research | Development | Training
Donations
Recon-ng is free software. However, large amounts of time and effort go into its continued development. If you are interested in financialy supporting the development of Recon-ng, please send your donation to tjt1980[at]gmail.com via PayPal. Thank you.After three years without a functioning penis, Thomas Manning has one again—only it’s not his. A serious work accident in 2012 lead doctors to discover he had a rare, aggressive, and potentially fatal penile cancer, and in order to save the 64-year-old’s life, they were forced to remove most of Manning’s penis. After a lengthy surgery performed by staff volunteering their time at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Manning just became the first American to receive what appears to be a successful penis transplant.
Prior to May 8th of this year, if you lived in this country and had your penis removed (accidentally or on purpose), your options were slim—the chances you'd be able to urinate standing up again or reproduce through sex seemed like a pipe dream. But the new experimental transplant procedure performed on Manning could change everything. And while the initial focus of the surgery has been on cancer patients and military veterans who have lost a penis due to traumatic injuries and are not able to have theirs repaired or reconstructed, the longterm impact could be felt by an entirely different population: transgender men.
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For many men, feeling like a “real” man is inextricably linked with having a phallus. Most of the military vets who have suffered from what doctors call “genitourinary injuries”—1,367 in Iraq or Afghanistan from 2001 to 2013, according to the Department of Defense—are under 35 years old and report feeling completely stripped of their manhood. But for transgender men who were not born with a penis, having one could be the final step in their transformation into what it means to be physically male.
"As a trans guy, I'm thrilled to see the incredible strides being taken in the medical community,” Kade Clark, one of the founders of online transgender health resource My Trans Health, told me via email on Monday. “These transplant programs are of vital importance.”
But according to Dr. Dicken Ko, one of the team leaders in Manning’s transplant, he and his colleagues will not be offering a similar procedure to transgender men just yet. So what’s stopping them?
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Well, a lot of things.
🍆🍆🍆
Dr. Loren Schechter is a Chicago-based surgeon who has been performing gender confirmation surgeries for 15 years. He’s heavily involved with the World Professional Organization for Transgender Health and was one of the authors of the organization’s 7th Edition of The Standards of Care—basically, he’s helping to write the book on the future of transgender medicine. That’s why it may be disappointing for some transgender men to hear that Schechter doesn’t see the penis implant as a viable option in the near future.
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Schechter told me in a phone conversation on Monday that “there’s just not enough data yet to make an assessment” about what Manning’s transplant, and a similar successful 2014 procedure in South Africa, means for the community he serves. From his perspective, it’s a matter of waiting for more results from cancer and trauma patients, and providing the best options currently available for transgender men seeking a penis.
“I don’t think we’re ready for a transplant for a trans male because it would be a little bit different in terms of the tissue requirement,” Schechter explained. A transgender transplant recipient would require extensive urethral reconstruction, reconstruction of the scrotum, and removal of the vagina, on top of what’s involved with a non-transgender patient—attaching blood vessels, nerves, the urethra, and erectile tissue. “While it may be possible at some point, I think it certainly requires further study…I don’t think it’s quite yet ready for the transgender population.”
For now, Schechter’s focus remains on phalloplasty, the procedure he performs for transgender men who’d like to have some of the main functions of a biological penis. Before the procedure, the patient must have a hysterectomy and have the vagina removed. With the phalloplasty, the surgeon then lengthens the urethra, constructs a scrotum and creates the shape of the penis. Later, a urologist will put in a penile implant and erectile device.
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One upside of the phalloplasty, as opposed to the transplant, is that the body won’t reject it: An attempted 2006 penis transplant in China failed because the man’s body rejected the transplant. Transplant recipients, like Manning and the 60 future experimental procedures that Johns Hopkins has permission to perform, will need to take anti-rejection, or immunosuppression, medication for the rest of their lives. But even with these treatments, there’s no guarantee the body will take to the transplant.
While the result of the phalloplasty may look like a real penis and allow certain functions like urinating standing up and penetrative intercourse, because recipients don't have testicles, they can't ejaculate—and therefore can't use the phalloplasty for reproduction. The man who received the transplant in South Africa (after a botched circumcision) was reportedly able to reproduce, but until testicular implants are available, a penis implant for a transgender man would still be largely ornamental.
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That’s not to say there are no alternatives in the works—albeit, the labor may not bear fruit for years, or even decades.
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“For the transgender male, this is a new era giving options that allow a quality of life with a truer sense of gender and sexual identity on a psychosocial level,” Dima Elissa, CEO and founder of VisMed 3D, a Chicago-based company looking at the future of 3D-printed body parts, told me in an email. The 3D-printed anatomical parts that Elissa and her team are working on could be the more viable genital solution for transgender men in the shorter term.
"A transplant naturally has similar risks as any other organ transplant: rejection, infection, or transmitted diseases," she told me. Not only that, but the "cost, time and talent resources needed to execute a complex penis transplant are steep, making it challenging for members of a disenfranchised community, or youth wanting to benefit from such a procedure to afford it. With 3D printing, I believe it will be years not decades, when we will realize and replicate anatomical parts at a much reduced cost, and a more tailored personal solution."
Clearly she has a vested interest in promoting the promise of 3D printing, but Schecter did not rule out the possibility of the technology making its way to trans men before the transplants.
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“The goal is to accelerate the use of 3D technology through proven standards, which don't really exist today, that would make the production of body parts, penis or otherwise, a real and affordable possibility for all,” she said.
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The challenge of transgender men receiving transplants may not just be anatomical. In order for a penis to be donated from a deceased male, the family must give special permission—it’s not enough to just say “organ donor” on your driver’s license.
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At the “Intimacy After Injury” conference put on by the Bob Woodruff Foundation in 2014 to discuss the research for veteran penile transplants being conducted at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Dr. Jeffrey Kahn, a bioethicist at the school, addressed whether the potential procedure would extend to transgender male candidates.
“Once this becomes public and there’s some sense that this is successful and a good therapy, there will be all sorts of questions about whether you will do it for gender reassignment,” Kahn reportedly said at the conference. “What do you say to the donor? A 23-year-old wounded in the line of duty has a very different sound than somebody who is seeking gender reassignment.”
While this sounds like a moral judgement, there’s no denying that even if doctors can find a way around the physiological hurdles, transgender people in the U.S. are currently at the center of a cultural war. Communities all over the country are battling over so-called “bathroom bills” regarding which public restrooms transgender people should be allowed to use, and with U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch declaring last week that “There is no room in our schools for discrimination of any kind, including discrimination against transgender students on the basis of their sex,” transgender issues have become as politicized as abortion and same-sex marriage.
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But if an actual penis is what it will take to quiet transgender rights opponents’ standby argument that transgender men aren’t “real” men, then perhaps it’s time these opponents refocus their energies on raising money for transplant research.
Marisa Kabas is a Sex + Life reporter based in New York City. She loves baseball, bunnies and bagels.Jamie Pyatt, the tabloid’s Thames Valley district reporter, was arrested at his home in Windsor this morning.
It is the first time a member of staff at Rupert Murdoch’s daily red top has been implicated in the scandal currently engulfing News International, which is involved in three separate police investigations.
Mr Pyatt, 48, has worked for The Sun for more than 20 years and sources say he is “very well regarded”.
It is understood that News International executives knew on Thursday that Mr Pyatt would be arrested the following day.
It is understood that he was held following the discovery of an email which allegedly makes reference to him paying a police contact.
However it is believed that the email was discovered by News International and then handed to the Metropolitan Police.
Sources say that all staff at The Sun are currently subject to a trawl of their emails from the past five years.
Staff at the newspaper are said to be unhappy that they are subject to such scrutiny from their own company when the police investigation has so far centred on News of the World activity.
A senior News International source suggested that the internal investigation was prompted by fears in the Murdoch family that the scandal would spread from the Sunday to the daily tabloid.
The source said: "News International appears to be giving up their own people in order to save the skin of Rupert and James Murdoch."
Mr Pyatt has been involved of many of the Sun’s most memorable stories. In 2006 he was shortlisted at the British Press Awards for his revelation that Prince Harry wore a Nazi uniform to a fancy dress party.
He was also involved in the newspaper’s coverage of Ronnie Biggs’ surrender to police in 2001 and allegations that Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar had fixed matches.
A neighbour of Mr Pyatt said he was taken away by plain clothed police officers this morning.
The man, who didn't want to be named, said at least two unmarked police cars turned up at about 10.30am and led Mr Pyatt into one of the vehicles.
He said: "I saw some plain-clothed officers turn up to his house this morning. They were chatting at the front door then he went to the car and was taken away.
"It was definitely police officers - I overheard a bit of what was said - and it sounded like police speak. I'm not going to go into what was said."
Another neighbour, a woman who also asked not to be named, said: "Two or three cars turned up outside his house at about 10am and there were about eight men including Jamie talking in the garden.
"They all got into the cars and went off. I don't know if it was police, I haven't heard anything about him being arrested. I thought they were all his colleagues."
Operation Elveden was launched in July after News International provided the police with emails which alleged that corrupt police officers had received payments totalling about £130,000 over several years.
The News of the World’s former editor Andy Coulson and Rebekah Brooks, the News International chief executive and former editor of both the News of the World and The Sun have been arrested by officers from Operation Elveden.
It is running parallel to Operation Weeting, which is investigating phone hacking. A total of 16 people have been arrested in that inquiry.
Operation Tuleta is looking at allegations of impropriety, including email hacking, which fall outside the remit of the other two investigations.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “At approximately 10.30 today officers from Operation Elveden arrested a man, 48, in connection with allegations of corruption.
“He was arrested at an outside London and is at a south west London police station.”
A spokesman for News International said: "News International can confirm that an employee has been arrested. News International is cooperating fully with the Metropolitan Police service in its various investigations."“Any man who afflicts the human race with ideas must be prepared to see them misunderstood.”
HL Menken
To criticize the status quo is to invite volley after volley of personal criticism back in your own direction. I am sure this has likely been the case for a very long time, and I believe this may be partly due to the way in which humans learn through pattern recognition, as well as how the architecture of the human brain physically lays neural pathways to build understanding. Thus when an idea too astray from the usual is presented to the human mind, there is a high chance of a negative reaction because the new pattern is far too asymmetric for the current set of neural pathways to incorporate. That, or the derogator is a bored and obtuse malcontent with nothing better to do than shit all over other people on the internet.
I often write about the exploitation inherent in the model of civilization itself, and how this organizing framework which is dominant on the planet now is entirely unsustainable and will necessarily collapse catastrophically. This is some level nine stuff. By this I mean that if you have not been initiated, if you haven’t read about this topic or all of the feeder topics that lead to this conclusion, it would likely seem extreme. Thorough understanding of an issue requires prerequisite knowledge. We get to where we are by having been where we were, even philosophically and intellectually. Because my topics of critique often surround the civilization paradigm, its parts, and alternatives, I often receive flak from people which either demonstrates that they do not fully understand the gravity of the issues, or which merely indicts me as complicit in civilization’s crimes. The former generally comes in the form of people arguing that technology will remedy all of the converging crises faced and created by civilization. The latter is far more frustrating, as it is usually some pathetic attempt at a “got’chya!” moment where someone tries to defeat my greater thesis by pointing out my use of a computer or some other trapping of civilization. “Hypocrite!” they cry.
The hypocrisy claim is everywhere you find people critiquing any facet of the status quo. Antiwar activists who protested the Iraq war were called hypocrites for using gasoline. Occupy Wall Street participants were called hypocrites for using Apple products. My friends in forest defense have been called hypocrites for using paper. As an anti-civ anarchist I have been called a hypocrite for everything from having moved into a house during the winter, to having gone to the hospital when after forty hours of labor at home with a midwife, my partner was physically exhausted and wanted access to drugs so she could sleep. Every time these criticisms are leveled, it becomes a major energy suck to explain exactly how nonsensical they are. I would like to here dedicate this essay to shredding the “hypocrisy” argument once and for all, so it can forever be linked to by activists and social critics of all platforms and stripes, who neither have the time nor energy to swat at the many zombie hordes who become agitated when new ideas are presented to them which run counter to the comfortable patterns that they are used to, and who then proceed to scream “hypocrite!” in place of an actual counter argument.
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Jean-Paul Sartre wrote, “Hell is other people.” Despite my anti-civ analysis, I am no misanthrope. Civilization is a system of organization, a power arrangement in which a small few control the many. Using their power, these few exploit the lands and beings around them so they can grow their power and comfort at the expense of others. Industrial civilization takes this paradigm full tilt and is wiping out habitat and species at a mortifying rate. Understanding this does not cause me to hate my species, but rather to be eager to help them understand why we must pursue new organizational methods. Still, the uphill battle of convincing fellow humans, especially those who are net beneficiaries of this destructive and exploitative set of arrangements, can be at times an infuriating engagement. Of course, this is not because I need people to immediately agree with me, but if they don’t |
11 PM for delivery before 10 AM.
So, there were about three candidate locations, Memphis and, as I recall, Cincinnati and Kansas City.
The Memphis airport had some old WWII hangers next to the runway that FedEx could use for the sort center, aircraft maintenance, and HQ office space. Deal done -- it was Memphis.
The decision to sell to Google was one of the toughest decisions I and my cofounders ever had to wrestle with in our lives. We were excited by the Wave vision though we saw the flaws in the product. The Wave team told us about how they wanted our help making wave simpler and more like etherpad, and we thought we could help with that, though in the end we were unsuccessful at making wave simpler. We were scared of Google as a competitor: they had more engineers and more money behind this project, yet they were running it much more like an independent startup than a normal big-company department. The Wave office was in Australia and had almost total autonomy. And finally, after 1.5 years of being on the brink of failure with AppJet, it was tempting to be able to declare our endeavor a success and provide a decent return to all our investors who had risked their money on us. In the end, our decision to join Wave did not work out as we had hoped. The biggest lessons learned were that having more engineers and money behind a project can actually be more harmful than helpful, so we were wrong to be scared of Wave as a competitor for this reason. It seems obvious in hindsight, but at the time it wasn't. Second, I totally underestimated how hard it would be to iterate on the Wave codebase. I was used to rewriting major portions of software in a single all-nighter. Because of the software development process Wave was using, it was practically impossible to iterate on the product. I should have done more diligence on their specific software engineering processes, but instead I assumed because they seemed to be operating like a startup, that they would be able to iterate like a startup. A lot of the product problems were known to the whole Wave team, but we were crippled by a large complex codebase built on poor technical choices and a cumbersome engineering process that prevented fast iteration.
When I've had inside information about a story that later breaks in the tech press, I'm always shocked at how differently it's perceived by readers of the article vs. how I experienced it. Among startups & major feature launches I've been party to, I've seen: executives that flat-out say that they're not working on a product category when there's been a whole department devoted to it for a year; startups that were founded 1.5 years before the dates listed in Crunchbase/Wikipedia; reporters that count the number of people they meet in a visit and report that as a the "team size", because the company refuses to release that info; funding rounds that never make it to the press; acquisitions that are reported as "for an undisclosed sum" but actually are less than the founders would've made if they'd taken a salaried job at the company; project start dates that are actually when the project was staffed up to its current size and ignore the year or so that a small team spent working on the problem (or the 3-4 years that other small teams spent working on the problem); and algorithms or other technologies that are widely reported as being the core of the company's success, but actually aren't even used by the company.
As the main developer of VLC, we know about this story since a long time, and this is just Dell putting crap components on their machine and blaming others. Any discussion was impossible with them. So let me explain a bit... In this case, VLC just uses the Windows APIs (DirectSound), and sends signed integers of 16bits (s16) to the Windows Kernel. VLC allows amplification of the INPUT above the sound that was decoded. This is just like replay gain, broken codecs, badly recorded files or post-amplification and can lead to saturation. But this is exactly the same if you put your mp3 file through Audacity and increase it and play with WMP, or if you put a DirectShow filter that amplifies the volume after your codec output. For example, for a long time, VLC ac3 and mp3 codecs were too low (-6dB) compared to the reference output. At worse, this will reduce the dynamics and saturate a lot, but this is not going to break your hardware. VLC does not (and cannot) modify the OUTPUT volume to destroy the speakers. VLC is a Software using the OFFICIAL platforms APIs. The issue here is that Dell sound cards output power (that can be approached by a factor of the quadratic of the amplitude) that Dell speakers cannot handle. Simply said, the sound card outputs at max 10W, and the speakers only can take 6W in, and neither their BIOS or drivers block this. And as VLC is present on a lot of machines, it's simple to blame VLC. "Correlation does not mean causation" is something that seems too complex for cheap Dell support…
Working for someone else's startup, I learned how to quickly cobble solutions together. I learned about uncertainty and picking a direction regardless of whether you're sure it'll work. I learned that most startups fail, and that when they fail, the people who end up doing well are the ones who were looking out for their own interests all along. I learned a lot of basic technical skills, how to write code quickly and learn new APIs quickly and deploy software to multiple machines. I learned how quickly problems of scaling a development team crop up, and how early you should start investing in automation. Working for Google, I learned how to fix problems once and for all and build that culture into the organization. I learned that even in successful companies, everything is temporary, and that great products are usually built through a lot of hard work by many people rather than great ah-ha insights. I learned how to architect systems for scale, and a lot of practices used for robust, high-availability, frequently-deployed systems. I learned the value of research and of spending a lot of time on a single important problem: many startups take a scattershot approach, trying one weekend hackathon after another and finding nobody wants any of them, while oftentimes there are opportunities that nobody has solved because nobody wants to put in the work. I learned how to work in teams and try to understand what other people want. I learned what problems are really painful for big organizations. I learned how to rigorously research the market and use data to make product decisions, rather than making decisions based on what seems best to one person.
Having been in on the company's leadership meetings where departures were noted with a simple'regret yes/no' flag it was my experience that no single departure had any effect. Mass departures did, trends did, but one person never did, even when that person was a founder. The rationalizations always put the issue back on the departing employee, "They were burned out", "They had lost their ability to be effective", "They have moved on", "They just haven't grown with the company" never was it "We failed this person, what are we going to do differently?"
Anyway, the SOA effort was in full swing when I was there. It was a pain, and it was a mess because every team did things differently and every API was different and based on different assumptions and written in a different language. But I want to correct the misperception that this lead to AWS. It didn't. S3 was written by its own team, from scratch. At the time I was at Amazon, working on the retail site, none of Amazon.com was running on AWS. I know, when AWS was announced, with great fanfare, they said "the services that power Amazon.com can now power your business!" or words to that effect. This was a flat out lie. The only thing they shared was data centers and a standard hardware configuration. Even by the time I left, when AWS was running full steam ahead (and probably running Reddit already), none of Amazon.com was running on AWS, except for a few, small, experimental and relatively new projects. I'm sure more of it has been adopted now, but AWS was always a separate team (and a better managed one, from what I could see.)
I (and others) have put a lot of effort into making the Linux Chrome build fast. Some examples are multiple new implementations of the build system (http://neugierig.org/software/chromium/notes/2011/02/ninja.h... ), experimentation with the gold linker (e.g. measuring and adjusting the still off-by-default thread flags https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/group/chromium-dev/... ) as well as digging into bugs in it, and other underdocumented things like 'thin' ar archives. But it's also true that people who are more of Windows wizards than I am a Linux apprentice have worked on Chrome's Windows build. If you asked me the original question, I'd say the underlying problem is that on Windows all you have is what Microsoft gives you and you can't typically do better than that. For example, migrating the Chrome build off of Visual Studio would be a large undertaking, large enough that it's rarely considered. (Another way of phrasing this is it's the IDE problem: you get all of the IDE or you get nothing.) When addressing the poor Windows performance people first bought SSDs, something that never even occurred to me ("your system has enough RAM that the kernel cache of the file system should be in memory anyway!"). But for whatever reason on the Linux side some Googlers saw it fit to rewrite the Linux linker to make it twice as fast (this effort predated Chrome), and all Linux developers now get to benefit from that. Perhaps the difference is that when people write awesome tools for Windows or Mac they try to sell them rather than give them away.
I'm a developer in Windows and contribute to the NT kernel. (Proof: the SHA1 hash of revision #102 of [Edit: filename redacted] is [Edit: hash redacted].) I'm posting through Tor for obvious reasons. Windows is indeed slower than other operating systems in many scenarios, and the gap is worsening. The cause of the problem is social. There's almost none of the improvement for its own sake, for the sake of glory, that you see in the Linux world. Granted, occasionally one sees naive people try to make things better. These people almost always fail. We can and do improve performance for specific scenarios that people with the ability to allocate resources believe impact business goals, but this work is Sisyphean. There's no formal or informal program of systemic performance improvement. We started caring about security because pre-SP3 Windows XP was an existential threat to the business. Our low performance is not an existential threat to the business. See, component owners are generally openly hostile to outside patches: if you're a dev, accepting an outside patch makes your lead angry (due to the need to maintain this patch and to justify in in shiproom the unplanned design change), makes test angry (because test is on the hook for making sure the change doesn't break anything, and you just made work for them), and PM is angry (due to the schedule implications of code churn). There's just no incentive to accept changes from outside your own team. You can always find a reason to say "no", and you have very little incentive to say "yes".
See link for giant table :-).
Broken record: startups are also probably rejecting a lot of engineering candidates that would perform as well or better than anyone on their existing team, because tech industry hiring processes are folkloric and irrational.
Too long to excerpt. See the link!
I am 42-year-old very successful programmer who has been through a lot of situations in my career so far, many of them highly demotivating. And the best advice I have for you is to get out of what you are doing. Really. Even though you state that you are not in a position to do that, you really are. It is okay. You are free. Okay, you are helping your boyfriend's startup but what is the appropriate cost for this? Would he have you do it if he knew it was crushing your soul? I don't use the phrase "crushing your soul" lightly. When it happens slowly, as it does in these cases, it is hard to see the scale of what is happening. But this is a very serious situation and if left unchecked it may damage the potential for you to do good work for the rest of your life. The commenters who are warning about burnout are right. Burnout is a very serious situation. If you burn yourself out hard, it will be difficult to be effective at any future job you go to, even if it is ostensibly a wonderful job. Treat burnout like a physical injury. I burned myself out once and it took at least 12 years to regain full productivity. Don't do it. More broadly, the best and most creative work comes from a root of joy and excitement. If you lose your ability to feel joy and excitement about programming-related things, you'll be unable to do the best work. That this issue is separate from and parallel to burnout! If you are burned out, you might still be able to feel the joy and excitement briefly at the start of a project/idea, but they will fade quickly as the reality of day-to-day work sets in. Alternatively, if you are not burned out but also do not have a sense of wonder, it is likely you will never get yourself started on the good work.
The earlier in your career it is now, the more important this time is for your development. Programmers learn by doing. If you put yourself into an environment where you are constantly challenged and are working at the top threshold of your ability, then after a few years have gone by, your skills will have increased tremendously. It is like going to intensively learn kung fu for a few years, or going into Navy SEAL training or something. But this isn't just a one-time constant increase. The faster you get things done, and the more thorough and error-free they are, the more ideas you can execute on, which means you will learn faster in the future too. Over the long term, programming skill is like compound interest. More now means a LOT more later. Less now means a LOT less later. So if you are putting yourself into a position that is not really challenging, that is a bummer day in and day out, and you get things done slowly, you aren't just having a slow time now. You are bringing down that compound interest curve for the rest of your career. It is a serious problem. If I could go back to my early career I would mercilessly cut out all the shitty jobs I did (and there were many of them).
A small anecdote. An acquaintance related a story of fixing the 'drainage' in their back yard. They were trying to grow some plants that were sensitive to excessive moisture, and the plants were dying. Not watering them, watering them a little, didn't seem to change. They died. A professional gardner suggested that their problem was drainage. So they dug down about 3' (where the soil was very very wet) and tried to build in better drainage. As they were on the side of a hill, water table issues were not considered. It turned out their "problem" was that the water main that fed their house and the houses up the hill, was so pressurized at their property (because it had maintain pressure at the top of the hill too) that the pipe seams were leaking and it was pumping gallons of water into the ground underneath their property. The problem wasn't their garden, the problem was that the city water supply was poorly designed. While I have never been asked if I was an engineer on the phone, I have experienced similar things to Rachel in meetings and with regard to suggestions. Co-workers will create an internal assessment of your value and then respond based on that assessment. If they have written you off they will ignore you, if you prove their assessment wrong in a public forum they will attack you. These are management issues, and something which was sorely lacking in the stories. If you are the "owner" of a meeting, and someone is trying to be heard and isn't. It is incumbent on you to let them be heard. By your position power as "the boss" you can naturally interrupt a discussion to collect more data from other members. Its also important to ask questions like "does anyone have any concerns?" to draw out people who have valid input but are too timid to share it. In a highly political environment there are two ways to create change, one is through overt manipulation, which is to collect political power to yourself and then exert it to enact change, and the other is covert manipulation, which is to enact change subtly enough that the political organism doesn't react. (sometimes called "triggering the antibodies"). The problem with the latter is that if you help make positive change while keeping everyone not pissed off, no one attributes it to you (which is good for the change agent because if they knew the anti-bodies would react, but bad if your manager doesn't recognize it). I asked my manager what change he wanted to be 'true' yet he (or others) had been unsuccessful making true, he gave me one, and 18 months later that change was in place. He didn't believe that I was the one who had made the change. I suggested he pick a change he wanted to happen and not tell me, then in 18 months we could see if that one happened :-). But he also didn't understand enough about organizational dynamics to know that making change without having the source of that change point back at you was even possible.
Heavily relying on Google product? ✓
Hitting a dead-end with Google's customer service? ✓
Have an existing audience you can leverage to get some random Google employee's attention? ✓
Reach front page of Hacker News? ✓
Good news! You should have your problem fixed in 2-5 business days. The rest of us suckers relying on google services get to stare at our inboxes helplessly, waiting for a response to our support ticket (which will never come). I feel like it's almost a [rite] of passage these days to rely heavily on a Google service, only to have something go wrong and be left out in the cold.
IIRC PayPal was very similar - it was sold for $1.5B, but Max Levchin's share was only about $30M, and Elon Musk's was only about $100M. By comparison, many early Web 2.0 darlings (Del.icio.us, Blogger, Flickr) sold for only $20-40M, but their founders had only taken small seed rounds, and so the vast majority of the purchase price went to the founders. 75% of a $40M acquisition = 3% of a $1B acquisition. Something for founders to think about when they're taking funding. If you look at the gigantic tech fortunes - Gates, Page/Brin, Omidyar, Bezos, Zuckerburg, Hewlett/Packard - they usually came from having a company that was already profitable or was already well down the hockey-stick user growth curve and had a clear path to monetization by the time they sought investment. Companies that fight tooth & nail for customers and need lots of outside capital to do it usually have much worse financial outcomes.
A lot of the people who were involved in some way in Experts-Exchange don't understand Stack Overflow. The basic value flow of EE is that "experts" provide valuable "answers" for novices with questions. In that equation there's one person asking a question and one person writing an answer. Stack Overflow recognizes that for every person who asks a question, 100 - 10,000 people will type that same question into Google and find an answer that has already been written. In our equation, we are a community of people writing answers that will be read by hundreds or thousands of people. Ours is a project more like wikipedia -- collaboratively creating a resource for the Internet at large. Because that resource is provided by the community, it belongs to the community. That's why our data is freely available and licensed under creative commons. We did this specifically because of the negative experience we had with EE taking a community-generated resource and deciding to slap a paywall around it. The attitude of many EE contributors, like Greg Young who calculates that he "worked" for half a year for free, is not shared by the 60,000 people who write answers on SO every month. When you talk to them you realize that on Stack Overflow, answering questions is about learning. It's about creating a permanent artifact to make the Internet better. It's about helping someone solve a problem in five minutes that would have taken them hours to solve on their own. It's not about working for free. As soon as EE introduced the concept of money they forced everybody to think of their work on EE as just that -- work.
I saw that one of my old textbooks was selling for a nice price, so I listed it along with two other used copies. I priced it $1 cheaper than the lowest price offered, but within an hour both sellers had changed their prices to $.01 and $.02 cheaper than mine. I reduced it two times more by $1, and each time they beat my price by a cent or two. So what I did was reduce my price by a few dollars every hour for one day until everybody was priced under $5. Then I bought their books and changed my price back.
While I like the sentiment here, I think the danger is that engineers might come to the mistaken conclusion that making pizzas is the primary limiting reagent to running a successful pizzeria. Running a successful pizzeria is more about schlepping to local hotels and leaving them 50 copies of your menu to put at the front desk, hiring drivers who will both deliver pizzas in a timely fashion and not embezzle your (razor-thin) profits while also costing next-to-nothing to employ, maintaining a kitchen in sufficient order to pass your local health inspector's annual visit (and dealing with 47 different pieces of paper related to that), being able to juggle priorities like "Do I take out a bank loan to build a new brick-oven, which will make the pizza taste better, in the knowledge that this will commit $3,000 of my cash flow every month for the next 3 years, or do I hire an extra cook?", sourcing ingredients such that they're available in quantity and quality every day for a fairly consistent price, setting prices such that they're locally competitive for your chosen clientele but generate a healthy gross margin for the business, understanding why a healthy gross margin really doesn't imply a healthy net margin and that the rent still needs to get paid, keeping good-enough records such that you know whether your business is dying before you can't make payroll and such that you can provide a reasonably accurate picture of accounts for the taxation authorities every year, balancing 50% off medium pizza promotions with the desire to not cannibalize the business of your regulars, etc etc, and by the way tomato sauce should be tangy but not sour and cheese should melt with just the faintest whisp of a crust on it. Do you want to write software for a living? Google is hiring. Do you want to run a software business? Godspeed. Software is now 10% of your working life.
The way I prefer to think of it is: it is not your job to protect people (particularly senior management) from the consequences of their decisions. Make your decisions in your own best interest; it is up to the organization to make sure that your interest aligns with theirs. Google used to have a severe problem where code refactoring & maintenance was not rewarded in performance reviews while launches were highly regarded, which led to the effect of everybody trying to launch things as fast as possible and nobody cleaning up the messes left behind. Eventually launches started getting slowed down, Larry started asking "Why can't we have nice things?", and everybody responded "Because you've been paying us to rack up technical debt." As a result, teams were formed with the express purpose of code health & maintenance, those teams that were already working on those goals got more visibility, and refactoring contributions started counting for something in perf. Moreover, many ex-Googlers who were fed up with the situation went to Facebook and, I've heard, instituted a culture there where grungy engineering maintenance is valued by your peers. None of this would've happened if people had just heroically fallen on their own sword and burnt out doing work nobody cared about. Sometimes it takes highly visible consequences before people with decision-making power realize there's a problem and start correcting it. If those consequences never happen, they'll keep believing it's not a problem and won't pay much attention to it.
It took me too long to figure this out. There are some people to truly, and passionately, believe something they say to you, and realistically they personally can't make it happen so you can't really bank on that 'promise.' I used to think those people were lying to take advantage, but as I've gotten older I have come to recognize that these 'yes' people get promoted a lot. And for some of them, they really do believe what they are saying. As an engineer I've found that once I can 'calibrate' someone's 'yes-ness' I can then work with them, understanding that they only make 'wishful' commitments rather than'reasoned' commitments. So when someone, like Steve Jobs, says "we're going to make it an open standard!", my first question then is "Great, I've got your support in making this an open standard so I can count on you to wield your position influence to aid me when folks line up against that effort, right?" If the answer that that question is no, then they were lying. The difference is subtle of course but important. Steve clearly doesn't go to standards meetings and vote etc, but if Manager Bob gets push back from accounting that he's going to exceed his travel budget by sending 5 guys to the Open Video Chat Working Group which is championing the Facetime protocol as an open standard, then Manager Bob goes to Steve and says "I need your help here, these 5 guys are needed to argue this standard and keep it from being turned into a turd by the 5 guys from Google who are going to attend." and then Steve whips off a one liner to accounting that says "Get off this guy's back we need this." Then its all good. If on the other hand he says "We gotta save money, send one guy." well in that case I'm more sympathetic to the accusation of prevarication.
For those who work inside Google, it's well worth it to look at Jeff & Sanjay's commit history and code review dashboard. They aren't actually all that much more productive in terms of code written than a decent SWE3 who knows his codebase. The reason they have a reputation as rockstars is that they can apply this productivity to things that really matter; they're able to pick out the really important parts of the problem and then focus their efforts there, so that the end result ends up being much more impactful than what the SWE3 wrote. The SWE3 may spend his time writing a bunch of unit tests that catch bugs that wouldn't really have happened anyway, or migrating from one system to another that isn't really a large improvement, or going down an architectural dead end that'll just have to be rewritten later. Jeff or Sanjay (or any of the other folks operating at that level) will spend their time running a proposed API by clients to ensure it meets their needs, or measuring the performance of subsystems so they fully understand their building blocks, or mentally simulating the operation of the system before building it so they rapidly test out alternatives. They don't actually write more code than a junior developer (oftentimes, they write less), but the code they do write gives them more information, which makes them ensure that they write the rightcode. I feel like this point needs to be stressed a whole lot more than it is, as there's a whole mythology that's grown up around 10x developers that's not all that helpful. In particular, people need to realize that these developers rapidly become 1x developers (or worse) if you don't let them make their own architectural choices - the reason they're excellent in the first place is because they know how to determine if certain work is going to be useless and avoid doing it in the first place. If you dictate that they do it anyway, they're going to be just as slow as any other developer
I got the hero speech too, once. If anyone ever mentions the word "heroic" again and there isn't a burning building involved, I will start looking for new employment immediately. It seems that in our industry it is universally a code word for "We're about to exploit you because the project is understaffed and under budgeted for time and that is exactly as we planned it so you'd better cowboy up." Maybe it is different if you're writing Quake, but I guarantee you the 43rd best selling game that year also had programmers "encouraged onwards" by tales of the glory that awaited after the death march.
I was once speaking to a good friend of mine here, in English.
"Do you want to go out for yakitori?"
"Go fuck yourself!"
"... switches to Japanese Have I recently done anything very major to offend you?"
"No, of course not."
"Oh, OK, I was worried. So that phrase, that's something you would only say under extreme distress when you had maximal desire to offend me, or I suppose you could use it jokingly between friends, but neither you nor I generally talk that way."
"I learned it from a movie. I thought it meant ‘No.’"
True story: I went to a talk given by one of the 'engineering elders' (these were low Emp# engineers who were considered quite successful and were to be emulated by the workers :-) This person stated when they came to work at Google they were given the XYZ system to work on (sadly I'm prevented from disclosing the actual system). They remarked how they spent a couple of days looking over the system which was complicated and creaky, they couldn't figure it out so they wrote a new system. Yup, and they committed that. This person is a coding God are they not? (sarcasm) I asked what happened to the old system (I knew but was interested on their perspective) and they said it was still around because a few things still used it, but (quite proudly) nearly everything else had moved to their new system. So if you were reading carefully, this person created a new system to'replace' an existing system which they didn't understand and got nearly everyone to move to the new system. That made them uber because they got something big to put on their internal resume, and a whole crapload of folks had to write new code to adapt from the old system to this new system, which imperfectly recreated the old system (remember they didn't understand the original), such that those parts of the system that relied on the more obscure bits had yet to be converted (because nobody undersood either the dependent code or the old system apparently). Was this person smart? Blindingly brilliant according to some of their peers. Did they get things done? Hell yes, they wrote the replacement for the XYZ system from scratch! One person? Can you imagine? Would I hire them? Not unless they were the last qualified person in my pool and I was out of time. That anecdote encapsulates the dangerous side of smart people who get things done.
Some kids grow up on football. I grew up on public speaking (as behavioral therapy for a speech impediment, actually). If you want to get radically better in a hurry:
Too long to excerpt. See the link.
I can relate to this, but I can also relate to the other side of the question. Sometimes it isn't me, its you. Take someone who gets things done and suddenly in your organization they aren't delivering. Could be them, but it could also be you. I had this experience working at Google. I had a horrible time getting anything done there. Now I spent a bit of time evaluating that since it had never been the case in my career, up to that point, where I was unable to move the ball forward and I really wanted to understand that. The short answer was that Google had developed a number of people who spent much, if not all, of their time preventing change. It took me a while to figure out what motivated someone to be anti-change. The fear was risk and safety. Folks moved around a lot and so you had people in charge of systems they didn't build, didn't understand all the moving parts of, and were apt to get a poor rating if they broke. When dealing with people in that situation one could either educate them and bring them along, or steam roll over them. Education takes time, and during that time the 'teacher' doesn't get anything done. This favors steamrolling evolutionarily :-) So you can hire someone who gets stuff done, but if getting stuff done in your organization requires them to be an asshole, and they aren't up for that, well they aren't going to be nearly as successful as you would like them to be.
I can tell that this was written by an outsider, because it focuses on the perks and rehashes several cliches that have made their way into the popular media but aren't all that accurate. Most Googlers will tell you that the best thing about working there is having the ability to work on really hard problems, with really smart coworkers, and lots of resources at your disposal. I remember asking my interviewer whether I could use things like Google's index if I had a cool 20% idea, and he was like "Sure. That's encouraged. Oftentimes I'll just grab 4000 or so machines and run a MapReduce to test out some hypothesis." My phone screener, when I asked him what it was like to work there, said "It's a place where really smart people go to be average," which has turned out to be both true and honestly one of the best things that I've gained from working there.
This entire event was a staged press op. Keith Alexander is a ~30 year veteran of SIGINT, electronic warfare, and intelligence, and a Four-Star US Army General --- which is a bigger deal than you probably think it is. He's a spy chief in the truest sense and a master politician. Anyone who thinks he walked into that conference hall in Caesars without a near perfect forecast of the outcome of the speech is kidding themselves. Heckling Alexander played right into the strategy. It gave him an opportunity to look reasonable compared to his detractors, and, more generally (and alarmingly), to have the NSA look more reasonable compared to opponents of NSA surveillance. It allowed him to "split the vote" with audience reactions, getting people who probably have serious misgivings about NSA programs to applaud his calm and graceful handling of shouted insults; many of those people probably applauded simply to protest the hecklers, who after all were making it harder for them to follow what Alexander was trying to say. There was no serious Q&A on offer at the keynote. The questions were pre-screened; all attendees could do was vote on them. There was no possibility that anything would come of this speech other than an effectively unchallenged full-throated defense of the NSA's programs.
Interestingly one of the things that I found most amazing when I was working for Google was a nearly total inability to grasp the concept of 'deadline.' For so many years the company just shipped it by committing it to the release branch and having the code deploy over the course of a small number of weeks to the 'fleet'. Sure there were 'processes', like "Canary it in some cluster and watch the results for a few weeks before turning it loose on the world." but being completely vertically integrated is a unique sort of situation.
Being a very experienced game developer who tried to switch to Linux, I have posted about this before (and gotten flamed heavily by reactionary Linux people). The main reason is that debugging is terrible on Linux. gdb is just bad to use, and all these IDEs that try to interface with gdb to "improve" it do it badly (mainly because gdb itself is not good at being interfaced with). Someone needs to nuke this site from orbit and build a new debugger from scratch, and provide a library-style API that IDEs can use to inspect executables in rich and subtle ways. Productivity is crucial. If the lack of a reasonable debugging environment costs me even 5% of my productivity, that is too much, because games take so much work to make. At the end of a project, I just don't have 5% effort left any more. It requires everything. (But the current Linux situation is way more than a 5% productivity drain. I don't know exactly what it is, but if I were to guess, I would say it is something like 20%.)
What is interesting is that people don't even know they have a complex about money until they get "rich." I've watched many people, perhaps a hundred, go from "working to pay the bills" to "holy crap I can pay all my current and possibly my future bills with the money I now have." That doesn't include the guy who lived in our neighborhood and won the CA lottery one year. It affects people in ways they don't expect. If its sudden (like lottery winning or sudden IPO surge) it can be difficult to process. But it is an important thing to realize that one is processing an exceptional event. Like having a loved one die or a spouse suddenly divorcing you. Not everyone feels "guilty", not everyone feels "smug." A lot of millionaires and billionaires in the Bay Area are outwardly unchanged. But the bottom line is that the emotion comes from the cognitive dissonance between values and reality. What do you value? What is reality? One woman I knew at Google was massively conflicted when she started work at Google. She always felt that she would help the homeless folks she saw, if she had more money than she needed. Upon becoming rich (on Google stock value), now she found that she wanted to save the money she had for her future kids education and needs. Was she a bad person? Before? After? Do your kids hate you if you give away their college education to the local foodbank? Do your peers hate you because you could close the current food gap at the foodbank and you don't?
This is Microsoft's ICQ moment. Overpaying for a company at the moment when its core competency is becoming a commodity. Does anyone have the slightest bit of loyalty to Skype? Of course not. They're going to use whichever video chat comes built into their SmartPhone, tablet, computer, etc. They're going to use FaceBook's eventual video chat service or something Google offers. No one is going to actively seek out Skype when so many alternatives exist and are deeply integrated into the products/services they already use. Certainly no one is going to buy a Microsoft product simply because it has Skype integration. Who cares if it's FaceTime, FaceBook |
pre-recession years of 1993-2007, the recession years of 2007-2009 and the recovery period, 2009-2010.
The study paints a portrait of Asia as the world's ascendant economic superstar. Shenzen was one of four Chinese cities ranked in the top 10. A rapidly industrializing city in China's south, Shenzen powered through the economic quicksand of 2007-2009, boasting 2.3 percent employment growth and 4.6 percent income gains while the economy was freezing up in the much of the rest of the world.
Cities in India and Australia also passed through the recession relatively unscathed, as did Rio de Janeiro, Lima, Peru and several other South American cities.
"These other cities, they're not as wealthy, they're not as productive as the U.S. economy," said Berube, a Brookings Institution senior fellow. "But if this keeps up, they're going to eat our lunch. We have to get a little bit smarter about how to build our economy."
Critics of globalization argue that it is a zero-sum game -- the gains of the emerging world come at the expense of the develped world. Outsourcing and off-shoring both helped the developing cities sustain their economic momentum, the study said.
The vast, amorphous pool of capital prowling the globe for opportunities also contributed to the emerging cities' gains. "During the Great Recession and its immediate aftermath, many of these metros were havens for capital that fled weakened markets in the United States and Europe," the study said.
Governments in these countries will inevitably face challenges as their citizens demand the creature comforts and greater political freedom that typically accompanies economic prosperity. Moreover, this influx of global capital creates the possibilities of artificial bubbles in some of the emerging cities, noted Tim Duy,
economics professor and director of the
.
The developed world faces a perhaps more difficult challenge: Regaining economic vitality when many of its citizens and governments are broke.
"Consumption-led growth in the run-up to the recession left these countries with significant debt overhangs, and many of their major metros with a glut of housing, diminished productive capacity, or both," the study said.
The fall was particularly hard for cities like Portland that became overly reliant on residential construction. Only Las Vegas and Riverside, Calif., two of the housing-bubble hotbeds, lost more ground than Portland during the recession.
In the pre-recession years of 1993-2007, the study pegs Portland's average yearly employment growth at 1.6 percent and income growth at 4.1 percent. That put Portland at 45th of the 150 cities in the study, nestled between Istanbul and Bogota.
Then came the recession, driving down Portland's employment to negative 5.1 percent per year and income to negative 7.8 percent annually.
In 2009-2010, Portland's employment grew 0.3 percent and income fell another 0.6 percent.
Interestingly, manufacturing hubs like Detroit and Cleveland, at times dismissed as blue-collar wastelands, have bounced back faster than Portland and other bubble cities.
Duy said it's only becoming apparent today how dangerously exposed Portland was to housing. "You look at late 1980s and early 1990s, manufacturing was really important, particularly high-tech manufacturing," he said. "But in this last decade, it was all about housing."
The study lists governance as another significant concern for Portland and the rest of the developed world. Many of these city governments are "ill-suited for keeping pace with fast-paced global economic changes," the study said.
The debt issues facing the U.S. and Europe will only exacerbate the challenge.
A bright-side offered up the study is that while these emerging cities continue to "close the gap" with the developed world, their citizens will become enthusiastic consumers.
It's vital that U.S. cities "embrace the potential of exports -- most of which originate in these very metros -- to generate wealth and high-quality jobs," the study said.
--Not since the O.J. Simpson trial have the media played as crucial a role in a legal proceeding as they are now doing in the case of Adnan Syed.
With Simpson's 1995 murder trial in the killings of his wife, Nicole, and her friend Ronald Goldman, it was cable TV making the former NFL star's guilt or innocence a national, soap opera-like obsession. With Syed, who was convicted of murder in 2000 in the death of former girlfriend Hae Min Lee, podcasts and social media have brought him to the attention of millions and led to a Baltimore judge ordering a new trial.
The twists and turns of the hearings, rulings and now the state's appeal of a June order for a new trial surely are fascinating to law students and legal scholars. But it's the media aspects of Syed's case that are phenomenal. And they just keep multiplying. The latest: a new book, "Adnan's Story: The Search for Truth and Justice After 'Serial,'" by Maryland lawyer Rabia Chaudry.
Volumes have been written about the public radio podcast "Serial" and the way it resurrected the 1999 killing of Lee, a student at Woodlawn High School in Baltimore County, from the cold-case file. Host Sarah Koenig and the other producers from "This American Life" deserve all the praise that has been directed their way.
They made some wise choices. The best involved Koenig casting herself as an amateur sleuth, thus creating the media space for millions of listeners to take an interactive role in trying to help solve the crime and come to care about what they judged to be Syed's innocence or guilt.
The 2014 podcast had an estimated 40 million downloads its first season, a staggering figure that put the medium itself on the cultural map in a way it had never come close to being previously in its decade of existence.
That kind of audience reach, particularly in this era of vast media confusion and change, has also helped launch a growing trend in true crime. It includes fiction and nonfiction, ranging from HBO's "The Night Of" and "The Jinx: The Life and Death of Robert Durst" to "Making a Murderer" on Netflix.
Chaudry's book is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand how media — particularly social media — came to play such a powerful role in this case. She is a Syed family friend, the advocate who brought his story to Koenig's attention and then launched her own podcast, "Undisclosed," which presented the key evidence that Judge Martin P. Welch cited in June in ordering a new trial.
Using LaunchGood.com, she also helped set up #FreeAdnan — The Adnan Syed Trust defense fund, which has raised $208,361 toward a $250,000 goal from 3,993 contributors. She's blogged incessantly about the case at Split the Moon, and tweeted incessantly @rabiasquared. She argued vociferously all over the Internet for Syed's innocence — from a Reddit group with more than 40,000 subscribers devoted to the case to her Rabia Chaudry Facebook page.
She has echo chambers within echo chambers and an army of social media soldiers looking for information to help get Syed out of prison. Law professor Colin Miller and lawyer Susan Simpson, Chaudry's partners at "Undisclosed," have their own blogs, "EvidenceProf" and "The View From LL2," respectively, where they have written forcefully about the case.
Chaudry's passion clearly drives "Adnan's Story: The Search for Truth and Justice After 'Serial.'" But it's the mix of media skills and legal education that makes her book such an illuminating firsthand report from the front lines of social media change.
"What Rabia Chaudry did is simply stunning," says Steve Klepper, editor in chief of the Maryland Appellate Blog and an appellate lawyer at the Baltimore firm Kramon & Graham. "Through sheer tenacity, she has used every mode of modern social media to draw attention to this case and to crowdsource for innocence."
Typical of the constant interplay between social media and the law in "Adnan's Story" is Chaudry's account of her feelings during the February post-conviction relief hearing in Baltimore that led to Welch's ruling for a new trial.
Shortly after the hearing started, she writes, Thiruvendran Vignarajah, the deputy attorney general representing the state, had her removed from the courtroom because he might want to call her as witness. In her take-no-prisoners style, Chaudry calls it a "dirty" trick, payback for her criticism of Vignarajah on her blog.
Whatever the reason, she was out of the courtroom at Baltimore's Courthouse East and not at all happy about it. So, she went across the street to a Dunkin' Donuts to calm down and follow the proceedings on social media.
"By the time I settled in with some coffee and a doughnut, I had hundreds of tweets and messages waiting for me," she writes.
"The media had reported it, so people were confused and many were as angry as I was at this dirty move. But I had gotten over it pretty quickly because I figured not only could I do more damage to the State outside the courtroom where I could use my social media, but my presence wasn't going to make any difference to Adnan's case anyway, and that's what mattered," she adds.
"When I left the courtroom, Judge Welch had instructed me not to talk to any other witnesses. But he hadn't said anything about staying off of social media."
It's hard to imagine Chaudry ever off social media. In the book, when things look darkest for Syed's case, social media is one of the places she goes. The other is her Muslim faith. This book is steeped in Muslim faith and identity, and I think that is one element that makes it especially resonant with American life today.
Full disclosure: Knowing how fierce Chaudry can be online, I wondered how she was going to characterize the early reviews of the "Undisclosed" podcast, including an unfavorable one that I wrote for The Baltimore Sun.
She writes: "His main critique was that we didn't synthesize our findings into an easily digestible narrative for the audience. Instead, we just threw everything at them (little did he know what we actually left out), too many details with little storytelling. Zurawik had some great advice, though. He said 'Undisclosed' needed a producer with a public radio sensibility. He was right."Sen. Bernie Sanders looks on as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer calls to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour.
Democratic party leadership has united behind a call to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, in another sign of the party's move to the left since the election.
Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign declined to embrace the $15 minimum wage proposal during election season, although it was championed by Bernie Sanders and many grassroots progressive activists. Barack Obama never proposed a $15 federal minimum during his time in the White House, and the Democratic leadership in Congress never proposed such a law during his presidency.
But Democratic leaders in the House and Senate made their support for the wage hike official on Thursday, proposing a largely symbolic bill that would gradually increase the minimum wage until it hits $15 an hour in 2024.
With President Donald Trump in the White House, the bill has practically no chance of becoming law, even if Democrats retake control of Congress next year. But its support from Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi — each close to the party's donor base and pro-business wing — speaks to the Democrats' shifting political stance.
As recently as 2015, Democrats supported a federal minimum wage of just $12, with party standard bearer and presidential nominee Hillary Clinton backing a raise to $12 an hour on the campaign trail.
"Democrats have been working to put together a bold, sharp-edged agenda, and this bill will be a part of our agenda — that will be spoken about and lobbied for and pushed for from one end of the country to another," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said at a press conference introducing the bill Thursday.
Schumer later introduced House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi as his "comrade in arms."
The bill would raise the federal minimum to $9.25 an hour this year, with additional yearly increases until it reaches $15 an hour in 2024. A rule allowing tipped workers to be paid less than the federal minimum would also be phased out over this period, and raises to the minimum would be indexed to inflation beginning in 2025.
On the campaign trail, President Donald Trump pledged to raise the federal minimum wage to $10, but has not made the increase a priority since taking office.It began with great fanfare in August, when Republicans Abroad, the local support organization for the GOP in Israel, kicked off the 2016 presidential election campaign, promising a historic effort to get out the vote of American citizens living in Israel and deliver it to Donald Trump.
The aggressive full-scale campaign they launched was backed by substantial independently-raised funding – none of it, they claim, coming from the Trump campaign or the Republican Party in the U.S. – and local strategic support. Their efforts, they said, reflected the grandiose belief that American Israelis overwhelmingly back the GOP presidential nominee – and that their votes could even tip the election in his favor. “This election promises to be close, and the many conservative Americans from swing states who are living in Israel could make the difference,” Marc Zell, the co-chairman of the group and vice president of the parent Republican Overseas said at the time.
It was unprecedented – the first time in recent memory that an American political party affiliate in Israel had decided not to rely solely on volunteers but to hire paid staff to push their message through special events, email and social media. Their Hebrew-speaking staffers with right-wing political experience opened for the first time, a “traveling campaign office” in the West Bank to strengthen the ties of nationalist, pro-settlement politics in Israel to the Trump effort, and invited the international media to cover it. The campaign’s highlight was a rally for 200 supporters in Jerusalem featuring a video message from Trump himself.
Zell, who had been deeply critical of Trump during primary season, returned from the Republican National Convention charged up and ready to do battle for Trump – at first, reluctantly, and later, enthusiastically. The Israeli GOP campaign was particularly aggressive about targeting young first-time voters by sending a pro-Trump message into the Hebrew mainstream, not just English-speaking enclaves. “The second and third generation here have American passports but they don’t see the importance of voting in the United States,” Zell said to Haaretz at his campaign debut. Optimistically, Zell and his team predicted that upwards of 80 percent of American citizens living in Israel – a number estimated between 200,000-300,000 will vote for Trump.
Marc Zell, co-chairman of Republicans Overseas Israel, (right) at the GOP launch of an election campaign for ex-pat votes in Israel on August 15, 2016. Ariel Schalit/AP
They were particularly focused on what they estimated as 30,000 voters who could cast their ballots in key swing states like Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
Their messaging had an unofficial assist from the print media in the form of the Sheldon Adelson-owned newspaper Israel Hayom, the largest circulation daily in Israel, which was consistently supportive of Trump and enthusiastically covered the scandals and foibles of Hillary Clinton.
But ultimately, by all measures of Trump support in Israel, the results were disappointing. There are a multitude of possible explanations: the anti-Semitic messages from Trump’s racist alt-right fans, his anti-immigration, anti-refugee and generally xenophobic messaging, his proposed Muslim ban, insults to veterans and a Gold Star family, the Access Hollywood video and accusations of sexual misconduct. It surely didn’t help that an array of prominent American Jewish conservative voices – Charles Krauthammer, Bill Kristol, David Frum, and John Podhoretz – have been vocal about their misgivings about Trump.
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It didn’t help that the Trump campaign was never really able to clearly outline their candidate’s actual positions on issues involving Israel until the final days of the election, when the candidates advisers issued a “position paper” outlining his expected policies. Even then, the move was qualified with the disclaimer that Trump had not signed off on the document, but that they were collected from positions that “have been stated, in one form or another, by Mr. Trump in various interviews or speeches given by him or on his social media accounts.”
Campaigning for Republican candidate Donald Trump in Modi'in, Israel, August 15, 2016. Moti Milrod
Whether it is one of those reasons or all the above, poll numbers show that Donald Trump has proved to be a much harder sell to American voters in Israel – and to Israelis at large – than his supporters in Israel had hoped.
To be sure, the data available is limited. Accurate statistics on how many Americans living in Israel voted and which candidate they chose are difficult to obtain. Each American citizen living in Israel votes in a separate state and county – by mail, fax, or online balloting. Some receive assistance from the local Republican or Democratic organizations, some ask for instructions from the U.S. embassy and many do it themselves, with no local intervention whatsoever, making tradition exit polling impossible.
But by every measure at hand, it seems the Republicans who worked to spread Trump’s message in Israel, both to voters and the Israeli public at large, fell short of their goals.
Last week, as election day approached, the largest group in Israel offering U.S. voter assistance, iVote Israel, announced the results of their “exit poll” directed at those who had used their services to cast their absentee overseas ballots.
An Israeli soldier stands next to a bus stop covered with a poster from the Israeli branch of the Trump campaign, near the West Bank Jewish Settlement of Ariel October 6, 2016. Baz Ratner, Reuters
The poll found that Trump won 49 percent of the Israeli-American vote, while Clinton claimed 44 percent.
The accuracy of the iVote polling has been called into question for a multitude of reasons, by Democrats and Republicans alike. But whether the 2016 number is precise, it holds value in its apparent ability to reflect what has changed between 2012 and 2016.
In contrast to Trump’s slim victory in the 2016 poll, in iVote Israel’s 2012 exit poll, GOP candidate Mitt Romney walked away with 85 percent of the vote, compared with just 14 percent for the Democratic incumbent, U.S. President Barack Obama.
For Clinton and Trump to have been running neck and neck this year among American-Israelis, in stark contrast to the massive pro-GOP gap that existed in 2012, reflects the extent to which Trump has turned American-Israeli voters off.
A lack of enthusiasm for Trump seems to apply to the Israeli public at large as well. On Friday, a poll by the Rafi Smith organization conducted for Israel Radio found 49 percent of Israelis favored Hillary Clinton, while 32 percent supported Donald Trump – 19 percent were undecided.
When broken down by Israeli party affiliation, predictably, support for Hillary Clinton was overwhelming among leftists who had voted for the Zionist Union, according to the Smith poll. But surprisingly, Trump showed he enjoyed less than overwhelming support among Likud voters. They favored him, but not by much. 44 percent of Likudniks said they backed Trump, 39 percent Clinton and 17 percent expressed no opinion.
Another poll, this one taken by the Israeli Democratic Institute several times during election season had similar results when it came to gauging Israeli views of the candidates. In mid-October, the IDI survey found 43 percent of the Israeli public said they preferred Hillary Clinton versus only 26.5 percent favoring Trump.
A month earlier, in September, the poll came up with nearly the same results: 43 percent of Israeli Jews said they would prefer to see Clinton as president, compared to 34 percent who said they preferred Trump.
Just like the iVote Israel survey, the real story of the IDI poll is the contrast with its findings from 2012. The IDI survey results displayed a sharp reversal in party preference since the previous presidential election. In October 2012, the same IDI survey found 57 percent of Israelis preferred the GOP candidate Mitt Romney over incumbent U.S. President Barack Obama’s 22 percent.
It seems clear that the well-funded messaging efforts by the Trump campaign in Israel (which, a Haaretz investigation indicated may have violated U.S. election laws) portraying Trump as Israel’s champion and Hillary Clinton as being “bad for Israel” have fallen flat. Even though the Israeli electorate currently leans right, despite the bad blood between the Democratic Obama White House and Jerusalem, deep misgivings about Trump that did not exist with Romney are present. While there was some pro-Trump enthusiasm whipped up online from his young Hebrew-speaking supporters, a scheduled mass rally showing support for Trump never materialized.
The political efforts on Trump’s behalf in Israel may have been unprecedented. But ultimately, the unpredictable personality and temperament of Donald Trump seems to have stopped the pro-GOP drift of Israelis – including voting U.S. citizens – in its tracks, or at least, slowed it down considerably.
Whether the momentum can resume will depend on who the next presidential candidate is and to an even greater extent on the question of what the Republican Party will look like after the Trump experience.Scientists finally have the skinny on two extinct species of giant "svelte" penguins that lived in New Zealand 25 million years ago, a new study says.
For decades, study co-author Ewan Fordyce, a paleontologist at New Zealand's University of Otago, had been happening across bones of the species while searching for fossil whales and dolphins.
Only recently, though, has a team reconstructed a full skeleton. This composite—created using a model of a modern-day king penguin—represents both species, which were quite similar.
The result is "quite a streamlined animal—it wouldn't look like any penguin that's alive today," said study leader Dan Ksepka, an avian paleontologist at North Carolina State University.
Instead of a modern penguin's rotund shape, each of the newly named species had a narrow chest; long, tapering flippers; and a narrow beak—a body specialized for hunting fish.
Standing about 4.3 feet (1.3 meters) tall, both species would have been taller than the tallest living penguin species, the emperor penguin, which can reach 4 feet (1.2 meters) tall.
Prehistoric New Zealand
In the penguins' time, New Zealand itself was mostly underwater—only a smattering of islets were above the surface. Shallow waves rich with food and protection from predators would've made the habitat ideal for the birds.
Picturing the scene 25 million years ago, Ksepka sees an assortment of various penguins crowded onto remote, rocky outcrops—much like the areas inhabited by modern penguins in New Zealand, though the researcher imagines active volcanoes possibly turning prehistoric skies cloudy with ash.
In a hat tip to that ancient homeland, the team has named the species Kairuku waitaki and Kairuku grebneffi—"kairuku" roughly meaning "diver who returns with food" in the language of New Zealand's indigenous Maori people.
Giant Penguins Not Alone
"We've been gaining new insights into giant penguins from other parts of the world," said University of Texas vertebrate paleontologist Julia Clarke, who wasn't involved in the new study.
Clarke herself led a 2010 study describing a new species of ancient giant penguin, the water king, the first fossil penguin discovered with feathers.
But "in New Zealand, where they have one of the peak areas for [giant penguin] diversity, they haven't been really fully described"—making the new reconstruction an important advance, said Clarke, whose work has been supported by the National Geographic Society's Expeditions Council. (The Society owns National Geographic News.)
Both of the new species lived alongside four other penguin species, each of which likely ate different fish prey—a level of local diversity rare today, study leader Ksepka noted.
"The fact they're five species all standing on the same beaches—it's pretty incredible," he said.Get the biggest daily stories by email Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
AN 11-YEAR-OLD boy was saved from sinking in waist-deep mud after his pals used their glowing mobile phones to guide rescuers in the darkness.The child was stuck fast in the freezing mud when crews eventually managed to pull him to safety.Hero fireman Mark Donohue took inspiration from TV action man Bear Grylls when he waded into the pool, spreading his weight across the treacherous surface to stop himself sinking.The dramatic rescue happened last night when five youngsters took a shortcut across open ground off Sinderland Road, Altrincham.The group had spent the evening playing and were heading home when one of the boys became trapped up to his knees in a pool of mud. His worried pals tried to drag him out but quickly dialled 999 for help as he continued to sink past his thighs.Fire service operators warned them to stay clear of the danger area and instructed them to use the blue screens of their mobile phones to guide rescuers to the spot, close to a council-run tip.When three fire engines arrived at around 8.15pm, they were met at the site entrance by two of the youths and a team of four fighters raced to the trapped youngster, while others prepared the rescue equipment.One of the firemen tried to approach the boy but sank to his knees in the mud.But Mark, who is watch commander of Altrincham fire station, remembered a recent television programme in which survival expert Grylls showed how spread his weight across the water.By sliding onto his hands and knees he was able to grab hold of the trapped child and drag him to firm ground.He told the MEN: "The boys had been playing in woods nearby and had decided to take a shortcut. They had been told to use their phones so we could spot them. A couple of lads met us at the entrance and we could see where their mates were."The land may have been used for quarrying in the past and they boy was trapped in a pool of sandy mud. He had spent some time in there already and was cold and distressed."Although we get training rescuing people using equipment, I had seen this programme on television where the guy managed to spread his weight and move over the water."The boy, who spent 50 minutes in the freezing water, was wrapped in a foil blanket to keep him warm and was taken to Wythenshawe Hospital suffering from hypothermia.Father-of-two Mark, 36, said that the youngster was minutes away from serious harm.He said: "His friends were worried that they would get in trouble but they did the right thing by phoning 999 as quickly as they did."If they had spent longer trying to get him out on their own, he would have sunk further and his core temperature would have dropped. It could have been very serious."MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian state watchdog has warned a radio station known for its critical reporting of President Vladimir Putin’s government over a talk show it broadcast about the Ukraine conflict, the station said on its website on Friday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a meeting with senior officers who attained higher ranks at the Kremlin in Moscow, October 31, 2014. REUTERS/Michael Klimentyev/RIA Novosti/Kremlin
The warning issued to Ekho Moskvy is seen as putting further pressure on Russian media, which have experienced a series of restrictions in the 14 years of Putin’s rule. If a second warning is issued within a year, the station can be shut down.
According to the copy of the warning notice by the watchdog Roskomnadzor posted on the Ekho Moskvy website, a show it ran earlier this week contained “information justifying war crimes practices.”
“In accordance with the law...information justifying practices of war and other crimes, aimed at full or partial annihilation of an ethnic or national group, is regarded as extremist activity,” it said.
The notice refers to a programme where two journalists covering a battle at the Donetsk airport were sharing first hand accounts of the fighting that continues despite a ceasefire reached in September.
Moscow blames Ukrainian government forces for violations of the truce, while Ukraine says Russian-backed forces are the ones firing at their positions.
“I don’t understand this term “information justifying war crimes,” the station’s long-time editor Alexei Venediktov said on his Twitter page. “Information can either be false or true.”
Venediktov said Ekho Moskvy will file a lawsuit against the watchdog. The transcript of the show was pulled from the station’s website, following the warning issue.
Founded in 1990 shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ekho Moskvy ran extensive coverage of a protest movement against Putin in 2011-12 and has come under fire from authorities for its reporting over the years.
The Kremlin denies allegations of censorship or pressure on the media, saying Russians have the right to express their opinions.
Kremlin critics say authorities have clamped down on media freedoms throughout Putin’s rule, with pressure ranging from a set of laws aimed at restricting freedom of speech to murders of journalists, some of which have not been properly investigated.
Mainstream TV channels and print media in Russia are either state-owned or under indirect Kremlin control, while independent publications are subject to censorship and pressure.
An independent media outlet, TV station Dozhd, was taken off air earlier this year by several television providers in a move the channel’s chief called censorship.
Russia ranks 148th out of 180 countries in the world for respecting media freedom according to the 2014 ranking compiled by the international non-profit organisation Reporters Without Borders.Taylor Phinney is seeking history this weekend in the time trial and the road race at the U.S. championships
As its 2010 winner, BMC Racing’s Taylor Phinney is no stranger to the patriotic skinsuit of the U.S. national time trial champion. But this Memorial Day weekend, the 23-year-old could ride his way into the record books as the first American man to simultaneously capture the men’s time trial and road titles as the Volkswagen USA Cycling Professional Road & Time Trial National Championships make their return to Chattanooga, Tennessee.
“It’s definitely a goal,” the 23-year-old told VeloNews of the opportunity to sweep the weekend event. “I’m not just here to race for fun. I’m here with a couple of objectives in mind. I don’t think there’s any problem with putting that out there.”
Phinney — who soloed to a road stage victory in last week’s Amgen Tour of California — is the hands down favorite for Saturday’s 19-mile time trial, which consists of two laps of an out-and-back course on the grounds of Volkswagen’s Chattanooga assembly plant. As a participant in the 2013 Giro d’Italia, Phinney was unable to ride in the race’s Tennessee debut, but assessed the venue favorably on Thursday.
“It’s a really good [time trial] course for me. It’s rolling, it has nice roads, and it’s not terribly long.”
On his way to Saturday’s podium, Phinney will need to dethrone Tom Zirbel (Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies). The Clear Lake, Iowa native — himself a three-time runner-up in the event — snagged his first national TT title last year.
But defending champion or not, the gulf between the two riders may be significant — with Phinney besting Zirbel at the Tour of California’s Folsom time trial by a full 36 seconds. Perhaps a greater indicator of Phinney’s TT dominance? At press time, he was the only UCI WorldTour rider even registered for Saturday’s event — with BMC teammate Peter Stetina, Matthew Busche (Trek Factory Racing), Ted King (Cannondale), and each of Garmin-Sharp’s six-member race contingent opting to focus solely on the Memorial Day road race. (Phinney’s BMC teammate Larry Warbasse had planned to participate, but will not be present due to injuries sustained in a crash at the Tour of California.)
“I know that Taylor will be there,” Zirbel said. “That alone makes him the favorite given the performances he’s had over the past couple of years. But that’s fine with me. That’s what I want. I want the best guys there. It still comes down to who’s best on the day.”
The event will mark the second consecutive year in which the men’s and women’s fields have shared a common venue and equal prize money, with all four 2013 champions returning to defend their titles. In the women’s time trial, defending champion Carmen Small (Specialized-lululemon) will face off against teammate Evelyn Stevens and 2013 podium finishers Kristin McGrath (Twent16) and Allison Powers (UnitedHealthcare), among others.
It is Monday’s road race that will prove Phinney’s real test. Here he will join defending champion Freddie Rodriguez (Jelly Belly-Maxxis) and a field of 86 others on 102.8-mile course that includes four ascents of Lookout Mountain, followed by three finishing circuits through downtown Chattanooga.
“The road course is the one that I’m going to suffer on,” admits the BMC rider. “But if I can make it over the last climb on the fourth lap up then it’s ‘game on.’ My main objective is that I’ve got to make it there first, and then we can decide what the strategy is going to be.”
Early in the day, the women’s field will race over a 64.7-mile variation of the same course, with Optum’s Jade Wilcoxson and Lauren Hall — who placed first and second in 2013 — leading a field highlighted by Mara Abbott (UnitedHealthcare), Tayler Wiles (Specialized), Small, Stevens and 2012 champion Megan Guarnier (Boels Dolmans).
Should Phinney manage to snag both champions’ jerseys, he will be the first American man to wear them concurrently since the inception of the time trial championship in 2006. But there is something more important than record books beckoning the young superstar.
“For me the appeal lies in being able to represent the United States of America at every single race for the next 365 days,” Phinney told VeloNews. “That’s the coolest part — whether in the time trial, the road race or both. That’s the dream.”
VeloNews’ Dan Wuori will be covering the Volkswagen USA Cycling Professional Road & Time Trial National Championships live from Chattanooga all weekend. Follow him on Twitter for updates throughout the weekend @dwuori.http://brightcove.vo.llnwd.net/d21/unsecured/media/245991542/245991542_1866574049001_1209bigstory-arrest2.mp4?pubId=245991542&videoId=1866558705001
In a dramatic scene captured by a Globe videographer, state troopers arrived at Annie Dookhan’s home today in Franklin and arrested her.
The chemist at the heart of the state drug lab scandal that has sent shock waves through the Massachusetts criminal justice system would alter drug samples, sprinkling real cocaine in with a non-drug substance in order to make the test turn out positive, a prosecutor said today in court.
Annie Dookhan also admitted she would grab a pile of 25 samples, test about five, and then list them all as positive, said Assistant Attorney General John Varner.
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Varner spoke as Dookhan, whose mishandling of evidence over a multi-year period may ultimately undo thousands of drug convictions, was arraigned in Boston Municipal Court.
Judge Mark Summerville set bail at $10,000, which her attorney said she expected to post today. Once free on bail, she must turn over her passport and wear a GPS monitoring device. She can have no contact with her former colleagues and must be in her house from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Another hearing was set for Dec. 3.
Dookhan’s family and defense attorney left the courthouse without commenting.
Dookhan was arrested by State Police at her Franklin home this morning. She faces two counts of obstruction of justice and one count of falsifying her academic records.
Attorney General Martha Coakley said at a news conference before the arraignment that Dookhan’s actions had “corrupted the integrity of the entire criminal justice system.’’
“This is the beginning,’’ Coakley said, noting that Dookhan faces more than 20 years in prison if given the maximum for the obstruction of justice charges and 2½ years for falsifying her academic record. “This is not the end of the charging. … Her actions totally turned the system on its head.’’
Coakley said that Dookhan has cooperated with investigators, and the only motive that has so far emerged for her actions was Dookhan’s goal to be considered an effective worker at the Jamaica Plain drug lab.
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“We have not identified a motive,’’ Coakley said, noting that in other cases of evidence mishandling suspects had drug problems or needed money.
Coakley said she did not currently anticipate criminal charges being filed against any of Dookhan’s co-workers at the now-closed Department of Public Health lab, but also said a sweeping investigation into the lab was underway.
Coakley said defendants were tried based on tainted evidence and the public as a whole has been victimized by Dookhan. “People absolutely deserve a system they can trust,’’ Coakley said, adding that repairing that trust “is going to take time and it’s going to be a complicated project.’’
In Franklin this morning, a handcuffed Dookhan walked out of her home and into a police cruiser, as a large group of reporters looked on.
Annie Dookhan in a recent photograph (John Tlumacki/Globe Staff)
Dookhan wore glasses, her hair in a ponytail. She wore jeans and a gray sweatshirt. She did not say anything to the media. Before the cruiser drove away, her husband stepped out of the house, spoke briefly to a state trooper, and returned inside.
Dookhan is charged with lying about the integrity of drug evidence she analyzed in two instances and lying under oath about having a master’s degree in chemistry, the attorney general’s office said in a statement.
According to State Police reports obtained this week by the Globe, Dookhan has admitted to improperly removing drug evidence from storage, forging colleagues’ signatures, and not performing proper tests on drug evidence for |
He blogs at Reading, Writing re: Management and tweets @tedkinni.
advertisementSAN JOSE — The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office on Wednesday dropped charges against a convicted prostitute in the slaying of a Monte Sereno man and solved a mystery about DNA in the case, a deputy district attorney said.
Prosecutors removed Raven Dixon as an accessory in the Nov. 30 murder of Raveesh Kumra in exchange for her guilty plea on Friday to prostitution with gang enhancement and marijuana sales charges, Deputy District Attorney Kevin Smith said.
In her agreement with prosecutors, Dixon will be released from custody July 18 with credit for the seven months she has served and a term of probation. She will not be required to testify in the Kumra case, Smith said.
Dixon, 23, appeared happy as she sat in red jail clothing beside her attorney Andrew Dosa at the Hall of Justice in San Jose this afternoon as the three remaining defendants, all charged with murder, looked on from a jury box.
Dosa said after the hearing that the evidence did not show “any connection to her and the crime and to any of the individuals who may have been involved” in the murder.
Kumra, 66, a wealthy former owner of a Saratoga winery, was found dead in his Monte Sereno home from asphyxiation after he was bound and gagged during a late night home invasion and robbery of cash and valuables, prosecutors said.
Harinder Kumra, Kumra’s wife, was tied up and beaten but survived and called police to report the invasion.
Javier Garcia, 21, of Oakland, Deangelo Austin, 21, of Sacramento and Katrina Fritz, 32, of Pittsburg are charged in the murder and robbery of Kumra and may face the death penalty, Smith said.
Charges against another former defendant in the murder, Lukis Anderson, 26, were dropped last month, after his defense attorney convinced prosecutors Anderson had been severely intoxicated and in a hospital hours before Kumra’s murder.
Hospital records showed that Anderson, drunk and unconscious, was transported with the aid of paramedics that night from downtown San Jose to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, where he spent the night.
The murder and robbery charges against Anderson were lodged after Tahnee Mehmet, a criminalist with the Santa Clara County Criminalistics Laboratory, said she had found his DNA from a sample taken from Kumra’s body, a claim that Anderson’s attorney said had to be false.
But Smith said that the lab had confirmed today that the same paramedics who transferred Anderson to the hospital hours before Kumra’s murder also tried to resuscitate Kumra later that night, allowing for the transfer of Anderson’s DNA from them to the victim.
The news “vindicates” Mehmet in the face of doubts and criticism in the news media about her professional judgment and analysis of DNA from Kumra’s body, Smith said.
Dixon was arrested in Mountain View on Dec. 18 by undercover police officers on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder in the Kumra case and as well as felony narcotics, prostitution and being drunk in public.
Prosecutors had charged Dixon as an accessory, claiming that she was one of three alleged prostitutes who had visited Kumra’s home when his wife was away or met him elsewhere.
Dixon’s alleged pimp was a member of an Oakland street gang known as “Ghost Town,” Smith said.
The district attorney’s office alleged that Dixon took photos of Kumra’s expansive Monte Sereno home to aid Garcia and Austin in carrying our the murder and that she knew Austin, a member of another Oakland street gang called “The Money Team.”
Los Gatos-Monte Sereno police detectives had found a copy of the contents of Dixon’s cellphone on Kumra’s laptop computer, which Dixon had transferred inadvertently, that included photos of Kumra’s house, grounds, gates and other entry points.
Smith said that prosecutors concluded recently that Dixon simply posted the photos on the photo sharing service Instagram and did not intend to use them to facilitate the attack.
Dosa said that Dixon had taken photos of Kumra’s huge residential property to serve as a collage of pictures, including a fountain between two large stair cases, she posted in Instagram through her Facebook account.
“She thought it was kind of cool that she got to hang out at the house,” Dosa said.
Fritz, who is Austin’s sister, was another prostitute identified from Kumra’s laptop and led to murder charges against her, prosecutors said.
Copyright © 2013 by Bay City News, Inc. … Republication, retransmission or reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.The qualification testing of the AP1000 reactor coolant pump included 50 service cycles and more than 500 total operating hours at the Curtiss-Wright Electro-Mechanical Division (EMD) facility in Cheswick, Pennsylvania.
The reactor coolant pumps can now be installed at Sanmen Unit 1 in China, the world’s first AP1000 reactor. The first two reactor collant pumps for Sanmen 1 are expected to be shipped in the second quarter of 2012.
“This marks a major milestone for Curtiss-Wright and especially our EMD employees, who have worked so tenaciously to develop and produce this first-of-a-kind technology,” said Martin Benante, Curtiss-Wright chairman and CEO. “We are proud to be a critical and significant player in building the safest and most advanced nuclear reactors in the world, while meeting the energy needs of China and other countries across the globe.”
SNPTC chairman Wang Binghua said that the successful completion of the reactor coolant pump endurance test has demonstrated that SNPTC, Westinghouse Electric and Curtiss-Wright’s EMD “have jointly overcome the technological challenges for the AP1000 RCPs, which are among the most critical components of the AP1000 design.”
Curtiss-Wright will build 16 reactor coolant pumps for the first two AP1000 plants in China at its expanded EMD facility in Cheswick. Each plant has two AP1000 reactors, with each reactor holding four reactor coolant pumps.
Sanmen 1 is the flagship AP1000 reactor, with seven more reactors already under construction in China and the US.A new study is looking to see how much a little light can keep a neighborhood secure — and help residents feel safer. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Friday the launch of a new study that will be the first in the country to thoroughly examine the effect different lighting installation strategies have on reducing crime. RELATED: New Yorkers can now check on neighborhood crimes through new website Recommended Slideshows 4 Pictures PHOTOS: Singapore's treasures star in NY Botanical Garden's 2019 Orchid Show 4 Pictures 36 Pictures Oscars 2019: Red carpet looks and full list of winners 36 Pictures 36 Pictures All of these celebrities have had their nudes leaked 36 Pictures More picture galleries 16 Pictures These photos of Trump and Ivanka will make you deeply uncomfortable 16 Pictures 4 Pictures Inside Brooklyn's Teknopolis is tech that makes us more human 4 Pictures 4 Pictures Inside The Strand's Fight Against Being Named a New York City Landmark 4 Pictures Through the study the city will partner with residents from 40 public housing developments over the next six months and provide 400 units of additional temporary lighting. After the analysis is complete, the results will be used to determine future investments in permanent lighting throughout New York City. “We need to use every tool at our disposal to ensure that every New Yorker is safe,” de Blasio said. “By partnering with residents from these 40 developments on this rigorously evaluated study, the city will be able to understand precisely how different lighting strategies can reduce crime and create safer public spaces.” City officials worked with residents to identify certain locations within their developments they felt were in the most need of lighting at night. Related Articles 100 days of Mayor Bill de Blasio De Blasio joins Mayors Against Illegal Guns, group co-founded by Bloomberg Mayor Bill de Blasio endorses Hillary Clinton for president The study will determine the effect of lighting on outdoor criminal activity, and evaluate the impact of different amounts of additional lighting. Residents will also be surveyed to see how lighting changes fears of crime or victimization, and how it affects neighborhood unity among residents. “When we think about deterring crime, we need to pursue a broad range of strategies beyond traditional law enforcement,” said Elizabeth Glazer, director of the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice. “A well-lit street deters crime better than a dark alley, just as opportunities for work and play promote safety better than disadvantage and disconnection.” The study and temporary lighting towers — which are funded with $5.56 million in city asset forfeiture money — is part of the Mayor’s Action Plan for Neighborhood Safety (MAP). Through MAP, city officials and police have been working with residents from 15 high-crime public housing developments since July 2014 to address certain conditions that encourage crime. Since Fiscal Year 2014 and Fiscal Year 2015, violent crime in the 15 development have gone down 11.2 percent, according to the mayor’s office. As part of MAP, NYCHA is installing new and improved permanent lighting, as well as CCTV cameras and layered-access controls, at all the 15 developments and is expected to have installation completed by the end of 2019. RELATED: Mayor issues order outlining transgender use of single-sex bathrooms The temporary lighting that will be provided by the study announced on Friday will go beyond the 15 developments and will allow the city to understand how to “best scale up lighting projects,” officials said. “Addressing crime in public housing requires a multi-tiered approach,” said Shola Olatoye, NYCHA chair and CEO. “As NYCHA moves to increase security cameras, install layered-access doors and permanent light towers, and re-imagine our resident security procedures, we must also examine how such measures influence the communal perception of safety.”Pataskala, Ohio | Official Website | $20 - $35 | Parental Advisory Explicit Content
Features: Violence, Sexual Undertones, Extreme Physical Contact.
When we attended the Haunted Hoochie at Dead Acres an actor threw me over his shoulder and carried me off into a different room where he spun me around several times and then pushed me back in with my group. We were also cornered by men with chainsaws and one of us got hit in the head.
A sign at the entrance of the haunt warns, "ATTENTION: Entering Dead Acres entails known and unanticipated risks that could result in physical or emotional injury. Risks may include among other things, slipping falling, collision with fixed objects or other participants...This may be the best haunted house you've ever experienced. Have Fun."Amid worsening migrant plight in Calais, Le Parisien reports that an Eritrean man has died after attempting to get on a moving train at Coquelles
An Eritrean man is understood to have died on the French side of the Channel tunnel as he tried to board a moving freight train bound for the UK.
The unnamed man was found at about 5am near the terminal in Calais, a spokesman for Eurotunnel said.
Aid workers say the situation in the French port has deteriorated in the past few months as more people arrive in the camps, and migrants – many of them unaccompanied children and teenagers – take ever greater risks to get to the UK.
This week, a strike by French workers at the port caused huge tailbacks on motorways leading to both the ferry port and Channel tunnel. Hundreds of migrants – mainly from east Africa, the Middle East and Afghanistan – attempted to take advantage of queuing traffic by breaking into lorries bound for the UK.
At least 15 migrants died in ‘shameful’ Calais conditions in 2014 Read more
On Wednesday, Riswan, a 19-year-old from Pakistan, who had been in the camp, known as the “new jungle”, for a month, told the Guardian the situation was very dangerous.
He said many migrants had been hurt the night before as hundreds of people took ever greater risks to get on to lorries and trains bound for the UK. “One boy was badly injured in his chest when a wheel went over him,” he said. “There was lots of blood.”
Other migrants told how they had tried to cling to the bottom of lorries and trains but had either fallen or been dragged off by police. “Many people have been hurt but what else to do?” said an Afghan man. “We have to keep trying because this is no place to stay.”
Last year, a Guardian investigation revealed that at least 15 people living in the makeshift camps in Calais had died trying to get to the UK in just 12 months. Aid workers say the situation has got even worse in the past six months.
Calais migrants: 'we have to keep trying because this is no place to stay' Read more
Martine Devries, from Médicins du Monde, a medical charity that works with the migrants, said people in the camp were hungry and living in appalling conditions. “It is much worse than it was before. There are more people and they are becoming more desperate and are taking more risks.
“Last year, people would only make attempts to get on to lorries at night. Now there are so many and they are so desperate people are trying in broad daylight.”
French police do not keep a record of how many migrants die trying to get to the UK from Calais.
On Friday, a spokesman for Eurotunnel said: “I understand that the person was pronounced deceased but we haven’t had any official confirmation of that. We don’t know what the circumstances are just yet, but obviously this is a very regrettable incident.”NORAD is downplaying an incident on Tuesday that saw two CF-18s shadow a pair of Russian military aircraft as they flew within 56 kilometres of Canadian soil.
Two CF-18s, similar to this one, shadowed a pair of Russian military aircraft Tuesday north of Inuvik, N.W.T. The encounter came a day before parliamentarians were to discuss the government's purchase of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, slated to replace Canada's CF-18s.
In a statement Wednesday, NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defence Command, said the CF-18s "intercepted and visually identified" two TU-95 Bear bombers that entered the Canadian Air Defence Identification Zone.
"At no time did the Russian military aircraft enter Canadian or United States sovereign airspace," said NORAD spokesman Lt. Desmond James, a Canadian naval officer.
"Both Russia and NORAD routinely exercise their capability to operate in the North. These exercises are important to both NORAD and Russia and are not cause for alarm."
In a "readout" email to media early Wednesday, PMO communications director Dimitri Soudas said the aircraft were spotted approximately 220 kilometres north of Inuvik, N.W.T.
The CF-18 jets from 4 Wing Cold Lake in Alberta shadowed the Russians until both aircraft turned around, Soudas said.
"Thanks to the rapid response of the Canadian Forces, at no time did the Russian aircraft enter sovereign Canadian airspace," he said.
The Canadian aircraft returned to base without incident.
NORAD said its aircraft have intercepted four Russian bombers so far this year and 16 times in 2009.
James said NORAD recognizes that all countries have the right to operate in international airspace, but may conduct identification missions should aircraft approach the North American Air Defence Identification Zone.
Soudas said Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who is in the Canadian North for his annual Arctic tour, was briefed during and at the end of the mission.
A spokesman for the Russian Embassy in Ottawa noted that Canadian authorities repeatedly confirmed the Russian bombers never entered Canadian airspace.
Spokesman Sergey Khudyakov said Russia respects Canada's "territorial integrity, including the vast Arctic territories under the Canadian sovereignty."
"All flights are being conducted within the international airspace with solely training purposes," Khudyakov wrote in an email to CBC News on Wednesday.
Defence committee to probe F-35 purchase
News of the encounter comes ahead of the House of Commons defence committee's meetings on Wednesday to examine the government's single-bid purchase of the new generation of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters.
Soudas's email touted the "new, highly capable and technologically advanced" F-35s, which are slated to replace Canada's CF-18s sometime in the next decade.
"It is the best plane our government could provide our Forces, and when you are a pilot staring down Russian long-range bombers, that's an important fact to remember," Soudas said.
The contract, one of the biggest military equipment purchases in Canadian history, is worth $9 billion, but the full cost could rise to as much $18 billion once the government signs a maintenance contract.
The Liberals want the committee to question other potential bidders and procurement experts to determine whether a sole-sourced contract gives maximum value to the government and taxpayers.
Last week, the prime minister declared the protection and promotion of Canada's sovereignty in the Arctic a "non-negotiable priority."
'Diversion' from criticism
Liberal MP Larry Bagnell said he did not know the full details surrounding the latest incident, but suggested the Conservatives had used a previous CF-18 encounter with Russian planes in July as a "diversion" from criticism of the F-35 purchase.
Bagnell told reporters in Ottawa on Wednesday that the government was "needlessly" creating a foreign relations issue with Russia just days after saying that working with other countries to resolve Arctic border disputes was Canada's top foreign affairs priority.
"How are we going to work with a country we've just chastised for not even coming into our airspace?" Bagnell said.
NDP defence critic Jack Harris dismissed the government's interpretation of the encounter, saying there's not been any incursion into Canadian airspace in decades.
Russia, Harris said, resumed these flights a couple of years ago "just to prove they could get their planes in the air."
"But there's certainly no threat to our sovereignty," he added.
'Nothing else will do it'
But Conservative MPs said the interceptions show that Canada must exercise its Arctic sovereignty by being present in the North, including militarily.
"The only way we can be in the North rapidly to counter someone who is also trying to exercise sovereignty is with an airplane like the F-35," said Tory MP Laurie Hawn, a retired RCAF lieutenant-colonel who serves as parliamentary secretary to Defence Minister Peter MacKay.
"Nothing else will do it."
NORAD is a binational military organization established in 1958 by Canada and the U.S. to monitor and defend North American airspace.
Earlier this month, military personnel from Canada, the United States and Russia teamed up for the first time to test their response to a hijacked commercial jet over North American airspace.Lars Hedegaard, president of the Danish Free Press Society
An alarming trial in Denmark
When an opinion on sociological trends or a critique of a group ideology results in criminal charges of hate speech, liberal democracy is in danger.
The Danish supreme court has just highlighted that danger. While deciding to acquit Lars Hedegaard, president of the Danish Free Press Society, of intending to speak hatefully for public dissemination, the court emphatically affirmed a statute according to which anyone who “publicly or with the intent of public dissemination issues a pronouncement or other communication by which a group of persons are threatened, insulted or denigrated due to their race, skin colour, national or ethnic origin, religion or sexual orientation is liable to a fine or incarceration for up to two years.”
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The prosecution of Hedegaard resulted from remarks that he made during an interview and contends were electronically distributed without his permission. Although Hedegaard explained that he did not intend to accuse the majority of Muslim men of abusive behavior, Denmark’s Office of Public Prosecutions deemed his reflections on the incidence of family rape and the commonness of misogyny in Muslim-dominated areas to be criminally insulting.
#ad#The trial-court judge did not find that the prosecution met its burden to demonstrate that Hedegaard meant his comments for public distribution. But the Office of Public Prosecutions appealed to the Copenhagen Eastern Superior Court, in which Hedegaard was convicted. This reversal was based upon the elastic legal standard that Hedegaard “ought to have known” of the potential for dissemination of his remarks.
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Upon receiving the guilty verdict, Hedegaard noted that “the real losers [were] freedom of speech and Muslim women,” and wondered how women could be protected “if we risk getting a state sanctioned label of racism” when drawing attention to their plight.
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After two years of arguments, the seven-member supreme court declined to apply the lower court’s “ought to know” standard, but affirmed the statute under which Hedegaard had been prosecuted, with its many ambiguities and invitations to abuse. As Hedegaard has said, the result still logically means that one can be criminally liable for speech deemed racist or offensive if one does not “demand written guarantees that nothing be passed on without express approval.”
Regulating speech in this fashion is devastating to the ordered development of a democratic society. First, as Hedegaard’s trial demonstrated, truth is not a defense. In fact, sociological data that would substantiate his observations were not admissible in court. As Hedegaard complained, “the defendant is not allowed to present evidence or call witnesses who might confirm his contention that the Islamic treatment of women is incompatible with the norms of a civilised society.”
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Second, the highly general categories of legal offense do not merely seek to protect races of people — hard enough to define — but now cover beliefs, dogmas, and doctrines. Destructive ideologies that cry out for inspection are thus invited to propagate behind a veil.
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“If our Western freedom means anything at all,” Hedegaard argued before the court, “we must insist that every grown-up person is responsible for his or her beliefs, opinions, culture, habits and actions. The price we all have to pay for the freedom to disseminate one’s political persuasion and religious beliefs is that others have a right to criticise our politics, our religion and our culture.”
America is not as far behind Europe in policing thought and speech as it may seem. To be sure, when the U.S. Supreme Court has heard cases, such as Snyder v. Phelps, involving the right to speak candidly on matters of public concern, it has consistently upheld the right of individuals to discuss and debate — even protecting cruel and “hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that we do not stifle public debate.” American appellate courts have also been vigilant in fending off speech restrictions that are vague or so broad as to invite oppression and arbitrary enforcement. Yet not all appointed or elected rulemakers are as inclined to respect public debate. Four Democratic New York state senators have recently argued for a “more refined First Amendment,” declaring that speech should be “a special entitlement granted by the state on a conditional basis that can be revoked if it is ever abused or maltreated.” These legislators justified their proposed speech restrictions in the context of cyberbullying; there is always some hideous incident to use as the rationale for censoring speech.
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Many public universities indoctrinate incoming freshmen to understand that the First Amendment has a unique meaning on campus. They are told that an individual’s right to speak is balanced against any other person’s right not to feel insulted. No wonder it is difficult to reorient students to the rough-and-tumble world of robust debate on matters of public policy when they emerge from the campus cocoon.
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And although they are not currently targeting “hate speech,” the Senate and the House are going after corporate campaign speech and speech by telephonic device.
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Speech restrictions undermine our very ability to sustain the social contract. In the rare event that they are needed, they must be fine-tuned to apply only to speech that threatens imminent harm. The public good requires that we rely on free speech itself — shame and moral opprobrium — to correct those who insist on saying what is rude or crude. Otherwise, as Hedegaard warns us, “ the prosecutor lies in wait.”
— Karen Lugo is co-director of the Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence and founder of the Libertas-West Project.President Bashar al-Assad – his hold on power more tenuous than ever before – made a brief appearance on state television to dispel speculation that he had been wounded or killed in the bomb attack that devastated his high command on Wednesday.
But even as the president was filmed administering the oath of office to Gen Fahad Jassem al-Freij, his new defence minister, Syria's rebels claimed to have seized a series of key border checkpoints with Turkey and an entire swathe of the country's frontier with Iraq.
It followed yet another diplomatic failure to put pressure on Assad, with Russia and China vetoing a new UN Security Council resolution that would have threatened his regime with tough sanctions. The West responded with outrage, William Hague accusing both states of "turning their back on the Syrian people in their darkest hour".
"I am appalled by the decision," the Foreign Secretary said shortly after Russia and China used their veto power at the UN for a third time in less than a year. "What is happening in Syria is a tragedy for its entire people and a threat to international peace and security. Addressing crises like these is exactly what the UN Security Council exists to do."
President Barack Obama's spokesman said: "There's no doubt that Syria's future will not include Bashar al-Assad. His days in power are numbered. It's a mistake to prop up that regime as it comes to an end." But with the Syrian capital's outlying suburbs and a growing number of its inner districts engulfed in heavy fighting, diplomacy appeared increasingly impotent last night.
Shortly after the UN vote, the Free Syrian Army claimed the capture of the customs and immigration buildings at Bab al-Hawa on the frontier with Turkey, after several attempts in the past 10 days.
Footage that activists said was filmed at Bab al-Hawa showed rebels climbing on to the roofs of buildings at the crossing and tearing up a poster of Mr Assad.
The raid was designed in part to provide opposition sympathisers among the government soldiers a safe passage to defect. Opposition activists also claimed that the Jarablus crossing had fallen into rebel hands. Iraq's deputy interior minister meanwhile, reported that Syrian rebels had taken control of all crossings on the 376-mile frontier.
The confidence of ordinary Syrians in Mr Assad's ability to survive the increasingly daring rebellion against his 12-year rule was visibly ebbing away.
An estimated 19,000 fled across the borders into Lebanon alone in the past two days, with thousands more fleeing to Iraq. Israel put its military on alert to stop refugees crossing into its territory.
The panic was most evident in Damascus as residents tried to escape the growing upheaval. Helicopter gunships and army tanks kept up a heavy bombardment to try to dislodge the rebels.
Opposition forces, reinforced by battalions drafted into the city from rebel strongholds elsewhere, appeared more entrenched than ever as they returned fire on the fifth day of their assault to liberate the capital.
As intense as the clashes were, there was a deep sense of foreboding in Damascus that worse was yet to come. Residents of Sunni suburbs where the rebels have gained a foothold were told via television announcements and loudhailers to leave their homes within 24 hours or face death.
In the west of Damascus, in Mezze and Kafr Sousseh, hundreds of residents could be seen fleeing in panic, activists said. Some southern suburbs were said to have been left virtually deserted.
Members of the loyalist Shabiha militia, drawn from Mr Assad's Alawite minority, were said to be prowling the streets, searching for Sunnis in order to avenge the bombing.
A number of people were said to have been stabbed to death and even decapitated. More than 250 people are said to have been killed since the assassinations were first reported on Wednesday morning, including at least 60 in the capital.
Despite Mr Assad's television appearance, rumours lingered that he had fled to the coastal city of Latakia in a part of the country dominated by fellow Alawites. Questions persisted over his ability to control his splintering armed forces. "We have been seeing a constant level of defections from the Syrian military over the past months and this has accelerated over the past couple of days," a Western security source said.
"Yesterday's events will have knocked the morale of the army. Some of the Syrian military units are down to 60 per cent capacity." Internet rumours that Mr Assad had sent his British wife Asma to Moscow appeared to lose credibility yesterday. Opposition officials said they had been told by regime intelligence contacts that she had been flown to the port of Tartous to prepare for funeral today of Asef Shawkat, the president's brother-in-law who was killed in Wednesday's blast.
The same aircraft also carried the president's mother Anisa and his only sister Bushra, Mr Shawkat's widow.February 10, 2007
Donadio & Olson, Inc
121 W. 27th St. Suite 704
New York, N.Y. 10001
Mike Kitchen
CANADA
Dear Mike,
Well, tell your dead grandpa the old German (Goethe) saying: "The longer you look, the more stars you see..." I prefer that to going crazy. It's the same with meditation, how you can find the entire world in a single object or activity. Once you commit your life to a passion, you find that things open up. Still, it seems like a paradox. Most people never fully commit to their art, out of fear of losing options. But commitment brings more options than you'd ever lose.
This past summer, I recorded the collection of stories enclosed in this box. These are the best I've read on book tours since "Fight Club" in 1996 - the tour where no more than two people attended each of my book events, a very-humbling tour. Listen with care because the dreaded "Guts" story is here, but so is a bonus: a new, unpublished story, "Cold Calling." Even for a writer, words get... boring. Instead, I wanted to send you smells and sounds and flavors. If we never meet in person, please consider this box as your own private book event. Something nicer than a quick "hello" and handshake in Berkeley.
I wonder at what point your grandfather stopped writing or discussing his writing. What happened. How did it stop serving him? Please, make sure your art is always serving you, that way you'll never stop. And thanks for the "Spy Guy" panels!
I'll Shut Up Now,
(Signed)
Chuck Palahniuk
Honor Your Grandfather - But Express Yourself!!
The letter below, written by Chuck Palahniuk in response to a piece of mail from fan Mike Kitchen, is just one of thousands the Fight Club scribe sent at the end of 2006 after opening the floodgates via his official website. Palahniuk has long been known to reply to as much mail as possible, but in October of 2006 decided to dedicate months to doing just that, following a call for letters on his site. Canadian artist Mike Kitchen wrote to the author and received the following personal reply, along with a package full of miscellanea which can be seen here Note: Mike had ended his letter by telling of the time he discovered a box of his late grandfather's writings, alongside related rejection letters from publishers. He then mentioned publishing them himself as a tribute. That letter can be read here Transcript follows.It has been one of the great blogging success stories, not to mention literary mysteries. But now the true identity of the Diary of a London Call Girl blogger has been revealed, by Belle de Jour herself. The blog, based upon a secret life covering 14 months as a high class escort and prostitute in London, spawned a successful national newspaper column, a best-selling book and even a TV movie.
For a number of years now speculation has been rife as to who Belle de Jour really was, with the media 'outing' everyone from the editor of the Erotic Review (Rowan Pelling) to best selling novelist and author of How To Lose Friends And Alienate people, Toby Young. While the notion of Belle de Jour being a balding man was amusing, the actual revelation of identity has been no less shocking. The woman behind the blog, and who did indeed work as a £300 per hour hooker in London six years ago, is actually now a respected research scientist called Dr Brooke Magnanti.
Dr Magnanti is a developmental neurotoxicology and cancer epidemiology specialist, and turned to prostitution in 2003 when she was having money troubles during the final stages of her PhD thesis. The 34 year old told the Sunday Times that she has no regrets and that while she "did have another job at one point, as a computer programmer" she kept up with the prostitution as "it was so much more enjoyable".
So there you have it, prostitution is more enjoyable than computer programming. Truth be told, at a rate of £300 per hour it pays better as well.President Nicos Anastasiades on Thursday spoke of the need to curb the Cyprus brain drain resulting from emigration of young people due to the economic crisis.
Anastasiades was speaking to around 70 children, representing the Children’s Parliament during a visit to the presidential palace to mark the anniversary of the signing of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The event was attended by Education Minister Costas Kadis and Child Commissioner Leda Koursoumba.
Anastasiades referred to the necessity to curb the tendency of young people to emigrate to find work. “We need to create conditions so that they can remain, through incentives and working conditions so that our intellectual capital is not exported abroad,” he said.
“It is well known how many of our eminent scientists live abroad at a time when we need them in our country.”
Without much to offer them, young people were choosing the path of emigration or temporarily seeking work abroad, he added. But the government was doing its best to reverse the current situation
“We are talking about a contract between the state and young people through policies that will ensure that they have a future,” he said, adding that young people needed a sense of security that the state was on their side.
The president of the Children’s Parliament Florentzos Koutas, who handed over a resolution, said they were asking the government to invest early in children and to use more EU funding for educational purposes, for extra teaching resources and more school psychologists as well as doing more for children with special needs and protecting children from abuse.
“We want to see hope restored and prospects for children in order to stem the exodus of our young people abroad,” he said.Polling this far out from the mid-term elections in November 2018 is just guesswork.
But a Washington Post – ABC News poll has Democrats worried, because while it shows voters in general want a change in control of Congress, it also shows that Republicans in general, and Trump supporters particularly, are much more motivated to vote.
Aaron Blake at The Fix (WaPo) writes, This poll should be a warning sign for Democrats:
History suggests the 2018 election will almost surely be a bad one for Republicans. Midterms are generally considered a referendum on the president, and the results are almost always bad for said president. Layer on the fact that President Trump is the most unpopular new president in the modern era, and it would seem to be — at least at this early juncture — a clear recipe for a Democratic wave. The key word there being “seem.” A new Washington Post-ABC News poll, as Mike DeBonis and Emily Guskin report, presents a pretty mixed bag for Democrats. It shows that registered voters say they want Democrats to control Congress to be a check on Trump by a 52-38 percent margin, but it also shows Democrats are — rather remarkably — less enthusiastic about voting than Republicans are. While 65 percent of Republicans and GOP-leaning adults say they are “almost certain to vote,” just 57 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning adults say the same.
The other significant finding, and related to the lack of Democrat motivation, is that Trump unpopularity is not a motivating factor for Democrats. ABC News reports:
Despite Trump’s historically low approval rating, opposition to him does not produce appreciably more 2018 voting intention than support for him does, the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll found. That’s a challenge for Democrats because their supporters’ midterm turnout typically is low…. Moreover, 51 percent of polled registered voters say Trump won’t be a factor in their votes for Congress. The rest split closely between saying they’d vote to support Trump (20 percent) or to oppose him (24 percent) — a nonsignificant gap. The division is narrower than in the past, further indicating no outsize impact of Trump’s unpopularity at this point. Before the 2014 midterms, surveyed registered voters said they’d cast their vote to oppose rather than support Barack Obama by a 10-point margin, and the gap against George W. Bush was 14 points in November 2006, compared with the scant 4-point difference today.
Sure, this is just one poll and the 2018 elections are far away. But it does demonstrate a number of things which make sense.
First, Trump voters will be critical to Republican success in 2018. Oddly, the dysfunction of and disappointment in congressional Republicans may motivate Trump voters even more to give Trump greater majorities in Congress.
Second, national polling as to popularity or generic congressional preference may not reflect congressional success to the extent it might have in the past in light of this motivation gap. We recently highlighted polling showing Trump’s approval at 50% in the counties that went for him in 2016.
Third, being anti-Trump may not be enough for Democrats, who are a leaderless party. There is a sizable portion of the Democrat base who hate the people who run the Party, who feel Bernie was cheated, and who may not show up. As befuddled as the Republican Party seems, there is no Democrat message other than being anti-Trump. At least this poll shows that will not be enough to get Democrats to the polls in big numbers.
Republican voters, and particularly Trump voters, are Republicans’ best asset. Democrat voters are Democrats’ own worst enemy.Matt Slocum/Associated Press
The Buffalo Sabres suspended winger Evander Kane for Tuesday's game against the Ottawa Senators for a violation of team rules, per Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News.
Continue for updates.
Kane Comments on Suspension
Tuesday, Feb. 16
"I'm looking forward to getting back on the ice and helping the team win," Kane said, per John Vogl of the Buffalo News, who noted Kane will play on Friday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
"It's something that never should have happened," Kane said on Tuesday, per Harrington. "It's something that I can promise you won't happen again and it's something I'm definitely going to learn from."
Kane Suspended for Attending NBA All-Star Game
Monday, Feb. 15
According to Scott Swenson of WIVB 4 in Buffalo, Kane attended the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday night and informed the team he wouldn't be present at practice Monday.
Some of Kane's exploits, which Harrington described as "drinking |
we are among the better connected countries in the world, although the connections aren't state of the art by any stretch of imagination. Still, mankind existed without mobile phones or airplanes for thousands of years. So any sort of connectivity does at the end of the day serve to bring people closer.
To bring the observation section to a close, we were ruled by the British, with some contributions from the French, the Portuguese and the Dutch, for over 200 years.
What does all that do towards making us, as the questioner claims, awesome? Well all of that means that we're just very used to people. Not only that, we're used to people who're different from us. We're used to people who don't speak our tongue. We're used to people who don't eat our food. We're used to people bumping into us, which is something I've noticed people outside really dislike. We're used to talking to strangers and hearing about their troubles, without offering to help them out or them expecting us to offer help. We're used to people praying to some other divine being, although that is a slightly touchy topic in some parts. We're used to people wearing different clothes. Our people are fair, dark and 50 shades of brown in between, so we're used to your skin tone as well. We will never be at a complete loss and, no matter where you come from, we'll find a way to communicate with you without paying any heed to what you might be wearing or eating.
However, you're still somewhat enigmatic, because even with all the diversity around us, you manage to stand out. But once that initial shock is over, we'll befriend you and even strut by your side, showing you off to other countrymen as our friend from abroad. We still think you're superior to us, even though your ancestors may have never lorded over ours. We won't say anything to hint at that, but we will still brag about shopping from Marks and Spencer, while calling Louis Philippe commonplace.
Of course, when we travel abroad, we are even nicer because we want your help in a country that scares us with its dearth of people. We're not used to being all alone in a place that's not our house.
We're poor and we think that every foreigner is loaded. We want to be like you. So, nice as we are even otherwise, we are even nicer to you. So, while an Indian might be treated with a polite indifference in India, you will be treated like royalty.
Make sure you take care of your wallet, though. Uneasy lies the wallet that belongs to the head that wears the crown.Another day, another question. Ravenously tapping upon the keyboard there’s yet another stumble. Chris Roberts made a comment on how ejecting will be handled a while back, but its lost in the ether of the internet and hours of footage. Without the quote, it’s difficult to make the point. If only there was an easy way to dig through episodes of 10 for the Chairman. This is where MikeWillisUK came from, and where he was tired of ending up.
Around the Verse: Episode 2.26 @ 40:41 for the MVP
A Star Citizen community member, he has experience with Java, HTML, and CSS before teaching himself some JavaScript to work on his MVP winning project. It took him several days just to work up the coding and layout of the site, and many hours for the on-going transcription portion. The transcription being an eye opening experience for him. “I didn’t realise it was quite such a pain in the ass! I’m a reasonably fast typist (about 70-75 WPM)... but listening and typing at the same time is a whole different ballgame.”
MikeWillisUK also expressed similar difficulties of other transcribers, citing problems of editing out filler words and playing back hard-to-hear phrases. The experience made him understand the difficulties subjected to others, but his solution was at hand. Instead of relying only on his typing talents, he used his coding experience to work up a webpage for his transcription experience. With an embedded YouTube player, text box, and controls all near by he was able to cut down on the time it took him to go through the episodes. Where all of this lead him was the creation of a website, Star Citizen Q&A.
Many people, including at CIG, find it can be difficult to remember exactly what was said on a particular topic in regards to Star Citizen. Every week there’s a new 10 for the Chairman/Writers/etc, Around the Verse (or previously Wingman’s Hangar), and other multimedia episodes released by the creators of the game. Avid fans can often find themselves struggling to work up the exact quote, or even point to an episode, that a question was answered or a statement was made. MikeWillisUK first sought out a database and, after not finding one, created one. As he completed the project he soon discovered he wasn’t the only one.
The similarities in the Star Citizen community didn’t stop at trying to find a quote, but extended even into the creation of the database. “Judging by the response I got when I unveiled the site, I think I wasn’t the only one who had been through that experience! I also received a few messages from people who had been planning to make, or were in the process of making very similar tools, so I guess a lot of us were on the same wavelength.”
MikeWillisUK intends to keep updating his project moving forward, but he believes he will only focus on the 10 for the _ series. He’s also expressed a desire to talk with INN in regards to sharing data for a combined database containing StarCitizen media.
Below is the cleaned up Q&A with MikeWillisUK
Q: I’m guessing you’re from the UK. Do you mind saying which part?
A: I am indeed from the UK. I’m from Surrey.
Q: I believe I saw you commenting on Formula 1. What sort of hobbies do you have?
A: You’re right I enjoy Formula 1. Primary hobbies are gaming (obviously!), tennis – I enjoy both playing and watching (big Andy Murray fan), and snowboarding – I’m actually a qualified snowboarding instructor. Went to Canada in 2007 and trained for 3 months to get my qualification. Ended up deciding that I enjoy the riding part a lot more than the teaching part, and decided not to pursue it as a profession! But I try my best to get to the slopes every year, and I do teach my friends on occasion.
Suppose I could also add that I enjoy puzzles, etc. I play a lot of Sudoku, I enjoy solving Rubik’s Cube – always working on reducing my time, and also can solve it blindfolded given enough time and concentration.
Q: For that matter, do you mind saying what you do outside of the SC community?
A: What do I do? Well, I’m currently… between jobs… haha. I’m planning to get into the game development industry – hence my Java qualification, and I’m also looking into learning C++. I struggle sometimes with being interested in too many areas of development. For example, I’ve also tried my hand at modelling and level design at a casual level, and I enjoy creating my own art and graphics for my little game projects too; but I think, although I enjoy being a jack of all trades, ultimately my focus is going to have to be on the coding side of things, because that’s where my main strengths lie.
Q: How long have you been following Star Citizen?
A: I was a backer during the initial crowd funding campaign back in 2012. I caught wind of it fairly early on and followed progress for a week or so before deciding to dive in and become a Citizen.
Q: What about the game drew you to it?
A: Space! I’ve enjoyed space games ever since my dad first let me play Elite on his Tatung Einstein when I was a small kid. From there I eventually progressed into the Chris Roberts world. The visuals in Wing Commander 3 blew me away when I played it (admittedly I never played 1 and 2) and then a few years down the line I discovered Freelancer. I sank hundreds of hours into Freelancer, playing online with friends, hauling cargo and scouring the galaxy for the best ships and weapons. I look back on those days very fondly, and Star Citizen seems like it can be everything Freelancer was and much, much more.
Q: What do you think you’ll be doing in Star Citizen?
A: I think I probably want to try my hand at everything! Whether it’s hauling cargo, mining asteroids, flying missions to shoot down Vanduul or capture criminals, searching for wrecks and hidden treasures, or helping to crew a research vessel in a distant sector of space. I want to experience everything that the game intends to offer. My favourite feeling in Freelancer was starting off in a little Starflier and progressing my way up to a Sabre or an Eagle with hard work, so I intend to start from the bottom rung of the ladder in Star Citizen too – I’ll begin with nothing but an Aurora, and see how much success I can carve out for myself in the universe!
Q: Why in the world did you want to create that massive list of questions contained within one tiny website?
A: Haha! I’ve often read discussions on the r/starcitizen subreddit, and found myself thinking, “no, that’s wrong! I’m sure Chris actually said xyz”… but it was always a huge struggle to actually track down the source and check that I wasn’t crazy, and then reference it in my response. I looked around to see if any kind of question database already existed, and I couldn’t find one, so I decided to bite the bullet and do it myself. Judging by the response I got when I unveiled the site, I think I wasn’t the only one who had been through that experience! I also received a few messages from people who had been planning to make, or were in the process of making very similar tools, so I guess a lot of us were on the same wavelength.
Q: Can you give me a rundown of how you made the whole thing?
A: Okay, so I guess I made it by building on experience from my previous jobs and hobbies, and also with a lot of help from Google! I think that’s pretty common for most programmers – if you’re not sure exactly how to do something, Google usually has the answer. I’ve built a few small websites in the past as a hobby, so I picked up the basics of HTML and CSS doing that. I’m also a qualified Java programmer, and so although there are some big differences I was able to adapt over to JavaScript – which was needed for the SCQA project – without too much difficulty. My previous job involved a lot of spreadsheet, database, and data management work, so I applied my experience from there too.
So the technical side of things – the construction of the actual framework of the websites, and the scripts to make it function – was not too difficult! The hardest part was probably sourcing all of the actual data – the questions and answers from each episode – which was spread out all over the place over the past 2+ years. Obviously you guys at INN helped tremendously with that, having started putting transcripts on your site around episode 50 of 10FTC.
A lot of the episodes in the middle were simply never transcribed accurately by anyone, and so I took it upon myself transcribe many of the missing episodes. But whether I wrote the transcripts myself, or located them, I still had the fairly time consuming process of bringing them all together into one cohesive spreadsheet, which involved a lot of manual copying and pasting! I’m also a bit of a perfectionist and a stickler for detail, so I spent a lot of time making sure things as simple as question timestamps were completely accurate.
A lot of the existing transcripts had slightly lazy timestamps which, if you cut to the video at that moment, would already have CR 3 or 4 seconds into reading the question! Not good enough for me, so I had to go through every single video and note down all the exact timestamps when CR would finish his last sentence and move onto the next question. I want users on my site to feel like it’s a smooth and seamless experience when they click on a question to watch that part of the video.
So once I’m happy with the transcript data in the spreadsheet, it’s a fairly simple matter of converting that into a text file format and uploading that to my web server. Then when a user visits the webpage, an XML request loads the text data, and JavaScript parses the data into a list of questions and answers which can be easily searched through and displayed. The data side of things is still a work in progress too. Every episode of 10FTC is included now, but I’m gradually working on adding in the spin-offs like 10 for the Writers, 10 for the Producers etc. I’d also like to go back over the older episodes at some point and improve the accuracy of the transcripts, to bring them in line with the newest ones.
Q: About how long did it take you to do all the coding for the site?
A: I think I did the coding and layout side of things over the course of 3 or 4 days, spending a few hours on it each day.
Q: You mention that you did some transcription yourself, can you describe the process you took for it?
A: To start with, my process was very basic. I opened the YouTube video in one window, and my notepad program in another. I played the video, listened to a sentence (or part of a sentence if it started to drag on) and then stopped the video, tabbed back over to my notepad and wrote down the words from short-term memory. Then I would tab back, play a bit more, stop, tab back, type… rinse and repeat.
That quickly became very tedious, and if I wanted to skip back through a small amount of the video to double-check a sentence, it involved a lot of switching hands between mouse and keyboard. I wanted to come up with a more efficient way, so I actually created myself another little webpage with some tools to help me transcribe. The webpage has an embedded YouTube video pane, a textbox where I can do my transcribing, and most importantly it also allows me to manipulate the video via my keyboard without ever tabbing away from the textbox. So I can pause/play, or rewind, or speed up/slow down playback all with minimal effort and hand movement.
I also created my own little autofill system, so that I could write shorthand for commonly repeated words and phrases – for example whenever someone says “Star Citizen”, or “Persistent Universe”, I just type “-sc” or “-pu” respectively, and my shorthand is replaced with the full phrase automatically. I think having those tools has been a huge boon and made the transcribing process much less painful.
Q: Considering your transcription, how did that change your outlook on transcribers?
A: I’ve always appreciated the effort that transcribers put in… but I didn’t realise it was quite such a pain in the ass! I’m a reasonably fast typist (about 70-75 WPM) and reckoned that would be enough to see me through without too much trouble, but listening and typing at the same time is a whole different ballgame. If people are able to transcribe while simultaneously listening, and not get their words jumbled up, I take my hat off to them! My brain does not enjoy multi-tasking like that.
Sometimes it is easy to burn 5 or 10 minutes just playing back one near-inaudible phrase, trying to figure out exactly what is said. And it can be hard deciding when to edit out the numerous cases of “umm”, or “ahh”, or “you know”, or “I mean” … or when to leave them in to help convey the flow and tone of the sentence. I definitely have a lot of respect for the guys who do this work multiple times every week, and for much longer shows like ATV and RTV!
Q: Do you think that you’ll continue updating your project as you move forward?
A: I’m still often tinkering with small things on the site. I’m always trying to improve the look and feel of the site and make sure the search runs well. And of course I’ll continue to update the database with new questions each week. But I’m not sure I’ll update it much further beyond that – it serves its purpose! If people do have any ideas for improvements though, I would always encourage them to contact me.
Q: Do you think you’ll do it for other videos done by CIG down the road (Such as AtV, Wingman’s Hangar, etc)?
A: I’ve thrown the idea around… but of course it would mean a lot more work, so I’m leaning towards keeping it “10 for the …” focused. I’ve spoken with some of the guys at INN and I hear you may also have a database in the works, which would be more all-encompassing. Perhaps we can share data, but we’ll have to see how it goes!
Q: What’s your favorite ship and why?
A: That’s a really tough one! I do love the idea of earning enough cash to buy an 890 Jump and cruising around the universe living a fat cat lifestyle while the money rolls in. But I’m going to give the Genesis Starliner some love. It’s a beautiful shape and I do think passenger transit is a pretty cool idea. Maybe I could start my own Org version of EasyJet, with a fleet of Genesis, and manage my empire from my 890 Jump.
Q: How did you feel when you were announced as MVP?
A: I felt very honoured, but also slightly sheepish, as I hadn’t even finished adding in every episode of 10FTC at that point! It felt like I was being congratulated for a job I hadn’t even finished. But I am pleased that my hard work has been recognised and that my site is being used regularly and appreciated.
Q: If you had something you wanted to say to the community as a whole, what would it be?
A: Remain patient! It can be tough when we’re all chomping at the bit, waiting for new content. But the reason Chris and CIG are able to make this game with unfathomable depth and detail is because they don’t have a publisher breathing down their necks, pushing for deadlines and requesting cuts. What good are we if we start making those same demands? Just sit back, relax, and have some faith that the game will be incredible when it’s done!
Q: Is there anything you’d like to add?
A: Nope… I think that about covers it.Your browser does not support HTML5 video tag.Click here to view original GIF
Behold the future, my friends. It isn't hoverboards or laser swords or transportation hailing apps or drone deliveries, it is this: a gigantic touchscreen that lets you build your own pizza on the table that you will eat it on. Use the touchscreen to perfectly customize your order, play games while you wait and pay from your smartphone. The future looks delicious.
Yeah, I know it's a Pizza Hut and Chaotic Moons Studio concept that obviously cribs UI deets from Microsoft Surface but this silly pizza building service (an evolution of the Domino's Pizza Hut tracker if you will) is a good enough reason to eat Pizza Hut and have Microsoft Surface everywhere.
SPLOID is a new blog about awesome stuff. Join us on FacebookOn Sunday Keir Starmer used an article in The Observer to call time on the ambiguity that had come to define Labour’s approach to Brexit since the referendum. It was an approach that had served us well on 8 June, but it was never sustainable. With the clock ticking, the economy tanking, the pressure from Brussels building and the country crying out for some political leadership, it was high time that we set out our stall.
For several months I’ve also been arguing that our party and broader movement should adopt a clear, principled and pragmatic approach to Brexit that would enable us to:
– leave the EU by walking calmly across a bridge, rather than by leaping recklessly off a cliff;
– recognise the reality of the EU’s non-negotiable position on the phasing of the Brexit talks (ie divorce details first, long-term trade and partnership talks second), and therefore focus on the resulting inevitability and centrality of the transition deal;
– commit to a transition deal that delivers as much certainty and stability as possible, and that can realistically be secured in the highly compressed timeframe available (ie has to be off-the-shelf, rather than bespoke);
– seek progressive reform of free movement of people and labour on the basis of sectoral quotas set through negotiation between trade unions, employers and government, as outlined here: People are worried about immigration – Labour must devise a fair system and reunite the country;
– acknowledge that a transition deal based on membership of the European Economic Area (EEA) and European Free Trade Area (EFTA) is therefore the only viable option, as outlined in Britain can use EEA as comfortable waiting room before Brexit, Labour should reach out to Tories on Brexit, and in my speech back in January in the article 50 debate.
The position that Keir set out on Sunday delivers brilliantly, both in terms of the emphasis that it places on the pivotal importance of the transition deal, and in terms of its unequivocal rejection of the government’s ‘fantasy politics’ insistence that it will be possible to negotiate a bespoke transition.
So far, so good. But in stating that a bespoke transition deal is a pipe dream, then we must, by definition, be saying that an off-the-shelf model is required. And the fact of the matter is that if we are looking for a ready-made transition model, then EEA/EFTA membership is the only viable option. As well established and well understood international frameworks the EEA and EFTA offer precisely the security, certainty and stability that our country so desperately needs, in these turbulent times. Therefore the sooner we can define and specify the type of off-the-shelf transition deal that is required the better, as doing so will demonstrate that we are the only political party that truly understands the devastating impact that further uncertainty and instability will have on the jobs and livelihoods of the very people that we were elected to represent.
Committing to an EEA/EFTA-based transition would also provide much-needed clarity in terms of our position on the reform of free movement of people and labour. Twenty-four hours after the publication of Keir’s Observer article, the Guardian’s front-page headline was: ‘Backlash over Labour’s shift to soft Brexit’, and the piece quotes senior Labour MPs stating that the front bench’s newly clarified position risks alienating voters who support greater controls on immigration.
But the crucial point here is that EEA not only provides its members with maximum access to the single market, it also allows them to suspend and reform freedom of movement.
Articles 112 and 113 of the EEA Agreement provide EEA member states with the legal base for managing the inward flow of EU citizens. EEA member states are entitled to unilaterally invoke article 112 safeguard measures, thus enabling them to suspend freedom of movement and replace it with a sectoral quota-based system. As Richard North points out in his highly informative paper, single market participation and free movement of persons, article 112 safeguard measures were invoked in 1992 by no less than four of the then seven EFTA members, namely Austria, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, all citing the need to protect real estate, capital and labour markets.
Moreover, Martin Schulz, the former president of the European parliament and now the SPD’s candidate for the September federal election has spoken in positive terms about a “safeguard clause” that would “introduce quotas after a certain immigration threshold is achieved in specific regions and industries”.
This zombie government, led by an utterly discredited prime minister, is guilty of gross incompetence in office. The cabinet has spent far more time negotiating with itself than it has with Brussels, and the Brexiteers are seemingly intent on doing potentially irreparable damage to our economy, and to our broader national interest through the flippant, bombastic and childish way in which they think and talk about the EU. It is therefore absolutely imperative that the Labour movement unites around a settled position on Brexit, so that we can signal to the British people and to our European partners that we are the only grown-ups in the room, and that we’re ready, willing and able to negotiate a principled and pragmatic deal.
Full membership of the single market is not possible without being a member of the European Union, but in shifting to EEA/EFTA membership we would be leaving the EU and becoming part of an internal market that is deeply integrated with the single market.
And this shift would also allow us to reform free movement and retain tariff free access to the EU via the EEA, and via EFTA we would have a customs arrangement with the EU27, ensuring frictionless trade while also being able to negotiate free trade deals with the rest of the world.
Transitional EEA/EFTA membership would therefore enable us to fulfil not only the ideas outlined by Keir over the weekend, but also those of Jeremy and the manifesto upon which all Labour MPs stood and members campaigned, just a few short months ago.
The next step must now be for Labour to commit to an EEA/EFTA-based transition. And it is a step that cannot come quickly enough. For well over a year now we have been grappling with the vexed question of how best to reconcile maximum access to the single market with greater controls on immigration, and the contrast between the front pages of Sunday’s Observer and Monday’s Guardian shows that these differences of opinion are far from settled.
And yet, whilst the debate has been raging, could it be possible that the opportunity to square our Brexit circle has been staring us in the face?
Stephen Kinnock is MP for Aberavon.The way we drive could help us understand how animals make their way, new research from the University of Leeds has found.
The research, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, sheds light on how our brains process what we see when at the wheel, as well as giving important insights into why animals take particular paths of travel.
In the research project, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, researchers from Leeds' School of Psychology and the Institute for Transport Studies used a virtual reality experiment to test whether human steering in a driving simulator was influenced by visual speed signals.
The textured ground either side of the road -- on the inside and outside of bends -- was manipulated to move artificially faster or slower than the driving speed.
Drivers' steering was found to respond to the average ground speed, irrespective of which side moved faster or slower.
The researchers concluded that the human brain uses the ground movement signal from across the whole of the scene to guide steering, and not just the road edges.
Dr Richard Wilkie, of the School of Psychology, who led the research team, said: "This research gives us not just an understanding of the way humans drive, but may also give an insight to how insects, for example, choose their flight paths.
"It is not just a case of looking at the road edges and steering accordingly. The brain processes information from the whole visual scene moving past the eyes, known as optic flow, in helping select a path."
The findings are surprising because road edges alone provide enough information for successful steering, but the brain also uses flow speed information to guide steering.Since the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, there have been an average of 1.37 school shootings for each school week, according to data maintained by Everytown for Gun Safety, a group fighting to end gun violence.
Including Tuesday's incident at a high school in Troutdale, Oregon, 74 school shootings have taken place in the approximately 18 months since the Dec. 14, 2012, Newtown shooting. The average school year typically lasts about 180 days, which means there have been roughly 270 school days, or 54 weeks, of class since the shooting at Newtown. With 74 total incidents over that period, the nation is averaging well over a shooting per school week.
The data maintained by Everytown for Gun Safety also shows that these shootings have occurred throughout the country. In all, 31 states have had an incident of gun violence at a school. Georgia has witnessed far more incidents than others, with 10 happening at schools there since Sandy Hook. There have been seven school shootings in Florida, five in Tennessee, four in North Carolina and four in California.
The majority of the school shootings, 39, have taken place at K-12 schools. The remainder of them have happened at colleges or universities.Get the biggest Everton FC stories by email Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
SYLVAIN DISTIN admits he has been surprised at how quickly he has adapted to his new role as Everton FC’s left back – and revealed he has been asking regular incumbent Leighton Baines for tips.
The Frenchman has been shuffled across from his usual central defensive station in recent weeks, with Baines’ hamstring having ruled him out of the Blues’ previous three games.
Read More: Wayne Clarke on his title-winning goal 27 years on
And the 34-year-old has responded positively, bouncing back in style from the mistake which cost his side dearly in their FA Cup semi-final defeat to Liverpool at Wembley.
“It’s a new job for me,” said Distin. “The last time I played at left back was about six or eight years ago. I was a lot skinnier back then too, so it was easier! I’m getting used to it. The lads make it easy for me as well.
“I speak with Bainesy a bit and get some tips from him, but I don’t expect to be as good as him, he’s an amazing player. I just give my best, and that’s it.”
He added: When you play left back you have to try and link up play a bit more. Obviously I know I’m not going to get forward as much as Bainesy. But I’ll be honest I’m enjoying it more than I thought.
“I thought it would be really difficult, but I feel like I’ve adapted quite well. I feel comfortable.
Distin impressed as Everton FC were held 1-1 by Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium on Tuesday. The result extends the Blues’ unbeaten Premier League run to seven games, and means they can virtually ensure they finish above Liverpool this season if they can beat already-relegated Wolves at Molineux on Sunday.
“Our target is to remain seventh in the league, and we are doing well in that,” said Distin. “It’s a good run, and that’s the most important thing.
“Wolves are not going to give up. No team in England gives up, no matter what the score, what the game or where they are in the league.
“They will fight, there is a lot of pride in English football. It will be difficult for them because they have gone down, but they will fight I’m sure.
Of the Stoke draw, Distin added: “There is a bit of disappointment. We knew what would happen against Stoke, with the gameplan they have, and I think we did quite well.
“We conceded a goal, the kind we didn’t expect to concede to be honest. But at the end of the day a point was a good result. We were away from home, and we are still on a good run. But we are still a bit disappointed because that is the kind of game we expected to win.”
Everton are unlikely to have striker Victor Anichebe available for selection for the trip to Wolves. The Nigerian international hobbled out of action after just 21 minutes at Stoke with a groin problem, and could miss the rest of the season as a result.It’s that magical time where my boss updates all of the ship’s stats in the ShipComrade database. With every patch, he pulls them from the API files that Wargaming makes public in order to ensure that we have accurate information and reference material for our readers. This usually gives us a sneak peak at what ships the Supertesters will be working on next. With 0.5.10, a beautiful little gem was uncovered and I couldn’t wait until I got my hands on it to talk a little about this ship.
You can see for yourself here: http://shipcomrade.com/ships/prinz_eugen
Now let’s be clear: I haven’t played this ship. I haven’t been given this ship to look at in port. I am just going by the API data. Understood? Cool. We are going into full theorycraft-mode here. This is an educated guess based on what we’re seeing of the Prinz Eugen’s initial statistics. Keep in mind, all of this can (and probably will) change several times before she’s released. But let’s have some fun getting excited over what could be.
As an Admiral Hipper-class Cruiser, this gives us an obvious frame of reference from which to compare the Prinz Eugen. Throughout this preview, I’m going to match her up directly with the fully upgraded Admiral Hipper (sans modules, Captain Skills, etc) and we’ll talk about what makes her special.
I’m going to go over this section by section, the same way information would normally be laid out in port.
Survivability
The Prinz Eugen has 45,000hp. This is 1,200hp more than the Admiral Hipper. It’s not uncommon for us to see Premium Ships with a little more worth in their girth, so there’s nothing too surprising there. Both of their armour values appear identical. I’m expecting to see the reason for her chubbiness in her armaments and see a penalty in her agility as a result.
Verdict: She’s a fat Hipper.
Artillery:
Let’s compare the Prinz Eugen’s stats to the Admiral Hipper’s.Bernie Sanders speaks at a campaign rally at Great Bay Community College on February 7, 2016, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. (Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images)
During last week's Democratic candidates' debate, Bernie Sanders mentioned his proposal for campaign finance reform a number of times. Not only is it near the top of his reform agenda, but he sees the current campaign finance system as standing in the way of many other needed reforms. We have an economy rigged in favor of the wealthy, he says, and "sustaining that rigged economy is a corrupt campaign finance system undermining American democracy, where billionaire, Wall Street, corporate America can contribute unlimited sums of money into super PACs and into candidates.... [Y]ou're not going to accomplish what has to be done for working families and the middle class unless there is campaign finance reform." Changing the campaign finance system is the key to Sanders' "political revolution," which will empower millions of people to "stand up and fight back, demand that government... represents us and not just a handful of campaign... contributors."
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So what, exactly, is his proposal? Given the rather unimpressive history of past campaign finance reforms, would it do any good if it passed? Sanders explains his campaign finance reform proposals in a detailed page on his website. These proposals include:
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A constitutional amendment overturning Citizens United (2010), which allowed unlimited spending by super PACs, and Buckley v. Valeo (1971), which famously categorized campaign spending as political speech and thus largely without limits.
Barring that, appointing Supreme Court justices who would work to overturn Citizen United.
Passing something along the lines of the Fair Elections Now Act, which would provide public funding for candidates who are able to meet a modest level of private fundraising.
Some of these goals are more achievable than others. Passing a constitutional amendment is incredibly difficult—it's hard to see something like what he outlined above passing in three-quarters of state legislatures, no less winning a supermajority in the current Congress. A president could, of course, appoint justices who oppose Citizens United. But that's obviously a slow path to reform. Vacancies occur infrequently, and the Supreme Court must wait for cases to come to it before it can rule.
The real nugget of Sanders' reforms is the Fair Elections Now Act, and it's not a bad proposal. It's certainly more thoughtful than previous campaign finance efforts that simply sought to put caps on how much people could donate to candidates or parties. What FENA does is set a modest threshold for candidate fundraising to demonstrate their viability. For example, candidates for the House of Representatives would need to raise $50,000 across at least 1,500 donors.
If they meet this threshold, public financing would kick in. The government would provide the candidate with enough funding to run competitive primary and general election campaigns. If they wished to raise more money, they could do so in a way that magnifies the contributions of smaller donors. The government would give the candidate five times each private donation they'd received of $100 or less.
This is actually not a very radical proposal. Several states (Arizona, Connecticut, and Maine) have recently been using public financing in state legislative races. Some cities (including New York City) have been experimenting with small donor matching systems. And some of the results are encouraging, if not particularly dramatic. Small donor matching systems seem to make for a more diverse donor pool. Candidates who rely on public funding for their support spend less time fundraising and more time meeting with voters, which is nice. But it's not like such reforms have made the candidates more moderate or obviously less sympathetic to the concerns of major corporations.
It's also worth noting that small donors—the sorts of donors valorized by such reforms and generally believed to have purer souls than those who donate thousands at a single time—have their own agendas. Those who contribute small amounts tend to be more ideologically extreme than other donors. To the extent politicians would be more dependent upon them for election and re-election, such a reform could end up making government actually more dysfunctional.
That may be a legitimate price to pay, in some people's minds, if it empowers common folks against the interests of big corporations. But it's actually difficult to demonstrate that big corporations are able to get their way through campaign donations. For one thing, there are still lots of different donors on multiple sides of any issue. A politician thinking of voting one way to keep some set of corporate donors happy may quickly be angering another set of corporate donors with the same vote.
For another, it's still just really hard to find direct evidence that donations, even a lot of them, change the votes of politicians. To hear Sanders' supporters describe it, his money is pure and comes from his hundreds of thousands of supporters who want nothing more than a better future for the country, while Hillary Clinton is a shill for corporations and the military industrial complex, and her affiliated super PACs have corrupted her outlook. Isn't it interesting, then, that they voted identically 93 percent of the time they served in the Senate together? Is the hope that a complete re- |
of and damnation of all things government. What you can do for your people. What you can take from them. That what’s best for them sometimes isn’t what they want, and that sometimes it is. I had the most success in Tropico 5 by providing food to the poor, having a blustering textile and Cigar export business, and cutting taxes every time things got a little hairy.
Oh and I made every citizen pay for their own damn healthcare.
Based on this, on Libertarian Republic Rating System on a scale of Karl Marx to Ron Paul, Tropico 5 gets, well, a Dave Rubin. It’s open minded, classically liberal as it were. There are many ways to have a thriving society, but like Rubin, it seems the best way is a mix of everything, and a positive attitude.
Libertarians, this is the game for us.
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Watch this video on YouTubeNorthern Iowa wide receiver Terrell Sinkfield ran such a fast 40-yard dash time Monday at Minnesota's pro day that he was asked to run it again.
Sinkfield's second attempt was clocked at 4.19 seconds, 0.05 faster than Chris Johnson's NFL Scouting Combine record of 4.24 seconds in 2008, according to Fox Sports North. Sinkfield ran a 4.27 in his first attempt. He stumbled in his third attempt yet still finished it in 4.41 seconds. It's important to note that his 4.19 was hand-timed.
"I knew it was good when I finished," Sinkfield said of his 4.19. "I was pretty happy, so I came back. I thought I messed up when they said go again. I'm like, 'Dang, why do I have to run again?'"
The former track sprinter grew up in the Minneapolis area but wasn't heavily recruited by Division I programs. He led Northern Iowa with 43 catches for 499 yards and four touchdowns in his senior season.
Whether he ran a legitimate sub-4.2 40-yard dash is debatable. It's unquestionable that the unknown receiver turned heads in front of scouts, which is one of the reasons pro days exist.
NFL teams always have loved speed, and even without the 4.19, Sinkfield's blazing times are at an NFL level.
Watching the 6-foot-1 receiver's highlights on YouTube (link contains explicit language), we expected to see a lot of go routes and Sinkfield just running away from defenders, but the senior displayed a lot more polish than just a track runner. He adjusts well to many of the underthrown passes, fights for the ball and displays elusiveness in the screen game.
The NFL wasteland is littered with fast athletes who couldn't find a role. Sinkfield's speed will earn attention, but he has to prove his other skills warrant him a chance to play at the pro level.
Follow Kevin Patra on Twitter @kpatra.NICODEMUS, Kan. — Riding a red lawn mower down Washington Avenue in her hometown’s annual parade, Bertha Carter, 82, shielded herself from the sun with a white cowboy hat, and dispatched giant mosquitoes with an electronic swatter.
As Ms. Carter motored along, pulling several children on a makeshift train behind her mower, she drew applause from the hundreds of people drawn here for a weekend-long homecoming celebration in Nicodemus, the country’s oldest black settlement west of the Mississippi River.
Ms. Carter is among a dwindling number of Nicodemus’s permanent residents, who total no more than 25 by most estimates. But each summer, for a few sweet days, the town’s population swells for the homecoming. Children whose ancestors settled this land in the 1870s use the swings on a playground that often sits idle. Cousins snack on catfish sandwiches and play basketball on the court next to Township Hall. Old men and women reminisce about their childhoods, discuss the joys and hardships of rural life in northwest Kansas, and ponder the future of this proud town, one that boomed, went bust and held on.
“I hope it keeps going,” said Ms. Carter, who said she stayed here all these decades because “it’s home and I don’t like cities.”Fixing The NFL: Put Robots In The Super Bowl
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kevin Lynch/FOX Sports Kevin Lynch/FOX Sports
Through one lens, the National Football League — on the threshold of Super Bowl XLVIII — looks to be at the top of its game. Revenues are ridiculously high: more than $9 billion a year, CNN reports. Television ratings are roof-piercing: 34 of the 35 most-watched TV shows of autumn 2013 were NFL games, according to the NFL.
Through another lens, the NFL may be in trouble. The league is in a legal battle – revolving around head injuries — with more than 4,000 former players. The outcome, Sports Illustrated notes, could cost the NFL millions or billions of dollars. Performance enhancing drugs pose problems for the league. In the past few years, there have been reports of a rise in the number of all kinds of severe injuries and a fall in attendance at games. Playoff teams struggled recently to sell tickets to the stadiums, Yahoo reports. Prices for Super Bowl tickets have fallen, ESPN says.
What if sweeping change is needed to keep the NFL healthy and profitable?
As a rhetorical exercise, what could be done to ensure the NFL's success into the 22nd century? One idea suggested by folks now and then: Put robots on the field instead of players.
The NRFL
Maureen Carruthers of the National Robotics League – a program of the National Tooling and Machining Association that encourages students to build competitive battle robots – loves the idea of an all-droid National Robot Football League.
By switching to robotic football, Maureen says, "we solve a multitude of problems: We stop glorifying human-on-human violence to our children, and stop asking people to put themselves in harm's way for our entertainment. Those reasons alone make an alternative worth considering."
Think of the benefits, she says. "Posters of famous mechanical and electrical engineers adorn teenagers' bedroom walls. We will be raising a generation of Americans who have a strong interest in manufacturing and engineering which will result in an incredible boost to our economic growth and national security."
Rookie Robots
To boot, Maureen says, "while every kid who grows up watching games in the NRFL will not go pro, I imagine pee-wee, high school and college robotic combat programs will also be formed. The young people who participate in those leagues will learn a variety of technical and academic skills that will serve them, and our country."
The young creatives will go on "to design and build autonomous automobiles, full service house maids, and amazing machines we can't currently imagine," she says, while still learning the life lessons that our existing sports programs teach, such as teamwork, sportsmanship and a sense of accomplishment.
On a larger scale, Maureen says, a world in which everyone dabbles in robotics — the way everyone currently dabbles in football — is a world that understands the benefits of "focusing human energy on creatively solving problems that only humans can solve... while leaving to the robots the mundane and dangerous work that must be done to keep our society moving."
New England Patribots
Lest you think these ideas are way out of bounds, the NFL is constantly testing and tinkering to improve its product – or at least its revenues. One of the latest suggestions by Commissioner Roger Goodell is perhaps changing the scoring system by doing away with extra-point kicks. Maybe the league could ease into robotics — have Peyton Manning, um, manning a robot from the sidelines. And other players guiding robots using video-game dexterity.
If the Pentagon is relying more and more on robots for combat and other tasks and if American firms and farms are shifting to droids and drones, why not the NFL? Perhaps Fox, the network that will broadcasting the Super Bowl on Sunday, has been preparing us for the morphing all along. For years its sports division has been represented by a popular football-playing mascot named Cleatus, who is half human and half, you guessed it, robot.
The Protojournalist: A sandbox for reportorial innovation. @NPRtpjWhen two employees at St. Mary’s church in downtown St. Paul found what they believed was child pornography in the Rev. Donald J. Dummer’s living quarters in 1997, they brought the material to an archdiocese official.
Over the next five years, the circle of church leaders made aware of the material grew. It included then-Vicar General Kevin McDonough, then-Archbishop Harry Flynn and the Rev. Joseph Hitpas, Dummer’s superior in the local office of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the order to which he belonged.
It even reached Archbishop Gabriel Montalvo, the apostolic nuncio in Washington, D.C. — the Vatican’s ambassador to the United States.
But the potentially criminal material never was turned over to law enforcement. Instead, Hitpas told Flynn in 2002, “I will dispose of the tapes.”
Details of the events involving the former Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis priest were released Thursday by attorney Jeff Anderson of St. Paul, who obtained the material through a lawsuit.
A message left for Dummer, now 77 and living in an oblates residence in Tewksbury, Mass., was returned by the residence’s administrator, David Arthur, who referred a reporter to the oblates headquarters in Washington, D.C. Messages left there were not immediately returned.
Bishop Andrew Cozzens of the archdiocese said in a written statement Thursday that Dummer’s file was turned over to St. Paul police investigators in November 2013.
“Dummer is accused of possessing child pornography while he was living within the archdiocese,” Cozzens wrote. “Today, we would handle such allegations differently.”
Church officials and Anderson identified Dummer last month as being among priests in the Twin Cities archdiocese with substantiated claims of child sexual abuse.
Cozzens said Thursday that a substantiated claim “is one for which sufficient evidence exists to establish reasonable grounds to believe that the alleged abuse occurred. It is not a presumption of guilt.”
Possession of child pornography is considered a form of child sexual abuse for purposes of inclusion on the archdiocese’s list.
Ordained in 1964, Dummer served at Church of the Assumption in Richfield from 1975 to the 1980s. He then went to the Diocese of Crookston, where he worked in Blackduck in Beltrami County; mission parishes in Pennington, Kelliher, Northome and Shooks; and Callaway in Becker County, a diocese official said. In 1996, he returned to the Twin Cities and lived at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in St. Paul.
It was there that the suspected pornography was discovered.
One of the church employees found a VHS tape of “boys 10-12 years of age playing basketball — nude,” he said. Early the next year, the employee found more videos, including one depicting homosexual sex between teenagers about 18 or 19 years old, the man estimated.
In August 1997, months after archdiocese officials were first made aware of the possible child pornography, Dummer became chaplain at St. Paul-Ramsey Medical Center, now Regions Hospital.
One of the employees who found the material brought it to the Rev. Kevin McDonough, then vicar general of the archdiocese.
Frustrated with the lack of a response, the employee in 2002 wrote a letter “to whom it may concern.” It was not clear who received the letter, but a group of concerned parents called Catholic Parents OnLine then wrote to the apostolic nuncio in Washington, D.C., and included the man’s letter.
The group also included a packet of photos the man had collected from Dummer’s quarters and “three (3) videos of a questionable nature,” the nuncio said.
The nuncio, Montalvo, wrote to Flynn on Feb. 4, 2002, about what he had received. The fact that the parents’ group “has its own website” meant that “the potential for public scandal and the dissemination of these troubling allegations are evident.”
Flynn replied March 6, 2002, saying he would meet soon with Dummer and Hitpas, Dummer’s local superior with the oblates.
Hitpas had told Flynn over the phone that there had been “ongoing agitation” between the employee and Dummer, Flynn wrote. The staff member “has had emotional problems and Father Dummer doesn’t seem to have the sensitivity to recognize that but rather does things to aggravate him and these are usually minor liturgical violations,” the archbishop wrote.
Hitpas also wrote a letter to Flynn. In the Feb. 13, 2002, document, he said Dummer was embarrassed and apologetic, but “adamantly denies ever possessing any kind of child pornography.”
“He claims he has no other tapes. … I pointed out to him that any such material was inappropriate, and that he should check carefully and get rid of anything else that might be in his possession,” Hitpas wrote.
After meeting with Dummer and Hitpas, Flynn told the apostolic nuncio in an April 3, 2002, letter that Dummer would be moved out of St. Mary’s and into the oblates’ residence in St. Paul, where he would “experience more supervision.”
Flynn wrote that “as far as I am concerned I think we can bring this matter to a closure. I do not believe that this matter needs any further attention except the ongoing supervision of Father Dummer.”
Dummer was fired from his chaplain job in 2006. The director of chaplaincy services at Regions wrote at the time that Dummer “can be rude and insensitive, and that his ministry lacks the appropriate pastoral sensitivity.”
Dummer wrote in an email to then-Archbishop Flynn, “I feel that I didn’t do anything wrong,” referring to his chaplaincy.
The Dummer case bears some similarity to that of the Rev. Jonathan Shelley, formerly of St. Jude of the Lake church in Mahtomedi and St. John the Baptist in Hugo.
In September 2004, a parishioner whose family once owned the Mahtomedi house where Shelley lived retrieved a computer that had belonged to Shelley and was no longer wanted.
The parishioner booted it up and found what he believed to be pornography.
He called the archdiocese and turned over the hard drive. McDonough, then vicar general, assured him the matter would be fully investigated. McDonough contacted a private investigator but did not report the matter to police.
St. Paul police examined the case last year after archdiocese whistleblower Jennifer Haselberger contacted the Ramsey County attorney’s office about it.
Police and investigators with Washington County determined the material was adult pornography and did not depict images of minors.
Haselberger, however, previously told law enforcement that she had seen the report by the private investigator and other documents related to the computer. The documents said the pornographic images included what appeared to be a pre-pubescent boy performing oral sex on another male, according to a police report. And there was evidence of search terms such as “naked boy pics,” “hard core teen boys” and “helpless teen boys,” the police report said, citing Haselberger.
Shelley was not charged with a crime. He has been on leave since March 2013.
Emily Gurnon can be reached at 651-228-5522. Follow her at twitter.com/emilygurnon.Photo: Getty Images Image 1 of / 33 Caption Close
Image 2 of 33 Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel (60) pitches during the first inning of an MLB baseball game at Minute Maid Park, Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012, in Houston. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle ) Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel (60) pitches during the first inning of an MLB baseball game at Minute Maid Park, Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012, in Houston. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle ) Photo: Houston Chronicle
Image 3 of 33 Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel (60) pitches during the first inning of an MLB baseball game at Minute Maid Park on Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012, in Houston. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle ) Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel (60) pitches during the first inning of an MLB baseball game at Minute Maid Park on Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012, in Houston. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle ) Photo: Houston Chronicle
Image 4 of 33 Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel waves to the crowd after picking up his first career win against the Cleveland Indians at Minute Maid Park on Saturday, June 23, 2012, in Houston. Keuchel pitched a complete game, giving up just one run on six hits as the Astros won the game 8-1. ( Smiley N. Pool / Houston Chronicle ) less Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel waves to the crowd after picking up his first career win against the Cleveland Indians at Minute Maid Park on Saturday, June 23, 2012, in Houston. Keuchel pitched... more Photo: Houston Chronicle
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Image 6 of 33 Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel hugs catcher Jason Castro after recording the final out against the Cleveland Indians at Minute Maid Park on Saturday, June 23, 2012, in Houston. Keuchel pitched a complete game, giving up just one run on six hits to earn his first career win, as the Astros won the game 8-1. ( Smiley N. Pool / Houston Chronicle ) less Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel hugs catcher Jason Castro after recording the final out against the Cleveland Indians at Minute Maid Park on Saturday, June 23, 2012, in Houston. Keuchel pitched... more Photo: Houston Chronicle
Image 7 of 33 Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel delivers in the first inning against the Cleveland Indians at Minute Maid Park on Saturday, June 23, 2012, in Houston. Keuchel pitched a complete game, giving up just one run on six hits to earn his first career win, as the Astros won the game 8-1. ( Smiley N. Pool / Houston Chronicle ) less Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel delivers in the first inning against the Cleveland Indians at Minute Maid Park on Saturday, June 23, 2012, in Houston. Keuchel pitched a complete game, giving up... more Photo: Houston Chronicle
Image 8 of 33 Houston Astros' Dallas Keuchel delivers a pitch against the Seattle Mariners in the first inning of a baseball game on Saturday, May 3, 2014, in Houston. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan) Houston Astros' Dallas Keuchel delivers a pitch against the Seattle Mariners in the first inning of a baseball game on Saturday, May 3, 2014, in Houston. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan) Photo: Associated Press
Image 9 of 33 Houston Astro Dallas Keuchel and his partner Jeanine Stewart hold up the trophy after winning the first Dancing with the 'Stros fundraiser at the House of Blues Sunday Sept. 15 2013.(Dave Rossman photo) Houston Astro Dallas Keuchel and his partner Jeanine Stewart hold up the trophy after winning the first Dancing with the 'Stros fundraiser at the House of Blues Sunday Sept. 15 2013.(Dave Rossman photo) Photo: For the Houston Chronicle
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Image 11 of 33 Houston Astro Dallas Keuchel and his partner Jeanine Stewart hold up the trophy after winning the first Dancing with the 'Stros fundraiser at the House of Blues Sunday Sept. 15 2013.(Dave Rossman photo) Houston Astro Dallas Keuchel and his partner Jeanine Stewart hold up the trophy after winning the first Dancing with the 'Stros fundraiser at the House of Blues Sunday Sept. 15 2013.(Dave Rossman photo) Photo: For the Houston Chronicle
Image 12 of 33 Houston Astro Dallas Keuchel with his partner Jeanine Stewart at the first Dancing with the 'Stros fundraiser at the House of Blues Sunday Sept. 15 2013.(Dave Rossman photo) Houston Astro Dallas Keuchel with his partner Jeanine Stewart at the first Dancing with the 'Stros fundraiser at the House of Blues Sunday Sept. 15 2013.(Dave Rossman photo) Photo: For the Houston Chronicle
Image 13 of 33 Houston Astro Dallas Keuchel dances with his partner Jeanine Stewart at the first Dancing with the 'Stros fundraiser at the House of Blues Sunday Sept. 15 2013.(Dave Rossman photo) Houston Astro Dallas Keuchel dances with his partner Jeanine Stewart at the first Dancing with the 'Stros fundraiser at the House of Blues Sunday Sept. 15 2013.(Dave Rossman photo) Photo: For the Houston Chronicle
Image 14 of 33 Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel delivers in the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in New York, Thursday, Aug. 21, 2014. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens) Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel delivers in the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in New York, Thursday, Aug. 21, 2014. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens) Photo: Associated Press
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Image 16 of 33 Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel is greeted in the dugout after being taken out of the baseball game in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif., Monday, May 19, 2014. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) less Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel is greeted in the dugout after being taken out of the baseball game in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif., Monday,... more Photo: Associated Press
Image 17 of 33 Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel wipes his face after giving up a single to Los Angeles Angels' Josh Hamilton in the third inning of a baseball game on Saturday, April 5, 2014, in Houston. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan) less Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel wipes his face after giving up a single to Los Angeles Angels' Josh Hamilton in the third inning of a baseball game on Saturday, April 5, 2014, in Houston. (AP... more Photo: Associated Press
Image 18 of 33 ANAHEIM, CA - SEPTEMBER 14: Starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel #60 of the Houston Astros is greeted in the dugout after being relieved in the eighth inning on a single by Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on September 14, 2014 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) less ANAHEIM, CA - SEPTEMBER 14: Starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel #60 of the Houston Astros is greeted in the dugout after being relieved in the eighth inning on a single by Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels of... more Photo: Getty Images
Image 19 of 33 Houston Astros pitcher Dallas Keuchel fields a grounder hit by Cleveland Indians Lonnie Chisenhall to end the 7th inning at Minute Maid Park Monday, April 6, 2015, in Houston. ( Melissa Phillip / Houston Chronicle ) less Houston Astros pitcher Dallas Keuchel fields a grounder hit by Cleveland Indians Lonnie Chisenhall to end the 7th inning at Minute Maid Park Monday, April 6, 2015, in Houston. ( Melissa Phillip / Houston... more Photo: Houston Chronicle
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Image 21 of 33 Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel (60) pitches during the second inning of the Opening Day MLB game at Minute Maid Center on Monday, April 6, 2015, in Houston. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle ) less Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel (60) pitches during the second inning of the Opening Day MLB game at Minute Maid Center on Monday, April 6, 2015, in Houston. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle... more Photo: Houston Chronicle
Image 22 of 33 Houston Astros starting pitchers Dallas Keuchel and Collin McHugh during Houston Astros spring training workouts at the Osceola County facility, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015, in Kissimmee. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle ) less Houston Astros starting pitchers Dallas Keuchel and Collin McHugh during Houston Astros spring training workouts at the Osceola County facility, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015, in Kissimmee. ( Karen Warren / Houston... more Photo: Houston Chronicle
Image 23 of 33 Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel (60) laughs with his pony tail beard during the first day of spring training workouts for pitchers and catchers at their Osceola County training facility, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015, in Kissimmee. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle ) less Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel (60) laughs with his pony tail beard during the first day of spring training workouts for pitchers and catchers at their Osceola County training facility,... more Photo: Houston Chronicle
Image 24 of 33 Jimmy Hopkins takes a photo of his wife, Donna with Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel during fan appreciation day before the start of an MLB baseball game at Minute Maid Park, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2014, in Houston. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle ) less Jimmy Hopkins takes a photo of his wife, Donna with Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel during fan appreciation day before the start of an MLB baseball game at Minute Maid Park, Sunday, Sept. 21,... more Photo: Houston Chronicle
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Image 26 of 33 Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel gets dunked with ice by by strength and conditioning intern Gregory Bourn for the Ice Bucket Challenge to strike out ALS before the start of batting practice at Minute Maid Park, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2014, in Houston. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle ) less Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel gets dunked with ice by by strength and conditioning intern Gregory Bourn for the Ice Bucket Challenge to strike out ALS before the start of batting practice at... more Photo: Houston Chronicle
Image 27 of 33 Orbit hugs Houston Astros LHP Dallas Keuchel (60) before the start of a spring training game against the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves at the Osceola County Stadium, Sunday, March 2, 2014, in Kissimmee. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle ) less Orbit hugs Houston Astros LHP Dallas Keuchel (60) before the start of a spring training game against the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves at the Osceola County Stadium, Sunday, March 2, 2014, in Kissimmee. (... more Photo: Houston Chronicle
Image 28 of 33 Houston Astros relief pitcher Dallas Keuchel's dad, Dennis, gets recognized before the game with Houston Astros starting pitcher Bud Norris, as his son warms up in the bullpen before the start of an MLB game at Minute Maid Park, Sunday, June 16, 2013, in Houston. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle ) less Houston Astros relief pitcher Dallas Keuchel's dad, Dennis, gets recognized before the game with Houston Astros starting pitcher Bud Norris, as his son warms up in the bullpen before the start of an MLB game... more Photo: Houston Chronicle
Image 29 of 33 Houston Astros relief pitcher Dallas Keuchel (60) pitches during the third inning of an MLB game at Minute Maid Park, Sunday, May 26, 2013, in Houston. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle ) Houston Astros relief pitcher Dallas Keuchel (60) pitches during the third inning of an MLB game at Minute Maid Park, Sunday, May 26, 2013, in Houston. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle ) Photo: Houston Chronicle
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Image 31 of 33 Houston Astros relief pitcher Dallas Keuchel takes a seat on the bench during the ninth inning against the Oakland Athletics at Minute Maid Park on Saturday, April 6, 2013, in Houston. ( Smiley N. Pool / Houston Chronicle ) less Houston Astros relief pitcher Dallas Keuchel takes a seat on the bench during the ninth inning against the Oakland Athletics at Minute Maid Park on Saturday, April 6, 2013, in Houston. ( Smiley N. Pool /... more Photo: Houston Chronicle
Image 32 of 33 Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel (60) pitches during the first inning of an MLB baseball game at Minute Maid Park on Saturday, Sept. 22, 2012, in Houston. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle ) Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel (60) pitches during the first inning of an MLB baseball game at Minute Maid Park on Saturday, Sept. 22, 2012, in Houston. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle ) Photo: Houston ChronicleAn eighteen year old student from Manchester, England, took two grams of the popular club drug ketamine before an exam this morning in an attempt to alter time and give himself “more time to answer the questions”.
English literature student Danny Coleman turned to the drug after falling behind in his studies due to his on going struggle to find a healthy balance between work and play.
“To be honest it’s been bloody hard work,” said Danny. “I have the ‘play’ part nailed on. I go to the SU bar every single night for pre-drinks, then end up in a club and getting on it until the early hours before heading home with some skanky bird.”
“What does me in is the ‘work’ part. I’ve been here for six months and only been to three lectures. I didn’t realise there was such a big emphasis on education at university. I assumed the government gave us our student loan to go and enjoy our youth and spend it on things like beer, takeaways and drugs, not wreck our heads reading Shakespeare books and trying to decipher pissy poems by Wordsworth that make about as much sense as the female menstrual cycle.”
According to Danny’s roommate Scott, “a bit of ket” would be perfect to slow down time during the two hour essay based exam.
“I went to Warehouse Project for the first time last month and got well messy during Jamie Jones’ set,” explained Scott. “Some bird gave me a bump of her ket and the night seemed to last for ages. I gazed vacantly into the distance pondering life for what felt like seven hours, but it was actually only forty three minutes and twenty seven seconds.”
“Once Scott told me about the time altering qualities of ket I had no choice but to get on it before the exam,” continued Danny. “Time was what I needed and ket was the answer. I knew if I fucked up my exams I wouldn’t be entitled to any more free money to get messy with, so I needed to do something drastic.”
“I think it went alright but I can’t really remember.”
Danny’s classmate, Carly Stevens, gave her account of the exam, “It was fairly easy really, the lecturer told us pretty much exactly what was going to be coming up so anyone who went to the classes would have had no problem with it.”
“It took that Danny bloke twenty minutes to get to his desk. He looked ill – really white and eyes all over the place,” she laughed. “I peeked at his page and the dickhead hadn’t even managed to fill out his name, which isn’t a surprise as all he did was drool and stare at his pen for the whole two hours.”
“It took three lecturers to carry him out of the hall and back to his room, I think he’ll probably have to repeat.”The permission to start the social assistance experiments depends on the political will of politicians at the national level. Despite obstructions, several municipalities are determined to continue with the experiments for the sake of that part of the population that is suffering under the current social welfare regime.
It’s time for new forms of social security, says Sjir Hoeijmakers in a presentation held during the annual meeting of the Dutch branch of BIEN on May 7, 2017. He begins his lecture by stressing that he prefers to speak of ‘experiments in the context of the Participation Act’, instead of ‘basic income experiments’, because they don’t fulfill BIEN’s definition of an unconditional basic income. More on the subject can be found in this thoroughly composed article. However, to smooth the conversation, he cautions that he would probably fall back in the habit of talking about ‘basic income experiments’.
According to Hoeijmakers, an econometrist who crowdfunded his own income for two years in order to support municipalities who want to study alternative forms of social assistance in scientific research projects, we need a system that is based on trust, freedom and income security. A basic income can do that. However, nobody knows the short or long term consequences of the implementation of such an income, because it has never done before. Hence, we need to do experiments, investigate as many aspects as possible and launch a broad debate.
Background
The ideas for the experiments were mainly born out of discontent with the Participation Act. Under this law, introduced in 2015, the municipal executives are obliged to stimulate welfare recipients to look for a job and to accept paid work, as well as to provide social benefit payments to its inhabitants who need such arrangements.
The implementation of this law at the local level requires a complicated set of rules, obligations and restrictions. In order to ensure a welfare recipient’s integration into the workforce and to prevent fraud, the local bureaucracy has to develop many regulations regarding, e.g., the imposition of fines and payment reductions, the appropriate use of disciplinary punishment or the application of rebates for people who live together.
A newly introduced measure is the so-called ‘compensation’ (Dutch: ‘tegenprestatie’). A welfare recipient has the obligation to do something in return for the payments. This can be voluntary work, but one can also be forced to ‘gain work experience’ in a commercial enterprise. The obligation can go as far as requiring unpaid work for six months. Some organizations who have stood up against this policy have already called it ‘forced labor’. The kind of ‘compensation’ is to be decided by the civil servant of the municipality, who is in charge of the implementation of the Participation Act. This practice is highly susceptible to arbitrariness and is therefore very unpopular among recipients.
Because of the complexity and far-reaching consequences of the law, the local government has to allocate a lot of money and manpower for control and enforcement. In the meanwhile, the social welfare system has lost its function as social safety net by the dreadful accumulation of inspection, monitoring and sanctions. Additionally, as a result of the continuing exerted pressure, beneficiaries accept less instead of more paid or voluntary work leading to alarming levels of impoverishment among this group. At the same time Dutch trend watchers predict that in ten years less than thirty percent of the population will be engaged in full-time paid work. The rest will earn money with ‘loose jobs’.
A normative framework
For these reasons, municipalities have begun to design experiments within the existing social assistance scheme. In the Netherlands income distribution and taxes (except municipal taxes) are regulated at the national level. Municipalities are not allowed to implement income policy. However, it’s the local government that is responsible for the provision of social assistance.
After a long period of lobbying by the municipalities, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment has finally released its general administrative regulation (Dutch: Algemene Maatregel van Bestuur / AMvB). This sets out the exact standards for the implementation of a law. The social assistance projects must be tested to the AMvB. A city council can apply for an experiment based on this document by requesting an exception to the law, for example, to temporarily suspend reintegration requirements or to allow people to earn an extra income on top of the benefit payments. The municipality is required to carry out the experiment according to the terms of the document. The framework causes many problems, because the AMvB only allows for exceptions to the law in individual cases and not when it comes to groups.
Unfortunately, the AMvB has become the subject of political controversy, as Hoeijmakers notices. That’s why additional stipulations have been added to the experiments and compromises have to be made. For instance, the projects must be now carried out in a relatively short time, and people who make too little effort to get work can be excluded from the experiments, which makes the whole project a bit weird. As Hoeijmakers explains, all these irritating requirements make it very difficult to set up a good scientific and ambitious project. At all political levels, there are often a few people who support or sabotage the idea. Yet, city councilors and researchers are determined to overcome the obstructions and are actively seeking smart, legal solutions to bypass the Participation Act.
In the previous cabinet consisting of VVD and PvdA, it was very difficult to reach agreement over the AMvB. A majority in the Second Chamber (or House of Representatives) was in favor of the proposed experiments, but the government was not. Especially the VVD (People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy; Dutch: Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie), a conservative-liberal political party in the Netherlands, had many objections to experiments that could emancipate welfare in the long run by introducing a basic income. Members of the PvdA (Labour Party (Dutch: Partij van de Arbeid, the social-democratic party) at the local level are usually in favor of experiments in contrast to members of the cabinet. In the last months, several municipalities have stopped the preparations because of all the difficulties. In an ideal world, Hoeijmakers comments, you would expect that the national government plays a stimulating role, ensures proper tuning of the experiments and good scientific coordination. This is not the case. Municipalities also lacked financial support from the government, despite of all the rhetoric about decentralization and being open to experiments.
Hoeijmakers explains that 45 municipalities are considering experiments with social assistance policy:
Seven have submitted an application, among which the four forerunners Wageningen, Tilburg, Groningen who submitted their proposal in April. Utrecht wanted to start the experiment on May 1st, but the trial is postponed because the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment (SZW) has still questions about the design. A few days after the presentation all seven municipalities received a response from the ministry with further questions and instructions about the experiments they had proposed. Tilburg’s responsible alderman (Christian Democratic Appeal / |
halves at the club.
But Klopp hopes his old club can lend a hand by loaning him Neven Subotic.
Talks have opened and begun over Subotic, who Klopp took to Dortmund from Mainz, but a deal is far from finalised believes the Mirror.
Liverpool defender Tiago Ilori’s 12-month loan has been cancelled by Aston Villa and he could go into the squad for Friday’s trip to Exeter.
The Reds are also hopeful of bringing Schalke defender Joel Matip to the club in January, instead of waiting until the summer to sign him on a free transfer.
Matip is out of contract at the end of the season but the Bundesliga side are desperate for him to sign a new deal.
Andrea Ranocchia could become Klopp's second signing of the window, according to Italian website TuttoMercato.
January transfer window closes in
Ranocchia, the Inter Milan centre-back, is struggling to get regular first-team football at San Siro under Roberto Mancini and the two clubs, according to TuttoMercato, now just need to agree a fee before the move can go through.
With Martin Skrtel, Mamadou Sakho, Joe Gomez, Jon Flanagan and Lovren all out injured, the Italy international would more than likely stroll into Liverpool's starting XI should Klopp and Mancini agree a fee.
Klopp, meanwhile, is considering adding another Belgian goalkeeper to his squad, according to the Daily Star.
Following under-par performances from Simon Mignolet and his understudy Adam Bogdan, Klopp is now ready to take a punt on Standard Liège's Guillaume Hubert.
Hubert, 21, has already been monitored by Liverpool scouts earlier this season, but the Merseysiders may have to fight off Leicester City who are also keen on the £1 million-rated player.Welcome to Zodiac-Signs-Astrology.com, your complete signs of the zodiac information source.
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If you are wondering about a characteristic of a zodiac sign, dating styles, compatibility or information about all the signs of the zodiac, you are sure to find what you are looking for.
Find out about your zodiac sign meaning to help you in the business world, friendships, dating and life in general. Understand your role on this planet and make sense of your interactions with other people by learning about your astrology sign. Zodiac-Signs-Astrology.Com has all the easy-to-understand, no-nonsense characteristics and personality traits information you need right at your fingertips! Take a peek into the mind of others, find out why they do what they do and the reason behind their motives. Get the upper hand in your relationship and learn how to handle your partner! Don't forget to check out theastrology elements for additonal information.
Just click on any of the 12 astrology symbol's name to begin or scroll down to find out about the 4 zodiac sign elements:WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government will require natural gas drillers to disclose which chemicals they use in hydraulic fracturing on public lands, according to draft rules crafted by the Interior Department.
President Barack Obama pledged in the State of the Union address last week that the government would develop a road map for responsible natural gas production and roll out new rules to ensure drillers protect the environment.
Companies would be required to disclose the “complete chemical makeup of all materials used” in fracking fluids under the Interior Department’s draft rules, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters.
The industry objected to any rule that would force drillers to reveal the chemicals used in fracking, during which chemical-laced water and sand are blasted deep below ground to release oil and natural gas trapped within rock formations. Fracking has allowed companies to tap a wealth of new natural gas reserves but critics say the procedure has polluted water and air.
The Bureau of Land Management estimates that companies use the fracking technique on about 90 percent of wells drilled on federal lands.
The proposed rules would also require drillers to ensure the stability of underground casing in wells and that waste water from fracking does not leak into the environment.
The Interior Department has said it is moving ahead with the rules but has not offered a specific timeline for when they will be released. Once the proposal is officially issued, the department will get feedback before finalizing the regulations.
“We will continue to gather public input throughout this process to ensure that the disclosure rule enhances public confidence in hydraulic fracturing on public lands, while also encouraging continued safe and responsible exploration and production for many decades to come,” Interior spokesman Adam Fetcher said in a statement.
Fracking has helped companies tap vast reserves of natural gas that could turn the United States into an exporter of the fuel. But environmental groups and some residents near fracking operations say the process pollutes the water and air.
The Environmental Protection Agency late last year issued a draft study that said fracking fluids likely polluted an aquifer that supplies public drinking water in Wyoming. The agency is also trucking drinking water to four homes in Dimock, Pennsylvania, after receiving data from residents suggesting the water has been polluted by drilling.
The EPA is also formulating rules on emissions from natural gas operations.
The energy industry complained that the draft rules were overkill as companies were voluntarily revealing the fluids. U.S. law does not require disclosure of fluids used in fracking on federal lands.
“The federal government should not add bureaucratic layers where disclosure is already occurring,” said Reid Porter, a spokesman at the American Petroleum Institute. He said states are effectively requiring disclosure and the industry has helped them create such programs.
TRACE PROBLEMS TO THEIR SOURCE
One of the largest natural gas drillers, Chesapeake Energy Corp, said it has been voluntarily disclosing its information on chemicals for nearly a year on all its wells on public or private lands on a web site called www.fracfocus.com.
Jared Polis, a Democratic U.S. Representative from Colorado praised the move to toughen regulations.
“It’s essential to disclose fracking chemicals anywhere they’re used in order to protect the public’s health in populated areas where those chemicals are most likely to affect the our air, water and health,” he said.
Provisions that better monitor wells before during and after drilling, will allow “doctors and regulators alike to trace problems back to their source,” he said.EAST RUTHERFORD -- The Giants made an addition Sunday when they signed safety Brandon Meriweather in response to a rash of injuries in the defensive secondary.
And Meriweather, a two-time Pro Bowler, is not coming here without confidence.
"Yes, I know I am," Meriweather said in comments distributed by the team when asked if he is still one of the best safeties in the league.
Meriweather started 10 games last season for the Redskins. He was a Pro Bowler in 2009 and 2010 for the Patriots and is a former first round pick out of Miami, where he played with Giants linebacker Jon Beason.
WATCH: Odell Beckham Jr. makes a sensational catch during Sunday's practice
Meriweather comes to the Giants with a reputation for being a heavy hitter, and one that often delivers illegal ones. He has been fined multiple times in his career and suspended twice for illegal hits, including a two-game suspension last season.
But for now, Meriweather represents what the Giants hope is a major boost to the safety spot, which has been injury-riddled recently. Meriweather, 31, has started 68 games in his NFL career. Prior to his signing, safety Jeromy Miles was the only Giants safety who had ever started an NFL game, and he had only started three.
"I'm excited, man," he said according to the team. "Any time you can come to a great organization, you've always got to be excited and ready to help.
"I felt at home. Everybody came up to me and said, 'Hey, how you doing, and what's up? I'm happy you're here.' I felt at home."
James Kratch can be reached at [email protected] or by leaving a note in the comments below. Follow him on Twitter @JamesKratch. Find and like NJ.com Giants on Facebook.The Trouble With Patents
Fuel to the Fire
By David Sirlin
Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution says that Congress has the power:
To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries;
Back in 1790, the patent examiners who considered each application were the secretary of state, the secretary of war, and the attorney general. Receiving a patent was a notable honor, reserved for important inventions.
In 1793, Thomas Jefferson defined the criteria to patent as
Any new and useful art, machine, manufacture or composition of matter and any new and useful improvement on any art, machine, manufacture or composition of matter.
Today, we say for an idea to be patentable, it must be:
Novel Non-obvious Useful
Patents made it possible for great inventors such as Alexander Graham Bell, the Wright Brothers, and Thomas Edison to invest their sweat and genius into expensive new creations. With a patent, an inventor has the government’s guarantee that he can sell his innovation for a limited time without competitors being able to copy the product. After all, why spend money on R&D for new, innovative products if knock-off companies can instantly copy them?
“The patent system added the fuel of interest to the fire of genius.”
—Abraham Lincoln
And then something happened. I don’t know exactly when, but patents — especially software patents — have gone off the rails. It took 46 years to reach the 10,000th American patent, but today, there are more than 10,000 patents granted every three weeks. Perhaps patents could be given out as Cracker Jack prizes—after all, the US Patent and Trademark Office already approves more patents per year than boxes of Cracker Jacks sold at Dodger Stadium each year.
A notable change happened in 1991, when the U.S. patent office was no longer funded by the general tax fund and had to start sustaining itself entirely on fees from “customers.” This framed poster at the patent office’s headquarters gives insight into the office’s mentality:
Our Patent Mission:
To Help Our Customers Get Patents
The more patents, the more fees the patent office collects, and the more innovations we stimulate, right? But what happens when big corporations harvest thousands of patents for the sole reason of locking out competitors? What happens when competitors have to merge with each other to actually make anything? What happens when a cottage industry of patent hoarders waits for the right moment to strike, then demands that anyone who makes 3D games pay a tax? Or anyone who makes a spreadsheet program?
Entrepreneurs are faced with a minefield of seemingly obvious things they cannot implement out of fear of patent lawsuits. Meanwhile, IBM was awarded 2,941 patents in 2005, marking its 13th straight year as the #1 company in volume of patents (it had a much better year in 2004 with 3,248 patents).
Method of Exercising a Cat
"A method for inducing cats to exercise consists of directing a beam of invisible light produced by a hand-held laser apparatus onto the floor or wall or other opaque surface in the vicinity of the cat, then moving the laser so as to cause the bright pattern of light to move in an irregular way fascinating to cats, and to any other animal with a chase instinct."
What in the world are all of these patents? It’s not exactly the light bulb or steam engine these days. In 1991, Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos patented the “1-Click buy” (patent number 5,960,411). That’s the concept where a website already has your stored credit card info, so you can click on a “buy now” button to buy it in one step. This landmark patent was widely criticized, and Jeff Bezos responded by saying that the patent system, as it stands, is broken.
If he didn’t patent this, his competitors would, and they’d use it against him. Bezos is “ playing to win ” in the game of business, and I can’t fault him for that, but even he pointed out that the rules of the game itself are broken and need to be fixed.
Patents currently give the patent-holder a twenty-year government-sanctioned monopoly. Twenty years might have made sense in 1790, but it certainly doesn’t in the realm of internet (or game) technology. Bezos said that perhaps three years would be a more reasonable number in the internet sector.
The Game Industry
One notable patent in the video game industry is #6,200,138 (or ‘138, for short). This is Sega’s:
Game display method, moving direction indicating method, game apparatus and drive simulating apparatus
Here’s a couple lines of that patent, representative of the rest, to illustrate the quality of writing present in this patent:
A game apparatus for executing a game in which a movable object is moved in a virtual space, comprising:
setting means for setting a dangerous area around the movable object;
“Movable object is moved?” If an object is moved, just say so, because it’s clearly movable. “Setting means for setting?” What does that even mean? I’ll spare you the agony of reading through this entire patent, and I’ll just summarize it for you.
Sega made the game Crazy Taxi. Fox Interactive made the game Simpsons Road Rage, a knock-off of Crazy Taxi. Sega sued for infringement based on patent ‘138, which basically says this:
You drive around in a city, rather than a race track.
There's an arrow that hovers around, pointing you to where you should go.
Cars have an invisible aura around them of "danger zone" and a bigger aura around that one called "caution zone." Virtual people in the danger zone jump out of the way. Virtual people in the caution zone stop walking, rather than walk into danger.
The size and shape of the auras described above can change based on the speed of your vehicle.
Now, Simpsons Road Rage and Crazy Taxi are incredibly similar games, and no one is even denying that. But the concept of driving around in a city where virtual people jump out of the way of your car is not exactly what Thomas Jefferson had in mind when he said that patentable inventions were to be new and useful, and you can forget about non-obvious. I also don’t think he’d be too happy that no one can make a game where you drive a car around a city with virtual people who jump out of the way…FOR TWENTY YEARS. The big picture of protecting the R&D of entrepreneurs is certainly not served by patents like ‘138.
Neither is it served by Namco’s patent 5,718,632, giving it a twenty-year government-sanctioned monopoly on using mini-games during another game’s loading screen. I don’t know how else to say this, but the idea of putting a mini-game in a loading screen is “obviously obvious.”
This kind of stuff is an insult to actual inventions. Somewhere along the way, patents started greatly hampering the advancement of technology, rather than cultivating it. One belief is that patents such as Sega’s ‘138 and Namco’s ‘632 are so laughable that they would never stand up in court. Well, they are laughable and I don’t see how they could stand up in court because they blatantly fail the test of “non-obvious to a person of average skill working in the field at the time.”
But the power of the patent is the power to threaten a doomsday not unlike nuclear warfare. Defending against even the craziest patent lawsuit is more than a $1 million endeavor (or at least that’s what patent lawyers tell me). Hardly anyone can afford to take this gamble, and anyone who does has a chance of losing BIG—a lot bigger than just the $1 million ante required to sit down at the legal poker table. When a patent holder sues for infringement, he’s entitled to reap the rewards of the “infringer’s” past sales. This encourages patent hoarders to wait until their prey hits it big, then sue, so the damages are astronomically (and unpayably) high.
And so the mafia-esque bullies will continue to bully. But what about Sega’s lawsuit over Crazy Taxi? Surely a court would interject some sense into this matter. Unfortunately, Fox Interactive was (somewhat understandably) not willing to stand up to Sega’s hollow patent, and so the patent was never tested. This encourages more bullies to bully more companies and demand protection money, while both sides escalate their nuclear arsenal of patents.
I guess I mixed metaphors of mafia and missiles just then, but the current situation is not unlike a war of mafia families with a dash of escalating nuclear weaponry thrown in, so I’ll let the mixed metaphor stand.
Novel and Non-Obvious
A lot of these problems stem from the way the US Patent and Trademark Office goes about determining what is novel and what is non-obvious. To find out whether something is novel, the patent examiner looks at previous patents and at published works to see if there is a discussion of the idea. The problem is that ideas that are bad, trivial, or completely derivative are not usually discussed in published works. In fact, serious publications (the ones the Patent Office would weigh the most) are the very publications that filter out all the bad, trivial, and derivative ideas, so of course they won’t discuss such ideas.
Just because you might not find any articles about “we could make video game controllers vibrate when the player gets hit by something in the game,” doesn’t mean the idea is novel, or that no one thought of it. In fact, so many people thought of it that probably hardly anyone submitted a serious paper theorizing about this feature ahead of time. It’s so far not even a very good feature, and yet it’s patented, and not by Sony (you’ll notice the lack of rumble in the PlayStation 3 controller).
And then there’s “non-obviousness.” The current test of non-obviousness has many problems, a fact that should be obvious by the sheer number of patents granted on obvious ideas. There is simply not enough emphasis on determining whether a person of ordinary skill would find the idea obvious. But there is also a more subtle problem with the process.
Suppose a group of 100 people of ordinary skill in computer programming separately encounter the same problem. This problem is so easy to solve that there are dozens of solutions. These 100 people submit, say, 45 substantially different implementations that solve this easy problem. Then one of them applies for a patent on a specific implementation.
Currently, that one person could claim that his particular solution to the problem was non-obvious and novel. That is vacuously true, as it’s entirely possible that none else used his particular method. In fact, his particular method might be a worse solution than the other 44 solutions mentioned above. Even though the 45 solutions are collectively “obvious,” this one particular solution is considered non-obvious, so the patent is granted.
But here’s the kicker: after he gets that patent, the courts seem to allow him to enforce it against people who used different solutions to the same problem! That’s right, even if your specific implementation to 1-Click buying is different from Amazon’s, they can still enforce their patent against you.
Courts do not always allow companies to get around a patent by using a different implementation to achieve the same goal. In Amazon’s case, Judge Marsha J. Peckman didn’t even need to review Amazon’s particular implementation of 1-Click buying because she considered any implementation to infringe on the patent. So, even if you developed your (different) particular solution to the 1-Click buying in parallel to Amazon and with no knowledge that Amazon was even working on it, you’re still out of luck.
Ideas for Reform
There’s no hope of reform coming from companies adopting different behavior. Companies are merely playing the game with the broken rules presented to them. Reform must come from lawmakers who restructure the rules of the patent office.
More is not better. In fact, fewer is better. The current test of non-obviousness should be overhauled so that it is actually effective in testing whether something is obvious. That test is supposed to be measured by whether a person of average skill working in the field would think it’s obvious, so I propose that we actually ask them!
Patents need peer review. The current oversight is for patents to go to court and for judges to decide what stands, but as we’ve seen in the Sega case, there is far too much incentive to keep these cases out of court. Oversight should come before the patent is awarded, during a public review period during which anyone can point out the fallacies of pending patents. This would mean that anyone who applies for a patent and is rejected would not be able to keep their idea as a trade secret.
Some would call this a problem, but I think it’s worth it on the whole. Legitimate patent applicants would have to carefully consider the risks of applying, but a public review would hopefully help demonstrate that legitimate patents are, in fact, legitimate. Public review would also eviscerate what I’m guessing is the majority of patent applications, and rightly so. Reducing the number of patents granted each year by 90% sounds about right. And while we’re at it, only certain types of patents should have a twenty-year reach.
After a patent is granted, more oversight is needed as well. Currently, the only recourse is the courts, but a firm (or individual) should be able to challenge a new patent and get re-review, perhaps within six months of the patent’s approval. The fees from these challenges can go towards the funding of the Patent Office, which will admittedly need more federal funding as well, once the approval rate of patents is slashed by 90%.
Open review of patents does have problems, but secret review of patents with no appeal has already thoroughly demonstrated itself to be broken. We could do worse than a little more oversight and transparency in decision-making.
"Other people have invented almost everything already. It becomes more and more dffficult every day."
—Henrik Ibsen, 'The Wild Duck'.
The joke’s on Commissioner Duell, because he should have realized that amazing inventions like 1-Click buy and the method for measuring breasts with a tape measure were yet to be patented in his time.
Method of Bra Size Determination by Direct Measurement of the Breast
"A method of direct measurement to determine cup size of the breast which includes band size measurement by initially measuring the user's chest or torso circumference with a flexible tape measure immediately below the breasts followed by the step of adding five inches to the measured number and incorporating conventional rounding-off procedures."
References
http://www.itjungle.com/tfh/tfh011606-story03.html
IBM stuff
http://www.stephenrubin.com/violation.html
The article that started it all.
http://www.around.com/patent.html
Very good article. Note that I took the images and captions of the two silly patents from this site. Maybe this is bad form, but the stuff is public record, so I don’t know.
http://www.ladas.com/Patents/USPatentHistory.html
http://infolab.stanford.edu/~ullman/pub/focs00.html
Source that talks about the paradox of getting a patent based on a particular implementation, but then being able to stop all other implementations in court.
Some sketchy info I used to estimate the Cracker Jacks sold per year at Dodger Stadium.
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Copyright © UBM Tech, All rights reservedAt The Players’ Tribune, we know it’s not just what you’re about on the field, but what you’re about off of it. That’s why we’ve created Threads Report, a series where we ask our contributors to look inside their closets, suitcases, lockers and whatever else — and share 10 items they’ve had in heavy rotation.
Here with this week’s report is Bills quarterback (and sock revolutionary) EJ Manuel.
1. Christian Louboutin shoes
I have two pairs of Christian Louboutin sneakers that I’m really proud of. The first pair is leopard print, and the second pair is a blue, python print. They’re very important to me. You might be wondering why shoes could be so important but you have to keep in mind what they represent. For me, those shoes represent a journey. Growing up, I wasn’t necessarily able to buy that type of shoe. So, it’s not that I’m splurging now on thousands of pairs. But having those two pairs, they’re a memento of all the hard work that it took for me to get from Point A to Point B. I think sometimes people forget that about nice things: It’s not about showing the world you can afford them. It’s about reminding yourself of how far you’ve come so that you could.
2. Foam roller
If you’re keeping track by how often I use something, this might be my most valued possession. I use it four or fives times per day —to roll my shoulders, my legs, my lower back, anything. I always have it with me. If my hamstring is tight, I’ll take out my foam roller, put my hamstring on it, and just roll back and forth. And then it massages that muscle. Simple.
3. Angel statue
It’s probably about a foot tall. Sits right in my living room. I got it from my cousin when I first got into the league, and she basically said, “Hey, I want you to have this in your house at all times. So you always feel like you have an angel watching over you.” And that’s a nice feeling because I do miss my family, my support system, when I’m in Buffalo. It’s not the kind of thing that feels good because you actively notice it — it’s the kind of thing that feels good just because you know it’s there.
4. Alternative Apparel sweatpants
I started shopping at Alternative a few months ago, when I moved up to New York City. Their sweatpants have become one of my go-to items. They’re super-comfortable — but so are a lot of sweatpants. What sets these apart, for me, is that they’re also stylish. That’s big. They’re the type of sweatpants that you can wear to the bar, or to the movies, or to work. Imagine someone telling you, “Hey, you look good” — and you’re wearing sweatpants. You can’t beat that.
5. Picture of my family
From around when I graduated high school. This one’s about continuity — the picture is from seven, eight years ago, and it means a lot to me that we’re still the same way, still love each other, still a tight-knit group. (Obviously we look a bit younger, then — don’t tell them.)
6. Picture of me and Roger Goodell from Draft Day
I think my mom planted that picture, right above my TV. You know how moms are. (Moms are the best.)
7. Beats by Dre boom box
I like to listen to music, pretty much anytime I’m at home — especially when I’m studying, writing up plays for the next day at practice. Headphones are cool, but the way the music sounds coming from a boom box – the way it fills the room – really helps me relax for some reason. It lets my mind just focus on football.
I listen to a bunch of new stuff, lots of hip-hop – I’ve got the Kendrick Lamar, the Drake, the J. Cole – but it’s a little high-energy for the tone I want to set when I study. I actually downloaded some older stuff on iTunes, a little more R&B and lately I’ve really been preferring that vibe: Luther Vandross, Michael Jackson, Earth Wind & Fire. I’ve been listening to their Greatest Hits albums.
What I like about a greatest hits is that you can just let it play. When I listen to a new record — I’m into it, but there are a few tracks I’ll skip. You put on Michael Jackson’s Greatest Hits, though? That’s going to be 30 good songs, front to back. It’s a whole other experience.
8. Nike snow boots
Buffalo essentials.
9. Reclining couch
When I first got into the league, I tried to go all retro but with, you know, a modern look: leather couches, that kind of stuff. Thankfully, I realized “looking modern” isn’t what makes a good couch. A couch has one purpose: to be comfortable. So I changed it up. Now I have a big, comfortable recliner. Come home, put my feet up, and just, relax. That’s a couch.
10. Stance socks
A lot of people are sleeping on socks these days. The right socks can tie everything you’re wearing together. When you’re sitting down, and the pant leg comes up — they can be that last, extra piece of style. Stances are dope because they’re not the same colors and patterns you see on every other sock. These are bright and bold. They’ll get you noticed.
And they don’t have to match, either. That’s an important tip. Stressing about matching socks is a rookie mistake. Say if I have a pair of blue and green shoes on? I might have a pair of, like, yellow and purple and red socks. To me it’s all about mixing it up; making it different. Trust me, that’s what socks are for: giving yourself some flare. It’s a chance to be different.A note on the newest episode of The Study
Hi, there!
If you haven’t seen it yet, there’s a new episode of The Study up on SourceFed. The response has been shockingly positive so far, as it’s the most insane episode yet. But I’d like to explain the idea behind the episode, because some peeps ain’t be gettin’ it at all.
First of all, the beginning features a story on the Tennessee House of Representatives issuing a statement to the supreme court disagreeing with same-sex marriage. The leader of this says that it’s more about telling the supreme court about the difference between the legislative and judicial branches of the government. Okay, sure.
“Elliott C. Morgan,” a character designed to exemplify horrible, horrible qualities (and occasional wisdom), picks up on this, and calls a spade a spade. He adds, “Also, butt sex is icky.” In other words, while there might be validity to the argument being made, there’s also just good old fashioned homophobia at play.
Now, because Elliott C. Morgan is a rich, homophobic, self-centered, didn’t-realize-I-was-making-a-character-inspired-by-Trump-until-it-was-too-late monster, he sits in his assertion that “butt sex is icky.” On the Internet, and god forbid, here on Tumblr–that’s a no no. It might be the single most offensive moment on The Study yet, because I added zero qualifiers. It felt awful to say, but I wanted to make a point.
Later in the video, as Elliott C. Morgan is rightfully suggesting that we talk to members of opposing political opinions, in order to learn from them, two sex slaves emerge from his back room and attempt to flee his estate. So, we have a rich, white, homophobic man, asserting that politicians are good at their core, only to find that he has, almost literally, some skeletons in his closet. This is a metaphor, and it’s intended to convey a few points:
1) Ignorance is at the core of anti-gay legislation. Those who oppose same-sex marriage, no matter what their arguments against it are, are ultimately doing so because they got a touch a’ the ol’ h-phobia.
2) Those who oppose the LGBT community are, at times, not wanting to deal with very real feelings within themselves. (For example, a man saying “butt sex is icky” may not want to confront certain truths within himself, or in the case of Elliott C. Morgan, within his own back room).
3) Actions speak louder than words. While the host is assuring the audience that people are, at their core, good, it’s revealed that he has a dark, dark secret. His words, in no way, match his actions. He goes from being flippant about having killed three children in his G-wagon to freaking out when his sex slaves escape. There’s no goodness there, even if what he’s saying sounds true and honest and wise. #Trump2016
4) Hypocrisy does not invalidate other truths. The monologue at the end has a lot of truth to it. I do believe we should speak to members of opposing world views, and we should open ourselves up to different opinions. Actions might speak louder than words, but that doesn’t mean words should be muted.
5) Steve looks hilarious in a gimp mask, and Peter Gilroy is a comedic genius.
I’ll be the first to admit that The Study does not quite live up to the grandiose goals I have for it. The idea is to convey news in a way that is jarring, and, yes, satirical. But good satire makes a point, and dragging the point(s) I was making across the entire video is risky and honestly, not very tight from a writing perspective. It also didn’t help that Peter and Steve are so hilarious that I got lost in the absurdity of it all. Hell, I’d watch a spin-off show that was just them. Maybe with a Fuller House style intro?
All that said, honestly, I don’t know of any other news show that does what The Study does. It literally combines news with jokes into an actual metaphorical package. Like it or not, it’s at least original. I’ve been watching a lot of Stewart Lee lately, who is a champion of self-referential, meta comedy. I’m nowhere near that, but The Study, as a prototype, is doing something very good, I think.
OR MAYBE NOT LOL WHO KNOWS! I mean, gosh, Elliott, look at all those paragraphs! SO MANY PARAGRAPHS! YOU MUST BE RIGHT SINCE YOU SAID SO MANY WORDS.
Maybe I’m not.Based upon the undisputed facts in this case and this crazy Florida statute, if Trayvon Martin had a gun, he could have lawfully shot and killed George Zimmerman. If he could have shot him, he certainly could have punched him in the nose, knocked him down and beaten him in his own self-defense. These are the undisputed facts which I believe warrant that conclusion: Trayvon was engaged in legal and permissible activity. He was carrying a phone, candy and a drink and headed for a specific destination. He was speaking on his cellphone with his girlfriend. No objective or reasonable basis existed to suspect him of any illegal or wrongful activity, except possibly "walking while black." Mr. Zimmerman, nonetheless, became suspicious and reported the "suspicious" activity to the 911 dispatcher.
The dispatcher specifically instructed Mr. Zimmerman not to follow Trayvon, but he ignored that instruction. Trayvon advised his girlfriend that someone was following him. When he began to run away from Mr. Zimmerman, Zimmerman can be heard running after him on the tape. He says something to the effect that "these a**holes always get away."
So at this point there is no dispute as to what is occurring -- Trayvon is trying to get away from Zimmerman and Zimmerman, despite the instruction of the 911 dispatcher, is chasing him. So here we have a young boy who has done nothing wrong running in fear, being chased by a large man, not in uniform, who has not identified himself in any way. We do not know whether or not Trayvon saw Zimmerman's gun, but if he did that would certainly make the conditions that much more fearful for him. I suggest that if at that moment Trayvon had a gun, he could have turned "stood his ground" and fired at Mr. Zimmerman, because under the statute: "a person is justified in the use of deadly force and does not have to retreat if he believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself." Force, other than deadly force, such as punching someone, is allowed when the person reasonably believes it is necessary for self-defense "against another's "imminent use of unlawful force."
What has been totally ignored in this discussion is the statutory provision regarding "aggressors," which Zimmerman clearly was. None of this would have happened if he had followed the dispatcher's instructions and not chased after Trayvon. Under the Florida statute the defense of justification "is not available to a person who initially provokes the use of force against him," unless the initial aggressor clearly retreats or withdraws and the assailant continues nonetheless. Can there be any doubt as to who provoked this chain of events? Zimmerman claims (through the police) that Trayvon hit him and was beating him. Witness accounts differ and a police video fails to show any injuries, but that claim, even if true, is hardly dispositive.
How could the police possibly conclude that there was no evidence to rebut Zimmerman's claim of self-defense in the face of these undisputed facts? It may well be that Trayvon was beating Zimmerman because Trayvon was in fear for his own life. Is there any evidence that Trayvon would have attacked Zimmerman but for Zimmerman's conduct? I concede that there is a factual dispute as to whether (as Zimmerman claims), Trayvon attacked him after Zimmerman had turned away and was heading back to his vehicle. But that suspect contention has to be weighed against the undisputed facts that Trayvon did not attack Zimmerman when he was chasing him, but supposedly followed him back to his vehicle and suddenly attacked him when he withdrew. When Zimmerman first displayed his weapon is also critical but unknown at this juncture. Those final moments may be in dispute, but nothing leading up to it is. In essence, Zimmerman and apparently the police claim that the self-defense available to him under the statute is not available to Trayvon, although Zimmerman was clearly the initial aggressor. Mr. Zimmerman is entitled to the presumption of innocence and the opportunity to be heard, but he is not entitled to be exonerated without charges and whatever further process is warranted following those charges.It's one thing to write about hackers, scammers, and malware, as I've done for various venues for the last 15 years. It's quite another to experience the nastiness first hand. Yesterday it was my turn. Here's my story.
Last night around 7 pm I Iogged onto my occasionally NSFW humor site, eSarcasm, to post something snarky. What I saw though, was something different and much scarier than usual -- A big fat warning sign from Google Chrome:
Uh oh, I thought. That couldn't be good. But surely it's some glitch. Why would hackers target us? (OK, I can think of a few reasons. Maybe it was one of those humor-impaired Craigslist strippers we'd been mocking lately. We know Apple fanboys don't like us much. Or possibly 4chan |
two cigarette butts Dickson had discarded was matched against the swabs for DNA analysis. In a subsequent interview, Dickson told police he’d been in Liu’s room briefly that night but had never embraced her, never tried to kiss her, never had sex with her and denied killing her.
But Pirraglia told the jury that DNA of swabs taken from Liu’s breasts and compared with DNA from the cigarette butts shared the same male profile to a high degree of probability. “That is, the probability that a randomly selected individual unrelated to Mr. Dickson would share that same profile was estimated to be 1 in 25 trillion.”
Swabs taken of the white substance on Liu’s abdomen and upper groin contained semen that matched Dickson’s DNA to a probability of 1 in 2.7 quintillion.
A small blood stain on a blue T-shirt seized from Dickson’s room revealed female DNA that matched Liu’s profile to a probability of 1 in 140 quadrillion.
That number looks like this: 140,000,000,000,000,000.
Rosie DiManno usually appears Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.FINANCIAL TIMES HITS STEVE SCHWARZMAN FOR SHARING $300 SUBSCRIPTION
This news story gave me a chuckle. Despite the deluge of stories coming out since last September about Wall Street executives ripping off billions, this one manages to stand out. The company of billionaire buyout king, Steve Schwarzman, who recently blew a cool million on a birthday party for himself, is being sued over the sharing of a Financial Times subscriber account. These accounts can cost up to $300 per annum. The Financial Times claims that a "senior employee" at the firm opened one account under the name "the blackstonegroup" with "blackstone" as the password. (I need to try logging in with that.) The account then set off alarms at the FT when the "subscriber" accessed far more files than any one mere mortal could be expected to. Apparently, judging by the IP numbers associated with this user, he or she also zipped around the globe at something approaching the speed of light.
A closer look revealed "widespread use of the single, individual account" by Blackstone employees located both in the US and abroad. The suit also alleged the abuse goes back as far as 2002.
Blackstone's penny-pinching ways stand in stark contrast to the way Schwarzman lives. Two years ago, his wife threw a $3 million 60th-birthday party for the buyout king that featured 500 guests, and included a performance by Rod Stewart. A Wall Street Journal story chronicled Schwarzman's fondness for $40 crab legs and for running up weekend food bills of $3,000.
The Financial Times is suing both Blackstone and 100 unnamed individuals, which it refers to as John Does 1 through 100, for copyright infringement and violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.
The Financial Times said it is currently uncertain of the identities of John Does 1 through 100, but said it will name them personally if granted a discovery process that will allow them to be identified.
There's a very funny picture of Steve Schwarzman with the story.
The lesson here is that wealthy people tend to be very tight-fisted when it comes to parting with money. Just read their biographies to see that this is an almost universal rule. However, that stinginess is an integral part of what helped to make them multi-millionaires or billionaires in the first place.City storm water utility fees could get much higher for large commercial property owners in Cedar Rapids.
The city is considering a change that would base those fees on the size of buildings, parking lots, and other surfaces that keep water from infiltrating the soil.
That could send rates soaring for some businesses.
But the proposal would also include ways for those large property owners to cut costs.
"Put in features such as rain gardens, infiltration practices, wetlands...those can actually reduce the fee someone pays," said Sandy Pumphrey, project engineer.
The city believes the change in storm water billing could bring in as much as an extra one and a half million dollars a year.
A presentation on the proposal will take place Wednesday from 4:30 until 6:00 p.m. in the basement of city hall.In April, the FBI got a tip from someone who had received a Facebook friend request from a person by the name of “Almlak Benitez.”
Benitez wrote that he wanted to recruit the “friend” for a U.S.-designated terrorist group, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant — notorious for its videotaped beheadings of kidnapped journalists and aid workers in the Middle East.
FBI agents took one look at Benitez’s Facebook page — with postings such as “We are the islamic state. We are isis Muslims” — and directed an undercover operation that would lead to Monday’s arrest of a 23-year-old Key West man whose real name is Harlem Suarez.
Suarez, aka “Almlak Benitez,” was charged with trying to use a backpack bomb in a planned explosion on a public beach in Key West, but he also allegedly discussed carrying out a terrorist-style attack in Marathon or Miami Beach on the Fourth of July, according to the FBI.
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On Tuesday, Suarez was charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, an offense that carries a potential sentence of up to life in prison, the U.S. attorney’s office said. Suarez, who lives with his parents in an apartment on Stock Island, faced a federal magistrate judge in Miami. He is being held in federal detention and will have a hearing next Monday, when his defense attorneys will ask for his release on bond before trial.
His attorneys, Richard Della Fera and Josh Entin, declined to comment about the case. In a statement, they said: “It appears Harlem may be a troubled and confused young man but he is certainly not a terrorist.
“He comes from a very good, hard-working family that arrived here from Cuba in 2004 because they yearned for freedom. They raised their son to love this country.”
That assertion contrasts sharply with the portrayal of Suarez in a 15-page criminal complaint and affidavit. FBI agents examined the two Facebook accounts of Suarez and his alias — noting “extremist” pro-terrorist postings.
The complaint states: “Review of the publicly-accessible portion of the Harlem Suarez Facebook page revealed Suarez claimed to be from Key West, Florida, and listed his ‘likes’ as: ‘Jihadist,’ ‘Extraordinary Prayer for ISIS,’ and ‘Prayers for ISIS: Weapons of our Warfare.’ ”
Agents arranged for a confidential source to interact with Suarez online, by text message, by cellphone and in person.
In May, “the source and Suarez had a private Facebook chat on the subject of preparing for a violent jihad against the United States,” the complaint said. During the same chat, Suarez indicated he wanted to make a “timer bomb.”
They also exchanged text messages. “Do you know how to make bmb,” Suarez asked the source. He asked Suarez if he wanted one. “Yes, I want to learn how to make a controller bomb,” Suarez responded.
In June, the source introduced Suarez to an undercover FBI employee “as a member of ISIL who could supply explosive devices,” the complaint said.
During this same meeting, “Suarez discussed wanting to conduct a terrorist-style attack on or about July 4th, possibly in Marathon, Florida, or on South Beach in Miami Beach, Florida, or both,” the complaint added.
In a recorded phone conversation in July, the source asked Suarez “whether he was playing games or whether he was true to the Islamic state,” the complaint said. Suarez’s response: “I’m not playing no games.”
Eventually, Suarez purchased parts for the explosive device, which was designed to contain galvanized nails. He intended to conceal it in a backpack and remotely detonate it by a cellular telephone, the complaint said.
Suarez planned to bury the device at a Key West beach and then detonate it, according to the complaint.
Last week, Suarez rode his white scooter to a meeting with the confidential source to deliver the materials to make the backpack bomb. He also gave the source $100 to pay for its construction by an FBI undercover associate. On Monday, Suarez and the source met in the undercover FBI associate’s car. The associate showed Suarez how to operate the explosive device, which was inert and could not be detonated.
After Suarez exited the associate’s car, FBI agents arrested him.
In another part of the criminal complaint, the FBI source and Suarez made a recruitment video for ISIL at a Homestead motel.
“In the motel room, Suarez put on a black tactical vest, black shirt, black face mask and a yellow and black scarf,” the complaint said. Suarez pledged his allegiance to the terrorist organization and also said his Muslim brothers needed “to buy AK’s, knives and machetes” for jihad.
Miami Herald news partner CBS4 reported that Suarez attended Key West High School but did not graduate and that he works in a restaurant. His mother is a maid and his father drives a truck, the station reported.
Federal officials said Tuesday that stopping attacks on the United States — whether inspired or directed by foreign terrorist organizations — is the Justice Department’s top priority. Authorities did not say whether Suarez had been in direct contact with ISIL or was simply a lone wolf.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office, in collaboration with the FBI, works tirelessly to advance this mission by continuing to thwart home-grown acts of terrorism,” U.S. Attorney Wifredo Ferrer said in a statement.
“There is no room for failure when it comes to investigating the potential use of a weapon of mass destruction,” said George Piro, special agent in charge of the FBI in Miami, who commended the Joint Terrorism Task Force under his authority.
The Suarez investigation is the second ISIL-related case to be prosecuted in South Florida.
On Monday, a Miami resident who allegedly expressed a willingness to act as an urban sniper and kill civilians for the terrorist group was sentenced to 10 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to illegal arms possession.
Miguel Morán Díaz, 46, appearing before U.S. District Judge Joan Lenard, had pleaded guilty to the gun charges in June.
Nowhere in the guilty plea agreement nor related court documents is Díaz linked to his sympathies for ISIL. The only reference is to charges in an indictment in which Díaz was not supposed to possess any weapons because he is a convicted felon.
His sentencing closed the final chapter in a case that drew national headlines when it first emerged in Miami federal court documents in early April.
Like the Suarez probe, the Diaz investigation began in January when FBI agents discovered a Facebook page in which he called himself Azizi al Hariri.The Los Angeles Chargers fell to AFC West rival the Kansas City Chiefs with a final score of 24-10. The game was closer than the score implies, as the last Chiefs touchdown came on a 69-yard run by rookie phenom Kareem Hunt, it was a frustrating loss by the Chargers none the less. The Chargers offense, in particular, struggled all game.
Week Three Los Angeles Chargers Takeaways
1) Chargers Offense Struggles
The Chargers offense failed to do much against a sturdy Kansas City defense. While they had a very good drive early in the game (89 yard drive ending in a Melvin Gordon touchdown), the Chargers failed to move the ball effectively against the Chiefs.
Philip Rivers had one of the worst half’s of his career, as he threw three interceptions in the first half. Rivers played moderately better in the second half, but still failed to score.
A result like this is simply unacceptable from this offense. The Chargers boast a plethora of weapons, from star running back Gordon to elite receiver Keenan Allen and future Hall of Fame tight end Antonio Gates. Travis Benjamin had over 100 yards receiving against the Chiefs. Combined with five time pro bowler Rivers, they should be able to compete with anyone. And they do. They just don’t win.
It isn’t immediately clear what the problem with the Chargers offense is. Many believe Rivers is past his prime. Others believe the coaching is to blame. Offensive coordinator Ken Wisenhunt runs a very conservative scheme. His schemes is built around running the ball up middle repeatedly, protecting the ball and controlling the clock. Many Chargers followers believe that this kind of scheme made sense several years ago when Rivers lacked the weapons he has now. With the offense stocked with firepower, perhaps it’s time to unleash it rather than bottling it up.
The offensive line still takes much of the blame for the failures of the Chargers offense. Rivers did face consistent pressure in the pocket. However, Rivers has only been sacked four times this year, two of those coming against the Chiefs.
Whatever the problem is, the Chargers will have to figure it out soon. The season is in danger of slipping away.
2) Chargers Defense Becoming Dominant
For every embarrassing three-and-out or turnover by the Chargers offense, the Chargers defense put together a series of tenacious plays. Outside of Hunt’s touchdown run, they limited the Chiefs to seven points in the second half. In fact, the Chiefs offense were only able to score on short fields as a result of Chargers turnovers (with the exception of Hunt’s run).
The leader of this defense is becoming apparent. Melvin Ingram, the 28-year old edge-rusher fresh off a four year contract with the Chargers, is the best player on the defense. Joey Bosa gets all the attention, and rightfully so. He was a top five pick and fantastic college athlete. That success translated into the NFL as Bosa’s 10.5 sack effort netted him the coveted Defensive Rookie of the Year award. He has continued to play well this season. Against the Chiefs, Bosa added half a sack to make his total of two sacks so far on the season.
As good as Bosa is, Ingram is the true threat on the defensive side of the ball. He has been simply unstoppable so far this season. With five and a half sacks, he has produced in all three games. He has also been extremely clutch, as his best play seems to come in the fourth quarter (he has at least one sack in each fourth quarter so far). Bosa is great, but Ingram is playing on a whole other level.
The defense is not without weak spots. Even so, Chargers have a core of blue-chip players, particularly Ingram and Bosa, that can lead this unit to success for years to come.
3) Failing to Establish a Fanbase
The Chargers are now 0-3 in their new city. For the second time in two games at Los Angeles, the opposing team had more fans in the stadium than the Chargers. Many assume that fans would come with success. If the Chargers were playing exciting football and decisively winning games, things could be different. The Los Angeles Rams have had some success. It is possible that they will succeed in cultivating a fan base in Los Angeles.
Rumors swirled this week as some believe the NFL is disgruntled over the Chargers move to Los Angeles. A few have even suggested that NFL commissioner Rodger Goodell and the other NFL owners are interested in moving the team back to San Diego. This seems unlikely, and perhaps logistically impossible as the team just fled the city. However, it is clear that the move to Los Angeles has not been what Chargers owner Dean Spanos believed it would be.
It would be easy, from a business perspective, to look at the over seven million people who live in Los Angeles and the nearby Orange County, and believe it to be ripe ground for a successful, and profitable, NFL franchise. Thus far, it has only proved to be a warm getaway for fans of opposing teams. Things could change, but there is little reason to believe they will.
Main Image:
Embed from Getty ImagesA man is in hospital and Alberta's police watchdog is investigating after an officer-involved shooting at a southwest convenience store Friday night.
According to Calgary police, officers were called to the scene — a 7-Eleven located at 4604 37th Street S.W. — shortly after 8 p.m. for reports of a man inside acting erratically.
The man pulled a knife and people inside the store, believing they were in danger, called 911, police said.
EMS said three officers assessed at the scene for smoke inhalation. (Mike Symington/CBC)
Witnesses at the scene saw smoke emanating from inside the building. Fire crews and EMS also responded to the scene.
Police say officers contained the building, but when the situation escalated, an officer fired his gun at the man.
The man was transported to hospital. Police say his condition is serious, but his injuries are not life-threatening.
Three police officers were also assessed on scene for smoke inhalation, EMS said.
Fire, police and EMS responded to the 7-Eleven convenience store Friday evening. (Mike Symington/CBC)
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team is conducting an investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact Calgary police at 403-266-1234 or Crime Stoppers.The 34-year-old Belgian crossed the finish in this the 101st edition of the spring classic a half a minute ahead of challenger Greg Van Avermaet. The Belgian Olympic champion Van Avermaet won the sprint for second place ahead of Dutch riders Niki Terpstra and Dylan van Baarle.
90 km ahead of the finish, on the Geraardsbergen Wall, Tom Boonen and Gilbert escaped together with a lead group of 15 riders. Favourites Van Avermaet and Sagan had missed their date with history. The group including Boonen and Gilbert overtook the first lead group that had escaped in the opening stages of the race with 67th km to go edging one minute ahead of the pack.
55km ahead of the finish, during the ascent of the Oude Kwaremont col, Belgian champion Gilbert took the lead alone. With 37km to go Boonen suffered bad luck. Sagan, Van Avermaet, Oliver Naesen led a counterattack, but with 17 km to go, on the Patersberg, Sagan, Van Avermaet and Naesen crashed on the cobbles. Gilbert was able to reach the finish unchallenged.Braid was the first time a videogame ever truly attempted “time travel.”
In Braid, moving the hero from left to right meant moving forward in time, while moving from right to left would often represent moving backward. In practice, this locomotion was a way to “undo mistakes” in a totally tangible, practical sense: Moving “backward” across the screen would “reverse time” in a mechanical way. (Braid’s larger, time-braiding framing narrative—about a longing to somehow warp a story whose end is already predestined—was also very much about wanting to undo time’s effects, but on a more substantive, emotional level.)
What Braid did so well is understand that videogames’s nearest analogue is comic books. In games, as in comics, the hero moves across a story-board—from left to right, usually—in the hopes of following a predetermined path to reach a victorious, already-scripted conclusion.
As the venerable Scott McCloud theorizes in the book Understanding Comics, how we interpret time moving—at least, spatially, from point A to point B, whether across a printed page or a computer monitor or a TV screen—is wholly governed by the way our culture reads books. If we are already accustomed to the idea of moving our eyes from left to right to finally discover the conclusion of a sentence, then we are already primed to think of the rightmost part of a page as “the future,” and the “leftmost” end of a page, or screen, as “the past.”
This one piece of McCloud’s spatial comic-book theory is massively important when appreciating the videogame Night in the Woods [1].
When our feline hero Mae disembarks a train to visit her family, she hops out near the rightmost edge of the opening screen, and her very first objective in the game is to move out of the Possum Springs train station, to the left. (For any videogame, this immediate leftward movement is really unusual.) To her left, there is an obstacle—some seemingly-random janitor is blocking her exit.
From here-on-out, Mae’s objective is always simply her ceaseless movement leftward. She leaves the train station through the left. She crosses a ravine from right to left. She sneaks through a playground from right to left. She navigates the distance from the rightmost edge of the screen, toward the left, all the way home. (Eventually, the furthest point of “leftward” contains Mae’s hometown’s own mysterious history.)
Mae has fully “reverted”—she is always either charming or infuriating because of her infantilization—so it makes sense that she gravitates toward her own childhood home [2].
Mae, by the way, has dropped out of school shortly into her sophomore year of college—she hasn’t yet come clean to her parents about her decision, but she presumably expects to spend the rest of her young adulthood here in town. From personal experience I can tell you: There is very little dignity in moving “back” to your hometown, should it ever happen to you. (I like to think of Night in the Woods, personally, as Ghost World Part 2: The Reckoning, in which divine fool Enid Coleslaw has had to take a return-bus back to her old, embarrassing hometown.)
Mae walks deeper into Possum Springs, ever toward the left of the screen. If you explore all the way to the game-world’s leftmost stopping-point—constantly pressing in that direction to discover what that part of her hometown holds in store—you will arrive at an impassible chain-link fence. This, seemingly, is the game-world’s inevitable “boundary.”
But Mae knows someone did pass this chain-link fence at some point, in order to commit a crime.
Perhaps Mae feels isolated at times, but she isn’t totally alone. She has other alienated, unusually well-drawn teen archetypes to keep her company. First, there is her best friend from high school, Gregg—seemingly the only person to be truly pumped that Mae is back in Possum Springs. Gregg is a fox (literally, a fox), and he is artistic and works in a convenience store, and totally reminds me of a dude I used to know. Angus is a bear—literally, a bear. He is less certain about Mae, for reasons that eventually become clearer, but he’s a great example of that stoic person you adore upon first meeting, whom you long to talk to if only so you can attempt again to impress him with your smarts.
Then there is Bea, a cool goth crocodile with an ankh choker and an always-lit cigarette, who will almost certainly become the Jane Lane to every teen-girl gamer’s Daria. (Oh, sure, Gregg is Mae’s actual best friend, according to the storyline at least, but every player will almost certainly strive to befriend Bea, whose kindnesses are few and snippy. In many ways, Bea’s painful friendship could well become the heart of the game—depending, of course, on which of Mae’s friends you choose to spend the most time with.)
Night in the Woods excels when it doesn’t try to explain anything. Gregg is gay, but you know this about him a long time before he really mentions it. Townsfolk tend to not be recognizably-gendered (not even Aunt Molly is identifiably female until Mae’s dad calls her by name). Other minor characters also resist easy, instant judgment: The leader of the local church, Pastor Karen, eventually reveals herself to be left-leaning and agnostic, and not at all the hardline Evangelical that Mae probably expects of her.
Even our hero Mae herself very likely suffers from depressive derealization. This isn’t indicated explicitly, no, but it’s a fair guess. And yet, rather than dwelling on this possibility at all, Night in the Woods instead plunges itself into Mae’s “unreal,” finding the true horror in Mae’s mundane.
Night in the Woods has a terribly slow start, unfortunately. Worse, its best horror moments arrive somewhat too late. These moments are almost always firmly established in the “uncanny,” or “freaky.” But to establish what is “uncanny,” the game must first demonstrate the “canny”: The game necessarily must spend a great deal of time showing why Mae’s world is ordinarily safe and comfortable, in order to convey what is eerily changing.
In videogame parlance, we usually use the descriptor “uncanny” to talk about character models that don’t look quite human. But that isn’t entirely what “uncanniness” means. In German, the word for “uncanny” is “unheimlich”—literally, the “not-at-home.” If “heimlich” refers to that which is friendly and familiar, the “unheimlich” is everything that is eerie, weird, “like home, but not.” (To the Danish, it is the difference between hygge and uhygge[3][4].)
Possum Springs proves itself a very comfortable place, and players can easily lose themselves there. Between the minigames, the colorful townspeople, and the awful “local business” puns, it’s so easy to not only wish you inhabited Mae’s world, but to feel like you already do.
When Mae’s reality begins to crack, Night in the Woods goes full Hamlet—”Is Mae losing it, or is this really happening?” It ought to be a terrific plot point.
Still, Night in the Woods ultimately presents a supernatural mystery that is securely grounded in the “rational.” Hauntings, for instance, are real—but they tend to be present-day echoes of past wrongs. Ghosts are real—but they tend to be private, guilty burdens Mae is forced to bear alone. Hallucinations are real—but they are machinations of Mae’s own mind.
All this alone isn’t disappointing (although there is something dispiriting about exploring a supernatural mystery that eventually proves to have zero supernatural element to it). Instead, what frustrates about Night in the Woods is its unevenness. Just as soon as Mae has a grip on the “real” story of the town’s historical corruption, the crimes solve themselves. Worse than that, the mystery corrects itself, leaving Mae and her merry band of ne’er-do-wells little else but to go their separate ways and settle into their new lives. It’s an ending that almost seems sort of… boring. Well, that’s life, I guess.
Yet Night in the Woods glories in leaving its strangest mystery unsolved. You see, during a fever-dream, Mae meets whom she believes to be an ancient god. But she never learns who she actually met. So we, and Mae, are left wondering: Who is God, anyway? Is He loving, caring and interested in our small mundane lives? Or is He aloof, detached and apathetic? And which, of the two, did Mae meet?
In the end, of course, Mae can’t entirely be sure which god she met, or whether the god were “real” at all—and, for that matter, we should never know the truth, either. The true magic is indeed in mundanity: In life, there are some mysteries that can never really be solved.
1. I know a lot of people who worked on this game, and I apologize for that. In a break from this publication’s tradition, I prefer to “review” this game without offering a final score.
2. “The process of estrangement from self and others results from a declining sense of embodiment in social space and an associated diminishing of communication possibilities....The dementing body is situated temporally and spatially in a known past as opposed to a confusing and incoherent present. From this basis, we can suggest that the not-uncommon ‘behavior’ of the sufferer who ‘wanders’ back to the house of his childhood is a motivated attempt to return to the security of a known ‘habitus.’ The logic of this argument is derived from the superficially self-evident notion that social and individual identities are tied to the body and its location in time and space.” —Christopher King, “Cultural dimensions of dementia and care-giving,” 1997.
3. “The word ‘uhygge’ describes the exact opposite of cosy: it is the name for the unsettling feeling that you are being watched from the forest. Perhaps by a troll or an evil witch.” —Vanessa Thorpe, “Trolls, killers, watchers in the woods: Danes chill to the dark side of hygge,” 2016.
4. “It means frightening; it means sinister. If hygge is sitting round the campfire, all differences forgotten, warmed by the dancing flames, uhygge is the darkness beyond that enchanted circle. Uhygge, in fact, threatens to engulf the warmth, the solidarity, the kindness. In the unfathomable bleakness of uhygge exist those terrible things from the outside that could destroy you.” —Charlotte Higgins, “The hygge conspiracy,” 2016.
Jenn Frank occasionally writes about videogames. She can be found on Twitter as @jennfrankgames, or on Mastodon @jennatar.“Who is ready to defend our park?” the speaker shouted. It was 6 a.m. and thousands of us filled the Occupy Wall Street camp under a pre-dawn sky. The day before, Mayor Bloomberg threatened to evict us, so we came prepared to lock arms in a human chain. We knew cops could scald our eyes with pepper spray. But we were ready to defend a vision and raised our hands and yelled like a loud crack of thunder.
“We are the 99 percent!”
Bloomberg backed down and utopia, an ideal community or society, an imaginary island, a word that in Greek means “no-place,” continued to flourish just up the street from the New York Stock Exchange. Like a dream vanishing in morning, utopia cannot survive reality. And yet at Liberty Park a flawed but working utopia has appeared. In one square block the left has made a site of transformation that frees people from a commodified life to one of wild defiant joy.
No one is paid but we work. Few can buy food but no one goes hungry. We march with signs that shout for change but have created a miniature example of the world we want. In Liberty Park is a glimpse of life beyond capitalism.
Utopian sites like Liberty Park or Tahrir Square or the Paris Commune are geysers shooting desire into daylight. They transform our consciousness through solidarity. Occupy Wall Street provides the euphoria of fighting a common enemy — the 1 percent whose ill-gotten wealth and power we have come to reclaim. But at the core is an experience of democratic values. Until we speak of that vision we will target Wall Street and not see the new world rising from its ruins.
Chaos at the Center
“I feel like a weight has been lifted from me,” said Danny Valdes a 26-year-old English teacher. Around us tired marchers cuddled in a pile and people lined up for free food. “It wasn’t the ideology that brought me here but the openness. The left was separated like drops of wax and now this heat melts it together.”
We talk of how ideology divides the left but here empathy overflows ideas. Fighting over abstractions seems silly when sleeping on cold concrete. Out of need, we help each other and find meaning no book or leader can offer us.
In these new values a collective vision takes shape. In the donating of sleeping bags is the value of gifting. In the beautiful art, radical self-expression. In the weary nomads laden with backpacks we see radical inclusiveness, in the feeding and healing of each other, we see interdependence and in the general assemblies, direct democracy.
Weeks ago, I spent my first night at Liberty Park and watched protesters snoring in sleeping bags like large caterpillars. It was 3 a.m. A thin cold rain fell.
I met Tony, a young man from upstate New York. “I’ve looked for work for months but there’s nothing,” he said. “Not in the classifieds. Not through word of mouth.” Before coming, he left a note with his parents saying he was joining the occupation. “Mom said, ‘You’re doing the right thing.’ And she’s right. I don’t feel helpless anymore,” he said.
A few hours later, buses and taxis blared their horns in the morning rush. The 99’ers rose, shook puddles out of blue tarp. Their faces were strained from the cold and rain, hunger and fear. But whether it was greeting newcomers, sweeping trash into bags or scooping food on plates; I saw a sense of purpose that illuminated each gesture with glory. I felt that elusive utopia where the spirit moves through the dark corridors of history to a light that answers every question.
Burning Man
The other utopia I have experienced with the same energy as Occupy Wall Street is Burning Man. Each August, thousands of people gather in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada to haul tons of metal, tools, fabric and generators and build an ephemeral city. Rising from the bright white desert is the Man, a tall figure of wood and steel. For a week we circle him.
At Burning Man nearly everyone is joyful and open. And it heals. After interviewing refugees in Darfur or victims of flooded New Orleans or broken people in Haiti, it is a place where my soul unfolds into a new shape. You can dance or be spanked, fed, liquored up, massaged or loved and laugh hysterically. You can weep for the dead at the Temple. You can pour nightmares into the desert and walk away whole. Burning Man is a site of transformation with the same values of Occupy Wall Street; in it we experience radical self-expression, gifting, inclusiveness, immediacy, self-reliance, decommodification and civic responsibility. On the last day of the festival, the Man burns in a geyser of flame and crashes, we dance around his ashes to celebrate the sacred euphoria of our self-creation.
Blurry Lines
Every utopia has extreme behavior that is a symptom of its values. Horizontal groups bring in energy but suffer from “blurry lines.” Into Liberty Park have come homeless street youth, drug addicts and alcoholics.
During one sleepover, I saw a jittery circle at the far end of Liberty Plaza. I jogged over and heard an Occupy Wall Street security man yelling at a bleary-eyed vagabond to take his beer away before the cops came in. The next day a spiky-haired youth offered to sell me marijuana and later that night another Occupy Wall Street security man shouted at a thief who “borrowed and lost” an iPhone.
And there are creepers, men who take advantage of the open atmosphere to grope women. Ai Elo, a young activist said, “I was sexually assaulted at Liberty Park. I had to fight this guy’s hands off me the whole night. At first I thought I was alone but other women said the same thing.”
But when she gathered women together, one said, “Please don’t bring this up and divide the movement. I’ve waited 32 years for this to happen.” Elo shook her head, “What kind of movement is this if women have to sacrifice their safety?”
And of course, radical self-expression brings out the crazies. A tall, bearded man just loves to walk around with anti-Semitic signs. One time a group of us surrounded him and sang “Kum Ba Yah. We love Jews, oh Lord, we love Jews.” And then we hugged a gangly Jewish man with a big afro until he was dizzy with touch.
Beyond Wall Street
Thomas More was right to use Greek words “not” and “place” because utopia is “no place.” It is the repressed part of selves that has no place in society and yet, miraculously, it surfaces again and again.
Utopia is real because society is not. Under civilization is the building pressure of discontent and it steams through the cracks of crime and art and radical politics.
Burning Man and Occupy Wall Street are two utopias. The former, isolated in the desert, is reachable only by those with money. It changes lives but not society. The latter is sprouting in the heart of capitalism like a fountain of youth in a dead city, trying to transform the world with justice. Union supporters picket Sotheby’s art auction house on the Upper East Side to protest its attack on workers’ rights while others journey uptown to protest “stop-and-frisk” abuses outside a police station in Harlem. And at Liberty Park we camp on the doorstep of Capitalism.
On the surface, Occupy Wall Street is an oppositional utopia based on a common enemy. But at its core it shares with Burning Man the experience of creating a new world — which means as we march, we must see beyond Wall Street and point to the city flashing in the future and say its name before it vanishes.An entrepreneur has come to the rescue of unmarried couples in Delhi and Mumbai.
Young couples looking for some privacy in conservative India are often vulnerable to physical attacks by the police and self-appointed guardians of “Indian culture.” Vigilante groups have assaulted lovers in parks, beaches, and pubs for engaging in any sort of public display of affection. As a result, consenting adults, if they are unmarried, often struggle to find hotel rooms for some private time.
Enter StayUncle. The New Delhi-based startup has tied up with hotels where unmarried couples can rent rooms for a duration as short as 8-10 hours. The idea is to help them with affordable rooms, without feeling uncomfortable or unsafe.
“There is no law in India that prohibits (unmarried) couples from renting a room,” Sanchit Sethi, founder of the year-old startup, told Quartz in a phone interview. “As long as you have a government identity card, you should be given a room. We don’t live in the 1950s anymore. What we are trying to do is change the mindset of hoteliers.”
“Couples need a room. Not a judgement.”
Sethi’s initial business plan was to offer hotel rooms for short durations to travellers. Most hotels in India take reservations on a 24-hour basis—a relatively expensive affair. Together with Blaze Arizanov, a digital marketer, the duo launched StayUncle in April 2015. New Delhi’s Hotel Shimla Heritage became StayUncle’s first tie-up.
The company also received its first angel investment of a “couple of lakhs” from Ajay Naqvi, the country marketing manager for Airbnb, according to Sethi.
“What was surprising was that 99% of the enquiries we were receiving were from unmarried couples looking for rooms,” said Sethi, a Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS)-Pilani graduate. That’s when StayUncle decided to take a relook at its business.
“We started fresh all over again. This time, with the focus on unmarried couples |
bitter fighting. There was a countrywide general strike. In the end, the Hungarian workers had to give in to the Russian troops’ military superiority and their own reform government. On 15 November the countrywide uprising was finally broken. Now, under Janos Kadar after the military defeat, execution, internment and imprisonment were handed out by merciless Special and Summary Courts. Janos Kadar only lifted martial law on 13 July 1957, which shows, on the one hand, a lasting period of resistance, and, on the other, the Kadar government’s fear and caution with regard to continuing or further unrest.
The Significance of the Hungarian Revolution
When the Hungarian Revolution had been smashed, the abominable crocodile tears of the West began to be shed. The Hungarian intellectuals of the Petöfi Circle reduced the uprising to a “revolution for human dignity”, or proclaimed it to be a “worldwide symbol of freedom and its tragic defeat”. Just like the nationwide uprising of 17 June 1953 in East Germany, all bourgeois forces spun the revolt against its own aims into an alleged national rising. Hungary 1956 was an attempt at a social revolution: wage-workers in the cities and in the countryside wanted a fundamental change in the relations of production. Both the uprising of 1953 and the Revolution of 1956 in Hungary were revolutionary convulsions, revolutionary uprisings, which were unable to shake off the burden of the ruling class — which deformed the revolts themselves — and liberate themselves.
1953 and 1956 belong in the ranks of the revolts, uprisings and revolutions that all revolutionaries must carry in their memory in mourning for their failure and defeat and to use as indispensable material for their ability to learn. These events must always be kept out of the clutches of forgetfulness.
G.A.C.
10 June 2016
Translated from the German original of our comrades in the Gruppe Internationaler Socialistinnen
For a further analysis see see leftcom.org
[1] junge Welt (Young World) was founded in 1947 as the youth paper of the East German Communist Party and became the most read paper in East Germany. Since 1994 it has continued its nostalgia for Stalinism (it is edited by a former member of the Stasi).
[2] These were the 12 points of the 1848 revolutionaries and initially accepted by the Habsburg Emperor.
“What the Hungarian nation wants.
Let there be peace, liberty, and concord.
We demand the freedom of the press, the abolition of censorship.
Independent Hungarian government in Buda-Pest.
Annual national assembly in Pest.
Civil and religious equality before the law.
National army.
burden sharing
Abolition of socage.
Juries and courts based on an equal legal representation.
A national bank.
The army must take an oath on the Constitution, send our soldiers home and take foreign soldiers away.
Setting free the political prisoners.
Union [with Transylvania].”
[3] Béla Miklós Edler von Dálnok (1890-1948) was a career military man who worked with the authoritarian and anti-Semitic Hungarian government of Admiral Horthy between the ends of WWI and II. In October 1944, he went over to the Red Army and tried, with its help, to get the Hungarian 1st Army to follow him and desert the Axis powers. Presumably, this decision was motivated by the Axis powers' deteriorating military situation, as he had previously shown no sympathies with Stalinism (let alone genuine communism). As a reward, he was given a post in the government the Stalinists imposed on Hungary immediately after World War II.Joe Lycett and Doc Brown are the guests in this final episode of Series 5. It's a glass-shatteringly good episode containing as it does information about lightning, breaking up, avoiding people, what to call 'bits' and flies (thanks to brilliant expert guest - curator of flies at the Natural History Museum - Dr Erica McAlister).
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Series 6 - Teaser Date: 18th July 2016 Length: 4 mins Size: 5.7mb The new series of Do The Right Thing will start next Monday 25th July. So here's a very short 'teaser' episode featuring Producer Ben talking softly into a microphone as... Listen
Do The Right Thing - All EpisodesAn elite Syrian army unit advanced to within quarter of a mile of the Turkish border, expanding an onslaught against opponents of President Bashar al-Assad.
Escalating an already acute refugee crisis, hundreds of Syrian civilians cut their way through a border fence into Turkey as they fled an advance into the frontier village of Khirbet al-Joz by the army's Fourth Division and Presidential Guard, led by Mr Assad's feared brother Maher.
The offensive brought Syrian and Turkish troops into eye-contact for the first time, significantly worsening the increasingly noxious relationship between the two neighbours.
Turkey has watched Mr Assad's brutal operation to quell opposition in Syria's restive northwest with growing alarm and has resorted to increasingly muscular diplomacy to demand an end to military operations close to the border. Most significantly, Turkish officials last week raised the possibility of a limited military incursion into northern Syria to protect civilians.
The offensive has already seen more than 10,000 refugees flee into Turkey.
With thousands more hiding out on the Syrian side of the border, the crisis is only liken to worsen as the army pushes northwards.
More than 30 tanks were seen surging into Khirbet al-Joz and bursts of automatic gunfire could be heard from the Turkish side of the border.
An offensive was also under way in nearby Managh, where soldiers roared through the streets in military vehicles mounted with machine guns, opening fire indiscriminately at terrified civilians, according to accounts by villagers.
An immediate cross-border exchange was averted after Turkish troops withdrew a few hundred yards. But, in a message of intent, they donned combat helmets and mounted a large Turkish flag above their new positions.
Fearing that the Syrian crisis could cause instability to spread into its territory, Turkey has ordered Mr Assad to end the military operations in the north, dismiss his brother and institute immediate reform.
According to Syrian opposition activists, Turkey has given Mr Assad until the weekend to respond.
Syria's decision to move troops even closer to the Turkish border despite the ultimatum suggests a determination by Mr Assad to engage Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister, in a battle of nerves. The Syrian president is incensed that Turkey has given sanctuary to some of his most high-profile opponents.
But such defiance is unlikely to make the Turks back down.
Turkey has traditionally been a robust defender of its borders, and has sent troops into neighbouring Iraq in the past to attack Kurdish separatists.
Meanwhile, Syria's dissidents unveiled a major change of strategy on the 100th day of their uprising against the regime by calling a general strike, which was observed in opposition strongholds across the country.
Organisers said the strike, which could last a month in certain areas, was intended to exploit a key area of government vulnerability by causing economic damage on such a scale that the business elite, a vital linchpin of the regime, would be forced to turn against the president.
"We know the Syrian regime is under immense economic pressure," said Ausama Monajed, a leading Syrian dissident. "We also know that Sunni businessmen are one of the main pillars of support for the regime and if you knock one pillar down, you weaken the regime dramatically."Mathematics is a difficult topic to film. Ron Howard’s biopic of brainiac John Nash, A Beautiful Mind (2001), was hampered in its attempt to make maths visually interesting by the boring nature of maths itself. Scott Hicks easily managed to make mad genius attractive in Shine (1996) primarily because a mad genius pianist is recognisably brilliant, even to those who don’t play the piano. A mad genius mathematician, on the other hand, looks very similar (to the uninitiated naked eye) to a mediocre mathematician, a merely good one, or indeed a rotten one. All the filmmaker can do is surround his genius with intelligent-looking people whose mouths occasionally drop open in wonder when confronted by a manically scribbled equation (used also in Gus Van Sant’s 1997 Good Will Hunting), or resort to tricks like getting him to write on windows, an image nicked from Howard by David Fincher in a desperate attempt to make the writing of computer code look cinematically interesting in The Social Network (2010).
Darren Aronofsky‘s debut, Pi (1998), is a stumbling success in conveying mathematics as a serious subject matter primarily because the maths is not as important as all that. All of Aronofsky’s films are about obsessive madness. Be it drug addiction, wrestling, scientific research or, most recently, ballet, his films all follow the trajectory of characters tearing themselves apart to get at their obsession, literally tearing themselves apart in most cases: the arm in Requiem for a Dream (2000), the heart in The Wrestler (2008), the fingernails and toenails of Black Swan (2010) and finally, where it all began, the brain in Pi. Shot in a granular black and white and with a close-up intensity that feels like an invasion of personal space, Aronofsky’s film tells the story of mad genius Max (played by Sean Gullette), who shuffles from apartment to subway station and back again, suffers intermittent debilitating attacks and becomes embroiled in two conspiracies, one involving a shady Wall Street operation and the other a bunch of Hasidic Jews searching for a numerical answer to the Torah. Max is given succour and advice by a friendly neighbour (Samia Shoaib) and a wise old mentor called Sol (Mark Margolis), who has himself given up being an obsessive genius to devote himself to dishing out wisdom to Max, games of Go and feeding his fish.
Pi will screen for free at Dalston’s will screen for free at Dalston’s Alibi Film Club in London on 19 August 2013.
Max’s explanations of what he’s looking for have a demented Johnny Ball feel, as Aronofsky supplies illustrations and Clint Mansell pounds away with a soundtrack that feels a bit too cool for the main character. The two forces that approach and seek to exploit Max, the stock market thugs, representing the material, and the frankly mad Jews, representing the mystical, are likewise a threat to the rationalist Max. They are trying to get their hands on the 216-digit number that is the film’s MacGuffin. It is Sol who argues the most coherently that once you focus on a number you will see it everywhere as you filter out all that doesn’t fit in. Sol is the voice of sanity and rational retreat. His voice is, in fact, all too sane, showing Max up for the humourless, dour nerd he really is.
Stylistically, there’s a lot of Eraserhead (Lynch, 1977) in here, but, as with Black Swan, Polanski is the main influence, and especially the claustrophobic madness of Repulsion (1965). In the end, we are left wondering how much of the film is real and how much happens in Max’s own head. The forces conniving against him seem more credible, not only as paranoid illusions, but also as projections of Max’s inflated sense of his own importance.
Ultimately, things don’t quite add up.
John BleasdaleIf the amendment fails, Senator Tom Harkin, Democrat of Iowa, said he would try another avenue: seeking an expansion through a conference committee that will ultimately reconcile the House and Senate bills.
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“We should be able to find an opening,” Mr. Harkin said in an interview. “This is one demonstrable way we can actually bend the cost curve and keep people healthy.”
The Massachusetts program, part of the state’s landmark universal health care law, covers almost the entire cost of counseling and prescription drugs for Medicaid enrollees trying to quit smoking. Most states do not provide nearly as much help for poor smokers.
The rate of smoking among Medicaid patients had not changed in a decade before the program was introduced. It was much higher than the rate in the general population, which stands at about 18 percent.
Under the current Senate health care bill, only pregnant women on Medicaid would qualify for comprehensive smoking-cessation treatment, including drugs and counseling.
The bill passed by the House last month would provide broader Medicaid coverage of such treatment, and antismoking groups are lobbying the Senate to adopt that approach.
Under the Massachusetts program, Medicaid recipients from age 18 to 64 are eligible for 180 days of antismoking drugs, including Chantix and bupropion, and 16 counseling sessions per year. Co-payments do not exceed $3, Ms. Keithly said. The state spent $11 million on the program in its first two years, she said.
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Insurance plans for higher-income residents provide less coverage for smoking-cessation treatment, Ms. Keithly said, or none at all.
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“This is really the gold standard,” she said.
Dr. Michael Siegel, a professor at the Boston University School of Public Health, said the main finding — a significant drop in the smoking rate of Medicaid recipients — was “very compelling.”
State researchers also looked at the smoking rate for uninsured residents, who also tend to be poor, over the same period and found it did not change.
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“That’s something you need to see,” Dr. Siegel said, “because if they had just found that the rate among Medicaid recipients dropped, it might be coincidental or dropping among everyone.”
The researchers found that smokers who took advantage of the cessation program had much lower rates of hospitalization for heart attacks and emergency room visits for asthma attacks than before starting the treatment.
But Dr. Siegel and other researchers said those findings were not as persuasive because the state had not used a control group.
“It’s intriguing but still quite preliminary,” said Dr. Nancy A. Rigotti, director of the Tobacco Research and Treatment Center at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Still, Dr. Rigotti said, Congress should take the Massachusetts data seriously as it debates health care reform.
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She said that pregnant women — the only Medicaid recipients who would receive broad smoking-cessation benefits under the Senate plan — are often advised to avoid stop-smoking drugs.
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Senator Harkin said that even though the Congressional Budget Office has predicted that covering smoking-cessation treatment for pregnant women alone would save $100 million in health care costs over 10 years, concern about upfront costs has made many senators reluctant to expand the benefits to all Medicaid recipients.
“It’s very frustrating,” he said.
According to the American Lung Association, Massachusetts is among only six states that offer extensive stop-smoking benefits for Medicaid recipients. The others are Indiana, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon and Pennsylvania.
Massachusetts is the only one of those states that has reported a significant drop in the smoking rate for Medicaid patients; several experts said the others might not have promoted their programs as aggressively or kept track of results.
Terry F. Pechacek, associate director for science for the Office on Smoking and Health at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, said he had reviewed the Massachusetts data and found the numbers “shocking” given that smoking rates around the nation have barely budged since 2004.
About 20.6 percent of Americans were smokers in 2008, the C.D.C. reported last month, down from 20.9 percent in 2004.
Smoking-related illnesses cost the Medicaid system more than $22 billion a year, Dr. Pechacek said — about 11 percent of overall Medicaid expenditures.
“The fact is we need to expand it to everyone,” he said of the type of coverage offered in Massachusetts.Since returning to the US from his Asia trip 2 days 22 hours 10 minutes 48 seconds
(CNN) — President Donald Trump is not known for being shy when it comes to hot-button political questions. But he's been unusually quiet, or circumspect, when it comes to the scandal enveloping Alabama Republican Roy Moore's Senate campaign.
On Thursday afternoon, November 9, The Washington Post published a report detailing allegations that Moore, the Republican nominee, pursued sexual relationships with teenagers when he was in his early thirties.
One of them, Leigh Corfman, said she was 14 years old when Moore, then 32, initiated sexual contact with her. Three others told the Post that Moore had sought them out when they were teens. On Monday, another Alabama woman came forward and accused Moore of sexually assaulting her when she was 16.
Moore has denied it all and has vowed to carry on with his campaign. The special election is slated for December 12.
The question now, as the Republican establishment backs away from Moore, is whether Trump will do the same. The White House responded last week by saying, in part, that the President "believes that if these allegations are true, Judge Moore will do the right thing and step aside."
Read MoreNewly signed free-agent pitcher Andrew Cashner answers questions during his introductory news conference on Nov. 21. Rangers general manager Jon Daniels is seated to his left. Arlington, TX - The Texas Rangers announce signing of RHP Andrew Cashner at Globe Life Park in Arlington on November 21, 2016. (Photo by Kelly Gavin/Texas Rangers)
SEATTLE - Wearing a T-shirt bearing the Texas flag and the "Come and Take It" logo, Conroe native Andrew Cashner waxed about the reality of making his first start for the Rangers Saturday.
"Any time you can put the Texas flag on your sleeve, it's a good day," Cashner said Friday. "I'm proud to be from Texas and I look forward to repping my home state."
Cashner will be activated for the start after spending the first 10 days of the season on the DL, manager Jeff Banister confirmed Friday. Cashner missed about two weeks of spring training with biceps tendinitis.
His most recent outing was Monday in an extended spring training game against San Diego minor leaguers in which he threw 76 pitches. He had one "A" game of work this spring, working three innings against Cleveland, which had pulled most of its regulars by the time he entered. Banister said he expects Cashner to be able to go 95-100 pitches, though that seems a bit high. The only Ranger starter to reach 95 pitches in his first outing was Yu Darvish, who had 98.
When Cashner is activated, the Rangers will have to make a corresponding move to create room on the 25-man roster. The most likely choices are long reliever Nick Martinez and lefty Dario Alvarez.by Rocco Albano, Columnist, July 15, 2016
Nearly every pharmaceutical TV ad ends with, “Ask your doctor about [drug brand] by name.”
Makes sense from a pharma marketer’s perspective on several fronts.
1. People can’t know whether a prescription drug is right for them without visiting a physician and receiving a prescription.
2. Pharmaceutical sales reps get minimal personal time in front of physicians to sell their drugs, so leveraging direct-to-consumer vehicles helps circumvent this dynamic.
The perceived problem with the “Ask your doctor” call to action is that it’s not sufficiently delivering pull-through. According to a 2016 STAT-Harvard poll, only 7% of consumer respondents were motivated to talk to their physician about a prescription drug they saw on TV, down from 21% in 2015. The poll also indicated that 57% of U.S. adults support ending Rx drug TV advertising.
We know that consumers are tuning out Rx drug TV ads, are upset by escalating drug prices, and place very little trust in the pharmaceutical industry. So, one might be curious as to why pharma TV ad spending is increasing by 21% this year, according to Kantar Media. Did you know that “nine Rx drugs are on pace to break $100 million worth of TV ad time” in 2016, according to Stat News?
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Clearly, this last fact illustrates that broadcast TV advertising is still the best medium to drive awareness quickly to the widest possible audience demographic when marketing an Rx drug in the United States.
Another big reason TV advertising is still a key sales driver for pharma is the Internet. The vast majority of people exposed to a prescription drug TV ad that may be relevant to them will use the Internet first and foremost to get questionsanswered about a treatment before asking their doctor.
This “Internet-assist” can be beneficial to pharmaceutical marketers because it provides them with a platform beyond the TV screen to continue driving people to learn about a drug and provide condition education so they can have more informed conversations with their physician about a relevant treatment that a 60-second spot can never accomplish.
Although consumers have expressed disdain for pharmaceutical TV advertising, the channel still yields effective returns for pharma marketers as long as TV remains the “first screen” in people’s lives. Hence, DTC Rx TV is, and should remain, an important part of pharma marketers advertising toolkit for reaching consumers.
The bigger challenge to the continued reign of Rx drug DTC advertising comes from physicians.
In 2015, the American Medical Association called for a ban on Rx DTC advertising stating, “Today’s vote in support of an advertising ban reflects concerns among physicians about the negative impact … that marketing costs play in fueling escalating drug prices.”
There is no panacea for pharma to change physician sentiment regarding the industry’s aggressive Rx DTC advertising tactics and budgets. There are, however, opportunities for pharma to better meet physicians’ needs for more transparent access to drug and pricing information.
The Healthcast “2016 Physicians Voices – Insights Pharma Needs to Know” study identified key information and experiences that pharma can do a better job of providing physicians access to, enabling HCP’s to make the best treatment decisions. A high-level summary of needs from the study are:
Online platforms where physicians can access information on older drugs that are still highly effective treatment options and less expensive than new products coming to market
Information on patient support programs, “particularly when a patient cannot afford them (Rx drugs)”
Online KOL video libraries that can be accessed by physicians on-demand
Printed question-and-answer materials from KOL’s across a wide range of conditions and treatment portfolios
As physician’s support for Rx DTC advertising continues to erode, pharma marketers should seriously consider new and alternative ways to meet the information needs of physicians, as well as stimulate treatment dialogue between physicians and their patients. Although this will not stop HCP's drive for a ban on Rx DTC advertising, it is a stepping stone towards pharma cultivating better relations with physicians, as all players in this ecosystem work individually and together to meet the demands generated by the unstoppable march towards a patient-centric and outcomes driven world.Secretary of State John Kerry wants media to stop covering terrorist attacks so “people wouldn’t know what’s going on.”
The Islamic State “kills people because of who they are,” Kerry said in Bangladesh, adding, “it will take a generation or more to solve it, but let me tell you something: We are defeating Daesh and we will defeat Daesh. We will defeat al-Shabaab and Boko Haram, and we are on the road to achieving that now.”
Kerry then echoed remarks made by State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf last February, who declared “we cannot kill our way out of this war” against the Islamic State, blaming Muslim terrorism on “root causes,” such as a “lack of opportunity for jobs.”
“It’s not just the battlefield; it’s the minds. And if we have too many young people who can’t go to school, or too many young people who are frustrated, or they can’t find a job — if we leave those minds out there for extremists to recruit, then it will continue and none of us would be doing our jobs if we allowed that to happen,” he added.
It’s better if the public is kept in the dark about Islamic terror attacks in their nations, according to Kerry, who warned earlier in his speech that terrorists “no respect for national boundaries.”
“Remember this: No country is immune from terrorism,” Kerry said.DC Universe Online Will Go Free To Play on November the 1st – UPDATED
Giuseppe Nelva October 27, 2011 7:41:01 PM EST
Sony Online Entertainment just announced that DC Universe Online will join veteran superhero MMORPGs Champions Online and City of Heroes on the hybrid business model bandwagon on November the 1st, 2011.
The transition will happen on both PC and PS3, and will give players the option to play for free, to purchase some options on the cash shop for an upgraded status, or to pay a monthly subscription as they did before in order to enjoy a less limited experience.
The client will be available as a free download on both platforms, but those that are currently playing on PS3 won’t be able to continue using their Blu Ray version of the game. They will have to download the new full client, that will eat up 20 gigabytes on their hard disk.
You can check the details about the options available to the different account types here, and take your pick. Unfortunately the Legendary status still won’t let you score a date with Power Girl.
UPDATE: as clarified by RadarX of SOE’s Community Relations on the official forums, those that have the client already installed from the Blu Ray version of the game won’t need to fully download it again. The client will simply be updated and will not check for the Blu Ray any more (the size of said update is unknown). Those that want to start playing after the game goes hybrid will instead have to download the full 20 Gb client from the PSN.In an interview with The LA Times, Zelda director Eiji Aonuma discussed his thoughts and feelings on developing the upcoming Zelda titles. Most interestingly, he admitted that he is growing “tired” of the traditional formula in Zelda games. He hopes to address this by making some changes, while at the same time “staying true” to the main elements of the series. Read on to see his words.
“It’s not that anyone is telling me we have to change the formula. I want to change it. I’m kind of getting tired of it. If I’m getting tired of it, then I’m sure other people are getting tired of it. There is an essential ‘Zelda’ I feel we need to stay true to. We are still testing things, exploring our options. We haven’t landed anywhere at this point. We’re still seeing what we can do.
What I want to do, not specifically with Link but with the ‘Zelda’ franchise, I’m always striving to make something no one else can, something that is so distinctly ‘Zelda’ that it can only be done in a ‘Zelda’ game. There are times when I hit walls and I can’t come up with new ideas and I think maybe I should just give up and quit, but eventually a new idea comes along and I’m proud of myself. It breeds new life into the creative process.
I go through these phases, over and over again. I hope those high points keep on coming.”The war within Aam Aadmi Party escalated on Tuesday as senior party leaders Pankaj Gupta, Manish Sisodia (Delhi Deputy Chief Minister), Sanjay Singh and Gopal Rai (Minister for Transport and Rural Development) issued an official statement on why the party needed to remove Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav from the parliamentary affairs committee. On the other hand, Yadav said that AAP MLAs in Delhi were being coerced to sign a petition to remove him and Bhushan from the party for sabotaging it during Delhi elections.
Sources say the petition is headed by Karwal Nagar MLA– Kapil Mishra. However, Mishra denies any awareness of this petition. Sources say the party is shortlisting which MLAs will talk to the media and what they will say. The statement charges Bhushan with deliberately damaging AAP by telling people from other states to not campaign, telling prospective donors to not fund the party, of saying that he wanted the party to lose so as to "teach Arvind Kejriwal a lesson". It says that Yogendra Yadav repeatedly planted anti-party and anti-Kejriwal stories in the media.
An incensed senior leader said the party was forced to bring out such a statement as they were "flabbergasted" that Bhushan and Yadav spoke to the media after the March 4 national executive meet as there had been a unanimous decision to not go to the press. The party had to reach out to the media, the volunteers and the public before these two could do further "damage".
Some in the party disagree with this official statement. Another senior leader refuted it point by point, calling it "distorted truths". The leader said that Bhushan had initially campaigned for the party. He withdrew only his support from active campaigning till the matter of corrupt candidates was looked at by the party Lokpal. The leader said when Bhushan told party members that he didn't think the party deserved to win, he was only voicing private concerns. Never did he do any active damage to the party. Therefore, charges of him sabotaging the party are baseless.
The only small truth, according to this senior leader, was in Shanti Bhushan's statements of wanting Kejriwal removed as convenor. However, the party does not have the courage to take on such a seasoned political adversary, therefore is gunning for the son.Thanks to supportive government policies, Norway has become the friendliest place in the world for electric cars. Actually, the country is the most successful market for electric car producers, with more electric cars per capita than anywhere else in the world. One of the biggest sensation of the yeaR, Tesla Model S even managed to be the best-selling car in September, while the Nissan Leaf climbed to top over all car models in October.
Many ask now what makes these cars so popular in the country and seek whether the same trend can be imported to other countries, considering environmental factors.
There are several incentives that promote electric cars choice in Norway. Availability of free public charging stations as well as toll-free roads, ferries and the ability of electric-car drivers to use bus lanes are important factors for Norwegian drivers to choose electric cars over conventional alternatives. Also conventional vehicles can be relatively expensive in Norway due to high tax regime, while plug-in cars are exempt from paying any tax until 2018.
While these new players of Norwegian roads are expensive relative to their size and luxury, but the free tax regime bring down their price to around the same as petrol and diesel vehicles, making them a viable alternative for many Norwegian households.
A Culture in Norway
Professor Marianne Ryghaug at Norwegian University of Science and Technology also points out there is a cultural dimension to the enthusiasm for electric cars in the country beyond their time and money saving features. According to Ryghaug, they are widely seen as comfortable and efficient due to their small size, and also provide the satisfaction of driving a less polluting car.
– Demonstrating environmental concerns by driving an electric car is important to some people. As more and more people choose them, it appears to be a more reasonable choice for others – particularly those with environmental leanings. This is at least true for countries like Norway where electricity is mainly produced from renewable sources, notes Ryghaug.
Yet it is Not Problem-Free
However, these encouraging promotions have potential to make the country’s road overcrowded. The country is already starting to have more electric cars than it can handle, according to Quartz (via Charged EVs).
Despite the growth of the charging-station network, Norwegians are having trouble finding places to plug in.
Estimated 15,000 electric cars are served by 5,000 public charging stations. Roughly 500 of those stations are in the capital city of Oslo, where the majority of the population is concentrated.
Also, using bus lane started to become a problem. During rush hour on December 3, electric cars made up 75 percent of the 829 vehicles in Oslo’s bus lanes, while actual buses made up just 7.5 percent.
Taking all thes factors into consideration, Marianne Ryghaug says it’s not easy to replicate the situation in Norway in other countries.
– Other countries have much less tax on conventional cars, and might deem it too expensive to implement the other favours Norway bestows upon electric vehicle drivers. But there may be other lessons to learn from the Norwegian case, adds she.
FACTS ABOUT ELECTRIC CARS IN NORWAY
In 2013, 7,882 new passenger electric cars registered in Norway, which is twice as many as in 2012 when only 3,950 were registered.
Last year, the market doubled and EVs now hold 5.5% market share on average in 2013.
According to the November and December results, with over 11% of market share, it is expected that 2014 has a big chance to double the share.
The fleet of plug-in electric vehicles in Norway is the largest per capita in the world, with Oslo recognized as the EV capital of the world.
As of 30 September 2013, a total of 14,902 all-electric vehicles have been registered in Norway, including 13,462 all-electric cars and 1,440 quadricycles.
Norway’s fleet of electric cars is one of the cleanest in the world because almost 100% of the electricity generated in the country comes from hydropower.
Norway was the first country in the world where electric cars have been listed among its top 10 best selling cars, and the first one to have electric cars topping the new car sales monthly ranking.
Among the existing government incentives, all-electric cars are exempt in Norway from all non-recurring vehicle fees, including purchase taxes, which are extremely high for ordinary cars, and 25% VAT on purchase, together making electric car purchase price competitive with conventional cars.
Electric vehicles are also exempt from the annual road tax, all public parking fees, and toll payments, as well as being able to use bus lanes.
These incentives are in effect until 2018 or until the 50,000 EV target is achieved.
This article was first published in The Nordic Page Magazine in January 2014.This story contains no plot spoilers.
Series four of the BBC's "Sherlock" opens with the iconic detective Sherlock Holmes, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, in his usual comfy chair at 221B Baker Street. On his lap is a MacBook Pro and in his hand an iPhone 6S Plus.
This isn't the first time Holmes has used an iPhone or a Mac on the show, but nevertheless, this first scene pulled me out of the story before I could even get into it. Sherlock has an iPhone 6S Plus? Um, no. There's no way the great detective Sherlock Holmes would ever own an iPhone.
Josh Miller/CNET
What makes Sherlock Sherlock through every iteration on TV, film and in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original books is his independence from the herd. Sherlock's frenetic and dizzying mind, his insistence on thinking outside of the box and his often antisocial behavior all give him his extraordinary ability to solve crimes.
So why give him an iPhone, one of the most mainstream and recognizable phones you can find? Would a self-described highly functioning sociopath actually use the same phone as almost half of the UK and America? Wouldn't he want something more unique and specialized, or at least some tech as individual as he is?
If it's mere product placement, the show could have been a bit more clever about it. But giving the producers the benefit of the doubt, I thought through some possibilities that would help justify this bizarre ownership.
BBC One
The mystery of the "cool" iPhone
Let's run with the idea that Sherlock has on iPhone on purpose. The question is why.
Possibility 1: Maybe Sherlock wants to be cool. Though his intelligence and deductions are infallible, he can be quite vain.
Here's a snippet:
John Watson: You being all mysterious with your cheekbones and turning your coat collar up so you look cool.
Sherlock: I don't do that.
Watson: Yeah, you do.
Perhaps Sherlock has an iPhone to try to fit in?
Possibility 2: Maybe Sherlock's iPhone came as a free upgrade on a family carrier plan that he shares with his brother Mycroft, or perhaps with Watson and his landlady? Is it possible that Sherlock could ease his usually meticulous analysis in favor of financial convenience?
Possibility 3: A phone is a disposable tool for someone like Sherlock, who uses it for simple communication and research to augment the workings of his enigmatic mind. He can get what he needs done on any phone, and an iPhone is just as good as anything else. Plus it's easy enough to fix at the Apple store if it breaks during any of his hijinks.
(That said, can you imagine Sherlock going to an Apple Store to buy an iPhone? It would be like James Bond filling out paperwork for a rental car -- just ridiculous.)
BBC One
Sherlock is a Mac and Watson is a PC
Ok, so that might help explain Sherlock's iPhone in his lap, but what about his Mac laptop? Being loyal to a brand -- Apple or otherwise -- feels extremely out-of-character for the master of deduction.
This is where I think the dynamic between Sherlock Holmes and his assistant, Dr. John Watson, could come into play. Holmes and Watson have always had an unequal relationship, with Watson acting the straight-man foil to Holmes' out-there personality. Holmes still sees himself as Watson's superior, but Watson's presence helps ground him.
Molly: Don't you get John [Watson]'s texts?
Sherlock: No. I delete his texts. I delete any texts that begin "Hi."
This could also tie into their tech. In earlier seasons, Sherlock and Watson had a bit of a Mac-versus-PC quality to their friendship. Watson had a Mac computer and a Nokia phone while Sherlock had a PC and a BlackBerry. But by season four, things flipped. Sherlock now solves crimes from his iPhone and MacBook Pro. Watson documents their adventures on a Microsoft Surface Pro.
And -- still assuming the producers thought this through and we aren't just seeing this tech as a result of product placement -- here's where I start to change |
read things like these. My heart grieves that so much of the church is missing the transformational message of the gospel: that God loves ALL of us, and wants ALL of us to look more and more like Him. That God wants a close, intimate relationship with everybody–and that that relationship matters more than form or gender or church. God wants holiness and righteousness and transformed lives, not an empty, legalistic shell.
Why is the church too often dismissing women?
Much of it is a backlash against the all-too-real negative effects of Third Wave Feminism, which has taught that marriage is just a lifestyle choice, and a ridiculous one at that; that women are better than men; or that the genders are interchangeable.
But that backlash is not a proper reflection of how Jesus feels about women, either. And so today I’d like to share some truths that too often get missed when we’re talking about women. Many of these are in my book, Nine Thoughts That Can Change Your Marriage.
What Does 9 Thoughts That Can Change Your Marriage Say? Does the way we’re taught to THINK about our marriages often undermine marriages? I think so! And so in 9 Thoughts That Can Change Your Marriage I encourage women to get back to the full picture of Scripture, instead of the caricature that we’re sometimes given that women should be silent and should just obey. No, we’re called to be PeaceMAKERS, not PeaceKEEPERS (and I explain the difference). We’re called to not enable sin, but to have healthy boundaries. We’re called to grow more and more like Jesus, not to push people away from God by submitting to sin. It’s freeing. It’s like a breath of fresh air! And it will show you how much God loves women. See it here.
Friends: God so loves you. He cares for you as an individual. And His desire is for transformation and redemption.
And so here are 10 truths which I pledge as a woman, created fully to reflect Christ, and created with the intent purpose of being transformed to look more and more like Him:
A Woman's 10 Point Manifesto: I am not just a Christian Wife. I am a Christian first. Click To Tweet
1. My primary identity is in Christ.
He is my Saviour. I am made in the image of God; I am not made in the image of my husband.
2. I will not encourage young women to take their primary identities as being wives.
We are first made in Christ’s image; if a young woman does not marry, she is no less of a person. If a woman has an unfaithful husband, she is no less of a person. Our value is in our Redeemer.
3. I want to see everyone around me look more and more like Christ (Romans 8:29).
This is also God’s plan for their lives. Therefore, I will not listen to messages which tell me that because I’m a woman, I should not speak up about sin. Jesus graciously forgave, but He always dealt with the sin. This is meant to be my model as well. I want to be a spouse, not an enabler.
I understand that this means that I am to act in such a way that brings people closer to Christ, not that pushes them away from God by encouraging unChristlike behaviour. Therefore, if my husband wants something that would go against what Jesus wants for us, I will say no.
4. I will be good. I will not be nice.
Jesus was not always nice; but He was always good. He always acted in such a way as to point people to God, even if it made people uncomfortable. And He is our model. I will be good, even if it occasionally means going against my husband (1 Samuel 25; Acts 5).
At the same time, being good also means reflecting Christ, which means that I must do all of this with the same mind and attitude that Christ had: humility (Philippians 2). I recognize that I am also a sinner saved by grace, and I may not be right either. So I will strive to always go before God first, to always deal with my own issues first, and to invite wise women around me to hold me accountable. I will not presume that I always know what’s right, nor will I try to control or manipulate. I will simply, in the spirit of gentleness, stand up for truth as I ask God to reveal it to me.
5. Loving my husband means wanting what is best for him.
I will learn his love language. I will shower him with encouragement and praise and admiration. I will think of his needs first. I will pray for him daily. I will be his biggest cheerleader!
But my prayer for him is for his best; it is not that he be happy. My goal is to encourage him as he pursues Christ, not placate him or cover for him if he moves away from Christ. If I prop him up as he becomes an alcoholic, or a porn addict, or a gambler (or other such things), I’m not really loving him.
Godly submission: I submit myself to my husband's welfare, not necessarily my husband's will. Click To Tweet
6. I will be a peaceMAKER, not a peaceKEEPER.
Peacekeepers value lack of conflict over truth; peacemakers know there is no real peace absent truth. And Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).
7. I believe that I am responsible before God to work out my own salvation and my own relationship with Him.
God gave me a brain and an individual conscience, and that means that I can’t rely on others to make my faith (Philippians 2:12-13). I am allowed to question my husband’s interpretation of Scripture. I am allowed to question my pastor’s interpretation of Scripture. God wants me to be like the Bereans: to take everything I hear and compare it to what I know from Scripture to see if it is true (Acts 17:11).
8. I fully accept my responsibility to build a strong marriage–as far as it depends on me.
A strong community is built on strong families. But that also means that the Christian community has a stake in our marriages. Therefore, I will find godly mentors. I will join together with other Christians. When needed, I will seek out help and advice about my marriage BEFORE it gets to a crisis point. I will seek out Jesus’ strength and guidance for how to build my marriage up and how to love my husband the best I can.
9. However, if my church tells me that I am to follow my husband into ungodly behaviour, I will not listen.
If my church says that I am to do nothing about something which is seriously jeopardizing our family and his soul (such as porn use, gambling, refusal to work, sexual abuse of our children, etc.), I will seek out a new body of believers that has a complete picture of the gospel’s transformational power in our lives. If necessary, I will even contact civil authorities.
10. I believe that God cares more about the people in a marriage than He does about that marriage.
(Or, as Gary Thomas recently put it, God cares about the people not the shell).
Here’s what it comes down to: Jesus wants people transformed. When we hold to a rigid view of gender roles and marriage, we prevent transformation; we don’t encourage it. Instead of asking people to look Christlike, we simply ask them to follow rigid rules. We’ve replaced the heart of the gospel with a new kind of legalism that traps people in an immature faith.
It’s time for it to stop.
And so I hope that all women (and men) reading this can endorse this, and share it on Facebook and Pinterest and social media. Let’s get this conversation going!
Submission: Maybe that word doesn't mean what we think it means. Click To Tweet
I’d like to end with some very wise words about this issue from Gary Thomas about how God feels about His precious children:
If a marriage “shell” is used to allow real people to be abused and hurt, God may well take it down. Keep in mind, in the first century, Jewish women weren’t allowed to divorce their husbands. Jesus fought divorce to protect women who could be easily discarded with little prospects. His comments on divorce were to protect women, not to keep them in a harmful situation. He was caring for real people more than he was idolizing a “shell.” Haven’t we turned this around a little? When a man preys on his wife and children, refusing to repent, almost laughing that they can’t escape his abuse because he has not been sexually unfaithful and won’t abandon them so any divorce would be “unbiblical,” and then he’s supported by well-meaning Christians who essentially say “the shell of marriage matters more than the woman and children inside the shell,” I think we’ve lost the heart of God.
Let’s all get back to the heart of God.The U.S. women’s hockey team is threatening to boycott the IIHF World Championships, starting March 31, unless USA Hockey increases wages, benefits, and support for the women’s game.
“We are asking for a living wage and for USA Hockey to fully support its programs for women and girls and stop treating us like an afterthought,” captain Meghan Duggan said, according to a statement from the players’ lawyers. “We have represented our country with dignity and deserve to be treated with fairness and respect.”
The defending world championship team was scheduled to report to training camp on March 21, but told USA Hockey Wednesday they wouldn’t participate unless progress was made in contract negotiations to ensure better pay and treatment.
U.S. women’s hockey player Hilary Knight tweeted the players’ statement.
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USA Hockey responded with a statement of its own defending its financing of the women’s team. Dave Ogrean, executive director of USA Hockey, said, “We acknowledge the players’ concerns and have proactively increased our level of direct support to the Women’s National Team as we prepare for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.” The statement continued:
The support USA Hockey is implementing in order to prepare the Women’s National Team for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games includes a six-month training camp, additional support stipends and incentives for medals that could result in each player receiving nearly $85,000 in cash over the Olympic training and performance period. The sum is in addition to a housing allowance, travel allowances, meal expenses, medical and disability insurance and the infrastructure that includes elite-level support staff to train and prepare the players. USA Hockey has a long-standing commitment to the support, advancement and growth of girls and women’s hockey and any claims to the contrary are unfounded.
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The U.S. women’s team countered with another statement, dismissing the federation’s pledge of support:
The statement issued by USA Hockey today in response to our decision to sit out the World Championships is misleading. It suggests that USA Hockey is prepared to pay the players $85,000 during the Olympic year. That is simply not true and no such offer was ever extended. In its public statement, USA Hockey has coupled their contributions with payments made by the U.S. Olympic Committee, which pays gold medal-winning athletes more than $60,000. Further, it covers only the Olympic period and does not offer anything for each of the other three years during which a World Championship is played. Lastly, it does nothing to address the marketing and training support that is not on par with what it provides to the mens’ and boys’ teams.
As it stands, USA Hockey pays women’s team players “$1,000 per month during the six-month Olympic residency period,” but does not provide compensation during the rest of the four-year cycle, though the players are still expected to train, the statement from the players’ lawyers said. It also noted that about half of the players have other jobs.
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“It is a full-time job and to not get paid is a financial burden and stress on players obviously. That is the conversation my husband and I are having right now,” player Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson said, according to ESPNW. “Is playing going to be more stress than we can handle? Sadly it becomes a decision between chasing your dream or giving in to the reality of the financial burden.”
The women’s hockey team’s decision to boycott comes amid continuing contract conflicts between the U.S. women’s soccer team and U.S. Soccer. The USWNT has floated the idea of a strike before, notably before the 2016 Olympics, though they ultimately decided not to boycott. Their contract talks are ongoing.The uptake of microfluidics by the wider scientific community has been limited by the fabrication barrier created by the skills and equipment required for the production of traditional microfluidic devices. Here we present simple 3D printed microfluidic devices using an inexpensive and readily accessible printer with commercially available printer materials. We demonstrate that previously reported limitations of transparency and fidelity have been overcome, whilst devices capable of operating at pressures in excess of 2000 kPa illustrate that leakage issues have also been resolved. The utility of the 3D printed microfluidic devices is illustrated by encapsulating dental pulp stem cells within alginate droplets; cell viability assays show the vast majority of cells remain live, and device transparency is sufficient for single cell imaging. The accessibility of these devices is further enhanced through fabrication of integrated ports and by the introduction of a Lego ® -like modular system facilitating rapid prototyping whilst offering the potential for novices to build microfluidic systems from a database of microfluidic components.
The 3D printed devices presented here were designed to allow easy integration with traditional fluid handling systems. As such, threaded ports at the inlets and outlets allow for the use of simple PEEK finger-tight fittings to connect devices to tubing and pumps. An example design is shown in Fig 1. For further accessibility connectable fluidic modules were also designed. The fluidic modules were based on the Lego ® blocks that are familiar around the world and can be simply clipped together creating leak-free re-configurable microfluidic systems.
Until recently, 3D printing has been limited by resolution or cost of the printers [ 24, 25 ]. However, recent advances mean that microfabrication is now possible off-the-shelf, without sophisticated manufacturing centres [ 26 ] and advances continue apace meaning the possibilities are likely to increase further still. 3D printing has been applied to micro- and millifluidics in combination with other techniques [ 27 ] or as a fabrication process in its own right [ 22, 24, 26, 28 – 31 ]. Stereolithography (SL) printing, which has been more commonly used for microfluidics, involves the layer-by-layer photocuring of a polymer resin enabling the manufacture of three-dimensional objects from a reservoir of liquid resin. The more prevalent and accessible printing technology, fused filament fabrication (FFF), has often been discounted for the production of microfluidic devices [ 22 ]. This type of printing has often been dismissed due to leaking between extruded layers, along with the lack of transparency and a perceived lack of resolution and accuracy [ 32 ]. FFF printing (also known as fused deposition modelling (FDM) or extrusion printing) is an additive manufacturing process where the extrusion of molten polymer layer-by-layer enables the construction of 3D objects. By this method, proof-of-concept 800μm diameter microfluidic channels have been produced in polypropylene [ 24 ]. Whilst SL printing can provide greater channel resolution than FFF, it has rarely been demonstrated with channel dimensions below 500μm. Significantly, the increased complexity and cost of the SL printing process means that fabrication of such devices has often been outsourced to specialists [ 22, 29, 33, 34 ] creating comparable barriers to uptake as with traditional manufacturing methods. With printers currently available at prices below £1000, FFF offers much higher levels of accessibility meaning most laboratories should be capable of fabricating their own devices in-house, facilitating cheap production and fast prototyping for a wide range of applications.
Recently, extrusion based 3D printing (fused filament fabrication (FFF)) has developed into a readily available consumer technology. As ease of use and resolutions have improved, and prices fallen, the ability to create custom objects quickly and easily has become available to all, causing a paradigm shift in small scale manufacturing. The ease of creating custom objects and devices cheaply and easily is democratising previously specialist areas of manufacturing, greatly increasing the capability of non-experts, and allowing cheap and rapid prototyping and production.
The barriers to wider uptake are clear if the fabrication technique of soft lithography with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is taken as just one example. Despite the advantages to this fabrication technique, the creation of a PDMS device requires knowledge of- and access to- photolithographic and plasma bonding equipment. Similar know-how and equipment requirements are true of other common fabrication techniques such as laser fabrication, micro milling, ion-etching and photolithographic fabrication. Berthier et al summarise the problem stating “adoption of microscale technologies by biologists hinges on… successful collaborations between engineers and biologists… and the establishment of standard platforms that… are widely accessible and available to the biology community at large”[ 23 ]. Here we present a microfluidic platform capable of addressing this challenge, taking versatile microfluidics into the laboratories of the wider scientific community at low cost and without the need for specialist equipment or expertise.
Despite these unique properties and diverse application areas, microfluidics has largely remained a somewhat specialist research area with limited uptake by those who could benefit most from the technology. Two key factors have limited the take-up by wider disciplines; manufacturing and versatility. Firstly, traditional microfluidic manufacturing methods, such as soft lithography, require skills and equipment that is often not readily available in a typical biology, chemistry or pharmacy laboratory [ 21, 22 ]. Secondly, the fixed nature of the fabricated devices limits iterative process optimisation or flexible application.
For many years microfluidics has been hailed as a field that could transform the way research is performed in the biological and chemical communities [ 1 – 3 ]. Microfluidics enables the precise manipulation of fluids on the small scale, enabling the use of small sample volumes, reduced costs, increased throughput, and parallel and sequential processing easily amenable to automation and portability on a scale beyond that achievable by manual or traditional robotic manipulation [ 4 ]. Microfluidics exploits the unique behaviour of fluids on the micro-scale where surface and viscous forces dominate over gravity and inertia, giving rise to laminar flow in single phase systems, and reproducible and programmable droplet flow in multiphase systems [ 5 ]. These advantageous fluid dynamics have been used in diverse fields with applications in cell encapsulation [ 6 ], DNA analysis [ 7, 8 ], drug prototyping [ 9 ], high throughput screening [ 10, 11 ], cell and droplet sorting and separation [ 12 – 15 ], chemical synthesis [ 16 ], chemical separations [ 17 ] radiopharmaceutical production [ 18 ], proteomics [ 19 ] and diagnostic technologies [ 20 ] amongst others.
Cells were centrifuged at 400g for 5 min. The supernatant was discarded and cells were resuspended in 1 mL of sterile PBS containing CellMask Orange (C10045, Molecular Probes) at a concentration of 5 ng/mL. The cells were incubated with this membrane stain for 10 min at room temperature before being centrifuged at 900g for 2 min. The supernatant was discarded and the cell pellet was washed by resuspension in sterile PBS and incubation at room temperature for 1 min. The cells were then recentrifuged (900g, 2 min) and resuspended once more in 1 mL of PBS for downstream analysis. Droplets containing sulforhodamine b (250 nM and 25 nM) and aqueous suspension of CellMask Orange labelled stem cells were imaged under flow conditions in the transparent PLA device equivalent to those used in the device transparency tests. Imaging was conducted at 4x or 10x magnification with 532 nm illumination via a TIRF fibre couple interfaced in epi-fluorescence mode on a Nikon Eclipse Ti-U inverted microscope. A 590/50 nm fluorescence emission filter (Chroma, USA) filtered emitted light prior to imaging on an Andor iXon camera at an acquisition frame time of 18 ms.
Human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) were encapsulated in alginate capsules (1x10 6 cells/mL). The cells were obtained from third molars (donors aged 17–20) with all patient’s informed written consent in accordance with the Research and Human Tissue Act 2004. Ethical approval was granted by South East Wales Research Ethics Committee of the National Research Ethics Service (permission number: 07/WESE04/84. Ethical documentation can be found in S1 – S3 Figs) and cultured in α-modification minimum essential medium (αMEM) containing 2mM glutamine, ribonucleosides and deoxyribonucleosides (Life Technologies, UK). The medium was supplemented with 1% (v/v) penicillin/streptomycin, 10% (v/v) heat-inactivated foetal bovine serum (FBS) (Life Technologies, UK) and 100μM l-ascorbic acid 2-phosphate (Sigma-Aldrich, UK). The medium was changed every 2–3 days until cells reached 80–90% confluence. Upon reaching confluence, culture medium was removed by aspiration and the cells washed with phosphate buffered saline (PBS) (Sigma-Aldrich, UK). Cells were dissociated by adding trypsin-EDTA 0.25% (v/v) (Sigma-Aldrich, UK) and returned to the incubator for 3–5 minutes until they became rounded and detached. The trypsin was neutralised by adding culture medium. The medium and cell solution were then transferred to 15ml falcon tubes and centrifuged at 1500rpm for 5 minutes. After discarding the supernatant, pellets were resuspended in medium and cell counts performed using a haemocytometer. Finally, cells were centrifuged again and resuspended at a density of 1 million cells per ml of alginate in 2% low viscosity alginate solution (AO682, Sigma Aldrich, UK). The alginate solution was created by adding 5mg/ml of calcium carbonate (Sigma-Aldrich) to αMEM supplemented with 1% (v/v) penicillin/streptomycin before adding 20mg/ml of alginate and stirring for 2 hours at 50°C. Monodisperse alginate droplets containing stem cells were created on the 3D printed devices within sunflower oil continuous phase. Alginate droplets were gelled for approximately 10 minutes on exiting the chip in a bath solution of sunflower oil containing glacial acetic acid (0.3% v/v). After gelling the capsules were washed in culture medium and, after varying periods of time in culture, viability assessed using a LIVE/DEAD ® Viability/Cytotoxicity assay kit for mammalian cells (Invitrogen), with calcein-AM (green) indicating intracellular esterase activity in live cells, and ethidium homodimer-1 (red) fluorescence indicating loss of plasma membrane integrity in dead cells. Laser scanning confocal imaging of encapsulated cells was performed using a Leica SP5 Confocal Microscope and LAS AF imaging software (Leica Microsystems, Germany). Images of encapsulated cells were acquired from confocal Z scan over a depth of 600 μm.
To assess the quality and accuracy of the 3D printing, a series of channels were printed with diameters ranging from 400μm-1.5mm in increments of 100μm. The channel dimensions were then measured using a Nikon AZ100 microscope with NIS Elements 3.2 software. The channels were printed using both FFF printing and SL printing. FFF printed channels were printed in both horizontal and vertical orientations. Horizontally printed channels were measured in two directions to assess both the width and height of the channels. 25μm, 50μm and 100μm layer thickness prints were assessed. The measured channel dimensions were compared to the original dimensions specified in the models created in Solidworks.
Flow-focusing junctions were tested using mineral oil (Sigma-Aldrich) dyed with Oil Blue N (Sigma-Aldrich). Further tests used an alginate solution that contained 2% alginate in distilled water with 7.5mg/ml of calcium carbonate, CaCO 3, (Sigma-Aldrich) (with SilverSpoon red food colouring for visualisation). The solution was stirred magnetically for 1h at 50°C to dissolve the alginate. To create oil in water emulsions, a 10mM aqueous oleic acid (Sigma-Aldrich) solution at pH13 was used with pH adjustment achieved with sodium hydroxide (Sigma-Aldrich) in deionised water (4g/L). The solution was then sonicated for 1 minute after the oleic acid was added to ensure that the solution was monophasic. Measurements of the droplets created on the flow-focusing junctions were taken using a high speed camera (Megaspeed) in combination with NIS Elements 3.2.
Initial tests were performed to investigate the suitability of a number of commercially available printer filaments. T-junction devices for droplet generation were created with 1mm diameter channels and the output of the device was observed. Sunflower oil and Water (containing Red Silverspoon dye) were delivered via syringe pumps (Legato 210, KD Scientific) to create water in oil droplet emulsions. Devices were fabricated using PLA filament (Ultimaker PLA 2.85mm), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) transparent filament (Taulman t-glase 3mm), a modified acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) transparent filament (Bendlay 3mm), and transparent PLA (Faberdashery, Crystal Clear 3mm). SL printed devices were produced using DETAX Luxaprint clear resin.
To characterise the fluidic interfacing and connections between modules, the maximum pressure that the connections could withstand before leaking was measured. This was achieved by blocking the outlet of one module while pumping water into the inlet of a connected module at a constant flow rate of 12ml/hr (Rheos 2000, Flux Instruments). The pressure required to drive the water was monitored throughout the experiment. Leaks were detected by visual inspection. Pressure data was recorded using the pump control software (Janeiro II 2.6).
Devices were produced via fused filament fabrication using an Ultimaker 2 printer. Devices were printed at a print speed of 30mm/s at a nozzle temperature of 215°C. The modules were printed with 100% fill density on a build plate that was heated to 70°C. Device schematics were designed in Solidworks 2013 before being converted to a print pattern using Simplify3D 2.2.2 software. Alternating 50μm thick layers were printed such that the pattern ran perpendicular and then parallel to the length of the device, enabling leak-free and transparent devices to be printed with clear Polylactic acid (PLA). 3D printed microfluidic devices were also produced stereolithographically using a Miicraft printer with 100μm layers and 25s curing time. Full print settings can be found in S1 Table.
Results & Discussion
To demonstrate the capabilities of FFF printed microfluidic devices, flow focusing junctions were created to form droplets in a controlled manner (Fig 2). Droplets of water in oil are readily formed. In addition, alginate droplets in oil, and oil droplets in a continuous phase of water and oleic acid were also demonstrated, illustrating the feasibility of consistent droplet formation in 3D printed microfluidic devices. Importantly, Fig 2 also shows that it is possible to observe the fluid flow within 3D printed PLA devices, either through the use of an embedded glass observation window for microscopy applications (Fig 2A), or through the use of semi-transparent PLA with sufficiently thin walls (Fig 2B and 2C).
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larger image TIFF original image Download: Fig 2. Extrusion 3D printed flow focusing junctions. A) Water in oil droplets formed in a PLA module that has a glass observation window embedded within it. B) Alginate solution droplets in sunflower oil generated in a semi-transparent PLA module. Oil flow rate: 3ml/hr, alginate flow rate: 1ml/hr C) Mineral oil droplets in water and 10mM oleic acid carrier phase. Generated on a semi transparent PLA device. Water flow rate: 4ml/hr, oil flow rate: 1.5ml/hr. Junctions A and C have inlet channel widths of 1mm with a 1.4mm wide outlet. Junction B has 600μm wide channels with a 900μm wide outlet. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0152023.g002
The PLA flow-focusing junction with glass observation window (Fig 2A) was used to assess the reproducibility and control of water in oil droplet formation (Fig 3). Droplet size can be controlled by varying the ratio of the water and oil flow rates with a higher oil flow rate, relative to the water flow rate, leading to smaller droplets. The channel geometry and fluid properties define the minimum droplet size. The droplet generation frequency was investigated by increasing the total flow rate at a fixed oil:water flow ratio. This results in an increase in droplet frequency without altering the diameter. Droplets of a consistent diameter of 504μm (±18μm) were produced throughout the frequency test, as droplet production frequency increased from 1 to 10.4Hz. Frequency variation was very small as evidenced by the small fluctuation range of 0.2–1.2% (95% confidence interval), indicative of high stability operation. However, at the lowest flow rate of (1.5 ml/hr) 13% variation in production frequency was measured, this is due to this data being collected at a lower frame rate using a different camera than the other data points. The behaviour of this 3D printed flow focusing junction is consistent with previous studies of flow focusing junctions [35].
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larger image TIFF original image Download: Fig 3. Droplet data from a 3D printed flow-focusing junction ( Droplet data from a 3D printed flow-focusing junction ( Fig 2A ). Water droplets formed in mineral oil. A) Droplet diameter as the flow rate into each oil inlet is increased. The oil flow rate was increased as multiples of the water flow rate. Curve added to illustrate the trend. The error ranged from 1.3–3.3% based on 95% confidence level. B) Droplet frequency as the oil and water flow rates into each inlet are increased (fixed oil:water flow rate ratio of 2:1). For example, at the 10ml/hr data point both oil inlets are set to 10ml/hr whilst the water inlet is set to 5ml/hr. The error the error for the 1.5ml/hr data pointwas 13% due to data gathering using an alternative camera with a lower frame rate, the error for all the other data points ranged from 0.2–1.2% based on 95% confidence. In both A) and B) 10 droplets were measured for each data point (n = 10). Error bars not plotted as they are obscured by data points. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0152023.g003
Fidelity Tests A criticism of FFF printing has been a lack of fidelity between the printed dimensions and the original CAD model [32]. Here, we investigate the correlation between measured circular cross-section of printed channels compared to the originally designed geometry, under a range of print conditions (50μm layers shown in Fig 4 Further printer fidelity analysis can be found in S4 Fig, showing different layer thicknesses and a comparison with SL printing.). High accuracy is possible with the right print parameters (in this case 50μm layer height) with both the height and width of the channel within 2.5% of the designed channel dimensions on average. Fig 4 illustrates the consistency of dimensions in all directions, although there is some unavoidable roughness resulting from the layer by layer nature of FFF printing as can be seen in Fig 4C. Although surface roughness was not considered for optimisation in this work, typical surface roughness was characterised by interferometeric measurement (S5 Fig) of gold sputter coated devices fabricated at 1200 mm min-1, with 50 μm layer deposition, as employed in the transparency tests. Over a 1.4 x 1.4 mm area material surfaces were found to have peak-to-peak variation of 16.81 μm. The nature of the deposition method leads to peaks at the interface between two extruded ‘strips.’ Further optimisation of the surface roughness may be achievable, either through further optimisation of print parameters or post fabrication solvent treatment, but was deemed beyond the scope of this study and unnecessary given the successful functionality of the printed devices. As printing resolution improves, and fabrication dimensions reduce, surface roughness optimisation may become of greater significance. PPT PowerPoint slide
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larger image TIFF original image Download: Fig 4. 3D printer fidelity measurements. a and b) Comparisons of measured and desired dimensions of 3d printed circular channels. Dotted line indicates perfect fidelity between the CAD model and the printed channel. a) Measured width of a horizontally printed channel using FFF printing with 50μm layers. b) Measured depth of a horizontally printed channel using FFF printing with 50μm layers. c) Image of a 1.4mm diameter channels fabricated using extrusion 3D printing. 3 measurements were taken for each data point. Error bars indicate 95% confidence level. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0152023.g004 The fidelity measurements demonstrate that the minimum channel dimension achievable was 500μm. Whilst this is relatively large, it is suitable for many microfluidic applications. Currently, this is defined by the size of current printer nozzles. However, with smaller nozzles that have been released recently and advancements in printer technology anticipated, this limit should come down, further widening the application areas for extrusion printed microfluidics as channel dimensions reduce.
Stem Cell Encapsulation To demonstrate the practical utility of FFF 3D printed microfluidics for bio- and chemical applications, we created a device for the production of monodisperse alginate microspheres for the encapsulation of live stem cells. Such hydrogel cell encapsulation systems enable the three-dimensional culturing of cells and their easy manipulation [38]. In addition, cell encapsulation may provide a means for prolonged bio-therapeutic release in vivo [39]. The physical barrier provided by the encapsulating microsphere means that encapsulated stem cell systems are generating a large amount of interest for their potential application in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine therapies [40–42]. Monodisperse stem cell containing alginate droplets and calcium carbonate were created on the 3D printed devices within a sunflower oil continuous phase. Alginate droplets (800μm diameter) were gelled on entry into an acidified oil chamber. Partitioning of acid causes a reduction in pH within the alginate and liberation of Ca2+ from the calcium carbonate, giving rise to subsequent alginate gelation. After gelling the capsules were cleaned in culture medium and then cell viability assessed using a live/dead cell viability assay, with calcein-AM (green) indicating intracellular esterase activity within live cells, and ethidium homodimer-1 (red) fluorescence indicating loss of plasma membrane integrity in dead cells. Confocal imaging revealed that the vast majority of encapsulated cells remained live (Fig 7C). PPT PowerPoint slide
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larger image TIFF original image Download: Fig 7. Live dental pulp stem cells encapsulated within alginate droplets created on a 3D printed device. A) Monodisperse alginate capsules exiting the microfluidic device B) Image of an alginate capsule containing stem cells. C) Confocal z-projection showing live encapsulated stem cells stained green and dead cells stained red. The image shows the edge of a capsule. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0152023.g007Richard Jones' Log: Sane Python application packaging: conclusion (for now?)
Thu, 15 Jan 2009
This is part four of my continuing adventure in packaging my Python application.
In part three I was close to a solution. In the end I have decided to:
Use the "build_apps" distutils command I wrote to generate zip application bundles for the three target platforms. The zip file contains all libraries (pure python, thankfully) and a launcher script to run the application. Split out the examples from the rest so there's just one examples zip file and the other zip files are about half as heavy. Generate a standard distutils source distribution which is intended for Linux system package maintainers. Upload all those files to Google Code using a modified googlecode_upload.py script. Still register with PyPI but set the download_url to point to Google Code.
The upload script was modified in two ways:
First, it's broken with the svn module available under Ubuntu (and others). I modified the code to directly parse the svn passwords. It's a gross hack and probably not widely useful so I won't submit a patch. For the curious the code is below. Secondly I hard-coded it to upload the five files I want to send, just to make my life easier.
I'll await feedback from actual users but I believe that this solution will be good enough.
By the way, I just released a new version of the application in question. It's Bruce, the Presentation Tool (who puts reStructuredText in your projector). The 3.2 release is pretty nice with support for external styles, recording, automated playback of various types, gradual exposure of lists and some other stuff. It's pretty cool.
On to the change to googlecode_upload.py, which replaces get_svn_auth() with:
def get_svn_auth(project_name, config_dir): """Return (username, password) for project_name in config_dir.""" realm = (' Google Code Subversion Repository' % project_name) authdir = os.path.join(config_dir, 'auth','svn.simple') for fname in os.listdir(auth |
: "That was a while ago and Bama had not transitioned defensively and not really embraced the idea that, 'Hey, we're going to have to adjust our philosophy here because the sport is changing right under our feet.' That was one of the games that really set in motion them adjusting their recruiting, trying to get more athletic defenders at all levels of the defense, corners playing safety and that concept. That was one of the games that steered them in the direction they're in now."
The Aggies had seemingly arrived. Tracy Wolfson, the CBS sideline reporter, concluded her postgame interview with Sumlin by saying, "Welcome to the SEC." And Manziel became a national sensation with a signature Heisman moment secured. Later that night, even an LSU defensive lineman gave Manziel a ringing endorsement.
Porter: "I think the media was kind of shocked. We weren't shocked."
Moore: "It certainly changed the perception of A&M.... It let everybody know that we could compete at the highest level. And it just changed expectations, too."
The Aggies reveled in their victory over No. 1 Alabama. AP Photo/Dave Martin
Kingsbury: "[Manziel] was already going pretty good down in College Station, prior to that.... [The Alabama win] took it to a whole other level. We show up and there's I don't know how many thousands of people waiting -- and here comes the rock star. They had to have police security literally walk him through these masses of people to get him to his car."
Lewis: "I still get asked about the Alabama game. It'll live on forever.... Any time I have A&M gear on, people ask what year I played and, 'Did you play with Johnny Manziel?'"
In the end, both teams had good conclusions: The Aggies finished 11-2 and Manziel won the Heisman; and the Crimson Tide went on to win another national championship.
Tinker: "[In the locker room] Saban was like, 'What do we do now?' And I remember the speech Saban gave after the LSU game the year before in 2011, and word-for-word I just said the speech he gave last year. I feel like that was my shining moment as a senior. I said, 'Guys, we still have an opportunity to do something great. We still have a chance to go to the SEC championship. Don't look at the scoreboard. Keep fighting. Keep doing everything we can to be the best football team we can be, and we'll see what happens.'
"That's what Saban said the year before when we lost to LSU, and we ended up playing in the national championship.... I gave that same speech and the same thing ended up happening. We had one loss, we went back and won the SEC championship game, and got to play Notre Dame in Miami."
Sumlin: "That whole year had an impact. [That] one game was a big deal. But the season -- for what people thought would happen with the move to the SEC -- I think that entire year was really a positive situation for the football program.... There's pluses and minuses that came with that, too, and we all know what those are."
Nico Johnson: "[Manziel] had a great season to that point and then he pretty much solidified his Heisman Trophy by going to Alabama and beating us in our house. It was crazy. And then we continued to win throughout the year and it made his performance even greater that day."
Texas A&M radio play-by-play announcer Dave South: "I still say it to this day... I've seen some great players in those 47 years [of calling football], but I don't think I've ever seen anybody like Johnny Manziel."The National Graduates Survey figures on debt for the class of 2010 were (quietly) released yesterday. Unlike the employment data they released a few weeks ago, this data actually *is* comparable to results from previous surveys. It is thus a good way to check on whether/how student debt is actually reaching “out of sight” levels.
So, let’s start with some interprovincial comparisons.
Average Government Student Loan Debt at Graduation, Borrowers Only, By Province and Type of Institution, Class of 2010
The national average government debt among borrowers was $22,300 for university graduates, and $14,000 for college graduates. However, this conceals some pretty wild differences between provinces, especially at the university level where the provincial means extend from $11,900 in Quebec to $35,000 in New Brunswick. Of particular interest is the fact that Ontario, the province with the highest tuition, actually has among the lowest levels of debt (indeed, between 2000 and 2010, it fell nearly 17% in real terms).
Looking at the data over time, the next two figures show how government student loan debt has evolved:
Incidence and Mean Amount of Government Student Loan Debt at Graduation, Bachelor’s Degree Borrowers Only, 1982-2010
Incidence and Mean Amount of Government Student Loan Debt at Graduation, College Borrowers Only, 1982-2010
The takeaway here: despite steadily rising tuition, the percentage of students taking out need-based loans to finance their education hit a thirty-year low in 2010. Debt was still high, but in real dollars was below where it was in 2000.
Now, while need-based government debt has been falling, non-need-based (or at least, not necessarily need-based) private debt has been rising. Private debt is a mish-mash of credit card debt (which most surveys suggest is pretty small), private bank loan debt, and debt to family members – the last of these is presumably fairly soft debt in the sense that it is available on highly negotiable terms and there is a reasonable chance of some form of debt forgiveness. Incidence of all forms of these debt combined has risen from 19% to 26% among bachelor’s graduates since 2010 (16 to 22% among college grads), and average debt from these sources (among those with any amount of such debt) has risen from $13,170 to $17,700 for bachelor’s graduates ($8,300 to $10,000 for college graduates).
It’s not clear what to make of the private debt figures. For the 15% of the student population that has both public and private debt, one assumes that the recourse to private debt is indicative that for this part of the student body, the existing student aid packages are inadequate. This is a group we should be pretty concerned about. As for the other 11% who only have private debt, it’s hard to say what the issue is. Why are they choosing private money over public money? Are they actually fairly well-off, and hence ineligible for aid? We simply don’t know.
In any case, as a result of this increase in non-public debt, total debt is up very slightly, as we see in the figure below. But while the averages of debt are up, the incidence is down – from 53% to 50% on the university side, and from 49% to 43% on the college side. And this, recall, in a period where participation rates were growing sharply.
Average Total Debt at Graduation, Borrowers Only, By Type of Institution, Classes of 2000, 2005 and 2010
So: government debt down, private debt up. Incidence of total debt down slightly, average debt up slightly. Any way you look at it, the basic picture on student debt is right where it’s been for the last decade. And meanwhile, interest rates have fallen, and after-tax incomes have risen.
I know facts never get in the way of a good story, but: There. Is. No. Crisis. Period.LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Just days before the transition to digital television, 2.8 million households, or 2.5 percent of the TV market, are unprepared.
A discarded television is seen along a street in Miami, Florida February 23, 2009. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
According to Nielsen, the latest tally is half of the 5.8 million that were unprepared in February, when the government postponed the transition by four months.
At a news conference Wednesday in Los Angeles, acting Federal Communications Commission chairman Michael Copps reiterated the importance of the transition and said the agency was expecting relatively minor problems when the switchover begins Friday.
“This is the biggest transition in television, an even bigger transition than black-and-white to color,” Copps said. “Our whole society is going digital, and broadcast needs to be a part of that transition.”
Copps said the freed-up bandwidth will help establish a public safety network, as well as provide more room for wireless and broadband applications.
Yet Copps, who Barack Obama appointed as head of the FCC in January, also was critical of the government’s handling of the transition during the past two years.
“We’ve got some humps and bumps to navigate; there’s still a number of people who don’t know what to do,” Copps said. “We knew this transition was coming; the government was late getting itself organized... but we are where we are and have to make this transition.”
The FCC has employed 4,000 phone operators to be standing by through the weekend to handle calls coming through their information line (888-225-5322). Some broadcasters are layering on their own initiatives to help viewers make the switch. For example, in Los Angeles, the TV stations have set up their own phone bank to help ease the transition.
Experts say problems are likely to be concentrated in markets that are least prepared.
The Albuquerque/Santa Fe area of New Mexico is the least ready, with 7.6 percent of TV homes completely unprepared. Several of the nation’s largest markets — including Dallas-Fort Worth, Seattle-Tacoma, Los Angeles and Phoenix — have unprepared TV households in the 4-5 percent range.
How those percentages will translate into TV ratings is the big unknown.
“This is the d-day, the week it is going to happen,” said Stan Statham, president and CEO and California Broadcasters Association. “All Americans will receive better picture, better sound. There is nothing negative about what’s happening this week.”What is Quarry?
Quarry is a dynamic DNS server with swappable backends for persistence, and statsd integration, that can be run standalone as an executable, or used as a module in your node apps. When run in executable mode, Quarry provides a remote API for adding and updating DNS records and forwarders. When used as a module, records and forwarders are managed via exposed functions.
The ContainerShip service-discovery Plugin makes use of Quarry to automatically register DNS records for every application and container that gets launched on one of your server clusters, but it can be just as effective when used on its own.
Supported Persistence Layers
Disk
Memory
MongoDB
S3
Redis
Installation
Run the following command to install Quarry as an executable:
npm install -g quarry-dns
To use Quarry as a required module in your application, run the following in the root of your node app:
npm install quarry-dns --save
We also provide a Docker image that you can use to run Quarry in executable mode.
docker pull containership/docker-quarry
docker run -d -p 5353:5353 -p 10053:53 containership/quarry memory
Executable Mode
Usage
quarry --help can be used for a comprehensive list of available commands and options. To run Quarry on a priviliged port such as 53, it must be start as root. Below are some usage examples:
Disk
sudo quarry disk --file-location /path/to/quarry/config.json
Memory
sudo quarry memory
MongoDB
sudo quarry mongo — mongo-host ds028017.mongolab.com
Redis
sudo quarry redis --redis-host \
quarry.abcdef.0001.use1.cache.amazonaws.com
S3
sudo quarry s3 --access-key-id $AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID --secret-access-key $AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY --bucket quarry
Examples
Get Records
curl http://quary.server:5353/v1/records -X GET -H “Content-Type: application/json”
Get Record
curl http://quary.server:5353/v1/records/www.domain.com -X GET -H “Content-Type: application/json”
Create Record
curl http://quary.server:5353/v1/records/www.domain.com -X POST -d ‘{“address”: “1.2.3.4”, “type”: “A”, “ttl”: 60}’ -H “Content-Type: application/json”
Update Record
curl http://quary.server:5353/v1/records/www.domain.com -X PUT -d ‘{“address”: [“1.2.3.4”, “5.6.7.8”], “type”: “A”, “ttl”: 60}’ -H “Content-Type: application/json”
Delete Record
curl http://quary.server:5353/v1/records/www.domain.com -X DELETE
Get Forwarders
curl http://quary.server:5353/v1/forwarders -X GET -H “Content-Type: application/json”
Get Forwarder
curl http://quary.server:5353/v1/forwarders/8.8.8.8 -X GET -H “Content-Type: application/json”
Create Forwarder
curl http://quary.server:5353/v1/forwarders/8.8.8.8 -X POST -d ‘{“timeout”: 500, “port”: 53}’ -H “Content-Type: application/json”
Update Forwarder
curl http://quary.server:5353/v1/forwarders/8.8.8.8 -X PUT -d ‘{“timeout”: 1000, “port”: 53}’ -H “Content-Type: application/json”
Delete Forwarder
curl http://quary.server:5353/v1/forwarders/8.8.8.8 -X DELETE
Module Mode
Usage
var Quarry = require("quarry-dns");
var quarry = new Quarry({
persistence: "memory"
});
if(quarry){
quarry.listen(function(){
console.log("quarry is now listening");
});
}
Disk
var quarry = new Quarry({
persistence: "disk",
"file-location": "/tmp/quarry.json"
});
Memory
var quarry = new Quarry({
persistence: "memory"
});
MongoDB
var quarry = new Quarry({
persistence: "mongo",
"mongo-host": "ds028017.mongolab.com"
});
Redis
var quarry = new Quarry({
persistence: "redis",
"redis-host": "quarry.abcdef.0001.use1.cache.amazonaws.com"
});
S3
var quarry = new Quarry({
persistence: "s3",
"access-key-id": process.env["AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID"],
"secret-access-key": process.env["AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY"],
bucket: "quarry"
});
Examples
Get Records
quarry.persistence.get_configuration(function(err, configuration){
if(err)
throw err; var records = configuration.records;
});
Get Record
quarry.persistence.get_configuration(function(err, configuration){
if(err)
throw err;
var record = configuration.records["www.domain.com"];
});
Create Record
quarry.persistence.create_record("www.domain.com", { address: "1.2.3.4", type: "A", ttl: 60 }, function(err){
if(err)
throw err;
});
Update Record
quarry.persistence.update_record("www.domain.com", { address: ["1.2.3.4", "5.6.7.8"], type: "A", ttl: 60 }, function(err){
if(err)
throw err;
});
Delete Record
quarry.persistence.delete_record("www.domain.com", function(err){
if(err)
throw err;
});
Get Forwarders
quarry.persistence.get_configuration(function(err, configuration){
if(err)
throw err;
var forwarders = configuration.forwarders;
});
Get Forwarder
quarry.persistence.get_configuration(function(err, configuration){
if(err)
throw err;
var forwarder = configuration.forwarders["8.8.8.8"];
});
Create Forwarder
quarry.persistence.create_forwarder("8.8.8.8", { timeout: 500, port: 53 }, function(err){
if(err)
throw err;
});
Update Forwarder
quarry.persistence.update_forwarder("8.8.8.8", { timeout: 1000, port: 53 }, function(err){
if(err)
throw err;
});
Delete Forwarder
quarry.persistence.delete_forwarder("8.8.8.8", function(err){
if(err)
throw err;
});
Find Out More
https://github.com/containership/The six-year-longBritish inquiry into the 2003 Iraq invasion and its aftermath will not be published before the general election, prompting an outcry from those demanding that the long overdue reckoning should be put before the voters.
Sir John Chilcot, the chairman of the inquiry, will set out his reasons for the further postponement in an exchange of letters with David Cameron on Wednesday. The inquiry was set up in 2009 and took public evidence from its last witness in 2011.
The prime minister has already expressed his personal frustration at the repeated delays, and a cross-party group of backbenchers had been due to stage a debate and vote in parliament on 29 January, demanding publication before the election.
Tony Blair, the prime minister at the time of the war, has insisted he is not the culprit behind the delay in publication; his allies have suggested the blame lies with the civil service and sensitivities about the relations between the UK and US intelligence agencies.
There has been a stand-off between those demanding that the personal exchange of messages between the former US president George W Bush and Blair in the run-up to the war be published, and those saying such a move would represent an unprecedented breach of confidence concerning one of the most sensitive episodes in British foreign relations.
It is understood the publication date of the inquiry was discussed by the UK and American delegations when Cameron met Barack Obama at the White House last week. But the threat of a Commons vote will have added urgency to the issue.
In June last year Chilcot announced he was satisfied that the “gist” of talks between Blair and Bush could be made public, removing a big obstacle to publication of his report. Chilcot is understood to have sent “Salmon letters” to those who were to be criticised to give them an opportunity to respond before the report’s publication, which will have led to further delays following objections from those criticised.
The deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, reacted furiously, saying the public, soldiers and families affected needed closure after six years of delay, adding that the public will think the findings are being “sexed down” to meet the needs of the establishment.
In a letter to Chilcot, he said: “I welcome your efforts to ensure the inquiry has been methodical, rigorous and fair in its approach. I also support your efforts to allow individuals criticised in the report to see the draft criticism and make representations to the inquiry before publication.
“However, neither administrative processes nor a constant back and forth between the inquiry and witnesses criticised should frustrate an independent report so important to the country’s future from being published as soon as possible.
“The public have waited long enough and will find it incomprehensible that the report is not being published more rapidly than the open-ended timetable you have now set out.
“We need to see a much clearer and more defined timetable, known publicly, with strict deadlines and a firm date for publication.
“If the findings are not published with a sense of immediacy, there is a real danger the public will assume the report is being ‘sexed down’ by individuals rebutting criticisms put to them by the inquiry, whether that is the case or not.”
Angus Robertson, the SNP’s Westminster leader said: “If Chilcot is to be delayed again it would be an absolute scandal.”
Blair previously said he wanted the Chilcot report to be published as soon as possible and that he resented claims he was to blame for its slow progress.
He has made repeated attempts to justify the highly controversial invasion, but has conceded that, for a variety of reasons, including disputes in the Bush administration, the detail and quality of post-war planning was inadequate.
Blair is determined to rebut the argument that he lied to parliament over the intelligence he had been given over the likelihood that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction. The basis of this claim and the key informants have emerged and been discredited. Ministers have conceded that if the final report were not completed by the end of February, it would be wrong to release it in the heat of a closely fought election campaign.
Although Ed Miliband was not in parliament at the time of the invasion, and has said he would have opposed the war, Labour probably has least to gain from the reopening of the debate about the basis of the invasion and its continuing consequences, including the rise of Islamic State, or Isis.
The Conservatives, including an agonised Cameron, backed the invasion at the time, but the Tories subsequently said they had been misled about the intelligence. Although Cameron pushed through military action in Libya, and, in principle, air strikes to punish Bashar al-Assad’s use of chemical weapons in Syria, the prime minister has generally been a sceptic about humanitarian military action. The Liberal Democrats opposed the war and probably would gain most politically from publication.
David Davis, the former shadow home secretary who has been a leading voice in calling for the report to be published before the election, said it was incomprehensible that the report was being delayed until after the election.
Davis told the Guardian: “Frankly this is not good enough. It is more than five years since it started. It is incomprehensible as to why this is [being delayed]. We need to know why. This is not simply some formality. This is for the whole country to understand why we made a terrible mistake in Iraq. Simply putting it off is not good enough.
“Why has this taken so long? What is going on that is preventing this? The report was created in the first place by a Labour government in order to get an understanding of what went wrong. I can think of no reason why this should be deferred.”
Davis has been a driving force behind the backbench Commons vote next week that would call on Chilcot to publish in a few weeks. He said the vote would not bind Chilcot in case there was complex legal justification for the delay. But Chilcot would have been expected to explain to MPs the delay. “We are getting neither. We are getting neither the report nor the explanation,” he said.Pop star Cyndi Lauper finds Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric “shocking” and “appalling,” she revealed in an interview Friday, going on to compare the Republican presidential nominee to Adolf Hitler, as countless celebrities have done in this election season.
“No matter what his daughter [Ivanka] says, it has nothing to do with that that guy is selling,” the “True Colors” singer said in an interview with San Diego’s Morning News Friday morning. “That guy is selling inflammatory things that I have never in my whole entire life heard… except, you know, Hitler.”
Lauper, a prominent LGBT activist whose True Colors Fund was launched in 2008 to focus on issues of LGBT homelessness, said that she was “shocked” to hear Trump speak about LGBT issues when so many employees of his hit television show The Apprentice were gay.
Lauper was a contestant on The Celebrity Apprentice in 2010, but was fired by Trump during the season’s ninth episode.
“You don’t talk about your employees like that ever,” she said.
Lauper is just one of many celebrities who have likened Trump to the Nazi leader during this year’s presidential race.
In August, fellow pop star Cher compared Trump to Hitler during a heated speech at a fundraiser for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton on Cape Cod.
“I just think he’s a f*cking idiot,” Cher said. “I was thinking despots — Stalin, Hitler — even though they said the same things, we’re going to make Germany great again, and it was at a time when the Deutsch mark I think was at 25 cents.“
Other celebrities who have made the comparison recently include Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong, comedians Louis C.K. and Sarah Silverman, HBO Real Time host Bill Maher, actress Eva Longoria, The View co-host Whoopi Goldberg, former Tonight Show host Jay Leno and Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan.
Follow Daniel Nussbaum on Twitter: @dznussbaumActivision ‘Drumming’ Up New Hero Game
Activision claims Guitar Hero to be the third highest selling franchise of all time, right behind Mario, and Madden, both of which have become house hold names. The massive sales and immediate popularity after it’s original release back in 2005 have sparked numerous music-based “Hero” games with the hopes of having similar success. DJ Hero and Band Hero both released this fall, but it looks like Activision is planning yet another “Hero” title already.
According to a trademark recently filed by Activision, one of the world’s largest video game developers and publishers, reveals yet another foray into the “Hero” line of music games.
This time, it’s not turntables scratching, or guitar riffs. Instead you’ll be beating your drums in Drum Hero. The trademark which was filed just today covers pretty much everything relating to video games, and any relevant toys of handheld versions of the game.LUCKNOW: Linking bank account services with mobile phones proved costly for nine bank customers in Uttar Pradesh. Special Task Force of UP arrested two persons for financial fraud. The arrested accused include a Bandhan Bank employee Vijay Pandey (26) who was earlier associated with Axis Bank as customer support officer. The two were arrested from Dayal Paradise crossing in Gomtinagar on Friday morning.Along with an accomplice Dharmendra Pathak (33), the private bank employee extracted confidential information of nine bank customers to steal Rs 45 lakh through 240 fraudulent transactions over 40 days. Sleuths working on the case found out that Vijay was being guided by a Mumbai-based techie who had experience of working in the banking industry and they believe the fraud could be of a bigger scale.Aware of loopholes in the unified payments interface of various banks and Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM), Vijay leaked the 16-digit debit card number, its expiry date and registered mobile number along with address of the Axis bank customers to Pathak on WhatsApp while he was in office.Pathak drafted a police complaint in the name of bank customers claiming he had lost a SIM card. After getting the complaint stamped at the police station, Pathak approached the telecom service provider with request for a new SIM.The telecom company would cross-check the address in the complaint and issue a new SIM assuming that police had acknowledged the complaint. Dubbed invalid, the old SIM stopped functioning and Vijay would download BHIM or UPI app with the help of the newly generated SIM card.The app prompts users to provide debit card number and asks user to ensure the BHIM app is in the device that has the registered mobile number and thus the OTP generated to authenticate the user was received. When four customers of Axis bank holding accounts at Bansi branch of the bank in Siddharthnagar district were duped early this year, manager of the branch Himadri Acharya lodged an FIR.Similar frauds were reported from Axis Bank branches in Kanpur, Mahoba and Bahraich. In all the cases, the bank refunded the money to customers within a few weeks. Additional superintendent of STF Triveni Singh took over the investigations recently. “The fraud exposes the vulnerability of the payments industry in the country and this is the first case reported in which BHIM and UPIs account holders have been duped. Without cooperation of National Payments Corporation of India, the case could not have been worked out,” said Singh. NPCI created BHIM and launched it this year.During investigations, it was found that Vijay’s computer had been used for viewing account details of all the nine customers who were targeted. He was posted in Ghazipur district at an Axis Bank branch and had quit his job after his name cropped up after which he joined Bandhan Bank in Azamgarh district.The investigating officer said he would write to the Union ministry to introduce a fresh security feature for UPI/BHIM users. “Linking the app to registered mobile number is a good idea for easy payment. But it is being misused by bank employees. It will be advisable to introduce a feature or step in the process which cannot be breached by anyone. We will deliberate with the NPCI on it,” said Singh.One of America’s most widespread fashion companies is taking a big step toward diversity and inclusion.
American Eagle’s new fashion campaign will feature a hijab-clad model, a first for the fashion company.
Her name is Halima Aden, and at age 19, she is no stranger to the runway. The Somali-American model previously walked for Alberta Ferretti, Max Mara, and Kanye West’s Yeezy fashion show.
Take Action: Reverse President Trump’s Executive Order to Ban Refugees
Born in a refugee camp in Kenya, Halima came to the US at age 7 with her mother. Growing up in St. Cloud, Minn., she experienced bullying in her school but refused to let being different be a bad thing. After graduating from high school, she applied to the Miss Minnesota USA Contest, which opened the doors for her modeling career.
Halima made headway in 2016 when she wore a hijab in the Miss Minnesota pageant, sporting a burkini for the swimwear section. Her boldness here caught the eye of the American retail company and many others.
While she didn’t win the crown, the young model did win a contract with IMG Models in February, becoming the first hijab-wearing model to land a contract with a major modeling agency.
Read More: Somali-American Model Halima Aden Rocks Hijab in Kanye’s Fashion Show
Halima recently appeared on the cover of Allure magazine with the caption, “This Is American Beauty.” She also appeared on the cover of Vogue Arabia last month.
American Eagle is taking other steps to expand the concept of “American Beauty.” Their new campaign titled “I Can” is trying to capture young American adults as their most authentic selves, each unique and representative of the country’s diversity. The campaign will feature models of all sizes, including body-positive model Iskra Lawrence, and the fashion industry vows to produce photoshop-free images only.
Halima was on board for the campaign. Flashing a smile with braces, Halima looked, for a moment, just like an average American teenager. She posted a photo from the shoot on Instagram, thanking American Eagle for their step toward inclusivity and individuality.
Thank you @americaneagle for encouraging young America to follow their passions, express their individuality, and pursue their unique paths. #Ican movement ✨ @trey.laird @cassblackbird A post shared by Halima Aden (@kinglimaa) on Jul 10, 2017 at 8:09am PDT
Read More: This School in Maine Is the First to Offer Athletic Hijabs to Muslim Athletes
But American Eagle isn’t stopping there. They also released a new denim hijab, which Halima wore in the campaign. It’s the first hijab featured by the fashion line.
While fashion retailers still have a long way to go toward inclusivity and diversity in modeling, American Eagle’s “I Can” campaign is a step forward.History
Since 1978, Bolin Guitars, LLC has built some of the most innovative guitars in rock and roll history. A list of their satisfied customers include; Billy F. Gibbons, Jimmy Page, Steve Miller, Dusty Hill, Lou Reed, Doc Watson, Albert King, Bo Diddley, Joe Perry, and Keith Richards & Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones. No matter how outrageous Bolin Guitars look, John is adamant that “it’s about the music,” and, as his clientele testify, the quality of his instruments is second to none.
Founder and owner John Bolin, heads Bolin Guitars. John started building guitars in 1978, and today his company has grown to fill an over 6500 square foot manufacturing facility. John’s son Jake is now part of the team continuing the Bolin tradition to a new generation.
One of Bolin’s big breaks came in 1985, when John acted on a friend’s suggestion to build a guitar for Billy F. Gibbons of ZZ Top, who were playing in Boise. After intense homework and hours in the shop, John managed to build a not only a guitar, but also a matching bass. In two weeks, the shop turned out a hot-rod influenced design covered in a metal-flake candy apple red paint job.
In a risky move, the night of show John snuck back stage and introduced himself to Billy, who lowered his sunglasses and said, “Get your best and meet me in the green room in ten.” As Billy played through both the bass a guitar, 2 minutes turned in to 20 and within 24 hours Billy and John had stuck their first deal.
This is the moment that began the working relationship between Bolin Guitars and ZZ Top and has helped Bolin Guitars create exceptional instruments. With input from other craftsmen and the artists who play them, today, they have collaborated on over 200 of the most creative and innovative guitars in rock & roll.
“As my father has aged, so too has his attention to detail in his work. With more patience, his care and precision only becomes more pronounced, and I have seen him perfect a guitar for far longer than most craftsman would, and as a result his work remains timeless.” -Jake
Jake
Working in the shop as a luthier came naturally to Jake. He had been around it from birth. His formal apprenticeship started in 2001, and following a few years in the shop Jake toured as a guitar technician with numerous bands including Taylor Swift, and The Steve Miller band. Whether out on the road, or in the shop, Jake has been around and building exceptional, one-of-a-kind Bolin guitars for over ten years. He works with the same passion and skill that he learned from his father.
“If you look on my sign it says J&J Bolin because Jake is now my partner. Jake is the most meticulous person I have ever worked with. His dedication to the quality of our guitars and to seeing this company into the future is extraordinary.”- JohnSherri Papini, the California mom who disappeared for three weeks in November of last year, is reportedly living as a recluse in her Shasta Lake home.
Several of Papini's neighbors have spoken out about the 35-year-old blond, who claims she was kidnapped by two Hispanic women. The people living next door to Papini say that she is rarely seen and does not interact with them.
Up Next: Driver Allegedly Recorded Fatal Car Crash That Killed Her Sister, Posted Video to Instagram "She's a quiet person," Joyce Allison said while talking with Daily Mail. "She keeps herself to herself and stays at home with the kids."
Papini and her husband, Keith Papini, have two kids together named Tyler, 5, and Violet, 3. Allison continued by saying: "I've been here 12 years and I've never seen her jogging. The only time I've ever spoken to him [Keith] was when she went missing. He came to ask if he could search my yard."
Another neighbor by the name Douglas Lea witnessed the same type of behavior from Papini and her husband. "They're here. They're around," he said. "They just kind of keep themselves to themselves so this is nothing new. I've seen him around a few times and the kids as well. My mother-in-law has seen her." More: 8 Dead, 30 Injured Inside Semitrailer at Walmart in 'Human Trafficking Crime'
Now that Papini is back with her family, she is battling to pick up the pieces of her life, her father-in-law Kenneth says. "It's been hard for them and they're trying to put their lives back together," Kenneth, 63, said. "She talks to the Sheriff and she's told him everything that she knows [about her kidnapping]. Even we don't know everything." Another unidentified family source said that Papini and her husband "have been through enough."WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 18: Lloyd Blankfein, Chairman and CEO of the Goldman Sachs Group, speaks at the Economic Club of Washington luncheon, on July 18, 2012 in Washington, DC. Mr. Blankfein spoke about global economic issues and the state of job creation in the United States. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
The hypocrisy of Lloyd Blankfein, a Wall Street banker, and other corporate leaders who have inserted themselves into the debate over major tax and spending decisions under consideration in Congress is nothing short of repugnant. Blankfein's Goldman Sachs got billions from the federal government during the Wall Street bailouts, enabling him to hold a job that paid him $16.1 million in 2011, and now he wants the rest of us to take a pay cut -- now and in the future. Referring to Social Security, he told CBS, "You're going to have to do something, undoubtedly, to lower people's expectations of what they're going to get." That's a second-rate vision for a first world country, and we just voted for a lot better than that.
Blankfein is one of many Fortune 500 CEOs who joined together under the name "Fix the Debt," a campaign to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid to address the federal deficit during the fiscal showdown. This group of more than 90 CEOs is pushing cuts to middle-class programs while shielding millionaires, billionaires and big corporations from tax increases.
Each of these executives has amassed retirement assets averaging more than $9.1 million, according to a report released today by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS). Of the more than 90 CEOs involved in Fix the Debt, 41 run companies with pension programs, but only two of those plans are fully funded, IPS said. It's the second impressive IPS report in the last week, and it lays bare the flagrant hypocrisy of these captains of finance and industry.
Today's IPS report outlines how these CEOs have bloated their personal golden parachutes with millions of dollars of company funds while shorting their employees' retirement plans by an astonishing $103 billion -- all while taking aim at government programs that benefit the sick and elderly. Many of the companies in the Fix the Debt campaign also make their profits from defense contracts and other federal government business.
In a Nov. 25 appearance on NBC's Meet the Press, a charter member of Fix the Debt, Honeywell CEO David Cote, said, "We have a significant problem with entitlements, Medicare and Medicaid in particular." This from a guy with retirement assets of more |
12, 2011. Lake Meredith is a reservoir formed by the Sanford Dam on the Canadian River in the Texas panhandle. Continuous drought has diminished water levels significantly in the past few years, leading to a record low in 2011. In each image, the lake is the black feature near the center. Light tones at the lower end of the lake indicate dry land and former shores. Bright green indicates healthy vegetation along the river beds and irrigated fields in the upper center of each image. The nearby industrial area (a petroleum plant and a carbon-processing plant) appears as a dark spot. The light blue tone further east is Borger, Texas. Images taken by the Thematic Mapper sensor aboard Landsat 5. Source: USGS Landsat Missions Gallery, "Shrinking Lake Meredith, Texas," U.S. Department of the Interior / U.S. Geological Survey. Fire, New Mexico
June 24, 2011 to July 2, 2011 Las Conchas, New Mexico. Left: June 24, 2011. Right: July 2, 2011. A major fire ripped through New Mexico, destroying sites considered sacred by American Indian tribes and threatening the Los Alamos National Nuclear Laboratory. The blaze, thought to have been started by a downed power line, burned more than 125,000 acres of the Santa Fe National Forest. In the July 2 image, burned areas are reddish brown and bright tones at the edge of the forest indicate active fires. June image taken by the Thematic Mapper sensor aboard Landsat 5. July image taken by the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus sensor aboard Landsat 7. Main source: USGS Landsat Missions Gallery, U.S. Department of the Interior / U.S. Geological Survey. Lake shrinkage, Africa
1972, 1987, 2002 Lake Chad, Africa. Left: December 8, 1972. Middle: December 14, 1987. Right: December 18, 2002. Persistent drought has shrunk Lake Chad, once the world's sixth largest lake, to about one-twentieth of the size it was in the 1960s. Only 16 to 26 feet (5 to 8 meters) deep in "normal" times, small changes in depth have resulted in large changes in area. As the lake has receded, large wetland areas (shown in red) have replaced open water. 1972 image from Landsat 1. 1987 image from Landsat 4. 2002 image from Landsat 7. Courtesy of the U.S. Department of the Interior / U.S. Geological Survey. Taken from the USGS Landsat Missions Gallery. Water changes, Caspian Sea
1972, 1987, 2010 The Kara-Bogaz-Gol basin on the eastern edge of the Caspian Sea. Left: December 4, 1972. Middle: September 25, 1987. Right: October 10, 2010. The basin's water level has periodically undergone dramatic changes, and damming of its feeder inlets increased the magnitude of those changes. In 1980, a severe drop left a "salt bowl," with windborne salt reportedly poisoning soil and causing health problems hundreds of kilometers to the east. In 1984, the basin dried up completely. In 1992, after the barrier was breached, sea level rose, remaining fairly stable from 2000 to 2010. 1972 image taken by the Multispectral Scanner aboard Landsat 1. 1987 and 2010 images taken by the Thematic Mapper sensor aboard Landsat 5. Source: USGS Landsat Missions Gallery, U.S. Department of the Interior / U.S. Geological Survey. Deforestation, Bolivia
1989 to 2001 Near Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. Left: August 4, 1986. Right: August 11, 2001. Most of the tropical dry forest visible in the 1986 image (dark red) has been replaced in the 2001 image by resettlement of people from the Altiplano (the Andean high plains) and by soybean production. The radial patterns are part of the San Javier resettlement plan. At the center of each unit is a small community that includes a church, bar/cafe, school and soccer field. The rectangular, light-colored areas are fields of soybeans cultivated for export. The dark strips running through the fields are windbreaks to protect the soil, which is prone to wind erosion 1986 image taken by Landsat. 2001 image taken by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER). Reproduced from JPL's ASTER website. Courtesy of NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and the U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team. River changes, China
2001 to 2009 The Yellow River Delta in China. Left: 2001. Right: 2009. The Yellow River is the second-longest river in China, and the sixth-longest in the world. It has been the cradle of Chinese civilization; but frequent devastating floods have also earned it the name of "China's Sorrow." Historical maps tell us that the river has undergone many dramatic changes in its course. Currently, the Yellow River ends in the Bohai Sea, yet its eastern terminus continues to oscillate from points north and south of the Shandong Peninsula. These images show the changes. Images taken by NASA's Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument. Caption adapted from the ASTER gallery. Courtesy of NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS and the U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team. Urban growth, Saudi Arabia
1972 to 2000 The Saudi Arabian capital. Left: 1972. Middle: 1990. Right: 2000. During this time, its population soared from about half a million to more than two million. In the early 1970s, three times as many Saudi Arabians lived in rural areas as in cities. By 1990, the ratio had reversed — cities held three times as many as the rural regions. Images taken by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument. Courtesy of NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS and the U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team. Flood, Pakistan
2009 to 2010 Southern Pakistan. Left: August 8, 2009. Right: August 11, 2010. Twenty percent of the country is currently underwater as a result of floods caused by heavy monsoon rains that began in late July 2010. According to reports, six million Pakistanis are now homeless and around 17 million people have been affected in some way. This false-color image pair of the affected region was acquired by the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument onboard NASA's Terra spacecraft. The Indus River can be seen snaking across the image from lower left to upper right. In the image from 2009, the Indus is about 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) wide. In the 2010 image, the river is 23 kilometers (14 miles) wide or more in parts. Images taken by the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer onboard NASA's Terra spacecraft. Credit: NASA/GSFC/LaRC/JPL, MISR Team. Caption adapted from JPL's Photojournal. Ice melt, Tanzania
February 1993 to February 2000 Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa. Left: February 17, 1993. Right: February 21, 2000. Kilimanjaro is the tallest freestanding mountain in the world and is made up of three volcanic cones. These before and after images show the dramatic decline in Kilimanjaro's icecap over recent decades. Images taken by the NASA/USGS Landsat satellite. Credit: Jim Williams, NASA GSFC Scientific Visualization Studio, and the Landsat 7 Science Team. Lake degradation, Tunisia
2001 to 2005 Ichkeul Lake, northern Tunisia. Left: November 14, 2001. Right: July 29, 2005; the water level is higher, but a large part of the lake appears red due to the presence of aquatic plants. Ichkeul Lake and wetlands are a major stopover point for hundreds of thousands of migrating birds who come to feed and nest. It is the last remaining lake in a chain that once extended across North Africa, and has badly deteriorated as a result of the construction of three dams on rivers supplying it and its marshes, which have cut off almost all inflow of freshwater. The Tunisian government plans to undertake various measures to retain freshwater in the lake on a year-round basis and reduce the salinity of the lake. Images taken by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) onboard NASA's Terra satellite. Credit: NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS and the U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team. Source: the ASTER gallery.
May 2004 to December 2004 Tsunami / Earthquake, SumatraMay 2004 to December 2004 The city of Banda Aceh, on the island of Sumatra, before and after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and resulting tsunami. Top: May 14, 2004. Bottom: December 29, 2004, days after the massive wave struck the coastline. Images taken by the Landsat-7 satellite. Source: NASA/USGS. Dust storm, China
March 2002 to April 2002 Dust obscuring most of the Liaoning region of China and parts of northern and western Korea. Left: March 23, 2002, a relatively clear day. Right: April 8, 2002, a day of extremely dusty skies. Storms transport mineral dust from the deserts of China and Mongolia over great distances, as well as pollution from agriculture, industry and power generation. Asian dust has been detected as far away as Colorado. Thick clouds of dust block substantial amounts of incoming sunlight, which in turn can influence marine phytoplankton production and have a cooling effect on regional climates. Images taken by NASA's Multi-angle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR). Credit: NASA/GSFC/LaRC/JPL, MISR Team. Urban growth, Nevada
1984 to 2007 Growth in the desert. Left: 1984. Right: 2007. These images show the increasing urban sprawl of Las Vegas, Nevada, and the shrinking of Lake Mead on the border of Nevada and Arizona. Rapid growth in Las Vegas has led to increased demand for water resources, while below-average rainfall has decreased the water levels in Lake Mead, which is the source of 90 percent of southern Nevada's water. Images taken by the Landsat-5 satellite. Credit: NASA/USGS. Up Next See Gallery Discover More Like This HIDE CAPTION SHOW CAPTION of SEE ALL BACK TO SLIDE
About the time they have to select a (vice presidential) candidate, one of them will say, "Well, I thought about it, and it might be a real issue."
"Earth day was started on account of pollution, but now it has taking on an even bigger and much more important role in climate change," said Nye.
The issue of climate change has already proved to be a contentious topic in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. And as November nears, the debate over climate change has emerged as a one of the defining and most polarizing issues of the election. Both sides of the isle have already selected their respective corners on the issue. "Everybody on the conservative side is a climate change denier," said Nye, weighing in on the current political landscape.
Republican front-runner Donald Trump has stated, "I am not a believer in climate change," calling it a "hoax." While both Democratic candidates, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, have made a point to express not only their belief in climate change, but also their plans for combating its impact.
Nye said he would not be taken aback if Trump, or whomever the GOP presidential nominee is come November, begins to backpedal on their denial of climate change as the general election draws closer.
National parks and Earth Day go hand and hand; they raise awareness of our place on this planet.
"About the time they have to select a (vice presidential) candidate, one of them will say, "Well, I thought about it, and it might be a real issue," Nye explained. And for him the reasoning behind such a pivot is rather obvious: "millennials."
"There aren't quite enough votes without people in the 20s and 30s."
It's true, the younger you are the more likely you are to be believe in climate change. According to the Pew Research Center, 60% of people between the ages of 18-29 believe in man made climate change, while only 48% of 50-64 year-olds do.
Ultimately the significance of Earth Day may be even bigger than the 2016 election, for Nye the day is the perfect time to reflect on humanity's place in the universe. "National Parks and Earth Day go hand and hand; they raise awareness of our place on this planet," said Nye.
Find Your Park - National park service happy 100th:
BY: WILLIAM STEAKINAs The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) continues to receive heightened media attention, a new study focuses on the generous charitable donations and volunteerism of active Latter-day Saints in the United States. University of Pennsylvania professor Ram Cnaan and fellow researchers Van Evans and Daniel W. Curtis jointly published the study, titled “Called to Serve: The Prosocial Behavior of Active Latter-day Saints.”
Sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice, the team of researchers analyzed survey data from 2,664 church-attending Latter-day Saints living throughout the country. Based on their findings, the authors concluded that active Latter-day Saints “volunteer and donate significantly more than the average American and are even more generous in time and money than the upper quintile of religious people in America.”
A young Mormon Helping Hands volunteer cleans up San Pedro, California, on 30 April 2011. © 2011 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.1 / 1 Download Photos
Volunteerism
According to the data, while the average American volunteers some 48 hours per year (4 hours per month) to charitable causes, an active Latter-day Saint volunteers 427.9 hours annually (35.6 hours per month) — a contribution worth an estimated $9,140 annually.
Of course, much of Latter-day Saint volunteerism is religious in nature; for example, congregants volunteer time to teach youth scripture classes or help prepare the chapel for Sunday worship, among other things. Yet, as the study points out, active Church members also dedicate 151.9 hours annually to serving in the Church’s social and community initiatives, such as Boy Scouts of America or the Church’s worldwide welfare and humanitarian aid programs. Aside from these efforts, the study found that individual members give an additional 34 hours annually to other social causes unrelated to the Church.
Charitable Donations
The results also indicated that 88.8 percent of active Latter-day Saints follow the biblical admonition to tithe (donate 10 percent of their annual income to the Church).
In addition to tithing, an active Latter-day Saint donates an average of $ 1,171 to non-Church related charitable causes per year. They also give an average of $650 to the Church’s social welfare program. In short, an active member not only donates, on average, a full 10 percent of their income to the Church, but donates $1,821 to other social and community causes.
“Overall we found that [Latter-day Saints] are the most prosocial members of American society,” the study said. “Regardless of where they live, they are very generous with their time and money.”
The published findings further indicate that these “prosocial behaviors” are reflective of Latter-day Saint teachings, which emphasize service and charity. Indeed, members believe Jesus Christ commands His disciples to both serve and love one another. This sublime teaching continues to resonate with Latter-day Saints around the world. In a recent address, Church President Thomas S. Monson taught, “As we look heavenward, we inevitably learn of our responsibility to reach outward.”
He further stated: “To find real happiness, we must seek for it in a focus outside ourselves. No one has learned the meaning of living until he has surrendered his ego to the service of his fellow man. Service to others is akin to duty, the fulfillment of which brings true joy. We do not live alone — in our city, our nation, or our world. There is no dividing line between our prosperity and our neighbor's wretchedness. 'Love thy neighbor' is more than a divine truth. It is a pattern for perfection.”
Latter-day Saint Volunteerism InfographicTHE town's Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition councillor rallied around 50 activists 'to keep up the party's growing momentum' at a conference last Saturday.
Cllr Kevin Bennett (TUSC – Fairfield and Howley) introduced the discussion and set out his vision for the year ahead.
Scottish TUSC also met on the same day and sent the north west team a message of'solidarity', which was well received by those in attendance.
In his introductory statement Cllr Bennett said: "It's like the Tories decided to usurp the tale of Robin Hood, except this time the Sheriff of Nottingham is the hero - and it seems Andy Burnham agrees."
He added: "The main theme to emerge from the discussion was that TUSC has achieved significant momentum from our landmark election challenge this year and must keep this up against a backdrop of international crisis, developments in Greece and the Tories' war on the poor and organised workers, while Labour remains in turmoil."
Rail, Maritime and Transport Union regional organiser Daren Ireland outlined the 'essential' organisational steps needed in the coming years.
"With only 10 months until next year's local election and just over 50 months to the 2020 general election, it is important to be pushing TUSC in the trade union movement and winning the unions to a position of support for a new mass working class party, building and strengthening local groups, operating on an open and federal basis, welcoming all individuals and groups, and standing at least 500 candidates in May 2016 when 2000 councillors face election," he said.
Conference organiser Hugh Caffrey was on hand to show his support to Cllr Bennett.
He said: "Re-electing Kevin Bennett next year will be the priority task for TUSC in the north west.
"It has been agreed that regular regional mobilisations to help Warrington TUSC will be organised."Aircraft flying to the world's most popular airports could be placed in danger by accurate yet inexpensive attacks targeting a widespread aviation safety system, according to European information security researchers.
Researchers proved attackers with control over a wireless network and possessing off-the-shelf equipment could jam and interfere with flight collision systems, elevating the otherwise low risk of a crash.
An attacker could theoretically flood air traffic control monitors with images of fake aircraft and even modify the trajectory of those in the sky -- undermining systems that aim to provide pilots with information on the location and direction of aircraft.
The system in question is mandated for use in Australia.
The automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) network was last week mandated to be installed for all aircraft cruising above 29,000 feet in Australia by the nation's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). Australia was the first country to deploy the system using the 1090ES platform.
The United States uses a dual ADS-B platform of 1090ES for all flight altitudes and what critics argue was the more effective Universal Access Transceiver (UAT) system for flights below 18,000 feet.
Crucially, the latter platform provides enough bandwidth to enable encryption, which would render the demonstrated attacks ineffective.
"Our results reveal some bad news," researchers Matthias Schafer, Vincent Lenders, and Ivan Martinovic wrote in a research paper (pdf). "Attacks on ADS-B can be inexpensive and highly successful."
The researchers' findings revealed that air traffic safety systems "should not rely exclusively on ADS-B".
Attacks on the ADS-B system could be used to reveal the position of hidden military aircraft using cheap equipment that could detect planes from 450 kilometres away.
"Our measurements conclude that the reception quality and range with low cost equipment is remarkable," the researchers wrote.
CASA did not respond to multiple requests for comment from this publication.
Adelaide-based private pilot and aviation programmer Bas Scheffers (@basscheffers) said the industry should have opted for UAT which would reduce costs for pilots and enable the use of encryption.
"The military do encrypted ADS-B on 1090 by making each position report actually three transmissions long and even then [it] is manageable if you are the military but impossible in the civilian world," Scheffers said.
"In my opinion, 1090ES should never have been used for ADS-B. UAT is the better technology, the lower cost technology and has enough bandwidth to implement proper public/private key signing of messages."
Airservices Australia, which deploys ADS-B, said flight controllers used other mechanisms in conjunction with ASD-B including voice and data communications, flight planning and radar.
"Australia's air traffic control system and network has multiple layers of safety, security and resilience built into it to both mitigate and minimise current and prevailing risks," a spokesperson said.
"All threats, both real and perceived to our environment are monitored and reviews undertaken to ensure the integrity of our systems is balanced against the alternatives."
The air navigation provider said it "regularly assesses" risks to Australia's airways including "ongoing assessment of the risks associated with the adoption and use of new technologies such as" ADS-B.
Digital rights advocate Geordie Guy (@GordyPls), operator of an ADS-B real-time flight tracking service, said spoofing could cause problems if pilots and operators did not consult other sources of information.
"ADS-B is probably be easy to spoof because it's an insecure peer-to-peer protocol for exchanging information by participants," Guy said.
"The good news is pilots don't actually rely on ADS-B as a sole system, because pilots don't rely on any single piece of information to navigate and fly... for now I think the words 'hacked air traffic control' spoken out loud are a thousand times scarier than the actual danger of bad ADS-B traffic broadcast."
Further criticism of the ADS-B mandate centred on the estimated $30,000 cost burden it placed on recreational pilots, that it would be limited because many light aircraft would never be fitted with the technology, and that it failed to address broader aviation safety concerns.
In a interview, former director of the Australian Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association Bill Hamilton said the ADS-B system may force pilots to rely too much on their screens and not enough looking out the cockpit.
"Mid-air collisions almost never happen outside of gliders," Hamilton said. "It's a failure of basic training, of pilots to keep a proper lookout."
The 'ghost aircraft'
The researchers revealed that previously known attacks thought to be out of reach of attackers were both accessible and cheap, and had also discovered the new attack in which aircraft trajectories could be modified.
Information on particular aircraft could also be gleaned, leading to the possibility of targeted attacks, according to the research.
The new virtual trajectory modification attack could be implemented by combining message deletion and injection which erased aircraft position reports and replayed modified versions, or by modifying position reports of aircraft in the air.
Attackers with about $2000 worth of commercial off-the-shelf equipment could create a flood of fake aircraft to appear on the monitors of pilots and ground control staff. The attacks first discovered in 2010 and further developed in 2011 meant 'ghost aircraft' could appear as taxiing or flying.
"... combined with poor visibility, this could force controllers to deny landings or instruct aircraft to change their altitude and or course unnecessarily," the researchers wrote.
"In the air, on-board ADS-B-based collision avoidance systems offer attackers a simple way to distract pilots. Again, with poor visibility, pilots primarily make decisions based on their instruments what makes them vulnerable to malicious interference."
Operators would face a "complete loss of situational awareness" in the event of a flood of fake aircraft as it would be "difficult and time-consuming" to spot real aircraft.
Researchers also found attackers could initiate false alarms such as those an aircraft might transmit in a terrorist attack, and also make aircraft disappear off monitors. Ground stations too could be jammed, wiping ADS-B signal messages.
"Especially in high density areas (around major international airports), a sudden failure of the surveillance or collision avoidance systems is described as devastating by controllers and could result in confusion and human failure with fatal consequences," the researchers wrote.
Complex attacks that combined the demonstrated scenarios were considered "imaginable" but were beyond the scope of the research.
The researchers noted the attacks presented a heightened risk due to a doubling flight movements predicted by the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation to occur by 2030.Local security is achieved only when all of the people have protection 24-7 and no one can use violence for political ends. This requires effective and respected police, an effective intelligence system, rapid response to any attempt at intimidation, and the neutralization of any insurgent group before they can act. It means local authority that is:
alert for signs of problems, inequalities, injustices, and chaos;
able to use initiative and flexibility to win loyalty and produce results;
capable of countering violence;
able to see that everyone can earn a decent living;
capable of educating each individual with values and attitudes which blend ambition, pride, self-reliance, and a sense of duty and responsibility.
Organize, Motivate, and Satisfy the People
State and federal governments support local authority, insures overall security and stability, and strengthen unity. Their function is not to control the people through rules, regulations and laws. A nation is no more than people welded together by a common destiny that binds together tomorrow, today and yesterday in an active whole. It maintains the institutions through which the nation lives and grows: patterns of cooperation and conflict; the fabric of sanctioned relationships; the unseen lines of magnetic strength which link, join, and confine; the elusive cultural environment; and an economic system that works. In short, it is the task of state and federal governments to create kinship--not to rule subjects.
Centralization of power through rules, regulations and laws constrains freedom. Decentralization of power allows greater freedom of thought, association, and action. It is possible for an authoritarian regime to have centralized power, yet the hallmark of democratic governance are decisions being made at a level where what is right and what is legal agree. The courts must always limit their rulings to the case before them and not attempt to determine "the law of the land" by making constitutional rulings that apply to the whole country. That is the function of the people's representatives--legislative branches--or the people themselves, as the sovereign.
The Solution
The solution can be found in a rebirth of the vision of America's Founders: mutual dependency, decentralization, neutralization of factions, checks, and balances, plus an end of postmodern thought, political correctness, and multiculturalism. This means unity, cooperation, love, camaraderie, mutual dependence, and togetherness (i.e Eros) strong enough to counter Chaos (conflict, disaster, tragedy, hate, division, mistrust, anarchy, and arrogant self righteousness).
Sam C. Holliday, Armiger Cromwell Center, LLC, Atlanta, GANestor Alexander Haddaway (born 9 January 1965) is a Trinidadian-born German vocalist and musician[1][2] best known for his 1993 hit single "What Is Love".
Early life [ edit ]
Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Haddaway moved to the Washington, D.C. area at the age of nine, where he grew up to the sounds of Louis Armstrong, which encouraged him to learn how to play trumpet at the age of 14.[3] He attended Meade Senior High School. This eventually resulted in him forming his first group which he called Chances.[3] Haddaway moved to Cologne, Germany in 1987 where he mostly worked in bars.[3] Later, he formed his own company, Energy, which was involved in organizing fashion shows and photo-shoots.[3]
Musical career [ edit ]
Logotype used by Haddaway throughout his career.
Haddaway's break came in 1992 when he was signed by German label Coconut Records. His debut single "What Is Love" rapidly became popular in Europe, reaching number 2 in Germany and the United Kingdom.[2] In Germany the single sold 900,000 copies.[2] In the UK it was certified Gold for shipment of 400,000 units.[4] It later reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified Gold for shipments of 500,000 units.[2] By the beginning of 1994, worldwide sales of "What Is Love" had already reached 2.6 million.[2]
His second single "Life" hit number 2 in Germany, number 6 in the UK and number 41 in the USA, and its worldwide sales had reached 1.5 million by 1994.[2] The follow-up singles "I Miss You" and "Rock My Heart" were also top 10 smashes in Europe and established him as a successful Eurodance artist. His first LP, The Album (also known as Haddaway in the USA), was a multi-million seller which reached Platinum status in Germany for shipments of 500,000,[5] and Gold in the UK and in France for shipments of 100,000.[4][6]
In 1995, he released his second album The Drive, which spawned the UK top 20 hit "Fly Away", as well as "Catch a Fire" and "Lover Be Thy Name". "What Is Love" enjoyed a resurge in popularity as the theme music for the Butabi brothers (Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan) on Saturday Night Live and the subsequent film A Night at the Roxbury.[citation needed] Haddaway's subsequent albums were more soulful, but since 1998, the singer has struggled to repeat the mainstream commercial success of his early hits. Albums Let's Do It Now and My Face (the latter re-released as Love Makes) all failed to chart, producing only a handful of moderately successful singles.
Haddaway appeared on the television show Comeback – Die große Chance in Germany in 2004. He then appeared on a similar UK show Hit Me Baby One More Time in 2005 and subsequently appeared on the U.S. version. This exposure led to him scoring a moderate chart hit in Germany with the ballad "Spaceman" from his next album Pop Splits. "What Is Love" was featured in a 2008 Pepsi commercial (for Diet Pepsi Max) which parodied the leitmotif and included several stars including LL Cool J, Missy Elliott and Busta Rhymes, but not Haddaway.[citation needed]
In 2008, Haddaway teamed up with another Eurodance star Dr. Alban for the single "I Love the 90's". In 2009, "What Is Love" re-entered charts after German DJ Klaas remixed it. The track resurfaced again in 2010 when it sampled heavily in Eminem's single "No Love" featuring Lil Wayne. In 2012, Haddaway released the single "Up and Up" with The Mad Stuntman, which was a top 20 dance hit in the USA.[7]
Personal life [ edit ]
Haddaway now lives in Kitzbühel, Austria, and also has a home in Cologne, Germany.[8]
Discography [ edit ]
Studio albums [ edit ]
Compilation albums [ edit ]
Title Details All the Best: His Greatest Hits Release date: April 10, 2001
Label: Sony BMG
Formats: CD, cassette Best of Haddaway: What Is Love Release date: January 5, 2004
Label: BMG Special Products
Formats: CD, music download
Singles [ edit ]
Notes [ edit ]Paris-Nice, a History of Innovation
With Paris-Nice on, time to look back at the race’s history. Over the years it has welcomed exotic teams, transported riders by air and invented new race rules. Through the race’s history we can trace the evolution of the sport we know today.
Local history
150 years ago and the Mediterranean coast of France was no more than a collection of fishing villages. The Riviera we know today, with its hotels, beaches and bustle is a modern thing. Throughout the second half of the 19th century, aristocrats from northern Europe began to congregate on the south coast around Nice. Russia’s imperial family regularly spent their winters there. Their wealth followed and contributed towards the construction of a coastal railway line and tourism grew. American entrepreneurs apparently imported sand to create the beach in Cannes, the town now famous for its film festival.
Despite the spread of the motorcar and a growing railway network, in the 1930s France was still a vast country. Historian Fernand Braudel wrote of the “tyranny of distance”. With different climates, diet and vegetation, Nice and Paris might be in separate countries. What better way to link them than a bike race?
From the track to the open road
One man with a foot in both cities was Albert Lejeune, owner of Le Petit Journal, a Parisian newspaper and Le Petit Niçois, a Nice-based newspaper. Le Petit Journal was one of the first newspapers to back cycling. In 1891 its editor Pierre Giffard started the Paris-Brest-Paris race. Lejeune hit on the idea of a race to rival the six day races on the track, using roads to provide readers with more drama. Six day racing was very popular but the riches went to the promoters from ticket sales rather than the newspapers covering them. Thus the Six Jours de la Route race started in 1933, the “six days of the road” and it allowed the stars of the sport a chance to get used to tarmac after a winter spent on the boards.
After launching Paris-Nice Lejeune’s career took a notable twist. He moved to L’Auto –, forerunner of L’Equipe today and the newspaper that ran the Tour de France – in 1939 and became its president in 1941. France was occupied by Germany and Lejeune used L’Auto to support the Nazi regime, a role which saw L’Auto dismantled after the war and Lejeune was put on trial for collaboration and executed in 1945.
Back to the sport and the race is a mini Tour de France normally with short time trials and reduced summit finishes and even if this year’s edition lacks these ingredients, it’s got several sharp uphill finishes. But the early versions of Paris-Nice were designed to help ease track cyclists onto the road and the race stuck to the flat Loire and Rhone valleys instead of deviating to nearby mountains. The first version started outside the Café Rozes on the Place d’Italie in Paris.
Since its creation the race has changed format considerably. War interrupted the race but once the conflict and occupation ended, it was only run in 1946 before it returned in the 1950s. In 1951 it was reborn as “Paris – Côte d’Azur” and finally in 1954 it took the name Paris – Nice. But not for long as it later became Paris – Nice – Rome but the 2,000km run was considered too much and it returned to being a French race.
Leulliot, the innovator
Jean Leulliot became the full time race organiser in the late 1950s. First a journalist, he had worked for L’Auto and during the war years he ran the Circuit de France, a copycat race mirrored on the Tour de France but this was a dismal failure on all fronts: sponsors were scared away, some of the results were falsified and at the end of the war Leulliot faced trial for collaborating with the Nazis. Luckily for cycling he was cleared as he was a force of innovation.
A pioneer of women’s racing he started the Tour de France féminin in the 1950s.
He started the “Petit Tour de France” for amateurs and independent pros, a forerunner of the Tour de l’Avenir today.
In 1963 he organised the first air transfer, taking the riders to Corsica for a stage.
He also invented the concept of the prologue for the 1968 edition of Paris – Nice.
The same 1968 race listed a Meilleur Descendeur prize for the fastest rider down Mont Faron… sponsored by a ski manufacturer. Thankfully for rider safety this downhill innovation didn’t survive.
In 1972 he introduced the “kilometre rule” meaning crashes in the last moments of the race didn’t penalise a rider’s overall position. This rule has since been extended to three kilometres.
The 1974 race was made open to amateurs, a means to allow Eastern Bloc riders to take part. Poland’s reigning world champion Ryszard Szurkowski impressed with high placings but ultimately the Western pros won everything. The race was televised in Poland.
His daughter Josette invited a Japanese team in 1988. None made it to the finish.
He died in the 1980s and his daugher Josette ran the race. The race was then bought by Laurent Fignon, the French champion retired but could not shake what the French call the virus de cyclisme and a champion on the bike, Fignon found himself in the deep end when it came to dealing with local mayors, co-ordinating police escorts and gathering sponsors. But he succeeded, just, and eventually sold the race to ASO.
Battles and rivalries
The race has attracted champions and developed its own myths and legends over the years. 1966 saw the rivalry between Raymond Poulidor and Jacques Anquetil reach a new level. To the surprise of many Anquetil was beaten by Poulidor in the time trial stage but took the lead back on the final stage. But the race was not over as the official results were not agreed until well after the race finished as Poulidor’s camp accused Anquetil’s team of using physical force to ride Poupou off the road. Finally Anquetil won.
By 1972 Anquetil was helping to organise the race but Poulidor’s life wasn’t any easier since he had to contend with Eddy Merckx in full cannibal mode. The Belgian was dominating everyone, going for intermediate sprints, tuss |
people can’t change or that they’re limited by their personality type and letters. You *absolutely* can overcome the weaknesses of your own type as well as gain the strengths of every other. *But* my caveat is that you must start by understanding the way you function naturally. It is nearly impossible to gain the strengths of other types without first embracing the strengths of your own. In contrast, it is insanely easy to gain the weaknesses of the other types you may try to emulate, if you are not *first* comfortable with who you are and the way your mind works naturally.
Take home lesson: Your personality type doesn’t change. You change what you do with it. Be happy being you and *then* you can adopt the traits you appreciate in other personality types.
Also, don’t do drugs.
Introverts, whether Judgers or Perceivers, begin this thought process inside their heads. For IJs, the process starts with grasping Principles, which is information as it is universally applicable. For IPs the process starts with contemplating gathered Data and Details, which is information as it is applicable to specific situations.
Introverts’ primary cognition is like a Heads-up Display, letting them sift through and understand information already in their database, constantly.
IJs’ HUD covers an intricate network of information and they are constantly finding the common threads behind that information; the one line of computer code that causes all the results they see around them.
IPs’ HUD includes a powerful microscope, able to zoom in on and understand the tiniest detail that other types might simply overlook and are able to draw complex conclusions from that data.
Because of their cognitive emphasis on Principles and the way things work universally, IJs care most about the direction the World is headed in and make plans to see that direction accomplished (which leads into their Step Two — Action). That World Direction can be either good or bad, depending on whether the IJ is healthy or unhealthy.
Because of their cognitive emphasis on Details and specific Data, IPs care most about fully understanding and exploring specific Situations, whether that means using a situation to its fullest as an ITP or fully appreciating a moment as an IFP. That Detail Exploration can be put to good or bad purposes, depending whether the IP is healthy or unhealthy.
Extraverts, whether Judgers or Perceivers, begin the thought process with their eyes wide open, taking in information from the outside world. For EJs, the process starts with evaluating what Actions lead to which Consequences, watching how results follow choices. For EPs, the process starts with Observing individuals in order to understand Motivations, watching what reactions demonstrate about a person’s character.
Extraverts’ primary cognition is like Sonar, sending out signals and watching what the signals bounce off of.
EJs’ Sonar “Pings” are more direct, focusing on the course ahead and loudly pinging the terrain in front of them. EJs send pings through making decisions and everything is a decision for an EJ, whether it’s forming an opinion of someone or choosing a stance on a cause; they can change course by making new decisions according to the consequences and results their action-pings get (“Ahh! We’re too close to the underwater wall! Turn back, turn back!!!”), but each J judgment is decisive.
EPs’ Sonar “Pings” are more passive, trying to map out the entire terrain, not just the course ahead (see, I said in the sidebar that I was going to type cartographers ;)). Everything an EP says or does is a ping; even just sitting back and watching others ping off each other is pinging for an EP. EPs watch for the way the people-terrain reacts to their pings to get a complete picture of individuals and the way they function. Most of all, EPs are constantly pinging themselves in order to understand their own motivations and character and to explore how people in general work. This can look self-centered to non-EPs, but really EPs are just excited by individuals in general and understand themselves the best (“My submarine is so cool! Look what this button does!”).
Because of their cognitive emphasis on Actions and the Consequences of choices, EJs care most about the direction the Groups they support are headed in and they make plans to carry out that direction. Those Groups can be families, friends, people who believe in the same causes, etc. Once again, the purposes they desire to put their Groups to can be good or bad, depending on whether the EJ is healthy or unhealthy.
Because of their cognitive emphasis on Observing Motivations and understanding what makes people tick, EPs care most about exploring Individuals and the way people work in general. And, like the other three kinds of types, whether that People exploration is good or bad depends on whether the EP is healthy or unhealthy.
Along with Introversion and Extraversion, Judging and Perceiving, obviously a person’s middle letters interact with their cognition process. In a lot of ways, first and last letters (E/I, J/P) determine what information a person is gathering or processing, while the middle letters (N/S, F/T) determine what form that information takes within your psyche.
Carl Jung’s original type theory was divided into 8 types, based on a person’s primary form of understanding information. These were INJ, ENP, ISJ, ESP, ETJ, ITP, EFJ and IFP, though it was Briggs and Myers who later noticed the J/P pattern.
As you can see, in those original 8 types, IJs and EPs are sorted based on their primary function of either iNtuition or Sensing, while the EJs and IPs are sorted by their primary function of either Thinking or Feeling. We can simplify those 8 types again into just 4: Is your primary function Feeling (EFJ, IFP), Thinking (ETJ, ITP), Sensing (ISJ, ESP), or iNtuition (INJ, ENP)?
See the pattern? The IPs and EJs are always buddies and so are the EPs and IJs. 🙂
But what does that really mean? What makes Sensing and iNtuition similar and what makes Feeling and Thinking similar? Well, as I mentioned in the T/F Definition section above, Jung called Thinking and Feeling the “Rational” functions and Sensing and iNtuition the “Irrational” ones.
Now before conclusions are jumped to, *NO,* I’m not saying that IJs and EPs are irrational (/eyeroll). A “Rational” function is one in which a person evaluates information based on either how useful (Thinking) or meaningful (Feeling) that information is. In contrast, an “Irrational” function is one in which a person collects information by seeing patterns, whether in physical experiences (Sensing) or mental concepts (iNtuition).
So Thinking and Feeling are called “Rational” functions because they’re evaluating how to think, feel, process and apply information to specific circumstances and applications; Sensing and iNtuition are called “Irrational” functions because they’re seeing, observing and collecting information for general applicability without yet evaluating it.
{Update: Due to the obviously confusing nature of Jung’s well-intended terms, on aLBoP we’ve updated these terms to clarify the definitions and avoid misconceptions. It’s a thing we like to do. 😉
We now refer to “Rational” functions as “Application Functions,” because they apply information to specific circumstances, and we call “Irrational” functions “Compilation Functions” because they compile and sift through large quantities of information in order to find universal patterns.}
IPs and EJs start with {Application Functions}, making specifics their primary focus (either specific Data or specific Action respectively), and IJs and EPs start with {Compilation Functions} making things that are generally applicable their primary focus (either general Principles or general people Observations respectively)… and then they switch. 😉 But that’s Step Two. The point is, everyone does *both* {Application and Compilation} functions, but IJs and EPs start with the Big Picture and zoom in to Specifics; EJs and IPs start with Specifics and zoom out to the Big Picture.
Okay, moving right along here 😉 Believe me, you’ll want this information here for reference when we get into the later steps of the cognition process. At least there are pictures!! 😀
Now, in practice each primary function–each type’s “Step One”–is pretty straightforward.
INJs’ first step and primary focus is using their iNtuition (N) inside their heads (introverted) to understand how Conceptual Principles apply universally as Trends. They use their Heads-up Display to visualize conceptual information and organize it into universally applicable pictures and patterns.
We shorthand this as: Principles via Ni (introverted iNtuition).
ISJs’ first step and primary focus is using their Sensing (S) inside their heads (introverted) to understand how Experiences Principles apply universally as Trends. They use their Heads-up Display to understand the patterns behind experiences and to organize those patterns so they are universally applicable.
Shorthand: Principles via Si (introverted Sensing).
ENPs’ first step and primary focus is directing their iNtuition (N) outside themselves (extraverted) to Observe people’s Motivations and character, Conceptually. They use their Sonar “Pings” to map out conceptually the way an individual functions and the way people function in general.
Shorthand: Observation via Ne (extraverted iNtuition).
ESPs’ first step and primary focus is directing their Sensing (S) outside themselves (extraverted) to Observe people’s Motivations and character, through Experiences. They use their Sonar “Pings” to notice the way an individual functions and the way people function in general, through experiencing people with their five senses.
Shorthand: Observation via Se (extraverted Sensing).
ITPs’ first step and primary focus is using their Thoughts (T) inside their heads (introverted) to understand the Use of gathered Data and Details. They use their Heads-up Display microscope to be able to evaluate and apply data to specific situations and to see when they’re missing additional data.
Shorthand: Data via Ti (introverted Thinking).
IFPs’ first step and primary focus is using their Feelings (F) inside their heads (introverted) to understand the Meaning of gathered Data and Details. They use their Heads-up Display microscope to feel and experience the power and importance of even the minutest detail.
Shorthand: Data via Fi (introverted Feeling).
ETJs’ first step and primary focus is directing their Thoughts (T) outside themselves (extraverted) to Act and see the Use of Actions. They use their Sonar “Pings” to decide and map the course ahead according to what will be of the most use for the group/groups they support and to see what works and what doesn’t work.
Shorthand: Action via Te (extraverted Thinking).
EFJs’ first step and primary focus is directing their Feelings (F) outside themselves (extraverted) to Act and see the Meaning of Actions. They use their Sonar “Pings” to decide and map the course ahead according to what will bring the greatest meaning and experiences to the group/groups they support and to see what actions hurt or help people.
Shorthand: Action via Fe (extraverted Feeling).
And that’s Step One! Yay!
Cognition – Step Two
Now, the thought process builds on itself; a person takes whatever information they gleaned from Step One, and applies it to Step Two. They then take the combined information from steps One and Two, and apply that to Step Three; same with Step Four, and the same with applying *all* of that to Step One again on the Rinse and Repeat.
Because Step One is a person’s focus and priority, with the most time spent there, it becomes the context for all the other steps, with Step Two coming in a close second, etc, and Step Four being a person’s weakest area. So as we go through all the steps, remember: The information and decisions gleaned from each step gets added to the grand total which is a person’s current understanding of life, the universe and everything. 😉
Okay, now everyone, *SWITCH!* For “Step Two” of the thought process, the Percievers (EPs and IPs) swap functions and the Judgers (EJs and IJs) swap functions. I could just say, “to see what Step Two is, swap a type’s first letter and then look above for what they do,” but that would be confusing and I’m not going to do that. Plus, there is a tad more elaboration required 😉 Isn’t there always?
Step Two is simply your “auxiliary” function at work; so your middle letter that *wasn’t* at work in Step One. The IPs and EJs, who used their {Application} functions (F/T) in Step One, switch to their {Compilation} functions (S/N) in Step Two. The IJs and EPs, who used their {Compilation} functions (S/N) in Step One, switch to their {Application} functions (F/T) in Step Two. Also, if a person was inside their own head before (introverted), they then take that information and apply it outside themselves (extraverted)… and vice versa.
Stated simply:
IJs apply their understanding of Principles and how things work universally from inside their heads (introverted) to specific circumstances outside themselves (extraverted) to see what Action to take and to understand the Consequences of Action. From the Big Picture of Principles, they derive Specifics in the form of Action.
IPs apply the specific Data and Details they’ve come to conclusions about inside their heads (introverted) to the Observation of people outside themselves (extraverted) to see individuals’ Motivations, understand how people in general function and make character judgments. From the Specifics of Data, they derive the Big Picture in the form of Observing individuals.
EJs apply their findings from Acting, receiving Consequences and watching specific Actions outside themselves (extraverted) to draw an understanding of Principles and how things work universally, inside their heads (introverted). From the Specifics of Action, they derive the Big Picture in the form of Principles.
EPs apply their Observations of individuals’ Motivations, character judgments and noticing how people work in general (extraverted) to draw Conclusions in the form of specific Data and Details inside their heads (introverted). From the Big Picture of Observing Motivations, they derive Specifics in the form of Data and Details.
Like I said, IJs and EPs work in terms of Thinking or Feeling on Step Two; adding to their thought process either Action or Data in the form of either Thoughts or Feelings.
ETPs’ second step of cognition is drawing Data and Conclusions from the Observations they made in Step One, in the form of Thoughts (T) inside their heads (introverted), in order to make Use of those Observations of Individuals, including making Use of themselves.
Shorthand: Data via Ti (introverted Thinking).
ITJs’ second step of cognition is applying the Principles they came to understand in Step One to individual situations to see the Use of Actions by directing their Thoughts (T) outside themselves (extraverted), in order to find which Actions will be of the most Use to the World.
Shorthand: Action via Te (extraverted Thinking).
IFJs’ second step of cognition is applying the Principles they came to understand in Step One to individual situations to see the Meaning of Actions by directing their Feelings (F) outside themselves (extraverted), in order to find which Actions will bring the most Meaning to the World.
Shorthand: Action via Fe (extraverted Feeling).
EFPs’ second step of cognition is drawing Data and Conclusions from the Observations they made in Step One, in the form of Feelings (F) inside their heads (introverted), in order to understand Meaning of those Observations of Individuals, including understanding the Meaning of Themselves.
Shorthand: Data via Fi (introverted Feeling).
IPs and EJs work in terms of Sensing or iNtuition on Step Two; adding to their thought process either Observations or Principles in the form of either Experiences or Concepts.
ENJs’ second step is using their iNtuition (N) inside their heads (introverted) to understand how the Consequences of Actions made in Step One form Concepts that apply universally as Principles.
Shorthand: Principles via Ni (introverted iNtuition).
INPs’ second step is applying the Data, Details and Conclusions they reached in Step One, to Observing people’s Motivations and character by directing their iNtuition (N) outside themselves (extraverted) in order to make Conceptual pictures of individuals and how people work in general.
Shorthand: Observation via Ne (extraverted iNtuition).
ISPs’ second step is applying the Data, Details and Conclusions they reached in Step One, to Observing people’s Motivations and character by directing their five senses (S) outside themselves (extraverted) in order to understand individuals and how people work in general by Experiencing them.
Shorthand: Observation via Se (extraverted Sensing).
ESJs’ second step is using their Sensing (S) inside their heads (introverted) to understand how the Consequences of Actions made in Step One are Experiences that apply universally as Principles.
Shorthand: Principles via Si (introverted Sensing).
See the beautiful balance of the human mind? Each brain does a dance of zooming in and out of the big picture and specifics; contemplating, then applying; observing, then understanding. Even by this point, only halfway through the steps, we can see how equal and balanced all the personality types are. Also we can see how each type can find connections and relate with the thinking of all the others. Whether it’s through similarity in Introversion or Extraversion and how you primarily process the world, similarity in focusing on either Big Picture or Specifics, or similarity in Judging or Perceiving which means your Step Two is the same as someone else’s Step One; *no type* is so foreign that we can’t understand how they think or feel.
Pretty rock-awesome, no? Now onto Step Three!!!
Cognition – Step Three
So once upon a time, there were the first two steps. They lived in harmony, being coordinated and making obvious sense. N/S applied to Big Picture things, T/F to Specific ones; Action was Specific, Principles were Big Picture; Action was extraverted, Principles were introverted. It was a time of peace, serenity and reason.
And then the Perceivers got involved…
For some odd reason, which I suppose makes sense in retrospect, Perceivers don’t view Action the same way Judgers do. The retrospect part is: that’s what makes them Perceivers 😉
While everyone’s Data step is introverted F or T (information applied specifically, inside your head), and everyone’s Observation step is extraverted S or N (big picture information, from outside yourself), in the Action/Principles area, it isn’t so simple.
It seems that Judgers and Perceivers don’t just act at different times, but they view and understand action differently too. In the cognitive process, Data and Observation are buddies and so are Principles and Action; no matter the order, they come in pairs with character Observation and Data being the Perceiving part and Principles and Action being the Judging part. Though all four of a person’s cognitive functions work together, the first two and the last two are really BFFs (that’s “Best Friends Forever;” not a {cognitive} term, but still useful!), helping a person zoom in and out to understand all the information and its applications.
So, by this point, we’ve already seen how Judgers do the Action/Principles stage; Js understand Principles as being generally applicable and Action as being specific–Principles in S/N and Action in T/F.
But those weird Perceivers (;D) do just the opposite. With Perceivers’ emphasis on “perceiving” the way people function in general (the result of Observation + Data), they see Action and decision-making in a similar way to how Judgers see Principles; as generally applicable patterns of information (found via S/N) discovered inside their heads (introverted).
Likewise, Perceivers view Principles in a similar way to how Judgers view Action, as specifically applicable information (found via F/T) with direct results and Consequences in the world (extraverted).
So keep the weirdos in mind as we look at how each type does Step Three. 🙂
The cognition process is a beautiful chiasmus, with each type’s Step Three function being a complete mirror-image of their Step Two function, and their Step Four function being a mirror-image of their Step One function.
In Step Three, IJs and EPs use the opposite {Application} function (T/F) than they used in Step Two; IPs and EJs use the opposite {Compilation} function (S/N) than they used in Step Two.
Step Three includes a lot of Paradoxitype elements, since it’s from a person’s tertiary function, it lies beneath the obvious, and yet isn’t a person’s weakest function like Step Four. Step Three is cool too, because each type-set derives information in a way and order that none of the other type-sets do. This just shows, once again, how much we all need each other and the strengths that each type provides.
IJs on Step Three, take the specific Consequences of Actions they made in Step Two (via Te or Fe), and derive specific Data and Details from it in the form of either Thoughts or Feelings inside their heads (opposite T/F, introverted). They’re the only ones to derive Data from Actions.
IPs on Step Three, take their Observations of how people work in general from Step Two (via Se or Ne) and apply it to an understanding of how to use Actions in general, make decisions and to understand Consequences in the form of either Experiences or Concepts, inside their heads (opposite S/N, introverted). They’re the only ones to derive Actions from Motivations.
EJs on Step Three, take the universally applicable Principles of how the world works they came to understand in Step Two (via Si or Ni) and apply it to the Observation of people and their Motivations to understand how people work in general by directing their Senses or iNtuition, outward (opposite S/N, extraverted). They’re the only ones to derive Motivations from Principles.
EPs on Step Three, take the specific Data and Details they’ve found in Step Two (via Ti or Fi) and derive specific Principles of the way the world works by directing their Thoughts or Feelings outward (opposite T/F, extraverted). They’re the only ones to derive Principles from Data.
ITJs’ third step of cognition is drawing Data and Details from the Consequences of Actions they made in Step Two, in the form of Feelings (F) inside their heads (introverted), in order to make Meaningful Conclusions.
Shorthand: Data via Fi (introverted Feeling).
ETPs’ third step of cognition is using the Data and Conclusions they came to in Step Two to see universal Principles, by directing their Feelings (F) outside themselves (extraverted), in order to understand the Meaning in the world.
Shorthand: Principles via Fe (extraverted Feeling).
EFPs’ third step of cognition is using the Data and Conclusions they came to in Step Two to see universal Principles, by directing their Thoughts (T) outside themselves (extraverted), in order to make Use of the world.
Shorthand: Principles via Te (extraverted Thinking).
IFJs’ third step of cognition is drawing Data and Details from the Consequences of Actions they made in Step Two, in the form of Thoughts (T) inside their heads (introverted), in order to make Useful Conclusions.
Shorthand: Data via Ti (introverted Thinking).
INPs’ third step is applying their Observations of people from Step Two, to finding patterns inside their heads (introverted) from the things they’ve Experienced with their five Senses (S), to decide on courses of Action based on Linear scenarios and general Consequences.
Shorthand: Action via Si (introverted Sensing).
ENJs’ third step is applying the universal Principles they learned in Step Two to Observing people’s Motivations by reaching out (extraverted) and Experiencing people with their five Senses (S).
Shorthand: Observation via Se (extraverted Sensing).
ESJs’ third step is applying the universal Principles they learned in Step Two to Observing people’s Motivations by directing their iNtuition (N) outside themselves (extraverted) to form Conceptual pictures of people.
Shorthand: Observation via Ne (extraverted iNtuition).
ISPs’ third step is applying their Observations of people from Step Two, to finding patterns inside their heads (introverted) in the form of Concepts through their iNtuition (N), to decide on courses of Action based on Conceptual scenarios and general Consequences.
Shorthand: Action via Ni (introverted iNtuition).
You get the drill 🙂 On to Step Four!
Cognition – Step Four
If you have trouble remembering Step Four, just remember it’s what you suck at. 🙂 I’m joking… kinda. While it’s totally feasible to overcome and work with the weaknesses of this last step, it will always bring up the rear. It’s just not possible in our limited humanity to be equally good at everything. We don’t have the brainpower, time or energy. But as we let our Step Four be taught and mentored by our Step One, it too can become strong… though maybe not *as* strong… 😉
But since it’s our weakest area, Step Four is where we feel the most off-step, vulnerable and get the most defensive of our choices. While we all use our Feelings in one of the steps, Step Four is where we get the most overemotional no matter what function we use there. No matter what your Step Four is, it would be prudent to learn to cool it when it comes to your weakest area. Be patient with yourself; recognize that this weakest area is where you’re most likely to be incorrect. Be willing to recognize when you’re wrong, and go back to your Step One (your greatest strength) to find your own errors in judgment. Otherwise the errors in your thought process are going to be misapplied on the Rinse and Repeat and skew your whole method of thinking.
IJs on Step Four take the specific Data and Conclusions they found in Step Three and use that information to Observe the general character and Motivations of Individuals by directing their iNtuition or five Senses outside themselves (opposite N/S, extraverted).
Individual Observation is the hardest for IJs because while their primary focus of Principles may be universal, Principles are also single threads behind infinite applications; people are the most complicated applications of all, and IJs can make blanket character judgments if they try and make those applications too simple and apply Principles as straightforwardly to their Observations as they do to Action or Data.
IPs on Step Four take the Consequences of Actions made in Step Three and apply it to what they see to make specific Principles of how the world works universally by applying their Thoughts or Feelings outside themselves (opposite T/F, extraverted).
Principles are the hardest for IPs because their primary focus of Data and Details means their minds are focused on depth over breadth of information; they explore the world, primarily on their own (introverted) focusing on detailed specific applications of information, and can’t possibly expect to also be as good at understanding how that information applies to the entire world.
EJs on Step Four take the understanding of Individual Motivations they Observed in Step Three and draw specific Data, Details and Conclusions from them in the form of Thoughts or Feelings inside their heads (opposite T/F, introverted).
Conclusions are the hardest for EJs because their primary focus of Action means they’re always in motion and it’s difficult for their minds to slow down and examine the Data themselves, and yet their Actions are so oriented around people and the actions of others that it’s difficult for them to analyze a specific situation for its intrinsic value and Conclusion without being influenced by others’ opinions about a given situation or data.
EPs on Step Four take the specific Principles of how the world works that they learned in Step Three and apply them to a general understanding of how to choose Actions, make decisions and to understand Consequences in the form of either Experiences or Concepts, inside their heads (opposite S/N, introverted).
Actions and Consequences are the hardest for EPs because their primary focus is Observing, a focus that continues on with them throughout deriving Data and Principles from those Observations; it’s all about information-gathering, up until the last second, when formed scenarios finally become literal action… but often what an EP pictures in their mind doesn’t pan out when actually put into motion.
ENPs’ fourth step and weakest function is applying the Principles they learned in Step Three, to finding patterns inside their heads (introverted) from the things they’ve Experienced with their five Senses (S), to decide on courses of Action based on Linear scenarios and general Consequences.
Shorthand: Action via Si (introverted Sensing).
INJs’ fourth step and weakest function is applying the specific Data and Conclusions they came to in Step Three to Observing people’s Motivations by reaching out (extraverted) and Experiencing people with their five Senses (S).
Shorthand: Observation via Se (extraverted Sensing).
ISJs’ fourth step and weakest function is applying the specific Data and Conclusions they came to in Step Three to Observing people’s Motivations by reaching out (extraverted) to form Conceptual pictures of people (N).
Shorthand: Observation via Ne (extraverted iNtuition).
ESPs’ fourth step and weakest function is applying the Principles they learned in Step Three, to finding patterns inside their heads (introverted) in the form of Concepts (N), to decide on courses of Action based on Conceptual scenarios and general Consequences.
Shorthand: Action via Ni (introverted iNtuition).
ETJs’ fourth step and weakest function of cognition is drawing Data and Details from the Observations of Motivations they made in Step Three, in the form of Feelings (F) inside their heads (introverted), in order to make Meaningful Conclusions.
Shorthand: Data via Fi (introverted Feeling).
ITPs’ fourth step and weakest function of cognition is using the Consequences of Actions they made in Step Three to see universal Principles, by directing their Feelings (F) outside themselves (extraverted), in order to understand the Meaning in the world.
Shorthand: Principles via Fe (extraverted Feeling).
IFPs’ fourth step and weakest function of cognition is using the Consequences of Actions they made in Step Three to see universal Principles, by directing their Thoughts (T) outside themselves (extraverted), in order to make Use of the world.
Shorthand: Principles via Te (extraverted Thinking).
EFJs’ fourth step and weakest function of cognition is drawing Data and Details from the Observations of Motivations they made in Step Three, in the form of Thoughts (T) inside their heads (introverted), in order to make Useful Conclusions.
Shorthand: Data via Ti (introverted Thinking).
Cognition – Rinse and Repeat
“This is the song that never ends! It just goes on and on, my friends!”
Now I got that song stuck in your head. I’m sorry, I truly am. What happens when we reach the end of the thought process? When we’ve finished our weakest step and everything is accumulated in our brains? We do it again of course! Like a toddler yelling, “Again! Again!” we just do the whole thing over, this time applying everything we learned the time before to fresh steps.
So we become an amalgamation of all our Thoughts, Feelings, Experiences and Concepts. This is why the cognition process demonstrates in everything we are. Our decisions, conclusions, worldview and our motivations are what define us; the things that truly make us who we are.
But I hope that this demonstrates just how much all the types have in common, while also demonstrating how different and unique we all are too. We need each and every type for the special things they bring to the table. It’s a beautiful Jenga game that would all fall down if any one type were to be lost.
I hope you recognize too how special and balanced your own way of thinking is, and that if you learn to use it healthily, you can feel confident, powerful, useful and meaningful in your own skin.
Here on the aLBoP Guided Tour? Yay! That means you’ve finished the three Dictionary Posts! You earn an aLBoP gold star! Oooh, ahh! o_o Now we get into how to type actual people and characters, with stick figures Gwen and Phil in our Typing Tutorial!
Want a unique picture of how *you* think? I made a picture for each of the 16 unique cognitive processes! Because you’ve always wanted to be a stick figure. 😉
Just click on each picture to zoom in, then you can right click to save or to Pin/Tumblr/Share the large version!
Like this: Like Loading...The Sky Is Falling is the fantastic debut C64 release from Stuart Collier, based on an original game by Ovine by Design, assisted with graphics by Trevor Storey and funky soundtracks from Richard Bayliss.
** THE SKY IS FALLING STORY **
The intrepid explorer Orangeman is having a really bad day! Not only is the roof of the cave he is exploring collapsing but he is being chased by a massive boulder as well! Luckily he brought a bunch of tools with him which he can hurl at the cave roof to smash the sharp stalactites that are descending towards him. Can you help Orangeman escape from the caves before he is squished?
** THE SKY IS FALLING FEATURES **
• Lots of caves to escape from!
• Grab the power-ups to smash those stalactites!
• Animated level-complete cut-scenes!
• Bonus animated demo!
• Catchy soundtracks!
** THE SKY IS FALLING CREDITS **
Code by Stuart Collier
Graphics by Trevor Storey
Music by Richard Bayliss
Cover art by Trevor Storey
Additional packaging design by Jason 'Kenz' Mackenzie
Based on an original game by Ovine by Design
** SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS **
The Sky Is Falling is a game for the Commodore 64. You can play the game in a C64 emulator (we recommend VICE) or you can port the game onto real C64 hardware if you have the resources to do so. The download file features the.d64 (disk version),.tap (tape version) and.prg (c64 program files).
Note: The cost of this purchase does NOT include VAT. The VAT will be added on during the checkout process, the amount of VAT varies depending on the VAT rates that apply to the country you are ordering from.For other characters named Harold, see Harold (disambiguation).
“ Yep, but I’m doing great for being dead! I never get tired of the looks when I tell that one. ” Fallout 2 — Harold,
Harold (known to his worshipers as The Lord, Him, The One Who Grows, Gives, and Guides, and The Talking Tree) [1] is an FEV mutant - originally a human from Vault 29. He was born in 2072, five years before the Great War. During an exploration of Mariposa Military Base, he was exposed to FEV. Initially, he mutated into what appears to be an ordinary ghoul, but was later distinguished by a tree growing out of his head some years later.
Harold left Vault 29 in 2090, and lived in the Hub around 2096, in its Old Town around 2161, in Los around 2208, in Gecko in 2238, and in Oasis around 2277.
By 2277, he is a gnarled face in a tree growing in the Oasis Grove. During his many adventures, he has encountered such influential people as Richard Grey (later the Master), the Vault Dweller, the Initiate, the Chosen One, and the Lone Wanderer.
Contents show]
Background Edit
Early life Edit
Harold was born in 2072 and was only five years old when the Great War began (2077). He was forcibly locked in Vault 29 for protection.[2]
Van Buren and has not been confirmed by The following is based onand has not been confirmed by canon sources.
Harold's home, Vault 29, was initially populated by young children which were brought up by Diana, a human brain connected to a supercomputer, who posed as a goddess to the vault's inhabitants. In cases of population unrest, a test subject would be chosen to be released from the vault early. The subject would return and tell the vault dwellers the condition of the world outside, and whether or not it was safe to leave the vault. Of course, the test subjects would never return, and this fact would deter everyone from wanting to leave again for a short time.
Harold was one such subject, selected in 2090. He was released from the vault, stunned by the security system and picked up by a robot to be taken to the Nursery, where Diana resided. At the Nursery he was given the choice of staying with Diana or exploring the outside world. However, if he chose to explore, she would have to 'condition' him, so that he could not reveal anything about her, or the Nursery to the world.
Harold agreed to stay with Diana, but managed to escape. During his travels he kept the Nursery a secret because he felt it was his duty to the world to keep such a future 'gift' intact until the world was ready for it.
Van Buren. End of information based on
Merchant career Edit
After leaving his home vault when it opened and its inhabitants made their way out into the wasteland, Harold began a successful career as a merchant, venturing across the wastes. Eventually he became an important player in the Hub. He began to notice the increasing frequency of mutant animals attacking his caravans. Frustrated, he decided to deal with this by leading an expedition to Mariposa.
Expedition to Mariposa Edit
In the year 2102 when Harold was 30 years old, he and a group of other adventurers— among them a man named |
others worry about possible harms: over-dosing or under-dosing, which can also lead to health problems. They also point out that no package insert comes with the products to inform patients about risks, dosing and side effects.
Calls To Action
Groups including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Endocrine Society and the North American Menopause Society have raised questions about the safety of custom-compounded hormone therapy, except in special cases — for instance, when a patient is allergic to an FDA-approved drug. Now Manson and colleagues are going further, calling for action to alert consumers that there are commercially available, FDA-approved bioidentical hormone replacement options. They come in various doses and forms, like patches and creams, with names like Alora, Vivelle Dot and Prometrium.
Among other strategies, Manson says, she and other "doctors concerned about women's health" are calling on the FDA to require a package insert or labeling on the compounded hormone medications, both to say they are not FDA-approved and to list the potentially serious side effects that come with hormone replacement therapy.
An FDA spokesperson said that federal law limits the agency's ability to require certain labeling on certain custom-made compounded hormones.
"This is not going to happen in the next week or so," acknowledges Manson. "It's a lengthy process."
It's pretty clear why Manson and others are raising the volume on their concerns: Use of custom compounded hormones is on the rise. A 2015 study concluded that from 1 million to 2.5 million women are using these custom-made medications, yet many "are unaware that compounded hormones have not been evaluated or approved by the FDA."
A separate analysis found that the number of prescriptions for custom-compounded hormone medications reached an estimated 26 to 33 million annually. "That approaches the 36 million prescriptions per year for well-regulated and tested FDA-approved hormone therapy," notes the North American Menopause Society, which publishes the journal Menopause, where the analysis appeared. Sales of these compounded hormone medications are estimated at $1.3 to $1.6 billion and growth is expected to continue, according to the study, funded by TherapeuticsMD, a company focused on women's health products.
Dr. Nanette Santoro, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, says "a marketing juggernaut" promoting custom-compounded hormones makes it urgent to call out their potential dangers.
"There's a sense of alarm in the medical community," Santoro says. "We need to do something." In part, she says, mainstream medicine didn't see this coming, adding she's "baffled" by the surge in popularity of compounded hormone therapy.
(Manson says she takes no money for hormone research from drug companies; Santoro says one industry grant she received related to hormone research ended two years ago. Calls to hormone drug makers and the pharmaceutical industry trade group were not returned.)
Rising Popularity
Santoro and Manson say the very doctors and groups now unhappy by the growth in compounded hormone medications have contributed to the steep rise in their popularity.
In 2002, the Women’s Health Initiative, a major clinical trial for which Manson was one of the lead investigators, linked popular FDA-approved menopausal hormone therapy to increased health risks, notably breast cancer, heart problems and blood clots. That study included an estrogen-only pill and estrogen plus progestin, both derived from the urine of pregnant horses (the most common formulations at the time) and thus not "bioidentical" to human hormones.
Further analysis of the initial findings have shown that the risk is highly dependent on a woman's age, medical history and other factors. But the results were so alarming to some that use of hormone replacement therapy plunged from about 17.9 million in 2002 to about 3.7 million in 2013, according to reports.
Many doctors stopped prescribing these medicines altogether, even for newly menopausal women with severe hot flashes and other symptoms, leaving these women in the lurch. "The WHI results were never intended to be extrapolated to women in early menopause who had distressing menopausal symptoms," Manson says.
Some women and doctors felt a sense of "betrayal" after the WHI, Santoro says, a feeling that "we were told that the balance of benefit to risk for hormones was very favorable for menopausal women…and now we find out all these risks?"
With women still experiencing symptoms but not quite sure where to turn, a new industry began to flourish. The popularity of "bioidentical" hormones is fueled, in part, by celebrity backers, such as actress and author Suzanne Somers. TV personality Oprah Winfrey wrote that after only one day on "bioidentical" estrogen, "I felt the veil lift.... After three days, the sky was bluer, my brain was no longer fuzzy, my memory was sharper. I was literally singing and had a skip in my step."
Santoro says some of the hype suggests these "bioidenticals" are "different from the bad hormones that mainstream medicine is promoting" and that "this is the hipster hormone... it's custom designed for you. We'll dial you up to what you were in your 20s and you'll feel like a filly."
But, Santoro says, "there's no science" to back up these claims.
Santoro doesn't cite any illness or harm directly related to compounded hormone drugs for menopause. "There is no monitoring process for treatments like this," she says, adding there have been a few isolated case reports of problems, for instance, endometrial cancer, which has been linked to hormone use in general. But she says the absence of harm doesn't prove safety, and it's not right that government-approved hormone drugs include warnings on potential risks while the custom-made varieties do not.
Taking compounded hormone medication, she says, "is like trying to make your own penicillin at home by letting an orange peel grow blue fungus in your pantry, and then scraping off about a teaspoon... as opposed to taking a 500 milligram tablet of penicillin."
Even doctors who prescribe compounded hormone medication say some clinicians aren't properly trained in their use: They can overstate benefits, for instance, or rely on questionable methods to determine hormone levels, such as saliva tests.
In 2008, the FDA sent warning letters to seven compounding pharmacy operations that claims of safety and effectiveness of their "bioidentical hormones" are "unsupported by medical evidence, and are considered false and misleading."
An FDA spokesperson says the agency remains concerned about potential health risks related to compounded drugs that may be "sub- or super‑potent, contaminated, or otherwise adulterated."
Via email the agency adds: "The adverse events most commonly associated with these products, like those related to conventionally manufactured hormones, which include breast cancer, strokes, blot clots, and heart problems, are likely to occur only after years of use, and the patient may not connect the event with the hormones they have been taking."
Patient Options
Dr. Carolyn Shaak, the Needham ob-gyn who treats Audrey Foster, started prescribing custom compounded hormone medication 20 years ago, even before the controversy over hormone replacement therapy erupted after the WHI trials. At that time, there were no low-dose "bioidentical" hormone alternatives on the market.
Now, Shaak says, she's happy to see more FDA-approved options available, and welcomes the idea of labeling compounded hormone medications to detail risks. But Shaak also says hormone compounding — which filled a market gap for years — is here to stay. The reason, she says, is that alternatives are still needed for women seeking varied doses or for those who want testosterone — which is not available for women as an FDA-approved bioidentical drug.
"We have been looking for that golden formula, that one combination of progesterone, estradiol and testosterone... that would serve as perfect hormone replacement for all women," Shaak says. "We have not found it... The variation amongst women and within a woman over the years is too huge."
Shaak adds: "We're not trying to circumvent the FDA, we are trying to do something the FDA can't do."
To that end, she says, she uses blood tests to assess hormone levels like fertility clinics or doctors testing for diabetes or thyroid problems use them: "We believe women should be treated just like anyone with a hormone imbalance."
The cost for the triple hormone combination therapy that Foster gets runs about $100 per month. "I just want women to start hormones with an experienced doctor who has a clue about what daily dose they should be seeking and an experienced, reputable compounding pharmacy," Shaak says.
Next door to her office in Needham is the Bird's Hill Compounding Pharmacy. Step inside and you'll see pharmacists behind glass weighing ingredients, mixing creams and manning capsule machines.
Andrew Stein, a pharmacist and manager at Bird's Hill, doesn't dispute that custom-compounded hormones are not FDA approved. But that's because the doses and key ingredients aren't standardized; they are made for each patient. Still, he says, these medications are subject to internal and external safety checks, and with the correct dosage and under supervision from a physician, the prescription compounded hormone medication he sells can be a good alternative.
The main difference, he says, is that these medicines are made from scratch, to fit each patients' particular needs: "It's like baking a cake every time — you have the recipe and the ingredients and you follow that recipe."
Still, why would consumers choose custom compounded hormones over FDA-approved products?
They're "individually tailored" Stein says, not a "cookie cutter approach."
Stein says the custom-compounded hormones he sells are quite different from the medications distributed by New England Compounding Center — the pharmacy linked to deaths from contaminated drugs. Those drugs, Stein reiterates, were injected into sensitive tissue. Stein's compounded hormone therapy, he says, is different in several ways, and not injected.
Still, insurers are reacting.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, for instance, last year instituted a stringent new policy on compounded drugs amid concerns over safety, effectiveness and cost, a spokesperson said.
Now, to get compounded hormones covered by the state's largest insurer, doctors must prove that patients took two other FDA-approved drugs that failed; provide two peer-reviewed published studies showing the compounded drugs work; and list all ingredients in the compounded medication.
The new policy is working well, says Dr. Tony Dodek, Blue Cross's associate chief medical officer.
"Not only has the volume of [compounded drug] prescriptions diminished," he says, "but we've been able to control the expense associated with them and in many case we've been able to steer members to FDA-approved medications..."
Hormone 'Epic' Continues
Dr. Marcie Richardson, an ob-gyn and director of the menopause consultation service at Harvard Vanguard, takes a hybrid approach. She prescribes compounded hormone medications in some cases — when a patient already taking them doesn't want to switch, and for women who need testosterone.
But she's "irked" by the promises of youth and restored vigor made by some promoting compounds, and tries to steer patients to FDA-approved options when possible. "The hormone epic is far from over," Richardson wrote in an April editorial in Menopause. "This push for individualized, natural, compounded hormones is thriving," despite the warnings from from professional groups.
Still, Audrey Foster says, she sees no reason to change her regimen — at least not now.
"I feel that these hormones are making me a healthier, more active person — it could be a placebo for all I know, but I feel like it's working," she says. "I might be naive...[but] at least there's a doctor giving me a blood test, time and checking on me regularly. It may be blind faith but I believe in this system. I do."This week, I’ll be attending the Sibos 2014 conference and hosting both a twitter chat and luncheon panel discussing digital currencies and their impact on transaction and commercial banks. With Bitcoin and other digital currencies in their infancy, there is still a lot to learn about the opportunities they can provide and how to determine the regulatory and reputational risks associated with them. Since digital currencies show no sign of going away, and continue to proliferate, at some point, banks will need to address them to meet customer demand. Is there an opportunity for banks to create their own digital currencies, and is now the time to do so to become a market leader? How should a bank respond if a major corporate client makes serious enquiries for digital currency banking services? Can typical banking services be applied to digital currencies in the same way as for $, £, € etc, or is a completely different approach required? With all of these questions abounding, we wanted to provide a forum where questions can be asked and explored with a group of experts in the field of digital currencies and innovation in banking.
We are excited that Jon Matonis (@JonMatonis), a widely respected expert on the future of money, transactions and currency and an advisor and Executive Director at the Bitcoin Foundation will be participating. Jon explains the often confusing world on digital currencies, how they work in the real world, and what the implications for banks, businesses and individuals could be. He analyses the regulations, strategies and risks inherent in so-called cryptographic payments (eg payments made ‘peer-to-peer’ rather than via intermediaries).
Brett King (@BrettKing), an internationally acknowledged expert in innovation and customer service within retail banking who was voted American Banker’s Innovator of the Year will be joining us to include his perspective on this disruptive force in banking, will also be participating and providing his insights.
We will be asking our panelist questions that are submitted here on the blog as well as via Twitter. So, please leave your comments below or use the hashtag #EverydayPayments on Twitter from now until the event on October 1st. The Twitter chat will take place online from 11-11:45am EST and the lunch panel is 12-1pm EST. If you are not attending the lunch panel, you can participate in the Twitter chat by following and using #EverydayPayments. During the lunch panel, we will be live Tweeting and getting your select questions to our panelists. Follow @BankingInsights and my personal Twitter account, @JeremyLight3, to participate.
While we encourage Twitter interaction for this event, we know that most questions can’t fully be answered in this format, so after the event, look for additional blog posts from us to follow-up on your questions.In the wake of several Miami Heat players expressing a desire for a Dwyane Wade return to the franchise he helped lift to three NBA titles, the veteran guard said his career goal remains championship contention if there is to be a buyout from the Chicago Bulls.
Wade, who spent the first 13 seasons of his career with the Heat only to depart to the Bulls in 2016 free agency, has one year, at $23.8 million, remaining on his Chicago contract.
Appearing at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., to receive the Mannie Jackson Human Spirit Award for his offcourt contributions, Wade indicated that buyout talks could be forthcoming.
"What's funny," he said during an NBA TV interview, "is I haven't said anything. It's been a lot of things that have been said. I haven't said anything and it's a reason for that. I'm not about the going back and forth. A lot of people make it that way. But I'm not about the going back and forth. When the time is right for me and the Chicago Bulls organization to sit down and talk about the future, we will do that.
"The time hasn't been right, obviously, to this point. But I'll be in Chicago soon enough and hopefully we'll get an opportunity to sit down and just talk about the future and the direction and go from there. I'm 35 years old. I'm a grown man. I can definitely sit across the room from you and listen to your truth and hopefully hear mine and go from there."
NBA training camps open Sept. 26.
"All I know is training is coming up and I'm preparing for training camp," he said. "I'm under contract with the Bulls right now and that's what I'm preparing for. The future,
you don't worry about it too much. You've got people to do that; you've got people to talk about it. For me, my job is to prepare for being the best Dwyane Wade at the age of 35 that I can be and everything else will take care of itself."
Wade has spent the offseason away from Chicago, including time in South Florida, where his children have been enrolled in school.
See photos of star Dwyane Wade during his illustrious 13-year career with the Miami Heat.
While the Heat are expected to return to playoff contention this season following a 30-11 close to 2016-17 that left them at 41-41 and a tiebreaker shy of the playoffs -- a tiebreaker lost to Wade's Bulls -- Wade indicated interest in a higher level of competition.
"Obviously, everyone wants to be, it's no secret, we would all love to compete for a championship," he said, having won titles with the Heat in 2006, '12 and '13, appearing in five NBA Finals with the team. "At the end of my career, that's one thing that I would love to do. I'm not in a position right to do that. So, I can't talk about what that preference is. So, obviously, hopefully one day, before I get done playing this game, I can be back in a position where I get to compete for a championship."
But he also left the door open to move in another direction.
"It's no secret, and everyone knows that. I've been lucky," he said. "First of all, I've been in five Finals. So if I never go to another one, I can't complain. But I would love to. I would love to because I feel that I can add something to a team that is in that position.
"But that's not something that I can focus on and something that I can worry about. Right now, the only thing I can focus on and I can control, what I can control is my ability to be ready to play the game of basketball at the highest level that I can each year and year out. Right now, that's all I can focus on."
With their offseason signings of Dion Waiters, James Johnson, Kelly Olynyk and other moves, the Heat are operating above the 2017-18 NBA salary cap, with only a $4.3 million exception remaining beyond minimum salaries to offer. The Heat have filled 18 of their 20 training-camp spots, with teams required to trim to 15 by the start of the regular season.
Among Heat players who have said they would embrace a Wade return have been Waiters, Hassan Whiteside and team captain Udonis Haslem, who recently vacationed with Wade in Greece.
For his part, Wade said he has been transfixed by an offseason that already has seen players such as Paul George, Kyrie Irving, Isaiah Thomas, Chris Paul, Gordon Hayward and former Bulls teammate Jimmy Butler move to new teams.
"The NBA was all-year-round this year for the first time that I can remember in a long time," he said. "And a lot of moves were made. And it's all about the entertainment of it.
"It's always about the what-ifs. But right now it's not the what-ifs. Everyone has seen what can happen. I don't know if the moves that were made right now, this year, are going to make a difference from the standpoint of the Cleveland, Golden States of the world. But eventually teams are building themselves to put themselves in a great position. So I love moves that unfortunately my teammate is in Minnesota, but I love what Minnesota has done this summer. I think they've had the best summer of a lot of people. But you can see now the teams that are planning for the next five years in the game."
CAPTION Spoelstra: No need to show anger to appease outsiders. Spoelstra: No need to show anger to appease outsiders. CAPTION Spoelstra: No need to show anger to appease outsiders. Spoelstra: No need to show anger to appease outsiders. CAPTION Dwyane Wade: Braids a tribute to Iverson Dwyane Wade: Braids a tribute to Iverson CAPTION Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra says his team showed grit in loss to the Phoenix Suns. Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra says his team showed grit in loss to the Phoenix Suns. CAPTION Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade says his team's loss to the Phoenix Suns hurt his team and their hopes of getting to the playoffs. Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade says his team's loss to the Phoenix Suns hurt his team and their hopes of getting to the playoffs. CAPTION Miami guard Josh Richardson talks about the obstacles that lead hs team's loss to the Phoenix Suns. Miami guard Josh Richardson talks about the obstacles that lead hs team's loss to the Phoenix Suns.
[email protected]. Follow him at twitter.com/iraheatbeat or facebook.com/ira.windermanOAKLAND — Justice partners in Alameda County agree its new criminal case management system is a big failure that continues to screw with defendants’ lives despite best human efforts, but the remedy is still under debate.
“We cannot continue in this world,” Alameda County Public Defender Brendon Woods said Tuesday at a hearing on his motion to demand the county stop using case management software called Odyssey. Related Articles Oakland man sentenced to 15 years for ID theft, supporting ISIS
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Since Alameda County Superior Court deployed Odyssey in August, it has caused an untold number of false arrests and false imprisonments, inaccurate court records, mischaracterized rap sheets and a host of other problems for defendants, law enforcement, attorneys and court staff. The number of issues has diminished but not disappeared since the justice partners have been holding regular meetings and court staff has prioritized Odyssey training and backlogs, leading the officials to contemplate abandoning its multi-million investment.
Assistant Public Defender Charles Denton said Tuesday that court clerks have been so busy troubleshooting Odyssey that it’s affecting their ability to put together commitment records for the state that are needed before a county inmate, who’s been convicted, can be transferred to state prison to begin their sentence.
Presiding Judge Morris Jacobson on Tuesday announced he is taking the issue under submission, with plans to return to court on Feb. 7 to review a proposed order written by Woods. Sadly, Jacobson said, Odyssey was supposed to make court operate more efficiently with less staff, but has resulted in the opposite.
“It’s been very, very difficult for us,” Jacobson said.
Woods and his attorneys have filed motions in every new public defender case since mid-November — more than 2,000 in all — to compel the court that to make timely and accurate records of court proceedings or stop using the Odyssey system. Woods said public defenders have counted 150 unnecessary days in jail served among their affected clients, but they assume there are more involving people without the wherewithal to complain, or who have private or court-appointed attorneys.
Jacobson on Tuesday agreed with top officials at the public defenders office that Odyssey is not working for Alameda County and its case load of about 1,000 criminal cases a week. Any given day in the busiest felony courtroom, there can be up to 100 cases on the morning calendar alone.
About half of California’s county court systems use Odyssey, a Tyler Technologies product, but only a few have deployed it in its criminal divisions like Alameda County, said Alameda County Superior Court CEO Chad Finke. Other counties are reporting problems, but officials think Alameda County may have the worst issues because it has such a high caseload.
Officials say that though the number people who have been harmed by Odyssey glitches is impossible to quantify, it is a small percentage compared to the number of criminal defendants. Still, that provides no solace for people getting arrested on recalled warrants or being kept in jail longer than their release date. A false arrest means unnecessary days in jail and/or bail money that doesn’t automatically get returned just because a computer system failed.
Jacobson and Woods on Tuesday differed on whether it was human or computer error recently when a man with Lou Gehrig’s disease was made homeless because he wasn’t released from jail when he was supposed to and missed a flight to Ohio with his sister.
Alameda County is one of California’s donor courts, so a portion of the money it generates is redistributed by the state to courthouses in poorer financial straights. But that’s resulted in Alameda County Superior Court’s $5 million budget deficit in the current fiscal year, which has led to understaffing, reduced public access to clerk’s offices and a closure at four of its five courthouses between the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
Now the court has to decide whether it’s going to build a county system to interface with the Sheriff’s Office criminal database or work with Odyssey creators to see if they can expand their software to meet Alameda County’s needs. Investing in a new case management system seems unlikely given the court’s budget woes, Finke said.
“Let’s say we are stuck with Odyssey for now,” Finke said.Security expert Sebastian Gorka perfectly described the transition from the Obama era to the Trump’s America.
Trump press pool goes off-the-record for Mar-a-Lago holiday reception, liberal media calls them ‘spineless’
Gorka, a Fox News commentator, author, security expert, and Breitbart News contributor posted his celebration of the end of the “pajama boys” on his Twitter feed.
VIDEO: "The era of pajama boys ends Jan 20.
The Alpha Males will take charge!"https://t.co/kD08Og1I39@seanhannity @FoxNews — Sebastian Gorka DrG (@SebGorka) December 17, 2016
The “Defeating Jihad” author appeared on the Sean Hannity show noting that Obama has never lived in the real world with his foreign policy, especially in the Mid East.
Twenty Black Lives Matter dudes jumped by 4 Trump supporters or another ‘hate crime’ hoax? You decide...
“The fact is, this is all going to end on January the 21st,” Gorka said to Hannity. “Our foreign policy has been a disaster, we’ve neglected and abandoned our allies, we’ve emboldened our enemies. You know the message I have is a very simple one. It’s a bumper sticker, Sean. ‘The era of pajama boy is over January 20th and the Alpha Males are back.”
Barring some major illicit action by the Democrats with the Electoral College, Donald Trump will get his chance to put an end to the namby-pamby Pajama boys of the Democrat Party and put some muscle back into U.S. foreign policy.Texas cop being investigated for spanking children with the permission of their grandmother
>>Click to see states where corporal punishment is allowed in schools. less A police officer in Haltom City, near Fort Worth, is being investigated for spanking two children after stopping them from running into the street. >>Click to see states where corporal punishment is... more A police officer in Haltom City, near Fort Worth, is being investigated for spanking two children after stopping them from running into the street. Photo: Getty Photo: Getty Image 1 of / 13 Caption Close Texas cop being investigated for spanking children with the permission of their grandmother 1 / 13 Back to Gallery
A police officer in Haltom City, near Fort Worth, is being investigated after spanking two children who attempted to run into the street.
Last week authorities were told about the incident, which allegedly happened in November, the Star-Telegram reports.
Two patrol officers, a neighbor and the neighbor's 10-year-old daughter say they witnessed the cop use a belt to spank a 5-year-old boy and his 6-year-old sister. The grandmother, who also witnessed the incident, allegedly gave her permission. The spanking is described as a light "tap."
The grandmother, who has adopted the children, said she called police when they ran and she couldn't catch them.
IN THE SCHOOLS: Hundreds of Houston-area students hit by school staff each year, data show
"My grandson broke a backyard gate and ran down the street. His sister just followed him because they thought it was just fun and games," the grandmother told the Star-Telegram Tuesday in a telephone interview. "Years ago, he would drive by my family's home and check on my mother, who was ill. He would check on her all the time. She died four years ago."
After the officer arrived and lectured the children on the dangers of busy streets, she says that her grandchildren weren't receptive and "smirked" at the officer.
"He asked if I could get a belt and if he could spank them. I said yes. I went in, got the small belt and came back outside," she explains, adding that the "light taps" were administered using a 2-foot-long belt to spank each child once on their bottoms. "I have no complaints against that officer. We just wanted to put the fear of God in my grandchildren."
FROM HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: What science says about spanking
Police Chief Cody Phillips told the Fort Worth news outlet that an internal source reported the occurrence.
"Once the investigation, including interviews with all parties, is concluded, any action(s) taken by the department will be determined based on the findings of the investigation," Phillips said.
Since this is an ongoing investigation, Haltom City police are not yet releasing the identity of the accused officer. They say that the cop remains on active duty.The 2012 King of the Hammers: The Ultimate Desert Race!
By Justin Banner
The 2012 Griffin King of the Hammers is an off road special of which many have never seen nor could have conceived. When you take the brutal, 100 plus Miles per Hour speeds and punishment of off road desert racing, and combine it with the technicality, finesse, and critical thinking of rock crawling, you start to get an idea of what the King of Hammers really is. Honestly, there is still more to it in that there is a fight for not just the trophy in this race, but the ability to continue to use public lands for this and other recreational purposes, the 2012 Griffin King of the Hammers is an important race for all of us as enthusiasts.
Like nothing you have seen!
I know most of you guys are road racing nuts and love the technical side of those cars. You're probably saying to yourself, “Oh, great, here come the backwards thinking idiots I hate for neighbors!” I have to tell you, there is more to this event than just some hillbillies or rednecks slapping a V8 into a Jeep and climbing stuff. So, allow me to get into some explanation as to what Desert Racing and Rock Crawling are all about.
“You gotta (Rock) Crawl before you can run!” So, to the uninformed, what is Rock Crawling? When you first hear it, the idea is simple, go over a huge rock and call it a day. However, there is so much more to it, for example in traditional Rock Crawling, it is about going over the steepest inclines without using a tow-rope or winch and staying on a marked out path without going backwards. In this type of event, you are scored points and points are taken away (or added, depending on who has organized the event) when you do use those aids. You can also score more points by taking a more difficult path, but again it usually depends on who is running the competition. The person with the least or most points, again depending on the organization, is declared the victor. Yep, this is Rock Crawling at some of its best! Hope you're not afraid of tipping a truck over at some point! In Speed Crawling, it is about getting over the hill or obstacles in the fastest time possible. No points, it's all about time. You can use your tow ropes and/or winches, you can go backwards, and you can use any path possible. Doesn't matter how you got there, just get there as fast as you can and stay on the course. The Falken Tire rig is built like a Typical Crawler rig. It uses a four-link, solid axle set up front and rear with coil-overs and by-pass shocks. A typical rig is usually a small wheel-base 4-wheel-drive Jeep Wranglers or Suzuki Sidekick (and it's variants), but can range from small pickups to large SUVs to homemade rigs. Rock Crawling is the epitome of “run what you brung,” as there are usually no true rules to define what you race with. There are stock and modified classes in some cases, but usually it's all about who can make the best crawler rig go over the most difficult terrain and steepest inclines. These rigs are typically solid axle front and rear with three-, four-link, or ladder-bar suspension arms. Shock and Spring designs range from leaf-springs and shocks to coil-over shocks with one or multiple by-pass shocks. There are some that are sprung using air-bags and even some rigs that use hydrualic cylinders to change the load a tire is going through to ensure maximum grip. The new rig type is the independent front suspension (IFS) rigs, as usually a solid axle can put it's load on the lower tire for better grip. You lose that ability when you go IFS, but there are ways around it as 2011 King of the Hammers winner, Shannon Campbell, proved last year in his Monster Energy IFS rig.Hillary’s Physicians Are Covering Up Her Parkinson’s Disease Diagnosis
Hillary’s Doctors Putting Politics Over Life-threatening Medical Issues
State of the Nation
What else should be expected from the DNC at this point? Covering up the true medical ailments and health conditions of Hillary Clinton has become a full-time job. Even bigger than countering the many inconvenient truths uttered by Donald Trump.
The recent diagnosis of Pneumonia by Mrs. Clinton’s physician is surely an accurate one. However, what they neglected to tell the public is that this type of pneumonia is quite likely Aspiration pneumonia (AP), not Bacterial or Viral pneumonia. And “YES!” there is a HUGE difference between them.
Doctor Says Clinton Collapse Characteristic Of Parkinson’s – Not Just Pneumonia
Aspiration pneumonia is by far the most common form that is experienced by Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients. Mrs. Clinton has exhibited many of the classic symptoms of Parkinson’s and may have begun manifesting the disease as early as 2005. There are several pieces of evidence on the Internet which verify this little-known fact.
“The leading cause of death in Parkinson’s is aspiration pneumonia due to swallowing disorders.”
The critical point here is that Aspiration pneumonia is a very common illness for bed-ridden PD patients, especially those who are hospital inpatients. Because Mrs. Clinton is currently taking a powerful regimen of pharmaceutical medications to control the PD, she has stayed out of this predicament but that does not mean her PD is not at a very serious stage of advancement.
“The leading cause of death in Parkinson’s is aspiration pneumonia due to swallowing disorders.” — Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research
In fact, physicians are beginning to weigh in on just how grave Mrs. Clinton’s condition really is. Some of them are doing this because they know that the inordinate stresses of conducting a presidential campaign can easily do her in. This campaign season has been full of dramatic health incidents like no other in American election history. And the MSM (mainstream media) has gone out of its way to conveniently accommodate those extraordinary medical events which have plagued Mrs. Clinton.
The crucial point here is that her doctor has now confirmed that she has Pneumonia. This constitutes an important admission of another major symptom of her Parkinson’s disease. What makes this piece of data even more radioactive is that the attending physicians know exactly what is going on with Mrs. Clinton, yet they refuse to disclose the facts to the public. The MSM, of course, continues to play along with this very dangerous game of “Let’s Grossly Mislead the Electorate”.
Hillary’s Health Problem: From Seasonal Allergies to Overheating to Pneumonia to Parkinson’s Disease
It is possible, although very unlikely, that Mrs. Clinton does have either bacterial or viral pneumonia. Certainly she is the most closely medically monitored candidate in U.S. history and, therefore, they would know her lab work down to the smallest and most insignificant result. Were it to be a contagious form of Pneumonia, the medical authorities would be obligated to quarantine her during the most infectious periods of her disease process. This has not been done as she is out in the public on a constant basis.
Parkinson’s disease is unequivocally a disqualifying medical condition
When the Commander-in-Chief cannot even prevent herself from falling down on the ground, or keep herself from having interminable coughing fits, or control her head-bobbing and -nodding episodes, how pray tell, will she command the U.S. Armed Forces?
Typical Symptom of Parkinson’s: The 406 Times Hillary Clinton Nodded During Sanders’ Endorsement
Clearly there is only one alternative left for Mrs. Clinton. In light of yet another likely serious medical condition — Aspiration pneumonia — on top of all the other alarming symptoms that she has publicly displayed since the campaign began, she must withdraw from the race post haste. The DNC has an ethical imperative to inform the American people of the serious illness(es) which everyone has witnessed during prime time and remove her from contention immediately.
Every day that goes by only puts Mrs. Clinton’s life at greater risk. As a matter of medical fact, the overwhelming pressures of this most tumultuous campaign season could EASILY kill her. Is that what the power-players at the DNC want? How about the big Democratic donors who have contributed millions to a very sick woman? Is this how the banking power-brokers really want to spend their money?
BOMBSHELL Report: Hillary Clinton’s Nomination Will Be Terminated! A Physician Diagnosed Her With Parkinson’s! Her Presidential Aspirations Are Finished! The MSM Has Knowingly Deceived the American People!
State of the Nation
September 12, 2016
Special Note
The following two photos of Mrs. Clinton with a young girl in front of her daughter’s NYC apartment on 9/11/16 clearly indicate that she does not have Bacterial or Viral pneumonia. Her physicians would have done the public a terrible disservice by allowing Mrs. Clinton to a come so close to a vulnerable child. Hence, there is a very strong case that the type of pneumonia that she has contracted is Aspiration pneumonia, the kind that is usually suffered by those with Parkinson’s |
to revive a depressed economy is the question of debt. When political leaders and economists debate the subject, they refer mostly to public debt. To conservatives, the economy’s capacity for recovery is impaired by too much government borrowing. These escalating obligations, they claim, will be passed along to our children and grandchildren, leaving America a poorer country. Liberal economists, such as Paul Krugman and Joseph Stiglitz, have replied that only faster growth rates and higher gross domestic product will reduce the relative weight of past debts. Budget austerity, in their view, will shrink demand and slow growth, making the debt burden that much heavier.
As important as this debate is, there’s something missing. Public debt was not implicated in the collapse of 2008, nor is it retarding the recovery today. Enlarged government deficits were the consequence of the financial crash, not the cause.1 Indeed, there’s a strong case that government deficits are keeping a weak economy out of deeper recession. When Congress raised taxes in January at an annual rate of over $180 billion to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff, and then accepted a “sequester” of $85 billion in spending cuts in March, the combined fiscal contraction cut economic growth for 2013 about in half, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Moreover, some of the causes of public deficits, such as Medicare, reflect to a large extent inefficiency and inflation in health care rather than profligacy in public budgeting.
It was private speculative debts—exotic mortgage bonds financed by short-term borrowing at very high costs—that produced the crisis of 2008. The burden of private debts continues to hobble the economy’s potential. In the decade prior to the collapse of 2008, private debts grew at more than triple the rate of increase of the public debt. In 22 percent of America’s homes with mortgages, the debt exceeds the value of the house. Young adults begin economic life saddled with student debt that recently reached a trillion dollars, limiting their purchasing power. Middle-class families use debt as a substitute for wages and salaries that have lagged behind the cost of living. This private debt overhang, far more than the obsessively debated question of public debt, retards the recovery.
The debt debate is reminiscent of Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. In a grand inversion, minor characters have usurped center stage, while the more important ones are out of sight. The quarrel about public debts is really a proxy for the argument about how to produce a strong recovery. To that end, we should be discussing how to relieve the burdens of private debts and prevent future abuses of the power of the financial industry to create debt and engage in speculation.
As the economic anthropologist David Graeber shows…The latest renderings of the project at 1980 N. Milwaukee Ave. View Full Caption Provided
LOGAN SQUARE — It's back to the drawing board for Clayco, a developer that wants to build an eight-story apartment building with mostly studio and convertible units at the southwest corner of Milwaukee and Armitage avenues
Most of the few dozen neighbors who packed into Campbell Terrace Apartments, 2061 N. Campbell St., for a community meeting Thursday evening opposed the the developer's revised proposal, saying the transit-oriented development is simply too big for the neighborhood.
"I am really, really concerned about the density [and] the height," said Sally Hamann, a member of the Greather Goethe Neighborhood Association. "We're going to be turning these streets into canyons."
Clayco is seeking a zoning change to build the project — its first in Chicago — on a lot at 1980 N. Milwaukee Ave. that has been vacant for at least 15 years.
Since it was first proposed in July, the developer has agreed to incorporate the facade of the historic Weyland Building, add more setbacks from the street so the building doesn't appear as tall and add more retail space after hearing from neighbors.
Despite the changes, the West Bucktown Neighborhood Association still doesn't support the height.
"The one thing we can't get past is the size of the building," said Rodney Gansho, chairman of the association's zoning, planning and development committee. "It's a big building. People brought up MiCa... that's a stand-alone tower. It's got a lot of open space around it. This is part of the streetscape. We fully support the building at six stories, but we couldn't support eight stories."
But Alan Schachtman, principal at Clayco, told neighbors the project isn't financially feasible at six stories.
"I'd be happy to do it at six if it worked," Schachtman said. "When I say work, we have to get financing. There are certain underwriting standards that banks follow to get financing. If you tell me today six stories, I'm not going to get anyone to finance it, and we're done."
The proposal calls for just 17 parking spaces in back. Since the project is just steps away from the Western Blue Line station, it falls under the transit-oriented development ordinance, which means fewer parking spaces are required.
More than half of the 132 apartments would be studios and convertible units, and the rest would be one-bedrooms and two-bedrooms.
Rents would start at $1,400 for studios offering 485 square feet of space; around $2,000 for one-bedrooms offering 700 square feet of space; and around $3,000 for two-bedrooms offering 1,000 square feet of space.
Clayco intends to reserve 13 units in the project for affordable housing and build an additional six affordable units off-site. The developer is planning to rehab a nearby six-flat in the neighborhood as an extension of the project.
Fielding questions about why most of the units aren't geared toward families, Schachtman stressed that the proposal fits the demographics of the area, which is mostly singles and couples.
"We are building to the market. There are problems when you build units that sit empty," he said.
The vacant lot is owned by a California woman who bought it as a land-banking opportunity and has been waiting for the right buyer for a long time, according to Raymond Valadez, chief of staff for 1st Ward Ald. Joe Moreno.
Valadez said the land is "long overdue to be redeveloped."
"Milwaukee Avenue... what's the condition over the last 10 or 15 years? It's been very underdeveloped. The commercial district has really been hurting. Now that's changing. How do you change that? By bringing people in the community who have the buying power to support it," Valadez said.
The latest rendering of the project incorporates the Weyland Building facade. [All photos/Provided]
The architect drew design inspiration from nearby buildings like the one that houses Margie's Candies.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here.Next year, about 14 million more Americans could be uninsured if the House-passed version of health care becomes law, according to the Congressional Budget Office analysis, a more pressing issue than the estimated 23 million expected to be affected by 2026.
In addition to the individual burdens of accessing health care without insurance, injecting millions of uninsured people into the health care system would have a sweeping effect on both the system and on public health outcomes, doctors and health experts say.
The revenue cuts “are like cutting off some of the body’s oxygen supply — partial strangulation,” Alan Sager, professor of health law, policy and management at the Boston University School of Public Health, told HuffPost. “They don’t make health care more efficient; rather, they mean that many people get less care.”
Should the law go into effect, lack of coverage will mean fewer people will have the resources to prevent conditions, effectively treat diseases or manage chronic illnesses before a crisis develops. Here are just a few ways that experts see reduced coverage affecting patients next year:
Patients delay care and develop progressive diseases
vm via Getty Images
When patients don’t have health insurance, they tend to delay care or testing until diseases are more advanced, which could lead to complications, necessitate more serious treatments and result in worse health outcomes.
“More uninsured people would lead to people using emergency room care more since they may not seek out primary care. This means that people would only get care when they are really sick, which would mean their health could be permanently affected by something that could have been caught earlier. In my case, that means I’ll be doing a lot less pap smears and diagnosing more cancer.” ―Dr. Kristyn Brandi, obstetrician and gynecologist at Boston Medical Center
“Increasing the number of uninsured Americans could affect physicians’ ability to provide quality preventive care to patients.” ―Dr. Catherine Hough-Telford, Pediatric Health Care Alliance
“Diabetes may go unnoticed in its early stages but can lead to a host of problems that people don’t think about, including blindness and neuropathy. When more people are uninsured, they are less able to obtain access to both primary and specialty care, meaning that when we finally do see them in the ER, some complications that could have been preventable are unfortunately now permanent. All things being equal, the patients we see in the ER will be sicker from not having had insurance than if they had.” ―Dr. Renee Hsia, professor of emergency medicine and health policy at the University of California, San Francisco
Life will be harder for people with chronic diseases
About half of all American adults, or about 117 million people, had at least one chronic health condition as of 2012, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And for many of those people, such as individuals with diabetes, going without medication is not an option, regardless of insurance coverage.
People with chronic diseases will likely to pay more for insurance and are under pressure not to let that coverage lapse, lest they risk being charged by insurers based on their health. And should those chronically ill people lose coverage altogether, the burden of that loss means more people getting sicker before they pay to get medical care. In the case of an uninsured individual with diabetes, for example, lack of health insurance could lead to an amputation rather than a managed disease.
“I am deeply concerned for people with chronic diseases, especially for those with liver diseases and catastrophic conditions requiring organ transplants that might lose the coverage they need.” ―Bill Remak, chairman of the California Hepatitis C Task Force
Hospitals and doctors will be under increasing financial strain
About one-third of rural hospitals operate at a loss, according to Stat, and although rural and urban hospitals have been closing at a similar rate, with about 100 hospitals closing since 2010, those closures take a bigger toll on rural areas. One aspect of the Affordable Care Act that has helped rural hospitals stay afloat is payments through the expansion of Medicaid, something that would slowly diminish under the Republican health care plan. And hospitals in states that have not expanded Medicaid have fought for those lifesaving federal funds.
When a hospital in a rural area closes, residents often have to travel much farther to the next available hospital. And given the link between increased hospital travel time and mortality, closing a rural hospital could at times mean the difference between life and death.
“Hospitals and doctors serving people who are older, sicker, and poorer—and rural and urban places where those people live—will be even more stressed financially. Some will close up shop and others will relocate. Travel time for care will grow. This will mean less care for fewer people at greater cost.” ―Alan Sager, professor of health law, policy and management at the Boston University School of Public Health
Unplanned pregnancy will rise
BraunS via Getty Images
Although nearly half of pregnancies are unintended, according to the Guttmacher Institute, the United States has made massive gains in reducing teenage pregnancy in recent years, hitting a record low of 22 births per 1,000 teens ages 15 to 19 in 2015, according to the CDC.
Although public health experts can’t completely explain the decline, evidence suggests teens abstaining from sexual activity and using birth control when they do have sex have driven down the teen birth rate. Without reliable access to affordable or even free birth control, many women will no longer be able to effectively prevent pregnancy.
The House bill would allow states to roll back the Obamacare provision for free birth control. It would also prevent Medicaid funds from being used at Planned Parenthood clinics, even for contraceptive services.
“More women may come to me with an unplanned pregnancy because they can no longer afford their birth control without insurance.” ―Dr. Kristyn Brandi, OB/GYN at Boston Medical Center
The opioid epidemic will worsen
Of the 14 million Americans poised to lose insurance, about 420,000 will have diagnosable problems with opioid use. Losing health insurance would mean not being able to afford medication-assisted treatments for opioid addiction, such as buprenorphine, Dr. Peter Friedmann, associate dean for research at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and chief research officer at the nonprofit Baystate Health, noted in an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine in March.
Unaffordable opioid treatments would hit rural areas the hardest, since, as Friedmann points out, the 15 counties with the highest opioid overdose mortality in 2015 were predominantly rural areas in Kentucky and West Virginia.
And since both states opted to expand Medicaid, reversing that insurance expansion could strip tens of thousands of rural Americans of medication-assisted treatment coverage.
“This loss of coverage for addiction treatment, an essential health benefit (EHB) under the ACA, as well as reductions in addiction treatment coverage in states that receive EHB waivers, will have devastating consequences for people, families and communities ravaged by the opioid epidemic.” ―Dr. Peter Friedmann, chief research officer at Baystate Health
We’ll lose the progress we’ve made against sepsis
Sepsis, a severe reaction to infection that can lead to tissue damage, organ failure and death, kills about 258,000 Americans per year, making it the ninth leading cause of disease-related death, according to the CDC.
“This will mean less care for fewer people at greater cost.” - Alan Sager, professor of health law, policy and management, Boston University School of Public Health
It’s also a disease that disproportionately affects adults older than 65 and the uninsured, who have a higher rate of sepsis-related mortality than insured Americans, according to a 2011 study published in the journal Critical Care.
Timely treatment is critical when it comes to saving lives and reducing injury from sepsis, so having access to insurance and, therefore, health care resources, can be the difference between life and death. We’d unfortunately expect to see an increase in sepsis injuries, such as amputation, and death if more people were without health insurance or had no access to health care resources. This would be tragic, as sepsis is a treatable condition when caught early and people receive appropriate treatment. ―Thomas Heymann, executive director of Sepsis Alliance
The rise of unpredictable pre-existing conditions
dimarik via Getty Images
When new epidemics break out, such as the rise of the Zika virus, it can suddenly change the public health care picture in ways that couldn’t be predicted.
Since the Zika virus wasn’t an issue when the Affordable Care Act was signed in 2010, mothers of children with Zika-related health problems, such as microcephaly, could end up paying more for their kids’ health insurance or even be priced out of coverage altogether under the new plan, Mother Jones reports.
The CDC estimates that having a child with microcephaly (a Zika-related birth defect that can cause babies to have neurological damage and smaller-than-average heads) could translate to up to $10 million in medical care over the course of a child’s lifetime.
Those expensive medical bills could incentivize insurance companies to charge the parents of children with mircrocephaly more for premiums and to penalize them financially should their insurance coverage lapse. For now, the number of families affected by Zika in the U.S. is small. According to the CDC, there were 64 babies born with Zika-related birth defects in the United States as of May 9.
“You’d have to be very careful as the parent of a child to never have a break in coverage.” ―Karen Pollitz, a senior fellow at the Kaiser Family Foundation, told Mother JonesJulia Gillard's restrictions on live betting odds to be implemented by television networks
Updated
Television networks have agreed to implement the Government’s new restrictions on the airing of live betting odds after Prime Minister Julia Gillard threatened to legislate a complete ban.
The networks had put forward a plan that would still allow the practice during quarter-time and half-time breaks, but Ms Gillard today said that did not go far enough.
She gave broadcasters two weeks to present a code that complied with the Government's requirements, which will still allow generic gambling ads during quarter-time and half-time breaks
There was an immediate reaction from Free TV, which represents the television networks.
It described the plan as "unprecedented" but agreed to implement the new restrictions.
"These are unprecedented restrictions for broadcasters but we accept the Government has acted in response to community concern," a statement form Free TV said.
"We will submit a revised code within the next two weeks in line with the Prime Minister's announcement."
Ms Gillard had earlier said if the industry did not impose a complete ban, the Government would introduce legislation to enforce it.
"From the moment the players step onto the field to the moment that they leave the field, there will be no live odds," she told a press conference this morning.
"Broadcasters have been warned that failure to present a suitable code will result in the Government taking further action.
"I think it has got over the top and I think people will be relieved.
From the moment the players step onto the field to the moment that they leave the field, there will be no live odds. I want kids to know their maths but not learn it watching live sports. Prime Minister Julia Gillard
"I want kids to know their maths but not learn it watching live sports. When they watch sport I want them to be enjoying the contest, the physical prowess and display of team work.
"We believe we have the right balance."
NRL chief executive Dave Smith says the Government's intervention is an important step towards finding right balance.
He says betting must not be allowed to become the primary focus of the game and young fans should not be exposed to excessive promotion of betting during matches.
Michael Sullivan, the chief executive of Sportingbet, agrees.
"We are licensed and legal in Australia and we think we're entitled to promote our businesses but it's obviously gone too far with the odds integration," he said.
"I've been running generic ads for my business for the last seven years since we've been allowed to advertise and no-one's said a word so clearly this is the area where people have concerns.
"And quite frankly I think it's fair enough."
Bookmaker Tom Waterhouse has declined to comment on the developments.
Pressure to act further
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has accused the Government of playing catch-up politics, saying Labor has embraced Coalition policy.
But Communications Minister Stephen Conroy says the Coalition's policy would have still allowed live betting odds to be shown during quarter-time and half-time breaks.
"Tony Abbott, a few weeks ago, signed up to the code that is out there on the table," he said.
"Well, we're being very clear, we do not think that goes far enough."
There has been growing internal pressure on the Prime Minister to act, with several Labor backbenchers planning to use this week's caucus meeting to demand tougher restrictions.
Labor MP Stephen Jones has been preparing a private members bill on the issue.
He says while today's announcement is a step in the right direction, he is concerned it will still allow generic gambling ads.
"I'll look at all the details of the materials that have been announced today and I'll talk with my caucus colleagues over the next 24 hours. If I don't need to move ahead with it, I won't," he said.
Labor frontbencher Craig Emerson has told the ABC's Insiders program the promotion of betting odds is ruining sports on television.
"We're doing more than perhaps the industry would've liked," he said.
"But we are doing this on behalf of the sports watchers, the sports lovers of Australia and particularly the kids."
Independent Senator Nick Xenophon says the Government's new restrictions on gambling ads do not go far enough.
"Live odds may well be on the way out," he said.
"But viewers will still be inundated with gambling ads before the game, during quarter-time, half-time, three-quarter time and after the game.
"So there will still be a strong link between gambling and sport."
Independent MP Andrew Wilkie agrees.
"Getting rid of live odds is a good thing, but it's only a tiny step. It doesn't deal with the key issue," he said.
"The central issue is that we're allowing the promotion and advertising of gambling during the day when children are watching TV and at a tempo that's spoiling the entertainment of the game for adults."
Topics: gambling, community-and-society, australia
First postedGuest essay by Leo Goldstein
I would like to bring to the attention of American readers that they can submit comments on the EPA regulations in accordance with Executive Order 13777, “Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda,” signed by President Trump on February 24, 2017. The deadline for submission is May 15, so we have only three full days. H/t John Droz, Jr..
Comments can be as short as one line or as long as the regulations.gov site allows. You can also include audio or video attachments, although only the written comments will be considered an official statement. Off the top of my mind, I can recommend NIPCC Summaries, many articles by Prof. Richard Lindzen, as well as various materials from this outstanding resource, WattsUpWithThat. If a web page cannot be adequately saved as a PDF file, its content can be copied to Word then saved as PDF. You are also welcome to attach The Brief Summary of Science, written by me with input from Prof. Fred Singer, Prof. Will Happer, and Prof. Richard Lindzen (but not formally endorsed by them).
The comments will be received by the newly-assembled Regulatory Reform Task Force, which is to
“attempt to identify regulations that:
(i) Eliminate jobs, or inhibit job creation;
(ii) are outdated, unnecessary, or ineffective;
(iii) impose costs that exceed benefits;
(iv) create a serious inconsistency or otherwise interfere with regulatory reform initiatives and policies;
(v) are inconsistent with the requirements of section 515 of the Treasury and General Government Appropriates Act, 2001 (44 U.S.C. 3516 note), or the guidance issued pursuant to that provision in particular those regulations that rely in whole or in part on data, information, or methods that are not publicly available or that are insufficiently transparent to meet the standard of reproducibility; or
(vi) derive from or implement Executive Orders or other Presidential directives that have been subsequently rescinded or substantially modified.”
Read the Tips for Effective Comments & Restrictions. The most important ones, in my opinion, are:
● “Be concise but support your claims. Explain your views as clearly as possible, avoiding the use of profanity or personal threats. Explain why you agree or disagree; suggest alternatives and substitute language for your requested changes. Provide specific examples to illustrate your concerns and suggest alternatives.
● Base your comments on sound reasoning, scientific evidence, and/or how you will be impacted by the agency’s proposal. Describe any assumptions and provide the technical information and/or data that you used. If you estimate potential costs or burdens, explain how you arrived at your estimate in sufficient detail to allow for it to be reproduced.
● Address trade-offs and opposing views.
● The comment process is not a vote – one well-supported comment is often more informative to the agency than a thousand form letters.
● Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be accompanied by a written comment. The written comment is considered the official comment and should include discussion of all points you wish to make.
● EPA will generally not consider comments or comment contents located outside of the primary submission (i.e. on the web, cloud, or other file sharing system).
● The inclusion of any copyrighted material without accompanying proof of one’s explicit right to redistribute that material will result in the comment being blocked from online viewing at Regulations.gov.”
So far, this opportunity has been hijacked by environmental activists and their followers. Meanwhile, the former mainstream media was saying that public input was not solicited.
The dream came true: we, The People, can petition the government to repeal any EPA regulation and the government will listen. But we only have three days to do so. Go to the Evaluation of EPA Regulations on regulations.gov, click the Comment Now button at the top right, speak your mind, and attach supporting documents.
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RedditHighest-Rated NBA Finals Ever on ABC through Three Games
Record Ratings Continue with Best-Ever 13.7 for a Game 3 on ABC
Through three games, the 2015 NBA Finals, in which the Cleveland Cavaliers lead the Golden State Warriors 2-1, is the highest-rated ever on ABC, according to Nielsen. All three of this year’s NBA Finals broadcasts on ABC have set ratings records on the network.
Tuesday’s Game 3 delivered a 13.7 overnight rating, making it ABC’s highest-rated Game 3 ever and up 33 percent from a 10.3 from last year. The broadcast peaked with a 16.4 from 11:30-11:45 p.m. ET.
For the 45th consecutive time, the NBA Finals is expected to win the night across all of television (broadcast and cable).
More local records
In the Cleveland market, Game 3 delivered a massive 49.0 rating, making it the highest-rated NBA game ever on ABC or ESPN in the market, surpassing the records it set for both Games 1 and 2. Additionally, in the San Francisco market, Game 3 generated a 31.6, which trails only Game 2 as the highest-rated NBA game ever on ABC or ESPN in the market. (Game 2 did a 31.7).
Top 10 local markets
Market Rating 1.Cleveland 49.0 2.San Francisco 31.6 3.Columbus 25.2 4.Memphis 19.5 5.Atlanta 17.0 6.Miami-Ft. Lauderdale 16.8 7(T).Sacramento 16.2 7(T).Norfolk 16.2 9.Birmingham 15.2 10.Raleigh-Durham 15.1
Game 3 on WatchESPN
NBA Finals Game 3 set more records on WatchESPN. Tuesday’s game generated 736,200 unique viewers and an average minute audience of 207,300, both records for an NBA game on the platform and up 113 percent and 118 percent, respectively, from last year’s Game 3.
In addition, NBA Countdown, ABC’s NBA Finals pre-game show, posted a 4.7 overnight rating, which is up 30 percent from a 3.6 for last year’s corresponding pre-game show.
The 2015 NBA Finals will continue with Game 4 on Thursday, June 11, at 9 p.m. on ABC. Mike Breen, in his record-setting 10th season as the voice of The Finals, will continue to provide commentary with analysts Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson and reporter Doris Burke. NBA Countdown will precede the broadcast at 8:30 p.m. with host Sage Steele and analysts Jalen Rose and Doug Collins.
ABC has been the exclusive broadcast home of the NBA Finals since the 2002-03 season.
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Media contact: Ben Cafardo at 860-766-3496 or [email protected] (@Ben_ESPN).Curators of the social media company’s ‘trending news’ sidebar purposely leave out stories from rightwing sites, a former employee has alleged
Facebook’s trending bar deliberately suppresses conservative news, according to a new report.
Facebook, now arguably the most important distributor of news online, has cultivated the idea that its bar is an impartial algorithm that responds to “likes” and gives users only what they’ve indicated they want.
But in a bombshell confession on the tech blog Gizmodo, a former editor says popular conservative news would be kept off the “trending news” sidebar.
“I’d come on shift and I’d discover that CPAC [Conservative Political Action Conference] or Mitt Romney or Glenn Beck or popular conservative topics wouldn’t be trending because either the curator didn’t recognize the news topic or it was like they had a bias against Ted Cruz,” the former news curator told Gizmodo.
The news started a firestorm in conservative media circles. The Drudge Report ran the piece in its top slot with a picture of Facebook’s chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg and the headline: “Not Leaning In... Leaning Left!” a reference to her bestselling book, Lean In.
Breitbart News editor in chief Alex Marlow said the report confirmed “what conservatives have long suspected: Facebook’s trending news artificially mutes conservatives and amplifies progressives.
“Facebook claims its algorithm simply populates ‘topics that have recently become popular on Facebook’ in its trending news section, but now we know that’s not true.”
Paul Bedard, DC reporter for the Washington Examiner, accused the social media network of “censoring conservatives”.
Paul Bedard (@SecretsBedard) Facebook is No. 1 driver of mobile readers to news sites. Impact obvious in censoring conservatives. https://t.co/hWm68stLwa via @DCExaminer
Hugo Gurdon, the Washington Examiner’s editorial director, said: “We’ve read the report, and it is obviously of considerable interest to us. We plan on working with Facebook to ensure Washington Examiner’s valuable content gets the attention it obviously deserves.”
Leon Wolf, an author at Redstate, one of the publications listed by the Gizmodo interviewees as having been targeted for exclusion, said he had not seen evidence of the kind of tampering mentioned by Gizmodo. “I watch our Facebook stats very closely,” Wolf told the Guardian.
“The troubling thing about this is that Facebook is such a huge deal,” Wolf said. “They can make or break success in a way that nobody else can. There’s a lot of scrutiny that people have on CNN, they’re several orders of magnitude less influential than Facebook is.”
The rise of Facebook as a dominant player in news has already worried some media watchers who are concerned the social network could become too powerful and set the news agenda and potentially block news that might not fit its corporate agenda.
Emily Bell, director of the Tow centre for digital journalism at Columbia journalism school, said on Twitter that she questioned whether algorithms could ever be impartial.
emily bell (@emilybell) @dominicru @attackerman @ShaunKing as I like to bore my students/the general public with...algorithms are never neutral. Ever.
But Gizmodo’s report was challenged by one ex-Facebooker who took issue with its characterization in an interview with the Guardian, saying that newsworthiness was determined by how often a story appeared on a list of trusted news outlets including this publication, the New York Times and the BBC. If five of the 10 put a story on the front page, it could be made to appear more often on Facebook Paper; if 10 put the story on the front page, it was added to the “trending” bar.
Beyond the list of 10 internationally trusted publications was another list of a thousand news sources that showed the editors where stories were trending; that list was more fungible and could be added to or subtracted from.
The former news curator interviewed by the Guardian hadn’t seen evidence that conservative stories were being blacklisted. “I was only there for four or five months, but I didn’t see that happening,” the person said. The employee added, however that the job was to identify pertinent news stories based on a strict set of criteria. “But also whenever we started a shift you’d go through stories that had been greenlit, and you had to prove yourself to be consistent enough to be a competent editor.”
The former contractor maintained that the unit had enough power to push back when others in the company asked for a story to be removed. “The one time when we had intervention on a story we did was when Sheryl Sandberg’s husband died,” the ex-employee said. “We reported it as a news story – ‘COO’s husband died in location X.’ A whole bunch of people said, ‘We shouldn’t report on that story,’ and we said, ‘Well, it’s news, so we’re covering it.’ We kept it up and we never got any flack from Sheryl or anyone else.”
The feeds, the ex-employee said, were pure popularity among Facebook users, but popularity as determined by human curators: “Beyoncé trends most days, but that’s just because people are posting pictures of Beyoncé.”Dave McMenamin explains that Kevin Durant deserves to be the favorite for MVP this season as he is the best player on the best team. (0:54)
Last season, Russell Westbrook triple-doubled his way to NBA history and the MVP award. Which superstar will take home the hardware after the 2017-18 season?
Is it LeBron James' time to reclaim the MVP throne? Will former MVPs Stephen Curry or Kevin Durant -- building off the momentum of a dominant NBA Finals run -- add another trophy to their respective mantles?
We asked the ESPN Forecast panel to rank its top three choices for the 2017-18 NBA MVP, with a first-place vote receiving five points, a second-place vote receiving three and a third-place vote receiving one.
Here are the results:
2017-18 NBA MVP forecast
1. Kevin Durant
Golden State Warriors | SF
First-place votes: 17
Total points: 116
Comments: After taking less than the max to assist the Warriors in retaining their top role players, Durant enters 2017-18 as an MVP favorite ready to build off his Finals MVP performance.
Had he not missed all of March, Durant would have warranted MVP consideration last season. He led the NBA in win shares per 48 minutes, delivered the most efficient shooting season of his career and morphed into an All-NBA-caliber defender.
He's perhaps the most gifted scorer in the world, but it was Durant -- not Defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green -- who led the Warriors in lowest field goal percentage allowed as a primary defender last season. -- Micah Adams, ESPN Stats & Info
2. LeBron James
Cleveland Cavaliers | SF
First-place votes: 9
Total points: 88
Comments: The 2016-17 season snapped James' eight-year streak of finishing among the top three in MVP voting, one shy of tying Magic Johnson for the longest streak of its kind.
Though he's entering his 15th season, James is showing no signs of slowing down. He's coming off a season in which he led the league in real plus-minus, and he became the first player in history to average a triple-double in the Finals.
If the Cavaliers trade Kyrie Irving, it could ultimately bolster James' MVP narrative. Even before factoring in what Cleveland might get back in a potential Irving deal, it's worth mentioning that in the 840 minutes the Cavaliers played with James on the floor and Irving on the sideline, they posted the scoring margin of a 51-win team. -- Adams
3. Kawhi Leonard
San Antonio Spurs | SF
First-place votes: 9
Total points: 58
Comments: Leonard is the only player to finish among the top three in MVP voting in each of the past two seasons, and he is likely the best two-way player in the NBA after elevating his offensive game to new heights in 2016-17.
According to Kevin Pelton's projections using predictive real plus-minus, the Spurs are projected to win 53 games next season, which would rank third in the loaded West. Should they finish in the top three, the lion's share of credit would go to Leonard. He's the only unquestioned superstar in San Antonio, unlike his primary MVP competition in Golden State, Houston or Oklahoma City. -- Adams
4. James Harden
Houston Rockets | SG
First-place votes: 5
Total points: 48
Comments: Harden moved to point guard last season and promptly led the NBA in assists, while somehow managing to set career highs in points and rebounds per game. With Chris Paul now in town, an MVP campaign by Harden would likely be built on the premise of increased efficiency and team success, given that his basic statistics will surely take a hit.
Paul's presence should take some of the playmaking burden off Harden, allowing him to focus a bit more on the defensive end. Harden was still rated as a negative defender last season, ranking last in defensive RPM among players who were top 50 overall in RPM. -- Adams
5. Giannis Antetokounmpo
Milwaukee Bucks | SF
First-place votes: 2
Total points: 29
Comments: There's an episode in Season 5 of "Game of Thrones" where one of the dragons unleashes a combination of size, strength and skill that nobody has ever seen. In the fighting pit, a hoard of bewildered enemies has no clue how to fight back. The awestruck opponents try a few tactics, but nothing works. It's the culmination of four seasons of buildup dotted with prolonged glimpses of promise and potential.
In a related story, Antetokounmpo is entering his fifth season in the NBA. Last year, he led the Bucks in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, and now he has them ready to compete. ESPN's real plus-minus projects Milwaukee to finish fourth in the East; should the Bucks exceed that, Antetokounmpo could be a threat to bring home the MVP hardware. -- Adams
6. Russell Westbrook
Oklahoma City Thunder | PG
First-place votes: 1
Total points: 20
Comments: Turning the chapter on Mr. Triple-Double's historic campaign, you'll quietly stumble onto the fact that the reigning MVP is already entering his 10th season. Just as Paul will ease the burden for Harden in Houston, Paul George's arrival in Oklahoma City should help temper Westbrook's one-man band tendencies that led him to utterly annihilate the usage percentage record last season.
Though Westbrook could certainly win a second straight MVP award, the same gunner mentality that was necessary in the absence of another elite playmaker last year likely won't be rewarded in similar fashion in 2017-18. Westbrook's field goal percentage of 42.5 last season was the third-worst among the 62 MVP winners in league history. -- Adams
7. Stephen Curry
Golden State Warriors | PG
First-place votes: 1
Total points: 19
Comments: Could the NBA Finals be foreshadowing for an MVP campaign for Curry? With all the attention on Durant and James, Curry quietly had one of the most dominant NBA Finals ever, averaging 26.8 points, 9.4 assists and |
to global warming has limited freshwater runoff and has exposed a higher percentage of the ocean surface to the atmosphere. The increase of carbon dioxide in the water decreases the pH of the ocean causing ocean acidification. The decrease in sea ice has also allowed more Pacific water to flow into in the Arctic Ocean during the winter, this is called Pacific winter water.[122] The Pacific water flows into the Arctic Ocean carrying additional amounts of carbon dioxide by being exposed to the atmosphere and absorbing carbon dioxide from decaying organic matter and from sediments.[122]
The Arctic Ocean pH levels are rapidly decreasing because not only is the ocean water absorbing more carbon dioxide due to increased surface area exposure as a result of a decrease in sea ice. It also has large amounts of carbon dioxide being transferred to the Arctic from the Pacific ocean.
Cold water is able to absorb higher amounts of carbon dioxide compared to warm water. The solubility of gases decreases in relation to increasing temperature. Cold water bodies are absorbing the increasing amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and becoming known as carbon sinks.[125] The increasing amount of carbon dioxide in the water is putting many organisms at risk as they are affected by the increase of acidity in the ocean water.
Effects of Ocean Acidification on Arctic Organisms [ edit ]
Organisms in Arctic waters are already challenged with stressors of living in the Arctic Ocean, such as dealing with cold temperatures, and it is thought that because of this, additional stressors such as ocean acidification, will cause ocean acidification effects on marine organisms to appear first in the Arctic. There exists a significant variation in the sensitivity of marine organisms to increased ocean acidification. Calcifying organisms generally exhibit larger negative responses from ocean acidification than non‐calcifying organisms across numerous response variables, with the exception of crustaceans, which calcify but were not negatively affected.[126] The acidification of the Arctic Ocean will impact these marine calcifiers in several different ways.
The uptake of CO₂ by seawater increases the concentration of hydrogen ions, which lowers pH and, in changing the chemical equilibrium of the inorganic carbon system, reduces the concentration of carbonate ions (CO₃²⁻).[127] Carbonate ions are required by marine calcifying organisms such as plankton, shellfish, and fish to produce calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) shells and skeletons.
Arctic Council map
For either aragonite or calcite, the two polymorphs of CaCO₃ produced by marine organisms, the saturation state of CaCO₃ in ocean water is expressed by the product of the concentrations of CO₂²⁻ and Ca²⁺ in seawater relative to the stoichiometric solubility product at a given temperature, salinity, and pressure.[128] Waters which are saturated in CaCO₃ are favourable to precipitation and formation of CaCO₃ shells and skeletons, but waters which are undersaturated are corrosive to CaCO₃ shells, and in the absence of protective mechanisms, dissolution of calcium carbonate will occur. Because colder arctic water absorbs more CO₂, the concentration of CO₃²⁻ is reduced, therefore the saturation of calcium carbonate is lower in high-latitude oceans than it is in tropical or temperate oceans.[128] In model simulations of the Arctic Ocean, it is predicted that aragonite saturation will decrease, because of an increased amount of freshwater input from melting sea ice and increased carbon uptake as a result of sea ice retreat. This simulation predicts that Arctic surface waters will become undersaturated with aragonite within a decade.[128] The undersaturation of aragonite will cause the shells of organisms which are constructed from aragonite to dissolve. This would have a profound effect on a large variety of marine organisms and has the potential to do devastating damage to keystone species and to the marine food web in the Arctic Ocean. Laboratory experiments on various marine biota in an elevated CO₂ environment show that changes in aragonite saturation cause substantial changes in overall calcification rates for many species of marine organisms, including coccolithophore, foraminifera, pteropods, mussels, and clams.[128]
Although the undersaturation of arctic water has been proven to have an effect on the ability of organisms to precipitate their shells, recent studies have shown that the calcification rate of calcifiers, such as corals, coccolithophores, foraminiferans and bivalves, decrease with increasing pCO₂, even in seawater supersaturated with respect to CaCO₃. Additionally, increased pCO₂ has been found to have complex effects on the physiology, growth and reproductive success of various marine calcifiers.[129] CO₂ tolerance seems to differ between various marine organisms, as well as differences in CO₂ tolerance at different life cycle stages (e.g. larva and adult). The first stage in the life cycle of marine calcifiers which are at a serious risk by high CO2 content is the planktonic larval stage. The larval development of several marine species, primarily sea urchins and bivalves, are highly affected by elevations of seawater pCO₂.[129] In laboratory tests, numerous sea urchin embryos were reared under different CO₂ concentrations until they developed to the larval stage. It was found that once reaching this stage, larval and arm sizes were significantly smaller, as well as abnormal skeleton morphology was noted with increasing pCO₂.[129]
Pterapod shell dissolved in seawater adjusted to an ocean chemistry projected for the year 2100
Similar findings have been found in CO₂ treated-mussel larvae, which showed a larval size decrease of about 20% and showed morphological abnormalities such as convex hinges, weaker and thinner shells and protrusion of mantle.[130] The larval body size also impacts the encounter and clearance rates of food particles, and if larval shells are smaller or deformed, these larvae are more prone to starvation. In addition, CaCO₃ structures also serve vital functions for calcified larvae, such as defence against predation, as well as roles in feeding, buoyancy control and pH regulation.[129] Another example of a species which may be seriously impacted by ocean acidification is Pteropods, which are shelled pelagic molluscs which play an important role in the food-web of various ecosystems. Since they harbour an aragonitic shell, they could be very sensitive to ocean acidification driven by the increase of anthropogenic CO₂ emissions.Laboratory tests showed that calcification exhibits a 28% decrease at the pH value of the Arctic Ocean expected for the year 2100, compared to the present pH value. This 28% decline of calcification in the lower pH condition is within the range reported also for other calcifying organisms such as corals.[126] In contrast with sea urchin and bivalve larvae, corals and marine shrimps are more severely impacted by ocean acidification after settlement, while they developed into the polyp stage. From laboratory tests, the morphology of the CO₂-treated polyp endoskeleton of corals was disturbed and malformed compared to the radial pattern of control polyps.[129]
This variability in the impact of ocean acidification on different life cycle stages of different organisms can be partially explained by the fact that most echinoderms and mollusks start shell and skeleton synthesis at their larval stage, whereas corals start at the settlement stage. Hence, these stages are highly susceptible to the potential effects of ocean acidification.[129] Most calcifiers, such as corals, echinoderms, bivalves and crustaceans, play important roles in coastal ecosystems as keystone species, bioturbators and ecosystem engineers.[129] The food web in the Arctic Ocean is somewhat truncated, meaning it is short and simple. Any impacts to key species in the food web can cause exponentially devastating effects on the rest on the food chain as a whole, as they will no longer have a reliable food source. If these larger organisms no longer have any source of nutrients, they too will eventually die off, and the entire Arctic Ocean ecosystem will be affected. This would have a huge impact on the Arctic people who catch Arctic fish for a living, as well as the economic repercussions which would follow such a major shortage of food and living income for these families.
Possible responses [ edit ]
Reducing CO 2 emissions [ edit ]
Members of the InterAcademy Panel recommended that by 2050, global anthropogenic CO 2 emissions be reduced less than 50% of the 1990 level.[16] The 2009[16] statement also called on world leaders to:
Acknowledge that ocean acidification is a direct and real consequence of increasing atmospheric CO 2 concentrations, is already having an effect at current concentrations, and is likely to cause grave harm to important marine ecosystems as CO 2 concentrations reach 450 [parts-per-million (ppm)] and above;
concentrations, is already having an effect at current concentrations, and is likely to cause grave harm to important marine ecosystems as CO concentrations reach 450 [parts-per-million (ppm)] and above;... Recognise that reducing the build up of CO 2 in the atmosphere is the only practicable solution to mitigating ocean acidification;
in the atmosphere is the only practicable solution to mitigating ocean acidification;... Reinvigorate action to reduce stressors, such as overfishing and pollution, on marine ecosystems to increase resilience to ocean acidification.
Stabilizing atmospheric CO 2 concentrations at 450 ppm would require near-term emissions reductions, with steeper reductions over time.
The German Advisory Council on Global Change[132] stated:
In order to prevent disruption of the calcification of marine organisms and the resultant risk of fundamentally altering marine food webs, the following guard rail should be obeyed: the pH of near surface waters should not drop more than 0.2 units below the pre-industrial average value in any larger ocean region (nor in the global mean).
One policy target related to ocean acidity is the magnitude of future global warming. Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) adopted a target of limiting warming to below 2 °C, relative to the pre-industrial level.[133] Meeting this target would require substantial reductions in anthropogenic CO 2 emissions.
Limiting global warming to below 2 °C would imply a reduction in surface ocean pH of 0.16 from pre-industrial levels. This would represent a substantial decline in surface ocean pH.
On September 25, 2015, USEPA denied[136] a June 30, 2015, citizens petition[137] that asked EPA to regulate CO 2 under TSCA in order to mitigate ocean acidification. In the denial, EPA said that risks from ocean acidification were being "more efficiently and effectively addressed" under domestic actions, e.g., under the Presidential Climate Action Plan,[138] and that multiple avenues are being pursued to work with and in other nations to reduce emissions and deforestation and promote clean energy and energy efficiency.
On March 28, 2017 the US by executive order rescinded the Climate Action Plan.[139] On June 1, 2017 it was announced the US would withdraw from the Paris accords,[140] and on June 12, 2017 that the US would abstain from the G7 Climate Change Pledge,[141] two major international efforts to reduce CO 2 emissions.
Climate engineering [ edit ]
Climate engineering (mitigating temperature or pH effects of emissions) has been proposed as a possible response to ocean acidification. The IAP (2009)[16] statement cautioned against climate engineering as a policy response:
Mitigation approaches such as adding chemicals to counter the effects of acidification are likely to be expensive, only partly effective and only at a very local scale, and may pose additional unanticipated risks to the marine environment. There has been very little research on the feasibility and impacts of these approaches. Substantial research is needed before these techniques could be applied.
Reports by the WGBU (2006),[132] the UK's Royal Society (2009), and the US National Research Council (2011) warned of the potential risks and difficulties associated with climate engineering.
Iron fertilization [ edit ]
Iron fertilization of the ocean could stimulate photosynthesis in phytoplankton (see Iron hypothesis). The phytoplankton would convert the ocean's dissolved carbon dioxide into carbohydrate and oxygen gas, some of which would sink into the deeper ocean before oxidizing. More than a dozen open-sea experiments confirmed that adding iron to the ocean increases photosynthesis in phytoplankton by up to 30 times.[144] While this approach has been proposed as a potential solution to the ocean acidification problem, mitigation of surface ocean acidification might increase acidification in the less-inhabited deep ocean.[145]
A report by the UK's Royal Society (2009) reviewed the approach for effectiveness, affordability, timeliness and safety. The rating for affordability was "medium", or "not expected to be very cost-effective". For the other three criteria, the ratings ranged from "low" to "very low" (i.e., not good). For example, in regards to safety, the report found a "[high] potential for undesirable ecological side effects", and that ocean fertilization "may increase anoxic regions of ocean ('dead zones')".
Gallery [ edit ]
"Present day" (1990s) sea surface pH
Present day alkalinity
"Present day" (1990s) sea surface anthropogenic CO
2
Vertical inventory of "present day" (1990s) anthropogenic CO
2
Change in surface CO 2−
3 ion from the 1700s to the 1990s
Present day DIC
Pre-Industrial DIC
A NOAA (AOML) in situ CO
2 concentration sensor (SAMI-CO2), attached to a Coral Reef Early Warning System station, utilized in conducting ocean acidification studies near coral reef areas
A NOAA (PMEL) moored autonomous CO
2 buoy used for measuring CO
2 concentration and ocean acidification studies
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]The Richmond Fire Station Horse Stables in Melbourne, Australia have been transformed into a striking modern dwelling dubbed The Stable in a remarkable example of adaptive reuse. The red brick single-story building has been preserved as the core of an entirely new architectural experience - within its walls a three-story angular home rises up to capture daylight and views while providing a contemporary 3 bedroom retreat near downtown.
The radical redo is softened by the first story, which was still features its original weathered brick and garage door intact. Offset from the original fire station is the angular silvery skin of the addition. A few contemporary windows and a balcony perched up high give us a hint of what lays inside.
The main floor keeps the brick walls intact, but everything else is thoroughly modern– white walls, blond hardwood floors, and glossy black cabinets frame the large open floor plan.
What makes the home stand out, besides its sensitivity to the original building, is its embrace of daylighting throughout. The main floor is book-ended with light scoops, which morph into angled windows on the upper floor. The upper story is unabashedly contemporary with angled walls and windows. A walk-out porch allows residents to enjoy the nearby downtown to the west, and a mezzanine keeps it connected to the main floor.
Via Desire to InspireDrury says new roles will be in the areas of artificial intelligence, 'big data' and machine-learning.
Xero plans to hire another 50 highly paid product developers in Wellington by Christmas and "potentially quite a lot more" after that.
Chief executive Rod Drury said a lot of the new jobs, which would be in the fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning, would pay more than $100,000 and some would be "very senior".
Xero currently employs 512 staff in the city after signalling last year that some teams were near their full complement and it would ease back a bit on recruitment.
About 70 per cent of the candidates Xero was currently interviewing were returning Kiwis or international expats, Drury said.
READ MORE:
* Hiring slow-down at Xero always part of the plan
* 5 of New Zealand's coolest companies
* Xero will have a million customers within a year
"I think for the first time we are offering 'world class jobs' in New Zealand with no compromise – all the benefits of living here, but being able to do some of the most interesting work in 'big data', AI and machine-learning.
"These are the new skills that people need for their careers. We want to make New Zealand a real hub for this work. Wellington has a lot to offer and I really think it's 'our time'."
Britain's Brexit referendum and the political situation in the United States were making it easier to attract talent to New Zealand, he said.
One purpose of the work was to make accounting easier by providing the intelligence in its cloud-based software to learn what codes could be automatically applied to items in invoices and expenses.Solid play on words, right? Pokes fun at the pointlessness of white collar work and office life in general as well. For people who don’t recognize the image, it’s a reference to the myth of Sisyphus. For people who don’t understand what “he’s pushing 400 pounds” would normally mean, it means “he weighs around 400 pounds.” Okay, I think that’s everything.
Update: Sorry, I’m not deliberately trying to be obscure. Better explain the water cooler too. In United States culture, the water cooler has become so strongly associated with workplace gossip that “talking around the water cooler” is now a common metaphor for sharing social information with co-workers in an office setting.
Sorry, I know it’s been a while. I’m almost done with another cartoon that will be longer and more significant.
Follow me on Twitter already!ADVERTISEMENT
Much has been made lately of new legislation, like California's affirmative consent law, that is intended to broaden the definition of sexual assault. The hope is that such laws will provide greater protections to people at risk of sexual violence. But will it?
Amanda Taub at Vox argues that the fear of sexual assault imposes undue burdens on women's schedules and psychological bandwidth, amounting to a "tax" on women. Taub is absolutely right to note the disproportionate hardship inflicted on women by the lingering possibility of sexual assault. She's also right to recognize that the role of law in an equitable society is to provide protections that even out the unfair impositions stronger social groups make on weaker ones. The trouble is, expanding legal definitions of sexual assault seems primed to do the opposite.
Consider legislation introduced by New Jersey assemblyman Troy Singleton, which would create a new category of crime, "sexual assault by fraud," defined as "an act of sexual penetration to which a person has given consent because the actor has misrepresented the purpose of the act or has represented he is someone he is not."
At first glance, categorizing sex under deceptive circumstances as rape appears to make some sense; ever-developing notions of consent tend to (rightfully) identify informed consent as the only sort that counts. And yet informed consent in matters of medicine and business exchange are markedly different: It's one thing be informed of the risks of a kidney transplant before agreeing to go through with the procedure, and another to be informed of every detail of your doctor's identity and life before making your decision. By the lights of this new legislation, sexual-assault-by-fraud is a crime not of concealing details pertinent to outcomes — like having HIV or not using contraception — but of concealing details pertinent to a person's identity and state of mind.
And this is a more disturbing approach when it comes to arranging laws around sexual assault that are intended to protect classes of people who are typically ill-secured by current laws. Some countries and states already maintain rape-by-fraud statutes, but as promising as they may be in theory, they are nonetheless applied by the people and cultures they are situated within. In Israel, for example, an Arab man was convicted of rape in 2010 for presenting himself as a Jewish bachelor interested in a relationship, which led to a quick tryst with a Jewish woman who filed charges against him only after learning that he was an Arab.
Yet as more evidence from the 2010 case has come to light, deficiencies with the law have become clear. It now appears that the woman who filed the charges did so based mainly on her desire to have a real relationship with the man, rather than a fling. It was the Israeli courts and media, on the other hand, that seized upon the defendant's ethnicity. In the final analysis, nobody won: the plaintiff's genuine grievance wasn't redressed and the state appeared backwards for making the distinction between Jews and Arabs meaningful enough to prosecute.
After all, a fairly broad proportion of identity is difficult to verify. If a person presents himself, for example, as a "believer," it's challenging to imagine a litmus test we would be comfortable with the state endorsing. Further, there have been historical understandings of identity — such as the Jim Crow-approved "one-drop rule" — which deny individuals the ability to assert their own identities, instead relying on prejudiced notions of race and identity that are socially inscribed. With statutes that aim to determine whether or not a person has misrepresented their identity, it seems some measure would have to be produced to distinguish truth from falsehood even in cases where doing so would rely heavily upon biased notions of complex categories — race, gender, ethnicity, religion.
And it's unlikely that the people who are regularly burdened with the sorts of "taxes" Taub recognizes would come out on top in these rulings. In cases of personal misrepresentation — or in cases wherein a plaintiff feels moved to argue that a partner's identity was misrepresented to ill effect — we will likely always be dealing with a socially-lesser identity being fudged to a more beneficial one: A poor person, for instance, pretending to be wealthy. But this means that statutes pursuing misrepresentation as a form of sexual assault will likely target those whose identities are already deemed less socially valuable.
At The Boston Review, Judith Levine points out that "affirmative consent laws represent a fantasy of a benign state — or in this case, state-funded institution — innocent of self-interest, racism, or class bias…" which seems equally true of legislation that would seek to define categories of identity in order to adjudicate accusations of sexual assault via fraud. So long as the justice system is fraught by prejudices, laws that empower that same system the power to target those with particularly vulnerable identities will do nothing to make anyone safer.I am noticing a disturbing trend. On every device I use (e.g. iPhone 6 Plus, desktop, tablet) websites seems to be getting slower and slower to interact with. This isn’t true for every website I visit. However, for all of the bigger and more heavily trafficked websites it is definitely true.
Specifically, I have noticed the following:
Websites seem to take forever to show initial content. The screen is white for a long time before content appears. I can see that tons of data is being downloaded and the CPU spikes hard. Sometimes, fans spin up. However, nothing is visible. Then, all at once, the website is shown. Often, it can take ~2 seconds before the page is initially displayed. Why does my phone have to download and parse a megabyte of JavaScript in order to then download an parse a bunch of JSON to then convert it to HTML to then be rendered. In what universe does this make sense? Why not just download and show the HTML directly? Browsers are crazy fast at rendering plain HTML. Web servers are crazy good at compressing and serving plain HTML. Can anyone explain this insanity? Why do I need another rendering engine built in JavaScript? After the initial page load, the page begins to jitter and convulse like someone with epilepsy as page re-flow occurs over and over again. This usually continues for about 2 more seconds. Can anyone actually read anything on a web page while page re-flows are occurring due to ajaxing content and various other useless gizmos in? After the page is fully loaded, several modal pop-ups, pop-overs, and sliders appear. Those usually take another 2 seconds to dismiss, if I can even dismiss them at all. Some of them can’t be dismissed, or are broken on certain devices, and actually cover main content. It reminds of all of the porn pop-ups from the nineties. Why would anyone do that to their users? Then, as soon as I scroll the page, the page gets jittery and starts to stutter all over again. Of course, my CPU spikes also. Why does scrolling cause the page to have convulsions and fits as re-flows happen again? What possible business case does this fix? If I leave one of these websites open long enough, sometimes my browser/computer will run out of memory and the browser crashes or needs to be restarted because it becomes unresponsive. I have gigabytes of RAM. What could a silly web page be doing that could use up all that RAM? Are these JavaScript objects that are never being garbage collected? Your website should never do anything that requires all of my RAM. Not in this universe or any other. Why would someone do this?
I don’t know why in the world anyone would make a website that has the above characteristics. Yet, I see it spreading like cancer. People may have reasons that sound good in theory for these shenanigans. But, the reality is that these methodologies are causing an experience for users that is horrible and widespread. Whatever propeller head engineering decisions that resulted in the current sad state of the internet surely cannot be good ones, can they?Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin marked the arrival of Spring by signing a new “religious freedom” law that allows student groups at public universities and high schools to turn away LGBT students, ostensibly in the interest of permitting “students to voluntarily express religious or political viewpoints.”
Kentucky’s new law is just the latest salvo in a growing trend that uses weaponized “religious freedom” legislation to target specific state functions or agencies, effectively gutting existing LGBT protections in those areas. South Dakota led the way, followed by Alabama, and Texas’ SB 156.
The avalanche of anti-LGBT legislation already passing necessitates a sobering reminder: It’s only March.
“Several state legislatures have filed religious refusal laws this year, claiming that their goal is to curb ‘government discrimination’ against religious people or organizations,” said Ashe McGovern, the associate director of Columbia Law School’s Public Rights/Private Conscience Project at the Center for Gender and Sexuality Law. “This signals a rethinking of strategies [about how to pass anti-LGBT laws] and an acknowledgement that ‘government discrimination’ against religious organizations or people is a more resonant framework than one that outright condemns LGBTQ people.”
Like most of the so-called “religious freedom” legislation we’re seeing lately, the Kentucky law makes no explicit mention of LGBT people, nor does it include the words “sexual orientation” or “gender identity.” Instead, in what critics see as an effort to shield such laws from legal scrutiny, the law positions itself as “viewpoint-neutral,” suggesting that “no recognized religious or political student organization is discriminated against in the ordering of its internal affairs.”
While that language sounds innocuous, it doesn’t take a legal scholar to understand how that vague requirement could be used to defend exclusionary membership policies that, for instance, require anyone interested to sign a “statement of faith” that denies the validity of LGBT identities. That’s all well and good for a religious group, but when that group is receiving funding or resources directly from a public school (funded by taxpayer dollars), the burden to serve “all comers” is much more substantial.So it’s been about five minutes since getting back to the apartment after seeing Wes Anderson’s new film The Grand Budapest Hotel and I have to say, I was pleased. I didn’t want to be blindsided by the amazing cast advertised in the movie, but I was very excited and high expectations for the film based on the cast alone. I know it’s generally a bad idea to assume a movie will be good based on the cast alone, but Wes Anderson tends to not disappoint. There was also very minimal amounts of Owen Wilson (who I am not fond of).
The structure of the movie was mostly a narrative and I tend to enjoy narratives quite a bit (Perfume). I don’t have much to say beyond that, but it is definitely a moving story about Tony Revolori‘s character Zero coming into his inheritance of the hotel and how Ralph Fiennes‘ is a total badass who all men should strive to be like.
As the whole movie unfolds and you learn more and more about Fiennes and Revolori’s characters it becomes apparent that the movie as a whole is sad, but very touching. The Grand Budapest Hotel is full of typical Wes Anderson antics such as center framed shots (all the time), specific aspect ratios for various settings in time, and of course dry humor followed by excellently silly abrupt chase scenes. Oh yeah, and BILL FUCKING MURRAY!!!
He’s not in it enough, but the entire cast comes together excellently to make for an excellent movie that I can only hope will hit broadway starring the exact same people…hopefully.
8/10 for awesomeness (could have been a 9 with more B. Murray.)
G
AdvertisementsA Metro-North employee training to be an engineer was arrested Tuesday after a woman told police he performed a lewd act over her while she was asleep on a train, sources said. (Published Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2014)
The Metro-North employee accused of performing a lewd act over a woman while she was asleep on a train pleaded not guilty to public indecency, breach of peace and fourth-degree sexual assault, court officials said Tuesday.
Manny Ramos, 34, of Brooklyn, N.Y., was arrested Jan. 28 following a complaint from a passenger on a train from New York City to Connecticut, Metro-North officials said. Ramos was training to be engineer, sources tell NBC 4 New York.
Today, Ramos pleaded not guilty to all three charges. His case was continued to March 11.
Sources said the victim was on a 7:35 a.m. train to New Haven and told police she awoke to noises above her and found evidence of the act on her body.
Ramos fled the train when it stopped at the Fairfield station, according to a Metro-North spokesperson.
The train was halted at Fairfield for nearly an hour while police investigated. Ramos was found on a street near the station and the victim identified him as the person responsible, according to the MTA.
"Everyone at Metro-North is outraged by the disgusting actions that this employee is alleged to have committed, and we are glad our train crew and the MTA Police Department acted quickly to apprehend him," said Metro-North President Howard Permut, in a statement Tuesday. "We hold our employees to a high standard, and his alleged conduct is completely unacceptable. We will assist Connecticut prosecutors in any way possible as they pursue their criminal case."
Ramos hired as a coach cleaner in October 2011 and has been in an engineer training program since March 2013, the MTA said. He has been suspended without pay.
Passengers said they were shocked and disturbed by the incident.
"I see people sleeping all the time," said Lauren Winstel, of New York, who was waiting to board a train at the Fairfield station. "It's just really strange that something like that could occur. You think people are respectful of each other, so it's surprising."
The train was stopped in Fairfield for about an hour the morning of the incident.
Copyright Associated Press / NBC ConnecticutSAN ANTONIO - San Antonio Chef Johnny Hernandez has had enough.
He issued a challenge Friday to the city of Austin after an article was published that claims the capital is the home of the breakfast taco.
The article titled "How Austin Became the Home of the Crucial Breakfast Taco," was written by Matthew Sedacca and published by Eater, Austin.
It claims that, according to Texas food writer Robert Walsh, Austin is the "birthplace of the phrase breakfast taco, and thus the original catalyst for its widespread, and originally unexpected popularity."
"Little did Sedacca know that this would ignite the feud of all feuds overnight," Hernandez said in a press release.
Click here to read the full release.
Hernandez said that San Antonio is "breakfast taco strong" and that the "time has come to settle this feud once and for all."
Hernandez is calling for numerous chefs from both cities to create their best tacos and let the people be the judge. He said the proceeds will be donated to charity.
With the challenge issued, the world, and mainly South Texas, awaits a response from the capital.
Copyright 2016 by KSAT - All rights reserved.The health problems associated with the Zika virus continue to pile up, and a new report from researchers in Brazil reveals that the virus can also cause hearing loss in babies born to a mother who was infected.
Scientists are still in the early stages of understanding the full breadth of the health problems that are caused by Zika. The virus is proven to cause the birth defect microcephaly, and other recent studies have shown the virus is also responsible for vision problems and other serious brain damage.
TIME Health Newsletter Get the latest health and science news, plus: burning questions and expert tips. View Sample Sign Up Now
In the new study, published Tuesday in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, scientists report that out of 70 kids with Zika-related microcephaly, four had hearing loss that was caused by damage to the inner ear or damage to the nerve that connects the ear to the brain. The hearing loss couldn’t be attributed to any other cause. Based on this, the researchers say hearing loss should be considered another risk factor for Zika.
Other congenital infections are known to cause hearing problems, but this is one of the first times its been documented among children with Zika-related microcephaly. The researchers add that it’s possible some children born with Zika infections but without microcephaly could also be at risk for hearing problems, though this has not yet been determined.
Contact us at [email protected] Chandrachud: Debating the NJAC Judgment of the Supreme Court of India: Three Dimensions
Over a week has passed since the Supreme Court of India, in what will most commonly be described as the ‘fourth judges case’, struck down a constitutional amendment and a law enacted by Parliament seeking to reform the process of judicial appointments to the Supreme Court and High Courts. The amendment attempted to replace the judge-led ‘collegium’ system of appointments, which has been in place since 1993, with a six member National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC). By a four to one majority in a judgment of over a thousand pages, the Court struck down the amendment in its entirety. The significance of the case is exacerbated by the fact that this was only the fourth occasion since the ‘basic structure doctrine’ was announced that the Court has relied upon the doctrine to invalidate a constitutional amendment.
Debates about the judgment have taken place across three dimensions: parliamentary supremacy, judicial independence, and the separation of powers. This piece attempts to isolate and deconstruct the implications of the judgment on each of these dimensions.
Parliamentary supremacy
Since the day of the court’s decision, several members of the establishment have criticized it on the basis that it undermines the supremacy of Parliament. This is somewhat peculiar, since parliamentary supremacy – a doctrine whose relevance has been long debated in Britain – has never taken root in India. Nevertheless, it is worth briefly pausing to consider whether there is any merit in the argument.
Those criticizing the Court’s judgment on the basis of parliamentary supremacy could be referring to three principles. First, that there are no impediments to Parliament’s (ordinary) lawmaking authority. This understanding of parliamentary supremacy is patently incorrect, since the constitution, as originally framed, imposed considerable limits on Parliament. Second, that although there are limits to Parliament’s legislative authority, it possesses unlimited authority to amend the constitution through supermajorities. This understanding is defeated by the fact that all parties to the litigation accepted that the Supreme Court had the jurisdiction to determine whether or not the amendment violated the basic structure of the Constitution.
The third possible reading of parliamentary supremacy is a mellowed version of the first two – since Parliament represents the will of the people, its legislation (and constitutional amendments) are entitled to some degree of respect. To begin with, it is doubtful whether the label of supremacy properly characterizes this claim. Even so, the government’s arguments in the case seem to rely on this notion of parliamentary supremacy. For example, the Supreme Court recorded the government’s argument that the amendment was approved almost unanimously in both Houses of Parliament, and ratified by an overwhelming majority of states. This was a redundant argument as a matter of formal constitutional law – under which, once an amendment is enacted, the extent of its support is irrelevant to adjudication. Instead, the government was seeking to make a prudential argument based on this conception of parliamentary supremacy – that the Court should defer to the voice of the people, expressed by the Houses unanimously. The Supreme Court was correct in refusing to take the bait. The Court already confers legislation and constitutional amendments with a level of respect through the ‘presumption of constitutionality’, which places the initial burden of proving that the law is unconstitutional on he who challenges it. Additional layers of ‘respect’ in this case would risk abdication.
Judicial independence
The second, more powerful, dimension on which the court’s judgment has been critiqued is its approach to judicial independence. That the independence of the judiciary forms part of the basic structure of the Constitution, and thus cannot be compromised, is uncontroversial. The contestation, however, took place at one step removed from this – is primacy of the judiciary in the appointments process the only, or the best, method of ensuring the independence of the judiciary? The four judges in the majority answered in the affirmative.
This was a serious error. As the dissenting judge notes, the argument that the primacy of the judiciary in the appointments process is the only way of securing independence has no basis in constitutional history or political theory. An article in the Indian Express cites several examples of judges who, although appointed by the establishment, proved to be vigorously independent (in fact, fixed salaries and security of tenure are guaranteed to facilitate this objective). But the argument need not be taken that far. The Supreme Court was not making a binary choice between primacy of the judiciary and primacy of the executive. It effectively ruled all ‘non-primacy of the judiciary’ options out of bounds. In other words, the Court would not have been acting inconsistently had it held that the primacy of the judiciary did not form part of the basic structure of the Constitution, but that an appointments process that established primacy of the executive would violate it.
The majority committed a still more fundamental error. It is far from self-evident that the NJAC does not, in fact, grant primacy to the judiciary. In order to understand the argument, it is worth briefly recollecting the composition of the NJAC. The NJAC would consist of six members – the Chief Justice of India, the two most senior judges of the Supreme Court, the Law Minister, and two ‘ |
people feel happy, even though they are not more successful because of it, they are not richer, they are not healthier. But that’s their psychology.
Is that more important than economic success for them?
No. That’s not going to be forever. The economy is not that bad now; that feeling of Russia being great again is rather new, so that cannot guarantee maximum popularity for a long time. For six months, for a year—that can probably guarantee him a safe reelection during the election to be held next March, but of course it cannot be forever.No. 14 UCF beat No. 20 Memphis in double-overtime in a thrilling AAC Championship Game on Saturday, 62-55. The Knights moved to 12-0 and clinched a berth in a New Year’s Six bowl game, probably the Peach specifically.
Nebraska announced moments after the game that it was hiring away UCF head coach Scott Frost, a native son and alum. Frost is likely to coach UCF’s bowl game.
The decisive play was an interception by the Knights’ Tre Neal.
The teams had traded scores in the first OT, and UCF scored to go up in the second.
The end of regulation was wild.
Memphis had come back from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit when the Tigers got the ball at their own 43 with 2:35 to play. On a third-and-14 after a delay of game penalty, a 36-yard Darrell Henderson run gave them a chance to win with a field goal. Freshman kicker Riley Patterson had a 46-yard try blocked, then missed a 51-yarder after Frost’s attempt to ice him with a timeout before the snap gave him another shot.
Memphis intercepted UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton on UCF’s ensuing last-minute drive, but the Knights sacked Memphis’ Riley Ferguson to force overtime.
There were a combined 1,399 yards of offense in the first 60 minutes.
Fourth quarter
The Knights added some separation with a field goal to go up two touchdowns with 10 minutes left.
But Memphis answered, first with a 66-yard touchdown run almost immediately thereafter by Tony Pollard. The Tigers then tied the game on a Riley Ferguson touchdown pass to Anthony Miller. That set up the wild finish.
Third quarter
Memphis had a touchdown lead at halftime. But the Tigers failed on a surprise onside kick attempt to start the third quarter, and UCF tied the game moments later.
Memphis countered with a field goal drive to go back ahead.
UCF then got on a run, though. The Knights scored back-to-back touchdowns on throws from McKenzie Milton to Tre’Quan Smith and Dredrick Snelson.
Second quarter
Memphis scored a quick touchdown on a 13-yard pass from Riley Ferguson to Tony Pollard, cutting into the Knights’ 10-point lead.
UCF responded on the next drive, when Milton threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to Smith. It was Milton’s second bomb touchdown pass of the day, after he threw a 48-yarder to Jordan Akins in the first.
Memphis in turn got a 30-yard touchdown run from Darrell Henderson after a fumble recovery in UCF territory, and then pulled ahead for the first time on a 68-yarder from Ferguson to Anthony Miller. This game’s been an offensive firework show.
First quarter
The Knights scored the first 10 points of the game before the teams traded touchdowns to finish the first 15 minutes at 17-7, UCF.
The quarter also included UCF linebacker Shaquem Griffin, who has one hand, wrestling a loose ball away from Memphis.
Pregame stuff and a brief intro
For the UCF Knights and the Memphis Tigers, Saturday’s game is about more than just a conference championship. Whoever wins will end up in a prestigious New Year’s Day bowl.
The Knights and Tigers will battle on championship weekend for the American Athletic Conference crown, broadcast on ABC at noon ET (live stream). The winner will almost certainly be the highest-ranked representative from the Group of 5 conferences in the College Football Playoff rankings and, with that, will earn a spot in the biggest set of bowl games outside the final four.
For UCF, a win would add another chapter to the story of an incredible comeback. The Knights were 0-12 only two seasons ago before hiring Scott Frost to take over as head coach. Frost’s turnaround has been borderline unbelievable — after a 6-6 season last fall, he’s got his rising program out to a 11-0 start in 2017. Getting past Memphis, however, may prove to be the biggest challenge of his season.
Time, TV channel, and streaming info
Time : Noon ET
: Noon ET Location : Spectrum Stadium, Orlando, Fla.
: Spectrum Stadium, Orlando, Fla. TV : ABC
: ABC Streaming : WatchESPN
: WatchESPN Odds: UCF is favored by 7 points
UCF vs. Memphis News
There’s a good chance UCF is witnessing the final days of the Scott Frost era.
Now Frost runs a unique, smart offense at undefeated UCF, and it’s worked to the tune of a national-best 48 points per game. Frost is this year’s Tom Herman, the Group of 5 head coach whose recruiting savvy and on-field results make him one of the hottest candidates around for all the biggest jobs. Huskers fans showed up at a UCF game in Philadelphia to woo him home with signs. New athletic director Bill Moos is on the record as a Frost fan.
Losing Saturday’s game could be the difference between the Peach Bowl and the Birmingham Bowl.
Peach (Atlanta): Georgia vs. UCF Birmingham: Memphis vs. MTSU*
Will McKenzie Milton continue to play above his stature?
Milton is only 5’11, but he plays like a giant. He threw for 373 yards and four touchdowns last week to lead the Knights to a shootout win over South Florida. Earlier in the season, he threw for 253 yards and three touchdowns to torch the Tigers, 40-13. Another big performance will cement his claim as one of the FBS’s top quarterbacks.
UCF vs. Memphis prediction
Two high-powered offenses will clash in Orlando, but UCF has already crushed Memphis once this season, 40-13. Saturday’s game will be closer than that, but the Knights’ perfect season will continue.Shares of home carbonated beverage maker SodaStream (SODA) have been on a tear since January, with shares up more than 130% since the beginning of the year.
The company has recently been at war with the bottled water industry.
Last month, SodaStream launched a new video campaign called “Shame or Glory,” which features stars from the hit TV show “Game of Thrones.”
“Basically it’s a walk of shame, only it’s about plastic bottles because the plastic bottles are indeed very shameful to the planet where we’re using so many of them and they that they just become trash in the oceans and in parks and whatnot it’s a disaster. It’s a major hazard to humanity and to our planet,” SodaStream CEO Daniel Birnbaum told Yahoo Finance in the video above.
Daniel Birnbaum, CEO of SodaStream REUTERS/Ammar Awad More
So far, the ad has garnered more than 50 million views, but some in the bottled-water industry aren’t pleased.
According to Birnbaum, SodaStream has received six cease-and-desist letters, including ones from Denis Cans, the CEO of Nestlé Waters, France, and the US-based International Bottled Water Association.
“Of course we will not comply because there’s nothing false or misleading or defaming in that ad. It’s the simple truth but it’s very inconvenient for these folks who are making a ton of money.”
Birnbaum contends that bottled water companies are making money off water that’s “really public water.”
“Why most of the bottled water by the way half of the bottled water in America is from municipal sources put in a nice package glorified with a beautiful name as if it’s coming from Italy or somewhere with a very high ticket and that’s misleading consumers.”
He went on to call the bottled water industry the “biggest advertising and marketing scam ever in history.”
“This whole bottled water industry—it should not exist and I think that in ten or twenty years it will be it won’t exist or it’ll have major warning labels like cigarettes do today.”
—
Julia La Roche is a finance reporter at Yahoo Finance.
Read more:
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Bill Ackman made close to $400M on Fannie and Freddie
How Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz likes his coffeeThe United States disregarded advanced warning of a 2000 Al Qaeda plot to hijack a commercial airliner because “nobody believed that Usama bin Laden’s organization or the Taliban could carry out such an operation,” according to intelligence documents obtained by Judicial Watch.
It took the government 11 years to furnish the records, requested in May 2002 as part of JW’s Terrorism Research and Analysis Project, and they are just as alarming today as they would have been a decade ago. The documents, from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) reveal that Al Qaeda had a sophisticated plan to hijack a commercial airliner departing Frankfurt International Airport between March and August 2000. The hijack team was to consist of an Arab, a Pakistani and a Chechen and their targets were U.S. airlines, Lufthansa and Air France.
The intelligence report is remarkably rich in operational details and includes the names, addresses, telephone numbers, operatives’ assignments and duties. It pieces together an intricate plot directed by a 40-year-old Saudi (Sheik Dzabir) from a prominent family with ties to the House of Saud. Al Qaeda actually penetrated the consular section of the German Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, relying on a contact referred to in the intelligence report as “Mrs. Wagner” to provide European Union (EU) visas for use in forged Pakistani passports for the terrorists.
Al Qaeda, the Taliban and Chechen Islamist militants all had substantial operating and support bases in Hamburg and Frankfurt, Germany, according to the data, which also identifies an Al Qaeda passport forger in Hamburg using name, address and telephone numbers. The Taliban Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs conducted meetings in Frankfurt for Taliban and other Afghan terrorists and support personnel during January and February 2000, the U.S. intelligence files reveal.
The records also show documented operational coordination and cooperation between Al Qaeda and Chechen militants. This includes the existence of a secure, reliable terrorist-sponsored route to Chechnya from Pakistan and Afghanistan through Iran, Turkey and Azerbaijan. Chechen withdrawal from the plot delayed the operation, the intelligence report says. It also documents evidence of an extensive Al Qaeda terror and support network in Germany as well as deep ties between Al Qaeda and Chechens.
Information about the plot came from an unidentified human intelligence source that provided U.S. authorities with copies of Arabic letters containing details of the Al Qaeda plot. For years the subject report was classified “SECRET” until it finally got declassified and released to JW on August 22, 2013. JW continues gathering information on Al Qaeda activities and U.S. investigations leading to the 9/11 hijackings as well as other terrorist attacks.
In fact, a separate classified intelligence report obtained by JW in 2005 suddenly became relevant this year when “radicalized” Chechen brothers detonated bombs at the Boston Marathon. That document includes shocking details of Al Qaeda’s operations in Chechnya and the tactics employed by Chechen terrorists, including cell phone detonation of backpack bombs like in Boston. It also contains information about Al Qaeda’s activities in Chechnya, including the creation of a 1995 camp—ordered by Osama bin Laden—to train “international terrorists” to carry out plots against Americans and westerners.Four years ago, some of us watched with a mixture of incredulity and horror as elite discussion of economic policy went completely off the rails. Over the course of just a few months, influential people all over the Western world convinced themselves and each other that budget deficits were an existential threat, trumping any and all concern about mass unemployment. The result was a turn to fiscal austerity that deepened and prolonged the economic crisis, inflicting immense suffering.
And now it’s happening again. Suddenly, it seems as if all the serious people are telling each other that despite high unemployment there’s hardly any “slack” in labor markets — as evidenced by a supposed surge in wages — and that the Federal Reserve needs to start raising interest rates very soon to head off the danger of inflation.
To be fair, those making the case for monetary tightening are more thoughtful and less overtly political than the archons of austerity who drove the last wrong turn in policy. But the advice they’re giving could be just as destructive.
O.K., where is this coming from?
The starting point for this turn in elite opinion is the assertion that wages, after stagnating for years, have started to rise rapidly. And it’s true that one popular measure of wages has indeed picked up, with an especially large bump last month.For unlimited access to the best local, national, and international news and much more, try an All Access Digital subscription:
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*Introductory pricing schedule for 12 month: $0.99/month plus tax for first 3 months, $5.99/month for months 4 - 6, $10.99/month for months 7 - 9, $13.99/month for months 10 - 12. Standard All Access Digital rate of $16.99/month begins after first year.
*Introductory pricing schedule for 12 month: $0.99/month plus tax for first 3 months, $5.99/month for months 4 - 6, $10.99/month for months 7 - 9, $13.99/month for months 10 - 12. Standard All Access Digital rate of $16.99/month begins after first year.
*Introductory pricing schedule for 12 month: $0.99/month plus tax for first 3 months, $5.99/month for months 4 - 6, $10.99/month for months 7 - 9, $13.99/month for months 10 - 12. Standard All Access Digital rate of $16.99/month begins after first year.
For unlimited access to the best local, national, and international news and much more, try an All Access Digital subscription:
We hope you have enjoyed your trial! To continue reading, we recommend our Read Now Pay Later membership. Simply add a form of payment and pay only 27¢ per article.
For unlimited access to the best local, national, and international news and much more, try an All Access Digital subscription:
We hope you have enjoyed your trial! To continue reading, we recommend our Read Now Pay Later membership. Simply add a form of payment and pay only 27¢ per article.
The government now deems your retirement savings "dead money." You should be spending it today — regardless of need — instead of saving it for tomorrow. Otherwise, you will face a new tax of over 70 per cent. Because working hard to save for retirement should not benefit you more than 30 cents on the dollar.
He informs you that, while for decades the government has used the tax system purposefully to encourage you to save for retirement and to invest in our economy, you are now a tax evader. Yes, your RRSP tax deferral, designed by the federal government, is now not fair to middle-class Canadians (the government won’t tell you who is "middle-class" exactly, just that you aren’t).
Sitting at home, watching the Bombers play on a warm summer day, there’s an unexpected knock at your door from a Finance Canada official.
Explaining the federal government’s proposed small business tax changes is no easy task. Perhaps the best way to explain it, and to understand the passionate outcry from small business, is to offer the following example.
Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 2/10/2017 (512 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 2/10/2017 (512 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Explaining the federal government’s proposed small business tax changes is no easy task. Perhaps the best way to explain it, and to understand the passionate outcry from small business, is to offer the following example.
Sitting at home, watching the Bombers play on a warm summer day, there’s an unexpected knock at your door from a Finance Canada official.
He informs you that, while for decades the government has used the tax system purposefully to encourage you to save for retirement and to invest in our economy, you are now a tax evader. Yes, your RRSP tax deferral, designed by the federal government, is now not fair to middle-class Canadians (the government won’t tell you who is "middle-class" exactly, just that you aren’t).
The government now deems your retirement savings "dead money." You should be spending it today — regardless of need — instead of saving it for tomorrow. Otherwise, you will face a new tax of over 70 per cent. Because working hard to save for retirement should not benefit you more than 30 cents on the dollar.
For your daughter, who is interested in buying your fourth-generation family home in St. Boniface — the government is raising the taxes you would pay when selling it to her. In fact, you would save money by selling it to a non-family member from out of town.
If you have any concerns with these "fairness" changes, you have 75 days — 45 of which are before the September long weekend — to state your case in support of keeping your "unfair tax loopholes."
This is effectively what happened to small business on July 18. Finance Minister Bill Morneau released a set of tax changes in the dead of summer that will radically impair the ability of small business owners to save for rainy days, to do succession planning, to invest in growing and creating jobs.
The first of these changes looks to raise taxes on family members who work in the business. Under these changes, Canadian private companies will be forced to show the value of the contributions of family members to the business. Take your favourite neighborhood family restaurant. The owner has been paying her husband $40,000 a year to do the books — along with hundreds of other things that let her focus on the family business. She also pays her son $10,000 a year to work there while not in school.
Under the proposed changes, that business owner will have to prove the "worth" of her family’s labour to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). If she’s unsuccessful, her family will face thousands of dollars in higher taxes.
The second change will increase taxes on family businesses being passed down from one generation to the next. The change will actually incentivize selling to a third party rather than selling to your own kids. It’s great that a child wants to become the third generation to run the family business, but when their parents are facing an increased tax bill of tens of thousands of dollars, the choice isn’t so appealing.
A couple weeks ago, the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) noted over 40 per cent of Canadian entrepreneurs plan to retire in the next five years. If we want to see the continuation of family-run businesses in Canada, we need to support the intergenerational transfer of businesses, not hinder it.
The last of these changes targets saved income in businesses. Every household needs a rainy-day fund. Most businesses do, too. It’s called prudent financial planning. They hold these funds so they can one day invest in planned expansions or new technology — or survive economic downturns, such as the 2008 financial crisis, when Canada lost 30,000 businesses. If the current proposals were in place then, the numbers would have been significantly higher and the recession longer.
October is Small Business Month, a time when we should be celebrating the job creators of this country, not threatening their survival with divisive, class-based rhetoric and proposals. Over 95 per cent of the businesses in this country have fewer than 50 employees. From 2005 to 2015, small businesses created over a million jobs in Canada — almost 90 per cent of all private-sector jobs created. These are the restaurateurs, shop owners and young startups who employ our neighbours and are deeply connected to our local economies, issues and causes.
Find out more about your small business community. Tell your MP that you care about small business. Let small business know you appreciate the one million jobs they’ve created for you and your children. Visit www.protectgrowth.ca.
Small businesses don’t ask for much — just to be heard, respected and encouraged to do what they do best: grow and build prosperity in communities across Canada.
Loren Remillard is president and CEO of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce.Thieves broke into a Canadian Tire in Bedford on Friday morning and made off with an unusual haul.
A staff member called police at around 10 a.m. — two hours after the Damascus Road store opened — to report the building had been broken into and that 48 kayaks were gone.
Police are investigating.
Halifax Regional Police spokesperson Const. Dianne Penfound said she's never heard of anything like this before.
"It does seem like a unique thing to steal and it's quite a number of them, so somebody would have had to put some thought into this," said Penfound.
"It's definitely unique."
Penfound said it's too soon to say if the kayaks were stolen from outside the Canadian Tire building or inside, but that's part of the investigation.Passengers in terror as 'furious tycoon clung to helicopter that blew debris over his Land Rover'
Accused: Houshang Jafari leaves Bristol Court yesterday
A wealthy businessman attacked a helicopter in a rage and tried to hang on to it as it took off laden with passengers outside his £1 million flat, a court heard yesterday.
Houshang Jafari, 59, was allegedly angry the private Jet Ranger blew debris over his Land Rover as it landed in the extensive gardens in a converted manor house.
He'stormed' towards the chopper and tried to open the pilot's door before he kicked the aircraft, threw a green bag at the windscreen and held on to the skid bar.
Pilot Mark Blokland and his four passengers feared for their lives after heavily-built Jafari pulled at the helicopter's undercarriage causing it to pitch to one side.
He allegedly put the pilot and his passengers in 'catastrophic danger' as the helicopter tried to take off from Dower House in Bristol.
Jafari yesterday denied one count of endangering the safety of an aircraft at Bristol Crown Court.
The court heard Mr Blokland hired the helicopter to take wife Tammy and two friends, who also had a £1.2million flat in Dower House, out for lunch.
James Patrick, prosecuting, said: 'For some reason he was extremely angry, some would say livid.
'He had in his hands a green carrier bag which he then threw towards the helicopter. If that had gone into the rotor it could have been catastrophic.
'The helicopter could have spun out of control if the carrier bag had gone into the engine.
'Mr Blokland saw Mr Jafari coming towards him, his face twisted with anger. He kicked at the front of the aircraft and tried the pilot's door.
The helicopter landed in the grounds of Dower House, Bristol, where Mr Jafari has a £1million flat
'The people in the aircraft were terrified. He just about had enough rotor speed to take off and so they began to rise.
'To lose control of a helicopter at that stage could be extremely dangerous.
'Mr Jafari was causing the helicopter to tilt to a hugely dangerous angle. Fortunately Mr Blokland managed to keep control and he took off.'
The court heard Mr Blokland flew the Jet Ranger helicopter to Dower House with his wife Tammy on March 21, 2009, to pick up business partner Simon Clarke and his wife Lisa Hale.
Mr Clarke had met other residents of the building to ensure there were no problems with the landing but, the court heard, not everyone had been informed.
The experienced helicopter pilot circled the area twice at 1,000 feet before he landed outside Dower House and kept the rotor blades spinning at 'idle' speed while the couple boarded.
After collecting his passengers, Mr Blokland saw a man approach the aircraft. He raised his left hand and shooed him away but the man kept on moving towards the pilot's hatch.
A jet Ranger helicopter similar to the one which Mr Jafari allegedly attacked during a confrontation near his £1million home
The court heard Mr Blokland could not power the helicopter down, as the blades may have taken the man's head off.
He allegedly threw a bag at the helicopter, which hit the 'bubble' or canopy of the aircraft and 'felt like ten tons', Mr Blokland said.
Mr Blokland told the court: 'I still clearly remember the male coming towards me. The face was of no expression and of increasing determination to approach the helicopter.
'I realised the individual was not of a friendly nature and as a pilot I felt threatened.
'He came storming to the helicopter and flung something at the bubble, that's the canopy. It felt pretty big - it felt like ten tons.
'The mood was hysterical. The individual was now clearly extremely aggressive. He came around the pilot's side door and I was really scared.
'The blades were nearly at speed - it could have been catastrophic. He was around at the door, I didn't want to see if he was going to open it.
'I lifted up - it immediately banked aggressively onto the right hand side.'
The passengers of Jet Ranger were 'terrified' as Jafari allegedly tried to hold on to the right skip bar of the helicopter.
Mr Blokland managed to recover the craft, but had to set it down in a neighbouring field to check his instruments and allow the frightened passengers to calm down and compose themselves before they continued on to their destination.
He later called the Civil Aviation Authority and the police to report the incident and Mr Jafari was arrested.
Mr Blokland, who had five hundred hours of flight time before the incident, told the court that he has not flown any aircraft since that day.
He told the court he haD lost all confidence and that his pilot's license has subsequently lapsed.
The trial continues.BlackBerry's next two Android-running smartphones have been portrayed by a few leaked images today. The handsets are apparently codenamed Hamburg and Rome, respectively, following the Canadian company's long-standing tradition of using cities for its devices' codenames.
The Hamburg either doesn't have a physical keyboard at all, or it could be a slider like the already launched Priv. The two leaked images depicting it don't shine any light on that aspect, unfortunately. Still, we do get to see its entire front fascia, as well as two of its dimensions.
It will be 146mm long and 78mm wide, as you can see. The second image (seen below) shows us the new BlackBerry logo in a close-up shot. The Hamburg seems to be made from metal, and it features a speaker grille underneath the screen. The power button is on the left side, while the other buttons are on the right.
The Hamburg should reportedly become available in the second half of the year for around $400. So it's going to be a mid-ranger.
Next up we have the Rome, which clearly has a physical keyboard. It's placed under the screen, but this isn't a slider, instead emulating the form factor of the Passport somewhat. The same new logo is present here too.
Unfortunately no specs have been leaked alongside these images, and for the Rome there isn't even a rumored release time frame to speak of (or any word on pricing). So we'll have to wait for some new leaks to get that information.
Source 1 (in Chinese) Source 2 (in Chinese) | ViaRussia’s ambassador to Warsaw has withdrawn comments he made suggesting Poland was partly responsible for the Second World War.
Ambassador Sergey Andreyev was summoned by the foreign ministry after telling private broadcaster TVN24 on Friday that Poland was partly to blame because it had repeatedly blocked formation of a coalition against Berlin in the run-up to the invasion.
“I regret having been imprecise at one point,” Mr Andreyev said as he left the ministry. "I did not mean to say that Poland is co-responsible for the outbreak of Second World War."
“I had no intention of offending the Polish nation,” he continued, adding that Russia “honoured the heroism of the Polish people in their fight against Nazi occupation”.
Nazi Germany invaded Poland in September 1939, and the Soviet Union moved to occupy parts of eastern Poland two weeks later under a secret agreement between Moscow and Berlin.
For 45 years after the end of the war, Poland remained firmly under Moscow's control as part of the Warsaw Pact.
During the television interview, Mr Andreyev infuriated Poles by saying the Soviet invasion of eastern Poland was a “defensive” measure, also referring to eastern Poland as “western Belarus and western Ukraine”.
Photo: EPA/RAFAL GUZ
The Polish foreign ministry described his comments as a “hypocritical interpretation of events”.
While most Poles accept Germany has shown sufficient contrition and remorse for the huge level of suffering the Nazi invasion inflicted on Poland, many do not feel Russia has expressed enough regret, or even recognition, of crimes committed by the Soviet Union against Poles.
As the Red Army advanced in 1944 and 1945 Polish resistance soldiers were often rounded up by Soviet security apparatus and murdered.
Photo: EPA/RAFAL GUZ
The argument comes at a time when Polish-Russian relations have been strained by the Ukraine crisis.
Warsaw has been one of the most vocal critics of Russia's intervention in Ukraine, accusing it of supplying arms and troops to back the insurrection – something Moscow denies. It is also a strong proponent of upholding economic sanctions against the Kremlin.Sunland, Ca A fire chief calls for more help on his radioas flames hit the 210 Freeway. This was just secinds before the fire jumped the freeway…
Sunland, Ca An LA County Camp Crew can only watch as a small brush fire explodes and heads toware the 210 Freeway. This was on la Tuna Canyon Road.
Sound The gallery will resume in seconds
Sunland, Ca An LA County Camp Crew )red) and LAFD firefighters watch as a small brush fire they were fighting along LaTuna Canyon Roas, explodes and heads toward the 210 Freeway where it jumped the freeway…Ove 500 acres have been burned.,
A Super Scooper makes a water drop on flames burning in the hills near the La Tuna Canyon off ramp of the 210 freeway. Tujunga, CA 9/1/2017 (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Firefighters park near flame on the 210 freeway near Sunland Blvd. The fire burned from here, all the way to the La Tuna Canyon off ramp of the 210 freeway. Tujunga, CA 9/1/2017 (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
A brush fire burns near the La Tuna Canyon off ramp of the 210 freeway. Tujunga, CA 9/1/2017 (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
A brush fire burns next to equipment parked on La Tuna Canyon just before the on ramp of the east bound 210 freeway. Tujunga, CA 9/1/2017 (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
A helicopter makes a water drop as a brush fire burns near the La Tuna Canyon off ramp of the 210 freeway. Tujunga, CA 9/1/2017 (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
A helicopter makes a water drop on a brush fire that burns near the La Tuna Canyon off ramp of the 210 freeway. Tujunga, CA 9/1/2017 (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Firefighters clear brush next on a hillside as a brush fire burns near the La Tuna Canyon off ramp of the 210 freeway. Tujunga, CA 9/1/2017 (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Firemen put water on a brush fire that burns near the La Tuna Canyon off ramp of the 210 freeway. Tujunga, CA 9/1/2017 (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
A fireman pulls a water line over the side of the freeway guard rail. A brush fire burns near the La Tuna Canyon off ramp of the 210 freeway. Tujunga, CA 9/1/2017 (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Traffic is backed up before the Sunland offramp on the 210 freeway. A brush fire burned near the La Tuna Canyon off ramp of the 210 freeway. Tujunga, CA 9/1/2017 (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
A brush fire burns near the La Tuna Canyon off ramp of the 210 freeway. Tujunga, CA 9/1/2017 (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
A brush fire burns near the La Tuna Canyon off ramp of the 210 freeway. Tujunga, CA 9/1/2017 (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
A brush fire burns near the La Tuna Canyon off ramp of the 210 freeway. Tujunga, CA 9/1/2017 (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rays of sun break through the smoke as a brush fire burns near the La Tuna Canyon off ramp of the 210 freeway. Tujunga, CA 9/1/2017 (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Firefighters clear brush as fire burns near the La Tuna Canyon off ramp of the 210 freeway. Tujunga, CA 9/1/2017 (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
An Erickson Air-crane gets ready to make a water drop. A brush fire burned near the La Tuna Canyon off ramp of the 210 freeway. Tujunga, CA 9/1/2017 (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Firefighters put water on a brush fire as it burns near the La Tuna Canyon off ramp of the 210 freeway. Tujunga, CA 9/1/2017 (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Sunland, Ca An air tanker makes a drop on a ridgetop to the east of where the huge laTuna fire is burning…..
Sunland, Ca A strike team of 5 LA County fire engines waits for an assignment along Sunland Bl in Sunland this morning. Units from a s far as Camp Pendelton in Oceanside and Santa Barbara as well as other cities responded to the major brush fire berning in the City of LA.
Sunland, Ca Spot fire like this popped up all afternoon with some burning a dozen or so acres. This was on LaTuna Canyon Road at the 210 Freeway.
Sunland, Ca Residents on a dune buggy watch as flames from the LaTuna brush fire start coming close to homes on Morning Glow St just off LaTuna canyon Road. A strike team of engines soon showed up and beat back the flames.
Sunland, Ca Two horses are led down LaTuna canyon Road as the la Tuna brush fire cintinued to burn intensly. Over 6000 acres have been lost
Sunland, Ca An air tanker drops on a ridgetop to protect radio and TV towers from the laTuna brush Fire
Sunland, Ca Flames from the LaTuna brush fire decend down a hilside and toward a home on a street just off LaTuna Canyon Road this afternoon….
Sunland, Ca A fire whirl shoots up a hillside as a Fire Chief calls for more help on the Freeway (210)
Sunland, Ca A blow up during the two day old LaTuna brush fire sends a dark plume of smoke and flames toward homes in the hills just off Glenoaks Bl. The fire hads now burned through 5,000 acres.
SUNLAND-TUJUNGA >> One of the largest fires in Los Angeles history continued to rage Saturday in the mountains between the 210 and 5 freeways, ballooning to more than 5,800 acres as Mayor Eric Garcetti declared a local state of emergency.
Random shifts in wind, coupled with triple-digit heat and low humidity, have made it especially difficult to predict the La Tuna fire, which erupted Friday afternoon near Sunland-Tujunga, jumped the 210 Freeway and quickly moved west over the Verdugo Mountains to threaten Burbank, officials said.
Garcetti said the fire’s huge scope was expected to grow but that a strong ring of fire personnel was in position to halt it.
“If things continue the way they are, despite the growth of this fire, I want to assure people that what we see on the ground is a fire we can contain,” the mayor said from a command post Saturday afternoon.
Garcetti’s declaration of a local state of emergency directs relevant departments to take all steps to protect life and property in the area of the fire. It also requests that Gov. Jerry Brown declare an emergency so that state and federal assistance can be provided.
At dusk Saturday, the blaze was 10 percent contained and continued to menace homes in Burbank and Glendale.
“Our biggest concern is the wind and weather,” said L.A. Fire Chief Ralph M. Terrazas. “If there’s no wind, this is a relatively easy fire to put out.”
One home at Verdugo Crestline Drive and Alene Drive in Tujunga has been destroyed, as well as two other structures in the Tujunga area, officials said.
• Map: Here’s where the La Tuna fire is burning in the Verdugo Mountains
No injuries to civilians or firefighters have been reported.
Around 500 firefighters were battling the blaze, according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Margaret Stewart. Roughly 260 of those were from the LAFD, she said. Los |
, where even Jewish-American soldiers (stationed there to defend the backward — but US-friendly — dictatorship) have to hide their identity and carry false "Protestant ID cards" for a rainy day?
Well, you’ll have to ask Abrams about that. If you meet him, take a look at his impressive watch – $1,435 worth Concord Mariner, a friendly gift that Abrams received from Abdullah, the King of Saudi Arabia.
While you are at it, do ask him if he didn’t happen to be Hitler’s close advisor after all. You never know.
Read more by Ran HaCohenWall Street is buying Main Street one foreclosed home at a time.
The houses—more than 200,000 of them—are then rented to folks who continue to struggle in the aftermath of a near financial collapse in 2008.
And one of the leading figures in Wall Street’s scavenging of the wreckage created by Wall Street is also a big-time backer of Hillary Clinton.
His name is Donald Mullen, and he was once the global head of credit at Goldman Sachs. He was credited with devising the infamous “big short,” by which the firm bet bigger than big that the housing market would collapse even as it was urging customers to invest in it.
“Sounds like we will make some serious money,” he famously emailed colleagues in 2007, at early signs of the impending implosion.
Mullen left Goldman Sachs in 2012 and made some more serious money by becoming one of a number of Wall Streeters who are acquiring and leasing thousands of foreclosed homes.
Mullen embarked on this new endeavor with Curt Schade, formerly a managing director at Bear Stearns, which failed at the start of the financial crisis. Mullen and Schade received a $400 million credit line from Deutsche Bank, which survived thanks to billions of dollars in direct and indirect financial support from the government.
The new firm came to be called Progress Residential. The name takes on an added resonance when you visit the website of the major pro-Clinton super PAC Priorities USA Action, to which Mullen contributed $100,000 in June. You are welcomed by a picture of a smiling, waving Hillary Clinton and a message:
“The story of America is one of hard-fought, hard-won progress. And it continues today.”
The $100,000 to the pro-Clinton super PAC was noted by OpenSecrets.org and reported by various news outlets. The Washington Post has further reported that Mullen is one of 146 people who have contributed to all six of the federal races entered by either Hillary or Bill Clinton.
What has not been reported are some supreme ironies arising not so much from the money Mullen hands out but in the money he rakes in. Consider the “Rental Qualification Criteria” that a prospective tenant must pass before being granted a lease to one of the foreclosed homes that Progress Residential has acquired.
Applicants must document monthly household income of at least three times the monthly rent. Income and “credit worthiness” (PDF) are then “entered into an application scoring model to determine rental eligibility.”
But that is not all. You must also attest that you have never been convicted of any one of various felonies, including these:
“Financial crimes.”
The ban in this category applies for 10 years for those convicted of a felony, three years for a misdemeanor.
A guy who has been caught passing a bad check can forget renting one of Mullen’s houses for a decade.
That by the onetime credit chief at Goldman Sachs, which this month reached a $5.06 billion settlement with the government arising from allegations that the bank knowingly sold iffy mortgages to unsuspecting customers even as it was betting against them via Mullen’s big short.
In announcing the deal, the head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Benjamin Mizer, said, “Today’s settlement is another example of the department’s resolve to hold accountable those whose illegal conduct resulted in the financial crisis of 2008.”
Sure.
If there was illegal conduct, how come nobody was arrested?
In truth, the settlement was another example of the department’s failure to hold any individuals accountable for breaking the law.
Too big to jail.
To be completely fair to Mullen, the Goldman emails show that he at one point worried “about the representations we may be making to clients.”
But that does not seem to have stopped him from playing a major role in what followed, which is to say upending the lives of millions of people.
And he refuses to rent not only to those who have committed financial crimes but also to those who have been evicted within the past seven years.
In other words, a family could be evicted when its home is foreclosed, watch Mullen buy the house, and then find itself barred from renting any of his thousands of properties because they had been evicted.
Also barred from renting are those who have been incarcerated for a felony of any kind within the past five years; those jailed for a misdemeanor have to wait three years.
Those who survived the financial collapse without being evicted or going bankrupt or committing a crime for which Main Street if not Wall Street folks are jailed might then actually get a lease.
The fee just to apply for a lease is $45, followed by a $500 “holding fee” when the application is submitted.
“By submitting the holding fee, you acknowledge and agree in good faith that if your lease application is approved, you intend to rent the home by the proposed lease start date, whether or not you have been able to visit the home for a walk through,” the site states.
For rented homes where the utilities are in Progress Residential’s name, tenants are automatically enrolled “in our utilities payment plan,” which entails an added $25 “enrollment fee” and $9.99 monthly “service fee.”
In addition, tenants who fail to obtain renter’s insurance for at least $100,000 are hit with an unspecified monthly “exemption fee.”
Tenants are limited to three “acceptable pets,” these including dogs, cats, caged birds, and fish, but not potbellied pigs. Renters also can have no more than three cars.
“Boats or trailers are not allowed unless approved in writing by the landlord,” the site says.
In those houses that have a pool, tenants cannot expect Mullen’s company to have complied with municipal codes requiring a safety fence. An Arizona family renting a Mullen house repeatedly requested a fence but only got it three months after their 2-year-old child drowned.
As Mullen and the other foreclosure barons were acquiring houses by the thousands, they did not seem greatly worried about getting a bargain on particular purchases. They appeared to be looking not for deals but for inventory.
“They can’t get their hands on enough homes,” one former banker told Bloomberg News.
And the reason became apparent when the Wall Streeters began offering securities secured by the rents paid by the tenants in foreclosed houses, just as the same Wall Streeters previously offered securities secured by mortgages.
No doubt, a fair number of houses have figured in the bonds leading up to the crash as well as the bonds that are now being assembled amid the wreckage.
The result is seriously serious money, some of which Mullen has used to subsidize the arts. He has been a big-time backer of the elevated High Line park in New York City. He once got into a bidding war with actor Alec Baldwin at a Hamptons art auction.
Mullen has also reportedly given considerable sums to the Republican Committee in Easthampton, apparently to fight a move by the local Democrats to curtail helicopter traffic by the ultra rich to their summer homes. He is said to be fond of such unfettered travel and to own a piece of a helicopter company.
Mullen did not respond to a request for comment about helicopters, or about the big short or about the foreclosed houses—or about his contribution to the pro-Clinton PAC in the name of what both he and she call Progress.
Lost your house?
Can’t get a mortgage?
Rent a Mullen house!
And vote Hillary!
Vote for Progress!Supermarket moves to ditch promotions coupled with weakened pound following Brexit vote add average £21.31 to quarterly food bills
A sharp rise in food prices has added £21.31 to the average household shopping bill over the past three months as the number of promotions fell to an 11-year low, according to new grocery market data.
The price of everyday goods at supermarkets rose 2.3% in the three months to 26 March from a year ago, said Kantar Worldpanel, a sharp pick-up from the 0.2% food price inflation recorded in the 12 weeks to 1 January – the first time prices rose in more than two years.
Rising prices for everyday staples such as butter, fish, tea and skincare have been partially offset by falling prices for crisps, bacon, chocolate and fresh poultry, Kantar said.
Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, said: “We expect inflation to continue to accelerate, and as a result we’re likely to see consumers looking for cheaper alternatives. A reduction in promotional activity means the proportion of spending on promotions now stands at just 32.9% – 5.5 percentage points lower than last year.”
From energy bills to dental work, it's UK national price hike day Read more
Supermarkets have been cutting multi-buy deals and other special offers, after mounting evidence that they confuse shoppers and increase food waste. Separate data from Nielsen showed the proportion of consumer spending on promotions at UK supermarkets has fallen to an 11-year low.
Just over a quarter (26%) of money spent at supermarkets went on products with temporary price cuts or multibuy offers in the four weeks to 25 March, the lowest level since 2006. Supermarkets’ own-label products are more affected than other categories: 18% of sales went on promotional spending, compared with 41% of branded goods sales.
“The level of promotional spend has gone back to levels not seen since before the 2008-09 economic crisis,” said Mike Watkins, Nielsen’s UK head of retailer and business insight.
“The last few years have seen about a third of the typical supermarket shopping bill going on promotional items. However, to be more price competitive, supermarkets have turned temporary price reductions into permanent cuts, so there’s less promotional activity as many prices are cheaper all-year round.”
Last year, Sainsbury’s became the first of the major supermarkets to phase out controversial “buy 1, get 1 free” offers in favour of lower everyday prices.
However, the sharp slide in the pound since the Brexit vote last June has increased the cost of imported goods, and grocers have been passing on the rises to customers.
Kantar said supermarket sales of “free from” products grew by 36% year on year in the past three months, with more than half the population (54%) purchasing a gluten or dairy-free product. That’s 3.3m more people than last year, led by younger shoppers keen to eat healthily.
Supermarket sales and market share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Photograph: Kantar Worldpanel
German discounters Lidl and Aldi have reached new record market shares and together account for 11.7% of the grocery market, according to Kantar. Lidl was the fastest-growing retailer with sales growth of 15%, taking its market share to 4.9%. Aldi increased sales by 14.3%, taking its share to 6.8%.
Iceland posted its strongest sales growth since March 2013, of 9.8%, after introducing more fresh and chilled lines. Bigger rivals Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda have seen sales and market share slip. Morrisons was the only one of the big four to achieve higher sales, of 0.3% in the past 12 weeks.Hiring head coaches is not unlike drafting college players. Each team believes it got the man it wanted. Even those that didn't won't admit it. After the hiring is complete, just as after the player is drafted, each team thinks it has an answer for the future. Some are right; some -- not so much.
But the truth is, no one knows, and won't for a while. In 2013, when there were eight head-coaching openings, Philadelphia hired Chip Kelly, Buffalo hired Doug Marrone, Cleveland hired Rob Chudzinski and Chicago hired Marc Trestman before Arizona, the last team to make its hire, could settle on its choice. After seven other teams hired head coaches, Arizona concluded the hiring process by choosing Indianapolis assistant Bruce Arians.
How'd that work out?
Sometimes the last man hired turns out to be the best choice, and the first man hired turns out to be the worst, even though when the announcements are made, organizations automatically treat them as victories.
Now that the 2016 coaching carousel has come to a stop, it's time to give a quick scouting report regarding some of the turns along the way:
Cleveland Browns: The Browns liked Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia. But, much like each team that had an opening, the Browns recognized how important it was to help bolster their offense, and they did it by hiring a man whose players loved playing for him in Cincinnati. In hiring Hue Jackson, Cleveland believes they have strengthened their own coaching situation, but they also believe they weakened Cincinnati, which perhaps counts as a rare Browns win in January. But Jackson must get his program up and running against coaches who have had continuity in their AFC North cities for at least seven seasons.
Miami Dolphins: Just as the Dolphins aggressively charged into free agency last year, signing defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, they did the same during their coaching search this year, landing Adam Gase before any other team had even filled its opening. Gase was bypassed last year and was unwilling to wait around for potential opportunities in New York or Philadelphia. In the end, his anxiousness meshed with Miami's aggressiveness.
New York Giants: New York seriously entertained the idea of hiring former Falcons head coach Mike Smith and keeping Ben McAdoo as its offensive coordinator. But when the Eagles expressed interest in McAdoo, the Giants knew they could not risk losing him and elevated him to the head-coaching job. McAdoo might have needed more seasoning, but he'll get on-the-job training.
Philadelphia Eagles: Because the Eagles didn't get to know Chip Kelly as well as they should have during their last hiring cycle, they were determined to be more patient during this one. Yet while they got to know their candidates, Gase accepted the Miami job and McAdoo accepted the Giants job. The Eagles were completely comfortable turning to Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson, who had an ordinary initial interview in Kansas City, but who played and coached in Philadelphia and knows what it takes to succeed there.
San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers believed they had four viable candidates -- Kelly, Mike Shanahan, Tom Coughlin and Anthony Lynn -- and believed they were good with whichever route they chose. But of those four, Kelly was the only one without a Super Bowl ring and the team believes his desire to get one was a key part of the final selection.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Few owners are quieter about their intentions than the Glazers, who four years ago quietly inquired to see if they could lure Nick Saban out of Alabama. No one will confirm if they did the same this year, but there was some reason they waited over a week to eventually promote offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter when most expected he would be the man all along. Some people around the league believe the Glazers attempted a big swing again before hiring Koetter.
Tennessee Titans: Titans defensive coordinator Ray Horton made a final, impressionable push on Saturday, but Tennessee owners never wanted to get away from Mike Mularkey, who spent two seasons as the Bills' head coach, one season as the Jaguars' head coach, and now will enter his second season as the Titans' head coach.
Arizona hosts the classics
University of Phoenix Stadium, Arizona's home field, will not be the site of Sunday's NFC Championship Game; Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, will.
It is a loss for football fans.
Since the University of Phoenix Stadium opened in August 2006, the stadium has hosted more classic football games than any other stadium in the world.
The first playoff game played there was Super Bowl XLII, when wide receiver David Tyree made the most memorable play in Super Bowl history and the Giants ended the Patriots' bid for a perfect season, winning 17-14.
Super Bowl XLIX, when Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler intercepted Russell Wilson in the closing seconds to help New England beat Seattle 28-24 in Super Bowl XLIX, also was played at University of Phoenix Stadium.
And so was Saturday night's divisional round playoff classic, when Aaron Rodgers completed a game-tying Hail Mary, the coin didn't flip in overtime, and Larry Fitzgerald ran wild in overtime for Arizona's 26-20 win over Green Bay.
So arguably the two greatest Super Bowls and one of the most memorable playoff games in NFL history all have been played on the same field.
As if that wasn't odd and impressive enough, three other playoff games at University of Phoenix Stadium -- all decided by seven points or fewer, all memorable in their own way, including Arizona's 51-45 overtime win over Green Bay in the 2009 wild-card round -- were also played there.
And even the best bowl game of this season, Alabama's national-championship win over Clemson, was played on the same field as so many recent NFL classics. Should Arizona achieve home-field advantage in any future season for any future playoff game, it's a big deal for the Cardinals. But it might be even bigger for football fans.
Cardinals' Stadium Has Had Classic Games There have been six NFL playoff games at University of Phoenix Stadium. All have them have been decided by seven points or fewer. Matchup Date 2015 divisional round Cardinals beat Packers 26-20 in OT Super Bowl XLIX Patriots beat Seahawks 28-24 2009 wild-card round Cardinals beat Packers 51-45 in OT 2008 NFC Championship Game Cardinals beat Eagles 32-25 2008 wild-card round Cardinals beat Falcons 30-24 Super Bowl XLII Giants beat Patriots 17-14
The Edelman alternatives
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady might just be the greatest quarterback and NFL player ever. But there also might not be a Patriot any more valuable than wide receiver Julian Edelman.
With Edelman in the lineup and on the field this season, the Patriots are 10-0; without him, they are 3-4, including a loss earlier this season in Denver, site of Sunday's AFC title game.
Edelman is the successor to Wes Welker, who was the successor to Troy Brown; all have become critical in their own way to the success of Brady and the Patriots.
New England once knew what it had in Brown, and it knew what it had in Welker, who was lured away from the Miami Dolphins. But New England didn't realize what it had in Edelman until after the Pats pursued -- in the same offseason --two other wide receivers who also figure to play prominent roles Sunday.
In March 2013, the Patriots signed former Rams wide receiver Danny Amendola as a potential Welker replacement, giving him a three-year, $12.75 million contract. The next month, they signed former Steelers restricted free-agent wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders to a one-year, $2.5 million offer sheet that Pittsburgh matched. New England attempted to add both those wide receivers after losing Welker to Denver during free agency.
But while New England added Amendola and lost out on Sanders, Edelman was blossoming into the standout he has become today. Over time Edelman developed, changed the complexion of the Patriots offense, and has proven time and again how valuable he is to the team. Without him, the Patriots might not have won Super Bowl XLIX last season against the Seahawks, and with him they are favored to advance to Super Bowl 50 two weeks from Sunday in Santa Clara, California.New Jersey State Medical Marijuana Patient Registration Program Opens Today State Website Updated With Comprehensive Information Including Interactive Map for Finding Doctors
TRENTON, NJ — The New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act will reach a major milestone today when the New Jersey Department of Health and Human Services opens the patient registration process.
Doctors who are treating qualifying patients will then be able to enter those patients into the patient registration system. Those patients can then apply for the registration cards that will allow them to purchase medical marijuana at one of the state’s Alternative Treatment Centers. The first center, in Montclair, expects to begin dispensing medical marijuana to patients in September or October. The law was enacted on January 18, 2010 but the implementation process has been slow.
The Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the Medical Marijuana Program, updated its website earlier this week with comprehensive information, including patient registration information.
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Roseanne Scotti, New Jersey State Director for Drug Policy Alliance, the organization that led the advocacy campaign pass the law, expressed excitement that the program would finally begin operations. “Patients and their families have waited too long for this day,” said Scotti. “They have been forced to run the risks associated with obtaining medical marijuana on the illegal market. It is fantastic that they will now have safe and legal access to the medicine they need to relieve their suffering and improve their quality of life.”
Don and Gerry McGrath, who lost their son, Sean, to cancer he was only 29, expressed hope that the opening of the program would mean that other families would be spared the agonizing experience they endured. The combination of Sean’s illness and its treatment destroyed his appetite and made him unable to keep down what food he could eat. After trying other medications without success, his doctors suggested that marijuana might help.
Because New Jersey did not have a medical marijuana law at the time, the McGraths were forced to go to the illegal market for Sean’s medicine.
“Since Sean’s death, we have been dedicated to making medical marijuana legal in New Jersey so that no family has to go through what we did,” said Don McGrath. “In addition to the emotional pain of trying to save our son, we lived in fear that we would be arrested. We were just doing what Sean’s doctors recommended and medical marijuana helped him enormously. The opening of the patient registration process is a major victory for patients and their loved ones.”By TTT contributor Paul Grech.
Goals scored and conceded. Points won. Attendance figures. Up till a few years back those were practically the only statistics that made their way on to the football pages and in to the fans’ consciousness. Now it is a completely different story. Clubs employ teams of statistical analysts, journalists regularly quote passes made, fans look at heat maps of individual players and apps churn out an apparently endless stream of statistics. The shift in culture has been massive.
One who was at the forefront of this change was Simon Kuper, who in 2009 teamed up with Stefan Szymanski to write ” Why England Lose: And other curious phenomena explained” which was the first serious literary attempt at trying to determine the role and importance of statistics in football.
The second edition of that book – re-titled Soccernomics – came out this year with a whole host of new ideas examined. In their own way, these two editions reflect the culture change that has taken place. “In the first issue we didn’t talk a lot about match statistics but instead we used a lot of financial statistics and off-the pitch statistics. In the recent issue of the book, however, we have a whole chapter devoted to match statistics.” Kuper says. “That in itself shows the difference that has taken place in these past few years and how much match data has developed.”
“It is part of the general trend of football people becoming intelligent and less worried by numbers. Also they’ve seen the value of statistics in baseball and cycling. In particular they’ve seen how numbers have fuelled the success of British cycling which has made British football clubs more interested.”
For Liverpool that trend involved the appointment of Damien Comolli, which came thanks to the recommendation of Billy Beane, the star of Moneyball. Yet whilst Comolli was supposed to usher a new era of intelligent signings based on detailed analysis of statistics, he delivered what quite possibly is the biggest waste of a £100m transfer budget.
Kuper, however, is willing to be a bit more charitable to the Frenchman than the average Liverpool fan. “First of all, I’d say that Comolli got a couple of decision very right. He was correct to sell Torres for that sum of money and secondly he was right to buy Luis Suarez. So I think that Comolli did slightly better than a lot of people give him credit for.”
“The error, I think, was that the philosophy was to build a team with crosses. So you had Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson brought in for their crosses and you also had Carroll bought because he is one of the best at heading the ball in from crosses. The problem is that crosses is a bad way of scoring goals. It isn’t as good as the short passing system of Barcelona and Arsenal, for instance – even if your players aren’t as good as Barcelona’s or Arsenal’s. The key fact is that not all data is the right data. We’re still in the learning stages of getting to know which data gives you the information you need.”
You’d imagine that Comolli’s failure would have put paid to any talk of Moneyball around Liverpool. Yet the phrase is still as commonly used as ever. What does Kuper – who makes frequent references to Moneyball in his own book – think is understood by this phrase? “People normally think of baseball where it was good way of getting undervalued players. It is what the Oakland As use to overcome their budget constraints. In football that hasn’t been successful and there hasn’t been a lot of success in statistics identifying the kind of players others don’t think are good enough.”
“Moneyball in football lies firstly in the physical side where statistics have been a huge source of progress. There are also dead ball situations. Statistics show that the best way to score from corners is by inswingers but a lot of traditional managers go for the outswingers. Similarly people should stop trying to score direct from a free kick and opt to pass it, even when it is from just outside the box. Statistics are also of great use in penalties, which can help you guess where a player will shoot. Stoke, for instance play a stats driven game for their throw ins.”
Statistics, therefore, will become increasingly more important for clubs yet not in the way that they were expected to be. “Statistics are more useful for dead balls then they are for buying. Only four or five clubs rely on statistics when it comes to decisions on who to buy. Others may use them to confirm certain beliefs but they’re more of a backup.”
Another area that Soccernomics deals with is the appointment of managers, with Kuper being quite critical of the rushed approach football clubs tends to take when appointing managers. It was an argument that will resonate with Liverpool fans given the negative reaction to the length of time it took FSG to choose a replacement for Kenny Dalglish.
“It was the right decision. Absolutely. I don’t understand why you need a manager next week. Why when you’ve got other people at the club managing things and you can keep functioning without the manager? It is an important decision and you should take your time to pick the right man. Look at Arsenal who took their time in appointing Arsene Wenger but ultimately chose the right man for them.”
One thing that Liverpool did change during the summer was scrap the notion of appointing a Director of Football. Again, Kuper approves.
“In football previously you had the manager making the decision and then you had someone like Comolli coming in with the decision. So the decision on transfers shifts from the manager to the technical director – but you’ve still got only got one person, or perhaps two people, making that decision. The problem is that two still is too few people to make a decision. It is better to have a group of people going over the decisions and debating them – “what about this factor or what about that”. The more opinions you have the better and more reasoned the decision you ultimately take.”
Encouragingly, this seems to be the approach that Liverpool will be taking where, although Rodgers will have the final say, transfers will be debated about among the scouting and technical team members.
There are risks in this approach especially if – as seems the case – it centres around trying to get to players before they hit stardom. At a smaller club this might be very much the finest option, at a bigger club there is always the pressure to go for the big name who can deliver immediate results.
“It is true that at a club like Liverpool you have more pressures than say at Norwich. That can be a problem because you don’t necessarily have the freedom to do what you think is best,” Kuper admits before continuing “then again, Liverpool have advantages over smaller clubs like Norwich in that they have more money. The main thing, however, is that you have to be brave. For a few weeks the fans might be angry if you sell a big-name player or happy if you buy a big name but in the long run what they’re really looking for is to win games. If you make moves that will ultimately lead to that result, then in the long run they will be happy.”
The most prominent example of this system remain Lyon, who managed to win seven consecutive league titles in France. Yet Lyon have since fallen on hard times. There are a number of theories about this decline but, according to Kuper, “they won the French league seven times in a row which is like say Southampton doing that in England. The thing is that they were the best in France, which they should have been happy with, but they had this dream of being champions of Europe. The thing is that in order to get the star players to do that Lyon had to pay too much money and got players who didn’t really deliver. In the end it was difficult for them to make the step up from being best in France to being among the best in Europe. Given the size of their club, they probably shouldn’t have tried.”
Lyon’s decline coincided with the rise of cash-rich clubs like Paris St. Germain. Which leads to the doubt that money will, ultimately, always win out irrespective of how intelligent other clubs tend to be.
“In the book we say that in the long run money is responsible for 90% of success. Yet you still get great managers who over-perform and achieve success even with shortfall in the budget. Manchester United is not only driven by money and Alex Ferguson has done a great job in keeping them successful. Arsenal as well. You can be successful without spending as much as the others but it is very difficult.”Will Schwarber replace Fowler as Cubs’ leadoff hitter in 2017?
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. – Barring a surprise acquisition, Kyle Schwarber could be in the mix to share the Cubs’ leadoff spot vacated by departing free agent Dexter Fowler, manager Joe Maddon said Tuesday.
The manager said his options include the switch-hitting veteran Ben Zobrist (.330 on-base percentage in 155 career games leading off), the lefty-hitting Schwarber (who otherwise is the likely No. 2 hitter) and newly signed, lefty backup outfielder Jon Jay (.344 OBP in 179 games in the leadoff spot).
“A couple years ago when Kyle came up and Dexter was still there, I considered leading Kyle off and putting Dexter second,” Maddon said. “But I had all our nerds do the [analytics] work, and they really liked Fowler one and Schwarber two just based on the data. So I went with that and it worked out well.”
Schwarber batted leadoff twice during that 2015 rookie season, going 3-for-8 with a double.
Kyle Schwarber during Game 7 of the World Series.
“Now all of a sudden, Dexter is not there anymore,” Maddon said. “It’s not impossible to consider Kyle in that spot or Zobrist in that spot. I don’t know if we can do anything in this offseason that might cause me to think differently, but there are not a lot of other candidates. You could consider Jon Jay. I don’t see Albert [Almora Jr.]. I don’t see [Javy] Baez.”
Notes: Chairman Tom Ricketts and the Cubs’ baseball operations department were honored as Baseball America’s Organization of the Year during the publication’s annual banquet Tuesday night.Better Design Documentation - 1. The Proposition
Jure Pecher Blocked Unblock Follow Following Oct 20, 2015
You are about to read part 1 of the “Better Design Documentation” article series, where I describe ideas for an application intended for writing, maintaining and collaborating on your design documentation. You can read part 2 or check out Pengloo, the application I am making based on the principles discussed here.
My name is Jure Pecher and I am a designer passionate about working on my own projects. For every project I start I first write down my ideas and then organize them in a cohesive whole. This might sound like a linear process, but let me assure you, it is completely sporadic as creativity comes in bursts and always about different parts of the product I am making.
Consequently existing tools like Google Docs, which I currently use, do not support my ideation process very well. They were not made for capturing content that is more modular than linear in nature. This is bad, because (if anything) creating a product is about combining hundreds of moving parts into a nice cohesive whole, which is as modular as one can get.
I see myself doing creative work, designing new products and simply thinking about possibilities for the rest of my life and will be damned if I have to use tools that do not fit my process this entire time. That is why I want to make an application for writing modular content that will fit designer’s ideation and design process like a glove.
I however feel that I only have one shot at making this tool right, that is why I am writing this article and want to hear your thoughts on the subject matter. I will start with the very core and build from there. So, lets begin…
Who is this product for? Primarily for designers, especially those working on very modular products such as games. Other than that it can be used by anyone that finds value in it as it will support most types of design work.
What is the main goal? The main goal is to increase designer’s quality of life by supporting the natural way he thinks and works. Imagine how much more productive you could be if you were using a tool designed specifically for this purpose.
What will the application do?
The focus will lie in:
capturing, organizing and improving design ideas.
Capturing Ideas
The importance of capturing ideas (usually by writing down) cannot be stressed enough. Once an idea is gone it is often gone for good and there is not much you can do about it. The tool will therefore allow for as quick a capture as possible. I have yet to draw mockups, but imagine an omnipresent “Create” button that throws you directly into the writing mode, where you can instantly record your idea.
The writing mode will consist of one single white canvas and a blinking cursor… there will be no distractions. When you have an idea, all that matters is getting it out of your mind onto some sort of “external medium” (computer software in this case). Formatting your text and positioning the idea into the project’s structure is of secondary importance.
You will also be limited to using plain text. Only after you explicitly say: “Okey, I am done writing, now I want to do the other stuff,” will you be able to position the idea into the corresponding project, tag it if wanted and style the text if needed. The point of this is to focus the designer on the content and worry about other things later.
In short the goal of the capture process is too get the idea out the designer’s mind into the tool as unaltered as possible. For this to happen the capture method will be quick, effortless and the interface completely unobtrusive.
Organizing Ideas
This tool is about modular content, which can be best described in 3D space:
Modular content in 3D space.
Imagine the Y axis being an ordinary list of your active ideas, a table of contents if you will. It is a hierarchical structure and the relations between ideas are equally hierarchical. There are two type of relations: parent relation, which every idea can only have one of and child relation, which every idea can have as many as needed.
The Y axis is further expanded by the X axis that introduces the “alternative space”. The alternative space is specific to each individual idea and contains all its alternatives. Each alternative, even the one currently active, has a status of either “active” or “hibernating” (still working on the lingo), which can be flipped like a switch. The one currently active is the only one that is shown on the Y axis while others need to be accessed explicitly. This allows for a very nice overview of the to-be-implemented-ideas, while also allowing anyone on the team to explore the alternatives that were considered.
Lastly the Z axis tells the story of how an idea evolved though time. To use an everyday term, the Z axis is about versioning. This is very important as you never want to loose your progress and want to have an option to revert to an older version of your idea if the new one does not pan out.
I am still refining this 3D concept and am even thinking if it is possible to introduce the fourth dimension :)
Improving Ideas
Before I write about improvements I need to mention its foundation: the product’s core. Every product has a driving force behind it, which is usually the designer and his vision of the end product. The vision however can get quickly lost in the day to day tasks so the tool needs to account for this. Right after capturing your ideas, you should define the vision, the core of your product. This is very hard to do, but necessary as it informs the design of… well, everything that follows. If product has no core, no unifying vision, there is no product or at least no good one. The tool will work on this assumption and ask you to define the core.
Now to the improvement. When you write down your ideas, they usually read like mumbo jumbo (at least mine often do). This is not to say that all ideas come out like this, some do surface as polished gems, however in my experience almost every idea can be further improved. One way of doing this is by exploring the possibility space, which the tool will fully support.
The practice of exploring the possibility space is one where you consider all the options in the chosen field and design the end product only after having explored them and chosen only the best ones that form a cohesive whole. I probably did not do the term justice so for those interested I suggest watching Jonathan Blow and Marc ten Bosch’s presentation.
Designer always has the option of refining his ideas on his own, but too truly refine ideas, feedback from other people is needed. Here I do not want to talk about user testing and similar practices, which are great, but want to focus on the team working on the product. Usually members of the |
, as before is a relative description involving time. If there is no time, there is no “before”. But we’re well aware that what we mean to say is something like “in the state of existence that is not encompassed by the universe”.
This timeless existence does have a profound effect on our causality argument however. Cause and effect is a human perspective of the world. As humans, we live in the universe and watch time pass by. We are used to seeing the cause, then the effect. However, if we compress this down into a timeless existence, surely cause and effect must come at the same time, or rather, the cause would exist just as much as the effect would exist. In which case, the law of causality may be broken. Did the cause cause the effect, or did the effect cause the cause? Otherwise irreversible processes may suddenly become reversible.
What does this mean for our creator character. Well our creator would have to be locked in a tight embrace with the universe. Perhaps the creator is not merely the initiator of the universe, but is permanently required for the universe to continue existing. Or is the creator continually creating universes? Or is the one creator fixated on the one moment of creation at the beginning of our universe? Suddenly the problem becomes a lot more difficult.
On to another problem now. Think about a computer. Let’s say we run a simulation on this computer that, in real time, calculates the positions, velocities, accelerations, and knows all the properties of all the atoms in a tennis ball as it travels through the air. Real physics isn’t done like this. In the scientific world approximations are made, and one would treat the ball as a single object, and not billions upon billions of atoms all glued together. But let’s say that a mad physicist decides to simulate every single atom in a tennis ball. How big would the computer need to be?
For each particle in the tennis ball, there would be several properties: position, velocity, acceleration, mass, charge, and more. The computer would have to store to value of each of these properties in one bit of memory. Now for the sake of argument let’s say we have a perfect computer, which can calculate the answers to equations instantly, and each bit of memory only takes up one atom. For each atom of the tennis ball, we require at least five atoms in the computer. So you can see that in total, the computer would have to be bigger (and realistically more complex) than the tennis ball.
Now let us extend this idea to the universe. If each particle in the universe required several particles in a computer, the computer will be bigger than the universe itself (hence we could never truly predict the future, as the computer would never be big enough). What we’ve looked at so far also included no processing power, so the computer could only know the state of the universe, but not calculate it.
This analogy is a demonstration (but by no means a proof) of the idea that creators are often more complex than their creations. What our computer simulated was nothing short of the Matrix: the virtual reality world invented by the Wachowski Brothers. Yet we defined our creator as something sufficiently simple as to not need creating. We haven’t disproved a creator, but we’ve certainly thrown up more obstacles in the way of anyone trying to prove one.
Now we turn to the other piece of initial information to the causality argument: that the universe is complex. Is it? We only know the universe to be complex on the human level. Human beings are best adapted to thinking about where the best place to gather food is, and how to build a shelter. The concepts involved in quantum mechanics are always going to be strange to us. But whether that means they are objectively complex is another matter. We are not experts at making universes, our universe might actually be incredibly simple.
The simple creator argument is powerful because logic alone cannot defeat it, logic can only subdue it. This is again because logic works to help us live on planet earth.
The more passionate atheists among readers will have noted of course, even if someone manages to prove a creator, that doesn’t mean they’ve proved the existence of a god. A god has properties such as omnibenevolence and takes a personal interest in people’s everyday lives. Proving these properties is, as yet, impossible. So to take the creator argument and spin religion off it is unjustifiable.
So where does the quantum mechanics come into all of this I hear you ask? Well so far we’ve worked only in thought experiments on how to deal with the law of causality. But it is at this time that the astute physicists shout at the computer screen again. The universe we live in, on a fundamental level is probabilistic.
There is a simple example of this that we could take. If we have a block of radioactive uranium, we can say how active the block is now, and how active it will be in some many years time, provided we know the half-life of uranium. But if we move down to the atomic level, and watch a single atom and wait for it to decay, we face a problem. We would have no idea when the atom would decay and emit its radiation. There’s a good probability that it will decay before the first half-life is over, but it may not. In fact, there’s no way of knowing when that atom will decay, ever. That one atom could remain undecayed until the end of the universe. It’s very unlikely, but it could.
So you might say “Ah, but the atom is made up of smaller particles, and by watching those, we can know when the atom will decay.”. I’m afraid not. The explanation for this squats in a higher level of quantum mechanics, which I will leave to the reader to look into. Ultimately, the nothing within the atom causes it to decay. It is probabilistic. At some point the atom will decay, but when it does so is entirely and truly random.
In fact, the whole of quantum mechanics works on this probabilistic principle. If we try to measure the position of a particle with great precision, we will only get a probability of it being in a certain location. There is nothing which causes it to be in that position.
All of this spells bad news for our law of causality. It is not strictly obeyed on the quantum level. What does this show us? Causality is even more so a human perspective of the universe. Our intuition tells us to apply it to all aspects of logic, including the beginning of the universe. But as quantum mechanics has shown us for a hundred years now, we should not rely on our intuition, as it is usually wrong.
Looking back now, our causality argument for a creator seems rather simplistic. We haven’t disproved it, but then, as atheists, we never disprove all of religion in the first place. But many religious speakers will try to suggest that either they have proved the existence of a creator, or that their argument is undeniable. Well here’s news for them: it is deniable!Moses Hess 1845
Speech on Communism, Elberfeld, 15 February 1845
Source: Rheinische Jarbücher zur gesellschaftlichen Reform, Darmstadt, 1845.
Proofread: by Andy Carloff 2010.
Gentlemen,
There is no point in talking to you about the intellectual, moral and physical misery of today’s society. Any man with a heart, however favourable his position, will agree with me, when he looks at this world of misery, that our life is not happy. I just want to draw to your attention that the basic cause of all the ills of present-day society, which is normally attributed to the imperfection of human nature, is in fact the lack of organisation of human society. I have already also often heard it said that the idea of communism, fine and true in itself, is unfortunately unrealisable. If I am not mistaken, it is these two points, concerning the possibility of realising communism and the fundamental cause of human miseries, which most need to be spelt out. In order to make the best use of the short time which has been given us to deal with our subject, I think I will limit myself to elucidating a little further these two themes.
The idea of communism, gentlemen, with which everyone says he agrees, is the life-law of love applied to social life. The law of love is innate in man, as in all life; but attempts to apply this law to social life will only be made when men’s consciousness of their life has begun to mature in them, when they come to see more and more clearly their own existence, when they understand more and more clearly that it is precisely and solely in love that energy, the energy of life, creative energy lies. When men compare their own inner understanding of life with, on the one hand, the life of nature they find that here their life-consciousness is everywhere confirmed, that love, which they recognise as their life, is equally the real life of nature; but when, on the other hand, they compare their conception of life, now confirmed and enriched by the natural sciences, with social life, they find with horror that here, in their own world, nothing conforms to this law of life and that everything contradicts it – in a word, they discover that they are living in a perverted world! After the first stupefaction and the terror produced by this sad discovery has gone, men think they must look for the cause of this perversion of their own world only in the consciousness which men have had of life up till now being perverted; thus, they think, how could human society, this product of human understanding and will, be reasonable while this same understanding and will are not yet so? But, gentlemen, this is manifestly not the ultimate cause. We must therefore ask again: what is the origin of the perverted life-consciousness? We will now try to answer you on this point.
No living being comes into existence fully developed. Rather, everything first develops in the course of time. This development is called the history, the genesis of a being. Gentlemen, if you now find the idea of communism fine and true in itself this is because your life-consciousness has already come to maturity, because you recognise that the true life consists only of love. A long series of centuries, fertilised by the sweat of anguish and by the blood of the human race struggling for its existence, was necessary for the growth and ripening of this life-consciousness, this fruit. Just as the development of our planet was full of natural upheavals, of elemental struggles and tempests, just as it was necessary that many creations should perish before the fully developed forms of the present mature geological era appeared and could peacefully progress in mutual harmonious interaction according to the eternal laws of love; so in human history it was necessary that elemental struggles precede the state of complete organisation. The elemental, inorganic state always precedes the harmonious, organic state. The human race did not live as now in large social groupings, and even less in organised spheres of action, from the first instants of its appearance. There were at first only isolated individuals – they were thus only the elements of humanity that came from the womb of the Earth – and it was only gradually that these individuals, these human elements, entered into association, intercourse, interaction. How would a fully developed intercourse, a mutual understanding of what was advantageous to them, have been able to have been established between these individuals who were beginning to have dealings with each other? If union, the intelligent cooperation of different individuals, in short, if life in love, the organic life, is the only true and real life, you will understand that it is only after a long series of struggles that union, that this understanding between men, was able to be achieved. As long as men did not have this understanding they had to struggle amongst themselves, and history up till now has only been a recital of these struggles. From very early on they were obliged to enter into intercourse with each other. As they learned to know the produce of nature and the man-made productions which surrounded them, needs were awakened in them and the exchange of products became all the more necessary; no single country, no single people, no single individual, is able to produce everything itself. However, in the beginning the exchange of products consisted uniquely in this: when then the strongest entered into contact with the weakest he fought him and robbed him. The first form of exchange of products was precisely this robbery with murder. And just as the first form of exchange of products or of intercourse was robbery with murder, so the first form of production or labour was slavery. The victors did not content themselves with stealing products, they also wanted to seize hold of the producers; so they soon realised that it was more advantageous to reduce the surviving conquered to slavery, and to exploit them in this way, than to consume them by indulging in cannibalism. Egoism thus became more and more refined. It is on this historical basis, gentlemen, that production and intercourse have developed to the stage of free competition, in which we now live, even though we refuse to admit to ourselves that this intercourse still rests on the same egoistic basis of mutual exploitation which was its origin. However, a glance at our situation clearly shows us that, today as yesterday, we sell ourselves and exploit each other. This exploitation has no doubt become more refined over the ages, but it has not thereby become more human; rather has it become more inhuman since at the present time the more we are forced to sell ourselves willingly and mutually, the less we are able to escape from this traffic in men, the more universal has this become. So we all have to peddle our life-activity in order to buy in exchange the life-activity of other men – and what is the sum total of all our faculties and of all our forces, which we throw on the market and which we must turn into money, but our own whole life? It is not our body, which we only touch from the outside, but its real force that constitutes our life. When we sell this force of ours we ourselves sell our very life. Money is the mark of slavery; is it not therefore but human value expressed in figures? But men who can be paid, men who buy and sell each other, are they anything but slaves? How can we begin to escape from this traffic in men as long as we live in isolation and as long as each person has to work for himself on his own account in order to gain the means of existence? Who gives us the means of life, the means of our physical and social activity if we don’t gain them by buying and selling our own life? We are living in the midst of an eternal contradiction, of a perpetual struggle. It is the contradiction of intercourse in constant expansion in the midst of isolation. We are separated from each other, each one of us lives and works only for himself, yet none of us can for an instant do without each other. Whereas each person needs the production of the whole accessible human world, from China to North America, in order to live and act as a human, they are limited to their own isolated force to obtain all that they need. It is not useful activity, real physical and intellectual energy, fair work that decides the lot of individuals – for what is the greatest force of an individual in face of the world? – but chance and common trickery: he who in this gamble is able to pocket as quickly as possible the most human value expressed in figures, money. These are the blind and immoral powers which determine the destiny of man!
When the live life-consciousness has awakened in man, the perverted nature of our social relations has of course been felt; but it was not also understood that the perverted life-consciousness, from which men were just beginning to free themselves, was just as much a product of the perverted life, the perverted world within which men have lived until now, as inversely this perverted world was a product of life-consciousness that has not yet attained maturity. The interaction between real social life and the life-consciousness was not seen as well. The latter, religion, politics, Church and State, the theoretical expression of practical egoism were criticised and it was thought that the world could be reformed in this manner, without realising that this would be just as fruitless as a doctor wanting to cure a disease by suppressing its external symptoms. Perverted consciousness and its manifestations, Church and State, are nothing but the symptoms of a perverted life – the picture of a real body which will not change just because a different and more beautiful picture is made of it.
Gentlemen, the era of political and religious revolutions has, however, come to an end. People realise that the egoist life-consciousness and its forms of existence, the Church and State, will disappear of their own accord, but not before the egoist life, working for one’s private account, the traffic in humans disappear. As long as this practical egoism has not disappeared talking to man about philosophy, freedom, reason and love will be fruitless. The mass of men will not believe that human life and life in general is love, truth and freedom. They will see in egoism with its whole train of misfortunes the fundamental characteristic of human nature, which in fact it is as long as men are separated, living and working for themselves. Perhaps you are thinking that I contradict myself and that it is sometimes love and sometimes egoism that I take for the real life, the life of natural man. But, gentlemen, human nature is not a monolith, a single body which is and remains unchanged; human nature has to develop and, at present, it is as little developed as society. You cannot draw any conclusion about human nature from judging the mass of our contemporaries. One thing however is certain: if one man can have a true life-consciousness, then all men can – and if they do not, this is not the fault of human nature, otherwise all of us who are meeting here would not have the slightest idea of the real life since we are ourselves only men – but of external circumstances that have not yet allowed all men to completely develop their nature.
When it is said that communism, as an idea, is a very fine thing but is unrealisable, no more is being said than what the theologians and philosophers, priests and statesmen have always said. This is to consider oneself as superior to the mass of men. If you, gentlemen, consider communism to be a good thing in itself that is because you consider that life in love and reason constitutes the true life. However, you believe that your life-consciousness will not be able to develop in all individuals. Why do you believe this? Because you cannot envisage this consciousness developing other than by theoretical instruction – such as all the priests and philosophers have practised until now without for that banishing brutality and ignorance, wickedness and foolishness from the world. But the development of human nature can also take place in another, in a practical way, and not only can it take place in this way but it will in fact come about only or mainly or essentially in this way. So let us abandon the theoretical form, let us not imagine that we will convert the world by our ideas. Communism is not a theory, not some philosophical system which will be taught us. Communism is the end-result of the historical genesis of society.
Look around you, gentlemen; examine more closely modern society and its industry which is becoming more and more gigantic every day and which penetrates into the most remote parts of the world to find consumers for its products, which today has penetrated a country of 300 million inhabitants with a view to creating new outlets and so as not to be suffocated by its own output, and which, according to the estimates of specialists, in a few years will submerge that country with its products and bring about a new crisis, a new commercial blockage, in which thousands from the middle classes and millions from the working classes will go under. Where will this unorganised industry, a sword in the hands of a child, lead in the end? Do you believe that this modern industry which while hardly half-a-century old has already inundated almost the whole world with its manufactures and which has created an already unbridgeable gulf between rich and poor, between capitalists and proletarians – do you believe that this money-idol which devours its own creations can go on existing for long without massacring everybody except a few? We have in this honourable assembly a number of practising businessmen; they will be able to certify on the basis of their long experience that I am not exaggerating in maintaining that this enormous modern industry is going with giant paces towards its own downfall and that it will plunge along with itself all our civilisation into the gulf of barbarism unless a higher idea than that on which our whole civilisation has been based until now, unless another wisdom than that of private egoism and working for one’s private account, in a word unless communism intervenes for the benefit of the true human life against this impetuous torrent about to submerge and bury everything in its flood. Our task is not to convert the world – a theory has never converted the world unless it was the world, life itself, that engendered the theory – our task is only to point out as widely as possible what is self-evident to every man sufficiently educated to be able to read the book of history, as a means of avoiding perishing helpless one day when this perception can save us. We do not wish to deny and we are not ashamed to admit that our heart, our compassion towards our neighbour immersed in intellectual, moral and physical misery, pushes us towards the idea and the development of communism; but it is not only our heart, it is not a simple dream, it is also reason, it is, to speak like Feuerbach, the heart become reason, which inspires in us the conviction that the time is now no longer far away when men will consider themselves as the members of one and the same family and will work together in community. If modern industry had not been there to first unhinge this egoist society and then give to it, as communist society, its excedent of productive forces – we would not have come to the idea of communism, even less have believed in its realisation. But at the point where science and the industrial art of men now are, it is just as certain that all men, with so little pain that no-one will be put off by it, will be able to lead a comfortable, enjoyable and free life, if they were to unite and to live and work in community, as it is certain that they will go to their destruction with each working for his own private account.
We must often hear the objection that much work is so hard, so repulsive and even so harmful to health that nobody would undertake it unless he was forced to do so by necessity. This remark which is thought to be the greatest objection to communism is rather the most conclusive argument in its favour. Consider, gentlemen, the high level that mechanics has attained today and ask yourself if you can think of any work which men could not perform comfortably, provided that we really wanted to and would not shrink from any cost to make it so. But suppose that despite all the resources of mechanics there should still remain work that was difficult for men, by what right would you impose the burden of this work on some and not on others? Rather, would not our right and our duty be to mutually lighten such tasks by undertaking them together? Have we then the right to treat as pariahs those who have the misfortune to have been born poor and to assure to others the privilege of an easy life? In a society for which the common welfare will be worth more than all the treasure of the world, in a society which will spare no cost to ensure that work is carried out in such a way that men can do it without harming their lives, in a society which will prefer not to have work done which is not justified from the overall human point of view, in such a society, I say, such inhuman work as exists in our society based on robbery with murder, slavery, unreason and injustice will no longer exist. The more you find in our society such work which man only carries out through necessity, which in other words only a slave does, the more you ought to consider communism, without which this work will neither be changed nor abolished, to be the indispensable condition for freedom, justice and humanity.Donald Trump’s years as a womanizing New York City playboy provide the fodder for a new Hillary Clinton campaign ad out Friday, which highlights his past demeaning comments about women.
In the 30-second spot, which will air in several battleground states, young girls look self-consciously at their reflections in iPhone screens and mirrors. Trump’s offensive remarks, taken from radio and TV interviews, play in the background.
“I’d look at her right in that fat ugly face of hers.”
“She’s a slob. She ate like a pig.”
“A person who is flat-chested, it’s very hard to be a 10.”
In the final quote, an interviewer asks if Trump treats women with respect and he responds, “I can’t say that either.”
“Is this the president we want for our daughters?” the ad concludes.
The Democratic nominee has used Trump’s own words against him in previous ads featuring young children, people with disabilities, and veterans.
The ad will air in Ohio, New Hampshire, Iowa, Florida, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and on national cable stations, according to The Hill.
TPM has reached out to the Clinton campaign about the cost and duration of the ad buy.You are not signed in as a Premium user; we rely on Premium users to support our news reporting. Sign in or Sign up today!
BUDAPEST (ChurchMilitant.com) - Led by Hungary, the nations of Central Europe are ramping up efforts to halt population collapse.
At a conference on family policy in Budapest last week, Hungarian parliamentary representative Gabriella Selmeczi conceded Europe is in the midst of demographic crisis.
The fertility rate "needs to be improved," she rallied participants. "[W]e have to do something."
But in contrast to the approach of western European Union nations, the Visegrád Group (Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia), is committing to boosting population growth naturally, instead of through mass migration.
Pointing to her own country, Selmeczi suggested a robust national family policy could help solve the European population implosion.
Since 2010, Hungary has instituted a series of pro-family measures, more than doubling the amount spent annually on family support to 4.8 percent of GDP.
Gabriella Selmeczi, Hungarian MP
In 2016, the administration of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán introduced the Family Housing Allowance Program or CSOK, which offers up to 20 million HUF — more than $75,000 — per family for housing. It also slashed the value-added tax rate on newly built homes, from 27 percent to 5 percent, specifically to encourage home ownership among young couples.
Hungarians have responded; in the past few years, the fertility rate has risen from 1.23 to 1.49 — an increase of more than 20 percent — and today, approximately 200,000 Hungarian families have three or more children.
Still, the fertility rate remains well below the replacement level (2.1), at which population stabilizes. If the current rate holds steady, over the next quarter-century, Hungary's population will fall from 9.8 million to 8.5 million.
The government has responded by laying out an aggressive target, aiming to return the country to population stability — a fertility rate of 2.1 — by 2030.
We want our politics built on families.... Make families again the core of European politics. Families and children are really a blessing — not just for the nation but for the entire European community.
Orbán has declared 2018 a "year of families" and further measures aimed at boosting population growth are expected:
Any woman owing student debt will have her outstanding balance cut by 50 percent if she gives birth to two children; with three or more, the debt will be completely forgiven
Parents who give birth to three children will see the outstanding mortgage on their home decline by 1 million forints. Each additional child will result in a subsidy of 1 million forints per newborn, to be applied to the outstanding mortgage balance
Additional tax benefits for families with at least two children
The government will also build new nurseries and day care centers and launch a demographic research center to study ways to fuel population growth.
Addressing the new measures, the prime minister reflected, "Where there is space for two children, there is space for three, as well as for a fourth."
"The braver ones can accommodate five as well," Orbán, a father of five himself, added.
"The government has come to the simple truth that a little more support means a few more kids, while greater support means a greater number of children," he added.
Though nothing has yet been done to combat the foundation of the population crisis — the contraceptive mindset — a certain line in the sand has been drawn.
Budapest's family policy conference
At last week's Budapest conference, Visegrád representatives openly rejected gender ideology, reaffirming the biological reality of two, fixed sexes. They also voiced support for traditional values, pledging "to protect life, marriages based on the relationship between man and woman, [and] the family on which the whole of society is based."
The conference sent a dispatch to Brussels outlining pro-family policies discussed in Budapest, "hoping that this voice would be heard in other capitals of Europe."
"We want our politics built on families," said Orbán, remarking on government responses to the population crisis. "Make families again the core of European politics. Families and children are really a blessing — not just for the nation but for the entire European community."
--- Campaign 32075 ---
Have a news tip? Submit news to our tip line."Sir, I don't know anything else," the young mother of three told a Harris County prosecutor on an April morning in 2003.
But the prosecutor, Dan Rizzo, didn't believe her. And neither did the Harris County grand jury listening to her testimony.
They seemed convinced that Ericka Jean Dockery's boyfriend of six months, Alfred Dewayne Brown, had murdered veteran Houston police officer Charles R. Clark during a three-man burglary of a check-cashing place, and they didn't seem to be willing to believe Dockery's testimony that he was at her house the morning of the murder.
"If we find out that you're not telling the truth, we're coming after you," one grand juror tells Dockery.
"You won't be able to get a job flipping burgers," says another.
Dockery tells the group that if she believed Brown actually killed people, she'd turn him in herself: "If he did it, he deserves to get whatever is coming to him. Truly," she says.
Read more award-winning work from Lisa Falkenberg.
In May, I reported that a land-line phone record supporting Brown's contention that he called Dockery that morning from her apartment phone had mysteriously turned up in a homicide detective's garage, more than seven years after he was convicted and sentenced to death. The Harris County District Attorney's Office maintained Rizzo, now retired, must have inadvertently lost the record, and agreed to a new trial. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals inexplicably has sat on the case for more than a year.
Initially, Dockery's story meshed with Brown's. She told grand jurors he was indeed asleep on her couch at the early morning hour when prosecutors believed he was scouting venues. Dockery also confirmed the land-line call to her workplace - made at the same time prosecutors placed Brown at an apartment complex with suspects, changing clothes and watching TV news coverage of the crime.
Neither the prosecutor nor the grand jury would take Dockery's "truth" for an answer.
The young woman, a home health aide who made Subway sandwiches by night, had no attorney. No experience dealing with authorities. No criminal history aside from traffic tickets.
She caved. At Brown's capital murder trial in October 2005, Dockery was a key prosecution witness, helping seal her boyfriend's death sentence by telling the court that when she asked him if he did it, he had confessed, saying, " 'I was there. I was there.' "
How she got from one point to another would be hard to imagine. But thanks to a formerly confidential document in Brown's court file, we don't have to imagine.
Part of public record
In a rare, disturbing glimpse into the shrouded world of the Texas grand jury system, we can read with our own eyes the beginnings of the young woman's tortured evolution.
Appellate attorneys were so outraged by a 146-page transcript of Dockery's testimony before the 208th Harris County grand jury on April 21, 2003, that they entered it into the public record for judges to review.
In it, grand jurors don't just inquire. They interrogate. They intimidate. They appear to abandon their duty to serve as a check on overzealous government prosecution and instead join the team.
"Unbelievable," veteran criminal defense attorney Pat McCann said after I asked him to read the document. "When she went in there, Mr. Brown had an alibi. When they were finished browbeating her with her children, he didn't. That's the single biggest misuse and abuse of the grand jury system I have ever seen."
Rizzo and Lynn Hardaway with the DA's office declined comment, citing a state law that keeps grand jury proceedings secret.
At first, the fact that Dockery seemed to be "a good, nice, hard-working lady," in the words of one grand juror, gave her credibility with the group. But jurors soon seized on her vulnerabilities and fear.
"Hey, Dan," the foreman calls to the prosecutor. "What are the punishments for perjury and aggravated perjury?"
"It's up to 10 years," Rizzo responds.
"In prison. OK," the foreman says.
"Oh no," says another grand juror as if on cue, echoing other commentary that reads at times like a Greek chorus.
Every word challenged
"I'm just trying to answer all your questions to the best of my ability," Dockery says.
A bit later, a female juror asks pointedly: "What are you protecting him from?"
"I'm not protecting him from anything. No ma'am. I wouldn't dare do that," Dockery eventually responds. As Rizzo and the grand jurors parse Dockery's every word and challenge each statement, she complains they're confusing her.
"No, we're not confusing you," a grand juror says. "We just want to find out the truth."
Although Dockery says repeatedly that she knew it was Brown on her couch that morning, the foreman tries to get her to subscribe to an implausible theory that it was somebody else on her couch.
She doesn't budge. The group takes a break - one of several.
When the grand jury returns, the foreman says the members are not convinced by Dockery's story and "wanted to express our concern" for her children if she doesn't come clean.
"That's why we're really pulling this testimony," the foreman tells her.
The foreman adds that if the evidence shows she's perjuring herself "then you know the kids are going to be taken by Child Protective Services, and you're going to the penitentiary and you won't see your kids for a long time."
'Think about your kids'
Rizzo goes on to accuse Dockery of misleading the grand jury. Then, after being told again and again to think about her children, Dockery changes her story a bit. She says Brown was not at the house when she left for work.
"No, no, no," she finally blurts out.
"One minute, Ericka," a grand juror says a bit later, apparently sensing an opportunity. "He wasn't in the house when you put your kids on the bus either, was (he)?"
"I'm trying to remember," she says.
"Think about your kids, darling," a grand juror says.
"I'm trying to remember," Dockery says.
"That's what we're concerned about here, is your kids," the foreman says.
"He was not at the house," a grand juror urges.
"We're as much concerned about your kids as you are," the foreman says. "So, tell the truth."
"He was not in the house when you put your kids on the bus, was he?" a grand juror says.
"Tell the truth, girl."
"Yes," Dockery says finally. "He was there."
A bit later, Dockery acquiesces on that point, saying that Brown was not in her house earlier that morning, either.
Pivotal phone call
There's a long break. Whatever happened during that time must have been profound. Dockery comes back in and tells yet another, completely different, story - that she left her house far earlier than she'd said previously, to rekindle a relationship with an old lover, and therefore doesn't know what time Brown left.
Rizzo, his patience seemingly wearing thin, suggests again he doesn't believe her story. "I think that you're up to your neck involved in this deal," he says.
He is intent on getting Dockery to admit she made a call to one of the suspects, as he says records show.
"I never called. I never called," she says.
"Girl, you just made a big mistake," a grand juror says.
One of them advises her to get an attorney.
"We're done," Rizzo announces.
And although Dockery had never been implicated in the crime, a grand juror closes out Dockery's testimony by leveling the harshest, most intimidating allegation yet.
"I think she was with him at the check cashing place."
Months later, Dockery found herself in jail charged with perjury for allegedly lying about what time she last saw Brown the day of the murder and whether she called another suspect. She faced bail she couldn't pay and, apparently, one cruel choice - stay locked up away from her children, or tell them what they wanted to hear.
(Read part II of Dockery's story)An internship more than a year ago, combined with hard work and undeniable good luck, led a small-town boy from rural Washington County to the unlikeliest of places: national TV attention and a scholarship to culinary school, paid for by a world-famous chef.
Scooter Telford, 20, emerged as the feel-good story in Monday night’s episode of “Hotel Hell,” a reality series on Fox in the which the shouty British chef Gordon Ramsay gives makeovers to ailing inns. The episode focused on the troubled Cambridge Hotel, which was foundering yet again, this time under the ownership of a former military man and country lawyer named John Imhof. With his family’s help, forbearance and financial bailouts, Imhof bought the historic hotel in 2007 and ran it into $750,000 worth of debt before his wife, Tina, appealed to Ramsay’s producers for help last year — without telling Imhof.
While Imhof received the brunt of Ramsay’s attention on the episode, much of it foul-mouthed and harshly |
terrible shock to many, probably most, economists. In fact, this is something economists go to great lengths to avoid seeing.
One of the favorite theories is that marriage frees men up to focus more on paid work. By this theory, single men dream of working a more dangerous job with more stress, a longer commute, and working more hours, but are prevented from chasing this lifestyle by the constant demands of housework. These poor single men are stuck putting dishes in the dishwasher when they could be sitting in traffic, traveling for business, or working late into the night. This absurd feminist theory simply won’t die, even though the data shows that marriage increases men’s focus on paid work while not reducing their focus on housework. As the St Louis Fed explains in For Love or Money: Why Married Men Make More
…If a man spends less time on housework after he is married, then it makes sense that he would see an increase in his wages because the extra time and effort spent at work would increase his productivity and promotion chances. …while marriage does seem to make men more productive in the market (i.e., men begin making higher wages after marriage), household specialization does not seem to be the cause. They find little difference between married and unmarried men in the time they spend on home production. If the productivity from marriage itself is not the result of decreased hours spent on housework, as Hersche and Stratton suggest, then where does that improved productivity come from? Because the earnings of divorced or separated men are higher than those of never-married men, the added productivity that accompanies marriage must be of two kinds: (1) productivity from the marriage itself and/or (2) advantages that remain even after the marriage is dissolved. Korenman and David Neumark argue in a 1991 study that the wage premium earned by divorced or separated men is attributable to the advantages gained while married. Their evidence is that wages grow more slowly in the years of divorce or separation.
Economic papers are filled with this kind of willful misunderstanding of what is going on. Why do men earn more after marrying, and then after divorce tend to stop growing their earnings? The answer is quite simple, and boils down to incentives. Men who want to marry know they need to earn more to signal provider status. After marriage men have greater responsibilities, and therefore have to earn even more. Threats of divorce ratchet this pressure up further, as men understand that the family courts are designed to separate fathers from their children while financially rewarding the mother at the father’s expense. Divorce for women means ejecting the man and keeping both the kids and a large part of his paycheck. Divorce for men means losing the kids and paying a steep monthly fee to finance the operation.
But since divorce removes the incentive married men naturally feel to earn more money, family court judges know they need to replace the natural incentive with something else. This is why the family courts assign men earnings quotas (imputed income) based on their previous income. The man might earn less than his quota, but he will be billed for child support and/or alimony based on this quota. This quota system is enforced with the threat of imprisonment, and is not surprisingly despised by the men who find themselves forced into it. This explains why divorced men earn more than never married men; they have a quota to meet based on their income at the end of the marriage. If they don’t maintain their married level of earnings, they will be sent to prison. It also explains why divorced men’s earnings tend not to grow like they would have were they still married; quota systems are effective in the short term at coercing hard work, but they create a disincentive for increasing productivity. Under a quota system earning more only increases your quota. Most men under our new quota system will work hard enough to stay out of prison, but they aren’t going to take risks and/or work harder for the privilege of increasing their quota.
Note that while Prager and Wilcox claim the pressure married men feel to work harder is a benefit to men, the St. Louis Fed likewise implies that being forced by a court to pay alimony and/or child support is an advantage divorced men have which never married men lack (emphasis mine):
…the added productivity that accompanies marriage must be of two kinds: (1) productivity from the marriage itself and/or (2) advantages that remain even after the marriage is dissolved.
We won the cold war because an incentive based system leads to a kind of dynamic productivity that a quota based system can’t ever hope to create. Yet we have dramatically reworked our family structure in ways only the Soviets could truly appreciate. This new system is hurting us in ways we refuse to accept, because accepting the cost would force us to rethink our family model. Part of the problem is that the costs associated with replacing marriage with a child support system weren’t immediately obvious. Since we pretended we still had a fundamentally marriage based family structure, initially men carried on as if that was the case. In fact, most men today still do so. However, over time the reality of the new system has caused not a marriage strike, but something more ominous. Just like with the Soviet system, this will continue until we decide the ideology behind the quota system isn’t worth the economic pain it inevitably causes. In the meantime, economists will remain baffled as to why married earn more than divorced men, and why both earn more than never married men.
AdvertisementsMCALESTER, OK—Calling it an “unfortunate incident,” Oklahoma Department of Corrections officials confirmed that convicted murderer and death row inmate Harrison Garber, 57, died of natural causes three days into his lethal injection Tuesday. “Approximately 55 hours into the execution process, Mr. Garber began having seizures and showing signs of severe distress, ultimately succumbing to the effects of a stroke,” said warden Timothy Richards, adding that medical personnel rushed to revive the man so they could proceed with the execution, but it was already too late. “A preliminary report by the coroner indicates a sudden arterial embolism in the brain—an unforeseen turn of events that was certainly not the chemically induced cardiac arrest by which we eventually expected him to die.” Richards then vowed immediate reforms, declaring that all future death row inmates would have to pass a physical examination to ensure they were not at risk of passing away on the execution table while waiting for the unproven cocktail of chemicals inside them to take effect.
AdvertisementLouis Armstrong’s long-lost appearance on Desert Island Discs has been found by the BBC, one of four castaways including William Hartnell, the original star of Doctor Who, that listeners will be able to hear for the first time in half a century, from Saturday on Radio 4.
The BBC, which began opening up the Radio 4 programme’s archive four years ago, believed the jazz legend’s 1968 encounter with the show’s original host, Roy Plomley, had been lost forever. But it was discovered in Armstrong’s own personal collection, an archive of around 750 tapes that he carefully catalogued and indexed himself, and which is now kept at the Louis Armstrong House Museum in New York.
Lunch, laxatives and laughs with Satchmo | Letters: Brenda Hall Read more
The recording is now available for the first time since its original broadcast on the BBC’s Desert Island Discs programme. Other archive castaway interviews that have been made newly available feature Wilbert Awdry, better known as the Rev W Awdry, creator of Thomas The Tank Engine, who was interviewed in 1964, Hartnell from 1965 and actor Diana Rigg, star of the Avengers, who appeared in 1970.
Armstrong’s appearance is memorable for a number of reasons, not least because he chooses five of his own records to take with him to the desert island, including What A Wonderful World, which had been a number one hit in the UK in 1968.
“It’s fairly unusual, and certainly people tend not to do it now,” said Cathy Drysdale, series producer of Desert Island Discs. “When we were originally putting the archive together, the Louis Armstrong programme was one of those we thought ‘if only that existed somewhere’, but despite our best efforts it just didn’t turn up. He is so charming, his voice is just thrilling.”
The programme, in which Armstrong tells Plomley about his upbringing in an orphanage and how he learned to sing in church, was traced to the New York museum by listener Terry Teachout, who wrote a biography of Armstrong, Pops, in 2010.
The reel-to-reel tape in its collection is the original copy requested by Armstrong after his appearance on the show. On the other side is another BBC radio programme about Armstrong presented by Humphrey Lyttelton, recorded in 1965.
For his luxury, Armstrong chooses his trumpet, and for his book, his own autobiography. “Sometimes you’ve got to pat yourself on the shoulders,” he tells Plomley.
Ricky Riccardi, archivist at the Louis Armstrong House Museum, said: “Armstrong was the most incredible combination of humble but he also possessed a fairly healthy ego.
“He never lost his humble roots, he loved giving away money, but he was very aware of how important he was in music and unlike most musicians he loved listening to himself, he loved the records.”
But it was also a turning point in Armstrong’s life; his health went into decline a few months later and he was taken to hospital after rapid weight loss on laxatives. Plomley says: “You are about half the size you were when I last saw you. Have you been getting enough to eat?”
“I’ve been getting too much to eat,” replies Armstrong, who died in 1971. “I’ve learnt the psychology of leaving it all behind me every morning. That’s my philosophy. You don’t need it after the taste has gone.”
Plomley, the show’s creator who presented the show from 1942 until his death in 1985, asks Armstrong how it feels to be “pushing aside the 18-year-olds and topping the pops”.
“I ain’t worried about the top record but it’s nice to know,” says Armstrong.
But the prospect of island life is not an appealing one. “I don’t want to fool around with snakes and trees, I’m a city boy after all,” he says. Rather than go fishing he would “just as sooner play baseball and swim”.Now, nearly four months later, the musician's family is offering a $3,500 reward to get it back.
"We have his clothing. We have his shoes," Leroy told NBC News. "The one thing we don't have is his trumpet."
Under any circumstances, the theft of a dead musician's instrument would seem especially cruel. But for Travis, it was even worse. Hill had been a prodigy as a young musician, someone whose lineage include the great R&B singer Jesse Hill. He was touring with his cousin Trombone Shorty by the time he was 12. But by 18, he'd developed a fearsome street reputation and was in prison for kidnapping and carjacking, said James Demaria, a filmmaker who was making "You Gonna Fall," a documentary about Travis, at the time of the musician's death.
"He used to walk Orleans Avenue with a machine gun," Demaria said. "He called it 'Chopper.'"
In prison, however, Travis converted to Islam and left his old ways behind. When he was released four years ago, Demaria said, "he took the world by storm."
He formed Trumpet Black and the Heart Attacks and worked with a local nonprofit, Trumpets NOT Guns, to get instruments to inner-city kids. "I could see the fire in this dude," Demaria said. "He really wanted to turn things around."
When Travis died in May, Leroy said, he was on his way to Australia for a monthlong tour by way of Japan.
Leroy isn't sure what happened that day at Carver Theater. That last time he remembers seeing the trumpet, a cousin had placed it on a chair just steps from the casket, in an area reserved for relatives and funeral home officials.
The theater's director, Shelley Everett, told NBC News that surveillance video showed nothing more than "a sea of people" — she estimated that more than 1,500 attended the funeral — and that when she tried to have a technician show the family the video, "he waited for several hours. No one came in."
Then, Everett said, the video was recorded over.
Since the reward was offered last week, Leroy said, he's heard nothing.
"The only thing I've gotten are responses on Facebook — people saying, 'I hope you get it back,'" he said.Former Siena College standout Scott Knapp is a part-time basketball coach earning full-time rewards.
Although he loves his day job as a pharmaceutical salesman for dermatology products, Knapp’s part-time job as the head coach of the Schenectady Legends paid off in a big way, as he led the team to the Independent Basketball Association fall division championship and a perfect 13-0 record.
“I love my regular job, and I do it well, but this was fun,” said Knapp, who graduated from Siena in 2001 as the school’s all-time leader in three-point field goals (203) and free-throw percentage (89 percent). The former Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year is also 12th on the Saints’ all-time scoring list with 1,381 points.
“I always wanted to do something like this, and I’ve had some opportunities over the years, but this was just something that I was really interested in doing.
“I played with E.J. Gallup over in Utica, and he’s the one who suggested that I look into becoming the Legends’ coach. It couldn’t have worked out better. This was a great experience for me, to put together a group of guys I like personally and have a great amount of respect for. We all had a great time, and we all knew each other. It’s almost like we’re all best of friends. It’s really been great for me personally.”
Knapp said he wouldn’t have taken the job if not for the fact that the roster is loaded with Capital Region players.
“Everybody on the team is either from the area originally, or played at a local college and then stayed around here. That was a big part of what I wanted when I talked to Steve [Legends owner Steve Miller] about the job. I wanted to bring in guys that I knew. I felt very comfortable with all the guys here. I think even if we didn’t pay most of them, they would have wanted to play just for the love of the game. Some of the guys thanked me just for the opportunity to play and be part of this championship.”
Schenectady County Community College product Lloyd Johnson, a 6-foot guard, was the Legends’ leading scorer, and scored an IBA championship-series record 61 points in the title game, a 154-137 win over the Kenosha Ballers. Johnson scored about 30 points a game, while Gallup, who played at Gloversville High School, University at Albany and Coastal Carolina, added more than 20 an outing in the high-scoring league.
College of Saint Rose products Shea Bromirski, Brian Ledbetter, Kareem Thomas, Zach Bye (Scotia), Clayton Longmire and Sheldon Griffin; Amsterdam High School grad TJ Czeski (Wagner); Georgia Tech grad Brad Sheehan (Shaker); Schenectady High School products Tyrone Butler and Andy Robinson; and Iona grad Anthony Bruin (Colonie) rounded out the roster.
“We play with a 22-second clock in this league, and it forces you to play up-and-down,” said Knapp. “Especially when you get up by a lot of points, you can really get some wild scores. But the scores were a little lower when you had games that you had to grind it out. It’s definitely a high-octane kind of league.”
Knapp said he’s not expecting his coaching success to draw much attention.
“This was something that fit into my schedule,” he said. “I would think that something like this would help my resumé, but I’m not expecting anything major to come out of this. My wife works for the state, and we just can’t pick up and move. I like to keep things pretty simple, and I like staying put in one place.
“Coaching puts a lot of pressure on your family life. I watched Paul Hewitt put so much time and commitment into coaching when he was at Siena. People see the high salaries and think it’s an easy job. When you are winning, there are no job security issues, but the time commitment is not a 40-hour week. You’re usually spending 70 hours a week, at a minimum.
“This worked out great for me and the guys.”By Riot Paradox
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Unlock these bundles before the sale ends on April 30th at 11:59 PM PDT!The whole dynamic is different. That’s the way I felt, definitely last year when I was at the Tour. But going in as a rider who is chasing, let’s face it: the yellow jersey… and you’re up against [a] guy who has won it three times, who you know very well. What are you thinking about in this last stanza of preparation? Are you excited about the Tour or just feeling like you’re going through the motions?
“I’m super motivated for the Dauphiné because I guess that’s the first big test now to see where guys are at.
“I think, obviously, we did Romandie three weeks ago and Froome and Sky were not quite what people thought they would be. So the Dauphiné, for me, is the biggest test just to see where they are at.
“You know, ‘Froomey’ has won that race every year that he’s won the Tour so I think that’s going to be the first big indication. But for me, going into the Tour this year, I think it’s more just do the things that I can control and not lose too much energy on things I can’t control.
“I think, for me, that’s not… that’s like not going on social media so much to see…
“Everyone likes to have a bit of a pot-shot at you: that you’re going to have a bad day and all this rubbish. So it’s just nice to stay away from that side of things and not go on the cycling tabloids or things like that either because a lot of that stuff is stuff that you don’t need to take in anyhow.
“I’m just enjoying my training and the relationship with the team and the team-mates, that’s probably the biggest thing for me at the moment.”
It helps that you’ve got guys like Nico Roche around, and we’ll get to him [soon – see part 3] but it’s interesting that you reference the social media aspect and the ramifications that can have on preparation. We talk so much about preparing for the physical but if you lose the mental edge, you’re also at a real weak point, aren’t you?
Is that what happened at the Giro a couple of years ago? I’m curious about that: you know, when you had the wheel change with Simon Clarke and all those things happened against you. Did you lose you motivation?
“I wouldn’t say I ‘lost motivation’ to be honest. It was more [about] having a crash just outside the three kilometre zone that ultimately ended it for me. I banged my knee up quite badly there but I just think it’s a bit of a funny one because the Giro itself were reposting pictures of ‘Clarkey’ helping me with the wheel and the next thing the UCI go and punish you.
“It’s like, yeah, I didn’t know about that rule so in some ways that’s my fault but it was such a positive story of mateship that came out of that; okay, yes we broke rules but I also lost 45 seconds – or whatever it was – and maybe that should have been penalty enough.
“But no, instead they chose to throw the rule book at me.
“It’s funny because there’s pictures of a guy hanging onto a motorbike on Mont Ventoux last year when we were crashing on the mountain and there’s no problems there.
“I just find that maybe the UCI has kind of lost touch a little bit with cycling. There’s a lot worse things going on than wheel changes from guys from different teams.”DANVILLE – Standing is something most people take for granted.
But, when Sharon Budd stood, with some assistance, for about 20 seconds late last week, it brought a tear to the eyes of her husband, Randy.
Sharon Budd suffered severe brain injuries when a rock thrown from an Interstate 80 overpass in Union County on July 10 smashed the windshield of the car in which she was a front-seat passenger.
The 52-year-old Uniontown, Ohio, school teacher was rushed to Geisinger Medical Center near Danville where part of the skull was removed that doctors said saved her life. She later underwent a more than 13-hour operation to remove part of her brain and to begin facial reconstruction.
Her condition was upgraded from critical to serious condition and she was moved from the intensive care unit on July 31. She was transferred Aug. 4 to nearby Geisinger Health South, a rehabilitation facility that is a joint venture between Geisinger and Health South.
"I think she is the right place," Randy Budd said Sunday. "She is slowly coming along." Therapists are working with her, he said.
They dress her in her clothes, sit her on the side of the bed and put her in a hospital chair, he said. It was emotional seeing her stand even if it was for only 20 seconds, he said.
"She is doing so many things we are excited about," Randy Budd said. "They are little things most people take for granted."
She is breathing on her own although she is getting oxygen through her tracheotomy in which a speaker device has been inserted, he said.
Through the speaker device she has been able to say some numbers and family names, he said. She shakes her head when asked questions, he said. "I feel she knows certain people," he said. When he asks her to give him a kiss, she puckers up, he said.
During the lengthy surgery part of the brain that affects personality was removed and the family has been alerted she could be different when she fully awakes.
Dr. Atom Sarkar, a Geisinger neurosurgeon, said following that operation that the brain is complex and needs time to heal. It is not like a broken leg when a doctor puts two pieces of bone together, he said.
Sharon Budd lost sight in her right eye and her left one remains covered but there has been slight improvement with that one, Randy Budd said.
Sharon Budd is expected to undergo more surgery in early September when prosthesis will be installed to cover the brain where pieces of the skull were removed. There will be more facial reconstruction and she is to receive a prosthesis right eye, her husband said.
Four teenagers have been charged in connection with rocks thrown from the Gray Hill Road overpass hitting the Budd car and a tractor trailer, damage to a cornfield and a broken window in a house. The damage occurred in less than a three-hour period in the New Columbia area.
The arrest affidavits allege they yelled and cheered about hitting a vehicle on I-80, which turned out to be the Budd car.
A rock state police say was slightly larger than a softball hit the car the Budds' daughter Kaylee, 19, was driving on a business-pleasure trip to Somerset, N.J., that included seeing a Broadway play. Randy Budd was in the backseat.
Preliminary hearings for brothers Brett, 18, and Dylan Lahr, 17, Keefer Lance McGee, 17, and Tyler G. Porter, 17, all from the New Columbia-Milton area, are scheduled Aug. 19 in the Union County Courthouse in Lewisburg. The Lahrs posted $50,000 bail each while the other two are free on $50,000 unsecured bail.A recent UC Davis study seems to take the Environmental Working Group to task for adding ten specific fruits and vegetables to it’s “Dirty Dozen” list of produce that’s typically high in pesticides.
The study, conducted by the Department of Food Science and Technology at the University of California states:
“For three commodities—blueberries, cherries, and kale—the RfD was more than 30,000 times higher than the exposure estimates for all of the ten most frequently detected pesticides on those commodities. Given these findings, the inclusion of blueberries, cherries, and kale on the “Dirty Dozen” list is not justified.”
The study provides an even more scathing review on page six when it states, “The methodology used to create the ‘Dirty Dozen’ list does not appear to follow any established scientific procedures.”
UC Davis Conflict of Interest With Monsanto
Much of the paper is focused on dissecting the Environmental Working Group’s procedures in a way that underplays the accuracy of the study, and essentially ignores whether or not there really are higher levels of pesticides – regardless of whether amounts are low – on those particular fruits and vegetables.
TopSecretWriters was struck by the effort UC Davis researchers put into downplaying the EWG’s findings, and so we decided to conduct a background investigation into the school’s connections with the pesticide industry.
TSW researchers discovered that there is actually a significant conflict of interest involved with UC Davis and the pesticide industry.
None other than Monsanto, a leading producer of seed, pesticides and herbicides sponsors the UC Davis Biotechnology Training Grant. This fact was identified, buried on the CV of a current UC Davis staff.
Needless to say, this fact is evidence that the University has a self-interest in making sure the company keeps the grant dollars flowing.
With that said, there is no evidence Monsanto helped to specifically or directly fund the anti-EWG study itself.
UC Davis Responds – No Direct Funding
TSW Editor Ryan Dube contacted Carl Winter, one of the chief authors of the UC Davis study, and asked him about the fact that Monsanto sponsors the UC Davis Biotechnology Training Grant – and whether that might suggest a conflict of interest when the same school starts publishing pro-pesticide papers.
Carl Winters simply pointed out that there was no direct funding of the study when he responded, “The work described was not funded by any food, chemical, or agricultural organization.”
However, the existing relationship between Monsanto and the UC Davis does in fact represent a conflict of interest, and calls the motivation behind the published study into question.
The Dirty Dozen List
According to the EWG, there are 12 produce items with high pesticide levels. Blueberries, Apples, celery, strawberries, peaches, spinach, imported nectarines, grapes, sweet bell peppers, potatoes, lettuce and kale also share a spot on the “dirty dozen” list.
The group took samples of all the items on the list and tested for pesticides. Some items, such as hot peppers, were treated with as many as 97 pesticides.
The EWG tests levels of fruit and vegetables as eaten. Basically, it tests foods that are washed and peeled when applicable.
UC Davis researchers claim that their study casts the entire list into doubt. It claims items on the “Dirty Dozen” list contain pesticides at a levels too minute to impact human health and furthermore, the EWG has no scientific evidence to support its claim that avoiding the foods on the list can reduce pesticide intake by four-fifths.
The blueberry industry, of course, came out immediately in support of the study.
“We have long known that blueberries are among the healthiest of foods,” said Mark Villata, Executive Director of the North American Blueberry Council, an organization that represents the cultivated blueberry industry. “The UC Davis study comes as no surprise to us.”
Environmental Working Group Responds
The EWG admits their Shopper’s Guide isn’t built on a “complex assessment of pesticide risks,” but reflects the overall pesticide loads in common produce items.
The group says their method captures the uncertainties and risks of pesticide exposure and offers consumers the peace of mind in knowing they are buying foods with low pesticide levels.
The EWG also points out that pesticides are toxic by design, created to kill living organisms and fungi. The pesticides can also pose a risk to humans and have been linked to several health complications.
The group recommends eating organic fruits and vegetables grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers, chemicals, genetic engineering, radiation or sewage.
Other Monsanto Ethical Concerns
Meanwhile, Monsanto is the target of a Greenpeace campaign over the health implications of its pesticides. According to Greenpeace, the company’s Round Up weed killer is being linked to serious health issues, including cancer and Parkinson’s disease.
Round Up shares a common ingredient with several other herbicides, a chemical known as glyphosate, which some studies show to be dangerous to humans.
According to the Ecologist, Monsanto has a history of attaching itself to academic institutions by providing grants and funding studies that cast pesticides in a positive light. Such studies misled the public for years into thinking glyphosate was safe, even though Monsanto knew it was causing cancer and birth defects in laboratory animals.
As more information comes out about the UC Davis study, we may find that Monsanto played a more direct role in influencing the study. However, at this point all we can confirm is that the company is not opposed to handing UC Davis grant money.
Originally published on TopSecretWriters.comSkimming through recent news articles, it is easy to see that the social, political and economic consequences of population change are a concern. ‘World population will soar by 2bn more than forecast’ reported The Times in 2014: tinyurl.com/naf8o98).
This was in response to a paper in Science claiming an 80 per cent probability that the world population, now at 7.2 billion, will increase to between 9.6 and 12.3 billion by the year 2100 (Gerland et al., 2014). Other media coverage emphasised the implications of such population growth: ‘The world’s population is now odds-on to swell ever-higher for the rest of the century, posing grave challenges for food supplies, healthcare and social cohesion’ reported The Guardian (tinyurl.com/mg99v4v). Readers of The Psychologist have voiced similar concerns: ‘At a time when we are hoping to reduce the human impact on world resources and limit carbon emissions, whilst still lifting the poorest out of poverty and malnourishment, [population growth] is perhaps the most important problem we face today’ (Haran, 2014).
The fastest population growth is occurring in sub-Saharan Africa. There, the number of children that an average woman bears during her reproductive years (the fertility rate), is still very high, reaching a peak in Niger at 7.6 children per woman (2013 data: Population Reference Bureau). Fertility rates in the rest of the world are closer to the global average of 2.5 children per woman. This still implies population growth, as a fertility rate above 2.1 children per woman will result in a growing population. However, population growth trajectories vary quite dramatically around the world. Fertility rates in the UK, for example, are now only 1.85 children per woman (Office for National Statistics, 2014). This is below the level required for population growth, or even population replacement, and may ultimately result in population decline (without immigration). Such low fertility also means that the UK, along with many other rich economies, faces the challenge of population ageing.
Population ageing is an increase in the proportion of the population over 65 years relative to the number of people of working age. Given the aforementioned concerns about population growth, low growth, or even population decline, may seem like a good thing. However, population ageing is associated with its own set of economic and social challenges. In the UK today there are in the order of 28 people over 65 years for every 100 people of working age (15 to 64 years), but this is estimated to increase to around 42 per 100 by 2050 (United Nations, 2013). Concerns over how a working population will support large numbers of elderly people have triggered much public debate in the UK. For example, The Big Ageing Population Debate, an ongoing feature by The Guardian, asks questions like ‘What should the Government do for older people?’ and ‘Ageing well: whose responsibility is it?’ However, this is typical of the public debate on the issue, which focuses on how to manage an ageing population with little discussion about why our ageing population has come about.
So, should we be concerned about population growth, or population ageing? The truth is that they are two sides of the same coin and we must hope that a balance can be reached. While population growth and ageing pose challenges at the societal level, we have not reached a balance at the individual level either: many people are not having their preferred number of children. For example, in Uganda in 2011 average desired family size was 4.8 but the fertility rate was 6.2 (Muhoza et al., 2014): unwanted fertility. Meanwhile, in the UK in 2011 approximately 30 per cent of people aged 40 to 54 years had fewer children than they wanted (Testa, 2012): underachieved fertility. It is often assumed that, if contraceptives are available, and people want fewer children, then fertility will decline. However, this does not seem to be the case. Across Europe in the 1800s, fertility declined without access to modern contraceptives. In sub-Saharan Africa, fertility remains high despite declines in desired family size and some access to contraceptives (Gerland et al., 2014; Muhoza et al., 2014). The UK has one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancy in the European Union (EU) despite having the fourth highest contraceptive use rate in the world (World Health Organization, 2013). Clearly, contraceptive access alone does not determine fertility, We need a better understanding of why people have the number of children that they do, and why so many births are currently unplanned.
Likewise, there is more to underachieved fertility than meets the eye. We might assume that the more resources you have, the more children you can afford to have. However, the paradox of the fertility decline, which has occurred almost worldwide over the last two centuries, is that fertility has declined as economic standards and living conditions have improved. Within rich economies today, the relationship between wealth and fertility is complex, but a consistent finding is that more highly educated people tend to have fewer children, and larger gaps between intended and achieved fertility, than those with less education (Testa, 2012). Pronatalist government programmes that reduce the cost of having children in Japan, Italy and Singapore are failing to increase fertility, and those in France and Sweden are having only modest effects (Kramer, 2014). While the economic costs (and benefits) of children may be important to some extent in determining fertility, it is clear that other factors also play a substantial role. We need a better understanding of what these factors are; and psychologists may hold the key. Psychologists can help to improve our understanding of the reproductive decision-making process and what factors, including our social and physical environments, influence decisions about whether and when to have a(nother) baby.
We shall illustrate this by addressing an example question: What determines when someone starts reproducing? This is relevant to the issue of fertility because reproductive timing and fertility tend to be negatively correlated (Low et al., 2008): that is, delayed childbearing is characteristic of populations with low fertility. There are various approaches that psychologists might employ to answer the question of what determines reproductive timing. We use an evolutionary framework, derived from life history theory. One prediction of this theory is that life expectancy affects reproductive timing (Chisholm, 1993). Across countries there is a strong positive association between life expectancies at birth and average ages at first birth (Low et al., 2008). Patterns within countries are similar (Nettle, 2010; Quinlan, 2010). When life expectancy is low, there are clear benefits to reproducing sooner: both the likelihood of having children before death and the time a parent is around to care for children increase. As life expectancy increases, so do the benefits to delaying reproduction: prospective parents can accumulate more resources that can be invested in themselves and later in their children.
The evidence summarised above suggests that life expectancy affects reproductive behaviour. But what cues lead to these reproductive responses? The limited existing evidence suggests that experiences of death and danger may affect people’s reproductive timing. One study found a mini baby boom in response to the Oklahoma City bombing of 1995. Rodgers and colleagues (2005) were inspired to look for such an effect after reading a poem by Deborah Garrison in the New Yorker, which she wrote in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the USA:
Now can I say?
On that blackest day,
When I learned of
The uncountable, the hellbent obscenity,
I felt, with shame, a seed in me,
Powerful and inarticulate:
I wanted to be pregnant...
The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami had a similar effect in Indonesia (Nobles et al., 2014). In communities where tsunami-related mortality rates were high, women who did not have children before the tsunami started having them sooner than women in communities with few to no such fatalities.
Large-scale disasters may trigger increased awareness of mortality risk, even in those not directly affected, but personal experiences are also important. One British study found that girls who felt they lived in an unsafe environment had a higher chance of becoming teen mothers than those who felt they lived in a safe environment (Johns, 2010). And North American adults who had suffered more bereavements, a potential cue to personal mortality risk, started having children sooner than people |
to have work, that one stops asking oneself such awkward questions. Below is a selection of your comments: Once again we're left with blind optimism. Why are we so terrified of admitting that our jobs really are pointless and meaningless? Because the prospect that we've wasted so long, combined with the fact that we need to do something about it, is so terrifying. Admit it. Move on. Do something worthwhile. Work for your life, don't live for your work.
Steven, Bristol I started working at a corner shop 3 1/2 years ago just to pay the bills and now if I take any time off I'm surprised by how many customers say they miss me! The job just pays the bills but it's true the people who I serve (save some unsavoury customers) and work with make the job worthwhile. -x-
Natalie Hornshaw, Hull, UK What a patronising load of old twaddle. Excuse me whilst I take a break from stuffing envelopes and build a pyramid to fulfil my 'craft' urges
Steve Wenderby, Basingstoke I'm a graduate, in my mid 30s. I work in an area completely unrelated to my degree, on a helpline for people with mental health problems and their carers. It can be intensely satisfying - people tell me that they didn't know where to turn, were at their wits' end before they spoke to me - and utterly frustrating. I know I am making a difference to people who may be at a very low point in their lives. Yet other (especially graduate) friends of mine can't understand why I don't want to be a high powered manager; they earn twice, five times and even it one case 8 times as much as me. I can, at least, feel that I'm doing something worthwhile, rather than sitting in endless meetings and swimming in paperwork.
Miriam, Leeds So get back to work plebs! An article towing the corporate line but to be expected from someone deeply entrenched in the big business merry-go-round. It's a cop out to dismiss the demise of Saunders, Todd and Izaga as dysfunctional, isolated anomalies. Potentially these were healthy human beings reduced by a soul sapping work life and it's irresponsible to disregard this possibility. We wonder why there's been such an increase in alcohol related hospital admittances in the last 10 years, not to mention the huge amount of cocaine consumed in the city each year. We work too hard and are not afforded enough scope to be with our families and to be ourselves. There are imbalances in the way that we live that this article seeks to sweep under the carpet, to maintain the status quo for the benefit of business.
Russell Brooks, London, UK couldn't agree more. I've been in the Post Office for 32 years never than in the last 1 or 2 have I ever been so bogged done in measurement, performance targets, individual drivel and i AM THE MANAGER. I used to believe that I was making a difference to people I worked with, managed and supplied a service for. Now most of what I do is around meaningless measurement of what people do, in reality things they have been doing for years very well in fact, pointless meetings each day and week going on about seemingly nothing. And then they make me work until 65 now as the present pension is meaningless!!
Paul Halsall, Southport I often feel bouts of meaningless at work. However, thinking of the end goal and the reason for our project's existence helps matters. Working less (say a four day week) would be something to aspire to. Sometimes I feel I suffer from cash rich and time poor syndrome.
DL, Zurich This seems a really valid point and should be bought to greater attention, not so much the meaninglessness of what most of us do, that's just going to be depressing. rather were forgetting how to appreciate the smaller things in pursuit of greater things. my 2 "cents"
Qas, UEA The point of being a "craftsman" is that you do the job "right". You know when perfection is necessary - and also when pragmatism is not a problem. Too often these days you get a culture where people follow a set of rigid rules without understanding the "principles" - or they are totally cavalier, as long as "it looks right".
ChrisJK, UK Two of the best pieces of careers advice I ever had were when I was at Sussex University. First of all try to do what you enjoy doing. Second, even if you win the rat race that still only makes you a rat.
John Airey, Peterborough, UK A very enjoyable, eloquent and succinct reason to "work to live". "Live to work"... discuss!
David Mahoney, Lymington I really enjoyed short Lucy's investigation in to the meaning of work and the ideas behind the search for meaning. The ideas were wonderfully expressed and explored in this insightful programme.
Phil Whittaker, Tonbridge
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Oct. 23, 2015, 12:57 AM GMT / Updated Oct. 23, 2015, 1:42 AM GMT By Maggie Fox
A specialty drug company says it can offer a cheap alternative to compete with Turing CEO Martin Shkreli’s controversial $750 pill that sparked outrage after the price was dramatically increased.
San Diego-based Imprimis Pharmaceuticals says it can make a close, customized version of the drug for $1 a pill. That’s a big contrast to the $750-a-dose that Shkreli said Turing was going to start charging for Daraprim, which fights parasitic infections.
The Infectious Diseases Society of America and the HIV Medicine Association estimated it would cost $336,000 a year to treat someone with toxoplasmosis at that price.
"While we respect Turing's right to charge patients and insurance companies whatever it believes is appropriate, there may be more cost-effective compounded options for medications, such as Daraprim, for patients, physicians, insurance companies and pharmacy benefit managers to consider," Imprimis CEO Mark Baum said in a statement.
"This is not the first time a sole supply generic drug — especially one that has been approved for use as long as Daraprim — has had its price increased suddenly and to a level that may make it unaffordable," Baum said.
"In response to this recent case and others that we will soon identify, Imprimis is forming a new program called Imprimis Cares which is aligned to our corporate mission of making novel and customizable medicines available to physicians and patients today at accessible prices," Baum said.
RELATED: Company That Raised Drug Price Investigated by New York Attorney General
Daraprim is known generically as pyrimethamine. It’s been around since 1953 and has been generic for decades. It's prescribed for a range of parasitic infections but is especially used by patients infected with HIV who are vulnerable to toxoplasmosis.
Imprimis says its drug, which would have to be compounded to order, has something extra called leucovorin.
"According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pyrimethamine works to block folic acid synthesis in the parasite T. gondii, the cause of toxoplasmosis, and leucovorin helps to reverse the negative effects on bone marrow caused by this mechanism of action," the company said.
"Imprimis is now offering customizable compounded formulations of pyrimethamine and leucovorin in oral capsules starting as low as $99.00 for a 100 count bottle, or at a cost of under a dollar per capsule. Compounded medications may be appropriate for prescription when a commercially-available medicine does not meet the specific needs of a patient."
Turing bought Daraprim from Impax Laboratories in August for $55 million and raised the price from $13.50 a tablet to $750. It had originally been made and sold by GlaxoSmithKline for about $1 a tablet.
After widespread criticism, Shkreli said last month that his company would lower the price of Daraprim but he did not say exactly when or what the new price would be.
Shkreli had said the money from the increase would be used to develop better treatment for toxoplasmosis that have fewer side effects, and that drugs like Daraprim will not exist if small companies cannot get a return on their investment.Years ago, when my husband and I were just starting our family, we owned a commercial cleaning company. We purchased the business in our twenties as a way for my husband to use his Master’s Degree in Business toward something of our own. We worked nights because that’s when companies that needed to be cleaned were closed. Eventually we hired some help, but in the beginning we did the work and the business upkeep. It was a dream, really, to be business owners at an early age and making money doing our own thing.
As I started to have children, I could no longer work in the evenings and so my husband would drive 45 minutes to some of his commercial accounts. He would work into the early morning hours, and drive home. He never compromised his personal security. He was very alert, perceptive, and aware. He is a martial artist, too, and he always took pains to think about self-defense from that perspective, especially when working alone.
Around 3:00 a.m. one morning, on his commute home, he was driving through a toll area where several lanes had to converge into just a few lanes. There was not much traffic and he was eager for sleep after a long evening working. Just because he was a brown belt, he didn’t necessarily feel safe all the time in these late night business ventures, but he was cautious.
The few years before we purchased the business we both had been studying martial arts and held brown belts. The classes had a layered approach, including skills, drills, sparring, stepping motion patters, escapes and katas. There was something for everyone, and each student liked certain aspects more than others, but all students participated in everything that was taught and had to show proficiency. Combat situations were explored too, but there was a balance and moderation. Nothing had a particular emphasis. Not just combat. Not just skills. Not just one thing and not another.
Sparring was a favorite amongst many. It was a great catharsis to all the learning and a good physical application of the various techniques learned throughout class. What you really learned, without noticing it, was the art of patience; waiting and watching, as the opponent circled, aware of his eyes, blocking patiently before striking, and waiting for the right moment to score a point. This kind of martial art patience and mindset is paramount to winning any battle.
My husband wanted to explore some other styles, so he tried a combat martial art school. It was completely different from the martial art dojo. This place had a hard sell, required a contract, and just about everything had a price tag. There were no smiles, no high fives, and no compliments. You learned hand-to-hand combat and that was it. Fighting to submission was the point, but even so, the place lacked spirit. Uniforms were sweat-soaked by the end of each class but everyone understood what it felt like to face an opponent up close and personal. While training at this combat style school, he met one instructor there with whom he could relate; a gentleman older than he was, who taught him some of the combat methods. Of all the instructors there, this was one to whom he felt a good, professional respect.
Would what he learned from this instructor really help if he needed it? Would these combat hand-to-hand techniques work in a real situations?
The reality is that you can never fully prepare ahead of time for every scenario that might happen to you. You can be going along on your merry way when the very thing you’ve always wanted to avoid just stops you in your track like a hard cold slap to the face.
As my husband was driving through a toll section of a road on his drive home one night, another car purposefully tallied with him to get through the toll first. They exchanged a few glances and a few words as they both pushed through the interchange and he flashed his high beams, but after a few minutes he conceded and just let the other car go in front of him and just figured that he would forget about it. But, that didn’t happen. The car in front of him slowed down, while another pulled up alongside him, effectively boxing him in and forcing him to slow down, too.
It didn’t take long for him to realize their intent. He could see that each car held several individuals and both vehicles were positioning themselves in a way that would make him unable to jockey into a new spot on the road. Eventually, the car in front of him came to a complete stop and the car beside him pulled up directly next to him and stopped as well. He was forced to stop.
“Who are these people and what do they want?” he wondered, but he had no time to prepare, either.
Before he had a chance to roll up his window, a fist came at him through the opening and grazed his face. At the same time, he noticed another person sneaking into the bed of his truck from the back. He stepped on the gas and took off before any other physical contact occurred, but as if deja vu, it all started to happen again. One car blocked him from the front and one from the side. This time he slid into the left lane hoping to maintain some control. He realized that they probably wanted to steal his vehicle, but he also knew that he could not let them gain control or force him out of his truck. Even though he was a martial artist and knew hand-to-hand self-defense and combat measures, he didn’t know if any of that would work in this situation.
He remained in the vehicle and continued in this constant slow-paced chase, sure that they were not after him, but that they would do whatever they could to steal his vehicle. The problem was, if he got out of the vehicle, he was sure they would kill him. He continued to drive, passing exit after exit that would lead him into potentially bad neighborhoods. With no cops around, he just kept going. There were no cell phones and no other means to contact anyone as he weaved his way through the streets with this unexpected entourage.
He decided he would eventually enter our neighborhood and if still being followed, he would blast the horn all the way through waking up residents and me to an issue. Somewhere in his pursuit, he had memorized the license plate number to one of the cars that was following him. When he finally took the exit for home, they stopped following him.
We called the police, but they suggested my husband may have instigated the problem and thought that we should not press charges.
At the time I was working as a Private Investigator. I looked up the vehicle tag number to identify the vehicle owner. I obtained the owner’s name and address. We found the neighborhood and drove through and spotted the culprit car and the perpetrator. He was sitting on his porch steps looking like he had a hangover with garbage interspersed around him and abandoned cars in a ghetto. He had no hope, we realized. He already had his punishment. Day in, day out, he would live out his life this way. His behavior made him remain in this environment, and he would breed it into others, causing them to lash out all their lives. You can’t do evil to others without evil eventually descending upon you. Every day this thief would witness his own family living in the depth of poverty and crime. I can’t think of anything worse.
So, the real question is, did my husband use his martial art training at all during this strange confrontation?
The answer is yes. Even though it was an unfair situation, martial arts helped him see the truth. He had to decide what his goals really were. If he had not been smart about it and allowed rage to control him, he could have ended up in a situation where he would have never made it home. These thoughts entered his mind during this ordeal. He didn’t let anger control him. That is a martial art mindset. He explains it as if a movie in slow motion. He was patient and didn’t panic. He was able to desensitize himself when he saw it that way. He stayed calm and stopped “reacting” by trying to figure out the logic behind it.
Everything went into slow motion in this situation; either that, or his thinking accelerated in order to process what was happening. Initially, he could have let pride and anger direct him, but instead he kept asking himself, “why are they doing what they are doing?” He didn’t look at his response as weak; he didn’t want rage to cost him his life. It was very similar to sparring where timing is everything and poor reactions and rage can make you lose quickly. This mindset brought him home safely.
One day, not long after his own ordeal, he was reading the newspaper. He saw that the same gang had pursued another vehicle in just the same way. They blocked him in as he was driving. The difference was that the victim got so angered he actually stopped his vehicle and got out to fight. The gang members were standing about ten yards back from him, one pulled out a gun and shot him dead, and then left him on the side of the road. There was no opportunity for defense.
The whole twist to the story was who the victim was.
He was the combat teacher under whom my husband studied at the combat training facility.
Martial arts teach so much more than a physical component. The martial art mindset is more intricate than just learning how to have a good life, feel better about yourself, or overcome personal obstacles, although those are all important aspects that I apply to my life continually. The martial art mind also understands timing, reactions, and consequences. If used properly it knows to not put the body in danger just because of an emotion. Physical defense and hand-to-hand combat will work in certain situations, but not all. It is the mindful discernment of this fact that can save your life one day.
The greatest martial art lessons and the most pertinent questions to ask yourself are these: Who is back home waiting for you? Who loves you, depends on you, and needs you by their side?
If ever put in a situation like the one I’ve just described, make sure you understand your final goal, and that is simply to get home. To live. To be with your family. Never allow rage to put you in harm’s way. Keeping calm and using a controlled martial art mindset can very well save you, depending on the situation. When your focus is to get through an escalated situation and get home to the ones you love, you must put down your physical defenses and use your mental ones.
I’ve learned a great deal from this story. Every time I tell it, I wonder what I would have done. The truth is that I don’t know. There is just no way to prepare for everything ahead of time; however, you can determine your goals long before you’re forced into a confrontation. If you must, use combat or martial art skills for up-close protection; otherwise, take the time now to think through what you would do in a similar situation.
Thinking about it now might save you from being blindsided later.
Andrea
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Like this: Like Loading...0 Seattle police investigating alleged prostitution ties to government leaders
A well-known Capitol Hill community member is being investigated for allegedly training sex workers for “highly paid” escort work and providing them to government leaders.
There have been no arrests, but Sexual Assault Unit detectives served a search warrant last March at a residence for the well-known community member.
The investigation is ongoing.
If you have information about the investigation or alleged prostitution activities on Capitol Hill, follow this link to e-mail KIRO 7 investigators.
A young man who worked on Capitol Hill -- who later spoke to police -- said that the well-known Capitol Hill community member “told him explicitly that he could be working for persons in positions of power, and specifically mentioned government leaders (not by name, but by role),” according to police investigation documents.
Among the items removed by detectives from the home on March 1: four cameras, at least nine cellphones, more than five computers and multiple hard drives.
KIRO 7 obtained the investigation documents in March and reached out to the well-known Capitol Hill community member for comment. He did not respond.
Investigators are looking into whether the electronics they seized may have been used to record multiple photo shoots as part of a training regimen to prepare young men and women for the “highly paid” escort work in Seattle, investigation documents show.
Police describe alleged grooming
The young man who spoke to police met the well-known Capitol Hill community member through his job, and told police that shortly after he was befriended, the community member said he could get him work as a highly-paid escort.
The possible sexual acts would involve both genders, he was allegedly told.
The young man was allegedly told that other males and at least one female were placed into similar lucrative escort work. The young man also was allegedly told profits would be as much as $1,000 per event.
A well-known Capitol Hill community member is being investigated for allegedly training sex workers for “highly paid” escort work and providing them to government leaders.
Police said the young man showed them explicit text conversations in which the well-known Capitol Hill community member described sexual acts. The community member also claimed one of the prostitutes performed a sexual act on him, according to investigation documents.
Police reviewed text messages from January 16 to March 1 before serving the search warrant on the home. Detectives are investigating claims that the young man was being groomed for escort work, and the training included multiple photos shoots.
Police told of a fall-out
The young man told police he had a falling out with the well-known Capitol Hill community member in February.
That month, the young man contacted police -- separate from the Sexual Assault Unit investigation -- and said he believed the suspect and another person “drugged him in their home and raped him,” according to police investigation documents.
“He had no specific recollection of that assault, but reported that he felt significant anal-rectal pain the following morning. He was taken to Harborview Medical Center, where he completed a sexual assault examination.”
The laboratory results of that examination were pending as of March. Police did not comment further this week on specifics of the ongoing investigation.
A well-known Capitol Hill community member is being investigated for allegedly training sex workers for “highly paid” escort work and providing them to government leaders. © 2019 Cox Media Group.
“During his interview with the reporting officer, (the young man) said that he believed that there was photographic evidence of the assault” at the suspect’s home.
Those statement were used as reason detectives wanted to obtain the search warrant for the home.
On a follow-up interview, the young man “appeared less clear about knowing for certain” if the suspect and the other person committed the sexual assault against him, “but was still certain about feeling … as though he had been anally raped,” according to investigation documents.
He expressed certainty about drugs and alleged promoting prostitution, police said.
A friend of the well-known Capitol Hill community member also told police of additional people who may have engaged in similar behavior -- though the person “was unsure if these persons were contacted … for the purpose of prostitution.”
‘Active and ongoing’ investigation
Detectives believe they had probable cause to find other victims. They used the information from the young man to get the search warrant for the home.
They were looking to find communication from the well-known Capitol Hill community member, photos of the young man, photos of others, and evidence of crimes.
Among the multiple computers, hard drives and cameras seized, police also said they seized a lunchbox with paraphernalia and crystallized powder.
On Thursday a department spokesman did not elaborate other than confirming that the investigation is “active an ongoing”
If you have information about the investigation or alleged prostitution activities on Capitol Hill, follow this link to e-mail KIRO 7 investigators.
© 2019 Cox Media Group.Katie Rogers/The Washington Post
There is not, in other words, all that much you can say with confidence about what Occupy Wall Street is or isn’t. At the moment, it’s different things to different people. And, depending on your perspective, that may be the nascent movement’s biggest strength or its fatal weakness.
Right now, the protests are at a tipping point. The unions and MoveOn.org are mounting a sympathy march this afternoon. Van Jones’s Rebuild the Dream and Russ Feingold’s Progressives United are blasting messages of support. Prominent elected Democrats such as Rep. John Larson, Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus; Rep. Louise Slaughter, ranking member on the House Rules Committee; and Sen. Jeff Merkley have all applauded the movement.
What these Democrats and liberal-activist groups are looking for is something similar to what conservatives found in the tea party: an opportunity to recharge and rebrand. Governance exhausts a movement. The compromises sap it of its purity; the institutional ties rob it of its authenticity; and in times when the American people are unhappy, the consequences undermine its agenda. In 2009, that’s where the Republicans were. The Bush administration had left them identified with an unpopular president, yoked to a terrible economy and discredited as a governing force. So they stopped being Bush Republicans and became Tea Party Republicans.
In 2011, elected Democrats and activist groups affiliated with the Democratic Party are in a similar situation. They’ve compromised on their agenda. They’re yoked to a terrible economy and an unpopular president. They’ve watched the grass-roots energy migrate to the tea party right. They no longer hold the mantle of change. And here, all of a sudden, comes Occupy Wall Street, which seems to have tapped into the zeitgeist, and the slogan “We are the 99 percent,” which is something every liberal message man in town wishes he had come up with. You can see the appeal.
That isn’t to say these groups are trying to co-opt Occupy Wall Street. They’re not. Or, at least, they don't think they are. They just want some of that grass-roots magic, too. They see a space opening up for aggressive, populist organizing, and they want in on it.
That’s not what Occupy Wall Street was founded to offer. Its roots are more radical and anarchist than that. One interesting takeaway from the protest site is that an enormous amount of the energy there is going into sustaining the community at Zucotti Park, which now has to manage food, sanitation, a newspaper (The Occupied Wall Street Journal), marches, a library, a decision-making process, a lost-and-found, and more.
The effort to create “the sort of society you want to have in miniature” makes it hard to turn your attention to changing the society that’s all around you — and that ultimately limits your appeal. The number of people who want to sleep in the park and overthrow the system is not large. The number of people who want to express their frustration with the system and fight for a better deal might be.
The leaderless, decentralized, consensus-driven nature of the protest will make that process of evolution and adaptation easier. After all, there’s no one in particular who can say, “That’s not what this movement is about.” If MoveOn.org begins organizing under the “We Are The 99 Percent” banner, who will stop them?
One very possible future for the movementat it splits in two: The Occupy Wall Street effort, with its more radical aimds and means, continues, and the “We Are the 99 Percent” movement becomes something broader and more directly engaged with the political process. Another is that it fizzles: The radical protest in Zucotti Park peters out, and the effort to create a more mainstream version fails. Another possibility is that it fractures: Just as there are hundreds of distinct tea party groups organized under separate and competing national coalitions, you could imagine a lot of different efforts organized under one name but representing diverse and contradicting ideas.
Ultimately, what’s fascinating about Occupy Wall Street is how big something that small has become. There were hundreds of people in that park, but not thousands. Today’s march might have thousands or tens of thousands of people, but not hundreds of thousands. But it’s growing, and fast. And just as with the tea party, the media are interested in covering it, and the political establishment is interested in joining it. Occupy Wall Street has created a space for some type of populist movement to emerge. What exactly that will look like remains anyone’s guess.
Photos: Seeking 20,000 people to occupy Wall StreetIt’s the third item in the burlap inspired decoration. After the door wreath and the bunting here we DIY a table runner to complete the set. A beautiful yet simple craft to be able to involve your kids.
First you need to cut a burlap sheet, convenient size to your table (mine was 170x45cm) and better to sew the edges so it doesn’t unravel. Cut out some colored felt bunnies (or other material, whatever you have available). Click on bunnies to download a high resolution file of the bunnies silhouette, i made it as big as could fit on my runner size.
With the help of your kids, paste the bunnies on the burlap runner, i used simple UHU glue, but make sure you put something under it to protect the table then glue the pompom tails.
Our home decoration is done now. We still have to decorate the eggs and we are ready for Easter. Don’t miss the coming post for our creative Easter eggs. Stay tuned i am sure you will love!
If you like this post give it some likes and shares to spread the joy. Don’t forget to like marmite et ponpon facebook page and follow on twitter. More posts yet to come.Essendon Football Club wishes to advise all general public tickets for the 2015 Anzac Day blockbuster have now sold out.
However there are a range of club membership packages still available that included a reserved seat at the Anzac Day game. Ahead of the 100th anniversary of the Anzac landings at Gallipoli, all Bronze Premium, Silver and High Mark Members will have a reserved seat included in their membership packages for the blockbuster Anzac Day clash against Collingwood at the MCG on Saturday 25 April.
Click here to view the membership packages and secure your ticket to the blockbuster clash this year.
Please note more tickets may become available for purchase as a result of unused Club, AFL or corporate allocations. If available, tickets will be released via Ticketek at 9am on Tuesday 21 April. These will be strictly limited and subject to availability.
Make sure you’re part of the action and sign up as a member today to secure your seat to the 2015 blockbuster against Collingwood on Anzac Day.
*Restricted view seating and standing room will also be released at 9am on Tuesday 21 April.
This Is Our Fabric. Sign up as an Essendon member in 2015 and secure your seat to the Anzac Day blockbuster against Collingwood on Saturday 25 April at the MCG.The Chinese military’s combat capability has significantly grown in the past decade. At present, China’s second aircraft carrier is under construction.
According to military expert Liang Fang, the Chinese navy is expected to build its third aircraft carrier battle group in the near future and that would be capable of safeguarding territorial sovereignty and maritime rights, Chinese People’s Daily newspaper reported.
Liang further noted that “China is developing its aircraft carrier technology to defend national interests rather than to seek hegemony,” the publication reported.
Earlier last week, a fleet headed by aircraft carrier Liaoning held drills in the South China Sea
Around the same time, reports came in stating that the USS Carl Vinson, a nuclear-powered American aircraft carrier, would deploy from San Diego, California to the Western Pacific region.
As tension between two powers rise there is a lot of debate ongoing regarding the capabilities of both the navies.
The military expert Liang Fang said that although the Chinese aircraft carrier battle group is not comparable with its US counterpart in tonnage or number of aircraft, it nevertheless boasts stamina and a bright future.
“From the perspective of future development, the US military clearly lacks stamina and the country's insufficient military spending is proof of that,” Liang told People’s Daily.
In addition, frequent problems with US Navy Super Hornet, F-35C and other carrier-borne fighters have seriously hindered the aircraft carriers’ combat capability.
In contrast, the Chinese military’s combat capability has grown tremendously in the past decade and continues to grow.Obama encourages transgender activist to find a voice
NEW DELHI: Former US President Barack Obama addressed people at a Town Hall in India’s capital a few days back and answered questions put forth by intrigued leaders.
However, when asked by a transgender activist Dr Akkai Padmashali about how she can raise voice against a discriminatory law that identifies the LGBTQ community as criminals, Obama had the most inspiring of answers to give her.
"When the state terror is against minorities - be it transgender, sexual minority, caste, class, creed, religious - when you have been stigmatized, when you've been discriminated and patriarchal power and domination is against you - I am a criminal before Section 377 which criminalizes transgender, lesbian, gay, bisexual - how do I then raise my voice?”, inquired Padmashali, amidst applause and cheers.
And this is what Obama had to say, “It begins with what you just did, which is to find your voice, and articulate your views, your experiences and tell your story. And that's true of any group that is marginalised, stigmatised."
The 44th US President then went on to add, “Finding that voice and being able to tell a story so that the perceptions that somehow you are different are changed... people start recognizing their own experiences in you, they see your humanity. This is one of the reasons, by the way, why art is often a powerful tool in social change."
Obama was then asked by Padmashali for a hug. People at the Town Hall were amazed and moved at the same time by the thought-provoking question asked by the lady. However, what’s more comforting was the awe-inspiring reply Obama had for her.Bernie Sanders's 2016 presidential campaign was about starting a revolution. Having lost by landslides across the South and having been defeated in New York and most of the rest of the northeast, he simply can't catch Hillary Clinton's delegate lead.
But his campaign greatly exceeded expectations and showed that the kind of politics he represents is considerably more viable and mainstream than most of us in the press realized. He showed that there's a coalition ready to support and finance candidates that embrace a more democratic style of politics than mainstream Democrats thought possible.
It's a young coalition whose clout and power will only grow in years to come. Now it's time for Bernie to point the revolution in a new direction and lay groundwork for the future.
In concrete terms, Sanders impacted the course of the 2016 election by forcing Hillary Clinton to the left on a number of issues and by gaining widespread exposure for a few of his key ideas — especially free college — but it's increasingly difficult to see how he can take the Democratic nomination from Clinton's grasp.
She is too well-liked by the Democratic base, and Sanders simply lacks the support among African Americans, Latinos, and older Democratic Party loyalists to beat her. White liberals are a powerful force in Democratic Party politics, but they're not nearly enough to win the nomination this year.
A few months ago, Sanders stood in a swamp outside the Capitol and casually told a handful of reporters he was launching what amounted to a novelty bid for president. Now he attracts huge crowds to his rallies, garners press coverage for his policy statements, and raises unprecedented sums of money from a grassroots army.
Whatever he does over the next few weeks, the important question about Sanders's future is what can he do with that movement? Can he direct money and enthusiasm down ballot, where liberals have been badly failing? Can he deploy his revolution to reshape Democratic politics from the ground up? If so, he'll make a much bigger impact than anything he can conceivably achieve from here on out in the primary.
Bernie's amazing campaign finance engine is the prize
Bernie Sanders is a fundraising juggernaut, and his performance on Tuesday night probably doesn't change that.
Sanders built a following of dedicated mini donors who gave $20 million in January and then $40 million more in February. The crowd goes wild at events when Sanders points out he doesn't have a Super PAC, and his average donor gives $27.
A conventional campaign that had fallen behind the frontrunner on this scale would find itself abandoned by bundlers and big-money donors, and essentially forced to fold up shop. It's possible that Sanders's donors will abandon him, and certainly likely that there'll be a drop-off from a $40 million-a-month pace, but it also seems perfectly plausible that if Sanders wants to encourage them to believe he's still in the fight, he'll be able to raise tens of millions more and pour the cash into an expensive air war in California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and other outstanding states.
That will be a hassle for Clinton, who will likely have to somewhat delay implementing her general election strategy in response, and could be a nice moneymaker for Sanders's consultants and vendors. But unlike on-the-ground organizing and get-out-the-vote efforts, it's extremely unlikely to do anything at all to advance Sanders's ideas.
Sanders should pivot to his post-presidential strategy
The smarter play for Sanders would be to start looking past his presidential campaign to an idea that's always been integral to his political revolution but that never genuinely required him to win a presidential election: mobilizing young liberals to vote every two years rather than skipping midterms.
Trying to explain how a Sanders administration would differ from an Obama administration without being sharply critical of Obama, Sanders once explained that the "biggest political mistake that [Obama] made is after his brilliant campaign in 2008, he basically said to the millions of people who supported him, 'Thanks for getting me elected, I will take it from here.' I will not make that mistake."
This was a bit unfair — Obama did keep his political apparatus going, and it did real work — but Sanders's critique contains an important element of truth.
Obama's calculation upon entering the White House was that to try to lead a mass movement that would, among other things, criticize Democrats from the left would be toxic to his relationship with his own party's members of Congress. That required him to substantially demobilize the movement.
One can see arguments for both Sanders's view that this was |
It was only when a school official searching through students’ belongings found the diminutive knife, which administrators considered a “weapon,” that Ashley realized what had happened and explained the mistake. Nevertheless, school officials referred Ashley to the police, who in turn charged her with a Class 1 misdemeanor for possessing a “sharp-pointed or edged instrument on educational property.”
Tieshka Avery, a diabetic teenager living in Birmingham, Alabama, was slammed into a filing cabinet and arrested after falling asleep during an in-school suspension. The young lady, who suffers from sleep apnea and asthma, had fallen asleep while reading Huckleberry Finn in detention. After a school official threw a book at her, Avery went to the hall to collect herself. While speaking on the phone with her mother, she was approached from behind by a police officer, who slammed her into a filing cabinet and arrested her. Avery is currently pursuing a lawsuit against the school.
In May 2013, seven students at Enloe High in Raleigh, North Carolina, were arrested for throwing water balloons as part of a school prank. One parent, who witnessed police slamming one of the arrested students on the ground, was also arrested for attempting to calmly express his discontent with the way the students were being treated.
Unfortunately, while these may appear to be isolated incidents, they are indicative of a nationwide phenomenon in which children are treated like criminals, especially within the public schools. The ramifications are far-reaching. As Emily Bloomenthal, writing for the New York University Review of Law & Social Change, explains:
Studies have found that youth who have been suspended are at increased risk of being required to repeat a grade, and suspensions are a strong predictor of later school dropout. Researchers have concluded that “suspension often becomes a ‘pushout’ tool to encourage low-achieving students and those viewed as ‘troublemakers’ to leave school before graduation.” Students who have been suspended are also more likely to commit a crime and/or to end up incarcerated as an adult, a pattern that has been dubbed the “school-to-prison pipeline.”
Moreover, as suspensions and arrests for minor failings and childish behavior become increasingly common, so does the spread of mass surveillance in our nation’s schools. In fact, our schools have become a microcosm of the total surveillance state which currently dominates America, adopting a host of surveillance technologies, including video cameras, finger and palm scanners, iris scanners, as well as RFID and GPS tracking devices, to keep constant watch over their student bodies.
For example, in May 2013, Polk County School District in Florida foisted an iris scanning program on its students without parental consent. Parents were sent a letter explaining they could opt their children out of the program, but by the time the letter had reached parents, 750 children had already had their eyes scanned and their biometric data collected.
Making matters worse, these iris scanning programs are gaining traction in the schools, with school buses even getting in on the action. As students enter the school bus, they will be told to look through a pair of binocular-like scanners which will either blink, indicating that the student is on the right bus, or honk, indicating that they’ve chosen the wrong one. This technology is linked with a mobile app which parents can use to track their child’s exact whereabouts, as each time their eyes are scanned the parent receives a print out with their photo and Google map location, along with a timestamp. Benefits aside, the potential for abuse, especially in the hands of those who prey on the young, are limitless.
Insiders expect this emerging industry to expand beyond schools to ATMs, airports, and other high security areas within the next few years. It’s definitely big business. The school security industry, which includes everything from biometrics to video surveillance, was worth $2.7 billion in 2012 and is expected to grow by 80% over the next five years and be worth $4.9 billion by 2017.
Even so, promises of profit, safety and efficiency aside, it doesn’t bode well for our nation’s youth who are being raised in quasi-prisonlike school environments where they are treated as if they have no rights and are taught even less about the Constitution. It has been said that America’s schools are the training ground for future generations. If so, and unless we can do something to rein in this runaway train, this next generation will be the most compliant, fearful and oppressed generation ever to come of age in America, and they will be marching in lockstep with the police state.Toronto police say an accidental bumping of shoulders at Yonge-Dundas Square set off an assault that resulted in one man being charged with attempted murder and another taken to hospital with a life-threatening stab wound.
The incident happened at around 12:30 a.m. Police say the victim, a 33-year-old man, was walking and texting on his phone when he accidentally bumped into another man, who attacked him and was accompanied by another man.
Police say the man was able to defend himself and that his attackers "took exception to the defence."
"He inadvertently bumped shoulders with one of the two male suspects," said Det. Jason Shankaran. "This perceived slight was taken very seriously by these two males, and they attacked him. Unknown to the two suspects was that the victim was very able to protect himself."
One of the two suspects had a knife, and the victim was stabbed in the chest. Police say the knife pierced the victim's heart.
One 27-year-old suspect is in custody and faces charges of attempted murder and aggravated assault. Police are still looking for the second man, who they believe used the knife.
Police describe him as white or Middle Eastern, with dark short hair and a chinstrap beard. He was wearing a zebra pattern sweater.
Police say the man may be familiar to people in the area of Yonge-Dundas Square.
Anyone who sees the man is advised to call police.It's been 78 years since the U.S. won an Olympic gold medal in the two-man bobsled race, but heading into the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, the Americans are ranked No. 1 in World Cup competition thanks to a slippery new bobsled designed by BMW, a company that knows a thing or two about making vehicles go fast.
The U.S. team hopes the radically designed sled -- narrower, sleeker and wrapped in carbon fiber -- will be the edge they need in a sport where 1/100th of a second means the difference between winning a medal or finishing as an also-ran. Indeed, through the first half of the World Cup Tour, the Americans, led by Pilot Steve Holcomb, were undefeated. But at a two-man race this weekend in Winterberg, Germany, Holcomb finished seventh.
"There are three elements to bobsledding -- a good push start, a good driver and good equipment. Right now, all three are coming together really well," Holcomb said prior to this weekend's race.
BMW of North America, a sponsor of the U.S. Olympic Team, designed the two-man sled at the request of the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Foundation, which sought the automaker’s help bridging a technology gap with stronger teams, primarily those in Europe. Though BMW knew little about bobsledding, it had plenty of expertise in motor racing, aerodynamics and advanced materials. (BMW co-owns a carbon fiber plant in Washington which supplies the lightweight panels for its new BMW i3 and i8 electric cars.)
The lead designer was Michael Scully, a former race car driver who is now creative director at BMW Group Designworks USA, the company's design consultancy in Los Angeles. He concluded that given how much a bobsled pitches and yaws on an icy track, the classic airfoil shape in use for the past two decades might not actually be the most aerodynamic. Instead, he scaled down the dimensions, staying within the minimum requirements for bobsled competition, and then wrapped it in lightweight carbon fiber. The body was so light, BMW had to add 110 pounds of lead to make sure it met the minimum weight requirements.
The trick was adding weight in a way that would make the bobsled go faster. "You want to keep the center of gravity low, so it doesn’t tip over," said Holcomb. "By adding lead sheets in the front, back or middle, we can move weight anywhere we want, which changes the way it drives and the way it steers," he explained. "The European engineers think that’s the worst way to go," he added, noting that their sleds are getting a little bigger. "But it's hard to say it’s not working. We're No. 1 in world."
"The priority of the project is speed," said Scully. "It has to go faster than any other sled out there. It has to be a tool for our athletes. Ultimately, that’s the point."
A documentary on BMW's collaboration with the Olympic bobsledders entitled “Driving on Ice” will air Sunday, Jan. 5 at 12:30 p.m. EST/11:30 a.m. CST on NBC.
“This program has a fantastic opportunity to have a really deeper level of meaning to a partnership between a brand and a team," said Scully. "It’s not just a sticker on the sled anymore. We hope to be as fast or faster than the fastest sled in the world.”
“To say the bobsled has been a passion project for BMW is an understatement, and seeing this true collaborative effort captured in a documentary is remarkable,” said Trudy Hardy, Vice President, Marketing, BMW of North America. “After years of hard work, it’s very rewarding to be able to share the journey with the fans of Team USA.”
The film is part of a larger BMW marketing campaign for the Olympic Winter Games which includes a series of Olympic-themed advertisements, digital campaigns and a national drive campaign to benefit Team USA."it is impossible by definition to be racist against a white person in America" Really? Because I'm pretty sure racism is discriminating because of race, or assuming that all people of one race are the same. I would appreciate if you opened up a dictionary before spewing such obvious bullshit.
Asked by Anonymous
Those are two forms of racial prejudice, sure. I’ll give you that. The word you might be looking for is “bigotry.” However, “racism” is not the same thing as “racial prejudice."
The current sociological definition of racism (and, in fact, most discrimination) only applies when institutional power (or privilege) is involved. Since White people have the most privilege in this country, it’s impossible to be racist against a white person. Or rather, "nearly impossible.” Perhaps that’s what I should have said.
When someone says that a person is being “racist towards white people,” they are usually referring to either stereotyping or affirmative action. In either case, it’s a matter of leveling the playing field. Have you noticed how there aren’t many negative stereotypes about white people, and those that are negative are usually largely accurate? Nothing against white people (I have been one for quite a while now) but when someone says “white people are racist,” it’s because it’s usually true. The thing is, everybody has prejudices. You can’t get through life in this day and age without having some of them, especially if you partake in movies, television, news, books, comics, music, or really any other form of media. However, these prejudices don’t matter unless you have privilege behind them.
Here’s a good example. Two men go out into the workforce. They come from the same socioeconomic class, have all the same qualifications, and are, in the context of this job, essentially interchangeable except for one thing: One is black and one is white. They apply for the same job. One of them is turned away because the people in charge (who are, even today, usually white men) have prejudices against him (possibly without realizing it) because of his race. The other gets the job. That is racism at its core.
Now reverse the situation. The black man gets the job, but the white guy doesn’t because the people in charge are equal-opportunity employers who have been instructed to, in this situation (remember, the two men are equally qualified), give the job to the applicant of color. This is not racism. Do you know why? Because white people as a whole are not the oppressed class in this country.
This is what I was talking about earlier. The definition of racism you’ve given may have, at one time, been valid, however, now that race has become such an uneven scale, the definition now includes privilege. When people talk about “reverse racism,” it’s because they think things like affirmative action are “racist against white people” even though they’re actually just trying to undo a little bit of the damage that has been done already by white people.
Now, there are some situations where it is possible to be racist against white people. In a country where another race is in power, for example. If overt hatred is involved, then it is possibly “bigotry,” but racism doesn’t apply to the race with the most privilege, the same way you can’t say a woman is sexist against men, because men are the privileged class, and even if a woman is preudiced against men, any discrimination against them that she would be able to do is usually only to counter existing discrimination in the other direction.
That’s why you can’t have a “white student union” at your school. That’s why there’s no “white history month” or “men’s history month.” That’s why you can’t have a “straight pride parade.” That’s why black people can say the “N-word” and white people can’t. Because white people are not the oppressed class in this country, and any “discrimination against white people” short of violence against them based on their race is usually just to counter the oppression that already existed and continues to exist.
Bonus activity! Find diversity in this picture:
There are 100 people in the US Senate. Around 70% of the US population is white. This means there should be at least 30 people of color in this picture. Since that’s not the case, it’s a pretty safe assumption that people of color are underrepresented by those in power, which means white people are still the privileged class. This means that while one can be prejudiced or bigoted against white people, one cannot be racist against them.
My god, how do I attract all the worst anonymous people? If you’re going to come into my ask box and say stuff like this, at least take off anon so I can respond directly to you without annoying my followers.Please, do NOT use these unless you ask my permission first. B|
----------------------------------------------------I... I couldn't resist. :CThis is what happens when insomnia sneaks up on ya; you end up drawing... a lot. At least, that's what happens to me.Well, yeah. So I went ahead and drew up the Apple Family because they wouldn't leave my mind. So, from left to right, we have Peach Velvet (mother), Applejack, Applebloom, Big Macintosh, Hard Cider (father), and Granny "Agetha" Smith.Regarding the parents... this is the way I picture them. As I've already said with their father, Hard Cider, he'd be a big, burly and tough fella with a heart of gold. He may be a tad strict, though, sometimes just a tiny bitstrict, but Peach Velvet's quick to correct him and make him see when he's being a little too hard on the kids. It's probably one of the main reasons why Granny Smith liked Velvet so much; she mellowed her often all-business son out. His cutie mark is suppose to be of two apples with one's peeling flowing around the fruit, but I got lazy with it.His colors would be red hair, yellow/cream coat with lighter colored "socks" for his legs, and orange-yellow eyes.He had the mindset of an exceptional leader, even when he was just a colt, Granny Smith would jokingly call him "Chief", and it sort of stuck. His friends and relatives almost always referred to him as either Cider, or Chief, but his mate playfully called him "Joker".Also? Don't talk about his family negatively. Just... don't. >.>As for the mother, Peach Velvet, I see her as playful, gentle and relaxed... probably a tad flirty too (mostly just harmless, though). She wouldn't be a country pony, but instead is from the city (youngest sister of AJ's Uncle Orange... I dunno his name o3o). She's the only pony allowed to call Hard Cider "Joker", a nickname she gave him upon their first meeting.But her cutie mark isn't an orange, nor an apple. Instead, it's a heart-shaped peach. :3 Her colors would be a peach-red coat, blonde mane, and blue-green eyes.Both parents, like they are in the cannon, are dead, so they may be mentioned in Requiem but never seen. They've both been named, thanks to the wonderful help of those who commented. ^.^Anyway, I tried to make sure they looked like their children, but I dunno how well I did that. I know for sure Big Mac look like his father, but I find the stallions easier to draw, so.... c: This also sorta works as a size chart; I wanted to show how big AJ, AB, and Big Mac are in comparison to Granny Smith and their parents. o3oBut uhh... yeah. I'll put more up later maybe, but for now the sleeplessness is starting to catch up to me. Until then, though, I hope you guys like it. ^.^-------War Themed-Some have called 2015 a great year for movies. Others are holding a very different opinion. And a third, increasingly prevalent stance on this calendar year’s cinema is that it shouldn’t even be seen in the first place. A great number of films to hit theaters since January have incited, for one reason or another, protests and boycotts from a wide spectrum of enraged communities. Quentin Tarantino’s forthcoming The Hateful Eight is being boycotted, placing itself at the center of perhaps the most public of these controversies.
The Weinstein Company-produced Western, set to release nationwide on Christmas, has aroused opposition from law enforcement organizations following the director’s participation in a New York City rally against police brutality. The cops are angry. Harvey Weinstein is angrier. (Bustle has reached out to The Weinstein Company in response to this situation, but has not yet heard back.)
The circumstances surrounding The Hateful Eight may well involve the highest-volume protest of any movie to come out in 2015, but the Tarantino picture is in plenty of good company. Here’s a look back at a number of other movies this year that have met with backlash and boycott attempts — sometimes for good reasons, sometimes for… well, let’s just say that Twitter doesn’t always provide the free exchange of healthy ideas that we might wish it would.
1. Taken 3
Boycotted by: Firearms manufacturer Para USA.
Over the issue of: Liam Neeson’s public lamentation of America’s gun problem.
The hullabaloo in a nutshell: Just before the overseas release of his third Taken movie, star Neeson told the Dubai-based publication Gulf News that he believed there to be “too many [expletive] guns out there. Especially in America.” He further illustrated the phenomenon as “a [expletive] disgrace,” which didn’t sit well with the Para USA, the company responsible for supplying the Taken 3 production with its firearms. Para USA not only claimed a boycott of Taken 3, but also called upon its fellow firearms distributors to refuse business to any future pictures featuring Neeson.
The result: With a domestic gross of $89 million, Taken 3 came in at a good $50 million less than its predecessor, Taken 2. While pro-gun vigilance might have kept some from buying a ticket to the threequel, the lackluster performance was more likely owed to general theater fatigue.
2. Stonewall
Boycotted by: LGBT activists.
Over the issue of: The “whitewashing” of the Stonewall riots story by way of the film’s casting.
The hullabaloo in a nutshell: Roland Emmerich’s construction of a predominantly white and cis male ensemble at the head of his Stonewall picture incited a great deal of fury from LGBT groups demanding better recognition for the people of color and trans women who played paramount roles in the 1969 movement. Following backlash from a number of groups, including one boycott petition that reached 20,000 signatures, Emmerich made matters worse by “explaining” his decision in a conversation with Buzzfeed: “'I kind of found out, in the testing process, that actually, for straight people, [Danny] is a very easy in. Danny’s very straight-acting. He gets mistreated because of that. [Straight audiences] can feel for him.”
The result: After alienating what some might call its target demographic, Stonewall wound up making a paltry $187,674.
3. Pan
Boycotted by: Care2.
Over the issue of: The casting of white actor Rooney Mara’s as Native American character Tiger Lilly.
The hullabaloo in a nutshell: If American viewers were deterred from Pan by any controversy, it’d be the casting of Rooney Mara as the Native American character Tiger Lilly. The movie didn’t help matters when it admitted that Mara beat out two actors of color for the part. (Granted, neither was reported to be Native American).
The result: Though Pan didn't fare that well in the box office, this wasn't solely responsible.
4. Nina
Michael Kovac/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
Boycotted by: Change.org.
Over the issue of: The casting of the lighter skinned mixed-race actor Zoe Saldana as black musician and activist Nina Simone.
The hullabaloo in a nutshell: Immediately upon the casting of Saldana back in 2013, fans of Simone’s legacy began to take issue with what they considered a subtler form of the whitewashing implemented in films like Stonewall. The organization Change.org unleashed a petition to boycott the upcoming biographical picture on the basis of the production’s refusal to lend Simone’s embodiment to an actor of darker skin.
The result: Nina hits theaters December 4, so we have yet to see what kind of effect the boycott will have.
5. Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens
Boycotted by: Lunatics.
Over the issue of: The fact that there are black people in the movie.
The hullabaloo in a nutshell: Following the release of the latest trailer for the heavily anticipated Star Wars picture, the crème de la crème of American society hit Twitter with vehement objection to the showcase of black actor John Boyega in a central, and, what’s more, heroic-looking role. The hashtag #BoycottStarWarsVII sprung about quickly, attached to claims that the inclusion of black actors in the franchise doubles as promotion of white genocide.
What good it’ll do: Star Wars will be fine. Our sanity, however, is another story.
Be the motivation humane or, just as frequently, totally out of whack, the impulse to boycott a motion picture remains ubiquitous among the opinionated of today's moviegoers. Sometimes these movements make an impact; other times, they merely bring more attention to the movie in question. So how will Tarantino's Hateful Eight fare come release? No matter where you stand on the issue, you've got to be pretty skeptical that police unions can keep America from seeing the latest effort of one of its most popular filmmakers.
Images: The Weinstein Company; 20th Century Fox; Roadside Attractions; Warner Bros.; DisneyNov 8, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) is hit by Oakland Raiders cornerback DJ Hayden (25) during the second half at Heinz Field. The Steelers won the game, 38-35. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports
Oakland Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio is keeping his faith that cornerback DJ Hayden can turn his career around.
Oakland Raiders cornerback DJ Hayden is considered one of general manager Reggie McKenzie’s few early round draft busts. The oft-injured cornerback ranking amongst the worst in the league throughout his first three seasons in the league, drawing the ire of the Raider Nation on a weekly basis for his inconsistent play along with his durability problems.
With Hayden entering a crucial contract season, head coach Jack Del Rio is still confident that the former first-round pick can be a reclamation project in a revamped Raiders defense. Hayden having the potential to move into a slot role as the third cornerback after the signing of Sean Smith from the Kansas City Chiefs.
Speaking to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle, Del Rio said that it is never too late for Hayden to redefine himself as a productive player in the NFL. Telling reporters after minicamp that Hayden is exciting the coaching staff with his development so far this offseason, a good sign that Hayden could be finally finding his form.
Del Rio says DJ Hayden is coming on. “It’s never too late.” #Raiders pic.twitter.com/utZkAhdAGZ — Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) June 16, 2016
It is hard to believe any offseason positivity surrounding Hayden after his three years of poor play, but if the oft-criticized cornerback lives up to the billing the Raiders secondary could receive a big boost. In a decreased role there is a chance for Hayden to showcase his athleticism and thrive while covering lesser receivers than when he was at the top of the depth chart at cornerback. Hopefully Hayden can finally rid himself of the bust label and succeed in what will be a crucial contract season for the career of a struggling top draft pick.VW says it will notify owners and dealers will inspect and replace the affected fuel pumps free of charge. VW has yet to provide a notification schedule. For more information, owners can call VW at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi at 1-800-253-2834. Owners can also call the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (ask about safety campaign number 15V229000), or visit www.safercar.gov.
German-based engineering and electronics company Bosch supplied the pumps to all three manufacturers. Bosch spokeswoman Linda Beckmeyer told Autoblog that while all of the listed vehicles don’t necessarily share the same fuel pump, the parts used do go through the same nickel-plating process. There are currently not enough pumps to fix all the vehicles potentially affected, but Beckmeyer says “Bosch is working closely with automakers regarding replacement parts.”
Nissan and BMW issued simultaneous recalls earlier last month citing an identical issue, with some 100,000 vehicles potentially affected. The 2014 Ford Escape and 2015 Lincoln MKC also saw recalls late last year, with 12,205 units potentially affected. In all cases, the problem lay with contaminated nickel plating and debris found in the fuel pump, which causes excessive friction resulting in possible pump failure.
Volkswagen Group of America has issued a recall for the 2015 model year VW Golf, VW GTI, and Audi A3 vehicles. According to a press release, improper nickel plating used for components in the fuel pump may cause the pump to fail, resulting in an inability to start the car, or if the engine is running, causing a stall, increasing the risk of a crash. A total of 6,204 units are potentially affected. So far, there are no reported injuries or accidents as a result of pump failure.
Why it matters
Recently, it seems as though recalls have been a huge issue across the board. Last year saw a nice bump in auto sales, but that rise coincided with the highest number of recalls ever recorded in the U.S. One Bloomberg report put the total number of vehicles recalled in 2014 over the 60 million mark, nearly double the previous record of 30.8 million recalled in 2004. The biggest contributors to that shocking milestone were defective ignition switches from General Motors and air bags from Takata Corp, and unfortunately, it looks like the stats will continue to accumulate well into 2015.
Not only is it important for owners of potentially defective vehicles, but future buyers should also be keeping a tally of which manufacturers seem to be accruing the most recalls.
What’s this mean for consumers? A few things. First, it means the carmakers are treating any potential defects with a greater level of seriousness. The industry seems to be running scared, worried more about litigation costs than repair costs. And that’s good.
Second, it highlights the need for an informed public. Not only is it important for owners of potentially defective vehicles, but future buyers should also be keeping a tally of which manufacturers seem to be accruing the most recalls. Even with so many marques doing it, there are some with worse records than others (GM comes to mind). Research is of paramount importance.
Finally, it begs the question: are safety standards getting too stringent, or is corner-cutting growing more rampant? What’s causing this proliferation in recalls?
We seem to be embroiled in a tumultuous time for the car world. The manufacturers are racing to offer consumers the latest technology, while standards and priorities are in a state of constant flux. Regulation pressure is high. New markets are opening up. Hopefully, this latest recall trend will soon be fixed instead of becoming the new norm.
The third-generation A3 was first unveiled at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, and is the first vehicle to use the modular VW Group MQB platform. Body styles include a three-door hatchback, five-door “Sportback,” and a four-door sedan.
The list of features includes multi-collision braking, MMI infotainment, 4G WiFi, adaptive cruise control, collision avoidance, active lane assist, and side assist. A huge variety of engines are available, from the turbocharged 1.2-liter inline-four with 104 horsepower and 129 pound-feet of torque in the A3 1.2 TFSI, up to the 2.5-liter inline-five with 362 horsepower 343 pound-feet of torque present in the RS3 2.5 TFSI.
Read our full review of the sedan here.
Now in it’s seventh generation, the VW Golf is as ubiquitous on the road as sand on the beach. This is thanks to a wide selection of models available for everything from economic to-and-fro to hot-hatch corner-slicing. Like the A3, the Golf uses VW’s MQB architecture. And although it’s slightly larger than the previous gen, the Mk. 7 enjoys a lower curb weight.
Standard features include a media device interface (MDI), three-spoke leather-wrapped multi-function steering wheel, cruise control, 5.8-inch infotainment touch screen, rear passenger heat and A/C vents in the center console, and an anti-theft alarm system. Drivetrain options include gasoline, diesel, electric, plug-in hybrid, and compressed natural gas.
Read our full review here.corporate espionage firms hired people with good contacts
The shocking corporate espionage scandal has got murkier with the arrest of senior executives of India's top private energy companies - Reliance Industries, Essar, Cairns India, ADAG Reliance and Jubilant Energy. The arrest of junior-level employees could mean serious trouble for senior colleagues of these majors, including their board members, who security agencies suspect to be part of the corporate spying nexus.
As part of the operation, intelligence agencies had put several phones on surveillance and the intercepts are being analysed now to get further leads. Reports suggest that many phone intercepts include conversations of senior officers with middlemen.
READ ALSO: Corporate espionage: It's a Rs 10,000 crore scam, says arrested scribe Santanu Saikia
A report published in The Times of India said investigators are preparing to summon these senior company officials to join the probe on the basis of evidence and disclosures made by those arrested.
Investigators said evidence and interrogations indicated that some firms hired people with "good contacts" specifically for this so that information could be accessed easily and before others got to know.
Crime Branch sources say these companies were "direct beneficiaries" of the leaked documents. They got to know policy decisions much earlier and hence the first-mover advantage, thus compromising national security," an officer said.
ALSO READ: Corporate Espionage: NSA Ajit Doval had cautioned ministers against leakage of documents
The investigators said they were looking at espionage between February 2014 and February 2015 and will sift through call records of the arrested to ascertain the identity of people they were in touch with. Sources said investigators were zeroing in on officials who went on foreign junkets last year and are studying their bank transactions for leads.
The Intelligence Bureau (IB) is on the trail to crack the syndicate that has spread across the entire government machinery. Besides the petroleum ministry staff, officials of other ministries such as power, coal and finance are also under scanner.
The Delhi Police busted the corporate spying ring in the petroleum ministry after being alerted by the IB. The police caught Rakesh Kumar, 30, Lalta Prasad, 36 - both brothers and residents of Delhi, and Raj Kumar Chaubey, 39, a resident of Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh, red-handed with photocopies of some secret documents in Shastri Bhawan on February 17. Based on information provided by them, government employees Asharam, 58, and Ishwar Singh, 56 were also arrested. They were part of the multi-tasking staff (MTS) in Shastri Bhawan.
ALSO READ: Corporate Espionage: Suspects confess passing ‘secret' documents to seniors & business houses
Two energy consultants -- Santanu Saikia, a former journalist, now running a web portal and Prayas Jain – were also arrested as they were also suspected to be receivers of the stolen documents.
A report by the Times of India suggests that Subhash Chandra, one of the five corporate executives arrested, worked as a typist with the under secretary's PA at the ministry, earning a monthly salary of Rs 8,000. However, he quit in 2011, and joined Jubilant Energy as a senior executive the next year, with a monthly salary of Rs 1.5 lakh.
Sailesh Saxena of Reliance Industries, police said, got documents of national importance filched and passed them on to seniors. They said other ministry employees too were under the scanner. They have identified Lokesh, another multi-tasking employee, in the racket. But he's absconding.
The police are still questioning several people, including ministry employees, energy and gas consultants and corporate officials and say that more arrests are possible.
Windfall gains by corporate or attempts made by them to influence policy decision are also being probed. We are looking at the extent of the benefit the corporates got through this operation, the Delhi police has said.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Saturday that those involved in the sensational corporate espionage scandal would not be spared and strictest punishment would be given to them. "No guilty person would be spared and strictest punishment would be given to them," he said.
ALSO READ: Corporate Espionage: The nexus that operated to trade information
The home minister also did not rule out a nexus between middlemen and some government officials in the espionage case and indicated expanding the probe to other ministries. "It is possible. I am not ruling out any possibility. The Delhi Police are investigating the whole issue. I think the issue will come to light very soon," he said replying to a question on involvement of middlemen. "But it is certain that such things have been going on for a long time and that is why the situation has reached such a stage," Singh added.
Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also said the guilty will be brought to book. "Nobody is above the law. Nobody will be spared. Law will take its own course," he said on Saturday.
The Delhi police say that they are also probing to find out if files in the Defence ministry too had gone missing.At our house last night we had a Hanukkah party with a mix of friends and co-workers. We had a dozen kids over and they loved lighting menorahs and playing dreidel for chocolate hanukkah gelt. I got joy watching kids who have never done this before having a blast too.
In the midst of the latkes and blintzes, I overheard a conversation about blogging that –while it may not have surprised my seasoned interweb colleagues– shocked me a little. A senior scientist mentioned googling a potential faculty recruit and found the person’s blog describing the trials and tribulations of a life in science. The faculty member said the blog, while it was to be commended for its forthright tone, was so informal and laced with profanity that the professor could not help but hold the blog against the potential faculty member. A second senior scientist nodded in agreement. It was the consensus that aspiring young scientists should steer clear of such activities.
“Wow, that blog sounds like any one of a number of people I know,” I thought. Over the past year, I have made friends with a friendly group of scientist-bloggers whom I have grown to admire for their passionate activism. The comments of my interwebophobic colleagues sent a chill down my spine. Real negative consequences of speaking one’s mind on a personal blog. Yikes. Of course, people get in trouble for what they say on the internet/twitter..but yes, I am just coming to the realization that there are consequences within the science community for saying things about that community. Community, hm.
To my pseudonymous colleagues, this is old news. This story only provides the “derp” for why one should take care with one’s identity while blogging/tweeting. I wanted to bring this up here for young folks starting out so they do not have any illusions about how the world may or may not be changing in terms of online communication. If you don’t have tenure yet, use a pseudonym.
And I’d also like to express disappointment and frustration with my old guard colleagues who saw zero problem discriminating against a faculty recruit on the basis of their personal thoughts and the tone in which they were expressed. That’s sad. Maybe if the blog revealed attitudes and ideas that were at odd’s with the mission of the university, OK. Criminal activity, sure. But filtering out faculty members for speaking their mind about the process of science seems like a stupid old guard thing to do and against the principles of the academy.
I have tenure and still feel pressure to shut my mouth. I’m not going to because in my naive brain, the whole point of tenure is having the freedom to say what I like. We are losing valuable insights by muzzling people before tenure.
“Like the Federalist Papers don’t count because ‘Publius’ wrote them?” – my mom on people who don’t take psueds seriously.This is better than porn Reply
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as windows into a world of spine-chilling contemplation, they’re priceless. Researching the facts behind such photos is, to me, a deeply satisfying exercise that leads to a spiderweb of interesting historical discoveries.
If you like looking at alleged ghost photos I would highly recommend Dr. Richard Wiseman’s ghost photo blog. While he’s finished his work there, it is a fascinating site not only for the photos, but to see how people of various backgrounds interpret the same images in such different ways.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Karen Stollznow and Ben Radford for their assistance with this research, and thanks to my wife for making it possible for me to do this kind of investigation work and still get everything else done in our hectic lives. A special thanks to John Roberts for kindly sending me so many clippings and the least-cropped version of the photo I’ve seen.
Addendum (February 3, 2015)
During my investigation I did consider the possibility that the ghostly image is that of the capped airman in the foreground. Comparing the two images side by side there are similarities. Here are two views of the two faces. When overlayed on one another, the composite face looks quite plausible as a match, but this is highly subjective because the partial face is less distinct and requires manipulation to darken and contrast it. I’m personally not comfortable saying that this is the same face, but it is somewhat plausible. How he could have donned his cap without creating motion blur is questionable—though an additional possibility is that the studio that put together the portrait made a composite image to correct for where subjects perhaps blinked in two or three takes? I suspect any of these explanations is more likely than this being Freddy Jackson. Because people have asked about this possibility, I thought I should show what I found in my examination.
—Blake SmithFirst off thank you very much SS for taking the time and money to send me a gift. You never know what to expect from these things and opening up my present I can't help but feel a mixture of fear and excitement. Much to my relief I could only laugh when I popped open the box only to have Minion Dave looking up with his beady eyes staring at me. I must admit I am still a bit confused on the theme of the gift. My Reddit history, or lack there of, doesn't provide too much in terms of generating ideas for a Christmas gift, so I'm going to assume Despicable Me is your favorite movie? I hope that's the case because I love everything about animated movies. I watch Madagascar every time it's on TV. Always a guaranteed laugh, I love it.
I hope you have a very merry Christmas, Secret Santa. Thank you again!Last week, North Korea fired four banned ballistic missiles that landed in the East Sea inside Japan’s exclusive economic zone, which extends 200 nautical miles from its coastline. North Korea said they fired the missiles because A.) they were practicing to hit U.S. military bases in Japan and B.) because the United States and South Korea are currently engaged in their annual joint military drills. Of course this is bullshit because North Korea is firing banned missiles, joint military drills or not. Well, America just fired their own shots by adding three extremely lethal aspects of the U.S. military to this year’s annual Foal Eagle military drills.
The Foal Eagle exercise includes 3,600 U.S. troops, in addition to the 28,000 US troops permanently stationed in South Korea. The reason for the joint drills is to prepare air, land, and sea military operations in case a conflict with North Korea and South Korea erupts. Making their first appearance to the joint military exercises is the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group, better known as U.S. Navy SEAL Team 6. They are the same Navy SEAL team that took out Osama bin Laden. The SEALs, who are currently on the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier, should arrive in South Korea on Wednesday.
Joining the SEALs are the Army Special Forces, plus the 5th generation supersonic stealth fighter, the F-35, South Korea’s Joon Gang Daily reports. The F-35 will simulate attacks on North Korea’s missile infrastructure, the South Korean paper reports.
WATCH Last Year’s Foal Eagle Joint Military ExercisesIt’s pretty tough being a funeral director and having to deal with the emotions of grieving families and dead bodies on a daily basis.
But it got even worse for an undertaker in Germany, who passed out with shock when a ‘dead’ woman opened the lid of her coffin and groaned ‘Where am I?’
When the funeral director eventually woke from his horrific ordeal, he saw the elderly woman lying in the coffin with both eyes open.
Although an ambulance rushed to the funeral home to take the woman to a local hospital, she fell ill and died on Monday afternoon.
Now, a police investigation is hoping to find out how the woman was pronounced dead in the first place.
The incident happened in Gelsenkirchen, Germany (Picture: Google Maps)
It’s been reported that a carer found the woman in bed at the nursing home where she lived, and wasn’t breathing.
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A doctor was called to the home, and the woman was pronounced dead before being taken to the funeral directors.
After she was discovered still to be alive, the unnamed funeral director called an ambulance, and paramedics noted that she still had a pulse.
Lother Burger, the head of the retirement home where the woman lived, said: ‘This is terrible and inexplicable. We are being devoured by the press, we are being pilloried.’
An investigation will determine if there had been a failure in recording the woman’s death.United States Law creating the CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency Act, Pub.L. 81–110, is a United States federal law enacted in 1949.
The Act, also called the "CIA Act of 1949" or "Public Law 110" permitted the Central Intelligence Agency to use confidential fiscal and administrative procedures and exempting it from many of the usual limitations on the use of federal funds. The act (Section 6) also exempted the CIA from having to disclose its "organization, functions, officials, titles, salaries, or numbers of personnel employed." It also created a program called "PL-110" to handle defectors and other "essential aliens" outside normal immigration procedures, as well as give those persons cover stories and economic support. It was passed by congress May 27.
The Act is codified at 50 U.S.C. § 403a.
Constitutional challenge [ edit ]
The Act's Constitutionality was challenged in 1972 in the Supreme Court case United States v. Richardson, on the basis that the Act conflicted with the penultimate clause of Article I, Section 9 of the United States Constitution, which states that "No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time." The Supreme Court found that Richardson, as a taxpayer, lacked sufficient undifferentiated injury to enjoy standing to argue the case.[1]
References [ edit ]
^ Association, American Bar (February 1976). ABA Journal. American Bar Association. pp. 257–.1 of 1 2 of 1
You know what’s totally fucking awesome? The answer would be shooting guns, whether you’re playing Dirty Harry with a.44 Magnum, channelling your inner Wyatt Earp with a Colt Frontier revolver, or reciting your favourite Pulp Fiction lines with Vincent Vega’s.45 Auto-Ordnance M1911A1. Saskatoon’s Shooting Guns—at the Cobalt on Sunday (June 23)—is also pretty damn cool. The five-piece’s sludge-soaked, psychedelic-strafed, heavier-than-heaven instrumentals give you a pretty good idea what Black Sabbath might sound like if crossed with Death in Vegas. Proving that those from godforsaken hellholes—namely, Saskatoon—sometimes get their due, Shooting Guns’ latest, Born to Deal in Magic: 1952-1976, has made the Polaris long list this year. And if all this isn’t cool enough, consider that the group’s current Canadian swing is being billed as the Fuckin Rites tour, and that the openers on this night include Minneapolis’s fuzzed-out Fury Things and Vancouver surf-noir specialists the Silver Skeleton Band. Please leave your guns at home, no matter how much you might enjoy shooting them.NOTES
Source: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (US)
Release: H.3 Aggregate Reserves of Depository Institutions and the Monetary Base
Units: Billions of Dollars, Seasonally Adjusted
Frequency: Monthly
Notes:
By definition, nonborrowed reserves are equal to total reserves minus borrowed reserves. Borrowed reserves are equal to the sum of credit extended through the Federal Reserve's regular discount window programs and credit extended through certain Federal Reserve liquidity facilities. Total borrowings from the Federal Reserve are presented in table 1a of the release. Over much of 2008, in order to maintain a level of total reserves consistent with the Federal Open Market Committee's objective for the federal funds rate, increases in borrowed reserves were offset through a nearly commensurate decrease in nonborrowed reserves, which was accomplished through a reduction in the Federal Reserve's holdings of securities and other assets. The negative level of nonborrowed reserves was an arithmetic result of the fact that borrowings from the Federal Reserve liquidity facilities were larger than total reserves.
This series has been discontinued. As of July 11, 2013 data in the new H.3 statistical release are no longer adjusted for regulatory changes in reserve requirements and are no longer seasonally adjusted. You can access the not seasonally adjusted series at https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/NONBORRES.The video game is set to be adapted as a live-action film
Minecraft
Minecraft is heading to the big screen.
After the jaw-dropping success of The Lego Movie—which has raked in $280.5 million worldwide since its release three weeks ago—Warner Bros. has made moves to turn another beloved franchise into a movie by buying the rights to the incredibly popular game.
Minecraft, which was widely released in 2011, is an open play building game where players create avatars and then a world, using blocks to create structures. It also now has more than 100 million users, which, if Warner Bros. has any say in the matter, should translate into plenty of movie ticket sales.
Surprisingly, Deadline reports that executives are planning the do a live-action film. Less surprisingly, given the subject matter and potential, there is already plenty of interest from potential writers and directors. Roy Lee, who co-produced Lego, is set to produce Minecraft along with Jill Messick, whose previous producing credits include Mean Girls and Hot Rod.
There’s no word on potential stars at the moment, or a title for that matter. We’re guessing they’ll probably go with something like The Minecraft Movie.
[Deadline]Household food insecurity (FI) (without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food, even for a temporary period), is associated with children's behavioral, academic and emotional problems beginning as early as infancy.
These findings, based on a review of previously published research, appear in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics.
FI occurs in 21 percent of families with children and adolescents in the United States, but the potential developmental and behavioral implications of this prevalent social determinant of health have not been completely understood.
Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Center (BMC) studied 23 peer-reviewed articles on the associations between FI and adverse childhood developmental-behavioral outcomes including early cognitive development, academic performance, inattention, externalizing behaviors and depression in four groups -- infants and toddlers, preschoolers, school age and adolescent.
Among their findings:
Articles that examined infants and toddlers suggest that FI poses a developmental risk, impairs child attachment, mental proficiency and cognitive assessment scores.
In preschool years, studies have found an association between FI, externalizing and internalizing behaviors and mental health symptoms, and less optimal self-control and interpersonal skills.
In school-aged children, an association was found between FI and impaired academic performance, increased hyperactivity, inattention, aggressive behavior, missing school, emotional problems, less adaptive interpersonal relations, self-control and approaches to learning, more internalizing and externalizing behaviors and greater likelihood of having seen a psychologist.
Finally, studies involving adolescents indicate associations between FI and anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation, attempted suicide, dysthymia, seeing a counselor, suspension from school, difficulty getting along with others and substance use disorders.
According to the researchers physicians don't usually think of child nutrition programs like WIC, school meals and SNAP (food stamps) as prevention or intervention for the "new morbidity" -- developmental and behavioral/emotional problems which afflict a substantial proportion of America's children. "Our findings suggest that these programs, which are known to decrease food insecurity, may enhance the potential of our children to learn, pay attention, and experience better emotional health," explained corresponding author Deborah Frank, MD, Professor in Child Health and Well-Being, (Pediatrics) at BUSM and director of the Grow Clinic for Children at BMC.
The researchers hope this systematic review will provide evidence of the impact that temporary and even marginal food insecurity can have on the development and behavior of children, such that it will inspire greater awareness amongst healthcare providers, and ultimately, increase political action.EU politicians are demanding former European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso is sanctioned for taking a job with Goldman Sachs. They say he has failed to “behave with integrity and discretion.”
He is criticized for joining the Wall Street bank that helped set off the 2008 financial crisis. Goldman has also been blamed for assisting Athens in hiding its financial situation in order to enter the eurozone in 2000.
Barroso has been appointed as a chairman and senior adviser to the international arm of Goldman Sachs, and will move to London and instruct the bank on UK negotiations to leave the European Union.
“Of course I know well the EU, I also know relatively well the UK environment,” the FT quoted Barroso as saying, adding “if my advice can be helpful in this circumstance I’m ready to contribute, of course.”
Read more
Barroso was Portugal’s prime minister from 2002 to 2004, and later served as president of the European Commission from 2004 to 2014.
“These shameful revolving doors between politics and business foster doubts on the integrity of democratic politics,” European Parliament member Sven Giegold was cited by Politico.eu. “Barroso’s quick change-over damages the reputation of the European Commission,” he added.
The EU affairs correspondent Jean Quatremer wrote for the French daily Liberation that “Barroso has given Europe the finger.”
Some EU politicians say the current Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker was not told in advance and “probably was not happy,” though the two men called each other after Barroso’s appointment was announced.
Online newspaper EUobserver cited Juncker as saying on Monday that under EU rules Barroso was not obliged to notify the EU executive before the decision to accept the bank's chairmanship and advisory jobs.
Meanwhile, the French Socialist delegation to the European Parliament has called for sanctions against Barroso by cutting his pension from the Commission when he reaches 65 years of age.
Read more
The penalty is possible under the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, which says European Commissioners must “respect the obligations arising there from and in particular their duty to behave with integrity and discretion as regards the acceptance, after they have ceased to hold office, of certain appointments or benefits.”
Currently there is a “cooling-off” period of 18 months imposed by the EU after officials leave their posts. Marisa Matias from the Confederal Group of the European United Left has called for an end to the impunity enjoyed by former EU officials.
“This appointment is completely shameful. Barroso waited for the end of his 18 months to immediately collect his reward for the good job he did for Goldman Sachs and the financial markets, by devastating the lives of millions of European citizens with austerity in Portugal, Greece, Ireland, Spain, Italy, among others.”
“This shows what interests European leaders follow, and a good example of why the European Union got to this appalling state,” she added.A Vote for the American Dream
October 17, 2008 by twitterpaters
by twit
It is true that there is much to be afraid of with the ongoing demonization of Obama by the McCain campaign. Many people are rightly concerned that it could incite people to violence against Obama.
The Politico reports on October 16, 2008:
Letterman also asked McCain whether Palin said that Obama “pals around with terrorists.” After hesitating for a moment, McCain answered, “Yes. And he did.”
Do we want to live in an America defined by fear? Not voting for Obama because of a fear that he will be assassinated is a vote for an America defined by fear. It is a victory for violence and rage.
Via MSNBC on October 17, 2008: The Ayers robo-calls hit: McCain’s “campaign is blanketing battleground states with automated phone calls that accuse Democrat Barack Obama of working closely with a domestic terrorist, of holding extreme views on abortion and of ‘putting Hollywood above America,’” the Wall Street Journal reports, adding, “Democrats have tracked them in 10 competitive states: Colorado, Nevada, Wisconsin, New Mexico, Virginia, Florida, Missouri, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Maine, where Republicans hope to snag a single electoral vote given to the winner of the northern congressional district.”
I can’t see the future. I can’t promise that some lunatic won’t be inspired by the McCain campaign to try to harm Obama. But if I let fear guide my decisions, then the lunatics win.
Every day that Obama is in office is a victory for this nation. It is a victory against racism, against inequality and against war. It is an affirmation of the America that we want to live in, it is our definition of the future we seek for this country.
I realize that if I was around back when JFK was running for President, and if I knew in advance that he would be assassinated, I still would have voted for him. His vision for this country was too important to give up on simply because he would not be able to see it through. JFK renewed hope in America, he gave voice to our American Dream.
AdvertisementsIt's been quite a while. Reviewing some of my previous posts, I've realized how 'fluffy' I ended up when contrasting my early days thoughts. As an engineer, I confess I used to focus too much on the quantitative side of investing, leaving much of the qualitative analysis aside.Today I am working for the third start-up in my career (not a so long one since I'm just 27) and now I've finally learnt that 'fluffiness' matters - actually, it dominates over the quantitative side of a investment case. The numbers we analyze when quarterly results are released are just a lagging indicator of what has been happening inside the company for the last 12 months or so. New executives came onboard, a new area was created, the organogram was changed to better adapt the salesforce and the analytical part of distribution & logistics, and so on.At the end of the day, we are looking for leading indicators that could change the evolution of the numbers we will see a year onward from now. The quantitative side of the story is a due diligence to make sure you are not being fooled at day 1. What we want after-all is a company that can be worth anhigher than today's market price. Sometimes even 20x valuation multiples can be worth it for compounders or growing cash machines, for example. What you need is a huge tailwind (most of the time, those are business environment related - and when it's related to people, we are usually too late).To identify those, the best thing we can do is read, read a lot. Qualify our sources as time gets by. Learn what is indispensable to read. Mold our routine to accommodate the mental models consolidation process. At the same time, get down to what matters instead of being a philosopher (nothing against them!).What did we learn today? That's a pretty simple exercise that can help us a lot to track our evolution. Keep your notebook open.The amiable Kanika Ramji, program manager for Exchange public folders, might have gulped a little when she saw the packed crowd at the “Experts Unplugged” session covering Exchange’s longest-lasting and most-persistent collaboration technology at the Microsoft Exchange Conference (MEC) on April 1. After all, the Internet had buzzed with criticism after Microsoft revealed the scalability limitations that afflict modern public folders and much of the passion surrounding that issue had transferred into the room.
After the session I think Kanika was more optimistic because the discussion never descended into bickering and hostility. Sure, some strong words were said, but the net outcome of the session (which proved the wisdom of including this kind of interaction at MEC) was extremely positive. The development group went away with clear marching orders as to what should be done: fix the scalability problems, OWA support for calendar and contact public folders, and better management and reporting tools.
The discussion about scalability was interesting. Microsoft couldn’t but admit that the 10,000 public folder limit was ridiculous. Many people in the room represented companies with over 100,000 old-style public folders and hard questions were asked about how Exchange 2013 could have shipped without the scalability limits being known.
It’s hard to change a software architecture to something radically different. New-style public folders hold their content in public folder mailboxes instead of dedicated databases. There’s nothing wrong here because Exchange databases are very scalable and high performing. The issue is all to do with the public folder hierarchy and specifically, how updates have to be made to the primary copy of the hierarchy, which is automatically created in the first public folder mailbox in an organization (a good reason to get this aspect of your deployment correct).
In a busy public folder deployment, it’s quite likely that folder updates happen regularly. Each update has to be referred back to the primary public folder mailbox and then rippled out to all of the other mailboxes, each of which holds a copy of the hierarchy. The current model works well inside small deployments but runs out of steam as the number of folders (and therefore the likelihood of more updates) scales up. Microsoft set the current limit at 10,000 folders because they know that everything works at this threshold. Pass it and you run into increasing instability as the primary copy of the public folder hierarchy struggles to cope with inbound changes and the subsequent updates back to the hierarchy copies.
Microsoft says that they want to get the limit up to 1,000,000 folders. A reasonable amount of engineering effort and (possibly more important) test and validation will be needed to get them to that point. Until they do, customers who want to move large numbers of public folders to on-premises Exchange 2013 servers or Exchange Online in Office 365 will simply have to wait. No timescale was promised but reassurance was given that this is a top-priority work item. We shall just have to wait and see.
One thing is for sure. Microsoft understands that the credibility of their attempts to modernize public folders and to reassure customers, all of whom have used Exchange for a very long time, is at stake. They have to fix the scalability problems this time round. No other option exists.
And while Microsoft is working at improving modern public folders, perhaps they’ll also fix the other horrible flaw that exists in the implementation – the fact that if you lose the mailbox containing the primary hierarchy, no method is available to transfer responsibility for hierarchy updates to one of the secondary copies currently exists. That doesn’t sound like a highly available solution and it’s a huge and gaping hole in the current implementation. It’s funny how the passing of time and the pressure of real customer deployments exposes all the flaws in computer systems.
Follow Tony @12Knocksinna
AdvertisementsJury Finds 'Rolling Stone,' Reporter Liable For Damages Over Rape Allegation Story
Enlarge this image toggle caption Steve Helber/AP Steve Helber/AP
A federal jury has found that Rolling Stone, a reporter and the magazine's publisher are liable in a defamation lawsuit over a retracted article about an alleged rape at the University of Virginia.
The trial centered on a November 2014 piece by reporter Sabrina Rubin Erdely that told the story of a student, identified as "Jackie," who said she was brutally gang raped at a fraternity party in 2012.
The shocking article quickly went viral and opened a national debate about how colleges handle allegations of rape. A U.Va. administrator sued Erdely, the magazine and publisher Wenner Media for $7.85 million over how she was portrayed in the piece. She later reduced that amount to $7.5 million.
Shortly after its November 2014 publication, it became apparent that there were significant issues with the story, titled "A Rape on Campus."
"Several outlets, including The Washington Post, identified major inconsistencies in the reporting," as The Two-Way has reported. Rolling Stone retracted the piece the following April, "saying the magazine had relied too much on 'Jackie's' account and did not adequately work to confirm her story."
An independent report commissioned by Rolling Stone found "repeated, fundamental errors in the magazine's reporting and editing process," NPR's David Folkenflik reported.
"The thing that most struck us was how avoidable it was and how there were several paths not taken — paths that you would associate with basic tradecraft, and any one of which might have caused Rolling Stone to pause and go the other way," Steve Coll, the author of the 12,000-word report, told David.
Nicole Eramo, the former associate dean of students who filed the defamation lawsuit, "said the article painted her as the 'chief villain' of the story, full of indifference toward a sexual assault allegation," as we reported.
The trial lasted just over two weeks, and the jury came to its verdict on the third day of deliberations.
The jury was asked to assess a series of statements upon which Eramo based her defamation claim — some from the text of the magazine article and others in comments to journalists after the story was published. For all three defendants, the jury found instances in which the statements were "actionable" as defamation and also where they were made "with actual malice."
Damages have yet to be assessed, and according to Charlottesville's Daily Progress, the jury will return on Monday to begin that process.
After the verdict, Rolling Stone released a statement apologizing to Eramo, the Daily Progress reported:
"In our desire to present this complicated issue from the perspective of a survivor, we overlooked reporting paths and made journalistic mistakes that we are committed to never making again.... It is our deep hope that our failings do not deflect from the pervasive issues discussed in the piece, and that reporting on sexual assault cases ultimately results in campus policies that better protect our students."
In addition to Eramo's lawsuit, three U.Va. graduates who belonged to the fraternity cited in the 2014 article also sued for defamation. A judge dismissed that suit because they weren't named in the story.
Rolling Stone still faces another defamation suit filed by the fraternity where the alleged rape was said to have taken place.
You can read Friday's verdict in full:Russia seems to be making a fair amount of media headlines again, as their regulation of digital currency has just taken a turn for the worse. A new proposal – drafted by the Russian Ministry of Finance – seeks to penalize Bitcoin users by up to seven years in jail time. Do keep in mind this level of punishment is only intended for Bitcoin business owners, as regular users will face a maximum jail time of four years.
Also read: Bank of England Set to Launch its “Centralized” Bitcoin Clone
Russian Ministry of Finance Penalties Bitcoin Usage
Although this new proposal is only in a draft from for the time being, the Russian Ministry of Finance wants to seriously crack down on Bitcoin in the country. As we mentioned yesterday, the only lawfully authorized entity to bring money in circulation is the Central Bank of Russia, and Bitcoin is not issued or controlled by that – or any other – institute.
Making the usage of Bitcoin illegal in Russia is one thing, but enforcing jail time for these activities is taking things several steps too far. If the Ministry of Finance has their way, consumers will face up to four years in prison, whereas business owners face nearly twice that sentence. Neither of these scenarios is acceptable by any means.
However, making Bitcoin usage and distribution punishable by law is nothing new in Russia. The current regulation of digital currency mentions how the production, distribution, and sale of Bitcoin could warrant a one-year correctional labor sentence. The only exception to that ruling is organized groups dealing with Bitcoin on this scale, as their members would be sentenced to two years of correctional labor.
While jail sentence is the worst punishment, the Ministry of Finance wants to enforce some other penalties as well. People who are convicted of Bitcoin activity in Russia will face a fine of up to 500,000 Ruble. For those who cannot pay this money, they will lose all salary or income for the next three years. Or they could just opt to choose the four-year prison sentence. Companies or groups of individuals convicted of any wrongdoings will a twice as harsh penalty.
The Russian Ministry of Finance is extremely concerned about these forms of “surrogate money”, which would allow any citizen to participate in illegal activities without a trace. Especially money laundering and terrorist funding are of great concern. However, the Ministry fails to note how the blockchain is anything but difficult to trace, and Bitcoin is not anonymous by any means.
Dedicated Blockchain Research Continues
To make matters in Russia even stranger, the Russian Central Bank will continue its research into blockchain technology for now. The institution has set up a dedicated taskforce to see how this technology can be used to benefit the Central Bank of Russia. However, there are no plans to start issuing digital currency, as that would still be prohibited by law.
But what of the BitRuble initiative then, as that seems to be trucking along nicely? A very good question, as the Qiwi team members are still negotiating with the Central Bank of Russia how to tackle this problem. However, that initiative will be focusing its attention on identifying BitRuble users on the blockchain, creating a more centralized control.
Source: Interfax(Two year after the fact edit: Heya Wil Wheaton! Thanks for the tweet. For the project we did last year check this out: The Mines of Moria)
(For those of you who don’t remember, this is really a continuation of last year’s project: The Battle of Helm’s Deep )
Last year, when my brothers and I decided to make the Battle of Helm’s Deep out of candy, naturally none of us thought anyone would go as nuts over it as they did. We’ve always just done things like that simply because they’re fun. When the pictures of our little creation started getting passed around the Internet like a stewardess with daddy issues, we were both excited and nervous, what with our dork underpants showing and all. A year later, having looked back at all the comments, I’m still surprised at the overwhelming majority being so positive and light hearted. Considering the nature of the Internet, anything above four percent non-idiotic fourteen year old “OMG ur so gai” replies would have knocked my socks off.
And it did. Cheers to that.
Before we get to this year’s offering however, I figured I’d remark on the most common comment from last year: “You guys have way too much time on your hands.” Not really, but we certainly found the time. All told this year’s project took about seven days of off and on work. I guess we’re just better at turning off the TV than most. Oh, and also, if you’re not using your free time to do stuff like this, what the hell else are you doing with it?
And now, without further ado:
What I Did Over THIS Christmas Break:
My brothers, sister, myself and some of our friends built a scale model of Minas Tirith during the Battle of Pelennor Fields from the novel, The Return of the King, by J.R.R. Tolkien.
(All of these images are clickable if you can’t see the whole thing)
Behold, the White City of Minas Tirith is under siege by one of the largest, and certainly the tastiest army ever to walk Middle Earth. For two days the evil host, under the brutal licorice fist of the Witch King of Angmar has bombarded the ancient city with stone and fire.
Amazing how much those stones look like green marshmallows, eh? Here you can see some of the city’s garrison trying to clear the south east gate of the second ring of debris. If only they had arms. Coincidentally, you can also see the exquisite craftsmanship of the ancient men of the West (which would actually be myself and my little brother Danny). Apparently there was a HUGE licorice all-sorts boom at the beginning of the Second Age.
Now as we climb the walls into the interior rings the rocky central precipice juts out over the city like a tangy ship rudder.
The streets are almost completely deserted, of course. Because war is very scary. Even for Gummy Bears. Even the meticulously paved ramps and individually placed windows are empty. I use the words meticulously and individually so that you can get an idea of just how much a pain in the ass building this was. Meticulously. Individually.
Ah, here we have the sole gardens of the city outside of the Houses of Healing. The fact that I knew these were the sole gardens in the city and that I took the time to put them in made me the focus of a bout of fifteen minutes of pointed laughter. But isn’t it worth it? Don’t those gardens look fucking awesome? They’ve got marshmallow plants, which are about thirty times cooler than real plants.
This is the Tower of Ecthelion. If a candy tower could be measured in units of pimpness, this candy tower would be off the fucking charts. And if that wasn’t pimp enough, in front you can clearly see the White Tree of Gondor, which I made out of white chocolate pretzels. Give me my Nobel Prize now, thankyouverymuch.
Tolkien made a real point of mentioning how there was this “Kingly Head” statue right above the gate to the citadel. So we made a real point out of biting the head off of a Gummy Bear and sticking it there.
But enough about the city, there’s a battle going on! Let’s take a look:
At this point, the Riders of Rohan have already arrived and they’ve completely made the Orc forces their collective biotech. It’s hard to see here, but they’re riding on majestic Gummy Frog mounts and are doing heinous battle with the Mumakil Elephant warriors. There’s a suitable amount of blood and gore as well.
Now, on this side of the battle field you can see Aragorn’s forces streaming off the stolen Corsairs and doing battle with Sauron’s evil sweetness. Also, you can see that the main gate of Minas Tirith has been breached by Grond, the giant battering ram, and now the men of the city are sallying forth to join in on the wholesale ass-whooping. Let’s take a closer look at all of these.
First, here you can see the dead Lord of the Nazgul and his crazy bird like black licorice rope mount. He’s already killed Theoden and beaten the sweet out of Merry and Eowyn. I’d say this scene is kind of sad if it weren’t for the sheer awesomeness of that black dragon type thing. I mean, really.
Just like last year, the Riders of Rohan have come to the rescue. For the sake of simplicity we made all the good guys yellow and White Gummy Bears and the Bad Guys Red, Orange, Green and Black. This is in no way any kind of remark on culturally preconceived notions of morality and how it relates to skin color. Except for Green people. They are lazy thieves.
Now this kind of sucks. The Riders of Rohan, right after saving the day, AGAIN, have to fight gigantic Elephants. My older brother was in charge of this part of production, and I think we can all agree he spanked it like an underpaid dominatrix. Check those bitches out. Circus Peanut bodies on top of gum drop legs, licorice nib trunks, chocolate pretzels for the men of Harad to stand on and shoot from. How on earth could any sugar-based army stand up against such crazy power?
(PS: You can see my mom’s still got a bitching rug in this picture.)
This is Grond. Yes, Tolkien named EVERYTHING even battering rams. I know you can see that it’s pretty awesome just from this picture alone. However, what you can’t see is that our Grond actually swings back and forth. On LICORICE ROPES. Props to my friend Brian for putting that one together.
This is the final detail shot, because it’s the most bad ass. Aragorn’s army is just pouring off of those stolen Corsairs like really fast molasses (which is like light speed for candy). With their arrival the tide of the battle turns and the evil, though tasty army, is destroyed to a gum drop.
Soon after a miniature gummy hobbit named Frodo succeeds in casting the One Ring Pop of Power into the molten chocolate fondue of Mount Doom and then peace, prosperity and pizelles returned to Middle Earth. Or something like that.
Hope you guys enjoy this as much as we enjoyed making it.
I’d like to thank my brothers, Dan and Jon. My little sister, Katie. My other little sister, Lis. My buddies, Brian and Brendan, and my best friend, Sunshine. Without them this would have never been made, even with our very frequent, very drunken recesses.
Happy (Belated) Holidays!
PS: I also took a video.
PPS: Digg This
AdvertisementsAuthorities believe they have removed Nina Reiser's remains from Redwood Regional Park, east of Skyline Boulevard.
ABC7 spoke with the office of Reiser's attorney, William Dubois. They confirmed that Dubois and Reiser accompanied police into the park Monday afternoon. ABC News reports Reiser led them to his wife's remains.
The body was found in a bag, buried deep in a ravine. The bag was well concealed and could have been easily overlooked. Authorities had a forensic anthropologist on scene to help recover the body.
Present at the scene were Judge Goodman, members of the district attorney's office, Oakland police and Alameda sheriffs. Security was tight and Hans Resier's attorney, William Dubois, |
. Drivers of the Wienermobiles are known as Hotdoggers and often hand out toy whistles shaped as replicas of the Wienermobile, known as Wienerwhistles.
The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile has evolved from Carl Mayer's original 1936 vehicle[1] to the vehicles seen on the road today. Although fuel rationing kept the Wienermobile off the road during World War II, in the 1950s Oscar Mayer and the Gerstenslager Company created several new vehicles using a Dodge chassis or a Willys Jeep chassis. One of these models is on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. These Wienermobiles were piloted by "Little Oscar" (portrayed by George Molchan) who would visit stores, schools, orphanages, and children's hospitals and participate in parades and festivals.
In 1969, new Wienermobiles were built on a Chevrolet motor home chassis and featured Ford Thunderbird taillights. The 1969 vehicle was the first Wienermobile to travel outside the United States. In 1976 Plastic Products, Inc., built a fiberglass and styrofoam model, again on a Chevrolet motor home chassis.
In 1988, Oscar Mayer launched its Hotdogger program, where recent college graduates were hired to drive the Wienermobile through various parts of the nation and abroad. Using a converted Chevrolet van chassis, Stevens Automotive Corporation and noted industrial designer Brooks Stevens built a fleet of six Wienermobiles for the new team of Hotdoggers.
With the 1995 version, the Wienermobile grew in size to 27 feet long and 11 feet high.[2] The 2004 version of the Wienermobile includes a voice-activated GPS navigation device, an audio center with a wireless microphone, a horn that plays the Wiener Jingle in 21 different genres from Cajun to Rap to Bossa Nova, according to American Eats, and sports fourth generation Pontiac Firebird taillights.
Following mechanical problems with the Isuzu Elf, Oscar Mayer decided to adopt a larger chassis in order to accommodate an increase in size of the signature wiener running through the middle. While the Wienermobile was not as long as the 1995 version, it was considerably wider and taller. Craftsmen Industries went through numerous overhauls of the truck including a flipped axle and a leveling kit. This version held a record for numerous suspension problems, most leading to the chassis not being able to hold the large weight of the Oscar Mayer Wiener.
In 2004, Oscar Mayer announced a contest whereby customers could win the right to use the Wienermobile for a day. Within a month, the contest had generated over 15,000 entries.[citation needed]
In June 2017 the company introduced several new hot-dog-themed vehicles, including the WienerCycle, WeinerRover and WienerDrone.[3]
Source: Oscar Mayer[4]A CBS News poll out Tuesday shows President Trump with his lowest approval rating since taking office, mostly because of a drop in Republican support.
The poll shows Mr. Trump with a 36 percent approval rating overall, with an 11-point drop among Republicans since April. At the 100-day mark, 83 percent of Republicans approved of Mr. Trump’s job in office, compared with 72 percent in the latest poll.
Less than half of Americans, however, believe that the Russians interfered to help get Mr. Trump elected. Only 44 percent of Americans believe the Russians interfered to help Mr. Trump, while 31 percent do not believe Russia interfered in the election at all.
Half of Americans say criticism of Mr. Trump doesn’t change their opinion of him at all, but 71 percent say Mr. Trump has received more criticism than past presidents.
A random sample of 1,117 adults were interviewed by telephone June 15-18 on behalf of CBS News by SSRS of Media, the network said.
Copyright © 2019 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.Giant Christmas baubles. Prancing reindeer. Boney M’s “Christmas Album“ filtering through the sound system. It’s Christmas at malls in South Africa, and despite the outside temperatures hovering around 26°C (80°F), inside it’s a winter wonderland.
This seasonal disparity, and South Africa’s diversity, pose a vexing question for retailers: What does African Christmas decor even look like? And what might get South Africans to dip into their wallets to buy the latest toys and trinkets to put under their Christmas trees?
Jordan Coelho for Quartz Day 4 of Quartz’s 25 Days of Exchange
In the two decades since apartheid ended, South Africa’s consumer class has grown rapidly. In the days when malls catered to the country’s minority white, Christian middle class, fake snow-flecked windows, and towering Christmas trees became the norm. But even as the country’s consumer base has become more diverse and sophisticated, Western visions of Christmas still appear to be a huge draw to the country’s multitude of malls. For mall managers, this wholehearted embrace of “atmospherics,” or the Western-perfected practice of using decor, sound, and smells, to put people in the mood to shop, has taken on an even greater importance during an economic downturn that is seeing consumers adopt more measured, rather than merry, shopping habits.
The Magic Christmas Co. (TMCC) has been decorating malls and shopping centers in South Africa for 30 years, working to keep up with changing tastes and malls’ desire to accommodate more religious and cultural groups. In February, the company starts working with some of the biggest malls in South Africa on their design plans; installations start in the first two weeks of October. Decorations stay up until just after the new year, when the whole process starts again.
At The Glen shopping center in southern Johannesburg, TMCC hung white sparkly branches wrapped in fairy lights from the ceiling. Large baubles were also strung up, and traditional Christmas trees punctuated the main thoroughfares. The mall’s architecture is a nod to the Portuguese community in the neighborhood, but the decorations showed no hints of a Mediterranean or an African Christmas, though.
While malls like The Glen reflect traditional themes, TMCC co-owner Jan Griesel says there has been a growing effort in the last 15 years to recognize local traditions. These range from using Ndebele prints to replace ribbon, a giant baobab tree instead of a fir tree, and handmade wire reindeer, sheep, and cows. “What we’re trying to do is incorporate more local people to produce more local things, so we can put it it together in one statement,”Griesel says.
What hasn’t changed, Griesel says, is expectations that malls be decorated come Christmas. “They do demand it actually; if you don’t do it, then there’s a problem,” he says. And malls are generally happy to comply, even though the effect of this decor on sales can be hard to measure. A survey by trade show organizers Messe Frankfurt of mall managers in Germany found most felt the ”emotionally charged retail world” created by Christmas decor provides an important boost (pdf) to end-of-year sales.
Johannesburg-based CPS Promotions has had such success with their business decorating malls that its owners, Veta and Bevin Masters, have opened their own small factory so they can manufacture pieces instead of importing them. They employ nearly 30 permanent staff and the number jumps to about 100 as Christmas planning ramps up around June.
The CPS Promotions team dress tree branches and large ornamental Christmas trees at their Johannesburg workshop.
The company’s factory floor in an industrial park in northern Johannesburg is a Christmas bonanza. Dozens of plastic-covered red and gold Santa thrones sit next to reindeer frozen in mid-leap. Rows of workers weave baubles and tinsel into garlands of plastic pine branches, preparing them to hang from the ceilings of malls around Johannesburg.
Veta Masters says the firm’s been most successful in providing malls with traditional Western Christmas-style decor. “I’ve learned that the hard way after 16 years,” she says. Her desk is covered in files filled with floor plans and photos of Christmases past. In an adjoining office, a team of graphic designers brainstorm ways to give the interiors of South African retail spaces that warm Christmas feeling. Savvy clients have already been in touch with Masters since February, but a few last-minute orders put through in early November are being put together on the factory floor.
CPS Promotions also provides ‘snowmen’ for that authentic ‘white’ Christmas experience. The company supplies over 80 shopping centres with decorations for the Christmas period, its busiest time of year.
“We do Christmas all year long,” Masters says.
CPS recreates a winter wonderland for malls using twinkling lights to evoke glistening snow. Masters recommends a standout feature like oversized presents stacked in the middle of the mall floor or a giant ribbon wrapped around the exterior of the mall.
But she draws the line at fake snow, be it foam, powder, or plastic. “People love the idea of snow but they get tired of it too quickly,” said Masters, who was born in Bulgaria and knows a little something about what Christmas in the cold is actually like.
Some malls have tried to strike the balance between South African and western traditions, but looking around the country’s malls today, it seems like white Christmas is here to stay.
At Southgate mall in Johannesburg, which serves South Africa’s largest black township, Soweto, decorators tried to move toward a more African theme by having six-foot-tall baobab and acacia trees made of wire greeting visitors at the mall’s entrances. Still, most of the mall’s décor harkens to the northern hemisphere’s December. Naked branches made of wire frames and draped with yellow fairy lights hang throughout the mall, and rows of fairy lights drip from the malls balconies, reminiscent of icicles.
Cornell Tukiri Southgate Shopping Centre is situated in the south of Johannesburg near bustling Soweto.
The Mall of Africa is celebrating its first Christmas since opening in April. Its interior features modern pillars that hint at the thick trunk and high branches of a baobab tree. To complement those, decorators from TMCC have hung light fixtures in the shape of large silvery snowflakes above the busy food court. Elsewhere, a large conical wire Christmas tree fills the space between escalators. Around it are the outlines of the African continent, woven in gold tinsel between the wire frame. The decorations feel like Christmas, but are at odds with the beachwear, sunglasses and summer specials on sale in the shops themselves. And many of the shop fronts have gone for an even more traditional feel, weaving plastic green pine branches between till points.
The décor “acts as a huge draw card,” says Vanessa Fourie, brand manager at Mall of Africa, who has been working with South African malls for years. “Be it on your head if you actually don’t [decorate].” Even though malls might be catering for more diverse communities, religions and races, “the cross purpose is that there is an expectation for beautiful, traditional stuff,” says Fourie. Regardless of how malls decorate, “certainly the belief is that it does add to the shopping experience, which obviously then results in our tills.”Man claiming wrongful assault after pub brawl police tasering will have case proceed to trial
Updated
A man claiming wrongful assault by police after he was tasered in a pub brawl which also left an officer permanently disabled will have his case proceed to trial.
Robert McLeod is suing the State of WA over his arrest in 2008 after a drunken brawl outside a pub in Joondalup.
Mr McLeod, who has a heart problem, was tasered, prompting his son to launch what has been described as a "flying headbutt" at Constable Matt Butcher.
Constable Butcher suffered serious injuries and is now partially paralysed.
Mr McLeod and his son were charged with assaulting Constable Butcher, but they were found not guilty after a trial in the District Court.
Robert McLeod then launched legal action, claiming battery and wrongful assault.
There had been concerns the state may settle the case, but on Thursday after a pretrial conference, Lindsay Garratt from the WA Police Union said the matter would be going to trial.
"Matt is very appreciative of the strong stance the Government has taken today," Mr Garratt said.
"This was an unbelievable incident and Matt's taken a strong stance on it and us as a union will continue to support him in his endeavours."
Robert McLeod was at court today and came face to face with Constable Butcher during the conference.
Outside the court Constable Butcher said he "was fine with it".
"It's just another part of the journey... and I'm fine with it, it's just another part of the process," he said.
Constable Butcher also said he was pleased the matter was going to trial.
"I stand firm I did nothing wrong on that day, and I'm happy to go to court and go through it again," he said.
"Seven years ago it happened, we just take it in our stride and it's another door to get through and shut and move on."
In 2011 Constable Butcher was awarded $3.3 million by the State Government in what it said was a recognition of the sacrifice all officers make in protecting the public.
Robert McLeod made no comment as he left court.
Topics: courts-and-trials, police, crime, perth-6000, joondalup-6027
First postedRyou was lacking sleep.
Because there was a little accident yesterday while returning, he got home late. Therefore he was late for his part time job and was made to work overtime until late at midnight with disregard for the Labor Standards Law.
The drowsiness didn’t disappear even while going to school in the morning. Entering the classroom with the feeling of having used several times the normal energy, he exchanged greetings with a classmate who noticed him then he sat down in his window side seat which he considered to be the second best position.
At the same time as he sat down, Shouji from the same class as he was in first year, turns around from his seat in front and smiles at Ryou.
“Good morning, you seem to be sleepy today”
“Good morning. Too much. Don’t wake me till the teacher comes”
Ryou answered while looking at the clock in the classroom then lying down on his desk. There was another 10 minutes until homeroom, though he could only lie down until then, his drowsiness seems to flare up.
“When the teacher comes I’ll wake you”
Though Shouji laughs, he says so in the affirmative and looks forward.
Ryou concentrates all his of nerves, without 10 seconds having passed since the moment he plunged into the world of sleep, the class became noisy.
Ryou felt that the air in the classroom had changed, though he thought to momentarily raise his head, his drowsiness won out.
Without changing his body posture, half of his consciousness was ruled by sleep, feeling signs that Shouji in the front seat turned around, he was called out to.
“H-hey, Ryou”
Ryou clicked his tongue in his mind. Ryou still stays in his sleeping pose, one minute hasn’t passed. Though Shouji is his closest friend in school, he was told not to wake him, to suddenly call out, is too much for a joke. Ryou resumed sleeping as is without answering.
“H-hey”
Shouji called out further and shook Ryou’s body.
There is no need to take notice of school people, while Ryou who is half asleep is thinking something dangerous about striking him with a punch, a voice rose from overhead.
“Sakuragi-kun”
It was a very clear voice. You can say cute and lovely are an appropriate adjective for the voice. Though the voice wasn’t loud, it seems to echo inside the classroom. The noisy classroom became silent for a moment.
Ryou’s drowsiness vanishes in an instant when the voice was heard, he was surprised but praised his body which didn’t show it. While maintaining his sleeping posture as it is, he felt cold sweat running down his back, his brain began to turn at a high speed to find a way out.
(Why, is the woman from yesterday, inside this classroom!? Didn’t yesterday’s matter end yesterday!? If I see those three idiots I’m striking them, I unintentionally let out a thirst for blood, but, I thought it was understood that I pulled back, I thought we wouldn’t come into contact anymore! No, this is out of the question……, okay, for now I’ll maintain my sleeping appearance. If I don’t get up she’ll give up and return, no, go back!!)
Seeing Ryou not reacting even when called, Erika looks at Shouji who was sitting in front of him, and asked while puzzled.
“Is he asleep?”
Shouji who was called out to by the beautiful idol-like girl who he had only seen in a distant view up to now, was feeling embarrassed.
Looking considerably dismayed he answered.
“A-ah……, sh-should I wake him?”
He completely forgot what Ryou said, while holding down the anger welling up towards his friend proposing that, Ryou maintains his sleeping pretense.
When Erika was going to reply to Shouji’s proposal, and was worried for an instant on what to do, Azusa who entered the classroom with her speaks up.
“Erika, it’s fine to wake him”
“……, is it fine?”
Azusa nods to Erika with a smile full of confidence.
(Not good, not good, there’s another woman? Reinforcements can leave……)
Ryou felt things were developing in a bad direction.
“Hey, Sakuragi-kun……, Sakuragi-kun? That’s no good, he isn’t waking up?”
(That’s right, Sakuragi-kun has a reason not to get up, therefore, let’s leave quickly)
Azusa smiles deeply and says while shaking her hands.
“He must be woken up more strongly”
Shaking him awake seems to be the meaning. Erika who was observing him thought so for an instant, nodded and shook Ryou’s shoulder.
“Hey, Sakuragi-kun”
(Stop it!!)
Ryou screamed in his mind.
The reaction of the classroom seeing that was great. The girls were popeyed with surprise, the boys, were whispering why such a thing to each other, and glances of perplexity mixed with envy, jealousy and murderous intent were turned to Ryou.
Feeling the glance in the class growing stronger and light fear from the hand shaking him, he judged that maintaining his current condition would be bad, while breathing with resignation in his mind, making a face as if he had just woken up, he slowly raised his face.
“Ah, he’s up……, sorry, Sakuragi-kun?”
Ryou doesn’t understand what’s happening, his facial expression says so, why is the rumored school idol in front of him? Is blended into his facial expression.
“No…………, is there something?”
Erika seeing Ryou’s attitude being completely different to yesterday, thought he was angry about being woken by force, looked down and apologized once more.
“Um……, I’m sorry, I woke you. Are you angry?”
She said so faintly with upturned eyes. It was important so she said it twice while looking down.
The faces of several female students became red as well.
Opposite to Shouji was a group of male students who saw that situation, their faces seem to grow intoxicated with their souls snatched away. If you go by an old saying, you could say their hearts were stolen.
From the boys who were behind Erika, voices of anger and hatred rose up towards Ryou. Although they weren’t loud voices, Ryou was able to hear them, such as you bastard and don’t joke around.
(Men and women without discrimination……)
Ryou was somehow able to restrain a cramp showing on his mouth, becoming aware that he himself was becoming bright red he suppressed it, and answered.
“No, I’m not angry. ……, is there business?”
Ryou to the bitter end with this first meeting in front of classmates, wanted the crowd to not think of them as friends with his tone. Ryou aims for the default way of talking to girls in school which is that of a quiet student with a gentle approach.
To the tone of such a Ryou, Erika showed a puzzled expression. After an expression as if she made up her mind, she bowed.
“Thank you very much for yesterday. Apart from yesterday, again, I wanted you to receive my thanks, is that fine?”
It was noisy inside the classroom.
Ryou to the unwanted gratitude, thought whether he was insolent to consider it as such.
“Didn’t I say it’s fine not to worry about yesterday? ……, besides, I thought we came to an agreement about your thanks……”
“Eh, but in my mind it’s not settled. I thought you would be glad to receive it in some way……”
Erika’s tone became a little tense as a result of the change in Ryou’s tone.
Ryou thought there was no use in refusing anymore and breathed a sigh of resignation.
“……, I understand. ……, but, before that, what about yesterday’s thing……?”
To the right and left of Erika were girls not from the same class.
On the left was a girl with a beautiful well-featured appearance not inferior to Erika, a Yamato Nadeshiko in appearance with long black hair and black rim glasses.
On the right, a short girl standing expressionlessly with hair cut short again with good looks.
Because of that Ryou looking left and right of her, Erika noticed at once what he meant by ‘thing’.
In place of Erika whose mouth started opening in a panic, wearing the black rim glasses, Suzuki Azusa raised her voice.
“Erika kept the promise, so don’t worry”
“No, but……, I got it”
When such a thing is said, was the promise not breached? Ryou thought about it, the promise not to talk to anyone, Ryou recalled he didn’t say that.
“Um……, but, sorry? Hear the story by all means……”
Erika says while peeking at him, Ryou says it’s fine and shakes his neck.
Usually, what happened yesterday, would cause considerable stress for a girl. Isn’t it natural to want to vent while speaking to someone, because Ryou thought that, he didn’t intend to blame Erika.
He would like it if the gratitude wasn’t done in front of everyone where they can see them talking. To make them disperse soon, at the time he started opening his mouth, Azusa said.
“Erika stubbornly kept her promise to you, I’m envious of it”
While Azusa broadly grinned, a bomb was dropped.
The bomb which was dropped blew up the classroom magnificently.
Ryou felt his mouth had a cramp, but was not able to suppress it.
“He-hey, Azusa!?”
Erika becomes bright red and protests to Azusa.
“What is it?”
Ryou seeing the easygoing Azusa talking, he was somehow convinced this woman understands that he is bothered by this.
A little, it was felt she was similar to him.
Watching Ryou’s lips, Azusa’s smile deepening was seen and he was convinced furthermore.
Warding off Erika’s protest, Azusa looked back to the clock and said.
“There’s not much time left, Erika, let’s continue this later”
Ryou looks at the clock, indeed, homeroom begins soon.
Erika looks at the clock as well.
“Eh, already!? It’s true……, ah, cellphone……”
Ryou to the word of cellphone, surely, his impatience was remembered.
“Postpone your exchanging of numbers, we’ll exchange with him later”
Once again, Ryou felt dismay seeing Azusa who said so towards him.
The looks of murderous intent from the boys in the classroom was peaking.
“I’m sorry, Sakuragi-kun? Later……, during lunchtime, is it fine to come again?”
With a worn out face, Ryou nods, and the three beautiful girls leave the classroom.
At the same time as the three leave the classroom and the eyes in the classroom gather towards Ryou, the chime to signal the start of homeroom rang.
After homeroom and the first period had ended during the break, Ryou was enclosed by the boys of his class.
No, he was surrounded, it should be said.
“How did this happen, Sakuragi?”
Sasaki of the class’s Group A questioned Sakuragi.
He’s physique is good, when approached, plentiful feelings of intensity can be felt.
Shouji from the seat in front turns around and is excited to hear it.
“Really. Why did Fujimoto-san, Suzuki-san and Yamaoka-san come to meet Ryou?”
Whose name belongs to whom, Ryou doesn’t know, but he didn’t let out that question.
What is the gratitude for, what happened yesterday, are you exchanges phone numbers!? Why with you! Can I accompany you during lunch? Questions full with resentment, Ryou who received those voices of jealousy felt that depending on his reply, his peaceful life could disappear.
“Actually…………”
To hear the voice of Ryou who opened his mouth, everyone ceased talking, the classroom became silent in an instant.
Of course Ryou didn’t intend to tell the truth. Even if it’s told, it seems it will be difficult to make them believe it.
So Ryou thought of an excuse.
“I only helped her after she fell down”
The sound of someone falling down was heard.
It wasn’t a lie. Because it is a fact he helped her after she fallen over.
A plain story for the plain him, Ryou concluded everyone would believe it.
For a moment everyone was blank, ah, here and there a consenting face was seen.
Yet, an apologetic man questions it.
“Then, what was the promise?”
“Um, that is……, when I helped her up, I also ended up falling over. It was embarrassing so I said to be silent about it”
That was a lie. However, the part about keeping silent was true.
“Huh!? That’s it!?”
“Ah, it’s like that”
Ryou while adjusting his glasses with one hand, answers dignifiedly.
A lie said in a dignified manner, is still a lie.
“You, what are you doing at lunch time?”
“I’m being treated to juice”
He shrugs his shoulders and gives a safe answer. In fact Ryou intended it to be so.
However, it’s still something enviable……, being muttered was let through and is audible.
“Then, what about exchanging numbers!?”
The men hearing that were provoked again.
“That person, I hear her asking a man by herself is unusual!!”
To this, Ryou was the most worried, so he thought a half truth is safe.
“Because she wants say thanks, I refused several times but she said she would consult about the gratitude over e-mail or phone. When we were going exchange them her cellphone’s battery ran out, so she came today. So it seems juice will be received as her gratitude”
When you carefully take into account Azusa’s words and behavior and the whole story, there are some contradictory points, but Ryou thinks it shouldn’t be to the extent the story seems impossible.
Actually, some of the classmates have a suspicious expression, but consenting faces are seen here and there.
Ryou rounded it off with these words.
“Her integrity is wonderful, I only helped her up after she fell, yet she shows so much gratitude”
The boys, ah, if it is that person it might be so, muttered with an expression as if in a trance.
With things like this, Ryou felt relieved he would be forgotten before long if he makes his shadow thin as usual.
It was now the short break after third period but before lunch break. Ryou who had cleared the interrogation of questions somehow, arrived in front of Erika’s class.
He heard that the three beautiful girls were in the same class, and it seems to be the envy of boys to be in that class. He didn’t want to approach such a frightening class, and Ryou was vigilant of Azusa.
Because that woman seemed to understand he was troubled but repeated her conduct, but he strongly felt he didn’t want those three to suddenly come during lunch break and surround his desk to eat.
Therefore, he decided to make the first move and tell Erika when he saw her to go to the roof for lunch break.
The rooftop is normally locked, with strict student prohibition. However from what Ryou learned out of his part time job livelihood, lock picking skills were used, so it was possible to freely come and go to the rooftop.
Because students are strictly prohibited, he can spend time without having to worry about glances on the rooftop.
Ryou that came to the front of the class looks to the inside through the upper windowpane on the door, and the person he was looking for was found immediately.
Probably wherever she is, she is likely to be found at once.
When looking, the place she is at seems to have been lit by a spotlight and has a bright mood to it.
Is that her aura? When Ryou thinks so, Azusa who was next to Erika notices Ryou.
When Azusa matches eyes with Ryou he remembers his impatience, contrary to expectation, Azusa only alerted Erika.
Erika who notices Ryou was a surprised expression for a moment, then immediately made a glad-looking face and approached Ryou’s position with a half run.
(After all, considerably cute…………)
Ryou thought so unconsciously, it can be considered man’s nature to think of something cute as cute.
“What’s wrong, do you intend to go for lunch break?”
A smile of the whole face was received, Ryou says to the radiant face in a small voice to come to the rooftop.
Though it seemed strange, Erika accepted while looking delighted.
It seems to be strange because the rooftop is normally strictly prohibited for students.
Ryou who received approval, ran away immediately.
Once again from inside class (a different class this time) he was basked in glances from in there as well as from the hallway.
AdvertisementsBy Patricia Reaney
NEW YORK (Reuters) - More Americans 50 years and older are copying younger generations and eschewing marriage, opting instead to live with their partners, according to new research.
In 2016 about 18 million Americans were cohabiting, defined as living with an unmarried partner, and nearly a quarter of them were people over 50, an increase of 75 percent since 2007, data released on Thursday from Pew Research Centre showed.
"Baby Boomers have a higher divorce rate and there are a greater number of unmarried people in that age group" than previously, Pew research analyst Renee Stepler said in an interview Thursday.
Government figures show that so-called “grey divorce,” or splits among adults 50 and over, has about doubled since the 1990s and could partly account for the increase in cohabitation.
Fewer marriages, changing social norms and women's greater economic independence are other explanations for the rise, Stepler added.
As cohabiting has gone up, the marriage rate in the United States has dropped, from 8.2 per 1,000 population in 2000 to 6.9 in 2014, according to figures from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
Stepler also pointed to an increase in the number of older Americans who have never married. Pew found that 27 percent of people 50 years and older who are cohabiting have never married, while more than half are divorced and 13 percent are widowed.
In younger age groups, the majority of cohabiting adults have never tied the knot: 97 percent of 18-24 year olds and 85 percent of 25-34 year olds.
Although cohabitation rates are rising, cohabiting couples account for only about 7 percent of the overall U.S. population and 4 percent of over-50s.
Most older cohabiting couples were in their 50s. But nearly 30 percent of them were in their 60s, 10 percent in their 70s and 3 percent were 80 years or older.
Pew Research Centre compiled its findings on cohabiting by analysing data from U.S. Census Bureau and the Current Population Survey, which included information on 134,562 adults ages 18 and older. The survey is sponsored jointly by the Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics.
(Reporting by Patricia Reaney; Editing by Patrick Enright and Andrew Hay)Today I found out why Dalmatians are commonly firehouse dogs.
Dalmatians as firehouse dogs have become so common in books and movies that it’s practically a stereotype. It turns out that Dalmatians actually really do have a strong history in the firehouse, and they used to have some purpose, too.
Before fire trucks, there were horse-drawn carriages. One of the most effective fire-fighting tools in the middle of the 18th century was the steam pumper- a machine that consisted of a boiler which was able to use steam to force water out of hoses and onto a fire. The fire brigade’s horse-drawn carriages would be loaded up with the machine, the horses would be hitched up, and the vehicle would tear off down the road.
When fire fighters were racing off to fight the flames, they didn’t have time for the horses to spook nor to slow down for all the pedestrians using the road, which is where the Dalmatians came in.
Besides being known for forming strong bonds with horses, in the early 1700s, it was observed that Dalmatians were perfectly suited for travelling long distances. As stated by the Dalmatian Club of America, the English felt that Dalmatians had the “strength, vitality, fortitude and size to keep running along under the carriage for hundreds of miles.”
When the travellers rested for the night, the dogs were also useful for standing guard over the horses and the people’s belongings. English aristocrats soon picked up on the practice of having Dalmatians follow their carriages and the dogs even became something of a symbol of social status- the more Dalmatians that ran alongside your carriage, the wealthier you must be.
Back to Dalmatians and the horse-drawn fire carriages- because of the dogs’ strong work ethic and stamina, they typically didn’t have any trouble keeping up with the carriages even when they were flying down the roads at high speeds. The Dalmatian would scare away anything that might spook the horses, and also just as importantly served as the first “siren.” Its bark would alert pedestrians on the road that the fire brigade was on its way, and to move off the street.
The horses were also a bit leery of being so close to burning buildings when it came time to stop. (Can you blame them?) While the firemen unloaded their equipment and rushed off to put the fire out, their trusty Dalmatians would stay with the cart, keeping the horses calm and guarding the firemen’s belongings. Not only that, but once they were back at the fire house, the Dalmatian were often trained to sniff out and kill rats and other vermin—kind of like having a barking cat that was far less lazy than a meowing mouse-catcher.
When the much more efficient motorized fire trucks were created, there were no longer horses for Dalmatians to keep company and no need for them to run ahead of the trucks to alert people that the fire brigade was coming—there were sirens for that now. Their usefulness spent, Dalmatians might have vanished from fire stations altogether. Instead, they turned into fire station mascots, particularly popular when firefighters go around teaching kids about fire safety. Of course, at this point any dog could be used, and sometimes that’s the case, but given the long standing tradition of using Dalmatians, it seems likely they will remain the dog of choice at many fire stations for the foreseeable future.
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A common myth is that Dalmatians are kept in fire houses because unlike other breeds, the loud sound of the siren won’t hurt their ears. While it is true that Dalmatians are predisposed to deafness (only about 70% have normal hearing), they were originally around to primarily function as a siren, as stated, so their hearing wasn’t really a factor.
Blue-eyed Dalmatians have a higher risk of being deaf than brown-eyed Dalmatians. Studies to find out why have been inconclusive to date. Partially or fully deaf Dalmatians still make excellent pets as long as they have the appropriate training.
The Dalmatian Heritage project started in 2005 and aims to “breed out” the various health defects that plague Dalmatians by only breeding dogs with normal hearing, normal urinary metabolism, and dogs who are friendly and confident.
In Britain, Dalmatians are sometimes called “English coach dogs” or “plum pudding dogs”.
Careers other than “fire dog” that Dalmatians are somewhat well suited for include search and rescue, running partner, and guardian.
The exact origin of the Dalmatian is unknown, though it’s likely that the breed originated in the Croatian region “Dalmatia” for which it is named. It’s estimated that they’ve been around for 600 years or more, but the name Dalmatian wasn’t used in the 1780s. Dalmatians gained great popularity in Britain before they spread once again to Europe and, eventually, the Americas.
As you can probably imagine, the popularity of the breed exploded with the release of The Hundred and One Dalmatians book by Dodie Smith in 1956 and the Disney animated film in 1961. This wasn’t necessarily a good thing. Kind of like buying kids a rabbit or baby chick at Easter, parents rushed out to get Dalmatian puppies for their children without researching the breed first to find out if they were right for their family. Aside from needing extra training if the dog has some deafness, Dalmatians are a high-energy breed who prefer running along after fire carriages than sitting with a child as it watches TV. Many of the dogs were dumped at pounds when they were found to be incompatible with certain families’ lifestyles, and as a result Dalmatian rescues were quickly set up to try to find them new homes.
Expand for ReferencesJack Bishop, the editorial director of America’s Test Kitchen, the parent company of Cook’s Illustrated, still regards the French escargot tongs in |
to evacuate. Officials in the South Tower (2 WTC) tell people shortly afterwards by megaphone and office announcements that they are safe and to stay in their offices. Some people don't hear it, others ignore it and evacuate anyway. Between 8:47 and 10:29 a.m. many people trapped by fire and smoke in the upper floors of both World Trade Center towers, jump to their deaths. One person at street level, a NYC Firefighter is hit by such a jumper and also is killed. 38) 8:46 a.m.: United Airlines Flight 175 transponder signal stops transmitting IFF beacon signal. 39) 8:47 a.m.: NORAD informed of American Airlines Flight 11 striking the World Trade Center. 40) 8:47 a.m.: NYC Fire Battalion Chief Joe Pfeiffer from the 7th Battalion puts out an emergency call stating that American Airlines Flight 11 impacting the north side of the North Tower (1 World Trade Center) was no accident. The plane's impact was clearly a deliberate attack an intentional act of mass death and devastation. As the small video crew (who shot the only video of American Airlines Flight 11 impacting the WTC � the fireman video) and firemen that had eye-witnessed the first plane hit the WTC were racing to the location, Chief Pfeiffer sounded red alerts over the radio and phone; specifically stating that what they witnessed was a "direct attack" and that the airliner was clearly being directed straight at the WTC and the incident was definitely not any kind of accident. 41) 8:48 a.m.: The first news reports appear on TV and radio that a plane may have crashed into the WTC. 42) 8:49 a.m.: United Airlines Flight 175 now deviates from its assigned flight path. 43) 8:50 a.m.: Rich Miles, a manager of United Airlines Chicago system operations center, receives a call from a mechanic at an airline maintenance center in San Francisco that takes in-flight calls from flight attendants about broken items. The mechanic says a female flight attendant from United Airlines Flight 175 just called and said, "Oh my God. The crew has been killed; a flight attendant has been stabbed. We've been hijacked." Then the line went dead. 44) 8:50:51 a.m.: American Airlines Flight 77 last radio communication, about 285 miles west of the Pentagon. 45) 8:51 a.m.: Bush arrives at Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota, Florida for a photo op with 16 second graders. He is there to promote his administration's new bill on education. 46) 8:52 a.m.: Two F-15 Eagles have scrambled and are airborne from the 102nd Fighter Wing of Otis Air National Guard Base in Falmouth, Massachusetts. An F-15 has a top speed of 1875+ MPH. According to NORAD, Otis is 153 miles eastnortheast of the WTC. 47) 8:53 a.m.: A flight controller says to other airplanes in the sky about United Airlines Flight 175, "We may have a hijack. We have some problems over here right now." 48) 8:55 a.m.: Barbara Olson, a passenger on American Airlines Flight 77, "allegedly called" her husband, Solicitor General Theodore Olson at the Justice Department. He is watching the WTC news on TV. She tells him, ''they had box cutters and knives. They rounded up the passengers at the back of the plane.'' She asks him, "What should I tell the pilot to do?" She gets cuts off; he calls the Justice Department's command center to alert them of the hijacking. She calls back and says the plane is turning around. She appears to have been the only person on American Airlines Flight 77 to call someone on the ground. Why is she the only person who "allegedly called" from American Airlines Flight 77?"
911 Planes Exceeded Their Software Limits / Cell Phone Calls Could Not Have Been Made
http://www.sianews.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=48
Ghost Riders In The Sky An Alternative 9-11 Scenario
by A. K. Dewdney
http://feralnews.com/issues/911/dewdney/ghost_riders_1-4_1.html
http://feralnews.com/issues/911/dewdney/media_release_030304.html
Operation Pearl
by A. K. Dewdney
http://www.physics911.org/911/index.php/articles/2
49) 8:56 a.m.: American Airlines Flight 77 transponder signal stops. 50) 8:56 a.m.: American Airlines Flight 77 goes off course and starts making a 180 degree turn over southern Ohio / northeastern Kentucky. 51) 8:57 a.m. The FAA formally notified the military that American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the WTC. Until then, the two F-15�s fighters from Otis did not know the plane had crashed -- Yet at 8:47 a.m. NORAD had been notified. Why does it take over 10 minutes to inform the two F-15�s of this, especially when United Airlines Flight 175 is headed directly for New York City? 52) 8:59 a.m.: American Airlines Flight 77 completes its 180 degree turn over southern Ohio / northeastern Kentucky and starts heading directly back to Washington D.C. and The Pentagon, 330 miles away. 53) 9:00 a.m.: United Airlines systems operations transmitted a system wide message, warning its pilots of a potential "cockpit intrusion". United Airlines Flight 93, flying over Pennsylvania replies "Confirmed". 54) 9:00 a.m.: Last radar reading on United Airlines Flight 175 is observed at an altitude of 18,000 feet, descending, with a ground speed of 480 knots. 55) 9:00 a.m. The FAA starts contacting all airliners to warn them of the hijacking. 56) 9:00 a.m.: The Pentagon moves its alert status up one notch from normal to Alpha. It stays on Alpha until after American Airlines Flight 77 hits the Pentagon. 57) 9:01 a.m.: Bush later makes the following statement. "And I was sitting outside the classroom waiting to go in, and I saw an airplane hit the tower -- the TV was obviously on, and I used to fly myself, and I said, 'There's one terrible pilot.' And I said, 'It must have been a horrible accident.' But I was whisked off from there -- I didn't have much time to think about it." Bush could not have possibly seen the first plane (American Airlines Flight 11) hit the WTC, because the only video showing this was not shown on television till later in the day. So how could he have possibly seen and said this? 58) 9:02:54 a.m.: United Airlines Flight 175 impacts the south side of the South Tower of the WTC between the 78th and 84th floors at a speed of over 500 MPH. Parts of the plane including an engine leave the building from its north side, to be found on the ground up to six blocks away. When United Airlines Flight 175 struck the South Tower, "it set up vibrations which were transmitted through the building, through its foundation, and into the ground," says Lerner-Lam. Those vibrations, as indicated by seismographs at Lamont-Doherty and other locations, were the equivalent of a magnitude 0.7 earthquake. NORAD says that when United Airlines Flight 175 impacts the WTC at 9:02:54, the F-15's from Otis are still 71 miles away. This means their average flight speed was only 23.9% of their top speed in trying to intercept United Airlines Flight 175. Otis is 153 miles from WTC. F-15's have a top speed of 1875+ MPH. Minus 71 miles left from 153 miles equals 82 miles covered in the 11 minutes from 8:52 take-off to 9:03. 60 minutes divided by 11 minutes equals 5.45, times this by the 82 miles covered, equals 447.3 MPH. divided by 1875 MPH equals 23.9% of their top speed. How could these two F-15�s possibly be going less than one quarter of their top speed in trying to intercept United Airlines Flight 175? The following passages are from a BBC article published on August 30, 2002. Two of the pilots patrolling northeast America told the programme how they struggled to get to New York as fast as possible after the first plane had hit the World Trade Center. Pilots "Duff" and "Nasty" recalled they were only minutes away when the second plane hit the towers. Pilot Duff said: "For a long time I wondered what would have happened if we had been scrambled in time. "We've been over the flight a thousand times in our minds and I don't know what we could have done to get there any quicker." Perhaps if they flew a little faster than 23.9% of their top speed is how.
US Considered 'Suicide Jet Missions'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/2222205.stm
The F-15 pilots flew ''like a scalded ape,'' topping 500 MPH but were unable to catch up to the airliner [United Airliners Flight 175], Maj. Gen. Paul Weaver said.
National Guard Fighters Raced After 2 Airliners
http://www.staugustine.com/stories/091601/ter_0916010027.shtml Now the only airliner left in the sky with its IFF transponder signal off which has just made a 180 degree turn over southern Ohio / northeastern Kentucky and has been heading directly back to Washington D.C. and The Pentagon since 8:59 a.m. -- is American Airlines Flight 77. Why didn�t these two F-15�s that were 71 miles from NYC and the WTC, immediately redirect to intercept the only dangerous airliner in the sky, American Airlines Flight 77? These two F-15�s had 34 minutes to reach Washington D.C. before American Airlines Flight 77 hits the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m. The mission of these two F-15�s from the 102nd Fighter Wing of the Otis Air National Guard Base is to protect the skies from Washington D.C. to the north. The F-15 has a top speed of 1875+ MPH, so they could have closed the 300 or so miles from their current position to Washington D.C. in just about 10 minutes. At top speed they could have been at the Pentagon 24 minutes before American Airlines Flight 77 hits it. Even if they were flying at the same speed NORAD says that they covered in the last 71 miles till they reach the WTC (532.5 MPH or only 28.4% of top speed) they would have beat American Airlines Flight 77 to the Pentagon. Why didn�t these two F-15�s directly fly to intercept the only known airliner still in the sky that is hijacked, and heading directly for the nations capitol? Still, much worse, why didn�t these two F-15�s upon reaching the WTC at 9:11 and now knowing that American Airlines Flight 77 has been heading dead on for Washington D.C. for 12 minutes, finally try to intercept? The WTC is about 250 miles from the Pentagon. They still have 26 minutes to intercept American Airlines Flight 77 before the Pentagon gets hit at 9:37. All they have to do is to fly only 576.9 MPH or 30.8% of their top speed to beat American Airlines Flight 77 to the Pentagon. What do we pay these guys to do? Still, unbelievably worse, these two F-15�s could have waited in New York City till 9:26 before heading down to protect Washington D.C. and the Pentagon. By 9:26 American Airlines Flight 77 has now been heading directly back to Washington D.C. for 27 minutes. American Airlines Flight 77 is the only airliner in the sky with its transponder signal off, and off course. If these F-15�s were flying at top speed, they could be at the Pentagon in under 10 minutes. They can leave New York City at 9:26 and still beat American Airlines Flight 77 to the Pentagon by one minute. Why didn�t these two F-15�s leave at any time between 9:03 and 9:26 to intercept American Airlines Flight 77, the only airliner in the sky with its transponder signal off, and also off course? Why, NORAD?
NORAD Press Release: http://StandDown.net/NORADSeptember182001PressRelease.htm
AP Article On NORAD PR: http://www.AttackOnAmerica.net/8MinutesAway.htm
Two New York Times articles apologetically describing this:
Pentagon Tracked Deadly Jet But Found No Way to Stop It
http://www.attackonamerica.net/pentagontrackeddeadlyjet.html
Chronology of Plane Crashes: Orders, at the Time of Impact
http://www.attackonamerica.net/ordersattimeofimpact.html
There is a very important video of what looks very much like an F-15 streaking by the WTC just as United Airlines Flight 175 impacts the South Tower of the WTC. Why isn�t anyone talking about this video?
Take a look for yourself at: http://www.MyCountryRightOrWrong.net/F-15.htm
59) 9:03 a.m.: Boston air traffic control center halts traffic from its airports to all New York area airspace. 60) 9:05 a.m.: Andrew Card walks up to Bush while he is listening to a Goat Story with 16 second graders in Sandra Kay Daniels�s class at Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota, Florida. Card whispers in his ear "A second plane has hit the World Trade Center. America is under attack." Bush (commander-and-chief?) keeps listening to this Goat Story with these children for at least 7 minutes, and perhaps as long as 18 minutes. Why didn't he excuse himself from these children right away, and immediately address this national emergency, is totally unexplainable. There is no way this should have happened. What of course should have happened, was as soon as the secret service found out about United Airlines Flight 175 impacting the WTC (now knowing it was a "terrorist" act), they would have immediatly grabbed Bush and brought him to an undisclosed location. There is no way the secret service leaves Bush in a place (Emma E. Booker Elementary School) where everyone knows he is. Stand Down. 61) 9:05 a.m.: West Virginia flight control notices a new eastbound plane entering their radar with no radio contact and no transponder identification. They are not sure it is American Airlines Flight 77. Supposedly they wait another 19 minutes before notifying NORAD about it. 62) 9:06 a.m.: Order to halt traffic is expanded to include the entire northeast from Washington to Cleveland. FAA's air traffic control center outside Washington D.C. notifies all air traffic facilities nationwide of the suspected hijacking of American Airlines Flight 11. 63) 9:06 a.m.: The FAA formally notified the military that United Airlines Flight 175 had been hijacked. 64) 9:08 a.m.: FAA orders all aircraft to leave New York area airspace and orders all New York-bound planes nationwide to stay on the ground. 65) 9:10 a.m. to 9:20 a.m.: United Airlines Flight 93 was hijacked. 66) 9:11 a.m.: The two F-15 Eagles from Otis Air National Guard station in Falmouth; Massachusetts finally make it to NYC and the WTC. So it takes these two F-15�s, which have a top speed of 1875+ MPH, 19 minutes to cover the 153 miles from Otis to the WTC. This means their average flight speed from Otis to the WTC was only 483.2 MPH or just 25.8% of their top speed. 67) 9:12 a.m.: The FAA formally notified the military that United Airlines Flight 175 had crashed into the WTC. 68) 9:15 a.m.: American Airlines orders no new takeoffs in the United States. 69) 9:16 a.m. to 9:20: The FAA notifies NORAD that United Airlines Flight 93 has been hijacked. (Reported as 9:20 a.m. in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) No fighters are scrambled in specific response, now or later. There is the possibility the fighters sent after American Airlines Flight 77 later headed towards United Airlines Flight 93. NORAD's own timeline inexplicably fails to say when the FAA told them about the hijack, the only flight they fail to provide this data for. 70) 9:17 a.m.: The FAA shuts down all New York City area airports. 71) 9:20 a.m.: United Airlines orders no new takeoffs in the United States. 72) 9:21 a.m.: New York City Port Authority orders all bridges and tunnels in the New York City area closed. 73) 9:23 a.m.: Bush talks privately with Cheney, his National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, the head of the FBI, Robert Mueller and Governor George Pataki of New York. Why does Bush wait from 9:05 (when Andrew Card tells him of United Airlines Flight 175 hitting the WTC) till 9:23 to finally call? He still does not give the authority to the fighters to shoot down any hostile airliners. What is he waiting for? 9:23 a.m.: A sonic boom occurs, which was picked up by an earthquake monitor in southern Pennsylvania, 60 miles away from Shanksville. This was most likely caused by a fighter jet breaking the sound barrier.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=30682
74) 9:24 a.m.: The FAA notifies NORAD that American Airlines Flight 77 has been hijacked. The FAA lost contact with American Airlines Flight 77 when the transponder signal stops at 8:55 a.m. -- Why does it take 29 minutes for the FAA to tell NORAD that American Airlines Flight 77 has been hijacked? 75) 9:24 a.m.: NORAD orders the 1st Fighter Wing from Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Virginia to scramble two, possibly three F-16 fighters. This time NORAD does not sit on this vital information for six minutes before notifying Langley AFB. Langley is 130 miles south of Washington D.C. and the Pentagon. The F-16 has a top speed of 1500 MPH. Why wasn�t Langley AFB scrambled at 8:20 or 8:40 or 8:46 or at the very least at 9:02:54? How could NORAD possibly have waited the 21 minutes from the time United Airlines Flight 175 hits the South Tower of the WTC at 9:02:54 before finally scrambling Langley at 9:24? Waiting these 21 extra minutes to finally scramble Langley is the real smoking gun that no one can get around. 76) 9:25 a.m.: Air traffic controllers inform the US Secret Service as American Airlines Flight 77 approaches Washington D.C. 77) 9:26 a.m.: The FAA halts takeoffs nationwide. All airborne international flights are told to land in Canada. 78) 9:26 a.m.: American Airlines Flight 77 - Passenger, Barbara K. Olson again calls her husband, Solicitor General Theodore Olson at the Justice Department to tell him about the hijacking and to report that the passengers and pilots were held in the back of the plane. Again she is the only person who makes a call from American Airlines Flight 77. Isn�t it very strange that is she the only person to call, not once but twice? 79) 9:28 a.m. United Airlines Flight 93 -- An open microphone aboard reveals someone in the cockpit saying, "Get out of here!" 80) 9:28 a.m.: United Airlines Flight 93, "there are the first audible signs of problems, in background cockpit noise." Air traffic controllers hear the sound of screaming and scuffling over an open mike. They then hear hijackers speaking in Arabic to each other. Yet this is at least 8 minutes and probably at least 12 minutes after the hijackers had taken over the cockpit and done something to cause the FAA to notify NORAD of United Airlines Flight 93's hijacking. 81) 9:29 a.m.: United Airlines Flight 93 - Jeremy Glick, a passenger, calls his wife and describes the hijackers and is informed about the attacks in New York City. 82) 9:30 a.m.: Two maybe three F-16 Fighting Falcons code-named Huntress take off from Langley AFB headed at first toward at NYC. A couple of minutes into their mission, according to General Haugen "A person came on the radio and identified themselves as being with the Secret Service" and said, "I want you to protect the White House at all costs." The F-16�s laid in a new course and vectored to Washington D.C.
Why were these fighters headed to NYC when American Airlines Flight 77 has been headed directly for Washington D.C. for the last 31 minutes, and with their communication and transponder turned off for 34 minutes? There are no airliners headed for NYC or anywhere else with their communication and transponders turned off. Also, at 9:25 air traffic controllers have already informed the US Secret Service in Washington D.C. that American Airlines Flight 77 is approaching them very fast. So why are these F-16�s first flying toward NYC? 83) 9:30 a m.: Bush, speaking to the nation from Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota, Florida, says the country has suffered an "apparent terrorist attack" and "a national tragedy." He would chase down, "those folks who committed this act." Bush also said, "Terrorism against our nation will not stand." It was an echo of "This will not stand," the words his father, George H. W. Bush, had used a few days after Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990-in Bush's opinion, one of his father's finest moments.
Also, during this address to the country Bush promised a full investigation into the attack. Well here we are one year later and there is still no investigation. Matter of fact he has done everything in his power so there will not be any investigation into 911. Why? This address to the country should have been said at least 15 to 20 minutes earlier. But of course he had much more important business to attend to, he was listening to the Goat Story with the 16 second graders from 9:05 till at least 9:12 and possibly as long as 9:23. Watch the video of Bush addressing the country from Emma E. Booker Elementary School.
http://www.AttackOnAmerica.net/BushAtEmmaEBookerSchool.mov
84) 9:30 a.m.: The Secretary of State Colin Powell in Lima, Peru abruptly ended his breakfast with the Peruvian president after getting word of the second strike on the trade center and made plans to return to Washington. "Get the plane," he told an assistant. "Go tell them we're leaving." He had a seven-hour flight, with poor phone connections, ahead of him. 85) 9:30 a.m.: United Airlines begins landing all of its flights inside the United States. 86) 9:32 a.m.: Secret Service agents burst into Cheney's White House office. They carry him under his arms -- nearly lifting him off the ground -- and take him to the security of the underground bunker in the White House basement. 87) 9:32 a.m.: The New York Stock Exchange closed. 88) 9:33 a.m.: According to The New York Times, American Airlines Flight 77 was lost at 8:56 when it turned off its transponder, and stayed lost until now. Washington air traffic control sees a fast moving blip on their radar at this time and sends a warning to Dulles Airport in Washington. Is it conceivable that an airplane could be lost inside United States air space for 37 minutes? One doesn't need a transponder signal to get a radar signal. If this is true, why did the FAA warn that the plane was headed towards Washington at 9:25? 89) 9:35 a.m.: United Airlines Flight 93 goes off course near Cleveland, Ohio where it makes a 135 degree turn, and is now headed to the southeast. United Airlines Flight 93 is 375 miles from Newark, New Jersey and 280 miles from where it was now headed, Washington D.C.
Also reported about United Airlines Flight 93: ABC News has learned that shortly before the plane changed directions, someone in the cockpit radioed in and asked the FAA for a new flight plan, with a final destination of Washington. This should have been a big red flag, a problem aircraft usually diverts to the nearest field. Did the Pilot do this to signal Air Traffic Control? 90) 9:35 a.m.: American Airlines begins landing all of its flights inside the United States. 91) 9:36 a.m.: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport instructs a military C130 aircraft that had just departed Andrews Air Force base to try to identify American Airlines Flight 77. The C130 reports it is a 767 and it is moving low and very fast. 92) 9:37 a.m.: American Airlines Flight 77 is lost from radar screens and impacts the western side of the Pentagon. The section of the Pentagon hit consists mainly of newly renovated, unoccupied offices. The Pentagon says American Airlines Flight 77 hits them at 9:37. Other published reports have American Airlines Flight 77 striking at 9:40 to 9:43; The New York Times even published 9:45 (see 9:24 a.m. # 75). NORAD says the F-16�s from Langley were still 105 miles and 12 minutes away. This means their average flight speed was only 14.3% of their top speed in trying to intercept United Airlines Flight 175. If these F-16�s flew at top speed, they would have been there just after 9:37. Langley is 130 miles from the Pentagon. F-16's have a top speed of 1500 MPH. Minus 105 miles left from 130 miles equals 25 miles covered in the 7 minutes from 9:30 take-off to 9:37. 60 minutes divided by 7 minutes equals 8.57, times this by the 25 miles covered, equals 214.3 MPH. divided by 1500 MPH equals 14.3% of their top speed. How could these two F-15�s possibly be going one seventh of their top speed in trying to intercept American Airlines Flight 77? Even the story about first flying to NYC does not account for this unbelievably slow speed because they got the message to redirect to Washington D.C. within a couple of minutes of take-off, and NYC and Washington D.C. are almost exactly the same direction (north) from Langley.
NORAD Press Release: http://StandDown.net/NORADSeptember182001PressRelease.htm
AP Article On NORAD PR: http://www.AttackOnAmerica.net/8MinutesAway.htm
Two New York Times articles apologetically describing this:
Pentagon Tracked Deadly Jet But Found No Way to Stop It
http://www.attackonamerica.net/pentagontrackeddeadlyjet.html
Chronology of Plane Crashes: Orders, at the Time of Impact
http://www.attackonamerica.net/ordersattimeofimpact.html
93) 9:38 a.m.: United Airlines Flight 93 completes its 135 degree turn and is headed directly towards Washington D.C. 94) 9:40 a.m.: United Airlines Flight 93 transponder signal stops. 95) 9:40 a.m.: Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta, summoned by the White House to the bunker, was on an open line to the Federal Aviation Administration operations center, monitoring Flight 77 as it hurtled toward Washington, with radar tracks coming every seven seconds. Reports came that the plane was 50 miles out, 30 miles out, 10 miles out-until word reached the bunker that there had been an explosion at the Pentagon. Mineta shouted into the phone to Monte Belger at the FAA: "Monte, bring all the planes down." It was an unprecedented order -- there were 4,546 airplanes in the air at the time. Belger, the FAA's acting deputy administrator, amended Mineta's directive to take into account the authority vested in airline pilots. "We're bringing them down per pilot discretion," Belger told the secretary. "Fuck pilot discretion," Mineta yelled back. "Get those goddamn planes down." The FAA stops all flight operations at U.S. airports and orders all planes in the air to land at the nearest airport. No civilian aircraft are allowed to lift off. This is the first time all commercial flights in the U.S. have been suspended. Only military and medical flights are allowed to fly. 96) 9:42 a.m.: United Airlines Flight 93 passenger Mark Bingham calls his mother. "Mom, this is Mark Bingham," he said, nervously. "I want to let you know that I love you. I'm calling from the plane. We've been taken over. There are three men that say they have a bomb." 97) 9:45 a.m.: Bush's motorcade leaves the Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota, Florida headed for Air Force One at the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. 98) 9:45 a.m. to 9:48 a.m.: The Capitol and the White House are evacuated. 99) 9:45 a.m. to 9:58 a.m.: United Flight 93 passenger Todd Beamer tries to call his family but gets patched through to a Verizon supervisor. He said that the pilot and copilot were apparently dead, 2 hijackers were in the cockpit, one was guarding first class and another was guarding 27 passengers at the rear of the plane. He said that they have voted to storm the hijackers and the supervisor hears before he hangs up "Are you guys ready? Let's roll." 100) 9:45 a.m.: Tom Burnett calls his wife Deena for the third time. She tells him about the crash into the Pentagon. Tom speaks about the bomb he'd mentioned earlier, saying, "I don't think they have one, I think they're just telling us that." 101) 9:47 a.m.: Commanders worldwide were ordered to raise their threat alert status four notches to "Delta", the highest level, to defend United States facilities. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld raised the defense condition signaling of the United States offensive readiness-to DefCon 3, the highest it had been since the Arab-Israeli war in 1973. U.S. officials also sent a message to the Russians, who were planning a military exercise not far from Alaska, urging them to rethink their plans. 102) 9:49 a.m.: The F-16�s from Langley AFB finally arrive over Washington, D.C. to perform Combat Air Patrol over the city. It takes these F-16�s 19 minutes to reach Washington D.C. from Langley AFB which is about 130 miles to the south. If these F-16�s were flying at top speed it should have taken them just over 7 minutes to reach the Pentagon. They should have been there at about the same time the Pentagon is hit by American Airlines Flight 77, at 9:37. By arriving in Washington D.C. at 9:49, that would mean these F-16�s average flight speed was only 410.5 MPH. This means their average flight speed was only 27.4% of their top speed in trying to protect our nations capital. Langley AFB is 130 miles from the Pentagon and F-16's have a top speed of 1500 MPH. 60 minutes divided by 19 minutes = 3.16 x 130 miles = 410.5 MPH divided by 1500 MPH = 27.4%. These F-16�s took-off at 9:30, this is 43 minutes after American Airlines 11 impacts the North Tower of the WTC and 27 minutes after United Airlines Flight 175 slams into the South Tower of the WTC. Knowing this, these F-16�s fly at only 27.4% of their top speed in trying to intercept American Airlines Flight 77 and protect our nations capital, Washington D.C. How could that possibly be?
Why were all of these ultra-sophisticated fighter jets averaging flight speeds only one quarter of their top speed when sent to intercept hostile aircraft and protect New York City and our nation's Capital, Washington D.C.? What exactly is the purpose of these fighter jets being able to go 1875+ MPH and 1500 MPH, yet when the United States is being attacked and needs them the most they are only somehow capable of doing one quarter of their top speed? The United States Air Force is the most technologically advanced, and the most dominate military force ever known to man, and yet we didn�t have any other fighters on routine patrols or training missions anywhere within 1000 miles of New York City or Washington D. C. that morning? I have talked to a few people in the Air Force, and this totally impossible. There are always fighters up on routine patrols or training missions. So where were they? And lastly, why didn't the Air Force follow procedure and immediately scramble a recon aircraft or two to monitor any of these 4 flights like they did for the late great golfer Payne Stewart when his Lear jet went off course? This is not Oshkosh, Wisconsin we are talking about protecting here, it is New York City and the Capital of the United States, Washington D.C., and its air defenses were left total unguarded for almost an hour and a half by the same country who have the greatest air superiority by far ever known. What type of a preposterous wag of the NORAD tale is this? Both of these groups of fighters, the F-15�s out of Otis, and the F-16�s out of Langley were put in the air merely as window dressing. To make the public actually think they were valiantly trying to intercept these 4 hijacked planes. There is only one explanation for this -- our Air Force was ordered to stand down on 911.
NORAD Press Release: http://StandDown.net/NORADSeptember182001PressRelease.htm
AP Article On NORAD PR: http://www.AttackOnAmerica.net/8MinutesAway.htm
103) 9:49 a.m.: Pittsburgh International Airport flight tower is evacuated. 104) 9:55 a.m.: Bush arrives at the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport and boards Air Force One. 105) 9:55 a.m.: Inside his White House bunker, a military aide asks Cheney, "There is a plane 80 miles out. There is a fighter in the area. Should we engage?" Cheney immediately says, "Yes." As the fighter gets nearer to United Airlines Flight 93, he is asked the same thing twice more, and responds yes both times. 106) 9:58 a.m.: Confrontation with the hijackers and the passengers begins aboard United Airlines Flight 93. Emergency dispatcher in Pennsylvania receives a call from a passenger on Flight 93. The passenger says: "We are being hijacked!" 107) 9:58 a.m.: A frantic male passenger onboard United Airlines Flight 93 called the 911 emergency number, he told the operator, named Glen Cramer, that he had locked himself inside one of the toilets. Cramer told the AP, in a report that was widely broadcast on September 11th, that the passenger had spoken for one minute. "We're being hijacked, we're being hijacked!" the man screamed into his mobile phone. "We confirmed that with him several times," Cramer said, "and we asked him to repeat what he said. He was very distraught. He said he believed the plane was going down. He did hear some sort of an explosion and saw white smoke coming from the plane, but he didn't know where. And then we lost contact with him." This was the last cell phone call made from any passengers on any of the hijacked planes. 108) 9:59 a.m.: Air Force One Departs Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, Sarasota, Florida bound for Washington D.C. Air Force One departed with no extra military protection, even though 2 of the 7 military air stations we had on full alert to protect the continental United States that day were based in Florida. Homestead Air Station in Homestead is 185 miles and the Tyndall Air Station in Panama City is 235 miles from Sarasota. These two air stations should have been ordered to scramble their fighters at 8:20 or 8:40 or 8:43 or 8:46:26 or 9:02:54 or at the very least, at 9:24. Flying at top speed, both of these air stations fighters could have been in Sarasota in about 20 minutes to protect Air Force One. Where were the fighters from both of these air stations? Did both of these air stations have something better to do that day than protect Air Force One? Please, this just does not happen. Also, is the place to be in the air when there are still hundreds of airliners in the air, and who knew then how many of them were hostile or not? We |
< int >> :: type* ) { vector < int > result ; MVJSONValue* value = getField ( name ) ; if ( value == NULL ) return result ; for ( auto item : value -> arrayValue ) { result. push_back ( ( int ) item -> intValue ) ; } return result ; }
So you need to specify overloads for all your trivial types and containers. In practice this is not so compact but anyway you should do it only once.
CONCLUSION
Once again, all this ugly implementation detail is written only once and is located on low level of architecture. Upper business layer just uses this utility as black box and should not be aware of inner implementation.
Anyway the main idea of this post was to show how compact declaration of immutable data could be in C++11, and that you don’t have to write more boilerplate code for each business class declaration.
Any comments are welcome.
UPDATE: I put some source code on github as 2 gists:
My old JSON lib – https://gist.github.com/VictorLaskin/1fb078d7f4ac78857f48
Declaration – https://gist.github.com/VictorLaskin/48d1336e8b6eea16414b
Please, treat this code like just an example.In Japan, a better-than-expected gross domestic product (GDP) for the first three months of 2015 helped its stock market to outperform the region on Wednesday, while other bourses in the region mirrored the mixed finish on Wall Street overnight.
Asia's second-largest economy expanded an annualized 2.4 percent from the previous quarter, beating expectations for growth of 1.5 percent, indicating that Japan may be headed toward a path of steady growth.
Overnight, Wall Street handed over a mixed lead amid renewed gains in bond yields and the dollar. Investors were also retreating to the sidelines ahead of the Federal Reserve meeting minutes due on Wednesday, analysts say.
While the blue-chip Dow rose marginally to a second straight record high, the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.17 percent and the S&P 500 stepped slightly into the negative territory, a day after clinching its third consecutive record high.
Meanwhile, stock markets in Europe surged 1.7 percent following dovish comments by an executive member of the European Central Bank (ECB). Benoit Coeure, a member of the ECB's Executive Board, hinted that the central bank is ready to "front-load" its current quantitative easing (QE) program.The Deir Yassin massacre took place on April 9, 1948, when around 120 fighters from the Zionist paramilitary groups Irgun and Lehi attacked Deir Yassin, a Palestinian Arab village of roughly 600 people near Jerusalem. The assault occurred as Jewish militia sought to relieve the blockade of Jerusalem during the civil war that preceded the end of British rule in Palestine.[1]
1965 Egyptian ( UAR ) stamp issued to commemorate the Deir Yassin massacre.
According to Irgun sources, the village guards felt surprised by "the Jews" entering their village at night and opened fire on the Irgun force.[2] The village fell after fierce house-to-house fighting. During and after the battle for the village, at least 107 Palestinians were killed, including women and children—some were shot, while others died when hand grenades were thrown into their homes.[3] Despite an original boast by the victors that 254 had been killed, Aref al-Aref counted 117 victims, 7 in combat and the rest in their homes.[4] According to a count conducted by International Red Cross representative Jacques de Reynier, apart from bodies left lying in the streets, 150 corpses were found in one cistern alone, among them people who had been either decapitated or disemboweled.[5] Israeli historian Benny Morris wrote that there were also cases of mutilation and rape.[6] Several villagers were taken prisoner and may have been killed after being paraded through the streets of West Jerusalem.[7] Four of the attackers were killed, with around 35 injured.[8]
The killings were condemned by the leadership of the Haganah—the Jewish community's main paramilitary force—and by the area's two chief rabbis. The Jewish Agency for Israel sent Jordan's King Abdullah a letter of apology, which he rebuffed.[1] Abdullah held the Jewish Agency responsible for the massacre because they were the head of Jewish affairs in Palestine,[9] and warned about "terrible consequences" if more incidents like that occurred.[10]
The deaths became a pivotal event in the Arab–Israeli conflict for their demographic and military consequences. The narrative was embellished and used by various parties to attack each other—by the Palestinians against Israel; by the Haganah to play down their own role in the affair; and by the Israeli left to accuse the Irgun and Lehi of blackening Israel's name by violating the Jewish principle of purity of arms.[11] News of the killings sparked terror among Palestinians, encouraging them to flee from their towns and villages in the face of Jewish troop advances, and it strengthened the resolve of Arab governments to intervene, which they did five weeks later.[1]
Background
Political and military situation
The attack on Deir Yassin took place after the United Nations proposed on November 29, 1947 (UN Resolution 181) that Palestine be divided into an Arab state and a Jewish one. Jerusalem was to belong to neither state, but was to be administered separately; Deir Yassin lay within the boundaries of the proposed plan for Jerusalem. The Arabs rejected the proposal, and civil war broke out.
In the months leading up to the end of British rule, in a phase of the civil war known as "The Battle of [the] Roads", the Arab League-sponsored Arab Liberation Army (ALA)—composed of Palestinians and other Arabs—attacked Jewish traffic on major roads in an effort to isolate the Jewish communities from each other.[12] The ALA managed to seize several strategic vantage points along the highway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—Jerusalem's sole supply route and link to the western side of the city (where 16 percent of all Jews in Palestine lived)—and began firing on convoys traveling to the city. By March 1948, the road was cut off and Jerusalem was under siege. In response, the Haganah launched Operation Nachshon to break the siege. On April 6, in an effort to secure strategic positions, the Haganah and its strike force, the Palmach, attacked al-Qastal, a village two kilometers north of Deir Yassin overlooking the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway. On April 9, Irgun and Lehi forces attacked nearby Deir Yassin.[13]
Deir Yassin
Map showing Deir Yassin and surrounds in 1948
Deir Yassin was a Palestinian Arab village of several hundred residents, all Muslim, living in 144 houses.[14] The International Committee of the Red Cross reported that there were 400 residents; Yoav Gelber writes that there were 610, citing the British mandatory authority figures; and Menachem Begin's biographer, Eric Silver, 800 to 1,000.[15] It was situated on a hill west of Jerusalem, 800 meters above sea level, overlooking the main highway entering Jerusalem.[16] The village was relatively prosperous, thanks to the excavation of limestone from its quarries, which allowed the residents to make a good living from stone-cutting. By most accounts, they lived in peace with their Jewish neighbors in nearby villages, particularly those in Givat Shaul, an Orthodox community just across the valley, some of whom reportedly tried to help the Deir Yassin villagers during the Irgun-Lehi invasion.[17]
On January 20, 1948, the villagers met leaders of the Givat Shaul community to form a peace pact. The Deir Yassin villagers agreed to inform Givat Shaul should Palestinian militiamen appear in the village, by hanging out certain types of laundry during the day—two white pieces with a black piece in the middle—and at night signaling three dots with a flashlight and placing three lanterns in a certain place. In return, patrols from Givat Shaul guaranteed safe passage to Deir Yassin residents, in vehicles or on foot, passing through their neighborhood on the way to Jerusalem.[18] Yoma Ben-Sasson, Haganah commander in Givat Shaul, said after the village had been captured that, "there was not even one incident between Deir Yassin and the Jews."[19]
Arab militia
Arab militiamen had tried to set up camp in the village, leading to a firefight that saw one villager killed. Just before January 28, Abd al Qadir had arrived with 400 men and tried to recruit some villagers, but the elders voiced their opposition and the men moved on. The leader of the village, the mukhtar, was summoned to Jerusalem to explain to the Arab Higher Committee (AHC), the Palestinian Arab leadership, what the village's relationship was with the Jews: he told them the villagers and the Jews lived in peace. No steps were taken against him, and he was not asked to cancel the peace pact.[20] On February 13, an armed gang of Arabs arrived to attack Givat Shaul, but the Deir Yassin villagers saw them off, the result of which was that the gang killed all the village's sheep. On March 16, the AHC sent a delegation to the village to request that it host a group of Iraqi and Syrian irregulars to guard it. The villagers said no then, and again on April 4,[21] though Irgun fighters said they did encounter at least two foreign militiamen during the April 9 invasion.[22]
Yehuda Lapidot, the Irgun's second-in-command of the operation to take the village, described occasional skirmishes between Deir Yassin and Givat Shaul residents, that on April 3, shots had been fired from Deir Yassin toward the Jewish villages of Bet Hakerem and Yefe Nof, and wrote that the village was defended by 100 armed men, that ditches had been dug around it, that Iraqi and Palestinian guerrillas were stationed there, and that there was a guard force stationed by the village entrance.[22] Benny Morris writes that it is possible some militiamen were stationed in the village, but the evidence is far from definitive, in his view.[23] In Gelber's view, it is unlikely that the peace pact between Deir Yassin and Givat Shaul continued to hold in April, given the intensity of hostilities between the Arab and Jewish communities elsewhere. He writes that shots had been exchanged on April 2 between Deir Yassin and several Jewish communities. Over the next few days, the Jewish community at Motza and Jewish traffic on the road to Tel Aviv came under fire from the village. On April 8, Deir Yassin youth took part in the defence of the Arab village of al-Qastal, which the Jews had invaded days earlier: the names of several Deir Yassin residents appeared on a list of wounded compiled by the British Palestine police.[24]
Irgun and Lehi militia
Israel's sixth prime minister, Menachem Begin, was Irgun leader at the time of the attack, though not present.
The Jewish forces that entered Deir Yassin belonged in the main to two extremist, underground, paramilitary groups, the Irgun (Etzel) (National Military Organization) and the Lehi (Fighters for the Freedom of Israel), also known as the Stern Gang, both aligned with the right-wing revisionist Zionist movement. Formed in 1931, Irgun was a militant group that broke away from the mainstream Jewish militia, the Haganah. During the 1936–39 Arab revolt in Palestine, in which Palestinian Arabs rose up against the British mandate authorities in protest at mass Jewish immigration into the country, Irgun's tactics had included bus and marketplace bombings, condemned by both the British and the Jewish Agency. Lehi, an Irgun splinter group, was formed in 1940 following Irgun's decision to declare a truce with the British during World War II. Lehi subsequently carried out a series of assassinations designed to force the British out of Palestine. In April 1948, it was estimated that the Irgun had 300 fighters in Jerusalem, and Lehi around 100.[25]
The Palmach, the strike force of the Haganah—whose leadership was aligned with the political left (see Mapai)—also took part, though to a lesser extent. Morris writes that two Palmach squads evacuated the wounded, and helped invade and secure some of the villagers' houses. When the Irgun and Lehi fighters ran low on ammunition, they obtained thousands of rounds from the Haganah. Haganah squads also provided covering fire, and fired on villagers fleeing south towards Ayn Karim.[26]
Battle plans
Decision to attack
The attack on the village was important for two reasons, according to Yehuda Lapidot of the Irgun. In the view of Irgun and Lehi, it posed a threat to Jewish neighborhoods and the main road to the coastal plain, and it was the first time Jewish forces had gone on the offensive, as opposed to responding to attacks. An assault on the village would show the Arabs that the Jews intended to fight for Jerusalem.[22]
Eric Silver writes that Irgun and Lehi commanders approached David Shaltiel, the Haganah commander in Jerusalem, for approval. He was initially reluctant, because the villagers had signed a non-aggression pact, and suggested attacking Ein Karem instead. The Lehi and Irgun commanders complained that this would be too hard for them. Shaltiel ultimately yielded, on condition that the attackers remain in the village rather than leaving it empty, to prevent it becoming an Arab military base.[28] His approval met with resistance. Meir Pa'il, an intelligence officer with the Palmach, the Haganah's strike force, objected to violating the peace pact with the village, but Shaltiel maintained that he had no power to stop them. Pa'il said in 1998 that Yitzchak Levi, head of Haganah intelligence in Jerusalem, had proposed the inhabitants be notified, but Shaltiel had refused to endanger the operation by warning them.[29]
According to Morris, it was agreed during planning meetings that the residents would be expelled. Lehi further proposed that any villagers who failed to flee should be killed to terrify the rest of the country's Arabs. Most of the fighters at the meetings, from both the Irgun and Lehi, favored killing the male villagers, but the Irgun high command, including Menachem Begin, objected. According to Lapidot, the troops were specifically ordered not to kill women, children, or prisoners.[23]
Pre-attack briefing
Jewish military briefing at Deir Yassin
Mordechai Raanan with Menachem Begin during a visit to Washington, D.C.
According to the Haganah, the attack force consisted of about 120 men—80 from the Irgun and 40 from Lehi.[30] They met for briefings on April 8, a few hours before the attack began. Lehi would stage its attack from Givat Shaul, and the Irgun from Beit HaKerem. Lapidot writes that the mood at the Irgun meeting was festive. It was the first time a large number of underground fighters had met openly, and the collaboration between the groups increased their sense of solidarity. They chose a password to reflect the mood, "Ahdut Lohemet" ("Fighters' Solidarity"). This was the phrase that would signal the start of the attack. According to Lapidot, Mordechai Raanan, the Irgun district commander in Jerusalem, stressed that women, children, and the elderly must not be harmed, and that the villagers were to be warned by loudspeaker to give them a chance to escape. The road to Ayn Karim would be left open so they could head there.[22]
The attack
Invasion
[31] Irgun statement in Hebrew about the attack
English translation
After the briefing, the fighters were driven to their assigned positions. Despite their confidence, the fighters were by all accounts ill-prepared, untrained, and inexperienced.[26]
The Irgun force approached Deir Yassin from the east and south, and arrived at the edge of the village at about 4:30 AM. The Lehi force was supposed to be taking their positions around the village at the same time, but were in fact late. The Irgun commanders had no way to contact them, and had to assume they were on schedule. Fighting began at 04:45 when a village sentry spotted them moving in, and called out in Arabic, "Mahmoud". One of the Irgun fighters thought he had said "Ahdut", part of the password. He responded with the second half of the password, "Lohemet". According to the Irgun commander the Arabs shouted "Yahud" (Jews) and opened fire.[2] A fierce gunbattle then broke out. The Irgun force came under fire from a three-man village guard in a concrete pillbox, and from houses in the village as residents scrambled for their rifles to join the battle, firing out of windows. The Irgun men replied with withering fire towards the pillbox and into the village. When the Lehi force, which was late, finally arrived at the other end of the village to begin the attack, the fighting was already underway. The Lehi force was spearheaded by an armored car with a loudspeaker. The plan was to drive the car into the center of the village and blare a warning through urging the residents to run towards Ein Karim. Instead, the car plunged into a homemade tank trap directly in front of the village, and as it struggled to get out, the Arabs opened fire on it. The loudspeaker activated, but was largely obscured due to the sounds of heavy gunfire, though Abu Mahmoud, a villager, told the BBC in 1998 that he did hear the warning.[32][33]
Irgun and Lehi commanders had believed the residents would flee, but the fighters encountered resistance. The residents did not realize that the point of the attack was conquest, thinking it just a raid, and failed to run while they had the chance.[34] The villagers' sniper fire from higher positions in the west, especially from the mukhtar's house, effectively contained the attack. Some Lehi units went for help from the Haganah's Camp Schneller in Jerusalem.[35] The men had no experience of attacking an Arab village in daylight, and lacked support weapons. Following an order from Benzion Cohen, the Irgun commander, they resorted to house-to-house attacks, throwing grenades into every house before charging in and spraying the rooms with automatic fire.[36]
The Lehi forces slowly advanced, engaging in fierce house-to-house fighting. In addition to fierce Arab resistance, they also faced other problems; weapons failed to work, a few tossed hand grenades without pulling the pin, and a Lehi unit commander, Amos Kenan, was wounded by his own men.[37] Ezra Yachin of Lehi recalled, "To take a house, you had either to throw a grenade or shoot your way into it. If you were foolish enough to open doors, you got shot down—sometimes by men dressed up as women, shooting out at you in a second of surprise."[38] Meanwhile, the Irgun force on the other side of the village was also having a difficult time. When the Irgun commander Benzion Cohen was wounded, his place was taken by Yehuda Lapidot. It took about two hours of fierce house-to-house fighting to reach the center of the village.[33] By 7:00 a.m., discouraged by the heavy Arab fire and their own increasing casualties, Irgun commanders relayed a message to the Lehi camp that they were considering retreating. Lehi commanders relayed back that they had already entered the village and expected victory soon. The large number of Jewish wounded was a problem. A Magen David Adom station was called for an ambulance. The fighters took beds out of the houses, and doors off their hinges, laid the wounded on them, and ordered Arab women and old men to carry the injured to the ambulance. According to an Irgun participant, many of the stretcher bearers were hit by Arab fire.[39]
Lapidot sent word to Mordechai Raanan, who was watching the progress from Givat Shaul, to send explosives. Soon afterward, Raanan and his aides appeared with knapsacks filled with TNT. The Irgun fighters were then instructed to dynamite houses as they advanced. Under heavy covering fire, the dynamite teams advanced and set charges to houses. In certain instances, the force of the explosions destroyed entire parts of houses, burying the Arab fighters and civilians inside them. A total of 15 houses were blown up.[33] In the afternoon, a Palmach unit from the Haganah arrived with two armored vehicles and two two-inch mortars.[40] The mortar was fired three times at the mukhtar's house, which stopped the sniper fire. According to one Palmach participant, "six of us went house to house, throwing grenades and bursting in."[40] Lehi officer David Gottlieb said the Palmach had accomplished "in one hour what we could not accomplish in several hours".[41]
The killing and the aftermath
Numbers killed
The fighting was over by about 11:00 am. Jacques de Reynier, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross delegation in Palestine, visited Deir Yassin on April 11, 1948, and observed "a total of more than 200 dead, men, women, and children".[42] Mordechai Ranaan, Irgun's district commander in Jerusalem, gave a news conference at Givat Shaul at which he claimed 240 were killed. This story was repeated by the BBC and the Hebrew news services. The New York Times, April 13, 1948, reported that 254 Arabs were killed at Deir Yassin.[43] Sharif Kan'ana of Bir Zeit University interviewed survivors and published figures in 1988: 107 villagers had died, 11 of them armed, with 12 wounded.[44] An Irgun fighter testified years later that Irgun and Lehi men had killed 80 prisoners after the fighting was over. Gelber writes that the figure is inflated and has not been corroborated. Kan'ana writes that 25 villagers were executed and thrown into the quarry after the battle, which Gelber regards as accurate.[45] Israeli researcher Eliezer Tauber writes that a total of 101 people were killed, 61 definitely in combat circumstances (including 24 armed fighters, with the remained being their family members who were with them); 18 for whom the cause of death could not be determined; about 10 whose deaths are in a "grey zone" whose charactization can be debated; and a further 11 being members of a single family who were gunned down by a single Irgun member.[46]
Meir Pa'il account
Morris writes that the Irgun and Lehi troops began pillaging the houses and corpses, stealing money and jewelry from the survivors, and burning corpses.[26] Morris also wrote that there were cases of mutilation and rape.[6] Many of the eyewitness accounts come from Haganah officers. Eliahu Arbel, Operations Officer B of the Haganah's Etzioni Brigade, arrived at the scene on April 10. "I have seen a great deal of war," he said years later, "but I never saw a sight like Deir Yassin."[47] Morris writes that the most detailed report comes from Meir Pa'il, a Palmach intelligence officer who said he visited the village on April 9 to observe the operation on behalf of the Haganah:
The dissidents [Irgun and Lehi] were going about the village robbing and stealing everything: Chickens, radio sets, sugar, money, gold and more... Each dissident walked about the village dirty with blood and proud of the number of persons he had killed. Their lack of education and intelligence as compared to our soldiers [i.e., the Haganah] was apparent... In one of the houses at the centre of the village were assembled some 200 women and small children. The women sat quietly and didn't utter a word. When I arrived, the "commander" explained that they intended to kill all of them. [But] in the evening I heard that the women and children had been transported and released in Musrara.[48]
Pa'il writes that the Haredi people of Givat Shaul came to help the villagers at around 2 p.m., and were able to stop the killing:[49]
[A] crowd of people from Givat Shaul, with peyot (earlocks), most of them religious, came into the village and started yelling "gazlanim" "rotzchim"—(thieves, murderers) "we had an agreement with this village. It was quiet. Why are you murdering them?" They were Chareidi (ultra-orthodox) Jews. This is one of the nicest things I can say about Hareidi [sic] Jews. These people from Givat Shaul gradually approached and entered the village, and the Lehi and Irgun people had no choice, they had to stop. It was about 2:00 or 3:00 PM. Then the Lehi and Irgun gathered about 250 people, most of them women, children and elderly people in a school house. Later the building became a "Beit Habad"—"Habad House". They were debating what to do with them. There was a great deal of yelling. The dissidents were yelling "Let's blow up the schoolhouse with everyone in it" and the Givat Shaul people were yelling "thieves and murderers—don't do it" and so on. Finally they put the prisoners from the schoolhouse on four trucks and drove them to the Arab quarter of Jerusalem near the Damascus gate. I left after the fourth truck went out. It was Friday afternoon. It must have been about 4:00–5:00 P.M because the religious people had begun leaving to prepare for the Sabbath.[17]
Israeli military historian Uri Milstein wrote in 1998 that Pa'il was not in Deir Yassin on April 9. Milstein said there were contradictions in Pa'il's claims and an absence of any mention of Pa'il in other Haganah accounts of the incident. All Irgun and Lehi veterans Milstein interviewed denied having seen Pa'il in Deir Yassin, and the Lehi intelligence officer who Pa'il claimed invited him to Deir Yassin denied having done so. In addition, Haganah members who were in the area (including the deputy commander of the Palmach force that took part in the attack), some of whom personally knew Pa'il and were specifically mentioned in his account, denied having seen him there. Milstein argues that there was no organized massacre, though according to Morris[48] he acknowledges that whole families were gunned down during the fighting. According to Milstein, Pa'il said he despised the "dissidents" of the Irgun and Lehi, thus giving him a political motive to submit a falsified report. Milstein also wrote that Haganah intelligence reports on the incident were doctored by the authors or their superiors to discredit the Irgun and Lehi because of political in-fighting within the Jewish community.[50] Morris challenges Milstein's version that Pa'il was not at Deir Yassin that day with his observation that part of Pa’il’s report, that he saw the bodies of five Arabs in a quarry, "is apparently reinforced by a report by two Jewish doctors, who also report having found five male bodies in a house by the village quarry".[48] In a presentation to the PEACE Middle East Dialog Group, Ami Isseroff, translator of Milstein's book into English, provided side-notes critical of many aspects of Milstein's work,[51] including much of his information about Pa'il and also about the incompleteness of his sources - "Both Milstein and Yitzhak Levi leave out key testimony by Yehoshua Gorodenchik, from the Jabotinsky archives, in which he admits that Irgun troops murdered about 80 prisoners – mostly men - corresponding to accounts of refugees."
Villagers taken to Jerusalem, possibly killed
Morris writes that the Irgun and Lehi troops loaded some survivors, including women and children, onto trucks, and drove them through the streets of West Jerusalem, where they were jeered, spat at, and stoned.[26] Harry Levin, a Haganah broadcaster, reported seeing "three trucks driving slowly up and down King George V Avenue bearing men, women, and children, their hands above their heads, guarded by Jews armed with sten-guns and rifles."[52] Contrary to Pa'il's account that people from Givat Shaul had helped the prisoners, Mordechai Gichon of the Haganah wrote on April 10 that they had taken part in the torture of prisoners, referring to their being kicked and shoved with rifle butts.[53]
Pi'al reported to Haganah intelligence on April 10 that he saw five Arab men being paraded through the streets, and later saw their bodies in a quarry near Givat Shaul. Morris writes that this is supported by a report from Dr. Z. Avigdori, the chairman of the Jerusalem branch of the Palestine Physicians Association, and his deputy, Dr. A. Druyan, who were sent by the Jewish Agency to examine the scene on April 12. They walked from house to house, counting and examining corpses. Their report said they found 46 corpses. The cause of death had been injuries from bullets or bombs, and that "all the bodies were dressed in their own clothes, limbs were whole and we saw no signs of mutilation." They also said they found five male bodies in a house by the village quarry.[54]
Fifty-five orphans from the village were left by the Jaffa Gate to fend for themselves.
Mordechai Gihon, a Haganah intelligence (HIS) officer in Jerusalem, reported on April 10 seeing people carry bodies to the quarry east of Deir Yassin: "We entered the village around 3:00 in the afternoon [of April 9]... In the village there were tens of bodies. The dissidents got them out of the roads. I told them not to throw the bodies into cisterns and caves, because that was the first place that would be checked...." He described beatings, looting, and the stripping of jewelry and money from prisoners. He wrote that the initial orders were to take the men prisoner and send the women and children away, but the order was changed to kill all the prisoners. The mukhtar's son was killed in front of his mother and sisters, he said.[55]
The head of the HIS in Jerusalem, Yitzhak Levy, wrote in reports dated April 12 and 13: "The conquest of the village was carried out with great brutality, whole families [including] women, old people and children were killed and there are piles and piles of dead."[26] He wrote that a mother and child who had been moved from Deir Yassin to Sheikh Badr were killed there by Lehi fighters. Seven old men and women, who had been taken to Jerusalem, were taken back to Deir Yassin and killed in the quarry there, he wrote, and an Arab man, believed to be a sniper, was killed and his corpse burned in front of foreign journalists.[26]
Fifty-five children from the village whose parents had been killed were taken to the Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem's Old City, and left there. They were found by a Palestinian woman, Hind Husseini, a member of the prominent Palestinian Husseini family. She at first rented two rooms for them, bringing them food every day, before moving them to the Sahyoun convent. In July, she moved them again, this time to her family home, a large house her grandfather had built in Jerusalem in 1891. She renamed the house Dar Al-Tifl Al-Arabi (Arab Children's House), and set up a foundation to finance it. The orphanage continues to this day.[56]
Irgun–Lehi press conference
On the evening of April 9, the fighters invited American journalists to a house in Givat Shaul, where they served tea and cookies while explaining the attacks. A spokesman said he regretted the casualties among the women and children, but they were inevitable because every house had to be reduced by force.[57] Ten houses had been blown up entirely, he said, though Yoav Gelber writes that this is untrue; he says the Irgun and Lehi forces had not been carrying explosives.[34] Other houses had their doors blown off and hand grenades thrown inside.[57] Morris writes that the killing continued after April 9. Several residents who had either hidden or pretended to have died were apparently killed by Lehi men on April 10 or 11.[53]
Haganah and Palestine Police Force reports
A number of sources alleged there had been instances of rape. Yitzhak Levy, head of Haganah Intelligence, wrote on April 13: "LHI [Lehi] members tell of the barbaric behavior of the IZL [Irgun] toward the prisoners and the dead. They also relate that the IZL men raped a number of Arab girls and murdered them afterward...." [58] Levy went on to say that he was not certain the allegations were true.[58] The main source of the rape allegations was Assistant Inspector-General Richard Catling of the British Palestine Police Force. He wrote one or more reports based on interviews he conducted in Silwan with some of the Deir Yassin women:
On 14th April at 10 a.m. I visited Silwan village accompanied by a doctor and a nurse from the Government Hospital in Jerusalem and a member of the Arab Women's Union. We visited many houses in this village in which approximately some two to three hundred people from Deir Yassin village are housed. I interviewed many of the women folk in order to glean some information on any atrocities committed in Deir Yassin but the majority of those women are very shy and reluctant to relate their experiences especially in matters concerning sexual assault and they need great coaxing before they will divulge any information. The recording of statements is hampered also by the hysterical state of the women who often break down many times whilst the statement is being recorded. There is, however, no doubt that many sexual atrocities were committed by the attacking Jews. Many young schoolgirls were raped and later slaughtered. Old women were also molested. One story is current concerning a case in which a young girl was literally torn in two. Many infants were also butchered and killed. I also saw one old woman who gave her age as one hundred and four who had been severely beaten about the head with rifle butts. Women had bracelets torn from their arms and rings from their fingers and parts of some of the women's ears were severed in order to remove earrings.[59]
Yoav Gelber writes that Catling was "an old and bitter enemy" of the Irgun and Lehi. The whereabouts of his original reports are unknown, and writers refer to them only indirectly, citing Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins's book O Jerusalem (1972) as their source. Lapierre and Collins write that copies of three of Catling's reports were in their possession when they wrote the book.[60]
Red Cross visit
Jacques de Reynier, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross delegation in Palestine, and his assistant Dr. Alfred Engel, visited Deir Yassin on April 11. In his personal memoirs, published in 1950, Reynier wrote: "a total of more than 200 dead, men, women, and children. About 150 cadavers have not been preserved inside the village in view of the danger represented by the bodies' decomposition. They have been gathered, transported some distance, and placed in a large trough (I have not been able to establish if this is a pit, a grain silo, or a large natural excavation).... [One body was] a woman who must have been eight months pregnant, hit in the stomach, with powder burns on her dress indicating she'd been shot point-blank."[42] He wrote that he had encountered a "cleaning-up team" when he arrived the village.
The gang [the Irgun detachment] was wearing country uniforms with helmets. All of them were young, some even adolescents, men and women, armed to the teeth: revolvers, machine-guns, hand grenades, and also cutlasses in their hands, most of them still blood-stained. A beautiful young girl, with criminal eyes, showed me hers still dripping with blood; she displayed it like a trophy. This was the "cleaning up" team, that was obviously performing its task very conscientiously. I tried to go into a house. A dozen soldiers surrounded me, their machine-guns aimed at my body, and their officer forbade me to move... I then flew into one of the most towering rages of my life, telling these criminals what I thought of their conduct, threatening them with everything I could think of, and then pushed them aside and went into the house...I found some bodies, cold. Here the "cleaning up" had been done with machine-guns, then hand grenades. It had been finished off with knives, anyone could see that... as I was about to leave, I heard something like a sigh. I looked everywhere, turned over all the bodies, and eventually found a little foot, still warm. It was a little girl of ten, mutilated by a hand grenade, but still alive...[42]
After his inspection, the Irgun asked him to sign a document to say he had been received courteously and thanking them for their help. When he refused, they told him he would sign it if he valued his life. "The only course open to me was to convince them that I did not value my life in the least," he wrote.[42]
Menachem Begin hailed the taking of Deir Yassin as a “splendid act of conquest" that would serve as a model for the future: in a note to his commanders he wrote: 'Tell the soldiers: you have made history in Israel with your attack and your conquest. Continue thus until victory. As in Deir Yassin, so everywhere, we will attack and smite the enemy. God, God, Thou has chosen us for conquest.'[61]
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remain. Community members should not attempt to return to the area.
Evacuee registration and assistance Evacuees should register at the reception centre by phone or email, even if they do not need assistance. Registering will provide a record that you were evacuated and enable authorities to contact you with any new information. Please provide your name, number of people in your party and phone number. Pincher Creek and Waterton area reception centre
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mdpinchercreek.ab.caThis week, Slate is reviewing all the “smart” gizmos we can get our hands on. Read all the entries here.
For the past two weeks, I have had a smart dog. I don’t mean a brilliant one, although Ziggy is of course a genius, but a dog that is synced up with my smartphone. This weird-but-true arrangement—a furry elaboration on the Internet of Things—comes courtesy of Whistle, a startup that caters to tech-savvy (and/or obsessive) pet owners with its motion tracker and accompanying app.
The Whistle monitor (available for $99.95 here) is a stainless steel disc embedded with an accelerometer that fits onto your dog’s collar. It weighs about half an ounce. As your dog plays, walks, or sleeps, the device records his activity and sends it via your Wi-Fi connection to your phone. Using the free Whistle app, you can then watch your dog’s day unspool in a blue line that spikes when he moves around. You can even upload comments and photos, visible to as many as four other people who’ve downloaded the app. If you’re feeling competitive, pressing a button on your screen produces a rainbow of charts that compare your dog’s activity and rest levels to those of similarly sized dogs in Whistle’s database. The sensor itself needs charging every five days or so. For an extra $20, you may have it engraved.
My task was to test out Whistle on a dog, any dog, and I was lucky to have one on call. Ziggy lives with my parents, not too far from me. I registered my mom and me as Ziggy’s owners and downloaded the app to both of our phones. (My dad, who accompanies Ziggy on his evening constitutionals, declined to participate. “I’m under enough pressure,” he said.) We also registered Jake, the dog walker, who thankfully felt intrigued rather than spied on.
I was delighted by how quickly the accelerometer charged and how simple it was to affix it to the rest of Ziggy’s neck jewelry. The data from the device syncs with your phone every hour—the product would be even neater if it worked in real time—and once the squiggly lines start appearing, they are like an IV drip of mesmerizing, mostly useless knowledge. (I mean, if you’ve just walked the dog for 45 minutes, do you really need an app to tell you you just walked the dog for 45 minutes?)
Of course, some of the info is valuable. Whistle does an excellent job of letting you keep tabs on your dog remotely, and may help uncover general trends in his behavior. The founder, Ben Jacobs, hopes pet owners will use the app to track micro-signals, or early warning signs: Less activity, for instance, could indicate joint pain, while interrupted sleep might mean diabetes.
In fact, Whistle bills itself as a kind of canine exercise mate, à la FitBit or Fuelband: When registering your dog with Whistle, you are invited to set a daily activity goal. Thereafter, a cheerful pop-up on your phone notifies you whenever that goal is met. (Sometimes, a separate congratulatory note appears when you meet the goal two or three days in a row. Whistle is very encouraging.) The daily activity goal is represented as a gray bagel that gradually fills with blue the closer you and your dog come to realizing it; it turns a gratifying shade of green when the goal is achieved. Not greenifying the bagel is very frustrating. Therefore, Whistle could conceivably motivate some users to give their dogs more exercise. (On the other hand, when Ziggy consistently failed to meet his initial benchmark of 120 minutes per day, we just scaled the goal back to 90 minutes. Good boy!)
But the most surprising perk of Whistle is social: It is a great way to connect. People have long bonded over their dogs, yet Whistle may be the first to successfully indulge this impulse online. With Whistle, I communicated far more with my parents than I normally do via email or text. We traded photos and comments about Ziggy, and the updates my mom posted from home became not only a charming diary of the dog’s day, but a catalog of her own moods. (Of course, there were times when checking the dogometer was akin to opening Pandora’s box: “Ziggy says he misses Katy.” “Ziggy wants to know if Katy can come over for dinner.” “Ziggy would appreciate a reply.”) Jacobs told Gigaom’s Kevin Fitchard that the company seeks to expand Whistle’s social networking capabilities, allowing users to post to each other’s data feeds or even export doggy updates to Facebook.
I’m not sure about that last venture: A stream of precious pet images and anxious/proud FYIs may be the last thing Facebook needs, and Whistle already does a wonderful job engaging the people who care that Buddy was active for nine minutes around mid-morning. As is, for dog-owning families, Whistle provides a lovely, low-stress, half-earnest and half-ironic way to check in.
I felt connected to Ziggy, too. At work, I could pull out my phone and watch his blue line move up and down. Whistle is probably ideal for users like me, who live apart from the dogs they grew up with but still want to keep an eye on them.
But what about your typical dog owner? I’d bet the types of people who buy Whistle already spend enough time around their dogs to have a general sense of their activity levels. For them, the app’s appeal must be less practical—does my dog get enough exercise?—than abstract, fueled by a general thirst for data. Exactly how much exercise does my dog get? (And also, because data is meant to be shared: Look how much exercise my dog gets!) In that sense, Whistle may just be the latest technology to feed a need we never knew we had.
Which is not to downplay the strength of that need. I can personally attest to the app’s addictiveness. Almost immediately, it became a part of the near-unconscious ritual of checking that begins every time I unlock my smartphone. Email, Twitter, a few news websites, sometimes Instagram, and now Whistle. Does this mean anything to Ziggy? No. His walking schedule hasn’t changed at all since we began the grand dogometer experiment. But let’s be honest: The point of Whistle is not to improve your dog’s life. It is to keep you in touch with your family. It is to scratch that strange quantification itch. It is to remind you, as you go about your connected existence, that you have a dog, somewhere, and that he’s alive, and that you love him.Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL), the freshman Congressman best known for his bombastic attacks against the Republican Party, had a very good fundraising quarter in the last three months of 2009, taking in $850,000.
The last three months have really been the period when Grayson’s fame took off among the liberal blogosphere, and much of his money came from online. His fundraising immediately picked up after he declared that the Republican health care plan was for people who get sick to “die quickly,” which happened just as the third quarter was about to end. He also heavily promoted a one-day “money-bomb” fundraiser in November, which brought in over a half-million dollars.
Grayson now reportedly has roughly $1 million cash on hand. Grayson’s re-election is not assured, as he represents a swing seat that narrowly voted in 2008 for Grayson and Barack Obama after years of favoring Republicans.Photo Illustration by Joe Webb. Glasses courtesy of © 2016 Sony Computer Entertainment inc. Additional images: Getty Video Games What’s the Deal with Virtual Reality, and Should You Be Using It? Consider this the first user’s manual for virtual reality, designed to answer your newbie questions. Is VR that magical? Is it just going to make for some really intense porn? Should you join in the fun? In order: Yes; oh yes; and you’re about to find out...
Can We Trust VR?
Here's a blueprint for a terrifying dystopian novel: Our rapidly acidifying oceans are rising fast while the world's populace debates whether it's actually happening; wages have stagnated for four decades and income inequality has reached intolerable levels; man has created a cheap, nutritious food substitute called Soylent; the possible next leader of the Free World hopes to eject the foreign-born by constructing a very literal, very yuuuge wall. Luckily, a billionaire genius named Zark Muckerberg—creator of a site where a fifth of the world shares photos of rainbow bagels—has offered to deliver us from our grim existence with a more sanitary, more connected reality. It's called the Rift.
After a decades-long cryogenic deep freeze, VR is back and fully operational. Its new progenitors are the type of Silicon Valley barons who struck it rich by giving us Facebook and a company that has raised $120 million in funding to deliver pressed juice in single-serving vacuum-sealed packets (true story). These men grew up on Star Wars, Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash, and Apple commercials, and they have the wealth to transmute the sci-fi fantasias of their youth into visors you strap to your face. Soon will come the point in the novel where we figure out which virtual-reality narrative we'll get: the dystopian one where humanity virtually fiddles while the world burns? Or the utopian promise once painted by virtual-reality pioneer Jaron Lanier and his fellow believers, the one that whispers of LSD-esque altered consciousness, new forms of presence, and the dissolution of the thin psychological membranes that divide us all? In the meantime, here are three versions of what VR, in all its fetal glory, looks like right this moment. —Matt Buchanan
I’m Freakin’ Out, Man
It's creepy in here. Just me, wandering around—what is this, a Ren-faire sex dungeon? a goth McMansion?—with barely enough light to see more than a few feet ahead. Hissed voices skitter down the pixelated stone walls of a hallway, your basic horror-movie ambience. Doors with badly drawn woodgrain creak when they open.
Then I turn around and a goddamn wraith, this Scream-looking bastard, materializes out of nowhere. He's my height, hovering, four feet away, right there, in arm's reach. He wails in my face and rushes at me. I tense up and yell, “Holy shhhh—,” cringe in anticipation of spectral molestation...and the wraith dissipates into smoke. Then I rip the Samsung Gear VR visor off my head to find a cold sweat beading on my skin and my wife, sitting next to me on the couch, WTF-ing me with her eyes.
That's the last time I played Dreadhalls, a $5 horror game with all the visual fidelity of a police sketch. At no point in my subterranean meandering did anything look real—and yet that moment of abject fear existed, here, on a tangible plane of existence. My flop sweat was sweaty; my heart raced. I've been playing video games since Atari days and wholly believe that a great one can rival a film as a moving experience, but I've never lost myself in a game this way. VR is Spielbergian, able to play your neural pathways like an instrument, stabbing the key for fear or plucking an arpeggio that moves from nervous to triumphant to awed.
One night I pulled the Gear VR onto the head of my father, he of the Harley-Davidson tattoos, the gravel-pit voice, the perma-stache. He does not play video games, but I let him loose in one called Land's End. It's the opposite of Dreadhalls: a watercolor dreamworld where you float along, move rocks with your eyes, and sometimes find yourself standing on the edge of a vertigo-inducing seaside cliff. I expected my dad to log a few minutes inside and deliver his customary “Neat” when faced with some trivial new gadget before pulling off the visor and grabbing another Stella. Instead he spent an hour in my living room spinning, swaying, tripping over my daughter's toys, wondering aloud where to go next, all while my mom mocked him gently but relentlessly. When he came out, my dad said, “Neat.” And he actually meant it. —Jon Wilde
Choose Your Virtual High
The five major VR systems, as compared to illicit substances. What's your headset drug of choice? —J.W.
WHIP-ITS: Origami the Google Cardboard together, drop in your phone, and you're all, Whoa, man! You rush out to show all your friends. But you get bored with it pretty fast, and you either move on to bigger things or go back to Netflix on the couch. $15, google.com/get/cardboard
MARIJUANA: Clip one of the six compatible Samsung phones (sorry, iPhone owners) into the Samsung Gear VR and you have yourself a proper gateway drug into VR—hands-free, cord-free, and powered by Oculus software. You could stop here and be happy. $100, samsung.com
DISPENSARY MARIJUANA: The Sony PlayStation VR is the thing you already know and love—video games! on your PlayStation!—except you had no clue it could get this crazy intense. And like 50-state weed legality, PlayStation VR requires a wait—it's not out until October. $399, playstation.com
COCAINE: Man, the Oculus Rift is insane! Have you tried it? Holy shit, man. It's the real deal. You're all wired up (to a powerful computer, which costs an extra grand or more) and you feel like a god in control of the world, and...what's that? HELL YEAH WE SHOULD DO SOME MORE. $599, oculus.com
HEROIN: The Vive by HTC is VR injected directly into your bloodstream. The Vive also needs a pricey computer, but it allows you to move around in space and use your hands, thanks to an array of room-mounted sensors and two scepter-like controllers. Prepare to lose yourself. $799, htcvive.com
Welcome Inside the Sexy, Freaky Comedy of VR Porn
The young, attractive porn star's eye contact (with the camera mounted where my eyes would be) had me convinced. She had sauntered into this teensy gym space and tossed her towel, which landed on a weight bench with realistic sound localization. Then she started stretching comically close to me—or, more accurately, to my avatar, a slender white male whom I could only see from the chest down. He was (I was?) doing slow curls while a halfhearted boner bulged in his (my?) gym shorts. I couldn't move his body or influence the action aside from pausing or fast-forwarding. I was trapped inside this high-def Holiday Inn workout room (a nightmare I think I've actually had). And yet I was fully engaged—until her gaze shifted a few inches to catch the actor's eyes. Fantasy over.
It was all the more jarring because VR porn really does feel so intimate. Look up and 3-double-D titties are swinging in your face. Look down and you can count the hairs on the head that's bobbing in your crotch.
VR porn also brings a nagging sense of furtive surveillance—more pronounced than with normal porn—that's somewhere between Being John Malkovich and Peeping Tom. Even with your eyes and your ears tuned in, you're not quite there. VR goggles won't mask the lingering smell of the burrito you reheated for dinner; your butt cheeks still know they're on a bed, not a dominatrix's punishment throne. The senses outside are cockblocking the ones inside, and your body's torn in two: one half horny, the other half confused—and horny.
And sometimes both halves are just weirded out. The porn outlet that made the VR videos I watched, Naughty America, shot with a 180-degree (instead of 360-degree) camera: Looking too far in any direction, I saw only a gaping black void. And then, when the gym-room porn star switched her gaze from camera to the me-guy, she cracked up. I couldn't blame her. Whatever it was that the three of us were engaged in, the actors seemed as new to it as I was. —Benjy Hansen-Bundy
Meet the Boy King Who Can See the Future of Virtual Reality
Palmer Luckey kick-started virtual reality—literally, via Kickstarter—with his home-baked Oculus Rift headset at the age of 19. Then Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion in 2014, and now, at 23, Luckey has unleashed his brain-reorienting baby on the world. Here, he talks about where VR came from, and where it's going. —J.W.
GQ: We had VR helmets back in the '80s. What the hell took so long?
Palmer Luckey: Honestly, there was no way anyone was going to build a virtual-reality experience in the '80s that would be anything close to mainstream. It was just the reality of the technology. Back then, the people who were most excited about virtual reality were the people who hadn't tried it. The people who had tried it were the most pessimistic. This time around, it's the opposite.
What made you think you could crack the code on VR?
I was about 16 years old, kind of a self-taught hacker and engineer. I had always thought VR was gonna be the long-term future of games and computers, so I started experimenting, as a hobby, with building my own head-mounted displays. Like you said: Virtual reality had fallen off the map. If people had been paying attention to VR for the last 20 years, somebody would have made exactly what I made, probably exactly the way I made it, before I did.
You showed GQ an early Rift a couple of years back, and you mentioned how happily the brain buys into virtual reality.
Consciously, you can look at something in VR and think, from the graphics, I know this isn't real. But our low-level brain functions work on simple things, like size and scale and parallax. Even when your conscious brain knows something's not real, that part believes it is. That's why, in virtual reality, you're more likely to remember details than you would reading about them or watching a movie. VR tricks your brain into thinking your experience is real.
What's the next leap forward in VR?TORONTO -- Arizona Coyotes forward Max Domi hopes the familiarity of being at Air Canada Centre will help him Monday against the Toronto Maple Leafs (7:30 p.m. ET; TVA Sports, FS-A, TSN4).
The Toronto native, whose father Tie Domi played for the Maple Leafs, is tied for the rookie lead in scoring with Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers at nine points apiece. Max Domi grew up attending his father's games and hanging out at ACC.
"It's exciting for sure," Domi said. "It is something I have had in the back of my mind my whole life, but at the same time it's just another game and I'm trying not to get too high or too low here."
Domi said he recalls attending Maple Leafs morning skates as a youngster and hanging out with the likes of Bryan McCabe, Mats Sundin and Gary Roberts. He used to go on the ice after the players were finished their workouts and take shots on goalies Curtis Joseph and Ed Belfour. He said when his father was playing games, he would hang out in the wives' room playing mini sticks.
"I was obviously a Leafs fan growing up, so just to be a part of the atmosphere here was awesome," Domi said.
Domi, who has three goals and six assists, is tied for the Coyotes lead in scoring with center Martin Hanzal, who has nine assists.
Toronto coach Mike Babcock said he doesn't know much about Domi as a pro, but was impressed with the rookie when he watched him play junior.
"Every time I have seen him play, he plays with tenacity," Babcock said. "He seems to have a confidence about him. I thought he was very good for the World Junior team last year playing with a lot of energy."
James Reimer will start in goal for the Maple Leafs, his first action since playing the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 16. Reimer is 1-0-1 with a 2.91 goals-against average and.890 save percentage and said he likes the effort he has seen from his teammates so far even if the results haven't been there.
"These guys are working hard and doing a lot of good things," Reimer said. "They are getting chances and goals will go in. As far as goaltenders we just worry about what we can do and keep it tight. At the same time you can't put too much pressure on yourself because then you can't perform. You just go out there and trust in your preparation and hope that is good enough on any given night."
While the Maple Leafs have been generating plenty of chances -- they outshot the Montreal Canadiens 52-27 in a 5-3 loss Saturday -- Reimer said he doesn't have the answer as to how Toronto can score more goals.
"I'm not a forward and I haven't scored very many goals in this League, so I don't know," Reimer said. "We're doing the right things and getting pucks and bodies to the net, and when you do that goals will go in. That's the way you can consistently score goals no matter what, so if we stick with it I think pucks will start going in."
Reimer said he respects the Coyotes attack and has heard plenty of good things about the rookie duo of Domi and Anthony Duclair, who has five goals and seven points.
"They seem to be speedy guys who can get into space and they have good shots," Reimer said. "I have to keep an eye out for them and make sure I'm ready, because it seems like they can make plays and find each other in open space."
Here are the projected lineups:
COYOTES
Tobias Rieder – Tyler Gaudet – Mikkel Boedker
Max Domi – Martin Hanzal – Anthony Duclair
Kyle Chipchura – Brad Richardson – Shane Doan
Jordan Martinook – Boyd Gordon – Steve Downie
Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Michael Stone
Klas Dahlbeck – Zbynek Michalek
Nicklas Grossmann – Connor Murphy
Mike Smith
Anders Lindback
Injured: Joe Vitale, Antoine Vermette
Scratched: John Scott, Stefan Elliott
MAPLE LEAFS
James van Riemsdyk - Nazem Kadri - Leo Komarov
Daniel Winnik – Mark Arcobello - Joffrey Lupul
Shawn Matthias – Peter Holland - Brad Boyes
Michael Grabner - Byron Froese - PA Parenteau
Matt Hunwick - Dion Phaneuf
Scott Harrington - Morgan Rielly
Roman Polak - Martin Marincin
James Reimer
Jonathan Bernier
Injured: Tyler Bozak (lower body), Jake Gardiner (upper body), Stephane Robidas (lower body)
Scratched: Nick Spaling
Status report: Vermette missed the game Saturday in Ottawa, ending a streak of 482 consecutive games played. He is not expected to play on Monday. … Babcock said Spaling is not playing so he can get an opportunity to see the other centers compete.
Who's hot: Boedker scored three goals against the Senators on Saturday. He has four goals in his past three games. … The Maple Leafs are averaging 33.9 shots per game, second-best in the NHL. … Van Reimsdyk had a goal and an assist against Montreal. … Bozak and Gardiner skated Sunday, but are not expected to play. … Domi has assists in three consecutive games.Makers@PPL 2018
Saturday, April 28 - 10:00am - 2:00pm
Location: Main Library
Audience: Adults, Parents & Teachers
Makers@PPL is a special event to celebrate maker culture, and bring together the talents and creativity in the community to share ideas and projects with others. Mark the day on your calendar — Saturday, April 28, 2018 10am to 2pm — and come ready to learn new skills, experiment with tools and materials, and observe stuff used in ways you never thought possible!
This event highlights the importance of the STEAM subjects (science, technology, engineering, arts, math), and will showcase workshops and presentations that not only teach, but are fun and engaging. Regardless of your background or expertise, this event will show you that everyone is a maker; after all, humans have been inventing and experimenting for hundreds of years.
This year’s presentations will include:
Bike Wheel Zoetropes with Bike Part Art ME
Use handmade stamps to create animations on the bike wheel zoetrope. Animations can be filmed with a smart phone.
with Bike Part Art ME Use handmade stamps to create animations on the bike wheel zoetrope. Animations can be filmed with a smart phone. Maine-Made Renewable Energy with Maine Green Power
Maine Green Power is a voluntary program overseen by the Maine Public Utilities Commission that allows businesses and residents to support Maine-made renewable energy on their electricity bills. We enable any Maine ratepayer to reduce their environmental impact in a meaningful and visible way without making a significant financial commitment. This program is NOT a competitive electricity supplier.
with Maine Green Power Maine Green Power is a voluntary program overseen by the Maine Public Utilities Commission that allows businesses and residents to support Maine-made renewable energy on their electricity bills. We enable any Maine ratepayer to reduce their environmental impact in a meaningful and visible way without making a significant financial commitment. This program is NOT a competitive electricity supplier. Live Demos: Place-Based Living Skills with Rewild Maine
Zachary Rouda of Rewild Maine will display tools, baskets, crafts, and materials, and offer live demonstration of many small-scale, place-based living skills including basketry, string making, and leather working. If you’ve got the time, learn to make a piece of handmade string, an organic frisbee, or a small leather pouch.
with Rewild Maine Zachary Rouda of Rewild Maine will display tools, baskets, crafts, and materials, and offer live demonstration of many small-scale, place-based living skills including basketry, string making, and leather working. If you’ve got the time, learn to make a piece of handmade string, an organic frisbee, or a small leather pouch. Casco Bay Saber Works with Lela Ferguson
CBSW is a custom LED lightsaber maker located in Westbrook, Maine. We build various lightsabers for costuming, sport fighting, and whatever other purpose you can find for a noisy 3′ long glow stick. We also, in conjunction with the Open Bench Project, teach a class on how to build these wondrous glowing contraptions. Come see some examples of our builds, pictures of the sabers which have been built in our class, and diagrams on how they are built.
with Lela Ferguson CBSW is a custom LED lightsaber maker located in Westbrook, Maine. We build various lightsabers for costuming, sport fighting, and whatever other purpose you can find for a noisy 3′ long glow stick. We also, in conjunction with the Open Bench Project, teach a class on how to build these wondrous glowing contraptions. Come see some examples of our builds, pictures of the sabers which have been built in our class, and diagrams on how they are built. Electro Toy Co. with Ben Williams
Electro Toy Co. makes techy gadgets and toys. Come see some examples, including a mini retro arcade cabinet, a simple synthesizer, a reaction timer and possibly a lightning detector.
with Ben Williams Electro Toy Co. makes techy gadgets and toys. Come see some examples, including a mini retro arcade cabinet, a simple synthesizer, a reaction timer and possibly a lightning detector. Make Your Own Fruit Jam with University of Maine Cooperative Extension
Learn how to preserve your great garden or farm share bounty with this boiling water bath and freezing demonstration from University of Maine Cooperative Extension. We will provide up-to-date recommendations to ensure a fresh, safe, and delicious food preservation season.
with University of Maine Cooperative Extension Learn how to preserve your great garden or farm share bounty with this boiling water bath and freezing demonstration from University of Maine Cooperative Extension. We will provide up-to-date recommendations to ensure a fresh, safe, and delicious food preservation season. Business Card Cubes with Zev Eisenberg
Learn to make interlocking cube sculptures using ordinary business cards, no tape or glue required. A fun way to recycle old business cards!
with Zev Eisenberg Learn to make interlocking cube sculptures using ordinary business cards, no tape or glue required. A fun way to recycle old business cards! SLIME! with MakerKid Sydney
Make your own Galaxy Slime
with MakerKid Sydney Make your own Galaxy Slime Makers Club House with Maine Charitable Mechanic Association
We will display the activities and opportunities happening at the Mechanics’ Hall and the ways in which MCMA serves a wide spectrum of makers in our community.
with Maine Charitable Mechanic Association We will display the activities and opportunities happening at the Mechanics’ Hall and the ways in which MCMA serves a wide spectrum of makers in our community. Everything You Can Do With Concrete with B & E Constructors & Engineers
Come see the latest innovations in concrete — ranging from countertops to underground tunnels and parking garages.
with B & E Constructors & Engineers Come see the latest innovations in concrete — ranging from countertops to underground tunnels and parking garages. Little Roots Make-A-Shake-R with 317 Main Community Music Center
Using recycled plaster easter eggs filled with rice, duct taped shut, and decorated with stickers, we will make a perfect little instrument to shake anywhere!
with 317 Main Community Music Center Using recycled plaster easter eggs filled with rice, duct taped shut, and decorated with stickers, we will make a perfect little instrument to shake anywhere! Garcia’s Origami Bookmarks with MakerKid Garcia
Easy to make origami paper bookmarks that kids can decorate and even add googly eyes to! Bookmarks sit perfectly on the corner of your favorite book to hold the page!
with MakerKid Garcia Easy to make origami paper bookmarks that kids can decorate and even add googly eyes to! Bookmarks sit perfectly on the corner of your favorite book to hold the page! Urban Treasure with Wheelwright Woodworks
Comes see how to make furniture with locally salvaged woods.
with Wheelwright Woodworks Comes see how to make furniture with locally salvaged woods. Screen Printing Posters with Little Chair Printing and Pickwick Independent Press
Learn how to screen print your very own poster.
with Little Chair Printing and Pickwick Independent Press Learn how to screen print your very own poster. Seed Starting with PPL Children’s Staff
Get started on your garden by learning how to create seed pots from recycled newspaper. We will provide soil and seeds to plant along with cultivating information and a seed journal to keep track of your seedlings progress!
with PPL Children’s Staff Get started on your garden by learning how to create seed pots from recycled newspaper. We will provide soil and seeds to plant along with cultivating information and a seed journal to keep track of your seedlings progress! Button Making with PPL Teen Staff & Teen Advisory Board
The button maker is back and the Teen Library Staff and our Teen Advisory Board members will be here to help you make some wearable art out of our old & discarded books!
with PPL Teen Staff & Teen Advisory Board The button maker is back and the Teen Library Staff and our Teen Advisory Board members will be here to help you make some wearable art out of our old & discarded books! UP Room with Maine State Library
The UP Room (Unlimited Possibilities) at the Maine State Library is open to all who want to create and learn. The space blends technology and traditional arts and crafts and serves as a resource to help foster new ideas and innovation. Staff from the Maine State Library will be showcasing robots and how to program them with Scratch, how to play video games using your friend as a controller and how to make a simple design on paper light up with coin cell batteries, copper tape and LEDs.
with Maine State Library The UP Room (Unlimited Possibilities) at the Maine State Library is open to all who want to create and learn. The space blends technology and traditional arts and crafts and serves as a resource to help foster new ideas and innovation. Staff from the Maine State Library will be showcasing robots and how to program them with Scratch, how to play video games using your friend as a controller and how to make a simple design on paper light up with coin cell batteries, copper tape and LEDs. It’s About Time… with SideWalk Buttler
Stop by and learn about the solution to the most prevalent litter on the streets.
with SideWalk Buttler Stop by and learn about the solution to the most prevalent litter on the streets. Pop Out Map Book with Inabind Studio
Learn how to make a traditional Turkish pop out map book just by folding paper into geometric patterns.
with Inabind Studio Learn how to make a traditional Turkish pop out map book just by folding paper into geometric patterns. Energy Saving Window Inserts with Window Dressers
Come see some sample window inserts and get information on how to save energy in your own home.
with Window Dressers Come see some sample window inserts and get information on how to save energy in your own home. Your Oral Micro Biome with the University of Southern Maine
Learn about the different types of bacteria in your mouth and what they do!
with the University of Southern Maine Learn about the different types of bacteria in your mouth and what they do! Make Your Own Germs with University of Southern Maine
Use a hands-on GloGerm demonstration to see how easily germs can spread around you and get a chance to craft your own germs.Iranian members of the Basij force, a volunteer paramilitary organization, march in front of the presidential rostrum during the annual Army Day military parade on April 18, 2014 in Tehran.
Iran's president underscored his moderate policies and outreach to the West in a speech Friday during a military parade on the country's National Army Day.
Referring to the ongoing negotiations between Iran and the world powers over Tehran's controversial nuclear program, President Hassan Rohani said Iran has shown it has no hostile intentions toward anyone in the world, including the United States, which has long been considered an enemy.
"During the talks, we announced to the world and we say so again... we are not after war, we are after logic, we are after talks," Rohani said.
He touted Iran's diplomatic outreach and said the backing of the military and the nation was crucial. "Support by the armed forces and support by our brave people have empowered the officials in charge of the talks on the diplomatic front."
The Iranian president made no mention of Israel but said Iran "will not invade any country," although it would "resist any invasion."
Rohani also assured neighboring countries that Iran seeks better ties with them, saying that "neighbors should know that our army supports peace and stability.
The remarks were a stark contrast to Rohani's belligerent predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
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Since he was elected last June, Rohani has pledged to resolve the nuclear dispute with the West and end painful economic sanctions imposed over Tehran's controversial nuclear program, which the West fears could result in the making of a nuclear weapon.
Tehran denies the charge, saying its nuclear activities — mainly those surrounding its uranium enrichment, which is a possible pathway to nuclear arms — are meant for peaceful purposes only, such as power generation and cancer treatment. Iran also asserts it has a right to enrich uranium under international law.
Iran and six world powers — the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany — reached an interim deal in November that put limits on Tehran's enrichment levels in exchange for an easing of some sanctions.
Talks are ongoing for a final deal that would remove all possibilities that the Islamic Republic could use its capabilities to build a nuclear weapon.
In Friday's parade, Iran showcased its air defense systems, including the S-200 Russian-made, medium to high altitude surface-to-air missile system designed primarily to track, target, and destroy aircraft and cruise missiles.
On display were also fighter jets such as U.S.-made F-4 and F-14, Russian-made MIG-29 and Sukhoi-24, as well as Iran's indigenous fighter plane, Saegheh. The parade also showed off a newer version of the short range, surface-to-surface Fajr-5, Nazeat and Zelzal missiles.
Iran has tried to achieve military self-sufficiency since 1992 and has also produced light submarines and torpedoes.The city of Houston, the Environmental Protection Agency and an environmental advocacy group are investigating a potentially hazardous plume of a carcinogenic substance in one neighborhood after a nearby oil refiner reported its operations suffered hurricane-related damage.
The city and the Environmental Defense Fund said extra air monitors they dispatched to Houston’s Manchester region on Monday detected the presence of benzene, a component of crude oil and gasoline.
Two monitors detected significantly different levels of the carcinogen at different times of the day, and additional sampling is needed to determine the concentration, according to Loren Raun, chief environmental science officer for the Houston Health Department, and Elena Craft, a senior health scientist at the Environmental Defense Fund, which became involved in the probe after offering the city assistance.
A Valero Energy Partners LP refinery in the neighborhood reported a hurricane-related leak on Aug. 27.
The EPA said it was deploying an air monitor to the area on Tuesday to help the investigation. Officials are seeking to pinpoint the source of the benzene plume, the concentration and how far-reaching the emissions may have spread, Ms. Raun said Tuesday morning, after a call with EPA, EDF and Houston city officials.
Related Video The National Insurance Crime Bureau has developed new technology, using high-resolution |
out. Mostly, they were known as the glorified chauffeurs who drove visiting dignitaries around the city.
Cohen knew that more was possible.
Force of will alone, however, would not transform a moribund division into something capable of stopping a terrorist attack. If Cohen wanted to remake the NYPD into a real intelligence service, there were four men—four graying hippies—standing in his way.
* * *
Martin Stolar first began hearing stories about the NYPD Intelligence Division in 1970 while working as a young lawyer for the New York Law Commune. A recently formed law firm for leftists, hippies, radicals, and activists, the commune operated entirely by consensus. It didn't take a case unless everyone agreed. They saw themselves as part of the New Left, lawyers who didn't merely represent their clients but who fully embraced their politics and were part of their struggle. They represented Columbia University students who'd taken over campus buildings during a protest in 1968. They stood beside members of the Weather Underground, the Black Panthers, and other radical groups, and activists such as Abbie Hoffman. And they never, ever, represented landlords in disputes with tenants.
It was a new way of thinking about the law. The firm pooled all its fees and then paid one another based on need, not ability or performance. Operating out of a converted loft in Greenwich Village, the lawyers paid the bills thanks to well-to-do parents who hired them to keep their sons out of Vietnam. But about half their time was dedicated to political, nonpaying clients.
Every now and again, one of the lawyers would come across something—a news clipping, a document, or a strong hunch—that suggested the NYPD was infiltrating activist groups and building dossiers on protesters. When they did, they'd add it to a plain manila folder, as something to revisit.
Stolar had no problem questioning government authority. In 1969 he applied for admission to the bar in Ohio, where he was an antipoverty volunteer. When asked if he'd ever been "a member of any organization which advocates the overthrow of the government of the United States by force," Stolar refused to answer. Nor would he answer when asked to list every club or organization he'd ever joined.
The questions were holdovers from the Red Scare days of the 1950s. Stolar, a liberal New York lawyer, would have none of it. He took his case to the United States Supreme Court, which, in 1971, declared such questions unconstitutional. "[W]e can see no legitimate state interest which is served by a question which sweeps so broadly into areas of belief and association protected against government invasion," Justice Hugo Black wrote.
Stolar had moved back to New York by then and never bothered to return to Ohio to take the bar exam. He'd proven his point. Kathleen Cleaver tells a San Francisco news conference August 24, 1972, she believes the CIA was behind threats to assassinate her Black Panther husband. AP Photo
In 1971 he was among the many lawyers working on the Panther 21 case, the trial of Black Panther Party members accused of conspiring to bomb police stations, businesses, and public buildings. While preparing their defense, the Law Commune attorneys came across something unusual: The case against the Panthers was built largely on the testimony of some of the earliest members of the New York chapter of the Black Panthers. There was Gene Roberts, a former security guard for Malcolm X who was present on February 21, 1965, when the Nation of Islam leader was assassinated in Manhattan's Audubon Ballroom. There was Ralph White, the head of the Panther unit in the Bronx who'd once represented the entire New York chapter at a black power conference in Philadelphia. And there was Carlos Ashwood, who'd sold Panther literature in Harlem.
They were founding fathers of the New York Panthers. And all three, it turned out, were undercover detectives. The NYPD had essentially set up the New York chapter of the Black Panther Party and built files on everyone who signed up.
That convinced Stolar that something had to be done with his manila folder. He called another young lawyer, Jethro Eisenstein, who taught at New York University. The two knew each other from their work with the liberal National Lawyers Guild, and Stolar regarded Eisenstein as a brilliant legal writer. If they were going to have a shot at challenging the NYPD, the lawsuit had to sing.
Together they put out the word to their clients and friends that they were looking for stories about the NYPD. The anecdotes came pouring in, both from activists and from other lawyers who, it turned out, had been keeping folders of their own. The mass of materials described a police department run amok. There was evidence that police were collecting the names of people who attended events for liberal causes. Detectives posed as journalists and photographed war protesters. Police infiltrated organizations that they considered suspect and maintained rosters of those who attended meetings.
* * *
On May 13, 1971, the Panthers were acquitted of all charges. At the time, it was the longest criminal trial in New York history, spanning eight months. Closing arguments alone had stretched over three weeks. But the jury was out only three hours before voting for acquittal. And the first hour was for lunch.
In the courthouse lobby, jurors milled about, congratulating the Panthers and their lawyers. Some exchanged hugs. Jurors said there wasn't enough evidence that the conspiracy was anything more than radical talk. Defense lawyer Gerald Lefcourt called the verdict "a rejection of secret government all the way from J. Edgar Hoover down to the secret police of New York City."
The New York Times editorial page read:
It is not necessary to have any sympathy whatever with Panther philosophy or Panther methods to find some reassurance in the fact that—at a time when the government so often confuses invective with insurrection—a New York jury was willing to insist on evidence of wrong-doing rather than wrong-thinking.
Five days after the verdict, Stolar and Eisenstein filed a twenty-one-page federal lawsuit against the NYPD. It accused the department of widespread constitutional violations.
The plaintiffs represented a grab bag of the New Left. There were Black Panthers, members of the War Resisters League, and gay-rights advocates. There were well-known figures such as Abbie Hoffman and obscure groups like the Computer People for Peace. One young man, Stephen Rohde, sued because when he applied for admission to the New York bar, he'd been asked whether he'd ever opposed the Vietnam War. He had once signed a petition in a basement at Columbia University, and his views had ended up in a police file. The lawsuit became known as the Handschu case, after lawyer and activist Barbara Handschu, who was listed first among the plaintiffs. Stolar and Eisenstein argued that the NYPD was using its surveillance tactics to squelch free speech. Police Commissioner Patrick Murphy did not deny using those tactics.
Rather, he said, they were necessary to protect the city. Murphy devoted eighteen pages to explaining to the court why the NYPD needed an effective intelligence division. He said the effort began in the early 1900s as a response to the Black Hand Society, an extortion racket run by new Sicilian immigrants. As the threat evolved over the decades, so did the unit. The 1960s, Murphy said, was a dangerous time to be in New York. Along with antiwar protests, student unrest, and racial conflicts, he cited a list of terrorist bombings and what he called "urban guerrilla warfare."
In response to that threat, Murphy explained, the NYPD stepped up its investigations of political groups that "because of their conduct or rhetoric may pose a threat to life, property, or governmental administration." It was true, Murphy conceded, that a portion of that rhetoric might be political speech, protected by the Constitution. But that was the reality of a world in which some people used violence to achieve political goals. The police needed informants and undercover officers to figure out whether political groups were planning criminal acts.
"Without an effectively operating intelligence unit, the department would be unable to deal effectively with the many problems that arise each day in the largest, most complex, and most unique city in the world," Murphy wrote.
It would take nearly another decade before the lawsuit over the NYPD's surveillance was resolved. In 1985 the city settled the Handschu case and agreed to court-established rules about what intelligence the NYPD could collect on political activity. Under the rules, the department could investigate constitutionally protected activities only when it had specific information that a crime was being committed or was imminent.
Undercover officers could be used only when they were essential to the case, not as a way to keep tabs on groups. Police could no longer build dossiers on people or keep their names in police files without specific evidence of criminal activity.
To ensure that the rules were being followed, the court created a three-person oversight committee. Two senior police officials and one civilian appointed by the mayor would review each police request for an investigation. Only with the majority approval of that board could an investigation proceed into political activity. Supporters of a lawsuit challenging the NYPD's Muslim surveillance program, hold signs during a gathering on a plaza in front of New York City Police Department headquarters, Tuesday, June 18, 2013. AP Photo/Richard Drew
On the morning of September 11, 2001, Intelligence Division detectives rushed to Lower Manhattan, but when they arrived, they realized their helplessness. They stood there on the street for hours, waiting for someone to tell them what to do. "Stand by" was all they heard. They stood by as World Trade Center 7 collapsed in a plume of dust and smoke and they waited as darkness began to fall on New York. Some were sent toward ground zero to escort surgeons onto the pile, where they conducted emergency amputations or other lifesaving procedures.
Others gathered at the Police Academy, where Deputy Chief John Cutter, the head of the Intelligence Division, put them on twelve-hour shifts. He told them to contact their informants.
It was both the right command and a useless one. Nobody there had informants plugged into the world of international terrorism. But the detectives did what they were told. They called dope dealers and gang members and asked what they knew about the worst terrorist attack in US history.
They worked alongside the FBI out of makeshift command centers aboard the decommissioned aircraft carrier and museum USS Intrepid and in an FBI parking garage, where some detectives sat on the concrete floor. They responded to the many tips called in by a jittery public. They questioned Muslims whose neighbors suddenly deemed them suspicious and visited businesses owned by Arab immigrants.
This was exactly the kind of reactive, aimless fumbling that Cohen wanted to do away with when he came aboard. He envisioned a police force that was plugged into the latest intelligence from Washington and that generated its own intelligence from the city. If an al-Qaeda bomber were ever to set his sights on New York again, Cohen wanted his team to be able to identify the plot and disrupt the plan. The rules needed to change.
* * *
Stolar, the attorney who'd brought the Handschu lawsuit decades earlier, listened on September 20, 2001, as President George W. Bush went to Congress and declared war on terrorism. He knew things were about to change. The way he saw it, once the government declares war on something—whether it be poverty, drugs, crime, or terrorism—the public quickly falls in line and supports it.
But this former radical, who witnessed police fire tear gas and beat antiwar demonstrators during Chicago's 1968 Democratic National Convention and who was part of some of New York's most turbulent times, was surprisingly naive about what was to come. He talked to his wife, Elsie, a public defense lawyer, and told her it was only a matter of time before the FBI hunted down the people who planned the World Trade Center attacks. They would be prosecuted in Manhattan's federal court, he said, and they would need lawyers. Even the worst people in the world deserved a fair hearing and staunch defense. If the choice presented itself, Stolar and his wife agreed, he should take the case. As it turned out, there would never be any criminal trials. The suspected terrorists would be shipped to a military prison in Guantánamo Bay, where the government created a new legal system.
Stolar and his fellow Handschu lawyers also misjudged the NYPD's response to the attacks. In early 2002, Eisenstein wrote to the city and said that, despite the tragedy, the Handschu guidelines represented an important safeguard of civil liberties. Eisenstein said that he and his colleagues were available if the city wanted to discuss the rules in light of the attacks. The city lawyers said they would consider it. Eisenstein didn't hear anything for months. Then, on September 12, 2002, a twenty-three-page document arrived from someone named David Cohen.
Cohen's name wasn't familiar to Stolar, but as he skimmed the document, it didn't take long to reach a conclusion: "This guy wants to get rid of us completely."
The document, filed in federal court in Manhattan, had been months in the making, and Cohen had chosen his words carefully. He explained his background; his thirty-five-year career in the analytical and operational arms of the CIA. Invoking the recent attacks on the World Trade Center, he said the world had changed.
"These changes were not envisioned when the Handschu guidelines were agreed upon," he wrote, "and their continuation dangerously limits the ability of the NYPD to protect the people it is sworn to serve."
Like Commissioner Murphy's affidavit about NYPD surveillance on radical groups in the 1960s, Cohen painted a picture of a nation—in particular a city—under siege from enemies within. Terrorists, he said, could be lurking anywhere. They could be your classmates, your friends, or the quiet family next door.
"They escape detection by blending into American society. They may own homes, live in communities with families, belong to religious or social organizations, and attend educational institutions. They typically display enormous patience, often waiting years until the components of their plans are perfectly aligned," Cohen said.
He recounted the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, the attacks on embassies in Africa, the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, and plots against landmarks in New York. America's freedoms of movement, privacy, and association gave terrorists an advantage, he said.
"This success is due in no small measure to the freedom with which terrorists enter this country, insinuate themselves as apparent participants in American society, and engage in secret operations," he wrote, adding, "The freedom of our society has also made it possible for terrorist organizations to maintain USbased activities."
The stakes, Cohen said, could not be higher.
"We now understand that extremist Muslim fundamentalism is a worldwide movement with international goals. It is driven by a single-minded vision: Any society that does not conform to the strict alQaeda interpretation of the Koran must be destroyed. Governments such as ours which do not impose strict Muslim rule must be overthrown through Jihad," he said.
Faced with this threat, Cohen said, the police could no longer abide by the Handschu guidelines. Terrorists, like the violent radicals of the previous generation, often cloaked themselves behind legitimate organizations. The police had to be able to investigate these groups, even when there was no evidence that a crime was in the works.
"In the case of terrorism," Cohen wrote, "to wait for an indication of crime before investigating is to wait far too long."
Copyright © 2013 by A&G Books, Inc. From the forthcoming book ENEMIES WITHIN: Inside the NYPD's Secret Spying Unit and bin Laden's Final Plot Against America by Matt Apuzzo and Adam Goldman to be published by Touchstone, a Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. Printed by permission.By Warren Strobel and Mark Hosenball
WASHINGTON Oct 16 (Reuters) - The director of the U.S. National Security Agency and his deputy are expected to depart in the coming months, U.S. officials said on Wednesday, in a development that could give President Barack Obama a chance to reshape the eavesdropping agency.
Army General Keith Alexander's eight-year tenure was rocked this year by revelations contained in documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden about the agency's widespread scooping up of telephone, email and social-media data.
Alexander has formalized plans to leave by next March or April, while his civilian deputy, John "Chris" Inglis, is due to retire by year's end, according to U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
One leading candidate to replace Alexander is Vice Admiral Michael Rogers, currently commander of the U.S. Navy's 10th Fleet and U.S. Fleet Cyber Command, officials told Reuters. The 10th Fleet and Fleet Cyber Command both have their headquarters at Fort Meade, Maryland, between Washington and Baltimore. The NSA is also headquartered at Fort Meade.
There has been no final decision on selecting Rogers to succeed Alexander, and other candidates may be considered, the officials said.
NSA spokeswoman Vanee Vines said Alexander planned to leave office in the spring after three extensions to his tenure, and the process for picking his successor was still under way.
"This has nothing to do with media leaks, the decision for his retirement was made prior; an agreement was made with the (Secretary of Defense) and the Chairman for one more year - to March 2014," Vines told Reuters in an email.
Alexander has served as NSA director since August 2005, making him its longest-serving chief. He also serves as commander of a related military unit, the U.S. Cyber Command.
Alexander, who has vigorously defended the NSA's activities as lawful and necessary to detect and disrupt terrorist plots, said previously he planned to leave in the first half of 2014.
Inglis, who began his NSA career as a computer security scientist, has been the NSA's second-ranking official since 2006.
The NSA - which spies on electronic communications of all kinds and protects U.S. government communications - has been one of the most secretive of all U.S. intelligence outfits. Its employees used to joke that NSA stood for either "No Such Agency" or "Never Say Anything."
But the agency became the focus of controversy this year when Snowden leaked to the media tens of thousands of highly classified documents from the NSA and its British eavesdropping partner.
SEPARATE LEADERS?
While both Alexander and Inglis are leaving voluntarily, the dual vacancies give Obama an opportunity to install new leadership following Snowden's revelations and to decide whether the NSA and Cyber Command should have separate leaders.
Cyber Command, which has grown significantly in recent years, has the authority to engage in both defensive and offensive operations in cyberspace. Many NSA veterans argue that having the same person lead the spy agency and Cyber Command diminishes the emphasis on the NSA's work and its unique capabilities.
Rogers has been the Navy's top cyber commander since September 2011. Before that, he was director of intelligence for the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff and for the U.S. Pacific Command.
Rogers is "a good leader, very insightful and well thought of within the community," said a U.S. defense official who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
Gary Roughead, who retired as the Navy's top uniformed officer in September 2011, said Rogers would be a good choice.A GOP congressman became an instant meme after taking to the roof of his district office to photograph protesters on the street below.
Social media users drew instant comparisons between Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Michael Scott, the bungling boss from “The Office,” following Tuesday’s bizarre incident at his office in Vista.
There were conflicting reports as to why Issa decided to go up on the roof in the first place. The lawmaker himself said he’d “spent the morning talking with constituents gathered outside the office” before going up “to take a quick pic.”
Spent the morning talking with constituents gathered outside the office today, then popped upstairs to take a quick pic! pic.twitter.com/K2CFdenOIj — Darrell Issa (@DarrellIssa) May 30, 2017
His opponents, however, alleged that he scurried up onto the roof because he was “too afraid” to speak with the protesters below.
Yes, this is really @DarrellIssa on the roof of his district office building. Too afraid to come speak with assembled constituents below. pic.twitter.com/wCYRjO8Ev8 — Mike Levin (@MikeLevinCA) May 30, 2017
Constituents have been holding weekly rallies to voice concerns over President Donald Trump’s immigration and health care policies, according to NBC San Diego. Here’s a sampling of the best responses so far:
I can't stop seeing Darell Issa as Michael Scott. pic.twitter.com/8gpY4D8wK0 — Joe Perticone (@JoePerticone) May 30, 2017
Darrell Issa standing on the roof of his district office to avoid constituents is literally a Michael Scott move pic.twitter.com/EV9L9HoXQc — k8 (@keetwin) May 30, 2017
Can you tell which photo is Darrell Issa avoiding his constituents and which is Michael Scott throwing a hissy fit? pic.twitter.com/kg3fFWthLG — David McDowell (@dgmcdowell) May 30, 2017
You have to treat him like Michael Scott and tell him you have a present for him if he comes down. pic.twitter.com/SBkznuHDZ1 — JeremiahOrtega (@jortega8) May 30, 2017
First it's Spicer in the hedges, now it's Issa on the roof? What next? https://t.co/bf6l6yrNDF — Fran Wilde (@fran_wilde) May 30, 2017
Trump America we have Sean Spicer hiding in bushes & cancellations of town hall mtgs now Darrell Issa hiding on a roof top.
Guilty much? — BabyGirl (@babygirlme101) May 30, 2017It was always going to happen, wasn’t it? One rather excited Fifty Shades Of Grey moviegoer was so invested in Sam Taylor-Johnson’s adaptation of E.L. James’ novel that she was caught masturbating in the cinema.
Rather than being celebrated for truly demonstrating the spirit of Fifty Shades Of Grey, the woman was actually thrown out and then arrested for her actions, which was probably the treatment that she deserved.
La Verdad, via Movie Pilot, have reported that the incident unfolded in Sinaloa, Mexico, and the 33-year-old woman who was found guilty of inappropriately pleasuring herself in such a crowded location was immediately ousted from the cinema for her actions.
It’s also been reported that the woman was sat on the 12th row of the movie theater, which suggests that she didn’t plan to get so carried away with the film when she took her seat.
Other moviegoers in the screening room soon alerted staff to the woman’s actions, and after she was taken away by the police, she was charged with public indecency.
A lot has been made of Fifty Shades Of Grey’s erotic scenes. Before the film hit cinemas, protests were organized by several religious groups who were prepared to be offended by the sexy melodrama, while the studio also made sure to release information that teased how much nudity the film actually possessed.
However, once the film was finally seen by critics and moviegoers, it soon became clear that Fifty Shades Of Grey was actually rather tame. Its erotic scenes, which featured Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson as Christian Grey and Ana Steele, were lambasted for being timid and far from sexy.
This isn’t the first time that there has been chaos at a recent screening at Fifty Shades Of Grey. During a showing of the film in Glasgow, a witness admitted that an almighty scuffle broke out which resulted in a group of women attacking a man with a glass. According to the Mirror, other drunk women were caught vomiting in the aisles too.
However, this hasn’t stopped Fifty Shades Of Grey from being hugely successful at the box office. Over its opening weekend, Fifty Shades Of Grey took in a ridiculously impressive $248.7 million across the world. In fact, this was even more than the $241.6 million that Avatar took in 2009, and James Cameron’s sci-fi epic eventually went on to become the highest grossing film of all time.
[Image via Starcasm]Bibles in court? Osceola judge criticized for offering religious book to defendants
Attorney calls Bibles for defendants in Osceola County Judge Hal Epperson Jr.'s courtroom'very troubling.'
The Bibles in Osceola County Judge Hal Epperson Jr.'s courtroom drew biting commentary from a local attorney in a recent survey, questioning whether the judge was endorsing one religion over others from the bench.
Some defendants who recently appeared in Osceola County criminal court were given the unusual option to pick up scripture alongside their court paperwork — in the form of Bibles made available by their judge.
"To, in open court, offer criminal defendants who, at his will, could serve years in jail any endorsement of any religion…erodes the trust of the justice system that those of differing faiths have," the attorney wrote in response to a survey by the Central Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
The attorney who voiced the complaint was not identified; comments released in the survey's results are anonymous.
Orange-Osceola Chief Judge Belvin Perry told the Orlando Sentinel on Friday that he had spoken to Epperson, and any practice the judge had of making Bibles available in his courtroom "is no longer in existence."
Perry said Epperson put "a small box" of paperback, New Testament Gideon Bibles on the table in his courtroom where defendants retrieve their paperwork after appearing before the judge.
"Basically, when that small box ran out, which is months ago, it was never replaced," Perry said. The chief judge said his understanding was that there "was no pressure or direction placed upon" the defendants who appeared in Epperson's courtroom to take a Bible with their court papers.
However, the attorney in the survey wrote Epperson "verbally" offered them, a practice the lawyer called "very troubling."
"A judge, like all people, is free to believe or not believe in any god they wish," the lawyer wrote. However, "a judge must not only be impartial, fair and even-handed... but they must also give the appearance of such."
Asked if it's appropriate for a judge to distribute Bibles to defendants, Perry replied: "As you know, we have a separation of church and state in this country."
Asked if that means no, Perry said: "I think the statement speaks for itself." He added that giving out non-court-related literature, "whether it's the Bible or Sports Illustrated, is something that we don't do."
Florida's Code of Judicial Conduct states that a judge "shall not, in the performance of judicial duties, by words or conduct manifest bias or prejudice, including but not limited to bias or prejudice based upon race, sex, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status."
Epperson did not respond to a request for comment through a courts spokeswoman.
"I think he listened to what I had to say and I think he fully understands the entire situation and we're moving on," Perry said.
Mathew Staver, founder and chairman of the Liberty Counsel, the Orlando-based conservative nonprofit legal group, said there is "nothing wrong with giving someone a Bible, depending on the context."Rainforest Trust is a US-based nonprofit environmental organization established December 8, 1988 in New York and focused on the purchase and protection of tropical lands to strategically conserve threatened species. Rainforest Trust was formerly known as World Land Trust-US and World Parks Endowment. In 2006, then World Parks Endowment affiliated itself with World Land Trust, a UK-based nonprofit environmental organization, and became World Land Trust-US, as both organizations were dedicated to minimizing their costs in order to allow donated funds to flow to real habitat conservation projects on the ground.[3] On September 16, 2013, as part of celebrating the organization's 25th anniversary, the World Land Trust-US changed its name to Rainforest Trust.[4]
Rainforest Trust supports the purchase of large tracts of land by local NGO's working across tropical Asia, Africa, and Latin America for the purposes of protecting it, in a fashion similar to the Nature Conservancy by making use of land trusts. The organization also seeks to help in-situ conservation measures by providing training, capital and equipment for environmental stewardship in economically impoverished areas.
Most acres are permanently protected for an average of less than $100 per acre. Since its founding, Rainforest Trust has saved and protected nearly 11,500,000 acres (47,000 km2) of tropical rainforest lands.
Current President Robert S. Ridgely is an expert on neotropical birds, on which he has published several books, is a longtime conservationist, and is the co-discoverer of the jocotoco antpitta. CEO Paul Salaman[5] is also a noted ornithologist and conservationist who has spent his life protecting the tropics. At 19 Paul discovered the choco vireo and sold the scientific naming rights for conservation purposes, raising $75,000. In 1998 Paul was a co-founder of Fundación ProAves in Colombia, one of the most effective conservation organizations in South America.
Project examples [ edit ]About 500 people gathered outside Obama's hotel, urging him to lift the ban on crude oil exports
OKLAHOMA CITY – The ban on crude oil exports needs to be lifted immediately so American producers can benefit as much as their foreign counterparts, a spokesman for the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association said earlier this week.
Cody Bannister, OIPA’s vice president of development and communications, was among an estimated 500 people who gathered across the street from the Sheraton Hotel Thursday in hopes President Barack Obama would see their friendly protest.
Obama made a two-day visit to Oklahoma this week, speaking to residents in southeastern Oklahoma about broadening high-speed Internet to low-income and rural areas. The president also paid a visit to the Federal Correctional Institution in El Reno as part of his criminal justice reform plans.
The ban on domestic crude oil has been in effect since the mid-1970s, and state oil producers are ready for a change in the business landscape.
“We want to show our president this is an important issue to us as Oklahomans and it should be to our nation as well. Oklahoma and the rest of the American producers are at a disadvantage to world producers,” Bannister said. “We have a constrained market. The world producers can put their product on the world market. Oklahoma and American producers can’t. It’s an antiquated law from the embargo days.”
Since the ban was initiated, technological advances in the oil industry have allowed companies to use horizontal drilling as way to enhance their profits and put more product on the American market.
“It (horizontal drilling) has unlocked the oil and gas that can be produced, but the federal mandate on no exports continues to hurt us,” Bannister said.
The price per barrel for foreign oil compared to American crude oil can be as much as $5-$6 a barrel. For instance, foreign crude oil sold for $57.73 per barrel on Thursday while the price for American crude oil was at $51.73. The difference in the two prices also has an impact on state financial coffers with Oklahoma losing as much as $4.5 million per month based on a 7 percent production tax.
“It’s not just the oil companies that are losing money. The state is losing and the royalty owners are losing out as well,” Bannister said.
According to Bannister, one of every $3 spent in Oklahoma is linked to the oil and gas industry and one of every six jobs has an industry connection.
Every major study, including a 2014 report by IHS, a global information company, concludes lifting the crude oil export ban can only benefit the country. The IHS study, titled “U.S. Crude Oil Export Decision: Assessing the Impact of the Export Ban and Free Trade on the U.S. Economy,” determined that lifting the ban could create further increases in domestic oil production, result in lower gasoline prices and support nearly one million additional jobs at its peak.
Specifically, the study found gasoline prices would drop an annual average of eight cents per gallon, resulting in a combined savings for U.S. motorists of $265 billion during the study period of 2016-2030. Lifting the ban would also lead to a total of $746 billion in additional investment during the study period, and an average of 1.2 million barrels per day more oil production per year, the study concluded.
A separate study found the U.S. economy could gain up to 300,000 jobs in 2020 when crude oil exports are allowed.
A bipartisan bill in the U.S. Senate was introduced in May asking the export ban be lifted. Sens. Jim Inhofe and James Lankford, both Republicans from Oklahoma, joined several other senators as co-sponsors of the Energy Supply and Distribution Act of 2015.
“When producers can export everything from gasoline to jet fuel, it only makes sense that unrefined products should be exported too,” Inhofe said. “This bill would help provide energy security for our allies in Europe and Asia, as well as support job creation in the United States by encouraging greater production. Leading studies also show that this policy change will lower gasoline prices at the pump. This is the right thing to do - both for ourselves and our allies abroad.”
The export ban was implemented in the 1970s when prices spiked. That wasn’t much of an issue for several decades since the U.S. was a major importer of oil and there wasn’t much of an opportunity for domestic drillers to export crude.
That scenario changed the last few years with a flood of crude oil production. Since then, the lobbying efforts of the oil industry have increased and it may have paid off. In June 2014, the U.S. Commerce Department granted waivers to several producers to export ultralight forms of oil known as condensate. The move only sparked more interest.
Many other companies applied for their own waivers and the Commerce Department approved them. In December 2014, the agency issued a clarification on what constitutes “condensate.” The move, in effect, gave the green light to export ultralight forms of oil that had undergone only minimal processing.Please enable Javascript to watch this video
DRAPER -- A former Davis High School teacher convicted of having sex with three students appeared before the parole board, seeking release from prison.
"I clearly lost sight of all my values and my principles and was seeking inappropriate means to address my own issues," Brianne Altice said during an emotional hearing on Tuesday. "Issues I'm very aware of now."
Altice, a former English teacher at Davis High, was convicted of three counts of forcible sex abuse, a second-degree felony. One of the victims was a 16-year-old student, whom Utah Board of Pardons and Parole Vice-Chairman Robert Yeates said she had encounters with in a church parking lot and during lunch hours.
Another relationship with a 17-year-old included sexual conduct in his home, Yeates said. A third relationship with another 17-year-old boy included encounters while she was out on bail and facing criminal charges for the other two.
"Did you grasp the gravity of this?" Yeates asked her.
"I do not believe I did," Altice said.
Altice blamed some of her actions on low self-esteem.
"They said this and that and made me feel good about myself so I justified everything," she said, adding: "There's no justification for it."
Since going to prison, Altice has completed a paralegal certificate and taken other classes. She has attended life skills courses and is in therapy. She will never be able to teach again, but had a job lined up at a legal service and her family was giving her housing once she is released from prison.
The victims of Altice's crimes did not appear at Tuesday's parole hearing. Two of them have filed lawsuits against her and the Davis School District.
Altice said she is taking responsibility for her actions.
"This was my doing," she cried. "This was no one else's fault but my own. This was not my ex-husband's fault, or the school's fault, or my students' fault. These were my poor, poor decisions. I'm very aware of it now and I am very remorseful. I regret the decisions I made that brought us here."
Sentencing guidelines call for Altice to serve a prison sentence up until January 2020. The Utah Board of Pardons and Parole said it would decide in the next month how long she actually serves.When Wilts Become Petals
The days at Beacon have become quite boring lately. Ruby and Weiss have slowly gotten used to each other. However, they do still tend to get on each other's nerves. Unfortunately, Weiss has come down with some illness and is forced to stay in bed. Ruby has volunteered to cover for her in all of her classes. Weiss, on the other hand, is hating her current lifestyle. Luckily, the second semester just started so there's no danger for her at the time. While she's in bed, she has a lot of time to think about her life and what's going on. The one thing she's been thinking about the most is how close her team has become. She's really glad that the problem at the end of the first semester is finally resolved. Despite Blake's background, Weiss is glad that she knows the truth now. It was 1:00pm now and Ruby returned from her classes.
"Hey Weiss, I'm home. How are you feeling?"
"I don't know. My body's constantly changing temperature. It's getting really uncomfortable. Do you know what's happening?"
"No. I've never seen anything like this before. Here, I'll make you some soup." Ruby walked over to their cooking station inside their room. While she was making soup, Weiss was constantly tossing and turning and Ruby was so afraid for her. When she finished, she walked back to Weiss' bed and handed her the soup. "How does your body feel right now?"
While eating her soup, "It's really cold." She took a few sips and handed Ruby the bowl. "I'm not that hungry." She pulled the blanket over her body and snuggled in.
"Hey, guess what?" Weiss groaned. "In you Huntress Offensive Arts class, there was no one to challenge. They had a couple mock battles today, but everyone said it wasn't the same without you. What do they mean by that?"
"I don't know. I guess I'm just a good person to battle."
"Has anybody beaten you before?"
"Ruby, can I just fall asleep?"
"Oh sorry." Weiss turned away from Ruby and faced the wall. "Weiss, everyone misses you in class. I miss you."
"I'm not dead yet."
"I know that. Well, I'm gonna go. |
phenomenon. But though Felix and Oscar notoriously inspired characters like Bert and Ernie, go back a bit further in history and you’ll find an even odder couple—one of the nation’s greatest raconteurs and a woman known for her inability to speak, hear, or see.
Helen Keller met Mark Twain when she was just 14 years old. By 1895, Samuel Clemens was in his fifties and had already achieved worldwide fame for his conversation, wit, and voluminous writing. In contrast, Helen was a teenager who had struggled to gain access to an education despite her physical disability (she was struck deaf and blind at 19 months after a brief illness). They met when a mutual friend held a luncheon for Helen, who was studying at the Wright-Humason School for the Deaf in New York.
Mark Twain and Helen Keller’s unusual friendship
“From that day until his death we were friends,” Keller recalled later. She was already a fan of his work and thrilled to his deep voice and his many hand gestures, which she followed with her own fingertips. He also treated her like an equal, “not as a freak but as a handicapped woman seeking a way to circumvent extraordinary difficulties.”
Though Helen hailed from a respectable Southern family, 19th-century America was flummoxed by the prospect of teaching a deaf-blind girl to talk, read, and learn. Helen’s tutor and governess, Annie Sullivan, fought for her admission to various schools that offered special education. But the cost of educating someone like Helen was high. Amy Chambliss writes that a charmed Clemens wrote to a rich friend on her behalf:
It won’t do for America to allow this marvelous child to retire from her studies because of poverty. If she can go on with them she will make a fame that will endure in history for centuries. Along her special illness she is the most extraordinary product of all the ages…lay siege to your husband & get him to interest himself and Messrs. John D. & William Rockefeller & the other Standard Oil chiefs in Helen’s case; get them to subscribe an annual aggregate of six or seven hundred or a thousand dollars- & agree to continue this for three or four years, until she has completed her college course….
With the support of Standard Oil, Helen was able to complete her education and graduate cum laude from Harvard’s Radcliffe College. Clemens and Keller remained friends for the rest of his life. They shared an interest in radical politics and a love for life despite their different temperaments. Helen, an avowed optimist, often made fun of Clemens for his avowed pessimism, telling him she didn’t believe a word of his sardonic jokes. As for Clemens, Chambliss writes that he felt she was one of the most important historical figures of all time, “the most wondrous person of her sex that has existed on this earth since Joan of Arc.”
The unlikely friendship lasted until Clemens’ death in 1910. Keller went on to become a world-famous personality and even a successful diplomat—perhaps the most famous American since her odd friend and mentor.Micro Machines World Series Platforms: PC | PS4 | XBO |
Developer: Codemasters
Publisher: Deep Silver
Release: June 30, 2017
Codemasters has been associated with the Micro Machines license longer than many modern-day gamers have been alive. Since 1991, they have created some of the most enjoyable multiplayer-focused racing games that have spawned countless imitators. Digital storefronts are littered with toy car-based games that take you around tracks inspired by real parts of a house — but none of them have had the polish or charm of a Micro Machines game. Over the past 25 years, the beloved tiny toy car brand has not only been something that kids craved as toy fans, but also something that gamers could count on for a quality racing game.
The original game stood out because it was incredibly addictive and used real-life environments, which was unusual at the time. It was essentially a kid’s dream game for kids since it let you race a variety of vehicles against one another and do so in settings that every kid had at least interacted with at some point in their lives. The Sega Genesis classic has stood the test of time nicely, as has its PS1 follow-up from 20 years ago. The most recent game like this was Toybox Turbos, which offered up the same kind of thrills, only without the Micro Machines license. It was a fine test of the waters, and with solid marks, World Series looks to continue a longtime racing tradition for a whole new generation of players.
World Series offers up a healthy amount of variety in a well-crafted package. You have traditional races with weapons, a battle mode, a battle mode with a bit of territory capturing akin to point control in an FPS, and a race mode where the first person to be run off the road by the ever-moving screen gets taken out for a round. Everything uses the same core racing mechanics, but blends them in different ways to keep things fresh. It’s a bit strange playing a Micro Machines game with a more modern trigger setup for acceleration and braking, but it does feel natural and adds more nuance to the controls. Before, without analog control, you went one speed and you couldn’t really perfect your positioning with much ease. Now, you can — at least in theory.
One downside to the all-analog controls, from the gas and brake to vehicle movement, is that your momentum feels far different here than in any prior Micro Machines games. Controls are much twitchier and you have to be far more deliberate in your movements to succeed. If you want to take a tight corner, you need to do so carefully to avoid oversteering — which everyone who plays this will do for at least a little while. After about half an hour to an hour, you should get used to this to some degree and do far better in every kind of competition. The ones with increased tension are your greatest tests, because the basic racers are something that every player is going to be the most used to.
With races, all you have to worry about is preventing oversteer and avoiding weapons. None of the in-game weapons are Blue Shell-level of cheap, but some like the mallet will have you keeping a safe distance at all times whenever possible. Knowing that a weapon could take you from first to last place in an instant ensures that you pay attention to the track, your positioning, and teaches you to play conservatively. Sometimes, the path to first is to stay in the back of the pack and let everyone else either make a mistake or take each other with weapons. It is a risky approach, but one that should at least ensure a podium finish if not a first place finish.
The battle modes up the ante with an emphasis on weapons, but actually require far more precision than event the races. Because they are more combat-focused and change your loadout, you need to be able to both drive accurately and know when to stop and just spin around to attack enemies. Having things like a homing shot as an option makes things a bit easier — but won’t do as well as a direct shotgun blast on its own. Whether you’re fighting to be the last man standing or gain control of the most turf, you will have to learn how to balance driving and shooting to excel.
The game’s robust mode selection is playable online and is a ton of fun either locally or online. It’s a blast to just destroy friends (not so much to have them cuss you out there) and no matter how much time passes, no one can stand having a toy destroyed — even if it’s just a virtual representation of one. The hyper-competitive nature of the game brings out the best in online players more often than not and it feels great to have a game that mixes kid-friendly content with adult-level gameplay online instead of having something with an all-ages appeal that winds up pandering to just kids. The track selection here works fine for kids, while the little background things like GI and Hasbro toys will make the late-’20s and 30-somethings playing it for a nostalgia kick happy.
Visually, World Series is far more good than bad. The cars themselves look good, with the environments usually looking incredible. Between the high-resolution texture work and best in class depth of field work, this is an impressive game to look at more often than not. Some issues do crop up when it comes to those textures not loading in instantly — resulting in a muddy mess that is a bit of an eyesore. Hopefully, this is something that can be patched out soon enough because it’s a fairly noteworthy blemish on an otherwise impressive-looking game. The depth of field work here is honestly amazing given that this is a licensed game and yet you have all sorts of lens blurring effects to show fast motion and make the track parts you fly away from look that much further away. It’s incredible to see in real-time and is something that more action-oriented racing games could learn from.
World Series offers a satisfying mix of weapons to use, and they tend to sound really good. The smooshing effect of the mallet is replicated perfectly thanks to the sound effects, while things like the pellet gun feel as puny as they should. The roar of the cars themselves is nothing special, but with the premise being that these are basically barely-powered tiny toys, that also works. The music could definitely stand to be better though. It’s fun and cheery enough and fits the settings, but doesn’t stick with you while playing — let alone remain something that is stuck in your head after a long play session.
Closing Comments:
Micro Machines World Series is a great buy for anyone who enjoyed prior entries in the series or simply wants a great racing game that the whole family can enjoy. If you grew up in the early ’90s or just have an affinity for the license, it does it justice and delivers a rock-solid racing experience as well. Its mode selection is impressive and there’s always something to do if you’re tired of racing. Each battle mode mixes things up in interesting ways, while the elimination race keeps you on your A game at all times. While the soundtrack is forgettable, World Series is a visual treat thanks to some impressive texture work along with an impressive depth of field.Den Kroolong got the jolting news in a 6am phone call at his home in northern Thailand one day in December last year. His boat had disappeared. Being an experienced fisherman, he had left it tied up securely on the banks of the Mekong River, a few minutes’ drive away.
But now a friend was calling to say something extraordinary had happened overnight to the river, which separates this part of Thailand from neighbouring Laos. It had suddenly become engorged by muddy, debris-filled flood waters and had risen by several metres. This was peculiar because December is in the region’s dry season, when the Mekong is normally so placid and low that people grow vegetables along its banks for cash and paddle off the sandy beaches that emerge on its shores.
Kroolong, a 53-year-old grandfather who started fishing on the Mekong when he was nine, was shocked by what he saw when he reached the river. “It was the first time in my life I had ever seen anything like it,” he said one steamy day in April when he took me down to the banks to explain what had happened.
Everything along the banks had been hit. Riverside crops of tomatoes and cabbage were swept away. Fish farms were wrecked. Boats were sunk, battered and, like Kroolong’s craft, carried off by the surging waters. He and a friend jumped into another boat and sped down the river to see if they could find the missing vessel, steering frantically to dodge the tree branches and rubbish being swept along the swirling water.
A few hours later, they discovered that villagers on the Laos side of the river had picked up his boat. “I told them, ‘This is my boat. I want it back’,” said Kroolong.
“They said, ‘If you want it you have to pay 15,000 baht’.” That was about $460, a large sum for a man who had been making around $6 a day selling the fish he pulled from the river. Convinced the police would be no help, Kroolong left his boat behind, along with a way of life.
He had to take a job as a security guard at a nearby hospital, where he has had time to think about why the river suddenly turned into a swollen torrent that day. “It might have been raining up north,” he said, staring out at the huge stretch of water flowing quietly beside us. “Or it might have been the Chinese dams.”
The dams China has built hundreds of miles upstream from Kroolong’s home are what brought me to the Mekong, one of the world’s mightiest waterways. The river is so long that if it were in the US, it would stretch all the way from Los Angeles across to New York. It starts off high in the snowy peaks of the Tibetan plateau before plunging down through the mountains of China’s southern Yunnan province towards Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and finally Vietnam, where it pours into the South China Sea. Just under half the river’s length is in China, which first started damming it in Yunnan more than 20 years ago.
The early dams were large but nothing like two enormous, newer ones. The Xiaowan, completed nearly four years ago, is one of China’s biggest hydropower projects after Three Gorges on the Yangtze River, with a wall almost as high as the Eiffel Tower and a reservoir that can hold 15 billion cubic metres of water. It is dwarfed in volume, though not quite height, by the newer Nuozhadu dam, which can store 22.7 billion cubic metres of water. Together, the pair can hold enough to drown an area the size of London in water 24 metres deep.
There have long been odd stories about the impact these two dams might be having on the countries further south, where people have blamed them for everything from drought to a drop-off in fish catches. But what emerged from my visit to the Mekong, as I followed the story of the floods that took Den Kroolong’s boat, was even stranger – a cautionary tale about the world’s newest superpower, and about water, a resource under mounting pressure.
People have always fought over water. The word “rival” comes from the Latin rivalis, or someone using the same stream as another. But conflict is a rising concern today as the United Nations warns that demand for fresh water is on track to outstrip supply by as much as 40 per cent within 16 years. That means co-operation between countries sharing the same river is likely to become even more imperative. Collaboration has long been difficult along the Mekong, where countries are recovering from years of bitter conflict. Now, it seems even more distant as the economic gap between those nations widens.
On one side there is China, an economic giant that is home to nearly 40 major rivers running through more than a dozen neighbours and has a dazzling capacity to tame its waterways. Since the 1950s, a small army of trained hydro-engineers, including former president Hu Jintao and former premier Li Peng, has blocked, straightened and diverted its rivers as part of an accelerating industrialisation drive that has turned China into the world’s second-largest economy and lifted more than 500m people out of poverty.
Because China has nearly 20 per cent of the world’s people but only about 6 per cent of its fresh water, it sometimes wants to simply shift water to where it isn’t. Hence its immense south-north diversion scheme to transfer huge volumes of water from wetter to drier regions. At the same time, its hunger for electricity has made China a hydropower dam builder like no other, with an estimated 22,000 large dams, almost half the global total.
As its cities choke on coal-fired power plants, China has put even more dams on the drawing board, including some in Yunnan, part of another bold engineering effort to transfer electricity to power-hungry factories hundreds of kilometres further east.
But downstream lie five southeast Asian countries where poverty and unemployment are still widespread and Chinese investment is important. The Mekong is a gigantic fish factory and crop irrigator that acts as an economic lifeline for tens of millions of people in these countries. People here eat around 46kg of fish a year, nearly double the global average. Half of Vietnam’s rice crop comes from the Mekong Delta.
That is why China’s dams have been regarded with such concern. Even middling-sized dams create well-documented problems on a river. They block fish from migrating to their spawning grounds and, by releasing water in bursts, scour riverbeds and disrupt fish breeding patterns. They also trap nutrient-rich silt that is needed to keep downstream deltas fertile and stop them eroding away. Years of conflict along the Mekong have made it hard to collect long-term records that could help measure the impact of China’s dams but studies show that fish catch rates and species numbers have declined in parts of the river since 2007.
The Lower Mekong countries’ dependence on the river is likely to intensify as some start building their own large hydropower dams, which will rely on predictable water flows from Yunnan.
International strategic experts say that all adds up to a worrying situation in a region now confronting fresh tensions as China and nearby countries make territorial claims to islands in the South China Sea. “It’s right up there with the South China Sea as a longer-term threat to peace and stability in the region,” says Richard Cronin of the Stimson Center, an international security think-tank in Washington DC.
If China fails to release enough water during the dry season, most of the new downstream dams will struggle to generate power at that time of the year, he says. And considering China’s own water shortages, it is possible Beijing could decide to prioritise water over energy production and withhold some of the flow for its use.
The situation is exacerbated by China’s deep reluctance to share information about the dams. According to several academics I spoke to, Chinese scholars studying the Yunnan dams treat their data as a state secret. Journalists reporting for foreign newspapers have been detained while trying to see them. One who tried to see the Xiaowan dam in 2010 told me that even Chinese people had to show proof of identity before being allowed near the site.
China has also been reluctant to negotiate the use of its rivers. The world has plenty of examples of countries figuring out treaties and agreements to manage shared waterways, says Peter Gleick, a global water conflict expert who runs California’s Pacific Institute, an environmental think-tank with a database of water disputes dating back 5,000 years. “But in the Mekong we have a situation where one party has a very strong history of acting unilaterally,” he says. China was one of just three nations to vote against the UN’s 1997 treaty governing shared international rivers and has never agreed to negotiate joint management of the Mekong.
This means that getting timely information about how much water China is withholding or releasing from its massive dams is far from straightforward, which quickly became apparent from an attempt to find out what really caused the December floods on the Mekong.
…
The spot in northern Thailand where Kroolong’s boat disappeared in December is in Bueng Kan province, a little over halfway down the length of the Mekong. It took a flight from Bangkok and a three-hour drive to get there, and it was not quite what I was expecting from a river that has always seemed faintly mythical, a haunting backdrop to the Vietnam war, and home to exotic creatures such as the Mekong giant catfish, which can weigh as much as a cow.
It’s right up there with the South China Sea as a longer-term threat to peace and stability in the region
It was the middle of the day. The heat was unbearable. Vicious biting ants attacked my ankles. There was no sign of jungles or giant catfish, just Thai villagers sheltering quietly from the hammering sun under any available shade as the huge brown river flowed by, separating us by several kilometres from the hills of Laos on the other side.
It did not take long to meet more people who had been affected by the Mekong’s odd behaviour in December and most had little doubt about the cause. Just up from where Kroolong’s boat disappeared, Ladda T-horkham, a weathered grandmother, had put in a new crop of tomatoes, garlic and spring onions on the river’s banks before the waters rose. Half her plants were washed away and though she tried to grow more, it was so late in the season the new crop did not do as well. The traders who used to buy from her stopped coming, she said, forcing her on to a bike to sell the vegetables herself.
When we met at her house nearby, she said she thought she knew what had happened: “I heard they released water from the Chinese dams.”
A few hours’ drive further downstream, a line of sun-bleached branches and debris high above the water’s edge still marked the level that the Mekong reached in December. There, several fishermen said they had lost nets and engines in flooding they thought must have been caused by a release of water from China’s dams. “I wouldn’t mind so much but they should have given us some warning,” said Rut Nuamnuan, who added that the surge cost him more than Bt3,000 in damages and lost income after his engine and boat were damaged.
In just four Thai provinces alone, the sudden December flooding caused at least Bt7m worth of damage, or around $220,000, according to Towards Ecological Recovery and Regional Alliance, a Thai environmental organisation that spent weeks interviewing villagers about the incident. The total cost of the damage all along the river was undoubtedly greater but even that is a weak reflection of how people’s lives were affected by an event the group’s co-director, Srisuwan Kuankachorn, suspects was connected to the dams.
More troubling, he said, was the fact that China had said nothing public about the flooding. “It’s a mess. China will have to learn how to be more responsible and transparent in how it treats its neighbours if it wants to be seen as a civilised superpower,” he said.
…
The people who should have known most about what happened are the officials in the Mekong River Commission, a body set up in 1995 to co-ordinate the shared use of the river. Its executive office is in a grand building on the Mekong’s banks in Vientiane, the quiet capital of Laos, one of the world’s few remaining communist states.
Together, the two new dams can hold enough to drown an area the size of London in water 24 metres deep
It took a long drive along the Mekong to get there, followed by a short trip in a bus filled with backpackers across a bridge that spans the river between Thailand and Laos. The Mekong looks spectacular here. At sundown, people sit on its banks and gaze at the sun as it turns into a bright red circle that casts a stream of light down the river’s length before sinking out of sight.
Within sight of the commission building, however, memories of what had happened in December were still fresh. I met a married couple, Davon and Soonton Chanthabouly, in a simple wooden hut on the riverbank, where they had just put in a crop of peanuts worth about 350,000 kip (just over $40) before the river surged. “Nothing like that had ever happened before,” said Davon, adding she was not as upset about the lost money as she was about the week of work it had taken to plant the crop.
Inside the Mekong River Commission itself, Hans Guttman, the Swedish development expert who has been its chief executive since 2011, was as mystified as Chanthabouly about what had happened. “I came into the office and wondered why there was a lake in front of it,” he said as we sat in his large office overlooking the Mekong with senior commission officials. “It was like a flash flood,” said the commission’s international technical adviser, Simon Krohn.
A rise that sudden had not been seen at that time of the year in 50 years and, like the villagers in northern Thailand, Guttman’s first thought turned to China. “We worked on trying to sort out whether it was a release from the Chinese dams,” he said.
As it turned out, however, satellite images showed there had been torrential rains in southern China and northern Laos, where some areas had more than 120 millimetres of rain in just two days.
The commission therefore made a preliminary analysis that rain had caused the unusual flooding, not water released from China’s dams. But it still wanted to know what had been happening at the dams and finding out is far from straightforward.
Commission officials cannot simply pick up the phone and call the operators of the Yunnan dams. They may glean information at ad hoc meetings with Chinese officials but the established line of communication requires them to put a formal request to Beijing through China’s representative in a body based in Bangkok called Unescap, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the UN’s regional development arm.
I came into the office and wondered why there was a lake in front of it
It would be different if China were a member of the Mekong River Commission, which one might think it would be, given that 44 per cent of the river’s course is in China. But only Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam are full members. If China joined, it would have to share information about the river’s management.
Instead, it is a “dialogue partner” that gives out data during the wet season, to help downstream countries manage flooding, but not in the dry season except in exceptional circumstances, such as a 2010 drought that sparked angry accusations that China was hoarding water to fill its recently completed Xiaowan dam. Beijing did eventually release data that year showing Yunnan province had also been hit by drought, leading Mekong River Commission officials to conclude the dams were not exacerbating the problem.
But damaging floods in the dry season, like those in December, are a new phenomenon, one some officials think could be part of a “new normal” for the river, which is likely to have lower levels in the wet season and higher ones in the dry period as China stores and releases water for the dams.
Guttman said he first broached the flooding with China through Unescap in January and he was still awaiting a formal response when we met in April. By then, however, he was trying to understand another oddity on the Mekong that had happened in February. The river’s levels had suddenly fallen by a metre in some parts, again without warning, and then risen fast to much higher levels than had ever been recorded for that time of year.
This time, there had been no rain and the MRC concluded the dams might have been to blame. “Our guess is that there was some halt in the production of electricity, or a halt in dam operation for some reason,” said Guttman. “There have been some claims made on Facebook that there were some repairs needed somewhere but we have difficulties in following up on that.”
A delegation of Chinese officials who visited the MRC’s Phnom Penh offices in March provided figures showing there had been no unusually big discharge of water from the Chinese dams in December and other data suggesting the flooding had been caused by very high rainfall. But they offered no explanation for the strange February fluctuations, the commission said.
The commission later sent a letter through Unescap in May, formally seeking information about both the December and February changes but Beijing’s response to that would prove even more baffling.
The countries in south-east Asia are small countries. They’re too fearful to talk about China
It is one thing for Mekong River Commission officials to be pondering Facebook for clues about China’s dams but it would seem odd if an independent and relatively wealthy country such as Thailand had so much trouble getting information. To find out, I took a flight down to Bangkok, which was already under strain from the political crisis that would erupt into a military coup several weeks later.
Protesters and army checkpoints choked streets around the city but it was calm inside the country’s department of water resources, where deputy director Chaiporn Siripornpibul was sitting in an office surrounded by graphs and diagrams charting the Mekong’s odd behaviour.
His records also showed there had been extremely heavy downpours before the river rose in December. But had such torrential rain ever caused the river to swell as rapidly as it did in December? “Not like this,” he said, adding he still thought the rain, not China’s dams, must have caused the flooding that month.
He had asked the Mekong River Commission to see if it could get more information from China about the curious fluctuations in the river’s levels, and was still waiting to hear back. Could he not just make a phone call to China and get the information himself? “Ah,” he said, with an apologetic smile. “That’s not easy.”
Officials in downstream Mekong countries are sometimes reluctant to criticise China’s dams, according to Brahma Chellaney, an Indian professor who has written extensively about the threat to regional stability posed by what he calls China’s “hydro-supremacy”. “The countries in southeast Asia, they’re all small countries. They’re too fearful to talk about China,” he said.
…
At this point, it still seemed possible that answers could be found a five-hour flight away in Beijing, where the Huaneng group, the sprawling state-owned company behind the Xiaowan and Nuozhadu dams, has its headquarters. The city was blanketed in a white haze of bad air, a sign of the coal plant pollution that is spurring China to get more of its energy from smokeless hydropower dams. A spokesman at Huaneng referred questions about the Yunnan dams’ operations to the ministry for water resources, saying it was the body that determined the amount of water discharged from the projects.
The ministry said it could not make anyone available during the week I was in Beijing. But it subsequently sent several documents about the dams, including an April speech by a senior water ministry official who said China used as little as 7 to 8 per cent of the hydropower potential of its trans-boundary rivers, which was far less than that in its inland rivers, or indeed that in large rivers in other countries. As well, it did careful environmental impact assessments on its dams to make sure they were “ecologically safe and environmentally friendly, causing no marked impacts on the neighbouring countries”.
China needs a new PR person. There’s no rational explanation for not sharing the data
Another paper said the Mekong dams benefited downstream countries because their “scientific regulation” of the river meant its flow could be reduced by 30 per cent during the wet season, when flooding was a problem, and increased by up to 70 per cent during the dry season, to help in drought conditions. This had already prevented drought in downstream countries in 2013, the ministry said. Not only were the dams therefore beneficial, the paper said, but they should not be blamed for any problems downstream because only 13.5 per cent of the water that flows into the Mekong comes from China.
This is misleading “nonsense”, according to Mekong experts such as Milton Osborne of Australia’s Lowy Institute think-tank, who says that during the dry season as much as 40 per cent of the river’s water as far south as Vientiane comes from China.
But what of the strange December flooding on the Mekong that caused so much damage downstream? The water ministry sent a separate written response about this, saying it was definitely due to torrential rains and not its dams, which had operated normally. This fact had been communicated “comprehensively and effectively” to the Mekong River Commission, it said, noting the delegation that had discussed the event with the commission in March. As for the river’s odd changes in February, a ministry official said it would take some time to supply an answer and it would be best to discuss it later.
Last week, as this article was being prepared for publication, I asked the commission if it had heard anything more about its official request in May for data about the December and February fluctuations. A spokesman said “China suggested that the request be tabled for formal discussion” in late August when the MRC was due to meet with Chinese officials in Phnom Penh.
So what is one to believe? How could the commission still be waiting for information in July about events that had happened more than five months earlier? Could it all be a misunderstanding, a case of simple miscommunication? It was tempting to think it might be, except for one thing. Towards the end of one of its statements, the ministry said this: “China’s current dialogue and communication channels with the commission are unimpeded, pragmatic and highly effective.” If one thing is certain, it is that China’s communications about its dams are anything but effective, let alone unimpeded.
This has long perplexed experts who follow its dam construction closely. “I’m the last person you would go to to find a China-basher,” says Professor Darrin Magee, a US academic who has spent years studying Chinese dams. “But in this case they need a new PR person. There’s no rational explanation for not sharing some of the data if indeed these dams are having as little impact as they claim they are.”
That sharing seems unlikely any time soon, given what has just happened on the Mekong. And it is this, more than anything, which makes China’s dams such a concern, for the future of the river and for the millions of people who depend on it.
——————————————-
Pilita Clark is the FT’s environment correspondent. This report is part of the FT’s ‘A world without water’ series
Photographs: Bakas Algirdas; Imagine China
——————————————-
Letter in response to this article:
Missed chance for the Mekong river / From Mr Anthony F GriffithsPHOENIX, AZ -- On Monday at a quarter past noon, local lawyers will convene on the Central Courthouse steps to demonstrate against Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas, the chief prosecutor of the fourth most populous county in the country.
Thomas, along with Sheriff Joe Arpaio, filed a suit against nearly all of his political foes and indicted a handful on criminal charges. Arpaio is the famous Arizona sheriff known as "America's Toughest Sheriff" for his hard-nosed stance against immigration lawbreakers and his tent-based jails. He and Thomas have worked hand-in-hand to curb illegal immigration and human trafficking, which has earned them staunch enemies and allies.
Thomas and Arpaio allege that much of the county government, including the judiciary system, is mired in corruption and conspiracy. The inclusion of local judges in the RICO suit, criminal investigations, and indictments made national headlines and earned sharp rebukes from many usual allies of Thomas and Arpaio.
Lawyers coordinating Monday's demonstration want to be clear, "We are not a group of political opponents." The protest was sparked, they say, by the persecution of local judges. Shawn Aiken, a lawyer helping coordinate the demonstration, explains in an email to HuffPost that many in the legal community believe the sanctity and independence of the judiciary is at stake:
The issue has become this: may the county attorney file a criminal complaint against a judge for having issued routine, conventional rulings? We have seen attacks against judges before, over many years, in this country -- Judge Carl Muecke, for example, and others have been targets here in Arizona -- for nothing more than having done their (important) job. But Mr. Thomas has now taken (as far as I know) an unprecedented step in filing this felony complaint against Judge Donahoe.
The Arizona Republic Editorial Board, who has penned several editorials on the situation, wrote this week, "If Thomas and Arpaio are wrong about the existence of such a massive conspiracy, they are themselves guilty of an assault on the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law in Maricopa County."
Defense lawyers have begun filing motions to disqualify the Maricopa County Attorney's Office from prosecuting cases on the grounds that a conflict of interest exists when a judge hearing a case could be under investigation by the office prosecuting the case. Defense attorneys argue that judges could be afraid to rule against Thomas for fear they, too, could be implicated. Some legal observers fear convictions could later be overturned based on the appearance of a conflict of interest.
"Some judges are afraid," Denise Quinterri, a local defense attorney who is in the process of filing charges against Thomas with the Bar, told HuffPost, "Let's face it, who wouldn't be? This adds an entirely unfair burden to their already difficult job. The public smearing of the judiciary causes a lack of faith in the system which hurts the entire county, the state, and perhaps this country."
According to the Quinterri, Aiken, and other lawyers organizing the protest, Thomas has violated legal ethical rules when he included Judge Gary Donahoe and Judge Barbara Mundell in the RICO suit and filed felony charges against Donahoe.
Under the bleating headline, "Is there no one who will stand up to Thomas, Arpaio?" the Arizona Republic Editorial Board pleaded this week for the governor and attorney general to step in, calling Arpaio "the Toughest Backwater Sheriff in America" and calling the pair "bullies with badges." The Board opined that Arpaio and Thomas "have decided to leverage their political popularity - which is to say, Joe Arpaio's electoral popularity - against the institutional strength of their opponents."
Lawyers coordinating the protest contend that Thomas should have followed protocol by filing appeals through the judicial system or filing a conduct complaint and waiting for the result, "If he is unsuccessful, then he should either accept that or investigate further and prepare better pleadings or charges," says Quinterri, "Thomas instead continues to escalate matters in the press, which is contrary to his ethical requirements and driven solely by his political ambitions."
Aiken contends Thomas's actions have serious implications for the judiciary,
There seems little need to overstate the case: the independence of the judiciary in Maricopa County is at stake here. Judges cannot defend their rulings, themselves, or the system in the public forum. Lawyers have always come to the defense of the judiciary and our court system. We took an oath to do so. We must do it now. No one else will.
"Justice cannot function in this chaos," Quinterri says, "for one practical example, the condoning of the deputy sheriffs not bringing the prisoners into court, calling in sick, etc., causes breakdowns in a system already burdened by the economy. The attacks and'strikes' on various judges causes shifting around inside the court and re-calendaring and delay."
Arpaio and Thomas have not been deterred by the growing clamor of criticism within the local community or the legal community. Last weekend, Arpaio's deputies showed up at the homes of low- and mid-level county and court employees to interrogate them. Tuesday, they showed up at the homes of Superior Court judges' assistants, which one judge characterized as "pure intimidation." The Mar |
ungen entsprechen werde.
Insbesondere hat der Kläger nach Auffassung des OVG nicht klar aufgezeigt, dass sich die Entlassung nicht im Rahmen des dem Dienstherrn eröffneten Beurteilungspielraumes hält. Der ehemalige Zeitsoldat machte geltend, dass ein deutscher Soldat nicht nur deshalb entlassen werden könne, wenn er die Gesellschaftsordnung Saudi-Arabiens als vorbildlich darstelle. Die Annahme, dass er überhaupt Salafist sei, sei nicht substantiiert - genauso wenig wie die generelle Annahme, ein Salafist könne grundsätzlich nicht auf dem Boden der freiheitlich demokratischen Grundordnung stehen.
Dieser entgegengebrachten Auffassung folgte das OVG nicht. Der Kläger habe insbesondere die Fakten, auf deren Grundlage ihn das VG Aachen als gefestigten Salafisten eingeordnet hatte, nicht durchgreifend in Frage gestellt.
ms/LTO-RedaktionOct 28 (Reuters) - U.S. nuclear regulators are investigating a leak of uranium hexafluoride that occurred on Sunday at an Illinois plant operated by Honeywell International Inc where union workers have been locked out.
Honeywell confirmed the Sunday evening leak at its Metropolis, Illinois plant, saying it was due to an equipment failure. There were no injuries and no reason to believe anyone was endangered by the leak, according to Honeywell.
An inspector from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission started an investigation at the plant on Tuesday, said NRC spokesman Roger Hannah.
“At this point we’re still in a fact-finding mode,” Hannah said. “We haven’t come to any conclusions about whether processes weren’t followed.” He said the investigation could take a few days to a week.
Honeywell’s Metropolis plant is the only U.S. facility that converts uranium oxide into to uranium hexafluoride, or UF6, which is then enriched to be used as fuel in nuclear power plants.
Uranium hexafluoride is radioactive, and if released into the air can be chemically toxic.
Honeywell workers on the site followed all emergency procedures and plant safety systems performed as designed, company spokesman Peter Dalpe said.
For example, water mitigation systems sprayed into the air after the leak to knock down and contain the substance, Dalpe said.
“There were no injuries and no indication that any UF6 material left the site,” Dalpe said in an emailed statement.
About 135 members of United Steelworkers Local 7-669 have been locked out of the plant since the start of August, after a three-year contract expired.
Honeywell continued to operate the plant after the lockout, with the remaining roughly 135 plant employees who are non-union, as well as with contingent workers.
John Smith, a spokesman for USW Local 7-669, said it was hard to speculate what might have been different had the union’s workers been back at the plant. “But I definitely know that our members have a lot more experience than the people running the plant right now,” Smith said. (Reporting by Lewis Krauskopf; Editing by Nick Zieminski)Image courtesy of OSEN
It is currently being reported that BIGBANG member T.O.P is in critical condition.
This morning, T.O.P was reportedly found unconscious and was rushed to an emergency room in Seoul. At around 5pm, he was moved to the intensive care unit, and has apparently not regained consciousness yet.
A source close to T.O.P has told the media, “The examination results have not come out yet, but it is suspected that he may have overdosed. He was having a very hard time with all of the recent issues surrounding him, and it seems that the stress got to him.”
YG Entertainment has just made a brief statement on the issue saying, “T.O.P is currently in the ICU. He is under intensive care right now.”
YG also confirmed that T.O.P’s mother is with him at the hospital.
moonROK will continue to keep you updated on the situation as more details are made available.
[UPDATE 1]
YG Entertainment has just confirmed that T.O.P is indeed being treated for an overdose. A representative from the agency has just told the media, “T.O.P was taken to the emergency room for an overdose of medication. He was moved to the intensive care unit and is receiving treatment there with his mother at his side.”
[UPDATE 2]
As of 6:45pm KST, YG Entertainment has confirmed that T.O.P has not yet regained consciousness yet.
[UPDATE 3]
More information regarding T.O.P’s overdose has just been revealed by the Seoul police. According to the police, at 11:30am this morning, T.O.P was found unconscious at the Seoul Police Department’s 4th precinct and was rushed to the emergency room. The soldiers in T.O.P’s division saw him sleeping and tried to wake him up, but could not. A representative from the Seoul police also stated, “It appears that T.O.P took more than his prescribed dosage of his anti-anxiety medicine.”
The BIGBANG member has admitted to suffering extreme depression and anxiety disorder in the past, making it possible that he was prescribed any combination of anti-depressants, anti-anxiety, and possibly sleeping pills. T.O.P has in fact mentioned publicly that he has been prescribed nervous stabilizers meant to treaty anxiety, mental breakdowns, and insomnia. This combined with the police officer’s statement are leading many to speculate that T.O.P may have taken more than his normal dosage of his prescribed medication.
[UPDATE 4]
It appears that as of 7:35pm, T.O.P may have regained consciousness. Though YG has yet to make a statement, multiple media outlets in Korea are reporting that the BIGBANG member has woken up. YG is sure to make a statement any minute, so stick around for confirmation on T.O.P’s current status.
[UPDATE 5]
According to more articles posted at 7:45 pm KST, a source reportedly close to T.O.P has just responded to the reports that T.O.P has regained consciousness, and has stated that those reports are not true. The source told the media, “It is being said by some that T.O.P has regained consciousness, but he is still unconscious in the ICU.”
Again, YG Entertainment has not made an official statement regarding T.O.P’s state of consciousness since a little over an hour ago. We will continue to bring you updates as they are released by credible news outlets in Korea.
[UPDATE 6]
At approximately 8:25pm KST, an article was published quoting a representative from YG Entertainment who confirmed that T.O.P is still in the intensive care unit and stated that there are no updates regarding T.O.P’s state of consciousness. An official representative from YG just told the media, “We are not sure as to whether he has regained consciousness. We have not received any updates as to the progress of the situation yet. We are trying to understand the situation.”
According to multiple media outlets, as of 8:50pm KST sources close to T.O.P have confirmed that the BIGBANG member still has not regained consciousness. A representative for T.O.P told the media just now, “T.O.P is still unconscious.” The sources also confirmed that the earlier reports stating that T.O.P had regained consciousness were untrue.Meanwhile, multiple press outlets are continually publishing up-to-the-minute pictures showing T.O.P’s birth name, Choi Seung Hyun, written on the board in the hospital waiting room showing that he is still occupying a room in the ICU. The picture below was published just five minutes ago, at 9:20pm KST.[Photos of T.O.P's Emergency room deleted]One news source went so far as to track down T.O.P’s aunt, who said that while she knew he was on medication for panic order and depression, she didn’t know what kind of medication it was. His aunt also stated that T.O.P’s mother spoke with him on the phone yesterday, and at the time he said he was doing fine.The sources close to T.O.P were also quoted saying that it’s likely he’ll have to spend another day or two in the hospital. YG’s last statement was made about an hour ago at 8:25pm KST confirming that T.O.P is still unconscious. We will continue to keep you updated as official details are made available.The Seoul Metropolitan Police have just made a statement regarding T.O.P’s current condition. According their statement, T.O.P’s current state is not as severe as the Korean media has made it seem. A representative from the Seoul Metropolitan Police has just stated, “Yesterday T.O.P was waiting at his platoon headquarters when he took his usual medication prescribed for anxiety and insomnia at 10pm. This morning at 7:30am, he was fast asleep and when we tried to wake him up for breakfast, his eyes opened for a second before falling back asleep, so we just thought he was really tired and let him continue sleeping.”The police representative continues with the timeline, saying, “Around noon he started sweating profusely and couldn’t wake up, so we brought him to the local emergency room where he received blood, urine, and CT tests and there was nothing out of the ordinary. When we called his name or poked him, he showed some response, and when he was brought to the hospital, we did not carry him, we helped him walk.”The representative then reassured the press, “T.O.P is not currently in a dangerous state, he’s just sleeping deeply due to the hypnotic component in his medicine. Once the medicine works its way out of his system in a day or two, he’ll be back to normal.”Finally, the police representative stated, “According to the physician’s diagnosis, it seems that T.O.P overdosed his usual medication. We cannot know based on the examination results how much he took.”The police force representative again emphasized to the media that T.O.P did not seek out the medication randomly, but that it is normally prescribed to him.According to this police statement, T.O.P is not unconscious but rather in a very, very deep sleep. Based on this statement it seems like the BIGBANG member will be fine in a few days, but YG Entertainment has yet to make an official statement on this most recent update, so stay tuned for details.At 10:10pm KST, YG Entertainment made the following brief statement: “T.O.P is still in the ICU. We are currently waiting for the test results and the doctor’s opinion from the hospital.”T.O.P’s mother has just made a brief statement to the reporters gathered at the hospital, where T.O.P is still currently being held in the ICU. In talking with the reporters, T.O.P’s mother was visibly shaken and distressed when she said, “When T.O.P came to the hospital he was definitely unconscious. He still has not regained consciousness, it seems like those reports [saying otherwise] are misrepresentative.”Following this statement, T.O.P’s mother and manager received no further questions, and returned to T.O.P’s ICU room.Following T.O.P’s mother’s statement, it appears that the Seoul Metropolitan Police are backing off their previous statement saying that T.O.P was just “deeply sleeping.” In a new statement made this morning, a representative from the police told the media, “We are not in the situation where we can speak on T.O.P’s current condition.”Meanwhile, YG Entertainment has yet to make an official statement since 10:10pm KST last night, when they confirmed that T.O.P was still in the ICU.The hospital where T.O.P is currently being treated has just announced that they will be making an official statement at 4pm KST this afternoon. A representative from the Ewha University Hospital in Mokdong has just told the media gathered at the hospital, “The doctor plans to give an official briefing on patient T.O.P’s condition at 4pm this afternoon.”There is currently much confusion as to T.O.P’s current condition, as the Seoul Metropolitan Police, who originally found T.O.P unconscious, made a statement contradictory to T.O.P’s family and YG Entertainment. we will provide moonROK's full transcription and coverage of the 4pm statement from T.O.P’s doctor later this afternoon, so stay tuned.At 4pm KST, Ehwa University Hospital in Mokdong hosted a press conference to brief the public on T.O.P’s current condition. A group of doctors attending to T.O.P briefed the press and then received questions on T.O.P’s condition, saying, “T.O.P arrived [at the hospital] on June 6, 2017 at 12:34pm. Three people arrived together with him, one holding his upper body, and two his lower body.” This statement confirms that contrary to the police statement earlier, T.O.P was indeed carried in, rather than walking in with support of his troop.The doctors continued, “When we attempted to wake him up with normal stimuli, he had no reaction. It was only when we more forcefully tried to stimulate him that he reacted in a state between lethargy and stupor. His pupils did not constrict in response to light stimulation. His vital tests showed elevated blood pressure, quick pulse, and unstable breathing. He showed signs hypoxia and high levels of carbon dioxide, signs of respiratory failure. At this point he was determined to be in critical condition. We determined it to be an emergency situation.”The doctors then continued, “After testing his urine, it was determined that he was suffering respiratory failure due to an overdose of sleeping pills. Based on his condition, it seemed likely that he could stop breathing and was thus preemptively moved to the intensive care unit to receive tracheal intubation. His carbon dioxide levels have stabilized, but he is still in critical condition. It was decided that the neurology and psychiatric departments should work in conjunction on the patient, and after examining the patient at 11am and again at 3pm today [T.O.P’s unconscious state] prevented them from providing the normal care. If the patient’s condition improves, he will receive psychiatric treatment.”Furthermore, according to the brief, T.O.P was given 11 different variations of drug tests. His results came back negative for all of them except for Benzodiazepine, a common psychoactive drug used in sleeping pills and anti-anxiety medication.Finally, the doctors concluded their briefing by saying, “Because T.O.P has still not regained consciousness, he needs to remain in the intensive care unit.” The doctor also stated that in cases like these, it can take the patient up to a week to fully recover.After the briefing, reporters were given time to ask questions. Due to the conflicting reports from the Seoul Metropolitan Police and T.O.P’s family and representation, the reporters on the scene asked multiple times why the term “unconsciousness” was used if T.O.P was simply in a deep sleep. The doctors emphasized multiple times that T.O.P’s current condition is indeed critical, and much more serious than simply a “deep sleep.” On this matter one of the doctors attending to T.O.P stated, “When people think of unconsciousness, they tend to associate it with brain damage. However, medically speaking, when a patient does not respond to normal stimuli, it is referred to as unconsciousness.” The doctor continued, “When T.O.P arrived to the hospital, he only showed response when poked with a needle or was pinched very hard. Right now, when we wake him up he can open his eyes briefly, but he cannot maintain a conscious state.”As of now, this is the most detailed official update the media has received on T.O.P’s condition. It appears he will remain in the ICU until his condition improves.
[UPDATE 14]
YG Entertainment has just issued an official apology on behalf of TOP. Below is the transcription of that apology:
To all of those who were disappointed and hurt by this series of disgraceful events surrounding TOP, we deeply apologize.
As was stated in the official hospital briefing yesterday, TOP – who fell unconscious on June 6 at the dorms of the Seoul Metropolitan Police 4th precinct and was brought to the Ehwa Mokdong University Hospital emergency room in Seoul and then moved to the intensive care unit – is currently receiving his third day of treatment. We hope that TOP will regain his health as quickly as possible.
We at YG feel strongly that we should take responsibility for this. For not being able to meet your expectations, with a heavy heart we accept the blame. From now on, we will try our hardest so that nothing like this ever happens again.
We apologize once again for causing so many people distress.
[UPDATE 15]
On the afternoon of June 9th, a representative from the Ewha University Hospital in Mokdong has announced to the press that TOP is preparing to leave the ICU, and that he will be moved to another hospital. The representative told the press, “TOP has been preparing for his ICU discharge since this morning.”
The hospital representative continued, “After consulting with his family, they’ve decided to move to another hospital. He will be moving to another hospital, but we cannot reveal where the new hospital is.”
The statement continued, “The Ewha University Hospital in Mokdong does not have any private rooms, and because TOP’s guardians would prefer a private room, he’s moving hospital. As per the request of the guardians, we will not be revealing which hospital it is.”
Meanwhile, the police have made a simultaneous statement confirming that TOP’s discharge from the army police division has been processed, and that following his discharge from the hospital he will be going home.
[UPDATE 16]
TOP has just been released from the hospital at approximately 3pm KST on June 9th. The only statement he made as he passed through the crowd of reporters is “I’m sorry.”
Source: OSEN Source: MoonrokNew Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday won the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) polls and retained the three municipal corporations for the third term in a row, as predicted in exit polls.
Unable to accept its defeat, the AAP has alleged widespread tampering of EVMs in favour of the BJP.
The AAP's rout comes more than two years after the Delhi Assembly Elections when the fledgling political outfit humiliated the BJP winning 67 of the 70 Delhi Assembly polls when it got a huge 54 percent of the votes. The BJP won three seats that year but registered 33 percent of the vote share.
The MCD poll win is the latest in a series of BJP election victories credited largely to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken, meanwhile, took moral responsibility for the party's poor show and announced he was resigning from his post.
A total of 2,537 candidates were in the fray for North Delhi Municipal Corporation (103 seats) and South Delhi Municipal Corporation (104 seats), and East Delhi Municipal Corporation (63 seats).
Here are the LIVE updates:
Social activist Anna Hazare blames his former protege and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal`s quest for power behind the Aam Aadmi Party`s debacle in the Delhi civic polls. "People gave him a mandate and he got an opportunity to turn Delhi into a model state for the entire country to replicate. But power is bad. Once you sit in the chair, you lose your power of thinking," says Hazare.
"EVM bahana: seems AAP leaders have not just lost elections, they've lost it," tweets Yogendra Yadav, whose Swaraj India party failed to win even a single seat in the civic polls in Delhi.
Final tally : BJP - 181, AAP - 48, Congress - 30, Others - 11.
3:50 pm: MCD (270): BJP - 185 seats, Congress 28, AAP 46, Others 11 NDMC (103): BJP - 65 seats, Congress 13, AAP 22, Others 3 SDMC (104): BJP - 71 seats, Congress 12 AAP 15, Others 6 EDMC (63): BJP - 49 seats, Congress 3, AAP 9, Others 2
2:25 pm : MCD (270): BJP - 184 seats, Congress 27, AAP 48, Others 11 NDMC (103): BJP - 65 seats, Congress 13, AAP 22, Others 3 SDMC (104): BJP - 70 seats, Congress 11, AAP 17, Others 6 EDMC (63): BJP - 49 seats, Congress 3, AAP 9, Others 2
2:00 pm: MCD (270) (Leads+Won): BJP - 178 seats, Congress 35, AAP 46, Others 11 NDMC (103) (Leads+Won): BJP - 64 seats, Congress 14, AAP 22, Others 3 SDMC (104) (Leads+Won): BJP - 67 seats, Congress 16, AAP 15, Others 6 EDMC (63) (Leads+Won): BJP - 47 seats, Congress 5, AAP 9, Others 2
After Ajay Maken, Delhi Congress in-charge PC Chacko offers to resign.
"Grateful to the people of Delhi for the faith in BJP. I laud the hardwork of team @BJP4Delhi which made the resounding MCD win possible," tweets PM Narendra Modi.
We dedicate this win to CRPF jawans who lost their lives in Sukma attack: Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari
MCD (270): BJP wins in 78 seats, AAP 18, Congress 6 NDMC (103): BJP registers victory in 29 seats, Congress 9, AAP 10 SDMC (104): BJP wins in 26 seats, Congress 4, AAP 4 EDMC (63): BJP grabs victory in 23 seats, AAP 2
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Alka Lamba offers to resign from all party posts taking the moral responsibility for the party`s defeat in the municipal seats falling under her constituency. "I offer to quit from all the party posts and MLA post taking the moral responsibility for the defeat of the party in all the three wards of my constituency," Lamba, who represents Chandni Chowk constituency in central Delhi, tweets.
Addressing the media after the BJP was set to sweep the MCD polls, AAP leader and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia alleges widespread tampering of EVMs to favour the BJP and says there was "no reason" for the people of Delhi to favour the BJPs. He adds that a little percentage of difference in favour of the BJP would have been acceptable, but "this difference is unbelievable".
MCD (270): BJP wins in 36 seats, AAP 8, Congress 6 NDMC (103): BJP registers victory in 20 seats, Congress 5, AAP 3 SDMC (104): BJP wins in 16 seats, Congress 1, AAP 3 EDMC (63): BJP grabs victory in 14 seats, AAP 2
In the South Delhi Municipal Corporation, the BJP has won three wards -- Janakpuri West, Janakpuri South, and Vishnu Garden.
In North Delhi Municipal Corporation, the BJP has won Rajinder Nagar, the AAP has won Shakurpur.
In the East Delhi Municipal Corporation, the BJP has won two wards -- Ram Nagar and Krishna Nagar
Despite saying that Congress made a "reasonable comeback" in MCD polls, Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken took moral responsibility for the party`s defeat and announced he was resigning from his post.
BJP president Amit Shah says the party`s win in the Delhi civic polls was a vote in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s three years in power and a vote against the "negative politics" of the AAP. Addressing the media after the Bharatiya Janata Party was poised to sweep the Delhi civic polls, Shah says that the Delhi municipal poll win comes after the party won convincingly in the Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur Assembly polls.
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia tweets: “After losing elections in 2009, the BJP specialised in EVM tampering after five years of research. On the basis of this research only, the BJP is winning elections today. The BJP did not only do research on EVM but also its leaders - GVL Narasimha Rao and Advani ji – wrote a book. The BJP leaders went to Supreme Court too. EVM tampering is such a bitter truth of democracy that it can be mocked at in the beginning, but we cannot stop speaking the truth fearing the mockery.”
11:20 am: EDMC Election Results (63/63): BJP ahead in 42, Congress - 07, AAP - 11, Others - 03
NDMC Election Results (103/103): BJP - 67, Congress - 14, AAP - 17, Others - 05
SDMC Election Results (104/104): BJP - 70, Congress - 13, AAP - 16, Others - 05
Congress' turncoat Arvinder Singh Lovely says that it is their duty to provide a fresh Corporation to the people of Delhi based on the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Former Delhi chief minister and Congress leader Sheila Dikshit says the Congress did not campaign aggressively to win the civic polls and added that she had not been invited to campaign for party candidates. "We are going through a bad time. Congress did not campaign in an aggressive way. It did not do what it should have done to win the Delhi civic polls," Dikshit told media persons.
10:40 am: EDMC Election Results (63/63): BJP ahead in 42, Congress - 07, AAP - 11, Others - 03 NDMC Election Results (103/103): BJP - 67, Congress - 14, AAP - 17, Others - 05
SDMC Election Results (104/104): BJP - 70, Congress - 13, AAP - 16, Others - 05
As the BJP was poised to sweep the civic polls, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari says Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal must resign and promised that the BJP, which has been heading the civic bodies for the past 10 years, will "clean the city in four months".
AAP leader Ashutosh also blames the tampering of EVMs for the party`s defeat. He points to some of his government`s achievements and said the BJP-led municipal corporations had done nothing in the past 10 years. "Why would a voter choose BJP... there`s not a single achievement that the BJP can point out while it ruled the MCD," Ashutosh says, alleging: "No matter which button one presses, the vote goes in BJP`s favour."
With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) all set to emerge victorious in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) polls for a third consecutive term, a poster has been put up outside the saffron party`s central office at 11, Ashoka Road, dedicating the win to the CRPF jawans, who lost their lives in Chhattisgarh`s Sukma attack.
Union Minister and BJP leader Harsh Vardhan tweets: "when you abuse the PM, you're not abusing a political party but entire 125 crore people of the country. And this is how people reply, Mr AK."
Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitender Singh thanks voters of Delhi, says: "BJP is the only viable option available to voter today and that is why, BJP has been given mandate at every level."
Aam Aadmi Party leader Gopal Rai, speaking to the media after the counting trends showed the BJP making a clean sweep in the civic polls, says: "This is not a Modi wave, this is an EVM wave. This is the same wave that they (BJP) used in the Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Punjab polls."
Senior AAP leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, is at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal`s Civil Lines residence as counting trends for the Delhi Municipal Corporation polls showed the Aam Aadmi Party trailing behind the Bharatiya Janata Party.
First results: BJP wins from Janakpuri West and Janakpuri East
The municipal elections in Delhi were "foundational elections" for the Swaraj India Party and leaders have "zero expectations" of winning any seat, party chief Yogendra Yadav says.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Sambit Patra tweets: "Three A's which are responsible for "A"Kejriwal's loss: 1)Arrogance )Abuses & Accusations 3)Ambitions of Self over Aspirations of Delhi"
The BJP was leading in 182 wards, the AAP in 40, the Congress in 38, and Others in 10 wards in the Delhi civic polls.
8:57 am: EDMC Election Results (63/63): BJP ahead in 40, Congress - 13, AAP - 09, Others - 01
NDMC Election Results (103/103): BJP - 72, Congress - 15, AAP - 15, Others - 01
SDMC Election Results (104/104): BJP - 76, Congress - 15, AAP - 13, Others - 00
Trends look in tune with what I saw during campaigning. People have faith in policies of BJP and leadership of PM Narendra Modi: Union Minister Harsh Vardhan
8:47 am: EDMC Election Results (60/63): BJP ahead in 38, Congress - 13, AAP - 09, Others - 0
NDMC Election Results (98/103): BJP - 63, Congress - 22, AAP - 12, Others - 1
SDMC Election Results (97/104): BJP - 65, Congress - 19, AAP - 10, Others - 3
Delhi Election Commission official trends: BJP - 44, Congress - 10, AAP - 4, Independent - 1
8:40 am: EDMC Election Results (57/63): BJP ahead in 40, Congress - 13, AAP - 2, Others - 2
NDMC Election Results (93/103): BJP - 60, Congress - 22, AAP - 10, Others - 1
SDMC Election Results (77/104): BJP - 45, Congress - 19, AAP - 10, Others - 3
8:35 am: EDMC Election Results (53/63): BJP ahead in 40, Congress - 9, AAP - 2, Others - 2
NDMC Election Results (89/103): BJP - 60, Congress - 19, AAP - 9, Others - 1
SDMC Election Results (65/104): BJP - 45, Congress - 13, AAP - 4, Others - 3
8:30 am: EDMC Election Results (48/63): BJP ahead in 35, Congress - 9, AAP - 2, Others - 2
NDMC Election Results (52/103): BJP - 50, Congress - 1, AAP - 1, Others - 0
SDMC Election Results (39/104): BJP - 25, Congress - 10, AAP - 4, Others - 0
Bharatiya Janata Party`s Delhi chief Manoj Tiwari on Wednesday said he was sure his party would win the civic polls. "I am sure we will win. I have no doubt about it," Tiwari told the media, as counting of votes began. He said the BJP would make Delhi a "clean city" and free it from all sorts of diseases after the party "wins" the municipal elections.
8:20 am: EDMC Election Results (19/63): BJP ahead in 11, Congress - 4, AAP - 2, Others - 2
NDMC Election Results (17/103): BJP - 15, Congress - 1, AAP - 1, Others - 0
SDMC Election Results (19/104): BJP - 14, Congress - 1, AAP - 4, Others - 0
8:16 am: EDMC Election Results (63): BJP ahead in six, Congress - 0, AAP - 1
NDMC Election Results (103): BJP - 15, Congress - 1, AAP - 1
SDMC Election Results (104): BJP - 9, Congress - 1, AAP - 0
EDMC Election Results: BJP opens account with lead in one seat
NDMC Election Results: BJP takes lead in three seats, Congress in 1
SDMC Election Results: BJP ahead in two seats
On Tuesday, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari had called Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal'mentally sick'.
Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari offers prayers ahead of counting of votes.Organized, calm, and clean. According to Apartment Therapy founder Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan, these are the characteristic traits of a happy household and a productive workspace. And he would know: Maxwell is regularly invited into the apartments of strangers to assess their most intimate trappings – their stuff. But it turns out that our houses and apartments are far more than just a container for our things. Rather, our approach to home has everything to do with our approach to life.
Quitting his Upper East Side teaching gig in 2001, Maxwell began the business with not much more than the humble mission of “helping people fix up their homes.” Starting off, he did everything from waxing floors on his hands and knees to forcing clients to face their dreams and goals through the lens of interior design.
Ten years later, as our workspaces and home life become increasingly blurred, the Apartment Therapy blog has become an essential resource for design-savvy urban dwellers and a fixture on “best of” design blog rolls. It has also spawned numerous offshoots: the AT mini-media empire is now home to 5 blogs (Home, Technology, Children, Green, Cooking), covers content in 6 cities, has published 2 books, and has a team of 16 staffers.
We spoke with Maxwell at Apartment Therapy’s Soho office, which was just as beautiful and homey as we hoped it would be. Often described as being “one part interior designer, one part life coach,” Maxwell spoke about editing our lives, designing workspaces, and shedding old selves.
What appealed to you about starting your own business?
I was coming from seven years of teaching, and feeling very stifled by the faculty politics. I found myself in my off-hours reading the business section. In those days, people talked about business being the engine of change – business being honest, fast, and flexible, whereas politics was slow and corrupt. I wanted to be in the stream of people who were moving fast and flexible and creatively.
I was reading a book called “Growing a Business” by Paul Hawken-who started Smith & Hawken – about starting a small business. Everyday, he opened up his store, and he swept the sidewalk, and he rolled down the shade. That metaphor for living really spoke to me – the small business approach to life.
And then 9/11 happened, and added to this desire to be starting a small business, was this realization that New York wasn’t such a bad place. And I thought, if I could be the guy who goes around town bearing good will, and just connects all the dots, I’d be doing something really cool. It was really that simple.
What did these initial home-visits consist of?
I did house calls, it was what I called apartment therapy. I went in and gave people a prescription, a two hour meeting, that came with a plan and an estimate. We would book appointments, and we’d work through the plan. In between times, they’d be working through it.
In Apartment Therapy’s mission statement, you say that “a calm, beautiful home is linked to happiness.” What first opened your eyes to that?
When I was a teacher, we had to visit the children at home. What I found from going in and out of the children’s homes, was that the kids who did well in class, I could tell you what their homes were going to look like. It wasn’t that they were rich homes, or poor homes, but they would have organized, calm, clean homes.
I thought a lot about how I struggled in school, and how my parents were divorced – my father left home – and I would come home and be alone. There’s a sense of emptiness and things being not quite right. I’m certain that that’s part of what made it hard for me to succeed in school-my mind wasn’t really centered.
Many people in the country who work really hard, their home turns into a little dumping ground, and they’re always running late or losing things, they don’t invite friends over. If your home is feeling like that, what you want from your life and relationships is going to suffer, because your foundation is not strong.
The home is the only space we have that is our own, that we can control. It’s very important for people in this day and age to have that sense of control in their life, and if it’s going to be anywhere, it’s going to be in the home.
What makes a productive work space? How should people be constructing it?
Your starting position should be to have a clean desk every day, and at end of the week, do a deep clean. If you start to let it pile up, especially in the workspace, it will bury you. We spend way too much time in our workspaces. For me, to be creative and feel excited about work, I need to have a clean slate. So, everyday, I straighten up before I leave, just a little bit, and then once a week, I throw stuff away.
To be creative and feel excited about work, I need to have a clean slate.
Same goes if you work from home? Absolutely, it’s even more important there. At home, you always have one space that’s going to hold your paper work and all of your things so that at the end of the day, you can shut the door on it, put it aside, and give yourself some separation. I don’t think there’s anyone who works their best when they don’t get a break from work. I don’t believe in living in your work 24 hours.
You don’t want your home to fill up so that you feel like it’s a weight. You want it to be a place you come home to to feel free. Everyone has a busy day. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t.
What about when you’re swamped or have a huge project, |
the lack of coverage of their activities in all media outlets, public or private. In pro-government media, it is practically impossible for them to find coverage if they use words in direct contrast with government policies. In media outlets still trying to be as balanced as possible, coverage of the opposition attracts the displeasure of government figures.
This is a cross-section of politics and the media in today’s Turkey.General Motors CEO stonewalls House committee on ignition scandal
By Shannon Jones
2 April 2014
A congressional hearing held Tuesday on General Motors’ delayed recall of vehicles with a defective ignition switch linked to fatal crashes followed a well-trodden path. The purpose of the event was to give the appearance of a probe into GM’s decision to cover up safety issues with its Chevrolet Cobalt, Saturn Ion and other models in the interest of cutting costs, while in reality letting the company and its top management off the hook.
Evidence is now overwhelming that GM management knew for over 10 years that the ignition switches of a number of its models could be jarred out of the “on” position, disabling power steering, power brakes and airbags, but the company did not order a recall. At one point, engineers identified the problem and proposed a fix, but GM rejected it as too expensive.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) was also aware of the problem, but never launched a formal investigation or ordered a recall.
In recent weeks, the largest US auto company has recalled more than 2.5 million vehicles because of the faulty ignition switches, having acknowledged that 13 people died in crashes as a result of the defect. The actual number of fatalities is likely far higher. One study found 303 fatal crashes between 2002 and 2012 involving the Cobalt and Ion where airbags did not deploy. The recalled vehicles are low-cost models and it appears that many of the drivers and passengers killed were young people.
The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce called as witnesses General Motors CEO Mary Barra and David Friedman, the acting administrator of NHTSA. The hearing dragged on for four hours with few penetrating questions asked and little new information revealed.
Committee members treated Barra with deference, despite her stonewalling. In her opening remarks to the committee, Barra, who was vice president of global engineering at GM in 2008-2009, denied having any knowledge until earlier this year of the ignition switch problem. She assumed the post of chief executive this past January.
Her statement, less than two pages in length, was perfunctory and vague. She began by declaring, “Sitting here today, I cannot tell you why it took years for a safety defect to be announced in that [small car] program…” At one point she flatly stated that GM would not make available to Congress the full findings of its internal investigation of the ignition defect.
No one on the House panel suggested that she be held in contempt of Congress or that she and other top GM executives be prosecuted on criminal charges for the cover-up. Instead, committee members again and again suggested that the problem was merely a lack of communication within the company.
The hearing did elicit some revealing facts. In the course of the questioning, Barra admitted that in 2002 GM approved an ignition switch that did not meet its specifications, but claimed she had no idea why. It was then pointed out that a redesigned switch approved in 2006, which was installed on 2008-2010 models, did not meet company specifications either. Barra responded by saying, “Just because a part doesn’t meet specifications doesn’t mean it is defective.”
She was also asked about GM’s decision in 2006 to approve a redesigned ignition switch for the Cobalt and other models without assigning a new part number, an action highly suggestive of a cover-up. The engineer who signed off on the change is still working for GM, but Barra indicated he had never been questioned about his actions. No one on the panel pressed the CEO further on the issue.
Committee members cited a chain of internal emails demonstrating that the company rejected a fix of the ignition problem due to cost considerations. In one of the emails, an engineer wrote: “I was aware of an issue with ‘inadvertent ignition offs.’” However, he said, the new part would cost 90 cents while warranty costs came to only 10 or 15 cents, so the fix would have to wait another year.
One committee member pointed to a 2005 article in the New York Times reviewing the Cobalt which noted that the car suddenly went dead while being driven. At the time, a GM spokesperson said he didn’t think it was a big issue because the car was still “controllable.” Barra claimed she did not recollect the Times article.
She made much of the fact that GM has retained attorney Kenneth Feinberg as a consultant on compensation for accident victims and their families. Feinberg, a corporate lawyer, was chosen by the Bush administration to oversee compensation for victims of the 9/11 attacks. He was subsequently appointed by the Obama administration to oversee compensation to victims of the BP oil spill. In both posts he was ruthless in limiting payouts, helping BP to save billions of dollars in damage claims. In between these jobs for the ruling class he served as the so-called “pay tsar” for the government bank bailout program, enabling Wall Street executives to continue awarding themselves seven- and eight-figure compensation packages.
In his appearance before the committee, NHTSA acting administrator David Friedman sought to deflect all blame onto General Motors, claiming it withheld vital information without which the agency could not launch a full investigation. He defended the decision of NHTSA not to order a recall of GM vehicles with defective ignitions, claiming the cases were too complex and involved for the agency to make a proper determination.
He made this claim despite the fact that NHTSA investigators were aware by 2007 of hundreds of customer complaints about unexpected stalling and the agency had discovered a pattern with the Cobalt and other vehicles in which airbags failed to deploy and the ignition was in the “accessory” position.
One committee member noted the contrast between NHTSA’s response to complaints about the defective GM ignition switch and its recent pursuit of Hyundai. Based on a single customer complaint from an owner who was slightly cut when an airbag deployed, the agency opened an investigation into the Korean auto maker that led last year to the recall of 190,000 vehicles.
The Obama administration is itself deeply implicated in the cover-up. After the 2009 bankruptcy and restructuring of GM, the US government was the majority shareholder in the company until November 2010 and only recently sold off its remaining stake. The White House inserted a clause holding GM harmless from product liability lawsuits stemming from before July 2009 at a time when GM management was aware of fatal accidents involving defective ignition switches.
Barra and Friedman are set to testify again on Wednesday, this time before the Senate Commerce subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Insurance.
Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.TOKYO (Reuters) - Samples of rice grown in a town near Tokyo showed no radioactive materials when tested, officials said on Wednesday, a relief for farmers preparing to ship Japan’s traditional food staple.
Concerns over food safety have grown after radiation from the smashed Fukushima Daiichi power plant has leaked across northern and eastern Japan since March, the world’s worst nuclear crisis in 25 years.
Some local authorities are testing their rice to see if it contains too much cesium.
Rice grown in the town of Tako in Chiba prefecture, 240 km (150 miles) southwest of Fukushima, was tested this week to determine if more stringent checks are needed after the town measured high radiation in the ground, local officials said.
“The results are a relief, but we consider it as only part of the procedure to determine safety in rice consumption,” said Shigetoshi Abe, a Chiba official in charge of food safety.
Tako’s preliminary tests, the first to be carried out according to the farm ministry guidelines announced last Wednesday, showed its rice did not contain cesium of more than 200 becquerels per kg.
Still, if the rice fails further tests, Chiba will not allow rice shipments from that area.
At least 14 prefectural governments in north and east Japan, which account for more than 40 percent of the country’s total rice output, said last week they would test their rice for cesium before harvest season.
Becquerels measure the ability of a substance to release radiation. Cesium-134, with a half-life of two years and cesium-137, at 30 years, could cause cancer years after exposure. Excessive levels of cesium have been found in vegetables and beef in Japan since the nuclear disaster.
Japan, which produced about 8.3 million tonnes of rice last year for food consumption, mostly eats its own produce. It imports about 770,000 tonnes a year.
Rice futures prices rose sharply this week amid radiation worries, but analysts say Japan is unlikely to step up imports.NSW Premier Mike Baird has fronted the media to explain his backflip on the banning of Greyhound racing in NSW.
MIKE Baird’s backdowns are expected to continue with the NSW Premier reportedly preparing to act on overhauling the state’s tough liquor laws he boldly introduced just over two years ago.
The struggling leader yesterday issued an extraordinary mea culpa as he reversed the impending ban on the NSW greyhound industry.
Mr Baird personally apologised during the humiliating backflip saying: “I’m not going to sugar-coat it, I got it wrong”.
The decision to shut down the industry over animal cruelty concerns was among issues that led to the once popular politician’s approving rating falling through the floor.
And now it what could look like a desperate bid to claw back some ground, Mr Baird is reportedly prepared to issue a further backdown on his controversial lockout and liquor laws.
According to the Daily Telegraph, the Premier is preparing to allow bottle shops to sell booze until midnight, rather than 10pm.
Lockout laws could also be considered with lockout extended to 2am in the CBD and Kings Cross, and live music and entertainment in lockout zones to remain open an extra half-hour to 3.30am.
The changes were recommended in a review by former High Court justice Ian Callinan, and could be decided by cabinet as soon as tomorrow, the Telegraph reports.Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson took on Donald Trump over his immigration policy and plans to build a wall along the border between the U.S. and Mexico.
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“He [Donald Trump] talks about deporting 11 million undocumented workers. That has a basis in complete misunderstanding of the situation,” Johnson told the FOX Business Network’s Maria Bartiromo.
According to Johnson, America should not be opposed to immigration but rather have a more welcoming, supportive policy.
“Immigrants are not taking jobs that U.S. citizens want. We should be embracing immigration. We should make it as easy as possible for somebody that wants to come into the country and work to be able to get a work visa. And a work visa should entail a background check and a social security card so that taxes get paid.”
Johnson also spoke out against Trump’s calls to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
“Look, building a wall is just crazy. I can just see the Mexican president [saying], ‘Donald Trump, take this wall down.’ And you know what, he is going to be on the right side of history. At some point, if Trump is elected and if he does this wall, which is really asinine, we will take it down at some point.”
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Johnson then weighed in on the factors driving illegal immigration.
“The reason why there’s 11 million undocumented workers Maria is because they can’t get across the border legally and yet the jobs exist. So they’re forced to cross illegally. And by the way, the illegal crossings right now are like at a 10-year low. So I’m not proposing anything change on the border.”Information Sought in Response to Growing Complaints of Harassment at U.S. Borders
San Francisco - The Asian Law Caucus (ALC) and Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) filed suit today against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for denying access to public records on the questioning and searches of travelers at U.S. borders. Filed under the Freedom of Information Act, the suit responds to growing complaints by U.S. citizens and immigrants of excessive or repeated screenings by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents.
ALC, a San Francisco-based civil rights organization, received more than 20 complaints from Northern California residents last year who said they were grilled about their families, religious practices, volunteer activities, political beliefs, or associations when returning to the United States from travels abroad. In addition, customs agents examined travelers' books, business cards collected from friends and colleagues, handwritten notes, personal photos, laptop computer files, and cell phone directories, and sometimes made copies of this information. When individuals complained, they were told, "This is the border, and you have no rights."
"When the government searches your books, peers into your computer, and demands to know your political views, it sends the message that free expression and privacy disappear at our nation's doorstep," said Shirin Sinnar, staff attorney at ALC. "The fact that so many people face these searches and questioning every time they return to the United States, not knowing why and unable to clear their names, violates basic notions of fairness and due process."
ALC and EFF asked DHS to disclose its policies on questioning travelers on First Amendment-protected activities, photocopying individuals' personal papers, and searching laptop computers and other electronic devices. The agency failed to meet the 20-day time limit that Congress has set for responding to public information requests, prompting the lawsuit.
"The public has the right to know what the government's standards are for border searches," said EFF Staff Attorney Marcia Hofmann. "Laptops, phones, and other gadgets include vast amounts of personal information. When will agents read your email? When do they copy data, where is it stored, and for how long? How will this information follow you throughout your life? The secrecy surrounding border search policies means that DHS has no accountability to America's travelers."
When Nabila Mango, an American citizen and San Francisco therapist, returned from a trip to the Middle East in December, customs agents at San Francisco International Airport asked her to name every person she had met and every place she had slept during her travels. They also searched her Arabic music books, business cards, and cell phone, and may have photocopied some of her papers.
"In my 40 years in this country, I have never felt as vulnerable as I did during that interrogation," Mango said. "I want to find out whether my government is keeping files on me and other Americans based on our associations and ideas."
Amir Khan, an IT consultant from Fremont, California and a U.S. citizen, is stopped each time he returns to the country. Customs officials have questioned him for a total of more than 20 hours and have searched his laptop computer, books, personal notebooks, and cell phone. Despite filing several complaints, Khan has yet to receive an explanation of why he is repeatedly singled out.
"One customs officer even told me that no matter what I do, nothing would improve," said Khan. "Why do I have to part with my civil liberties each time I return home?"
For a copy of the complaint:
http://www.eff.org/files/filenode/alc/alc-complaint.pdf
Contacts:
Marcia Hofmann
Staff Attorney
Electronic Frontier Foundation
[email protected]
Shirin Sinnar
Staff Attorney
Asian Law Caucus
[email protected] the think pieces explaining every single way this year has been terrible continue to pile up, it's impossible not to note that 2016 has been an extra special terrible year for women. Reproductive rights have been challenged. Sexual assailants have given sympathetic narratives in the media and slaps on the wrist in court. And a man who bragged about grabbing women by the p___y was rewarded with the nation's highest office.
So praise be to those women who stood especially tall over a 12-month period that can only be described as the literal worst, who kept their senses of humor, who fought the good fights and who made a bad year a lot better.
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The Ghostbusting "SNL" all-stars: Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones
The indomitable Jones held her ground against a swarm of bigots on Twitter — and in the process wound up being instrumental in getting Milo Yiannopoulos deservedly booted from the platform. Then McKinnon, whose Hillary Clinton impression for "Saturday Night Live" was so effortlessly hilarious before the election, gave a stunning, sincere rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" right after Clinton's loss and Cohen's death. Oh yeah, and this summer, they proved that bitches, in fact, gonna hunt ghosts.
The golden girls: Katie Ledecky and Simone Biles
Remember the Rio Olympics? Remember feeling happy and proud about things, America? That feeling was in no small part thanks to the unstoppable Ledecky, who charged into the history books with four swimming gold medals, and Biles, the breakout powerhouse gold medalist of the U.S. gymnastics team. Together, they provided several of the most dramatic, unprecedented, and straight up joyful moments of the whole games.
The leaders: Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama
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One of them didn't crack the ultimate glass ceiling, and another told Oprah recently she has no interest in trying. Yet even while not serving in elected office, the former and current first ladies both showed grace and hope; they spoke out strongly against misogyny, and they endured bigotry and lies with unparalleled intestinal fortitude, showing exactly what it means to, in spite of everything, keep going high.
The storyteller: Ava DuVernay
It's been a really good year for the director of "Selma." First DuVernay created, directed and executive produced the acclaimed OWN drama "Queen Sugar" Then she released "13th", her unflinching, couldn't-be-more-timely documentary on mass incarceration, currently available on Netflix. She's one of the most watchable filmmakers around, and luckily for us, she's also one of the most productive.
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The survivor: Emily Doe
In her impassioned, outraged victim impact statement, the unnamed young woman described what she says happened to her after crossing paths with a man named Brock Turner at a party in 2015. She described the injuries to her body and her sense of self, she pleaded for sexual assault to be taken seriously as a crime, and she told other women,"When people doubt you or dismiss you, I am with you. I fought everyday for you. So never stop fighting."
The truth-tellers: Rachel Maddow and Samantha Bee
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What else can we say except that hearing the bad news from them made every surreal, demoralizing headline that came along — and there were multitudes — almost bearable?
The models: Winnie Harlow and Ashley Graham
It's not just because they're undeniably gorgeous and stylish. They also break the mold — Harlow for achieving unprecedented industry success with while sharing her own childhood bullying experiences because of her vitiligo, and Graham, for having such a knockout year, she's forever made the term "plus-sized model" out-of-date.
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The everywomen: Issa Rae, Pamela Aldon, Tig Notaro, Maria Bamford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Thanks to the brilliant women who created and starred this year in their loosely autobiographical TV shows "Insecure," "Better Things," "One Mississippi," "Lady Dynamite," and "Fleabag," television has never had more hilarious, authentic, gloriously messy leading ladies.
The sisterhood: Beyoncé and Solange Knowles
It feels like a lifetime ago, but it was really only earlier this year that Beyoncé gave her knockout performance at the Super Bowl halftime show (sorry, Coldplay). She followed up with her furious, stunning visual album "Lemonade" and a world tour. But if she'd done nothing other than smiled as she wielded that baseball bat, she'd have already given us one of the most iconic moments of the whole year. And then this fall, her sister Solange released her own masterpiece, "A Seat at the Table." Soon after, the Knowles ladies became the first sisters to have number one albums in the same year.
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The mompreneur: Chrissy Teigen
She released a really funny cookbook that also happened to deliver on all its "spicy, salty, sticky, crunchy, juicy, oozy" promises. She also delivered her first child, and quickly understood that one of the best things about having babies is dressing them up funny. She continued to slay on Twitter. Now if we could just get to her to run for president in 2020.NZ's first peer-to-peer solar electricity provider launches
New Zealand’s first peer-to-peer solar electricity provider launches on Waiheke Island
Auckland, 29 March 2016 - P2 Power, a new, innovative energy provider, has launched the country’s first peer-to-peer solar power platform on Waiheke Island.
Auckland-based P2 Power developed the technology, named SolarShare, to enable those who don’t have solar panels to buy solar power directly from those who contribute excess amounts to the grid. In effect, it means Auckland householders can circumvent traditional power companies and buy environmentally friendly, sustainable solar power from their neighbours instead.
Stu Innes, P2 Power’s co-founder, says the company hopes to use digital technology to disrupt the traditional electricity industry and make solar power an affordable, sustainable and viable option for New Zealand consumers.
“The New Zealand electricity market needs to change in order to confront climate change. By giving people the choice to buy some of their power locally, from people generating clean, renewable power at home, everyone involved gets a better deal and can play a meaningful part in addressing the climate and efficiency issues that we face,” he says.
“Electricity is seen as a boring industry and big power-company customers begrudgingly pay their power bill without understanding what they’re paying for. With P2 Power and our technologies, we can make the process much more exciting and transparent and enable people to support each other by buying and selling energy.”
SolarShare works by sourcing local solar-power generators, such as neighbouring households or businesses, on Vector’s networks. When spare power is exported into the network, their meter records it and P2 Power matches it to another customer who is using power at the same time. When there’s not enough local power to meet the customer’s needs, the rest is supplied via traditional power stations.
The company will launch SolarShare on Auckland’s Waiheke Island on April 1, and SolarShare will be available across the whole of Auckland shortly afterward. The company plans to expand throughout New Zealand in 2017.
“We’ve launched on Waiheke Island first because Waiheke locals are a close-knit community of forward-thinking, eco-conscious New Zealanders. They’re our kind of people,” says Innes.
To celebrate the launch, P2 Power is giving Waiheke Island schools the chance to have solar panels installed on their buildings for free. The company invites new customers to nominate a school of their choice when they sign up as a P2 Power customer. The schools that receive 100 nominations will each get $5000 worth of solar equipment installed by P2 Power for free.
“Peer-to-peer power demands a different way of thinking about electricity, but we believe that if we can get New Zealanders to embrace it, it will make a meaningful impact. The real change is in the hands of the consumers; we just provide them with the tools they need to do it,” says Innes.
- ENDS -
© Scoop MediaFormer President Barack Obama Barack Hussein ObamaWith low birth rate, America needs future migrants 4 ways Hillary looms over the 2020 race Obama goes viral after sporting black bomber jacket with '44' on sleeve at basketball game MORE turned 56 on Friday, and Michelle Obama Michelle LeVaughn Robinson ObamaFive political moments to watch for at the Oscars Former patients accuse ex-Fox News medical pundit of sexual exploitation Obama attends UNC-Duke basketball game MORE took to Twitter to share her birthday wishes.
"Another year older, but the same phenomenal guy I married nearly 25 years ago. Happy birthday, Barack Obama — we love you so much!" the former first lady tweeted with photos of her husband and daughters Sasha and Malia.
Another year older, but the same phenomenal guy I married nearly 25 years ago. Happy birthday, @BarackObama -- we love you so much! pic.twitter.com/3WrcGiKgz1 — Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) August 4, 2017
In a statement Friday, the former first lady also said that instead of a virtual birthday card for supporters to sign, she was inviting people to share how they are "stepping up to be a better citizen" in their community this year.
"Maybe that means attending a town or city council meeting. Maybe it means contacting one of your elected officials and speaking out about an issue that matters to you. Maybe it means helping to clean up a local park, volunteering at a soup kitchen, or tutoring in an after-school program," she said in an Obama Foundation email.
"This work — these personal, local, daily acts of citizenship — is what the Obama Foundation is all about," she continued. "This work is what my husband is all about."
Former Vice President Joe Biden Joseph (Joe) Robinette BidenBannon: 'Zero' doubt Trump will run for reelection Bernie is back with a bang — but can he hold on to his supporters? Klobuchar backs legalizing marijuana MORE also wished Obama happy birthday on Twitter Friday morning.
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"Your service has been a great gift to the country, and your friendship and brotherhood are a great gift to me. Happy birthday, Barack," Biden tweeted.
Friday marks Obama's first birthday since leaving the White House.
Last year, Obama hosted a birthday bash at the White House with Beyoncé, Jay Z and Kendrick Lamar, the president’s favorite rapper, in attendance.
The former president is rumored to be spending his birthday weekend in Martha's Vineyard, according to a report by the Martha's Vinyard Times, though Secret Service did not confirm the vacation to the paper.Arcade Fire are getting good at this trolling business. Lately, there’s been a weird story about Kendall and Kylie Jenner selling “vintage” $125 T-shirts that superimpose their faces over the images and logos of famous musicians like Ozzy Osborne, Pink Floyd, the Doors, and Tupac Shakur. The mother of the Notorious B.I.G., another of the artists on those shirts, blasted them for the “exploitation,” and the Jenners ended up apologizing and pulling the T-shirts. But you can still get a particular version of one of those shirts: The Arcade Fire one.
Last night, AF played a show at a small London boxing hall, where they debuted the new song “Chemistry.” And it looks like one of the items at the merch table was a T-shirt that took that Kendall Jenner image and superimposed the Arcade Fire logo over that. So the famous-image desecrator has become the famous-image desecratee. And according to a merch-table sign, Arcade Fire are giving the money from the shirts to Partners In Health. Check it out:
So @arcadefire are selling their own versions of *those* Kendal and Kylie Jenner t-shirts pic.twitter.com/vTrKrDJPxp — Thomas (@thomasjsmith__) July 4, 2017
The fake tie dye is a nice touch.Note: The APA Committee on Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity meets in late March. Anyone with concerns similar to those expressed by Justine Kreher in this post may want to address them to the committee. Lisa Marchiano, LCSW, a Jungian therapist who blogs at www.theJungSoul.com (Twitter: @LisaMarchiano), has also written a letter to the APA which was posted today at Youth Gender Professionals.
Justine Kreher blogs at thehomoarchy.com and can be found on Twitter @thehomoarchy.
by Justine Kreher
I am a 48-year-old, married, average US citizen, who has been in a same-sex relationship with the same person for 18 years. I consider myself a centrist skeptic. I believe that all sides of every issue need to be heard in order to truly make informed and fair decisions. I am very concerned about how valid criticism/discussion is now called “hate speech” in many arenas of identity politics and how this is being used to try to muzzle free speech. Curtailing discussion around something as serious as permanently altering minors (children and teens) is a very bad idea.
I became aware of youth transitions because I wanted to blog about lesbian relationship issues (thehomoarchy.com). This led me to read more LGBT websites and message boards. That is when I first became aware that some gay men and lesbians are concerned about how gender dysphoric children are treated, and that most dysphoric children grow up to be LGB and not trans. I am a latecomer to this issue compared to some lesbians who have been talking and writing about the impacts of transitions on the lesbian community for years now.
I delved into most of the studies available to the public and gathered other information. A detailed list of the risks involved in youth transitions can be found in my blog post “Do Youth Transgender Diagnoses Put Would Be Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Adults at Risk for Unnecessary Medical Intervention?” [A summary of a few of the key points can be found at the bottom of the current post.∗]
I can only speak for myself and don’t necessarily endorse anyone else’s opinions. I am not opposed to treatment for transgender children if evidence shows it is safe for all gender nonconforming youth and I want the best care for everybody.
I wrote a letter outlining my concerns and emailed it to over 150 people in LGBT rights orgs and media, as well as to mental health organizations. The American Psychological Association (APA) was one of only two which even responded. Their response, written by Clinton W. Anderson, at that time the Director of the Office on Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity at APA, was pretty generic and did not address my concerns. It consisted mostly of a reiteration of the APA’s current policies, although Anderson did say he (?) would share my concerns at an upcoming meeting of the APA Committee on Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity in late March.
I have just written the below reply, which I sent today. (Letter has been altered slightly for publication on 4thWaveNow).
To the Office on Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity at the APA,
Thank you very much for your response to my letter. I would like a chance to address some unresolved issues. I will be posting this letter publicly.
I began researching the sharp rise in children being diagnosed as transgender to diffuse what I then saw as increasing transphobia among some gays and lesbians who were extremely angry about the prospect of false positives in youth transitions, because of how it disproportionately affects their communities. I was certain that gender therapists, researchers, medical practitioners, and LGBT organizations would be taking great care to ensure the safety of all gender nonconforming children. Instead, what I found, were…
dishonest statements about the known safety of hormone blockers and early social transitions
numerous stories about negligent gender therapists
lesbian/bi minor females identifying as trans for long enough to have an official diagnosis and be endangered
a tone-deaf attitude among supporters of the 100% gender affirmation model towards gay men and lesbian adults who promise this could have been them as children
trans kid camp materials where no other coping skills or role models are provided other than transition
sex reassignment surgery on minors discussed as if it were no more harmless than a mani-pedi
public statements that the only option parents have with every single child who claims they are transgender is to transition them or they will commit suicide
parents of children who had desisted being ignored
detransitioners being treated badly
professionals insinuating/stating outright that transitioning a few kids inappropriately is worth it
a general failure to take seriously the damage false positives can do, and the horrible human rights abuse against the diversity of expression of the non-trans gay/bisexual community.
I acknowledge transgender people’s right to advocate for their own community and to advocate for what is best for trans young people. I also understand that they view any hindrance to transition as an affront to their humanity and their rights. And I truly want to believe the vast majority of the young people in these programs have intractable gender identity disorder/gender dysphoria. I respect that they have rights and society is morally obligated to provide them the best evidence-based mental health and medical care.
I’m also familiar with the positive research on transitions to treat gender dysphoria. Almost all of the studies on transgender adults show low regret rates. Many studies also show that transition relieves the dysphoria. I’m also aware of the research studies on trans youth that show positive psychological benefits associated with earlier transitions. The two most cited are the Dutch 2014 study where the youth were intensively screened (a type of gatekeeping rapidly going away in many cases), where five stopped communications and one died from complications of genital surgery, but the remaining 50 eligible for followup were doing very well. The other is the Trans Youth Project study that showed socially transitioned children at followup had almost normal levels of mental health. However, as this Yale medical student stated, “The authors compared their cohort of children to cohorts in studies that were conducted more than 10 years ago, during a time when society was even less accepting of transgender youth.” This study doesn’t compare them with kids in loving, supportive homes, who are not transitioned as children, but who will be accepted in their own decision-making process when they are adults.
Neither of these studies had control groups to compare desistance rates for early social transitions or for the effects of hormone blockers, because (according to the current narrative), using such control groups would be unethical.
You mentioned you want to provide “evidence based care.” So when you have your meeting at the end of March 2017, these are the issues I hope you will be discussing:
1) As I asked in my previous email, why do almost no children desist once put on Lupron, and where is evidence it doesn’t interfere with the youth’s identity formation? There has also been a recent negative story about the safety of Lupron.
2) Why are there twice as many female young people coming to some gender clinics than males in Canada, England, and the Netherlands? Why is this not a cause for concern, when in Oregon, a 15-year old can obtain a mastectomy without parental consent, and activists are pushing for this everywhere else? Any other time the epidemiology of a condition changes this much, researchers have taken notice. Why, on this issue, is it treated as nothing but social liberation that deserves nothing less than total affirmation by a large number of mental health professionals, especially when it is well known that female teens are prone to body hatred issues and social contagion? I’m not aware of any APA studies seeking answers.
3) Why is a hypothetical study involving for example, 200 gender dysphoric youth who are…
loved/supported
not gender policed in anyway as far as clothing and behavior
placed in safe schools
provided adult role models who have coped with being gender nonconforming without surgery
lovingly told there is nothing wrong with them and they will be loved and supported in their transition when they are mature as possible
afforded exceptions if the child was self harming and transition viewed as the best option
…not morally acceptable, but what is morally acceptable is….
the APA and medical field instituting ill-defined protocols, which are loosening daily, with no control groups, in circumstances where most dysphoric kids are pre-gay/lesbian, /bi and not trans, when effects on desistance are unknown
uncertainty if these practices risk disfiguring healthy bodies
risking perpetrating violations of the Hippocratic oath to not over treat
potentially violating the future 60-70 years of a child’s life in the case of false positives, that violates his/her journey to come to accept him or herself as a gay man or lesbian, even one with a difficult childhood; which amounts to an abuse of his/her human right to fertility, and an abuse of his/her now drastically altered sexuality
which amounts to an abuse of his/her human right to fertility, and an abuse of his/her now drastically altered sexuality unknowingly participating in a civil and human rights abuse of gender nonconforming people who turn out not to be trans but are more likely homosexual; something that could affect thousands of people in the future?
Is this happening to socially transitioned children and tweens on hormone blockers? I am not saying I know it is, but unfortunately, you can’t prove it is not.
The psych field (including APA members) has skipped an entire, more moderate approach to treatment as outlined in the first example and gone straight to a 100% affirmation model (no attempt is made to help the child find alternative ways to cope) with no control studies and no meaningful publicly expressed concern over effects on persistence.
Does the APA understand that even though there is no clear-cut data that the very high stakes are parents having their children ripped from them by trans activists and gender therapists working with the government? Parents who may be loving and supportive but don’t want to permanently, physically alter their minor child for the rest of their lives based on data that is not solid. Does the APA understand that these governmental policies activists are working to implement could result in children being removed from the care of parents who protected their gender confused teens from permanent disfigurement by keeping them away from the gender clinic and the 100% affirmation model?
This is morally acceptable to the psychological and medical field?
4) Since the APA is encouraging supporting nonbinary identities, what research does the APA have to justify these recommendations, since it is increasing numbers of 18/19-year-old females (younger now in some cases) adopting these identities, many of which are recent proliferations spread on social media; and many of these “nonbinary” females are seeking breast amputation? Since there are now up to 50 of these gender identities, does the APA support reinforcing all of them, and if so, based on what data? Does the APA have proof that the use of dozens of different pronouns associated with these identities is actually adaptive and healthy for these young people? Has the APA considered what will happen to these young people, the vast majority of whom would have found a way to fit into the binary 15 years ago? When these young people leave the open minded, nurturing environments of the therapist’s office and academia, they may be faced with employers who have every motivation to not hire individuals who require them to force employees/customers to use self created language or risk lawsuits/fines.
The story below highlights the fact that the “infinite genders” (actual quote) approach of |
pletive) wasn’t airworthy. So we had to sell it in Nashville.”
The Western payback became legendary among the company sales force, which joked about it during many of the meetings that the FBI informant secretly recorded. In a conversation on Feb. 6, Freeman talked about how the deal fell apart. The conversation, according to the document, went like this:
“What does Mark (Hazelwood) and Jimmy (Haslam) say about (expletive) like that,” the informant said.
“(Expletive),” Freeman said. “I mean, I called Jimmy and told him I got busted at Western Express.”
“What did he say?” the informant asked.
“Oh, he knew it,” Freeman responded.
“Oh, he did?”
“Absolutely. I mean, he knew all along that I was cost-plussin’ this guy. He knew it all along. Loved it. We were making $450,000 a month on him.”
The joke went even further.
In one conversation in October, sales workers discussed an employee who had been making the system over-complicated and had been “busted” a few times.
“Yeah, he hadn’t had to buy an airplane yet, but he had a couple of hang-gliders,” one said, as they laughed.
With Plain Dealer reporter Alison Grant.Police in northern New Jersey shot a man dead in a public library on Friday, after an apparent altercation with officers.
At a late-night press conference, Lyndhurst police chief James O’Connor identified the man as Kevin Allen. O’Connor said Allen was wanted for violating probation terms of a work-release program, and that an officer recognized him as he entered the Lyndhurst public library at about 1.30pm.
A few minutes later, police said the officer confronted Allen, 36, on the third floor of the building, where Allen is said to have resisted arrest by struggling with the police officer, O’Connor said. Police said Allen then pulled a knife when a second officer arrived and “charged” at the pair.
“He brandished the knife,” O’Connor told reporters, after the officers had “just prior” tried to use pepper spray and their batons. “Mr Allen still went after them aggressively and left them no choice but to deploy deadly force.”
“There was nothing else they could have done,” he said.
People at the library fled, according to the officers, and administrators later closed the building as more police arrived to investigate. Allen was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead at about 3.30pm. The officers involved sustained no physical injuries but also went to the hospital to be treated for shock, police said.
O’Connor would not comment on whether gunfire from the officers could have endangered bystanders, saying only: “We’ll review what occurred here today, and review what steps we can take in the future to hopefully prevent that from occurring again.”
Kevin Allen Photograph: Bergen County prosecutor
Police have said they are interviewing a number of witnesses, including a child. They did not disclose any names or ages.
The library, which is directly adjacent to the Lyndhurst police station, is normally open on Saturdays. A day after the shooting, a sign hanging in its window said it would be closed for the weekend.
At the police station, Sergeant Kevin Breslin told the Guardian he did not know if video of the shooting existed, or how many officers had been involved in the shooting or aftermath, or how many law enforcement agencies had been involved in the incident on Friday.
Allen had a record of arrests that spanned more than a decade, and court records showed charges for offenses including arrears, drug distribution and criminal sexual conduct. He was wanted on arrest warrants for contempt of court and failing to appear for his work-release program. He sometimes went by the alias Kevin Hall, Bergen County prosecutor John Molinelli said.
Former neighbors expressed surprise at his death.
“I don’t know anyone that would say anything bad about him,” William McMann told ABC7. “It’s just really shocking to hear what happened. I just can’t put it together.”
Others said they were rattled by the violence. A local mother, Daisy Pabon, told CBS2 she would not take her child back to the library.
“I’m very scared of going there,” she said. “I don’t know what can happen next time.”
At the library on Saturday, Karen Kennedy told the Guardian: “I miss the library today. This is a nice, family run community.”
Though she had stumbled upon the chaos yesterday afternoon, she said “nothing like this ever happens around here”.
John Shutt, who has lived across the street from where the library is now for 40 years, watched the afternoon’s drama unfold from his stoop. The police taped off the block from around 1.30pm until 7.30pm and were investigating until around 10pm, he said.
“I came out to move my car at 1.30pm, and I didn’t know we had so many cops,” he said. “There were like 20 cops running into there.”
The sheriff’s department and state police also showed up, Shutt said, until there were about 40 officers on the scene.
A middle aged woman, who did not want to give her name, said she felt sympathy for the officers involved.
“I heard they had to go to the hospital for stress,” she said. “My heart goes out to them.”
Asked about recent police shootings around the country, she said: “I am very pro-cop.” She added that she often went to the Holy Cross cemetery in nearby North Arlington, New Jersey, where “they’d got a special action for police, soldiers, 9/11 victims, all the people who keep us safe”.
“I got to pray for them,” she said.
An occupant at Allen’s listed address told ABC7, meanwhile, that police had come to the house a few days earlier in search of Allen, who had left no forwarding address.
“I knew it wasn’t anything good. But it shocked me it was the same guy they were looking for in the library who ended up getting killed,” the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- RTA board members voted Tuesday to collaborate with the Cleveland Metroparks and the Rotary Club of Cleveland on a study of a proposed greenway trail that would extend from West 65th Street to downtown Cleveland.
The Red Line Greenway is a long-held dream of members of the Rotary Club of Cleveland, who have spearheaded the proposal and worked over the past several years with the nonprofit LAND Studio to shape the plan.
Besides RTA and the Rotary, the Cleveland Metroparks also has a lead role in the proposed path.
The line would run from the Michael Zone Recreation Center, cross into RTA property at about West 41st Street, continue on RTA property past the West 25th Street rapid station, and go from there to the Viaduct transit bridge above the Cuyahoga River. At that point it would connect to other regional trails on Franklin Road.
Tuesday's vote allows RTA to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Metroparks' board and the Rotary Club for a feasibility study on the trail. It also establishes the roles and responsibilities of each group.
RTA will conduct a property survey to see if there's adequate room for the trail.
Since it would run alongside an active Red Line rapid track, there needs to be fencing, 6 feet high, between the trail and the track, RTA General Manager Joe Calabrese said. And at some sections where the passage is narrow, the fence would have to be removable to allow access to maintain the tracks, Calabrese said.
During maintenance, part of the trail would probably have to be temporarily closed, he said.
The agreement also says that transitioning from shared to non-shared trails would require gates that lock.
The pact calls for the Metroparks to evaluate and provide criteria on the design, construction, maintenance, operation and patrolling of the greenway. If the trail is found to be doable, all parties will stay involved throughout the design process, "including being involved in the retention of a professional greenway designer," according to the memorandum of understanding.
The Rotary Club will continue to maintain the site during the feasibility study.
Rotary member Leonard Stover, one of the volunteers championing the idea, and other Rotarians see the greenway as analogous to New York's High Line Park, which is built on top of a disused rail line on the Lower West Side of Manhattan, the Plain Dealer reported in June.
The agreement between RTA, park commissioners and the Rotary Club said the study will examine how the Red Line Greenway "can become a safe, accessible and world-class greenway."
The parties are also to work together on identifying financing for the path. According to a "conceptual opinion of probable costs" attached to the pact, the trail would cost an estimated $5.2 million if built with aggregate and $5.5 million if the trail is asphalt.
Calabrese predicted the greenway would become a top local focus for foundation, government and private support once the $30 million makeover of Cleveland's Public Square is fully funded.LA Galaxy LA Galaxy New England Revolution New England Revolution 2 1 AET Game Details GameCast
Lineups and Stats
CARSON, Calif. -- Landon Donovan is leaving Major League Soccer on top as the Los Angeles Galaxy beat the New England Revolution 2-1 to claim the team's fifth MLS Cup trophy in Donovan's final game as a professional.
Donovan's teammate and MLS MVP Robbie Keane scored in the 111th minute from a long ball over the top of the New England defense, which the Irishman promptly tucked away in the back of the net after he was played onside by Chris Tierney.
The Galaxy had had numerous chances in the first half, but were slightly out of sync and couldn't finish several opportunities right in front of goal.
New England had some good runs of possession early on but were unable to break through the Galaxy defense to get any pressure on Galaxy goalkeeper Jaime Penedo.
After the disjointed first half for both teams, Gyasi Zardes scored for the Galaxy to give the home team a 1-0 lead in front of a sellout crowd of 27,000 at the StubHub Center.
The remainder of the second half was a back-and-forth affair with L.A. getting the better of the chances -- the best on a Keane breakaway that the Irishman failed to take or indeed pass to Donovan.
In the 79th minute, the Revs scored on a counter-attack with Chris Tierney -- a boyhood fan of the Revs -- burying his chance off a pass from the touchline from substitute Patrick Mullins, who had come on for Charlie Davies in the 72nd minute.
Before the two extra periods, New England sent Andy Dorman on for Lee Nguyen, who had been suffering from cramps, but, despite the loss of the MVP nominee, the underdogs had the better of the early part of extra-time.
Tierney's left-footed chance in the first overtime period was parried away by Penedo and the ball trickled slowly in front of a wide-open goal mouth, but none of his Revolution teammates were there to put the ball in the back of the net.
Keane had been frustrated throughout much of the game, but made amends in the final moments to help L.A. return to the top of MLS for the first time since 2012.
Following Keane's go-ahead strike, the Revs threw everything at the Galaxy, but couldn't find the equaliser leaving New England as the losers in the MLS Cup for the fifth time in franchise history.CROWLEY, Aleister and David Curwen ( Edited and with an Introduction by Henrik Bogdan; Foreword by Tony Matthews ). Brother Curwen, Brother Crowley. A Correspondence.
York Beach, Maine USA: The Teitan Press, 2010. First Edition. Hardcover. Octavo (9 x 6 inches, approx 23.5 x 15.2cm), xlviii + 136pp. Heavy dark green cloth binding, with gilt titling etc to the spine. Sewn, printed on acid-free paper. Black and white frontispiece, and eight pages of black and white illustrations. Edition limited to 777 numbered copies. In September 1944, a fifty-one year old Londoner named David Curwen wrote to Aleister Crowley, initiating a correspondence that would last several years. While Curwen approached Crowley with deference, the relationship that evolved between them was a complex one that defied the accepted parameters of the student-teacher nexus. For David Curwen was no newcomer to the study of the occult, and Crowley soon discovered that the flow of knowledge would not be simply one way. In particular Crowley was tantalized by the deep understanding of the principals of tantra that Curwen had acquired during the course of many years study under a mysterious guru. Curwen joined the O.T.O., but he remained skeptical of many of "the Beast's" claims, and the two ultimately parted company on strained terms. However, Curwen retained his interest in the occult, and in later life he devoted himself to the study of alchemy, publishing the results of his researches pseudonymously in the book "In Pursuit of Gold," a work that many believe to be the most significant study ever published of practical alchemy. "Brother Curwen, Brother Crowley" includes an important biographical Foreword by David Curwen's grandson, Tony Matthews. The letters themselves have been edited and annotated by the scholar of Crowley and Western esotericism, Henrik Bogdan, who has also contributed an illuminating Introduction that gives context to the relationship between Crowley and Curwen, as well as exploring the history of their interest in sexual occultism and tantra, and the influence that they had in Kenneth Grant. Illustrated dustjacket. NEW book. Fine in fine dust jacket. Item #38713
ISBN: 9780933429277
Price: $45.00ISLAMABAD: New projections released by the United Nations say Pakistan is among six of the 10 largest countries in the world whose population has been projected to exceed 300 million by 2050.
At present, the country’s population has been estimated to be around 190m. By the year 2030 the population would be 244m, and by 2100, Pakistan’s population could be 364m, according to the revised projections made in the report.
Key findings of the ‘World Population Prospects 2015’ released by the UN on Wednesday listed China, India, Indonesia, Nigeria and the United States the other five countries to have 300m population by 2050.
Know more: India set to become world's most populous country by 2022
Among the 10 largest countries, five are in Asia and Pakistan is among them. Other countries are Bangladesh, China, India and Indonesia.
During 2015-2050, half of the world’s population growth is expected to be concentrated in nine countries: India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Congo, Ethiopia, Tanzania, US, Indonesia and Uganda.
Within seven years, the population of India is expected to surpass that of China. Currently, China’s population is approximately 1.38 billion compared with 1.31bn of India.
World population continues to grow though more slowly than in the recent past. Ten years ago, it was growing by 1.24 per cent per year. Today, it is growing by 1.18pc per year or approximately an additional 83m people annually.
Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2015
On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google PlayFirst lady Michelle Obama speaks at a mentoring event to celebrate Women's History Month, East Room, the White House in March, 2011.. (AP)
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – First Lady Michelle Obama was in Miami Tuesday to promote her “Let’s Move” initiative by announcing a new partnership aimed at providing more healthy snacks to activity time to kids, especially after school.
The Boys and Girls Clubs of America, the National Recreation and Park Association and the Partnership for a Healthier America outlined their commitment to help more than 5.5 million children live healthier lives over the next five years.
“Everybody here knows that kids who eat well and stay active tend to have better grades, they have better attendance. They have fewer disciplinary problems at school,” Michelle Obama said at the event at Gwen Cherry Park in Miami. “We’re now ensuring that more and more of our kids wills tay healthy throughout the entire arc of their day.”
Actress Amy Poehler was on hand to introduce the First Lady, a nod to her role on the show Parks and Recreation.
“I can’t believe I’m here and Mrs. Obama is right next to me,” Poehler joked. “It’s like she is my own audience listening to my jokes. This is a dream.”
Mrs. Obama’s dream is to see more children engage in at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day.
She’s celebrating the 4th anniversary of her “Let’s Move” campaign with events in multiple cities this week.
Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said the county leads the charge in healthy practices at schools.
“The First Lady has recognized Miami Dade County Public Schools as the highest performing district in the country as far as fitness and healthy eating by developing indoor fitness drills for all elementary schools,” Carvalho told CBS4’s Lauren Pastrana.
Rep. Frederica Wilson was at the event, as well as Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez.
Gimenez explained the healthy initiatives are a budget priority.
“There may be some things that we are doing today we may not be able to do in the future,” Gimenez said. “But the priorities that we have are public safety, children and the elderly. Those services are all higher on our list.”
Earlier Tuesday, the First Lady threw her support behind new USDA rules that would phase out the advertising of sodas and junk food at public schools.
She also called for the extension of the free lunch and breakfast program.
She wants every snack and meal to include a fruit and/or vegetable.
Mrs. Obama applauds Miami-Dade county for all the work done so far to benefit kids.
“I can’t wait to see all the great things you’re doing. If we keep moving, and we keep doing our part just like all of you here keep doing in Miami, then I know that we’ll be able to give our children the bright healthy futures they deserve,” the First Lady said.
As part of her campaign, Mrs. Obama encourages people to share their fitness experiences with her via social media using the hashtag #LetsMove.
She said if she receives enough responses, the President or Vice President might plan a special surprise.Praise for the Manual
"That debt is neither inevitable nor ethical is one of the powerful assertions of Strike Debt, whose brilliant manual is both a practical handbook and a manifesto for a true debt jubilee: an economic rebirth in which the indebted are freed and financial institutions are reinvented. It's a stunning intersection of ferocity (against the debt industry) and compassion (for the people whose lives are broken by debt). In years to come, we may look back on it as a landmark in social transformation; right now it is both useful and exhilarating." —Rebecca Solnit, author of A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in Disaster and Wanderlust: A History of Walking
"The impact of the neoliberal assault on the U.S. population in the past generation has rightly been designated a 'failure by design.' This failure is sharply class-based-for the designers it has been a grand success, and a failure for most of the rest. The same is true of debt. That sets two tasks for those who care about the health of the society: change the design, and find ways to cope as effectively with the failures it imposes. This valuable monograph by Strike Debt provides a good guide to undertake both." —Noam Chomsky, author of Hopes and Prospects and Making the Future: The Unipolar Imperial Moment
"This manual is a practical guide that will aid anyone who is struggling with debt. But even more important, it is a political guide that illuminates the myriad kinds of debt relationships that define our society and helps us imagine how we can begin to organize collectively against debt." —Michael Hardt, coauthor of Commonwealth
"The Debt Resisters' Operations Manual is a powerful tool for resistance and creation. It shows how we can say 'No!' to debt-resist and refuse-while at the same time opens the possibility of alternative ways of relating and creating real value together-based on solidarity and care." —Marina Sitrin, author of Everyday Revolutions: Horizontalism and Autonomy in Argentina
"The Debt Resisters' Operation Manual is a sober, practical book that will save its readers much money and many sleepless nights. At the same time it is a visionary text that goes into the bowels of the debt machine to chart a collective way out of the state of debt-induced indentured servitude that millions of Americans face. It is the new debt resisters' movement's opening challenge to Wall Street that is making the bankers anxious. Get a copy and join the movement." —Silvia Federici, author of Revolution at Point Zero and Caliban and the WitchIt’s true. Most people watch TV in their living rooms using traditional cable or satellite options. In fact, more than 95 percent of Americans get their information and entertainment that way. But as we explored what the other 5 percent are doing, we found some interesting consumer behaviors that we want to keep an eye on.
This small group of video enthusiasts is tuning out traditional TV—and the trend is growing. This “Zero-TV” group, which makes up less than 5 percent of U.S. households, has bucked tradition by opting to get the information they need and want from non-traditional TV devices and services.
According to Nielsen’s Fourth-Quarter 2012 Cross-Platform Report, the U.S. had more than five million Zero-TV households in 2013, up from just over 2 million in 2007. These households don’t fit Nielsen’s traditional definition of a TV household, but they still view video content. The television itself isn’t obsolete, however, as more than 75 percent of these homes still have at least one TV set, which they use to watch DVDs, play games or surf the Net. When it comes to video content, a growing amount of these households are using other devices.
The average American spends more than 41 hours each week—nearly five-and-a-half hours daily—engaging with content across all screens. They spend most of that time (more than 34 hours) in front of a TV, and consumers spend three of those TV hours watching time-shifted content. Viewing behavior varies by ethnicity, however: the average African-American spends close to 55 hours, Hispanics just over 35 hours and Asian Americans spend more than 27 hours.
For more detail and insight, download Nielsen’s Q4 2012 Cross-Platform Report.The head of the umbrella organization that represents Canadian charities says there are no plans to mount a collective defence in response to what some groups have alleged may be politically motivated audits to rout out partisan political activities.
"Imagine Canada has not created a special plan or program for collective action that is different from the current belief that charitable organizations have an important and vibrant role to play in the identification of issues of importance to Canadians," newly installed president Bruce MacDonald told CBC News by email.
"Since renewed federal interest in charities' political activities first surfaced a few years back, Imagine Canada has been actively promoting the important role that charities play in public policy both domestically and internationally," he noted.
"We have also been working with charities across the country to ensure that they are aware of their rights and responsibilities regarding political activities reporting and public policy engagement more generally, [and] we plan to continue these efforts in the weeks and months to come."
Earlier this week, The Canadian Press reported that Toronto-based PEN Canada, a small organization that represents artists and writers concerned about freedom of expression, was the latest charity targeted for special scrutiny by the tax agency, which has spent the last two years investigating possible political activities at the government's behest.
More than 50 charities have gone under the CRA microscope since 2012.
Initially, the investigations seemed to be focused on environmental advocacy groups, but that list has since expanded to include international humanitarian and aid groups.
And it isn't just allegations of excessively political activism that appears to be catching the tax agency's official attention.
Bureaucratic brawl
The Canadian Press reported earlier Friday that Oxfam Canada had been forced to reword its mission statement to remove a reference to "preventing poverty" after being informed that wasn't considered a valid goal, at least for tax purposes.
"We were told we had a broader definition of our mission, and they were only comfortable with the portion that spoke to relieving poverty," Oxfam director of international development Anthony Scoggins told CBC News on Friday.
Under the agency's direction, he said, "we withdrew the offending phrase, and have since received our registration."
But he doesn't seem to have come round entirely to the CRA's way of thinking.
"Obviously, if you're a charity working on cancer or HIV/AIDS, those charities aren't restricted to dealing only with those suffering with that, they also do a lot of work on prevention up front, because that's seen as a social benefit," he noted.
"The CRA has gotten itself caught up a little bit in a rather embarrassing snafu around this, which certainly doesn't help with their credibility, since it really is common sense for most Canadians."
Oxfam 'offside,' says Christian charities group
Not all Canadians — or, as it turns out, even all charities — share that view, however.
Canadian Christian Charities Association CEO Rev. John Pellowe believes Oxfam was "clearly offside in this."
"They're expressing surprise, but prevention of poverty is not a charitable purpose, and should not have been put in their [mission] statement," he said.
"'There are lots of grey areas — for instance, providing job training to people who don't have jobs is charitable, but providing job training to people who do is not," he explained.
"The same activity could be charitable or not charitable, depending on who you're serving. But CRA has the right to investigate charities to determine if you're following the rules."
Pellowe says his organization, which represents over 3,000 charities, doesn't have a problem with the tax agency's recent investigations.
"I only have information that I've read in the press, but we have 3,200 Christian charities that are members, so we do watch for issues like this where we think government is offside, and we're in consultation with CRA on a fairly regular basis," he told CBC News.
'CRA simply doing what it should be doing'
"What I'm reading … seems to suggest that people think there's a political agenda here. In actual fact, the cases that we're looking at, I don't see any evidence of a government agenda or interference in the operations of CRA."
The government has the right to ask the agency to look into specific issues or concerns, he notes.
"The CRA is simply doing what it should be doing with the cases I'm aware of."
The limits on political engagement are "very well and clearly defined" in the Income Tax Act, he noted.
"You can do political engagement, but you cannot engage in partisan politics, and in the cases I've heard about, that's exactly what they're doing—they've crossed the line."
As yet, he says, he hasn't heard from any member organizations concerned about the audits into political activities.
"On other issues — income tax-related issues or GST — we get people calling in and saying 'Hey, it looks like they're reinterpreting this,'" he noted.
"What typically happens is we sit down with CRA management, and it gets worked out. We've had them change their forms and documents based on our input."
In this case, he said, "I see the government saying they had an interest in how charities operate, which is within their prerogative. There's not a story here."by
Photo by John Duffy | CC BY 2.0
Back in September, when video of private security guards attacking protesters with dogs and mace at a Dakota Access Pipeline construction site went viral, it seemed the outcry that followed might force the the 3.7 million dollar fracked-oil project to move from Lake Oahe, if not get the venture cancelled altogether.
Keystone XL had been defeated a year earlier, the thinking went, so why not DAPL, at least in part?
Surely, elected officials, if not corporate executives concerned about public perception and stock prices, would respond substantively to the confrontation, which in social media led to searing memes juxtaposing the besieged water protectors — as the activists call themselves — with pictures of civil rights activists also being attacked by canines in 1963 Birmingham.
At the very least, the private security detail seen dispensing pepper spray left and right and yanking around the dogs, some of which had blood dripping down their snouts, would be charged.
But fast forward nearly two months later, and relief seems perhaps as far off as it was before the labor day weekend confrontation put DAPL in the spotlight.
The pipeline’s corporate maker, Energy Transfer Parter, is racing to a January completion date, shrugging off the vast protest movement that’s blossomed and tepid pushback from the Obama administration. The North Dakota portion of the four-state pipeline is already 87 percent complete as of the end of September.
Meanwhile, Hilary Clinton, the person likely to be occupying the oval office come January, remains mum on what’s become the most pressing issue for native people and the environmental movement today.
In fact, with Bernie Sanders now unabashedly campaigning for her and the ogre known as Donald Trump virtually vanquished, it’s unlikely we’ll hear anything before inauguration day from Clinton, especially with the last of only three debates between her and the proto-fascist Republican candidate firmly in the rear-view mirror.
Even if the pipeline is completed before her elevation to the presidency, it will go down as a black mark for Hilary Clinton the candidate as much as for President Obama.
Rather than use an executive order to curtail the pipeline, Obama has only delayed a decision on Dakota Access’ petition for easement on federal land under Lake Oahe.
With her silence, Clinton is signaling that Energy Transfer Partners has nothing to fear from a Clinton presidency if the Obama administration decides to kick the can down the road.
She also seems to be communicating that her penchant for fracking as secretary of state will likely follow her back into the White House. This at a time when the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has surpassed 400 parts per million, as scientists announced earlier this month.
That she continues to ignore DAPL is not for want of recent drama either.
Since that labor day weekend showdown, hundreds of people have been arrested protesting the pipeline — including 80 on Saturday alone — at DAPL sites as well as at solidarity actions across the country.
The dirty work of guarding construction sites is now being done almost exclusively by the state — police and sheriffs deputies from around the country patrol the high prairies with military grade rifles and bulletproof vests, replacing the private security in the video, who are apparently going scot-free.
In fact, the only protagonists from Democracy Now’s video who have been charged are the journalist behind it, Amy Goodman, and some of the protesters. (Goodman was cleared last week when a local judge threw out the case)
Besides indigenous rights and environmental pollution, the fight over DAPL has also brought to the fore a raft of other issues that haven’t seen light in the presidential debates.
One that comes to mind is eminent domain, which the federal government used to expropriate land from Iowa farmers for the project, a move some are still contesting in court. Another is press freedom: Besides Goodman, the documentarian Deia Schlosberg and four journalists from the media collective Unicorn Riot have been arrested and charged.
A third is the militarization of law enforcement, with the fight over DAPL showing this as a phenomenon occurring not only in urban areas but in rural parts as well. This resonates strongly in a year where the killing of black people by cops is a disturbingly recurrent news item.
While its horrifying that the toupeed, fascist Republican standard bearer in this year’s elections once called global warming a hoax by the Chinese, voters shouldn’t give Clinton a pass considering she’s bragged of promoting fracking around the world as secretary of state and avoids discussion on the disconcerting pushback against DAPL protestors and journalists.
It’s not hard to guess why. Many of the financial institutions putting money behind DAPL are some of Clinton’s top donors.
As Bill McKibeen, founder of the environmental group 350.org, put it in a September LA-Times op-ed calling on Clinton to speak out, “The people who’ve built Clinton’s campaign war chest and her personal fortune are the same people who paid for the dogs that bit young native Americans…”
Even if it it’s too late to stop the pipeline as a whole, Lake Oahe and water rights for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe might be saved if our leaders, both elected and waiting at the wings, take a stand.
That Clinton has kept silent should give voters pause as they head to the polls in two weeks.
Oliver “Oscar” Ortega is a freelance journalist based in Madison, Wisconsin. Back in his mainstream media days, his work appeared in the Boston Globe and other regional newspapers. He can be reached at: [email protected] Kentucky Derby is taking place this Saturday (May 7) at 6:34 pm. This will be the 142nd running of the historic horse race. This year, however, things will be a bit different. For the first time ever, the race will be broadcast live in virtual reality thanks to a recent partnership between NBC Sports and NextVR.
NextVR will be placing seven of its dual-lens stereoscopic 3D VR cameras around the historic Churchill Downs racetrack in order to capture all of the equestrian action. These cameras will relay the immersive video live to Samsung Gear VR headsets. Gear VR owners can access the content by downloading the NextVR app and opening the NBC Sports portal within.
The VR stream will incorporate the traditional broadcast’s audio including commentary from NBC’s Larry Collmus. It will also feature a few pieces of “specially created content” from NBC, according to an official statement. These will include “feature stories, as well as statistics, race data, and updated betting odds.”
The VR specific information will be realized in the stream as a digital scoreboard of sorts that is meant to mimic its actual Churchill Downs counterpart.
What makes this deal somewhat surprising is that earlier this year NextVR announced a multi year partnership with FOX Sports to broadcast a myriad of live sporting events throughout the year.
NBC has the Kentucky Derby broadcasting rights through 2025 so there is no way the FOX partnership would allow NextVR to broadcast this particular event. However, it is notable that NextVR seems free to play in other kids sandboxes to create VR sports content for more than just FOX.
This is NextVR’s third recent partnership revelation. The young company announced earlier this week that it would be working with TIME inc. to create virtual reality content for its 100 major brands. The popular ticketing site LiveNation was also revealed this week to be a NextVR partner.
Tagged with: 360, broadcast, derby, live, nbc, nextVR, raceBradley Horowitz Says That Google Photos is Gmail for Your Images. And That Google Plus Is Not Dead. An interview with Google’s head of Streams, Photos and Sharing Steven Levy Blocked Unblock Follow Following May 28, 2015 Unlisted To Bradley Horowitz, Google Photos is not just another product. It’s a culmination of 25 years of his work in processing images. Horowitz — who is Google’s Vice President of Streams, Photos, and Sharing — first studied computer vision in grad school and later dropped out to co-found a company in the field, Virage. In the late 1990s, when Horowitz worked at Yahoo, he was the executive behind the purchase of Flickr. And he has been involved with Google’s previous photo apps at various times in his seven years at the company. But Google Photos is the big one, the strongest push yet for the company that rules search to extend its dominance to the images you shoot incessantly from your phone and camera. “Google’s been into photos for a long time, but this is the first time we have launched a standalone product built from the ground up,” he says. Google Photos, announced today at its I/O conference, is important for another another reason to Horowitz. It is a clear signal of the way the company is rethinking its controversial social service, Google Plus. While the previous photo service lived in G+, this one is, as mentioned above, standalone. (This breaking-out-of-Plus process also happened earlier with Google Hangouts.) The move is indicative of how Google has lowered the temperature on the social fever that undertook it a few years ago. On its launch in 2011, Google Plus was touted as the innovation that would compensate for the search giant’s long neglect of “people.” (Thus opening the door to competition from companies like Facebook.) At one point, Larry Page even set the bonus structure for all Google employees on the company’s success in the social sphere. Horowitz was a co-founder of Plus, but he was second-in-command to the other co-founder, Vic Gundotra. Only this year was Horowitz put in charge — to oversee its transition to a less prominent place in the Google pantheon. It is significant that his title describes activities and does not include the word “plus,” which is still used in the company, but in a much more minus fashion than in its heyday.
Google Photos faces extraordinary competition from the likes of Apple, Flickr, and any number of storage services, but the company has diligently leveraged its strengths to produce a product it hopes users will view as a visual equivalent to Gmail: a standalone free service with a premium option for more, super high res, storage. (You store all you like in normal resolution.) It has the requisite functions of editing and, also as one might expect, allows for sharing on social sites. Using pinch and zoom functions, it’s easy to target specific clusters of images. But perhaps the most impressive aspect is its ability to search through a vast collection and automatically collate images by category. It can recognize not only faces, but trees, flowers and birthday parties. On the eve of the launch of Google Photos, Horowitz spoke to me about the product, as well as the future of Google Plus. [Steven Levy] There’s a lot of competition from places like Apple, Flickr and even RealNetworks to be someone’s go-to photo service. Why would someone choose Google? [Bradley Horowitz] We aspire to do for photo management what Gmail did for email management. Gmail wasn’t the first email service. But it offered a different paradigm of how one managed one’s inbox. We want to do that for photo management: To give you enough storage so you can relax and not worry about how |
i subregions revealed a similar pattern of reward volume differences with significant gender interactions for DLPFC and VDC. Overall, the volume of the cerebral ventricles in ALC participants was negatively associated with duration of abstinence, suggesting decline in atrophy with greater length of sobriety.Abigail Hobbs was a girl of about 14[1] to 16 years old when she was arrested for witchcraft on April 18, 1692, along with Giles Corey, Mary Warren, and Bridget Bishop. Prior to living in Salem Village (now Danvers, Massachusetts), she and her family had lived in Casco, Maine, the frontier of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, during a time when there were many attacks by the Wabanaki Native Americans.[2][why?] Her father William and stepmother, Deliverance Hobbs, were also both charged with witchcraft.
During her multiple examinations by local magistrates between April and June 1692,[3] Abigail confessed and accused others of witchcraft, including John Proctor. At her trial in September, she pleaded guilty to both indictments against her, one for afflicting Mercy Lewis[4] and another for covenanting with the Devil.[5] In her examination on April 20, 1692, Abigail Hobbs accused George Burroughs, the previous minister of Salem, of being a witch. With the naming of Minister Burroughs, a well-respected member of the community, many accusations came forth and climbed up the social hierarchy.[6]
Governor William Phips granted the Hobbs family a reprieve in January 1693, after Chief Magistrate William Stoughton had signed the warrant for her execution.[7] In 1710, her father, William Hobbs, petitioned the General Court to compensate him for £40 expenses that the family's imprisonment cost him but said he was willing to accept £10, which the court granted him in 1712. She was among those named in the Act for Reversal of Attainder by the Massachusetts Great and General Court, October 17, 1711.[why?]
In popular culture [ edit ]
Abigail Hobbs is the name of a teenage girl who is the daughter and acts as an accomplice to her father's serial murders in Hannibal (TV series). Abigail later develops a complicated daughter-like relationship with Hannibal Lecter, and also becomes his confidant in his serial murders. Abigail is referenced in the Motionless in White Song "Abigail"Which? is recommending that parents replace their Nania Trio Plus Group 0/1/2 child car seat after it achieved the lowest possible score in our car seat test.
Visit our guide to Best Buy child car seats to find out which child car seats have passed our tests with flying colours.
Nania Trio Plus – Don’t Buy
The Nania Trio Plus is a very cheap and popular child car seat, sold until winter 2012 during Asda Baby Events. It is designed to last children from birth (as a rearward-facing infant carrier) to 25kg (approximately six years old).
Although it has passed the legal safety standards for child car seats (ECE R44/04), we found that it scored just 0% overall in our more demanding crash tests. These include a side impact crash that’s not part of ECE R44/04.
The Nania Trio Plus is no longer on sale, but we recommend that anyone who already owns one of these car seats replaces it as soon as possible.
Read our full review of the Nania Trio Plus for more on why this car seat did so badly in our tests.
The Which? child car seats test
We test child car seats in front and side impact crash simulations. Both tests are developed from Euro NCAP crash test loads, which are based on typical real-life crashes.
Our results indicate that a child using the Nania Trio Plus would be at risk of serious injury in the crashes we simulated. Other car seats that we’ve tested, particularly our Best Buys, do a better job of restraining a child and reducing the loads placed on a child’s body in a crash.
The seatbelt should not be across the neck and tummy
Poor seat belt routing
The Nania Trio Plus can be used in three different ways.
As a rear-facing Group 0 for children up to 10kg it scores 56%.
As a forward-facing Group 1 for children of 9-18kg it scores only 36% because of poor front and side impact results.
The biggest cause for concern is the position of the adult seat belt when the seat is used for older children. A Group 2 child car seat should hold an older child in place with the adult seat belt across the pelvis and across the shoulder.
But the Nania Trio Plus routes the adult seat belt through the seat, so that the force of a crash is absorbed by the neck and tummy (shown in this picture on the identical Kiddicare Maxi SP child car seat, in our ease of use test). This is an unacceptable outcome in our tests, resulting in a very poor rating for front and side impacts, and leading to a score of 0% for Group 2.
We also found that it is easy to fit the seat incorrectly, which can prevent the seat from providing the protection it should in an accident.
Responses from Team Tex and Asda
Because the seat can be used in three different ways and we expect that parents will use the seat in all three of them, the overall Which? test score is limited to the lowest score that the seat achieved. So the overall score is limited to 0%.
We asked Team Tex, manufacturer of Nania child car seats, to comment on the results of our test and in May 2013 received the following statement:
‘The Team Tex Trio car seat, which is sold under the name Maxi SP by Kiddicare and Nania Trio by Asda, is fully approved to the current European safety standard for child car seats sold within Europe (regulation ECE R44.04) and continues to be approved by regular ongoing testing under the conformity of production requirements of this regulation.
‘In our opinion there is no better product available in the market at this price, which fully satisfies the requirements of the European safety standard.
‘Team Tex does take note of the more stringent Which? tests and has already made modifications to the Trio since the Which? test was made to improve the performance of the car seat.’
A spokesperson from Asda also commented in June 2013:
‘We’ve not sold this car seat since last year. All of our car seats are tested to the same EU standards that are in force across the retail industry. We would support going further in legislation and are happy to work with the industry to advise on how we make this happen. Team Tex is happy to replace the seat tested by Which? with a brand new, modified version.’
Due to the large volume of enquiries Team Tex has received it has asked that any customer who has one of the criticised car seats and wants it replaced, sends an email with their contact details and a photo of the car seat’s serial number, to: [email protected]
Is your seat the older version?
Both the old Nania Trio plus and the modified Nania Trifit models look identical from the front but if you’re not sure exactly which version you have you can check by looking at the back of the car seat. The new model has a slightly different design on the car seat shell – as you can see from the picture above.
The new model will also have a different serial number – it should start with the model number D12 followed by the year of manufacture – either 2012 or 2013. The last part of the serial number is unique – if your car seat’s serial number starts D12 2012 and ends in a number higher than 131000 it will be the newer model. If the number is lower than 131000 it will be the older version.
Kiddicare offers to refund or exchange the Maxi SP
Alex Fisher, Commercial Director at Kiddicare says: ‘Kiddicare works closely with its own brand manufacturers to develop and improve its products. All Kiddicare car seats meet the official and current ECE R44/04 European safety standard, however, we recognise that customers may be concerned by the Which? test findings.
‘Therefore, Kiddicare will be happy to exchange any Kiddicare Maxi SP car seat for an alternative Kiddicare own brand car seat, or provide the customer with a credit or refund, either in-store or via our central customer care team.’
The modified version of the Nania Trio Plus and Kiddicare Maxi SP is sold as the Nania Trifit.
More on this…A Black Lives Matter activist was arrested and accused of trafficking a 17-year-old girl for prostitution. Online records show that Charles Wade, 33, was arrested on April 25 in Maryland. He was held on seven counts relating to human trafficking and prostitution. Wade was bailed out shortly after his arrest, according to a statement he released on May 18. He’s active in the Black Lives Matter civil rights movement and the co-founder of protest group Help or Hush.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Wade Told Cops He Thought the Girl Was 20 However She Says When She Told Him She Was 17, He Didn’t Care
Online records show that Wade, a resident of Bowie, Maryland, is due back in court in relation to the charges on June 3. He’s being charged in Prince George’s County. He released a statement on his arrest on May 18, nearly 3 weeks after the incident occurred. Wade explains that he had been contacted by the girl in question with her saying she needed shelter. She claimed to be 20, according to Wade. He says that he placed her in a hotel using reward points.
According to the charging documents, the girl referred to Wade as her “manager” to an undercover officer. She added that she told Wade she was only 17, he responded, “you only have 5 months left until you’re 18 so I’m not worried.”
Wade says that he was “arrested as I was walking to a store on about a half dozen charges related to her activities and arrest.” He says that he thought the girl had “kicked” her drug habit, something which along with her age, was also a lie. While he was at the store, Wade says that the girl was arrested and accused of prostitution. He says in conclusion that he released the statement to counteract Internet trolls and “I am confident that I will be cleared of the charges I am currently facing.”
After his arrest, Wade’s name became a national trending topic on Twitter.
2. The Ad That an Undercover Cop Responded to Said, ‘Thick & Juicy in All the Right Places’
The ad that the undercover cop responded to was posted to the Washington D.C. section of the website Backpage. It reads, “Holla at me. Quick stay specials tonight and tomorrow. Independent. Fun and sexy. Text me to set up an appointment.”
The documents in the case say that a cop texted the number attached to the ad to set up an appointment at a Howard Johnson motel in College Park, Maryland. Those documents say that it was Wade who would respond to johns, according to the girl. One text that the cop received read, “Okay your not a cop or pimp right?” To which the officer responded, “Hell no, I just like nice boobs.” The cop went to her room, where she answered the door wearing only a towel, and after a brief discussion, the officer made the arrests. Vice officers saw Wade watch the undercover cop go into the room, according to the charging documents.
3. He Was Voted Number 40 on the Root’s 100 for 2015 List of Influential African-Americans Alongside LeBron James, Steph Curry, Serena Williams & Shonda Rhimes
On the website for Help or Hush, the charity is described in part:
#OperationHelporHush is a new spin on old-school organizing. #OperationHelporHush grew organically on Twitter in the midst of the events occurring in Ferguson, MO following the death of Mike Brown. Twitter activists are responsible for the incredible coverage and attention in Ferguson and have shown the power and potential of social media to impact social change.
In 2015, Wade was voted number 40 on the Root’s 100 for 2015 list. Also appearing on the list were LeBron James, Steph Curry, Key & Peele & Serena Williams. He’s described as a “community organizer” in his listing. His full bio reads:
After the Michael Brown travesty last summer, he co-founded Operation Help or Hush, an organization about pragmatic action above all else, that is—“Help, or hush.” At its core, OHOH is about supporting activists, and it ingeniously fed 3,000 protesters with food trucks in New York City last year, and created online gift registries for supplies from diapers to cutlery during the first months of unrest in Ferguson, Mo. Since then, the outfit has executed Ferguson Alternative Spring Break, a community-service project for hundreds of college students; created a transitional housing program for protesters; and implemented #FreedomSummer2015, a free community-lunch program for low-income children in Ferguson, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, Atlanta, Los Angeles and Oakland, Calif.
Wade has over 20,000 followers on Twitter.
4. Prior to Getting Involved in the Protest Movement, Wade Worked as a Stylist
The Washington Post reported in November 2014 that Wade got involved in the protest movement after the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, in August of that year. At the time, he was working as a stylist in Austin. He began by raising money to feed the protesters in the St. Louis suburb.
The Post’s feature notes that Wade “had not been particularly active in social causes before Ferguson” as he worked in the fashion industry. He told the newspaper, “At a certain point, this problem will get worse if I don’t step in and do something.” Wade also said that he was living Ferguson hosting dinners for protesters and had celebrity support from singer Estelle and Glee’s Ambery Riley.
In January 2015, Wade was featured on the front page of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch thanks to activities in Ferguson.
5. He Was Referred to as Solange Knowles’ ‘Pushy Publicist’ in 2011 by the New York Post
The New York Post referred to Wade as Solange Knowles’ “pushy publicist” in a 2011 article. The piece referred to an instance where Wade allegedly told Today co-host Hoda Kotb that she couldn’t talk to Beyonce’s sister. The Post adds that Wade called their story “absolutely false.” He talked about working with Solange in an interview with BET in 2011 saying:Hot air rises. Without air sealing your attic you are allowing warm air to escape from your home carrying with it your hard earned winter heating money. Most people just add insulation to their attic - this will not stop the escaping warm air. The EPA estimates that the typical American home has enough leaks, holes and gaps to be equal to an open window every day of the year. That is significant. We need to seal the air in our conditioned living space from the unconditioned attic space. Every attic needs proper ventilation. We are not stopping the proper air exchange in the attic - we are only stopping the exchange between the house and the attic.
In the past year I’ve been on an energy hog hunt in my house and landed on air sealing my attic before adding blown insulation. I was a bit shocked at the $1,500-$2,500 contractor estimates for attic sealing. I’m all about DIY when it saves me time or money. My cost was under $150 and it took me less than a day. Initially the EPA DIY document seemed overwhelming but once I got started it was straight forward. If you can operate an aerosol can and a utility knife seal your attic. You would not try to carry water in a bucket with a hole in it - so why do we allow our heated air to escape through the many holes in our ceiling. Lets get to work. Save some money, save energy and stay warmer with less effort this winter!
Every attic is different – but I consider mine very average. This is my story and I hope it helps you!GOVERNMENT PROCLAMATIONS
"It is one of the happiest characteristics of this glorious country that official utterances are invariably regarded as unanswerable." - Sir Joseph Porter.
Proclamation 171016 Changes to National Holidays
His Excellency, The President, after great thought and consideration, has decreed the following changes to our holidays:
Jack Day and Laika Day have been rescinded and Molossia's faithful canines will be celebrated henceforth as the annual Running of the Dogs, AKA La Liberigo, on 26 August or the nearest weekend day before or after.
Mir Day and Tranquility Day are rescinded and Molossia's space accomplishments and those of the world will be celebrated on 4 May (May the Fourth). A rocket or rockets should be launched on or about this day if possible.
Chocolate Mint Day will be celebrated on 19 February, likely in the form of ice cream, as that is The President's favorite flavor.
The annual Spring Jamboree will take place on 22 March.
Molossian Navy Day will be celebrated on 4 June, the date the Navy was created, likely with submarine sandwiches.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Day will be celebrated on 4 August, likely with chocolate cookies, as a nod to Molossia's famed monetary standard.
East Germany Day will be celebrated on 2 November, as the anniversary of our never-ending war with that long-defunct nation.
This Proclamation has the force of law, effective 16 October 2017 XL.
Proclamation 150811 The Meaning of the Name "Molossia"
The name Molossia was chosen at random in 1998 as a replacement for the old name for our nation, Vuldstein. Molossia was chosen without the knowledge that there was an ancient Greek nation named Molossia, which was destroyed by the Romans in 168 BC. When our government was made aware of the original nation of Molossia efforts were made to connect modern Molossia with that nation. For a period of years we promoted a Greek and Greco-Italian aspect to our culture and additionally promoted awareness of ancient Molossia via our website. All that came to a halt in 2002 XXV when we were contacted by some angry Greek journalists and accused of stealing their culture by using the name Molossia. At that time we separated ourselves completely from any connection to the Molossia of ancient Greece and have since explained the origin of our nation's name in other ways. It has been variously described as a adaptation of the Spanish word “morro”, meaning rock, and also as a adaptation of the Chinese words for “desert-place-rock” Mò Lù Shí. Neither of these explanations seemed satisfactory, thus it has been decided to establish a new meaning for the name Molossia. After careful consideration, it is determined that henceforth the name Molossia will be known as an adaptation of the Hawaiian word Maluhia, which means peace and serenity. While there is no direct connection between Hawaii and Molossia, we have a great admiration for Hawaii and Hawaiian culture, thus this selection of a name origin will bring honor to both our nations.
This Proclamation has the force of law, effective 11 August 2015 XXXXIII.
Proclamation 150223 Farfalla Colony
The Government of the Republic of Molossia proclaims its sovereignty over the Colony of Farfalla, a territory located in central Modoc County, about 11 Imperial Nortons (11 km / 6.5 miles) north of the town of Alturas, California. Farfalla is about 7,965 Square Royal Nortons (2 hectares / 4.9 acres) in area.
The three territories of the Republic of Molossia, Harmony Province, Desert Homestead Province and Farfalla Colony shall be referred to collectively as the Molossian Archipelago.
The three stripes on the Molossian flag shall each stand for one of the territories, blue for Harmony Province, white for Desert Homestead Province and green for Farfalla Colony.
This Proclamation has the force of law, effective 23 February 2015 XXXXIII.
Proclamation 121001 New Laws
The following edicts have been issued by His Excellency, The President:
It is illegal to cause a catastrophe. Torpedoes may not be set off in the country. It is illegal to wear cowboy boots unless you already own at least two cows. Quail have the right of way to cross any street, including driveways. Sunshine is guaranteed to the masses. Detonating a nuclear device within the nation will result in a VL 500.- fine. It is illegal to walk a camel along Alphonse Simms Circle between the hours of 4:00 and 6:00 PM MST. All persons wishing to keep a rhinoceros as a pet must obtain a VL 100.- license first. It is illegal to hunt moths under a street light. Elephants are prohibited from strolling through Red Square unless they are on a leash. It is illegal to play percussion instruments in any bathroom.
This Proclamation has the force of law, effective 1 October 2012 XXXV.
Proclamation 111124a Succession
The Government of the Republic of Molossia has recognized Madame Adrianne Baugh, Vice President and First Lady of the Nation as the official successor to His Excellency President Kevin Baugh, President of the Republic of Molossia. Madame Baugh has repeatedly demonstrated her loyalty, devotion and love of Molossia and its people, and none can be considered better to lead the nation in the event of the extended absence, incapacitation or death of The President.
This Proclamation has the force of law, effective 24 November 2011 XXXIV.
Proclamation 111124b
Esperanto
In an effort to advance Molossia’s place in the world of nations, and to combat the confusion caused by the myriad of languages spoken worldwide, the Official Second Language of Molossia will be Esperanto. Esperanto has proven itself in over a century of use to be a valuable tool for international communication and understanding. Every effort will be made to promote the language in Molossia and to encourage its use in official as well as personal practices.
This Proclamation has the force of law, effective 24 November 2011 XXXIV.
Proclamation 100209
Internet Access
Inasmuch as information is an essential requirement for individuals to obtain knowledge about their world and to thus make informed decisions regarding matters of a social, political and personal, it is therefore decreed that unrestricted and uncensored access to the internet is a human right for social inclusion. This government will respect and bolster that right in every way possible, to enhance the lives of all Molossian citizens.
This Proclamation has the force of law, effective 9 February 2010 XXXIII.
Proclamation 090106
Plastic Shopping Bags Banned
Inasmuch plastic shopping bags use up natural resources, consume energy to manufacture, create litter, choke marine life and add to landfill waste, plastic bags are henceforth banned in Molossia, and will be replaced with reusable fabric bags exclusively.
This Proclamation has the force of law, effective 6 January 2009 XXXII.
Proclamation 080127
Genocide Denial, et al.
Part I. It is officially illegal to deny, grossly minimize, try to justify or approve of the genocide committed by the German National-Socialist regime during the Second World War.
Part II. It is officially illegal to deny, grossly minimize, try to justify or approve of the genocide of hundreds of thousands to over one and half million Armenians, committed by the Ottoman Empire during the First World War.
Part III. It is officially illegal to deny, grossly minimize, try to justify or approve of the Holodomor, the disastrous manifestation of the Soviet famine of 1932-1933 in Ukraine (at the time, the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, in the Soviet Union), which claimed millions of lives.
This Proclamation has the force of law, effective 27 January 2008 XXXI.
Proclamation 071026
Legal Drinking Age
The legal drinking age in the Republic of Molossia it is the third Tuesday of the second month after the first Spring Equinox that comes at least 1095 days after your 18th birthday, with variations allowed if you were born on the other side of the International Date Line or on Leap Day, unless it was a full moon in which case it's June of the year after.
This Proclamation has the force of law, effective 26 October 2007 XXX.
Proclamation 070625
Annexation of Hawai'i
It is the stance of the Government of the Republic of Molossia that the annexation of the Kingdom of Hawai'i in 1898 was a blatant act of aggression and imperialism on the part of the United States against the Kingdom of Hawai'i. The Government of Molossia furthermore officially condemns "Bayonet Constitution" and overthrow of the Hawai'ian Monarchy by American adventurers and opportunists, and supported by the United States military. We therefore do not recognize the legality of the occupation and annexation of the Hawai'ian Islands by the United States.
This policy, however, resignedly accepts the de facto authority the United States holds over this territory, and does not represent an active desire to oppose such authority in any way at this time.
This Proclamation has the force of law, effective 29 May 2007 XXX.
Proclamation 070326
New Diplomatic Policy
The Republic of Molossia is a sovereign, independent nation. Our nation extends the hand of friendship to all peoples in all lands. We are always interested in exploring positive, informal relations with other countries.
Effective 26 March 2007 XXX the Republic of Molossia will no longer enter into formal diplomatic relations with any other nation. Rather, we will entertain only informal relationships between our nation and others. This change in policy reflects our realization that our foreign policy has been restrictive and not in accordance with the concept of Declarative Statehood. Declarative Statehood is a cornerstone of the concept of small, or micro, nations, and is recognized as canon by certain larger nations, in accordance with the Montevideo Convention of 1933. Simply put, it states that a nation does not have to be recognized by another nation in order for it to exist and be sovereign. This is the approach that Molossia uses to deal with larger nations that do not recognize us (see our policy on Sovereignty). Thus, it is logical to apply the same standard to dealing with smaller, unrecognized nations. Henceforth, our policy is simple, friendship toward other small nations, but no formal relations, to include treaties. They are not necessary; you do not need to to be recognized by Molossia in order to be sovereign, any more than you need to be recognized by a larger nation in order to be sovereign. If you state your sovereignty, that is good enough for our government, as is should be for all.
It is important to understand that this is not an isolationist foreign policy. We welcome friendly informal relations with all nations, large and small, and we pledge our assistance and friendship in helping any new nation develop. Please do not hesitate to contact our government if we can be of any assistance.
This Proclamation has the force of law, effective 26 March 2007 XXX.
Proclamation 070301
Incandescent Light Bulbs Banned
Inasmuch incandescent light bulbs are an inefficient source of illumination, to the extent that 95% of a light bulb's energy is wasted, incandescent bulbs are henceforth banned in Molossia, and will be replaced with fluorescent light bulbs exclusively.
This Proclamation has the force of law, effective 1 March 2007 XXX.
Proclamation 061007
Catfish Banned
Inasmuch as FHM Magazine has snubbed Molossia by bumping a planned article from the November 2006 issue of that magazine and has replaced it with an article about men who catch catfish with their bare hands, catfish and catfish "noodling" are henceforth banned in Molossia.
Bagged Spinach Banned
Inasmuch as bagged spinach from the United States has recently been shown to be contaminated with E.Coli, bagged spinach is now banned in Molossia. Canned spinach is allowed, in deference to the popular influence of Popeye.
This Proclamation has the force of law, effective 7 October 2006 XXIX.
Proclamation 041209
Use of Tobacco Banned
Inasmuch as tobacco use has been repeatedly shown to be dangerous to the health of the user and bystanders, the use of tobacco products is henceforth banned in the Republic of Molossia. Tobacco use will not be allowed anywhere in the nation, in public or in private. Offenders will be fined VL 50. Furthermore, visitors from outside our nation that violate this decree will be expelled.
This Proclamation has the force of law, effective 9 December 2004 XXVII.
Proclamation 031101
Time and Date Policy
Part I.
Molossia as a nation is unique and individual. As such, uniqueness should be fostered in every date. Thus, His Excellency, The President has decreed that Molossia will have its own time zone "Molossian Standard Time". This time zone is to be 19 minutes ahead of Pacific Standard Time and 41 minutes behind Mountain Standard Time. Furthermore, Molossia will not recognize "Daylight Savings Time", and thus clocks will not move forward or back in Molossia. This time will be used for all official functions, and citizens are directed to comply.
Part II.
Henceforth, Molossian dates will be modified. All dates will be written in the standard Gregorian Calendar format, with the addition of a roman numeral afterward. This numeral will reflect the years since the foundation of the Molossian Nation, in 1977. Thus all dates will be written, for example, 30 July 2004 XXVII, "XXVII" indicating 27 years since the foundation of Molossia. This date system will be used for all official functions, and citizens are directed to comply.
This Proclamation has the force of law, effective 1 November 2003 XXVI.
Proclamation 021229a
Environmental Policy The Government of the Republic of Molossia is committed to protecting and improving the environment in all areas of our nation, by seeking continual improvement of our environment and citizen safety and health. This is part of our commitment to preserve and enhance the environment, safety and health of our citizens and neighbors.
The development and implementation of this policy is a commitment of the Government of the Republic of Molossia and a shared responsibility with our citizens. The Government of the Republic of Molossia recognizes that a commitment to the following guiding principles is fundamental in carrying out the national environmental policy: To comply with environmental, safety and health laws and regulations. To consider environmental impacts as an essential element of life and lifestyle. To provide and maintain safe and healthy working conditions. To establish objectives and targets aimed at the prevention of pollution by reducing the generation of waste, recycling waste that is generated, and properly disposing of waste that cannot be recycled. To encourage conservation of energy, water, and natural resources through increased efficiency and the introduction of new technology. To provide citizens with a better understanding of environmental issues and the Government's commitment, policies, and programs to preserve and improve the environment. To openly make this policy available to all citizens. The Government of the Republic of Molossia shall ensure that the environmental policy is clearly understood, implemented, maintained, and communicated throughout the nation. Leaders shall take the environmental policy into consideration in the development of objectives and targets.
This Proclamation has the force of law, effective 29 December 2002 XXV.
Proclamation 021229b
Equal Opportunity The Government of the Republic of Molossia recognizes:
That it exists to serve its citizens. That its citizens have a diverse range of needs and services will be geared to reflect this. In order to gear services to need and to determine the level of need of its different citizens, it will use a range of methods. The Government should reflect its citizen's needs at all levels of responsibility. Those who receive its services are best placed to express an informed view about how things can be done better. To ensure it is delivering its services in a non-discriminatory way, the Government's performance will be subject to regular monitoring and review. It will ensure its workforce operates in a non-discriminatory way.
The Government of the Republic of Molossia will: Take any necessary action to discharge its legal obligations to ensure equality of opportunities and the elimination of unlawful discrimination. Take action to ensure that equality is at the heart of all Government policies. Take steps to ensure that all Government employees are aware of the need to operate without discrimination and provide equal opportunities for all disadvantaged groups. Will promote equal opportunities throughout the nation.
In addition, discrimination against any individual in any manner on the grounds of sexual orientation is absolutely prohibited.
This prohibition extends to the Government of the Republic of Molossia, its agencies, any private organization or agency (to include religious institutions), and any and all private citizens. This prohibition includes but is not limited to: discrimination as regards marriage (Partnering), inheritance, jobs, justice and the redress of wrongs, education, and spiritual sustenance. Verbal discrimination, i.e. disparaging remarks, is equally forbidden.
Furthermore, no distinction will be made between homosexual relationships and heterosexual relationships. Both will be treated equally by the Government of the Republic of Molossia, its agencies, any private organization or agency (to include religious institutions), and any and all private citizens.
This Proclamation has the force of law, effective 29 December 2002 XXV.
Proclamation 020221
Nuclear Free Zone The United States Government has made and is making repeated efforts to establish a nuclear repository at Yucca Mountain in Southern Nevada. These efforts run in direct opposition to the will of the citizens of the State of Nevada. In addition, these efforts blatantly ignore enormous geological and environmental problems with the chosen repository site. Specifically, the chosen site rests on at least 30 earthquake faults, in an area that demonstrates recent volcanic activity, and has a strong potential for contamination of the aquifer with thallium and uranium leaks from the stored nuclear waste. This aquifer is not localized, but is interconnected with the aquifers of over 70% of the State of Nevada, including that which supplies the Republic of Molossia with its water.
It is the contention of the Government of the Republic of Molossia that the Government of the United States is executing a flawed and dangerous policy in promulgating this site for the long-term storage of nuclear waste. In addition, this government condemns the recent use of the concept of patriotism and "homeland defense" to force this issue on the citizens of Nevada, in defiance of their will. The Government of the Republic of Molossia deplores this project and the shortsighted decision-making that has made this project a reality. It is the opinion of this Government that storing nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain is an extremely bad idea, bordering on criminal.
Effective immediately, the Republic of Molossia is declared a nuclear-free zone. This declaration is made in protest to the United States Government's promulgation of Yucca Mountain as a nuclear repository, and in protest of that government's ignorance of the will of the citizens of this region and of the irreparable environmental damage this project will create.
This Proclamation has the force of law, effective 21 February 2002 XXV.
Proclamation 001014
The U.S.-Mexican War (1846-1848) It is the stance of the Government of the Republic of Molossia that the U.S.-Mexican War (1846-1848) was a blatant act of aggression and imperialism on the part of the United States against the Mexican Nation. The Government of Molossia officially condemns the invasion and subjugation of the Mexican Nation, and the resultant annexation of 55% percent of its territory. We therefore do not recognise the legality of the occupation of the lands of ceded to the United States after the War, including those now part of the Republic of Molossia.
This policy, however, resignedly accepts the de facto authority the United States holds over this territory, and does not represent an active desire to oppose such authority in any way at this time.
This Proclamation has the force of law, effective 14 October 2000 XXIII.
Proclamation 001013a
Homosexual Rights Discrimination against any individual in any manner on the grounds of sexual orientation is absolutely prohibited. This prohibition extends to the Government of the Republic of Molossia, its agencies, any private organization or agency (to include religious institutions), and any and all private citizens. This prohibition includes but is not limited to: discrimination as regards marriage (Partnering), inheritance, jobs, justice and the redress of wrongs, education, and spiritual sustenance. Verbal discrimination, i.e. disparaging remarks, is equally forbidden.
Furthermore, no distinction will be made between homosexual relationships and heterosexual relationships. Both will be treated equally by the Government of the Republic of Molossia, its agencies, any private organization or agency (to include religious institutions), and any and all private citizens.
This Proclamation has the force of law, effective 13 October 2000 XXIII.
Proclamation 001013b
Religion and Political Activity Religious institutions and the clergy, lay or professional, are prohibited from interfering in, participating in or expressing their views as regards political activities in the Republic of Molossia. This prohibition extends to private conversations between clergy, lay or professional, and the members of their churches, and includes a ban on non-verbal as well as verbal communications. This Proclamation has the force of law, effective 13 October 2000 XXIII.
Proclamation 001013c
Pregnancy Termination and Assisted Suicide The Government of the Republic of Molossia considers that the principle of self determination to extends to the individual, beyond that right normally accorded to a people as a group. This personal sovereignty includes the right to make rational decisions regarding an individual's own body, insofar as these decisions do not endanger others (such as wanting to blow oneself up in a crowded square). While this government does not officially condone pregnancy termination, it is forbidden to enact any law or decree restricting a woman's right to select such a method to terminate her pregnancy. This government will not restrict qualified physicians from performing pregnancy termination, nor will it tolerate any actions on the part of individuals or groups to block access to medical facilities performing pregnancy terminations, nor to harass individuals, organizations or medical personnel providing pregnancy termination services.
Furthermore, the Government of the Republic of Molossia extends the right of self determination to |
future,” says team principal Frits van Amersfoort. “At this occasion, we would also like to thank Volkswagen and engine tuner Spiess for the great times and the success we have had together over the years.”
Having been involved in motor racing for four decades, Van Amersfoort Racing is known as a talent berth for up-and-coming drivers. Frits van Amersfoort and his crew worked with drivers like current Formula 1 sensation Max Verstappen, fellow Dutchman Christijan Albers and Belgian Bas Leinders, who all went up to Formula 1 as race or test drivers. Others, like Austrian Lucas Auer, who raced with Mercedes-Benz in the 2015 DTM, or multiple GT champion Laurens Vanthoor, also competed for Van Amersfoort Racing in junior series, just like Mick Schumacher, the son of the seven times’ Formula 1 World Champion.
Van Amersfoort Racing first used Volkswagen engines in Formula 3 in the 2008 German Formula 3 Cup. In 244 races with Volkswagen engines in the German Formula 3 Cup and the FIA Formula 3 European Championship between 2008 and 2015, the team scored 45 pole positions, 57 race wins, 53 fastest race laps and 148 podium finishes. Highlights include the 2009 German Cup title with Laurens Vanthoor and the junior title with Stef Dusseldorp, the 2011 German Cup title and the rookie title with Richie Stanaway, the 2012 rookie title in the German Cup with Lucas Auer and the 2015 FIA Formula 3 European Championship rookie title with Charles Leclerc. The 2014 FIA Formula 3 European Championship season, in which Max Verstappen managed to win ten races, also stands out.
“We can look back upon a successful era in the history of our team together with Volkswagen,” team principal Frits van Amersfoort says. “When it comes to engine tuner Spiess, our ties go back even further, to our very first year in German Formula 3 in 1997, including our title-winning campaign with Bas Leinders the following season. These will always remain happy memories.” However, as steps are made to prepare Van Amersfoort Racing for the future, the decision has also been made to switch to Mercedes-Benz for the supply of Formula 3 engines. “When you look at what Mercedes-Benz has achieved in Formula 3, and the continued involvement they have at all level of the sport, one can only be impressed,” Van Amersfoort says. “We are delighted with the opportunities Mercedes-Benz are offering us and we are keen to start working together in preparation for the 2016 season.”Welcome to our reading and study group, and thank you for joining us. Right now we're making our way through the early books of Augustine's City of God. Take a few moments to scroll through the open threads or even introduce yourself. If you have a thought or question that you would like to share but aren't sure where to post it, I recommend visiting the Open Discussion thread.
What to expect: I try to post 1-2 times a week with a summary of pertinent material, along with my own thoughts, reactions, and questions, though I am not always successful in this goal. Members are encouraged to submit their own reactions, thoughts, questions, or other materials as frequently as they would like, independently or in response to what has already been posted.
Our primary text is Marcus Dods' 1871 translation of Augustine's City of God. Occasionally we may consult alternative translations for clarity.
Interdenominational studies can be rewarding but difficult. Posters are encouraged to observe forum etiquette.
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Forum discussions and group studies at the CCEL have been an important resource in my own development as a Christian. It's a remarkable thing, to carry on a global conversation about the faith with the whosoever will. Depending on the size of our membership, it may be impractical for me to respond personally to every post, but I hope to be able to interact closely with those who want to closely engage Augustine's City of God. Join me in prayer for the success of this effort, and may God bless your interest in the literature of the Church.I do so feel your pain. I can't be in any parent's place but my own, so take this for what it's worth, but I think a lot of the overwhelming nature of your experience comes from the "highly active" part. We used to have play dates with kids--toddler age, mind you--who would plop down on the floor and stack blocks for 20 min. Meanwhile, mine were ignoring all toys (except perhaps to break them) climbing not in the play structure but on top of it--all the better for imperiling leaps from the top--and abandoning even that after 5 minutes to run to the next thing, a process repeated on a 5-minute cycle from daybreak to evening collapse (ours and theirs).
I would just stare at the contented block-stacking child and wonder where those came from.
So with this in mind I agree that a temporary fix isn't going to do it.
I disagree, though, that "having a babysitter more" is a throwaway or temporary fix. On the contrary, I think the way to get through the exhaustion is to delegate the workload--both physical and emotional--as much as you possibly can and as responsibly as you can. That means more babysitting (not ad hoc, but as a standing appointment X days per week), more care via child-care center or preschool, more conversation with your spouse about whether the labor has been distributed evenly between you, more reliance on paid dog-walking, more *standing, scheduled* appointments with yourself for alone time away from the family so you can catch your breath, and for your husband, too. You both need ways to recharge.
These solutions generally aren't cheap, though you can find ways to economize (e.g. neighbor kid vs. professional dog-walker). But this immediate pressing need will pass and you can get out from under these extra expenses relatively soon, so as long as you can swing them with minimal or no deficit spending, do so without guilt. It's about bringing your best self to the job of raising your kids, which means getting through as safely and calmly as you can.Your browser does not support HTML5 video tag.Click here to view original GIF
Drones will revolutionize everything, we’ve been told. But one of the best things that’s undergoing that revolution right now is the world of racing – and there’s no better place to see it that change coming than in the World Rally Championship. Because it looks drop-dead gorgeous.
Rally, traditionally, has been one of the hardest motorsports to capture on camera for a variety of reasons. It stretches out over long distances, through often arduous terrain. Just getting one shot can be a right proper bitch and a half, and a rally car can go speeding by in just a few seconds.
One of the ways to get around that in the past was to just use a helicopter, but helicopters can be big and unwieldy when the race car is speeding through a forest. They have to be perched high up, and though sometimes brave pilots get great shots, that’s not always the case.
With a drone, though, everyone is suddenly Christopher Nolan:
Here’s the Rally Argentina:
And Monte Carlo:
Now compare it all to this clip of helicopter footage from the Rally Sweden in 2013. It’s still great, but it’s not quite as tight, and doesn’t convey quite the same amount of speed:
This is part of the revolution within rally that started a few years ago, making it possible to follow what has traditionally been one of the most inaccessible sports on the planet. Drones don’t just make rally cars easier to watch; they make them look awesome.
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The rotary-propelled camera is dead. Long live the rotary-propelled camera.Facebook's "On This Day" feature brought up a link to a story I wrote for ESPN.com three years ago, from late January 2014 when NASCAR was about to unveil the latest version of the Chase, the one with a 16-driver field and a series of elimination rounds.
Headlined "Edwards: NASCAR on wrong track with Chase," the story pointed out that Carl Edwards was pretty much the lone dissenting voice saying, "Hey! Is this really such a good idea?"
It got me thinking about the surreal show NASCAR put on two weeks ago, when CEO Brian France revealed the latest "enhancements" to the system that will determine the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion, complete with races divided into three stages and a confusing combination of championship and playoff points.
NASCAR paraded France and a jury of 12 highly-partial men onto a Charlotte Convention Center stage to tell everyone how wonderful the future is going to be once we all get used to changes that make the ones made just three years ago seem trivial in comparison.
After his introductory remarks, France stood aside, leaving NASCAR vice president Steve O'Donnell and 11 other industry figures to defend questions from the media about the need for and the logic of such a shakeup, staunchly defending the party line.
The message was the same over the next two days from every driver who passed through the convention center for the annual NASCAR media tour. This is gonna be great! No, really! Honest!
Frankly, the lack of a single skeptical voice from within the NASCAR community was disturbing. It was almost as if those on the inside were presented with a set of alternative facts that made it all seem more palatable.
Too bad Carl Edwards wasn't around to comment, because based on what he said three years ago, these latest "enhancements" would have left him aghast. Maybe the reason for his sudden retirement isn't so mysterious after all.
NASCAR says it talked to all its constituents, but I wonder whether they bothered to listen to their most loyal fans. Most fans I interact with tell me they wish racing -- no matter what form -- was more like it used to be. Simpler cars. Simpler rules. And a championship decided over the course of a full season on a cumulative basis, without gimmicks like double points or a contrived playoff format.
Of all the forms of racing, NASCAR has strayed the farthest from that traditional path to a title and the organization seems tone-deaf to the notion that stock car racing's diminished popularity in America over the last decade might just be a product of the constant tinkering with the championship format.
They seem more intent on using market research to attract fans that don't yet exist rather than listening to the ones who have patiently remained with them.
Instead of answering calls for fewer, shorter races, NASCAR will divide each race into three segments, creating triple the number of "finishes" in the belief it will result in a series of memorable moments over the course of the long season.
They say you can't manufacture drama, but NASCAR is certainly giving it the old college try.
In an already oversaturated market, we're being presented with more content instead of better content. It smacks of desperation.
Then there's the overhaul of the point system. I'm still confused after reading it a dozen times -- championship points, playoff points, bonus points -- but the truth of the matter is that we have more than seven months (and 78 race stages!) until the Playoffs start in September to work on our math skills and figure it all out.
NASCAR's 12-man jury encouraged us to be patient, and a "wait and see" attitude is often a good thing. But you have to wonder moving forward just how patient NASCAR (and perhaps more importantly, new title sponsor Monster Energy) is going to be.
NASCAR hit the panic button after just three years of the elimination-style Chase and it will be interesting to see how quickly the industry reacts if key metrics like attendance and television ratings continue to decline in the new era.
NASCAR is not the only behemoth form of motorsport in a period of change. Formula One's lengthy ownership transfer was recently completed, and Liberty Media wasted no time in replacing longtime czar Bernie Ecclestone with a trio of corporate managers.
After some 40 years in Ecclestone's control, the changes that F1 implements over the next few years will be critical to the series maintaining its position as the most prestigious and popular form of motorsport in the world. And make no mistake, change is coming.
Get it right, the sport grows. Get it wrong and the downward spiral accelerates.
"One thing is for sure -- we shouldn't make it a beta test," said Mercedes-AMG team principal Toto Wolff in an interview published on the team's website. "We shouldn't mess with our loyal fans and our audiences by implementing rules and regulations that we haven't assessed properly."
Good advice that just might apply to NASCAR -- if it's not too late.Politics
Courtesy of General Carter Ham, who was head of American forces in Africa at the time of the Benghazi attack, a reminder that President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and their minions lied shamelessly about the incident. They lied repeatedly, they lied fluently, and they got a friendly “journalist” to help them escape consequences for their lies at the 2012 presidential debates. They lied for nakedly political reasons, to keep the public from becoming aware of the gross incompetence that led to the death of U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans, and to keep Obama’s campaign narrative of a liberated Libya and “decimated” al-Qaeda alive. They lied because they didn’t want to admit Barack Obama wandered off to get some shut-eye before a big Las Vegas fundraiser while the attack was in progress. They lied because they didn’t want to give Obama’s opponent in the presidential race an opening to critique the incumbent’s foreign policy. Their lies offended the new government of Libya, which caused complications when American law-enforcement teams were sent to investigate the scene of the attack. That’s one reason no one has been brought to justice yet.
Not since Bill Clinton got caught in an affair with a young intern has an American president lied so brazenly to the American public, and they’re still lying to this day. But here’s the truth from General Ham, who says it “became apparent to all of us quickly that this was not a demonstration, this was a violent attack.” And he was in Washington on the evening of September 11, 2012.
Ham said he was in Washington D.C. for a routine meeting on September 11, 2012 with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Martin Dempsey, when an alert came in from commanders in Stuttgart, Germany that a violent assault was underway on the consulate in Benghazi and Ambassador Chris Stevens was missing. Asked if it was a terrorist attack, Ham said the intelligence left no doubt that it was. “I don’t know if that was my first reaction, but pretty quickly as we started to gain understanding within the hours after the initiation of the attack, yes.”
Ham made these remarks at the Aspen Security Forum. It’s amazing that our political and media elites have so thoroughly accepted Obama’s lies, and his “right” to lie about a deadly attack for political reasons, that such comments can be delivered without causing a stir. It hasn’t even been a year since the Benghazi attack, but as far as the media is concerned, Obama and Clinton got away with lying about it, so it’s ancient history now. The quotes above are from Fox News, the only outlet that seems to think it’s terribly important that a top U.S. general just said everyone knew the President’s line about “spontaneous video protests” was total crap.
Can the guy who made the YouTube video Obama and Clinton falsely blamed for the attack get out of jail now? Would General Ham at least be willing to testify at his next parole hearing?
Ham also offered a curious response to allegations that the Administration could have done more to respond to the Benghazi attack while it was in progress:
While Ham did not address reports he was pushed into retirement after Benghazi, he said a quick response to the attack was not possible — and he defended the decision not to scramble fighter jets. “It was perfectly understandable to me why people would say you should have done that (but) in my military judgment, there was not a necessity and there was not a clear purpose in doing so.”
There’s a difference between saying a response was “not possible,” and saying it was “not a necessity” or lacked a “clear purpose.” How was that assessment made? And why weren’t there any assets in range to help the Ambassador when he came under fire? He went into the terrorist hot zone our media doesn’t like to talk about, on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, and there was nothing available to help him out when he came under attack. Why is one of the people responsible for that appalling state of affairs still seriously discussed as a 2016 presidential candidate?
You can probably guess how the Administration responded to General Ham’s comments: more lies, from full-time professional liar Jen Psaki (“Any report or Tweet that Secretary Kerry was on a boat is completely inaccurate”) coupled with the hoary “old news” defense, which the media would never accept under any circumstances from a Republican Administration:
“I’m not going to litigate what’s already been evaluated,”said spokeswoman Jen Psaki. “This Administration has always been clear that violent extremists were involved in this attack,” Psaki said. “The question was who exactly they were and whether there was also a demonstration at the same time. It now appears that there wasn’t, despite the intelligence assessment at the time.”
Oh, so they said they thought there was also a video protest going on while the precision mortar rounds were flying overhead? Are you going to just lie there and take that garbage, media? Is there anyone left with an ounce of self-respect in the press corps? Far from being “old news,” it’s extremely timely and relevant that a State Department spokeswoman still thinks it’s important to lie about the Benghazi attack and its aftermath. There’s no reason to think the Administration will be any more truthful, or competent, when dealing with similar situations in the future. And they’re asking us to take many other things on faith, while ignoring a pivotal incident that proves they cannot be trusted.The Daily Mail
Nevada — Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar? O.J. Simpson, apparently. The former gridiron great was recently caught pilfering the sweet treats from the cafeteria of his Nevada prison — something which is strictly forbidden.
According to a source, guards noticed the 66-year-old hiding something under his prison clothes as he walked back to his cell after lunch. When they quizzed him, he revealed a stash of more than a dozen oatmeal cookies, which were then seized.
The guard could have written up Simpson for the attempted cookie smuggle but he reportedly decided to let him off with a warning. The source said that while Simpson was embarrassed, eating his favorite foods is the only enjoyment he has left.
Full Story: Tubby O.J. Simpson is caught stealing COOKIES from prison cafeteriaMy Turn: Our campaign-finance system is more broken than ever before, and Sen. John McCain has long tried to fix it. He's what he do in 2016.
Cornell Woolridge of Windsor Mill, Md., takes part in a demonstration as the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on campaign finance. (Photo: Susan Walsh/AP)
I’ve long been inspired by Sen. John McCain. In an era when special-interest donors wield staggering levels of influence over our country’s elections, he is one of the few American leaders who has taken meaningful action to restore accountability to our democracy.
It’s no coincidence that the bipartisan reform package McCain sponsored in 2002 remains the most significant piece of legislation we have to keep the flood of special-interest money in check. And when McCain opted to accept public financing during his 2008 presidential bid, he again demonstrated his commitment to making elections about voters, not big-money donors.
Yet our campaign finance system is more broken than it’s ever been, and there’s something McCain could do this year to continue his tradition of leadership and move our country toward a solution.
Following the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United ruling, super PACs and outside groups that obscure their funding sources can now spend unlimited amounts to influence elections. This cycle, hundreds of millions of dollars from outside groups will wash over elections across the country, including the Senate race in Arizona. It will be the most expensive election season ever.
CounterPAC co-founder Jim Greer. (Photo: Courtesy of Jim Greer)
My background is as a technology entrepreneur, not a political campaigner, but I was deeply inspired by the leadership of people like John McCain, and in 2014 I started CounterPAC, a nonpartisan organization that seeks to reduce the influence of super PAC money in congressional elections.
The way it works is simple: The candidates take a public pledge to forgo support from super PACs and other outside spenders, with each candidate promising to forfeit a proportional amount of money from their own campaign in the event of a violation.
If such a pledge sounds unrealistic, it’s not. In a high-profile race for Senate in Massachusetts in 2012, Elizabeth Warren and Scott Brown took the “People’s Pledge,” agreeing to offset super PAC expenditures with money from their own campaigns. Virtually all super PAC spending was eliminated, and the volume of negative advertising was cut in half.
Speaking on a radio program in 2012, McCain lamented that "there’s too much money washing around the political arena today."
McCain is far from out of options. If he wants to see the undue influence of super PACs reduced, McCain should pledge to disavow support from outside groups in his own 2016 Senate race.
Of course, it would be unreasonable to expect that McCain would make such a pledge unilaterally. But the beauty of a “no outside spending” pledge is that it is by nature bilateral – that is, it would only take effect if all of the candidates in the race sign on. And given the on-the-record opposition to the Citizens United decision of candidates such as Ann Kirkpatrick, it’s plausible to think that a bilateral agreement in Arizona could be reached.
A recent Bloomberg poll shows that almost 90 percent of Americans think our campaign finance system should be reformed, while nearly 80 percent disapproved of unlimited corporate spending that’s resulted from Citizens United.
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In years of public service, Sen. McCain has often shown a willingness for bipartisan compromise, creativity and bold solutions. This year, it’s time for him to give the country a model for restoring accountability to our elections.
Jim Greer is the co-founder of CounterPAC, an independent, nonpartisan advocate for free and fair elections.
Read or Share this story: http://azc.cc/1TD2ceiWith the new Ontario law that requires motorist to give a one-metre gap when passing a cyclist, does this mean that cyclists are required also to give a one-metre gap? Almost daily a cyclist will pull up next to me while I'm stopped a red light with less than a one-meter gap between us. – Kristian
Cyclists have to follow the same traffic rules – and pay the same fines – as drivers.
An exception? The one-metre passing rule. But there's a four-ton reason for that.
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"The coronor's review of provincial cycling deaths found that in the vast majority, motor vehicles were at fault – often it was because they were not passing with enough space and distance," said Jared Kolb, executive director of Cycle Toronto. "What's really at the core of the law? Motorists are encased in a ton of plastic, steel and glass – and cyclists and pedestrians aren't."
The rule has been in place since last September as part the Making Ontario Roads Safer Act. It says all drivers of motor vehicles are required to keep a minimum distance of one metre, where practical, when passing cyclists on highways.
"This requirement focuses on reminding motorists that they should only pass when it is safe to do so and it encourages all road users to share the road responsibly as set out in the Highway Traffic Act (HTA)," said Ontario's Ministry of Transportation (MTO) in an e-mail statement. "While cyclists do not have the same obligation to keep a minimum distance of one-metre when passing, they are still required to obey the rules of the road."
The act also hiked penalties from a $110 fine and two demerits to $365 and three demerits for dooring – opening a door as a cyclist or vehicle is approaching – and fines for cyclists who don't have proper lights and reflectors.
Safe space
"The [one-metre] safe passing law is consistent with other instances in the Highway Traffic Act when drivers are told to leave space, like with railway crossings and school buses," said Jamie Stuckless, executive director of Share the Road Cycling Coalition. "It recognizes that cars can inflict serious injury and death on people who bike when they do not leave enough space."
If you're caught passing a cyclist with less than a one-metre gap, you face a $110 fine, including all fees. Fight it in court, and it could cost more.
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"Drivers who contest their ticket by going to court may face a fine of up to $500 if found guilty," the MTO said on its website. "Upon conviction, two demerit points will also be assigned against the individual's driver record."
The numbers of convictions since the rule came into effect were not immediately available.
Enforcement tricky
Actual enforcement can be tricky – but it's "a good rule of thumb" for drivers, Kolb said. And it's important that new drivers be trained to give cyclists room when passing.
"The rules of the road are only as good as how well they're adopted and how well they're enforced." Kolb said. "We saw some innovative enforcement practices in Ottawa where you had police officers riding on bicycles with sensors."
In 2013, the latest year with available numbers, 25 people – 24 drivers and 1 passenger – were killed in collisions with cars in Ontario. There were nearly 2,500 injuries.
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"If a bike and a car get into a collision, the person in the car will walk away – the person on the bike will not," Kolb said. "The one-metre rule is designed for motor vehicles because of that risk level."
While cyclists don't have to legally keep a metre away from cars they're passing, it's still a good idea, Stuckless said.
"As part of the CAN-BIKE training program, cyclists are instructed to create a safe space around them by doing things like biking one metre out from the curb," Stuckless said. "But this only works if motorists respect people on bikes and give them that space."
Cyclists have to follow rules of the road
Ever see a cyclist run through a stop sign or red light?
Well, if a cop sees it, that cyclist will get a $365 ticket – the same amount a driver would.
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"If you're a cyclist and you pass a street car with its doors open while people loading, you can get a $110 fine, just like a driver," Kolb said. "Cyclists don't get demerit points but the fines are the same."
Both Kolb and Stuckless are against a motion put forward to Toronto City Council to require licences for bicycles.
"It's a disincentive to ride and it creates an administrative burden and costs to the taxpayer without any benefit – police already have full power of enforcement," Kolb said.
We've redesigned the Drive section – take a lookIf we care about the children, the grandchildren, the future generations, we need to make sure that they do not become the cannon fodder of the future.
- Helen Thomas, (Journalist, White House Press Corps, 1943-2010).
VIOLETPLANET SAYS:
"Abuse of The 1st Amendment is alive and well... but...not only in regards to the above subject matter. I ask you ALL just to turn on the television and watch the 6:00 pm INFOTAINMENT broadcast disguised as NEWS. Glenn Beck comes immediately to mind. Propaganda is a scourge. Question everything! It is our responsibility as American Citizens to ensure we know fact from fantasy. SEEK and YE shall FIND. You only have to SEEK to FIND.
As
Robert McNamara once said ( Post-Vietnam War no less ) :
"
Belief and Seeing Are Both Often Wrong."
What matters is "reality" which in this case can be interpreted as simple human decency whether you like it or not.
CREDITS: Real News Network,
November, 2010.Omar Shahine and Mona Akmal from the SkyDrive team held an AMA on reddit answering user questions. We’ll be sharing any interesting tidbits.
Shahine addressed Microsoft’s policy on putting naked photos in your SkyDrive
I can tell you what we actually do here (how we technically implement our policy).
We don’t really have any interest in what’s in your private files. The only exception here is where we’ve stated what we have a zero tolerance policy for child exploitation and we proactively scan for content uploaded to SkyDrive using technology called PhotoDNA (http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/presskits/photodna/). You can read more about this technology and what it’s used for at Microsoft as well as at Facebook and now Google to detect these images and catch criminals.
However, when you share your private files on the web, we do have an interest in making sure that the content you are sharing is not offensive in nature to the public at large. So we have mechanisms for people to “Report Abuse” in which case we’ll review the content and ensure it’s not offensive. We also have algorithms that attempt to detect “nude” shared content and disable sharing providing customers with a mechanism to contest that action. This is akin to “virus scanning” in that it’s heuristic and therefore not perfect.
But, the stated terms you quoted above from the ToS really applies to “Shared” content and not private content stored in your SkyDrive. Our view here really stems from the fact that we view SkyDrive as your hard drive in the cloud, and we believe it’s important to behave that way (with the exceptions called out above).
So as long as you do not have child pornography or are not sharing your racy photos, it’s okay to pop them up in SkyDrive. Theoretically I may know someone who has risqué photos in SkyDrive and has had no problems from Microsoft whatsoever.
Source: Redditby David P. Greisman
All 32 fighters who appeared on boxing cards held Oct. 11 and Oct. 12 in Las Vegas came up negative for the banned substances tested for in Nevada’s drug-screening panel, according to an email from state athletic commission Executive Director Keith Kizer.
In addition, the headliners of the Oct. 12 show — Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez — were also negative under additional, enhanced testing done for their bout, according to a report by Kelsey McCarson of TheSweetScience.com.
“Kizer said each fighter was randomly tested four times (both blood and urine) during the NSAC program, and that Carbon Isotope Radiation (CIR) screening to detect the use of synthetic testosterone was done on half of the urine samples collected. No synthetic testosterone was discovered in either fighter,” McCarson wrote.
The testosterone to epitestosterone ratios for Bradley and Marquez were never higher than 1.1 to 1, which is below the 4:1 maximum level of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s standards. Nevada used to have a 6:1 maximum but changed to a 4:1 maximum in early September, according to McCarson.
Bradley also was negative in drug testing done by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association, or VADA. That is the same agency by which Nonito Donaire is randomly tested year-round, and the agency that will be conducting the testing for next month’s fight involving Manny Pacquiao and Brandon Rios. It was through VADA testing that Andre Berto and Lamont Peterson came up positive for banned performance enhancing drugs in 2012.
Among the other 14 fighters to appear on the Oct. 12 show at the Thomas and Mack Center were Orlando Salido, Orlando Cruz and Vasyl Lomachenko.
The Oct. 11 show, held at that same arena, was headlined by a bout between Jessie Vargas and Ray Narh, and also had Jessie Magdaleno on the undercard.
Pick up a copy of David’s new book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” at http://bit.ly/fightingwordsamazon. Send questions/comments via email at [email protected]The first large-scale U.S.-based study to evaluate the link between an injectable form of progestin-only birth control and breast cancer risk in young women has found that recent use of a year or more doubles the risk. The results of the study, led by breast cancer epidemiologist Christopher I. Li, M.D., Ph.D., of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, are published online ahead of the April 15 print issue of Cancer Research.
While the contraceptive, called depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate, or DMPA, contains the same kind of progestin as the menopausal hormone-therapy regimen found by a Women's Health Initiative clinical trial to increase breast cancer risk among postmenopausal women, few studies have evaluated the link between DMPA use and breast cancer risk in younger women.
"While DMPA is widely used by women throughout the world, there are limited data on the association between DMPA and breast cancer incidence," said Li, a member of the Hutchinson Center's Public Health Sciences Division. "Our study adds to the body of knowledge from international studies conducted in a diverse group of countries -- Kenya, New Zealand, Thailand, Mexico and Costa Rica -- which have shown that one of the risks associated with DMPA use may be an increased risk of breast cancer," he said.
Li and his Hutchinson Center colleagues found that recent DMPA use (within five years) for 12 months or longer was associated with a 2.2-fold increased risk of invasive breast cancer. This risk appeared to dissipate within months after contraceptive use was discontinued. The researchers also found that women who used the contraceptive for less than a year or who had stopped using it more than a year earlier did not have an increased risk of breast cancer.
"Although breast cancer is rare among young women and the elevated risk of breast cancer associated with DMPA appears to dissipate after discontinuation of use, our findings emphasize the importance of identifying the potential risks associated with specific forms of contraceptives given the number of available alternatives," the authors wrote.
The study involved 1,028 Seattle-area women ages 20 to 44 who had been diagnosed with breast cancer and, for comparison purposes, 919 age-matched controls who did not have a history of breast cancer. Of these, about 10 percent reported using DMPA, which is consistent with usage patterns nationwide, Li said. Use of the injectable contraceptive was about 5 percent higher among non-white women in the study.
"In the United States many women have numerous options for contraception, and so it is important to balance their risks and benefits when making contraceptive choices," Li said. The National Cancer Institute and the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program funded the research.Share. Featuring the return of an old villain... Featuring the return of an old villain...
Dragon Ball Z: Fukkatsu no F is the official title of Toei Animation's follow-up to Battle of Gods.
Exit Theatre Mode
According to Dragon Ball Z creator Akira Toriyama -- who is also responsible for the screenplay, concept and character designs of the film -- the "F" in the title stands for Frieza, a popular (and dead) villain from the DBZ mythology.
Here's the first promotional image for the film from the January 2015 issue of Shueisha's V Jump magazine (via Anime News Network), which includes several key characters from the movie -- including Frieza and Battle of Gods antagonist Beerus:
Toriyama also reveals that he got the name for the title when he was listening to the song "F" by Maximum The Hormone -- a group he's personally friends with. Additionally, Anime News Network points out that fukkatsu translates to "resurrection."
Also included in the mag are some specific plot details, which describe "An Earth where peace has arrived. However, remnants of Frieza's army Sorbet and Tagoma (from the Japanese word for 'egg') arrive on the planet. Their goal is to revive Frieza with the dragon balls. Their dastardly wish is granted, the "F" that plans its revenge against the Saiyans is revived…!"
Sorbet and Tagoma are two new characters created for the DBZ film, and whose designs you can check out below:
Animator Tadayoshi Yamamuro -- whose ties to the franchise go all the way back to 1986 -- will direct the film. Dragon Ball Z: Fukkatsu no F is slated for an April 18 release in Japan. It will be released in both 2D and 3D.
Anthony Couto is a writer for IGN. He co-hosts a podcast about horrible movie sequels – called Here We Go Again – which you can “like” on Facebook. Ponder with him on Twitter at @AnthCouto or on IGN at TonyCouto.It’s beginning to look like John Sununu’s Day of Rage yesterday wasn’t an outlier for the Romney campaign but a sign of things to come. Here’s McKay Coppins’ report on where Team Romney seems to be going:
[F]acing what the candidate and his aides believe to be a series of surprisingly ruthless, unfounded, and unfair attacks from the Obama campaign on Romney’s finances and business record, the Republican’s campaign is now prepared to go eye for an eye in an intense, no-holds-barred act of political reprisal, said two Romney advisers who spoke on condition of anonymity. In the next chapter of Boston’s pushback — which began last week when they began labeling Obama a “liar” — very little will be off-limits, from the president’s |
reader) response and behaviour. An exception to this tradition of text analysis of advertising in the marketing area is found in the work of Chris Hackley that seeks to promote a social constructionist ontology to examine marketing and advertising as text (Hackley, 2001: 39). This builds on an extensive tradition of research in communication studies, sociology and cultural studies. Moving away from an ‘ad‐as‐text’ approach, Hackley instead focusses on advertising practice and advertising management as sites of discourse in which social order in advertising agencies is constituted through various discursive and interpretive processes (Hackley, 2001: 243).
From Text Analysis to Discourse Analysis Thompson and Haytko (1997) develop a broader view of discourse in explicit terms, defining discourse as “a complex system of cultural meanings that are encoded in conventional ways of talking about fashion”. They go on to describe the way in which discourse is used: Fashion discourses provide consumers with a plurality of interpretive positions that, because of their diverse associations, can enable them to juxtapose opposing values and beliefs. Consumers use these countervailing meanings of fashion discourse to address a series of tensions and paradoxes existing between their sense of individual agency (autonomy issues) and their sensitivity to sources of social prescription in their everyday lives (conformity issues). Discourse is thus presented as a kind of cultural technology that consumers can use, deploy, and exploit to achieve particular outcomes and strategies that, in this case, enable them to create a positive sense of self‐identity by ‘speaking of fashion’. In later work, Thompson (2004) examines marketplace myths and power discourses in the context of alternative medicine in the USA. This paper goes much further in terms of developing a discourse‐based approach, first by acknowledging the limitations of an ad‐centric analysis of text and text practice and then by explicitly acknowledging the institutional and hegemonic basis for consumer analysis. I suggest that critical consumer researchers should study how power relationships operate and shift through institutional discourses and practices (Thompson, 2004: 174). Thompson's approach differs from conventional ad‐based readings by beginning with consumer practices and accounts and does not focus primarily on local structural, semiotic or textual elements of text, considering the influence of wider social discourses on consumer constructions. Thompson and Tian (2008), for example, take this further by examining commercial myth as discourse practice. They conclude with an explicit statement about the limitations of a consumer–agent perspective, calling for what is essentially a discourse approach with a strong ‘critical’ orientation. One of Thompson's main contributions to the development of DA in consumer research was to move the focus of analysis away from particular texts and their possible readings to consider discourse in more general and cultural terms. In a similar manner, Kozinets (2008) acknowledges the extensive use of narrative, semiotic and text‐based modes of enquiry in consumer research but also that terms such as ‘discourse’ and “ideology’ are often overused and poorly, are inconsistently conceptualised, and are with ideological and institutional abstractions being conflated with actual representations of cultural texts and in consumers' speech acts. More recent consumer research has further deconstructed text, narrative and discourse‐based approaches to develop broader institutional and structural insights into marketing phenomena (Djavlonbek and Varey, 2013). Humphreys (2010a, 2010b) considers the role that ‘institutional fields’ play in shaping consumption practices and consumer perceptions through and by discourses that influence and frame perceptions and understandings of legitimacy. Rather than being analysed as a character of markets and consumption practice, discourse‐based approaches are being utilised to examine the processes by which markets are created, shaped and enacted (Bjerrisgaard and Kjeldgaard, 2013). A recurring tension, however, remains around how to conceptualise and render the power of discourse to shape and frame consumer experience on the one hand (for example, Tuncay Zayer et al., 2012) and the capacity of consumers to utilise the opportunities made possible by the fluid potentiality of discourse to actualise their own identities. There is a broad consensus that consumption and marketplace discourses always retain a certain incomplete, fluid and contested character and that as social practice, these discourses are often most evident when they are analysed as mechanisms of legitimisation and performativity. One consequence of these innovations is that it serves to further highlight unresolved and ongoing debates about the significance of experience in markets and consumption and the context (or discourse) that facilitates or reproduces these relations (refer to Askegaard and Linnet, 2011). One of the benefits of these developments in the application of DA has been to reemphasise synergies between different sub‐communities of marketing scholarship. Notwithstanding inevitable tensions, discourse‐based approaches potentiate links between consumer culture theory, critical marketing and macromarketing that become particularly visible, and especially in areas such as sustainability, business ethics, marketing systems and other intersections between marketing and society (refer to Shultz, 2007). Discourse‐based approaches have been used to interrogate issues such as environmentalism and green issues (Prothero and Fitchett, 2000; Prothero et al., 2010; Djavlonbek and Varey, 2013) as well as macroapproaches to globalisation and neoliberalism. Varman et al. (2012), for example, conclude that a failure to reconcile the twin objectives of poverty alleviation and profit maximisation creates a divergence between discourses about policies and marketing activities in developing economies aimed at the ‘bottom of the pyramid’. In a similar setting, Varman et al. (2011) examine the contradictions and difficulties of competing and incompatible discourses that structure debates about the marketisation of education in India. More recently Dholakia (2012) has called for a much more explicit integration of macroperspectives and critical perspectives in order to achieve progress in the field of marketing. In chime with the discussion here, Dholakia (2012: 223) argues that attempts to create radical and critical discourses in marketing have often been sidestepped and stonewalled and that efforts to promote critical–radical approaches within and by marketing scholars are essential. A logical and rational consequence is therefore to further examine and restate the importance of applying DA in marketing and to assess the opportunities offered by different types of DA and CDA in particular. DA demonstrates and re‐emphasises clear synergies and links within marketing academia, especially between critical marketing, macromarketing and consumer culture theory.
Orientating Discourse Analysis to Marketing and Consumer Research There are a variety of styles and uses of DA (Phillips and Hardy, 1997; Alvesson and Karreman, 2000) with considerable areas of overlap between. This section seeks to illuminate three key approaches, distinguished by their technical, constitutive and political research orientations (Table 1) and elaborate on the possible ways that they might be employed in marketing (Table 2). Table 2 is organised around particular sets of marketing relations (e.g. consumer–product, consumer–marketer and marketing–society/environment). The rationale for this relational categorisation is that discourse constitutes knowledge of subjects in relationships and that, similarly, discourse is both content and relational context (Boje et al., 2004). Interpretations of marketing/consumer discourse do not stand alone from the relational contexts in which they are situated. Table 1. Orientations in discourse analysis Characterising orientations to discourse Methods Ontological assumptions Level of discourse Main unit of analysis Focus/Aim Technical (Sacks and Schegloff) Conversation and microlinguistic analysis Objective reality Local, internal (micro) Spoken discourse ‘talk’ Uncovering local rules organising social behaviour Constitutive (Potter and Wetherell) Discursive psychology, semantic, form‐meaning analysis Socially constructed meanings Local–contextual (micro–meso) Spoken, written, visual discourse How subjects constitute meanings from wider discourse Power (Foucault and Marx) Macrosocial critique, political theory Objective, structuring of systems of domination Global ‘meta‐structures’ (macro) Spoken, written, visual discourse, architecture (everything) The hegemonic effects of social‐historical discourses Table 2. Applying DA: a critical lens for marketing research Market‐based relations Example questions Texts (data) Indicative outcomes User audiences Consumer–product How is consumer's product knowledge constituted? Marketing textbooks, consumer forums, adverts, product terms and conditions and menus Assessment of the gaps between the rhetoric and practice of consumer sovereignty. Where do consumers actually co‐create value—if at all? Customer values, co‐creation and consumer sovereignty literature How is consumer sovereignty constructed, maintained and subverted? Consumer–market How is consumption influenced by the institutional context of the market? Consumer accounts, marketing textbooks, professional marketing charters, government consumer policies Assessment of how academic definitions of marketing roles shape consumer practice Marketing education, consumer sovereignty, critical marketing and consumer culture theory literature Marketers as ‘cultural brokers/authorities’ of consumer knowledge Consumer–consumer How do consumers' interactions construct product knowledge? Social networking sites. Consumer diaries and focus group interview transcripts. Consumers constructing brand or product meaning Branding, social marketing, segmentation and consumer vulnerability as well as critical marketing literature How do some consumers subvert others? Brands as tools for social signification (e.g. ‘in group/out group’), bullying, social exclusion and violence between consumers Consumer–producer How do consumption practices co‐opt producers of products and services? Customer service scripts, consumer guidebooks, consumer diaries and advertisements Assessment of how texts organise social categories in ways that position consumers and producers in ways that privilege the choices and actions of one over the other Consumer culture theory, critical marketing, marketing and business ethics literature How these are naturalised, legitimised and uncontested? Marketer–consumer How do consumers and marketers use power to influence each other? Customer complaint cards, consumer forums, adverts, consumer narratives and concealed product augmentations How consumers use texts to subvert specific marketing messages or forward macrocriticisms of markets (e.g. Adbusters) Marketing and business ethics, critical marketing and management, advertising and marketing communications and consumer culture theory literature Illustration of the implicit misleading of consumers regarding potential price or risks of a product (e.g. small print) Marketer–corporation How are functional activities and/or marketing agents constrained by wider corporate discourse? Managerial narratives, corporate missions, training programmes and value statements Assessment of the organisational, cultural and interfunctional influences that enable and constrain the practice of marketing and power of marketers Marketing management, critical marketing and organisational theory literature Consumer–citizen How do market‐based behaviours influence/transform citizenship entitlements? Corporate and government policy on energy or water consumption Illustration of the appropriation of citizenship discourses (e.g. civil, social and political rights) into consumption discourse Critical marketing and management, macromarketing theory, corporate governance, marketing management, and marketing and public policy literature Boycotting narratives. Anti‐corporate websites As traditional government responsibilities shrink (e.g. welfare, education, health and energy), how are these reabsorbed into private relationships with capital. Consumer–society How does marketing discourse interpenetrate other public domains, for example, health and education? Postgraduate–undergraduate prospectus. Student narratives Focus on tracing the diffusion and/or circulation of consumption discourses into other traditionally non‐marketing domains Marketing theory and marketing and public policy literature Health care brochures. Patient narratives What new social practices are being defined here? What power relations precipitate? Consumer–environment How do marketing texts shape consumer relations with the natural environment? Sustainable product branding. Eco‐tourist narratives, diaries and postcards Illustration of how consumers are redefining their relationships with the natural environment—what does this include/exclude? Ethical and ‘green’ consumption, marketing communications, co‐creation, critical marketing and management theory, business ethics and sustainability literature Carbon offsetting schemes How do consumers (and marketers) frame consumer responsibility for the environment and what novel relations are ascribed and/or concealed? Technical orientation to DA First, associated with ethnomethodology and conversation analysis, are approaches where discourse is taken as a technical interaction produced in the skilled accomplishment of everyday social life (Garfinkel, 1967; Goffman, 1974; Sinclair and Coulthard, 1975; Schegloff, 1992; Gergen, 1999). The unit of analysis—commonly, but not exclusively, ‘talk’—is examined through a technical, microlinguistic lens (Schegloff, 1992), identifying the rules that govern the organisation of talk such as ‘speech rights’ and ‘turn‐taking’ (i.e. who may talk next and when). Sinclair and Coulthard (1975) identified how rules of ‘exchange’ help teachers and pupils to accomplish the task of learning through conventional sequences in classroom talk: The teacher poses a question (initiates), the pupil answers (response), and the teacher then confirms the answer (feedback). In this technical orientation of DA, consumer researchers would be attuned to grammatical structures like cues, turn‐taking, discourse markers (but and however), personal pronouns (me and I), and more complex linguistic forms such as juxtapositions (good/bad), rhetorical devices, metaphors (linking concepts), metonyms and even narratives (ideal story types) that organise local consumer texts. These linguistic features are interpreted for the organising function that they play in certain market relationships. Rule‐bound sequences can be observed readily in customer service relationships where service blueprinting helps both employees and customers to accomplish the task of ordering; ‘Can I take your order please?’ acts as a cue for the customer to respond, ‘not quite ready’ or ‘yes, I'd like a….’ Here, we move from a priori assumptions of ‘natural’, latent customer value to a view of value as something (also) linguistically organised and produced. Whilst this allows for reflection on the taken‐for‐granted ‘nature’ of marketing phenomena, this technical orientation also lends itself to critical (re)examination of the role of linguistic processes in organising various marketing relations. Extending the example in the preceding texts, by examining the technical features of local customer texts (e.g. customer complaints forms/letters/procedures), analysts might usefully explore how the parameters of customer value are set out and how these demarcate the range of plausible responses from customers. Emerging research into online consumer forums or communities (Kozinets, 2002b) can explore the interactions between marketers and customers or between consumers and other consumers, observing how local speech patterns create rules about who can speak, when, and what can (and cannot) legitimately be said. In marketing pedagogy, a similar technical orientation to DA may enable the tracing of academic marketing discourse. It should be noted that by adopting a purely technical lens on discourse, it is beyond the methodological scope to explore discourse dynamics much beyond local texts/talk. This approach is focused primarily on interactional functions at the microlinguistic level of discourse (in a text/speech) that are less interesting in the broader question, Why this utterance? Why here? (Wetherell, 1998; Billig, 1999). While, for example, it might be wholly insightful to perform a technical DA on the linguistics of fair trade or eco‐labelling (or consumer conversations about them), the questions of where these linguistic features are drawn from and what social conventions and ideologies are they implicated in are beyond the purview of the analyst. Constitutive orientation to DA The second cluster of DA picks up on this observation that discourse not only creates rules of talk in local texts but is constitutive of social reality (Berger and Luckmann, 1971; Potter and Wetherell, 1987; Wetherell, 1998). Discourse analysts in this approach adopt a ‘constructivist position which emphasises the variable constitution of the self in discourse (Fairclough, 1992: 25)’ and that this process is enabled by wider discourses: The concept of interdiscursivity highlights the normal heterogeneity of texts in being constituted by combinations of diverse genres and discourses....it highlights a historical view of texts as transforming the past—existing conventions, or prior texts—into the present Fairclough (1995: 134). This implies that consumers draw upon a nexus of wider social discourses (e.g. love, art, politics, economy, nature, race, relationships and morality) as resources for constituting themselves as certain kinds of subjects in certain kinds of relations to others (Wetherell, 1998; Thompson, 2004). Analysis at this level consequently concerns the situated nature of the text under investigation, in terms of not only who it is produced by and for (locally) but also how it is produced (externally) by drawing upon wider social discourses. The application of this kind of approach in consumer and marketing research has potential in studies of consumer identity and discourse (Thompson and Haytko, 1997; Roper 2013., forthcoming) and is used to examine the meaning of adverts and/or the subject categories and relationships (re)constructed in consumer readings (McQuarrie and Mick, 1992; Scott, 1994a). Thompson (2004) tacitly acknowledges the interdiscursive nature of markets by showing how wider social conventions of health are drawn upon by advertisers and consumers in an attempt to crystallise local interpretations of consumer self‐identity. For critical marketing, this constitutive orientation to DA can be used to explore how subjectivity and associated relationships become organised in a range of marketing/consumer texts. Macromarketing researchers interested in how relations between marketing and society have evolved (refer to Fougère and Skålén, 2013) can examine how historical social discourses (e.g. the ‘free market’, ‘economy’ and ‘social justice’) employed in key texts (re)constitute certain kinds of marketing–society relations, such as ‘social capitalism’, ‘social marketing’, ‘sustainable development’ or ‘ethical consumption’. At a more micro–mesolevel, DA can be used to investigate the dynamics of emerging market subjectivity such as ‘ethical consumers’ or ‘consumer citizens’ (Dobscha and Ozanne, 2001), while observing how these configure new relationships between consumer, product, society and the environment more broadly. How consumers integrate these discourses into their own accounts and how they use them to connect their self to or, contrastingly, disassociate their self from products, brands, corporations, and other consumers (Holt, 2002) are fruitful avenues here. With a concern for content–context dynamics, this orientation to DA also provides marketing research with a means to examine marketing subjectivity and relations within corporations. DA of internal texts such as company reports, mission statements, personal narratives, training programmes and recruitment policies reveals what kinds of subjectivity are constituted in marketing, what kinds of practices and relationships are these connected to, and how marketing discourses are constitutive of ‘cross‐functional’ corporate discourses (Table 2). Political orientation to DA The technical and constitutive orientations to DA can be seen as implicitly critical views in the sense that they challenge functionalist assumptions about marketing subjects independent of discourses that render them knowable in some way. Nevertheless, they do not begin with or focus on critical questions. The third strand of DA carries explicitly critical research agenda, with a driving concern for the politics of discourse, as power, control and domination (for example, Moufahim et al., 2007). Critical orientations start out with questions: ‘What “power effects” are present in discourse?’, ‘how does discourse promote the interests of some subjects and subjugate others?’, ‘how do social realities become taken for granted and “natural”?’, ‘what realities do they conceal?’ and finally, ‘how can DA make visible or “de‐naturalise” discourses of power?’ By denaturalizing the discursive practices and the texts of a society….and by making visible and apparent that which may previously have been invisible and seemingly natural, they intend to show the imbrication of linguistic‐discursive practices with the wider socio‐political structures of power and domination (Kress, 1990: 85). Stemming from a rich critical tradition in sociology, this third ‘critical’ strand of DA concerns itself with the construction, maintenance and concealment of domination and control (Kress, 1990; Lutz and Collins, 1993; van Dijk, 1997) and is applicable to a range of critical marketing questions. In exploring market–society relations, for example, Schroeder and Borgerson (1999) show how marketing texts commodify Hawaii for western tourist consumers by drawing upon dominant paradisal, neocolonial discourses of the ‘exotic other’. The interpretation (historically) reinforced for the tourist represents Hawaiians in relatively disempowered relations with tourists: as naïve, economically weak and sexually submissive ‘native’ subjects. Consumer–environmental relations are equally rich contexts for CDA, with analysts attuned to the ways in which marketers integrate (marginal) eco‐centric discourses with more dominant ‘commodity discourses’ (e.g. value, utility and distinction) in attempts to mainstream green consumption practices (Prothero and Fitchett, 2000). Analysts exploring consumer–producer relationships in the marketing of ‘fair trade’ might ask, ‘How do Fair Trade texts co‐opt producers of products and services?’, ‘is Fair Trade really fair (and for whom)?’; ‘If producers become empowered or, in fact, instrumentalized in novel ways?”, or even ‘If relations of power are merely reallocated to less visible market relations?’ (Davies and Crane, 2003). In positioning critical approaches to DA amidst technical and constitutive approaches (Table 1), we are able to distinguish between sets of assumptions, questions and possible applications of critical and non‐CDA (Table 2). Anchored in key relationships of interest to marketers and consumer researchers, Table 2 indicates potential research agenda, relevant questions, data sets (text) and indicative outcomes or contributions. For example, where the table suggests consumer‐to‐consumer relations, social media settings might be used as rich ‘consumer texts’, constitutive of cultural knowledge, perhaps about a brand, product or cultural community. The table also points to other relations subject to critical or non‐critical DA, or indeed both. For example, questions about how the activities of marketers are shaped in the context of internal corporate discourses (finance, ethics, governance, etc.) are certainly valuable, if interested in corporate–marketing relations. Discourse‐based analysis of a range of texts such as mission statements, training programmes and managerial narratives could be illustrative of the form that marketing activity adopts and the relative agency conferred upon subjects that adopt such discourses in the corporation (i.e. power relations across functions). We now wish to elaborate on a suitably critical exemplar of DA—CDA—drawing out core concerns of this approach and linking to critical marketing research.
Framing Critical Discourse Analysis for Marketing In this section, we elaborate on the key elements of an explicitly critical approach to DA, drawing upon contributions from sociology, consumer and organisational research. Consumption texts as dialectic sites Critical approaches to DA (Parker, 1992; Fairclough, 1995, 2009; Phillips and Hardy, 1997; Covaleski et al., 1998; Livesey, 2001; Keenoy and Oswick, 2002; Gustavsson and Czarniawska, 2004; Leclercq‐Vandelannoitte, 2011) are commonly concerned with how subjectivity is produced in texts such that: ‘When we discourse analyse a text, we need to ask in what ways…the discourse is hailing us, shouting “hey you there” and making us listen as a certain type of person.’ (Parker, 1992) Crucially, for critical discourse analysts, this process is viewed as a dialectic one, where identities and relations are contested (Lutz and Collins, 1993; Fairclough, 1995, 2009; Covaleski et al., 1998) amidst countervailing discourses of power. Text is the interpretable operation of discursive struggle, rendering interview transcripts, online consumer forums, websites, avatars, guidebooks, shopping signage and labelling, adverts, customer feedback devices, product and corporate branding, consumer diaries, field notes, marketing textbooks and many more as dialectic sites of conflict, contestation, power, hegemony, resistance and transformation. This is illustrated by Livesey (2001) who employs CDA to interpret an oil company's advertorials (text) aimed at galvanising consumer resistance to climate change regulation. ExxonMobil draws upon dominant social discourses of the economy, capitalism, American freedom, democracy and ‘free markets’, which as dominant social discourses (compared with fringe discourses on sustainability and climate change) have powerful persuasive effects on the consumer audience. Multiple identities are evoked and dichotomised into subjects that are problematic (climate scientists and governments) and those that are ideal (the economy, consumers and Americans). Climate scientists and governments, for instance, are portrayed as—misguided and non‐rational subjects—posing a potent threat to the health of the US economy, personal freedom and the American way of life more broadly. The interpretive context constructed in this dialectic hails to consumers (Parker, 1992), as hardworking, economically concerned patriots, to ‘reject climate regulation and keep filing up your cars at the pump!’ In this sense, texts are considered sites of power, struggle and control, where certain interpretations are privileged (e.g. the status quo) and directed to particular courses of actions, whilst others (e.g. regulatory shift) are concealed from the purview of consumers. Relations of power in consumer discourse CDA researchers are concerned with how power is distributed unequally between subjects in discourse (Parker, 1992; Lutz and Collins, 1993; Phillips and Hardy, 1997; Livesey, 2001; Leclercq‐Vandelannoitte, 2011). This approach recognises that consumer identities are constructed as being subject to disciplinary norms that promote conformity to a norm/rule and preclude non‐normative practices. A focal point for analysts is to examine the asymmetrical distribution of power between subjects around such norms. Power may be interpreted by analysts along different relational axes (Table 2) and between subjects who are present as well as those ostensibly absent from the same discourse. This is observed in Caruana et al.'s (2008) CDA of the ‘independent’ tourism market where consumers are normalised as highly autonomous subjects in the discourse of ‘backpacker travel’ guidebooks. Constructed as subjects of a normative set of self‐determined, ‘independent’ practices, consumers are instructed to roam anywhere (off the beaten track), seek out ‘authentic’ local people and avoid mainstream tourists (i.e. the normative practices of ‘independent subjects’). CDA revealed relations of power flowing in different relational directions. First, guidebooks instrumentalised relations between tourists and local people, with the latter acting as mere markers of authenticity and self‐distinction for the tourist. Second, they denigrated other types of ‘commercial’ tourism subjects as morally redundant and largely excluded from real, authentic experiences. Third, they show how the consumer's use of an ‘independent guidebook’—a toolkit for ‘how to do’ independent tourism—paradoxically engenders dependence in tourist's relations with the market. Whilst critical marketing is broadly concerned with how one party is dominated in some way by another, CDA, as both a practicable and political methodology, aims to show how this apparent social arrangement is achieved in discourse as a basis for contestation, struggle and social change (Fairclough, 1995, 2009). Epistemology, hegemony and change This last point raises an important epistemological debate about the extent to which discourse performs as follows: (i) fixes subjectivity and power relations—a structuralist, ‘Big D’ Marxist view of discourse (Heracleous and Barrett, 2001); (ii) produces subjectivity and relations that can be adopted, resisted and transformed—a critical realist view of discourse (Fairclough et al., 2004, and ‘later’ Foucault, 1994); and (iii) a more interpretive ‘small d’ view of discourse as a socially constructed, contextually situated process of meaning making and power relations (Thompson, 2004; Caruana and Crane, 2008). These epistemological positions implicate tensions between text and agency: Whereas ‘little “d” discourse is criticized for overestimating the power of social actors in local discourse and overlooking the constituting power of larger Discourses … big ‘D’ Discourse draws criticism for being Discourse‐deterministic and thus minimizing agency’ (Leclercq‐Vandelannoitte, 2011: 1248). Epistemological distinctions are important issues, connecting with key topics in critical marketing such as consumer emancipation and resistance. Whilst some consider consumers to be ‘trapped inside’ market discourse (Holt, 2002; Kozinets, 2002a), others more explicitly assert that consumers can contest, redefine and ‘open up’ seemingly dominant social discourses (Thompson, 2004). Opening up consumer discourse Knights and Morgan (1991: 262) ask, ‘How is it that alternative ways of seeing organizations are negated, undermined and destroyed by corporate strategy discourse?’ Its ‘de‐naturalising’ agenda (Kress, 1990) renders CDA uniquely poised to help analysts understand how marketing discourse renders certain consumer realities ‘seeable’, whilst others ‘unseeable’. Caruana and Crane (2008), for instance, show how the marketing discourse of ‘responsible tourism’ depicts tourist practices and relations with local people and ecosystems as responsible, ‘trouble and guilt‐free’. This mythologised view of the responsible tourist subject both creates and obscures new ethical tensions from the consumer's view. The implication is that consumer discourse, as a version of reality offered up for interpretation, can be simultaneously a ‘way of seeing’ and ‘a way of not seeing’. CDA can be used here to highlight paradox and contradiction as well as the processes that sustain their subversion. Beyond marketing practice, the disciplines of marketing and consumer behaviour are also naturalising and thus potentially subverting discourses. On the one hand, marketing textbooks appear as ‘real’ case‐study reflections of empirical observations of markets, consumers and practitioners, instructing a set of logical strategic responses from certain subjects. Nevertheless, at the same time, the discipline—as a conventional ‘way of knowing’ markets and ‘being marketers’—is essentially constituted by and from a constellation of heuristic devices, concepts and definitions that reify marketing as a self‐evidently natural subject (Hackley, 2003). This natural ‘way of seeing’ marketing (e.g. as a commodity distribution technique) simultaneously becomes a ‘way of not seeing’ marketing (e.g. as a social practice). The view of CDA is that by exploring the constraining effects of marketing discourse and revealing its constructed (and therefore contestable) nature, consumer discourse may be opened up to novel definitions, interpretations, questions and practices.
Conclusions Discourse analysis, and CDA in particular, offers a valuable methodological and epistemological direction for marketers who, while willing to subject the mainstream marketing discourse to scrutiny and analysis, are also able to examine some of the reasons why dominant discourses about marketing remain powerful and widely accepted. The common aim of both critical marketing research and CDA to ontologically de‐naturalise marketing theory should not be understood as a requirement to either necessarily neutralise or negate it. While CDA analysts ‘should at the same time be aware that their work is constantly at risk of appropriation by the state and capital’ (Fairclough et al., 2011: 374), this awareness should not exclude them from applying CDA to explore these issues. The ‘risk’ of appropriation, if indeed there is deemed to be one, should not, in our view, dissuade DA research in marketing scholarship. Thompson (2004) makes a clear concluding statement on this point, urging marketing and consumer researchers to retain a militantly agnostic perspective when evaluating these types of critical criteria. The primary objective of DA is to unpack and make explicit assumptions and norms that might otherwise remain naturalised and therefore beyond critique, especially those concerning power relations. The disciplinary tradition of marketing and consumer research has meant that researchers have not tended to be skilled in textual analysis, literary methods and linguistics, as compared with the wide use of statistics, modelling and qualitative methodologies. One important aspect of CDA is that it does not prioritise a close scrutiny and dissection of the linguistic structure of particular words, phrases and grammar. It is far more focussed on the play of language and texts more generally, both in terms of their use and appearance as well as in terms of their consequences and practice. This broader view opens up a whole range of empirical, conceptual and ethical questions, for instance, concerning the cultural functions of various marketing texts, how consumers and marketers build and are constructed in them, how important objects and relationships are legitimised and sustained and how power relations operate therein. Discourse analysis approaches start off from the expectation that there is no essential ‘market’, ‘consumer’ or ‘marketing’ but that these objects are constituted in many ways and in many different types of discourse. As Humphreys (2010b) demonstrates, analysis of discourse can illustrate market making and creation, that is, as products of certain discourse practices. This means that researchers need to be prepared to treat potentially all of their research objects in a more contingent manner. For instance, CDA is less concerned with questions about whether consumers really are active or passive and more with the reasons why and how these particular representations of the consumer have become popular and resonant, rather than others. Djavlonbek and Varey (2013) illustrate these kinds of outcomes in their examination of green consumer behaviour, showing how meaning structures (interaction and discourse) in this context reproduce inconsistent behaviour as necessary and practical outcomes of a market structure. A key aspect of CDA is the idea that discourses emerge from microlevel practices, or to put it another way, they are a ‘bottom‐up’ phenomenon that derive from everyday conditions and practices. DA does not imply a deterministic or structuralist view of the world that somehow, the ‘discourse of the market’ causes people, institutions and organisations to conform and behave in certain kinds of ways. One could quite rightly ask where do these all‐powerful discourses come from and who is responsible for their propagation? DA shows how modern marketing ideology developed ‘from below’ in certain microtechniques that emerged in institutions such as retailing, print advertising and marketing research. This is probably one of the most exciting and transformative aspects of CDA for marketing because it opens up the possibility of examining marketing ideology and discourse through analysis of everyday, commonplace activities and processes. Analysis of marketing‐produced literature and initiatives, marketing management practices, consumer policies and products, for example, can all be seen as much more than simply indicative of a ‘wider’ ideology but rather as part of the constitution of this discourse more generally. Analysis of marketing ‘text’ is not merely indicative; it is discourse production in action. As with any approach, discourse‐based analysis implies certain boundaries and priorities that necessarily conflict with other approaches and techniques. Just as the emphasis on the socially constructed nature of market and consumer categories will always challenge the applicability of the approach to positivist and realist assumptions, the priority afforded to representation will conflict with other innovations in social theory such as practice theory. By way of a final conclusion and response to this concern, we can, of course, draw reflexive attention to the fact that these assumptions and alternatives are themselves made possible by certain types of discourse. In fact, the inability of broad ontologies to fully account for the nature of markets and marketing, as well as the action of agents (i.e. what we tend to be content to refer to as the ‘consumer’) within them, provides perhaps the most obvious insight into the inability of any discourse to provide complete or sustainable representation. All discourse can and should be understood as necessarily contingent and unstable, even (and perhaps especially) when they appear to us most certain. However, while attention to the relative and contingent nature of these academic discourses in marketing is itself an important project, it is also necessary not to overstate these differences or to deny the continued relevance of discourse‐based insights. In the analysis of consumption and consumer behaviour, DA will often be an appropriate response simply because of its textual, representational and ideological features. While a focus on, for example, network interactions and different forms of action and agency may well yield new insights, this does not necessarily imply that discourse is not an important constituent of these practices.
Biographies James Fitchett is a professor of Marketing and Consumption at the University of Leicester School of Management. He is co‐author of Marketing: A Critical Textbook (Sage 2011) and he also co‐edited Consumer Research Methods (Sage 2013). James's research focuses on critical readings of marketing informed by cultural and critical theory. He has recently co‐organised workshops for The Society for the Advancement of Management Studies on The Costs of Culture and for ESRC on Marketplace Exclusion.
Robert Caruana is an associate professor in Business Ethics at the International Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility of Nottingham University Business School. Robert is interested in how responsibility, morality and freedom are shaped in corporate and consumer discourse. He has published this work in Organization Studies, European Journal of Marketing, Marketing Theory, Journal of Consumer Behavior, and Annals of Tourism Research.Last in our little series (and six months after the last instalment, ahem), we’re finally getting onto those skills that help you punch people. Repeatedly.
Pro
What a pro! What a champ! Look at him go!
Pro is like a little reroll your player can carry around in their pocket, ready to use as and when they need to. Basically, if they make a roll, they can choose to expend a once-per-turn free reroll, provided they can make a 4+ roll first. If they flub the 4+, then you have to stick with the original roll. This is both better and worse than a Team reroll.
Good stuff:
It’s great because you can use it every turn, as well as the team reroll. You can even use a Team Reroll to re-roll the Pro roll, if you want.* You don’t have to fail a roll to use it, you can use it to try and get a better result. For example, if you throw a block and get a skull/push, you could Pro roll it to try and get something better. Might as well, eh? On Big Guys, it’s amazing. A normal re-roll needs a 4+ to succeed anyway, so you can get the same |
, Home.
There is no way to disable this forced tool bar. Worse it follows you as you scroll down the page. It never goes away. As of right now it is impossible to be on any page on Flickr without having these hyperlinked ads in your face.
I think these advertisements are just awful. I think they are distasteful and I think it’s unfortunate that Yahoo is so greedy that they cannot be satisfied with our simply paying them for an ad-free experience. If Yahoo cannot make enough money off of Flickr, then increase the price, or give us an option to pay more and remove this intrusive forced advertising bar.
Flickr is supposed to be an elegant, paid, ad-free, photo experience — or at least one version of it is. Forcing advertisements like this on ad-free accounts is wrong. Flickr should give all paid accounts an option to x out this ugly marketing based tool bar and make it go away.
There are few things as annoying as having a toolbar forced on you with a bunch of advertising links to things that you do not want. You can follow user reaction to this new forced tool bar in the Flickr Help Forum here.
You can and should do better than this Flickr.We rated nearly 500 roller coasters in the U.S., combining fan votes, awards, and technical specifications like max height, max speed, track length, G-forces, vertical angles, and inversions.
We get it. You’ve seen dozens of cheap, page view-grabbing slideshows, read a series of misinformed opinion pieces, and glared at tweets proclaiming Space Mountain the “best ride ever!” You’re upset. We’re upset. It’s time to set the record straight.
At FindTheBest, we rated nearly 500 roller coasters in the United States, combining fan votes, awards, and technical specifications like max height, max speed, track length, G-forces, vertical angles, and inversions. We talked to devoted fans and coaster designers. We even watched helplessly as our personal favorites barely missed out on a top 10 ranking (rest in peace, X2, Six Flags Magic Mountain).
Without further ado, we present the top 10 roller coasters in the nation.
1. Millennium Force, Cedar Point (Sandusky, Ohio)
2. Bizarro, Six Flags New England (Agawam, Massachusetts)
3. Nitro, Six Flags Great Adventure (Jackson, New Jersey)
4. Top Thrill Dragster, Cedar Point (Sandusky, Ohio)
5. The Voyage, Holiday World (Santa Claus, Indiana)
6. El Toro, Six Flags Great Adventure (Jackson, New Jersey)
7. Intimidator 305, Kings Dominion (Doswell, Virginia)
8. Apollo’s Chariot, Busch Gardens Williamsburg (Williamsburg, Virginia)
9. New Texas Giant, Six Flags Over Texas (Arlington, Texas)
10. Intimidator, Carowinds (Charlotte, North Carolina)
Methodology
As always, here’s a breakdown of the methodology.
FindTheBest
The Winners
So what can we learn from this list? Which characteristics distinguish the true greats from the average thrill? “A good roller coaster is not about a single gimmick, such as one steep drop,” said Kris Rowberry, who has followed the industry closely for 15 years, visited over 40 theme parks and ridden over 200 roller coasters. Rowberry adheres to a “rule of three,” holding that great coasters must be “well paced,” feature “several good ride elements” and be “easily re-rideable.”
Kris Rowberry
Case in point: the tallest, fastest coaster in the nation (Kingda Ka, Six Flags Great Adventure) did not make our top ten, and none of our picks have a drop “steeper” than 90º. With the notable exception of Top Thrill Dragster (Cedar Point)—which squeezed into the hallowed ten with a combination of top specs and rider votes—most of our top picks have good-but-not-extreme stats, with an average top speed of 81 mph and an average max height of 237 feet. In fact, of all the basic coaster specs (like speed, height, inversions, max vertical angle), the most closely correlated with our top picks was track length. In general, long, varied, and smooth beats quick and extreme.
Kris Rowberry
Still, that isn’t to say that longer is always better. “The ride’s pacing should provide non-stop action from the moment you drop off the lift hill until you return to the relative serenity of the loading platform,” said Paul Ruben, a theme park diehard who has ridden exactly 830 different roller coasters over the course of his life. Like us, he counts Bizarro (Six Flags New England) and Millennium Force (Cedar Point) among his personal top ten, praising the former for providing “so much air time that seats are superfluous” and the latter for “over-banked turns, tunnels,” and four “unforgettable…off-your-seat moments.”
Larry Giles, Vice President of Design and Engineering at Busch Gardens and Water Country USA, weighs in on the careful balance required for great coaster design:
“Height and speed are easily achieved in a coaster, but there is a delicate balance to match. If you make the ride too tall, there is too much energy to dissipate (Kinetic Energy=Mass x Gravity x Height), resulting in a ride that is too long, has large vertical and horizontal curves, and G-forces that are too high.
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment
Giles went on to explain the design process behind Apollo’s Chariot:
The first lift is high and after the lift we placed a section of flat track 50’ long to give the rider anticipation and appreciation of the height, as well as time to evaluate the inevitable—the drop coming. The drop was designed with a vertical curve upwards; as the coaster drops there is an outward force from the seat. While not straight down, the ride will feel near 0G on the drop, the body will sense this in the inner ear and muscular structure. This triggers your natural fight or flight response, or for the coaster rider—a thrill.
The Near Misses
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment
Alas: our top 10 list was bound to stir up controversy. Ruben disagrees with a few of our picks; his personal top 10 places a stronger emphasis on unique attractions that deviate from the predictable coaster blueprint. He praises the seat-rotating X2 (Six Flags Magic Mountain) for “breaking the paradigm of how coasters should work,” and Thunderbolt (Kennywood) for its “one-of-a-kind” design, where the “fiercest drop is at the end. It’s as if the coaster were built backwards.”
Both coasters performed quite well in our rankings: X2 is #22, Thunderbolt is #36 (see the full coaster list here). Just missing our top 10 were favorites like The Beast (a classic wooden coaster in Kings Island with an astonishingly long track of 7,359 feet), Goliath (a smooth-as-silk “hypercoaster” in Six Flags Over Georgia), and even Lake Compounce’s Boulder Dash (an unforgettable journey through a forest of trees…you’ll forget that it never ascends above 50 feet).
“Busch Gardens’ SheiKra is my favorite,” said Michael Mejia, a 13-year-old coaster enthusiast from Michigan. “It has a steep incline, suspends you over the edge which is 200 ft straight down, then drops you.” SheiKra snagged the 43rd slot in our rankings. Mark Rose, Vice President of Engineering at Busch Gardens Tampa, cites SheiKra as a great example of a coaster that might scare first-time riders, but ultimately attract them based on strategic design. “[Our] designers…incorporate viewing vantage points where non-riders who are frightened or intimidated can see the ride and feel the energy.” The best coasters combine a thrilling experience with an external, visual appeal.
The Losers
Gimmicky rides
Toboggan-style rides, wild mouse coasters, launch tracks, and cobra rolls have come and gone over the years as the latest fad, but the traditional, full-circuit coasters have remained the class of the amusement park. Flashy stunts like Six Flags Magic Mountain’s Superman: Escape from Krypton or Knott’s Berry Farm’s Xcelerator grab headlines but fail to leave a lasting impression on riders. Among our top 10, only Top Thrill Dragster has a truly non-traditional style.
Disney
It’s a remarkable company with scenic theme parks and lovable characters. They just don’t make the best roller coasters. Don’t feel bad for Mickey though. While you were reading this article, the company sold 3,560* Donald Duck bobble-head souvenirs (*approximate figure).
Old, rickety rides
There’s a certain charm to the old-fashioned clack of a vintage wooden coaster struggling up the chain lift. Unfortunately, there’s nothing charming about severe whiplash and bruises all over your back. The best classic coasters have been renovated, and the newest, smoothest rides tend to win votes. For the record, our top 10 were all built during or after the year 2000.
The West Coast
Poor California. Despite being home to 36 separate theme parks, only two of the state’s top 50 coasters hail from the Golden State (and none of the 50 are from Oregon or Washington). Perhaps it’s a case of quantity over quality, or else a lack of coaster fervor from a bunch of beach-going, latte-sipping Hollywood elites (disclosure: I live in California). Even Six Flags Magic Mountain’s Goliath failed to beat its eastern rival of the same name, despite being longer, faster, and speedier. Oh well: they’ll always have the year-round temperate weather.
Inversions
Only one coaster in our top 20 (Hades 360, Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park) has a single corkscrew, loop, or inline twist. “Most inversion elements cannot provide that ‘airtime’ so sought after by roller coaster enthusiasts,” said Rowberry (who, in fairness, loves all coaster types, inversion or no). “The other half of the equation may come down to restraints…many enthusiasts prefer the freedom that a ‘lap bar only’ ride provides them.”
Conclusion
More than anything, fans and experts agree: what’s most important is what riders do right after the ride is over. “The ride should be smooth, and have minimal lateral forces (left and right) on the body and head,” said Rose. “If a rider feels beat up, they will be reluctant to get right back in line.”
“The main objective for the coaster designer,” said Giles, “is to use the tools of G-forces, speed, and the energy to [make] the rider [say,] ‘I just have to do that again!'”
This article was written for TIME by Ben Taylor of FindTheBest.I think it’s time to say we officially have a new logical fallacy – the argument from shill. If you’ve spent anytime following a discussion about science on social media you’ll be familiar with the accusation. Companies across the spectrum are apparently employing hordes of unscrupulous people to promote, defend and disagree on their behalf. Sure, they’ll claim not to be a shill, but we know they are lying. How do we know they’re lying? Because they’re shills!
The shill accusation is quite dynamic in its logical failing. As the above statement demonstrates, it can be stated as a tautology. When presented without evidence, it’s a red herring. When used preemptively, it poisons the well. But at the heart of the argument is the most classic of fallacies, the ad hominem, which is the grown up version of “I don’t have to listen to you because I don’t like you.”
The argument from shill is, like many logical fallacies, informal. This means that the basic logical structure of the statement can be sound. To suggest that we should be suspicious of what someone is saying because they are being disingenuous is reasonable. Informal fallacies are made invalid by the context, and every reasonable person should agree that a valid context for an accusation involves evidence.
This means that if a shill accusation is accompanied by evidence, then maybe it’s true or maybe it isn’t, but it’s not a logical fallacy. The fallacy is committed when the sole piece of evidence is the fact that the accused has disagreed with the accuser. When the argument boils down to “you’ve challenged what I’ve said, therefore no one should listen to you,” then the only argument you’re making is that you shouldn’t be challenged.
When someone makes the shill accusation they immediately turn the conversation to be about the evidence. If they are unwilling to discuss or unable to present any, you can safely call them on this fallacy. At that point it is up to you to decide if you want to continue conversing with them or not.
I recommend dismissing them as readily as they’ve dismissed you, here’s why. If I have decided that you are being paid to say something simply because I do not like what you are saying, then I’ve not only demonstrated faulty logic, I’ve also signified my standards for evidence. I’ve shown that I am willing to believe something based on nothing but my personal bias, and then repeat it in a public forum as if it were true. I’ve also shown that I am not really interested in having an actual conversation so much as simply broadcasting my claims and then smearing anyone who would question them. At the very least, I’ve shown you that I am not willing to think about the issue if it involves thinking I could be wrong. I’ve merely put my thumb to my nose, wiggled my fingers and declared “neener neener.”
The argument from shill shows everyone which field the accuser wants to play on, and that field is the schoolyard playground where facts and logic do not hold as much sway as calling someone a doody head. This is the arena you prefer when you have a desperate need to feel right while only possessing enough skill to convince a 5 y/o. So if that’s the sort of conversation you want to have, then go for it. But if you’d like to have an actual exchange of ideas where criticism is welcomed, evidence is examined, and better ideas come out the other end, you should probably move on.
AdvertisementsIn the first 27 days of Bexar County Sheriff Susan Pamerleau's time in office, three sheriff’s deputies have been arrested under the suspicion of DWI. To discourage deputies from driving while drunk, the Deputy Sheriff’s Association of Bexar County is providing free cab rides those who need a ride home.
Bexar County Sheriff Susan Pamerleau said a deputy relaxing when they’re off-duty is understandable.
"But when relaxation turns into intoxication and the deputy gets behind the wheel, that is unacceptable," she said.
While behaviors cannot be changed overnight, the sheriff said the resources for a safe ride home need to be provided. The Deputy Sheriff’s Association of Bexar County is working with Yellow Cab to provide free cab rides to intoxicated off-duty deputies who are members.
Association President Joel Janssen said the 1,040 member deputies will be given a laminated card that is shown to the driver along with their badge. They’re taken home, and the fare is paid by the association.
"Our deputies are good people, but sometimes they have too much to drink and we just want to give them an alternative to drinking and driving," Janssen said.
The deputies will be allowed an unlimited number of confidential rides made only known to the association. But if it sees an abuse of the program they will be given counseling. There is a similar program for county employees but it does not allow unlimited use.
Out of the three deputies arrested under suspicion of DWI, Susana Cervantes - who was arrested in early January - has put in her resignation.OregonLive.com reports:
A custodial crew at the 3,355-student Christian university found the Obama likeness hanging by fishing wire from a tree at 7 a.m. Tuesday and tore it down before students arrived for classes. A sign taped to the cutout said, “Act Six reject,” referring to a scholarship program for Portland students, many of whom are minorities. (snip) The Act Six program, which started last year, provides full scholarships each year to as many as 10 students chosen for their leadership potential from Portland high schools.
Four students have been suspended as a result.
The students, whose names are not being released, have been suspended on a long-term basis and must complete community service. Other sanctions include community service and multicultural education, which must be completed before the students can return to campus, said Brad Lau, vice president of student life. (snip) The FBI is continuing its investigation into possible civil rights violations, including whether the display intimidated minority students in exercising their federal rights, spokeswoman Beth Anne Steele said. University leaders have used the racist display as an educational tool to talk about race issues on the mostly white campus. About 100 students attended a forum Thursday, and more discussions are planned in dorms and in Portland in the next week, said Joel Perez, dean of transitions and inclusion.
Recently, there had been a rally for McCain at the university with an attendence of about 40 students. After all the fear mongering delivered by McCain, Palin and their surrogates and supporters, there is little wonder that the Republican party is less about patriotism and more about hatriotism.
Jon Stewart did a brilliant piece the other day about the monster that the McCain camp is creating – and whether they will be able to put that monster back into the bottle.
It seems not.
: : : : : : : : : :Linus Torvalds might just be a big softie after all. The Linux Lord, infamous for his occasional foul-mouthed criticism of those who don't meet his standards, has just popped out release candidate one for Linux 4.12 a day early so he could give his undivided attention to Mother's Day.
“So I'm doing this one day early, because I don't like last-minute pull requests during the merge window anyway, and tomorrow is mother's day, so I may end up being roped into various happenings,” Torvalds wrote on the Linux Kernel Mailing List on Saturday. Torvalds' release announcements are usually made on Sundays.
Torvalds says this release is dominated by “new AMD Vega10 header files that have all the register definitions in them” and “the new Intel Atom IPU driver”. Beyond those two additions, he says this release looks like “Two thirds drivers, with the rest being arch updates, documentation updates and "misc" (filesystems, networking, header updates, core files).”
As ever, Torvalds is being brief – there's actually some handy stuff in this release, such as a USB-C manager, the Budget Fair Queueing and Facebook-developed Kyber I/O scheduler which will both speed I/O and therefore storage, and increases in memory available to POWER9 and Intel CPUs. This release will also mark the end of the line for Linux on Atmel's AV32 RISC silicon.
Torvalds also points out that “ I haven't uploaded diffs or tar-balls for this rc.” That matters a bit because he adds “Those should now be automagically generated by kernel.org for the rc's, but that also means that they won't be signed by my key. If you really care about signing, get the git repo and check the tag.”
A small change, but one to be aware of for the security-conscious. ®The Bolsheviks and Workers Control
1917 - 1921
The State and Counter-revolution
WWW Introduction
The Bolsheviks and Workers Control is a remarkable pamphlet by Maurice Brinton exposing the struggle that took place over the running of workplaces in the immediate aftermath of the Russian Revolution. In doing so not only does it demolish the romantic Leninist 'history' of the relationship between the working class and their party during these years (1917 - 21) but it also provides a backbone to understanding why the Russian revolution failed in the way it did. From this understanding flows alternative possibilities of revolutionary organisation and some 26 years after the original was written this is perhaps its greatest contribution today. For this reason alone this text deserves the greatest possible circulation today and we encourage you to link to it, download the text or otherwise circulate it.
The text of this pamphlet was scanned and HTML'd by a number of anarchists to mark the 79th anniversary of the Russian Revolution in 1996. It's original author was not an anarchist, but belonged to the sister groups 'Solidarity' and 'Socialism or Barbarism' (France) which were libertarian marxist. The text was scanned from the 1975 Black & Red (Detroit) addition. As far as we're aware Solidarity no longer exist, the address given in the original text for contacting them was Solidarity (North London) 123 Lathom Road, London, E.6
The Russian Revolution in is entirety from 1905 to 1917 continues to be one of the great periods of history for the struggle for freedom by the working class against the capitalist class. Now that Leninism is finally dying it is up to anarchists and other libertarian communists to rescue the positive and negative lessons of that great revolution from the distortions of the left and the right. The book is a vital contribution to writing the real history of the revolution.
Delegates to the 1st conference of factory committees
Original Solidarity Introduction
This pamphlet has two aims. It seeks to contribute new factual material to the current discussion on 'workers' control'. And it attempts a new kind of analysis of the fate of the Russian Revolution. The two objectives, as will be shown, are inter-related.
Workers' Control 'Workers' control' is again being talked about. Nationalisation (whether of the Western or Eastern variety) and the rule of the 'Party of the working class' (whether of the Eastern or Western variety) have manifestly failed. They have not satisfied the hopes and expectations of ordinary people - or given them any real say in determining the conditions under which they live. This has created new interest in the subject of 'workers' control' and in ideas which, in a different context, were common currency at the beginning of the century.
Today people as different as Young Liberals and Labour 'lefts', tired trade union officials and 'Trotskyists' of one kind or another - not to mention anarcho syndicalists and 'libertarian Marxists' - all talk about 'workers' control'. This suggests one of two things. Either these people have common objectives - which seems unlikely - or the words serve to mask as much as they convey. We hope to dispel some of the confusion by recalling how, at a critical stage of history, the advocates of different conceptions of 'workers' control' confronted one another and by showing who won, why they won, and what the consequences were to be.
This return to the historical roots of the controversy is not motivated by an addiction to archivism or by a partiality for the esoteric. The revolutionary movement in Britain - unlike that in several European countries - has never been much concerned with theory, preferring on the whole an empirical,'suck-it-and-see' kind of approach. This may at times have helped it avoid becoming bogged down in the swamps of metaphysical speculation but the overhead costs - in terms of clarity and consistency, have been heavy. Without a clear understanding of objectives and of the forces (including ideological forces) impeding advance - in short without a sense of history - the revolutionary struggle tends to become 'all movement and no direction'. Without clear perspectives, revolutionaries tend to fall into traps - or be diverted into blind alleys - which. with a little knowledge of their own past, they could easily have avoided.
The confusion about workers' control (at least in Britain) is partly terminological. In the British movement (and to a lesser extent in the English language) a clear-cut distinction is seldom made between 'control' and'management', functions which may occasionally overlap but are usually quite distinct. In French, Spanish or Russian political literature two separate terms ('controle' and 'gestion', 'control' and 'gerencia', 'kontrolia' and 'upravleniye') refer respectively to partial or total domination of the producers over the productive process. A moment's reflection will make it obvious why one must make this distinction.
Two possible situations come to mind. In one the working class (the collective producer) takes all the fundamental decisions. It does so directly, through organisms of its own choice with which it identifies itself completely or which it feels it can totally dominate (Factory Committees, Workers' Councils, etc.). These bodies, composed of elected and revocable delegates probably federate on a regional and national basis. They decide (allowing the maximum possible autonomy for local units) what to produce, how to produce it. at what cost to produce it, at whose cost to produce it. The other possible situation is one in which these fundamental decisions are taken 'elsewhere'. 'from the outside', i.e. by the State, by the Party, or by some other organism without deep and direct roots in the productive process itself. The'separation of the producers from the means of production' (the basis of all class society) is maintained. The oppressive effects of this type of arrangement soon manifest themselves. This happens whatever the revolutionary good intentions of the agency in question, and whatever provisions it may (or may not) make for policy decisions to be submitted from time to time for ratification or amendment.
There are words to describe these two states of affairs. To manage is to initiate the decisions oneself. as a sovereign person or collectively, in full knowledge of all the relevant facts. To control is to supervise, inspect or check decisions initiated by others. 'Control' implies a limitation of sovereignty or, at best, a state of duality of power, wherein some people determine the objectives while others see that the appropriate means are used to achieve them. Historically, controversies about workers control have tended to break out precisely in such conditions of economic dual power.
Like all forms of dual power, economic dual power is essentially unstable. It will evolve into a consolidation of bureaucratic power (with the working class exerting less and less of the control). Or it will evolve into workers' management. with the working class taking over all managerial functions. Since 1961, when 'Solidarity' started advocating 'workers' management of production others have begun to call for 'workers' direct control', 'workers' full control', etc. - so many tacit admissions of the inadequacy (or at least ambiguity) of previous formulations.
It would be a short-sighted view to see in all this a question of linguistic purism, a terminological or doctrinal quibble. We have to pay a ransom to both the past and the present. We have not appeared on the political scene from nowhere. We are part of a revolutionary libertarian tradition for whom these concepts had deep significance. And we are not living in a political vacuum. We are living in a specific historical context. in which a constant struggle is taking place. In this struggle the conflicting interests of different social strata (bourgeoisie, bureaucracy and proletariat) are expressed in different types of demands, more or less clearly formulated. Different ideas about control and management figure prominently in these controversies. Unlike Humpty Dumpty we cannot make words mean exactly what we choose.
The revolutionary movement itself moreover is one of the forces on this social arena. Whether we like it or not - and whether it fully appreciates it or not - most of the revolutionary movement is impregnated with the ethos, traditions and organisational conceptions of Bolshevism. And in the history of the Russian Revolution - particularly between 1917 and 1921 - the issue of 'workers' control' versus 'workers' management' loomed large. 'From 1917 to 1921 the issue of industrial administration was the most sensitive indicator of the clash of principles about the shaping of the new social order... It was the most continuous and provocative focus of actual conflict between the communist factions'. (1) And, it should be stressed, between the Bolsheviks and other tendencies in the revolutionary movement. Thousands of revolutionaries were to be killed and hundreds of thousands incarcerated, fighting it out.
Most of those now entering the revolutionary movement will be unfamiliar with these controversies. A virtue should not however be made of this state of affairs. Clarification is essential, but here new problems arise. The methodological poverty, a-historicism (at times even anti-intellectualism) among so many of those revolutionaries who do have some knowledge as to what actually happened is a first tragic obstacle. And it is one of the ironies of the present situation that those others (the residual legatees of Bolshevism) who talk loudest about the 'need for theory' and the 'need to study history' should be those with the most to hide (should their own historical antecedents really be unearthed) and with the most to lose (should a coherent alternative emerge to challenge their ossified beliefs).
Some of the confusion about 'workers' control' is neither terminological nor due to ignorance concerning past controversies. It is deliberate. Today, for instance, one finds some hardened, old-time Leninists or Trotskyists (in the Socialist Labour League, International Marxist Group or in the 'leadership' of International Socialism for instance) advocating 'workers' control' without batting an eyelid. Seeking to capitalise on the confusion now rampant in the movement, these people talk of 'workers' control' as if a) they meant by these words what the politically unsophisticated might think they mean (i.e. that working people should themselves decide about the fundamental matters relating to production) and b) as if they - and the Leninist doctrine to which they claim to adhere - had always supported demands of this kind, or as if Leninism had always seen in workers' control the universally valid foundation of a new social order, rather than just a slogan to be used for manipulatory purposes in specific and very limited historical contexts. (2)
The question of self-management is not esoteric. Its discussion - in the sharpest possible terms - is not sectarian. Self-management is what the revolution of our time is all about. This in itself would justify a pamphlet such as the present one. A study of this period (Russia, 1917-1921) has, however, deeper implications. It could provide the basis for a new kind of analysis of the fate of the Russian Revolution, a task to which we will now briefly turn.
The Russian Revolution
To propose a new way of looking at what happened in Russia in 1917 (and after) is synonymous with an invitation to be misunderstood. If moreover the questions asked and the methodology suggested happen to differ from those in current use the proposal almost becomes a guarantee. As we have had occasion to mention before misrepresentation is a way of life on the traditional left, for whom nothing is quite as painful as a new idea.
Over the last 50 years all the existing organisations of the left have elaborated a whole mythology (and even a whole anti-mythology) about the Russian Revolution. The parliamentary fetishists of Social-Democracy see 'the failure of Bolshevism' in its 'antidemocratic practices'. The original sin, for them, was the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly. The self-styled 'communist' movement (Stalinists, Trotskyists, Maoists, etc.) talks with filial pride of the 'glorious, socialist, October Revolution'. They seek to vaunt and popularise its original achievements while differing in their appreciation's of what happened subsequently when it happened, why it happened and to whom it happened. For various anarchists the fact that the State or 'political power' were not immediately 'abolished' is the ultimate proof and yardstick that nothing of fundamental significance really occurred. (3) The SPGB draw much the same conclusion, although they attribute it to the fact that the wages system was not abolished, the majority of the Russian population not having had the benefit of hearing the SPGB viewpoint (as put by spokes men duly sanctioned by their Executive Committee) and not having then sought to win a Parliamentary majority in the existing Russian institutions.
On all sides people seek to use the Russian Revolution with a view to integrating it into their own propaganda - only retaining of it those aspects which happen to conform with their own particular analysis of history, or their own particular prescriptions for the present. What ever was new, whatever seemed to contradict established theories or break out of established categories, has been systematically 'forgotten', minimised, distorted, denied.
Any attempt to re evaluate the crucial experience of 1917-1921 is bound to evoke opposition. The first to react will be the 'apparatchiks' who for years have been protecting'revolutionary' organisations (and'revolutionary' ideology) from the dual threats of subversion and renewal. Opposition will also be found however in the minds of many honest militants, seeking the road to genuinely revolutionary politics. One isn't dealing here with a simple psychological resistance but with a much deeper phenomenon which cannot be explained away by reference to the reaction role and influence of various 'leaderships'. If the average militant has difficulty in understanding the full significance of some of the problems raised in the early stages of the Russian Revolution it is because these problems are amongst the most important and difficult (if not the most important and difficult) ever to have confronted the working class. The working class made a revolution that went beyond a mere change in the political personnel at the top. It was able to expropriate the former owners of the means of production (thereby profoundly altering the existing property relations). But to what extent was it able to go beyond even this? To what extent was it able - or prepared - to revolutionise the relations of production? Was it willing to destroy the authority structure which the relations of production embody and perpetuate in all class societies? To what extent was it prepared itself to manage production (and thereby the whole of society), or to what extent was it inclined to delegate this task to others? And to what extent was the dominant ideology to triumph, compelling the working class to substitute for its avowed enemies a Party that claimed to speak 'on its behalf'?
To answer these questions is a major task beset with pitfalls. One of the dangers confronting anyone seeking dispassionately to analyse the 'heroic period of the Russian Revolution' is the danger of'retrospective identification' with this or that tendency or individual then active on the political scene (Osinsky, Kollontai, Maximov, Makhno or Miasnikov, for instance). This is a pointless political pastime. It leads rapidly to a state of mind where instead of seeking to understand the broad course of events (which is a relevant preoccupation) revolutionaries find themselves asking such questions as 'what should have been done at this or that moment?'; 'was this or that action premature?': 'who was right at this or that Congress?'; etc. We hope to have avoided this snare. When, for instance, we study the struggle of the Workers' Opposition against the leadership of the Party (in 1920 and 1921) it is not for us a question of 'taking sides'. It is a question of under standing what the forces in conflict really represented. What, for instance, were the motives (and the ideological and other limitations) of those who appeared to be challenging the drift to bureaucratisation in every aspect of social life?
Another danger (or another form of the same danger) threatens those venturing into this field for the first time, while still befuddled by the official mythology. It is the danger of becoming entangled in the very legend one is seeking to destroy. Those, for instance, seeking to 'demolish' Stalin (or Trotsky, or Lenin) may successfully achieve their immediate objective. But they may'succeed' at the expense of not seeing, sensing or recording the most fundamental new features of this period: the autonomous action of the working class seeking totally to alter the conditions of its existence. We hope to have avoided this trap. If we have quoted at some length the statements of prominent individuals it is only insofar as they epitomise the ideologies which, at a given point in history, guided the actions and thoughts of men. Throughout the account, moreover, we have felt that the only way seriously to deal with what the Bolsheviks said or did was to explain the social role of their utterances and actions.
We must now state our own methodological premises. We hold that the'relations of production' - the relations which individuals or groups enter into with one another in the process of producing wealth - are the essential foundations of any society. A certain pattern of relations of production is the common denominator of all class societies. This pattern is one in which the producer does not dominate the means of production but on the contrary both is'separated from them' and from the products of his own labour. In all class societies the producer is in a position of subordination to those who manage the productive process. Workers' management of production - implying as it does the total domination of the producer over the productive process - is not for us a marginal matter. It is the core of our politics. It is the only means whereby authoritarian (order-giving, order-taking) relations in production can be transcended and a free, communist or anarchist, society introduced.
We also hold that the means of production may change hands (passing for instance from private hands into those of a bureaucracy, collectively owning them) with out this revolutionising the relations of production. Under such circumstances - and whatever the formal status of property - the society is still a class society for production is still managed by an agency other than the producers themselves. Property relations, in other words, do not necessarily reflect the: relations of production. They may serve to mask them - and in fact they often have. (4)
This much of the analysis is fairly widely accepted. What has not been hitherto attempted is to relate the history of the Russian Revolution to this overall conceptual framework. Here we can only indicate the broad lines of such an approach. (5) Seen in this light the Russian Revolution represents an unsuccessful attempt by the Russian working class to break out of relations of production that were proving increasingly oppressive. The massive upsurge of 1917 proved strong enough to smash the political supremacy of the bourgeoisie (by shattering the economic base on which it was founded: the private ownership of the means of production). It altered the existing system of property relations. But it did not prove strong enough (despite heroic attempts in this direction) to alter the authoritarian relations of production characteristic of all class societies. Sections of the working class (those most active in the Factory Committee movement) certainly attempted to influence the Revolution in this direction. But their attempt failed. It is worth analysing the causes of this failure - and seeing how new masters came to replace the old ones.
What |
migrating all Direct Delivery listings unless you have migrated them first.
Did you say I can contact someone in support regarding the Outbox being stuck on initialising? Because I have some items I would like to put on the Marketplace and can’t do so.
[16:12] BL: Yes, please file a support ticket if your Outbox is stuck initialising. We’ve been monitoring the forums and pushing any stuck boxes seen on the forums to support as well.
Along the line of thinking with versioning ~ Will there ever be a feature for automated redelivery of items with Next Owner Copy permissions to all customers who own an older version of that item?
[16:42] BL: It’s a great idea to support the update of versions, but we are not there yet.
[17:00] BL: Allowing customer self-redelivery is something we’ve heard a lot from users, and that is on the list of things that we’re considering in the future.
Just allowing customer self redelivery would be a major step forward. Database look-up on the product page. “have I bought this item before?” If yes, send product. How hard can it be?
[17:59] BL: Definitely on the list.
Doesn’t it make their own folders when it migrates?
[18:47] BL: When do you move something in the Viewer-Managed Marketplace, it’s going to automatically create some folders for you. It will create a listing folder and then a version folder, and if you have any No copy items to you, the Merchant, it’s going to create a stock folder with all the stock items underneath.
We tried to be smart about folder names, but you are more than welcome to create your own hierarchy and move it over, as long as it matches the one that we’re using.
Do merchants require in their inventory folders (with contents) that match the folder names on the Marketplace
[21:35] BL: You don’t need to create all the folders yourself. If you just want to move items into VMM, it will create the correct folder hierarchy for you. But if you want control over what those folders are and already have some naming convention set-up that you want to make sure you keep, you can create them yourself.
What plans to you have to prevent abuse of this new system? Abuse: list some really cool no copy item – then when you run out of stock, just fill up the folder with garbage and keep selling
[19:52] BL: Yes, we do have some checks in place to prevent this, but we can’t do much more than what’s already been done with Magic Boxes. So it’s something we’re still going to be somewhat dependent upon customers to report and help us police.
You ask customers to help to police but then LL so often just responds that this is a user to user issue and won’t get involved, could you revisit your answer from a few moments ago and state what is different?
[24:57] BL: To some degree that is the case. We do try our best to help resolve situations like that; but in some cases, we are limited in what we can do. If there are specific cases that are problematic, a specific scenario that you have, perhaps there’s something that we missed in a case; but it’s basically the way we have set-up our system to do the best for the customers and for the Merchants.
Will there be a better way of reporting scammers that get dealt with faster? such as the empty box scams?
[27:22] BL: We have not looked at that; perhaps this is an opportunity where we need to take a another look at that.
It needs to be looked at every Friday its happening, and Monday they are gone.
[28:27] BL: That’s some good feedback; I can follow-up on that.
Is there any risk of switching over to VMM stock at the moment? I shifted over some of my less frequently purchased items ~ but my main stock I’m still using DD. Everything seems a bit glitchy~ do you feel that the system even in it’s current state is stable enough to safely migrate our stock now?
[20:40] BL: Yes. The reason we’re calling this a beta is that there may be some corner cases with respect to user experience on the Merchant side that maybe we haven’t caught; maybe some errors we’re not throwing correctly. We thoroughly tested delivery and stock unit counts, etc., before doing this. Honestly, part of the reason its taken a while to get this out is because we really wanted to make sure we had our stock unit accounting correct.
What is the major advantage of VMM?
[22:17] BL: the major advantage is that we will now be able to get rid of Magic Boxes which, for those Merchants that still use them, have over their lifetime just been performing less and less well. Part of the problem with creating a system that doesn’t have an easy way to access internal APIs, etc., is that it’s just going to be a little bit less stable. And so we’re moving forward with that.
The other aspect of it that’s very helpful is that the architecture means that there are going to be fewer moves of inventory between users [systems], and this is better for everyone. Every time you move something between inventory accounts, you’re increasing the risk of a mistake. So we’ve removed one of those hops and that will make it better for everyone.
Is the version control similar to Git in a sense? Where the customer can access multiple version?
[23:47] BL: If you want to think of it in that way it is; it’s really up to you [as to] how you use it. So you can have a listing with multiple version folders under it or not; you can just keep the most current version folder under it. If you have more than one version folder under it, it’s really easy to swap back and forth between them.
If a new version is added, will previous customers receive the new version automatically?
[27:08] BL: Unfortunately, no.
I’m new to having a store on marketplace. should I wait until the migration happens to set up my mp shop ….. stick to in-world sales for now?
[24:17] BL: If you’re new to having a store on the Marketplace, I would suggest you just start using Viewer-Managed Marketplace and don’t worry about learning Direct Delivery.
Do I need to be in the beta test group to start my MP shop with VMM?
[28:07] BL: Right now you do. We’re going to be doing a Marketplace release soon, and we will be opening it up to everybody. That’s probably going to be next week, or the following week.
I think the main issue for most merchants isn’t inventory management but listing management. Do you have any plans of making improvements in that field too?
[26:29] BL: We did make some listing management improvements, but not significant ones. We definitely have some items in our list of requests form users, and as we’re able to address them after fixing other issues, we will evaluate those.
Am I understanding that we will be able to do bulk deletions of listings much easier? (Now, you have to remove one listing at a time and it’s very tedious)
[27:42] We are supporting bulk deletions in VMM, but we aren’t in Direct Delivery, and that’s due to great technical cost. So going forward with VMM, life will be better where it would still be painful with Direct Delivery.
There are quite a lot of old passive merchants – people who were active back in the magic boxes days and no longer check – or hardly ever check – their MP store or SL account. What will happen to their listings and do you have any idea how big percentage of the MP listings that is?
[28:52] BL: We don’t have an idea of how big a percentage of Marketplace listings that is, but people who have Magic Box listings … their inventory will still be in-world in their Magic Boxes, but their listings will no longer work if they don’t go through the manual migration process.
One of the things that happened when people migrated from Magic Boxes to Direct Delivery we saw some of those items get cleaned-up.
Will those listings become “defunct” or will they auto-unlist?
[29:32] BL: They will auto-unlist. The listings will auto-unlist once we’re no longer supporting Magic Boxes.
Will items automatically be put in the right categories? I was flagged a couple times for listing in wrong category
[30:22] BL: If only we could read your minds, we would be able to put items in the right category!
When do you plan to remove the naughty word filter and treat us as adults? *ducks*
[31:13] BL: We do have some work going on with respect to the adult filters. That’s yet another one of those things that has plagued us for a long time and we have to take some time to fix it, because it’s expensive when we have to add new words, and it has unanticipated effects. So one of the things we have done, is we’ve decided that we’re going to limit the number of new words that we add to the one that we really need to have in there. But that’s the best that we can do right now.
Are you encouraging manual migration? do you think that is in our best interest?
[32:10] BL: I think it’s entirely up to you. In the past we have had Merchants who really want that level of control over their stores, and we’re happy to provide it. So we’re testing and asking for volunteers [and] by the time we’ve rolled-out to everyone, we will hopefully have caught any unusual cases that Merchants somehow manage to figure out how to do, and we expect not to have significant issues [with automatic migration]. We will be monitoring them with our engineers, and if there is something we need to address, we will.
One thing to note that if there is any problem, we will cancel the migration, and your store will remain in Direct Delivery until we have had a chance to look at it.
Will rollback of a store be an option, it’s not enough to just cancel IF it goes wrong?
[34:47] BL: you mean rollback after we’ve completed a migration? Individual stores? Let’s say you screw up a store. Stopping for everyone else is helpful, but what about that store?
[35:29] BL: If, for example, we migrated a store, and there was some problem and we did not complete the migration, we would address that before we tried to migrate again. If there was an unexpected problem and the migration completed, we would work to resolve that as quickly as possible.
So you will be able and prepared to rollback to DD temporarily right away if the migration goes wrong for a merchant?
[37:08] Basically, if the migration goes wrong, we will not complete it. And if it completes and there is some rare issue that we have to deal with, we will fix it immediately.
Will Inventory maintenance effect VMM deliveries?
[33:37] BL: Yes it will. Inventory maintenance already affects Direct Delivery.
Will there be an option in future to include product photos in inventory for the listings?
[33:54] BL: That’s a great idea, but it’s not planned.
We continue to use DD if we don’t have the LL viewer?
[36:12] BL: Nope, everyone has to migrate, and we’ve been working closely with third-party developers to make sure they know what our schedule is … and its really good to get feedback from third-party viewer developers and give them as much information as we can about timelines
Will auto-migrate work the same on TPVS or will TPV users need to use the LL viewer to migrate?
[37:45] BL: Once the third-party viewers support the functionality [the Marketplace Listing panel, etc.] that the Linden Lab viewer supports, i would imagine that would be possible, but I imagine that should be possible, but it’s going to be a case-by-case basis. All i can speak to is that the Linden Lab viewer will allow you to do this.
Jessica Lyon (in text): Firestorm will have VMM released soon! (trademark), And it should work exactly the same in Firestorm as it does on the LL viewer. “Should work” is also trademarked! The goal is that it will work the same.
Do you anticipate any issues in regard to inventory loss…because at times inventory ‘maintenance’ occurs and some creators may have challenges during these times? Since the increase of folders…for the new management style will this double our inventory items and i.e. load times for the history / items etc..for each account/user?
[38:22] BL: We don’t. Obviously, we can’t predict everything, but in addition to Viewer-Managed Marketplace there has been work to help make sure that our inventory continues to be stable and not have any inventory loss issue going forward.
Will inventory loss affect listings?
[41:30] BL: If inventory is lost in your listing, there could be a problem there. Really the goal is not to have any inventory loss, and we continue to work on that and make sure this is not an issue for Merchants. It is very, very rare for something like this to happen, and we have not been seeing this very often at all.
How much time will we have to migrate once VMM goes live?
[39:08] BL: We will be giving you at least a month before we start the auto-migration.
How long do you plan to run in “beta” mode?
[39:20] BL: We’ve been addressing bug fixes, and we will be pushing the project viewer into the release channel. Once that is in the released version we’ll be able to leave beta.
I’ve noticed that certain places I go my inventory ceases to work due to ~ whatever reason. As in I cannot equip things from my inventory. Will these sorts odd glitches ever have a chance of affecting my VMM deliveries?
[40:07] BL: That, I cannot answer. Have you ever filed a JIRA on this? I just don’t have the knowledge to be able to answer that question. If you’ve filed a JIRA on that problem, can you point us to it, and if you haven’t, it would be great if you could file a JIRA with an example scenario, and I can ensure that the correct people are taking a look at it.
[There was some confusion over this. However, the majority of inventory of the kind mentioned in the conversation failure of items to attach, note cards to open, etc., tend to be related to simulator / inventory system communications, rather than actual issues with the inventory system itself. So, in theory, as VMM operations are between the effectively asset movements within the inventory system itself, triggered by the Marketplace, simulator-side issues people experience with inventory shouldn’t impact on VMM deliveries.]
Not directly related to VMM but it seems to me the greatest thing about this is that we’re having this meeting, LL opened a thread on the SL forum about it and showed an openness and willingness to communicate with their customers at a level I’ve never seen before. Is this how you’ll be doing upgrades from now on? If so, that is really great news!
[42:54} BL: Well thanks for the feedback; we’ve been doing our best over the past year to make sure that we’re really communicating with our customers, and getting their feedback and working closely with them on this. And obviously, we’ve done that before, though maybe not as publicly as we have in the recent year or year and a half.
[43:45] As you all know, we have a variety of ways to provide feedback, and as we are able to address items, we’re gathering your feedback. I know we did the survey a while ago on search, and it took us a long time to get to that; we will be putting out something for you to try in the not-too-distant future. And that will help get your feedback and make sure that we took it and did what you were asking for, and we will continue to do our best to solicit feedback in a variety of ways to make changes. Not just on the Marketplace, but with Second Life in general.
We really appreciate the number of people who have attended, this is really fantastic, and we’ll do our best to keep you informed and let you know what’s going on. Stay tuned Monday for a Viewer-Managed Marketplace Linden bear, and we’ll also be launching a way for Merchants to volunteer to be the early adopters for the migration.
[End of meeting.]
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AdvertisementsIt’s been an undeniably rough year, but at least we had some brilliant advertising along the way to inspire, amuse and delight us.
Adweek’s picks for the 10 best ads of 2016 are an extremely varied collection, from comedy to drama and everything in between. And they represent many of the year’s cultural touch points. There is the year’s best Super Bowl ad, the best Christmas ad and the best Olympic ad. There are celebrity directors (Wes Anderson and Spike Jonze) and celebrity stars (including Taylor Swift and Michael Phelps, who bookend our selections).
There’s a Nike blockbuster, though it’s not from the U.S. There’s a shocking PSA, though while it’s about school shootings, it’s not about gun control. There are also several masterpieces of craft, from a stunning set piece cleverly designed to air around the presidential debates to the latest incredible brand partnership from OK Go.
Congratulations to all the agencies and brands here for making the year’s best work.The rumors were true: Google (s GOOG) is taking its Chromecast streaming stick beyond U.S. borders. Chromecast will officially be available for sale in Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the U.K. starting Wednesday. Local prices will vary, but the suggested retail price for the device is £30 in the U.K., €35 in continental Europe and CAN $39 in Canada, compared to $35 in the U.S.
The international roll-out will be accompanied by partnerships with a number of bigger publishers. The BBC is bringing Chromecast capabilities to its iPlayer iOS and Android app, and France TV Pluzz as well as SFR TV will now cast from both mobile platforms as well. Germany’s Watchever is even enabling casting from iOS, Android and its website.
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Google’s VP of product management Mario Queiroz said in a blog post Tuesday that Germany’s Maxdome and France’s Canalplay will soon gain Chromecast support as well. He added:
“We recently opened up Chromecast to developers, and in a few short weeks more than 3,000 developers worldwide have signed up to bring their apps and websites to Chromecast.”
Chromecast will be available in these new markets via Google Play, Amazon, (S AMZN) Currys PC World, FNAC, Saturn, Media Markt and elsewhere, according to the post.
This international launch comes after Google executive Sundar Pichai revealed earlier this month that Google has sold “millions” of Chromecast streaming sticks in the U.S. since its launch in July.The exploitative labor system in the United Arab Emirates binds migrant workers to employers, who confiscate their passports as a matter of course, which makes it nearly impossible for the workers to escape abuse. Exorbitant recruitment fees and the prohibition of trade unions add to the toxic mix.
In 2010, the developers of Saadiyat Island promised special labor protections for the workers, but that has failed to stop all the abuses. The Times article last year found that workers had been beaten by police officers and arbitrarily deported when they went on strike to protest low pay. In February, Human Rights Watch documented serious shortcomings in the enforcement of the labor codes.
Mr. Raad and Mr. Sukumaran are both members of the Gulf Labor Coalition, which has been calling for a boycott of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. The refusal to admit these artists, along with others pursuing creative and intellectual work, suggests that the United Arab Emirates and its development partners are unwilling to tolerate criticism and open debate.
In January 2014, as I left the country after doing research for our latest report on the treatment of the workers, the immigration authorities told me I was permanently blacklisted and could never return. They refused to give a reason.
On May 1, the Guggenheim described its Abu Dhabi project as “an opportunity for a dynamic cultural exchange and to chart a more inclusive and expansive view of art history.” John Sexton, who plans to retire as president of N.Y.U. next year, said something similar in 2007, when he described N.Y.U. and Abu Dhabi as “a good fit” and said that they shared “a belief that the evolving global dynamic will bring about the emergence of a set of world centers of intellectual, cultural and educational strength.” The Louvre Abu Dhabi’s website says it will be a place of “discovery, exchange and education” and describes it as “a product of the 18th century Enlightenment in Europe.”A brave British soldier reportedly drowned an evil ISIS fighter in a puddle after the terror group surrounded a group of Special Boat Service troopers in Iraq.
After the fearless special forces fighters ran out of bullets, they decided to “go out fighting” and used their knives and bare hands to kill as many brainwashed extremists as possible.
In an extraordinary survival story, another Brit soldier killed three militant thugs using his rifle as a club, reports The Daily Star.
The heroic members of the Royal Navy’s Special Boat Service reportedly were convinced they were going to die after being outnumbered and encircled after being ambushed by around 50 ISIS fighters near Mosul.
After killing at least 20 of the terrorists, the elite group realized they had around 10 bullets left between them and were trapped in a small river bed, the report said.
SYRIAN MILITARY DECLARES TEMPORARY CEASE-FIRE
Faced with the prospect of being captured and tortured, the men opted for a “soldier’s death” and decided to fight like “crazed warriors” to kill as many of the extremists as possible.
Speaking with the Star, the source said: “They knew that if they were captured they would be tortured and decapitated.
QATAR CRISIS DEADLINE EXTENDED
“Rather than die on their knees, they went for a soldier’s death and charged the IS fighters who were moving along the river bed.
“They were screaming and swearing as they set about the terrorists.”
Click for more from The Sun.President Obama's standing with Latino advocacy groups improved dramatically last month after he directed the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) department to stop deporting undocumented immigrants who came to the US with their parents as minors. The move, largely a response to efforts by Florida senator Marco Rubio to introduce Republican-sponsored legislation to achieve the same end -- seemed to suggest that Obama was finally making good on his promise to promote immigration reform -- if only to try to rally disaffected Latino voters for November.
But now, word has leaked out that Homeland Security director Janet Napolitano and ICE director John Morton are pressuring the Justice Department to sue "sanctuary cities" like San Francisco and Chicago that still refuse to cooperate with the federal government in local immigration enforcement. Suing sanctuary cities - there are an estimated 30-35 nationwide, plus one state, Oregon - is certain to antagonize immigrant rights groups and will only push the administration's policy back in the direction of expanded enforcement and deportation, vitiating whatever gains Obama may have made with Latinos in recent weeks.
In fact, it's not at all clear that Latinos are flocking back to Obama. A USA Today/Gallup poll in June had the president with a 41-point lead over Romney, an advantage similar to the one he'd achieved over John McCain in 2008. But in the latest Quinnipiac poll, Obama's lead is down to 29 points. In fact, for the first time ever, a poll has Obama with less than 60% of the Latino vote, compared to 30% for Romney. And with 11% undecided, Romney may be able to narrow the gap still further. This seems to suggest that the administration's attempts to use immigration as a wedge issue against Romney may not be working as well as the administration had hoped, and that Romney's escalating Spanish-language ad campaign - focused largely on the economy - may be starting to bear fruit.
But news of another Obama immigration crackdown surely won't help. One of the first localities to be targeted by ICE's proposed lawsuit, Chicago, is a traditional immigrant gateway city with one of the largest and most combative immigrant rights movements in the nation. It also happens to be President Obama's long-time political base, and home to some of his top advisers. But according to the Washington Times, which first broke the story, Napolitano and Morton are reportedly "furious" that they have yet to secure Chicago's cooperation in the administration's flagship "Secure Communities" program, which runs the fingerprints of criminal suspects booked in local jails through an ICE database to verify their legal status. The threat of a lawsuit appears to reflect ICE's intent to force Chicago to comply, even it means provoking a messy confrontation that could well backfire politically.
And news of the growing pressure on the Justice Department over immigration enforcement couldn't come at a worse time for Attorney General Eric Holder, who is already engaged in a nasty confrontation with the House GOP over his role in the administration's covert gun-running program known as "Fast and Furious," which backfired, leaving two US border control agents dead. Two years ago, conservatives sharply criticized Holder for suggesting that the administration was under no obligation to force "sanctuary cities" to comply with US federal law even as the Department moved to sue states like Arizona for defying federal authorities. Now, even top members of the Obama administration are pressuring Holder to take action, if only to ensure that conservatives can't keep using the sanctuary issue to suggest that Obama has failed to "secure" the US-Mexico border.Financial Times Capital Markets Editor Dan McCrum has written another piece about how bitcoin is a pyramid scheme and will eventually fall to zero. You’d think people would learn their lesson after the 118th time bitcoin was falsely declared dead, but it appears that the critics are going to keep saying bitcoin is destined to crash to zero no matter how many more years it proves its usefulness in the global economy.
In his most recent piece, McCrum appears to accidentally make the case for buying bitcoin. The reasons for doing so may be that McCrum has not done much research on the topic. How else could you mistakenly refer to Blockchain, which is the most popular and well-known bitcoin wallet provider, as “Bitcoin Info.”
Let’s take a look at McCrum’s most recent article to see what he got right and wrong.
Bitcoin is Still a Drop in the Bucket
The opening section of McCrum’s piece is quite accurate. When compared to the vast majority of government-backed currencies around the world, bitcoin is nothing more than a drop in the bucket—both in terms of market cap and liquidity.
Having said that, the mere fact that an experiment in digital cash can compete with the currencies of sovereign nations by any metric is remarkable.
Bitcoin as a Medium of Exchange
Where McCrum begins to go off the rails is when he talks about bitcoin as a medium of exchange. He writes:
“Except treating bitcoin as an investment means it can’t be a currency, and vice versa. The problem is that a medium of exchange prone to collapsing or quadrupling in price is useless as a practical currency, whatever the cryptographic elegance of its creation.”
The first thing to get out of the way is that bitcoin volatility has been declining since it was first possible to trade it on an exchange. It makes sense for the world’s first ever digital bearer ecash to be volatile in the early years after its release into the wild.
Secondly, people are already using bitcoin as a medium of exchange. Ransomware became a $1 billion industry in 2016. The darknet markets are possibly an even bigger industry as over $300 million is estimated to be traded via publicly viewable listings. McCrum and others may not like that these types of use cases for bitcoin as a medium of exchange exist, but that doesn’t make them any less real.
Ironically, McCrum has written about the need to use bitcoin for darknet market payments and access to Ponzi schemes, such as MMM Global, in the past.
In reality, one of the biggest issues with bitcoin right now is that too many people are using it as a medium of exchange. Demand for on-blockchain bitcoin transactions is so high that the network is approaching its effective capacity limit for transactions. Whenever that capacity limit is reached, users begin to outbid one another for precious space in the next block of transactions.
With 85 percent growth in volume at LocalBitcoins last year, it appears bitcoin’s role in helping those who need an alternative to the traditional financial system is only growing.
The Old, Tired Pyramid Scheme Argument
Near the end of his piece, McCrum travels back to 2011 to find his final argument, which is that bitcoin is a pyramid scheme that will crash to zero. He writes:
“As a phenomenon bitcoin has all the attributes of a pyramid scheme, requiring a constant influx of converts to push up the price, based on the promise of its use by future converts. So the ultimate value for bitcoin will be the same as all pyramid schemes: zero.”
The accusation that bitcoin is a pyramid scheme or Ponzi scheme is one that has popped up plenty of times over the years. It’s actually not that wild of a claim, but the issue is when it is not applied equally to all assets. For example, if bitcoin is a pyramid scheme, then gold must also be considered a pyramid scheme because its price acts in a similar manner.
The prices of both bitcoin and gold are much higher than their underlying utility outside of the store of value use case, but that doesn’t make either a pyramid scheme by default. If bitcoin and gold are pyramid schemes, then the US dollar must also be a pyramid scheme because it was bootstrapped by gold.
One of the key differences between an outright pyramid scheme and bitcoin, gold, or the US dollar is the underlying utility offered by the asset. Much like US citizens need US dollars to pay their taxes, drug users need bitcoin to do their shopping on the darknet markets.
Now that we’ve established bitcoin has utility as a censorship-resistant medium of exchange and store of value, perhaps it will be easy to see why some view bitcoin’s relatively low liquidity and market cap as an opportunity rather than a sign it isn’t anything worth watching.The two men also met briefly at the start of the Pope's visit Israel's right-wing new Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, says he has asked Pope Benedict to condemn Iranian threats to destroy his country. He said he had asked the Pope in Nazareth to speak out against Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has called for Israel's destruction. Mr Netanyahu gave details of their conversation to Israeli TV. He was also quoted by press as saying Israel did not want a Palestinian state which might jeopardise its security. Pope Benedict has repeatedly called for a separate Palestinian state during his tour of the Holy Land, most vocally when he met Palestinian refugees on Wednesday in Bethlehem. Mr Netanyahu has not committed himself to the principle of two states, which past Israeli leaders have accepted. The Vatican spokesman, the Rev Federico Lombardi, said only that Thursday's talks had "centred on how the peace process can be advanced". The Pope said the last and largest open-air Mass of his visit in Nazareth, recorded in the Bible as the childhood home of Jesus Christ. He later said a more intimate Mass at the Church of the Annunciation. 'Make your voice loud' "I asked him, as a moral figure, to make his voice heard loud and continuously against the declarations coming from Iran of their intention to destroy Israel," Mr Netanyahu said on TV. POPE IN THE MIDDLE EAST Monday Arrives in Israel, meets President Shimon Peres Tuesday Visits the Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall. Celebrates Holy Mass in Josaphat Valley Wednesday Visits Bethlehem, visits refugees, meets Mahmoud Abbas Thursday Mass in Nazareth, talks with Benjamin Netanyahu, meets Franciscans Friday Meets Orthodox Christian leaders, departs
Pope brings Nazareth to a standstill In pictures: Pope in Nazareth Guide: Jerusalem's holy sites "I told him it cannot be that at the beginning of the 21st Century there is a state which says it is going to destroy the Jewish state, there is no aggressive voice being heard condemning this." Israel's prime minister said he was pleased with the Pope's response: "He said that he condemns all instances of anti-Semitism and hate against the state of Israel - against humanity as a whole, but in this case against Israel." Mr Netanyahu reportedly added that Israel wanted peace with the Palestinians but "only the kind of peace that brings security". "We don't want to dominate another people, but we also don't want a terror state backed by Iran to rise alongside us and jeopardize Israel's safety," he was quoted as saying by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. Mr Netanyahu's election this year was ill-received in the Arab world because of his hard-line views, including his opposition to returning land captured in wars. Mr Netanyahu is due in Washington on 18 May for what are being seen as crucial talks with President Barack Obama. 'Legitimate aspirations' In Bethlehem on Wednesday, the Pope delivered what correspondents say was one of his strongest expressions of support for the Palestinians, offering his backing for Palestinians' right to a "homeland". Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. He told Palestinian refugees his heart went out to families divided by detention and restrictions on freedom of movement, a reference to Israeli military control of the West Bank. "It is understandable that you often feel frustrated," the pontiff said. "Your legitimate aspirations for permanent homes, for an independent Palestinian state, remain unfulfilled." In his homily at the open-air Mass, the Pope preached against prejudice and hatred "which kills men's souls before it kills their bodies". At least 40,000 Christians, among them many Arabs, attended the service in the northern Israeli town. Neither the oppressive morning heat nor heavy-handed security measures could stifle the enthusiasm of the faithful, the BBC's Katya Adler reports. The Pope focussed on conservative family values, saying: "[Through] the example of Mary, Joseph and Jesus we come to appreciate even more fully the sacredness of the family which in God's plan is based on the lifelong fidelity of a man and a woman." The traditional tone came in stark contrast to some of the Pope's speeches this week where he openly mixed prayer with politics, our correspondent says. His attempts to smooth his strained relations with the Muslim and the Jewish communities may not have been entirely successfully but it leaves behind an impression of a player on the world stage, she adds.
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Two people have been rescued by helicopter after heavy thunderstorms led to "major flooding" in a coastal village in Cornwall.
Witnesses described seeing a "tsunami in reverse" as a flash flood hit Coverack, severely damaging roads and affecting around 50 homes.
Residents said the storm washed sheds out of gardens and sent hailstones the size of 50 pence pieces smashing into windows.
Elderly couple winched to safety
Elsewhere, a yellow weather warning is in place through the day for large swathes of England and Wales, with the Met Office predicting a month's worth of rain could fall in some places in a matter of hours.
:: Drivers warned of weekend travel 'chaos'
Zoe Holmes, who manages the Bay Hotel in Coverack, told Sky News the storm was "very extraordinary".
She said: "We started off with ginormous hailstones and then the heavens opened and, just, floods of water everywhere.
Lightning map shows how UK was lit up
"It was almost like a tsunami in reverse. Just torrents of water coming down the hill and pouring over the sea wall."
Ms Holmes added: "We have a house in the village and that was up to above knee height. You can see other houses that are just devastated with water pouring out of the windows.
"It really felt like something out of a film."
Just outside the village, the flash flood sent boulders crashing into a bus as it travelled down a steep hill.
Hotel manager: 'Almost like a tsunami in reverse'
Driver Thomas Duffield and a young passenger had to be rescued from the vehicle after their route was blocked off by abandoned cars.
Mr Duffield said: "I felt a little bit uneasy about taking my foot off the (brake) pedal, because it was like we were in the water rapids.
"The boulders from people's gardens were pummelling the bus. They were about the size of a wheel and kept whacking the vehicle, making loud bangs, which was obviously quite worrying.
"I thought that one large impact, at the wrong moment, could send the bus even further down the hill."
Image: The storm caused substantial structural damage to roads in the village
A local business owner, who did not want to be named, said the conditions were "quite horrendous".
"It was torrential," she added. "Our neighbours across the road from us, their shed disappeared down the river.
"Our neighbours, just up the road from us, their oil tank disappeared down the river.
"I have never seen such big hails. The sun was shining and the wind was blowing and it was hailing, all at the same time."
The latest Sky News UK weather forecast
Meanwhile, fireman Dale Reardon described the storm as "unbelievable".
He said: "It has affected a lot of people's homes and it could have been a lot worse.
"I don't know how long it will take for them to get their homes back to how they were."
Cornwall Council said a multi-agency emergency centre had been opened at County Hall, Truro.
Image: Floodwater pours through the village of Coverack in Cornwall. Pic: Mark Newman
It said a number of properties and one of the roads into Coverack had suffered structural damage.
Structural engineers are due to inspect them.Overall, Menat is very kind but she can really stick it to some people with the things that she says
Menat is certainly living up to the hype that came about soon after her official announcement. This, despite the fact that she was leaked early.
Her playstyle is very interesting. Perhaps even beyond that, her personality is very likable -- especially to those who are still seeking out their future "waifu."
She has a unique victory animation if a perfect is scored on the opponent in between rounds. It is adorable.
As a fortune teller, one that is training under Rose, you can certainly expect her to have some interesting things to say about others. It isn't too surprising that she predicts the future for others.
This is certainly reflected in many of her victory quotes. Some are particularly hilarious like how she predicts that Birdie will in fact get f |
them in prison a few months later they had not lost their capacity for fantasy. They were sure that Triana would be released on appeal, and even asked the journalist to wait to take photographs until then. “I am an engineer,” Triana scoffed. “What kind of a genius plans a murder in the middle of León at five in the afternoon?” Yet that appeal failed and, like Gago (who was deemed an accomplice and handed a 12-year sentence), they now await a final supreme court decision. Montserrat, who is also appealing, remains unrepentant. “I just want to get out so I can tell everyone the truth about Carrasco,” she told Martín.
Spain’s first Twitter hate-crime arrest was that of a 19-year-old student in Valencia who greeted Carrasco’s death with the tweet: “That’s the way! Kill them all.” The applause that greeted the murder in certain quarters owed much to the mindset of Spaniards who were fed up with politicians lining their pockets while they themselves scrabbled for jobs, had homes repossessed or coped with dramatic falls in income, according to Ángela Domínguez. Carrasco’s tyrannical reputation – and the corruption rumours – had helped make her a target. “Part of society saw it as an almost necessary ritual,” she said. “There is a shared responsibility.”
Although people in León complained privately about Carrasco, few had dared to confront her. Perhaps they feared that, without a pistol in their hand, they were always bound to lose. Rosa Seijas, who sued over the fixed exam system, sees a cowed society that has accepted cronyism as inevitable. “Everyone complains, but nobody does anything,” she said. “They just say that this is the way things work. In fact, all they want is to find a way to get their own offspring a civil service job.” Carrasco’s architect friend, Jesús Ramos, says that the poisoned atmosphere in León reflected what he calls Spain’s “familist” society – where a weak welfare state provides no real safety net. “Here, your family looks after you,” he said. That makes cronyism inevitable, even virtuous. In this case, it primed a mother to kill.
The woman who pulled the trigger, however, acted out of revenge for her daughter, hurt pride and frustrated grandeur – not from moral or political indignation. After all, her daughter’s desire to land a job for life, funded by taxpayers, through rigged exams was a further example of corruption. An assassin who drives a Mercedes and wears Hugo Boss does not represent the jobless rage of Spain’s new poor. If anything, she represents a society where the corrupt distribution of public wealth is so widespread that some feel they have a right to demand their share – and, in this case, if they do not get it, a right to kill for it.
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• Producing in-depth, thoughtful, well-reported journalism like the Long Read is difficult and expensive – but supporting us isn’t. If you value the Guardian’s independent journalism, please help to fund it by becoming a Supporter.DEAR AMY: Every fall, my sister, cousins and a cousin’s sister-in-law have a weekend shopping excursion in our home city.
We stay in a hotel, treat ourselves, shop for our children and go out for lunches and dinners. It is a great time to reconnect.
We do not invite my sister “Wendy.” She is offended to the point of tears when she finds we have not invited her. My two sisters and I are close in age, but Wendy hasn’t been as close to this set of cousins as my other sister and I have been through the years.
We are all married stay-at-home moms. Wendy is a divorced, working mom with one young child.
We do not include her for several reasons. We know she doesn’t have much money for such an outing. She also does not have many of the same interests as we do. Her life is different from ours. We’re not interested in what she has to talk about. She complains too much about her aches and pains, and claims to have some kind of neurological disease that some of us feel is more psychosomatic than real.
She also complains about her ex-husband who left her for another woman, but everyone knows it takes “two to tango” and she is not without fault.
We’re all very active churchgoers, while she only sporadically attends services.
Plain and simple, she does not really fit in with us anymore.
She takes it personally, and last year she even came over to my home unannounced crying about it, which upset my children and caused my husband to threaten to call the police if she did not leave.
Now she barely speaks to me and has told our relatives that I am a horrible person (even though I’ve helped her).
How can we get her to understand that she should perhaps find another set of friends whose lives and interests align more closely with hers?
Sad Sister
DEAR SAD: First, let’s establish that I agree with your sister: You are a horrible person.
Obviously, you can do whatever you want and associate with — or exclude — whomever you want, but you don’t get to do this and also blame the person you are excluding for not “fitting in.”
The only way your sister would ever fit in would be for you to make room for her. You are unwilling to do that, and that is your choice. But her being upset is completely justified, and you’ll just have to live with that.
Perhaps this is something you could ponder from your church pew; despite your regular attendance, you don’t seem to have learned much.
DEAR AMY: How about that letter from “Devastated”? This was someone who was prepared to turn her life upside down after knowing a guy for a month.
I think you called it right: He’s a liar. She’s a mark.
What could she possibly be thinking?
Shocked
DEAR SHOCKED: If people thought more, we’d all have less to amuse us.
Send questions to [email protected] or Ask Amy, Chicago Tribune, TT500, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611.Water polo was contested at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair on 5-6 September at the man-made Life Saving Exhibition Lake. There is only marginal justification for considering this an Olympic event.
Three teams competed in the 1904 water polo event: New York Athletic Club, Chicago Athletic Association, and Missouri Athletic Club. The New York AC defeated Missouri 5-0 and Chicago 6-0. A fourth team tried to enter representing Germany. However, the Germans were not allowed to compete because their athletes did not represent a single club. This discrimination should probably eliminate water polo as an Olympic event in 1904, but it is still recognized by the IOC.
A sad footnote did occur after the water polo event. The artificial lake created in the middle of the World's Fair for the life-saving exhibition was also used for some of the agricultural exhibits, and many of the cattle at the agricultural exhibits grazed in, and wandered into the lake. Although the swimming and water polo events were held at the other end of the lake from the cattle, before the middle of 1905, less than one year after the water polo events in the lake, four of the water poloists died from typhus.Sept. 11 is a date with bad memories for Americans.
But, according to a growing body of evidence assembled in a new book about biblical sabbatical years, it’s also the real date Jesus was born, in the year 3 B.C.
Joseph Dumond, author of “Remembering the Sabbatical Years of 2016, 2023, 2030, 2037, 2044,” makes the case for the birth date based on astronomical charts, clues provided in the Book of Revelation and the fact that the date on the Hebrew calendar translated into the Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkot – a holy day often associated with Jesus’ birth and return in the Second Coming.
“It was on this day Yeshua was born on Sept. 11, 3 B.C., and it will be on this day He will come again to begin the judgment of the rest of mankind,” Dumond writes.
So what exactly is the evidence?
Dumond first cites Revelation 12:1-5, a passage that seems to be about Jesus’ birth: “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.”
Was that story actually told in the stars on the day of the birth? That’s what Dumond suggests. The constellation Virgo (or virgin) is the only astrological sign associated with a woman, he says. For a period of only a few hours on Sept. 11, 3 B.C., Virgo could be seen near Leo, representing “the lion of Judah,” with the sun clothing the woman and 12 visible stars surrounding Virgo’s “head.”
In his own words: “The key to the very day of Jesus’ birth is the words ‘and the moon under her feet.’ The word ‘under’ signifies that the woman’s feet were positioned just over the moon. Since the feet of Virgo represent the last 7 degrees of the constellation (in the time of Christ this would have been between about 180 degrees and 187 degrees along the elyptic), the moon has to be positioned somewhere under the 7 degree arc. But the moon also has to be in that exact location when the sun is mid-bodied to Virgo. In the year 3 B.C., these two factors came to precise agreement for less than two hours, as observed from Palestine, on Sept. 11th. The precise arrangement began about 6:15 p.m. (sunset), and lasted until 7:45 p.m. (moonset). This is the only day in the whole year that this could have taken place.”
Experience more of Joseph Farah’s no-nonsense truth-telling in his books, audio and video products, featured in the WND Superstore
The possible connection between the biblical fall feasts and the return of Jesus is hardly a new teaching or unique discovery. Many Bible scholars have made the link in the past – observing that Jesus fulfilled the spring feasts on His first coming and will likely fulfill the fall feasts on His second coming. It’s amazing to think about it, but the essentials of the Gospel story do appear to have been told in the sky through the stars, sun, moon and planets from the day of creation – not just for the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob but for the entire human race to see.
Others have made that point. But what’s new in Dumond’s approach is the Sept. 11 date on the Julian calendar, possibly because until 12 years ago the date had no significance to Americans and Christians around the world.
I’m not sure God cares much about the pagan calendar used so widely in the world today. I do know He established His own calendar and still keeps His divine appointments with us according to what we call the Hebrew calendar.
Yet, I can’t shake the idea that Sept. 11 has some transcendent significance because God chose that day to issue a severe warning – or “Harbinger,” as best-selling author Jonathan Cahn calls it – to a nation that was once consecrated to Him, just as ancient Israel was.
It also reaffirms my idea that a National Day of Prayer and Repentance on 9/11 is the auspicious response we should have to what we have considered an inauspicious date.
Sept. 11, 2013, is right around the corner. Let me urge you to ready yourself for that date with the following resources:Belle and Sebastian: I Didn't See It Coming (Cold Cave Remix)
Remixes can make for odd partners sometimes, and this is definitely one of those times. As previously reported, goth grinders Cold Cave have remixed "I Didn't See It Coming", the chipper opening track from Belle and Sebastian's recent album Write About Love, and the result is streaming above, via Stereogum. The track is pretty much exactly what you'd expect from a Cold Cave remix of Belle and Sebastian-- a dark and chilly but still catchy and optimistic synthpop track that lasts nearly seven minutes.The remix will appear on Belle and Sebastian's 12" single for "Come On Sister", which is out July 26 in the U.S. via Matador and July 18 via Rough Trade internationally. The single is vinyl-only, with no digital release planned, and Cold Cave's remix will appear alongside a Richard X remix of "I Didn't See It Coming", a Tony Doogan remix of "Come On Sister", and the unremixed Belle and Sebastian song "Blue Eyes of a Millionaire", which appeared as a bonus track on some versions of Write About Love.
In a press release, Cold Cave leader Wes Eisold talks a bit about his history with Belle and Sebastian. Here's what he has to say:
"In 1998 I lived on a street called the Eastern Promenade in Portland, Maine. A past-time of mine was walking the sea lined street listening to If You're Feeling Sinister and The Boy With the Arab Strap. Belle was new and exciting and it felt as if articulation, literation and genuine honesty had made a much needed return that hadn't existed since the Smiths. Elegant and seedy. I missed their first Boston show but it was instantly bootlegged. I bought a copy shortly after at Mystery Train from Peter Prescott. It's still the very small personal triumphs that make everything worth it, and I'm happy that years later I got to release records on the same label as Belle and Burma. I wanted the remix to take me back to Boston days of late 90s/early 2000's. Gibby's Start, the Pill or the Manray. It works for me then and now. Hope you enjoy."
Also, Eisold recently posted a mix that he made for a friend on the Cold Cave Tumblr. He describes it as "songs for the summer indoors against the exhaustion of traffic outside." The mix features tracks from Billy Bragg, Arthur Russell, the Go-Betweens, Love and Rockets, and others. Listen to it here.Democrats won’t fund a border wall and threaten a “government shutdown” if included in the budget under consideration. Without President Donald Trump removing for now the wall from consideration, a shutdown would be likely.
President Trump largely won on the popularity of the wall but promised to make Mexico pay for it with a better trade balance, so he cannot back down long term without the loss of credibility with core supporters. But a government shutdown is never as bad as portrayed and, in fact, may be a good thing.
The fear generated by media when Republicans threaten a “government shutdown” is many times worse than when Democrats do so; compare three years ago with today. The hysteria peddlers using this terminology, and the media that purposely play to it, must know these two words emit an extreme emotional response.
Moreover, the phrase essentially becomes a weapon to be used on other potential government “shutdowners.” It appears designed to frighten the least informed against the other political party, thus the terminology. This enables the media to have undue influence in spending and undermines the sole power of the House on this issue.
A budget always involves the House of Representatives, as it alone constitutionally must initiate all government spending. “All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives” (Article I, Sec. 7, Clause 1). This places the people in charge of taxation. The Senate cannot initiate a tax bill but can adjust any initiated by the House.
So what does a “government shutdown” look like? Do the president and vice president resign now that the government ends?
No, they stay on the job and receive full pay as before. Does Congress fly out of Washington D. C. the following day and cease to draw their pay, and the Supreme Court cease to deliberate on constitutional questions? Does the army come home and cease to protect us? No! No, NO! Do states, counties, and cities no longer function? No again, they have their own tax base and policemen, prisons, and teachers remain in place. Will we still get mail? Yes. The U.S. Postal Service functions as an independent business unit. Will we still get Social Security benefits, food stamps, unemployment compensation and veterans’ benefits? Yes!
Why then the hysteria? Because these two words, “government shutdown,” and the possibility of missed food stamps send the largely uninformed into a frenzy—they finally awake from their stupor. They largely know nothing of the wrangling of government to protect them from themselves and oppose any proposed government diet that might reduce their daily feed. They worshipfully listen to the party and political leaders that are least likely to disturb this base.
There will never be a government shut down because none of these things will ever happen, short of an overthrow of the government from within, the collapse of our financial structure (which is becoming ever more likely due to our obsession to live beyond our means), or a successful invasion from without. So cease the media frenzy and subsequent over-reaction.
How do we know this? Because we have had 18 “government shutdowns” since 1977 according to the Congressional Research Service, the Reagan Administration having 8 of them alone. Because in 1979 the government was shut down for 10 days while Congress argued over a proposed salary increase for the legislative branch. Because we had a five-day shutdown between November 14 and November 19, 1995, and a second one of 21 days, between December 16, and January 6, 1996, and none of the bad things mentioned above happened.
No! Not even one. In fact, the public as a whole didn’t even notice it.
Then what did happen? “The Federal government of the United States put non-essential government workers on furlough and suspended non-essential services…(Wikipedia).”
Essentially all went on as before except some paychecks were a few days late. Apparently the federal government does (when forced to do so) know what non-essential services are after all, and is capable of closing them if it has the will.
Our spending addiction has given our children and grandchildren a 20 trillion dollar debt. Of course it is painful to curb our appetite, but the longer we wait the more painful, drastic, and life threatening it becomes. Most of the programs cut in both shutdowns, were not areas of clear constitutional authority as defined in Article I, Section 8, so in time such cuts should become permanent or be subjected to the amending process for appropriate authority.
Usually diets have some benefits in and of themselves. In the case of the federal government shutdowns of 1995 and 1996, both parties benefited: Democrats, under President Bill Clinton, because thereafter he was credited with “the first four consecutive balanced budgets since the 1920’s” and Republicans because they retained control of both houses of Congress largely because of the popularity of their hard line on the budget (Wikipedia).
So at worst a “government shutdown” is really only a partial shutdown of non-essential services and a delay of payment for some few federal workers. So the federal government goes on a long overdue diet and gets back to the basics. Let’s abandon this terminology in the future so that we don’t frighten the less informed and they overreact?While federal regulators often have good intentions—such as improving worker safety or protecting the environment—agencies frequently do an inadequate job measuring the adverse impact their proposed regulations could have on the economy.
This is particularly troubling in light of a new study published by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, which finds that more rules can lower economic productivity in the regulated industry. Author Antony Davies quantifies the economic impact of federal regulations using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and regulatory information from the Mercatus Center’s RegData, a tool that uses text analysis to quantify the federal regulations targeting each industry in the United States. According to the data, less regulated industries outperform more heavily regulated industries in a variety of production efficiency measures. Therefore, policymakers should consider leaving markets to be regulated more by consumers through purchasing choices, particularly with market solutions and improved technology narrowing the information gaps between consumers and producers.
To read the complete study and learn more about its author, see “Regulation and Productivity.”
KEY POINTS
Less Regulated Industries Perform Better
The study analyzes the productivity of various industries between 1997 and 2010.
More lightly regulated industries outperformed more heavily regulated industries in 12 out of 14 years on output per person, and in 10 out of 14 years on output per hour.
From 1997 to 2010, the least regulated industries experienced 63 percent growth in output per person (see the chart below), 64 percent growth in output per hour, and a 4 percent decline in unit labor costs.
In contrast, during the same period, the most regulated industries experienced only 33 percent growth in output per person, 34 percent growth in output per hour, and a 20 percent increase in unit labor costs.
Regulations can have an immediate impact on economic performance. When controlling for differences in efficiencies, economic conditions, and investment costs, the data show that an increase in rules corresponds with a significant decline in efficiency the following year.
Agencies Should Let Consumers Regulate the Market
Some argue that government regulations can be beneficial when correcting for information asymmetries: the classic example is a used-car purchaser who lacks knowledge of the car’s maintenance history. But market players have recognized the value of providing consumers with more information.
Consumer Reports, CARFAX, Underwriters Laboratories, and eBay’s seller rating system are some of the methods available to consumers to help them make more informed choices.
Regulation by consumers is voluntary, and individuals can choose which firms to reward or punish based on whether those businesses meet their needs.
By contrast, government regulation encourages rent-seeking, as businesses and individuals pursue the adoption of rules that benefit them.
CONCLUSION
Empirical analysis suggests that more regulated industries are less productive. To the extent that government regulation decreases productivity, consumers end up paying higher prices and society expends more scarce resources than it would otherwise to meet consumer demand. Increased regulation also encourages rent-seeking by larger, more established firms lobbying agencies to establish rules that hinder future competition.
Read publicationTORONTO — Postmedia Chair Rod Phillips announced plans Thursday to seek the Progressive Conservative nomination in the new riding of Ajax.
Should he win the nomination, Phillips would be yet another high-profile, star candidate for party leader Patrick Brown, who’s already brought Caroline Mulroney on board to run in the riding of York-Simcoe.
In a statement Thursday, Phillips said that he looks forward to being part of the Ontario PC team and its “positive, inclusive and responsible vision” for the province under Brown’s leadership.
A key focus would be on improving the commute for Ajax residents, he said.
“Ajax has been left behind by Premier (Kathleen) Wynne and her government,” Phillips said. “High electricity costs are a burden on families and businesses and discourage new investments from being made here. Commuters are spending more and more time trying to get to and from their jobs and that means less time with family.”
Provincial parties at Queen’s Park are currently pulling together their teams for what promises to be a hard-fought and contentious election campaign following 14 years of Liberal rule.
Although it’s early days, polling shows Brown’s PC’s out in front of Kathleen Wynne’s Liberals.
Ridings such as Ajax will be critical to electoral success in next June’s provincial election because the party that has claimed the suburbs around Toronto in the past has gone on to form the government.
Phillips would bring a wealth of political, government and business experience to Brown’s PC team.
He served as the chief of staff to former Toronto mayor Mel Lastman and in the same role to former PC labour minister Elizabeth Witmer. He was president and CEO of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. and president and CEO of workplace health and productivity giant Shepell.fgi, now Morneau Shepell.
In addition, Phillips is currently chair of CivicAction Toronto, which brings together business and community leaders to address challenges facing the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), Global Head of Afiniti, an international artificial intelligence company, and chair of the Telus Toronto Community Board.
He also sits on the board of the Toronto International Film Festival.
Phillips is most recently best known as chair of Postmedia, the largest chain of newspapers and digital media products in the country, including the Toronto Sun and the National Post.Gettysburg, PA is a city full of museums and cultural centers. The main reason for this being the historical background associated with the town. Most of these museums revolve around the occurrences of the three-day civil war in 1863. Below are some of the museums and centers that attract tourist to this small town.
1. Eisenhower National Historic Site
The historical site was the home of the president of the United States, Eisenhower. The president used the farm for a weekend retreat as well as a meeting place for the president with other world dignitaries. Eisenhower opted for this home after he left the white house in 1961 in retirement.
The house is now used as a national historical site to showcase the president’s lifestyle in the countryside. The house is still intact with most of the furnishings used by the Eisenhower family as well as their personal items such as portraits. The museum is open to the public every day at 9.000am to 5.00pm except for public holidays.
2. The Adams County Historical Society
The historical, cultural center is in Gettysburg in the Adams County on the grounds of Lutheran Theological Seminary based in Gettysburg. The society’s primary function is to preserve the cultural heritage of the people who have lived in the Adams County over the years and tell the upcoming generations of the past events that have shaped the county.
3. David Willis House
David Willis was a lawyer in the town of Gettysburg. During the June 1863 battle, Abraham Lincoln visited the battlefield where he delivered the Lincoln address as a commemoration of the fallen soldiers during the battle. The David Willis House was made a historical site since that is where the president spent his night during his visit to the battlefield. The museum is firm today, with some of the most valued items of David Willis and his family safely secured.
4. The Gettysburg National Military Park
The park takes more than 6000 acres land with farms, garden, orchard and everything involved in the 1863 battle. The park also hosts the rescue centers that were used to nurse the wounded soldiers. The park has been decorated with monuments of some of the fallen soldiers and towers to allow tourists observe the landscape as it was more than a century ago.
5. Jennie Wade’s house
The house serves as a museum to commemorate the only civilian who lost her life during the battle. Jennie was a 20-year-old young girl who was kneading dough in preparation for some baking. It is during this time that the battle ensued between the Union Forces and the Confederates. A rifle bullet came through the kitchen door and claimed her life.
The museum is full of artifacts that commemorate that fateful day and the kitchen door that still have the bullet hole that took the life of little Jennie. The most outstanding display in this museum is the gunnery that broke through the roof and a floor board with the young girl’s blood still visible. The museum is on Baltimore Street and opens to the public on specific days.
6. Lincoln train museum
The museum provides a sequenced walk down the American history as well as paying tribute to the fallen leaders who have led the American States into a great nation. The train ride equips the visitors with valuable information on the many remarkable events that mark the American history.
7. The Shriver House Museum
The Shriver’s house museum gives the visitors an insight of how life was like before, during and after the 1863 civil war. An experienced guide will take you from one room to the other as he explains the civilian’s life during the war time as seen in the Shriver’s family. The house came into existence in 1860 but has gone through some innovation since then. However, the rooms still hold the 1860 appearance of furnishings and other qualities.
8. The soldier’s national museum
The museum previously known as the Soldier’s National Orphanage is a host of all the soldiers’ exhibits, weapons and a great place to gather every fact you may need about civil wars. The museum is artistically crafted to give visitors the ambiance of a civil war period. The museum has numerous soldier dioramas, civil war artifacts, and great toy soldiers. The Soldiers national museum is one of the best crafted historical sites in the United StatesThe Ultimate fighter has always been a mixed bag for me. It started out great in the beginning, but progressively took a nose dive over the last four or five years. When they announced this season's coaches were Chael Sonnen and Jon Jones, I decided to give it another go, and so far, I've not been disappointed. The first three episodes have been great, despite the fact that there's virtually no drama between the coaches. Admittedly, that was my main reason for giving this season a shot. The coaches have been amicable, and seem to bear a remarkable amount of respect for each other. I don't know if that vibe will last throughout the remaining shows, but I still anticipate each new episode. I had the chance to conduct an e-mail interview with Sonnen, to get his thoughts on the current season and a few other relevant topics. It is unedited in it's entirety.
1. Were you surprised at all that Dan Henderson said he'd be willing to fight you, and would it be unsettling/disconcerting to fight a friend and former training partner or just business as usual?
Perhaps "Hendo" is forgetting all the years of me destroying him in the practice-room. Or, perhaps, I am remembering events that never occurred to bolster my fragile ego, reverse-engineer the past, and provide you with the kind of clever, snide, answer that journalists like you have come to expect from me. It's one or the other. I'll get back to you.
2. Do you think the current ranking system the UFC has taken up should be tossed out and re-tooled or just tossed out entirely?
I reject the premise of your question. Don't present me with a simplistic "either/or" proposal; it represents a basic logical fallacy, it excludes all lines of "thought" other than the 2 you propose, it is amateurish and clumsy. With that said, any system requires time for data accumulation, and review, before its merits can be gauged. Give it time to mature. Like I'm trying to give YOU, sister.
3. During the filming of TUF, did Jones do anything at all that managed to get under your skin?
Yes. He did something to absolutely infuriate me. It rankles me to this very minute. I forget what it was.
4. Now that it's been made clear who the 'killer' on the show is that Dana was talking about, did you immediately start having more concerns for the guys that would have to face him?
Jerry Lee Lewis was "The Killer"; until O.J. Simpson came along and started decapitating his way to a share of the nickname. And neither of them was on the show.
5. What were you thinking when you saw that Cella knockout?
"I wonder how the Judges are gonna have this one...."
6. Uriah Hall gave you glowing praise as a coach and stated that he was so glad you picked him for your team. Would it ever interest you head up an elite fight camp full time, or is broadcasting the way you're inclined, for your post fight career?
I would prefer to head up a mediocre team of scruffy never-do-wells who come together and win the big tournament with the help of a "wise-crackin' "urban" type", a "spunky girl who nobody gave a chance", and a "skinny nerd w/glasses from the Upper East Side who has to save the team with heroics borne of an inner courage he never knew he possesed". Then we can sell the story to Disney and I can buy a houseboat and a few fishin' poles, and me, Jones, Hendo, Anderson, and everybody else I am gonna destroy in the next few years can all go fishing together and avoid questions like this and people like you.
7. If you were to select one positive trait about Jon Jones, which one comes to mind first?
He loves his family, and he treats his team with respect. But he's still gettin' a "Dirty Jersey" ass-whuppin' in April.
8. Do you have any unrealized goals outside of MMA that you'd like to accomplish?
No. When I am done w/MMA, my life ends, and I ascend to Valhalla. Idiot.
9. As popular as you are, one would imagine that you have some crazy fans. Do you have a 'crazy fan' story that sticks out in your mind?
Had one fan that acted really weird. Returned it, had air-conditioners installed. Problem solved.
10. Tell me something about yourself that nobody knows.
If you are who I think you are, I may have....."dated" your Mom.
You can follow Chael via his Twitter account, @SonnenChA new law is supposed to make it easier for women in California to get birth control, as it can now be dispensed directly by pharmacists without a doctor’s prescription.
But good luck finding a pharmacy taking advantage of the new rule.
All dozen local independent pharmacies contacted Monday by the Register have yet to put the law into practice, even though it went into effect April 1. Some said they intend to begin directly dispensing birth control, but haven’t started because each pharmacist must first be certified.
“I heard about it a long time ago, then kind of forgot about it,” said Brad Winther, a pharmacist at Med Center Pharmacy in Irvine.
The law – which gives pharmacists the option to directly dispense birth control but does not require it – passed in 2013. Politics and red tape prevented it from going into effect sooner. California now joins Oregon as the only states that allows pharmacists to directly provide birth control.
Some local pharmacies weren’t aware of the change; several said they were still considering it.
Participating pharmacies will make women’s lives easier, saving them time and eliminating a co-pay tied to first visiting a doctor’s office. The pills, however, won’t be available on store shelves. Women will have to see the pharmacist, fill out a questionnaire about their health and have their blood pressure taken.
Critics say the new law sends the wrong message to teenage girls by allowing them to more easily get contraceptives.
“They say it’s for women, but they mean anyone,” including teenage girls, California Right to Life spokeswoman Camille Giglio said.
“The ability to get contraceptives from yet another source is not a benefit to young people,” she added. “It is a barrier to communication between a mother and a child.”
The law is also seen as a major step toward expanding the role of pharmacists amid a nationwide shortage of doctors. Fueled by an aging population and a growing number of people newly covered by insurance under the Affordable Care Act, the shortage could reach 90,400 physicians by 2025, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.
The law applies to hormonal contraceptives – birth control pills, the skin patch and vaginal ring – and not to intrauterine devices.
But pharmacists have to be trained first. Those who graduated from pharmacy school prior to 2014 will need to take at least one hour of continuing education to be able to furnish contraceptives.
During the initial few weeks, pharmacists and pharmacies will be filling out paperwork, preparing inventory and figuring out billing, so women should call in advance, said Kathleen Hill-Besinque, associate professor of USC School of Pharmacy.
Women will probably find smaller, independent businesses participating sooner. Big retailers will likely be slower to adapt, because they will have to train each of their pharmacists, she said.
Hill-Besinque said she has been helping train pharmacists, 60 to 70 at a time several times a year, since the bill passed, and she just finished filming a two-hour webinar for the California Pharmacists Association that will be available on demand.
“We’re doing everything we can to get people up and moving,” she said. “Word is being spread pretty widely. I’m getting calls from former students, my colleagues, saying, ‘Hey, when can we get started?’”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Contact the writer: [email protected] and @jennakchandler on TwitterOTTAWA – If you had to describe Donald Trump in one word, what would it be?
"Consistent," was Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's answer, after taking a lengthy pause to consider his response.
This was one of the highlights from CTV Chief News Anchor and Senior Editor Lisa LaFlamme's sit-down interview with Canada’s leader, which aired Friday evening on CTV News.
The pair discussed the top 10 defining issues of 2017, based on thousands of questions from CTV viewers.
In no particular order, here are 10 key takeaways from their conversation.
1) Trudeau thinks Trump is a 'disruptive force'
When asked whether he thought U.S. President Donald Trump's exchange of rhetoric with North Korea's Kim Jong Un was dangerous, Trudeau said Trump "has demonstrated that he's a bit of a disruptive force."
"He does unpredictable things and sometimes they have positive impacts, sometimes they have negative impacts," he said.
The prime minister acknowledged they disagree on a number of issues -- but that’s what makes it important to have a strong, but frank, relationship.
His one word to describe Trump? "Consistent. He's the same person in private as he is in public," Trudeau said.
2) Revoking Aung San Suu Kyi’s honorary citizenship would be little more than'symbolic'
Since August, more than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims fled their homes amid violence in Myanmar to seek refuge in Bangladesh, resulting in a humanitarian crisis. The United Nations has called it a |
years.
Richard was born at the height of the conflict in 1452.
Some of the scientists have traveled to Richard’s birthplace in Northhamptonshire to find out if he was a fit and capable warrior at the Battle of Bosworth.
They want to know whether Richard maintained a healthy diet over the course of his life.
His bones should contain telltale chemicals that he absorbed from the food and water he consumed while living here.
ANGELA: The very earliest samples that we have from Richard III are from the dentine within his teeth and those formed when he was about 3 or 4 years old, that’s the earliest picture we have of him.
By analyzing the chemical isotopes in Richard’s teeth, legs and ribs, Angela Lamb and her colleagues can create a complete profile of Richard’s diet from birth to death.
First, she prepares tiny tooth samples for atomic analysis.
DIR: So what kind of condition were Richard’s teeth in?
ANGELA: there was some slight decay as you would expect from a person of that age but on the whole they were in pretty good condition.
Angela measures the chemical signature using a mass spectrometer.
ANGELA: The nitrogen isotopes show an increase in the amount of meat and protein they were eating, and also an increase in the amount of fish they were eating. And Richard’s values here, you can see, are at the top end of comparable medieval high status individuals. So he did have a very high status diet.
The data in the teeth suggests Richard ate a diet full of protein and essential minerals. He was a fit young boy.
But was he still fit at age 33 in his last battle? Angela is hunting for the answer in his bones.
Meanwhile, the team’s body-double is opening another unique window into Richard’s physiology.
Dominic Smee is being analyzed by physiotherapist Claire Small.
CLAIRE: Good. Okay, same again, you’re gonna stand on one leg, your going to take the arm out, you’re going to take it back as far as you can…
She is an expert on spinal pathologies and has worked with para-Olympians.
This physical test shows how a curved spine might limit a person.
CLAIRE: I’m really impressed by his range of motion, in fact he’s got a better range of motion than a lot of other guys his age.
Dominic—and Richard—may be nimble and flexible, but the treadmill test reveals the first indication of a physical problem.
And jump off.
Dom: Im starting to feel… breathing is getting a bit tight.
Okay
DOM: It’s, uh, my chest tightens up, so it’s more difficult to breathe out quickly to compensate for the amount of oxygen I need to keep running faster.
CLAIRE: His ribs won’t expand and contract because of the rotation of his ribs associated with the scoliosis. So that means he’s not going to have the lung capacity that would allow him to take in maximum doses of oxygen.
CLAIRE: The thing that is going to defeat him is fatigue and obviously if you’re thinking about someone in battle that’s the sort of thing that you can’t afford is to get tired because that then makes you vulnerable to attack by your enemy.
If Richard’s lung capacity was also limited, he might have struggled when fighting for long periods, especially on foot.
It’s an important consideration as Dominic moves on to the next stage of his training.
To determine whether Richard really could have excelled on the battlefield, Toby Capwell is introducing Dominic to the brutal art of medieval combat.
Toby is part of an academic group that has scoured rare medieval combat manuals and recreated this lost skill.
DOMINIC: It’s very short sharp bursts, but a high amount of energy that’s expended in that short amount of time, so it makes you wonder what it would have been like to have to keep going for the full time of a battle.
ARNE: This has no safety precautions. It’s a real fight, life and death; I mean these things are vicious. So you reckon you could face one of these?
DOMINIC: Not quite at the moment.
TOBY: The thing that Arne and Jorem have immediately shown is the systematic complexity of medieval fighting art. There’s nothing brutish or untutored about what they’re doing.
TOBY: It’s very technical, and a small more lightly built person just has to be faster and they’ve got to be better at those techniques. They train to take on bigger people.
Dominic’s instructor is medieval combat expert Dave Rawlings.
DAVE: So from here, like so, is exactly the same things so you see we’re training a very similar group of muscle.
Toby’s brought along real weapons from a rare collection for Dominic to get a feel of.
TOBY: Have a feel of that. Not especially heavy. Even a larger sword like this isn’t especially heavy. It’s one of the great myths and misconceptions about Medieval fighting that the swords are these big heavy clunky things, they aren’t. It’s counterproductive for them to be so.
Dom: Quite sharp as well
Toby: And that sharpness and that scary aspect of the sword is very important to be aware of as you’re starting to train because you’ll always have to be aware of the possibility that your opponent could make your arm fall off. It sort of focuses the mind somewhat.
As a member of the nobility, Richard would have been unable to avoid his duty as a soldier.
TOBY: They had a lot of responsibility as politicians and as MPs, and just as public figures, but the fighting is always still there. They always need to find some time in their day to train. And to work with their horses as well.
BOB: And that was important for the King as well, the monarch at that time, this is still a time when monarchs were on the battlefield. Richard dies leading his army on the battlefield.
BOB: So far there doesn’t seem to be anything that he can’t do, there might be some things he can’t reach as far on a certain side, but generally speaking he seems to be quite capable of doing everything that’s thrown at him, which I find really exciting.
DAVE: Now continue that circle, and cut up from underneath
BOB: It will be interesting to see how the difference of having the weight of the armor on and using a weapon, seeing what happens then.
But outfitting Dominic in armor raises new challenges.
TOBY: There’s no English armor surviving from the 15th century. All of the thousands of armors that were produced and worn during the Wars of the Roses, nothing that can be said to be the work of an English craftsmen survives.
So Dominic and the team travel to Sweden to work with world-renowned armorer Per Lillelund.
He’s going to make Dominic a fully-functional suit of medieval armor.
It must fit and flex like a glove.
But achieving this with a twisted torso is a journey into the unknown.
TOBY: we are now wrestling with the same issues that Richard’s armorer would have had to deal with in the 15 century.
PER: I’ll show you this one. That’s a depiction of Richard as well.
TOBY: Dominic had an interest in Richard III a long time before the bones were found. And you know, there’s the Shakespearean image of the hunchback and all of that. But for years there’s been lots of lots of argument that Richard didn’t have anything wrong with him physically.
PER: So what do you think of this evidence, that’s he’s got the same scoliosis?
DOMINIC: It was just amazing that it was so close to, I mean I remember when I saw it and I thought, I’m sure that’s like what mine looked like.
PER: Take your shirt off, yeh.
TOBY: A good armor is an extension of your body. A good armor is a human exo-skeleton.
PER: It’s going to be quite a long process before we finish. To get it all to work.
PER: You still have to shape the plate out like that.
TOBY: Yeah totally.
PER: You curve more here and you curve more her.
While Per tries to figure out how to build armor for a long dead king with a twisted spine, Dominic continues his combat training.
DAVE: I’m going to hit you in the head, Make sure you’re going to block it… good… Block it, go forwards, that’s it, good.
It’s clear that both Dominic and Richard would have to be in excellent physical shape to cope with the rigours of medieval warfare.
But back in the laboratory, the scientists are finding evidence that Richard’s fitness might have been compromised.
RICHARD BUCKLEY: The work that we’ve been doing on the analysis of the soil samples from Richard’s grave have produced a few surprises in terms of locating evidence of intestinal parasites.
The decomposed remains of Richard’s gut contain evidence that he contracted an unpleasant ailment from the food he ate.
PIERS: Some parasites humans have had right throughout our human evolution, and roundworm is one of those so it’s spread by the contamination of your hands with human faeces.
Richard… had worms.
PIERS: So you can see on the screen this is one of the parasite eggs from Richard III sacral soil, it’s a roundworm egg, oval in shape.
PIERS: And from point of view of health, if you had a good balanced diet, and I’m sure Richard would have had plenty of food. These parasitic worms probably wouldn’t have done him much harm. Unless he had a lot of them.
The parasitic worms could also have made breathing difficult.
But new data is raising more questions about Richard’s health.
The isotope analysis has moved from Richard’s teeth to his bones.
ANGELA: We do see a large difference in nitrogen isotopes and oxygen isotopes between those two bones. Which suggests that there may be some large and significant dietary change from the time he was actually King and the period before.
The evidence suggests Richard’s diet changed drastically in the last years of his life.
Angela and her colleagues are searching for the cause.
The solution points to a man laboring under the heavy burden of kingship.
So far, the team studying Richard the Third has reconstructed his spine, diagnosed a case of roundworms and noticed a strange shift in his diet just before his death.
Working with body-double Dominic Smee, they have also established that Richard’s breathing may have been restricted.
And now, Dominic worries his scoliosis also affects the strength of his blows.
DOM: When I’m doing the attacks, I’m feeling a lot of the weight in my arm there and in my shoulder because what I tend to do is stop here and not carry on all the way through, with my torso with my hips, because I haven’t got the kind of push pull muscles.
Will adding 70 pounds of armor make this problem even worse?
PER: This line here, over this one, so this one would be more or less the same.
And there is another concern: The majority of the armor’s weight should rest on the waist, but neither Dominic nor Richard have one.
PER: Dominic doesn’t have any space between his lower rib and his hip bone is like less than an inch. We cannot have any waist line of the armor going in here. It would be extremely painful for him in a very short time. So he actually have to carry most of the weight of the armor on his shoulders.
This would have further stressed Richard’s already weakened back.
ROMAN: This one almost perfect.
PER: But the right one is…
ROMAN: Because the shape is quite different.
To solve the problem, Per braces Dominic’s back against the armor.
The result is a chest and back plate that is as figure-hugging and flexible as possible, but clearly looks asymmetrical.
Could the rest of the armor mask this? No king would have wanted to look anything other than perfect on the battle field.
DOMINIC: I’m kinda imagining what Richard would have looked like in his armor. Cos his armor would have had to be very similar to this to accommodate that body shape.
The hope is that the armor will support his back in combat. It’s now time for the next phase of the experiment.
The scientists think Richard might have struggled fighting on foot, but, as history suggests, perhaps he made up for it by being an expert horseman.
Henry Tudor’s own official historian recorded a vivid description of Richard’s prowess: “He spurred his horse. In the first charge, Richard killed several men and made a path for himself through the press of steel.”
Controlling a medieval warhorse requires immense skill.
ARNE: It’s very hard actually trying to get the position right so many things going on, in your brain and the horse’s brain.
There’s only one way to find out how someone with a 75 degree spinal curve fares on horseback.
TOBY: So, welcome to our stables
TOBY: DOMINIC meet DOMINIC!
Dominic Sewell is one of the world’s top medieval riding instructors.
DOM SEWELL: Well I hope Toby has told you a little bit about what we do here and that um you’re going to have a very different experience of anyone who takes up riding as a sport or as a hobby.
Dominic has never ridden before so his first lessons are with a modern saddle.
TOBY: Just looking at Dominic now you can imagine Richard as a child receiving riding instruction in the Earl of Warwick’s household. He would have gone through a one to one training experience just like this.
But Dominic’s back is causing problems.
Dominic: Don’t over lean, stay in the middle of the saddle. That’s good.
DOMINIC: I’m slouching, rather than… I’ve got to focus on keeping my shoulders back I’ve got to concentrate to do it because I’m naturally want to do that so I’ve got to work on keep in the upright position.
Dominic: Sit up, sit up, good.
DOMINIC: … because my centre of gravity is on the side, because of the way the curve is, my weight is on that side, so the horse is going to naturally feel like I’m telling it to go to that side.
If Dominic struggles with a modern saddle, how will he cope with the hard wooden saddle that Richard used?
DOMINIC SEWELL: Now, this is the medieval saddle. This is what you are going to be riding in from now on. This is your arming platform, it’s your gun mount if you wish.
DOMINIC: It looks like it’s going to be interesting in between the legs because it’s like erm, it looks a bit like a log effectively I’m sitting on with a tiny bit of padding, I think I’ll notice the difference.
DOMINIC SEWELL: Okay, let’s walk into the arena,
DOMINIC: Come on Hawthorn.
DOMINIC SEWELL: Good man, remember to repeat the command,
DOMINIC: Walk on Hawthorn.
It’s a slow start, but then something happens that confounds all expectations.
DOMINIC SEWELL: Good stuff, keep going, keep going Dominic, this is good, this is really good. Okay and stop. Woah. I am flabbergasted by just how much that saddle helps you.
DOMINIC: I’m not bouncing.
DOMINIC SEWELL: You’re not bouncing, you have more control.
DOMINIC SEWELL: I’m very encouraged that the medieval saddle is actually helping you. Now whether it actually helped Knights in the past and whether it helped Richard but it may be a consideration that we haven’t thought about until now. Excellent Start!
GARY: Does your back feel more supported Dominic?
DOMINIC: Yes because it’s in one place.
Remarkably, the high rigid back of the wooden medieval saddle adds support to the part of the back where Dominic—and Richard—need it.
While Dominic tries to become a medieval knight in only three months, the team is busy designing his battle challenge. They work with Professor Glenn Foard who has strong evidence that relocates the site of the actual battle of Bosworth.
He and a team of metal detectors have found many objects in a field south of the previously accepted area.
GLENN: The group of objects that suggest the people are very high status have fought in hand to hand action, lies in the low ground, not in the corn field, not the light corn field but the green field, the bright green field beyond.
It’s an area bound on one side by a Roman road and segmented by a marsh. Richard’s cavalry charge would have been lengthy—more than a half mile around the marsh.
GLENN: at the moment that says to me the main clash between the two sets of nobility.
TOBY: I’ve always had a real problem with this idea that the cavalry charge was decided upon in an impulsive, sudden sort of way but if you look at the landscape here in the kind of space that you can see, it works very well,
GLENN: Now we’ve driven across the heath and we’re standing behind Henry’s position, when the attack comes in from Richard because we think where that small Spinney in the middle of this field, may be where these two forces clashed, where Richard almost got to the point of killing Henry. That is where the Battle of Bosworth was probably decided.
BOB: And the course of English and British history.
BOB: It is quite something thinking after all these years and with the finding of the skeleton of Richard III that we’re in the possible location of where he could’ve actually fallen.
Dominic is making excellent progress in becoming a medieval warrior especially when it comes to charging with a lance.
DOMINIC SEWELL: First thing, let’s get that horse moving. So focus his power. Support, leg on, and off we go.
This is only Dominic’s fifth riding lesson.
DOMINIC SEWELL: Well done Dom! It’s a good job you hit it, because if you hadn’t, you’d have hit it with your face and that would have been bad.
The experiment shows that rather than being a hindrance, medieval warfare equipment could actually help a person with scoliosis.
Now it’s time to see if Dominic’s custom-built armor might also help him.
TOBIAS: Okay guys, here’s your acolite ready for war, just about. I think he looks pretty darn good actually.
TOBIAS: We thought that Richard should have an armor that we know was really hi-tech for the time. This is a very new innovation for 1480-85. Do you feel any aches in your shoulders?
DOMINIC: No.
TOBY: Do you feel any ache in your lower back or your mid-back.
DOMINIC: No.
TOBIAS: Really? That’s good.
TOBIAS: Do you feel that the back plate is there and you could actually rest yourself against it if you wanted to?
DOM: Yeah it keeps me in a kind of a position, not while I’m rested but before I’m rested so it’s just the natural position and stops me slumping so that’s why I’m really interested to see what happens when I’m riding so see whether I can still do that.
DOMINIC SEWELL: How secure are you feeling at the moment?
DOM: Actually a lot more secure.
DOMINIC SEWELL: You feeling more secure than you were without the armor?
DOM: Yeah because you’re kind of kept more stationary.
DOMINIC SEWELL: Okay.
Dominic is nearly ready for his final challenge: a test to prove whether Richard really could have led a heavily-armored cavalry charge at the Battle of Bosworth.
DOMINIC SEWELL: It’s a big pressure, it is a big pressure and no-one is more aware than that than myself, yes I’m concerned. Desperately concerned if I’m quite honest.
While Dominic prepares for his big day, elsewhere the investigation is starting to reveal that Richard may not have been in the best shape of his life when he was killed.
The first clue lies in the historical record.
The menu from Richard’s Coronation Banquet has survived more than 500 years. And it hints at Richard’s opulent diet, as Leicester archaeologist Richard Thomas explains.
RICHARD: We’ve got a huge diversity of meats especially and it’s meat that marked out high status diet. More than anything else, more than cereals, more than vegetables. More than fruit. So just an example of the things he was eating. Sturgeon, quails, rabbits, egrets, venison, carp and bream, partridge, roe deer, peacock in his hakell and trappers. ///
Now it’s nothing to do with taste. By all accounts, peacock was hard to digest, it was chewy, it wasn’t good to eat at all. But these were a delicacy. They weren’t a delicacy because of their taste necessarily. But they were a delicacy just because they were so difficult to obtain.
Richard’s coronation banquet was the ultimate in medieval gastronomic excess.
But as king, did he eat this way every day?
The chemical isotopes in his bones provide the answer.
RICHARD: analysis of a rib bone for example can tell you about the last three years of a life of somebody because there is this constant regeneration of bone matter, whereas other limbs like a femur can tell you about the last fifteen years of a person’s life because the regeneration is much slower.
The isotopes in Richard’s femur bone show that for most of his adult life, he had an average diet for a high status individual in medieval society.
But the chemicals in his ribs indicate that during the last years of life, there was a dramatic change.
ANGELA: His diet when he was King was sort of way beyond that of an even equivalent high status individual in the late medieval period.
Richard was eating meals more than fit for a king.
ANGELA: The nitrogen and the oxygen isotopes both shift quite considerably
So from that we can decipher it had to be something that has a high in nitrogen isotope value but was more terrestrial in nature. So we’re talking about animals such as pigs possibly, wild fowl fresh water fish, and most of those were real delicacies in the late medieval period.
The isotope analysis shows Richard was eating an extremely lavish diet in the 3 years leading up to the Battle of Bosworth.
This over-indulgence might well have reduced his fitness and agility.
And Richard’s bones have one more secret to reveal.
Here is where Richard the Third stayed the night before he marched onto Bosworth Field.
The Blue Boar Inn has gone. In its place a new lodging house.
What he drank that night is not recorded. But Richard’s bones provide a clue to the scientists.
The oxygen isotopes in his ribs suggest a big change in the geographical origin of water that Richard consumed at the end of his life.
ANGELA: it suggests that he moved to Western France, Western Spain which we know from documentary evidence that that wasn’t the case, he was predominantly in the UK, he was based in London, when he was king.
Something else could explain this shift… and it’s not travel.
ANGELA: so an increase in wine consumption would explain why he may have had a higher oxygen isotope value at that time.
ANGELA: Our estimations are sort of 25% of his oxygen intake and the rest would be made up by water and beer … it was a considerable step up from what was his average drinking before.
ANGELA: At that period the wealthy were consuming a lot of wine, we know he was banqueting a lot more he was king, he was travelling to different locations, there was a lot of wine indicated at those banquets and tying all those together it looks like that had quite an impact on his diet in the last few years of his life.
Richard was consuming a bottle of wine per day … every day. On top of all the British ale he also drank.
RICHARD BUCKLEY: I doubt whether his fitness levels were perhaps quite as good as they were before he was crowned King.
This copious consumption might well have impaired Richard’s performance in battle.
While Richard may have been in poor health, the experiments with Dominic suggest that his curved spine would not have stopped him from being a capable fighter and a talented horseman.
And now, Dominic faces one final test.
He is heading to Bosworth, to reconstruct the events of August 22nd 1485.
The historical accounts suggest that Richard fought skillfully and killed a number of enemy soldiers that day.
And Dominic is keen to prove that Richard’s scoliosis was no impediment to his performance on the battlefield.
BOB: Do you think Richard would have been comfortable in his armor?
DOM: In a static position it does a really good job of supporting me. But my body moves an incredible amount depending on what I am doing with it more than a normal person.
DOM: When I do that movement with my arm, the shoulder blade is kinda going, into, into my ribs, whereas on the left hand side its performing in the normal way.
TOBY: It’s kind of an interesting thought though to think that the process of figuring out how to make armor to work for someone with this condition, these same questions and these same issues would have been present with Richard and his armorers.
So does Dominic’s spine significantly affect his ability to fight?
His first challenge is hand-to-hand combat wearing a full suit of armor.
BOB: since I first saw him, he’s much more nimble on his feet. Even though he’s actually wearing full plate armor,
TOBY: It shows that a little, a smaller person has to work very hard to stay on top of the fight.
This test proves definitively that Richard could have fought well on foot, despite his scoliosis.
But a stiff ribcage might have caused him to tire much more quickly than other soldiers.
Dominic’s second challenge is Richard’s famed cavalry charge.
The real battle site is now working farmland, but a nearby horse-training center provides a perfect model of Bosworth.
BOB: Ahead in a distance is where Richard’s enemy, Henry Tudor, is and that’s quite a distance to go in all this kit. But this is what they are all trained to do.
According to the historical sources, Richard and Henry faced each other across a marsh.
Richard had at least 200 fully armored knights with him when he spotted Henry Tudor and a small bodyguard moving away from the main force.
Richard decided to charge around the marsh. Henry was at least a half mile away--a huge distance to travel in full armor.
Dominic Smee must match this maneuver.
Will his back bear the strain?
DAVE: This is everything you want, you got your armor, you got your horse, and that’s your kingdom, so you’re gonna go and fight for your kingdom, you’re going to win it, you’re going to be the best you can.
BOB: How’s it feel in the armor, do you feel empowered wearing the armor or anything?
DOMINIC: You feel like a juggernaut.
History says Richard killed Henry’s standard bearer with his lance. Can Dominic hit his target?
BOB: Despite the horror of medieval warfare, there is still something quite magical about knights in full plate armor on horseback, the sheer sounds, the sheer power.
BOB: It’s almost the shock and awe of the middle ages.
Having crashed through Henry’s forces at high speed, Richard would have pulled out his war-hammer and turned back toward his enemy.
Henry’s historians credit Richard with unhorsing one of Henry’s bodyguards who was 6 foot 7.
After three months of training, Richard’s body-double Dominic has achieved his goal.
He’s shown conclusively that while their shared scoliosis may be a barrier in some people’s minds, it is in no way an impediment on the battlefield.
DOMINIC: It makes me feel a lot better about myself knowing that I can do something that ordinary healthy people struggle with and yet I’ve managed to do it despite having this condition
DAVE: When you actually see you coming over you cant tell your size, you cant tell how slender you are or how slight. You just look like this facade of a tank coming forwards
BOB: Does show that despite what history might have implied, Richard was there agile and fighting as well as anybody.
DOMINIC SEWELL: He struck that quintain really well. And I think for him to use that axe the way he did, the speed, its fantastic. Proud of the young man.
TOBY: I think we let him charge up the light, Yea his mojo went through the roof after that.
DOMINIC: Definitely, especially the bit at the end, hit it in the head, in the middle. That was really, I was desperate to do that because before I only just nicked it. Whereas I went straight for it and smashed it off the pole.
Richard the Third may have been a violent man, most medieval kings were. He seized the throne, rightly or wrongly.
At Bosworth, the arthritis in his back may have caused pain, his stomach may have been infested with worms, his fitness levels compromised by a tight chest and years of unhealthy living.
However, this experiment has shown that Richard could have led his cavalry at Bosworth Field.
After making this final heroic charge … he ultimately lost his crown and his life.
But, as Dominic Smee has proved … King Richard was certainly not disabled.
ENDGREENVILLE, NC - The man at the center of a lockdown at East Carolina University yesterday says he didn't even realize he was the man police were looking for. Jimmy Callaway, whose umbrella was mistaken for an assault rifle, talked exclusively with WITN's Chris Jones Thursday.
Callaway says he was scared like everyone else when he heard police were looking for an armed man on campus. He didn't realize until later it was a photo of him, and his umbrella that was seen on a Greenville street camera which caused police to lockdown his school.
The umbrella handle is shaped to look like a sword and he carries it over his shoulder. Callaway is a senior at ECU and was sitting in class during the lockdown. "I was in a German class and I was the one that told my class there was an armed man on 5th. I had no idea it was me."
Both campuses of the 27,500 student university and three nearby public schools were locked down because of the sighting.
Callaway says a friend showed him the surveillance photo and asked if it was him. Callaway says he was embarrassed when he realized it was. He says police called shortly after that and told him he didn't do anything wrong, but that they needed to talk to him. Police say Callaway will not face any charges for the three-hour ordeal.
The student feels police did the right thing by locking down the university. He says it's better they erred on the side of caution.
Previous Story
An ECU student says he has used a "samurai umbrella" for months without a problem, until yesterday. That's when several people called 911 about a man with an assault rifle walking toward the campus. It prompted a lockdown at the university and three public schools nearby.
ECU student Jimmy Callaway says he's the man seen in the surveillance video in downtown Greenville Thursday morning carrying an umbrella.
Several people saw Callaway carrying a backpack and a large black umbrella on his back, wearing a white hat downtown and mistakenly reported he had a rifle.
A picture of Callaway with his white hat, black umbrella, and black backpack today in a cafeteria is now posted on a newly created Facebook page for ECU Gunbrella Man.
Callaway told WITN News this morning that he purchased the umbrella back in March and yesterday was the first time there's been a problem.
Previous Story
GREENVILLE, NC -- Police say a suspected gunman who prompted a nearly three hour lockdown at East Carolina University turned out to be carrying an umbrella.
The lockdown was lifted around 12:50 p.m. after police determined that the man did not have a gun. Classes for the 27,500 students resumed at 3:00 p.m.
Three nearby public schools were also placed on lockdown, and Pitt County Schools say those schools also returned to normal operations.
It marked the fifth time in less than two weeks that a college campus in North Carolina had been placed on lockdown because of a gun threat. Other scares happened at Elizabeth City State, Wake Tech, Campbell and UNC-Wilmington.
The lockdown was issued after what was believed to be an armed man was spotted near the corner of 5th and Reade Street around 10:00 a.m. Greenville police Sgt. Carlton Williams tells WITN News that video from a security camera showed the man wearing a cowboy hat, with a backpack and what appeared to be an assault rifle in his right hand.
But hours later it was determined there was no threat. A reserve Pitt County deputy identified the man, police questioned him and it was learned the man only had an umbrella sticking out of his backpack.
Police say the man was not breaking any laws and faces no charges. Some 60 police officers were involved in the university lockdown.
Previous Story
ECU police are sweeping the campus, and the university says all residence halls have been locked down and are secure.
CLICK HERE to watch WITN’s live coverage.
In addition to ECU, three nearby Pitt County schools have also been placed on lockdown. Those are Wahl Coat Elementary, Elmhurst Elementary and C.M. Eppes Middle schools. The school system says those facilities are under a modified lockdown, meaning classes are continuing but no one is allow to come inside.
ECU has set up a call center for parents of students to get the latest information. That number is 252-737-5100.
The university has 27,500 students.
The alert was issued after an armed man was spotted near the corner of 5th and Reade Street around 10:00 a.m. Greenville police Sgt. Carlton Williams tells WITN News that video from a surveillance camera showed the man wearing a cowboy hat, with a backpack and what appeared to be an assault rifle in his right hand.
There was also a large-scale police action at 4th & Reade Street. Greenville police surrounded a Greenville transit bus, but nothing was found.
Greenville police say they got a report around 10:00 a.m. of an armed man on East Fifth Street and confirmed the man then crossed onto campus. Greenville police are coordinating the search with ECU police.
Alert sirens on campus were telling people to seek a safe place. Greenville police say there are no confirmed reports of anyone being held hostage.
WITN News has multiple crews on campus and will have updates on this developing story as they become available.This week, two reports in the US media claimed that Mr Wright, a computer scientist and serial entrepreneur, was a strong candidate to be the mysterious founder of bitcoin, the digital currency that has taken the finance industry by storm and surged in popularity in recent years.
Wired magazine said it had uncovered enough evidence to suggest that Mr Wright was "probably" the bitcoin founder, who has operated under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. Technology site Gizmodo followed up with a story that reached a similar conclusion.
However, subsequent reports overnight in the US technology press have cast doubt on this thesis.
According to records of the Australian corporate regulator ASIC, Mr Wright is still listed as a director of at least two companies registered at a residential address on Sydney's North Shore.
The Sydney property leased by Craig Steven Wright.
On Wednesday, officers from the Australian Tax Office and the Australian Federal Police raided a suburban property which is believed to be leased by Mr Wright.
However, Fairfax Media understands the raid related to an "individual taxation matter" involving Mr Wright, not any role in the creation of bitcoin.
Wired acknowledged that its report was based on "unverified leaked documents" that it admitted "could be faked in whole or in part" as part of an elaborate hoax.
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One of the documents was a liquidation report by Australian insolvency firm McGrath Nicol, about one of Mr Wright's companies, Hotwire Preemptive Intelligence.
McGrathNicol confirmed the veracity of this document to Fairfax Media.
Among other things, the liquidation report states:
Hotwire "was unable to meet its trading liabilities from around February 2014," after the Australian Taxation Office withheld a GST refund claim of about $3.1 million
The ATO told the company in January 2014 it "intended to withhold the refund "pending further verification of transactions and the treatment of Bitcoin."
Mr Wright is still listed as chief executive on the website of DeMorgan Ltd, which describes itself as a "a pre-IPO Australian listed company focused on alternative currency, next generation banking and reputational and educational products". The company lists a number of bitcoin related subsidiaries on its website.
Australia's bitcoin community is divided on whether Mr Wright is in fact the identity behind Satoshi Nakamoto.
It is not the first time media outlets have claimed to unmask the founder of bitcoin. Last year, Newsweek thought it had found the mysterious person behind the cryptocurrency.
But the man it named, Dorien Nakamoto, unconditionally denied Newsweek's claim, and subsequently sued the publication.A Range Rover's more your size! Jeremy Clarkson drives an unreleased £80k Jaguar F-Type... but finds it slightly snug
As Jeremy Clarkson tried to fold himself in half to get in to a new luxury car, he proved that not only small men drive big motors.
The 53-year old Top Gear presenter had a spot of bother as he forced himself in and out of the Jaguar F-Type as he stopped to pick up some groceries in West London.
TV's favourite road hog gingerly extended one long leg at a time as he bent himself out of the white car, which featured contrasting black wheels.
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TV hero: Jeremy Clarkson had to fold himself in half to get in and out of the £80,000 Jaguar F-type as he drove the vehicle around London
The convertible sells for up to £80,000, and judging by the admiring glances it received from nosy passers-by, it looks every inch as expensive as it is.
However, one pedestrian, in a denim jacket and scarf, was more interested in taking a picture of the West London street than the flashy motor.
Later, the outspoken Top Gear personality shared his own critique of the monotone automobile.
Too bright: Jeremy put on a pair of sunglasses, perhaps to shield his eyes from the overbearing white paint
Petrol head: Jeremy is regarded by some as a hero, and others as an abrasive road hog
'There are three things wrong with this car. Styling isn't one of them,' he tweeted to his 1.7 million fans.
He failed to reveal what the three faults were, perhaps as he was too busy eating the spoils of his dash to the shop hours earlier.
Jeremy cut a typically 'cool dad' figure in a badly fitting leather jacket and jeans which had frayed at the hem.
As he emerged from the driver's seat of the car, he put on a pair of sunglasses.
Rock star: Jeremy enjoys a somewhat god-like status, and was seen cutting a |
and whatever fines the FIA is going to throw at you, and go back to the drawing board and come up with something fresh… something that won’t be an embarrassment? Or do you say that you made a mistake and pull out all together.
The fact that any of those could seem like a viable option should give us all food for thought.
One could forgive McLaren for venting their frustrations, as has Red Bull. And in many ways I can see where Red Bull is coming from. But if it is all Renault’s fault, then why is Toro Rosso, which also runs Renault engines, a far more dependable and often competitive prospect this season than Red Bull? Why is the RB11 so skittish through medium to high speed corners, when in years past it was precisely in these areas that the car was so strong? That has nothing to do with the engine and everything to do with aero. To blame, as Christian Horner did when I spoke to him on NBCSN during FP2 in Austria, 80% of the team’s woes this year on their engine supplier seems therefore, a touch extreme.
But I do see the frustration. I do see the mess. And it is one which could and should have been avoided.
Introducing a new engine formula at the same time as insisting on an engine freeze was bold at best from the FIA, and has resulted in the situation we have at the moment. For while one manufacturer has excelled in these tough conditions, all the others are suffering in their wake. Save for the use of a limited number of tokens, their opportunities of catching up grow ever smaller. And so the disparity is unlikely to be resolved.
I just don’t think that arguing about it from the perspective of it all being desperately unfair because you’re not competitive is the smartest idea. If Red Bull’s protestations are to be treated with the merit they perhaps deserve, perhaps suggesting a solution, rather than coming across as a bad sport, might be a better alternative.
To me, the best and only option right now would be to scrap the development freeze. Tell every engine manufacturer that they’ve got until the end of the calendar year to throw as much money, testing, and development work into their power units as they want in order to achieve a set parameter of performance. Make these things sing. Then, on January 1st 2016, the window closes. Keep tokens into the following years to allow gradual development and keep the interest in the engine formula, but given the current disparity perhaps we need an amnesty of sorts, to allow everyone to start from a relatively level position.
Spend what you want. Do what you want. Make as many changes as you want. But the sole caveat is that you do it off your own back. You don’t pass the cost onto your customers.
If a championship-winning team is so unhappy that it threatens to quit the sport, and one of the great motor makers in the world struggles so much through a weekend that the combined grid penalties it is handed total the equivalent of two and a half full F1 grids… something needs to be done.
Renault and Honda have not forgotten how to make engines. Their struggles however do show how great the technical challenges of these regulations are. But by forcing them to wallow in failure, you embarrass these great corporations and force them and their customers to the edge of desperation. You move them one step closer to the door.
The sport is not broken. And shouting that it is, just because you’re not winning, doesn’t help. But there is a way to improve the product and save the blushes of those who power the show.
For the greater good, the FIA, Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault and Honda need to agree to thaw the regulations, and go to town on technology.
AdvertisementsIn the course of my duties as the Incoming National Security Advisor, I held numerous phone calls with foreign counterparts, ministers, and ambassadors. These calls were to facilitate a smooth transition and begin to build the necessary relationships between the President, his advisors and foreign leaders. Such calls are standard practice in any transition of this magnitude.
Unfortunately, because of the fast pace of events, I inadvertently briefed the Vice President Elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian Ambassador. I have sincerely apologized to the president and the Vice President, and they have accepted my apology.
Throughout my over thirty three years of honorable military service, and my tenure as the National Security Advisor, I have always performed my duties with the utmost of integrity and honesty to those I have served, to include the President of the United States.
I am tendering my resignation, honored to have served our nation and the American people in such a distinguished way.
I am also extremely honored to have served President Trump, who in just three weeks, has reprinted American foreign policy in fundamental ways to restore America’s leadership position in the world.
As I step away once again from serving my nation in this current capacity, I wish to thank President Trump for his personal loyalty, the friendship of those who I worked with throughout the hard fought campaign, the challenging period of transition, and during the early days of his presidency.
I know with the strong leadership of President Donald J. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence and the superb team they are assembling, this team will go down in history as one of the greatest presidencies in U.S> history, and I firmly believe the american people will be well served as they all work together to help Make America Great Again.
Michael T. Flynn, LTG (Ret)
Assistant to the President/ National Security AdvisorHigh cost of travel getting you down? Well, things are looking up… WAY up! Check in to any one of the world’s 10 tallest hotels and you’ll enjoy heavenly views not seen since Mary and Joseph were told there was no room at the inn.
Rose Tower, Dubai, UAE
(images via: Mideast Construction, HOLadd1 and 360 Travel Destinations)
How suite it is! The Rose Rayhaan by Rotana, commonly known as the Rose Tower, opened on December 23, 2009, and is the world’s tallest hotel. The 72-story building stands 333 meters (1,093 ft) high and overlooks several other sky-high hotels and commercial skyscrapers that make up Dubai’s spectacular skyline.
(image via: UpTake)
Construction on the Rose Tower began in 2004 and the hotel was deemed completed in 2007, however economic conditions resulting from the 2008-09 global financial crisis contributed to the long delay before opening. The Rose Tower offers guests a choice of 482 rooms, suites and penthouses but be advised: the hotel is officially alcohol-free.
Burj Al Arab, Dubai, UAE
(images via: Marshu, KerryDean and MyTripolog)
There are hotels and there are hotels… and then there is the Burj Al Arab. This uniquely beautiful hotel stands 321 meters (1,053 ft) in height and stands on an artificial island situated 280 meters (920 ft) out from Jumeirah Beach in Dubai, UAE. Access to the mainland is via a private curving bridge. This beautiful hotel was designed to evoke the appearance of a traditional Persian Gulf dhow.
(image via: Marshu)
The Burj Al Arab opened in 1999 after nearly five years of construction – three of which were used to build and stabilize the artificial island it stands upon. The hotel is 60 stories tall and has emerged as a symbol of Dubai’s extravagant construction boom. One of the Burj Al Arab’s more distinctive features are its circular helipads, made famous in 2004 when Tiger Woods was paid a $1 million fee to drive golf balls of the helipad. No telling if he got a hole in one… or more of the cars parked far, far below.
Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Dubai, UAE
(images via: Gizmodiva, Holiday Watchdog, Active Hotels and Dubai Architecture)
The Jumeirah Emirates Towers is, no surprise, located in Dubai and stands 309 meters (1,014 ft) in height. The hotel, which opened in the year 2000, offers guests luxurious accommodation in its 56 floors of rooms, restaurants and penthouse suites. The luxury is concentrated: only 40 suites are available.
(image via: Travel/Aol.com)
As the name indicates, two distinct buildings make up the Jumeirah Emirates Towers: one with 56 stories and the other (the Emirates Office Tower) with 54. The buildings are connected by a dedicated retail boulevard and a total of 12 elevators serve the needs of guests and staff.
Baiyoke Tower II, Bangkok, Thailand
(images via: Captain Kimo, Xtreme Engineering, Skyscrapers of the World and Captain Kimo)
The Baiyoke Tower II in Bangkok, Thailand, is a 304 meter (997 ft) tall hotel that offers 673 guest rooms and an unparalleled view over downtown Bangkok. The 85-story hotel opened in 1997 and, nearly 15 years later, remains both the tallest hotel in Southeast Asia and the highest building in Thailand.
(image via: Captain Kimo)
The Baiyoke Tower II’s long reign as Thailand’s tallest building is about to come to an end, however. In 2012, the Ocean One Tower in Pattaya is expected to open with an announced height of 367 meters (1,204 feet).
The Cullinan I, Hong Kong
(images via: SMH, Wong Shing Yip, SHK Properties and Propgo Luxury)
The 270 meter (886 ft) tall Cullinan I hotel soars 68 stories into the sky over Hong Kong. Opened in 2008, the hotel is part of a massive, twin-tower complex that dominates the skyline seen from Victoria Harbour.
(image via: WA Today)
The hotel is just one part of what is billed as “a world landmark” and “the ultimate residence.” Indeed, an article in Time magazine speculated the Cullinan “could well qualify as the world’s most expensive apartments.” One would assume the room rates are sky-high as well.
Grand Lisboa, Macao
(images via: Paulooi, Macau Traveltips, Pokerow and UrbanToronto)
Opened in 2008, the Grand Lisboa Casino and Hotel complex in the former Portuguese enclave of Macau stands 261 meters (856 feet) tall and displays an especially flamboyant design rendered even more so when lit up at night.
(image via: Pokerstars Macau)
The 47-story Grand Lisboa contains 430 hotel rooms and suites, and is a gambler’s paradise offering 268 mass gaming tables and 786 slot machines. It also contains the 3-star Robuchon a Galera restaurant whose wine list offers an astounding 7,400-plus labels. What a way to celebrate your winnings… or drown your losses.
Lanko-Grand Hyatt Hotel, Chongqing, China
(images via: Bruce Chan and Urbanity)
The Lanko-Grand Hyatt Hotel opened in 2004 and currently ranks as the second-highest building in western China. The 60-floor, 258-meter (846 ft) tall building is located in the city of Chongqing, China.
(image via: Bruce Chan)
Chongqing is one of China’s so-called “five national central cities” and over 30 million people live in the city and surrounding metropolitan area. The Lanko-Grand Hyatt Hotel is a mixed-use building displaying a rather conservative, post-modern architectural design and muted colors on its outer facade.
Oasis Skyway Garden Hotel, Shanghai, China
(images via: TravelPL, Samfu II and Skyscraper City)
The Oasis Skyway Garden Hotel in Shanghai, China, stands 226 meters (742 feet) tall. Completed in 2007, the strikingly attractive building contains 454 hotel rooms and 239 serviced apartments.
(image via: Skyscraper City)
The 52-story Oasis Skyway Garden Hotel both adds to and complements the futuristic skyline of Shanghai, already a symbol of China’s surge to the top rank of the world’s economic powerhouses. The hotel itself rises above the Golden Magnolia Plaza, a 4 story, 322,800-square foot podium that encloses one of Shanghai’s largest shopping malls.
Swissôtel The Stamford, Singapore
(images via: StreetDirectory and Jeremy Isaac Lee)
Swissôtel The Stamford is one of southeast Asia’s tallest hotels, reaching 226 meters (741 feet) into the sky above Singapore. Designed by renowned architect I.M. Pei, the hotel’s cylindrical spire has been a Singapore landmark since it opened back in 1986.
(image via: Kabils)
The 73-story Swissôtel The Stamford offers guests a total of 1,261 rooms and suites. The complex includes 16 restaurants and bars, the Raffles City Convention Centre and one of Asia’s largest health spas.
JR Central Hotel Tower, Nagoya, Japan
(images via: Megacities 2000, Expo 2005, Super Hotel and KPF)
The JR Central Towers complex in the Japanese city of Nagoya consists of a 59-story Hotel Tower and a 55-story office tower. The 226 meter (741 ft) tall Hotel Tower opened in the year 2000 and is a preferred stop for travelers arriving/departing through Nagoya Station, the world’s largest rain station by floor area.
(image via: KoalaBujin)
As of 2005, over 1.4 million people passed through Nagoya Station each day. The Hotel Tower benefits from the constant flow of travelers who can also shop in the complex’s network of underground concourses.
Ryugyong Hotel Tower, Pyongyang, North Korea
(images via: RyugyongHotel.com and Skyscraper City)
Included only for dishonorable mention is the infamous Ryugyong Hotel Tower in Pyongyang, North Korea. The pyramidal, 105-floor structure stands 1,083 ft (330 m) tall, just 10 feet (3 m) shorter than Dubai’s world-leading Rose Tower. Originally expected to open in 1989 boasting 5 revolving restaurants, the hotel was mothballed in 1992 after costing the government approximately $750 million.
(image via: Skyscraper City)
Ground was broken for the Ryugyong Hotel Tower in 1987 and it’s been “under construction” since then – longer than every website ever to have claimed the same. Things are looking up, however… an Egyptian construction company has been contracted to jump-start work on the hotel. It’s estimated that completing and certifying the so-called “Hotel of Doom” (see artist’s rendering above) would cost about $2 billion – or around 10% of North Korea’s annual GDP. You could buy a small nuclear missile program for that price. Oh, wait.SINGAPORE - At least 40 couples have been left in limbo following the sudden closure of a longstanding bridal salon.
Sophia Wedding Collection, which specialises in pre-wedding photoshoot packages and the rental of wedding attire, allegedly shut down without notice, customers and staff told The Straits Times.
Word of the salon’s closure spread on Saturday evening (Oct 10).
While its Facebook page and website remained operational, calls to the shop's listed number went unanswered.
Concerned customers who visited its office along Amoy Street during operating hours on Saturday claimed that the shop was dark and the interior empty.
"Everything in the office was gone - even the computers," said customer service coordinator Cheryl Poh, 25. "This is really a shock to all of us - most of us thought it was a reliable and reputable shop that has been in operation for a long time."
Sophia Wedding Collection was part of a wave of bridal salons that opened along a stretch of Tanjong Pagar Road between 1997 and 2000. It shifted to its Amoy Street premises in mid-August this year.
Ms Poh, who signed up for a $3,688 package late last year that included a local pre-wedding photoshoot, bridal wear rental and photography services for her wedding in December, paid $2,000 upfront. She forked out a further $800 when she attended a gown fitting at the shop last month.
She only found out about the closure on Facebook late on Saturday night, and started a chat group on WhatsApp for affected couples. The group has since swelled to more than 50 members, most of whom are women.
The Straits Times understands that at least five people have lodged police reports against the shop.
"At the moment, there are a lot of sad and angry couples, but what can we do? I was advised to file a claim at the Small Claims Tribunals, but I think it will be difficult to recover the money," said Ms Poh.
"What's worse is that our wedding plans are affected - some like me have not even gone for their photoshoots, others have done it but are unable to collect their photos, and there are even a few who are now scrambling at last-minute because their weddings are taking place next week."
A make-up artist working at the shop, who wanted only to be known as Candy, told The Straits Times that the shop's owners had left the country.
Wedding photographer Pierre Ooi, who has his own studio, said he started working freelance for the company three years ago and is still owed about $4,000 for an overseas wedding shoot that he did with five couples at South Korea's Jeju Island back in April.
"They've always been late with their payments - I usually get paid only a few months after completing a shoot for them. But recently, I heard they ran into some financial difficulties. And now this," said Mr Ooi, 39.
Meanwhile, several bridal salons who learnt of the closure have extended help to affected couples by offering discounted rates for their bridal wear rental services.This is the atheist billboard that just went up in Omaha:
The organizer of the Omaha Coalition of Reason doesn’t think it’s controversial and he’s right:
“We put it up as a beacon to let them know that they’re not alone,” explained William Newman. Newman is with Omaha’s chapter of United Coalition of Reason and the man behind the sign. “The billboard is designed so it’s not [denigrating] anyone’s religion. We’re not coming out and telling people that there is no God and we’re not trying to convert anyone to Atheism,” he said.
But leave it to the local news team at KMTV to find people who are offended by it:
Emlyn Forsuh added, “I was raised to believe in god and now someone says they don’t believe in god so I don’t like it.”,,, While people we spoke with say yes to free speech they’re against the billboards message. Meghan Hart is one of them. “Everyone own what ever they want to do I guess but it’s just going to stir up emotion,” she said.
Yes… because we all experience so much emotional distress when we find out not everybody agrees with our bad ideas.
This is really the best part about these news clips. Atheists put up inoffensive billboards and local media finds people who are somehow offended by the non-controversial statements. They look crazy. Atheists come out ahead.
(Thanks to Bob for the link!)Everything God does in our lives is for our benefit, including suffering. Though they never seem pleasant at the time, hard times produce wonderful benefits in our lives. Here are seven benefits of affliction:
Affliction drives us to God in prayer
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. James 5:13 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. PS 107:6
When the sun’s shining and everything’s going our way, we don’t feel our need for God. But desperate times lead to desperate prayer. When we’re helpless to change our situation, we cry out to our Savior, who delivers us from our distress.
Affliction humbles us
So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 2 CO 12:7
Afflictions remind us of how fragile we are. It keeps us lowly. Reminds us that everything we have is a gift. Pride leads to a fall, but God gives grace to the humble. Affliction positions us to receive grace.
Affliction makes us rely on Christ’s power
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 CO 12:9
When we realize how powerless we are, then Jesus can display his might in our lives. When we’ve exhausted all our own resources Jesus rides in at just the right moment, like the hero in a movie who comes to rescue someone as the train is bearing down on them.
Affliction brings us the comfort of God himself
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction…, 2 Co 1:3
As well meaning as others are, there are times when no human words can comfort. But God himself comforts us when we cry out to him in our pain. The God of ALL COMFORT, the one who knows exactly what our broken hearts need, comforts us in ALL our affliction. The One who fashioned our hearts, who knows our every drop of sadness, knows the exact medicine we need to comfort us.
Affliction gives us compassion for others
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 2 Co 1:3
When someone else has been through the same thing, their words can really comfort us. Though your pain is horrific now, someday God will use you to bring his comfort to someone else who suffers the fury of depression or the agony of a child who rebels like yours.
Affliction produces endurance and patience
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, RO 5:3
The only way to get patience and endurance is by being placed in situations that require it. But it will be worth it in the end, because it is by patiently enduring in faith that we’ll enter heaven.
Affliction reminds us that this world is not our home
For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. HEB 13:14
As many blessings as this world has, it’s not our home. Affliction weans us from this world, reminds us how transitory it is, and makes us long for heaven, for that day when we’ll see Jesus face to face and he will personally wipe away every tear from our eyes.
Bless the Lord oh my soul and forget none of his benefits. Especially those benefits he brings us through hard times.Long days. Delays. Struggling to get his message heard when the major networks all but ignore him.
But the real rigors of the campaign trail for Gary Johnson? Airports.
Or, as Johnson calls them, "Constitution-free zones."
The former New Mexico governor bristles when speaking of the Transportation Security Agency. And he scoffs at the full-court security press in America after Sept. 11, 2001.
It is not simply a question of whether the beefed-up security actually equals homeland security, Johnson told a small audience Thursday night at New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord. It is about the overarching, overreaching government bureaucracy squashing constitutional protections, he said.
"I believe," he said, "that less government is the best government."
Johnson spoke next to a banner: "America has a date with Liberty." That only begins to sum up his goal of carving up federal government, starting with transferring certain programs to the states to administer. He wants to abolish the federal Department of Education, for example, so that there are "50 laboratories of innovation" at the state level.
His message is stitched together with Libertarian thread, and it has appeal for Nicholl Marshall, an undecided Republican from Manchester who came out to hear him speak at the Concord stop.
"I like that he is out to protect civil liberties," Marshall said after the event.To Belt, Or Not To Belt: An Equipment Primer for Raw Lifters - By Mark Robb
This, and many other equipment questions, keep periodically coming up among lifters new to RTS. This article is meant to help those unfamiliar with RTS training techniques and / or with raw lifting with their understanding of some of the equipment used in both training and competition. This first article will deal primarily with the use of a belt, and to a lesser extent shoes.By definition, raw lifting uses minimal equipment, making it even more important that you understand how to get the most out of what little you are using. At the very least, your equipment should not hinder you! I will be addressing equipment allowed in USAPL/IPF Classic competition as that is what I am familiar with. I do not consider the use of knee wraps to be raw lifting, but rather, an overload technique. Use of knee wraps as such will be addressed later on in this article series.The most important pieces of equipment used in raw competition are a lifting belt and your shoes. All else is pretty much inconsequential to the generation of strength.Training equipment that I will discuss in a future article includes equipment used for overloading, such as bands, chains, knee wraps, and RAM or Slingshot for bench. There are also a variety of methods used for training different parts of a main lifts range of motion, such as board presses of varying thickness, towel press, standing on blocks, etc. These are pretty much self-explanatory and for purposes of this article will be ignored since any discussion would be more about the training effect rather than the specific use of this equipment.... moreOne of the main weapons in the arsenal of the No campaign is to induce fear in the public over their pensions. It’s a strategy based on the generally inadequate knowledge that most of us have over our pensions, so the “Better Together” coalition has been handing out flyers proclaiming that “the pensions of 1 million Scots are guaranteed by remaining in the UK” – the implication being that outside of the UK they wouldn’t be.
But since we can generally assume the contents of their leaflets to be somewhat economical with the truth, what would happen to our pensions after independence?
Pensions are difficult to understand. There are many options, many providers and mostly all that happens is we get one through our work, or through a financial advisor or bank. The average person on the street trusts these institutions to deal with this difficult subject and concerns themselves with no more than “how much goes in” versus “how much should come out”. It’s a situation that has allowed the UK public to be ripped off over the years without even knowing it, but we’ll get to that later.
The modern solution to the problem of being incapable to earn one’s keep due to the advancement of age was first hit upon in 1834, when the UK introduced a pension system covering all civil servants who had at least 45 years in post, giving them a pension of 1/60th of their final salary for each year’s service. The scheme was a great hit and soon the concept had branched out into the first occupational pension schemes for blue-collar workers, in the form of “friendly societies”.
The civil-service system was widely copied, but ran into problems as it was contribution-based. This meant that when aggressive European states wanted funds for weapons, there was a ready source ripe for tapping. The aftermath of World War 2 meant that the pension systems in Europe worked on a sort of national pay-as-you-go basis, with current pensioners being supported by those workers paying into the scheme at the same time, as a means to stop the build-up of large reserves of capital that would prove too tempting to governments.
The UK didn’t have that problem as in 1946, based on Beveridge’s work on welfare, the State pension was reintroduced as an element of the public social security package to which each person was entitled. As such there was no need to look at the relation between pensioner’s incomes and the pension they would receive.
The premise was that the benefit would be universal and financed by general taxation, ensuring that no pensioner would be caught without this state-provided safety net regardless of how their circumstances changed. But in the modern world there are other add-ons to that state system and many of us have private pension schemes either personally sourced or as part of our work.
In order to make this as easy to understand as possible let’s split those options into state pension and private pension, and cover each separately.
First of all, just what exactly is the state pension? Currently you have to work for only a year to be eligible for the state pension, and have paid in National Insurance for 30 years to get the full amount (If you only worked for 28 years you would be entitled to 28/30ths). This is the basic state pension of £107.45 per week and is set up to increase by either earnings growth, the Consumer Price Index (the different Retail Price Index was previously used) or 2.5%, whichever is highest.
On top of that basic state pension there’s also the less well-known State Second Pension (or S2P, previously known as SERPS, and which people can opt out of and have the money put into their own private pension schemes) based on the National Insurance contributions an individual has made, and for those unable to live on the standard amounts there’s the means-tested Pension Tax Credit. But this system is about to be ripped apart by Westminster’s latest pension reforms.
If Scotland votes No in 2014, Scots (and everyone else) can look forward to a new state pension system where there is only a basic state pension – at the increased rate of £144 per week – without any of the other add-ons. On face value this looks good – it represents an increase of over one third in the basic state pension, and means that women who take time out for childcare and those on lower incomes will benefit, given that they generally don’t build up better S2P entitlements.
For pretty much everyone else it’s a bad deal. Eligibility has been altered to 10 years of National Insurance payments and 35 years for the full amount (so if you work for 28 years you’d now only get 28/35ths – 80% – of the maximum, whereas previously you’d have got 93.3%). Employees and employers will also have to make an additional five years’ worth of NI payments due to the increased eligibility period – money which will of course accrue to the Treasury in a net £9bn windfall.
While it may be true that funding isn’t devolved, administration is, and the experience of Northern Ireland – where all welfare payments in Northern Ireland are administered through the Northern Irish Government and not the Department of Work and Pensions – proves the system could be run from Holyrood just as easily. In fact Scotland already has its own Scottish Public Pensions Agency which administers pensions for the devolved areas of government already under our control.
(A fact that’s often overlooked when discussing taking on the pensions for civil servants, the armed forces or Royal Mail employees in UK-wide schemes. The systems are already in place and can be adapted to accommodate the enlargement.)
So given that there is no large capital fund to split, and that the departments and expertise already exist to make the transition to managing all pensions, the only real question is therefore could Scotland afford to pay the pension liabilities.
Scotland raises 9.6% of UK revenues and receives back only 9.3% of UK expenditure in return, but spends 15% of GDP on “social protection” compared to 16% for the UK. We are already paying for our share of pensions – it takes 40% of Scottish tax receipts to fund the welfare state, compared to 42% for the UK as a whole. Despite UK government claims to the contrary, welfare (including pensions) is more affordable to Scotland than the UK.
Private pensions, meanwhile, are wholly contribution-based, on payments from the employer and the employee. The fund into which these payments are made is run under a contract held between you and your pension provider. Upon independence the terms and conditions of that contract will still be valid, whether they are in Scots law or English law. Your contract with your provider will continue uninterrupted and unaltered.
Unlike a state pension, private pensions are funded directly by the recipient, based on accruing pension pots. The value of your pension pot depends on the value of the pension company’s investments in the stock market – during your lifetime they may rise or fall, as the small print always says.
A share of stock is literally a share in the ownership of a company. When you buy a share of stock, you’re entitled to a small fraction of the assets and earnings of that company. Assets include everything the company owns (buildings, equipment, trademarks), and earnings are all of the money the company brings in from selling its products and services.
Even if the company is profitable, shareholders won’t necessarily receive a cheque in the mail each year with their cut of the profits. Only a few companies, usually long-established firms, hand out annual profit shares in the form of cash payments, called “dividends”.
Most new companies are considered “growth stocks”, meaning that the company reinvests all profit to fuel growth and expansion. In the case of growth stocks, the investment only increases in value as the stock price rises. This is how the pension fund grows – it buys stocks low and then sells them high (or at least aims to).
Being independent will not affect how your stocks do any more than a pension fund investing in stocks on the NYSE in $USD does at present. The stock markets are trading in $USD, £GBP & €EUR, as well as other currencies elsewhere. A pension fund from Scotland does not need to operate through a Scottish Stock Exchange. They can continue to work in the exchanges they currently use, so any notion that Scottish pensions are reliant on the London stock exchange and they would lose access to this upon independence is incorrect.
So neither state nor private pensions would be at risk in an independent Scotland. But is it enough that independence would merely have no negative impact on Scottish pensions? You don’t win people over to your side by promising them more of the same. But we’re in luck here also – there’s something which could be done about private pensions in the UK that could make a real and lasting difference to Scottish society in the long term.
UK savers are currently retiring with pension pots worth 50% less than some of their European counterparts, despite having invested the same amount of money, because of an array of hidden charges. With innocuous-sounding fees of 2.5% the pension funds can grab nearly half of a lifetime’s savings, without the pension saver ever realising that their retirement fund was being syphoned off by a banking system designed to benefit big business over individual savers.
So why are we letting our pension entitlement be eroded in order to maintain the profitability of big business? There simply isn’t the will at the UK level to legislate for pension fees, so powerful is the City lobby at Westminster on the grounds of the size of its contribution to tax revenues.
But an independent Scottish government – which would be vastly less dependent on the financial services sector, due in large part to oil wealth – wouldn’t be nearly so beholden to bankers as the UK government has allowed itself to become. People could have bigger pensions (or retire years earlier than their rUK counterparts) if legislation was introduced to curb the excessive charges made by pension funds.
The future for the UK’s ageing population is a grim one. Within the Union we’re all going to have to work for years longer before receiving a pension whose eligibility age is already beyond the life expectancy of many Scots, and whose real value is being not only eroded by fees but by dirty tricks like the switch from RPI to CPI (in the public sector) and Gordon Brown’s 1997 “raid” (in the private sector).
Scotland can already afford pensions better than the UK as a whole. Independent, it would be free of the self-serving private-profit tyranny of the City of London and able to do better still for its citizens, whether public-sector employees or private-sector ones.
In 2014, Scots will have to decide whether they want to work years more into their old age in order to subsidise not just pensioners in Kent and Sussex, but also the continuing vast salaries of the bankers and hedge fund managers who caused the economic disaster in the first place. It’ll be an interesting choice.
———————————————————————————————–Uplay, Ubisoft's digital platform, has been confirmed for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Uplay will be available on all the titles in Ubisoft's next-generation lineup, which includes Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, The Crew, The Division and Watch Dogs.
Also set for next-gen consoles are the recently announced Child of Light, Valiant Hearts and Trials Fusion.
Ubisoft said users will benefit from Uplay services and features using one unique profile when the PS4 and Xbox One go on sale this November.
We imagine Uplay on next-gen consoles will work similarly to how it does on current-gen consoles. On current-gen, Ubisoft games include an option in their main menus that, when selected, boots the Uplay application. This takes you out of the game, displaying a feed of social events and showing what you and your friends have done in-game, alongside the Uplay points you've been awarded. You can spend these Uplay points on in-game items, for example.
Meanwhile, the PC Uplay client will be updated to 4.0 in October 2013, adding a social wall and download manager.Nicholas West
Activist Post
If we could experiment with the atmosphere and literally play God, it’s very tempting to a scientist. – Kenyan earth scientist Richard Odingo
For those who know about the history of geoengineering – aka chemtrails – you might be noticing a spate of admissions from the halls of establishment science and government that the “conspiracy theory” is no longer … it is a fact.
Perhaps the efforts of independent researchers have forced such open disclosure, at least putting us over the hurdle of abject denial. However, the narrative being created for mainstream media consumption is disingenuous at best, and full-throttle manipulation at worst. Case in point is an admission from The Royal Society that geoengineering experiments are being debated for full rollout even in the absence of policy restrictions.
The elite UK think-tank, The Royal Society, has for years openly discussed control over the planet’s weather. Their 2011 propaganda press release entitled “Who Decides?” is an overtly Orwellian exercise in problem-reaction-solution that, naturally, argues for a cabal of technocratic insiders to implement godlike power over the unwashed masses who are threatened both by their own ignorance as well as “rogue elements” |
number of Jefferson Parish voters have been taking advantage of the early voting period this week. While most have been standing in long lines, a select few were apparently able to avoid the wait and cast their ballots using a special machine.
Until Thursday, the machine in question was located in the private conference room of Jefferson Parish Registrar of Voters Dennis DiMarco.
Robert Evans, the attorney behind the effort to recall Parish President Mike Yenni, said he used the machine on Tuesday.
Evans was in DiMarco's office to follow up on a discussion about how close he could collect recall petition signatures near a polling area.
"His office staff said he keeps two actual machines to himself, next to his office, so they escorted me to a secret room, next to his office, where there are two machines that are not available to the public."
Louisiana's Secretary of State, Tom Schedler, sent DiMarco a letter stating that a complaint was made to the U.S. Justice Department regarding the machine in his conference room.
Schedler, who serves as the state's chief election officer, ordered his staff to seize the machine, along with the signature pages for the voters who voted in the conference room.
Schedler wrote that the "action is necessary to preserve the integrity of early voting and to promote confidence within the general public regarding the voting process.
DiMarco said the machine in question was set up for people who needed to go to the head of the line, like police officers and firefighters, and, he admits, some VIPs.
"This was not a way of allowing a fraudulent vote or anything like that," DiMarco said.
"It was merely a convenience for people that we feel and the law allows the privilege to go to the head of the line."
Evans admitted he was the one who notified the feds about DiMarco's voting machine.
"That causes great concern," Evans said. "How he uses these machines when the court's closed and the people aren't around?"
"It's not a big issue," DiMarco countered. "We were contacted by the Secretary of State out of an abundance of caution. We removed the machine."
Eyewitness News talked to some voters who said they didn't think it was proper to have a voting machine in a private conference room.
"I would think it's unacceptable and I'm glad whoever found out about it got it changed and it's no longer there," said one voter.rumored to be coming to market with a 5.5-inch to 5.7-inch screen
One of our loyal readers has graced our inbox this morning with a pair of photographs allegedly showing both sides of the eagerly awaited OnePlus 2. While the images are blurry, the device appears to sport a metal build, with a high screen to body ratio. As we told you yesterday, the "2" does resemble its predecessor and these photos confirm that. The back of the phone seemingly shows the rumored fingerprint scanner on a vertical bar, under the camera and flash.OnePlus is going all out with the unveiling of its second handset. A VR unveiling of the OnePlus 2 will take place on July 27th at 10pm EDT (7pm PDT). Those who request one, are being sent cardboard VR viewers that are costing the company a ton of money.There is plenty of pressure on OnePlus to deliver an amazing sequel considering the tremendous rise of the company. Started by a former Oppo VP, Peter Lau, the company's mission is to sell highly spec'd flagship phones at an affordable price. The OnePlus One delivered with a flagship spec'd phone offering a 5.5-inch 1080 x 1920 resolution screen, powered by the Snapdragon 801 SoC. The 16GB Silk White version was priced originally at $349, and the 64GB Sandstone Black model was tagged at $399. Instead of selling the 50,000 to 100,000 units expected, nearly one million handsets were sold The OnePlus 2 is A Snapdragon 810 chipset will be employed, carrying an octa-core CPU and the Adreno 430 GPU. The handset will come with the new Type-C USB port which allows users to insert the cable either side up.Just to be on the safe side, we suggest taking these images with the proverbial grain of salt.Thanks for the tip, Dejan!Reddit / Screengrab James Erwin's original 'Rome Sweet Rome' response
Unless you’ve been following the story of the in-the-works movie Rome Sweet Rome on Reddit, the social news site, the genesis of the film may surprise you. The short version of the story is that on Aug. 31, 2011, the Reddit user James Erwin stumbled across a post that consisted of an intriguing hypothetical question: “Could I destroy the entire Roman Empire during the reign of Augustus if I traveled back in time with a modern U.S. Marine infantry battalion or MEU?” (MEU stands for Marine Expeditionary Unit.) Erwin responded with a detailed hypothetical answer, in the form of a tale of the men on the mission and the events of their first day post-time-travel. “DAY 1 The 35th MEU is on the ground at Kabul, preparing to deploy to southern Afghanistan. Suddenly, it vanishes,” he began.
As explained in a detailed March 2012 Wired story about what happened next, it took only two weeks for the initial post and the follow-up he wrote—eight days in the story’s timeline—to become part of a Hollywood movie deal. (Erwin told Reddit readers that he sold the idea for an unspecified lump sum and a portion of the profits.) The same month, Erwin—a man of many talents but a first-time screenwriter —told Mashable that Warner Bros. had accepted his treatment of the screenplay and that he had been given a month and a half to rewrite the draft.
(MORE: You Got Star Trek in My Star Wars!: Mixing Up New Frontiers And Galaxies Far, Far Away)
Fast-forward nearly a year:
On Jan. 14, after Erwin had teased a big announcement on the thread-slash-movie’s Facebook fan page, a new twist in the story emerged in Variety: Brian Miller, the screenwriter behind 2011’s Apollo 18, would be stepping in to bring a “fresh approach” to the draft written by Erwin. Miller, Variety reported, had never read Erwin’s script when he was hired. The Marines in the original Reddit query would also be replaced by U.S. Special Forces.
There had been warnings that this was coming. In an Aug. 1, 2012, Facebook post, Erwin told readers that he was disappointed to learn that a rewrite would be required: “This is tough. It really is. I put a lot into that draft. But this is how this industry works. This is what I signed up for. The best way to protect my work is to work hard, play fair, and stay visible.” Still, the news did not go over well when it broke; Reddit’s populist ethos seemed to clash with perceptions of the workings of a big studio. A popular comment on a link to the story is “Ouch. Tough break Erwin.” “Leave it to Hollywood to botch this great idea,” said another. And: “Ruined…wont [sic] even bother.” Facebook reaction went in a similar direction: “Cripes, don’t like that at all” and “Miller is going to ruin this movie” and, again, “Ouch.”
But Erwin, the person who might have been most upset by script’s handling and who confirmed to Reddit readers that he has no creative control over the project at the moment, spent much of the day calming those upset by the announcement.
(MORE: Fan Granted Dying Wish for Star Trek into Darkness Sneak Peek)
“You guys, 99% of what I’m feeling is simply relief that the other shoe has dropped after eight months of waiting,” he told followers on Facebook, reminding “naysayers” to keep in mind that Brian Miller had succeeded in Hollywood—the $5-million budgeted Apollo 18 has made five times that much in grosses, according to Box Office Mojo—and was working with a smart team. Erwin’s name would still be on the finished product, which meant that his happiness about the script’s progress made should be taken at face value. “Please join me in staying excited and hopeful. Longwinded rant over,” he concluded. And in a Reddit response, Erwin’s zen outlook continued:
Also standard procedure to have a completely fresh second draft, so the studio and the producers have a lot of ideas to pick and choose from as they push toward a final draft. This is a slow, collaborative process, and I knew all of that going in. So: Not upset. Not disappointed. And not necessarily done. Second draft does not equal shooting script.
Erwin tells TIME that he was not surprised by the negative reaction to the news when it broke on Jan. 14. “I would like to say it’s because every word I produce makes angels weep, but a vastly bigger part of this is just that it’s a very seductive narrative: ‘One of us nerds makes it big and Hollywood sucks out his soul.’ It’s more complicated than that,” he said in an email. “I’m not angry; it’s business, and it’s not necessarily the end of the road for me on this project. If I can stay engaged with my fans on Reddit and Facebook and Twitter AND defuse any misplaced anger while keeping people happy and interested, then I have no reason at all not to do that.”
But no matter what Reddit-based fans want, when Rome Sweet Rome hits the beg screen it won’t be exactly same story they read back in 2011. For one thing, it will be longer. Erwin—who told a Reddit “Ask Me Anything” forum that he had returned to his day job working on financial-industry software manuals, as of Oct. 2012—stopped writing the story on Reddit shortly after the possibility of a movie deal became clear, leaving his Marines stranded in Rome and only just having made contact with the Roman higher-ups. Erwin has expressed excitement about returning to the story when it finally qualifies as fanfiction; although he did exchange notes with the author of the original Marines-in-Rome query when Rome Sweet Rome took off, it’s been some time. (He doesn’t know whether that curious Reddit user still keeps tabs on the story’s progress.)
And Erwin says the film won’t even be called Rome Sweet Rome—that for all the ongoing developments, that one thing at least was made very clear to him: “I am 99.9 percent certain, by the way, that the title will be something different and more fitting to the plot,” he said. “‘Over my dead body this will be the title,’ in the words of one of the producers.”
(MORE: Family Raises $55,000 for Son’s Bone Marrow Transplant, Thanks to Reddit)Beer: Rollin’ Golden Belgian Ale
Brewery: Steamworks & New Belgium Brewing
Location: Vancouver, BC
Style: Belgian Blonde Ale
Alcohol: 7%
Before I get into anything, Rollin’ Golden Belgian Ale comes wrapped in a wicked little package, that just means you know it’s gotta be something special!
With two months to go to my wedding, my fiancée and I are putting together our lists. You know, the one that starts with Jennifer Aniston and ends somewhere around Zooey Dechanel. It just too hard to decide on the top five! I don’t want to leave anyone out. I find myself in the same situation every time I go to the beer store. There’s just too many awesome breweries pumping out too many kinds of awesome beer these days. When you jam-pack them next to each other in one tiny space, how can you expect me to choose just one in under an hour? Thanks to Vancouver’s legendary Steamworks Brewery and New Belgium Brewing, the new(ish) expansion to Vancouver out of Colorado, my last trip the liquor store was a little easier. Rollin’ Golden Belgian Ale is an awesome blend of collaboration and innovation of two awesome breweries. That’s knocking out two beers with one bottle if you ask me!
Complexity wrapped up in simplicity. It’s the only way that I can possibly think of to explain the taste of this beer. Right off the bat you get a punch of something fruity, but that’s not exciting, it’s what comes next that’s the really interesting part. Lots and lots of spices jump out of nowhere. Different kinds of spices too. After my first mouthful, I went running for the bottle to find what the hell those flavours were; Ancho Chilies, De Arbol Chilies and Szechuan Peppercorns. The sound of it seems a little odd, insane maybe, but let me tell you it totally works without becoming overly powerful or crazy. It almost tastes smokey, but that has to be the belgiumness of it mixed in with the chilies. I’ve got to say, it all just works together and I would love to see more of this flavouring work its way into more brews!
If the Rollin’ Golden Ale is a sign of the collaboration and outside of the box thinking that the industry is pushing towards, I just got even more excited about beer!
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Like this: Like Loading...Iceland lapsed into the largest recession of the new millennium more than two years ago. As Philipp Bagus and I argue in our new book, Deep Freeze: Iceland's Economic Collapse, the obvious culprit is an oversized banking system, which at its peak had assets amounting to 11 times the size of the small island's economy. But like many economic events, the key lies not in what is immediately apparent but in those causes and conditions that are veiled. Politicians, pundits and the population of the Icelandic nation have had a difficult time explaining how such a large financial sector could develop in the first place.
Like in many other countries of the world, Iceland's large, unstable banking sector developed with the advent of deposit insurance. While the fractional-reserve banking system has a tendency to lead to unstable consequences, this day of reckoning is thought to be offset by ensuring depositors that a backstop exists in times of turmoil. Banks that overissue fiduciary media and face reserve-draining runs are "saved" by an insurance scheme guaranteeing depositors their quickly disappearing funds.
While this guarantee may delay a damaging bank run, it also fosters an environment that breeds increasingly risky bank activity.
On the one hand, banks can take comfort in knowing that added risks will result in higher profits. Normally the profit-and-loss system limits risk-taking behavior by burdening market participants with any losses of their risky activity. Deposit insurance effectively socializes losses while leaving profits private. This allows banks to seek higher profits through increased risk taking while simultaneously alleviating their fear of losses.
On the other hand, a deposit-insurance scheme removes an important monitoring mechanism that disciplines the banking sector. A depositor who is threatened with losses on his deposits in the event that his bank goes bankrupt is keenly interested in its solvency. By removing the possibility that the depositor will not be paid out fully in such an event, there is little reason for a depositor to assess the solvency of a prospective bank.
As we outline, the Central Bank of Iceland (CBI) offered a unique deposit-insurance scheme to protect its domestic banking sector. This uniqueness is evident in two ways.
The first is that the CBI itself is the provider of this insurance. In many other countries this role is not given to the monetary authority, but is rather undertaken by the fiscal authority. Hence, in the United States, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is a government corporation. In the eurozone, it is not the European Central Bank that provides deposit insurance but the national governments comprising the monetary union.
"The era of the omnipotent
central bank is coming to a close."
Leaving aside the question of whether the government has a role at all in providing deposit insurance, we can see a key difference. The government is under a budget constraint (at least in theory) whereby if it needs to fund its insurance scheme it must do so from taxes or debt issuance. In contrast, the central bank has the ability to monetize its own insurance funds as the need arises. We would expect that the government will feel some pain from having to allocate tax dollars to the insurance scheme, or in any case, more pain than the central bank will from monetizing this spending. Indeed, in 2008 the FDIC debated allocating additional funds to its reserves through increased premiums as bankruptcies in the United States mounted. No such debate occurred within the walls of the Central Bank of Iceland.
The second difference of Iceland's deposit insurance scheme is that it guarantees not only domestic Icelandic krónur deposits, but also those denominated in foreign currencies. The Central Bank of Iceland's website makes clear that regardless of the denomination of their deposit, a depositor can rest assured that their savings are safe:
Does the Fund guarantee deposits in foreign currency? Yes. No distinction is made between deposits in Icelandic krónur and those in other currencies. The Fund can reimburse the value of the deposit balance in Icelandic krónur. Are deposits in foreign branches of Icelandic banks guaranteed by the Fund? Yes. The Fund's guarantees extend to all customers of Icelandic banks and their branches, both domestic and foreign, irrespective of legal address. Foreign deposits with subsidiaries of Icelandic banks are guaranteed by the guarantee funds in the countries concerned.
Herein lays one of the main problems that Philipp Bagus and I discuss in chapter 4 of Deep Freeze. As an increasing amount of funding was made in foreign denominations, the CBI was increasingly unable to honor these obligations should they come due. Any central bank has the ability to inflate only the domestic money supply. While it's easy, then, to honor domestically (and nominally) denominated debts, a significant failing occurs when foreign liabilities are added to the mix.
Unable to cover its foreign liabilities during the liquidity crisis of 2008, the Central Bank of Iceland effectively went bankrupt. Only bailouts from friendly countries and the IMF staved off a more serious fate — the complete elimination of a central Icelandic monetary authority.
While Iceland's reemergence over the last two years has been mostly strong, there are still two unfortunate consequences to address.
First, by focusing on consequences and not root causes of its crisis, Icelandic authorities have missed an opportunity to correct one of the crisis's primary causes. The moral hazard of deposit insurance — especially a deposit-insurance scheme that was impossible to honor — allowed for the oversized banking system to develop. Removing such an insurance scheme would do much to rectify this issue.
Second, Iceland is not alone in this regard. Several other countries of the world are also at a juncture where large amounts of foreign-denominated liabilities are unable to be funded by the domestic central bank. This in itself would not be a large problem, except for the fact that so many do think that they central bank will be able to solve the eventual funding gap.
The era of the omnipotent central bank is coming to a close, as their impotence in staving off these types of crises is exposed.
Deep Freeze: Iceland's Economic Collapse provides a case study in one country facing a banking crisis at the hands of its central bank. It provides a roadmap to anyone who wants to understand where these crises stem from, and how to avoid them in the future.Over the course of the past two decades, Paul Thomas Anderson has carved out a distinctive and distinguished directorial career marked by aesthetic artistry and intricate, intimate stories about lost souls and intertwined subcultures. Those qualities are again found in his latest, Inherent Vice, a sprawling adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s 2009 novel about a 1970 SoCal stoner detective named Larry “Doc” Sportello (played by Joaquin Phoenix) ensnared in a complex case involving his missing girlfriend Shasta Fy Hepworth (stunning newcomer Katherine Waterston). Alternately wry, ridiculous, and subtly morose, it’s heady re-confirmation of Anderson’s greatness. Moreover, it’s further validation that Anderson has become exactly what his early critics disparaged him as: the West Coast’s answer to Martin Scorsese.
First, a little history. Anderson made his feature debut in 1996 with Hard Eight, a noir-ish saga (adapted from his 1993 short film Cigarettes & Coffee) about a down-and-out nobody (John C. Reilly) who’s befriended in Reno, Nevada by peerlessly cool old-school gangster Sydney (Philip Baker Hall), and who eventually falls in love with a casino waitress and part-time hooker (Gwyneth Paltrow). A study of three lonely characters searching for salvation through surrogate parent-child bonds, Hard Eight is something like the spare, small-scale, rundown flip-side to Martin Scorsese’s showy, expansive Casino. Though its despondent ambiance is reserved, it’s hard not to see Scorsese’s influence in Anderson’s sudden pans, intense close-ups and drawn-out tracking shots, none greater than a protracted sequence in which his camera trails Hall around the gambling-house floor in what comes off as a loving homage to Goodfellas’ legendary Steadicam shot.
If Hard Eight suggested Scorsese, Anderson’s breakout sophomore effort, 1997’s Boogie Nights, firmly cemented their creative association. A formidable opus about the 1970s heyday of the adult-film industry, it’s a work whose over-populated plot recalls Anderson’s other muse—the late, great Robert Altman—but whose style (and rise-then-fall narrative trajectory) is vintage Scorsese. Boogie Nights is teeming with rat-a-tat-tat editing modeled after the cutting of long-time Scorsese collaborator Thelma Schoonmaker, propulsive use of era-specific pop songs, and as much wild, careening Goodfellas-style cinematographic virtuosity—all whip pans, sudden zooms, and long tracking shots from behind characters navigating twisty, turbulent spaces—as a 155-minute film can handle. Boogie Nights feels like a film by a wunderkind hopped up on Taxi Driver, Mean Streets, and After Hours, except that instead of a cold, gritty, working-class Manhattan vibe, Anderson infuses his film with a polar-opposite SoCal mood of sun, glitz, glamour, and hedonistic excess.
That atmosphere continued to flourish in 1999’s Magnolia, a film whose multi-character melodrama is most often cited as verification of the director’s kinship with Robert Altman. While Altman’s Nashville and Short Cuts can be clearly felt in Magnolia, its evocation of the San Fernando Valley is so personal, so obviously cut from Anderson’s own experiences growing up as a kid in the region, that it resonates as the very type of milieu-based drama with which Scorsese initially made his name. While Anderson here operates in a more operatic—if not outright florid, heart-on-his-sleeve—fashion than Scorsese’s earlier works, there’s a bone-deep understanding of time and place in Magnolia that, like in Mean Streets, seems ripped, warts and all, from its creator’s past, and heart. It’s personal filmmaking not only about people, and communities, but also about the look, smell, and sounds of a very specific environment, and how it shapes those who inhabit it.
You can similarly feel the lonely emptiness, as well as the radiant glow, of California in 2002’s Punch-Drunk Love, which saw Anderson steer away from his more ambitious aspirations for a quiet love story between two quirky souls. In the film’s loose, jazzy aesthetics (especially Jon Brion’s score), Anderson attempts to break free from his comfort zone, not unlike Scorsese did with 1977’s Robert De Niro-Liza Minnelli musical New York, New York. Furthermore, in its use of a comedian (Adam Sandler) in a dramatic role that plays off the star’s funnyman identity, Punch-Drunk Love takes a cue from Scorsese’s 1983 black-comedy gem The King of Comedy, in which Jerry Lewis riffs on his own iconic persona as a not-that-nice TV talk show host caught in stalker-esque circumstances with Robert De Niro’s fan.
Anderson’s next two films took a sharp detour into darker territory, with 2007’s There Will Be Blood mining Southern California’s early-20th-century oil boom for apocalyptic tragedy, and 2012’s The Master plumbing Scientology’s origins for twisted psycho-drama. With regards to the former, Anderson’s historical epic concerns the birth of modern California, with Daniel-Day Lewis as the larger-than-life embodiment of the determination, ruthlessness, and madness that would soon come to define the land in which he settled—and as such, it’s a veritable companion piece to Scorsese’s Gangs of New York. And while the latter has no direct Scorsese parallel, its early portrait of San Francisco has a haunting wooziness that captures the state’s New Age-inspired spirit—all post-WWII psychosis and shady hucksterism—at the middle of the century. It’s a film that oozes Cali cool, charisma, and craziness in equal measure.
So too does Inherent Vice, which is something like a love letter written in pot smoke to the Gold Coast. Although Thomas Pynchon’s novels are often described as “unfilmable,” Anderson in this case turns out to be the ideal translator of the reclusive author’s prose, in part because, like Pynchon, he’s so attuned to a particular strain of ‘70s-era SoCal attitude—laid back, inebriated by the gorgeous weather, and equally striking women (and, you know, the drugs), captivated by the promise of big business riches and movie industry stardom, and yet beset by anxiety and fear that, beneath the brilliant surface, something’s rotten in the state of California too.
Throughout Inherent Vice’s rambling private-eye adventure, Anderson conveys a comedic, chaotic sense of his milieu that has the precision of Scorsese’s finest works, albeit in a register that’s on the other end of the tonal spectrum. What with its bumbling criminals, crooked cops, and assortment of amusing and ominous ne’er do wells, it reveals Anderson to be the preeminent surveyor of his birthplace environment (and perennial stomping ground)—and, consequently, the SoCal yin to Scorsese’s NYC yang.Echo and Narcissus is a myth from Ovid's Metamorphoses, a Latin mythological epic from the Augustan Age. The introduction of the myth of the mountain nymph Echo into the story of Narcissus, the beautiful youth who rejected sexuality and falls in love with his own reflection, appears to have been Ovid's invention. Ovid's version influenced the presentation of the myth in later Western art and literature.
Story [ edit ]
Narcissus and Echo, wall painting from, wall painting from Pompeii (45–79 AD)
The myth of the goddess is told in Book III of the Metamorphoses, and tells the story of a "talkative nymph" whom the goddess Venus admires for her magnificent voice and song. When she tricks Juno into believing that her husband, Jupiter, was in the city, Juno curses Echo by making her able to only finish a sentence not started, and unable to say anything on her own. "Yet a chatterbox, had no other use of speech than she has now, that she could repeat only the last words out of many." This is the explanation of the aural effect which was named after her. She falls in love with Narcissus, whom she catches sight of when he is "chasing frightened deer into his nets." Eventually, after "burning with a closer flame," Echo's presence is revealed to Narcissus, who, after a comic, yet tragic scene, rejects her love. Echo prays, in her mind, of this to Venus, who makes Echo disappear, until she "remains a voice" and "is heard by all."
Then, Narcissus "tired from both his enthusiasm for hunting and from the heat" rests by a spring, and whilst drinking, "a new thirst grows inside him" and he is "captivated by the image of the beauty he has seen". He falls deeply in love with "all the things for which he himself is admired." He then wastes away with love for himself, echoing the manner in which Echo did earlier. A while later his body is gone, and in its place is a narcissus flower. The pale flower is still found near river banks so that it can be reflected in the water.
Gallery [ edit ]
See also [ edit ]Others are picking up on the sheer amazingness — make that amazingness! — of Jeb! citing the record of bubble-era Florida as proof of his skill in economic management. Jim Tankersley adds some data to the picture. But I think there are a couple of additional important points to make here.
First, how does the overall Florida record look now that the dust from the bursting bubble has settled? (Yes, that’s a horrible mixed metaphor. So sue me.) It’s actually kind of startling. Start from 1998, the year Jeb! was elected governor, and compare it with the US as a whole (the red line):
Photo
Florida fell into a deep slump when the bubble burst, much worse than the nation as a whole — and it has still not made up all the lost ground, so that Florida’s growth rate over the past 16 years is just 1.7 percent, slightly below the national average. This is even more remarkable when you bear in mind that the economy of a favored retirement destination should be growing faster than that of the rest of an aging nation.
Second, it could have been much worse. I’ve long argued that it’s useful to compare Florida with Spain — both warm places that experienced huge housing bubbles and suffered badly when the bubbles burst. Florida, however, had a much milder slump. Why? Fiscal integration: major programs, especially Social Security and Medicare, are paid for by the federal government, so that Florida in effect received large-scale aid when its economy and hence tax payments plunged but federal benefits just kept on coming.
But notice why that happened: it’s because of the big New Deal and Great Society programs, the ones Jeb!’s party wants to privatize and eventually kill. So not only did Jeb!’s supposed economic success consist of nothing besides presiding over a giant bubble; the only thing that kept the bubble from causing utter catastrophe was his state’s lucky dependence on big government.
And that, I think, really does warrant an exclamation point.Image: lassedesignen/Shutterstock
By the year 2050, nearly half of the planet will suffer from some degree of myopia, aka short-sightedness. One fifth of them will be at increased risk for total, permanent blindness. This is according to a study published Friday in the journal Ophthalmology by researchers at the Brien Holden Vision Institute. The authors note that the coming wave of squinters, who together will represent a fivefold increase in myopia incidence from year 2000 levels, is poised to become a major public health concern.
That short-sightedness is booming isn't exactly news in itself. Already, half of adults in the US and Europe suffer from it to some degree (doubled from 50 years ago); in China, 96 percent of 19 year old males have myopia (up from 10 to 20 percent 60 years ago). Last year, researchers from Holden calculated that a third of the planet's total population will be short-sighted by the end of the decade.
While the myopia boom is a reasonably well-studied phenomenon, research so far has been limited in two major ways, according to the Holden group. "First, individual studies suggest wide variation in the prevalence of myopia between different regions and ethnic groups," the study notes. "For example, the prevalence of myopia is more than 2 times higher among East Asians than similarly aged white persons."
"Second," the paper continues, "the prevalence of myopia in different countries seems to be increasing, and most dramatically among younger people in East Asia. The combination of vision impairment from uncorrected myopia and irreversible vision loss from myopia-related complications make accurate global estimates of the prevalence and temporal trends critical for planning care and services. However, there are no precise estimates of the global prevalence of myopia or for projected temporal changes over the next few decades."
"The prevalence of myopia in different countries seems to be increasing, and most dramatically among younger people in East Asia."
This is where the new work comes in. The study offers a systematic review of the prevalence of myopia and high myopia using data published since 1995. 1656 papers on myopia and 2632 papers on refractive error (the general class of vision problems that myopia is a part of) were located and analyzed. Together, they offer a fairly high-resolution view of the global myopia boom over modern times. It's a bad scene, but one unlikely to change given the state of things.
And what is the current state of things, in terms of eye health? A lot of people staring at screens and a lot of people that don't spend enough time outdoors. "The projected increases in myopia and high myopia are widely considered to be driven by environmental factors (nurture), principally lifestyle changes resulting from a combination of decreased time outdoors and increased near work activities, among other factors," the authors report.
Of particular concern are countries like China, Taiwan, Singapore, which increasingly feature "high pressure educational systems" from a very young age. "[This] may be a causative lifestyle change, as may the excessive use of near electronic devices," the paper concludes.
It's a tricky thing. Technology giveth and technology taketh. I myself just started wearing glasses recently because of mild but recent myopia, and, boy howdy, do I spend some time in front of a screen. But I also spend a fair amount time outside in natural light, which is a good thing eye-wise, so it could probably be worse.
According to Nature News, Ian Morgan, a myopia researcher at the Australian National University, has estimated that children need to spend around three hours per day under light levels of at least 10,000 lux to be protected against myopia. That's about the level experienced by someone in the shade on a bright summer day while wearing sunglasses. A 2013 study, meanwhile, found that students in Taiwan who were required to spend their 80 minute breaks outdoors rather than inside had an incidence of myopia of 8 percent compared to 18 percent at a nearby school. In other words, this is a problem that can be solved easily enough.A lot of rumours regarding an alleged upcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon 815 SoC have been floating around, and now the chipmaker has informed us that that no such chip exists.
Qualcomm's Senior Director of Public Relations Jon Carvill told Fudzilla that there is no Snapdragon 815 in the works:
Carvill was clear:
“There are no plans for a Snapdragon 815 processor.”
Snapdragon 815 filed under creative journalism
The Snapdragon 815 rumours spread like wildfire, but since they didn’t make much sense, we decided not to carry them. Basically the alleged Snapdragon 815 was supposed to be a 16nm SoC with four Cortex-A72 and Cortex-A53 cores, but the rest of the spec was hard to swallow.
Long story short, there is no such thing as a Snapdragon 815. The company never had such a product, and if you know a thing or two about SoC development, it takes years to make a new SoC design from scratch – you don’t just design a new one for a new node out of the blue.
It would be very convenient if the company managed to pull off something like this, but it’s simply not possible.
Qualcomm’s next flagship is the Snapdragon 820
Now that we debunked this rumour, we should focus on Qualcomm’s real next generation flagship SoC – the Snapdragon 820.
The company mentioned the Snapdragon 820 at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, but it looks like that it will be a while before we see this chip shipping in actual devices. Qualcomm expects the new part to sample sometime in the second half of the year, so in the best case scenario we might see the first devices by the end of the year, but most products based on the new chip will start shipping in early 2016.
The 20nm Snapdragon 810 is not overheating, it works just fine, and we tested it inside the HTC One M9. We can confirm that it ends up significantly faster than the Snapdragon 801, which we had a chance to try in a few phones.Give Yourself Goosebumps
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Before becoming incredibly popular in the mid '90s due to his horror novels, R. L. Stine wrote a respectable number of gamebooks (including the somewhat unusual Hark books). Thus it's rather appropriate that his later popularity caused quite a few gamebooks to be printed. In addition to reprints of some of Stine's Twistaplot and Find Your Fate books, various horror gamebooks were published, including Choose Your Own Nightmare, Nightmares!, and, of course, this series, which was begun by Scholastic's Apple Paperbacks in 1995.
This page is under construction; I'll add reviews as I find time. If you find any errors, please send an e-mail to [email protected].
Compilations
The first four books in this series were released in a boxed set.
German Translations
Several titles were translated into German as the "Gaensehaut" series....
Italian Translations
A few books in the series were translated into Italian and sold as part of gift packages released on various special occasions. Not all of the packages included gamebooks; the missing numbers in the list below are for packages which had short story collections instead. The series was published by Arnoldo Mondadori Editore under the name "Piccoli Brividi."By Hader Glang
ZAMBOANGA CITY, the Philippines
The leader of a Daesh-linked group has been killed and three of his followers arrested in a joint police and military raid in the southern Philippines.
The Philippine News Agency (PNA) quoted a local official as saying that Mohammad Jaafar Maguid, leader of Ansar Khalifah Philippines (AKP), was killed by government forces when he resisted arrest at a Beach Resort early Thursday morning.
According to authorities, Maguid -- facing bombing, kidnapping and extortion charges -- was a high value target and sympathetic to international terrorist organizations.
"Acting on intelligence reports, joint police and military operatives raided Angel Beach Resort in Barangay Kitagas, Kiamba that led to the death of Commander Tokboy [Maguid’s alias] and the arrest of his men," the state-run news outfit quoted Chief Supt. Cedrick Train, as saying.
"Tokboy is a notorious bandit leader with |
political lies and Brexit bias, more readers are turning to an independent source. Subscribe from just 15p a day for extra exclusives, events and ebooks – all with no ads.
Subscribe now3 Uses of Balsam Fir Resin
By Sean Fagan
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HOW TO USE BALSAM FIR RESIN
FOR
CUTS, BURNS & FIRES
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Resin is commonly found as a thick, sticky excretion on the bark of many coniferous tree species.
For example, if I make a cut on the bark of a Norway spruce (Picea abies), resin will slowly ooze out, gradually solidifying as a hard, brittle exudation.
The purpose of this sticky excretion is to prevent the entry of infectious fungi, bacteria and insects, and to deter herbivores from consuming the foliage and bark.
The bushcraft virtues of resin are well renowned: wood varnish, cold & cough medicine, glue and sealant are just a few of its traditional uses.
There is however, one conifer tree species that excels in its production of resin – balsam fir, Abies balsamea.
A native of eastern and central Canada as well as north-eastern America, the balsam fir can also be found as a relatively common tree in the conifer tree plantations of Western Europe.
Balsam fir is relatively easy to recognise – it’s a coniferous tree (evergreen) with needle-like leaves.
Each needle-like leaf is dark green above with two pale stripes (stomata) on the leaf underside. The tip of the leaves are slightly notched.
One key leaf feature is the circular base to the needles.
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The bark is generally smooth in young trees, becoming more rough and scaly with age, but not overly so, even mature fir trees have, in comparison to many other conifer tree species, a relatively smooth bark.
A key feature of trees from the Abies genus is the presence of a green suction-like attachment at the base of the needle leaves.
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Much of balsam fir resin is concentrated within prominent blisters on the bark. It’s the resin contained within these many blisters that provides such an easily acquired bushcraft resource.
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3 USES OF BALSAM FIR RESIN
1. CUTS
The sheer stickiness of balsam fir resin can, when applied to a small cut, staunch bleeding.
Because of its antiseptic properties, resin also forms an effective seal against infection.
I find balsam fir resin great for awkwardly positioned cuts, such as cuts near or on the finger joints where it can be difficult to form a tight, durable seal with plasters.
When I apply the resin to awkward cuts I have uninhibited movement, which is not always the case with plasters that are stiff and restrictive.
Once, I accidentally cut the tip of my right index finger with a knife. Plasters were generally ineffective so eventually I applied a liberal amount of resin to my finger tip.
The resin worked great – forming a thick, pliable, protective seal.
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2. BURNS
Another great application of resin is for burns. Superficial burns (epidermal, superficial & mid dermal) of the skin can be extremely painful mostly because the exposed, sensory nerve endings of the burned skin is reacting painfully with the surrounding air.
One of the modern first-aid treatments of superficial burns is to wrap the burnt skin with cling film, so as to provide a barrier between the burnt skin and the surrounding air.
This form of first-aid treatment can be easily replicated with resin.
Gently smear or pour resin onto the burn, which will form a great, air-tight, antiseptic seal which will also lessen the pain associated with the burn.
The application of resin onto burnt skin should not be considered when a large area of the skin is burned and/or when the skin forms large, fluid-filled blisters – leave such injuries for proper first-aid treatment in the field with the immediate goal of seeking professional medical treatment, preferably at the nearest hospital (if possible).
Link: How to assess Burns
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3. FIRE-STARTER
Resin is flammable and makes an outstanding, fire-starting aid.
Simply smear the resin onto tinder and some kindling and you’re almost guaranteed a fire.
Consider resin as the petrol of nature and you get the picture.
Applying resin to your tinder and kindling can give you an edge during damp days when time is tight.
An advantage of resin is that it can be smeared onto damp, sub-par tinder and kindling which ordinarily would not ignite (or is very difficult to ignite) – even with a strong flame.
When resin is smeared onto tinder and kindling and set alight, the high-heat flammability of the resin will assist in dispelling moisture from the tinder and kindling and can greatly improve the chance of obtaining a hearty fire.
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HOW TO OBTAIN RESIN
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Carefully place the point of the knife at the base of the blister and slowly push the tip into the blister.
For safety, try to keep the knife blade parallel to the trunk as you gently pierce the blister – very little pressure is required.
When pierced, almost instantly the resin will start to ooze out.
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You can apply the resin directly as needed or you can store in a small (preferably sturdy) receptacle. The resin will keep for a long time and can be complimentary to your first-aid & fire-lighting kits.
Once, while camping in the Northern woods of Maine, a friend and I were trying to ignite a campfire.
It was a damp day and daylight was starting to fade.
We tried igniting some slightly damp dead grass with our matches. No go. Then we found some resin blisters on a nearby Balsam fir. We smeared some resin onto some freshly gathered dead grass –eureka!
And just in time too – our dusk-time brew was saved.
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Related articles on this website:
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*Check us out on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook for more outdoor-related topics.WaveHandling
Transporting and sorting in one
With WaveHandling, Festo creates a new impetus for the automation of tomorrow: The pneumatic conveyor belt can transport objects in a targeted manner and sort them at the same time. It consists of numerous bellows modules that deform the surface creating a wave motion that transports the objects in a targeted manner.
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Modular conveyor belt: immediately operational in any layout
The individual modules can be connected as required and are self-configuring. This means that the system can be started up quickly and without programming, no matter what the layout is. The integrated sorting function means that an additional handling unit is no longer absolutely necessary.
Integrated functions: WaveHandling unites conveying...
... and sorting in one system – with no additional handling unit
Rolling it out: By expanding the bellows,...
... the wave pushes the transported goods over the surface
Self-configuring: The independent address recognition of the modules...
... guarantees the rapid networking of the entire system
Decentralised intelligence: new ideas for the factory of tomorrow
With the WaveHandling system, Festo is already demonstrating how configuration of a system will be handled by the individual modules themselves in the future. The decentralised intelligence of the individual components will mean an end to previously intensive steps such as manual adjustment and programming.Apple works hard to make our software more secure with every release. We appreciate the team of researchers that identified this bug and brought it to our attention so we could patch the vulnerability. Security requires constant dedication and we're grateful to have a community of developers and researchers who help us stay ahead.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
A flaw in Apple's encryption systems has been found that enables an attacker to decrypt photos and videos sent over its iMessage instant messenger service.According to The Washington Post, the security hole in Apple's code was exploited by a group of Johns Hopkins University researchers, led by computer science professor Matthew D. Green.Green reportedly alerted Apple to the problem last year after he read an Apple security guide describing an encryption process that struck him as weak. When a few months passed and the flaw remained, Green and his graduate students decided to mount an attack to show that they could break the encryption of photos and videos sent over iMessage.The team succeeded by writing software that mimicked an Apple server and hijacked the encrypted transmission of the targeted phone. The transmission contained a link to a photo stored in Apple’s iCloud server as well as a 64-digit key to decrypt the photo.While the students could not see the key's digits, they guessed them by a repetitive process of changing a digit or a letter in the key and sending it back to the target phone. Each time they guessed a digit correctly, the phone accepted it. The phone was probed in this way thousands of times until the team guessed the correct key and was able to retrieve the photo from Apple's server.Apple said that it partially fixed the problem last fall when it released iOS 9, and will fully address the issue through security improvements in iOS 9.3, which is expected to be released this week. The company's statement read:The news comes amid Apple's ongoing legal battle with the FBI in connection with the iPhone at the center of the San Bernadino shooter investigation. The FBI has requested help from Apple to unlock the phone, but the company has so far refused.The FBI wants to access data stored on the iPhone in question, whereas the Johns Hopkins research focused on the interception of data transmitted between devices. However, Green believes that his team's work highlights the inherent security risks of the FBI's demands in the California case."Even Apple, with all their skills — and they have terrific cryptographers — wasn't able to quite get this right," Green told the newspaper. "So it scares me that we're having this conversation about adding backdoors to encryption when we can't even get basic encryption right."Apple will face off against the FBI in court on Tuesday, one day after the company's March 21 event that will see the debut of the 4-inch iPhone SE and the 9.7-inch iPad Pro. MacRumors will post a direct link to Apple's media event once it becomes available.Image: Shutterstock
UK authorities are collecting and analysing data in bulk to identify suspected child exploitation offenders on the dark web, but are not informing defendants of how they were caught.
The practice starkly highlights the UK government's stance on not including intercept as evidence in court. This, according to Eric King, a surveillance expert and director of activist group Don't Spy On Us, leaves suspects "totally in the dark."
"The right to a fair trial relies on the fact that material being used against the defendant is shown to them, so they can answer to it and explain it," King said.
In a government document from the end of February, the Home Office briefly mentions that intercepting data en masse is an effective tactic for disrupting criminal suspects on the dark web.
"By analysing data obtained through bulk interception, investigators are able to link the anonymous identities of criminal users to their real world identities," the document reads. The security and intelligence agencies use these techniques and then assist law enforcement.
"Bulk data has supported the disruption of over 50 child sexual exploitation offenders in the UK in the last 30 months alone," the document states.
But, as is the case with all data obtained via intercept in the UK, this information is not admissible in court, meaning that defendants are unlikely to find out how they were identified or get a chance to challenge it.
Paul Bernal, a lecturer in law at the University of East Anglia (UEA) with a focus on surveillance legislation, told Motherboard in an email that using bulk intercept and not presenting it as evidence was "distinctly harmful for defendants."
"It is a general principle of justice that defendants should know how the case against them is built, who their accuser is and so forth" he said. "That's being evaded here."
The Home Office confirmed that bulk intercept data is not admissible in court, and declined to provide details of any of the 50 mentioned cases because they relied on sensitive intelligence.
Read More: What the UK's Proposed Surveillance Law Means for Police Hacking
A National Crime Agency spokesperson said that the agency's Joint Operations Cell with GCHQ "is providing the capability to analyse bulk data, enabling us to better identify and target serious child sex offenders. It is also enabling us to tackle hard-to-reach offenders who use sophisticated technical methods to avoid detection."
Researchers have speculated, based on published Snowden documents, that GCHQ may have the capability to deanonymise Tor users by examining the timing of connections going in and out of the Tor network. (It's important to note that Tor was never designed to counter this sort of attack).
GCHQ told Motherboard in an email that, "Unfortunately we cannot comment on operational work, or on any cases that may be the subject of legal proceedings."
The blocking of intercept as evidence has long irked activists, who argue that it should be admissible in court cases. King said Don't Spy on Us is campaigning for a lift on this ban, and is hoping to have the Investigatory Powers Bill amended (a proposed and controversial piece of legislation that aims to bring all of the country's surveillance powers under one banner). The government's stance on intercept evidence is particularly peculiar, King said, considering that data acquired from equipment interference—or hacking—will be allowed in court under the Bill.
"For me it's a no-brainer: intercept should be used in evidence. It insures that prosecutions have all the tools available to them, and insures that defendants get to see all the material that make up the case against them," King said.Soybeans infested with root knot nematodes.
Monsanto Company announced today that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued registration for tioxazafen, a nematicide branded as NemaStrike Technology. This approval will make the product available to farmers in 2018, pending state approvals.
NemaStrike will be offered as part of Acceleron Seed Applied Solutions, provides “a novel mode of action that stays in the root zone where nematodes attack,” according to a Monsanto press release. It provides “broad-spectrum control of plant parasitic nematodes and consistent yield protection performance in corn, soybeans and cotton.”
Nematode damage is often mistaken as other issues in the field, so growers do not always recognize they have a problem. However, EPA has stated that plant parasitic nematodes cause an estimated 14% loss in agriculture production worldwide, with $80 billion to $100 billion worth of crop losses every year globally, the release noted.
Over the last three years in Monsanto field trials, NemaStrike provided a yield protection performance advantage over the competitive standard of 7 bushels per acre with a 73% positive response rate in corn, 3 bushels per acre with a 68 percent positive response rate in soybeans, and 80 pounds of lint per acre with an 86 percent positive response rate in cotton. “Rresults varied based on nematode pressure in each field),” the release specified.Just like you shouldn’t trust everything you read on the internet, you shouldn’t believe everything you see. L.A based special effects artist Ari Fararooy‘s latest photographic series is a perfect example of this. Using a tripod, mirrors, a self timer and ‘a few digital manipulations’ he has created a very surreal, and futuristic set of self portraits. He went to Joshua Tree National Park wanting to carry on his creative twists on the latest ‘selfies’ craze.
The goal was to experiment with reflections and explore the various ways I could creatively photograph myself. (Source)
He also had this aim in mind while attending the Burning Man festival in 2014. After he found himself in the strange environment that is the desert, surrounded by many creative people, he began clicking his shutter and coming up with some very inventive camera tricks, involving glow sticks, long exposures, strange perspectives and wide angles. You can see that series here.
His photographs are just as surreal as a Dali painting, but he uses modern technologies and a different set of skills. Be sure to see the extent of his talents to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary on his Facebook and Instagram pages. (Via Fubiz)You must enter the characters with black color that stand out from the other characters
Message: * A friend wanted you to see this item from WRAL Sports Fan: http://wr.al/14jJS
— Braxton Deaver’s path to the National Football League could’ve been deterred by two season-ending injuries at Duke University, or by going undrafted in the 2016 NFL Draft.
However, through determination and perseverance, the former Duke Blue Devil has fulfilled a childhood dream – becoming a member of his hometown Carolina Panthers.
Deaver, who used to watch the Panthers’ training camp at Wofford College from the stands as a fan, is now fighting for a roster spot in Spartanburg, S.C.
The Charlotte native was a member of the Blue Devils from 2011 to 2015, but Deaver missed the 2012 and 2014 seasons due to injuries.
In 2012, Deaver underwent three surgeries – repairs to his left ACL, left thumb fracture and left patella fracture. Two years later, he was back in the operating room to repair a torn right ACL that he injured during practice on Aug. 18, 2014.
Deaver was granted a sixth year of eligibility after the NCAA granted the former Blue Devil a medical hardship.
After all 32 teams passed on the Charlotte native, Carolina on May 13 offered Deaver an invite to the team’s rookie minicamp at Bank of America Stadium along with 35 other undrafted rookie free agents.
Three days later, Deaver was one of six players offered a non-guaranteed, entry-level contract from Carolina.
This is what a dream looks like. A lot of work ahead but I could not be more excited and thankful for the opportunity to represent my city and all of my loved ones!! A photo posted by Braxton Deaver (@b_the_deavo89) on May 16, 2016 at 7:18am PDT
“I know that I’m representing my hometown and city, and that’s something that I take great deal of pride in,” Deaver said. “I take a great deal of pride in representing my family and friends who are from Charlotte. “It’s a dream come true, and I’m very thankful to be here.”
Success at NFL level more than on-the-field skills
Deaver said his improvement has been “night and day” from his first practices during Carolina’s offseason training activities, but the mastering the mental part of the game on a professional level has proven to be the most difficult task.
“People just think we’re just out there running around in helmets and bumper-caring into each other, but it’s so much more than that as far as a mental aspect,” he said. “You really have to have a sharp mental capacity.”
Deaver considers himself a “unique” receiver, but he said the position requires honing in on additional skills to make it in the NFL.
“Your technique has to be superb. You have to have great hands, great feet and come off the ball, and hit guys in the mouth,” he Deaver said. “It’s all about control and really having a great base and working what you’ve been taught.”
When you compete you get better, and we were getting after it today! @Panthers another great day for the squad 😈⚡️ — Braxton Deaver (@TheDeavo89) August 4, 2016
During the team’s month-long break following its three-day minicamp in June, Deaver hit the [play]books before arriving at Wofford College for training camp on July 27.
“From OTAs and that month that we had off, it really gave me a chance to study hard and really understand what I’m doing,” Deaver said. “Going into this camp I’m very comfortable with what I’m doing.
“There’s always more I can learn, but definability much more comfortable – at least knowing where to line up.”
Veteran tight ends aid in Deaver’s development
Deaver said to teammates have played a crucial role in his development on-and-off the football field since arriving in Spartanburg – tight ends Greg Olsen and Ed Dickson.
According to Deaver, Dickson’s guidance in the classroom has boosted his confidence in learning the team’s playbook.
“He’s really helped me in the classroom and has looked out for me,” Deaver said. “He’s really taken me under his wing and I appreciate that.”
The rookie and the vet 🔥 A photo posted by Braxton Deaver (@b_the_deavo89) on Jul 29, 2016 at 3:44pm PDT
Deaver’s relationship with Olsen dates back to his days as a standout wide receiver at Providence High School in Charlotte. He reached out to Olsen on multiple occasions in high school and college for advice on how to reach the professional level.
Now, Deaver is receiving hands-on guidance from the Pro Bowler.
“To watch what he does, and to see how he took ownership of his game, is truly invaluable,” Deaver said. “It’s something that I’ve tried to hone in on and ask him as many questions as I can because he’s seen just about everything.
“I couldn’t ask for a better mentor or role model to follow after. He’s a true pro.”
Olsen said becoming a tight end on the Panthers’ roster may be a more difficult task than outsiders realize, especially for incoming rookies.
“Mentally, there’s a lot. You’re in the passing game installs with the wide receivers and quarterbacks, you’re in the run game installs with the offensive linemen. You’re in the pass protections, you’ve got hots [hot reads].
“I think for these young guys it’s a rude awakening. Here, when you play tight end, you’re going to play it. But these guys are smart. They want to do well and they ask a million questions.”
Former teammate joins Deaver as undrafted rookie with Carolina
Joining Deaver as an undrafted rookie free agent with Carolina is former Duke teammate Jeremy Cash, who was signed only hours after the NFL Draft.
Cash, a former All-ACC safety, is in the midst of transitioning to linebacker with the Panthers.
Deaver said he and Cash are currently working on completing their master’s degree while fighting for a position on the team.
“It’s been a nice transition to have somebody when I first got here,” he said. “We were able to bounce things off each other. He’s playing defense and I’m playing offense, so we don’t see each other as much as you might think. He’s my buddy, so it’s been really nice.”
Deaver, who graduated from Duke in May of 2015 with an undergraduate degree in sociology, will earn his master’s degree in liberal sciences.
His coursework is completed, but Deaver is halfway through his final thesis, which focuses on the reclamation process for returning war veterans present, contrasted with Vietnam.
“It was the most I’ve ever learned,” Deaver said. “It was incredible; I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity to get that done with my sixth year of eligibility.”
Deaver’s time at Duke, on-and-off the field, is a special part of his life he will always cherish and said he will forever consider himself part of the Blue Devil family.
He credits Duke head football coach David Cutcliffe, and the entire program, with his development as a man and football player.
“I couldn’t have had a better mentor, coach, father figure than coach [David] Cutcliffe,” Deaver said. “He took his time with each and every one of us. He looked out for us, and he made sure we understood what it meant to be a respectful young man.
“I take a lot of pride in being a part of that program and what we did as far as rising to where we went to.”
Deaver in thick of 7-man fight for tight end roster spot
Carolina is currently carrying seven tight ends on its roster: Deaver, Dickson, Marcus Lucas, Olsen, Beau Sandland, Scott Simonson and Eric Wallace.
At least three of the seven players will likely end up cut or on Carolina’s practice squad for the 2016 season.
Amid the competition, Deaver says he is unfazed and ready for the challenge of earning a spot on the 53-man roster.
“I understand what I have to do; I understand where I’m coming from,” Deaver said. “I’m here for a reason. I just have to keep blocking well, and I have to just keep doing what I do as far as with the ball.
“That’s a big part of the NFL – you can’t just be a receiver. I’m excited for the challenge. We’re all competing, and we all understand that they’re only going to take a certain number of guys.”
Deaver said the tight ends group remains an encouraging and positive company although they’re all gunning to dress for Carolina’s Week 1 matchup in Denver against the reigning Super Bowl champion Broncos.
“We’re going to let the cards fall, there is no animosity,” he said. “You get your shot and you take it. We’ve all kind of gelled and become good friends.”
Deaver and the Panthers will return to Charlotte Friday at 7:30 p.m. for Fan Fest at Bank of America Stadium. The Charlotte native will have his first chance to line up in a preseason game on Aug. 11 against the Ravens in Baltimore.
For the latest Carolina Panthers news, follow WRAL Sports Fan's Panthers Blitz blog and Jon Stout on Twitter.Estimated Reading Time: 24 minutes
What is JavaScript?
Josh Beam provides the following answer:
Well, when you go to a website, you (the client) requests the website from some other computer that stores the website (the server).
The server sends a bunch of files to you (maybe HTML files and CSS files)*, including probably some JavaScript files.
Then you and the server stop communicating**.
So how do you “interact” with the website? Well, for the most part, HTML and CSS provide the layout and design of the website. You can submit forms, click links, etc. But JavaScript lets the website do things like validate forms, create visual effects, etc.
Your browser is what interprets all the files that the server sends you, and in large part, JavaScript helps you interact with the website without necessarily needing to communicate with the server***. This is why JavaScript is a client-side scripting language.
As far as properties of the language, we call it dynamic and weakly-typed. We don’t have to declare what types of variables we create, and the structure of the language lets you manipulate it to act like a procedural or class-based language. Unfortunately, this can make it hard to debug since it doesn’t hold your hand.
So, that is what JavaScript usually is. But recently people have started using it for the server, just like you’d use PHP, Python, Ruby, etc. JavaScript can program a server in the form of Node.js.
This lets you use JavaScript on the client and the server, which helps you streamline things.
But wait, there’s more.
MongoDB is a database system, like MySQL, etc., but you interact with it through the command line using… you guessed it, JavaScript.
So, JavaScript is a very dynamic programming language.
*This depends on the overall framework of the website
**Unless you and the server keep open a persistent connection
***Except in the case of AJAX calls, etc.
How was JavaScript created?
Jason Huggins provides the following answer:
Its a pretty well known story. Netscape was trying to create a “glue language” for their browser.
We aimed to provide a “glue language” for the Web designers and part time programmers who were building Web content from components such as images, plugins, and Java applets. We saw Java as the “component language” used by higher-priced programmers, where the glue programmers—the Web page designers—would assemble components and automate their interactions using [a scripting language].
Initially they hired Brendan Eich with the intention of letting him implement Scheme into the browser.
Eventually it became apparent that Netscape’s goal (who was in bed with Sun) was focused on creating a language to communicate with Java, therefore it made sense that the syntax would mirror Java’s. Eich was asked to create a proof of concept to support this approach, which he wrote in only 10 days in May of 1995 and was originally code named Mocha.
More of the the history can be found in these links:
Chapter 4. How JavaScript Was Created (o’reilly)
JavaScript (wikipedia)
A Short History of JavaScript (w3c)
What are JavaScript and jQuery used for?
Toby Worth provides the following answer:
Firstly, jQuery IS javascript. It’s written in javascript and you use it by writing javascript notation.
Javascript (JS) is used for many things, it’s a way of telling a computer what you want it to do. If you use it on a client web application then you’re probably using it to change the document’s object model (DOM) so that the page updates in a way that doesn’t require a full page reload (i.e. requesting a version of the updated page from the server instead).
All languages for client apps basically change the way the page looks. HTML can’t do much once the page is rendered, CSS is also fairly static. JS let’s you redefine the HTML and CSS once they’ve been delivered to the client browser, so styles and markup can be updated or replaced. JS can render animations, turn data into charts, show/hide elements in groovy ways or any number of things (there’s very little it can’t do, as long as the browser supports it).
Some things you might want to change can take a lot of JS code to do so. jQuery tries to help with this ‘heavy lifting’ by providing a useful set of functions and methods that they update for you, also fixing bugs and compatibility issues that you probably didn’t even know you had.
So, in case you’re wondering; yes, you could use JS to write your own jQuery. Lots of people already have, for different reasons: jQuery can be too much for some small projects or not as efficient as others for some tasks. Look around for other javascript libraries and see how they compare to each other to find one for your use case.
Why is JavaScript so popular?
Dhishna Chandnani provides the following answer:
Javascript supporters call it the ultimate scripting language.
Here’s why:
It’s pretty easy to learn. Trust me, it is. And this comes from a girl who did not want to learn web development but ended up learning Javascript simply because I thought I could do it in a couple of days. 😉
P. S. It did obviously take more days, and a lot of practice. Nevertheless, I found it easier to learn in comparison to others. This could also be because I am good with C.
Libraries! Javascript has libraries for everything. Literally. You can build a complete mobile website in a day using jQuery mobile.
Speed: Javascript is fast. And client side. Reduces load on server.
Javascript can also be used to provide offline functionality. Check out Google Gear for more. Stopping the Gears
JSON started with Javascript! So did XML!
Ajax: Every web developer knows and loves Ajax. No point to be made on this.
Also, Javascript is also one of the most unreliable languages in cross-browser testing. But, I am a huge fan. Will continue using it. 😀
When do developers use JavaScript and why?
Marcus Geduld provides the following answer:
This is a simplification, but when JS is well used, it is the MC of MVC. Sometimes it is just the C (the Model might mostly be on the server).
Views should be primarily composed in HTML and CSS. You use HTML to describe what elements exist on a page (heading, main-body text, sidebar, etc) and CSS to style it (Helvetica, blue heading text, etc.). You can even create CSS styles that will be applied later, under particular circumstances: maybe you want a label on a from to be black by default but red if the user incorrectly fills out the form. So you create a.label and a.error-label style.
You’d use Javascript to switch between those styles. In other words, Javascript should contain the client-side business logic — the Controller. It will read the text that the user types into the form and then update the View (the styling of the form) and the Model, based on its parsing of that text.
The real-world is usually much messier than that. For instance, you may need JS to help build the View. If, for instance, your View involves animated effects, you’ll probably need JS to run the animation — at least until all browsers get updated with CSS3.
In cases like that, when JS needs to intrude into Views, many developers still try to separate concerns as much as possibile, walling off those view-related JS routines from the rest of the JS code, so the view logic is loosely coupled from the business logic.
I am not (necessarily) advocating for some kind of formal MVC pattern, but the web itself sort of pushes you in that way by making web pages easy to build (in terms of the way they display) via HTML and CSS and easy to control via JS.
Simple example:
Why is JavaScript the only client-side language available?
Mattias Petter Johansson provides the following answer:
Before I go on answering your question, I must point out that JavaScript is a pretty darn nice language. If you don’t think that, you haven’t given it a fair chance. It had lambdas before C#, Java and C++ added it, has higher-order functions, and has.map and.filter built into the language! In ES6, JavaScript gets proper tail calls, making it possible to do full-fledged functional programming. If you can get over the fact that it has some (avoidable) flaws it’s a very, very cool language with enormous versatility.
JavaScript has some warts, but so do all languages that have been around for a while and of the same level of popularity. C++ and Java have their fair share of ugly warts, but that always comes with popularity and age. New languages look pretty when they are young, but after years of welding on features and design compromises, they too, would have warts.
The Internet is a cobweb of different technologies cobbled together with duct tape, string and chewing gum. It’s not elegantly designed in any way, because it’s more of a growing organism than it is a machine constructed with intent.
We engineers always look with dread upon the existing, popular tools (not just programming languages), and see all the horrors of it. Oh, the things that now, with hindsight, could have been made so much better! But you know what, the tools are here, now. They work! And not only that, they are actually pretty darn good. Not as good as the tools of our imagined future, of course, but still very useful.
What we have today might have some glaring flaws, but you just have to work around that if you want to get stuff done during your short time on earth, or you’ll be stuck in a loop creating new tools instead of using what you have to help your fellow man. Try to view your flawed, present-day tools as a relationship – your wife, girlfriend or partner will have some pretty big issues no matter how awesome they are, and that is just something that you have to work with, because that is who they are.
But I digress. Your question was why has nobody actually managed to replace JavaScript? There are two reasons.
The first reason is that people simply underestimate how hard it would be to replace. Designing a fantastic, spectacular language would only be 0.0001% of the work. Getting a language to the point where JavaScript is today is a task on the same level of difficulty as solving the Israel-Palestine conflict. Millions of hours of development time and other efforts have been spent to get JavaScript to have the advantages it has today:
Built in into all major browsers.
Multiple, well-maintained open-source engines available (JavaScriptCore, SpiderMonkey and V8) competing hard for faster and faster interpretation.
Incredibly well-known. Few people can code JavaScript properly, but almost everyone that has coded has written some JavaScript.
Not controlled by any major player (Apple sacrificed a lot gunning down Flash for this reason).
JavaScript has been very well kept as a standard. It is completely unique in that it’s 19 years old, yet it has very few language constucts. C++ has an unfathomable amount of language constructs and takes years and years to master. JavaScript enjoys the same perks of maturity (massive documentation, lots of talent around etc) yet can be learned in a few weeks.
But the second, more important reason, is that we seem to want a single language. Java, JavaScript, VBScript and ActionScript were pretty active contenders at different points in time, but after a while, it turned out to be extremely beneficial for, us as an industry, to converge on one platform. It might have flaws, but the massive benefits of so many people working with a single (comparatively simple) language standard seem to outweigh that.
Shameless plug: If you like my ramblings about programming on Quora, you might enjoy my YouTube show: http://youtube.com/c/mpjmevideos
What are the top ten things a beginner must know about JavaScript?
Baptiste Fontaine provides the following answer:
There’s no class in JavaScript. It uses prototypal inheritance.
See: What is prototypal inheritance? & What kind of problems are easier to solve with prototype-based programming instead of class-based OOP?
Everything (except null and undefined ) behaves like an object, even numbers and functions:
Note 1: you need to use two dots when calling a method of an integer without brackets, e.g.:
Note 2: f.name is the name of the function, not the name of the variable containing it, e.g.:
Note that f.name is a non-standard attribute here.
I replaced “is an object” with “behaves like an object”. In fact, literal numbers, strings and booleans are primitives, and everything else is an object (even literal regular expressions, like /foo\d+/ ). What happens behind the scenes when you access a property on a primitive is that the primitive is temporary wrapped in an object, e.g.:
Also, calling Object.defineProperty on a primitive fails, e.g.:
Thanks for Bulat Bochkariov and Durgesh Priyaranjan for pointing that literal strings, numbers and booleans are primitives.
Variables are global by default. You have to use the var keyword to make them local, e.g.:
Note that using global variables throws an error in strict mode.
this is |
test environment
Ember has integration with QUnit. So here’s a tip: use it! Otherwise you won’t be able to use all built-in helpers. You also have way more documentation about Ember + QUnit than with any other framework.
Setting up Rails, Ember and QUnit used to be a complicated task; not anymore! I wrote a JavaScript test runner for Rails apps that supports Ember, QUnit, Jasmine and Mocha. Just add test_squad to your Gemfile.
source 'https://rubygems.org' source 'https://rails-assets.org' gem 'rails', '4.2.0' gem'sass-rails', '~> 5.0' gem 'uglifier', '>= 1.3.0' gem 'ember-rails' gem 'ember-source', '~> 1.9.0' gem 'rails-assets-jquery' group :development, :test do gem 'test_squad' end
You can bootstrap the test environment by running the rails generate command.
$ rails generate test_squad:install --framework ember create test/javascript/unit create test/javascript/unit/router_test.js create test/javascript/routes create test/javascript/routes/.keep create test/javascript/components create test/javascript/components/.keep create test/javascript/views create test/javascript/views/.keep create test/javascript/models create test/javascript/models/.keep create test/javascript/test_helper.js gemfile group :development, :test append Gemfile gemfile rails-assets-qunit append Gemfile source https://rails-assets.org exist test/javascript create test/javascript/test_squad.rb
The generator will detect if you’re running RSpec or TestUnit and will create the structure at spec/javascript or test/javascript.
You may need to modify the test helper file, setting your app’s namespace. It will use your Rails application name by default.
//= require application //= require_self //= require_tree./components //= require_tree./models //= require_tree./routes //= require_tree./unit //= require_tree./views // Set the application. App = MyApp ; // Set up Ember testing. App. rootElement = '#ember-testing' ; App. setupForTesting (); App. injectTestHelpers ();
The test_squad gem has asset pipeline support, so feel free to use CoffeeScript if you like it.
You can run tests in your browser or, even better, your terminal.
Running tests in your browser
First change your config/routes.rb to add the testing route. This is required only if you’re using the catch-all route and Ember’s history.pushState integration.
Rails. application. routes. draw do root 'ember#bootstrap' get :tests, to: 'test_squad#tests' unless Rails. env. production? get '/*path' => 'ember#bootstrap' end
To run the tests, just start the server in development mode and visit http://localhost:3000/tests.
Running tests in your terminal
First, you need to install Phantom.js. Mac users can do it with Homebrew.
$ brew install phantomjs
If you’re not using Mac, see how you can install Phantom.js.
Just use the rake test_squad command to run all tests.
Extending QUnit
By installing ember-qunit, you’ll be able to use some additional helpers for testing components and models.
Again, we’ll use Rails Assets for this. Add rails-assets-ember-qunit to your Gemfile and install this new dependency with bundle install.
source 'https://rubygems.org' source 'https://rails-assets.org' gem 'rails', '4.2.0' gem'sass-rails', '~> 5.0' gem 'uglifier', '>= 1.3.0' gem 'ember-rails' gem 'ember-source', '~> 1.9.0' gem 'rails-assets-jquery' group :development, :test do gem 'test_squad' gem 'rails-assets-qunit' gem 'rails-assets-ember-qunit' end
Load ember-qunit by requiring the library in your test_helper.js file.
//= require application //= require ember-qunit/dist/globals/main //= require_self //= require_tree./components //= require_tree./models //= require_tree./routes //= require_tree./unit //= require_tree./views // Set the application. App = MyApp ; // Set up ember-qunit emq. globalize (); App. Resolver = Ember. DefaultResolver. extend ({ namespace : App }); setResolver ( App. Resolver. create ()); // Set up Ember testing. App. rootElement = '#ember-testing' ; App. setupForTesting (); App. injectTestHelpers ();
And your done! Now you have helpers like moduleFor, moduleForComponent and moduleForModel, so don’t forget to read the docs.
Installing Ember Inspector
If you want to develop Ember apps, make yourself a favor and install Ember Inspector, a Chrome extension that can inspect your app. You check objects, see rendering times, and more.
Wrapping up
Most applications will have different clients like a web version, mobile (E.g. iOS, Android) and, maybe, a CLI, not to mention SDKs for different languages. The only possible-sane way of doing this is by having an API for all clients. Ember wants to be the final client for web applications (and maybe mobile).
Will it make it?
You can found the source code for this example at Github.Image credit: Open Knowledge Foundation
For the first time, the United States government has agreed to release what we believe to be the largest index of government data in the world.
On Friday, the Sunlight Foundation received a letter from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) outlining how they plan to comply with our FOIA request from December 2013 for agency Enterprise Data Inventories. EDIs are comprehensive lists of a federal agency’s information holdings, providing an unprecedented view into data held internally across the government. Our FOIA request was submitted 14 months ago.
These lists of the government’s data were not public, however, until now. More than a year after Sunlight’s FOIA request and with a lawsuit initiated by Sunlight about to be filed, we’re finally going to see what data the government holds.
Sunlight’s FOIA request built on President Obama’s Open Data Executive Order, which first required agency-wide data indexes to be built and maintained. According to implementation guidance prepared in response to the executive order, Enterprise Data Inventories are intended to help agencies “develop a clear and comprehensive understanding of what data assets they possess” by accounting “for all data assets created or collected by the agency.”
At the time, we argued that “without seeing the entire EDIs, it is impossible for the public to know what data is being collected and stored by the government and to debate whether or not that data should be made public.”
When OMB initially responded to our request, it didn’t cite an exemption to FOIA. Instead, OMB directed us to approach each agency individually for its EDIs. This, despite the fact that the agencies are required to submit their updated EDIs to OMB on a quarterly basis.
With that in mind, and with the help of some very talented lawyers from the firm of Garvey Schubert Barer, we filed an administrative appeal with OMB and prepared for court. We were ready to fight for the idea that government data cannot be leveraged to its fullest if the public only knows about a fraction of it.
We hoped that OMB would recognize that open data is worth the work it takes to disclose the indexes. We’re pleased to say that our hope looks like it is becoming reality.
Since 2013, federal agencies have been required to construct a list of all of their major data sets, subject only to a few exceptions detailed in President Obama’s executive order as well as some information exempted from disclosure under the FOIA.
Having access to a detailed index of agencies’ data is a key step in aiding the use and utility of government data. By publicly describing almost all data the government has in an index, the Enterprise Data Inventories should empower IT management, FOIA requestors and oversight — by government officials and citizens alike.
The latest iterations of the EDIs are due on Feb. 28, and OMB has said it is prepared to release them to us as soon as three days after they are submitted by the agencies. Agencies will be making and explaining any necessary redactions pursuant to FOIA exemptions. (For the full details, see the letter below.)
We view this release as a significant victory for the open government and open data movement. Creating a more complete picture of the government’s data holdings is a longstanding priority for the Sunlight Foundation, and is broadly considered a big step toward open data policies that transform how governments work.
There’s no guarantee that agencies’ indexes will contain all the data that it should (because they are iterative, living documents, many of which are still in various stages of construction). Still, this announcement makes a huge step forward: Rather than wondering what data the government has, we are all now in the position of policing how completely agencies are indexing their data, deciding what to publish and determining why some data cannot be public.
Data.gov helped create the norm that public data should be centrally listed, and the new expectation — representing a significant cultural shift within government — is that all major data sets should be acknowledged and described publicly (subject to a few exceptions).
This move has built on the momentum of President Obama’s various open data policies throughout his presidency, sustained by a growing core of like-minded staff who are helping transform the government from the inside. (Like the Department of Transportation, which has long led on this effort, and is the only agency that currently publishes its EDI.) OMB deserves significant credit for acknowledging the value of data indexes, working with agencies to develop them and, now, releasing them publicly.
We are happy to say that, despite extensive delays and the need to consider additional legal actions, the FOIA process appears to have worked in this case. We hope that this release will show the federal government that it can be open about all of the data it holds, inspiring them to continue releasing EDIs as a matter of policy moving forward. It’s a very good day for open data!
—–
OMB’s letter to the Sunlight Foundation describing how they intend to comply with our FOIA request — and subsequent appeal — for agency Enterprise Data Inventories created under President Obama’s 2013 open data executive order.
OMB Letter to Sunlight Foundation 2/6/2015 by Sunlight Foundation
Our appeal to OMB’s initial response to Sunlight’s FOIA for EDIs, prepared by lawyers at Garvey Schubert Barer.
Sunlight Foundation appeal of OMB’s response to a FOIA for Enterprise Data Inventories
Correction: A previous version of this story embedded an incorrect document instead of the appeal. The appropriate document has now been added.MINNEAPOLIS — In 2008, Dwyane Wade rehabilitated his surgically-repaired left knee in Chicago, receiving periodic visits from USA Basketball Chairman Jerry Colangelo.
"Although he wasn't quite ready, I went with him (for the Olympic team)," Colangelo said in a phone interview. "And he turned out to be maybe our best player when we won gold at the (Beijing) Olympics."
The Bulls must hope history repeats itself.
USA Basketball announced Wednesday a three-day stop in Chicago, including an Aug. 16 exhibition at the United Center against Brazil, as part of its preparation for this fall's FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain. And Derrick Rose, who underwent his second straight season-ending knee surgery in November, hopes to be part of it all.
After getting positive signals from Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf over lunch last week in Phoenix, not to mention from Team USA assistant coach Tom Thibodeau, Colangelo said he plans to monitor Rose personally this summer as he once did Wade.
"If he's capable of going, the Bulls want him to go to (Team USA) camp," Colangelo said. "There's a lot to find out about where he is. For his own peace of mind, he needs to know that anyway.
"Derrick is part of our family. We want him to have that opportunity. He has plenty of time between now and then to get himself ready."
Rose, who tore his right medial meniscus Nov. 22, is doing everything but taking contact. He has said he plans to attend Team USA's minicamp from July 28-Aug. 1 in Las Vegas.
"He's feeling great, which is the encouraging thing," Thibodeau said. "He's bouncing all over the place. The rehab is going very well."
Colangelo said perhaps only 20 from the 2014-16 national pool of 28 players will attend the Las Vegas minicamp. From there, he and coach Mike Krzyzewski hope to pare down to 12-15 for the Aug. 14-16 stint in Chicago, an Aug. 17-22 stint in New York and an Aug. 24-26 stop on the island of Gran Canaria.
The FIBA Basketball World Cup will be Aug. 30-Sept. 14. Rose, who typically avoids scrimmaging in offseasons, played when Team USA won gold at the 2010 world championships in Turkey.
"Derrick used that summer as a springboard to do amazing things, becoming MVP," Colangelo said.
The Chicago stop is a nice nod to the roots of Colangelo and Krzyzewski, who attended Bloom and Weber high schools, respectively.
"We've never forgotten where we came from," Colangelo said. "We want to celebrate the game while we're there."
Tickets for the exhibition at the United Center go on sale May 16.Astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man ever to walk on the moon, has died at age 82.
Armstrong was commander of the Apollo 11 mission that made the first manned moon landing on July 20, 1969. He radioed back to Earth the historic news: "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."
STORY: Neil Armstrong, first man on the moon, dies
He spent nearly three hours walking on the moon with fellow astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, NBC reports.
Update 3:40 p.m. ET: The Associated Press reports that Armstrong's family says he died following complications resulting from cardiovascular procedures. It's not clear where he died.
Update at 3:29 p.m. ET: Armstrong, who lived in the Cincinnati area, recently had heart surgery, NBC reports. Surgeons bypassed four blockages in his coronary arteries. His wife had said his spirits were high and that doctors expected no problems with his recovery.- Atlanta police are seeing a huge surge in car break-ins. Just in the past month, police say there have been 1,046 thefts from vehicles. Authorities say if you look at the statistics from just the past five weeks, which is a spike of 25 to 30 percent.
According to police, just a few weeks ago, a crew smashed their way into 100 cars, all in one night. The thieves were fast, moving from downtown to Midtown to Virginia Highland and East Atlanta in about an hour.
Thomas Marshall told FOX 5 his car was hit. He says the thieves stole his wedding band that he left inside his car while he was at the gym, and his children's sing-a-long CD's.
"I don't understand it. People have nothing else to do?" says Marshall.
Police say thieves will take most anything they find, but there's a much more dangerous side: guns. Atlanta Police report 115 firearms were stolen from vehicles since September 1.
"My concern is where the guns are going, whether it's here or New York it doesn't matter. They're on the street illegally so we have to think it's not for a promising purpose," says Deputy Chief Erika Shields.
Chief Shields says investigators don't believe there's an organized ring behind the break-ins. She says there are probably a couple of dozen people; some are adult, career criminals. The rest are juveniles, around 12 to 16 years old.
"These are kids who have nothing, and it's easy to break into a car and pawn off items," says Shields.
Atlanta police say the crooks don't target a specific area and can strike at any time of the day. Police say when there's a rash of break-ins, they come out in force.
"We drill down on the repeat locations and increase patrols, flooding various areas with addition police and utilizing our camera system which has been beneficial. We have to work aggressively to get this turned around," says Chief Shields.New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday rejected a plea for death penalty and enhanced the sentence for Vikas Yadav and his cousin Vishal from life imprisonment to 25 years without remission for the murder of Nitish Katara, a friend of Vikas Yadav's sister.
The court also increased the jail term of another convict Sukhdev Pehelwan to 25 years, saying all of them will have to undergo rigorous imprisonment without any remission behind bars except for the additional five years awarded to the trio for destruction of evidence in the case.
A special bench of Justice Gita Mittal and Justice JR Midha also imposed a penalty of Rs 50 lakh each on Vikas, the son of UP politician DP Yadav, and his cousin Vishal for the murder.
The judges turned down the plea moved by Nitish's mother Neelam Katara and Delhi police seeking gallows for the three convicts.
Neelam Katara, who was present during the pronouncement of the order on sentence, later expressed disappointment over rejection of the plea for death penalty but was happy with the enhancement of the sentence.
"I will appeal against the order in the Supreme Court," she said, adding that she does not require the compensation amount awarded by the court as she feels that no numerical value can be put on the life of her son.
The court, in its over 700-page judgement said that the time spent by Vikas in hospital (October 10, 2011 to November 4, 2011) shall not be counted as period already undergone by him in jail.
It also asked the Centre and the state government to conduct an inquiry into the convicts' visits to the hospital during their stay in jail.
Vikas, his cousin Vishal Yadav and Sukhdev Pehelwan are serving life term for abducting and killing Katara, a business executive and the son of a railway officer, on the night of February 16-17, 2002, as they opposed the victim's affair with Bharti, daughter of DP Yadav.
The court has been hearing arguments on the punishment to be awarded to the three convicts since April 2014.
The convicts had sought leniency in sentencing as well as exemption from death sentence saying they can reform and their act was not so brutal or gruesome that it deserved capital punishment.
On the other hand, the victim's mother, Neelam Katara, and the Delhi Police had demanded death for the trio, terming their offence to be the rarest of rare.
The high court had on April 2, 2014, upheld the verdict of the lower court in the case by describing the offence as "honour killing" stemming from a "deeply-entrenched belief" in caste system.
The high court had dismissed the appeals of the convicts and kept pending two separate pleas of the state and Neelam Katara seeking death penalty for them.
Katara was abducted and killed by Vikas, Vishal and Sukhdev as they did not approve of the victim's affair with Bharti because they belonged to different castes, the court had said.
(With PTI inputs)Study finds people still had limited access to mental healthcare from 2008-2014 as Affordable Care Act and other laws unable to overcome financial downturn
Six years after the recession, Americans with mental illness still had limited access to treatment, according to researchers.
US laws meant to improve that access, including the Affordable Care Act (ACA), were unable to overcome the crippling financial impact of the recession on the millions of Americans seeking care, according to a study published Monday in the journal Psychiatric Services.
“The study creates this picture of people who may have been marginally functioning, who were pushed over the edge and they just couldn’t get back: they couldn’t get jobs, they couldn’t back to the life they had before,” said Judith Weissman, the study’s lead investigator.
More than 8.3 million people have serious psychological distress (SPD), which indicates a person is likely to have a mental health problem that interferes with their life.
In 2014, the year the ACA was fully implemented, 9.5% of Americans with SPD did not have access to health insurance that could connect them with a counselor or psychiatrist, a small rise from 2006, when 9% of the population reported the same thing, according to the study.
Weissman, a research manager at New York University’s Langone medical center, said this population was worse off in 2014 than it was in 2006 when it comes to healthcare utilization, which is measured by things including an inability to get needed prescription drugs or delays in accessing treatment. “There is something very broken about the way we provide mental healthcare in the country,” she said.
Patterns in access to care between 2006 and 2014 were similar among adults with and without SPD. Both groups experienced a steep rise in lack of health coverage after the recession in 2008 and experienced a return to 2006 coverage levels in 2014.
But from 2006 to 2014, adults with SPD who could not afford medication continued to increase, which the study said “suggests they may not have had as complete an economic recovery as adults without SPD”.
Weissman said that while this early analysis suggests the mental health system has failed to bounce back from the economic recession, people are using available healthcare at increasing rates because of changes made under Obamacare. “I think that what we’re seeing now is that – really, likely the impact of the recession on people with mental illness,” Weissman said.
She was one of several researchers at Langone to conduct the analysis, which took four years to complete and is thought to be the first of its kind in more than a decade.
Their study provides a conservative estimate of mental healthcare access and utilization because it does not include the homeless population. In January 2016, one in five people experiencing homelessness had a serious mental illness, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
John Snook, executive director of the Treatment Advocacy Center, a mental health advocacy organization, said he hopes the benefit of the ACA and other laws that expanded mental healthcare access will show up “more robustly” in future studies.
“What you hear from families all the time is it is still a really difficult process to get mental illness treatment – even in states that have expanded Medicaid,” he said. “There may be only one psychiatrist that’s available; she may be an hour and half away.”
He said this analysis provides data that the group has been seeking – and pushing policymakers to collect – for years, to support things the group has observed anecdotally.
Snook said: “As we get better and better data, what we are overwhelmingly finding is that we are doing a terrible job of prioritizing their care and we, as a result, are costing ourselves a huge amount of money and not benefitting this population.”Some question the value and realism behind this toy. I feel that they do not completely comprehend the history of the AVENGING NARWHAL, and his profound significance.
The AVENGING NARWHAL does not kill in vain. He is motivated by the slaughter of his family, in a heartless bloodbath, by the Penguin Cabal--supported by the all too guilty Baby Seal League. Driven by this tragedy, the AVENGING NARWHAL is compelled to pursue all the vicious enemies that might have led to the destruction of his pod. This, no doubt, includes Koalas Inc., a treacherous and ambitious corporation that moved their ill deeds to the seas when the boon of eucalyptus could no longer satisfy their greedy little fingers. Their CEO, Koala Bear, is a feature of this dynamic, chilling, and important play set.
No educational value? I would say that it tells a story of true meaning; detailing the perils of unregulated industry, organized crime, and the unforeseen consequences thereof.
I hope that you now better understand your folly, as well as the plight of the AVENGING NARWHAL.Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is surging in the polls. He leads Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the four most recent New Hampshire primary polls and in the two most recent Iowa caucus polls.
But he isn't climbing as quickly in other parts of the country. While Sanders is rising, Clinton still leads him by nearly 20 percentage points in the HuffPost Pollster national chart and in most recent national polls.
Sanders' slower national climb is likely due, at least in part, to his lack of name recognition across the country. Democrats in the critical early primary states -- like New Hampshire and Iowa -- know him better than those elsewhere.
Only 12 percent of Democrats in New Hampshire and 15 percent of Democrats in Iowa say they haven't heard enough about Sanders to rate him in favorability questions. But nationally, that share jumps to 38 percent.
HuffPost Pollster
Sanders is especially well-known in New Hampshire since his entire political career has been based in neighboring Vermont, and he has been campaigning heavily in Iowa.
What stands out in the national chart is that Clinton's lead has diminished sharply over the summer -- faster than Sanders has made gains. Even though he hasn't publicly decided whether to run, Vice President Joe Biden is pulling an increasingly large share of Clinton's supporters. According to a new ABC/Washington Post poll, the former secretary of state's support drops 14 points -- from 56 percent to 42 percent -- when Biden is in the race. In July, Clinton was losing only 5 percent of her support to Biden.
It's entirely possible that Sanders' numbers could rise nationally as people become more familiar with him. But Sanders supporters shouldn't get too excited, nor should Clinton supporters get too fearful, based on these early surveys. While the polls show how the race stands right now, it's likely the numbers will change drastically between today and when actualy voting starts in New Hampshire and Iowa. Early primary polls are good measures of how well-known the candidates are, but they aren't very good at predicting eventual winners.
The NBC/Marist Poll cited in the infographic was conducted Aug. 26-Sept. 2, and the results are based on 356 respondents identified as likely to vote in the primary. It had a margin of error of +/- 5.2 percentage points. The Iowa Quinnipiac poll was conducted Aug. 27-Sept. 8, with 832 likely Democratic caucus participants and a margin of error of +/- 3.4 points. The national Quinnipiac poll was conducted Aug. 20-25, with 647 registered voters who identified as Democrats or leaning toward the Democratic Party, and a margin of error of +/- 3.9 points.In a preview of Wednesday’s Piers Morgan Tonight, former President Jimmy Carter surprised host Piers Morgan with his somewhat blunt (by mainstream media standards) assessment of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Speaking of Gingrich’s standing ovation moment at Monday night’s debate, President Carter told Morgan “I think (Gingrich) has that subtlety of racism that I know quite well, that Gingrich knows quite well, that appeals to some people in Georgia.”
“Really?” Morgan exclaimed as Carter spoke, later adding, “That’s a pretty serious charge to level at Newt Gingrich, that he’s being racist.”
“I’m not saying he’s racist, but he knows the subtle words to use to appeal to a racist group,” Carter responded.
“Same thing, isn’t it?” Morgan interjected.
“Not quite,” President Carter replied, adding “Newt Gingrich is probably as enlightened as I am about being gratified that we’re in the desegregation years in the South,” but “when you emphasize, over and over, welfare, food stamps, and ‘why don’t the black people get jobs,’ and if I’m president, I’ll make sure they turn toward a work ethic, rather than an ethic of welfare and food stamps, that’s appealing to the wrong element in South Carolina.”
Given the South Carolina debate crowd’s reaction to Gingrich, they may be, as Carter says, the “wrong crowd,” but they’re a big one.
You can see the rest of Piers Morgan’s interview with former President Jimmy Carter tonight at 9pm, on CNN.
Here’s the clip, from CNN:
Have a tip we should know? [email protected] S.J.
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Google ScholarAnnouncing ASP.NET Core 1.0
Jeffrey
The first version of ASP.NET 1.0 came out almost 14 years ago. Since then many developers have used it to build and run great web applications, and over the years we have added and evolved many, many capabilities to it.
Today we are excited to announce the release of ASP.NET Core 1.0! This new release is one of the most significant architectural updates we’ve done to ASP.NET. As part of this release we are making ASP.NET leaner, more modular, cross-platform, and cloud optimized. ASP.NET Core is now available, and you can start using it today by downloading it here.
ASP.NET Core is an open source web framework for building modern web applications that can be developed and run on Windows, Linux and the Mac. It includes the MVC framework, which now combines the features of MVC and Web API into a single web programming framework. ASP.NET Core is built on the.NET Core runtime, but it can also be run on the full.NET Framework for maximum compatibility.
We challenged everything instead of delivering an incremental update so you can have an extremely modular, fast and lightweight platform perfect for the new era of software development where monolithic applications are replaced by small, autonomous services that can be deployed individually. All of that while keeping and extending what.NET is best for: developer productivity, and modern languages and libraries.
With ASP.NET Core we are making a number of architectural changes that makes the core web framework much leaner (it no longer requires System.Web.dll) and more modular (almost all features are now implemented as NuGet packages – allowing you to optimize your app to have just what you need). With ASP.NET Core you gain the following foundational improvements:
Build and run cross-platform ASP.NET apps on Windows, Mac and Linux
Built on.NET Core, which supports true side-by-side app versioning
New tooling that simplifies modern Web development
Single aligned web stack for Web UI and Web APIs
Cloud-ready environment-based configuration
Built-in support for dependency injection
Tag Helpers which makes Razor markup more natural with HTML
Ability to host on IIS or self-host in your own process
The end result is an ASP.NET that you’ll feel very familiar with, and which is also now even more tuned for modern web development.
This is a 1.0 product which means it is just the beginning and does not have all the functionality of ASP.NET 4.x stack. For example, features like SignalR and Web Pages will come later in the year and other features like Web Forms which are deeply tied to System.Web will remain in the.NET 4.x framework. If you are an existing ASP.NET 4.x developer do not feel rushed to move to ASP.NET Core, we still plan to update Web Forms, MVC, Web Pages, SignalR on.NET 4.x as well.
If you are not a.NET developer, now it’s a great moment to try it. You can enjoy the productivity and power of.NET with no constraints, on any OS, with any tool |
tiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and I believe in miracles Audrey Hepburn
The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. Audrey Hepburn
Your heart just breaks, that’s all. But you can’t judge or point fingers. You just have to be lucky enough to find someone who appreciates you. Audrey Hepburn
The best thing to hold onto in life is each other. Audrey Hepburn
You can tell more about a person by what he says about others than you can by what others say about him. Audrey Hepburn
I don’t want to be alone, I want to be left alone. Audrey Hepburn
I’m an introvert… I love being by myself, love being outdoors, love taking a long walk with my dogs and looking at the trees, flowers, the sky. Audrey Hepburn
If I get married, I want to be very married. Audrey Hepburn
The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she knows. Audrey Hepburn
When you have nobody you can make a cup of tea for, when nobody needs you, that’s when I think life is over. Audrey Hepburn
Let’s face it, a nice creamy chocolate cake does a lot for a lot of people; it does for me. Audrey Hepburn
Living is like tearing through a museum. Not until later do you really start absorbing what you saw, thinking about it, looking it up in a book, and remembering – because you can’t take it in all at once. Audrey Hepburn
Why change? Everyone has his own style. When you have found it, you should stick to it. Audrey Hepburn
I heard a definition once: Happiness is health and a short memory! I wish I’d invented it, because it is very true. Audrey Hepburn
Make-up can only make you look pretty on the outside but it doesn’t help if your ugly on the inside. Unless you eat the make-up. Audrey Hepburn
You can always tell what kind of a person a man really thinks you are by the earrings he gives you. Audrey Hepburn
I’ve been lucky. Opportunities don’t often come along. So, when they do, you have to grab them. Audrey Hepburn
People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone. Audrey Hepburn
I don’t take my life seriously, but I do take what I do – in my life – seriously – Audrey Hepburn
The greatest victory has been to be able to live with myself, to accept my shortcomings… I’m a long way from the human being I’d like to be. But I’ve decided I’m not so bad after all. Audrey Hepburn
Everything I learned I learned from the movies. Audrey Hepburn
I believe in manicures. I believe in overdressing. I believe in primping at leisure and wearing lipstick. I believe in pink. I believe happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and… I believe in miracles. Audrey Hepburn
True friends are families which you can select. Audrey Hepburn
On the one hand maybe I’ve remained infantile, while on the other I matured quickly, because at a young age I was very aware of suffering and fear. Audrey Hepburn
And the beauty of a woman, with passing years only grows! Audrey Hepburn
I tried always to do better: saw always a little further. I tried to stretch myself. Audrey Hepburn
As a matter of fact, I rather feel like expressing myself now. Audrey Hepburn
Anyone who does not believe in miracles is not a realist. Audrey Hepburn
I have learnt how to live…how to be in the world and of the world, and not just to stand aside and watch. Audrey Hepburn
For me the only things of interests are those linked to the heart. Audrey Hepburn
Good things aren’t supposed to just fall into your lap. God is very generous, but He expects you to do your part first. Audrey Hepburn
For my whole life, my favorite activity was reading. It’s not the most social pastime. Audrey Hepburn
Some people dream of having a big swimming pool. With me, it’s closets. Audrey Hepburn
There are certain shades of limelight that can wreck a girl’s complexion. Audrey Hepburn
Elegance is the only beauty that never fades. Audrey Hepburn
Success is like reaching an important birthday and finding you’re exactly the same. Audrey Hepburn
We all want to be loved, don’t we? Everyone looks for a way of finding love. It’s a constant search for affection in every walk of life. Audrey Hepburn
I never think of myself as an icon. What is in other people’s minds is not in my mind. I just do my thing. Audrey Hepburn
My greatest ambition is to have a career without becoming a career woman. Audrey Hepburn
I hate girls that giggle all the time…You hate any girl that David looks at. Audrey Hepburn
A woman can be beautiful as well as intellectual. Audrey Hepburn
The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. Audrey HepburnAAP leader Somnath Bharti was taken into custody for trying to take out a rally without permission.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Somnath Bharti, along with 27 party workers, was taken into custody today for allegedly trying to take out a rally without permission while demanding setting up of a Lokayukta in Tamil Nadu.The agitating AAP workers also allegedly burnt copies of the AIADMK manifesto in which it reportedly promised setting up of a Lokayukta, if voted to power in the May 2016 Assembly polls.Mr Bharti, in charge of Aam Aadmi Party's Tamil Nadu affairs, and 27 other party workers were taken into custody when they tried to take out a rally without permission, police said.Mr Bharti, who represents Malviya Nagar constituency in Delhi Assembly, was in Chennai to participate in an indefinite hunger strike undertaken by AAP's state convener Vasigaran. Meanwhile, Mr Vasigaran was shifted to a hospital for treatment after his health deteriorated following the hunger strike, police added.By Alex Tarrant
A more comprehensive tax policy looks set to be on new Labour Party leader Jacinda Ardern’s Election 2017 agenda as the shackles imposed by Andrew Little’s ‘no change’ stance are lifted.
Ardern was keeping her policy cards close to her chest on Tuesday after taking over from Little, saying she would embark on a 72-hour stock take of Labour’s campaign and policy manifesto.
But importantly, she did not rule out taking a much more comprehensive tax policy to the electorate before 23 September than Labour’s current policy, and even seemed to encourage speculation.
I'm told that a more progressive stance is set to appear.
Ardern also indicated she would like to add policy to the election manifesto. As Labour's policy costings have already been published, any extra spending might need to be covered by extra revenue as the party seeks to stay within its self-imposed Budget Responsibility Rules.
However, this doesn't seem to be in the'revenue-for-policy-sake' bucket. Rather, it will be in the 'we think New Zealand needs a more progressive tax system' bucket.
'Tackling inequality'
Asked whether she favoured bringing back Labour’s former capital gains tax policy, Ardern replied:
“I think it’s fair to say, and anyone’s who’s watched me in politics over the last nine years, and watched Labour’s values as well, will know that I’ll be very focussed on issues of inequality. That’s a major concern for me.”
While she asked for time to review policy ideas over the next three days, Ardern added: “but there will be a few different ideas that I’ll be talking to the team about.”
Later during her first press conference as leader, I asked whether Labour would be taking a more comprehensive tax policy into the election as opposed to Little’s former stance. As I asked the question, a wry smile appeared momentarily on finance spokesman Grant Robertson’s face.
Robertson appears energised by the prospect of actually being able to take a progressive tax policy into the election campaign.
Former Labour leader Phil Goff’s move to run on a capital gains tax stance in 2011, something David Shearer and David Cunliffe carried on, has softened the electorate to such talk from a major party. Capital Gains Tax was only spoken about in dark corners of the Parliamentary precinct before Goff went out on a limb with it following the 2010 Tax Working Group’s recommendations.
What we’re still not sure on at the moment is what a new Labour package could include. But Robertson is a CGT fan and also a fan of a top higher personal income tax rate. The word 'progressive' may as well be tattooed across his back. I’d note that Robertson was also the driving force behind Labour’s consideration of a universal basic income before Little shut the idea down as being too wild.
While a UBI might be a step too far this election, could Labour’s previous policy of a tax-free threshold for income come back on the agenda? It would be the first step in that direction.
Perhaps Ardern and Robertson won’t look to rock the boat that much, but we can certainly expect the Labour Party before 23 September to announce a much more comprehensive tax policy than it currently has.
When Little became leader in 2014 he was quick to drop pretty much all of Labour’s tax initiatives including that capital gains tax. Talk of a higher top personal income tax rate also disappeared under his tenure. In its place have appeared a number of minor tweaks – extending the bright line test, ending secondary tax, and later, a move to combat negative gearing.
As I wrote on Monday, the stance meant the Green Party was able to take on the mantle of being the number one promoter of a more progressive income tax system, while also being able to attract the attentions of those keen on a capital gains tax.
Little did allow Robertson the promise that Labour would form a new tax working group sometime before 2020 to work out how to tax income, wealth and assets much more fairly, with the potential to take recommendations into that year’s election. But that’s not really a proper tax policy.
Ardern’s first press conference as leader - being able to handle Winston & The Greens
Meanwhile, Jacinda Ardern’s first press conference as leader appeared to be well-received. She was happy to take control of proceedings, and push back at journalists when asked critical questions.
Importantly, Ardern indicated she was willing to find common ground with New Zealand First leader Winston Peters if that were required. What was her message to him? “I like single malts,” she said referencing Peters’ famous love for whisky. It was a whisky session with Jim Bolger in 1996 that helped form a government back then, after all.
“The point I’m trying to make is that, we’ll find our common ground. You won’t hear a lot of conversation about that from us in the election campaign. We’re going to be focussed on Labour,” Ardern said.
However, there was still a hint of Little’s criticism of Peters from the weekend. If voters wanted assurance that National wouldn’t be in charge after the election, the surest way was to vote Labour. “If the voters present something different to us, then we’ll work with that. But I’m sure we’ll find common ground if and when we’re required to do that.”
The message was largely the same for the Green Party. The Memorandum of Understanding between the two parties would stay, although Labour’s campaign would only be about Labour’s policies.
Ardern said attaching any of Labour’s current woes to the rise in the polls the Greens have seen since the MoU was signed wasn’t a useful exercise. Labour’s team took responsibility for its own campaign. “I’m not interested in the relative effect of other parties,” she said.
One of the answers that drew the most reaction from the media pack was to a question of whether Ardern could lead a cabinet that included the Greens and Winston Peters: “I used to be the President of an international youth organisation that had members from Lebanon, Palestine and Israel. I think I can do this.”
It wasn’t an answer anyone was expecting, and it did the trick. There were answers to every question. Was she ready to be Prime Minister? Her team wouldn’t have appointed her if they didn’t think so.
“I’ve had nigh on twenty years of experience working in and around politics,” Ardern said. She also referenced her “pretty diverse rural background” growing up in Morrinsville as helping prepare her for the job. “Granted, I am a young proposition for the party. But this team has worked alongside me for nine years. They have faith in me and I absolutely believe I’m up to the job.”
An inter-generational election
Another tack into Greens territory was Ardern’s targeting of young people, and talking about her appointment as signalling generational change.
“I’m very mindful that the next generation is about to inherit a New Zealand that isn’t better than what their parents experienced. So, our focus will be about bringing fairness back into New Zealand. We’ll have a focus on equality and inequality…” she said. “I want to take stock for a bit. What will be clear to people though - it is a generational difference.”
Also: “At stake is a chance to build a New Zealand that is better than we found it, and to build a future to look forward to.” And: “We can prepare ourselves and future generations for a much brighter future.”
On the Maori Party, the door was left open, even by new deputy Kelvin Davis. Maori Party President Tuku Morgan on Tuesday called for the new Labour leadership to be open to working with his party, as Maori around the country had been telling him they would prefer the two parties worked together than Maori with National.
It was a far cry from Morgan’s sharp criticisms of Little a few months ago, where he accused the Labour Party leader of throwing his Maori caucus under the bus by not accepting them on the list. Little then ruled out working with the Maori Party – which formed in 2004 after splitting from Labour.
Davis’ message to Morgan and co: “If the Maori Party is still standing after the election, they’d have to up their game if they want to work with us.” It’s not in ‘wide open arms’ territory but the comment was welcomed by Maori co-leader Marama Fox to some extent. Do we see a slight twinkle in the eye of those who reckon a Labour-Greens-Maori coalition could get over the line if polling improves? (By a lot.)
The worst job in politics
Asked whether she was ready for the extra scrutiny that came with becoming Prime Minister, Ardern did say there wasn’t much that compared to the role in terms of preparing for it. “And all of us are untested until we have the opportunity to trial for something like that.”
“I present a real difference for New Zealanders and a new vision as well, on behalf of the Labour Party. So, I’m ready to take on that challenge and I’m excited about the campaign,” she said. “Everyone knows I have just accepted, with short notice, the worst job in politics. But I also welcome this job. It is an enormous privilege to be the leader of the New Zealand Labour Party.”
Some commentators have pointed to Ardern’s age (“I’m youth-adjacent,” she did admit) as implying she won’t be able to handle the role of leader of the Opposition, let along Prime Minister. The Labour Party is well known for its infighting and strong voices.
From what was on show, Ardern appeared ready to at least try and handle it. Stuart Nash was asked about a comment yesterday that he didn’t think Labour should change leader this close to election. Before Nash could reply, his new leader took control: “Stuart already has acknowledged to me that he was wrong.” To which Nash could only add: “What she said.”
So, if she was ready for the role, and believed Labour does stand a chance – with or without a grand coalition of the left – then did she have a message for Prime Minister Bill English?
“Don’t be complacent.”Merry Christmas Week everyone. Another weekend packed with NBA games and solid performances from Pacific Northwest players.
Let's get right into it.
FRIDAY
The trio of Kelly Olynyk, Avery Bradley and Jeff Green all had solid outings for the Celtics, and helped take down Zach LaVine (7 points on 3-7 shooting) and the Minnesota Timberwolves, 114-98.
Olnyk helped usher in life after Rajon Rondo for the Celtics, by scoring a team high 21 points (8-13 FG). He knocked down two of his four three point attempts, and also added eight rebounds. This last week was Olyknyk's strongest stretch of the season so far, as he scored over 15 points in three of the four games he played in, including a career high 30 points Monday against the 76ers. He also threw down an impressive dunk over two Orlando Magic defenders on Wednesday, set up by a brilliant pump fake drive from the three point line.
The second year big man from Gonzaga has mainly come off the bench this season, as second year coach Brad Stevens has seemed to prefer starting Tyler Zeller at the center position. That's probably due to the larger issue with Olynyk's consistency this season. He has failed to record a single point following a performance of scoring at least 18 points. It's probably unreasonable to expect Olynyk to score 15-20 points per game, but we can hope that he is able to build off of this solid week of production.
Jeff Green and Avery Bradley saw their long time point guard Rajon Rondo shipped to Dallas on Friday, signaling the rebuilding era for the Celtics. Both players had nice performances on Friday. Bradley chipped in 14 points (6-14 FG) and seven assists. Green scored 18 points on nearly an identical performance from the field (6-13 FG). He added two threes, and connected on all four of his attempts from the charity stripe.
There has long been speculation that the Celtics may trade Green this season, and as A. Sharrod Bailey of Comcast Sportsnet points out, Green is in a similar situation to Rondo. He is 28 years old, and there are questions of whether or not the Celtics will be able to resign him in the off season, as he will likely opt out of his contract.
The Celtics may look to accumulate as many draft picks and shed as much money as possible to clear cap space, in the hopes of pursuing some big time free agents in the 2016 free agent class (headlined by Kevin Durant). However, if the Celtics want to stay semi-competitive in the next few years, and if they believe that Green, who will be a seasoned veteran wing by 2016, will be able to help attract a big free agent in either 2015 or 2016, they may choose to keep Green. It will be interesting to see what happens.
The Clippers and Nuggets game ended up providing a great Seattle-based match up. Nate Robinson stole the show, scoring 20 points in only 16 minutes, going 4-9 from three and 6-11 from the field.This was a classic Nate Robinson game, as he hit some ridiculous threes, and also had some amazing drives to the rim. (Highlights here)
I will never understand how he is able to finish over seven footers. Robinson has had a tough start to the season, he hasn't played over 25 minutes all year, and has scored double digit points a mere four times, so needless to say, it was nice to see Robinson put on a show and help propel the Nuggets to a 109-106 victory.
Jamal Crawford did his part Friday, scoring 20 points on 45% from the field. He connected on just one three point attempt, but knocked down all five of his free throw attempts. Robinson and Crawford are two of the most recognizable players from this area in the NBA today, so it was pretty fun to see both of them have big nights against one another.
PNWer PTS FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A REB OREB DREB AST STL BLK TO MIN Kelly Olynyk (Celtics) 21 8-13 2-4 3-6 8 2 6 3 0 1 0 25 Jamal Crawford (Clippers) 20 7-15 1-4 5-5 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 26 Nate Robinson (Nuggets) 20 6-11 4-9 4-7 5 1 4 3 1 0 1 16 Tony Wroten (76ers) 19 5-10 4-6 5-6 1 0 1 3 0 1 3 24 Jeff Green (Celtics) 18 6-13 2-4 4-4 7 1 6 3 0 0 1 36 Aaron Brooks (Bulls) 17 6-13 3-7 2-2 1 1 0 4 0 0 4 32 Avery Bradley (Celtics) 14 6-14 0-3 2-2 5 2 3 7 3 1 0 32 Terrence Ross (Raptors) 11 5-13 1-5 0-0 6 1 5 1 1 0 0 22 Marvin Williams (Hornets) 9 3-6 3-6 0-2 6 2 4 2 0 1 1 29 Zach LaVine (Timberwolves) 7 3-7 1-2 0-0 2 1 1 3 3 0 3 23 Austin Daye (Spurs) 7 3-4 1-1 0-0 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 12 Nick Collison (Thunder) 4 2-4 0-1 0-0 7 3 4 2 1 0 2 22 Quincy Pondexter (Grizzlies) 2 0-2 0-2 2-2 3 1 2 0 0 0 0 15 Aron Baynes (Spurs) 0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 Robert Sacre (Lakers) 0 0-3 0-0 0-0 3 0 3 1 1 1 0 14 Luke Ridnour (Magic) - - - - - - - - - - - - Joe Harris (Cavaliers) - - - - - - - - - - - - Ronny Turiaf (76ers) - - - - - - - - - - - - Martell Webster (Wizards) - - - - - - - - - - - - C.J. Wilcox (Clippers) - - - - - - - - - - - - Spencer Hawes (Clippers) - - - - - - - - - - - - Kevin Durant (Thunder) - - - - - - - - - - - -
SATURDAY
Saturday was a relatively quiet night for the Pacific Northwest, but Isaiah Thomas and Aron Baynes (?!!!) did their part to carry the load.
IT helped the uneven Suns dispatch the lowly Knicks 99-90. He scored 22 points on 7-12 from the field, and also knocked down three trey balls.
It's been a weird season so far for Thomas, after a hot start, it looked as though the Thomas and the Suns, who employ two other stellar point guards in Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic, would jell well together. However, the Suns have cooled off and currently find themselves outside of the playoff picture at 15-14, and look to have taken a step back after their break out season last year.
The three point guards don't seem to look entirely comfortable playing together, and Thomas has been the odd man out, averaging just 24.4 minutes per game (Bledsoe and Dragic average 32.8 and 32.3 MPG, respectively). There have been rumblings that the Suns may trade Thomas, and this speculation was fueled when Thomas fired his agent last week. I still think that the Suns can turn it around, and that they have a good chance of wrestling the eighth seed away from the Pelicans, mainly because the Pelicans play in the cutthroat Southwest Division. However, if the Suns can't turn it around by the trade deadline, IT may be on his way out of Phoenix.
Coming off two straight triple overtime losses, the Spurs chose to rest Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili. Tony Parker, Kawhi Leonard, and Patty Mills were also out Saturday, so needless to say, there were quite a few opportunities for the bench players.
Aron Baynes took full advantage of said opportunity, as he notched a double-double. He scored 16 points and adding 10 rebounds. Baynes is known for setting hard screens, boxing out well, and scrapping with players who have superior talent, so it is awesome to see him record a double-double and shoot the ball well. Is Baynes taking 11 shots a game the answer for the Spurs, who have now lost three straight? No, of course not. Though it is awesome when a hard worker like Baynes is rewarded.
PNWer PTS FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A REB OREB DREB AST STL BLK TO MIN Isaiah Thomas (Suns) 22 7-12 3-5 5-7 3 1 2 3 1 0 0 32 Aron Baynes (Spurs) 16 6-11 0-0 4-4 10 2 8 2 1 1 4 31 Jamal Crawford (Clippers) 15 5-16 3-8 4-6 2 0 2 2 2 1 1 29 Jason Terry (Rockets) 14 5-13 4-10 0-0 3 0 3 0 1 0 3 22 Marvin Williams (Hornets) 7 3-6 1-3 0-0 5 1 4 1 1 0 1 29 Nick Johnson (Rockets) 7 2-3 1-2 2-2 3 2 1 0 0 0 2 9 Austin Daye (Spurs) 6 2-4 2-3 0-0 5 1 4 0 0 0 2 19 Nate Robinson (Nuggets) 4 2-5 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 11 Rodney Stuckey (Pacers) 4 1-10 0-2 2-2 2 1 1 3 0 0 2 35 C.J. Wilcox (Clippers) - - - - - - - - - - - - Spencer Hawes (Clippers) - - - - - - - - - - - -
SUNDAY
Sunday was another quiet day for the Pacific Northwest, but Terrence Ross did have a nice game. He scored 18 points on 46% from the field, 12 of those points coming from behind the arc. Ross and the Raptors continue to win with the absence of their All-Star shooting guard DeMar DeRozan, as their record improved to 22-6 following their 118-108 victory over New York.
Of course, Drake approves.
PNWer PTS FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A REB OREB DREB AST STL BLK TO MIN Terrence Ross (Raptors) 18 7-15 4-9 0-1 3 1 2 1 0 0 0 36 Jeff Green (Celtics) 13 4-12 3-7 2-2 3 0 3 3 0 0 1 33 Kelly Olynyk (Celtics) 13 5-13 0-3 3-4 3 0 3 4 0 1 1 28 Tony Wroten (76ers) 10 3-11 1-6 3-5 1 0 1 7 3 0 3 31 Isaiah Thomas (Suns) 10 4-12 0-0 2-2 3 1 2 3 0 0 1 24 Zach LaVine (Timberwolves) 9 2-6 1-1 4-4 1 0 1 2 1 0 0 16 Luke Ridnour (Magic) 7 0-2 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 6 Rodney Stuckey (Pacers) 7 3-8 0-0 1-1 3 0 3 1 0 1 0 27 Quincy Pondexter (Grizzlies) 5 7-15 1-4 5-5 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 26 Avery Bradley (Celtics) 4 2-10 0-2 0-0 7 1 6 4 2 0 2 33 Robert Sacre (Lakers) 3 1-2 0-0 1-4 4 2 2 0 0 2 0 13 Reggie Evans (Kings) 2 0-1 0-1 2-2 4 3 1 0 0 0 0 7 Nick Collison (Thunder) 2 1-4 0-1 0-0 2 1 1 0 0 1 1 12 Joe Harris (Cavaliers) 0 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 Ronny Turiaf (76ers) - - - - - - - - - - - - Martell Webster (Wizards) - - - - - - - - - - - -
That's it for me, see you all next time.First up from the God Machine this week is a national study showing amazing generational differences when it comes to Americans’ religiosity. First up from the God Machine this week is a national study showing amazing generational differences when it comes to Americans’ religiosity.
Six months ago, we talked about the Pew Research Center’s report on the U.S. religious landscape, noting, among other things, the sudden increase over the last decade in the number of religiously unaffiliated Americans – including atheists, agnostics, and people who simply identify spiritually as “nothing at all.” This week, the researchers published the second half of their findings, and what jumped out at me were the generational differences.
Who are the largely nonreligious adults whose ranks are growing, thus reducing the percentage of Americans who exhibit strong religious commitment? They are mainly young people just entering adulthood. Older Americans – those in the Silent generation, Baby Boomers and even Generation Xers – are, by and large, about as religious today as when the Religious Landscape Study was first conducted in 2007. But these three generational cohorts constitute a shrinking share of the total U.S. population, and, as their numbers begin to dwindle, they are being replaced by a new cohort of young adults (Millennials) who are, in many ways, far less religious than their parents’ and grandparents’ generations.
Pew Research found, for example, that two-thirds of Americans in the “Silent” generation (Americans born between 1928 and 1945) say religion is very important in their lives. For older Millennials (those born in the 1980s), the total is less than half. For younger Millennials (those born between 1990 and 1996), it’s not even 4 out of 10.
According to the study, every younger generation is progressively less religious – Baby Boomers are less religious than the “Silent” Generation; members of Generation X are less religious than Boomers, Millennials are less religious than Generation X, and so on.
A U.S. News report on the findings noted that only 11% in the oldest generation of American adults are religiously unaffiliated. For the youngest generation of American adults, that total increases to 38%. U.S. News
There’s room for a conversation about whether younger, unaffiliated Americans may grow more religious as they get older, but as things currently stand, these are the kind of results that may very well have a dramatic impact on the national religious landscape – and perhaps even the broader culture – in the coming years. At least since the advent of modern polling, the percentage of the U.S. population moving away from religious beliefs and institutions has never been higher.
What will the impact be on the country? Stay tuned.
Also from the God Machine this week:
* An unfortunate announcement for Mormons: “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has instructed local church leaders that same-sex couples are apostates and that children living with them can’t take part in church activities until they’re adults and leave home, the church told NBC News on Thursday night.”
* Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.) recently delivered a sermon at a Virginia church, telling a congregation “that the government has grown increasingly hostile to religion in America in an effort to systematically expunge it from the ‘marketplace of ideas’ and that this development has not come about by accident or naturally; rather, it has all been orchestrated by a vast, well-funded conspiracy.”
* Curious arrests at the Vatican : “The arrest of two Vatican insiders on suspicion of leaking damaging internal documents signaled the return Monday of an unwelcome guest at the Holy See’s ancient gates: scandal.”
* It’s disappointing to hear this perspective from any senator, but to hear it from a member of a religious minority made it all the more jarring: “U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) seems to believe that church-state separation is harming American society. In remarks delivered [Thursday] on the U.S. Senate floor, the longtime lawmaker criticized the concept of a church-state wall.”MILAN - President Erick Thohir spoke to inter.it:
"After the close of the January transfer window and the game in Turin, I feel it is appropriate for me to outline our sports strategy.
"We are going through a transition year and our main aim is to lay the foundations for our future: this is a difficult season and clearly it is not easy to find another winning combination like the one we had a few years ago.
"This is why we must be patient and move forward with a clear vision focusing on two basic concepts: how to improve our performance on the pitch and how to build our team for the future.
"To achieve the first target we have hired one of the best Italian coaches in circulation, Walter Mazzarri, with whom we are working for the present and planning for the future. The signings of Hernanes and D'Ambrosio - chosen by myself, our management and the coach in unison - are indicative in that sense: two key players who can help this club get going again. They will undoubtedly contribute greatly both this year and in the coming seasons.
"Regarding the future it's important to stress that we have not yet taken any decisions about the players who currently make up our roster: the coach's assessment at the end of the Serie A season will be decisive in that respect. I will sit down and discuss with him which players possess the necessary qualities and motivation to remain with us, and which players are to make way for new faces.
"Of course this is not forgetting that we would all like to return to the European stage as soon as possible, and with our fans' support and passion we will start fighting again, from this Sunday, to achieve the best possible result this season. Forza Inter!"
Versión Española 日本語版 Versi Bahasa Indonesia Versione ItalianaAre These Renderings The Next-Gen Nissan LEAF?
April 7th, 2017 by Zachary Shahan
Sometime back, Pedro Lima of PushEVs — a Portuguese dude who seems to have some close connections to people in the EV battery world and deep knowledge of EV batteries — posted some potentially legit renderings of the next-gen Nissan LEAF. We published about them at the time, but also took them with a grain of salt — renderings of future cars are a dime a dozen.
The odd thing is that I don’t recall Pedro ever seeing where he got the renderings, and he’s quite thorough about referencing sources.
As spy shots of camouflaged 2018 Nissan LEAFs have been popping up, I’m more and more convinced that the renderings below are legit renderings from Nissan. Take a look at the renderings below and then spy shots on Autoblog, AutoExpress, and PushEVs.
I personally like the look of the original Nissan LEAF, but I’m well aware that many people don’t like it. I think this rendering (and what the camouflaged LEAFs we’ve seen) shows is a more mainstream design that is also sportier and still features a bit of the unique appeal of the original LEAF. I love it.
Beyond looks, Pedro picked up some other information about one of the undercover LEAFs.
Micky65 from the German forum goingelectric.de took the shot we see above and was able to retrieve some details about the new generation Nissan Leaf.
First, the Nissan Leaf in the photo above has a CHAdeMO socket, this means that Nissan should keep pushing the Japanese fast charging standard, even in Europe and the USA. I have hoped that Nissan would finally adopt CCS and type 2 in Europe, especially since the Leaf is also made here, maybe someday…
Second, the battery capacity is around 40 kWh, as it was initially planed and I reported last year. However, |
.
Not worth the time
Liberal Finance Minister Charles Sousa declined an interview with CBC News.
In a statement, he wrote that the distiller's share of the revenue would increase, from 39 per cent under the old LCBO fee, to 45 per cent under the new proposed tax.
The reason small distillers aren't happy with it, they say, is it tilts the competitive advantage in favour of large distilleries.
The proposed law would give distillers a tax exemption on up to 1,250 litres of spirits for promotional purposes in order to help them make more people aware of their product.
Chevy Patterson, a co-owner of Dixon's Spirits, examines equipment inside the company's Guelph-based distillery. He says a new Ontario tax could force the spirit maker to turn to the export market or contract work just to stay financially afloat. (Colin Butler/CBC News) The trouble is, many small distillers either don't have their product stocked on LCBO shelves or make so little money on selling to the public through the Crown Corporation, it's not worth their time.
'Super-complicated math problem'
On top of that, small distillers argue the new tax gives the Crown more revenue on all spirits sold.
"The Ontario government will receive more in tax than we do [entirely]," said Ontario Craft Distillers Association President and Toronto Distillery Co. Ltd. co-owner Charles Benoit.
"I'm not talking about our margin or our profit, I'm talking about what we got on the whole bottle," he explained.
"Why we're all mad at this is because they tied us up in this Premier's Advisory Council for two years," he said. "They made us all sign non-disclosure agreements so we couldn't talk to our elected representatives."
NDP Finance Critic Catherine Fife says given the scathing report issued by Ontario's Auditor General last week on the Liberals' misspending, no-one should trust the party's math. (The Canadian Press) "We spent so much time and resources and effort about actual education of how our business works," he said. "This tax is so complex... we couldn't even figure it out," he said. "It's like a super-complicated math problem."
'Where's the rationale?'
"It doesn't make any sense," NDP Finance critic Catherine Fife said. "We put the question to the minister of finance, 'Where's the rationale? Explain how a 61.5 per cent tax at point-of-sale is going to be helpful to this industry?' Those questions have obviously gone unanswered."
"These craft distillers, it's their dream to be independent businesses," Fife said. "This is a great way for us to grow our local economies and businesses. Why Kathleen Wynne and this finance minister... are... imposing a tax that would close them for good, makes no sense."
"This is not a government that has any credibility when it comes to following the money," Fife said, noting last week's Auditor General report that scolded the Liberal government for spending millions on self-congratulatory ads. "We believe the craft distillers because they have a better sense of what their financial reality is."
As for the craft distillers, most said if the new tax is passed, it only leaves them with two bleak options: either stop selling the wares in Ontario, [or] close up shop.BY: Follow @BillGertz
Moscow is developing a new, ultra-high speed strategic attack vehicle similar to China’s hypersonic weapon, according to military analysts.
However, unlike high-profile strategic bomber flights and large-scale nuclear war games that U.S. military commanders have called provocative, details about the Russian hypersonic vehicle remain one of Moscow’s closely held military secrets.
The Russians have been developing the new Yu-71 vehicle for several years and conducted the most recent flight test in February, according to an article published this month in Jane’s Intelligence Review.
A Pentagon spokeswoman declined to comment on the Russian hypersonic test.
The unsuccessful flight test was believed to have been released into near space from atop an SS-19 missile that was launched from the Dombarovsky missile base in eastern Russia. The vehicle is part of Moscow’s secret Project 4202 missile program, the Jane’s report says.
Jane’s concludes that Russia over the past five years has stepped up the secret program as part of efforts to defeat U.S. missile defenses that were designed to counter predictable ballistic targets.
Hypersonic vehicles, however, are very difficult to track and target because they move in unpredictable ways at speeds of up to 7,000 miles per hour.
Mark Schneider, a former Pentagon official who closely monitors Russian strategic weapons programs, said Moscow’s development of glide-strike vehicles and maneuvering warheads are high-priority programs.
Unlike China’s hypersonic weapons, which include the recently flight-tested Wu-14, the Russian program has been mentioned publicly by senior Russian officials, indicating its importance.
"Both are reportedly nuclear-oriented and the Chinese program seems more successful," Schneider said, adding that Russian tests were reported to have been failures.
"The Russian program was clearly described as strategic in nature," he added. "The Obama administration talks about the Chinese threat, but very little about the Russian threat, so our only sources of information are the Russian press."
Project 4202 could produce a small number of glide vehicles by the end of the decade that may be equipped with nuclear warheads, the Jane’s report says.
"A test launch from the Dombarovsky missile division site in February 2015 suggests that Russia is actively pursuing the development of a hypersonic glide vehicle that could potentially expand the long-range strike capabilities of its Strategic Rocket Forces," the report says.
Pavel Podvig, a co-author of the Jane’s report, said it is difficult to gauge the significance of the Russian hypersonic program.
"It seems like a system in search of a mission," said Podvig, a Geneva-based researcher. "Even if it works, which is still a rather big if, it won't give Russia any substantially new capability."
The new maneuvering high-speed weapon is billed as a means of defeating missile defenses, but Moscow’s concerns about missile defense are highly exaggerated, he said. The new system also could "seriously damage arms control efforts," Podvig added.
Disclosures about Russian hypersonic weapon program follow China’s confirmation that it conducted a fourth flight test of its Wu-14 hypersonic glide vehicle earlier this month. U.S. officials said the latest Wu-14 engaged in a series of extreme high-speed maneuvers during the latest flight test June 7 in western China.
The United States is also developing an advanced hypersonic missile that is expected to be part of its conventional Prompt Global Strike program—a non-nuclear weapons system that will be capable of precisely hitting targets any place on earth in minutes.
The Jane’s report said the Russian hypersonic program is a high priority for Moscow’s political and military leaders.
The Yu-71 may be deployed at a missile site near Yasny, in the east-central province of Orenburg near the border with Kazakhstan.
Earlier hypersonic weapons tests were conducted in the 1980s in apparent response to the Reagan administration’s strategic defense initiative.
More recent suspected flight tests of the hypersonic weapons included a 2001 flight test of a Yu-70 vehicle from an SS-19 missile.
Another Yu-70 test likely was carried out in 2004 when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia was developing "new hypersound-speed, high-precision new weapons systems that can hit targets at intercontinental distance and can adjust their altitude and course as they travel."
Suspected flight tests of the newer Yu-71 likely took place in December 2011, in September 2013, at an an unknown date in 2014, and on February 26 in Dombarovsky.
The Dombarovsky base was identified as a likely deployment site for the Yu-71 in Russian government construction documents that identified the work as part of Project 4202.
The article says the "primary purpose is the development of a missile system that can effectively penetrate existing missile defense systems."
Unlike U.S. plans for hypersonic missiles to deliver conventional warheads, "Russia appears to be considering the option of deploying its hypersonic system in a nuclear, as well as conventional, configuration," the Jane’s report said.
"This would give Russia the ability to deliver a guaranteed small-scale strike against a target of choice; if coupled with an ability to penetrate missile defenses, Moscow would also retain the option of launching a successful single-missile attack."
Up to 24 with new hypersonic payloads could be deployed at Dombarovsky by 2020 to 2025.
By that date, Russia will be deploying a new ICBM known as the Sarmat that would be capable of carrying the Yu-71.
The report says Moscow may seek to exploit its hypersonic weapons to gain leverage in arms control talks with the United States as a way to seek limits on U.S. missile defenses and the Prompt Global Strike program.
Prompt Global Strike vehicles are not covered by the 2010 New START arms treaty with Russia.
U.S.-Russian military relations and arms talks were curtailed following Russia’s military annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea last year and continued covert arming of pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine.
A review of open-source Russian news reports and military writings reveal that work on hypersonics has been discussed publicly on several occasions in the past several years.
Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin was quoted in reports from state-run news agencies in July 2014 saying that Russia needs to build precision-guided hypersonic arms.
He urged Russia’s missile manufacturers to carry out rearmament efforts, "especially the tasks of mastering precision weapons and hypersonic technology."
In May of last year, Boris Obnosov, director of the Tactical Missiles Corp., said a hypersonic missile prototype would be built by 2020.
"We have drawn up this program in collaboration with several dozens of institutes and enterprises," Obnosov said. "It has been approved by the Defense Ministry and the Industry and Trade Ministry. It is now important to implement it smoothly."
After a failed test flight of the U.S. Hypersonic Test Vehicle-2 in 2011, a Russian official was quoted as saying Russia’s hypersonics are different.
"Our program is developing in a different direction; we are creating maneuverable hypersonic warheads for intercontinental ballistic missiles, and there are no plans to control them from outside—the target-kill program is installed in them in advance," the defense industry official told Izvestya, a Russian newspaper.
Another report said Russia’s future strategic bomber, known as the Pak Da, will be equipped with hypersonic cruise missiles.
In August 2013, the Novosti news agency reported that Russia was cooperating with China, France, and India on hypersonic missiles.
The Russian companies said to be involved in hypersonic missile development have been identified as the Tactical Missiles Corp. and NPO Mashinostroyenia. A hypersonic engine test facility reportedly is being built at Russia’s Central Institute of Aviation Motors.
Alexander Shirokorad, a Russian military analyst, stated in a 2013 article in the newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta that hypersonic glide vehicles are one reason Moscow decided to violate the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty, that prohibits building missiles with ranges of between 500 kilometers and 5,500 kilometers.
"New IRBMs will breach a missile defense by traveling along exotically variable trajectories," Shirokorad stated. "The combination of hypersonic cruise missiles with ballistic is not ruled out. Aside from operating against ground targets, IRBMs will be able to engage naval targets, too—aircraft carriers, cruise missile-armed Ticonderoga-class cruisers, and even submarines."Before Destiny 2, Call of Duty: WWII, or Star Wars Battlefront 2 swoop in and demand sixty of your dollars, consider investing in these already-great, cheaper shooters. I give these recommendations with a simple rule: none of these games are in Steam's top 100 concurrent players list at time of publication.
Day of Infamy
Released: March 23Price: $20, with a free weekend coming soon
Based on an Insurgency mod, Infamy's co-op map-clearing is spectacular casual fun. You plonk down dozens of dumb-but-accurate AI soldiers with your friends, respawning only if the next objective is completed (or if a teammate retreats back to a resupply point at spawn). Infamy is a reminder of how diverse and interesting WWII's weapon set is: the limited optics and small mag size of the M1 Garand and other guns (and flamethrower) fosters drama and moments of vulnerability. Just watch out for Infamy's merciless artillery.
Quake Champions
Released: August 22Price: $30 (eventually free)
My favorite FPS right now. I was initially skeptical of the changes Champions was bringing to Quake: character abilities, paid loot boxes, and the plan to move to F2P after paid Early Access. After putting a bunch of time into it, I feel like these revisions don't erode the feeling of tagging someone with a railgun across the map, or snatching up the Quad Damage before going on a lightning gun spree. Champions is still Quake at its core: blistering and athletic, played on maps that look like Hell's waiting room. All Champions needs at this point are some netcode improvements and a few more maps.
Squad
Released: December 14, 2015Price: $40
Somewhere between Arma's simulation and Battlefield's chaos sits Squad, a trudging, deliberate, 50v50 shooter set in modern day maps modeled after Afghanistan and Iraq. It's been in alpha for more than a year and a half, but has grown a lot in that time, with big changes to animation, movement, and weapon handling arriving recently. Offworld Industries is currently working on adding modding support. If organized, large-scale firefighting and authentic radio chatter are your thing but you dislike the open-endedness of Arma 3, give Squad a look.
LawBreakers
Released: August 7Price: $22.49, but free to try now through this weekend
PC gaming isn't a popularity contest. Yes, LawBreakers hasn't had a great launch, but that doesn't invalidate its clever weapon and movement mechanics, which are some of the most inventive I've seen this year. From my review : "Each role has a fun micro-skill or two to learn, adding depth and steepening the learning curve in most cases. Gunslingers teleport in 15-foot bursts like Tracer from Overwatch, but the first shots from either of their dual pistols are buffed immediately after you blink. If you fly backwards as the Harrier, you shoot lasers from your boots that can fend off pursuers. As Harrier, I have to mark a target with a debuffing dart, then grit my teeth as I paint an enemy with my Iron Man-like laser beam. The simplicity of the Battle Medic's grenade launcher is great: left click throws grenades that detonate on impact, and right click pops out ones that bounce. I like the moment-to-moment geometry I'm asked to do to decide which grenade will be more effective."
LawBreakers also sports some of the best netcode on PC.
Rising Storm 2: Vietnam
Released: May 30Price: $25
Antimatter Games and Tripwire make ambitious FPSes. With Vietnam, the studios continued Rising Storm 2's bold focus on asymmetry with faction-specific spawning mechanics in addition to distinct weapon sets. The Viet Cong can create tunnels; the Americans can phone in helicopters for air support.
Otherwise RS2 strikes a sweet spot between authenticity and accessibility with features like weapon mounting, prone/lean, and a commander role that can call in air strikes and other support. It's a shooter about attrition, teamwork, playing the objective, and about slithering your way into a blind spot just behind the enemy's advance and racking up as many kills as you can before you're found out.
Dirty Bomb
Released: June 2015Price: FreeIslamic extremists are rampaging through villages in northeast Nigeria's Adamawa state, killing, burning and looting with no troops deployed to protect civilians, fleeing villagers said Wednesday.
More than 40 people have been killed in seven villages as houses and mosques have been burned down and businesses and homes looted this week, according to Emmanuel Kwache and state legislator Adamu Kamale.
"They don't spare anything: they slaughtered people like rams and they burned down our houses after looting food," Kwache said. "There's no presence of troops, some residents are hiding on top of hills, while those that could not run were abducted, particularly youths and women."
Kamale said he has appealed in vain to authorities to send troops since the attacks began on Friday. On Monday, he said, the militants moved from villages to the town of Michika.
In Maiduguri, some 200 kilometres north of Michika, people fleeing militant attacks in neighbouring Borno state say that Boko Haram fighters warned they are preparing "a big grave" for them in Maiduguri and that "there will be no mercy." Maiduguri is the biggest city in the northeast where troops repelled a daring offensive by hundreds of militants Sunday. At least 200 combatants were killed, according to residents and security forces.
"They kept saying they were chasing us so that we can all run into the big grave they are preparing for us in Maiduguri", said Aishatu Ba'malum, who fled from Monguno, a northeast town taken by the militants on Sunday.
Ba'malum, who lost her husband in the chaos of her flight, is among more than 200,000 people taking refuge in Maiduguri.
The city of two million residents appears to be surrounded. Three roads lead to areas held by Boko Haram. The militants are believed to be attacking the fourth road leading to the northern city of Kano, according to residents too scared to leave though they fear an imminent attack.
The extremists who denounce democracy are increasing attacks as Nigeria prepares for Feb. 14 elections. Some 10,000 people died in the five-year insurgency in the past year.Anyone harboring doubts that the institutional Church is riding shotgun for the system, even regarding heinous sin like torture, should be chastened by the results of a recent survey by the Pew Research Center.
Who but the cowardly crew leading the "Christian" churches can be held responsible for the fact that many of their flock believe torture of suspected terrorists is "justified?"
Those polled were white non-Hispanic Catholics, white Evangelicals, and white mainline Protestants. A majority (54 percent) of those who attend church regularly said torture could be "justified," while a majority of those not attending church regularly responded that torture was rarely or never justified.
I am not a psychologist or sociologist. But I recall that one of the first things Hitler did on assuming power was to ensure there was a pastor in every Lutheran and Catholic parish in Germany. Why? Because he calculated, correctly, that here would be a force for stability for his regime.
Thus began another horrid chapter in the history of those professing to be followers of Jesus of Nazareth but had forgotten his repeated admonition, Do not be afraid.
A mere seven decades after the utter failure of church leaders in Germany, their current American counterparts have again yielded to fear, and have condoned evils like torture by their deafening silence.
What kinds of folks comprise this 54 percent? An informal "survey" of my friends suggests these are "my-country-first" people — like the fellow who recently gave me the finger when he saw my bumper sticker, which simply says "God bless the rest of the world too."
They are people accustomed to hierarchy and comfortable being told what they should think and do to preserve "our way of life."
They place a premium on nationalism, which they call patriotism, and on what the Germans call Ordnung. I suppose that this may be part of why they go to church on Sunday.
It’s a problem that has existed for almost 1,700 years, ever since 4th Century Christians jettisoned their heritage of non-violent resistance to war and threw in their lot with Constantine.
Subservience
Nowhere is the phenomenon of obeisance to hierarchical power highlighted more clearly than in the Grand Inquisitor story in Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky, who could plumb the human heart as few others.
In the tale, Dostoevsky has Jesus joining the "tortured, suffering people" of Seville during the Inquisition. The Cardinal of Seville immediately jails and interrogates Jesus, telling him that the Church has "corrected" his big mistake.
Rather than donning "Caesar’s purple," Jesus gave us freedom of conscience.
While it has been 130 years since he wrote Brothers Karamazov, Dostoevsky captures the trap into which so many American "believers" have fallen in forfeiting freedom through fear. His portrayal of Inquisition reality brings us to the brink of the moral precipice on which our country teeters today.
It is as though he knew what would be in store for us as fear was artificially stoked after the attacks of 9/11.
Here is how the cardinal ridicules Christ for imposing on humans the heavy burden of freedom of conscience:
"Didst thou forget that man prefers peace, and even death, to freedom of choice in the knowledge of good and evil? … We teach them that it’s not the free judgment of their hearts, but mystery which they must follow blindly, even against their conscience. … In the end they will lay their freedom at our feet [and] become obedient. … We shall tell them that we are Thy servants and rule them in Thy name. … We shall tell them that every sin will be expiated if it is done with our permission."
Recently, prominent Baptist layman and distinguished senator from South Carolina, Lindsey Graham, gave a hat-tip to the Inquisition. At a May 13 Senate hearing discussing interrogation techniques like waterboarding, Graham explained that, "One of the reasons these techniques have been used for about 500 years is that they work."
I was reminded of one of the things Gandhi said about Christians: "Everyone in the world knows that Jesus and his teachings were non-violent except Christians."
And the reason that regular churchgoers don’t seem to know this is because the historical Jesus is not preached.
My guess is that those who go to church on Sunday expect a modicum of moral leadership. If the pastor is silent on torture, then torture must somehow be okay. How easy it is then to cede one’s conscience to an American-flag-draped pulpit.
Jesus (and Luther) Didn’t Really Mean It?
A progressive Lutheran pastor in Dallas asked me to give a talk to his parish on the issues I had been addressing in my writings. It struck me that since George W. Bush had moved into their neighborhood, I might ask the congregants how they thought they should relate to someone who had given written approval to torture.
I was too clever by half — actually, naïve. I would show them the "smoking gun" memorandum signed by George W. Bush on Feb. 7, 2002, which the Senate Armed Forces Committee has determined "opened the way" to all manner of detainee abuse, and then I would challenge them by quoting Martin Luther who, after all, was one of their guys.
I chose this passage cited by George Hunsinger in an essay he wrote in 1987 (appearing in his book Disruptive Grace):
"If," wrote Martin Luther, "I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of Gods except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at the moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing him. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved and to be steady on all the battlefield, except there, is mere flight and disgrace if one flinches at that point."
Hunsinger emphasizes that faithfulness to Jesus of Nazareth is always situational, that one can spout impeccably orthodox theological truths and still be "fatally disloyal."
Genuine loyalty is proven where it counts — in the pitch of battle, where it really costs something. Writing 22 years ago, Hunsinger was already addressing what he called "an overwhelming spiritual collapse, in which we have lost touch with even minimal standards of morality."
"The prevailing sense seems to be that, if the demands of biblical morality contradict the dictates of national security, so much the worse for biblical morality. … Dungeons … torture, and death are described as belonging to the free world. … War criminals in high places we honor. … Acts of aggression we celebrate as noble deeds. … of preemptive self-defense. Orwell has become our destiny. … "The passive acquiescence of a Christian community which has lost its moral conscience in matters of state contributes substantially … to misery and oppression. … ‘Seek your own welfare above all else’ has become the maxim of the day."
Hunsinger has earned the right to criticize those who confess Jesus of Nazareth "from the safety of some remote enclave, where confession may be true but costs nothing."
He is professor of systematic theology at Princeton Theological Seminary, but was so aghast at U.S. practice of torture that he devoted untold time and energy to founding the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT).
Luther Not Popular in Dallas
I suggested to the gathering of Lutherans that Dallas, where the "decider" on torture is now their neighbor, might be where the battle rages for them. I had very few takers.
"But he kept us safe … isn’t it better to fight the terrorists over there than to fight them here?"
There was little appetite to listening to THAT Luther in that Lutheran church. The pastor shared with me later that he had encountered all manner of criticism for having invited someone disrespectful of George W. Bush.
Despite the turbulence I caused, the pastor thanked me for coming, but noted that "torture is not high on anyone’s agenda."
In a brief thank-you note he wrote, "I believe that if the full scope of the nation’s use of torture comes to light, there may be need for churches to propose confession and repentance, as a positive witness for the rest of the world."
Presbyterians: To their credit, the Presbyterians have been more outspoken — some of them at least.
In 2006, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) called on Congress to convene an independent investigative body to establish responsibility for the abuse of detainees and, if appropriate, to recommend the appointment of a special prosecutor.
The clerk of the General Assembly followed up on April 23, 2009, with an appeal to President Barack Obama to work with Congress to establish a non-partisan Commission of Inquiry to bring "an understanding of what happened, how it happened, and who was accountable," adding:
"If those responsible are not held accountable, nothing beyond wishful thinking and admonitions exists to compel future leaders to resist the temptation to torture in times of fear or threat."
Good for the Presbyterians, I thought. I led off a Sunday evening talk to a Dallas area Presbyterian congregation by complementing those assembled on the gutsy appeal of April 23. I was greeted by blank stares.
This congregation was no exception to the general rule that courageous statements at high official levels do not find their way into Sunday sermons, much less workshops. A disappointment, but hardly a surprise.
Methodists: The United Methodist General Board of Churches and Society, acknowledging the results of the Pew survey, is also supporting an independent inquiry into torture.
Top executive Jim Winkler has been very direct: "Shame, shame, shame on any Christian who could imagine there is any justification of torture against another human being. I cannot conceive in my wildest dreams of Jesus Christ giving any blessing to torture."
It is another question, of course, as to whether Pew reaches the pews.
As for the Dallas Methodists, Southern Methodist University has shown itself eager to host George W. Bush’s presidential library and an independent institute to sponsor programs to "promote the vision of the president and celebrate" his presidency.
The protests of thousands of Methodists, including prominent alumni of SMU’s School of Theology pointing to the policy of torture, fell on the deaf ears of the Methodist bishops and trustees who blessed the enterprise.
Catholics: Sadly, the U.S. Catholic bishops cannot find their voice on torture. This is history repeating itself, for Hamlet-like Pope Pius XII kept trying to make up his mind on whether he should put the Church at some risk in Germany, while Jews and other minorities were been tortured and murdered.
In 1948, the French author/philosopher Albert Camus addressed a Dominican monastery of friars who had asked what an "unbeliever" thought about Christians in the light of their behavior during the 30s and 40s. Camus said:
"For a long time during those frightful years I waited for a great voice to speak up in Rome. I, an unbeliever? Precisely. For I knew that the spirit would be lost if it did not utter a cry of condemnation. … "It has been explained to me since that the condemnation was indeed voiced. But that it was in the style of encyclicals, which is not all that clear. The condemnation was voiced and it was not understood. Who could fail to see where the fault lies in this case? "Christians should voice their condemnation loud and clear, in such a way that never a doubt, never the slightest doubt, could rise in the heart of the simplest person. … They should get away from abstraction and confront the blood-stained face history has taken on today."
And today? True to form, laudable statements and papers have been produced and placed in in-boxes in the bowels of the bishops’ bureaucracy, but they rarely find their way to the pulpit on Sunday.
I am a Catholic, and initially was happy to find, by a search of the bishops’ Web site that there is a Catholic Study Guide titled "Torture is a Moral Issue." It was developed in collaboration with the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, the group Professor Hunsinger founded.
This was news to me. Had any of my Catholic friends heard of this? The answer from a representative sampling, including progressive parishes, was No.
So I called the bishops’ staff to inquire as to why the study guide on torture had not been published and made available to pastors to use in their preaching or workshops.
I was told that it was "not designed as a publication, because there was uncertainty as to how much demand there would be for such a study."
A publishing run would not be cost effective unless it produced at least a thousand copies and this particular issue might not warrant that kind of run. (There are 70 million Catholics in this land.)
As for Pope Benedict XVI, he arrived here in April 2008, a week after media reports that the most senior officials of the Bush administration had met regularly at the White House to plan which torture techniques might be most appropriate for which high-value detainees. He said nothing.
All the more strange, it would seem, since Jesus of Nazareth, after all, was tortured to death. If the pope had an opinion on torture, he kept it to himself.
Mormons: What about the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints?
My small random sampling of the information available shows a strong propensity among Mormons toward Dostoevsky’s caricature of a strong, top-down authoritative church, but with the notable exception of at least one person who could, and did, think for herself — to her own peril.
The most prominent Mormon with torture connections is Jay Bybee, a devout Mormon with undergraduate and law degrees from Mormon-owned Brigham Young University.
As leader of the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel in August 2002, Bybee approved a memorandum indicating that interrogators could apply virtually any harsh techniques, so long as the pain involved was less than that accompanying "serious physical injury, such as organ failure, impairment of bodily function, or death."
In my view, his memorandum must surely be the most shameful text ever to appear beneath Department of Justice letterhead. It was among the ones released by President Obama in mid-April, over the strong objections of many top officials.
A lively debate rages among Mormon lawyers over the morality of Bybee’s approval of harsh interrogation techniques. Dan Burke, a law professor at the University of Minnesota, was incensed to learn that a fellow Mormon could justify such actions.
"I cannot believe that the practice of torture is acceptable to anyone who claims to be a disciple of Jesus Christ," said Burk.
Not so fast, say other Mormon lawyers — David Wenger of New York, for example.
"I would personally be uncomfortable writing a memo on how the administration could legally justify torture of people, but I don’t think it’s against the tenets of our faith," Wenger told the Salt Lake Tribune.
"One might believe that the value of ready access to torture-obtained intelligence outweighed the negative," said Wenger.
Yet another Mormon, a woman Army specialist named Alyssa Peterson, was clear on the morality of torture. She refused to take part in applying torture techniques approved by Bybee.
She walked away from an interrogation in the "cage," where Iraqis were stripped naked in front of female soldiers, mocked and burned with cigarettes. Three days later, on Sept. 15, 2003, Peterson was found dead of a gunshot wound at Tal Afar base in Iraq. The Army said her death was a suicide.
It gets worse. The two faux-psychologists to whom the CIA turned to show them how to torture, James Elmer Mitchell and Bruce Jessen, are both Mormons, and were widely referred to by other U.S. interrogators as the "Mormon mafia."
Add to the mix Robert Walpole, the CIA analyst who wove out of whole cloth what has been referred to as "The Whore of Babylon" — the worst National Intelligence Estimate in the history of U.S. intelligence.
"Iraq’s Continuing Programs for Weapons of Mass Destruction" dated Oct. 1, 2002, was a deliberate — and successful — attempt to deceive Congress into authorizing war on Iraq.
In his memoir, At the Center of the Storm, former CIA Director George (slam-dunk) Tenet praises Walpole as a "brilliant analyst." In a transparent attempt to defend Walpole against charges of being "hell bent on war," Tenet insists that Walpole is "one of the most unlikely people to be accused of being a war hawk."
Tenet notes that Walpole did not think an attack on Iraq justifiable – and Tenet adds that Walpole is a Mormon bishop. Did Tenet think that that should do it, as far as credibility was concerned? In any event, Walpole did what he was told in managing the production of the Estimate that paved the way to war.
I know there are many Mormons besides Alyssa Peterson with integrity. It remains a mystery to me why so many of the ones who gain prominence seem to lose their sense of right and wrong when they are asked by hierarchical authority to do things they know are wrong.
In sum, with respect to the Christian churches I believe author Chris Hedges summarizes the situation neatly, if sadly:
"The utter failure of nearly all our religious institutions — whose texts are unequivocal about murder — to address the essence of war has rendered them useless. These institutions have little or nothing to say in wartime because the god they worship is a false god, one that promises victory to those who obey the law and believe in the manifest destiny of the nation."
The Good News
Who would have thought we would have to turn to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to carry the moral ball on torture.
Adm. Mike Mullen has called his commanders on the carpet. He is reliably reported to have been so "appalled" and "disgusted" after viewing some of the abuse photos being kept under wraps by the Obama administration that he warned senior military officers on July 10: "We haven’t all absorbed or applied all the lessons of Abu Ghraib."
Mullen ordered that more be done to halt detainee abuse. He is quoted as saying, "We’re better than this; and now we have to show it."
Hopefully, Adm. Mullen will stay around long enough to start a thorough clean-up of the torture mess — at least in the military.
He has acted responsibly and with integrity on a number of issues; the country is lucky to have him in that very senior post. For it is clear that, as long as demagogues keep insisting that we are "at war" with global terrorists all manner of abuse can be heaped on "the enemy."
It’s always the same "during wartime." Here’s what one widely admired U.S. general had to say about the German enemy during WWII. It is an attitude about which we must be aware, so that we can guard against it:
"My God, I actually pity those poor bastards we’re going up against," said General George Patton. "We’re not just going to shoot the bastards, we’re going to cut out their living guts and use them to grease the treads of our tanks. … "Don’t worry; I can assure you that you’ll do your duty. The Nazis are the enemy. Wade into them. Spill their blood. Shoot them in the belly. When you put your hand into a bunch of goo that a moment before was your best friend’s face, you’ll know what to do."
Waiting for the Church?
Don’t wait for the churches to speak out against such violence. We have seen enough of their vacillation to know that, for us, this would be a cop-out.
Sad to say, the same challenge facing Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero before he was assassinated faces us. And we must have the courage and honesty to act, like him, in putting ourselves where the battle rages:
"A church that doesn’t provoke any crisis, a gospel that doesn’t unsettle, a word of God that doesn’t get under anyone’s skin, a word of God that doesn’t touch the real sin of the society in which it is being proclaimed, what kind of gospel is that?"
We cannot avoid the challenge; it is up to us. We have to supply what is lacking in the institutional church.
There is hope. As St. Augustine warned 1,600 years ago:
"Hope has two children. The first is anger at the way things are. The second is courage to do something about it."
With those two, well, yes we can.
Read more by Ray McGovernOBJECTIVE:
Genetic variation within the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis has been linked to risk for depression and antidepressant response. However, these associations have yet to produce clinical gains that inform treatment decisions. The authors investigated whether variation within HPA axis genes predicts antidepressant outcomes within two large clinical trials.
METHOD:
The test sample comprised 636 patients from the International Study to Predict Optimized Treatment in Depression (iSPOT-D) who completed baseline and 8-week follow-up visits and for whom complete genotyping data were available. The authors tested the relationship between genotype at |
accused of providing Risen classified information regarding Operation Merlin, a bungled CIA effort to deal Iran bad nuclear weapons information. The information appeared in Chapter 9 of Risen’s 2006 book, State of War, which exposed a number of the Bush Administration’s ill-considered intelligence programs.
Risen’s account revealed not just that CIA tried to thwart nuclear proliferation by dealing doctored nuclear blueprints to American adversaries, but that in this case, the Russian defector the U.S. charged with dealing the blueprints to Iran told them the blueprints were flawed. In other words, Risen’s story, for which Sterling is one alleged source demonstrated questionable judgment and dangerously incompetent execution by the CIA, all in an effort to thwart Iran’s purported nuclear weapons program.
Sterling’s story, then, makes an instructive contrast with that of retired General James Cartwright, who is alleged by the press, but not yet, publicly at least, by the government, to have served as the source for another story about the intelligence community’s questionable judgment and dangerously incompetent execution of counter-proliferation plots targeting Iran.
Over a year ago, NBC reported that General Cartwright had received a target letter informing him he was under investigation as the source for one of David Sanger’s stories on U.S.-Israeli efforts to stall Iran’s enrichment program with the StuxNet cyberattack:
“According to legal sources, Retired Marine Gen. James ‘Hoss’ Cartwright, the former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has received a target letter informing him that he’s under investigation for allegedly leaking information about a massive attack using a computer virus named Stuxnet on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Gen. Cartwright, 63, becomes the latest individual targeted over alleged leaks by the Obama administration, which has already prosecuted or charged eight individuals under the Espionage Act.
“As soon as the Times report appeared, Congressional leaders demanded a criminal probe, and President Obama said he had ‘zero tolerance’ for ‘these kinds of leaks.’ Republicans charged that senior administration officials had leaked the details to bolster the president’s national security credentials during the 2012 campaign.
“But, said legal sources, while the probe that Attorney General Eric Holder ordered initially focused on whether the information came from inside the White House, by late last year FBI agents were zeroing in on Cartwright, who had served as one of the president’s ‘inner circle’ of national security advisors. Two sources said prosecutors were able to identify Cartwright as a suspected leaker without resorting to a secret subpoena of the phone records of New York Times reporters.
“One source familiar with the probe said the Justice Department has not made a final decision on whether to charge Cartwright.”
Subsequent reports revealed Cartwright was stripped of his security clearance sometime last year.
The story for which Cartwright allegedly served as a source did not expose StuxNet cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab did that. Nor was it Sanger’s first story confirming U.S. and Israeli involvement; in 2011 he partnered with other New York Times journalists to provide details on U.S. and Israeli collaboration on the attacks.
Sanger’s 2012 story provided new details, including that Obama approved an escalation of the StuxNet attack even after it had escaped beyond its target at Iran’s Natanz centrifuge facility lab. Perhaps even more sensitive, Sanger’s story relayed claims from officials attending a presidential briefing suggesting that Israel had been responsible for the code escaping Natanz:
“An error in the code, they said, had led it to spread to an engineer’s computer when it was hooked up to the centrifuges. When the engineer left Natanz and connected the computer to the Internet, the American- and Israeli-made bug failed to recognize that its environment had changed. It began replicating itself all around the world. Suddenly, the code was exposed, though its intent would not be clear, at least to ordinary computer users.
“‘We think there was a modification done by the Israelis,’ one of the briefers told the president, ‘and we don’t know if we were part of that activity.’
“Mr. Obama, according to officials in the room, asked a series of questions, fearful that the code could do damage outside the plant. The answers came back in hedged terms. Mr. Biden fumed. ‘It’s got to be the Israelis,’ he said. ‘They went too far.’”
Sanger’s StuxNet story is, then, just like Risen’s account of Merlin, a story of the dangerous unintended consequences caused by covert U.S. efforts to combat Iran’s claimed nuclear program. Both are issues the American public deserves to debate. Should the U.S. risk further proliferation in its effort to counter proliferation? Should NSA launch offensive attacks against an adversary we’re not at war with? What kind of blowback do such operations invite?
Both stories have been critical to bringing necessary public attention to the bungling behind our Iran policy. Yet the alleged leakers in the two stories have thus far been treated differently. Sterling has been fighting prosecution for 3.5 years. Cartwright has lost his security clearance but, two years after the Sanger story, DOJ has not charged him or anyone else.
There may be any number of explanations for the apparently different treatment: DOJ may still be crafting a case against Cartwright, and we may all be defending Sanger’s right to protect his sources sometime in the future. Given the sensitivities of StuxNet, DOJ may be unable to prosecute the leak without exposing even more classified information.
Cartwright’s different treatment may reflect DOJ’s efforts, announced last year, to “explore ways in which the intelligence agencies themselves, in the first instance, can address information leaks internally, though administrative means, such as the withdrawal of security clearances.”
Then there’s the possibility that if you’re “Obama’s favorite general,” as Cartwright reportedly was, you don’t get prosecuted. Unlike Cartwright, Jeffrey Sterling didn’t sit in on White House briefings. On the contrary, the government claimed Sterling only leaked this information after losing an Equal Employment Opportunity suit against the CIA, in which he claimed he had not been given certain assignments because he is African-American. In fact, as Risen reported in a 2002 story on Sterling, CIA Director John Brennan, then the Agency’s deputy executive director, played a role in denying Sterling’s claim, after which the CIA subjected Sterling to an early security investigation.
Both Risen’s and Sanger’s stories provided citizens important information on America’s ham-handed efforts to combat Iran. Both leaks served to provide important information about the ill-considered covert actions done in our name. Thus far, the leaks have not been treated the same.
Hopefully, the inaction on Sterling’s case and against Cartwright, if he is, indeed, Sanger’s source, reflects reconsideration on the part of the Obama Administration of its counterproductive criminalization of whistleblowing. Hopefully, what we’re seeing is a belated recognition that attacking journalism doesn’t serve the country.
But for now, Jeffrey Sterling and James Risen remain under direct threat from DOJ for telling us just how problematic some of CIA’s programs against Iran are.
Investigative journalist Marcy Wheeler writes the “Right to Know” column for ExposeFacts. She is best known for providing in-depth analysis of legal documents related to “war on terrorism” programs and civil liberties. Wheeler blogs at emptywheel.net and publishes at outlets including the Guardian, Salonand the Progressive. She is the author of Anatomy of Deceit: How the Bush Administration Used the Media to Sell the Iraq War and Out a Spy. Wheeler won the 2009 Hillman Award for blog journalism.Ever wonder why Daryl Dixon has never found any love on The Walking Dead? Well, according to star Norman Reedus, the answer may surprise you. Of course, it’s all a bunch of phony baloney and should not be believed under any circumstances, but let’s not worry about that for the time being. According to Reedus, Daryl actually has a tail. And not just any tail, but a “two-foot possum tail on his backside.”
That’s just one of the huge (and completely fake) spoilers waiting for you as we asked the cast of The Walking Dead to reveal certain misinformation about what is coming up on season 8 of the show. We will say no more and let you discover these magical untruths for yourself by watching the video above. Feel free to then spread these lies far and wide. After all, the actors on the show said them, so they must be true!My main hobby is Olympic-style weightlifting. Normally this means I focus on the two competition lifts, with work on the side to improve technique and to increase strength.
A few months ago I partially tore the meniscus of my left knee. It’s been taking its sweet time healing up, in part because I kept performing certain exercises. I figured for about 8 weeks that if I didn’t feel pain, doing an exercise was OK. I was wrong.
So now I have dropped all work involving either knee extension or flexion. This includes the Olympic lifts, squats, deadlifts, romanian deadlifts, good mornings … in fact, all the exercises that form the staple of weightlifting training.
Instead I’ve been stranded with upper body work.
Combining Strength and Hypertrophy
Before I was injured, I became interested in the possibility of combining strength-oriented and hypertrophy-oriented training (influenced in part by Layne Norton’s PHAT program, Zatsiorsky & Kraemer’s textbook and seeing various studies being discussed in august fora). It’s common to use block periodisation to program first hypertrophy and then strength. However I have personally found that running a mesocycle of hypertrophy training causes me to get weaker, not stronger.
However, a current controversy in sports science is the degree to which hypertrophy training, involving high volumes of contraction, actually provokes myofibrillar hypertrophy versus sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. Some researchers believe that high-repetition training will increase the production of all protein elements more than the traditional heavy, low-repetition training approach of strength training.
Missing from this is the nervous system aspect. Strength is as much about nervous system adaptation as it is about increasing myofibrils. I’ve experimented with 10×10 and 5×12 schemes; in both cases seeing big increases in size but no strength gains (even reversions for the 5×12 experiments).
Also raising its head is the problem of sarcoplasmic hypertrophy (it too is a disputed hypothesis, but let’s move forward for now). To the degree that high-repetition training favours the storage of glycogen and fluid in the muscles without causing myofibrillar hypertrophy, it’s flatly useless for my sport. To snatch or clean & jerk weights I don’t need muscular endurance; and intramuscular water weight is dead weight that doesn’t produce contractile force.
However, my thinking has been to add a strength-biased hypertrophy component to my regimen. The thinking is firstly that additional stimulus at sufficiently high weight will provoke sufficient myofibrillar hypertrophy to justify any offsetting sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. Secondly, some of the side-effects of sarcoplasmic hypertrophy might create an environment that favours subsequent myofibrillar hypertrophy. Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy both expands the muscle fibres (creating more room for myofibrils to be created in) and leads to more mitochondria (increasing the in-cell turnover of energy and protein).
Therefore, my current approach is to alternate strength days and hypertrophy days.
Exercise Selection and Performance
First, a word about exercise selection. As I said above, I’ve injured my knee and been reduced to upper body work. I’ve focused on improving my pressing strength and retaining or improving pulling strength. The third focus of my selections is to keep the shoulder girdle, especially the rotator cuff, happy while undertaking a large amount of pressing volume and intensity.
The exercises chosen for strength days are the seated overhead press, band pullaparts, chinups, dips, pushups and face pulls. I also had seated good mornings, but these have proved to be too aggravating to the knee and I elected to drop them.
The exercises chosen for hypertrophy days are the incline dumbbell press, band pullaparts, face pulls, situps or crunches, batwings and pushups. I used to have left-hand side dumbbell shrugs to try to bring my left hand side upper trapezius into line with its substantially larger right hand counterpart. However this exercise has given me several episodes of painful neck twinges and I have dropped it for now.
Note that some of the exercises are repeated on both days. Pullaparts, batwings and face pulls help maintain scapular retraction strength and health for the both the internally and externally rotated position of the shoulder socket. This helps both to offset the punishment of high frequency pressing and retains and potentially improves strength I rely on in the snatch and the clean.
Pushups are included on both days because they are fun and have a better carryover to overhead pressing than bench pressing, while (with close hand and elbow placement) placing less stress on the shoulders.
In several exercises I use bands to either assist the movement or to provide resistance. I’ve been quite pleased with the usefulness of bands so far.
I aim to keep rest periods controlled. On strength day I aim to keep rest periods to under 3 minutes. On hypertrophy day I aim to keep the rest periods under 2 minutes. The former because 3 minutes is the minimum traditional figure given for the majority replenishment of the phosphagen energy system (a property I wish to train because of the limited rest period between lift attempts in competition). The latter because meta-studies have found that short rest periods — between 90 and 120 seconds — are positively correlated with overall hypertrophy.
Normally this amount of volume on both strength and hypertrophy days would take a very long time. To cut down “lost” time, and to stave off boredom, I have frequently supersetted exercises. In a superset the trainee performs one exercise, then immediately performs a different exercise, and sometimes a third and so on. There are many ways of programming these, mine is to pick antagonistic or unrelated exercise pairs. So the presses are followed by band pulls; the chinups by dips; pushups by face pulls; face pulls by situps; batwings by pushups.
Strength Days
The goal on the strength day is to preserve and improve the specification of strength, with a secondary goal of provoking myofibrillar hypertrophy.
The two key schemes used on strength day are 10×3 and 6×5.
I use 10 sets of 3 reps at a high intensity (the second and third reps should be difficult, but not grinders). 10 sets are used to provide sufficient stimulus for myofibrillar hypertrophy; triples are chosen to provide a working weight that challenges the nervous system to adapt.
Currently scheduled for 10x3s are seated overhead press and band pullaparts.
In the 6×5 section I use a slightly less intense weight (the 4th and 5th reps should be hard). This is chosen to allow the nervous system to become accustomed to movements I have not used in training before. Myofibrillar hypertrophy will be slightly less pronounced. For 6x5s I have been using band-assisted chinups, band-assisted dips, band-resisted pushups and unilateral band face pulls.
Lately I have added negative repetitions to the chinups. These involve jumping up and resisting the downward portion of the pull. I am not yet able to pause the downward movement, but overloaded negative or eccentric repetitions have been shown to provoke more myofibrillar hypertrophy than regular repetitions. They also lead to bloody unpleasant soreness.
Similarly, with dips, I have sometimes replaced or augmented the band-assisted dips with straight dips. In these cases I am aim for “AMRAP” — As Many Reps As Possible.
Hypertrophy Day
On hypertrophy day, the goal is provoke some myofibrillar and some sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. I have chosen as my basic pattern 8x8s — 8 sets of 8 repetitions.
In the lore of weight training, 8 repetitions is seen as where strength training ends and hypertrophy begins. In an 8-set the goal is for the last two or three repetitions to be difficult. In contrast to 10-sets or 12-sets, the 8-set allows a higher weight to be used, hopefully retaining a balance between the myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. One should not be “feeling the burn” in an 8-set. It should be difficult to complete because of the heaviness of the selected weight, not because of a burning sensation.
8×8 provides a handy amount of volume to provoke hypertrophy in any case — a total of 64 repetitions per exercise.
Some confusion may arise amongst bodybuilding afficionados, for whom 3×8 is a popular pattern. The confusion arises because bodybuilders will often use multiple, different exercises for a muscle or group of muscles. Beginner trainees often ape the programs of advanced bodybuilders, unaware that the program listed is a snapshot of what the pro is doing right now to address some perceived aesthetic short coming. Bodybuilders have an enormous lore for bringing out this or that part of this or that muscle and the advanced and professional bodybuilders rely heavily on it to respond to the currently fashionable body shape.
But I don’t need that. What I’m trying to provoke is the development of functional mass — myofibrils and some sarcoplasm — that I can immediately train my nervous system to recruit on strength days. I don’t need some particular part of some particular muscle to “pop” or be bigger or smaller than some other muscle. I just need to add size and through it strength.
Hence the focus on keeping things simple. A few exercises, preferably multi-jointed and non-isolated, performed at a higher volume than a bodybuilder might use.
Conclusion and the Future
Right now I have been working on this program for 3 weeks. I have noticed an accumulation of minor twinges and in particular, soreness in ligaments and tendons (which, due to their low blood circulation, typically take longer than muscles to adapt to stimuli). Thus I will be taking a traditional programming step: next week will be a programmed “deload” week. I will drop from 6 days to 3 days, I will drop several exercises from rotation, and I will drop the volume of work. I will however retain a high intensity on training days to maintain and consolidate any nervous system adaptations.
The thinking on this program has evolved slowly over several months, then quickly over the past few weeks of actually putting it into practice. It’s been an interesting change of pace and very demanding. I look forward to experimenting with these principles with more systemically demanding exercises (such as snatches, cleans, squats, RDLs) in future.The famous French philosopher Denis Diderot lived nearly his entire life in poverty, but that all changed in 1765.
Diderot was 52 years old and his daughter was about to be married, but he could not afford to provide a dowry. Despite his lack of wealth, Diderot’s name was well-known because he was the co-founder and writer of Encyclopédie, one of the most comprehensive encyclopedias of the time.
When Catherine the Great, the Empress of Russia, heard of Diderot’s financial troubles she offered to buy his library from him for £1000 GBP, which is approximately $50,000 USD in 2015 dollars. Suddenly, Diderot had money to spare. 1
Shortly after this lucky sale, Diderot acquired a new scarlet robe. That's when everything went wrong. 2
The Diderot Effect
Diderot’s scarlet robe was beautiful. So beautiful, in fact, that he immediately noticed how out of place it seemed when surrounded by the rest of his common possessions. In his words, there was “no more coordination, no more unity, no more beauty” between his robe and the rest of his items. The philosopher soon felt the urge to buy some new things to match the beauty of his robe. 3
He replaced his old rug with a new one from Damascus. He decorated his home with beautiful sculptures and a better kitchen table. He bought a new mirror to place above the mantle and his “straw chair was relegated to the antechamber by a leather chair.”
These reactive purchases have become known as the Diderot Effect.
The Diderot Effect states that obtaining a new possession often creates a spiral of consumption which leads you to acquire more new things. As a result, we end up buying things that our previous selves never needed to feel happy or fulfilled.
Why We Want Things We Don’t Need
Like many others, I have fallen victim to the Diderot Effect. I recently bought a new car and I ended up purchasing all sorts of additional things to go inside it. I bought a tire pressure gauge, a car charger for my cell phone, an extra umbrella, a first aid kit, a pocket knife, a flashlight, emergency blankets, and even a seatbelt cutting tool.
Allow me to point out that I owned my previous car for nearly 10 years and at no point did I feel that any of the previously mentioned items were worth purchasing. And yet, after getting my shiny new car, I found myself falling into the same consumption spiral as Diderot. 4
You can spot similar behaviors in many other areas of life:
You buy a new dress and now you have to get shoes and earrings to match.
You buy a CrossFit membership and soon you’re paying for foam rollers, knee sleeves, wrist wraps, and paleo meal plans.
You buy your kid an American Girl doll and find yourself purchasing more accessories than you ever knew existed for dolls.
You buy a new couch and suddenly you're questioning the layout of your entire living room. Those chairs? That coffee table? That rug? They all gotta go.
Life has a natural tendency to become filled with more. We are rarely looking to downgrade, to simplify, to eliminate, to reduce. Our natural inclination is always to accumulate, to add, to upgrade, and to build upon.
In the words of sociology professor Juliet Schor, “the pressure to upgrade our stock of stuff is relentlessly unidirectional, always ascending.” 5
Mastering the Diderot Effect
The Diderot Effect tells us that your life is only going to have more things fighting to get in it, so you need to to understand how to curate, eliminate, and focus on the things that matter.
Reduce exposure. Nearly every habit is initiated by a trigger or cue. One of the quickest ways to reduce the power of the Diderot Effect is to avoid the habit triggers that cause it in the first place. Unsubscribe from commercial emails. Call the magazines that send you catalogs and opt out of their mailings. Meet friends at the park rather than the mall. Block your favorite shopping websites using tools like Freedom.
Buy items that fit your current system. You don't have to start from scratch each time you buy something new. When you purchase new clothes, look for items that work well with your current wardrobe. When you upgrade to new electronics, get things that play nicely with your current pieces so you can avoid buying new chargers, adapters, or cables.
Set self-imposed limits. Live a carefully constrained life by creating limitations for you to operate within. Juliet Schor provides a great example with this quote…
“Imagine the following. A community group in your town organizes parents to sign a pledge agreeing to spend no more than $50 on athletic shoes for their children. The staff at your child's day-care center requests a $75 limit on spending for birthday parties. The local school board rallies community support behind a switch to school uniforms. The PTA gets 8o percent of parents to agree to limit their children's television watching to no more than one hour per day.
Do you wish someone in your community or at your children’s school would take the lead in these or similar efforts? I think millions of American parents do. Television, shoes, clothes, birthday parties, athletic uniforms-these are areas where many parents feel pressured into allowing their children to consume at a level beyond what they think is best, want to spend, or can comfortably afford.”
—Juliet Schor, The Overspent American
Buy One, Give One. Each time you make a new purchase, give something away. Get a new TV? Give your old one away rather than moving it to another room. The idea is to prevent your number of items from growing. Always be curating your life to include only the things that bring you joy and happiness.
Go one month without buying something new. Don't allow yourself to buy any new items for one month. Instead of buying a new lawn mower, rent one from a neighbor. Get your new shirt from the thrift store rather than the department store. The more we restrict ourselves, the more resourceful we become.
Let go of wanting things. There will never be a level where you will be done wanting things. There is always something to upgrade to. Get a new Honda? You can upgrade to a Mercedes. Get a new Mercedes? You can upgrade to a Bentley. Get a new Bentley? You can upgrade to a Ferrari. Get a new Ferrari? Have you thought about buying a private plane? Realize that wanting is just an option your mind provides, not an order you have to follow.
How to Overcome the Consumption Tendency
Our natural tendency is to consume more, not less. Given this tendency, I believe that taking active steps to reduce the flow of unquestioned consumption makes our lives better.
Personally, my goal is not to reduce life to the fewest amount of things, but to fill it with the optimal amount of things. I hope this article will help you consider how to do the same.
In Diderot's words, “Let my example teach you a lesson. Poverty has its freedoms; opulence has its obstacles.” 6Reports: Snipers Deployed To Kill Tehran's Cat-Sized Rats
Enlarge this image toggle caption Barcroft Media/Barcroft Media /Landov Barcroft Media/Barcroft Media /Landov
Rats have been a problem for many years in Tehran. As the BBC reported in 2000, officials back then launched a poison control program that they hoped would kill many of the estimated 25 million rats in the city.
Well, now there are reports that the poison isn't working that well and that the rat population still outnumbers the Iranian capital's humans. So, as The Times of London and Abu Dhabi's The National report, sniper squads have been deployed.
The National says:
"Ten teams of sharpshooters armed with rifles equipped with infra-red sights have bagged more than 2,000 of the brutish rodents in recent weeks, city officials told state media. That's a drop in the ocean: Iran's rat population easily outnumbers the sprawling capital's 12 million inhabitants. The city council is now boosting the number of sniper squads to 40, officials said. " 'It's become a 24/7 war,' a grim-faced Mohammad Hadi Heydarzadeh, the head of Tehran municipality's environmental agency, declared on state television last month."
Some of the rats, according to news reports, weigh about 11 pounds. That's more than many of Tehran's cats. The problem grows worse in Tehran as winter turns to spring, snows melt in the mountains and the city's water table rises — pushing the rats into close contact with humans.
Rats do not respect international boundaries, of course. Gawker last month looked at reports of a post-Superstorm Sandy rat invasion in New York City and concluded it was still too soon to tell if it's happened. The New York Times, though, thinks the city's rats have "come inland, in droves."
H/T to Shots host Scott Hensley.NVIDIA has been talking about 4K gaming monitors quite often these days, but we haven’t heard much about 4K Suround monitor setups until today. NVIDIA has a 4K surround demo up and running that you really need to see in person to believe.
NVIDIA’s demo has three ASUS PQ321Q 31.5-inch 4K Ultra HD Monitor setup at 3840 x 2160 in portrait mode. That means you end up with a 6480 x 3840 monitor setup for 24.88 million pixels of pure goodness. They were then running Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag and allowing those here at the event to take the mega-panel setup for a test drive.
Here is a quick look at the available resolutions in the in-game menu! Our current 5760×1080 setup officially feels tiny after looking at this 6480 x 3840 setup! How is NVIDIA powering such a monitor setup? NVIDIA was using a high-end Maingear Shift gaming PC that was running three NVIDIA GeForce GTX Titan 6GB video cards! This system has a combined 18GB of GDDR5 memory and starts at $6,613.00 with three of these video cards. Each ASUS PQ321Q 4K Ultra HD display runs $3499.00, so this 4K Surround setup would set you back an additional $10,497! Not everyday you get to see $20,000 PC setup!
Each ASUS PQ321 monitor was run off one GeForce GTX Titan video card using the DisplayPort video output. The gameplay was pretty smooth on this 3×1 setup, but you could tell that this is pushing the limits of this crazy high-end setup!
Very cool demo and this is the first time that we have seen a 4K Surround gaming setup! We just had to share! Arsenal are reportedly in with a chance of landing highly rated Barcelona youngster Sergi Samper in the near future, in a move that would draw significant comparisons to their previous capture of a certain Cesc Fabregas.
In a report that is perhaps best taken with a small pinch of salt, the Metro cites infamous Spanish website Fichajes.net to claim that Samper is open to leaving Camp Nou and would accept a transfer if the Gunners were to make an offer in January.
It is believed that the 20-year-old midfielder, who made his senior Barcelona debut in a Champions League game against APOEL Nicosia last September, has an attractive release clause of just £8.5m.
Samper also made a handful of appearances for Luis Enrique's team in the Copa del Rey during last season's historic treble winning campaign, but he has still never been called upon for La Liga duty.
Even now, chances don't appear to be forthcoming, while other La Masia graduates like Munir El-Haddadi, Sandro Ramirez and more recently Gerard Gumbau, have been more involved in and around the first-team.
*pictured with another La Masia graduate, Marc Bartra
It is said that that the Barcelona-born Samper, who first joined the Blaugrana's famed academy when he was just six years of age, is aware that he may find a route to senior action too difficult to come by if he patiently stays with his home-town club.
It is a similar situation which brought significant and persistent speculation regarding a potential, but always unlikely, move to Liverpool last season.
Arsenal, with their track record of developing players from a young age, would appear to be a much more sensible choice if Samper really is ready to walk away from Barcelona.
Fabregas and Hector Bellerin were much younger when they made the switch to north London, but Samper could still take great inspiration from their respective stories. Hell, Fabregas even ended up back at Camp Nou a few years later anyway.
CLOSE AC/DC co-founder Malcolm Young has died. He was 64 years old. Young helped start AC/DC with his brother Angus in 1973. USA TODAY
AC/DC band member Malcolm Young attends the Exclusive World Premiere Of AC/DC 'Live At River Plate' on May 6, 2011 in London. (Photo11: Jorge Herrera)
Malcolm Young, the guitarist and co-founder of Australian hard rock band AC/DC, has died at age 64, the band announced Saturday in a statement.
"Today it is with deep heartfelt sadness that AC/DC has to announce the passing of Malcolm Young," the statement on their website read. "He leaves behind an enormous legacy that will live on forever. Malcolm, job well done."
Young died peacefully on Saturday with his family by his side, according to an additional statement issued to Australia's SBS.
AC/DC guitarist Malcolm Young performs in this 2010 file photo in Berlin, Germany, Olympiastadion (Photo11: Engelke, ullstein bild via Getty Images)
"Renowned for his musical prowess, Malcolm was a songwriter, guitarist, performer, producer and visionary who inspired many," the statement read. "From the outset, he knew what he wanted to achieve and, along with his younger brother, took to the world stage giving their all at every show. Nothing less would do for their fans."
Young was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on Jan. 6, 1953. He helped form AC/DC in Sydney, Australia, with his brother Angus in 1973. The band released their debut album High Voltage in 1975 and later became known for hits such as Highway to Hell, Thunderstruck and Back in Black.
The band's 1981 album For Those About to Rock We SaluteYou was their first to reach number one in the United States.
Young was the rhythm guitarist for the band until 2014, when his health began to decline due to dementia, the symptoms of which began appearing while the group was making their 2008 album Black Ice.
Young, who was also a vocalist and songwriter, continued to contribute song ideas when the writing process for the band's 2014 album Rock or Bust began; the siblings are credited as co-writers throughout.
Asked about Young's condition in November 2014, Angus told USA TODAY, "He himself is happy. He's getting a lot of care. His family is with him all the time, and they're strong."
"There were ideas that Malcolm and I myself had for years, that we hadn't finished," Angus added. "What he always believed was, 'Let's keep going, as long as we can do it.' He always had that spirit, because the band was his baby."
AC/DC was remarkably consistent for over 40 years with its mix of driving hard rock and bluesy shuffles, selling over 200 million albums, surviving the loss of its first singer, Bon Scott (who died of acute alcohol poisoning in 1980), and creating one of the greatest rock records ever in Back in Black, the world's second best-selling album behind Michael Jackson's Thriller.
Contributing: The Associated Press
Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2itmb1HTwo new separate groups of scientists now want to send coded radio messages into the cosmos in hopes of deliberately attracting the attention of intelligent space aliens. Known as Active SETI (Active Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence), it’s arguably no safer to entice unknown offworlders into our planetary living room than to invite total strangers in for coffee and crullers.
But even if they are totally unsavory, it’s highly likely that an interstellar civilization would already be picking up our electromagnetic leakage and therefore already know we’re here, Douglas Vakoch, President of the San Francisco-based non-profit METI (Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence) International, told me.
“It's too late to conceal ourselves in the universe, so we should decide how we want to represent ourselves,” said Vakoch, an expert in interstellar message construction. “ Extraterrestrials may be waiting for a clear indication from us that we're ready to start talking.”
To that end, METI International plans to launch what it terms a sustained project in messaging extraterrestrial intelligence that will draw upon an international cadre of experts to make certain that the message will be both information-rich and provocative enough to elicit a response.
“We hope to [radio] transmit by the end of 2018, with an emphasis on messages conveying basic mathematical and scientific concepts,” said Vakoch. “It would be ideal to use a powerful transmitter like those used for planetary radar studies, such as Arecibo Observatory.”
There have already been several intentional messages beamed into the cosmos. One of the most famous was a 1974 three-minute pulsed message sent from the Arecibo radiotelescope in Puerto Rico. Aimed toward M13, a stellar globular cluster some 24,000 light years away within our own Milky Way, it was written in part by longtime SETI searcher Frank Drake and the late Carl Sagan. But its 1679 binary digits offered only a few details about our solar system, the human species and Earth’s biochemistry.
Thus, proponents of sending future such messages contend that just as in politics, it’s better if we define ourselves before others make unwarranted assumptions about the nature of our civilization. That’s because any civilization capable of tapping into our interstellar broadcast leakage now drifting into the cosmos might soon get a warped view of our culture.
“If so, they will receive a biased view of our species based mostly on how it entertains itself,” Joao Pedro Magalhaes, a biologist at the University of Liverpool and an advocate for an Active SETI group, told me.
Although Magalhaes’s own U.K.-based active SETI initiative --- which is not affiliated with METI International --- doesn’t yet have a timeline for an actual transmission, he advocates that we simply send a message declaring we’re ready to learn from older, more advanced extraterrestrial civilizations.
“My proposal is for [sending] a transmission under the assumption that extraterrestrial intelligences are already aware of our existence,” said Magalhaes. If so, he says, then attempting to communicate with them using transmissions that are not above our normal broadcast radio and TV leakage will not put us in any more danger than we are already.
Both Magalhaes and Vakoch agree that any new attempts at active contact should ensure that we represent ourselves credibly. Vakoch says that this should include a means for E.T. to readily “unpack” the encoded information in our directed signals.
Although Vakoch supports previous efforts at such communication, he contends that instead of just sending a few of the chemical notations for compounds key to life here on Earth, we should include the whole Periodic Table of the Elements. He contends that this would allow the aliens to see the similarities and differences between the elements based on how they are grouped.
As for sending selfies?
Vakoch says we’d need to provide E.T. with a tutorial on how to read pictures.
“There are a lot of hidden assumptions embedded in the ways we portray three-dimensional objects on two-dimensional surfaces,” said Vakoch. “Even if aliens use pictures, they may use a different set of conventions to map solid objects onto flat surfaces.”
Vakoch also advocates sending them a map of our location in the galaxy.
“The Arecibo message didn't encode information about our location, |
to rehabilitation would not look like stretching the bejeezus out of your hamstrings at their absolute maximum end range for somewhere in the neighborhood of thirty and ninety seconds per day.
Bringing Mitchell’s and Bowman’s work together, this kind of rehabilitation accomplishes a few key things. First, it reminds your little sarcomeres what length you would like things to be by gradual, incremental loading of your body in healthier ranges of movement. Second, taking more opportunities for natural movement more frequently (oversimplified definition alert: natural movement = accomplishing the movements that our ancestors used to need to do to survive - like walking, or bending, or climbing - with proper alignment) develops strength and adaptability. This allows your nervous system to feel safe about testing out new ranges of motion, while simultaneously unraveling the compensatory patterns that make your nervous system put on the brakes in the first place.
A Tale of Two Feet
What might this look like in practice? Let me tell you about my feet. Last summer I still had to slap on my rigid hiking shoes in order to get out on the rocky trails here in New England. Whenever I attempted to wear a more flexible-soled shoe, I was one sore-footed girl. Determined that my feet could be more supple, I spent the year wearing only neutral-heeled, flexible-soled shoes, taking plenty of barefoot time, increasing my walking mileage, and intentionally seeking out as much diverse terrain as I could find.
Fast forward to the end of this summer and I have been hiking daily - up steep inclines, on slick shale, on rocky ground and tangled stumps - only in my Unshoes. And what’s amazing is that these hikes also manage to feel like a delicious foot massage no matter how long I’m out on the trail. I find myself intentionally stepping on the rockier areas of the trail because it feels good on my feet. What happened there?
I incrementally - over one year - loaded my feet differently, and as a result the 33 joints that live in my tootsies are now much more supple and flexible. My feet are also stronger. Flexible and strong like to show up to the party together. Go figure.
Some Stretching Movement Rules to Live By
So is stretching the devil? Nah. Frequent, intermittent stretching that is within your range and not red-lining it for your abilities helps you to explore your movement ranges and therefore helps you to (very gradually) remodel yourself at the cellular level to a more mobile version of yourself.
This is a complex issue for which much more could be said, but I have already written a short novel, so in closing here are a few bullet points that we might want to consider so that we can re-frame how to become more flexible. Perhaps we should:
Stop with the no-pain-no-gain crap and instead accept that The Goldilocks Principle holds true for human tissue: not too much, not too little, but just right amounts of input keep us healthy and mobile.
Stop with the “stretch tight bits to make them looser” and “we are inanimate lumps of clay” models. We are alive. Our nervous systems are in charge. We need to have a long-term dialogue with it, not pretend we can boss the CNS around.
Stop pretending we can put movement into a bento box of “exercising” and “non-exercising” time when what we are doing all the time - movement not exercising -is what is determining our shape and mobility.
Stop stretching at extreme maximum capacity at rare intervals and instead take kinder intermittent stretch breaks.
And while we’re at it, let’s altogether drop the idea that being bendy is somehow better. Functional length is better; hypermobile is trouble.
*It’s worth noting that I am not trying to speak for Jules Mitchell. I can only report my take on our conversation, she may very well disagree with the way I phrased something here, so these are not Jules’s words, they’re mine. To read her words, you can visit her blog.
**I also can’t speak for Katy Bowman. So this is my take on her writings, and she may very well disagree with how I have presented the material. To read it straight from her fingertips, you can visit her blog.Xbox One owners of ARK: Survival Evolved won’t have to wait too long for this week’s and last week’s PC content update to hit the console. Studio Wildcard announced Monday the 733.0 update will hit Microsoft’s console the week of April 7 with new caves, new creatures, new features, and plenty of fixes.
ARK: Survival Evolved players on the PC received patch 237 over the weekend, which added the new Snow and Swamp caves along with the Eggcellent Adventure Easter event. Unfortunately, the event will not make its way to the Xbox One, but the new high-end caves will.
ARK players will not only have to contend with high-level creatures such as Yetis, Giant Scorpions, and Giant Bats, but the environment of the caves as well. The Snow Caves are brutally cold and will require Fur Armor or Riot Armor. For example, the water is so cold it will cause damage. Additionally, it gets even colder the deeper you venture in the cave.
Meanwhile, the Swamp Cave has a noxious atmosphere that requires players to equip a Scuba Tank and Mask to survive. Ghillie Suits are an alternative as well, according to a Reddit post from Studio Wildcard Community Manager Jat Karunakaran. This gives Primitive servers a chance to explore Swamp Caves as well since they don’t have access to scuba gear.
The Snow Cave rewards the Artifact of the Strong while the Swamp Cave rewards the Artifact of the Immune. Studio Wildcard has described the loot table for the caves as high-end, but players have received lowly primitive equipment as well.
[Image via Studio Wildcard] The creature count will be increased by at least three with the 733 update to the Xbox One. The PC version of the game will receive the 238 patch later this week, which includes two sea creatures and a new land animal. This would be the underwater version of the Giant Scorpion, the Eurypterid, which drops Black Pearls along with Chitin and Silica Pearls; the Dunkleosteus armored fish that can be tamed to harvest stone and oil in the depths of the oceans; and the Wooly Rhino with its powerful charge attack.
Also included is the yet to be revealed new breeding mechanics and Tribe member rankings and management. There are several Xbox One-specific fixes coming to ARK, however. This includes teleporting players above ground if they glitch under the map to fix a known exploit, a fix for the wonky Mammoth colors, and a fix for the Spyglass in splitscreen. Players that keep accidentally leaving tribes will be happy to know that issue has now been corrected. Meanwhile, there’s another 10 percent framerate performance improvement, according to the developer.
You can check the complete 733.0 patch notes for ARK: Survival Evolved on the Xbox One below.
All PC Content & Fixes Through PC v238 (such as “New Cave-Dungeons: Snow and Swamp. New Creatures: Woolly Rhino, Eurypterid, & Dunkleosteus. Breeding Mechanics Phase 2” etc)
Improved game framerate by approximately 10 percent (rendering & cpu)
Fixed Bug: Focus is now NOT on the Leave Tribe button when opening the Tribe Menu, also added a Leave Tribe confirmation dialog.
If you get stuck underground, you now teleport back above ground.
Mammoth colorization fixed
Timer values that were resetting to 0 on “Reset Options” now reset to their correct value
Server administrators can now specify a list of administrator users to have access to the full set of administrator (console) commands, as on PC. Singleplayer/Non-Dedicated hosts always have this option. If you have administrator access, all PC console commands can now be inputted at the Pause Menu.
Server Options now have edit boxes for inputting direct arbritrary values.
Spyglass now works properly in splitscreen.
It’s still unclear if the Basilosaurus will make an appearance in the next PC and Xbox One update to ARK. Studio Wildcard co-founder Susan Stielgitz was previously teasing the creature and its dossier was finally revealed Monday. However, neither the PC nor Xbox One upcoming patch notes have been updated to include the creature. Studio Wildcard is likely trying to get it for the next update on both platforms, but it could still slip.
Here is the Basilosaurus dossier for ARK: Survival Evolved.
[Image via Studio Wildcard]
Wild “One of the stranger creatures in the waters surrounding the island is Basilosaurus Solatiumfecit. It’s a powerful swimmer which has adapted to the shallows so remarkably well such that it rapidly recovers from injuries when near the water’s surface. Conversely, it’s vulnerable to deep water pressure, which slowly cause it harm. “Basilosaurus is usually closely followed around by other predatory creatures, as its eating habits leave a large amount of scraps for other scavengers to consume. It’s a gentle creature towards humans, and happily takes food directly from them. However, the creature which trail the ‘Basi’ tend to become dangerously enraged whenever this happens, as it leaves no leftovers for them.” Domesticated “Despite the hassle of engaging with its ornery followers, many tribes still attempt to tame the Basilosaurus, as its mammalian warm-blooded circulation provides a rider with perfect comfort from both heat and cold. Alternatively, Basilosaurus is hunted – perhaps too vigorously – for its special blubber, which can be refined into a far more efficient form of gasoline.”
[Image via Studio Wildcard]Homeland foresaw real life with a storyline about the secretive Fisa court. But which other shows displayed similar prescience?
NSA on TV and film: the shows that predicted the surveillance revelations
Homeland, the slick Showtime drama renowned for its improbable cliffhangers, is back for a third season in the US on Sunday, and in the UK a week later.
But there's something else about the show that made Damian Lewis a household name in the US: Homeland predicted one of the biggest news stories of the year.
In one of the first episodes of Homeland, CIA division chief Saul Berenson blackmails a federal judge into granting a warrant from the secretive Fisa court to allow his star agent, Carrie Mathison, to surveil Nicholas Brody, the US marine she suspects of being a terrorist.
But very few viewers would have known much about the Fisa court, until June, when Edward Snowden's revelations showed the workings of the shadowy court that oversees the intelligence apparatus in the United States.
Which prompted the question – which other TV shows and films over the years tried to warn us about all of this? And how did we not see this coming?
Whiz Kids (1984)
In one particular episode of this critically acclaimed series, the computer-adept “whiz kids” get in trouble after accidentally hacking into National Security Agency computers. An adult authority explains:
Some people wonder if they even exist. You know, they're more secret than the FBI and CIA put together.
Not only does the NSA catch the teens exposing its security flaws, the resulting threat of prosecution means the hackers’ band can’t perform at a school dance. Golly.
Notable technology: Typewriters
Good Will Hunting (1997)
After Will is identified as a math genius, the NSA tries to entice him to become a code-breaker. When the NSA recruiter challenges Will to find one reason why he shouldn’t work for them, Will pretty much eats him alive with words. The monologue is too long to publish, but here’s a quote:
I figure, fuck it, while I'm at it, why not just shoot my buddy, take his job and give it to his sworn enemy? Hike up gas prices, bomb a village, club a baby seal, hit the hash pipe and join the National Guard? I could be elected president.
Notable technology: Payphones
Murder She Wrote movie: South by Southwest (1997)
America’s nosiest crime writer, Jessica Fletcher, is on a cross-country Amtrak train from Los Angeles when she befriends the only witness to the murder of an NSA employee “who was going to leak information that was going to compromise our government”. Jessica’s new friend goes missing from the dining car, and the journalist helping her investigate the disappearance turns up dead soon after.
Pursued by an FBI agent, Jessica stumbles across a restricted government area in the middle of the desert, where she learns her missing new friend was an NSA analyst herself – one going through a messy divorce, “mentally erratic”, and possibly in possession of encryption data for every single US military satellite, worth $10m on the open market (that’s not a typo).
NSA chief: “We simply download information from satellites and pass it on to the appropriate agencies.”
Jessica: “Including spy data for the Pentagon, right?”
NSA chief: “It’s what the NSA does. We protect all US classified communications … It only makes the situation worse if any of of this gets into the press.”
Notable technology: Original Nintendo Gameboy
Enemy of the State (1998)
Gene Hackman’s speech in the second half of this movie about what happens when the government tries to pass a bill expanding its surveillance powers, eerily parallels Snowden’s revelations this year. Note: we’re not the first to realize this fact. Zeke Miller from Time pointed it out earlier this summer:
The government’s been in bed with the entire telecommunications business since the 40s. They have infected everything. They can get into your bank statements, computer files, e mail, listen to your phone calls.
Notable technology: Hackman’s VCR
The Zeta Project (2001)
The NSA is the prime villain in this one-season spinoff of the popular animated series Batman Beyond.
Infiltration Unit Zeta, a robot designed by the NSA to carry out assassinations, has an existential crisis about killing and decides to abandon the mission, with the NSA in hot pursuit.
Notable technology: :Laser cutters
The Simpsons Movie (2007)
When Springfield is quarantined, the Simpsons escape – but President Schwarzenegger’s administration is on their track. Marge warns that anyone could be listening to their conversations, and the shot changes to an immense building bearing the words: National Security Agency.
A room filled with NSA agents is seen listening in to mundane conversations between friends, lovers – and people ordering pizza. One agent lights up as he picks up on the Simpsons' call: “Hey everybody, I found one! The government actually found someone we’re looking for! Yeah, baby, yeah!”
The Newsroom (2012)
Removing cell phone batteries for conversations in the New York public library could seem like a dramatic television-only move, but as reporting of the NSA stories showed, being a journalist in this situation requires some pretty paranoid moves.
A key subplot in season one is the meetings between Charlie Skinner, director of The Newsroom’s fake news network, and NSA analyst Solomon Hancock. In their meetings, Hancock claims to have information about a top-secret – and eerily familiar – NSA program.
Hancock: “The project title is Global Clarity, and it intercepts 1.7bn phone calls, emails and texts every day.”
Skinner: “Legally?”
Hancock: “No, it involves a significant amount of illegal, warrantless wiretapping of American citizens.”
Zing!
Have you seen other TV shows or films that hinted at the NSA files story? What did we miss? Tell us in the comments.Week after week, we have seen dramatic allegations of malfeasance at UK and US banks. First, we have Libor fixing, then HSBC's "pervasively polluted" culture helping Mexican drug traffickers, and now detailed allegations that Standard Chartered has colluded with the Iranian regime to illegally transfer sums totaling $250bn.
On 5 October 2005, the head of Standard Chartered Americas wrote to the bank's top brass in London about the "very serious or even catastrophic reputational damage" that could be caused by some of the UK institution's transactions involving Iran. He warned that the bank's behaviour could lead to "serious criminal liability" for senior management, including himself.
Nearly seven years later, Standard Chartered stands accused by the New York banking regulator of operating as a "rogue institution" by deliberately altering wire transfers involving Iran to evade American sanctions. What appears to be perhaps even more concerning about this week's bank sleaze charges is that Standard Chartered allegedly perpetrated a "staggering cover-up" by repeatedly providing false information to the regulators. The bank's accounting firm Deloitte is also accused of aiding it by deliberately withholding important information from the authorities.
Standard Chartered denied the allegations saying that it "strongly rejects the position and portrayal of facts" made by the New York State Department of Financial Services, and claiming that "99.9%" of its transactions complied with regulations. Deloitte said that it "had no knowledge of any alleged misconduct by bank employees". We will have to wait and see whether these allegations are proven; at a hearing next week, the bank will have to justify why it should keep its New York banking licence.
What is not new is the apparent contempt – as the New York regulator called it – with which banks appear to treat their government supervisors. It is easy to imagine why (and some senior officials will admit this off the record): the risks and rewards are unbalanced. When banks get things wrong, at the worst they escape with a slap on the wrist and a fine that may seem large but is usually only a fraction of the bank's profits. Meanwhile, lucrative business leads to lucrative bonuses for individual bankers behind the schemes. The end result is that shareholders bear the risks and pay the price, while individual bankers get rewarded for their "swashbuckling".
It is worth personalising this for a moment. The current UK government minister and former HSBC boss, Lord Green, took home £15m in salary and bonuses while presiding over a bank that is accused of providing a conduit for "drug kingpins and rogue nations". He may be a wonderful trade minister but there is a basic issue of accountability that needs to be addressed here. So far, Green has yet to give his money back to hard-pressed shareholders, who may have to pay up to $1bn in fines. Peter Sands, as Standard Chartered's current boss and finance director from 2002 until 2006, should have played an important oversight role over the bank's operations during the period that the Iran scheme was allegedly carried out. As should have Lord Davis, a former UK Labour trade minister who preceded Sands as the bank's CEO.
Last year, the UK financial regulator, the Financial Services Authority published a remarkably revealing review (pdf) of how banks in Britain comply with anti-money laundering protocols. It found that in a third of cases, banks were prepared to take very high money-laundering risks if they felt they wouldn't be found out.
The sheer scale and extent of the malfeasance apparently revealed in these recent scandals suggests that this is also not a case of just a few bad apples within a bank. The New York banking regulator claims that the success of Standard Chartered's Iranian business stems from the "documented willingness of its most senior management to deceive regulators and violate US law". In the case of HSBC, emails have emerged that suggest the bank's management were informed of the anti-money laundering problems at the bank.
Something seems very rotten in the banking industry. Shareholders and governments must do more to fix this problem.
First, and most importantly, senior bank management needs to be held personally liable for serious violations of the law. The threat of losing their fancy houses, lucrative bonuses and reputation in high society may spur executives to treat the law and its enforcers with a little more respect. Compliance and ethical behaviour need to be clearly benchmarked – and any bonuses awarded to senior staff properly clawed back if malfeasance subsequently comes to light. This is also a duty for shareholders, who have seriously lost out following the publications of the allegations about Standard Chartered.
The prospect of a prison cell would certainly focus minds. The crimes alleged are massive, and where proved true, of a breathtaking scale, earning hundreds of million dollars in rewards, while assisting terrorists, tyrants and drug traffickers. The punishment now needs to fit those crimes. Prison and penury would certainly focus minds of potential future banksters.[Haskell-cafe] Haskell and the Software design process
jaco.van.iterson: > Hi > > I was just wondering what methods are best to design/model the software in > bigger projects when you are planning to use Haskell. > Is there no difference compared to other languages? Are there any Haskell > tools? > I don't believe anyone has written a "Programming Haskell in the Large" book (or any other similar functional language??), but there is lots of experience in this community working on big, long lived code bases. Some key points: * reduce the interactions between components by relying on pure interfaces * use types to encode the design into a machine checkable form * use QuickCheck and HPC to ensure property driven development and good coverage * use Hackage packages * use purely functional data structures to model key parts of the world you're talking to. Model-driven design with easy to verify logic * picking a good data type (like a zipper) will make hundreds of unit tests meaningless -- improving productivity. * ensure components have 'axiomatic' interfaces -- reduce complexity by avoiding redundancy * if at all possible ensure your core algorithms and logic are referentially transparent -- this will dramatically simplify maintainanace and QA effort * Use GHC -Wall, QuickCheck, -fhpc, and retainer profiling to ensure space invariants. * Run a set of QC properties on every commit. * Avoid partial functions * Avoid side effecting code * Every bug should be mirrored as a property or type assertion.Documents show operator failed to carry out mandatory checks at Fukushima Daiichi and allowed fuel rods to pile up
The power plant at the centre of the biggest civilian nuclear crisis in Japan's history contained far more spent fuel rods than it was designed to store, while its technicians repeatedly failed to carry out mandatory safety checks, according to documents from the reactor's operator.
The risk that used fuel rods present to efforts to avert disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi plant was underlined on Tuesday when nuclear safety officials said the No 2 reactor's storage pool had heated to around boiling point, raising the risk of a leakage of radioactive steam.
"We cannot leave this alone and we must take care of it as quickly as possible," Hidehiko Nishiyama, of the nuclear and industrial safety agency, said.
According to documents from Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco), the company repeatedly missed safety checks over a 10-year period up to two weeks before the 11 March disaster, and allowed uranium fuel rods to pile up inside the 40-year-old facility.
When the plant was struck by a huge earthquake and tsunami, its reactors, designed by US scientists 50 years ago, contained the equivalent of almost six years of highly radioactive uranium fuel produced by the facility, according to a presentation Tepco gave to the International Atomic Energy Agency and later posted on the company's website.
The revelations will add to pressure on Tepco to explain why, under its cost-cutting chief executive Masataka Shimizu, it opted to save money by storing the spent fuel on site rather than invest in safer storage options.
The firm already faces scrutiny over why it waited so long to pump seawater into the stricken reactors and, according to a report in the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper last week, turned down US offers of help to cool the reactors shortly after the disaster.
Critics of Japan's nuclear power programme say the industry's patchy safety record and close ties to regulating authorities will have to change if it is to regain public trust.
"I've long thought the whole system is a mess," Taro Kono, a Liberal Democratic party MP, told Reuters. "We have to go through our whole nuclear strategy after this.
"Now, no one is going to accept nuclear waste in their backyards. You can have an earthquake and have radioactive material under your house. We're going to have a real debate on this."
Kono wants to see the government lead a fundamental reform of the industry's structure, which he says has encouraged collusion between plant operators and the people who are supposed to regulate them.
Reports said safety lapses at the plant continued up to two weeks before the tsunami disabled cooling systems in its reactors and sparked the biggest nuclear power emergency the world has seen since Chernobyl in 1986.
One month before the tsunami, government regulators approved a Tepco request to prolong the life of one of its six reactors by another decade, despite warnings that its backup power generator contained stress cracks, making them more vulnerable to water damage.
Weeks later, Tepco admitted it had failed to inspect 33 pieces of equipment inside the plant's cooling systems, including water pumps, according to the nuclear safety agency's website.
Regulators have been accused of uncritically backing industry moves to prolong the life of ageing nuclear power plants such as Fukushima Daiichi amid mounting local opposition to the construction of new facilities.
A regulatory committee reviewing the reactor's stay of execution said maintenance management was "inadequate", and the quality of inspection "insufficient," according to reports.
When disaster struck earlier this month, the plant contained almost 4,000 uranium fuel assemblies kept in pools of circulating water – the equivalent of more than three times the amount of radioactive material usually kept in the active cores of the plant's reactors.
The drop-in water levels in some of those pools after the tsunami has caused fuel rods to overheat, raising the risk of a full meltdown and the release of dangerous levels of radioactivity into the atmosphere.
Tepco workers, troops and firefighters have been working around the clock to keep the storage pools replenished by dumping water from helicopters and via high-pressure hoses from the ground.
The No 4 reactor, which suffered two explosions last week, contained 548 fuel assemblies cooling in a water pool on its upper floor.
Japanese plans to store radioactive nuclear fuel after it has been used have made little headway.
A medium-term storage site in Mutsu, northern Japan, is not due to open until next year, and the construction of an enrichment and reprocessing plant in Rokkasho has been hit by technical glitches and other delays.The “Nexus phone” has meant many things to many people since the Nexus One rolled off the assembly line nearly six years ago. With the debut of 2012’s Nexus 4, it morphed into a super-affordable smartphone for anyone who didn’t want to be tied down by a contract. That was succeeded by 2013’s Nexus 5, which brought LTE and a more accessible design to become the first Nexus to be embraced by the masses. In 2014 Google arguably “jumped the shark” with the oversized Nexus 6, a Motorola-made phablet that some considered an abandonment of the fundamental principles behind the platform.
This year Google released two Nexus phones: a Huawei-built phablet to follow the Nexus 6, and an LG device many are calling a return to the roots of the program, the Nexus 5X. Did LG build a phone worthy of the Nexus 5 name? Did Google cut too many corners with the specs inside the smaller of this year’s pure-Android offerings? We’ll dive into all of that after the jump!
Specs & Hardware
The first thing you notice when you take the Nexus 5X out of its box is how light it is. At 136g, it’s slightly heavier than the original Nexus 5, but only slightly. It feels light because we’ve become accustomed to bulkier and heavier phones, specifically the 184g behemoth of last year’s Nexus 6.
The Nexus 5X doesn’t sport the aluminum and glass that many of this year’s flagships flaunt. Instead, almost as a throwback to two years ago, the 5X uses a matte polycarbonate in one of three colors: Carbon, Quartz, and Ice. The edges feature the subtle tumblehome construction we’ve seen on other Nexus devices which provides just the right amount of grip, without getting in the way of looks.
On the front of the phone is a 5.2 inch screen under a slab of Gorilla Glass 3. With a resolution of 1080 x 1920, the pixel density is an impressive 423 ppi. Though this is slightly lower than the original Nexus 5, thanks to improvements in screen technology the color saturation, deep blacks, and overall sharpness make the screen on the 5X very crisp and clear, bright when it needs to be, and able to accurately replicate colors even in sunlight and in the dark with the brightness turned down low. Some reviewers disagree with this sentiment when compared to the Nexus 6P, but while those conclusions may be accurate, they’re also somewhat unfair. The average user won’t be dissatisfied with screen on the Nexus 5X.
At 147.0 x 72.6 x 7.9 mm the Nexus 5X isn’t a particularly small phone, but it’s not “big” either. It’s easily pocketable and can be held securely even in petite hands. It’s a little taller than the previous model, but we don’t think you’ll mind.
Other than color, the Nexus 5X comes in two configurations: 16GB and 32GB, with the latter asking a US$50 premium over the $379 price of the base model. Despite having over 100 apps installed on top of the few that come pre-loaded, our 32GB review unit used only 8.15GB of the 24.89GB available – including just over a gig of images, “other”, and “cached data.” Even so, we think the 32GB version is well worth the cost of an upgrade; over two years, 16GB will likely be too small for all but the most diehard cloud users.
The few hardware accoutrements are laid out in familiar fashion. On the top of the phone is a single microphone port. To the right is the power button above the volume rocker. On the left is the nano-SIM slot. At the bottom is another microphone port, the 3.5mm headphone jack, and the USB-Type C port – a new addition to the Nexus lineup. More on that in a bit.
The front of the phone features a selfie camera that we’ll cover in more detail further on, an ambient light sensor, handset speaker, front firing speaker, a third microphone, and a tri-color notification LED hidden within the lower speaker component. Unlike other Nexus devices, despite having two speaker grilles, it’s only got one front-firing speaker. The sound it produces is loud and clear, but doesn’t have the encompassing volume that we’ve heard on other Nexii.
It’s on the back where things get really exciting. For the first time a Nexus device has a fingerprint scanner, which Google refers to as “Nexus Imprint”. It’s situated near the top of the phone where the “dimple” on last year’s Nexus 6 and some of Motorola’s other phones can be found. Also on the back is the reflective “Nexus” logo with fairly prominent LG branding, and the main camera.
Index
Software
As you’d expect with a phone carrying the Nexus label, the 5X runs pure Android, the way Google intends it. The bells and whistles are all stock, but sometimes it’s the simplicity, the lack of superfluous features that makes something truly elegant. Such is the case with Android 6.0 Marshmallow on the Nexus 5X.
With Marshmallow, Google continues its foray into ambient alerts with Active Display, which pushes rich but black-and-white notifications to the screen rather than relying on a notification LED to get your attention. Unlike previous generations that may have had an LED but didn’t make it accessible, here access to your LED is tucked neatly inside the Sound & notification settings.
Android Pay also makes its debut as a pre-loaded application on the Nexus 5X, replacing Google Wallet which has been a staple of the Nexus brand since its debut on the Nexus S in 2011.
In the “new to Nexus” thread, Google picked the Nexus 5X as the first device to officially support the aforementioned Nexus Imprint fingerprint scanning and security subsystems. Other OEMs beat Google to the punch, offering many of the same features of Nexus Imprint, though in separate and proprietary ways. The fingerprint scanner on the back of the Nexus 5X is perfectly located and is easy to find and use after just a few times to get oriented with it and how it works. How does it work? Very well, and very fast! I have encoded my two index fingers so far, and recognition is all but instantaneous with a very high accuracy rate. If your print can’t be matched you’ll feel two quick vibrations to tell you to try again. When comparing to a saved fingerprint, when your finger is scanned at an odd angle (or even upside down), the software is smart enough to match your finger, despite the difference in orientation, and quickly unlocks the phone.
Turning on the Nexus 5X is particularly easy using the fingerprint scanner. Simply rest your finger on the scanner and your screen is turned on and your phone is unlocked faster than you can raise it to look at it – much faster than hunting for the power button on the right side of the phone.
In addition to all that, Android 6.0 Marshmallow brings Now On Tap, a renewed permissions model, volume controls that finally work right, and an intelligent Do No Disturb function that does exactly that it’s supposed to. We covered these in more detail in our Nexus 6P review, and since they are functionally equivalent on the Nexus 5X, there’s no need to repeat all that over here.
Index
Camera
For the last two generations of Nexus phones, quality of pictures taken has been at the top of the priority list. Though last year’s Nexus 6 had a decent camera, it wasn’t “great” – that honor is reserved for the Nexus 5X. The main shooter is housed inside the slight “bump” on the back of the phone (which looks a lot bigger than it actually is) and features a 12.3 MP sensor with 1.55 µm pixels and an f/2.0 aperture and broad-spectrum CRI-90 dual flash. OIS wasn’t included because Google claims that the larger pixel size and IR laser-assisted autofocus negate the need.
At 5 MP with 1.4 µm pixels and an f/2.0 aperture, the front-facing “selfie” camera isn’t anything to scoff at either.
When it comes to video, the Nexus 5X can shoot 4K at 30 fps, and can capture slow-motion at 120fps.
Despite being technically capable, the camera software on the Nexus 5X is inconsistent. It seems to be “unreachable” at times, doesn’t like to rotate once the camera app is fired up, and is overall problematic and slow. When it behaves, however, the pictures and video the Nexus 5X produces are nothing short of beautiful. There was an update for the Nexus 5X which was thought to address some of these issues, but our review unit had not gotten that update as we went to press.
On the whole, this camera’s up-sides far outweigh its negatives – and that’s something we’ve never been able to say about the camera on any other Nexus (Nexus 6P notwithstanding, which uses the same camera module as the Nexus 5X).
Index
Performance
We’ve used the Nexus 5X for about a week in the Greater Salt Lake City, Utah area on the T-Mobile network. What’s nice about a phone marketed as compatible with any network, though, is that switching carriers is literally as easy as swapping SIMs, and the Nexus 5X should work with virtually any of the major US carriers.
At presstime, T-Mobile customers aren’t able to use HD audio or VoLTE, and the phone isn’t approved for use on Band 12 yet (though T-Mobile and Google are said to be working on this). Additionally, despite reports to the contrary, we were unable to get T-Mobile WiFi calling to work on the Nexus 5X, despite it working just fine using the same SIM in our original Nexus 6 running Android Marshmallow. UPDATE: On October 27th, 2015 we were finally able to make and receive calls over T-Mobile’s WiFi calling.
Overall the phone is fast and responsive, in fact for the first few days the Nexus 5X performed faster and smoother than any other phone we’ve reviewed in the Utah offices. However, over the last few days it’s begun to hiccup and stutter. Upon investigation, when waking, the phone seems to max out the CPU cores for a short amount of time, slowing everything down. Whether this is the natural consequence of Doze Mode pulling a handful of data updates all at once or the hexa-core Snapdragon 808 processor showing its limitations, we’re not certain. Most of the time this has just been frustrating, but occasionally it has required a reboot to get things back on track.
Next up is battery life, which has been pretty good. On a full charge of the 2,700 mAh battery (which takes under two hours using the included charger and USB Type-C cable), the Nexus 5X should last you all day and most of the evening before dropping to battery saving mode at 15% battery. The Nexus 5X doesn’t include Qualcomm Quick Charge, but does support USB-Type C “rapid charging.” Pop the phone back on the charger for 10 minutes and you’ll get almost four more hours (according to Google, anyway; your mileage will certainly vary based on usage). To achieve this you’ll need to use the included charger, or one of the few compatible replacements. However, if you have access to a USB Type-A to USB Type-C cable (not included), you’ll still be able to use your old chargers – they just won’t charge as quickly as the one that comes in the box.
Index
Pros
+ Outstanding value
+ Best camera yet on a Nexus smartphone
+ Easily pocketable
Cons
– Fair battery life
– Lack of support for all of T-Mobile’s features
– CPU seems to max out frequently
Index
Pricing and Availability
At US$379 the Nexus 5X is a tremendous value for the price. It’s big enough to be functional, small enough to be pocketable, and is everything you’ve come to expect from the Nexus brand.
Still, we feel obliged to remind potential buyers of the old adage about getting what you pay for. If you want a top of the line flagship, the Nexus 6P is a better buy – if you’ve got the money and don’t mind the phablet form factor.
Index
Conclusion
The Nexus 5X is very much like its 2013 predecessor in that it delivers a lot of capability for a very competitive price point, and it manages to do so while still looking fairly sharp. But the 5X is no show horse. It’s the phone you toss |
that they should blow up a bridge at Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The informant provided the C-4 explosives. Without a moment to spare, the FBI rushed in and foiled this plot. Whew.
The agencys history has come full circle. It first emerged amidst popular fear of an anarchist threat to the republic. Anarchist writers had influenced President McKinleys assassin, and President Teddy Roosevelt gave the issue top priority, declaring, When compared with the suppression of anarchy, every other question sinks into insignificance.
Despite concerns of such political violenceconcerns that were arguably more legitimate a century ago than many fears that animate the FBI todayCongress resisted Teddy Roosevelts drive for a national police force, seeing it as a threat to the Constitution. New York Republican Congressman George Waldo predicted a great blow to freedom if there should arise in this country any such great central secret service bureau as there is in Russia. So President Roosevelt created the agency unilaterally, when Congress was in recess, putting it under Attorney General Joseph Bonaparte, great-nephew of Napoleon.
Amidst the communists, antiwar activists, unionists, states rights conservatives, Old Right opponents of the New Deal, black power groups, white power groups, New Left radicals, Muslim extremists, right-wing militia, and anarchist Occupiers, it seems the FBI has had its nose in every faction on the periphery of American politics, unnecessarily harassing peaceful groups as well as fabricating, exacerbating, or failing to stop real threats from antisocial elements.
Representative Waldo was prescient. With the FBI posing as dear friend, American law and order need no enemies.The question now is whether the racially tinged unrest, occurring at the outset of a highly competitive presidential nominating contest, will resurrect old resentments and stymie Republican efforts to reach out to African-Americans and grapple with the justice system issues.
After years of instinctively siding with the police — with Ronald Reagan railing against “arson and murder in Watts” in his 1966 campaign for governor and Mr. Bush using Willie Horton’s furlough to defeat Michael S. Dukakis — Republicans are now more divided when it comes to crime and law enforcement. This is in part because of raw politics: The country is increasingly diverse, and the party can no longer win presidential elections without making inroads among minority voters.
But there are also deeper tensions between the Republicans’ traditional tough-on-crime approach and a rising skepticism about government power among conservatives and libertarians in the party. Few prominent figures sided with the authorities in the aftermath of Michael Brown’s death in Ferguson, for example, and Mr. Paul notably spoke out about the treatment of young blacks by the police.
Conservatives beyond Mr. Paul were disturbed by the military-style tactics and equipment of the Ferguson police during the protests in the weeks after Mr. Brown’s death.
There was also wide outrage on the right when the New York City officer depicted on videotape choking Eric Garner to death on Staten Island was not indicted. Some conservatives, believing that there are too many laws on the books, were particularly incensed that Mr. Garner was targeted as a criminal simply for selling individual cigarettes.
“It’s not as clear-cut of an issue as it has been in the past, and there’s a pretty significant diversity of opinion in the party,” said Lanhee Chen, Mitt Romney’s policy director in 2012, about Republican views on crime and justice.
But the violence and destruction in Ferguson last month after the grand jury decision and the killing of two police officers in Brooklyn over the weekend by a black man who had posted “#shootthepolice” on an Instagram account complicate the reaction. The conservative brain, particularly among Republican elites, may find itself in conflict with the conservative gut, at least that of the party rank and file.Planes are very safe, and chances are you've been told as much. "You're more likely to die on your drive to the airport than you are in the sky," and all that. But do you know why planes are so safe? It's not just because plane crashes are rare (though they most definitely are). It's also because even if you do find yourself involved in a plane crash, you've actually got a greater than 95% chance of surviving. Ninety-five percent.
BoingBoing's Maggie Koerth-Baker explains:
Looking at all the commercial airline accidents between 1983 and 2000, the National Transportation Safety Board found that 95.7% of the people involved survived. Even when they narrowed down to look at only the worst accidents, the overall survival rate was 76.6%. I was talking about this fact with a pilot friend over the weekend, and he mentioned one crash in particular that is an excellent example of the statistics in action. On July 19, 1989, United Airlines Flight 232 lost all its hydraulic controls and landed in Sioux City, Iowa, going more than 100 mph faster than it should have been. You can see the plane breaking apart and bursting into flames in the video above. Turns out, that's what a 62% survival rate looks like.
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I mean, you're hurtling through the sky in a giant tube of metal that weighs hundreds of thousands of pounds. A 76.6% rate of survival (or 95.7%, for that matter) sounds like pretty damn decent odds, considering, wouldn't you say?
Read more, including more info on Flight 232, over at boingboing.
Hat tip to John!
Top image via ShutterstockDo you have an opinion on people who litter? Almost everyone does. Unfortunately, for those living in crowded urban areas, it’s really just a fact of life. Governments and societies try to crack down on it, but many people just don’t listen.
One anti-litter group decided that enough was enough, and they took a fairly radical step to fight the problem. But, did they cross any ethical lines themselves? That’s up to you to decide.
The Problem
Hong Kong is a city full of people. As a matter of fact, the more than 7 million inhabitants crammed into such a small place ranks it as the fourth most densely populated region on the planet.
That many people always adds up to a logistical nightmare when it comes to waste disposal, but it doesn’t help that littering seems to be the official sport. Every day, there is more than 16,000 tons of waste dumped in the city, and this has given life to the Hong Kong Cleanup Initiative. The organization’s name is pretty straightforward about what they do, but you might be surprised to learn that they literally launched an in-your-face campaign to combat the problem.
Basics of the Campaign
The government has already tried many methods of going after this problem, so the campaign had to find a unique way of getting to people. There are pretty hefty fines given to anyone caught littering, but that just wasn’t motivational enough. This led the environmental group to team up with Ogilvy & Mather Hong Kong to try and put together something that would really get people listening. So, the strategy decided on for this campaign was to do a bit of shaming for the litterbugs in society.
They Even Found the Perfect Day to Do It
This whole project was called the Face of Litter Campaign, and they had the perfect day to launch it: Earth Day. Leading up to it, teams had worked to collect garbage, and they managed to pick up more than 4,000 tons from the streets. Then, they gave it to some scientists to work their magic.
What Tech Did They Need to Do It?
Scientists at Parabon NanoLabs used Snapshot™ DNA phenotyping to analyze who had touched the various garbage samples, and this allowed them to make a digital drawing of the litterbug responsible for each individual piece. They tended to focus on bits of garbage that would have physical bits of people left behind, and some of the favorites were coffee cups, cigarette butts, and condoms. This technology has the ability to predict eye color, hair color, skin color, freckling, shape of the face, and a lot more about people just from a tiny amount of their DNA. It may sound like something out of science fiction, but that’s the world we live in today.
What Did It Accomplish?
The Hong Kong Cleanup Initiative has some great programs in place to clean up the trash. Unfortunately, they were really stuck in the pattern of cleaning up after people, and they weren’t having much success in preventing littering in the first place. That’s where this campaign really helped out – it got people talking. In only two weeks, it managed to get 3.9 million engagements on social media, and $5 million in earned media coverage.
Advertising vs. Activism
This campaign was very successful by many measurements, but it does raise some ethical questions. The pictures that were shown were generated drawings of theoretical people, but is it appropriate to publicly shame people? Even if it works to solve a problem, it can cause harm to people who may or may not deserve it. We don’t have the answer to this, it’s really up to you and your own personal beliefs.
Science!
A major takeaway from this campaign is how science can be used in advertising. It’s likely that this whole project would have been far less interesting if they had simply taken photographs of people caught in the act of littering. It really stands out because of the amazing science that many people didn’t realize was possible, but then it was the perfect chance to convey the message once it had everyone’s attention.
How far will your advertising go?
Have you ever done anything similar to get your message across? You don’t necessarily have to be so aggressive with your advertising tactics, but this doesn’t change the fact that pulling stunts like this will get you talked about. So, don’t be afraid to push the limits, but make sure you’re thinking about your image as a whole before you do anything too crazy.
If you’re not sure how to do this on your own, just give us a call. We’re ready to hear your ideas!At Tokyo Game Show 2012, Square Enix announced Kingdom Hearts for PC Browsers, an upcoming social web browser game with a tentative title. Since then, some screenshots and information has been released, but we still know relatively little about the title.
Today, we have discovered that Korean publication INews24 have published some information about the game. The game, which they refer to as "Kingdom Hearts online game", is being developed by a Korean studio known as "Studio EX", which was recently acquired by Disney. Series director Tetsuya Nomura mentioned in October that the game was being developed externally, so this checks out.
The article also mentions that the title is expected to become multi-platform, and released on smartphones as well as on the web browser. We have obtained a direct translation of the relevant part of the article, thanks to kalnet from KH13, and this translation can be read below.German carmaker BMW hinted it is prepared to move production of the Mini out of the UK if Britain's negotiations to leave the European Union leads to trade barriers.
BMW chief executive Harald Krueger said the carmaker was preparing for "different scenarios" depending on the outcome of the UK's Brexit talks with the EU.
Carmakers fear the introduction of export tariffs between the European bloc and Britain, making vehicle production in the UK expensive.
Car production is a crucial part of the UK economy, accounting for sales of just under £72bn last year and employing 814,000 workers, according to trade body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
BMW's main factory for the Mini is in Oxford – in addition, the carmaker also has plants in Goodwood and Hams Hall, in Warwickshire.
The group, which also owns Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, employs around 18,000 in Britain and exports about £2.4bn of cars and parts from the UK.
BMW's Krueger, speaking earlier this week at the firm's Munich headquarters, said: "The UK remains an important location for us. Much will depend on how Brexit is ultimately negotiated.
"At the BMW Group, we are preparing for different scenarios. Our production network offers us flexibility. Mini models are also built at VDL Nedcar in Born in the Netherlands."
Investment fears
Last week Toyota announced it will invest £240m to upgrade its Burnaston plant, as carmakers continue to dominate the government's thinking ahead of Brexit talks, which British Prime Minister Theresa May said she will trigger on 29 March.
French company PSA agreed a £1.9bn deal to buy General Motors' loss-making European unit, including Vauxhall earlier this month, raising fears of job losses at Vauxhall plants at Ellesmere Port and Luton.
Reports have also suggested, this month, that Ford could lay off more than 1,100 workers at its engine plant in Bridgend by 2021.
Last October Japanese carmaker Nissan cast doubt over future investment in the UK as a result of the UK's Brexit vote.
Secret deals
But, after a meeting with the government, the firm decided to build its next-generation Qashqai and add production of the new X-Trail model at Britain's biggest car plant, securing more than 7,000 jobs and 28,000 more in the supply chain.
Nissan's boss, Carlos Ghosn, said the company's decision was driven by government "support and reassurances".
The details of the meeting have never been disclosed, but the government denies it cut the carmaker a special deal.A Surrey, B.C., dentist has stopped practising after four more patients filed lawsuits on the heels of a Go Public investigation.
Dr. Steven Krieger, who worked at the Clover Care Dental Clinic, has "voluntarily withdrawn" registration as a dentist, according to the B.C. College of Dental Surgeons.
No one from the college would agree to an interview, but in an email said Krieger will not perform dentistry pending a public hearing before a discipline committee on allegations against him. No date has been set for that hearing.
Krieger now faces a dozen lawsuits from former patients, alleging he caused harm and unnecessary pain. None of the allegations have been proven in court.
Tami Conlin says she has had sharp jaw pain since dentist Steven Krieger gave her four fillings. (Erica Johnson/CBC)
One of the latest complainants is Tami Conlin, 37, who says she's been in pain since an appointment with Krieger last May.
"When I read the Go Public article [online], I was like, 'Oh my God, what the hell? I need to read this article again and call the lawyer [mentioned]," says Conlin.
Been wronged? Contact Erica and the Go Public team
She says that during a routine checkup Krieger told her she needed four fillings, even though she had no symptoms.
A week after the fillings, Conlin was still "in agony," so Krieger performed a root canal, but that didn't alleviate her pain.
Conlin was referred to a specialist, who couldn't detect any infection, so she's now waiting to see a neurologist to be checked for nerve damage. She has used up her dental coverage, so a tooth that needs a crown is still exposed.
"My tooth is basically dead," says Conlin. "And because of him [Krieger], I have all this pain. I wish he'd quit six months ago."
No comment from dentist
Krieger did not respond to requests for an interview about his decision to stop practising.
In statements of defence filed in several lawsuits, Krieger "denies each and every allegation," and says he treated patients with "reasonable care, skill and diligence."
Krieger's office said he was expected back at work "in the new year."
The B.C. College of Dental Surgeons has removed Krieger's name from its database, but has not made public the allegations against him.
Previously, the website said Krieger was restricted from doing root canals, but did not explain why.
The college says it is "actively considering whether registrants who have temporarily withdrawn from practice (or are on temporary leave of absence) should remain in the Registrant Lookup with a note to that effect."
Public in the dark
"There's an utter lack of information for the public," says personal injury attorney Dianna Robertson, who is representing seven of the 12 people who have filed suits against Krieger.
"How can people seek information about any concerns they have or any restrictions on his practice?" she says.
Lawyer Dianna Robertson says the B.C. Dental College needs to tell the public why dentists have restrictions. (CBC)
The college's website currently lists 13 dentists as having "practice limitations," but there are no explanations why the limitations are in place.
For instance, one dentist is not allowed to practice unless a second dentist is present.
Another dentist "must have a chaperone present" at all times when seeing patients, and that restriction must be posted in his waiting room.
Another cannot provide root canals, crowns, bridges, veneers or implants.
Robertson wants the college to more closely mirror the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario, which posts full details online when it restricts or disciplines a member.
"If the [B.C.] college sees fit to restrict a dentist's practice, they should also be making public the reason those restrictions are in place," she says.
In an email, the B.C. College of Dental Surgeons said it "pays close attention to societal trends and changes in public expectations" and that it "will continue to listen to the various viewpoints and to adjust our approach as needed to protect the public."
Website still advertised dental services
In late December, Krieger was still offering dental services on his website, which is not allowed because he's not currently practising.
His website featured a photo of him under a tab marked "Meet the Doctor" and said he "performs a wide range of services."
After Go Public contacted the B.C. College of Dental Surgeons to inquire about the website, Krieger's name and photo were removed.
While she waits for a date in court, Conlin said she will also file a complaint about Krieger with the college.
"It's too late for me," she says, "but maybe that will protect someone else."Cornerback Jabari Price, who was arrested for suspicion of driving while impaired in the hours after the regular-season finale in December, had his charge reduced to careless driving Wednesday.
During a court appearance, Price agreed to do 30 days of electronic home monitoring, according to his attorney, David Valentini. Price, who passed all drug tests leading up to the court date, has also entered into a substance abuse education program and paid a $300 fine, Valentini said.
In the early hours of Dec. 29, a state trooper observed Price speeding while driving southbound on Interstate 35W and pulled Price over. The trooper “detected impairment in the driver,” according to the incident report, and administered a breathalyzer test. Price had a blood alcohol level of 0.13 percent, was arrested on suspicion of DWI at the scene and booked in Hennepin County jail.
While the 22-year-old was able to get the charge reduced to careless driving Wednesday, he is still subject to the NFL’s personal conduct policy and could face a fine or a suspension from the league.
Price, a Florida native who played college football at North Carolina, was a seventh-round pick last May. Price played 14 games for the Vikings as a rookie. He was mostly used on special teams but also played 46 defensive snaps as a reserve. He had 10 tackles in his first season.Pat Riley’s shopping spree at a Miami Shores Publix a week ago was not his only involvement in Hurricane Irma relief.
Riley, Steve Stowe, who heads the Heat’s charitable fund, and equipment manager Rob Pimental were part of a convoy to the Florida Keys last week to assist with relief. The group was gone more than 20 hours, making stops near Sugarloaf Key and Big Pine Key, two of the hardest hit areas from Irma.
“It was heart rendering to go out to these places and see these people,” Riley said today after the Heat unveiled Ultimate Software as their uniform patch sponsor.
“You don’t realize it until you get out there and see what was going on, especially going down there. We couldn’t believe what we were seeing.”
And Riley is not through helping the state recover from the powerful storm. He announced today that through the Pat and Chris Riley Family foundation he is pledging $1 million to Irma relief. This is in addition to the $10 million pledged through the Heat Charitable Fund, Carnival Corporation and the Micky and Madeleine Arison Family Foundation
Additionally, the Heat are encouraging fans to log onto youcaring.com/heat to donate. The organization will match all funds raised.
Last week Riley was photographed pushing a shopping cart he was filling with items to purchase for storm victims. He made stops around the city to El Portal, Miami Shores, Overtown and Little Haiti where he would hand out items before return to Publix for another load, and head to another part of the city.
Prior to his shopping spree, Riley awoke one morning thinking he was just going to be buying food to be put on trucks and shipped to the Keys when he became a part of the recovery effort. Riley, Stowe and Pimental jumped in a van and followed three semi-trailer trucks that were loaded with relief items.
“I didn’t know that was going to happen,” he said. “I was just going out to get some water and rice and beans and spam and then it just ended up. Just was part of the spirit.
“I went in and became part of what everybody else was doing,” he said. “Most of them were first responders.”
Since, Riley has been paying close attention to the recovery efforts in the Keys.
“What I saw was beyond what I thought,” he said. “These were certain areas that needed a little bit more help initially.
“Now to listening to the mayor (of Key West) and listening to people from Key West, they are so resilient saying we are going to have this done in three or four months and they got so much more to put together.”
Riley updated the damage that was done to the outer membrane of the Heat’s practice facility. He said the roof started leaking in several spots but a team of Heat employees who stayed at AmericanAirlines Arena during the storm scrambled to find trash cans to spread around the practice floor to catch the water.
“They saved the court,” Riley said, adding that if they had not acted the floor would have needed repairs, which would have taken some time.
Although the Heat start camp Tuesday, they will be training at Florida Atlantic University on Boca Raton for five days.
[Miami Heat individual game tickets on sale to general public Friday]
[Miami Heat 2017 training camp preview: James Johnson taking over at power forward]
[A look at each player on the Miami Heat’s roster: Who’s on the roster? Who won’t be back?]
[Want more Heat news sent directly to your Facebook feed? Make sure to like our Heat Facebook page]A Houston family says their loved one was killed by Harris County Sheriff's Office deputies who stunned him with a Taser nearly three dozen times. The man's family claims deputies beat him and continued to stun the man, eventually causing his death.
Herman Barnes had a history of mental illness. He was killed in 2006. Now attorneys for his family are suing former Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas and several deputies, blaming them for his death.
A family attorney says Harris County Sheriff's deputies entered Barnes' home without reason and used excessive force on him. According to a lawsuit filed in federal court on Barnes' behalf, Barnes suffered several abrasions from his forehead to his face, neck, chest, down to his lower back.
The lawsuit states deputies beat Barnes with a nightstick and shocked him with a Taser more than 30 times. At times he was partially handcuffed, pinned to the ground and "drive stunned"-- blasted directly in the neck. The lawsuit further states, per Harris County records, that Barnes suffered Taser shocks for a total of 123 seconds.
Civil rights attorney for the plaintiff, Anthony Griffin, says Harris County failed to properly train its officers in the use of Tasers and that those officers acted with deliberate indifference, ultimately leading to Barnes' death.
In addition to Thomas, the individual defendants named in the lawsuit are Andy Viruette Jr., Juan Celestial, Nicholas Carter, George W. Ellington, Rex Evans, Kevin Sims, Gregg Board and Andy Hulsey. Officials tell us at least one of the individual defendants is no longer a law enforcement officer.
Harris County was intitially listed as a defendant and subsequently dropped. The suit also names real estate management company Hettig/Kahn Holdings and TASER International, manufacturer of the stun gun used by HCSO, as defendants.
Find Sonia on Facebook at ABC13SoniaAzad or on Twitter at @abc13soniaazadRepublicans on Capitol Hill are once again aiming to defund Planned Parenthood, and Beltway oddsmakers are wagering that they have the best chance of succeeding in a long time.
What might defunding mean for Massachusetts, which has five Planned Parenthood clinics? Dr. Jennifer Childs-Roshak, president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, says its clinics could no longer provide services to patients who get their health care through MassHealth, the state's Medicaid program.
The cuts would total about $2 million in MassHealth services a year, affecting roughly 10,000 patients and up to 10 percent of the league's budget, she says.
Here's our conversation, edited:
Dr. Roshak: A lot of people assume Planned Parenthood is just a line item in the budget somewhere. In fact, it’s not. We provide services for patients. We provide health care: pap smears, screening services, family planning, sexually transmitted infection testing, all of that. And we then provide a bill just like any other doctor's office, and when MassHealth pays the bill, about 90 percent of that money comes from the federal Medicaid budget. So that is what’s at risk.
There are absolutely zero federal dollars that pay for abortion, so there’s never any money anywhere, in any state, including in Massachusetts, that comes from the federal government to pay for abortion.
So the irony here is that the money that potentially could be cut, if this goes through, is all impacting preventive care and family planning.
And we are currently at the lowest rate of abortion and teen pregnancies ever. And the reason we are there is because patients have had expanded access to preventive care, to excellent forms of birth control, to birth control without co-pays, to long-acting reversible contraceptives with high efficacy. Those are the dollars that are being threatened now.
What are the numbers for Massachusetts?
We see overall about 30,000 patients in 50,000 visits across the state — and about 30 percent of our patients would be affected by that MassHealth/Medicaid cut for family planning and preventive care.
So something like 10,000 patients?
Right, and they would have to find care someplace else. A lot of times you hear the rhetoric on Capitol Hill: "Well, patients should just find another provider, they can go to a community health center, they can just go find someplace else." And the reality is, even here in Massachusetts, 40 percent of the towns have little or reduced access to primary care, and primary care means pap smears, STI testing, birth control, that’s very much a primary care opportunity. So for patients even in Massachusetts, where we think we’ve got services everywhere, it really becomes a burden.
Is access mainly a problem in central and western Massachusetts?
There are many ways that there are barriers to care for patients. Sometimes it’s geographic. Sometimes it’s related to stigma. About 20 percent of our patients come to see us even though they have a primary care OB/GYN someplace else. But they’d rather not have STI testing with their primary care clinician, or they don’t want to be seen going into the health center that’s in their neighborhood. That patient confidentiality piece is very critical as well. So there are many barriers to care.
Could Massachusetts offset or buffer federal defunding?
There could be state mitigation, but what would happen is that the state would have to make up the difference.
The reality is that we expect defunding to happen in waves, and this is the first wave. Then there will be a second wave and a third wave. There are multiple ways that funding will be chipped away, and we in Massachusetts will be affected. So anywhere from 10 percent to up to close to 50 percent of our budget could be affected.
What other waves do you expect?
Things like attacking and eliminating Title X. Title X was legislation put into place by President Nixon in the 1970s, and it was always intended, and continues to be, family planning availability for low-income women and families. So everywhere across the country, providers can provide low-income women with free family planning and pap-smear screening, those types of basic gynecological care. We fully expect that will be one of the waves. We also expect there could be some waves of attack on sex education.By now almost everyone seems aware and concerned about the immigration ban called for by President Trump which forbids entrance into the U.S. to all refugees and anyone from the seven Muslim-majority countries. On Saturday night, New York City cab drivers went on strike, to join the resistance by halting service at JFK airport for an hour, in protest of shutting out over 218 million people from entering the United States, according to CNN. The NY Taxi Workers Alliance’s Facebook post includes not only the announcement of their service protest but also a message of opposition to the president’s ban. The organization wrote:
Stand in Solidarity With Thousands Protesting Inhumane, Unconstitutional Ban of Muslim Refugees and travelers. Be united brothers & sisters for a just world. We cannot be silent. We go to work to welcome people to a land that once welcomed us. We are the wretched, the tired, the hungry, the poor. We will not be divided.
Calling ALL DRIVERS! YELLOW, UBER, EVERYONE: Do not pick up at JFK Airport tonight, Saturday January 28th, from 6m to... Posted by NY Taxi Workers Alliance on Saturday, January 28, 2017
Cab drivers followed through with this strike and made a stand by, well, leaving their cab stands. The union shared a picture of the empty sidewalk that would be a sea of yellow had the cabbies not protested.
No cabs in this line at JFK terminal 4. #NoBanNoWall #RefugeesWelcome pic.twitter.com/ZX5BycRTie — NY Taxi Workers (@NYTWA) January 28, 2017
The NYTWA (a non-profit union) included Uber in their Facebook address, urging all driving services in New York City to stand in solidarity with protestors and those banned from entering the U.S. However, Uber took to Twitter to announce their canceling of surge prices on rides to and from JFK right after the official strike hour.
Surge pricing has been turned off at #JFK Airport. This may result in longer wait times. Please be patient. — Uber NYC (@Uber_NYC) January 29, 2017
While Uber’s statement suggested that they were aware of the huge protests at JFK and were trying to assist protestors by allowing prices to go un-increased due to surges of requests, they still broke NYTWA’s call for strike and likely even profited from the taxi drivers’ withholding of service. This sparked a movement of people deleting the Uber app, as the company broke the workers alliance’s call for strike and capitalized on anti-ban protests.
NYC Taxi drivers went on strike from JFK last night to protest Trump's order. Uber picked up slack. Lyft is donating $1million to the ACLU — Eric Alterman (@Eric_Alterman) January 29, 2017
Uber’s founder, Travis Kalanick, shared an email that he claims he sent to Uber drivers about the Muslim ban on his Facebook page, revealing that he plans to meet with Trump on Friday for a business advisory group meeting, as he is a member of the president’s economic advisory group. Kalanick’s relationship with Trump has sparked objections in the past, as he recently told employees, “We’ll partner with anyone in the world as long they’re about making transportation in cities better, creating job opportunities, making it easier to get around, getting pollution out of the air and traffic off the streets” according to CNN.
Hence the movement #DeleteUber which trended on Saturday night on Twitter, with people sharing screenshots of their deleting of the popular car service app.
Last night I logged in to #deleteuber. Felt reluctance for a split second. then remembered the Montgomery Bus Boycott & felt ashamed. pic.twitter.com/D9WEtmkz6W — wikipedia brown (@eveewing) January 29, 2017
Some were, um, more vehement than others as users by accusing Uber of acting as “scabs” — a term for people who cross picket lines and diminish the effectiveness of a worker’s strike.
i never used it in NYC for a lot of reasons but they won't see a goddamned penny from me ever again #deleteuber pic.twitter.com/Wh1Yhe5aZa — matt ◉ lubchansky (@Lubchansky) January 29, 2017
Many people announced their new devotion for Uber’s competitor, Lyft, which pledged to donate $1 million to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) over the weekend.The long gun registry was controversial from the moment it was first proposed in the early 1990s. Despite everything that’s happened since – its use as an election issue by the Reform, Alliance and finally the Conservative parties, its role as a wedge issue in rural and northern ridings, its final destruction (outside Quebec) when the Conservatives got a majority government, Quebec’s long and ultimately futile effort to use the courts to save its data, improbably, it still has the power to entangle governments.
The registry helped to bring the Conservatives to power, but its ghost, impartially, seems willing to haunt governments of any party.
Thursday morning, federal Information Commissioner Suzanne Legeault issued a scathing denunciation of the RCMP’s handling of an access-to-information request for parts of the long gun data, which she said should lead to charges against the Mounties who destroyed data to which, she wrote, the requester was entitled.
(Since it became law in 1985, nobody has ever been charged under the Access to Information Act.)
On Wednesday, La Presse identified the requester as Bill Clennett, a Gatineau, Que. man who is best known for having been grabbed by the neck in 1996 by then-prime minister Jean Chretien at an event in Hull, Que.
“I concluded that the RCMP destroyed records responsive to the request with the knowledge that these records were subject to the right of access,” Legault wrote in letters to the speakers of the House of Commons and the Senate made public today.
READ MORE: Information commissioner wants Mounties charged for destroying gun registry data
The report shed light on some otherwise bewildering clauses buried in an omnibus bill tabled in Parliament last week, which retroactively exempted the registry data from the Access to Information Act, as well as any information about how the data was destroyed.
“The proposed changes in Bill C-59 will deny the right of access of the complainant, it will deny the complainant’s recourse in court and it will render null and void any potential liability against the Crown,” Legault wrote. “Bill C-59 sets a perilous precedent against Canadians’ quasi-constitutional right to know.”
WATCH: Conservative MP wants to see all long gun registry data destroyed
READ MORE: Bill casts veil of secrecy over long gun registry’s destruction
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In January of 2013, when it was clear that the long gun registry was doomed, Global News filed an access-to-information request for a redacted form of the registry database itself. If we ever wanted to work with the data, it was clear that it was our last chance. Our approach owed a lot to one taken a few years earlier by Glen McGregor at the Ottawa Citizen, who asked the RCMP for extensive data about the guns in the registry, but minimal data about their owners – just the first two characters of their postal codes. Two character postal codes are very large areas (all of Burlington, Ont., for example), and there is no chance of identifying an individual gun owner from the data.
In June, after we’d lost hope of ever getting the data (the RCMP hadn’t been returning calls for months) it suddenly arrived.
As far as we can make out, this version has less data than Clennett was looking for in his request – he also wanted the serial numbers of the firearms, for example.
The long gun registry, in its complete form, is gone, but the redacted version is the most complete data set about Canadians and their firearms which is ever likely to become public. It’s out of date, but there’s no better alternative.
Lots of insights are buried in the data:
What kinds of guns are most attractive to thieves, relative to the number owned
Roughly how many of a given type of controversial firearms are owned across the country, and more or less where
are across the country, and more or less where As Quebec seeks to establish a provincial long gun registry, how successful it will be. Measuring the provincial registry against the legacy data from the federal registry from Quebec is the most obvious test
You can download the data here. (Update, May 15: The file hit Dropbox’s download restrictions, so I’ve moved it to Google Drive.)
Here’s an alternate link.
It’s a very large.txt file of about eight million lines, about 141 MB zipped, and 876 MB unzipped.Democrats rolled out a new slogan last week: “I mean, have you seen the other guys?” to a rounding appall. Of course we’ve seen the other guys, but we’ve seen you too. Being “not it” is not a platform on which to run. Not awful is not good enough!
Real slogan from DCCC
Is this really what your inane and constant email fundraising is paying for? It’s a completely out-of-touch at worst, flippant at best, phrase that is wholly uninspiring or uplifting.
The sentiments of this slogan are echoed locally. My primary opponent, Daylin Leach, recently said in an interview, “Donald Trump is actually our biggest ally in this” in reference to how to keep energy up for the campaign. Comments like these, that show Democratic politicians eagerly awaiting the next atrocious executive order, are the reason people hate Democrats. Real people are hurt by Trump’s policies. This isn’t about us winning, it’s about helping people’s lives. This perversion of priorities is what is killing the Party!
It shouldn’t be ‘us vs. them’, it should be |
imams and priests should be engaged in these dialogues as well, he said.
Slamming Pakistan for sponsoring terror activities against India, Ilyasi said 25 crore Muslims in India were enough to deal with Pakistan.
"If the separatists in Jammu and Kashmir want to toe Pakistani line, they should go to that country immediately," Ilayasi said.
To a query on the practice of 'triple talaq', he said that it could not be overlooked that women have faced injustice.
"Instead of going for talaq, the society needs to strengthen the bonds of nikah," he said.
To press his point, he said that imams had met in Delhi and advocated for incorporating an interlocutor in nikahnama (Muslim marriage contract) to iron out differences between husband and wife.It's becoming ever clearer that the Tories won the 2015 general Election with a coordinated breech of election spending rules designed to financially dope their way to victory in a load of marginal constituencies.
The only way the CPS can avoid accusations of a politically motivated whitewash will be to find some people to prosecute for the blatant criminality, which means they will have to decide whether to charge the MPs themselves, or their election agents.
7. Child Poverty
. Of the 4 million children in the UK who are growing up in poverty, two thirds come from working families. As
Only the most savagely indifferent of Tory apologists could possibly try to argue that any kids, let alone kids from working families deserve to grow up in poverty. The government's own figures revealed that 100,000 more children are living in poverty than last year. Of the 4 million children in the UK who are growing up in poverty, two thirds come from working families. As even more ideologically driven Tory cuts to in-work benefits really begin to bite over the next three years the child poverty rate looks set to continue increasing, and the proportion of kids in poverty from working families looks set to increase too.Only the most savagely indifferent of Tory apologists could possibly try to argue that any kids, let alone kids from working families deserve to grow up in poverty.
10. Ireland just shamed the UK
In January 2017 Theresa May scuttled off to the United States to lick Donald Trump's boots and beg him for a hastily cobbled-together trade deal for Brexit Britain. Her "
In March 207 the Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny used his visit to America to
Don't think that I like Enda Kenny's economic policies. I don't. But his backbone is admirable. Theresa May shamed Britain with her pathetic grovelling at the feet of a narcissistic bully with no respect whatever for
If the right-wing Prime Minister of our little neighbour Ireland can stand up to Trump, why on earth did Theresa May have to shame the United Kingdom by licking his boots so cravenly? In January 2017 Theresa May scuttled off to the United States to lick Donald Trump's boots and beg him for a hastily cobbled-together trade deal for Brexit Britain. Her " begging bowl " speech was an absolute abomination.In March 207 the Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny used his visit to America to lecture Donald Trump about the benefits of immigration as a swipe against Trump's immoral and brazenly unconstitutional anti-refugee policies Don't think that I like Enda Kenny's economic policies. I don't. But his backbone is admirable. Theresa May shamed Britain with her pathetic grovelling at the feet of a narcissistic bully with no respect whatever for basic human decency or the rule of law. Enda Kenny did the Irish proud by standing up for immigrants.If the right-wing Prime Minister of our little neighbour Ireland can stand up to Trump, why on earth did Theresa May have to shame the United Kingdom by licking his boots so cravenly?
Of course the mainstream media will try to deflect attention elsewhere. The Tory government is an absolute shambles. They're slow-marching us towards a catastrophic nuclear Brexit and the break-up of the United Kingdom; they just did possibly the biggest budget U-turn in living memory; they're trashing the NHS; they're overseeing huge spikes in child poverty and people in unstable work; they're under criminal investigation for cheating their way into power; they're overseeing an extraordinary house price inflation crisis; and Theresa May just got put to shame by the bloody Prime Minister of Ireland.Of course the mainstream media will try to deflect attention elsewhere. Of course they'll attack the opposition instead of the actual party in government
"Ooh Ooh Ooh look at that squirrel".
Now forget everything you just read.Russian Military Threat Halts Giant Offshore Wind Project
February 1st, 2017 by Susan Kraemer
At a time when Trump attempts to recreate the US as an autocrat-run petro-state like Putin’s Russia, renewable developers are beginning to build gigawatt-scale projects globally. One response? Russian military threat.
A gigawatt-scale offshore wind project near Russia’s border in the Baltic Sea had to be stopped in its tracks in December, because of a stepped-up Russian military threat in the region.
(A gigawatt (GW), or 1,000 MW, is a typical capacity for a nuclear plant, so these are much bigger solar and wind projects than even a few years ago when a good-sized utility-scale solar or wind farm was just a tenth of that, at 100 MW.)
Military Threat Against the Clean Energy Future from Rusting Petro-state
The Swedish government denied the permit for the 2 GW Blekinge Offshore AB wind farm in the Baltic Sea in December, after an eight-year development process, because Sweden must now keep the region for military exercises to protect its airspace from a new Russian military threat.
Russia has paraded nuclear warships off the coast of the Russian exclave of Kalingrad — just two hundred miles from the proposed site — and since 2015, has repeatedly flown military jets through Swedish and Finnish airspace.
Russia has also used warships to try to disrupt construction of a new power cable under the Baltic Sea to Lithuania, that will connect three former USSR states — Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia — to Sweden’s cleaner grid.
Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are now EU members. They need to meet their Paris Agreement limits on carbon emissions, but they can’t do that as long as they remain primarily reliant on Russia’s dirty grid.
Russia still has virtually no solar or wind, and much of its grid is supplied by aging Soviet-era power plants. This is why the three Baltic nations are trying to connect across the Baltic Sea to Sweden. Russia tried to forcibly stop them from leaving by disrupting the connection.
So it is at the Baltic Sea intersection between the technologically advanced EU nations and Putin’s oil-fueled autocracy that the rise of renewables faces a military threat from a petro-state economy.
Russia Not the Only Petro-state Hard Hit by Oil Price Slump
As with the petro-state nations like Russia and Saudi Arabia, which are reeling from the last few years of low oil prices, all of the US states similarly reliant on an extractive economy are reeling. North Dakota’s oil crash caused an 8.4% drop in GDP. Wyoming’s coal-dependent GDP has shrunk 6.3%.
Texas and California have big oil production, but both have healthy diversified economies and embrace renewable growth, Texas with wind and California with solar.
Texas saw almost no impact from oil decline, while California (which attracts 57% of all US investment in sustainable industries) has seen only growth, and after the UK Brexit, is now the fifth-largest economy in the world, with a healthy budget surplus.
But some US states are clinging to the extraction model, and fighting to preserve it. Similar to the Russian military intimidation aimed at preventing three former Soviet states from joining the clean energy world, in the US, Wyoming has proposed to tax wind energy in what amounts to a smaller but more focused war to prevent the rise of clean energy there.
Image Credit: USA Today: Six of the eight top oil-pumping states hit recession
As Dirty Energy is in Decline, Clean Energy is Growing — to Gigawatt-scale
Even as fossil energy experiences this diminishment, individual renewable energy projects are increasingly being built at a very large scale.
MidAmerican Energy is building a gigawatt-scale wind farm, a 2 GW facility in wind-pioneer Iowa. The Power Company of Wyoming has final permits for its 3 GW Chokecherry Wyoming wind farm and the transmission needed to sell its power to California.
Solar Reserve is developing a 2 GW dispatchable thermal solar plant in Nevada, also to sell power to the enormous California market and is working on another at 1 GW in China. BrightSource is also developing a 1 GW CSP project in China, where the Chinese firm Minsheng New Energy has completed construction of the first half of a 2 GW PV project.
DONG Energy’s first US project, the Bay State Offshore Wind Farm is to be 1 GW and its Hornsey II offshore wind farm already permitted in 2016 was 1.8 GW. In Oman, Glasspoint Solar built the first ever 1 GW solar steam project to replace more expensive natural gas used in Enhanced Oil Recovery.
Image Credit: Glasspoint
Dirty Energy Fighting for Customers as Clean Energy Wins Price War
The momentum of renewable energy is now established. Globally, progressive policies helped renewables reach today’s tipping point. Given initial support by the Obama administration to get new technology to market, including making investment attractive through the ITC. Market forces have taken over in the US as well.
Utilities will choose the cheapest option, and in many places that is now wind and solar. Because utilities can purchase renewable energy in 25-year PPAs at a pre-set prices, they only need gas to fill in the gaps until storage becomes mainstream.
Clean energy’s low LCOE (Lazard 10th annual report) mean that developers can now sell clean power at the lowest prices. The result is that solar and wind accounts for an increasingly large share of new energy added to the grid. Iowa is now 35% wind powered in 2016, up from 31% in 2015, as one example of this growth rate. In Chile, without subsidies, solar is beating fossil fuels in competitive auctions.
In some places, wind is cheaper than the short term marginal costs of even existing fossil fueled plants.
The momentum is apparent when you see that for example, over 20 GW of land-based US wind power capacity is now under construction or in advanced development on top of 75 GW cumulatively installed. And offshore wind in Europe has reached a total of 12.5 GW as prices have rocketed down from 21 cents to just 5 cents per kWh.
All of the above factors add up to unstoppable momentum for renewable energy, not just in the US, but globally. In this context, Russia’s military maneuvers that threaten clean energy progress on its border looks like bucking the tide of history.
Russia has been reduced to literally clawing back energy customers through actual military intimidation. But clinging to the volatile extractive energy economy of the past will never provide economic security. Not for the new US autocratic petro-state Trump envisions, and not for the original model in Russia.Man, 28, arrested after dressing up as a dog and having sex with a cat
Ryan Havens Tannenholz faces up to five years in prison if found guilty
He is said to be a 'furry' - a member of a community of people who dress as animals
Arrested: Ryan Tannenholz has been accused of having sex with a cat
A man who enjoys dressing up as a dog has been arrested for having sex with a cat in Idaho.
Ryan Havens Tannenholz, 28, is accused of sexually abusing the pet several times over the course of a year.
Police arrested the man from Boise, Idaho, on August 1st, on six felony counts of crimes against nature and one misdemeanor count of cruelty to an animal.
Tannenholz is said to be a 'furry' - the name given to a member of a community of people who dress as animals.
According to Flayrah, a site dedicated to furries, he had a number of animal alter-egos including a dog, a wolf, a white husky and a fox.
Photos on a social media site posted by Tannenholz appear to show him in character as a creature called Bubblegum.
He is currently being held in custody in lieu of a $250,000 bond and faces up to five years in prison if convicted.
An arrest warrant was issued on July 31, and he was arrested on August 1. Police did not specify how the alleged activities came to light.
On Tannenholz's Bubblegum Husky website, he describes his interest in cats and reveals his own pet cat named Einstein.
He writes: 'Have you ever been on the internet and seen one of those cat videos? Bubblegum Husky sure has and man, I'll tell you what, they really get me going!
'Cats are so furry, soft plush and loving. Plus, only Bubblegum Husky can REALLY appreciate how truly great these furry felines truly are.'
In costume: Ryan Tannenholz dressed as his alter ego 'Bubblegum Husky' (left) and his pet cat Einstein (right)Do you want to get up close and personal with some serious animals? Then you must try Disney’s Wild Africa Trek, aka, “the safari nobody knows about.” The Wild Africa Trek is an amazing three hour tour of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park savannas, off road, away from the crowds of the Kilimanjaro Safari tours. (This is not to be confused with any of the safaris offered to concierge-level guests at the AKL). We chose this tour as a special event for our Disney honeymoon vacation, and we were blown away by how terrific our safari was from start to finish! (If you’ve already enjoyed the Wild Africa Trek, please leave a comment. I’d love to hear your thoughts).
Because of its special nature, the Trek should be booked several months in advance with Disney Private tours (407-WDW-TOUR). Although expensive like many things at Disney, we did not consider it overpriced for the experience we enjoyed. You’ll be offered a time slot for your reservation. Although many sites recommended an early morning booking, we had an 11:45 spot and saw tons of animals.
The trek leaves from its own gate in small groups of eight directly across from the Kilimanjaro Safari gate in the Animal Kingdom Park. Upon checking in with a cast member, you will be required to put all of your person items, except for your camera, into a combination locker specifically allotted for Trek guests (sorry no cellphones are allowed). Once this is done, a guide will lead through suiting up into all your trek gear. Yup, there’s gear, don’t you feel special now? A photographer’s vest, outfitted with hooks and a large carabeener will get you in the mindset for the “trek” interactions with animals. You’ll also be give a stainless steel commemorative water bottle to stay hydrated, which you’ll get to keep. Although Disney states repeatedly that you are required to have a wrist cord for your camera, they kindly supplied one without questions to any of the slacker guests who failed to have this (ahem…that would be me).
After suiting up, you will be introduced to your guides. We started off with two fabulous gals, and I have to say, they were absolutely the BEST! Fun, relaxed, full of information, and well-spoken, the guides spoke to us trekkers through an audio ear-piece as we walked through the forest.
The beginning of the tour starts off on the main public path that runs through the back of the Animal Kingdom Park. After about 10 minutes, however, your guides will hook a sharp left into the trees and you will start your trek. Notice the bewildered looks on the faces of the mere mortal visitors who are not on your trek when they see you in all of your gear disappearing behind a fern, and then bask in the glory of your “specialness.”
Your first stop will be the hippos’ swimming hole. Your guide will show you how to clip on to the suspension rack that enables you to walk out on the edge of an outcropping overlooking the hippos directly below. You are clipped on for safety purposes…hippos may look friendly, but you do not want to fall into their pool. We saw two hippos below, who swam over to the group as our guide threw them fresh heads of romaine lettuce. Hippos eat in a fascinating manner which I never appreciated until I saw it up close and personal. Your guide will tell you lots of interesting tidbits about hippo behavior.
At one point, as we stood in our group of eight on the rocky cliff overlooking the hippos, a Kilimanjaro Safari Tour flew by in an open tour bus on the opposite side of the lagoon. The visitors pointed at our group and snapped pictures of us. Again, please bask in the glory of your specialness. Moving on, your guide will talk some serious animal talk as you traipse, I mean trek, through the forest. Walking through a fern canopy with the sunlight filtering through the trees, I could not help but feel happy to be a part of nature. Although the Disney advisements warn that this trek can be strenuous at times, we felt that the walking portion of the tour was the equivalent to a light hike in the hills, and at no time were we out of breath. Also on our tour was an eighty-three year old gentleman and a ten year old boy, both of whom easily kept up with our pace (ok, they raced ahead of us).
To get a closer look at the crocodiles, you will have to cross two suspension bridges high above their oasis. This is done in a safe enough manner for you to enjoy the experience, but with a little built in excitement! You’ll feel like a great explorer. Many of the boards are “missing” on both suspension bridges and you’ll have to hop across gaping holes or else you’ll hit your shins (ouch!) against the wooden planks as your foot falls into the net below. You are also strapped on with your carabeener to a cable for peace of mind, in case you are worried about falling. I enjoyed this part of choreographed adventure greatly, particularly being able to stop for a moment halfway across to take pictures. My husband was also face to face with a vulture who landed on the bridge as he came across!
As you cross the suspension bridge, Disney has a photographer waiting for you at the end. Your pictures from the crossing, as well as at key moments along the journey, are available to you online via a passcode for downloading. Be advised, this is a group trek, and everyone’s photos will be included, not just your own party. We really liked our group so it was nice to be able to see everyone’s experiences and remember who we “trekked” with, but I have noticed some complaints about this online. Disney no longer provides you with photo images on a disk for the Wild Africa Trek. Once you cross the bridge you will see the crocodiles, as promised!
After the crocodiles, your safari will continue in a large truck with open sides. We visited in November and it actually got quite chilly, so our guides provided everyone with flannel blankets. If its cool, dress warmly with a fleece jacket and pants. Most of the time, this will not be an issue. The truck for the Wild Africa Trek does not ride on a set course like the Kilimanjaro safari truck does. Be forewarned, the ride is VERY bumpy at times. If you have back problems, you might feel a bit jarred. This has a lot to do with the bench seating along the sides of the truck. Just know that you will be twisting and turning to look out at at the animals while you are moving along bumpy paths at a rapid pace. The big “gift” of the Wild Africa Trek is that your truck can pull off the road, for substantial periods of time, when animals are spotted (Kilimanjaro Safaris does not). We stopped for giraffes for a good ten minutes, which enabled everyone to get some amazing pictures and also to watch a herd of giraffes cross the savannah two feet in front of our vehicle.
We also stopped for lions…
And cheetahs…
And elephants…
And flamingos…
Once you pass by the flamingos, you’ll know it’s time for lunch!
All of this trekking outdoors will make you hungry, and luckily Disney has found the perfect spot for you to have some lunch! A open-air wooden pavilion, built right out on the savannah, is the site for a delicious picnic included with your tour. Served in steel tiffin lunch boxes, you will be absolutely delighted by a spread of treats for lunch. We were served hummus with small pita, chilled spiced shrimp, wonderful prosciutto, smoked salmon pinwheel sandwiches, and a refreshing fruit salad with a sweet citrus dressing. My husband does not jive with fish, so we were able to make a note of that when booking our reservation. He was served a delicious curried chicken salad instead of the shrimp.
You’ll also get some sweet passion fruit juice to wash it all down.
The last part of your journey (and you will be SO sad it’s ending) will focus on Disney’s conservation efforts around the world. We had no idea what a huge impact Disney’s Wildlife Conservation Fund makes throughout the world. In large and small ways, practical ways, and educational ways, Disney is making a difference in the lives of animals inside AND outside of the parks. It’s very easy to say “save the animals” without also considering the people who interact with them on a daily basis. For instance, what if a cheetah ate your goats, and your goats were all you had? Our guides talked about issues faced by both humans and animals and addressed ways that problems can be solved so that both can live harmoniously. This is not an easy feat, but with many species dwindling drastically in numbers, it is an ultimately necessary one. At the end of your tour, you will get to decide how the percentage of your ticket price will be donated, based on animal type. If you are visiting the Animal Kingdom Park for the very first time, you will have a lot of fun on the Kilimanjaro Safari, included with your entrance ticket. You will still see animals, albeit on a faster, more scripted tour. But if you are looking for a little more adventure, a lot more knowledge, some animal interaction, great photographs or a luxurious lunch…
…and if you want to be special, I highly recommend the Wild Africa Trek. You’ll be an advocate for creatures great and small ever after. And don’t forget to wave at everyone else as they pass by!
You won’t want to miss my next post: Ten Secret Tips for the BEST Disney HoneymoonBy Patrick Bond, Durban
March 16, 2010 -- In an indication that the climate justice movement is broadening, deepening and going local, there is now intense opposition to a climate-destroying energy loan for South Africa. The campaign is led by community activists in black townships allied with environmentalists, trade unionists and international climate activists.
The World Bank is trying to lend nearly US$4 billion to the Johannesburg-based state-owned electricity utility Eskom, the world’s fourth-largest power company and Africa’s largest carbon emitter (with 40% of South Africa's total emissions). The loan is mainly for constructing the world-s fourth most CO2-intensive coal-fired power plant, Medupi, in the ecologically sensitive Waterberg area north of the capital of Pretoria.
The World Bank also aims to finance privatised power generation, notwithstanding the abject failure of public-private partnerships in South African infrastructure, including in electricity and water. More than 200 organisations have signed up in protest.
The loan would fly in the face of the World Bank's attempt to portray itself as a climate-friendly financer, and will generate a vast, unnecessary debt -– both a financial debt to South Africa's poor and also an expanded climate debt owed by South Africa to the rest of Africa, for overusing its fair proportion of the continent's CO2 carrying capacity.
For communities near the coalfields (40 new mines are requested by Eskom to supply its new generators) and coal-fired stations, the externalised costs imposed by Eskom are extremely high, including the complete degradation of water sources, air pollution, a frightening rise in mercury associated with coal and other health burdens.
Poor pay for multinationals' cheap power
The loan is being pursued at a time of intense controversy surrounding Eskom mismanagement. In its last annual reporting period, the company lost R9.7 billion (US$1.3 bn), mainly due to miscalculations associated with hedging aluminium prices and the South African currency. Both the chair and chief executive office lost their jobs late last year amidst unprecedented acrimony.
Meanwhile, Eskom continues its giveaway prices to several large export-oriented metals/mining multinational corporations, headquartered abroad -- offering the world’s cheapest electricity, heavily subsidised by all other -- mainly poor -- users in South Africa. The two main beneficiaries are BHP Billiton of Melbourne, which runs aluminium smelters, and the notorious Anglo American Corporation, which shifted its financial headquarters to London a decade ago.
Thus mining/metals profits flow abroad, exacerbating South Africa's dangerously high international payments deficit.
Activists argue that the scandalous late-apartheid era, multidecade "special pricing agreements" deals with BHP Billiton and Anglo American should be rejected as "odious". In early 2008, repeated national blackouts finally led to cuts in supply to some of these firms, showing that the deals could legitimately be violated. Moreover, the crash of metals and minerals prices dramatically lowered demand.
Demand-side management -– a tried and tested alternative which the World Bank claims to endorse (but hasn't considered in this case) -- would mitigate the need for new power plants. Moreover, South Africa's massive renewable energy potential has not even begun to be tapped. Eskom was given responsibility for rolling out more than a million solar-powered hot-water heaters over three years, and after two years, can claim only 1000.
Price increases for poor
Having lost the vast majority of South Africans' trust, Eskom began raising prices by more than triple the inflation rate in 2008. From 2007 to 2012, the price of a month's normal electricity use in an "average township household" is anticipated to rise 127% in real terms, according to Eskom. These price increases will have an extreme adverse impact, leading to a major increase in disconnections (and illegal reconnections, hence electrocutions) of poor households, that can best be described as "underdevelopment".
Ironically, World Bank staff insist that the proposed Eskom loan will have a "developmental" impact. The civil society coalition vigorously object.
The World Bank is in an untenable position, as it soon releases a new energy policy and also campaigns to take on additional responsibilities for channeling finance related to climate change. The proposed Eskom loan should disqualify the World Bank from any further role in climate-related activities.
Critics insist that if the World Bank intends to raise $180 billion in new capital from member groups prior to the World Bank/International Monetary Fund Spring meetings in late April, it will have to shelve this loan, because the world's citizens will object that this represents business as usual financing at a time energy transformation is increasingly urgent.
Opposition is gaining momentum:
Communities and environmentalists have begun to protest the Eskom loan, including at the firm’s Durban headquarters on February 16.
The main manufacturing trade union in South Africa, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, announced its opposition to the loan on February 18. Other trade unions have threatened strikes against the price hikes and Eskom's labour practices.
The Pan African Climate Justice Alliance, which had the highest African profile at the December 2009 Copenhagen Climate Summit, has endorsed the no-loan demand, on grounds of environmental damage.
The South African Council of Churches, which played a key role in criticising the World Bank due to its apartheid financing, has also expressed opposition to the loan.
Eskom is suffering an upsurge of illegal electricity connections in communities, as prices become prohibitive.
In sum, this is a company that can be fairly described as a poor credit risk.
Dozens of organisations across the world have committed to oppose the World Bank's proposed Eskom loan. They are contacting the executive directors of the World Bank from each country –- including Australia’s representative, James Hagan, who was visited by South Africans earlier this week –- to demand a "no coal loan" vote at the April 6 meeting at which the loan will be tabled.
In advance of the World Bank’s recapitalisation efforts, the critics are ready to take even more vigorous action against the bank itself -- including revival of the "World Bank Boycott" which cost the bank support from many major bondholders over the past decade (including the world’s largest pension fund, the city of San Francisco, the Calvert Group and university and church endowment funds).
For the sake of environmental justice, the surrounding communities, the citizenry, the workers, Eskom customers and the continent of Africa (and all other sites affected by climate change), the World Bank will have no choice but to withdraw this loan. Eskom will then have no other choice but to negotiate an appropriate energy mix and financing strategy with constituencies they have so far ignored.
Please send messages opposing the World Bank loan to:
Executive director, Mr. James Hagan, Australian representative to the World Bank
Telephone: USA 202-458-1015
Fax: USA 202-477-2007
Email: [email protected] Qualcomm company bus used to transport employees among its many buildings is shown in San Diego, California November 3, 2015. REUTERS/Mike Blake
By Greg Roumeliotis and Liana B. Baker
(Reuters) - NXP Semiconductors NV (NXPI.O) is exploring selling itself to Qualcomm Inc (QCOM.O) in a deal that could be valued at more than $30 billion, two sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday.
The deal would help diversify Qualcomm's business and make it a bigger supplier to the automotive industry. Talks are in the early stages and NXP may entertain other offers, should they emerge, according to one of the sources.
An agreement with Qualcomm could be struck in the next two to three months, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported news of the talks.
Representatives for Netherlands-based NXP and San Diego-based Qualcomm declined to comment.
NXP shares rose 16.9 percent to close at $96.12 on Thursday, while Qualcomm's rose 6.3 percent to $67.45.
NXP closed a nearly $12 billion deal to buy U.S.-based Freescale Semiconductor last December, creating the world's top maker of automotive electronics and doubling the percentage of its auto-related revenue to 40 percent. It could also attract interest from other large semiconductor companies such as Broadcom and Texas Instruments Inc (TXN.O), analysts have said.
Qualcomm, which supplies Android smartphone makers and Apple Inc (AAPL.O), has been dealing with slowing smartphone sales and stiff competition from Chinese and Taiwanese rivals.
Qualcomm has so far sat out the transformative consolidation sweeping the industry, which has seen mega-deals such as Avago (AVGO.O) buying Broadcom for $37 billion last year.
Qualcomm gets the bulk of its revenue from chip sales but most of its profit comes from wireless patents it licenses to the mobile industry. It explored a plan to break up its chip business from its patent licensing unit after pressure from activist investor Jana Partners but decided to remain whole.
Mizuho Securities analyst Vijay Rakesh said that the deal would give Qualcomm a roadmap for the next decade while moving away from a maturing handset market and toward the faster growing opportunity in automotives.
Qualcomm was ranked third in terms of revenue among global semiconductor companies in 2015, while NXP ranked No. 7, according to research firm IHS.
RBC analyst Amit Daryanani said the potential deal would be accretive to Qualcomm, which could also use offshore cash.
"Assuming a reasonable valuation is paid, this would be an attractive acquisition for Qualcomm and a good use of $30 billion in cash Qualcomm currently has on their balance sheet," Daryanani said.
NXP has a market value of about $28.5 billion, while Qualcomm's is about $93 billion.
(Reporting by Greg Roumeliotis in New York and Liana B. Baker in San Francisco, Rishika Sadam in Bengaluru and Eric Auchard in Frankfurt; Editing by Ted Kerr, Sriraj Kalluvila and Bernard Orr)It wasn’t long after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico that attention turned to a century-old shipping law.
A group of lawmakers urged the Trump administration to suspend the law, known as the Jones Act, for one year to expand access to oil, food and other supplies. The administration granted a 10-day waiver but declined to renew it, arguing that it wasn’t necessary for humanitarian relief.
Now, more than a month after the hurricane hit, access to water, electricity and reliable cell phone service in Puerto Rico remains scarce, and many have yet to return to school and work. Puerto Rican officials have called for an extension of the waiver, arguing that they need whatever help they can get. But the continuing debate has also raised a broader question: Is it time to repeal the Jones Act?
Those in the shipping industry say the law protects domestic shipping and jobs. Opponents on the left and right say it unfairly burdens Americans in Puerto Rico, Alaska, Hawaii and elsewhere with higher costs for shipped goods.Joan Crockatt has the political equivalent of the golden ticket.
The Calgary newspaper editor turned policy pundit is the federal Conservative nominee in Calgary Centre, where Prime Minister Stephen Harper must call a by-election by Dec. 4. Ms. Crockatt recently managed to elbow out five other Tory hopefuls to secure the party's nomination in the downtown riding, which was vacated last spring by Lee Richardson, a popular red Tory who is now working for Alberta Premier Alison Redford.
For the Harper government, this is probably one of the safest seats in the country. But some observers are suggesting that Ms. Crockatt, who is perceived as too right wing and polarizing, might not coast quite so easily to Ottawa. Voters tend to use by-elections to send a message, and lately, Mr. Harper's popularity has taken some hits.
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"If you had a high-profile candidate with a good organization, Joan Crockatt is quite beatable in that riding, no question," said Keith Brownsey, a political scientist at Mount Royal University in Calgary. "But the opposition parties never rise to the challenge. The opposition parties are riven with faction and stupidity and simply cannot get it together to challenge the Conservative Party machine."
Several formal attempts by the left-leaning parties to mobilize behind a single candidate have failed. However, local pollster Brian Singh has mounted an Internet campaign – 1calgarycentre.com – to bring "progressive" voters together to back a single ABC candidate: anybody but Crockatt. It's a strategy that has worked before in the riding. In the 2000 federal election, as the former Canadian Alliance was steamrolling across the city, voters united behind Joe Clark to lead the Progressive Conservatives to victory and block an Alliance sweep.
Ms. Crockatt, 56, said she isn't taking voters for granted, but she also isn't too worried about the ABC strategy.
"I think that they conveniently forget that Joe Clark was a conservative," she said. "He was a conservative prime minister of Canada."
Ms. Crockatt considers herself "fiscally conservative," concerned about the economy, energy and the environment. As a television commentator and former managing editor of the Calgary Herald, she is a familiar face.
She won the Tory nomination on the fourth ballot, but some party faithful were upset with the process, which allowed her to become the candidate even though she did not have the required six-months membership. Riding president Glenn Solomon said Ms. Crockatt had a "valid" reason, because she needed to be independent of political ties in her previous job.
The riding is home to many young, urban, liberally minded professionals, and has about 90,000 eligible voters. While parts of the riding have gone Liberal provincially, the city has a long history of swinging right federally. Calgary last elected a Liberal MP in 1968.
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Doreen Barrie, a political scientist at the University of Calgary, said Ms. Crockatt is a high-profile, personable and articulate candidate who mounted an impressive campaign.
However, Catherine Ford, a former editor and columnist at the Calgary Herald, described Ms. Crockatt as a "drive-by editor" (someone who makes significant changes in stories without consulting the writer) and cited her as one of the main reasons workers went on a union drive in 1999 and ended up in long strike.
"I have seen this woman at work," Ms. Ford said. "I do not trust her. I would not trust and I will not in any circumstances vote for her."
Ms. Crockatt's eyes well when those criticisms are put to her. She shrugs off complaints about editing: "That's what editors do." And of the strike: "It was a difficult time."
Conservationist and lawyer Harvey Locke, teacher Rahim Sajan and disenfranchised Conservative Steve Turner want to win the Liberal nomination on Sept. 22. Author and journalist Chris Turner was confirmed on Wednesday as the Green Party candidate. The NDP hasn't set a nomination date, but has one potential entrant.
A recent poll found that 44 per cent of voters backed the Conservatives, with the Liberals a distant second and the NDP and Green further back battling for third. The underdogs see the numbers as positive.
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"We believe there's a progressive vote we can get ourselves," said Arthur McComish, president of the Calgary Centre Liberal riding association.
Duane Bratt, a political scientist at Mount Royal University, said there's only a "pretty minute" chance Ms. Crockatt will lose: "The question shouldn't be is she going to win, it's what role is she going to play."
Mr. Harper already has a caucus filled with Tories from Calgary.
"If I'm a backbench MP, I'm just fine doing that," Ms. Crockatt said. "To me, the job is to support the Prime Minister in whatever way that he thinks."Rather than continuing to push its currently limited blogging platform, Spaces, Microsoft has partnered with Automattic to provide Wordpress.com blogs to all Live Spaces users.
Craving expandability and better spam protection, the Live team chose Wordpress as its ideal platform partner due to Wordpress' impressive track record. Powering 8.5% of the web, almost 26 million sites, Wordpress and Wordpress.com |
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NPL - Capital FootballOrganic food has quietly become a Big Ag behemoth. Everyone talks about video games and the film industry, for example, but Big Organic dwarfs them both in revenue and by next year it will be a $100 billion juggernaut.
The increase is partly because more farmers are taking advantage of the healthier profit margins and partly because organic marketing groups sell a health food mythology where cost is not a factor, so costs can rise along with more product. It is a miracle of capitalism.
But given a consumer-base that is wealthy and that is educated by advertising so completely, why don't all farmers switch? It just takes paying for a sticker and promising to use an organic toxic chemical rather than a synthetic one, there is no testing of organic food, so it would be easy to just make more money.
The reason more don't move to organic, according to a paper in the Journal of Marketing, is because conventional farmers know in their hearts and minds they are deceiving the public if they switch - making that change is like switching belief systems.
"The ideological map of American agriculture reveals an unfolding drama between chemical and organic farming," write the authors, who by their verbiage apparently also believe that organic farming contains no chemicals, making them the only products in the known universe that are chemical-free."Chemical farmers argue that to make money, one must follow chemical traditions; when organic farmers make more money, it seems "wrong."
Yes, you read that correctly. Melea Press of the University of Bath, Eric Arnould of Southern Denmark University, Jeff Murray of the University of Arkansas and Katherine Strand of McGill University demonstrate to the world that they know nothing about science or agriculture by claiming there is such a thing as a "chemical" farmer. To science, the distinction is as silly as a Rabbi saying there is a difference between kosher food and unholy food - it is simply a cultural process, the food is the same.
Regardless, it's their press release so let them call normal farmers whatever they want.
The authors looked at "chemical" and organic wheat farmers (no one in American farming even knows what organic wheat is - there is no GMO wheat so they mean an organic pesticide on wheat that will be milled and processed beyond recognition anyway) of the American plains - to see which crop production strategies they used, and why. They found that, as predicted, both "chemical" and organic farmers gave belief-based reasons for their choices, and clearly felt that their beliefs were in competition.
One "chemical" farmer stated that he felt organic farmers were unscientific and that they probably followed "an organic crop guru." An organic farmer, by contrast, stressed the joy of bringing the earth back to life: "I had thousands of seagulls, but my chemical neighbor did not have one. Why was this? Earthworms. My soil is getting healthier because I'm not putting all the herbicides and pesticides out there."
That's right, an organic farmer in their story actually called a competitor a "chemical neighbor" and said they use no herbicides or pesticides. How can it be a $100 billion industry with yields being chewed up by bugs? Well, it isn't. That organic farmer is simply clueless about science and doesn't realize organic pesticides are still pesticides.
The authors make their pitch for getting more "chemical" farmers to switch to organic by stressing the vital importance to agricultural managers of recognizing how ideological beliefs influence farming methods, and of using this understanding to find new ways of inspiring farmers to adopt profitable changes.
"It is possible that when approaching strategic change, managers might have greater success if they recognize that potentially conflicting ideologies are in play. As we have illustrated, the preservation of the agricultural world is at stake."David Cameron’s irresponsible and ignorant intervention in Libya (which alone should be enough to ensure he never holds responsible office again) is now causing one of the greatest human upheavals of modern times.
A wave of human misery is now heading to Europe – and eventually to Britain – from the fiery chaos of post-Cameron Libya.
In one week, at least 10,000 migrants have been ferried to Italy by greedy criminal traffickers.
These calculating monsters put only enough fuel in the tanks of their boats to get them halfway across. Then they call the Italian coastguard to tell them to pick up the drifting victims before they drown or die of exposure.
And of course civilised Europe does pick them up. What choice do we have? It goes against centuries of Christianity to leave them (as the ruthless traffickers happily do) to their fate, and hope that this will discourage them.
And how can we send them back to the failed and lawless state which has already driven them out after robbing them? So it will not be long before they arrive at Calais and join the queue to be smuggled into Britain.
I can see no obvious solution to this. It reminds me of the great illegal migration of Latin Americans that utterly transformed the USA in the 1990s, and continues to do so.
Should we have listened more carefully to Colonel Gaddafi, whom we drove from power and left to be murdered in a ditch? By assisting in his overthrow, have we replaced the terrible with the horrible?
Back in August 2010, the Libyan despot went to Rome and made a blackmailing offer which many Italian politicians must now be wishing they had accepted.
Gaddafi said: ‘Italy needs to convince her European allies to accept this Libyan proposal – €5 billion [then about £4 billion] to Libya to stop illegal immigration. ‘Europe runs the risk of turning black from illegal immigration, it could turn into Africa. We need support from the European Union to stop this army trying to get across from Libya, which is their entry point.
‘At the moment there is a dangerous level of immigration from Africa into Europe and we don’t know what will happen.
‘What will be the reaction of the white Christian Europeans to this mass of hungry, uneducated Africans?’
You will have to look up what he said next as it is simply too shocking and unpleasant for me to reproduce.
That’s the problem. While we won’t think about it, the unthinkable is actually happening, and we have no idea what to do.If you’re planning on attending Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert’s dueling rallies in Washington next month, you might want to hold off on making those reservations — at least for the moment.
A spokesman for the National Park Service told TBD.com that the Comedy Central duo have yet to secure a permit for the rallies, scheduled for October 30 on the National Mall.
"News organizations need to get it in their head," Bill Line said Friday. "Two individuals and a public relations firm on their behalf have submitted an application for a permit.”
But funnymen and their flacks do not a permit make, Line told the website.
"Every permit application is unique," he added, refusing to speculate about when the application might be approved. "The Park Service is in talks and negotiations [with the organizers]."
And while I would highly doubt the Park Service denying them a permit — Jeff Jarvis has already booked his trip! Rafat Ali too! — it is a bit odd that they’d announce the "Rally to Restore Sanity/March to Keep Fear Alive" love-ins without one.
A representative for Comedy Central did not immediately return a request for comment.
Stay tuned.Namco's J-World Tokyo indoor theme park unveiled its "Naruto Shippūden Konoha Hiden: Shūgen Biyori in J-World Tokyo" event on Monday. The Naruto - Konoha Hiden: Shūgen Biyori (Naruto - Konoha Hidden Legend - A Good Day For a Wedding) novel is inspiring the event. The promotion will celebrate Naruto and Hinata's wedding from February 25 to April 2.
The J-Patisserie shop inside the park will offer a "gateau white chocolate" wedding cake for Naruto and Hinata during the event. The cake will feature character images, a scroll, cranes, a shuriken, a kunai, and other decorations. The cake will cost 7,610 yen (about US$68), and people who want to purchase the cake must order ten days in advance.
The event's food menu will also include:
Naruto and Hinata Shūgen Ramen (Tsukemen)
880 yen (US$8)
Naruto and Hinata Wedding Cake (Strawberry Shortcake)
700 yen (US$6)
The event's exclusive merchandise will include:
Mobile battery
5,000 yen (US$45)
Set of 2 A4-size clear files
810 yen (US$7)
56-millimeter (about 2-inch) tin badges (eight varieties)
378 yen (US$3)
The event will feature the "Fierce Fighting! Ninja World Battle Picture Scroll!!" attraction and a "ninja battle tour" experience with performers dressed as Sakura, Shikamaru, Kiba, and Rock Lee. A limited-edition ticket set with admission to the park, a one-character ninja battle tour, and exclusive goods will cost 4,800 yen (US$43) for adults and 4,600 yen (US$41) for children. The same tickets with a two-character tour will cost 5,500 yen (US$49) for adults and 5,300 yen (US$47) for children. The same tickets without the exclusive merchandise will cost 1,600 yen (US$14) less per ticket.
J-World Tokyo's already hosted an event for the Naruto: Sasuke's Story - Sunrise ( Naruto: Sasuke Shinden - Raikō ) novel this winter. Previous Naruto promotions include a haunted house, ramen shop, and more food items.
The Naruto Shippūden television anime will continue adapting the three epilogue novels through February.
Source: Comic NatalieThe online war against SOPA is reaching new levels. In the aftermath of the Reddit 'Boycott Go Daddy' campaign, now a number of Internet giants are considering their own moves in the SOPA game.
Wikipedia was the first to consider a blackout of their services, in order to demonstrate what SOPA could potentially do to any website that allowed user-generated content. Now, a number of sites including Google, Facebook, Twitter and Amazon are considering coordinated downtime on their platforms.
(Source: ZDNet)
Markham Erickson of NetCoalition recently confirmed that the extreme move was "under consideration" by the Internet companies. The director commented:
"This type of thing doesn't happen because companies typically don't want to put their users in that position. The difference is that these bills so fundamentally change the way the Internet works. People need to understand the effect this special-interest legislation will have on those who use the Internet."
The "nuclear option" will cause major Internet service providers to go simultaneously in to the dark in a coordinated effort to show their displeasure at the proposed legislation.
However, a move of these proportions will no doubt have severe consequences. Consumer anger, backlash from online users, lost revenue and perhaps catalyst user boycotts as a reprisal may be on the cards.
Whereas Wikipedia asking its online community what they thought about a blackout yielded some interesting results, it did not get full press attention. A service suspension of Google, however, would no doubt end up blasted across every newspaper in the West within minutes.
I would not be impressed if one morning if I wake to find Google, Twitter and Facebook are denying access to their domains. I'll admit, I would become furious. If this suspension goes ahead, the companies better make sure they explain to the general public why this is happening.
What better way to expose the farcical bill, and ensure that user anger is cajoled in to the right directions?
If it goes ahead, taking Google as an example, I'm all for it. Something I've found as a London-based blogger is that no-one in Britain knows anything about the act whatsoever. They need this.
I'm expecting commentary, as I've witness across the web, stating that service blackouts should only affect the American community. That, in a nutshell, is why 'nuclear' options need to affect every international domain. This legislation, in one country, is enough reason to press the nuclear button.
SOPA is not legislation that will be confined within U.S borders -- so in order to'spread the word', go ahead. It is time to light the fires of anger that many informed U.S citizens already feel, so members of Congress understand what the SOPA legislation may do to international relationships as well as altering the opinions of the general public.
There is currently no released formal decision on the matter. However, considering the Senate is scheduled to resume debating the bill on January 24, it may be before this date that the internet giants potentially most affected will choose to make a stand.
Press the button. You'll be forgiven for a day's worth of inconvenience if it can achieve some damage limitation in regards to the SOPA bill.
Related:NEARLY 40,000 Americans commit suicide annually, about the same number that die from breast cancer. But while countless brands adopt pink packaging to raise awareness during Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, corporate support for mental illness, the cause of most suicides, is decidedly scant.
Now Philosophy, the beauty brand owned by Coty, is introducing an effort to raise a projected $10 million over the next five years to combat mental illness. The Hope & Grace Initiative will direct 1 percent of sales of products throughout the brand’s skin care and fragrance lines to mental health charities, with a special focus on issues that particularly affect women, like postpartum depression and psychological trauma linked to domestic abuse. Grants typically will be about $25,000, with preference given to community-based programs.
Philosophy began donating a portion of sales from all products sold on its website on July 15, and beginning Jan. 1, it will extend the program to all online and offline purchases in the United States. The program will further expand to include all international sales in “mid-2015,” according to the brand.
The initiative is named for the two most popular products from Philosophy, which date back to the introduction of the brand in 1996: Hope in a Jar moisturizer and Amazing Grace fragrance.YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, May 18, 2015 (ENS) – The first-ever electricity generating system to use recovered hybrid vehicle batteries for commercial energy storage is up and running at Yellowstone National Park.
Solar panels generate the electricity, which is then stored in the 208 used Toyota Camry Hybrid nickel-metal hydride battery packs, recovered from Toyota dealers across the United States.
They power five buildings at Yellowstone’s Lamar Buffalo Ranch field campus, including cabins, the ranger station and the education center.
Located far from other development in Yellowstone’s scenic Lamar Valley, the historic Lamar Buffalo Ranch offers spartan lodging in an historic wilderness setting.
Announced last June, the partnership among Toyota, Indy Power Systems, Sharp USA SolarWorld, Patriot Solar, the National Park Service and the Yellowstone Park Foundation is an effort to extend the useful life of hybrid vehicle batteries while providing sustainable power generation for one of the most remote, pristine areas in the United States.
Each battery pack has been disassembled and tested, and every piece that could be re-purposed has been used.
In addition, new components were designed and built by Indy Power Systems specifically for this application, including an onboard battery management system for each battery pack.
The battery management system is designed to maximize battery life and will also provide important insights into real-world performance. These insights will help Toyota design future battery performance and durability improvements.
“Toyota’s innovative response to solve a difficult problem has helped Yellowstone move closer to its goal of becoming the greenest park in the world,” said Steve Iobst, acting superintendent of Yellowstone.
Hybrid batteries typically reach the end of their usable life in automobile-grade applications with significant remaining power storage capacity.
While Toyota has a robust hybrid battery recycling program in place, the Yellowstone project reflects ongoing efforts to extend the life of existing hybrid batteries. Engineers expect this type of use to double the overall lifespan of the hybrid batteries.
“Through our long-standing partnership with Yellowstone National Park and the Yellowstone Park Foundation, Toyota has helped preserve Yellowstone for future generations,” said Jim Lentz, chief executive officer, Toyota North America.
“Today, our relationship with Yellowstone continues, as more than 200 battery packs that once powered Toyota Camry hybrids have found a new home on the range,” said Lentz.
The 208 hybrid batteries provide 85kWh of energy storage to ensure continuous power, as the system charges and discharges.
Onsite micro-hydro turbine systems, capturing energy from a neighboring stream, are scheduled to join the power mix in 2016.
The Lamar Buffalo Ranch project is part of Toyota’s extensive work with Yellowstone National Park and the Yellowstone Park Foundation, including providing hybrid vehicles to support park operations, and green building expertise and financial backing for the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center, which opened in 2010.
Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2015. All rights reserved.Now that the offseason portion of the year is over, let's take a look where each of the San Francisco 49ers' 12 draft picks stand heading into training camp, which starts July 24.
First round
Jimmie Ward: The nickel cornerback has been recovering from a foot injury. But he is expected to be fine once camp starts. He has been doing classroom work and the team is excited about him helping right away.
Second round
Carlos Hyde: The running back has shined out of the backfield as a runner and as receiver. The Ohio State product is likely to get a chance at playing time right away. He was considered a steal at No. 57 on draft night and is still looking like one.
Third round
Marcus Martin: The center from USC has been getting praise. Daniel Kilgore still has the edge to win the starting job, but I wouldn't be shocked if Martin takes it.
Chris Borland: The inside linebacker from Wisconsin was a tackling machine in college. The early 49ers' reviews are strong. He could get some playing time early with NaVorro Bowman recovering from a torn ACL.
Brandon Thomas: The guard from Clemson is expected to be out for the year as he recovers from an offseason knee injury.
Fourth round
Bruce Ellington: The speedy receiver from South Carolina was a star of the offseason. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick called his minicamp play “amazing.” The 49ers will likely find a role for him as a receiver and as a punt returner early.
Dontae Johnson: The cornerback from NC State will likely make the roster as depth. He is still a project.
Fifth round
Aaron Lynch: He earned the praise last week of coach Jim Harbaugh. He's a project, but the 49ers like him. He should make a stacked linebacking unit.
Keith Reaser: The cornerback is likely out for the year as he recovers from a 2013 torn ACL.
Sixth round
Ken Acker: The cornerback will have to have a strong camp to make the team.
Seventh round
Kaleb Ramsey: The defensive lineman from Boston College had a terrific minicamp. The defensive line is stacked, but if he plays well, he could sneak on the 53-man roster.
Trey Millard: The fullback is likely out for the year as he recovers from a torn ACL.Gary McGraw explains why there’s more to software security than watching the bug parade march by.
The 2009 Software Security Bug Parade
The 2009 CWE/SANS Top 25 Most Dangerous Programming Errors was recently released with much fanfare. Lists of "the most significant" software security bugs are certainly not a new phenomenon, with the OWASP top ten (first published in 2004) garnering a lion's share of the attention. Certainly the idea of knowing your enemy (in this case, software vulnerabilities) is important in software security. However, as I have pointed out in previous iterations of this column, there's more to software security than watching the bug parade march by.
Today, I present the top eleven reasons why generic top N bug parade lists may be less helpful than you think. But first, a history lesson…
Bug Parades of Christmas Past1
The idea of collecting and organizing information about computer security vulnerabilities has a long history. One of the first (unclassified) studies of computer security and privacy was the RISOS (Research into Secure Operating Systems) project from 19762. The problem of creating lists and taxonomies has been of great interest since then.
Well-known research projects include the "Protection Analysis" work of Bisbey and Hollingworth (1978) and Carl Landwehr's Naval Research Lab taxonomy from 1993. Plenty of taxonomy work has been done on the attack side of the equation too, including Cheswick and Bellovin's attack classes (2003) and my work with Hoglund on attack patterns (2004).
More recent strain of work on vulnerabilities includes Aslam's classification scheme (1995), PLOVER (Preliminary List of Vulnerability Examples for Researchers) from 2005, and the Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) project (ongoing).
A number of practitioners have developed top ten lists and other related collections based on experience in the field. Two of the most popular and useful lists are the 19 Sins3 and the OWASP top ten. To this assembly of lists, piles, and collections we can add the list of the day — the CWE/SANS top 25.
Top Eleven Reasons Why Top Ten Lists Don't Work
Before I start, there are some important good things about top ten lists that are worthy of mention. The notion of knowing your enemy is essential in security (as it is in warfare), and top ten lists can help get software people started thinking about attacks, attackers, and the vulnerabilities they go after. These days almost any attention paid to the problem is good attention, and the fact that the technical media is paying attention to software security at all is a good thing. Top ten lists help in that respect.
Without further ado, however, here are eleven reasons why top ten lists don't work:
Executives don't care about technical bugs. Security is about risk management. Risk management involves getting your head out of the technical weeds and understanding which applications really matter to your organization from a business perspective. Geeky pontification about top ten lists does very little (if anything) to manage business risk. Putting "controls" around "top generic technical problems" may not be the best course of action. Too much focus on bugs. Software security practitioners have known for years that software defects lead to serious security problems. What we all seem to forget sometimes is that defects come in two basic flavors (divided roughly 50/50 in terms of prevalence): bugs in the code and flaws in the design. Top ten lists tend to focus on bugs, to the detriment of any attention for design-level problems. Vulnerability lists help auditors more than developers. Teaching someone how to do the right thing is much more cost effective and efficient than attempting to teach someone how not to do an infinite set of wrong things. Software people react more positively to being shown how to do things right than they do to a bug parade. On the other hand, big lists of bugs certainly make auditing code easier. But how efficient is that? One person's top bug is another person's yawner. (This point is closely related to number 1.) Software defects do have serious and important business impact, but impact is not an objective variable that carries across all organizations. In my experience, a list of "top N defects" is very powerful in any given organization, but actual lists differ according to the dev group, coding habits, tech stacks, standards, and a host of other variables. You'll be very lucky if your real list of top bugs aligns with any generic list. Using bug parade lists for training leads to awareness but does not educate. (This point is closely related to number 3.) Developers and architects are much better off understanding and learning how to do things right (defensive programming) than they are when presented with a laundry list of defects, even when those defects are shown in living color. In the early days, Biology was about taxonomies and zoos. In modern times, Biology is about cell mechanisms, DNA, and evolution. Likewise, modern software security needs to be more about the mechanics of building systems that work than it is about collections of no-nos. Bug lists change with the prevailing technology winds. Though top ten lists can certainly be updated (witness the OWASP top ten), rapid changes in technology make lists of particular problems obsolete very quickly. In this sense, education about building things properly (and about how things like stacks really work) again trumps lists of specifics. Top ten lists mix levels. Taxonomies are always superior to lists, especially when they are simple. Thinking about seven top level concerns (as presented in the Seven Pernicious Kingdoms) is much less confusing from an intellectual perspective than equating "Buffer Overflows" and "Failing to Protect Network Traffic" as the 19 Sins work does. Lists of bugs have lower fidelity when it comes to activities required to build secure software. Automated tools can find bugs — let them. Teaching all developers the 700+ bad things in the Common Weakness Enumeration (or the even larger set of permutations allowed by languages like C++) is a futile exercise. We can start by using static analysis tools to remember all of the potential bugs and alert us to their presence. Better even than that would be adopting programming languages that don't suck. (For a real world story about language issues, see Microsoft's Missed Opportunity.) Metrics built on top ten lists are misleading. The notion of coming up with metrics for software security is of critical importance. But as all business school graduates know (and not enough geeks, sadly), bad metrics can do more harm than no metrics. Using the OWASP top 10 or the CWE/SANS top 25 to drive your software security initiative will be a major mistake. See points 1 and 4 for more. When it comes to testing, security requirements are more important than vulnerability lists. Security testing should be driven from requirements and abuse cases rather than from hoping to discover particular technical bugs in code. Proper use of threat modeling and architectural risk analysis drives effective traceable tests. Ten is not enough. A myopic focus on ten bugs makes little sense. Adding 15 more to the pile may not do much to help. As the CWE/SANS top 25 website says, "The CWE site also contains data on more than 700 additional programming errors, design errors, and architecture errors that can lead to exploitable vulnerabilities." Enough said.
Footnotes
1. Instead of providing a complete list of taxonomy references here, I direct interested readers to Chapter 12 of Software Security: Building Security In (Read in Safari Books Online). Also note that the annotated bibliography (Chapter 13) is available in full on the Web.
2. Robert Abbot, Janet Chin, James Donnelley, William Konigsford, Shigeru Tokubo, and Douglas Webb. "Security Analysis and Enhancement of Computer Operating Systems," NBSIR 76-1041, National Bureau of Standards, ICST, Washington, DC, 1976.
3. Published in 19 Deadly Sins of Software Security by Howard, LeBlanc, and Viega (2005).Lawyer: Johnny Manziel will be indicted by grand jury
A report indicates Johnny Manziel has been indicted by a grand jury in Dallas County. A report indicates Johnny Manziel has been indicted by a grand jury in Dallas County. Photo: Ron Schwane, FRE Photo: Ron Schwane, FRE Image 1 of / 59 Caption Close Lawyer: Johnny Manziel will be indicted by grand jury 1 / 59 Back to Gallery
Former NFL quarterback Johnny Manziel's attorney says Dallas County prosecutors have told him his client will be indicted Tuesday in his domestic violence case.
Robert Hinton told The Associated Press on Monday that he expects a misdemeanor assault charge for family violence to be officially filed Tuesday. Manziel is facing up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine.
The former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from Texas A&M is accused of kidnapping, hitting and threatening to kill ex-girlfriend Colleen Crowley in late January. Dallas police referred a Class A misdemeanor domestic violence assault case to a grand jury instead of making an arrest. Typically, Dallas County's grand juries hear only felony cases.
RELATED: Manziel's ex claims she was kidnapped, lost hearing after attack
Crowley alleged Manziel struck her so hard she ruptured her eardrum and lost hearing in her left ear.
Manziel could face up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine if convicted, although the report from the CBS station in Dallas indicates that Manziel and Crowley reached a civil settlement outside of the courtroom.
RELATED: Johnny Manziel says he's living with Von Miller
The Browns released Manziel in March after two seasons in which he made more headlines with his partying than on-field play.
Drew Rosenhaus, Manziel's second agent in the past two months, gave Manziel an ultimatum to seek treatment or lose him as an agent. That weekend, Manziel was seen partying at Coachella, and Rosenhaus dropped him as a client.
RELATED: No rehab in sight, Johnny Manziel chills in Coachella ball pit
Earlier this month, Manziel and his friends were accused of trashing a rental house in Los Angeles, reportedly leaving drugs and alcohol strewn across the property.
Manziel has repeatedly said – often to TMZ cameras – he expects to sign with another NFL team this summer, and even mentioned the Denver Broncos as a possible landing spot.
This indictment could further dampen Manziel's shot at making a return to the NFL.When the Phillies officially obtained the number one overall pick in the 2016 amateur MLB draft, there seemed to be two clear choices. One was 21 year-old left-handed pitcher A.J. Puk, pitching for the University of Florida. Another was high school pitcher Jason Groome from Barnegat High School in South Jersey. Never did a third name enter the discussion. That is, until now.
ESPN's Jayson Stark reports that the Phillies may move on from either player:
Other teams say the Phillies appear to be backing off A.J. Puk at No. 1 in the draft & moving toward Mercer CF Kyle Lewis. This is the first time I've heard speculation about them taking anything other than a pitcher with that first pick.
Stark had the Phillies linked to Puk previously.
Kyle Lewis is a 21 year-old center fielder at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. In 54 games played, Lewis has 17 home runs and a.367 batting average. Lewis also has driven in 56 runs - an average over one RBI per game.
The speculation began before the 2016 season, and Groome and Puk seemed to be the obvious choices. But, Puk has had his share of struggles with his command and Groome was suspended half the season for failing to comply with high school transfer guidelines. Lewis, meanwhile is getting lots of attention and rising up in the mock drafts.
At 21 years old, the Phillies could reap the benefits of Lewis much quicker than a high school player. If Puk is looking unpolished, the Phillies might be getting nervous that he could not make a quicker rise to the Major Leagues. In June 2014, the Phillies took pitcher Aaron Nola and by July 2015, Nola was already pitching in the Phillies starting rotation. After picking high school player Cornelius Randolph in 2015, the Phillies may wish to go for a more immediate return.
Stay tuned.20th Century Fox Andy Weir, author of the wildly popular sci-fi novel "The Martian," is living the publishing dream.
It didn't start out that way though. "The Martian" began as a series of self-published chapters on Weir's personal blog.
Then Weir decided to put the book on Amazon, selling it for the website's lowest possible price ($0.99).
And that's when things snowballed.
It topped Amazon's bestselling list of science fiction. Then it debuted at the number 12 spot on The New York Times bestseller list for hardcover fiction books. Right now it's number one for paperback trade fiction. Ridley Scott is directing the film adaptation starring Matt Damon.
More science than fiction
In a nutshell, "The Martian" is the story of astronaut Mark Watney who gets stranded on Mars when his crew is forced to leave without him. What sets this book apart from others though, and what arguably gave it it's Cinderella success story, is that Weir threads the entire plot with real science.
All the tech in the story is modeled after rockets, spacesuits, and other space travel tech that already exists, and the main character Watney has to rely on real science again and again to keep himself alive. It's a science fiction story that could actually happen in real life.
It makes sense that "The Martian" is jam-packed with science since Weir is a self-described lifetime space nerd. He's the kind of person who enjoys researching rocket technology, orbital mechanics, and physics for fun.
His earlier attempts at writing pretty much flopped, but "The Martian" took off, partly because it captures Weir's enthusiasm for science and space exploration.
20th Century Fox Creating such a science-heavy plot was a risky move on Weir's part.
"I was afraid it was going to read like a Wikipedia article if I didn't make it really interesting," Weir said during a discussion of "The Martian" at the recent Humans to Mars Summit in Washington D.C..
You only need to get a couple pages into "The Martian" before it becomes clear that Weir did exhaustive research. But he weaves the heavy science into a gripping plot line with a funny, smart aleck main character (who Weir says is modeled after his own personality). It strikes a perfect balance between science and fiction, and the fast-paced plot makes it hard to put down.
Sudden success
In 2009, Weir started posting the story chapter by chapter on his personal blog where anyone could read it for free. The early version of his self-published book attracted a lot of science-minded readers, and they offered feedback.
Weir is a space nerd, but he says chemistry is not his area of expertise.
"Chemists actually pointed out some problems in early drafts," Weir said. He was able to go back and correct some of the chemistry that's crucial for Watney's survival.
Word of the book spread, and readers started asking for an e-reader copy. So Weir made all the individual chapters available in one file. Some had trouble downloading it though, so Weir put it on Amazon via Kindle Direct Publishing.
YouTube/20th Century Fox That's when the floodgates opened. More people downloaded the 99-cent Amazon version than had ever downloaded the free version, Weir said, and readers started leaving positive reviews on Amazon. In just a few months it skyrocketed to the top of Amazon's best-selling science fiction list.
So a book agent got in touch with Weir. Shortly after that, the publishing company Random House called — it wanted to publish a hardcover.
Four days later, Hollywood called for the movie rights, Weir said.
So yes, he scored a book contract and a movie contract in the same week — both in the low to mid six figures, The Washington Post reports.
"In fact, it was such a sudden launch into the big leagues that I literally had a difficult time believing it," Weir said in an interview on his site. "I actually worried it could all be an elaborate scam. So I guess that was my first reaction: "Is this really happening?'"
Now he's living the space-nerd dream, too. Since the book's sudden success, Weir has toured the Jet Propulsion Lab and spent a week at NASA's Johnson Space Center where he got to meet NASA scientists and astronauts.
Weir says he is not heavily involved with the film adaptation.
"My job was basically to cash the check," Weir joked.
However, the writers did send a Weir an early copy of the screenplay and invited him to send notes.
So far it looks like the movie is going to keep the science as an integral part of the plot. NASA has consulted on the film, and the European Space Agency has been on the film set. And after all, in the movie trailer Watney (Matt Damon) says, "I'm going to have to science the shit out of this."
Weir sounds optimistic about the movie adaptation, |
Some partners want to see how this can help develop their strategy and then price containers within their organization, says Arsene.
Teodori emphasizes that SUSE is not building Kubic as a free-of-cost CaaS platform. It’s not competing with SUSE’s existing products. It’s an incubator for ideas and innovation and a learning experience.
Kubic is available on GitHub; anyone can start experimenting with it. “I would like to see people challenging our decisions and choices. It’s important to know how other people would have done it different and if we can improve on what we have today,” says Teodori. “What’s even more important is that people bring their use cases. They can show us and our partners how they are consuming it. It’s open source. Everyone’s a winner.”
Related links:
Top 7 Persistent Storage Capabilities for Running Docker Containers(Oan takin’ a hunner fur Facebook an’ postin’ when pished).
Oh my Goad, am feelin’ great;
Aff tae the dance flair tae gyrate.
Oor kitchen’s lookin’ like a sea
Of glam an’ glitter.
A hawd oan tae ma bevvy ticht
In case a slitter.
Sippin’ oan ma rum an’ juice;
A must admit, am feelin’ loose,
An’ dinnae wahnt tae hink aboot
The morra’s heid.
A pray an’ hope ah’ll be jist fine
Efter a feed.
Am lookin’ smashin; whit a stunner!
A drain ma gless doon in a wunner
An’ noo a really feel the need
Tae stert the show;
Grabbin’ ma wee phone fur snaps;
We’re gid tae go.
A summon aw ma lassies through
An’ switch the camera tae front view
An’ staun’ an’ gee ma ginger loacks
A soart and fix.
We huddle roon’ an’ wait tae hear
The fast wee clicks.
A shuffle roon’ an’ change ma stance,
We dae some shoats an’ huv a dance,
A feel ma face is braw enough
Fur its ane shoot.
A stagger up and git a pal:
Am pished, nae doot.
Then in the moarn we congregate
An’ wae deep breaths we face oor fate,
An’ try tae fin’ oot whit the Hell
We hink wint oan.
A drag ma erse oot of ma pit
An’ check ma phone.
But then wan photie gees me fright;
There must jist no huv bin gid light.
“Git that aff, ah look like shite!”
Ah flap an’ plead.
But a ken there’s jist nae point;
It’s oan “News Feed”.
There’s mare oanline, a look sae silly;
Am staunin’ wae a blow-up wullie,
Ma cross-eyed heid is gazin’
Intae time an’ space.
Aw shite, ah cannae quite believe
This fine disgrace.
A scrabble tae git them awa’
But hawf ma freens huv seen them aw,
An’ noo a wish a hudnae been
Sae bloody steamin’.
Here come the comments fae ma maw;
Ma cheeks are beamin’.
AdvertisementsCriminal complaints are piling up against a Bedford man already accused of bilking his neighbours out of tens of thousands of dollars, a CBC Nova Scotia Investigation has learned.
Scott Lee Gray, 41, is charged with fraud involving motor vehicles, car parts and building supplies, with the total amount topping six figures.
Gray, who was convicted of fraud in 2011, has cases pending in courtrooms in Halifax, Dartmouth and the Annapolis Valley. In October, CBC News spoke to three of Gray's neighbours, who accused him of fraud.
And he's racked more complaints since then, this time involving a Burnside company that sells car batteries and Shamrock Truss in Lower Sackville, which sells construction equipment.
Miriam Mende of Magnacharge Battery in Burnside says Gray wrote cheques for car batteries totalling more than $10,000 in November.
Scott Gray of Bedford is shown with a Halifax police officer outside of a Burnside business in November. (Contributed) She says she called police when the cheques bounced. The next time she saw Gray was on Nov. 13, when he came into the shop to pick up another order. Police came to the business, spoke with Gray and he left with them.
The case is being investigated, Mendes said police told her.
RCMP did charge Gray last month with defrauding Shamrock Truss of more than $5,000. That case is winding its way through the justice system, along with six others that CBC News is aware of.
Repeated court delays
Bruce Regan owns a motorcycle and parts shop in Windsor. He says Gray took him for thousands of dollars in power tools back in March and April of 2014.
Regan says Gray seemed knowledgeable about the business and arrived late in the day.
"He seemed to know exactly what I was going to ask next. He was ready for me on all counts.
"And he understands timing: if you're going to do anything, an hour before closing, 10 minutes before closing is a good time because everyone is rattled and trying to get out of there."
Karen Sproule says she lost her car in a fraudulent deal with Scott Gray of Bedford. She's managed to recover the vehicle. (CBC)
Repeated delays in prosecuting the case caused by Gray's difficulties getting a lawyer have been frustrating, Regan says. A preliminary inquiry was set for September. That was adjourned for a second time and is now set for Jan. 18.
Regan says he's tired of the whole process.
Central Building Supplies of Windsor is another alleged victim. Gray is charged with defrauding the company out of a snowblower, a heater and furniture — two reclining sofas and and two reclining chairs — a few days before Christmas 2013, according to court documents.
The manager of Central Building Supplies declined to speak to CBC News.
Carquest of Lower Sackville is the complainant in a charge of fraud over $5,000 against Gray, with losses of about $25,000. Its manager also didn't want to be interviewed.
Denies allegations
Three individuals, Karen Sproule, Mike MacDougall and Anthony Filler, are also the alleged victims of fraud over $5,000, according to court documents.
"I couldn't believe I was being scammed. He was very good on details, knowing what to say to gain my trust," Sproule said.
Her complaint involved a car that she says Gray offered to help her sell. The car disappeared and she says she didn't receive any money. She tracked down the vehicle at a used car lot outside the city and eventually recovered it.
"He needs to be stopped. I don't want anyone else to go through what I did."
Reached by phone in October, Gray denied all allegations. At court appearances this month, Gray represented himself, but told the court he has plans to retain Halifax lawyer Lyle Howe.But now, with Now, I had this tool, this digital fifth column, heckling that narrative. Telling me that, inasmuch as “Work” is commonly understood—you go there regularly, to make money—the Kim home was my “Work.” And this sucked because Now was entirely correct. Now’s constant, tabulated observation of me—the truth—was exploding a self-serving conceit I’d constructed. We all have stories we tell ourselves, stories about who we really are. All Google Now does is reveal whether these stories check out.
They often don’t.
* * *
Now’s tracking runs headlong into our need to lie—a little! sometimes!—to ourselves. It’s a truism of this era that Facebook statusing and avatar design and Instagram filters have transformed how we self-present: the way we tell other people true and untrue stories about who we are. What’s transformative about Now is how it makes it harder to tell such stories to ourselves. This matters. Small, self-deceptive fictions are a big part of how we operate. Human beings are not totally awesome at distinguishing between the things we’d like to like and do and the things we actually like and do. So while the sexy endgame of “personal digital assistants” and predictive algorithms may lie in science fictive images of perfected machine intelligence and Scarlett Johansson-y singularities, there are some much more prosaic problems to grapple with right now, today: like the accountability and truthfulness that this technology demands of and imposes on us already.
We’ve been managing this tension for years. Anyone who’s ever cleared a browser history to maintain self-respect, or been appalled by a song that some predictive streaming music service suggests (then... liked it), has faced technology’s ability to throw us back at ourselves. And even with Now, most revelations feel small. I suppose I do procrastinate by searching movie showtimes, and Chrome on my computer talks to Now on my phone (that’s the point), so, yup, I get notifications about every film screening within three miles of my location pretty much at all times. I asked friends about similar experiences. Most are light: “Now also reminds me *all the time* that I buy my clothing at brooks brothers,” wrote a woman who really doesn’t see herself as a seersucker and polo type. “I'm not entirely comfy with that level of self-awareness. So tracking is disabled,” from an opt-outer. Another friend’s childish Netflix suggestions confirm that, whatever else he might be, he is now a dad. Some start funny, then go melancholy: a buddy whose web browser helpfully suggests a porn site as his likely destination, no matter how many times he Xs out the choice, as if it has “a never-ending supply of my own shame to replenish itself with.”
So, what? What will we gain, or lose, in being stripped of our pretenses? Turns out to be a thorny question. Ask the Internet about “self-deception,” filter the pop psych, and you’re still plunged into an inter- and intra-disciplinary quagmire of psychologists and philosophers disagreeing with themselves and each other on what “self-deception” even means. It exists; it’s important. Everyone’s on board up to that point. But what it is, how it works, and why we do it are topics of active dispute. Is self-deception intentional? What “psychological or temporal divisions” are required to maintain it? Is it simply, in the words of the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “motivationally biased belief?”A team of scientists is urging that agriculture be a top priority in climate change negotiations, saying it’s vital for global food security and for reducing carbon emissions. The recommendations appear in the January 20th issue of Science magazine.
The international team was led by Sir John Beddington, Britain’s chief scientific advisor. The article, What Next for Agriculture After Durban, follows the latest U.N. climate conference in December. It says negotiations there made “incremental progress” in helping farmers adapt to climate change while reducing agriculture’s contribution to global warming.
“Well, agriculture is important, period, because of the imperative of food security. And we’re falling short there in significant ways that have come to our attention, especially recently with the significant price shocks,” said Professor Molly Jahn of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, co-author of the Science article.
International prices have remained high since the food crisis of 2007/2008.
Agriculture is a major emitter of greenhouse gases. But Jahn said it also offers opportunities to lessen their effects with known and proven farming practices.
“So it represents both an activity that’s essential for our survival -- an activity that is threatened by climate change, especially in vulnerable parts of the world. And an opportunity to better manage meeting our needs while we reduce the emissions of various greenhouse gases that are accumulating in the atmosphere,” she said.
Faster response needed
The Science magazine article says the “integration of agriculture in the climate change negotiating process has moved at a slow pace.” However, it says at the same time climate change, forces affecting food security, and population growth have been moving “much faster.”
The scientists hope to influence policymakers.
Jahn said, “It was important for this team to get together precisely because so much work has been done. There’s so much information about opportunities and options, as well as threats. So this body was convened to carefully, objectively review that vast amount of information and synthesize clear policy relevant recommendations.”
Those recommendations include putting agriculture front and center in policy considerations.
“While we are transitioning to climate-smart agriculture, we need to assure that the world’s most vulnerable people will be considered in any policy strategies,” she said.
Another recommendation is to reduce the vast amount of food that’s lost, wasted or spoiled along the food chain – and to choose crops that place less stress on the environment.
“Given current knowledge, there’s a great deal we can do within current budgets and within current economic structures that will bring us forward to a better place with respect to agricultural practices in the developing and the developed world,” said Jahn.
Playing a bigger role
The magazine article calls on scientists to “assume a more prominent role” by ensuring clear data is available for climate change negotiations. It says that data can help spur investment in agriculture.
Professor Jahn warns “the window of opportunity to avert a humanitarian, environmental and climate crisis is rapidly closing.” She adds urgent action is needed.
Agriculture’s role in climate change is expected to be discussed in June at Rio+20. The meeting in Brazil marks the 20th anniversary of the U.N. Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro. It’s commonly known as The Earth Summit.If we could extract all the geothermal energy that exists underneath the United States to a depth of two miles, it would supply America’s power demands (at the current rate of usage) for the next 30,000 years. Getting at all that energy is not feasible—there are technological and economic impediments—but drawing on just 5 percent of the geothermal wealth would generate enough electricity to meet the needs of 260 million Americans. The Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) asserts that reaching that 5 percent level, which would produce 260,000 megawatts of electric power and reduce our dependence on coal by one-third, is doable by 2050.
So what is holding us back? Tapping geothermal energy means facing the harsh realities of thermodynamics: Typically, geothermal electricity is generated when hot water or steam underground is piped to the surface to drive a turbine, usually through heating an intermediate working fluid that actually turns the turbine’s blades. The turbine drives a dynamo that then produces the electricity. Crucially, the temperature of the piped-up water dictates the efficiency of a turbine-based system: the hotter the better, with a minimum of about 200 degrees Fahrenheit needed. But there is a limited number of geothermal hot spots that naturally contain water and that heat it to such high temperatures at accessible depths. Probably the best example of one in the United States is The Geysers. In a valley 72 miles north of San Francisco, steam billows from the earth’s surface. (This prompted the first European visitor to the site, in 1847, to believe he had discovered the gates of hell.) An elaborate array of gleaming metal pipes brings steam up from underground to drive turbines that generate 850 megawatts of electricity.
California, Nevada, Idaho, and Oregon all have enough high-temperature hot spots to potentially meet a significant portion of their electrical demand—as much as 60 percent in the case of Nevada—but rarely are the temperatures as high as at The Geysers, which produces steam of 400 degrees and hotter. Most of the time, developers have to look as far as six miles below ground to locate hot, flowing liquids. Finding suitable drill sites can be a big headache.
Doug Glaspey, chief operating officer of U.S. Geothermal, an Idaho-based company that just finished building a 13-megawatt geothermal electrical plant in southern Idaho, says he wishes he had “X-ray vision, so I could see where the reservoirs are. The highest-risk part of this business, bar none, is searching for reservoirs. Drilling a well costs two to three million dollars per well. If it fails, you got nothing.” Moreover, once companies hit a good hot spot, they still have to set up a power plant or a heating system, which requires big up-front costs and multiple wells. Glaspey estimates that it costs “$3.5 million to $4 million per megawatt” to build a geothermal power station.
In addition, geothermal power plants have energy efficiencies of just 8 to 15 percent, less than half that of coal plants. High up-front expenses plus relatively low efficiency makes the cost of geothermal electricity about double that of coal, which sells for around five cents per kilowatt-hour.
Gerald Nix, recently retired geothermal technologies manager at the NREL, believes that improving exploration and drilling technologies could make geothermal power cheaper than coal, however. Current attempts to refine these technologies fall under the banner of engineered geothermal systems (EGS), which can squeeze heat out of spots where the rock is not porous or permeable enough for water to circulate, or where there is not enough water in the first place. EGS uses techniques such as reopening old fissures in the rock, and then pumping water through the fracture. EGS could contribute at least 100,000 megawatts to the U.S. geothermal power budget by 2050, according to a 2006 report, “The Future of Geothermal Energy,” written by a team led by MIT chemical engineering professor Jefferson Tester. What is desperately needed to advance EGS, Tester says, are large-scale demonstration projects. “It’s not as if we don’t know how to drill holes and fracture rocks,” he says, “but we have to demonstrate EGS on a scale that would be useful for commercial enterprise.”
Uses for geothermal energy go beyond generating electricity:Geothermal sources not hot enough to make electricity efficiently can heat buildings by circulating water through pipes. This country has a swath of such lower-temperature hot spots. Draw a line from North Dakota to Texas, and nearly every state west of that line has sources with temperatures of at least 200 degrees Fahrenheit.Childish Gambino, who has released projects on an independent imprint, says he’s thought about working with majors.
“I talked to some majors,” Gambino says in an interview with MTV. “It’s really about sitting down, figuring out what they can offer.
“A lot of power’s been shifted back to the consumer and the artist with the Internet,” he adds. “So I feel like we’re in a position to just talk and there’s still a lot of things that majors still understand a lot more. I think it’s just about finding the right partner.”
One thing majors understand well is radio, he says.
“You don’t spread without the help of radio,” Gambino says. “Power 106 was the first to play ’3005′ and from there other people heard it…It was like the #1 Shazam’d song in Compton. I don’t know how it would get there without radio. Radio still holds a very special place with people. Radio is like a major thing I feel like [major] labels still know how to do well.”
Childish Gambino, who released because the internet last year, is reportedly set to drop an album this year.
RELATED: Childish Gambino Reportedly Releasing New Project This YearThe legendary Swedish Counter-Strike organisation Ninjas in Pyjamas owes the players that made it the biggest brand in the game thousands of dollars in prize money and deferred salaries, sources tell Breitbart.
Sources close to the organisation provided Breitbart with a break down of money that was currently in the process of being paid out to the players over the last four months, with much of it still not in the hands of those who earned it. The source added, “The excuses for non-payment range from the tournaments having not paid on time to the players not meeting their contracted streaming hours.”
After players looked at what they were owed around August, they saw that the amount outstanding totaled approximately $340,000 in prize money and in-game sticker sales. Some of this amount comes from tournaments such as MLG Aspen, which was held in January of this year. Between then and now the players have been fighting with the organisation to get paid what they are owed.
We reached out to some of the groups that the organisation claimed had been slow in paying out money, and these allegations were denied across the board.
MLG had chased paperwork from NiP on multiple occasions following the tournament, with the organisation refusing to submit tax information. After they finally received the required information in July, the organisation was paid via wire transfer within three days. This is especially important as the players withdrew from the MLG-owned CEVO 7 LAN finals as they were told by the NiP CEO Per Lilliefelth that MLG were not paying prize money. Those finals had a $75,000 prize pool.
The Gfinity invoices they received this year from NiP were paid out after no longer than fifteen days, the quickest being a three day payment.
All FACEIT payments for attendance of the FACEIT League stage one finals were paid in the middle of July.
The NiP organisation has begun the slow process of paying the outstanding debt, with players subsequently receiving some of their prize and sticker money, however the players are still owed about $16,000 each in prize money. This doesn’t include the team sticker sales from ESL One Cologne, which is also currently outstanding despite having been paid out by Valve. Individual “autographed” stickers are paid directly to the players by Valve at the same time as the organisational sticker money, and the players have received these payments, meaning the organisation is currently sitting on the money that Valve issued. The amount is likely between $20,000 and $30,000 per player.
A source who worked closely with NiP explained that the NiP contracts expressly state that players are to receive money within thirty days of their organisation receiving it. The players brought this to the attention of Lilliefelth,who was less than co-operative, as our insider recalls.
“He issued a bunch of excuses,” they told us, “stating that tournament organisations hadn’t paid out and they were chasing them with their lawyers. Half the amount owed was sticker money from ESL One Katowice, which Per said would be held back until the players could meet streaming hours.”
The streaming hours agreement states that the players had to do fifty hours per month between the entire squad, divided between them in any way. This is typically lower than some streaming agreements other teams agree to, however with an intense training schedule combined with travel and a general lack of motivation due to outstanding payments, players have in previous months fallen short. Since June the players made a concerted effort to meet this targe but are still owed multiple instances of prize money.
The organisation themselves do not keep track of these metrics. In part of an attempted reconciliation between the organisation and the players, it was agreed that they would keep track of payments on a spreadsheet with everyone having access. Lilliefelth is reported to not have updated this document once, contributing to increasing uncertainty that the players will receive what they are owed. “They don’t even measure streaming hours in this way,” the source told us, “they just complain about it retroactively as an excuse to deny payment.”
Former team coach Joona “natu” Leppänen, who left the organisation at the end of August after trying to tackle these and other issues, even offered to take on board some of these responsibilities in addition to his regular duties. “He was told no,” the source said, “with Per adding the players should do their job instead of worrying about the business. Hard to concentrate on that when you’re owed thousands you don’t think you’ll ever see.”
NiP were purchased by Nordic investment company Diglife in December of 2014 after the organisation had run into financial problems under their previous ownership, a joint venture by legendary Counter-Strike player Emil “Heaton” Christensen and businessman Niklas Fischier under the banner Stockholm Esports Productions. The players suffered similarly during this period, often having to defer salary so the organisation could meet other payments and enduring similar delays of prize money awards. Former player Robin “Fifflaren” Johansson, who now works for Twitch TV as a partnership manager, is estimated to still be owed in the region of $45,000 from this time period. However, despite being acquired outright by seemingly legitimate owners, the players situation hasn’t improved.
The fallout from the previous ownership saw the NiP organisation make headlines for all the wrong reasons recently when the former owners were taken to court for tax evasion. Lilliefelth followed up this report by publishing a bizarre piece of propaganda, lauding the former owner who still works for NiP, Emil “HeatoN” Christensen, as being almost beyond reproach. When Christensen was found guilty on October 29 and instructed to pay a fine and serve a period of probation, they even tried to spin that as a positive.
We have reached out to Per Lilliefelth for comment on this matter and are awaiting a response.
Follow Richard Lewis on Twitter @RLewisReports.Bill-de la Peña calls for revote on planning commission appointments In a rare move, a Thousand Oaks City Council member is asking to rescind a vote made two weeks ago in support of a planning...
Board sets boundaries for future elections School board elections in Thousand Oaks will never be the same. With hours left before their safe harbor from voting rights lawsuits expired, members of...
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Council to get first look at new housing proposal Albert Cohen is no stranger to a fight. It took his family 18 years to win the right to develop what is today the Albertsons-anchored...When someone mentions “visually stunning films”, it’s easy to associate this with films that lack real content, and instead are based mainly on images without portraying anything truly significant. The fact that these films are so relevant visually doesn’t mean that they don’t still tell a great story.
In fact, most of the films here are also considered some of the best from the last four years, and with reason. The wonderful collaborations between these directors, cinematographers, production, art and costume designers, colorists, etc., are most often built around a story, working towards the best ways to capture and express it in order to make fantastic and overwhelming visual experiences.
Over the last few years, a lot of filmmakers have been coming up with completely distinct storytelling formats, experimenting and toying with unusual mediums and styles. Featuring some of the most awe-inspiring American Indies and Hollywood films, and a few foreign films and collaborations, here are the 25 most visually stunning films from 2010 to 2014 – in no specific order.
1. Her (2013)
In a film with such a strong idea and narrative, cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema had the task of making the visual storytelling almost as important.
The color scheme is one of the most interesting features he brought to the film. Being set in the future – although not so distant – and so relevant in terms of portraying technology, the color blue would be an obvious choice. Instead, Van Hoytema dismissed said color completely and created a warm environment, underlining the fact that “Her” surpasses such genres, and used minimal lighting and LEDs to add color to certain scenes.
By knowing how to adjust himself to the director – Spike Jonze, who is highly experienced in creating the mood for metamodernism -, the film gained a smooth and serene quality that brought out the most emotionally captivating aspects of the story.
2. Laurence Anyways (2012)
One of the most interesting things about Xavier Dolan’s cinematography is that it is hardly his focus at all. By bringing more attention to the actors and the dialogue, his camera is left to linger on them – leaving it almost to chance, while still making beautiful shots, complements his narratives.
His engagement with LGBT themes and imagery urge him to combine exhilaration and emotional intimacy. Being visually witty no matter how hard he tries, Xolan and cinematographer Yves Bélanger choose unusual approaches to specific scenes, giving emphasis on the portrait of the main character, specifically through immense layers of investment.
Assigned as one of the – if the not THE – main queer filmmakers to watch out for, in less than five years since he first started, there are already inherent qualities attributed to his films, being sleek and empathetic, but full of complexities that aren’t too far from surrealism. Pushing constant boundaries and other parts of his aesthetic are easily confused with overbearing, lasting for almost three hours but acknowledging queer characters in a stunningly simple style.
3. Melancholia (2011)
Provocateur and visual poet Lars Von Trier brings “Melancholia” in true art-film shape, regarding an approaching rogue planet that is about to collide with Earth.
His original inspiration was his own story of depression, how this mental illness can so easily make it seem like a person remains calm even amidst chaos. Following “Antichrist” and followed by this year’s “Nymphomaniac”, his second entry in the unofficially titled “Depression Trilogy” relies on sound and music above any other of his projects, using Wagner and combining him with aesthetics of Nazi Germany as metaphors.
Chilean cinematographer Manuel Alberto Claro helps further push boundaries with fluid compositions, spontaneous handheld camerawork and lighting that makes the end of the world seem sophisticated.
A prime example in the mixing of style and substance, von Trier depicts beautifully – once again – a controversial and difficult subject, keeping the audience mute for long after the film’s end.
4. The Great Beauty (2013)
Even as a popular director, this has become Paolo Sorrentino’s most famous film, its popularity growing along with its cinematography. What differentiates this work from so many other visual poems is that it really bothers to reward the audience with rich context, achieving more by complementing image with contemporary Rome in a timeless style.
Considered a reinvention of Fellini’s “La Dolce Vita”, it captures the city like it hasn’t been done in recent memory. The details help making it unique, too, and the near three-hour film gives just enough time for the audience to fully comprehend how meticulously it was done, especially in the hands of cinematographer Luca Bigazzi – who continues to use tilting and panning at the same time as a common feature in Sorrentino’s films.
5. Frances Ha (2012)
Director Noah Baumbach’s debut in digital filmmaking is a monochromatic experience. With a small crew and minimal equipment, shot in subdued black and white, Baumbach followed the production style of the French New Wave.
Using the Canon 5D as a tool, experienced black-and-white cinematographer Sam Levy (also known for his work in “Wendy and Lucy”) adjusted the camera’s midtones and gave weight to its inherent video noise, resembling actual film grain. This makes more sense given that the director typically enjoys visual spectacles and natural-looking images, therefore not minding the 5D’s imperfections and enjoying the sometimes underexposed scenes. There were a lot of consequences, mostly the amount of time spent studying how the camera would work with different lighting elements and textures.
While this is a great film to look at, the fact that Baumbach used black and white meant he wouldn’t have to worry about color temperature aspects, certain shades, etc., which made for both practicality and to give emphasis to the story, making it an even more sensitive comedy.
6. Blue Is the Warmest Color (2013)
In this film, it was essential that the visuals reflected the various stages of falling in and out of love. The continuous hand held shots follow the characters around like a documentary piece, and the constant use of close up shots are not only used to get the audience’s attention, but to better portray emotions – which on its own is wonderful to watch.
Light is very natural, as mostly windows and doors are used as sources. The English translation of the title has a bigger motif: it’s common sense that blue is usually a “cold” color, and never used as a representation of love. There’s a deep connection between this fact and how the narrative plays out, when it’s used in so many elements involving the two main characters.
We see this color – primarily associated with positive things in the beginning – vanish as the mood of the film becomes darker and problems and doubts arise. Loaded with symbolism and powerful cinematography, it is one of the most visually singular films in recent memory.
7. The Tree of Life (2011)
Terrence Malick is a known artist, a philosopher turned filmmaker that focuses on style and turns into substance. Over the years, his work has become an inspiration for young filmmakers, though most fail miserably in achieving the same. Even the more shallow “To The Wonder” (2012) was equally magnificent, but didn’t impact quite as much.
The chosen DP was cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, who used very little lighting besides natural light. He even mentioned that if they were inside a house and the lighting wasn’t working, Terrence would rewrite it and make it outside or shoot it another day when it was sunnier.
It also helped that they installed windows in specific places, becoming the main sources of light. Using a mix of 35mm film and regular 65mm, Malick’s need to express himself through stunning images results once again in a cinematic marvel, exhilarating and epic, while telling the dramatic story of a Texas family.
8. Gravity (2013)
Instead of the usual film stock, cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki opted by the digital and proved himself again as one of the best in the business. Even though almost everything on screen is fake, the CGI and everything about it is impressive. The complex junction of paradox realism and animation techniques made Alfonso Cuarón (director) and his team pre-visualize the film shot-for-shot way before starting to film.
Lubezki, and his talent for lighting, made being in space seem natural through the use of sun as main light source, with deep shadows and high contrasts. Contributing to the sucessful visuals was also the fact that he created a box with a LED screen, and the actors were shot inside it while projecting the backgrounds of the scenes and giving them visual references for acting.
The camera never stops moving, floating around the characters and giving the impression that it is also lacking gravity, angles pivoting fully through three dimensions. While we can argue whether or not it is a good film, it certainly is a stunner.Gravity Falls is an American animated series created by Alex Hirsch for Disney Channel, and now for Disney XD. The series revolves around the various antics of two fraternal twins, Dipper (voiced by Jason Ritter) and Mabel Pines (voiced by Kristen Schaal), who were handed over to their Great Uncle (or "Grunkle") Stan (voiced by Alex Hirsch), who runs a tourist trap called The Mystery Shack, in the town of Gravity Falls, Oregon. They soon realize that the mysterious town holds plenty of secrets. When Dipper finds an old journal in the forest, their everyday lifestyle changes with odd things and creatures they encounter.[1]
On March 12, 2013, the show was renewed for a second season.[2] However, Disney did not officially confirm the second season until July 29, 2013.[3] This was just four days before the season one finale, "Gideon Rises", aired. The second season premiered on August 1, 2014 on Disney Channel, and on August 4, 2014 on Disney XD.
On November 20, 2015, Alex Hirsch stated that the second season of the show would be the last, and would conclude with the final part of the three-part finale entitled "Weirdmageddon".[4] The episode aired on February 15, 2016.
During the course of the series, 40 episodes of Gravity Falls aired over two seasons.
Series overview [ edit ]
Episodes [ edit ]
Season 1 (2012–13) [ edit ]
No.
overall No. in
season Title Directed by Written by Original air date Prod.
code US viewers
(millions) 1 1 "Tourist Trapped" John Aoshima Alex Hirsch June 15, 2012 ( ) 105 3.40[6] 2 2 "The Legend of the Gobblewonker" John Aoshima Michael Rianda & Alex Hirsch June 29, 2012 ( ) 101 3.14[7] 3 3 "Headhunters" John Aoshima Aury Wallington & Alex Hirsch June 30, 2012 ( ) 102 2.71[8] 4 4 "The Hand That Rocks the Mabel" John Aoshima Zach Paez & Alex Hirsch July 6, 2012 ( ) 104 2.95[9] 5 5 "The Inconveniencing" Aaron Springer & Joe Pitt Michael Rianda & Alex Hirsch July 13, 2012 ( ) 103 3.55[10] 6 6 "Dipper vs. Manliness" Aaron Springer & Joe Pitt Tim McKeon July 20, 2012 ( ) 106 3.14[11] 7 7 "Double Dipper" Aaron Springer & Joe Pitt Story by: Mitch Larson
Teleplay by: Michael Rianda, Tim McKeon & Alex Hirsch August 10, 2012 ( ) 109 4.18[12] 8 8 "Irrational Treasure" John Aoshima Story by: David Slack
Teleplay by: Tim McKeon & Alex Hirsch August 17, 2012 ( ) 108 3.87[13] 9 9 "The Time Traveler's Pig" Aaron Springer & Joe Pitt Aury Wallington & Alex Hirsch August 24, 2012 ( ) 107 4.14[14] 10 10 "Fight Fighters" John Aoshima Zach Paez & Alex Hirsch September 14, 2012 ( ) 110 2.94[15] 11 11 "Little Dipper" Aaron Springer & Joe Pitt Tim McKeon, Zach Paez & Alex Hirsch September 28, 2012 ( ) 111 2.60[16] 12 12 "Summerween" John Aoshima Zach Paez, Alex Hirsch & Michael Rianda October 5, |
(see Fig. 1). Often, studies that report left IFG activity during tasks requiring greater semantic control reveal coactivation in parts of the neural network that have been linked to the storage of semantic knowledge instead, especially posterior middle temporal gyrus (pMTG) (e.g., Thompson-Schill et al. 1997; Wagner et al. 2001; Noppeney et al. 2004; Badre et al. 2005; Gold et al. 2006; Zempleni et al. 2007; Kuperberg et al. 2008). Typically, these studies utilize tasks that increase the level of executive semantic control in the context of increased activation of semantic knowledge, for example, when more than one response is appropriate and additional control processes are required to restrain the response set and select the target item as opposed to distracter items. The observed frontotemporal activation pattern is therefore consistent with the proposed neural organization of semantic memory described above—in which modulatory signals from left IFG act upon activation in posterior meaning areas—but equally allows for an alternative interpretation: pMTG may be integrated in a semantic executive system that comprises both frontal and temporal brain structures. The role of pMTG in the semantic network therefore remains highly controversial. In particular, current neuroimaging evidence is unable to decide 1) whether the observed activation in pMTG directly reflects manipulations in semantic control demand as opposed to co-occurring processes in the semantic store and 2) whether there exists a “causal” relationship between pMTG activation and increased executive effort during word retrieval (or whether the pMTG activation is epiphenomenal, reflecting a tendency for activation patterns across connected brain regions to be correlated).
Figure 1. View largeDownload slide Semantic control in the brain. Overlap image of TMS stimulation sites (“orange”), lesions in patients with deregulated semantic control after infarction to prefrontal and/or temporoparietal cortex (“red”), and brain activation for high > low executive semantic demands during fMRI (“black,” “green,” “purple”). Activation peaks correspond to studies that were used to generate coordinates of stimulation sites. Note: black = Wagner et al. (2001), green = Badre et al. (2005), and purple = Thompson-Schill et al. (1997).
Figure 1. View largeDownload slide Semantic control in the brain. Overlap image of TMS stimulation sites (“orange”), lesions in patients with deregulated semantic control after infarction to prefrontal and/or temporoparietal cortex (“red”), and brain activation for high > low executive semantic demands during fMRI (“black,” “green,” “purple”). Activation peaks correspond to studies that were used to generate coordinates of stimulation sites. Note: black = Wagner et al. (2001), green = Badre et al. (2005), and purple = Thompson-Schill et al. (1997).
One way of addressing these critical issues is to selectively disrupt neural processing in either of these 2 components of semantic cognition (IFG, pMTG) and examine performance on comprehension tasks requiring different degrees of semantic control. The advantage of this “interference” design is that it is not obligatory to separate executive from representational demands: if left IFG and/or pMTG play a decisive part in executive aspects of meaning retrieval, brain damage to these regions should produce substantial impairment of executively demanding semantic tasks—irrespective of whether these tasks are accompanied by increased representational demands or not. Interpretations of neuroimaging findings that do not link IFG and/or pMTG to executive semantic processes would thus be no longer valid.
Strong support for the importance of IFG in semantic control is provided by patients with lesions in this area. Such patients show behavioral deficits in situations characterized by strong competition between potential responses, increasing the need for semantic selection (e.g., during sentence completion tasks with low vs. high predictive endings) (Robinson et al. 1998, 2005; Novick et al. 2009; see also Thompson-Schill et al. 1998). Deficits of semantic control can also arise following left temporoparietal lesions (Jefferies and Lambon Ralph 2006) (see Fig. 1). Patients with “semantic aphasia” (SA) following stroke in either left prefrontal or temporoparietal cortex show deregulated semantic cognition across both verbal and nonverbal semantic tasks (Jefferies and Lambon Ralph 2006; Corbett, Jefferies, Ehsan, and Lambon Ralph 2009; Corbett, Jefferies, and Lambon Ralph 2009). These patients are highly sensitive to the executive requirements of semantic tasks—for example, they have difficulty retrieving the subordinate meanings of ambiguous words and struggle to reject highly associated distractor words in synonym judgment (Noonan et al. 2009). They benefit substantially from the provision of cues (e.g., /r/ → “rabbit”), which reduce the requirement for internally generated semantic control (Jefferies et al. 2008). Moreover, they do not show degradation of semantic knowledge per se—they are insensitive to item frequency and their ability to recover information reflects the control demands of tasks as opposed to the identity of the items being tested. This is in sharp contrast to patients with semantic dementia, who exhibit progressive dissolution of semantic knowledge itself (Bozeat et al. 2000; Jefferies and Lambon Ralph 2006; Patterson et al. 2007).
These observations suggest that the deficit in SA results from malfunction in the executive semantic system as opposed to degeneration of information in the semantic store, supporting the view that left IFG and pMTG work in tandem to underpin semantic control. While this hypothesis is consistent with the neuroimaging research reviewed above, SA patients typically have widespread lesions that are not focused on a single brain region (e.g., inferior parietal areas may be compromised along with posterior temporal structures). A higher spatial resolution can be achieved with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). Magnetic pulses are applied over a specific brain region in healthy participants, leading to relatively focal, temporary disruption of neural processing. This results in performance deficits in tasks that are underpinned by the targeted brain area (i.e., a “virtual lesion”) (Walsh and Rushworth 1999; Pascual-Leone et al. 2000; Walsh and Cowey 2000). Although most TMS research to date has focused on sensory/motor systems, rTMS can be used to explore the neural basis of language and semantic memory (for a review, see Devlin and Watkins 2007). We recently simulated the pattern observed in semantic dementia by administering rTMS to the lateral anterior temporal lobes (Pobric et al. 2007, 2010; Lambon Ralph et al. 2009). In addition, stimulation of left IFG and temporoparietal cortex interferes with standard semantic tasks, such as picture naming, word–picture verification, and semantic judgments (Flitman et al. 1998; Wassermann et al. 1999; Devlin et al. 2003; Drager et al. 2004; Oliveri et al. 2004). However, rTMS has not been used previously to explore the neural organization of semantic control.
In the present study, we sought evidence for a wider neural network underpinning semantic control by using TMS to produce virtual lesions within 2 sites, left IFG and pMTG, in healthy participants. We explored the effect of TMS on semantic decisions that varied in their requirement for controlled semantic retrieval. Manipulations of semantic control were based on a standard neuroimaging paradigm that reliably evokes left prefrontal and often also posterior temporal activation changes (Wagner et al. 2001; Badre et al. 2005) (see Figs 1 and 2). Participants were required to determine which word was semantically related to a cue in the presence of 2 unrelated distractor items. The target was either strongly or weakly related to the cue word (e.g., strong: salt–pepper, machine, land; weak: salt–grain, radio, adult). Retrieval of the relevant semantic relationship for strong cue–target pairs is thought to occur relatively automatically, facilitated by the normal flow of activation between associated concepts in the semantic network. In contrast, identifying a weak associate requires executive control over semantic retrieval.
Figure 2. View largeDownload slide Stimuli. Example trials for the semantic (“left panel”) and nonsemantic tasks (“right panel”). Participants had to select the target word that was either strongly related to the cue shown above (strong association) or weakly related (weak association). In the Navon tasks, participants had to choose the target compound letter that resembles the cue letter either in its global shape (global Navon) or in its local, smaller elements (local Navon). Note: Target items are underlined, and Navon compound letters are enlarged for illustration purposes.
Figure 2. View largeDownload slide Stimuli. Example trials for the semantic (“left panel”) and nonsemantic tasks (“right panel”). Participants had to select the target word that was either strongly related to the cue shown above (strong association) or weakly related (weak association). In the Navon tasks, participants had to choose the target compound letter that resembles the cue letter either in its global shape (global Navon) or in its local, smaller elements (local Navon). Note: Target items are underlined, and Navon compound letters are enlarged for illustration purposes.
We made the following predictions: If left IFG and pMTG work together to underpin semantic control, rTMS to both target sites should have parallel effects—namely, greater disruption in the executively demanding weak association condition. In contrast, if pMTG has little or no functional significance in executive aspects of meaning retrieval, rTMS over this site should not interact with the control demands of the semantic task. To examine the specificity of these effects, participants performed easy and difficult versions of a nonsemantic letter-matching task (Navon 1977), for which no interference with rTMS was expected. Furthermore, rTMS was applied over a control site (vertex) to confirm that any effects were specific to the stimulated areas.
Materials and Methods
Participants
Sixteen right-handed native English speakers took part in the TMS experiment (8 females; mean age = 22.25 years, standard deviation [SD] = 3.55). All participants were students from the University of York. Subjects were screened for general TMS and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) incompatibility (Wassermann 1998) and excluded on grounds of medication or any personal or family history of neurological or psychiatric illness. All participants had normal or corrected-to-normal vision, gave informed consent, and were paid £40 for participation in the study. The study was approved by the local ethics committee.
Task
The current study employed 2 semantic judgment tasks that differed in their level of semantic control demand (cf. Wagner et al. 2001; Badre et al. 2005). In both tasks, a cue word appeared above a row of 3 potential target words, one of which was related to the cue. Participants had to choose the related target by pressing 1 of 3 buttons, corresponding to the position of the response item (left, middle, right), with their right hand. Cue–target relationships were either strong (salt–pepper, machine, land) or weak (salt–grain, radio, adult) (see Fig. 2). Semantic control demands were assumed to be minimal in the strongly associated trials because the correct response could be efficiently identified via automatic spreading activation between associated representations in the semantic network (salt–pepper). Since alternative response options were unrelated to the cue, retrieval of the target could proceed without significant competition from distracter items. In contrast, when cue and targets were weakly related, targets could not be rapidly identified via spreading activation, and the target was less clearly dissociable from the distracter items. Additional executive resources were therefore required to direct the search and recovery of the target item within the semantic network.
Nonsemantic control tasks with the same decision/response demands as the semantic trials were constructed from the Navon letter-matching task (Navon 1977). We produced easy and difficult versions of this task to establish whether rTMS effects over IFG/pMTG remained specific to the semantic domain even when control demands were increased. In both Navon conditions, a cue letter appeared above 3 larger compound letters, which were composed of smaller letters (e.g., a large A made of small Bs; see Fig. 2). In the easy condition, participants had to decide which compound letter matched the cue in “global” shape, irrespective of the letters that appeared as smaller elements inside the compounds. Cognitive control demands were expected to be minimal in these trials because global shape is visually dominant over local features (Navon 1977). Moreover, both distracters were unrelated to the cue, that is, neither global shape nor local letter features matched the cue in this condition (see Fig. 2). In contrast, the more difficult Navon task required participants to match the cue letter to the “local” elements of one of the compounds and, hence, to disregard the dominant, global shape of the stimuli. Cognitive control demands were further increased by presenting a compound letter whose global shape was identical to the cue—this item would have been a strong task-irrelevant competitor (see Fig. 2).
Design and Procedure
A 3 × 2 × 4 fully factorial design was used, with stimulation SITE (IFG, pMTG, vertex), TMS (stimulation vs. no stimulation), and TASK (weak and strong association, local and global Navon) as within-subject factors. Each site was stimulated on a different day, with test sessions separated by at least 1 week. Each session included recordings of task performance immediately after TMS (“post-TMS”) and without any TMS intervention (“baseline”) to identify the influence of TMS on behavior (“TMS effect”). Baseline was either measured before TMS intervention or 30 min after TMS offset, by which time no TMS effects remain (Pobric et al. 2007; Lambon Ralph et al. 2009; Pobric, Jefferies, and Lambon Ralph 2009; Pobric, Lambon Ralph, and Jefferies 2009). For each stimulation site, half of the participants performed the baseline assessment before TMS, and the other half were assessed 30 min post-TMS. The sequence of stimulation site was counterbalanced across subjects. However, due to technical faults with the coregistration equipment, 2 participants received stimulation of the vertex first instead of IFG.
The 6 experimental runs—that is, baseline and post-TMS performance for each stimulation site (vertex, IFG, MTG)—lasted about 6 min each (mean = 5.97 min, SD = 0.46) and included 30 trials per condition. Two miniblocks of 15 consecutive trials were created for each condition and presented in a pseudorandomized order, designed to eliminate effects of testing order effects across participants.
At the beginning of each block, an instruction slide was shown, followed by a fixation cross for 500 ms in the center of the screen. This was replaced by the first experimental trial, which displayed the cue above 3 response options for a maximum of 5 s (Fig. 2). As soon as a response was made, the fixation cross appeared again, followed by the next trial. A computer running E-prime (Psychology software tools) was used to present the stimuli and record the responses.
Stimuli
The 2 semantic conditions (involving strong and weak semantic associations) consisted of 180 cue–target–distractor trials. The trials were arranged into 6 matched sets of 30 trials each, used for each experimental run, and then split into miniblocks of 15 trials, which were equated for word length, frequency, and cue–target association strength. Stimuli were taken from Badre et al. (2005) but restricted to nouns only, and some trials were amended to make them suitable for UK participants. Conditions of high and low semantic control demands were arranged, such that the same cue word was matched with a high or low semantic associate, using several sets of association norms (Postman and Keppel 1970; Moss and Older 1996). Associations included semantic (e.g., categorical) and thematic (e.g., functional, perceptual, and spatiotemporal) cue–target relations. Each cue word was also paired with 2 unrelated distracter items, for which no entry in the association norms was found (e.g., strong: salt–pepper, machine, land; weak: salt–grain, radio, adult). The mean association strength for high and low related cue–target pairs, referring to the proportion of subjects that named the target in response to the cue in free association, differed significantly (high = 0.240, SD = 0.182; low = 0.035, SD = 0.095; P < 0.001). Words in the 2 conditions were similar in frequency (Kucera and Francis 1967; strong: mean = 48.1, SD = 90.4; weak: mean = 54.3, SD = 105.1) and length in letters (strong: mean = 5.2, SD = 1.8; weak: mean = 5.1, SD = 1.4).
For the nonsemantic control condition, 180 trials of the global and local versions of the Navon task were constructed and, again, broken down into sets of 15 trials. Compound letters were based on stimuli taken from Hills and Lewis (2007). These depicted 21 uppercase letters (excluding M, N, Q, V, W) composed of smaller capital letters with a different identity (e.g., an A made out of small Bs). Local elements (width × length: 7 × 7 pixels) were arranged densely in the compound letter (69 × 166 pixels), with no gap in between. There were between 3 and 10 different versions of each of the 21 uppercase letters (made up of different local letters), yielding a total of 125 unique compound letters. The cues in the Navon task were 21 lowercase letters that matched the local elements or global shape of the target compound letter. To increase set size and delay response times, varying script fonts were used (Blackadder, Curlz MT, Bradleyhand, Edwardian Script, and Pristina), yielding 74 individual cue letters. No cue letters were repeated in a single experimental run.
TMS Protocol
A standard offline virtual lesion rTMS protocol was used, which was compatible with established TMS safety guidelines (Wassermann 1998; Rossi et al. 2009). For 10 min, repetitive trains of TMS were delivered at 1 Hz to the target brain area, producing transient disruption of neural processing in underlying tissue and concurrent disruption of behavioral tasks reliant on this brain area (Pascual-Leone et al. 1998; Lambon Ralph et al. 2009; see also Pobric et al. 2007; Pobric, Lambon Ralph, and Jefferies 2009). Since these deficits were assumed to be a consequence of additional noise rather than inactivation of the system (as apparent in lesions), TMS effects were expected to produce delayed reaction times (RTs) rather than a decline in accuracy (Pascual-Leone et al. 2000; Walsh and Cowey 2000; Devlin et al. 2003). Stimulation of a brain area that is irrelevant for a particular cognitive task (e.g., vertex) should not lead to performance deficits; in these cases, TMS often facilitates behavior due to a considerable general alerting effect after brain stimulation (Lambon Ralph et al. 2009; Pobric, Jefferies, and Lambon Ralph 2009).
A 50-mm figure-of-eight coil, attached to a MagStim Rapid2 stimulator (MagStim), was used for the repetitive delivery of magnetic pulses. The center of the coil was aligned to the point that marked the stimulation site on a tight-fitting elastic cap, worn by the participant. The coil was held firmly against the scalp throughout stimulation. Stimulation intensity was determined before each rTMS administration as 120% of active motor threshold (MT). MT was identified as the lowest intensity that produced a visible muscle twitch in the tense right hand when intensity was gradually decreased during single-pulse stimulation of left motor cortex. In addition, intensity threshold was set to a maximum of 65% of stimulator output (mean intensity = 62.56%, SD = 3.46). Coil orientation was manipulated to minimize participants’ discomfort during rTMS (particularly over IFG), as previous research found behavioral effects were insensitive to the orientation of the coil (Niyazov et al. 2005). Also, 6 participants who reported initial discomfort during stimulation of IFG received a slightly lower intensity over this site, ranging from 109% to 116% of individual MT (mean = 113%). Despite these adaptations, IFG stimulation yielded strongest performance deficits, which were comparable in size with the interference effects observed in previous rTMS studies that used the same stimulation protocol and similar semantic tasks (e.g., Pobric et al. 2007; Lambon Ralph et al. 2009). Moreover, differences in sensory experiences across stimulation site (e.g., general discomfort, noise or muscle twitches, which were highest during IFG stimulation) cannot account for the TMS effects since 1) performance was always measured in the absence of any ongoing brain stimulation and 2) nonsemantic control tasks were used to detect any task-independent consequences of TMS.
Localization of Stimulation Sites
Structural T 1 -weighted MRI scans were used to guide coil positioning using the Ascension Minibird magnetic tracking device (www.ascension-tech.com) and MRIreg software (www.mricro.com/mrireg.html). Five anatomical landmarks (tip and bridge of the nose, left and right tragus, and vertex) were identified for coregistering the participant’s head, stabilized on a chin rest, with the MRI image on the screen. Stimulation sites corresponded to Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI)-coordinates from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies on semantic control that were based on the same stimulus set and/or employed the same tasks (Wagner et al. 2001; Badre et al. 2005). Coordinates were transformed into individual subject space using the transformation matrix from the “Segment” function implemented in SPM5, after the origin of each individual image was aligned to the anterior commissure. Visual inspection ensured that coordinates referred to the target areas by making reference to anatomical landmarks on the images (see Fig. 3).
Figure 3. View largeDownload slide Stimulation sites. rTMS was delivered to the pars triangularis of left IFG, the left pMTG, and the vertex (not shown). The image on the right depicts probability maps for BA 44 and 45, available from the SPM Anatomy toolbox. Note: Coordinates are in MNI space; orange = pars triangularis, yellow = inferior and superior temporal sulcus, purple = Sylvian fissure.
Figure 3. View largeDownload slide Stimulation sites. rTMS was delivered to the pars triangularis of left IFG, the left pMTG, and the vertex (not shown). The image on the right depicts probability maps for BA 44 and 45, available from the SPM Anatomy toolbox. Note: Coordinates are in MNI space; orange = pars triangularis, yellow = inferior and superior temporal sulcus, purple = Sylvian fissure.
MNI coordinates for left IFG (−54, 21, 12) were taken from Badre et al. (2005) and corresponded to the left pars triangularis (BA 44/45). This area was interpreted by Badre et al. (2005) as a “convergence zone” for semantic control since it was sensitive to several semantic control manipulations, including weak versus strong cue–target associations in judgments of semantic relatedness.
The location for left pMTG stimulation (−56, −50, 3) lay between the superior and inferior temporal sulcus and was close—in posterior dimension—to an imaginary line that was perpendicular to the most posterior horizontal segment of the Sylvian fissure (cf. Gennari et al. 2007). The site, in BA 21, was identified from the average MNI coordinates of 2 studies (Wagner et al. 2001; Badre et al. 2005), which both reported increased pMTG activity in response to manipulations of controlled semantic retrieval, including judgments of weak versus strong cue–target associations.
The vertex corresponded to the midpoint of the head. This was identified as the intersection of the anterior-to-posterior axis (measured from the bridge of the nose to the inion) and left-to-right axis (measured from the tragus of the left to the right ear).
Data Analysis
The primary performance measure was reaction time (RT), since RT appears to be sensitive to rTMS effects even in the absence of any decline in accuracy (cf. Devlin et al. 2003; Pobric et al. 2007; Lambon Ralph et al. 2009). RT data were screened for errors and outliers (±2 SD) and initially entered into a SITE × TMS × TASK repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), which yielded a significant 3-way interaction. In a second step, task DOMAIN (i.e., semantic vs. nonsemantic) and level of CONTROL (i.e., low vs. high) was modeled explicitly to further specify the function of each site. Finally, to explore the effects of TMS directly, difference scores were calculated from post-TMS and baseline sessions for each subject in each condition at each individual site. Planned comparisons were then utilized to determine if there were any rTMS-induced effects (2-tailed one sample t-test) and to resolve interactions with stimulation site or task (2-tailed paired t-tests). Error rates were analyzed using the same model.
Results
Reaction Time
The RT results support the view that left IFG and pMTG both play an essential role in semantic control. TMS over both regions disrupted semantic cognition when control demands were high (i.e., for weakly associated cue–target pairs). In contrast, neither area showed effects of TMS when semantic control demands were low (for highly associated cue–target pairs). There were also no significant effects of TMS on the nonsemantic Navon tasks, irrespective of their executive control requirements.
The ANOVA for RT (shown in Table 1) revealed a main effect of TASK (P < 0.001), reflecting the expected effects of executive control manipulations: RTs were longer for the local Navon task than the global version (P < 0.001) and longer for semantic judgments on weak compared with strong cue–target associations (P < 0.001). Semantic decisions were generally slower than those in the Navon task (weak association vs. local Navon: P < 0.001; strong association vs. local Navon: P < 0.05). There were also significant 2-way interactions for SITE by TMS (P = 0.022) and TASK by TMS (P = 0.001) and, most importantly, a 3-way interaction (P = 0.038; see Table 1, Fig. 4). Separate ANOVAs, in which each target region (IFG, pMTG) was compared with the control site (vertex), yielded the same pattern of main effects and interactions. In contrast, no 3- or 2-way interactions with SITE were observed when IFG and pMTG were compared (see Table 1).
Table 1 SITE TMS TASK SITE × TMS SITE × TASK TMS × TASK SITE × TMS × TASK df 2, 30 1, 15 3, 45 2, 30 6, 90 3, 45 6, 90 IFG, pMTG, vertex 1.59 1.99 173.62 4.33 <1 6.63 2.34 P 0.22 0.18 <0.001 0.022 0.66a 0.001 0.038 df 1, 15 1, 15 3, 45 1, 15 3, 45 3, 45 3, 45 IFG, vertex 2.56 <1 154.16 6.33 <1 3.26 3.42 P 0.13 0.57 <0.001 0.024 0.65a 0.030 0.025 pMTG, vertex <1 <1 153.40 8.10 <1 2.85 3.56 P 0.45 0.63 <0.001a 0.012 0.75a 0.048 0.022 IFG, pMTG 1.84 6.54 167.14 <1 1.18 9.96 <1 P 0.20 0.022 <0.001a 0.87 0.32a <0.001a 0.93a SITE TMS TASK SITE × TMS SITE × TASK TMS × TASK SITE × TMS × TASK df 2, 30 1, 15 3, 45 2, 30 6, 90 3, 45 6, 90 IFG, pMTG, vertex 1.59 1.99 173.62 4.33 <1 6.63 2.34 P 0.22 0.18 <0.001 0.022 0.66a 0.001 0.038 df 1, 15 1, 15 3, 45 1, 15 3, 45 3, 45 3, 45 IFG, vertex 2.56 <1 154.16 6.33 <1 3.26 3.42 P 0.13 0.57 <0.001 0.024 0.65a 0.030 0.025 pMTG, vertex <1 <1 153.40 8.10 <1 2.85 3.56 P 0.45 0.63 <0.001a 0.012 0.75a 0.048 0.022 IFG, pMTG 1.84 6.54 167.14 <1 1.18 9.96 <1 P 0.20 0.022 <0.001a 0.87 0.32a <0.001a 0.93a View Large
Table 1 SITE TMS TASK SITE × TMS SITE × TASK TMS × TASK SITE × TMS × TASK df 2, 30 1, 15 3, 45 2, 30 6, 90 3, 45 6, 90 IFG, pMTG, vertex 1.59 1.99 173.62 4.33 <1 6.63 2.34 P 0.22 0.18 <0.001 0.022 0.66a 0.001 0.038 df 1, 15 1, 15 3, 45 1, 15 3, 45 3, 45 3, 45 IFG, vertex 2.56 <1 154.16 6.33 <1 3.26 3.42 P 0.13 0.57 <0.001 0.024 0.65a 0.030 0.025 pMTG, vertex <1 <1 153.40 8.10 <1 2.85 3.56 P 0.45 0.63 <0.001a 0.012 0.75a 0.048 0.022 IFG, pMTG 1.84 6.54 167.14 <1 1.18 9.96 <1 P 0.20 0.022 <0.001a 0.87 0.32a <0.001a 0.93a SITE TMS TASK SITE × TMS SITE × TASK TMS × TASK SITE × TMS × TASK df 2, 30 1, 15 3, 45 2, 30 6, 90 3, 45 6, 90 IFG, pMTG, vertex 1.59 1.99 173.62 4.33 <1 6.63 2.34 P 0.22 0.18 <0.001 0.022 0.66a 0.001 0.038 df 1, 15 1, 15 3, 45 1, 15 3, 45 3, 45 3, 45 IFG, vertex 2.56 <1 154.16 6.33 <1 3.26 3.42 P 0.13 0.57 <0.001 0.024 0.65a 0.030 0.025 pMTG, vertex <1 <1 153.40 8.10 <1 2.85 3.56 P 0.45 0.63 <0.001a 0.012 0.75a 0.048 0.022 IFG, pMTG 1.84 6.54 167.14 <1 1.18 9.96 <1 P 0.20 0.022 <0.001a 0.87 0.32a <0.001a 0.93a View Large
Figure 4. View largeDownload slide Behavioral results. Reaction time (RT) and error rate at baseline (no TMS) and directly after stimulation (TMS) to the vertex, left IFG, and pMTG. Note: global = global Navon task, local = local Navon task, strong = strong cue–target association strength, weak = weak cue–target association strength.
Figure 4. View largeDownload slide Behavioral results. Reaction time (RT) and error rate at baseline (no TMS) and directly after stimulation (TMS) to the vertex, left IFG, and pMTG. Note: global = global Navon task, local = local Navon task, strong = strong cue–target association strength, weak = weak cue–target association strength.
In a second step, each site was tested for its sensitivity to DOMAIN (i.e., semantic vs. nonsemantic) and level of CONTROL demand (i.e., low vs. high demand) with and without TMS. This allowed us to determine fine-grained similarities and differences between brain regions in the control network. As expected, a 2 × 2 × 2 ANOVA including the factors DOMAIN, CONTROL, and TMS did not reveal any significant interactions when vertex was stimulated (see Table 2). The ANOVA for IFG showed a significant 3-way interaction (P = 0.005), confirming that this site was specifically engaged by semantic control demands (see Table 2). The pattern for pMTG was somewhat different. There was a 2-way interaction between TMS and CONTROL but the 3-way interaction failed to reach significance (see Table 2). This reflected slower post-TMS performance for both the weak association semantic task and the local Navon task, although the TMS effect was only significant in the semantic domain in planned comparisons (see below). There were no significant differences between IFG and pMTG when these sites were directly compared in a SITE × TMS × DOMAIN × CONTROL ANOVA (for all interactions involving SITE, F < 1.58) but, again, the 3-way interaction was observed (TMS × DOMAIN × CONTROL: F 1,15 = 6.35, P = 0.02).
Table 2 TMS DOMAIN CONTROL TMS × DOMAIN TMS × CONTROL DOMAIN × CONTROL TMS × DOMAIN × CONTROL df 1, 15 1, 15 1, 15 1, 15 1, 15 1, 15 1, 15 Vertex 2.24 154.23 119.69 2.08 <1 <1 <1 P 0.16 <0.001 <0.001 0.17 0.66 0.88 0.56 IFG 5.34 136.98 289.87 3.10 9.45 1.37 10.89 P 0.04 <0.001 <0.001 0.10 0.008 0.26 0.005 pMTG 2.92 138.47 403.69 3.04 8.64 <1 2.23 P 0.11 <0.001 <0.001 0.102 0.010 0.94 0.16 TMS DOMAIN CONTROL TMS × DOMAIN TMS × CONTROL DOMAIN × CONTROL TMS × DOMAIN × CONTROL df 1, 15 1, 15 1, 15 1, 15 1, 15 1, 15 1, 15 Vertex 2.24 154.23 119.69 2.08 <1 <1 <1 P 0.16 <0.001 <0.001 0.17 0.66 0.88 0.56 IFG 5.34 136.98 289.87 3.10 9.45 1.37 10.89 P 0.04 <0.001 <0.001 0.10 0.008 0.26 0.005 pMTG 2.92 138.47 403.69 3.04 8.64 <1 2.23 P 0.11 <0.001 <0.001 0.102 0.010 0.94 0.16 View Large
Table 2 TMS DOMAIN CONTROL TMS × DOMAIN TMS × CONTROL DOMAIN × |
Cry -- did not say how many viewers it targeted, though an estimate ran "in the tens of thousands." At a possible judgment of at least few thousand dollars apiece, you can do the math. This thing might be a hit after all!
It appears no such silver lining presently exists for Triple Frontier, which would reunite Bigelow and Hurt Locker screenwriter Mark Boal for a story about drug smuggling and terror financing in the border region shared by Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. The latter two countries aren't having any of it, according to a pair of reports: "We all agreed that we were deeply indignant when we discovered that this project seeks to negatively portray this region shared by three South American countries," said Argentina's (ahem) tourism director, who insisted that his country would not cooperate with the production. Paraguay's own tourism boss echoed the complaint, adding that Bigelow's film would have "a negative economic impact."
Right? Can you imagine the devastation that might beset South American tourism if the director of history's lowest-grossing, highest-pirated Best Picture-winner were allowed to run wild on the triple border? I can just see the BitTorrent community canceling its flights en masse. Sigh. I guess it's back to Jordan.
· 'Hurt Locker' producers about to sue an army of pirates [THR Esq.]
· Paraguay and Argentina Won't Support Bigelow's New Film [NYT]Contents
Long, broad, and sharpsight: A story from Bohemia -- The dwarf with the golden beard: A Slavonic fairy tale -- The great white bear and the trolls: A story from the Norse -- The story of the three Billy Goat Gruffs: A story from the Norse -- The stones of Plouvinec: A tale from Brittany -- The king of the buffaloes: An American Indian tale -- The jackal and the alligator: A Hindu fairy tale -- The Baba Yaga: A Russian fairy tale -- Tamlane: A story from an old Scotch ballad -- The farmer and the pixy: An English fairy tale -- Rabbit's eyes: A Korean fairy tale -- Mudjee Monedo: An American Indian tale -- Dapplegrim: A tale adapted from the Norse -- The Fish Prince: A Hindu folk tale -- The magic rice kettle: A Korean story -- The crow Peri: A Persian story -- The four wishes: A German story -- Why the animals no longer fear the sheep: A French Creole story -- Princess Rosetta: A French fairy tale.Is God a Taoist?
Raymond M. Smullyan, 1977
Mortal:
And therefore, O God, I pray thee, if thou hast one ounce of mercy for this thy suffering creature, absolve me of having to have free will!
God:
You reject the greatest gift I have given thee?
Mortal:
How can you call that which was forced on me a gift? I have free will, but not of my own choice. I have never freely chosen to have free will. I have to have free will, whether I like it or not!
God:
Why would you wish not to have free will?
Mortal:
Because free will means moral responsibility, and moral responsibility is more than I can bear!
God:
Why do you find moral responsibility so unbearable?
Mortal:
Why? I honestly can't analyze why; all I know is that I do.
God:
All right, in that case suppose I absolve you from all moral responsibility but leave you still with free will. Will this be satisfactory?
Mortal (after a pause):
No, I am afraid not.
God:
Ah, just as I thought! So moral responsibility is not the only aspect of free will to which you object. What else about free will is bothering you?
Mortal:
With free will I am capable of sinning, and I don't want to sin!
God:
If you don't want to sin, then why do you?
Mortal:
Good God! I don't know why I sin, I just do! Evil temptations come along, and try as I can, I cannot resist them.
God:
If it is really true that you cannot resist them, then you are not sinning of your own free will and hence (at least according to me) not sinning at all.
Mortal:
No, no! I keep feeling that if only I tried harder I could avoid sinning. I understand that the will is infinite. If one wholeheartedly wills not to sin, then one won't.
God:
Well now, you should know. Do you try as hard as you can to avoid sinning or don't you?
Mortal:
I honestly don't know! At the time, I feel I am trying as hard as I can, but in retrospect, I am worried that maybe I didn't!
God:
So in other words, you don't really know whether or not you have been sinning. So the possibility is open that you haven't been sinning at all!
Mortal:
Of course this possibility is open, but maybe I have been sinning, and this thought is what so frightens me!
God:
Why does the thought of your sinning frighten you?
Mortal:
I don't know why! For one thing, you do have a reputation for meting out rather gruesome punishments in the afterlife!
God:
Oh, that's what's bothering you! Why didn't you say so in the first place instead of all this peripheral talk about free will and responsibility? Why didn't you simply request me not to punish you for any of your sins?
Mortal:
I think I am realistic enough to know that you would hardly grant such a request!
God:
You don't say! You have a realistic knowledge of what requests I will grant, eh? Well, I'll tell you what I'm going to do! I will grant you a very, very special dispensation to sin as much as you like, and I give you my divine word of honor that I will never punish you for it in the least. Agreed?
Mortal (in great terror):
No, no, don't do that!
God:
Why not? Don't you trust my divine word?
Mortal:
Of course I do! But don't you see, I don't want to sin! I have an utter abhorrence of sinning, quite apart from any punishments it may entail.
God:
In that case, I'll go you one better. I'll remove your abhorrence of sinning. Here is a magic pill! Just swallow it, and you will lose all abhorrence of sinning. You will joyfully and merrily sin away, you will have no regrets, no abhorrence and I still promise you will never be punished by me, or yourself, or by any source whatever. You will be blissful for all eternity. So here is the pill!
Mortal:
No, no!
God:
Are you not being irrational? I am even removing your abhorrence of sin, which is your last obstacle.
Mortal:
I still won't take it!
God:
Why not?
Mortal:
I believe that the pill will indeed remove my future abhorrence for sin, but my present abhorrence is enough to prevent me from being willing to take it.
God:
I command you to take it!
Mortal:
I refuse!
God:
What, you refuse of your own free will?
Mortal:
Yes!
God:
So it seems that your free will comes in pretty handy, doesn't it?
Mortal:
I don't understand!
God:
Are you not glad now that you have the free will to refuse such a ghastly offer? How would you like it if I forced you to take this pill, whether you wanted it or not?
Mortal:
No, no! Please don't!
God:
Of course I won't; I'm just trying to illustrate a point. All right, let me put it this way. Instead of forcing you to take the pill, suppose I grant your original prayer of removing your free will -- but with the understanding that the moment you are no longer free, then you will take the pill.
Mortal:
Once my will is gone, how could I possibly choose to take the pill?
God:
I did not say you would choose it; I merely said you would take it. You would act, let us say, according to purely deterministic laws which are such that you would as a matter of fact take it.
Mortal:
I still refuse.
God:
So you refuse my offer to remove your free will. This is rather different from your original prayer, isn't it?
Mortal:
Now I see what you are up to. Your argument is ingenious, but I'm not sure it is really correct. There are some points we will have to go over again.
God:
Certainly.
Mortal:
There are two things you said which seem contradictory to me. First you said that one cannot sin unless one does so of one's own free will. But then you said you would give me a pill which would deprive me of my own free will, and then I could sin as much as I liked. But if I no longer had free will, then, according to your first statement, how could I be capable of sinning?
God:
You are confusing two separate parts of our conversation. I never said the pill would deprive you of your free will, but only that it would remove your abhorrence of sinning.
Mortal:
I'm afraid I'm a bit confused.
God:
All right, then let us make a fresh start. Suppose I agree to remove your free will, but with the understanding that you will then commit an enormous number of acts which you now regard as sinful. Technically speaking, you will not then be sinning since you will not be doing these acts of your own free will. And these acts will carry no moral responsibility, nor moral culpability, nor any punishment whatsoever. Nevertheless, these acts will all be of the type which you presently regard as sinful; they will all have this quality which you presently feel as abhorrent, but your abhorrence will disappear; so you will not then feel abhorrence toward the acts.
Mortal:
No, but I have present abhorrence toward the acts, and this present abhorrence is sufficient to prevent me from accepting your proposal.
God:
Hm! So let me get this absolutely straight. I take it you no longer wish me to remove your free will.
Mortal (reluctantly):
No, I guess not.
God:
All right, I agree not to. But I am still not exactly clear as to why you now no longer wish to be rid of your free will. Please tell me again.
Mortal:
Because, as you have told me, without free will I would sin even more than I do now.
God:
But I have already told you that without free will you cannot sin.
Mortal:
But if I choose now to be rid of free will, then all my subsequent evil actions will be sins, not of the future, but of the present moment in which I choose not to have free will.
God:
Sounds like you are pretty badly trapped, doesn't it?
Mortal:
Of course I am trapped! You have placed me in a hideous double bind! Now whatever I do is wrong. If I retain free will, I will continue to sin, and if I abandon free will (with your help, of course) I will now be sinning in so doing.
God:
But by the same token, you place me in a double bind. I am willing to leave you free will or remove it as you choose, but neither alternative satisfies you. I wish to help you, but it seems I cannot.
Mortal:
True!
God:
But since it is not my fault, why are you still angry with me?
Mortal:
For having placed me in such a horrible predicament in first place!
God:
But, according to you, there is nothing satisfactory I could have done.
Mortal:
You mean there is nothing satisfactory you can now do, that does not mean that there is nothing you could have done.
God:
Why? What could I have done?
Mortal:
Obviously you should never have given me free will in the first place. Now that you have given it to me, it is too late -- anything I do will be bad. But you should never have given it to me in the first place.
God:
Oh, that's it! Why would it have been better had I never given it to you?
Mortal:
Because then I never would have been capable of sinning at all.
God:
Well, I'm always glad to learn from my mistakes.
Mortal:
What!
God:
I know, that sounds sort of self-blasphemous, doesn't it? It almost involves a logical paradox! On the one hand, as you have been taught, it is morally wrong for any sentient being to claim that I am capable of making mistakes. On the other hand, I have the right to do anything. But I am also a sentient being. So the question is, Do, I or do I not have the right to claim that I am capable of making mistakes?
Mortal:
That is a bad joke! One of your premises is simply false. I have not been taught that it is wrong for any sentient being to doubt your omniscience, but only for a mortal to doubt it. But since you are not mortal, then you are obviously free from this injunction.
God:
Good, so you realize this on a rational level. Nevertheless, you did appear shocked when I said, "I am always glad to learn from my mistakes."
Mortal:
Of course I was shocked. I was shocked not by your self-blasphemy (as you jokingly called it), not by the fact that you had no right to say it, but just by the fact that you did say it, since I have been taught that as a matter of fact you don't make mistakes. So I was amazed that you claimed that it is possible for you to make mistakes.
God:
I have not claimed that it is possible. All I am saying is that if I make mistakes, I will be happy to learn from them. But this says nothing about whether the if has or ever can be realized.
Mortal:
Let's please stop quibbling about this point. Do you or do you not admit it was a mistake to have given me free will?
God:
Well now, this is precisely what I propose we should investigate. Let me review your present predicament. You don't want to have free will because with free will you can sin, and you don't want to sin. (Though I still find this puzzling; in a way you must want to sin, or else you wouldn't. But let this pass for now.) On the other hand, if you agreed to give up free will, then you would now be responsible for the acts of the future. Ergo, I should never have given you free will in the first place.
Mortal:
Exactly!
God:
I understand exactly how you feel. Many mortals -- even some theologians -- have complained that I have been unfair in that it was I, not they, who decided that they should have free will, and then I hold them responsible for their actions. In other words, they feel that they are expected to live up to a contract with me which they never agreed to in the first place.
Mortal:
Exactly!
God:
As I said, I understand the feeling perfectly. And I can appreciate the justice of the complaint. But the complaint arises only from an unrealistic understanding of the true issues involved. I am about to enlighten you as to what these are, and I think the results will surprise you! But instead of telling you outright, I shall continue to use the Socratic method.
To repeat, you regret that I ever gave you free will. I claim that when you see the true ramifications you will no longer have this regret. To prove my point, I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I am about to create a new universe -- a new space-time continuum. In this new universe will be born a mortal just like you -- for all practical purposes, we might say that you will be reborn. Now, I can give this new mortal -- this new you -- free will or not. What would you like me to do?
Mortal (in great relief):
Oh, please! Spare him from having to have free will!
God:
All right, I'll do as you say. But you do realize that this new you without free will, will commit all sorts of horrible acts.
Mortal:
But they will not be sins since he will have no free will.
God:
Whether you call them sins or not, the fact remains that they will be horrible acts in the sense that they will cause great pain to many sentient beings.
Mortal (after a pause):
Good God, you have trapped me again! Always the same game! If I now give you the go-ahead to create this new creature with no free will who will nevertheless commit atrocious acts, then true enough he will not be sinning, but I again will be the sinner to sanction this.
God:
In that case, I'll go you one better! Here, I have already decided whether to create this new you with free will or not. Now, I am writing my decision on this piece of paper and I won't show it to you until later. But my decision is now made and is absolutely irrevocable. There is nothing you can possibly do to alter it; you have no responsibility in the matter. Now, what I wish to know is this: Which way do you hope I have decided? Remember now, the responsibility for the decision falls entirely on my shoulders, not yours. So you can tell me perfectly honestly and without any fear, which way do you hope I have decided?
Mortal (after a very long pause):
I hope you have decided to give him free will.
God:
Most interesting! I have removed your last obstacle! If I do not give him free will, then no sin is to be imputed to anybody. So why do you hope I will give him free will?
Mortal:
Because sin or no sin, the important point is that if you do not give him free will, then (at least according to what you have said) he will go around hurting people, and I don't want to see people hurt.
GOD (with an infinite sigh of relief):
At last! At last you see the real point!
Mortal:
What point is that?
God:
That sinning is not the real issue! The important thing is that people as well as other sentient beings don't get hurt!
Mortal:
You sound like a utilitarian!
God:
I am a utilitarian!
Mortal:
What!
God:
Whats or no whats, I am a utilitarian. Not a unitarian, mind you, but a utilitarian.
Mortal:
I just can't believe it!
God:
Yes, I know, your religious training has taught you otherwise. You have probably thought of me more like a Kantian than a utilitarian, but your training was simply wrong.
Mortal:
You leave me speechless!
God:
I leave you speechless, do I! Well, that is perhaps not too bad a thing -- you have a tendency to speak too much as it is. Seriously, though, why do you think I ever did give you free will in the first place?
Mortal:
Why did you? I never have thought much about why you did; all I have been arguing for is that you shouldn't have! But why did you? I guess all I can think of is the standard religious explanation: Without free will, one is not capable of meriting either salvation or damnation. So without free will, we could not earn the right to eternal life.
God:
Most interesting! I have eternal life; do you think I have ever done anything to merit it?
Mortal:
Of course not! With you it is different. You are already so good and perfect (at least allegedly) that it is not necessary for you to merit eternal life.
God:
Really now? That puts me in a rather enviable position, doesn't it?
Mortal:
I don't think I understand you.
God:
Here I am eternally blissful without ever having to suffer or make sacrifices or struggle against evil temptations or anything like that. Without any of that type of "merit", I enjoy blissful eternal existence. By contrast, you poor mortals have to sweat and suffer and have all sorts of horrible conflicts about morality, and all for what? You don't even know whether I really exist or not, or if there really is any afterlife, or if there is, where you come into the picture. No matter how much you try to placate me by being "good," you never have any real assurance that your "best" is good enough for me, and hence you have no real security in obtaining salvation. Just think of it! I already have the equivalent of "salvation" -- and have never had to go through this infinitely lugubrious process of earning it. Don't you ever envy me for this?
Mortal:
But it is blasphemous to envy you!
God:
Oh come off it! You're not now talking to your Sunday school teacher, you are talking to me. Blasphemous or not, the important question is not whether you have the right to be envious of me but whether you are. Are you?
Mortal:
Of course I am!
God:
Good! Under your present world view, you sure should be most envious of me. But I think with a more realistic world view, you no longer will be. So you really have swallowed the idea which has been taught you that your life on earth is like an examination period and that the purpose of providing you with free will is to test you, to see if you merit blissful eternal life. But what puzzles me is this: If you really believe I am as good and benevolent as I am cracked up to be, why should I require people to merit things like happiness and eternal life? Why should I not grant such things to everyone regardless of whether or not he deserves them?
Mortal:
But I have been taught that your sense of morality -- your sense of justice -- demands that goodness be rewarded with happiness and evil be punished with pain.
God:
Then you have been taught wrong.
Mortal:
But the religious literature is so full of this idea! Take for example Jonathan Edwards's "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." How he describes you as holding your enemies like loathsome scorpions over the flaming pit of hell, preventing them from falling into the fate that they deserve only by dint of your mercy.
God:
Fortunately, I have not been exposed to the tirades of Mr. Jonathan Edwards. Few sermons have ever been preached which are more misleading. The very title "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" tells its own tale. In the first place, I am never angry. In the second place, I do not think at all in terms of "sin." In the third place, I have no enemies.
Mortal:
By that do you mean that there are no people whom you hate, or that there are no people who hate you?
God:
I meant the former although the latter also happens to be true.
Mortal:
Oh come now, I know people who have openly claimed to have hated you. At times I have hated you!
God:
You mean you have hated your image of me. That is not the same thing as hating me as I really am.
Mortal:
Are you trying to say that it is not wrong to hate a false conception of you, but that it is wrong to hate you as you really are?
God:
No, I am not saying that at all; I am saying something far more drastic! What I am saying has absolutely nothing to do with right or wrong. What I am saying is that one who knows me for what I really am would simply find it psychologically impossible to hate me.
Mortal:
Tell me, since we mortals seem to have such erroneous views about your real nature, why don't you enlighten us? Why don't you guide us the right way?
God:
What makes you think I'm not?
Mortal:
I mean, why don't you appear to our very senses and simply tell us that we are wrong?
GOD:
Are you really so naive as to believe that I am the sort of being which can appear to your senses? It would be more correct to say that I am your senses.
Mortal (astonished):
You are my senses?
God:
Not quite, I am more than that. But it comes closer to the truth than the idea that I am perceivable by the senses. I am not an object; like you, I am a subject, and a subject can perceive, but cannot be perceived. You can no more see me than you can see your own thoughts. You can see an apple, but the event of your seeing an apple is itself not seeable. And I am far more like the seeing of an apple than the apple itself.
Mortal:
If I can't see you, how do I know you exist?
God:
Good question! How in fact do you know I exist?
Mortal:
Well, I am talking to you, am I not?
God:
How do you know you are talking to me? Suppose you told a psychiatrist, "Yesterday I talked to God." What do you think he would say?
Mortal:
That might depend on the psychiatrist. Since most of them are atheistic, I guess most would tell me I had simply been talking to myself.
God:
And they would be right!
Mortal:
What? You mean you don't exist?
God:
You have the strangest faculty of drawing false conclusions! Just because you are talking to yourself, it follows that I don't exist?
Mortal:
Well, if I think I am talking to you, but I am really talking to myself, in what sense do you exist?
God:
Your question is based on two fallacies plus a confusion. The question of whether or not you are now talking to me and the question of whether or not I exist are totally separate. Even if you were not now talking to me (which obviously you are), it still would not mean that I don't exist.
Mortal:
Well, all right, of course! So instead of saying "if I am talking to myself, then you don't exist," I should rather have said, "if I am talking to myself, then I obviously am not talking to you."
God:
A very different statement indeed, but still false.
Mortal:
Oh, come now, if I am only talking to myself, then how can I be talking to you?
God:
Your use of the word "only" is quite misleading! I can suggest several logical possibilities under which your talking to yourself does not imply that you are not talking to me.
Mortal:
Suggest just one!
God:
Well, obviously one such possibility is that you and I are identical.
Mortal:
Such a blasphemous thought -- at least had I uttered it!
God:
According to some religions, yes. According to others, it is the plain, simple, immediately perceived truth.
Mortal:
So the only way out of my dilemma is to believe that you and I are identical?
God:
Not at all! This is only one way out. There are several others. For example, it may be that you are part of me, in which case you may be talking to that part of me which is you. Or I may be part of you, in which case you may be talking to that part of you which is me. Or again, you and I might partially overlap, in which case you may be talking to the intersection and hence talking both to you and to me. The only way your talking to yourself might seem to imply that you are not talking to me is if you and I were totally disjoint -- and even then, you could conceivably be talking to both of us.
Mortal:
So you claim you do exist.
God:
Not at all. Again you draw false conclusions! The question of my existence has not even come up. All I have said is that from the fact that you are talking to yourself one cannot possibly infer my nonexistence, let alone the weaker fact that you are not talking to me.
Mortal:
All right, I'll grant your point! But what I really want to know is do you exist?
God:
What a strange question!
Mortal:
Why? Men have been asking it for countless millennia.
God:
I know that! The question itself is not strange; what I mean is that it is a most strange question to ask of me!
Mortal:
Why?
God:
Because I am the very one whose existence you doubt! I perfectly well understand your anxiety. You are worried that your present experience with me is a mere hallucination. But how can you possibly expect to obtain reliable information from a being about his very existence when you suspect the nonexistence of the very same being?
Mortal:
So you won't tell me whether or not you exist?
God:
I am not being willful! I merely wish to point out that no answer I could give could possibly satisfy you. All right, suppose I said, "No, I don't exist." What would that prove? Absolutely nothing! Or if I said, "Yes, I exist." Would that convince you? Of course not!
Mortal:
Well, if you can't tell me whether or not you exist, then who possibly can?
God:
That is something which no one can tell you. It is something which only you can find out for yourself.
Mortal:
How do I go about finding this out for myself?
God:
That also no one can tell you. This is another thing you will have to find out for yourself.
Mortal:
So there is no way you can help me?
God:
I didn't say that. I said there is no way I can tell you. But that doesn't mean there is no way I can help you.
Mortal:
In what manner then can you help me?
God:
I suggest you leave that to me! We have gotten sidetracked as it is, and I would like to return to the question of what you believed my purpose to be in giving you free will. Your first idea of my giving you free will in order to test whether you merit salvation or not may appeal to many moralists, but the idea is quite hideous to me. You cannot think of any nicer reason -- any more humane reason -- why I gave you free will?
Mortal:
Well now, I once asked this question of an Orthodox rabbi. He told me that the way we are constituted, it is simply not possible for us to enjoy salvation unless we feel we have earned it. And to earn it, we of course need free will.
God:
That explanation is indeed much nicer than your former but still is far from correct. According to Orthodox Judaism, I created angels, and they have no free will. They are in actual sight of me and are so completely attracted by goodness that they never have even the slightest temptation toward evil. They really have no choice in the matter. Yet they are eternally happy even though they have never earned it. So if your rabbi's explanation were correct, why wouldn't I have simply created only angels rather than mortals?
Mortal:
Beats me! Why didn't you?
God:
Because the explanation is simply not correct. In the first place, I have never created any ready-made angels. All sentient beings ultimately approach the state which might be called "angelhood." But just as the race of human beings is in a certain stage of biologic evolution, so angels are simply the end result of a process of Cosmic Evolution. The only difference between the so-called saint and the so-called sinner is that the former is vastly older than the latter. Unfortunately it takes countless life cycles to learn what is perhaps the most important fact of the universe -- evil is simply painful. All the arguments of the moralists -- all the alleged reasons why people shouldn't commit evil acts -- simply pale into insignificance in light of the one basic truth that evil is suffering.
No, my dear friend, I am not a moralist. I am wholly a utilitarian. That I should have been conceived in the role of a moralist is one of the great tragedies of the human race. My role in the scheme of things (if one can use this misleading expression) is neither to punish nor reward, but to aid the process by which all sentient beings achieve ultimate perfection.
Mortal:
Why did you say your expression is misleading?
God:
What I said was misleading in two respects. First of all it is inaccurate to speak of my role in the scheme of things. I am the scheme of things. Secondly, it is equally misleading to speak of my aiding the process of sentient beings attaining enlightenment. I am the process. The ancient Taoists were quite close when they said of me (whom they called "Tao") that I do not do things, yet through me all things get done. In more modem terms, I am not the cause of Cosmic Process, I am Cosmic Process itself. I think the most accurate and fruitful definition of me which man can frame -- at least in his present state of evolution -- is that I am the very process of enlightenment. Those who wish to think of the devil (although I wish they wouldn't!) might analogously define him as the unfortunate length of time the process takes. In this sense, the devil is necessary; the process simply does take an enormous length of time, and there is absolutely nothing I can do about it. But, I assure you, once the process is more correctly understood, the painful length of time will no longer be regarded as an essential limitation or an evil. It will be seen to be the very essence of the process itself. I know this is not completely consoling to you who are now in the finite sea of suffering, but the amazing thing is that once you grasp this fundamental attitude, your very finite suffering will begin to diminish -- ultimately to the vanishing point.
Mortal:
I have been told this, and I tend to believe it. But suppose I personally succeed in seeing things through your eternal eyes. Then I will be happier, but don't I have a duty to others?
GOD (laughing):
You remind me of the Mahayana Buddhists! Each one says, "I will not enter Nirvana until I first see that all other sentient beings do so." So each one waits for the other fellow to go first. No wonder it takes them so long! The Hinayana Buddhist errs in a different direction. He believes that no one can be of the slightest help to others in obtaining salvation; each one has to do it entirely by himself. And so each tries only for his own salvation. But this very detached attitude makes salvation impossible. The truth of the matter is that salvation is partly an individual and partly a social process. But it is a grave mistake to believe -- as do many Mahayana Buddhists -- that the attaining of enlightenment puts one out of commission, so to speak, for helping others. The best way of helping others is by first seeing the light oneself.
Mortal:
There is one thing about your self-description which is somewhat disturbing. You describe yourself essentially as a process. This puts you in such an impersonal light, and so many people have a need for a personal God.
God:
So because they need a personal God, it follows that I am one?
Mortal:
Of course not. But to be acceptable to a mortal a religion must satisfy his needs.
God:
I realize that. But the so-called "personality" of a being is really more in the eyes of the beholder than in the being itself. The controversies which have raged, about whether I am a personal or an impersonal being are rather silly because neither side is right or wrong. From one point of view, I am personal, from another, I am not. It is the same with a human being. A creature from another planet may look at him purely impersonally as a mere collection of atomic particles behaving according to strictly prescribed physical laws. He may have no more feeling for the personality of a human than the average human has for an ant. Yet an ant has just as much individual personality as a human to beings like myself who really know the ant. To look at something impersonally is no more correct or incorrect than to look at it personally, but in general, the better you get to know something, the more personal it becomes. To illustrate my point, do you think of me as a personal or impersonal being?
Mortal:
Well, I'm talking to you, am I not?
God:
Exactly! From that point of view, your attitude toward me might be described as a personal one. And yet, from another point of view -- no less valid -- I can also be looked at impersonally.
Mortal:
But if you are really such an abstract thing as a process, I don't see what sense it can make my talking to a mere "process."
God:
I love the way you say "mere." You might just as well say that you are living in a "mere universe." Also, why must everything one does make sense? Does it make sense to talk to a tree?
Mortal:
Of course not!
God:
And yet, many children and primitives do just that.
Mortal:
But I am neither a child nor a primitive.
God:
I realize that, unfortunately.
Mortal:
Why unfortunately?
God:
Because many children and primitives have a primal intuition which the likes of you have lost. Frankly, I think it would do you a lot of good to talk to a tree once in a while, even more good than talking to me! But we seem always to be getting sidetracked! For the last time, I would like us to try to come to an understanding about why I gave you free will.
Mortal:
I have been thinking about this all the while.
God:
You mean you haven't been paying attention to our conversation?
Mortal:
Of course I have. But all the while, on another level, I have been thinking about it.
God:
And have you come to any conclusion?
Mortal:
Well, you say the reason is not to test our worthiness. And you disclaimed the reason that we need to feel that we must merit things in order to enjoy them. And you claim to be a utilitarian. Most significant of all, you appeared so delighted when I came to the sudden realization that it is not sinning in itself which is bad but only the suffering which it causes.
God:
Well of course! What else could conceivably be bad about sinning?
Mortal:
All right, you know that, and now I know that. But all my life I unfortunately have been under the influence of those moralists who hold sinning to be bad in itself. Anyway, putting all these pieces together, it occurs to me that the only reason you gave free will is because of your belief that with free will, people will tend to hurt each other -- and themselves -- less than without free will.
God:
Bravo! That is by far the best reason you have yet given! I |
for Lost Highway introduces it as a “21st Century Noir Horror Film,” so perhaps it was the genre that led to the city rather than the other way around. The movie begins with typically hypnotic footage of a dotted yellow line dividing a two-lane highway at night; Edgar G. Ulmer’s Detour (1945) likewise begins in the desert before arriving in Los Angeles. Lost Highway — about a saxophonist named Fred (Bill Pullman) who murders his wife Renee (Patricia Arquette) and subconsciously crafts a separate persona to dissociate himself from the irrevocability of his actions — is the least accomplished of Lynch’s unofficial Los Angeles trilogy, but also an important thematic precursor to the later installments.
Lynch acclimates us to the film’s particular brand of unreality in its most memorably frightful scene, which finds Robert Blake’s Mystery Man telling Fred that they’ve met before. Deathly pale and lacking eyebrows, he looks like a vampire from horror flicks of yore — yet somehow even more unsettling, as he’s at a party somewhere in Los Angeles circa 1997. Nonplussed, Fred says he doesn’t believe they’ve met but decides to humor the stranger by asking where it is he thinks this prior introduction occurred. “At your house,” replies the Mystery Man matter-of-factly. “Don’t you remember?” Then he says that he’s in his house right now and, as proof, tells Fred to call him. When he does, he’s greeted by the Mystery Man’s voice on the other end of the line.
Terrifying though moments like this one are, Lost Highway’s unease wouldn’t appear to be particularly site-specific. Fred and Renee live in a luxe home in the Hollywood Hills, but that detail is more incidental than integral. The exterior shots of perhaps its most notable location, the Lost Highway Hotel, were filmed at the Amargosa Opera House and Hotel, which is located off Route 127 in Death Valley Junction. (It’s also said to be haunted, having been featured in two ghost-hunting shows on television in the last four years.)
The most specific Los Angeles tie-in may be, of all things, the O.J. Simpson case. While he was collaborating on the screenplay with Barry Gifford — whom he approached about the project after he encountered the phrase “lost highway” in Gifford’s Night People and thought it a good title for a movie — Lynch was “sort of obsessed” with the trial. “Barry and I never talked about it this way,” he writes in Catching the Big Fish, “but I think the film is somehow related to that.” In this demystified context, the image of Fred barreling down the highway to escape himself and what he’s done is even more frightful: the supernatural may evoke its own sort of fear, but real-life atrocities are always more horrific in their banality. (For further proof, consider how Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me [1992] recontextualized the television series as being more about a father abusing his daughter than the mythic entity compelling him to do so.) Lynch continues:
What struck me about O.J. Simpson was that he was able to smile and laugh. He was able to go golfing with seemingly very few problems about the whole thing. I wondered how, if a person did these deeds, he could go on living. And we found this great psychology term — “psychogenic fugue” — describing an event where the mind tricks itself to escape some horror. So, in a way, Lost Highway is about that. And the fact that nothing can stay hidden forever.
That Blake would eventually be tried and acquitted for murdering his wife is an unfortunate parallel that only deepens this sense of mystery. Lynch has always worked elements of horror into his narratives, but not until he came to Los Angeles and upped his runtimes (Lost Highway, Mulholland Drive, and Inland Empire run 134, 147, and 179 minutes, respectively) did they begin to feel like durational descents down the proverbial rabbit hole. You get the feeling, especially in Mulholland Drive and Inland Empire, of having entered an environment that’s nightmarishly cruel to women.
¤
“I had a dream about this place“
Mulholland Drive also begins in a car, this one on the eponymous road. A woman whose name we’ve yet to learn (played by Laura Elena Harring) is in the back of a limousine when it unexpectedly comes to a stop; another vehicle crashes into the limo just as her drivers threaten her with a loaded gun. We next see her wander all the way down to Franklin Avenue, then Sunset Boulevard, then the fictional address of 1612 Havenhurst. It’s late and the woman is clearly in a daze. There’s no one else out save for a police cruiser and a drunken couple ambling down the sidewalk. Finally she takes refuge in some shrubs, where she falls asleep.
The next morning, bright-eyed Betty (Naomi Watts) arrives at LAX from Deep River, Ontario. A stranger to Los Angeles, she’s here to make it big in the pictures: “I’d rather be known as a great actress than a movie star,” she’ll say later, “But, of course, some people end up being both.” Mulholland Drive is deeply informed by, and in some sense about, the process by which one ingratiates oneself in the film industry. There are the similarities, both superficial and deep-seated, to Sunset Boulevard (the respective films’ titles, the murder mysteries, and so on and so forth). In one of the film’s more subtly disturbing scenes, Harring’s amnesiac sees a Gilda poster on the wall and decides to take on the name of its star, Rita Hayworth.
During an audition, Betty reads a sexually charged scene with a male partner, whom the script notes is “old enough to be her father.” He tells the director that he wants to “play this one close,” as he did with another actress whose name he can’t remember. “That felt good,” he adds. The run-through quickly gets hot and heavy and, sensing the direction it’s taking, Betty goes along with it. Her acting is genuinely impressive, but it’s her ability to amplify the scene’s inherent sexuality that seems to earn her such rave reviews from everyone gathered in the room. (If this is an indictment of Hollywood’s treatment of aspiring female stars, it seems downright tame compared to what awaits Laura Dern’s character in Inland Empire.)
On a more literal level, Mulholland Drive also features explicit references to the geography that’s such a vital part of its narrative: a “Welcome to Los Angeles” sign at LAX; helicopter shots of the skyline in daytime unaccompanied by music that take on a vaguely menacing quality; a slow pan of the Hollywood sign accompanied by a quiet droning sound; and, of course, Mulholland Drive itself. As for the fixation on this admittedly evocative stretch of pavement, Lynch also discusses it briefly on the Blu-ray featurette, calling it “a road that is locked sort of back in time — a lot of it is, anyway.” He adds that it’s “all by itself on the crest of the mountains, and there’s many places where you can overlook either the Valley or Los Angeles, you know, Hollywood down below. It’s very dark there at night, and it’s curving, so it just gives you a feeling. It’s kind of a dream road.”
A dream road for a dream movie, perhaps, one with an equal number of dangerous twists and turns. One must be especially cautious when traveling on Mulholland Drive, as the film’s first scene and a real-life “auto graveyard” known as Dead Man’s Curve amply demonstrate. Located below a deadly hairpin curve near Laurel Canyon, Dead Man’s Curve is home to numerous wrecks, dating back to the 1950s, that have never been removed — perhaps that’s what Lynch means by “locked back in time,” regressive gender politics and all.
¤
On High and Blue Tomorrows
Inland Empire is a three-hour movie that features exactly one reference to the east-of-LA region from which it takes its name. The film wasn’t shot in the Inland Empire, nor is it set there. It’s hard to tell whether or not this conspicuous-in-its-absence locale is an improvement over IE’s usual treatment; a Los Angeles Times article once proclaimed that, for some, the area is “less a geographic boundary than a state of being — one often portrayed in unflattering ways.”
Even more directly than Mulholland Drive, Inland Empire is about the film industry’s dark underbelly — how people are used and rejected by it. Lynch’s treatment of Hollywood is even more excoriating, its descent darker and more surreal.
The film stars Laura Dern as Nikki, an actress on the cusp of getting a big part. Early on, an elderly neighbor pays her a strange visit. After telling her that she’s certain Nikki got the part she’s up for, the woman tells this story: “A little boy went out to play. When he opened his door, he saw the world. As he passed through the doorway, he caused a reflection. Evil was born. Evil was born, and followed the boy.” She describes this as “an old tale, and a variation” on a similar story, which she recounts immediately thereafter: “A little girl went out to play. Lost in the marketplace, as if half-born. Then, not through the marketplace — you see that, don’t you? — but through the alley behind the marketplace. This is the way to the palace. But it isn’t something you remember.”
Inland Empire requires more work on the part of the viewer to decipher its goings on than either of its two predecessors, dealing as it does in vague dialogue like this, but in some ways it’s also the most rewarding. We know almost instantly, just from the tone set by this largely one-sided conversation, that there’s something sinister about the role that Nikki has apparently gotten — even if what that is never fully reveals itself in a conventional way.
Neighbor: Is there a murder in your film?
Nikki: Uh, no. It’s not part of the story.
Neighbor: No, I think you are wrong about that.
Nikki: No.
Neighbor: Brutal fucking murder!
Evil was indeed born, and Nikki is the one it’s now following. Famously tight-lipped about his films’ meanings and even their precise happenings, Lynch described Inland Empire as simply being about “a woman in trouble,” and this is first confirmed as it relates to the mysterious role in the alluringly titled On High and Blue Tomorrows. The first table-read for the film, which occurs on a sound stage not long after the above exchange, is interrupted by a loud knocking sound somewhere in the dimly-lit distance. Nikki’s co-star Devon — played, like the director Adam Kesher from Mulholland Drive, by Justin Theroux — unsuccessfully investigates the source of the noise. “Disappeared where it’s hard to disappear to,” he says by way of explanation upon his return.
When Devon gets back, the director (Jeremy Irons) informs the two of a terrible secret: On High and Blue Tomorrows is a remake of sorts — or, rather, a second attempt at making an unfinished film. “Something happened before the film was finished,” the director says enigmatically. Pressed for more detail by Nikki, he explains that the leads “discovered something inside the story,” finally admitting after yet more pressure that the movie, based on a “Polish Gypsy folk tale,” is said to be cursed and that two leads in the prior incarnation were murdered.
In part due to its exhaustive runtime and the horror-movie atmosphere it gradually takes on, Inland Empire is incredibly moving and transportive, even if the places it takes us are very frequently unpleasant and/or horrific. As much of it is set in Poland, the film has little to do with Los Angeles’s specific geography; it focuses instead on the city as a state of mind and the locus of an industry with which Lynch has had an uneven relationship. But it does return home when it matters.
What might be considered Inland Empire’s climax occurs when Nikki is essentially warped to a spot on the Hollywood Walk of Fame late one night — later in the evening, perhaps, than the time of Rita’s arrival in Mulholland Drive or Lynch’s in Los Angeles itself. After being stabbed with a screwdriver, Nikki sits down near three homeless people in front of a row of businesses now closed for the night. The three regard her silently before continuing their conversation: “What’d you say about Pomona?” one of them asks. The two then discuss how one could conceivably get to Pomona by bus if they first take a subway. The conversation goes on for several minutes, Nikki bleeding out between them all the while.
“My friend Nico, who lives in Pomona, has a blonde wig,” a woman explains. “She wears it at parties, but she’s on hard drugs and turning tricks now. She looks very good in her blonde wig, just like a movie star. Even girls fall in love with her. When she’s looking so good in her blonde star wig she blows kisses and love.” Rita wears what might be called a “blonde star wig” in Mulholland Drive, a defense mechanism that makes her appear more at home in celebrity-obsessed Hollywood.
At the end of this bizarre conversation, Nikki vomits blood and is calmly told she’s dying. We see the camera and hear the director’s voice say“cut.” It isn’t Lynch’s voice, but Irons’s. We’ve been watching a scene from On High and Blue Tomorrows, but how much of this has been a film-within-a-film is never made clear. Nikki later walks into a movie theater and sees herself onscreen, an experience that causes her to recoil in horror. Is this really her, and how much of a person’s essence can be captured in such a way?
Other than the natural light, Lynch loves something else about Los Angeles: what he calls, again in the Blu-ray interview, “this business of a sort of a creativity in the air, you know, where everybody’s willing to go for broke and take a chance. It’s a modern town in that way.” Betty and Nikki certainly fit that description, and Lynch is sympathetic toward them, but he doesn’t seem to harbor much affection for the executives pulling the strings. In one of the main subplots of Mulholland Drive, director Adam Kesher (Justin Theroux) is pressured by mysterious figures to cast an actress he’s never heard of as the lead in his new film. He has no idea why this is happening, but eventually he relents. Everyone in Hollywood has a boss, and Lynch’s focus on the lower-level pawns is telling: does he feel as exploited by the higher-ups as his female characters do?
¤
Michael Nordine is a Los Angeles–based film critic.Many of Walmart's critics accuse the store of "greenwashing"—cultivating an image of environmental responsibility to win consumers' favor. (Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images)
Walmart works hard to show off its green side, but environmental activists have been slamming the corporation for a litany of sins against Mother Nature—emitting millions of tons of CO2, encouraging waste by selling low-quality goods, and building warehouse-sized stores. Many of these criticisms are connected by a common thread: the retailer's mammoth size. Can such a massive corporation ever be truly "green"?
This week, the largest corporation in America itemized its environmental successes in its Global Responsibility Report. For example, in 2011, Walmart kept 80.9 percent of all of its waste out of landfills and increased its locally grown produce by 97 percent. Outside sources have noticed, as well: according to the EPA, Walmart is the third-largest U.S. corporate consumer of green power—renewable sources with particularly high environmental benefits.
Walmart recognizes that it is under the microscope. "We've set bold goals for ourselves, and government leaders, NGOs, and our customers are watching our progress," company chairman Rob Walton said at the company's Sustainability Milestone Meeting this week.
Despite its considerable efforts, the company does have a detrimental impact on the environment in some ways. According to the Sierra Club, one Walmart Supercenter uses the same amount of energy as 1,095 U.S. homes do in one day. In addition, Walmart says that its greenhouse gas footprint has grown by 13.8 percent since 2005. Likewise, the company's green power usage—which takes into account purchases from utilities, as well as on-site generation and the purchase of renewable energy certificates—accounts for only 28 percent of its electricity use, according to the EPA. Other retailers far outstrip that: All of the electricity used by Kohl's comes from green power, and Whole Foods Market uses or purchases 106 percent of its green power needs.
There are other green issues that environmental groups raise. The Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR), one such group, has blasted the placement of stores on the outskirts of cities, requiring consumers to drive further to reach them. The retailer's massive grocery operation also promotes industrialized farming, they allege, and the Sierra Club has pointed out that stores' 24-hour operations make for more energy consumption.
Many of Walmart's critics accuse the store of "greenwashing"—cultivating an image of environmental responsibility to win consumers' favor.
"No amount of greenwash can conceal the fact that Walmart perpetuates an industrialized food system that diminishes our natural resources, causes excessive pollution, and forces smaller farmers and companies to get big or get out of business," says Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch.
Like many businesses, Walmart certainly has room for improvement. But given its size and business identity as a retailer of low-priced goods, one wonders how far it can go. Industrially-produced organic milk will naturally be cheaper to produce and sell— especially to meet Walmart's demand—than that from a grass-fed, free-range cow on a small-scale farm.
"The argument that academics make, and that I'd make too, is Walmart is many times the size of Target or Costco. [Those stores are] big, but they're not of such a size that they're so incredibly influential," says Stacy Mitchell, senior researcher with ILSR.
That means that, if Target or Costco grew as large as Walmart, they might face the same backlash. After all, one reason why Walmart's greenhouse gas emissions have grown is that the company itself has grown. And the company points out that its sales and square footage growth have well outpaced its emission growth.
However, Walmart's sales growth didn't occur in a vacuum. Especially in tough economic times, many consumers rely on low-cost retailers.
Cost considerations aside, "we're just a consumer society. It's the way we are today," says John Byrd, a senior instructor in finance and managing for sustainability at the University of Colorado Denver's Business School.
Short of a massive societal shift, it seems that fully "fixing" Walmart's environmental problems without shrinking its business is a pipe dream.
But some argue that by virtue of its size, Walmart may be uniquely positioned to lead environmental efforts.
"There's some critical size after which companies actually can begin to commit resources to implementing green practices. We would criticize those big companies at our peril." says Byrd. Indeed, the store has partnered with the Environmental Defense Fund and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation on some green projects. Byrd adds that the retailer could be uniquely positioned to shift the economics of being green.
"If they see something that they like, they change markets," says Byrd. One example he points to are natural gas-powered trucks. Walmart is considering adding these trucks to its fleet, and Byrd says if it orders hundreds or thousands of them, it will promote more corporations to use them. "Manufacturers will design them much better, and the prices of those vehicles will come down," he says.
Similarly, many consumers are more likely to go green when it's cost-effective. The need for cheap groceries can be more pressing than any environmental repercussions. But low prices can create a vicious cycle. Walmart, the employer of 2.1 million workers, has borne heavy criticism for its compensation policies, particularly its recent cuts to health coverage for some workers.
That kind of cut perpetuates consumption and waste, says Mitchell: "Many people feel so strapped that they feel they have to buy the six-dollar toaster, but part of the reason that so many people are in that situation has to do with the Walmart economy."
Twitter: @titonkaPlease don’t be offended but your question shows that you aren’t really familiar with the software industry. Here is an answer from a 27 year veteran of the Silicon Valley. Others will disagree, but so be it.
As I see it, there is no dichotomy of programmers between “regular” and “super” ones. As with almost all occupations, programmers come in a wide spectrum of abilities and skills; and, even then, it depends on what area of expertise you are talking about. Some programmers are highly specialized and are therefore experts in only one computer language or platform. They tend to be very good at what they do but know little beyond their own particular area of expertise. They are considered valuable by their employers because they are the best person for particular kinds of jobs.
Other programmers, like me, (and who are a bit more rare), might generally be classified as “software generalists.” We tend to be a “jack-of-all-trades” but “expert-at-none” types. I, for instance, can program in nearly any computer language: FORTRAN, COBOL, Lisp, C, C++, Java, JavaScript, Objective-C, Perl, Python, etc. Additionally, the programming environment is usually unimportant. It doesn’t matter whether it is a Windows, Linux, MacOS X, iOS, or an embedded operating system. I can, and have, done them all. However, there is no way I can compete with someone who is a expert in any one language or platform. They will blow me away. And, yet, for some kinds of jobs I am the better choice.
Still other programmers fall into the “gray area” in between. There are no well defined boundaries here. It all depends on the job situation and requirements as to who is the best person for a job. There is no “super” vs. “regular” choice involved.
For example, if a company needs the latest and greatest technology to be developed I would be the last person they would call for the job. On the other hand, if they had seven million lines of C++ that was written by 50 different engineers over a ten year period and they wanted to add a new feature or fix a bug in it then I would be the first on the list.
Programmers are just people. Yes, most of us are pretty smart. But that doesn’t make us any different or any better than anyone else. Being smart, by the way, doesn’t always make you right.
I hope that answers your question.The Harper government is very keen on Chinese investment. On this there is little doubt, now that the Canada-China investment deal has been released. The deal will tie the hands of Canadian governments, especially in the resource sector, once Chinese firms buy Canadian assets. It allows Chinese companies to sue Canada outside of Canadian courts. Remarkably, the lawsuits can proceed behind closed doors. This shift to secrecy reverses a long-standing policy of the Canadian government.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper arrives at the signing ceremony for a Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement with China. (Sept. 9, 2012) ( Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS )
Under the deal, Chinese firms can sue in special tribunals to protect themselves from Canadian government decisions. Canadian companies can do the same against China. The technical name for this is “investor-state arbitration.” In Canada, it has been in operation since NAFTA. In turn, any decision by any state entity in Canada — from federal or provincial legislation to a Supreme Court of Canada decision — can be challenged by a Chinese investor. The arbitrators, if they conclude that the decision violates flexible standards of investor protection, can issue orders and award damages against a country. On the other hand, no one in Canada including the government will be able, under the deal, to sue a Chinese investor for breaking any laws. The claims are one-way. Also, only the federal government can participate in the arbitrations. Provincial governments, Canadian companies and other constituencies have no right of standing even if their interests are affected directly.
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There is reason to doubt the independence of the arbitration process. Unlike judges, the arbitrators do not have secure tenure and set salaries. They depend for business on investors (to bring the claims) and on arbitration houses (to choose the arbitrators when the disputing parties disagree). Further, the arbitrators’ decisions on legal issues are not subject to judicial review. So, it is prudent to ask, who are the arbitrators more likely to see as the major country, Canada or China? Canada has a mixed record in investor-state arbitration. We have lost about half of the decided cases against the government, all by U.S. companies under NAFTA. Canada has had to pay about $160 million in compensation, with another award pending in a case involving research and development rules for the Hibernia and Terra Nova offshore projects. Worse, Canadian investors have sued other countries, usually the U.S., 16 times and lost every case. We have lost on softwood lumber, cattle and gold mining. We have lost on gasoline additives, hemp and funeral homes. We have lost on a lot of things. It is reasonable to expect that Chinese investors will use the Canada-China deal to pressure governments in Canada, especially in the resource sector. About one in five investor lawsuits involves a resource dispute. At least nine of the U.S. lawsuits against Canada under NAFTA have related to resources.
Most surprisingly, the Chinese lawsuits can be kept secret. This is in stark contrast to other treaties signed by Canada. Under NAFTA, since 2001, Canada and the U.S. have ensured that investor-state arbitrations were open. Under the Canada-China deal, the arbitration hearings and all documents, except an actual award, can be kept confidential at the discretion of the country that is sued. This suggests that China objected to disclosure of Canadian lawsuits against it. More importantly for Canadians, the Harper government did not insist on disclosure when Canada is sued by the Chinese.
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By implication, we shall have to assume in time that there are hidden Chinese lawsuits against Canada. We will not know why we have been sued or who is deciding the case. We will not know what the government is arguing on our behalf. And we will not know if Canada has been ordered to change government decisions. Confidentiality is fine in commercial arbitration where the disputes do not affect the public. It is noxious in investor-state arbitration, which often involves matters of public importance. Incidentally, the secrecy has little to do with encouraging settlements; investors can and often do pursue confidential settlements before bringing a claim. The turn to secrecy is an about-face for the government. Canada was until now a champion of openness in investor-state arbitration. As countries like Australia, India, and South Africa pull away from investor-state arbitration, we are embracing it in a virulent form. The Canada-China deal undermines basic Canadian principles of public accountability and open courts. It raises dramatically the stakes of Chinese takeovers in the resource sector. If ratified, it will tie the hands of future elected governments for at least 31 years. Gus Van Harten is a professor at Osgoode Hall Law School where he specializes in international investment law. His research on investor-state arbitration is available at www.iiapp.org and http://ssrn.com/author=638855.
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June 27, 2016, 2:32 PM GMT / Updated June 27, 2016, 3:04 PM GMT By Pete Williams
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday tossed out the bribery conviction of former Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell, who was found guilty of accepting thousands of dollars in cash and gifts.
Former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, right, and his sister, Eileen, left, leave the federal courthouse in Richmond, Va., Monday, Aug. 18, 2014. Bob Brown / Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP
The decision rejected the federal government's view of how broadly federal bribery laws can reach.
The ruling makes it harder for federal prosecutors to bring corruption cases against state and local officials. And it may complicate the government's efforts to try federal office holders for corruption, including Sen. Robert Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat accused of doing political favors in exchange for contributions and other gifts from a Florida eye doctor.
The ruling also spares McDonnell from having to report to prison to serve a two-year sentence. Prosecutors could seek to put McDonnell on trial again but with different jury instructions on the definition of corruption.
In sending the case back, the unanimous opinion cuts the heart out of the government’s case against McDonnell. The ruling narrows the definition of “an official act,” and in so doing would make it very hard for the government to retry the case.
Related: Supreme Court Hears Former Virginia Governor's Bribery Appeal
“Setting up a meeting, hosting an event, or calling an official (or agreeing to do so) merely to talk about a research study or to gather additional information,” does not meet the definition, the court wrote.
The government claimed that when McDonnell performed those kinds of actions, in return for gifts and cash, he was violating the law.
McDonnell said the ruling made for "a day in which my family and I rejoice and give thanks.
"From the outset, I strongly asserted my innocence before God and under the law. I have not, and would not, betray the sacred trust the people of Virginia bestowed upon me during 22 years in elected office," he said in a written statement.
A jury convicted him in 2014 on a host of federal bribery charges for accepting $175,000 in money and luxury goods from a Virginia businessman who wanted help getting two state universities to conduct research on a diet supplement.
The businessman wrote checks to help McDonnell pay credit card and real estate debts and cover the cost of catering his daughter's wedding. Among the gifts were a Rolex watch, $20,000 worth of designer clothes for McDonnell's wife, Maureen, and the use of a country club, a vacation home, and a Ferrari sports car.
None of those favors were illegal under Virginia law, which had no limit on gifts or loans given to public officials. But McDonnell was charged with violating federal anti-corruption statutes.
Related: Former First Couple of Virginia Puts Hopes in U.S. Supreme Court
McDonnell's defense lawyers maintained that there was no bribery because the governor never actually used the power of the his office to help the businessman — who never got anything in return.
The defense wanted the judge to tell the jurors that they were to decide whether what McDonnell did "was intended to or did in fact influence a specific official decision the government actually makes."
At most, his lawyers said, all he did was set up a few meetings for the businessman but never pressured state officials to help. "Mere ingratiation and access are not corruption," the defense said.
Related: Supreme Court to Hear Corruption Appeal From Former Virginia Governor
But the Justice Department rejected McDonnell's notion that a public official can be prosecuted for accepting money only in return for some formal action or direct pressure exerted on others. The range of official duty includes an office holder's exercise of influence over decisions made by others, the government said.
Justice Department lawyers warned that a ruling for McDonnell could scale back the reach of federal bribery laws.
Monday's ruling is sure to be cited by lawyers for other public officials facing corruption trials.
A federal judge in New York postponed the date on which two former New York state legislators must begin serving their sentences for corruption. Their lawyers said a ruling for McDonnell could affect their appeals.
Federal prosecutors in New York said the ruling should not affect those cases.
"While we are reviewing the McDonnell decision, the official actions that led to the convictions of Sheldon Silver and Dean Skelos fall squarely within the definition set forth by the Supreme Court today,” said James Margolin, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan.
An appeal filed by McDonnell's wife, Maureen, who was also convicted, was on hold pending the Supreme Court's decision in his case.Plans to make job seekers apply for 40 jobs a month have been abandoned following an angry backlash.
The federal government had wanted the tougher regime to work alongside another contentious budget measure which would force some young job seekers under 30 to wait six months before receiving the dole.
Minister for Employment Eric Abetz says the backflip shows the government is listening to feedback. Credit:Peter Mathew
But Minister for Employment Eric Abetz confirmed on Tuesday the government "has made some changes" to the scheme and will now keep the required number of monthly job applications to the current rate of 20.
Senator Abetz told the ABC the government had listened to the community and accepted forcing the unemployed to apply for 40 positions a month could "diminish" the value of genuine job applications.Last Thursday, Deputy Attorney General James Cole issued a long-awaited memo laying out the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) policy on state marijuana laws. At my office at Americans for Safe Access, we were all experiencing a kind of déjà-vu as the emails started flooding in. However, our excitement began to diminish as we read through the details.
Flashback
As a medical cannabis advocate, I started 2009 with Obama's "Hope" in my veins. The Obama's administration made supportive statements from the beginning, including that the President was "not going to be using Justice Department resources to try to circumvent state laws." And in October 2009, medical cannabis advocates got the policy document we had been waiting for, with a memo issued to U.S. Attorneys by then-Deputy Attorney General David Ogden:
"As a general matter, pursuit of these priorities should not focus federal resources in your States on individuals whose actions are in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state laws providing for the medical use of marijuana."
With this legal guidance, advocates, community members, and officials spent thousands of hours drafting compassionate legislation and strict regulations in at least eleven states. But when legislators and other state and local officials came close to passing or implementing these laws, they received threatening letters from U.S. attorneys.
The impact of threats made by U.S. Attorneys against public officials was the suspension or derailment of medical marijuana laws in the States of Arizona, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Montana, Rhode Island, and Washington followed by an intense campaign of raids, threats to landlords, and asset forfeiture lawsuits.
Instead of reigning in his U.S. Attorneys, the Obama Administration instead released the first Cole Memo, issued in 2011 by Deputy Attorney General Cole, laying out an ostensibly new interpretation of the Obama Administration's policy. This launched an attack on the medical cannabis community unprecedented in its scope, undermining state laws and coercing local lawmakers.
Despite the lack of a strong statewide dispensary regulatory system in California, many municipalities took steps to implement strong local regulations. In response to their proactive efforts to protect patients and best serve the community, U.S. Attorneys have gone out of their way to stop regulations from moving forward
On August 15, 2011, the Eureka City Council received a letter from Melinda Haag, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California, threatening that its regulation of medical marijuana dispensaries violated federal law. Specifically, the letter said:
"If the City of Eureka were to proceed, this office would consider injunctive actions, civil fines, criminal prosecution, and the forfeiture of any property used to facilitate a violation of [federal law]."
Because of these threats, the City of Eureka has suspended implementation of its local ordinance.
Not satisfied with intimidating local officials, the U.S. Attorneys from California soon announced a campaign to undermine the state's production and distribution system, using raids, criminal prosecutions and asset forfeiture against state compliant medical marijuana operations. As part of this ongoing campaign, U.S. Attorneys are threatening landlords of medical marijuana businesses with criminal and civil action if they do not evict their tenants. U.S. Attorneys in California have also begun forfeiture proceedings against a handful of property owners.
Fast Forward
Fast forward to Thursday, when the second Cole Memo was issued. Notably, this memo stated that a strong and effective regulatory system could avert the kind of federal interference happening in California.
"As explained above, however, both the existence of a strong and effective state regulatory system and an operation's compliance with such a system may allay the threat that an operation's size poses to federal enforcement interests."
However, what about efforts by the DOJ to derail local dispensary ordinances in California?
Shortly after reading the second Cole Memo, we received word from Washington State on how their U.S. Attorney was interpreting it. Seattle U.S. Attorney for Western Washington Jenny Durkan said in a statement Thursday that the Cole memo changed nothing about her so-far aggressive response to medical marijuana in her state:
"[C]ontinued operation and proliferation of unregulated, for-profit entities outside of the state's regulatory and licensing scheme is not tenable and violates both state and federal law."
At this point, I was fuming. In 2011, U.S. Attorney Durkan and her fellow U.S. Attorney for Eastern Washington, Michael Ormsby, issued the following threat letter to then-Governor Christine Gregoire shortly after the Washington legislature passed a comprehensive medical marijuana dispensary bill:
"The Washington legislative proposals will create a licensing scheme that permits large-scale marijuana cultivation and distribution. This would authorize conduct contrary to federal law and thus, would undermine the federal government's efforts to regulate possession, manufacturing, and trafficking of controlled substances. Accordingly, the Department could consider civil and criminal legal remedies regarding those who set up marijuana growing facilities and dispensaries as they will be doing so in violation of federal law. Others who knowingly facilitate the actions of the licensees, including property owners, landlords, and financiers should also know that their conduct violates federal law. In addition, state employees who conducted activities mandated by the Washington legislative proposals would not be immune from liability under the [Controlled Substances Act] (my emphasis). Potential actions the Department could consider include injunctive actions to prevent cultivation and distribution of marijuana and other associated violations of the CSA; civil fines' criminal prosecution; and the forfeiture of any property used to facilitate a violation of the CSA."
The actions that the Department of Justice has taken towards the Washington State medical program since 2011 can only be described as cynical and calculating. In summary, Washington legislators took the proactive step in 2011 to pass a comprehensive medical marijuana dispensary program, but threats made by U.S. Attorneys caused the governor to veto the dispensary portions of the law...a law that would have put Washington in compliance with the guidelines set forth in the second Cole Memo. Now, U.S. Attorney Durkan has announced |
July, when he announced he had finished an investigation into whether Clinton had mishandled classified information during her tenure as secretary of state. He recommended she not be charged.
DOJ officials said that Lynch and Comey did not have a direct conversation about Comey’s decision to inform lawmakers of newly discovered emails.
The emails, which number in the thousands, were found on a computer used by Weiner, now under investigation after allegedly sending sexually explicit messages to a minor, and top Clinton aide Huma Abedin, who is Weiner’s wife. The two recently separated.
The emails may duplicate some of those already reviewed, and officials still are not sure of their significance. While the FBI had legal authority to search Weiner’s laptop for evidence related to his case of sexting a minor, it could not seize emails related to the Clinton server case. That would require a separate search warrant or the consent of the people whose emails were gathered.
Comey said that once FBI officials decided to review the newly discovered batch of emails found on the Weiner computer, and examine its significance to the Clinton investigation, the law enforcement activity would soon become public.
“How would that look?” an official asked. “And how do you then explain it? What impact would that have had to hold onto this information for a couple of weeks?”
[Read the letter Comey sent to FBI employees explaining his decision]
Michael Vatis, a former senior Justice Department official who is now a partner at Steptoe & Johnson, said Comey was probably trying to be transparent. But “transparency is not the foremost value in investigations. Fairness is,” he said.
“His statement has, quite predictably, been blown out of proportion and twisted into a signifier of some momentous discovery, when in fact, the new emails may turn out to reveal nothing new at all,” he said. “That’s not fair to Clinton.”
A 2012 Justice Department memo sent by Holder during the last presidential race said employees “must be particularly sensitive to safeguarding the Department’s reputation for fairness, neutrality, and nonpartisanship.”
The memo advised that if an employee was “faced with a question regarding the timing of charges or overt investigative steps near the time of a primary or general election,” the employee should contact the department’s public integrity section “for further guidance.”
An expert on legal ethics, Stephen Gillers of New York University School of Law said he was disturbed by Comey’s conduct during this election season.
“Comey’s July press conference was wrong, and now he has doubled down,” Gillers said. “The FBI’s job is to gather information for and make a recommendation to DOJ lawyers, not to hold press conferences and characterize the evidence. Tolerating that conduct from an FBI director sets a terrible precedent.”
Adam Entous, Jenna Johnson and Matt Zapotosky contributed to this report.
Read more:
Computer seized in Weiner probe prompts FBI to take new steps in Clinton email inquiry
FBI Director James B. Comey’s must-watch testimony from 2007Story highlights A veterans group demands a criminal investigation of medical center practices
1,700 veterans will be contacted by the end of business Friday, a VA official says
VA Secretary Eric Shinseki is on ''thin ice'' with Obama, a White House official says
The scope widens, with 42 medical centers now under investigation
At least 1,700 military veterans waiting to see a doctor were never scheduled for an appointment and were never placed on a wait list at the Veterans Affairs medical center in Phoenix, raising the question of just how many may have been "forgotten or lost" in the system, according to a preliminary report made public Wednesday.
Describing a "systemic" practice of manipulating appointments and wait lists at the Phoenix Health Care System, the VA's Office of Inspector General called for a nationwide review to determine whether veterans at other locations were falling through the cracks.
It also appears to indicate the scope of the inquiry is rapidly widening, with 42 VA medical centers across the country now under investigation for possible abuse of scheduling practices, according to the report.
JUST WATCHED Scathing report released on VA scandal Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH Scathing report released on VA scandal 02:57
Among the findings at the Phoenix VA, investigators determined one consequence of manipulating appointments for the veterans was understating patient wait times -- a factor considered for VA employee bonuses and raises, the report said.
The preliminary report sparked outrage from all corners, with Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki calling the findings "reprehensible" and ordering the 1,700 veterans be immediately "triaged" for care, while some lawmakers called for the agency's chief to resign.
Shinseki has been on "probation" since President Barack Obama vowed last week to hold accountable those responsible for the delays, and he remains on "thin ice" with the President pending the outcome of the internal investigations, a White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told CNN.
The VA is under fire over allegations of alarming shortcomings at its medical facilities. The controversy, as CNN first reported, involves delayed care with potentially fatal consequences in possibly dozens of cases.
CNN has reported that in Phoenix, the VA used fraudulent record-keeping -- including an alleged secret list -- that covered up excessive waiting periods for veterans, some of whom died in the process.
JUST WATCHED McCain: Time for Shinseki to move on Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH McCain: Time for Shinseki to move on 04:32
JUST WATCHED Report: 1,700 vets left off VA wait list Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH Report: 1,700 vets left off VA wait list 02:56
JUST WATCHED VA Whistleblower tells his story Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH VA Whistleblower tells his story 11:07
JUST WATCHED Jay Carney on CNN and VA scandal Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH Jay Carney on CNN and VA scandal 00:49
'Numerous allegations'
The big questions remain under investigation, according to the report: Did the facility's electronic wait list omit the names of veterans waiting for care and, if so, at who's direction?
And were the deaths of any of these veterans related to delays in care?
"To date our work has substantiated serious conditions at the Phoenix facility," said the report, which also found another 1,400 veterans were on the Phoenix VA's formal electronic wait list but did not have a doctor's appointment.
The report also found "numerous allegations" of "daily of mismanagement, inappropriate hiring decisions, sexual harassment, and bullying behavior by mid- and senior-level managers."
Calling the report's initial findings "damning," House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller, R-Florida, said "you can only imagine" what might come out once a fuller investigation is completed.
The investigation is expected to be completed later this summer, with a final report issued by the VA inspector general in August.
The report's findings prompted the American Legion to call for a criminal investigation.
"We want every VA employee who participated in these cover-ups to be investigated and prosecuted to the full extent of the law..." the veterans group said in a written statement.
The U.S. Department of Justice is reviewing the interim report, Peter Carr, a Justice Department spokesman, said. "We will continue to consult with the inspector general's office regarding their ongoing review," he said.
Calls for Shinseki's resignation
Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican, told CNN it was "about time" the Justice Department launched its own investigation.
"I haven't said this before, but I think it's time for Gen. Shinseki to move on," McCain said.
There have been calls from other members of Congress for him to step down over the scandal, but McCain's voice on military matters carries enormous weight considering his experience as a combat veteran, a Vietnam prisoner of war, and his work in the Senate on related issues.
A number of Senate Democrats, all up for re-election this year, also called for Shinseki to leave his post.
Among them was Sen. Mark Udall of Colorado who took to Twitter with his message: "In light of IG report & systemic issues at @DeptVetAffairs, Sec. Shinseki must step down."
Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota said a change in leadership is needed.
"I believe it would be in the best interest of veterans for Secretary Shinseki to step down," he said.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire said "fundamental problems plague the agency."
"It's time for a forceful new leader to address the outrageous problems at the VA," she said.
Deputy National Security Adviser Tony Blinken told CNN that President Barack Obama has been briefed on the report, and found it "deeply troubling."
When pressed on whether Obama still supports Shinseki, Blinken said: "We're focused on making sure these veterans who've delivered for this country get the care they need."
IG: 'Take immediate action'
The VA has acknowledged 23 deaths nationwide due to delayed care. The VA's inspector general, Richard Griffin, told a Senate committee in recent weeks that his investigation so far had found a possible 17 deaths of veterans waiting for care in Phoenix, but he added that there was no evidence that excessive waiting was the reason.
Griffin recommended that Shinseki "take immediate action" to "review and provide appropriate health care" to the 1,700 veterans identified in Phoenix as not being on a wait list.
It also recommended that he initiate a nationwide review of waiting lists "to ensure that veterans are seen in an appropriate time, given their clinical condition."
The report came just hours before the start of a combative House committee hearing on the Phoenix VA issues, where Republican and Democratic leaders said they were dissatisfied with the VA's response to their panel's subpoena for documents on shortcomings related at the agency's Phoenix medical center.
"Veterans died. Give us the answers, please," Jeff Miller, a Florida Republican, told one of three senior VA officials called to testify.
The committee's senior Democrat, Michael Michaud of Maine, was equally sharp with the witnesses, who initially sparred with lawmakers over the agency's response for documents before answering questions about Phoenix.
"Let me be clear, I'm not happy. We do expect answers. We'll get to the bottom of this," Michaud said.
Dr. Thomas Lynch, the VA's assistant deputy under secretary for clinical operations, told the committee there are plans in place to contact the 1,700 veterans in Phoenix by the close of business on Friday to assess their needs and get them care.
Lynch, who said he agreed with the interim report's findings, believes that overarching agency goals for reducing wait times for care are flawed.
"What's happened is unacceptable," he said.Mario Gaspar is a right-back for La Liga side Villarreal
England slumped to their first defeat in 16 games as they were comfortably beaten by Spain in Alicante.
Roy Hodgson's side breezed through their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign with 10 straight wins - but this friendly was a reality check as their flaws were exposed by the reigning champions.
England held out for 72 minutes until Mario scored with a superb acrobatic finish from Cesc Fabregas' cross before Arsenal's Santi Cazorla slotted in a late second.
It was a harsh lesson for England and evidence of the gap they must bridge before France next summer, their misery increasing when Michael Carrick was taken off on a stretcher in stoppage time.
A serious test - how did England fare?
Not very well.
This was a chance for England to make a mark against quality opposition but where was the ambition in manager Roy Hodgson's game plan? If there was any serious attacking ambition - and this was a friendly after all - it was difficult to detect.
England emerged from this friendly, against significantly tougher opposition than any they faced in their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign, with little credit.
Spain looked a class above an experimental line-up and at times England looked in awe, sitting back as the passing 'carousel' constructed by players of the pedigree of Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets weaved its way around them.
If England can take something away from this defeat, it is that this was a brutal example of what they need to overcome if they hope to make an impact at the sharp end of next summer's European Championship.
While mistakes may go unpunished against the likes of Lithuania, San Marino and Estonia, there is no margin for error when they face a team of the calibre of Spain.
Hodgson's selection puzzle
England's manager is fond of the combinations in his team - and this was surely a chance missed to road test a partnership that could be vital in France next summer.
There was general astonishment when the team-sheet landed and Manchester United duo Chris Smalling and Phil Jones were paired in central defence, meaning Everton's John Stones was absent.
Hodgson appears keen to get Jones into his side in a variety of positions - but he surely cannot be seriously considered as a potential starter in France.
Stones is emerging as a player of genuine class, so it was a puzzle that he was not paired with the rapidly-maturing Smalling in what may well be Hodgson's first-choice selection next summer.
Harry Kane justified his selection up front but the likes of Fabian Delph and Kyle Walker suggested they will be shadow squad men and not much more.
And what a miserable night for Carrick, given the chance to show he can influence England games against opposition of elite standard.
As so often in a strangely disappointing England career, he disappeared into complete anonymity, his misery completed by a late injury.
How are the reigning champions shaping up?
Spain may not be the side that ruled world football in that golden era between 2008 and 2012 when they claimed the European Championship twice and the World Cup but they still have quality to spare.
When you look at their bench and see David de Gea, Juan Mata, Pedro, Koke and Santi Cazorla - and they were without the injured David Silva, Sergio Ramos, Isco and Juanfran - it speaks eloquently of their class.
One big problem is finding a striker. Chelsea's Diego Costa has yet to make his mark at this level and that struggle continued here.
How the Gaspar goal was scored
Mario Gaspar had his back to goal when Cesc Fabregas chipped the ball up to him on the edge of the area
In one motion, he leapt up off the ground, spun and let fly with an acrobatic volley
The ball looped over Joe Hart's despairing dive and into the far corner of the net
Gaspar could not believe his own strike but now has two goals in two appearances for his country
Spain were delighted, England were dejected
What next?
England host France in a friendly at Wembley on Tuesday, while Spain are away to Belgium on the same day.
What they said
England manager Roy Hodgson:
"If you really want to keep your unbeaten record going, playing Spain away isn't one of your best decisions. Especially with so many players unavailable. But it was a game we wanted.
"There are lessons that we have to learn. We played a very strong Spanish team, they deservedly won the game. Our confidence won't be too badly dented.
"We hope we don't take it to heart that we lost to a good team after a good 70 minutes.
"We have to make certain that we learn our lessons from the game but I have no reason to be hyper-critical of the players."
Spain boss Vicente del Bosque:
"I think we have been a bit lucky and we have given a bit more than the England team at the moment.
"This is a good win for Spain. We could say this was a prestige result against an England team who were very strong and very threatening every time they crossed over the line into our half of the pitch.
"We defended well and were strong against a team who were, once again, were very strong and very threatening."A bleep censor is the replacement of a profanity or classified information with a beep sound (usually a (help·info) ) in television and radio.
History [ edit ]
Censor boxes, such as the one above, may be used along with the bleeps so that the audience would not lip read the swearer's words. Above, the cartoon says "Oh-", followed by the censor.
Bleeping has been used for many years as a means of censoring TV programs to remove content not deemed suitable for "family" or "daytime" viewing and personal information for privacy. The bleep censor is a software module, manually operated by a broadcast technician. A bleep is sometimes accompanied by a digital blur or box over the speaker's mouth in cases where the removed speech may still be easily understood by lip reading.
On closed caption subtitling, bleeped words are usually represented by the phrase "(bleep)", sometimes the phrase "[expletive]" or "[censored]", occasionally hyphens (e.g. f—k f---), and sometimes asterisks (e.g. ****, f***, f**k, f*ck, f#@k or f#@%), remaining faithful to the audio track. Where open captions are used (generally in instances where the speaker is not easily understood), a blank is used where the word is bleeped. Occasionally, bleeping is not reflected in the captions, allowing the unedited dialogue to be seen. Sometimes, a "black bar" can be seen for closed caption bleep.
Bleeping is normally only used in unscripted programs – documentaries, radio features, panel games etc. – since scripted drama and comedy are designed to suit the time of broadcast. In the case of comedies, most bleeping may be for humorous purposes, and other sound effects may be substituted for the bleep tone for comical effect, examples of which include a slide whistle, an infant's cooing, dolphin noises, or a spring "boing".
Other uses of bleep censoring may include reality television and daytime talk shows, where identifying information such as ages, surnames, addresses/hometowns, phone numbers and attempts to advertise a personal business without advanced or appropriate notice will be silenced or bleeped to maintain the subject's privacy (such as seen for subjects arrested in episodes of COPS).
When films are edited for daytime TV, broadcasters usually prefer not to bleep swearing, but cut out the segment containing it, replace the speech with different words, or cover it with silence or a sound effect. In the first example, the film may (unintentionally) become nonsensical or confusing if the removed portion contains an element important to the plot. The bleep is sometimes used for privacy reasons, concealing confidential information such as names and addresses. Bleep censors often appear in film as part of the story or strictly as a stylistic effect, for example during Johanna Mason's interview in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, or during Tony Stark's meeting with Senator Stern in Iron Man 2.
Bleeping is commonly used in English-language and Japanese-language broadcasting, but is sometimes/rarely used in some other languages (such as Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, Icelandic, Filipino, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Polish, Russian, and Thai), displaying the varying attitudes between countries; some are more liberal towards swearing, less inclined to use strong profanities in front of a camera in the first place, or unwilling to censor. In the Philippines and Ecuador, undubbed movies on television have profanity muted instead of bleeped. In addition, some television and cinematic productions work around the requirement of a censor bleep by writing dialogue in a language that the intended audience is unlikely to understand (for example, Joss Whedon's Firefly used untranslated Chinese curses to avoid being 'bleeped').
Regulations [ edit ]
Advertising in the United Kingdom [ edit ]
Television and radio commercials are not allowed to use bleeps to obscure swearing under BACC/CAP guidelines. However, this does not apply to program trailers or cinema advertisements and "fuck" is beeped out of two cinema advertisements for Johnny Vaughan's Capital FM show and the cinema advertisement for the Family Guy season 5 DVD. An advert for esure insurance released in October 2007 uses the censor bleep, as well as a black star placed over the speaker's mouth, to conceal the name of a competitor company the speaker said she used to use. The Comedy Central advert for South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut had a version of "Kyle's Mom's a Bitch" where vulgarities were bleeped out, though the movie itself did not have censorship, and was given a 15 rating, despite a high amount of foul language.
A Barnardo's ad, released in summer 2007, has two versions: one where a boy can be heard saying "fuck off" four times which is restricted to "18" rated cinema screenings, and one where a censor bleep sound obscures the profanity which is still restricted to "15" and "18" rated films.[1] Neither is permitted on UK television.
Trailers for programs containing swearing are usually bleeped until well after the watershed, and it is very rare for any trailer to use the most severe swearwords uncensored.
The UK version of the Adventureland Red Band trailer (the version shown in cinemas) which showed before Funny People and Drag Me to Hell when it was out in UK cinemas had the profanities bleeped out in order to have a 15 certificate.
United States [ edit ]
The Federal Communications Commission has the right to regulate indecent broadcasts. However, the FCC does not actively monitor television broadcasts for indecency violations, nor does it keep a record of television broadcasts. Reports must be documented exclusively by the public and submitted in written form, whether by traditional letter or e-mail.
The FCC is allowed to enforce indecency laws during 6 a.m. – 10 p.m. local time.[2] In addition, for network broadcasts, offensive material seen during watershed in one time zone may be subject to fines and prosecution for stations in earlier time zones: for instance, a program with offensive content broadcast at 10 p.m. Eastern Time/Mountain may fall out of watershed at 9 p.m. Central Time/Pacific Time. To compensate, a channel may only air uncensored material after 1 a.m. Eastern Time so that the broadcast is out of watershed in the contiguous United States.
Cable and satellite channels are subject to regulations on what the FCC considers "obscenity," but are exempt from the FCC's "indecency" and "profanity" regulations, though many police themselves, mainly to appeal to advertisers who would be averse to placing their ads on their programs.
See also [ edit ]Heavy fighting in eastern Ukraine has killed civilians on both side, while an attempt to reopen peace talks in neighbouring Belarus was aborted before it began.
As the main rebel stronghold Donetsk reverberated with heavy artillery fire on Friday, two rebel delegates flew to the Belarus capital Minsk to announce that planned talks were off before flying back to Moscow.
The talks would have been the first since a five-month-old ceasefire collapsed with a rebel advance last week.
In Donetsk, salvoes from multiple rocket launchers and heavier thuds from artillery came from the direction of the airport, a constant battlefield.
A Reuters cameraman in the city saw four covered bodies near a cultural centre hit by artillery and a fifth dead person in a badly damaged car nearby. A woman was weeping by one of the bodies. Aid was being distributed at the centre when the shell struck.
Half a mile away, a sixth dead person lay where a trolleybus had been hit. The separatists said the total death toll in those two strikes was seven.
Kiev said Friday’s shelling of Donetsk was carried out by the rebels themselves to ruin the chance of peace talks. Both sides have made similar allegations throughout the conflict, which are impossible to verify.
“We are already used to this artillery and there’s nothing we can do about it. Our boys are defending us,” said Alla, a shopkeeper in downtown Donetsk.
The head of Ukraine’s regional police said in a Facebook post that seven other civilians had been killed and 10 injured as a result of fighting in and around the government-held small towns of Debaltseve and Vuhlehirsk, focus of the rebel advance.
Water and electricity have been cut off in the towns, where government garrisons are all but encircled by rebel fighters.
Kiev’s military said five of its servicemen had been killed and 23 wounded in fighting in the past 24 hours, describing the situation in the conflict zone as hard.
“They are repeatedly using Grad [missiles], artillery, mortars, tanks and rocket launchers,” spokesman Andriy Lysenko said in a televised briefing. “The fiercest fighting continues around the town of Vuhlehirsk. After mass artillery attacks, the terrorists repeatedly stormed Ukrainian army checkpoints.”
The past week has seen by far the worst fighting in Ukraine since the ceasefire was signed five months ago, with the rebels announcing an offensive that Kiev says amounts to a full repudiation of the truce.
Nato and Kiev accuse Russia of sending thousands of troops to support the rebel advance with heavy weapons and tanks. Moscow denies it is directly involved in fighting over territory that the Kremlin refers to as “New Russia”.
EU foreign ministers agreed at an emergency meeting on Thursday to extend economic sanctions against Russia for another six months. Washington has promised to tighten its own sanctions, which have helped feed an economic crisis in Russia.
The arrival of rebel negotiators in Minsk, where last year’s ceasefire was first reached as part of a peace deal in September, was the first sign of a reopening of negotiations since the rebels launched their latest advance.
But neither Kiev nor Moscow confirmed that they were ready for talks, and one of the rebel officials, Denis Pushilin, swiftly announced they were heading back to Moscow. He said the rebels were prepared to press on with their offensive and seize more territory if artillery continues to fall on Donetsk and other cities they control.
“If shelling resumes, then we reserve for ourselves the right to continue the offensive and go to the very borders of Donetsk and Luhansk regions,” he said, referring to the two provinces where separatists have declared people’s republics.It said much about Boris Johnson’s eight-year performance as mayor of London that when the reviews came in, the highlight was often a fleet of buses. Designed by Thomas Heatherwick to satisfy some nostalgic, icon-hungry mayoral whim, they were widely taken at their instigator’s word to be an awe-inspiring success story, as well as one in the eye for “doubters”.
“They said I was mad,” Johnson crowed in 2013, in one of the Telegraph columns in which he would occasionally conduct an auto work appraisal, finding himself quite brilliant. Stop talking the buses down! He had seen Heatherwick’s bus, “a masterpiece of design”, being made. “I felt a sense of awe, and the deep certainty that this was the most wonderful project I had ever been involved in.” And given what he has done to his country since, that could indeed be the best epitaph he can expect.
Three years and the latest heatwave on, consumer experience confirms that the New Routemasters are definitely among the most amazing and extraordinary buses ever designed. Their windows, unlike those on standard buses, do not open. Their air conditioning is a disaster. Last week, the number of piteous, furious tweets from trapped commuters suggested that, three months since he stepped down, assessments of Johnson’s mayoral achievements may, like his buses, require urgent retro-fitting. “Hades” was a typical description. “Sauna”. “A special circle of hell. Send help”.
Passenger torment has intensified since the Routemasters, which came equipped with rear doors, an exemplary exercise in risk-taking, according to Johnson, stopped using conductors and ended up much like any other bus, albeit with no ventilation and in terms of galloping obsolescence up there with the iPhone. None, contrary to Johnson’s doubter-defying sales patter, has been exported. The new mayor, Sadiq Khan, has ruled out further orders.
If Johnson’s roving saunas are as unlikely to fascinate non-Londoners as they are Mr Johnson, given he is a cyclist with no reputation now worth losing, the huge gap between the sweaty hell of these vehicles and their comical overselling, should maybe focus minds on another mayoral first, his “garden bridge”. Unlike the London buses, this new masterpiece of Johnson-Heatherwick design is already, thanks to George Osborne, due to dun all taxpayers, not just Londoners, out of at least £30m of its estimated £175m cost. It will, however, still be closed for private parties.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Taken for a ride? Boris Johnson on the platform of Thomas Heatherwick’s new London Routemaster in 2011. Photograph: Jonathan Hordle/REX Shutterstock
As tempting as it is to see the coming, river-hogging calamity as an ultimate demonstration in manspreading by its leading frontbench proponent, Johnson’s last fuck you to the city he has already defaced with hundreds of towers (overturning earlier assurances about the “precious skyline”), it is only fair to emphasise that its true begetter is Joanna Lumley.
As detailed in the Architects’ Journal, it was Ab Fab’s Patsy, with her grand projet hat on, who urged the newly re-elected mayor, in 2012, to look at a plan dear to her and fellow bridge fan Thomas Heatherwick. The structure was no less ridiculous, back then, for having cycle lanes (since abandoned), since it was already in the wrong place. A bridge was and is needed east of Tower Bridge, not close to existing crossings, in a central tourist trap.
But maybe it’s not so amazing that this particular whim was not immediately interred in the file dedicated to lovable A-list nuisances, or put out to tender to Lumley’s fellow actors, so as to compare it with, say, Helen Mirren’s Johnson-shaped colossus, Judi Dench’s entwined lovers sculpture, “Amitie Amoureuse”, or Felicity Kendal’s scheme for a massive triumphal arch, on the historic spot where he first saw the merits of Brexit. Lumley explained later: “I’ve known Boris since he was four, so he was largely quite amenable.”
The Architects Journal (alongside fine work from Rowan Moore, our architectural critic) has detailed the deeply suspect-looking process whereby the Lumley project, despite being spurious, aesthetically, environmentally and socially offensive, closed overnight, and a drain, in the belt-tightening era, on public funds, was finally handed to the original Lumley partner, Thomas Heatherwick. As for Johnson, the Lorenzo de Medici of the omnibus and cable car world, he declared it a “fantastic new landmark”. His colleague, the recently sacked art lover Ed Vaizey, called it “a fantastic vision”. Osborne, chucking in £30m, called it “iconic”.
Now, though, London is, at last, free of Johnson and the treasury of Osborne, yet their fantastic and iconic wheezes survive. Mysteriously, unlike the Cameron-era personnel and political strategies jettisoned overnight by Theresa May, Johnson’s bridge and Osborne’s infinitely more wasteful folly HS2 seem to have acquired, perhaps through familiarity, almost respectable status, for all the world as if they were not absurd vanity projects, backed principally by industry and hobbyists.
Sadiq Khan has pledged only to pause the supply of public funds, pending further investigation into the bridge, whose business plan, prepared along time-honoured Brexit lines, factors in a fortune in voluntary donations, from grateful pedestrians. Assuming pavements have not been missing a trick all these years, the shortfall will presumably be filled by taxpayers, bridge using and not. “The primary objective,” one analyst, Dan Anderson, commented last week, “is to get it built and the future will sort itself out.”
Facebook Twitter Pinterest HS2: George Osborne asked whether it would be visible from outer space. Photograph: HS2/PA
A not dissimilar philosophy appears to sustain the champions of HS2, as they ignore relentless, well-informed criticism from, among others, the National Audit Office, the public accounts committee, the Institute for Economic Affairs and, in May, a group of academic transport specialists. Adam Mills, the former chairman of Eurostar, called the economics “away with the fairies”.
Given the continued overcrowding on northern commuter networks due to be unalleviated by HS2, their passengers also appreciate, more painfully than most, how much less their difficulties signified in the chancellor’s infrastructure-addled mind than how quickly a businessperson could retreat from Leeds to the safety of the garden bridge. In his chastening long read, Simon Jenkins quoted an observer: for Osborne, the question was: “Could it be visible from outer space?”
A supporter of the bridge has argued that people only dislike it because it was championed by Johnson. That’s not actually true, but even if the bridge did not come to us from the Chelsea Flower Show school of naff horticultural fantasy, wouldn’t the foreign secretary’s endorsement, by itself, be reason to panic? From Michael Gove and New Routemasters, to Brexit and the debt we owe to (“Bravo!”) Assad, he’s been wrong about everything else. There’s an Ozymandias argument to made for immortalising Johnson’s serial misjudgments, but on this scale?
Similarly, it looks eccentric for Theresa May to humble George Osborne, ditch his policies, dump his tax and spending plans, then not divest her government, before it burns through the estimated £56bn, of the railway he planned for his legacy. Even if it is now this country’s fate to delight the rest of the world with one idiocy after another, it’s not too late to scrap Johnson’s bridge and Osborne’s train and pretend they never happened.Wynonna Earp‘s younger sister Waverly has had an exciting — and worrisome — couple of weeks. She crossed a big romantic milestone with her cop girlfriend Nicole Haught, showed off her amazing cheerleading skills, and now, she’s displaying her impressive vocal range.
As you can see in the exclusive clip below, the younger possibly not-Earp has taken it upon herself to go undercover at a local club. This might not end well: Not only is she possessed by whatever slime came out of the tentacle that made an appearance late last season, but now a Black Badge agent has been attacked in town — and his briefcase could fall into the wrong hands.
Watch the clip above, and then watch Wynonna Earp Friday at 10 p.m. ET on Syfy. After the episode, check back in with EW for our regular weekly postmortems.ANALYSIS/OPINION:
Recent articles have reported on an unearthed video from 1947 of Margaret Sanger demanding “no more babies” for 10 years in developing countries. A couple of years ago, Margaret Sanger was named one of Time magazine’s “20 Most Influential Americans of All Time.” Given her enduring influence, it’s worth considering what the woman who founded Planned Parenthood contributed to the eugenics movement.
Sanger shaped the eugenics movement in America and beyond in the 1930s and 1940s. Her views and those of her peers in the movement contributed to compulsory sterilization laws in 30 U.S. states that resulted in more than 60,000 sterilizations of vulnerable people, including people she considered “feeble-minded,” “idiots” and “morons.”
She even presented at a Ku Klux Klan rally in 1926 in Silver Lake, N.J. She recounted this event in her autobiography: “I accepted an invitation to talk to the women’s branch of the Ku Klux Klan … I saw through the door dim figures parading with banners and illuminated crosses … I was escorted to the platform, was introduced, and began to speak … In the end, through simple illustrations I believed I had accomplished my purpose. A dozen invitations to speak to similar groups were proffered” (Margaret Sanger, “An Autobiography,” Page 366). That she generated enthusiasm among some of America’s leading racists says something about the content and tone of her remarks.
In a letter to Clarence Gable in 1939, Sanger wrote: “We do not want word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population, and the minister is the man who can straighten out that idea if it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members” (Margaret Sanger commenting on the ‘Negro Project’ in a letter to Gamble, Dec. 10, 1939).
Her own words and television appearances leave no room for parsing. For example, she wrote many articles about eugenics in the journal she founded in 1917, the Birth Control Review. Her articles included “Some Moral Aspects of Eugenics” (June 1920), “The Eugenic Conscience” (February 1921), “The Purpose of Eugenics” (December 1924), “Birth Control and Positive Eugenics” (July 1925) and “Birth Control: The True Eugenics” (August 1928), to name a few.
The following are some of her more telling quotes:
“While I personally believe in the sterilization of the feeble-minded, the insane and syphilitic, I have not been able to discover that these measures are more than superficial deterrents when applied to the constantly growing stream of the unfit. They are excellent means of meeting a certain phase of the situation, but I believe in regard to these, as in regard to other eugenic means, that they do not go to the bottom of the matter.” (“Birth Control and Racial Betterment,” Feb. 1919, The Birth Control Review).
“Eugenics without birth control seems to us a house builded upon the sands. It is at the mercy of the rising stream of the unfit” (“Birth Control and Racial Betterment,” Feb. 1919, The Birth Control Review).
“Stop our national habit of human waste.” (“Woman and the New Race,” 1920, Chapter 6).
“By all means, there should be no children when either mother or father suffers from such diseases as tuberculosis, gonorrhea, syphilis, cancer, epilepsy, insanity, drunkenness and mental disorders. In the case of the mother, heart disease, kidney trouble and pelvic deformities are also a serious bar to childbearing No more children should be born when the parents, though healthy themselves, find that their children are physically or mentally defective.” (“Woman and the New Race,” 1920, Chapter 7).
“The main objects of the Population Congress would be to apply a stern and rigid policy of sterilization and segregation to that grade of population whose progeny is tainted, or whose inheritance is such that objectionable traits may be transmitted to offspring[;] to give certain dysgenic groups in our population their choice of segregation or sterilization.” (“A Plan for Peace,” 1932).
In a 1957 interview with Mike Wallace, Sanger revealed: “I think the greatest sin in the world is bringing children into the |
, David Frum, Ana Navarro, Tom Nichols, Charlie Sykes, and Max Boot.
Like the intellectuals of a half-century ago who developed qualms about liberalism but insisted they were still in the liberal camp, conservatives standing against Trump today still see themselves as being true to their old loyalties. Even so, between the mid-1960s and 1980, a large cadre of those liberal dissenters accepted that they were, in fact, conservatives. Something similar may be happening in the other direction as members of the anti-Trump right, battling against immoderation, irrationality, and irresponsibility, become ever more distant from their old allies and come to recognize the damage inflicted on contemporary conservatism by long-standing habits and impulses. Let’s call them “neomoderates.” They, too, could emerge as a major force in our politics and make a difference in our history by moving the country away from the far right. The progressive wing of the anti-Trump movement should not only welcome their witness but also engage them in seeking to create a politics that is less harsh, more intellectually honest, and more focused on solving the problems the Trump era has brought into such relief.
The anti-Trump movement may seem unusual because it is primarily directed against one man and his impulses. In fact, it is about much more than opposition and resistance. It is, and should be, driven by affirmation.
Consider the aspects of Trump’s persona and approach that incite such disquiet and rage: the ease with which he demonizes whole groups of Americans; his indifference to fact; his willingness to lie with impunity; his lack of even elementary knowledge or intellectual curiosity about policy; his proclivity toward shifting positions again and again; his quest to tote up “wins” without any concern about the content of the proposals he is pushing; his lack of any historical sense; his belief that everything is about a “deal”; and his refusal to acknowledge any need to separate his personal financial interests from his public duties.
Those riled by each of these traits and habits are, in their revulsion, affirming a series of moral and practical commitments and a vision of how a democratic republic is supposed to work. Lies and untruths are the enemy of honest democratic deliberation. Policymaking needs to be taken seriously because government matters. Being a politician of any sort—and especially being President—is a deadly serious responsibility and requires attention to detail and history, as well as a willingness to study and learn. To insist on these things is to demand that we restore our sense of the dignity and, yes, majesty of self-government. We need a new appreciation of what an extraordinary achievement it is. Trump’s rise was made possible by a long-term war on public life that cast public endeavor, the public sector, and public concerns as inferior to private striving and private interests.
This certainly resulted from elite failures and even elite self-enrichment. It also arose from a feeling within a large part of the public that its interests were not being properly represented. The exit polls in 2016 showed that 61 percent of voters believed Trump to be unqualified for the presidency—and about a sixth of these voters supported him anyway. This shows how deep the revulsion toward Washington, politics, and government runs. It also reflects the impact of approaches to politics that have demeaned public service and of a culture that no longer celebrates it. Politicians (and, it must be said, especially Republican politicians) have delegitimized government for political gain. Campaigns run by both parties have become a long-running advertisement against government. No one selling a commercial product treats competitors with a contempt even remotely like the insolence politicians demonstrate toward each other in their television ads and social media messages.
We are under no illusions that campaigns were once graceful affairs. “Politics ain’t beanbag” is a very old warning, and it has always been apt. Competition can bring out hostility. Still, while athletes may occasionally trash-talk each other, they treat their rivals far more respectfully than candidates treat their adversaries. Technologies—from television ads to the creation of fake news—have been used far more to denigrate, demean, and divide than to inform, ennoble, and unite.
And setting up a freely elected government as the enemy casts democracy as being little different from despotism. “Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us,” Franklin Roosevelt declared. “The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country.”
But we have forgotten, and this helped pave the way for a politician who sees little difference between a despot and a democratically elected President—who was willing to declare Vladimir Putin a better leader than Barack Obama. The fight against Trump is thus ultimately a fight to reclaim the dignity of public life and the honor of democratic politics.
The battle against Trump is also an affirmation of a very different vision of what the United States is and can be. The most disturbing aspect of Trumpism—beyond whatever we come to discover about his and his campaign’s relationship with Putin and Russia—is its dark pessimism about liberal democracy, an open society, and the achievements of the American Experiment. If the fruits of the American economy are not shared as fairly as they should be, the fact remains that the recovery of our economy after the Great Recession was a remarkable and insufficiently heralded achievement. As soon as he took office, Trump himself began taking credit for a recovery he had nothing to do with—and which, until January 20, 2017, he insisted had never occurred. We remain the strongest country on earth, and being hopeful about our nation’s capacities is not only truer to who we are, it is also the disposition that will serve us best in facing up to the problems confronted by Americans who are demanding a fair shot, a degree of security, and a better life for their children and grandchildren.
Trumpism ignores the ways in which liberal democracy has strengthened the power of the United States by establishing us, at our best moments, as an example of what freedom and self-rule can achieve.
Of course, there have been times of national exhaustion, particularly after inconclusive or mistaken wars. There is a widespread impatience with the role of the United States as “the world’s policeman,” and a realistic acknowledgment that our country cannot and will not intervene in all of the world’s trouble spots. But the alternative to promiscuous intervention is not wholesale withdrawal from our responsibilities. And, as we have argued, the paradox is that an “America First” foreign policy does not, in fact, put the interests of the United States first (as the country came to understand during and after World War II). American power and influence grew as a result of the extraordinary period of international institution-building in the postwar period. And the United States’s leadership in providing foreign and development aid through the Marshall Plan helped create a more prosperous and stable world—to our own benefit.
We are stronger with allies among like-minded democratic nations than we are on our own. We are also stronger when we do not pretend that autocratic regimes and nationalist movements will advance our interests in the long run. That Trump chose to offer his indirect endorsement of Marine Le Pen’s National Front during the French presidential campaign would at any other time have been a national scandal. The United States will necessarily deal with many sorts of powers in the world to keep the peace, and we have not always been true to our democratic commitments. But our deep sympathies for democratic systems, the rule of law, and minority rights should never be in doubt. Under Trump, they are.
Rejecting Trumpism means rejecting a wholesale rollback of our nation’s extraordinary progress toward equal rights—for African Americans, for women, for Latinos, for the LGBTQ community, for religious minorities, and for so many of our other fellow citizens. It means acknowledging that this progress is still incomplete and repudiating the idea that any airing of complaints about ongoing injustices is “political correctness.” An embrace of equal rights for racial minorities and women should not in any way foreclose the rights of working Americans who are white and male to the redress of their own legitimate grievances. Casting the white working class and racial or ethnic minority groups as enemies is the unspoken but very clear strategy of Trumpian politics. Down this path lies a repudiation of the American promise of a just and prosperous society that will allow all of our citizens, as Dr. King insisted, “to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.”
A broad and powerful movement has arisen to defeat Trump and Trumpism. From Virginia and New Jersey to Washington state, Georgia, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Maine, the November 2017 elections showed that the energy Trump has unleashed among those who loathe him has the potential to realign the country politically. The voting was a sign that anti-Trump groups were, like the Tea Party before them, capable of translating discontent into electoral power. Its further success will be a triumph worthy of celebration. But this is not just an end in itself; it is also an essential first step toward a new politics. It will be a politics that takes seriously the need to solve the problems that Trump has exposed. It will reclaim our country’s faith in the future and its natural inclination toward hope. And it will nurture our dedication to the raucous but ultimately unifying project of democratic self-government. For it is our shared commitment to republican institutions and democratic values that makes us one nation.« Work Continues on “Explosive” Interactive Queue at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad | Home | California Grill Closes Tomorrow For a New Look and a New Menu »
Posted on January 31, 2013
Disney has issued a formal statement to cast members about the roll-out of new RFID tickets this week as they prepare for the launch of MyMagic+:
As we convert our theme park entrances to touch points, single or multi-day tickets purchased at Vacation Planning and Guest Relations locations beginning Jan. 30 will be enabled with radio frequency (RF) technology. Guests with these tickets will be able to utilize the main entrance touch points to enter the parks as well as turnstiles.
The rollout of the new tickets will happen over several days, one park at a time. The tentative schedule is Disney’s Animal Kingdom on Jan. 30, Magic Kingdom on Jan. 31, Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios on Feb. 1 and Downtown Disney on Feb. 4. The remaining locations will follow.
These new single or multi-day tickets will be available onsite at Guest Relations and Vacation Planning locations. Guests who have the new tickets will be able to use the main entrance touch points as well as turnstiles. The tickets function just like the current tickets and Guests can still get FASTPASS tickets from the FASTPASS machines in our theme parks. The new tickets will be plastic and more durable than the current paper tickets. The tickets will have a green background to further help Cast Members and Guests differentiate between the ticket media types.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Can I use this ticket at the turnstiles?
A. Yes, this ticket works in the turnstiles and at the main entrance touch points.
Q. Will I still be able to get FASTPASS tickets from the FASTPASS machines?
A. Yes, this will work in the FASTPASS machines.
Q. I have an Annual Pass. Can I convert it to a ticket that works at the touch points?
A. You will be able to do this in the future. We value our Annual Passholders and want you to be among the first Guests to be able to experience MyMagic+. All Passholders will receive communication soon on how to convert their pass to become part of the MyMagic+ experience. When this exciting opportunity to convert your pass arrives, you’ll be able to enter our theme parks through the main entrance touch points.
Q. Why can’t I use my ticket at the new main entrance touch points?
A. Not all tickets are enabled to work at the main entrance touch points. We are in the process of converting our park entrances and also changing our tickets to be compatible with the main entrance touch points. Currently only Key to the World cards and single or multi-day tickets purchased onsite are compatible with the new touch points. All Guests can still utilize the turnstiles to enter our theme parks.Kevin Truong wants to create the biggest gay yearbook in the world. His Gay Men Project has been invited into the homes of over 300 queer men with the simple goal to capture authentic portraits -- gays in their natural habitat, if you will. https://vimeo.com/79059946
In August 2012, I was excited to be a part and have Kevin come in to photograph my then-apartment on Pearl Street and Pink Alley for two reasons:
1. It was the last weekend in that apartment and after two years, I wanted to document my first San Francisco living space for posterity's sake.
2. I was really interested in Kevin's dedication and the simple mission that touched upon many layers of representing queer identity.
Kevin has photographed beautiful models during Fashion Week, and he has created stunning portfolios for big name brands. It's refreshing to help out a creative spirit doing something more personal, taking on this independent project and self-funding it out of unadulterated love.
When I first met him, I didn't feel the need to ask him why he was doing this. Why not? Most times our most curious passions are limited by our own self-imposed need for external permission. Seeing Kevin running wild with this is truly an inspiration.
I also respect his visible effort to represent diversity in the gay community. Most projects with a similar intent that I've seen barely scratch the surface by solely documenting the experience of gay urban twenty-somethings of a certain skin color (and they just end up as showcases of internalized homophobia). Kevin photographs the young and the old, the white and the black, the ugly and fat.
Another part of the project that is interesting to me is how it keeps moving forward by friend-of-a-friend recommendations. In San Francisco, I suggested to Tom, Joseph and Jason to have their environments photographed and was glad to see that Alex, Alden and Jake had been a part of it as well on the East Coast. The gay social network is bicoastal.
Photos: Kevin Truong for the Gay Men ProjectThe plot and the housing society the duo claim they own are collectively worth over Rs 100cr.A dhobi and his son have been booked in two separate cases of forgery and cheating by the Economic Offences Wing of Mumbai Police for usurping a housing society building, the land it stands on, and an adjoining open space in Kalina, all together worth over Rs 100 crore.The laundryman Ram Harak Kanojia, 75, was given a 50 sq ft plot on a 10,000 sq ft plot used as an approach road used by three housing societies -- Red Rose, Mini Rose and Park Bay. However, he now not only lords over the approach road, his son claims he owns the Mini Rose Housing Society comprising eight apartments and the land it stands on.The residents first came to know about the dhobi turning landowner 1998 when the BMC wanted to carrying out tarring work on the road and Kanojia objected to it and produced papers supporting his ownership. When the residents checked documents at the city survey office, they realised that not only the road, Kanojias had papers to show they owned the Mini Rose Housing Society too.While Kanojia has lost two legal cases as far as his claim on the approach road is concerned, he refuses to vacate the land and allows parking of taxis on the space. His humble 50 sq ft laundry shanty, meanwhile, has expanded to a 2000 sq ft shop.“We have booked the Kanojia father-son duo in two separate cases of cheating and forgery and investigations are on,” Additional Commissioner of Police (EOW) Rajvardhan told Mumbai Mirror on Wednesday.Documents produced by Rajesh Kanojia to support his claim on Mini Rose Society include a sale deed between him and Turanti Sharma’s son Shobhnath Sharma, the original owners of the land on which the society stands. “The building is worth several crores of rupees, but the sale papers suggest it was sold in 2010 for just Rs 3 lakh to Rajesh Kanojia,” EOW sources added.While the Mini Rose Society possesses all necessary legal papers, including the occupation certificate, the Kanojia father-son used a small loophole. The builder who constructed the society had forgotten to make the necessary changes in the property card. In 2010, the Kanojias entered their name in the property card.The Sharmas had sold the land to the builder and in turn received an apartment and Rs 1 lakh. The family stayed on the first floor of the building, but a few years after his father passed away Shobhnath Sharma moved to UP.While the residents don’t have all the information, they believe that the Kanojias visited UP to get some papers signed by Shobhnath Sharma.The EOW conducted a preliminary inquiry in the complaint of the residents of Mini Rose society and registered a case of cheating against Rajesh Kanojia some time back, while the case against his father was registered late last week.When Mumbai Mirror contacted Rajesh Kanojia, he first claimed that he was not aware of any FIR against him, but later said, “I have documents to prove my claim. In fact, the Park Bay Society has been trying to grab my land and I will prove my ownership at an appropriate time.”Rahul Madanpotra, a member of Park Bay Apartments, said, “Our society is over 30 years old. We are grateful to EOW for registering the FIR and we have full faith in the justices system.”In December 2013 and January 2014 two old trees were cut down in the city of Sabzevar. According to activists, "Unfortunately, by the time the news was shared, we could not do anything. We're still furious and to express our anger and concern for nature, on the first day of spring (Persian New Year) we took action." Click here for additional photos.
The activists explained that they are probably the first in Iran to act in the name of the Earth Liberation Front and anarchism. The activists issued this declaration (rough translation):
"Nature in the spring, instead of dead trees.
For many years nature and plants have been exploited for profit.
In December and January the last two trees in this place were cut down and in this way we show our anger at that action.
If you earn money, you destroy nature, we have no alternative
but to protect the planet Earth is the main reason for us to confront and fight.
We are against exploitation and will never compromise with the exploiters.
Angry little black fish!"
Persian:
در بهار طبیعت جای درختان خالی
سالیان درازی است که طبیعت و گیاهان به خاطر سودهای مالی مورد بدرفتاری
قرار میگیرند در آذر و دی گذشته دو درخت در این مکان قطع شدهاند و ما
به این طریق خشم خود را نسبت به این عمل نشان میدهیم
اگر شما برای کسب پول ، طبیعت را تخریب میکنید ما هم چارهای نداریم جز
اینکه برای حفاظت از سیاره زمین با دلیل اصلی مسئله مقابله و مبارزه
کنیم
ما با بهره کشی مخالفیم و با استثمارگران هرگز سازش نمیکنیم
ماهی سیاه کوچولوی خشمگین!Justin Simoni on the summit of Colorado's Longs Peak, after summiting the 100 highest peaks in the state. Photo: Courtesy Justin Simoni
On September 16, Justin Simoni, aka “The Long Ranger,” completed a feat that would take a lifetime for most. Simoni finished what he's dubbed The Highest Hundred Tour—summiting Colorado's 100 highest peaks, the Centennials, in a continuous, self-powered push. It took him just under two months. Setting out on his bike from his home in Boulder, Colorado, on July 18 at exactly 3:42:52 a.m., Simoni bikepacked, camped, hiked, ran, climbed, and scrambled all of the peaks (plus five bonus peaks en route) over 60 days, 14 hours, 59 minutes and 42 seconds. He was strictly self-supported, carrying all his gear and stopping in towns to resupply as necessary. Simoni tagged the final summits with a blustery trip up Mt. Meeker and Longs Peak before biking the 40-odd miles back to Boulder from Rocky Mountain National Park. He stopped his clock at 6:42:34 p.m. on September 16, 2017.
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Simoni is hardly a stranger to long-distance tours and alpine challenges. He's traveled across eight countries on his bike, is a two-time Tour Divide veteran, and once held the record for the Colorado Tour 14er—a self-supported and self-powered link up of all the Colorado 14ers. His inclination toward lengthy outdoor pursuits can be traced to his childhood. Simoni grew up in an adventurous family. He spent many summers on the family sailboat, which was pivotal in exposing him to long-distance, human-powered voyages. Then, with a father and sister who were both distance runners, it was hard not to develop a love of the outdoors and more importantly, to have a drive to push the boundaries of his physical limits deeply ingrained early on.
Simoni cites a range of motivations for establishing new mountain challenges. He likes to inspire others to attempt them, and enjoys contributing to the underground culture of unofficial challenges. But he also finds fulfillment on a level deeper than the physical accomplishment.
“My father was a fan of Sri Chinmoy, a spiritual guru, who believed long distance runs were a path towards self-transcendence," says Simoni. "So running and races to him were more than just about a test of fitness. There was something on the other side worth seeking through all the pain you need to endure.”
In 2011, Simoni registered for the Tour Divide, a 2,700-mile mountain bike race from Banff, Alberta to Silver City, New Mexico. However, severe weather and related course modifications left him feeling that the race had deviated from its core concept. Not wanting to be robbed of the experience of following the original route, Simoni decided to follow it anyway:
“The persistent snow levels on all the mountain passes and flooding that summer [2011] forced the race organizers to make massive detours for pretty much every mountain pass north of Colorado, which were simply unrideable underneath feet of snow," he says. "Since the route for the Tour Divide is defined by going up and over the Continental Divide, all through the Rocky Mountains—well, that's a lot of the character of the route being radically changed. I thought, the hell with that. I packed snowshoes to take on the intended route without any detours, even if it meant snowshoeing for endless miles through closed-off roads alone, just pushing my bike, for hours and hours on end. And believe me, that's exactly what I did." Even after his efforts to stay pure to the intended course, Simoni's first attempt at the Tour Divide course ended with a crash and resulting shoulder injury 100-miles shy of Silver City.
The following year to add intrigue to his unknown, darkhorse status, Simoni created a veil for himself by signing up as, "The Long Ranger" and was satisfied enough with his performance that the name stuck, "I finished pedaling on my single speed—the the first single speeder to finish that year.”
Simoni and his trusty mountain bike on the summit of Mosquito Pass during his Highest Hundred Tour. Photo: Courtesy Justin Simoni
Experiences like those on the Tour Divide course informed the Long Ranger’s personal ethos. When it comes to completing both official and unofficial races, he defines them as: “Try not to break the law, do everything yourself, and be honest to others on how you completed the course.”
After completing the Tour 14er in 2014, the inevitable “What’s next?” prompted Simoni to devise another adventure while still decompressing and recovering.
"Completing the Tour 14er was a huge milestone for me," Simoni says. "[but] the trip had been done before, if only a handful of times. All I really did was formulate it into an underground race almost no one is crazy enough to even try, and go just a little bit faster."
With the goal of adding a novel challenge to the docket of underground ultra-distance courses, the Long Ranger settled on tackling the Centennials.
The route for Simoni's massive two-month adventure. Photo: Courtesy Justin Simoni
“It would be, essentially, twice the peaks to do—twice as long of a challenge," he says. "Completing the Centennials is usually a multi-year effort. It's only seen a completion in one season by any means a handful of times—ever. The Centennials are a little more obscure, the beta a little harder to find, and the peaks a little less sexy in the public's eye than the 14ers, for no other reason except maybe the marketing of them. The bottom 47 peaks on the list are also harder, more remote, and more technical.”
With original plans to take on his self-directed “race” in 2016 thwarted by a climbing-related ankle injury, Simoni announced that he would attempt the Highest Hundred Tour in April of this year after completing a birthday challenge.
“I set up a Birthday Challenge to 'Everest' Boulder's Green Mountain—run it 13 times in a row to match the elevation gain of Mt. Everest: 29,000'," he says. "I was successful, so I thought, let's do the big trip, and publicly announced my plans for the Tour of the Highest Hundred the next day. For all of 2017, I had been training like an alpinist with a mountain bike problem. I felt ready-enough.”
He lists the highs of the trip as beautifully linked enchainments and a lost beer found in a snowfield on Conundrum Peak ("I was able to enchain all the Centennials in the Crestone Group: Adams, Challenger, Kit Carson, Columbia Point, Humboldt, Crestone Peak, and Crestone Needle. It took around 48 hours to complete, but I saved a ton of time by not breaking up this group of mountains into smaller trips.")
The lows include sopping weather conditions (“I hadn't ever backpacked for six days in a row—I don't even necessarily like backpacking! I got rained and hailed on every single day...It became a mantra for me whenever things went SNAFU: 'Well, it's not as bad as the Weminuche [range].'") and pure fatigue-induced clumsiness ("I fell on my ass a million times on talus, on flat ground, in creek beds, crossing endless fields of willows, tripping over the guylines on my tarp...").
The reality of actually finishing the project didn’t hit until Simoni was “fast-limping” down from the last two summits after (finally) rolling an ankle.
“I knew from my first Tour Divide that it's entirely possible to screw the whole trip up at the very last day," he says. "Easy mountains still need to be summited—you can't skip a mountain! The summits still could have a nasty lightning storm waiting for me at the top. As the tour went out, my fatigue worsened. I just didn't know if I could carry on with the miles I had planned to do. I woke up after a short nap before my final peaks— Meeker and Longs—and I didn't even know where I was, or what I had to get accomplished for that day. Hiking up Longs Peak, everyone I met was heading down, the conditions were terrible. They looked at me like I was a fool. I probably was!”
Simoni swings from the finish line, a Boulder city limits sign. Photo: Courtesy Justin Simoni
At the end of it all, the opportunity to tackle whatever came his way next was the biggest draw.
“The devastating beauty of the trip is that there are just so many things that could go wrong. Every day could be a disaster.” And, he adds, you go into something like this knowing that some days will be a disaster. “You will run out of food or water. Your bike will break down. You'll break that very important piece of gear. Turns out, the beta for a mountain is totally wrong. This is what you signed up for. It's not an easy objective to complete.”
This unpredictability, he says, can be countered only by accepting that fact that, “Hard is the new normal.”
Quick statsEven thought it’s already illegal to discriminate in pay against anyone based on their gender, race, religion or whichever other pigeonhole you choose to shoot for, California is eager to show that they’re on top of the gender pay gap. With that in mind, Jerry Brown is getting ready to sign yet another piece of legislation seeking to remedy… whatever it is that they think is causing the situation. (Yahoo News)
Female employees in California are poised to get new tools to challenge gender-based wage gaps and receive protection from discrimination and retaliation if they ask questions about how much other people earn. A bill recently passed by the Legislature and that Gov. Jerry Brown has indicated he will sign won’t suddenly put all women’s salaries on par with men’s or prod employers to freely disclose what every employee makes, which could make it easier for workers to mount pay discrimination claims. But the legislation expands what supporters call an outdated state equal pay law and goes further than federal law, placing the burden on the employer to prove a man’s higher pay is based on factors other than gender and allowing workers to sue if they are paid less than someone with a different job title who does “substantially similar” work.
If you read through all of the details of this legislation at the link above it quickly becomes clear that this is one of those muddled, feel good schemes which was hoisted through the process on the shoulders of Social Justice Warriors who knew that most politicians would be petrified at the thought of voting against it just based on the name. At the same time, what it seems to actually accomplish is precisely… nothing.
Leave aside for a moment the fact that the majority of the “gender wage gap” is accounted for by the data showing how women tend to choose college majors which lead to lower paying fields. Even when we ignore that, the goals of this bill (when compared to what it actually provides) should leave most people feeling dizzy. Under its mandate women will be able to ask their bosses how much other (presumably male) workers in “similar” roles are being paid without fear of retribution. Of course, the bill also makes it clear that the employer is entitled to refuse to tell them and to send them back to their work station… also at no penalty. But let’s assume for a moment that the boss tells them that Joe Blow is making 73K and the woman happens to be making 68K. What then? Well, they run straight into another law about to go on the books which actually provides sane relief for employers when such questions arise.
California’s pending Fair Pay Act stipulates employers can justify higher wages for men only if the pay is based on seniority, a merit system, quantity or quality of production, or any other “bona fide factor other than sex.” It cleared the Legislature with bipartisan support and the backing of the state Chamber of Commerce.
In other words, if you are a woman who is making less than a man in your office you need to find out if they have been there longer, have been producing more and/or better work, have higher qualifications, or can cite any other “bona fide factor” in why they are receiving a more favorable compensation package. If you can somehow prove all of that and your boss is still paying you less then you are probably a poor negotiator at the hiring / review table, but perhaps your boss could use a hint, I agree. But in most cases, employers pay what they can to be profitable and reward the best talent so as to keep them around.
So what will all of this wind up accomplishing again? Sounds like a formula for more lawsuits to me. But not to worry! The bill’s champions assure us that’s not the case at all.
The goal, however, isn’t to clog the courts with new lawsuits, she said, although the newer standards should make it easier to prevail on a lawsuit. “What it’s designed to do is to make the enforcement more attainable and to remove barriers to effectuating the purposes of the law, which is to make sure that women and men are being paid equally for doing substantially similar work,” she said.
I see. Well, as long as you’ve thought this through, then. Oh.. and pull the other one. It’s got bells on it.January 2014 will see the launch of The Drax Files Radio Hour, a new weekly radio / podcast to be hosted by Draxtor Despres and Jo Yardley.
Tooting my horn a little, I’ve actually known about the series for a while. It’s pretty fair to say that the seed of the idea was likely planted during one of the many back-and-forth discussions Drax and I had and have about each segment of The Drax Files (he prodded me a number of times to do a podcast with him. While I passed at the time, I may still contribute to the show if there is interest from Drax and Jo in having me do so).
Balanced discussion of Second Life tends to be in short supply nowadays. While Metareality has returned, I have to say that I’d personally found that show to be increasingly biased (and at times under-informed) prior to if going off-air over summer, which is a pity. Hopefully, The Drax Files Radio Hour will be able to shine a light on the good, the bad, the strange and the wonderful within Second Life and virtual worlds as a whole and provide good, informed discussion across all.
The show is set to be broadcast “without permission somewhere from an attic in 1920s Berlin”, and will feature discussions, guests, visits to regions in-world, looks at emerging technology, and so on. I’m laying odds that two hot topics on the tech side which will be featuring are the Oculus Rift and Leap Motion, particularly given both Jo and Drax have an interest in each, and both are set to be coming to Second Life in 2014 :).
If you want to stay abreast of plans, there is a Facebook page for the show, but no website (as yet – I might prod Drax on that as well on behalf of all of us Facebook avoiders :)).
The first broadcast for the show is currently scheduled for Thursday, January 10th, 2014. I’ll be following things here, and will hopefully be able to help people keep up-to-date on things as the show develops and we move closer to the premiere. In the meantime, make a note in your diary!
AdvertisementsFighting Trump and the far right: The need for a united front mass action orientation
John Leslie
Following the election of Donald Trump as President of the US, many on the left are calling for the building of a United Front (UF) to oppose his reactionary agenda. Unfortunately, the UF is honored more often in a rhetorical sense, as groups scramble to build themselves instead of building the unity-in-action necessary for a true mass United Front to emerge.
The UF, in its original sense, was conceived by the Communist International as alliances of action between mass working class parties, as well as the unions, in order to advance the interests of the working class. This was considered necessary because of the split in the socialist movement following the First World War. These United Fronts were considered to be temporary, and based on a limited program — with the various organizations involved keeping their own apparatus, press, and freedom to put forward ideas. Independence from ruling class parties and institutions is a paramount consideration in the construction of the UF.
The purpose of the UF is to shift the balance of class forces in favor of the oppressed and exploited. Today, the UF – building the greatest possible unity in action — offers us the opportunity to turn the defensive struggles we are fighting into a counter-offensive against the one-sided class war being waged against working people. The UF isn’t a permanent alliance or an electoral bloc, but something best understood in the context of a mass action orientation. Mass action, a working class method of struggle, is one of the tools in the fight against capitalism. By putting people into motion, mass action helps people understand their potential power.
Strategy and tactics defined
Why do strategy and tactics matter? We are faced with the best-organized and most ruthless capitalist class in the world. The state, which is an institution of the rule of the capitalist class, cannot simply be taken over by the working class and its allies and used against the bosses. In this context, socialists need to think strategically.
Strategy and tactics are traditionally military terms. Strategy is an overall plan of attack, in other words our road map guiding us through the struggle. Tactics are the methods we use to negotiate the path put forward in a strategic plan. As socialists, we understand that no struggle proceeds in a straight line. We need to avoid rigid conceptions and must remain flexible in how we apply our overall political ideas.
It’s in this sense that we should understand the United Front as a tactic with strategic implications. The US left is weak and atomized. There are no mass workers parties such as ones that exist in other countries. Of course, many of the mass working class parties overseas have lost much of their base as workers are alienated by the adaptation of these parties to neo-liberal austerity programs. Here in the US, considering the lack of a mass working class party, it is necessary to build coalitions that include the broadest possible social and political forces. These coalitions must necessarily focus on drawing the mass organizations of the working class, the unions, into the struggle.
The United Front is counterposed to the Popular Front, a reformist strategy that depends on electoral alliances between working class and bourgeois parties. Popular Fronts, and other cross-class alliances, have been a disaster for working people. Perhaps one of the best examples of this is the Popular Unity government of Salvador Allende in Chile. The Unidad Popular was a multi-class electoral coalition that brought the moderate socialist Allende to power. As the far right, in collusion with the US government, destabilized the country in preparation for a strike, Allende was faced with two choices; He could either arm the working class and organize a mass defense of his government or he could rely on bourgeois legalism. Unwilling to break with his liberal allies, Allende was overthrown in a bloody military coup and assassinated. A long night of military dictatorship and repression followed.
Otherwise, there is a danger of the left capturing themselves in “left” coalitions and a continued isolation based on left sectarianism and substitutionism. The notion that United Fronts can be built without including the unions or “reformist” organizations is a dangerous detour away from mass politics.
It is |
gain 50% from my purchase price. The remaining shares are sold at 80– 100% gain levels,” said Burla, who made a killing going short on indices in early 2008.Burla manages an eight-figure portfolio, the gains from which are used to meet her personal needs and also some expenses of ‘Shraddha’, an NGO she set up to support orphans and people with disabilities.But not all women investors have long-term targets like Burla. Ekta Sharma, a 31-yearold dentist in Delhi, likes to keep small achievable shortterm targets while investing.A string of wrong F&O bets –advised by a broker – opened gaping holes in Sharma’s equity portfolio last year. This has left Sharma disenchanted with equities in general and stock advisors in particular.“I’m not a fan of equities anymore; I invest more in agricommodities. I don’t do complex stuff... My target is to make `2,000–`3,000 from trading every day,” Sharma said. “Do not rely too much on advisors while investing. Do your own research; devote more time to understand market trends.”Then there are investors are like Bengaluru- based Chethana Rajshekar, who likes to hunt in packs for good market deals. Chethana and her set of market-savvy friends share tips and information about companies that may do well on the bourses.Chethana, a legal professional, started investing five years ago, while she was still in college. Her initial investment of `5,000 has grown to a six-figure investment portfolio.“I’ve a set of friends who are active in stock markets. Initially we used to take a lot of risk... but now after suffering some losses, we’ve cut our risky positions,” said Chethana. “These days we analyse companies and their businesses before investing.” HDFC Bank and Axis Bank are Chethana’s best stock picks.Gender stereotypes abound when it comes to finances. One of the most common misperceptions in India is that women don’t understand money matters. This is being debunked by many market experts now. There are many out there who believe women make better stock investors than men.“Women are way superior in controlling the emotions of greed and fear, the most essential ingredient for trading success,” said Jimeet Modi, CEO of Samco Securities.Deena Mehta, MD of broking firm Asit C Mehta Investments and one of earliest women investors in the country, has seen members of her tribe growing over time.“When I started in 1985, there were very few women inside the trading ring. By 1995, towards the close of public outcry system, there were more than 50 women in the ring. These days you find more women investors than men in conferences and seminars,” Mehta said.“Women are better stock investors than men as they are more patient in their approach. They pay a lot of attention to details and they know when to stop (limit losses),” she said.Deliveroo riders. Deliveroo Executives at restaurant food delivery startup Deliveroo may have felt a chill down their spine on Tuesday as Amazon announced tentative steps to move in on their territory by launching a restaurant food delivery service over the pond in Manhattan, New York.
Deliveroo is arguably the best-known restaurant food delivery company in the UK but one of the startup's early employees is aware that there are other companies eyeing up the space it operates in.
Last Wednesday, before Amazon announced it was going to deliver food from 350 eateries across Manhattan, Dan Warne, Deliveroo's managing director for the UK and Ireland, told Business Insider: "I'm sure there will be some much bigger fish who consider entering the market at some point. We say our core business is restaurants and bikes. We embrace anyone that comes in from another market. But we feel we're in a very good position."
Deliveroo, founded by former investment banker Will Shu and Greg Orlowski in 2012, pays a fleet of riders to pick up food from restaurants and deliver it to customers at their homes and offices. Deliveroo has two main revenue streams: it charges the restaurant a commission for every transaction, while the customer pays it a £2.50 delivery charge (+£2 if orders are less than £15).
The company, which has raised $200 million (£138 million) from well-known venture capitalists like Index and Accel, is facing increasing competition from rivals like Take Eat Easy and Jinn but so far it has evaded going head-to-head with tech giants like Amazon and Uber, who have publicly announced trials in their home country of the US, where Deliveroo does not yet operate.
Dan Warne is managing director for Deliveroo in the UK and Ireland. Deliveroo The four-year-old startup has a number of plans up its sleeve to help it stay ahead of the competition. One of the most ambitious schemes involves putting shipping containers in car parks and turning them into kitchens that restaurants can use. Each container, known as a RooBox, is designed to help a restaurant process more Deliveroo orders, subsequently boosting Deliveroo's own sales.
"Restaurants don't necessarily have a back entrance to handle drivers or a second kitchen to handle deliveries," explained Warne.
Warne said Deliveroo plans to put the RooBoxes in areas where there isn't necessarily high footfall. "They don't need to be in an area where there is a high cost of real estate, which allows us then to pass on that saving to the restaurant and let them operate in a way that is far more gross margin positive," he said.
Deliveroo currently only has five RooBoxes across two London sites (a car park in Battersea and another in Dulwich) but there are plans to open several more across London and potentially in Deliveroo's other markets as well. The food delivery service is currently available in 68 cities across 12 countries.
"This is something we'd like to scale," said Warne. "With this product we have an opportunity to bring restaurants to another area. Where we know there will be demand. It allows us to get in. It's much less risky for the restaurant. They don't need to invest in fit out costs and rentals.
"For us it means the drivers can go straight in and pick the food up immediately. There's no regular trade getting in the way of that so there's no wait time for the driver at the restaurant."
One restaurant that has bought into Deliveroo's shipping container idea is Tommi's — a burger joint with restaurants in Marylebone and Battersea. Tommi's first started using the RooBox in February.
Tommi's manager Robert Magnusson told Business Insider that the RooBox has allowed Tommi's to test new markets and expand with low financial risk and overheads.
"We use them in the evenings from Monday to Thursday and a standard full day 11.30am-11.30pm on Friday to Sunday," said Magnusson.
Deliveroo Warne said that Deliveroo takes an additional commission on restaurants that use the RooBoxes. "It varies from restaurant-to-restaurant," he said. "We haven't yet disclosed that [figure] publicly."
Warne was also unable to be drawn on the size of Deliveroo's customer base, the number of restaurants the company has partnered with or the number of couriers Deliveroo has on its books.
Wage trials
Deliveroo is also experimenting with wages, partly because it currently pays delivery riders by the hour, which means they often end up getting paid as they sit there waiting for jobs to come in.
Drivers typically get paid £7 an hour plus £1 for every delivery they make. Under the new contract, which is being trialled in Chiswick, they receive £4.25 per delivery but no hourly wage.
Some of the drivers involved in the pilot claim the new contracts will result in them being paid less than £7.20 an hour, which is lower than the minimum wage for people over the age of 25.
But Warne said: "Our drivers using this model have on average made significantly more money than they made on an hourly pay system, which is the regular system.
"If we want to get people to work when we have the work, then this is a model that's worth testing. The results of the test will be based around how drivers feedback on it. It won't be based on a couple of people and what they've said in an article. We will run a survey and see.
"We will likely run the test for another few weeks and then we will make a decision. If we choose to move forward with it then it will seamlessly run into the model for that area."
Warne admitted that the new payment model won't work for drivers in all areas, particularly those where Deliveroo doesn't have enough volume for them to make good money.
As a result, it's unlikely Deliveroo would ever role the payment model out everywhere.
When asked if this will lead to Deliveroo employing people on different wage structures across cities, Warne said: "It's difficult to say now. I think we need to continue to trial this and ensure that it's right for the drivers, us and the restaurants."After a few rounds of preliminary voting we’re up to the final stage: the Members-only vote.
There are three songs to choose from, with the song receiving the highest vote becoming the team’s walk-out track for every home game this season.To vote, click on this link and login using your Member details. From there, select “Survey Questions” and make your choice.The previous poll (open to everyone) received over 4,000 votes for five different tracks wih these three chosen as the final shortlist:Glorious – RBBThese colours unite us all – RBBHells Bells – ACDCTo vote, click on this link and login using your Member details. From there, select “Survey Questions” and make your choice.The winning song will get its first run out before our home fixture against Brisbane Roar on December 5.We know, we know. Frank Pepe’s Pizzeria has fooled us before.
Last March, the New Haven-based pizza place declared it would start baking its heavenly pies in the oven that once belonged to The Fireplace in Brookline’s Washington Square, so we got our hopes up.
We dreamed of biting into the white clam pie made with fresh mollusks, grated cheese, and garnishes of olive oil, fresh garlic and oregano. We prepared ourselves for the crunchy crust that would be perfectly charred in a coal-powered brick oven. We knew to expect tomatoes imported from Italy and Pecorino Romano cheese handpicked by members of Pepe’s family, specifically for our enjoyment.
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With this level of hype and attention to detail, we convinced ourselves that Pepe’s was more than just pizza — it would be the perfect lover. Eating Pepe’s would be the food equivalent of sex.
The fantasy seemed too good to be true. And for a while, it was.
In September, The Fireplace decided to remain in business. Pepe’s no longer had a home and told us it wasn’t working out. It called things off before we even got a chance to know it, but we were heartbroken, nonetheless.
Sure, we fell in love with the “idea’’ of Pepe’s and not the real thing, but we knew that if we just got the chance to spend some time with it, we would develop a bond so strong it could never be broken.
Now, we’re finally getting that chance. Connecticut Magazine reported that Pepe’s is opening a location “in metro Boston,’’ which will be revealed as soon as the lease is signed.
Ken Berry, president and CEO of Frank Pepe’s Development Co., and current hero to all pizza-loving Bostonians, said in the article that the pizzeria will open sometime later this year.
The timeline is vague, we know. But true love is worth waiting for, and Pepe’s is coming back for us at last.An F-35A Lightning II taxis across the flightline on Eglin Air Force Base, May 28, 2014.
WASHINGTON – The Air Force F-35A Joint Strike Fighter is now operational and ready for combat, Gen. Hawk Carlisle, commander of Air Combat Command, announced Tuesday.
The F-35 is a fifth-generation stealth fighter that the military is counting on to replace its aging fleet of fighter jets and provide advanced electronic warfare, air-to-ground and air-to-air combat capabilities.
Carlisle said Tuesday that the Air Force’s version had met all the criteria to reach “initial operational capability,” including its ability to destroy enemy air defenses in a contested environment. He said the service has the pilots, maintainers and logistics ready to support an operational squadron of 12-24 aircraft.
“The F-35A will be the most dominant aircraft in our inventory, because it can go where our legacy aircraft cannot and provide the capabilities our commanders need on the modern battlefield,” Carlisle said.
In all, the services plan to field 2,457 of the new jets to eventually replace their aging workhorses, including the Air Force’s F-16 and A-10 jets, the Marines AV-8 Harriers and the Navy and Marine’s fleet of F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet fighters.
But, during the announcement Tuesday, Carlisle said the F-35 was not being deployed to the Middle East in the near future.
“It is scheduled farther down the road,” he said.
Carlisle said the schedule was not due to problems with the aircraft but the specific requests by combat commanders for certain air capabilities.
Carlisle said the aircraft would eventually be deployed to Europe and the Pacific as well.
The F-35, a $1.5 trillion 20-year program, has faced significant criticism over the years for missing production deadlines, for cost overruns and questions on whether it will actually provide a reliable replacement to the aircraft wearing out faster than expected due to their heavy and non-stop deployments against the Islamic State group.
The Marines declared their vertical-takeoff and landing variant, the F-35B, operational in 2015 and created its second operational squadron by replacing Harriers in June with F-35Bs at Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma, Arizona. While the Marines variant has been declared ready for combat for more than a year, it has not yet been deployed to combat. The Navy variant is not expected to reach the same initial operating capability until 2019.
The lack of combat for the Marines’ variant has led to continued questions by critics whether the Air Force’s version of the aircraft is truly ready.
“I do not expect to see it [the Air Force variant] flying combat anytime soon,” said Dan Grazier, a former Marine officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and who is now a senior defense fellow at the Project on Government Oversight, a non-partisan government watchdog group in Washington, D.C.
Grazier said he thinks the Air Force’s announcement Tuesday was based more on meeting the program’s initial operating capability deadline than the aircraft’s readiness.
The Air Force is planning to buy the bulk of the new jets, a total of 1,736 at a cost of more than $100 million per airplane, according to analysis of congressional budget documents by the Project on Government Oversight.
The 34th Fighter Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, will provide the Air Force’s first operational F-35A squadron. Thirty-four airmen from the squadron will fly and maintain the F-35A alongside Air Force Reservists from Hill’s 419th Fighter Wing.
The plane is being produced by countries around the globe, including Norway, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Italy, Denmark, Canada, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Israel and Australia.
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(CNN) – Critics are pouncing on remarks Bruce Rauner, the Republican nominee for governor in Illinois, made to supporters earlier this year that a government shutdown was an option to help the state deal with its financial troubles.
Video of his comments picked up steam on Monday as the Illinois Federation of Teachers, which recently threw its support behind Democratic incumbent Gov. Pat Quinn, circulated the clip, posted to the union's YouTube page, of Rauner addressing the Tazewell County Republican Party at its Lincoln Day dinner in March.
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"I apologize but we may have to go through a little rough times and we have to do what Ronald Reagan did with the air traffic controllers," Rauner said referencing Reagan's decision in 1981 to fire 11,000 striking air traffic controllers.
"We sort of have to do a do-over and shut things down for a little while, that's what we're going to do," Rauner said.
Rauner, a millionaire businessman and first-time candidate from the wealthy suburb of Winnetka on Chicago's North Shore, beat out three state lawmakers in the March GOP primary, and will go on to face Quinn in November’s general election.
In response to the outcry, Rauner's campaign said their candidate "has put forth a detailed plan for reviving Illinois, and shutting down state government is not among those plans."
"But if the choice is between that and four more years of failed leadership, higher taxes, and high unemployment from Quinn and Madigan, a whole lot of Illinoisans might think less government is a pretty good idea," spokesman Mike Schrimpf told CNN.
A longer version of Rauner's speech at the March dinner was posted by his campaign to its YouTube page shortly after the event.
Surrounding his remarks invoking Reagan’s mass firing of air traffic workers, Rauner advocates for significantly less spending and education reform in the state.
"It's going to be rough. It's going to be hardball but I'm used to that. I've transformed a lot of business organizations in my life and I can bring that same discipline in Springfield," he said.
Republicans see takeover potential as Quinn is considered one of the most vulnerable Democratic governors up for reelection.
Rauner's comments gaining traction Monday follow last fall's federal government shutdown And closer to home, it comes as Illinois struggles with how to fix the state's ailing retirement system - considered the most troubled in the country.
Key races to watch in 2014Honda has revealed a concept car with artificial intelligence, which would autonomously pick up and drop off other local passengers when the driver isn't using it.
The Honda NeuV was unveiled at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
It is intended to offer an insight into how the popularity of AI and sharing economies will influence the future of the transport industry, and particularly how it might influence car ownership.
Similar to Toyota's latest concept car, the NeuV is equipped with an artificial intelligence system that picks up on the habits and emotions of the driver.
The HANA AI assistant, dubbed an "emotion engine" by Honda, would learn from the driver and detect emotions based on their actions. It would then be able to make new choices, such as music recommendations, based on the driver's current mood.
Having determined that privately owned vehicles are unused 96 per cent of the time, Honda also saw this project as an opportunity to explore the possibility of transforming private cars into an extra form of public transport.
The electric-powered NeuV would be able to autonomously pick up and drop off customers at local destinations when the owner is not using the car – potentially making car ownership a more affordable option for those with low incomes.
According to Honda, the car would also sell energy back to the electric grid during times of high demand when it is not in use.
Related story NextEV unveils world's fastest electric supercar
"We designed NeuV to become more valuable to the owner by optimising and monetising the vehicle's down time," said Mike Tsay, principal designer at Honda R&D Americas.
Inside, the compact car features a touch-panel interface, two seats, a storage area in back, and an electric skateboard. Its futuristic-looking exterior is complete with a wrap-around panoramic windscreen.
Honda's NeuV was unveiled at this year's CES in Las Vegas, which took place from 5 to 8 January. Other vehicle designs on show include Toyota's Concept-I car that uses artificial intelligence to anticipate its driver's needs, an electric car to rival Tesla's, and a BMW concept car that could receive drone deliveries on the move.Less than a year into his presidency, Donald Trump has repeatedly defended white supremacists and self-identified Nazis, toyed with the idea of going to war with North Korea, and stood by cluelessly as the Republican congress fought to rob millions of Americans of their healthcare. Objectively, these are dark times.
When we talk about how America under Donald Trump feels dystopian, what we’re talking about is how, if left entirely unchecked and allowed to be codified, many of the Trump administration’s draconian policies and stances would transform our society into a warped, nightmarish version of itself. As a thought exercise, envisioning a world in which Trump and his supporters are able to achieve all of their goals is an important way for his political opponents to keep sight of why the protest and resist.
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In Matteo Pizzolo and Amancay Nahuelpan’s Calexit from Black Mask Studios, the future where Trump’s regime has reshaped the country in its own image isn’t a matter of “what if,” but rather “what now?” In this world, the darkest timeline, everything we’ve feared about Trump has come to pass and in an act of defiance, a number of key cities throughout the state of California have said: “fuck this; I’m out.”
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The version of America that Calexit presents us is meant to be interpreted as a realistic one quite similar to our own save for a few key differences. In this world, one of the new American president’s first orders of business after coming into office was to deport each and every single immigrant regardless of whether or not they were documented. The then governor of California, seeing the president’s executive order an an abhorrent abuse of power, declares the entire state as a place of sanctuary that will not recognize or abide by the new law.
In an ideal world, California would metaphorically pull out of the US and become a shining, self-sufficient beacon of acceptance and welcoming, shaming the rest of the US by simply doing the truly American thing. But Pizzolo keenly understands that, realistically, California seceding would be a destabilizing event within the state itself, causing factions to rise up on both sides: those in support of the US government and those opposed.
As Calexit opens, the state is in a tense, bloody holding pattern illustrated helpfully by a map. Multiple major coastal cities like San Francisco and Oakland are controlled by the Pacific Coast Sister Cities Alliance, the group who refuse to comply with the president’s executive order. The Sovereign Citizens Coalition, those aligned with the US Federal Government, control a larger portion of the state, but given the way that resources like food, water, and power are created in California, they aren’t necessarily in an advantageous position.
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Skirmishes between the Federal Government-aligned Bunkerville Militants, and the Mulholland Resistance, Calexit’s freedom fighters, happen throughout the entire state, but as the story picks up, we zoom in on Zora McNulty, a woman on the run from the authorities somewhere in Los Angeles, an occupied city caught between Resistance and Sovereign territories.
As Zora breathlessly rushes to her parents’ home in the dead of the evening, we see that she isn’t just a regular person, but an important member of the resistance being targeted by a particular government agent. Moments after she and her father are briefly reunited, Zora’s forced to flee into the night because she knows that the man who’s after her will soon be upon her family.
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Right on cue, the agent and his men make their way into the McNulty family’s home and begin to do what every super villain who’s ever hunted for a hero does: menacingly threaten everyone in sight as a gross showing of power that demonstrates to us just how sinister they are. Though there is much about the bespectacled villain that feels very standard-issue, it’s the parallels between the things he says and the coded, racist language that’s become a hallmark of the Trump administration that makes him uniquely terrifying. Just before fatally stabbing Zora’s adoptive father, the man points out that because her adoption took place in California, a place whose laws are no longer recognized, the adoption is considered invalid, making her an immigrant. Or, rather, a refugee.
Elsewhere in the city, Jamil, a well-known (and liked) drug smuggler is making the best of his life by staying neutral in the ongoing conflicts and making illegal deliveries for both sides. When we first meet Jamil, he’s in the process of bringing a National Guardsman anti-depressants that, if he were caught trying to buy legally, would likely have him fired.
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When Jamil rhetorically asks the guard why he posted to protect a statue of an elephant erected in downtown Hollywood, his drone assistant Livermore begins to describe the symbol’s historic relationship to Birth of a Nation creator D.W. Griffith and the Ku Klux Klan. As the two men debate whether something like a statue can simultaneously be a callback to a film and a monument to a man who fought for white supremacy, the guardsman is shot through the head by an unseen sniper who spares Jamil. Outmatched as Calexit’s resistance may be, they’re still very much a threat to those in positions of power.
Though there is an overarching plot about the disenfranchised rising up to strike back against their autocratic oppressors, Calexit is not a feel-good story and it doesn’t make any attempts at pretending that it is. It’s bloody and violent in a way that doesn’t glorify combat as so many comics do, but is frank in the reality it’s trying to present.
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Were the US ever to fall into another Civil War, senseless, brutal deaths would fundamentally change the ways that we moved through and conceived of the world. But the thing that makes Calexit such a difficult book to grapple with (in a good way!) isn’t really even the violence, which quickly becomes the everyday backdrop to the characters’ lives. It’s the fact that the authoritarian powers-that-be who gleefully participate in said violence are darker, but not entirely unfamiliar versions of people that we already know.
Editor’s Note: This piece has been updated to accurately describe which areas within California are controlled by which sides of the conflict.It's been approximately 17 years since Orphan Black last graced us with its twisty, complicated, wonderful presence. At least, that's what it feels like; in reality, it's only been 10 months since Kira and Mrs. S disappeared, and since we last saw Hot Paul. But those 10 months without Sarah, Cosima, and Alison were cold and harsh. My heart turned to stone in the absence of Felix's companionship. I was forced to watch TV shows where actresses only played one character—ONE. Can you believe that? For awhile there, I was just waiting for a clone to pop out of a closet and yell, "Woohoo! Look at me!" but it never happened. Basically, it was the toughest 10 months of my life. But mercifully, the Season 2 premiere is finally upon us! The Clone Club is back in session as of this Saturday, April 19! So, to celebrate the return of happiness and sunshine to the world as I know it, I've decided to revisit the best moments from Season 1. Here are my seven favorites—share your own in the comments!
7. Donnie really IS Alison's monitor
Episode: "Endless Forms Most Beautiful"
Why: Because Donnie is a lying little shit. Alison was convinced he was her monitor (and he even tried to throw her off the scent by stashing Big Boob Blowies porn in his lockbox in the garage). Then Alison let Aynsley die because she thought Aynsley was her monitor. And then it turned out it WAS Donnie all along. Like I said, he's a lying little shit.
6. Sarah meets Beth
Episode: "Natural Selection"
Why: This was the moment where it all began. Sarah witnessed Beth jumping in front of an oncoming train in the series' opening scene—and unlike that train, the series never stopped. It just kept barreling toward the next mind-blowing discovery until our brains were a collective puddle of gray blobs on the floor.
5. Cosima discovers the clones have been patented
Episode: "Endless Forms Most Beautiful"
Why: It's a good thing the clones have a big science nerd for all their science-ing needs, but this reveal was huge, and its effect on future storylines remains to be seen. The most important implication right now is that DYAD could claim Kira as its own if the clones don't cooperate. For all the brave talk about being unique individuals who act for themselves, it was a quite a punch in the gut.
4. Sarah's email to Rachel
Episode: "Endless Forms Most Beautiful"
Why: I really think Sarah's email says it all.
3. Felix the gay bartender
Episode: "Variations Under Domestication"
Why: Felix is the constant light shining through Orphan Black's murky, morally complicated darkness. He's loyal, he's funny, and perhaps most importantly, he's reliable. You need a bartender for a cookout full of boring suburbanites? He'll do it! He'll also be sassy about it, and it will be delightful with a capital D.
2. Helena and the tail
Episode: "Parts Developed in an Unusual Manner"
Why: It was one thing for Olivier to be all about his tail—he talked about it like it was the greatest thing in the world—but it was another to watch Helena cut it off. And then, when I thought the scene couldn't get any better, that lovable psycho went upstairs to the club and danced around with the dismembered appendage before THROWING IT IN THE AIR. God help the person it landed on.
1. Alison's interrogation of Donnie
Episode: "Variations Under Domestication"
Why: Do you really need me to explain why Alison torturing Donnie with a hot glue gun in her craft room is on this list? This scene should be included in a reel of best moments in television history. It's just so Alison. It was over-the-top, it was funny, she made scrapbooking scissors look threatening, and she did it all while in her pajamas. Alison is the best.
What makes YOUR list of the best Orphan Black moments?Milk has been well established as the optimal nutrition source for infants, yet there is still much to be understood about its molecular composition. Therefore, our objective was to develop and compare comprehensive milk proteomes for human and rhesus macaques to highlight differences in neonatal nutrition. We developed a milk proteomics technique that overcomes previous technical barriers including pervasive post-translational modifications and limited sample volume. We identified 1606 and 518 proteins in human and macaque milk, respectively. During analysis of detected protein orthologs, we identified 88 differentially abundant proteins. Of these, 93% exhibited increased abundance in human milk relative to macaque and include lactoferrin, polymeric immunoglobulin receptor, alpha-1 antichymotrypsin, vitamin D-binding protein, and haptocorrin. Furthermore, proteins more abundant in human milk compared with macaque are associated with development of the gastrointestinal tract, the immune system, and the brain. Overall, our novel proteomics method reveals the first comprehensive macaque milk proteome and 524 newly identified human milk proteins. The differentially abundant proteins observed are consistent with the perspective that human infants, compared with nonhuman primates, are born at a slightly earlier stage of somatic development and require additional support through higher quantities of specific proteins to nurture human infant maturation.PENTAGON: The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter possesses a remarkable array of sensors and processors to let it find the enemy and help the pilot kill or evade him. But the crucial threat library — known as Mission Data Files — just isn’t being developed and updated quickly enough, Brig. Gen. Scott Pleus, head of the F-35 integration office, told me today.
“I completely agree with your comment that we need to get these updates much more quickly,” Pleus said this afternoon during a briefing for reporters in the Air Force Public Affairs office.
Why do those files matter? To make it as clear as possible, if the F-35 does not possess current threat data for everything from electronic warfare to radar to kinetic threats such as missiles, then it simply “might not know what it is looking at,” Pleus told me. That would hobble one of the fighter’s great advantages, its capacity to synthesize vast amounts of information for the pilot.
Who’s responsible? The Mission Data Files are created using information from the Intelligence Community and are then built into usable data by the 513th Electronic Warfare Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base.
This is not a new problem. Pleus’ predecessor, then-Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Harrigian (he’s now the three-star commander of all Central Command’s air forces) identified this as the biggest problem facing the program two years ago.
In other news, the Air Force has cleared the F-35A for all pilots weighing between 103 and 245 pounds. Pilots lighter than 136 pounds had been barred from the flying the plane because they could be killed should the Martin-Baker ejection seat blast out of the aircraft. The Joint Program Office, Lockheed Martin and other contractors have begun testing the lighter weight helmet made by Rockwell Collins and the slightly delayed opening of the parachute, Pleus said. The helmet was made lighter by removing one of its visors and some internal webbing. So far, the Air Force doesn’t know where pilots will store the extra visor. The first pilot will be using the Generation III Light helmet and using the adapted ejection seat by the end of the year, Pleus said.
Martin-Baker and Lockheed can modify 14 seats a month so it should take eight to nine months to complete the modifications to existing aircraft.
Best line of the briefing comes by way of Lt. Gen. Arnold Bunch, the Air Force’s military deputy for acquisition. He turned to Pleus and said: “By the way, thanks for telling me my job as a test pilot was to find things. (brief laughter) I appreciate you’re putting that in the right terms so I could understand my Jay Oh Bee.” Bunch was, of course a test pilot, but not just your ordinary garden variety. In addition to serving four years as a test pilot, he also served as chief of test and evaluation for the B-1 program and, most recently, served three years as commander of Air Force Test Center at Edwards AFB. Pleus gave a broad smile and blushed nicely.Murder charges were leveled Friday against an Amtrak police officer accused of fatally shooting an unarmed Minneapolis man during an encounter in downtown Chicago.
LaRoyce Tankson, 31, made a brief appearance Friday before Cook County Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil, who set his bail at $250,000. He had turned himself in to police the night before, prosecutors said.
Tankson was charged with a single count of first-degree murder in the shooting of 25-year-old Chad Robertson, following a joint investigation by the FBI, Cook County State's Attorney's Office, and the Chicago Police Department's Internal Affairs Division, prosecutors said. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison if Tankson is convicted.
Robertson died Wednesday morning at the Chicago hospital where he had been treated for a gunshot wound from the Feb. 8 incident.
Prosecutors say that he was shot while running from Tankson and his partner, who had stopped Robertson and two of his friends apparently after catching them smoking marijuana outside Union Station, Chicago's main transit hub.
An autopsy revealed that the bullet pierced Robertson's left shoulder and lodged in his neck, prosecutors said.
Chicago police officials said last week that they did not recover any weapons on Robertson, although they did find a small amount of drugs and cash at the scene.
The day before Robertson died, his family filed a federal lawsuit alleging excessive force and a violation of his Fourth Amendment right against unlawful search. Douglas Hopson, a Chicago-based attorney working with Robertson's family, said that he intends to bring a wrongful-death suit against Tankson and the train agency.
Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx, whose office is charging the case, took over as the county's top prosecutor last fall after her predecessor drew sharp criticism for her prosecutorial decisions in several high-profile police shootings, including that of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, who was shot 16 times in October 2014. More than a year passed before officer Jason Van Dyke was charged with first-degree murder in the shooting. He awaits trial.
Foxx has now charged two police officers with murder since taking office three months ago. A spokeswoman for the office declined further comment on Friday afternoon.
On Friday, Robertson's family and friends expressed cautious relief over prosecutors' decision to charge Tankson.
"I feel weirdly optimistic that we will get justice," said Chad Robertson's sister, Nina Robertson.
The family was "broken" by his death, said Nina Robertson, who has marched in several protests following other high-profile police shootings of black men. "And I never in a billion years thought that it could happen to me or my family."
She described her brother as an outgoing man who made friends easily, and a gifted drawer. A native of the North Side, he had grown up playing football at Farview Park, where their mother had worked for years. He left behind two young children.
She said that when the family first arrived at the hospital, doctors gave them a frank diagnosis: that there was a possibility that he would never regain feeling in his arms and legs. At the time, his wound was still considered nonlife-threatening, she said. "Once I saw he was alive, I thought, 'Oh, it's only up from here,' " she said.
Train station encounter
Family members said they pieced together Robertson's final moments after speaking with his two travel companions, at least one of whom was later called to testify before a grand jury weighing criminal charges against the officers, Hopson said.
Robertson, they said, had been traveling back home from Memphis, where he and a friend had attended a funeral, when their bus made a scheduled hourlong stopover in Chicago. He and his companions reportedly ducked into Union Station about 8 p.m. to escape the cold weather, before going back outside to smoke some pot, authorities said.
They were approached about half an hour later by Tankson and his police partner, who hasn't been identified.
The officer told Robertson to put out the "cannabis cigarette," authorities said, which he did, before apologizing and telling Tankson that he wasn't from Chicago. Robertson and one of his companions then started walking south on Canal Street to a nearby restaurant, while the third member of their group went back to the transit station to retrieve a bag, according to court filings. The officers again approached them, the filings said.
Tankson "did not suspect Robertson [or his companions] |
control of a body part. But a human limb being accelerated into the muscle at high speeds repeatedly over a short period of time is anything but small scale.
It’s why you see fighters who take too many leg kicks be unable to put weight on the affected limb or sometimes even collapse. It’s not just the pain (though I cannot overemphasize how much that matters) but that the muscle has taken so much damage that the remaining muscle cells are insufficient to support the fighter’s weight.
When enough muscle cells die in the midsection, it is anatomically more difficult to perform functions associated with the muscles in that area. Imagine trying to duck or slip a punch with only 90% of your abdominal muscles functioning. That may sound insignificant but as the remaining muscle fibers are forced to pick up the slack over the duration of the fight the strain is enormous. Think about limping with a sprained ankle; after a while the other leg begins to tire or even cramp because it is taking on a much larger workload than normal. It’s what commentators talk about when they say a fighter is “favoring” one side of their body; he or she is minutely adjusting their posture to relieve the strain on damaged muscles.
Body shots are fatiguing because they are an assault on mind and body. The midsection is an easy target and after taking damage, simply cannot be ignored. The psychological and physical strain of trauma to the core muscles are enormous and truly change the outcome of fights.
Take heed, rookie fighters and work that gut.Return to Home Page
The 12 Hours of Sebring test by the numbers
Story by Gary Becker Photographs by Mike Beckers, Mike Bratton, Gary Becker
Looking back over the two days, four sessions of testing at Sebring International Raceway it is very apparent that the Cadillac DPi V.R. is the class of the field and may yet face the appearance of the dreaded Balance of Performance prior to the start of next month's Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida.
All three Cadillacs, No.31 Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac, No.5 Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac and the No.10 Konica Minolta Cadillac took turns atop the time sheets over the four sessions. Fastest during the test overall was Jordan Taylor in Session three with a lap of 1:49.600 with the other two Cadillacs within the a tenth of second.
The rest of the prototype field?
The best of the rest were the P2 cars running according to ACO/FIA rules and being held as the standard for the rest of the prototypes. The No.52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports Ligier and the No.85 JDC-Miller Motorsports ORECA were the class of the P2 field with the JDC-Miller Motorsports ORECA with Stephen Simpson at the wheel posting a two day best lap of 1:50.348.
That shows a.748 seconds difference over the 3.74 mile circuit between the fastest Cadillac and the fastest P2 machine. That works out to (according to my 6th grade math level) something around four laps after twelve hours considering the winning car in the last non-rain interrupted event in 2015 completed 340 laps.
Those numbers are too large to be ignored by the dreaded Balance of Performance which will now probably show its ugly face prior to the next race weekend.
While the Cadillacs may be slowed the Mazda and Nissan powered cars may need help. The fastest of the two Tequila Patron ESM Nissan DPi cars was the No.2 of Ryan Dalziel in session three with a lap of 1:50.767. That equates to 1.167 seconds off the fastest Cadillac during that session.
Meanwhile in Mazda land the lead car was the No.55 Mazda Motorsports Mazda DPi of Jonathan Bomarito with a quick lap of 1:50.828 also run in the third session. That comes out to 1.228 seconds off the Cadillac set pace.
So how do these numbers compare to last year's pre Sebring test? A year ago Olivier Pla at the wheel of the No.60 Honda Ligier JS P2 for Michael Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian was atop the time sheets with a lap of 1:51.546 nearly two seconds off this year's pace.
In GTLM thing look much more even as Corvette, Ford and BMW all headlined at least one of the four sessions with a Corvette setting the class overall best time.
During the third session the No.3 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C7.R with Jan Magnussen driving set the overall class standard with a lap of 1:58.525. The No.912 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR of Dirk Werner posted 1:58.531 in session three a mere.006 of the Corvette's pace.
Third in class was the No.67 Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT Ryan Briscoe at 1:58.636 only 0.111 off the top time. The No.25 BMW Team RLL BMW M6 GTLM of Alexander Sims posted a test best of 1:58.795 which is 0.270 seconds of the pace with the No.62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GTE of Toni Vilander at 1:58.809 which equals 0.284 second slower than the lead Corvette.
A five team, five manufacturer class covered by only 0.284 seconds over 3.74 miles of bumps and bruises is pretty impressive.
GTD with six manufacturers, multiple independent teams and variety driver skill levels is a little tougher to figure out.
Overall the No.54 CORE autosport Porsche 911 GT3 R with Colin Braun driving set a two day class best time of 2:02.476 in session three. The second best in class was the No.29 Montaplast by Land-Motorsport Audi R8 LMS GT3 of Christopher Mies at 2:02.662 which was 0.186 off the CORE autosport Porsche.
From the top two marques is a half second drop off to the third quick manufacturer, the Lamborghini Huracan GT3. Bryan Sellers in the No.48 Paul Miller Racing Lamborghini posted a test best 2:03.051 or 0.575 seconds off the lead Porsche.
Following as fourth fastest marque was the No.14 3GT Racing Lexus RCF GT3 with Sage Karam driving with a test best of 2:03.157 which was 0.681 seconds off the CORE Porsche.
Both Acura and Mercedes were nearly a full second off the pace of the class leader. The No.93 Michael Shank Racing w/ Curb-Agajanian Acura NSX GT3 of Mark Wilkins ran a test best of 2:03.409 or 0.933 seconds behind the top Porsche. The No.50 Riley Motorsports - WeatherTech Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 with Gunnar Jeannette in control posted a lap of 2:03.454 which is 0.978 seconds off the Porsche time.
With the Lamborghinis a half second off the pace and followed by the Lexus, Acura and Mercedes, the last two nearly a full second a lap slower, look for some Balance of Performance action prior to the 12 Hours of Sebring.
All-in-all no big surprises with the exceptions of the Mazda and Mercedes seeming to struggle. IMSA definitely needs to look at the Cadillacs or the 12 Hours of Sebring will be a repeat of the Rolex 24, a long Cadillac commercial.
Session one results - Session two results
Session three results - Session four results
02/25/17
More from Sports Car IllustratedImage caption G4S currently provides support services for Lincolnshire Police
A plan by three police forces to outsource services to a private firm has collapsed after Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) rejected it.
Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire forces were looking at contracting G4S to provide joint IT and human resources.
Instead the forces said they would increase their internal collaboration.
G4S said the deal would have saved the three forces more than £100m over about 10 years.
I still believe that substantial elements of policing support services will be best delivered by the private sector David Lloyd, Hertfordshire PCC
The three PCCs formalised their decision at a meeting earlier, with Hertfordshire's PCC David Lloyd confirming the three commissioners had "discontinued negotiations" between the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Strategic Alliance and G4S.
The forces had considered joining with Lincolnshire, which has a 10-year contract with G4S, as part of outsourcing plans.
The plan was put forward in a bid to help plug a £73m funding gap and could have affected 1,100 staff.
Olympics embarrassment
Mr Lloyd said: "It is now clear that the G4S framework contract through Lincolnshire Police was not suitable for the unique position of the three forces.
"I am already in discussion with other market providers and will continue to talk with G4S about how they can assist policing support services in Hertfordshire.
"I still believe that substantial elements of policing support services will be best delivered by the private sector and will ensure that this option is immediately pursued."
Bedfordshire's PCC Olly Martins tweeted: "We have concluded Lincs/G4S contract is not for us".
Kim Challis, G4S chief executive, said: "We put forward a compelling proposition to the police forces... which would have guaranteed them savings of over £100m over the next 10 years.
"It was never about replacing police officers. This has already proved to be the case in Lincolnshire, where... in less than a year has seen us deliver savings in running costs of around 16%.
"We continue to work with a number of signatory forces on the Lincolnshire Police contract, including Hertfordshire, to see how we can help them to generate the savings they need".
BBC East home affairs correspondent Sally Chidzoy said the move towards more internal collaboration would likely safeguard a number of local jobs.
G4S was heavily criticised for its handling of the Olympic Games security contract last summer.
The company admitted last month that the Olympic contract had cost it £50m after it failed to deliver 10,400 security guards in time for the Games.RADAR ALERT:
Nevada's Senator Harry Reid Plays the Domestic Violence Card In the 19th century, Mark Twain opined that patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel. In the 21st century, domestic violence has replaced patriotism. Yesterday on the Senate floor, Nevada's Senator Harry Reid made the following comments in support of a bill that purports to create jobs: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTc8X9AJpmE) "I met with some people while I was home dealing with domestic abuse. It has gotten out of hand.... Why? Men don't have jobs.... Women don't have jobs either, but women aren't abusive, most of the time.... Men, when they're out of work, tend to become abusive." Reid is wrong on two counts. He's wrong when he says, "women don't have jobs either," and he's wrong when he says, "women aren't abusive, most of the time." Contrary to Reid's politically-convenient claims, reputable researchers have found time and time again that women perpetrate domestic violence at rates comparable to that of men. Researchers from the CDC reported in the American Journal of Public Health that in half of all relationships in which violence occurs, the violence is reciprocal. And surprisingly, the CDC researchers found that "in nonreciprocally violent relationships, women were the perpetrators in more than 70% of the cases." (http://ajph.aphapublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/97/5/941) And the CDC researchers are not the only scientists who've found that result. Psychology Professor Martin Fiebert of California State Univ. has compiled a bibliography, available from his Cal. State webpage, that lists more than 270 scholarly investigations, with an aggregate sample size of over 365,000, all of which find that women are at least as physically aggressive as men in their relationships with their spouses or male partners. (http://www.csulb.edu/~mfiebert/assault.htm) It's noteworthy that Senator Reid is finally acknowledging that men don't have jobs. He was, after all, the one who pushed the $787 billion stimulus bill through the Senate last year. That was the bill that was touted as funding "shovel-ready" projects. So why is it that so many men don't have jobs? Could it be that last year's bill wasn't anything like what Reid promised? In the current recession, 80% of those who have lost jobs are men. Yet, as a result of pressure from N.O.W. and similar groups, the bill was altered to funnel close to half of the stimulus spending to women. No wonder the majority of those still unemployed are men! (http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/07/13/the_raw_deal_and_americas_he-cession_97384.html) Grant for the moment that, in spite of all the scientific research to the contrary, Senator Reid truly is naive enough to believe that only men, and not women, turn violent to their partners when unemployed. What kind of misogynist promotes a bill as unjust as last year's massive stimulus package while sincerely believing that doing so will cause more women to be beaten? Date of RADAR Release: Febuary 23, 2010 R.A.D.A.R. – Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting – is a non-profit, non-partisan organization of men and women working to improve the effectiveness of our nation's approach to solving domestic violence. http://www.mediaradar.orgAs Film Fades, Photographer Makes A Huge (Huge) Statement
Photographer Dennis Manarchy has taken the idea of large-format and... enlarged it. To make his portraits, Manarchy goes inside a 35-foot-long camera. He uses a 6-foot-tall negative. And to process the film, he says, "you gotta get really nasty."
toggle caption Dennis Manarchy
The result, he says, is the "most unbelievably beautiful thing you've ever seen in your life."
toggle caption Courtesy of Dennis Manarchy
Granted, he's biased. And I haven't been to his Chicago studio to see the portraits he's already made — but can only imagine the spectacle and resolution of a negative that large.
This may not be the world's largest camera. There was one behemoth in 1900 that used wet plates. In 2007, Guinness recognized a project that used an entire airplane hangar as a camera (though that was more of a camera obscura). There's also the "camera truck," self-described as the "world's biggest mobile camera" — but that's also a pinhole.
Manarchy's contraption might be the world's largest film camera with an actual lens. But no matter. Point is: It's huge.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of Dennis Manarchy Courtesy of Dennis Manarchy
What's the motivation? For one, he's anticipating the camera's 200th anniversary in a few years. As revolutionary products like the Lytro emerge from the ashes of Kodak's film, Manarchy calls this project "a swan song to the brilliance of film."
That nostalgia seems to permeate his psyche. Manarchy has not only built a shrine to a medium in its twilight, but he has also chosen a specific subject matter: He calls it the "Vanishing Cultures" project, and the endeavor is as big as the camera:
According to Manarchy and his Kickstarter page, which he is using to raise money, these are the goals: Raise a paltry $10 million; build a brand-new camera; travel a mere 20,000 miles across the country making portraits; get Washington D.C.'s prestigious National Portrait Gallery to display the photographs, which can be expanded, without Photoshop, to the size of a building; donate the camera to the Smithsonian. Easy peasy.
toggle caption Courtesy of Dennis Manarchy
And for now, it's just a side project. "When I started doing this," he says, "I had no idea that anyone would care about it." Most days of the week, Manarchy is an established commercial photographer who uses digital like the rest of them.
But he'd rather be on the road. Manarchy gives a few examples of what, in his mind, constitutes a "vanishing culture": Tuskegee Airmen (America's first black military airmen), American Indian tribes like the Havasupai, and Holocaust survivors. But he seems to keep the idea of a "vanishing culture" open to interpretation; the next person he plans to photograph is James Lovell, commander of the Apollo 13 mission.
toggle caption Courtesy of Dennis Manarchy
It's no doubt ambitious and still developing conceptually, but Manarchy seems optimistic that this pipe dream with be actualized. "It's a cool idea, it's big and crazy," he says. But beyond the shock factor of scale and cost, Manarchy seems committed to the idea that this is a final ode to film and to other cultural treasures that may soon fade with it.This is the first post in a three part series where I will discuss some hurdles regarding recruiting new players into corporations, suggest some changes and lastly try do work around these problems until such changes occur. Also: sorry for the wall of text.
Recruitment Inhibitors.
Something has been bugging me for quite some time. The corporation which I’ve always been a part of – The Knights of Nii – started as an open door corporation. Anyone could join, even I. For a long time we aspired to be that way. But as the corporations assets have increased and since our home and hearts is in Wormhole space some game mechanics really impedes recruitment.
Every time we discuss bringing new members into the wormhole where we live the same discussion come up. How do we ensure that the new member does not steal all our ships, fitting modules, POS fuel etc? There are other things too. Like that we would like to keep some corporation bookmarks away from new players. This could be bookmarks to other holes for instance.
The security in regard to Ship Maintenance Arrays (SMA) are digital. Either you have access and can remove anything and everything from them or you have zero access. The Corporate Hangars Array (CHA) is more secure having seven individual compartments allowing for a number of security settings. No rights, view contents, drop items and take items.
To alleviate these problems CCP in June 2013 introduced the Personal Hangar Array (PHA). This gives every corporation member her own storage area. It’s not a huge volume, but it does allow for every member to store some stuff. There is no room for ships and large amounts of ore, fuel or Planetary Interaction materials. There are however still no Personal Ship Maintenance Array. Even at the time the PHA was introduced I wondered why the SMA was left out. Since the CHA at least has some possibility of security the need for a more secure SMA seemed a lot higher to me. It still does.
There are ways of addressing these shortcomings. You can give the members no access, forcing them to store their modules in their ships and their ships inside the POS shields. They can drop own containers within the shields. Or you could have several SMA’s barring the new and/or yet fully trusted members from accessing the rest of the corps ships. The problem remains though. Unless you place an SMA for every new member there can still be theft within the corporation and since there is no log of who took what finding the thief is impossible.
I love that Eve is a harsh game and would not have it any other way. But it would be nice to be able to recruit players without having to risk billions of ISK. The current state of the corporation mechanics makes paranoia, mistrust and caution the norm. Giving people a break and reaching out are frowned upon. New players have a hard time getting into corporations. Corporations we all know most of them desperately need to experience the game fully and to keep them in the game. Often new players only experience with corporations is the business end of ammunition instead of an outstretched hand. Yeah, I know I’m often guilty of handing out ammunition, but you all get the idea. It’s a vicious circle.
Enablers. A fuzzy word with a lot of potential. Potentially.
Eve Online’s Executive Producer, CCP Seagull has on several occasions spoken of Enablers. Last I heard it was on the Crozzing Zebras Podcast which I highly recommend you to take a listen to. As I understand it CCP Seagulls definition of an Enabler is someone that does things that others need done in order to focus on playing the game. Someone that builds the foundation that everything stands on. The examples of such enabling actions I have makes me think ‘corporation and alliance upper management’ tools. I’m not aware of CCP Seagull giving an example of a person that is such an Enabler. Would Mangala of Red vs Blue fame be an Enabler? He arranges RvB Ganked nights where a lot of players fleet up and go roaming space for fights and giggles. How about a CEO that plans a roam, or a mining operation? How about the scout that maps out the wormhole chain for the nights operation? The scout makes copies and distributes bookmarks, researches the locals in the neighboring wormholes, scans down sigs and so on. The more I think of it the more people I do see as Enablers.
Perhaps my definition of ‘Enablers’ differs substantially from CCP Seagulls. I don’t know. I can not find enough details what an Enabler is exactly. Her occasional vagueness is the only negative thing I have to say about CCP Seagull. I have complete confidence in her. And in her defense I must point out that she addresses her vagueness, albeit in a roundabout way in the podcast linked above.
Inhibitors? Enablers? WTF?
So how do the recruitment inhibitors and Enablers tie into each other? Good question! I’ve played Eve for a couple of years now. I have had the opportunity of playing with a lot of people that are very competent and willing to share their knowledge. I’d like to keep the privilege of being enabled that way.
But I also would like to enable others. Preferably new players that want to live in wormhole space. Enable them to learn exploration, scanning, running Sleeper sites and hunt other players. But with the pretty much nonexistent security in regards SMA’s especially and the functional but clunky corporation security in general I find the risk high, and minimizing these risks a lot of work. It’s too much of a risk giving new and potentially thieving members the opportunity to steal billions worth of ships.
Wrap-up and next posts.
I have given a lot of thought to what would be required for the Knights of Nii to have that open door we used to have. In the next post I will discuss these thoughts. I will suggest some additions and changes to mechanics. Suggestions that I feel would really help corporations Enabling new players, without theft being such an issue. Please feel free to leave comments or contact me in-game or on Twitter where I am @Akely.
The third post in this series will discuss workarounds. I will do my best to figure out how to within the current iteration of the game solve the problems I’ve listed. So again, feel free to give feedback.
Now bring me a shrubbery!The driver of a Boston ladder truck that collided with an off-duty Boston police officer last week, has been cited for failing to stop at a red light even though the apparatus was responding to an alarm.
The accident occurred last Tuesday, April 5, 2011 and sent both the police officer, Darrell Vinson, and the driver of the ladder, Francis X. Tierney, to the hospital. The apparatus, Ladder 29, was responding with lights and siren to a vehicle accident at the time.
The Massachusetts State Police conducted the accident investigation and on Friday cited Tierney for not stopping for the red light controlling the intersection where the accident occurred. Massachusetts law allows fire apparatus to proceed through red traffic lights ONLY after first coming to a complete stop.
Here is the language of the statute:
Massachusetts General laws Chapter 89, Section 7B. The driver of a vehicle of a fire, police or recognized protective department and the driver of an ambulance shall be subject to the provisions of any statute, rule, regulation, ordinance or by-law relating to the operation or parking of vehicles, except that a driver of fire apparatus while going to a fire or responding to an alarm, or the driver of a vehicle of a police or recognized protective department or the driver of an ambulance, in an emergency and while in performance of a public duty or while transporting a sick or injured person to a hospital or other destination where professional medical services are available, may drive such vehicle at a speed in excess of the applicable speed limit if he exercises caution and due regard under the circumstances for the safety of persons and property, and may drive such vehicle through an intersection of ways contrary to any traffic signs or signals regulating traffic at such intersection if he first brings such vehicle to a full stop and then proceeds with caution and due regard for the safety of persons and property, unless otherwise directed by a police officer regulating traffic at such intersection. The driver of any such approaching emergency vehicle shall comply with the provisions of section fourteen of chapter ninety when approaching a school bus which has stopped to allow passengers to alight or board from the same, and whose red lamps are flashing.
The law is consistent with NFPA 1500 and best practices, but is unusual in so much as most states do not require the mandatory stop. The case points out the importance of firefighters knowing the law of their state.
For more of the story. Here is a video about the accident.A small crowd of Palestinian protesters accosted an American diplomatic delegation visiting the West Bank Tuesday, blocking a convoy of vehicles, chanting "shame on you" and hurling a shoe, a deeply insulting gesture in Arab culture.
The Americans, including employees of the consulate in Jerusalem, were on their way to a U.S. reception in town of Ramallah meant to reaffirm cultural and educational ties with the Palestinians.
Palestinians yelling at a U.S. diplomatic vehicle during protest against U.S. in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011. AP
But relations have grown strained recently, with Palestinians disappointed over President Barack Obama's handling of Mideast peace efforts. They say he is not tough enough on Israel and are also upset over U.S. vows to block their attempt to receive full membership at the United Nations.
Members of Congress have already put a hold on $200 million in economic assistance to the Palestinians to dissuade them from pushing forward with the UN request. Officials have also hinted that aid could be cut altogether if the Palestinians proceed with their plans. The U.S. provides some $500 million a year to the Palestinians.
The activists involved in the demonstration, which was organized on Facebook, called for a boycott of the U.S. reception. They held banners reading, "No for the American funds," "Veto America" and "Obama, your vision is shortsighted."
One man, dressed in a tie and sunglasses, spewed an English-language expletive at the convoy.
A State Department official said employees of the American consulate in Jerusalem were among those caught up in the protest.
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After a short delay, Palestinian police cleared a path for the American convoy to enter the resort where the reception took place. But several Palestinian invitees said they were intimidated by the protesters and backed out of the event at the last moment.
Tami Rafedi, a 35-year-old Palestinian activist pursuing a Ph.D in Florida on a U.S. scholarship, said the action was meant to "send a message to America."
"You cannot stand against our national aspirations and you cannot blackmail us with your money," she said.
The U.S. is committed to Palestinian independence, but like Israel, it says the United Nations is not the proper place to achieve statehood, and that peace can only come about through negotiations.
With peace talks stalled for most of the past three years, the Palestinians have said they have little choice but to turn to the UN.
They refuse to negotiate with Israel while it continues to build in Jewish settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, saying the construction is a sign of bad faith. The Palestinians have expressed disappointment over Obama's failure to halt settlement construction, after harshly condemning the practice upon taking office.Coming Soon
The Fast and the Furious Animated Show
Adventures abound as a group of teenagers infiltrates an elite racing league controlled by a nefarious organization bent on world domination.
Unbelievable
After a teen reports being raped, then recants her story, two female detectives follow evidence that could reveal the truth. Based on a true story.
Klaus
PINOCCHIO
Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro reinvents the classic tale of the wooden puppet who dreams of becoming a real boy.
Upstarts
Determined to ride the burgeoning wave of startup companies, three college graduates set out to change the world while making millions.
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."
Mirage
A space-time continuum glitch allows Vera to save a boy's life 25 years earlier, but results in the loss of her daughter, whom she fights to get back.
Dolly Parton's HeartstringsUS District Court Rules GNU GPL is an Enforceable Contract
The history of open source is long and full of legal questions. The first version of the General Public License, which is one of the most common licenses, was published in February 1989. Since then, it has been widely used in free and open-source software (FOSS) and commercial products. Possibly the most famous GPL project off all time is the Linux kernel, that has been later adapted to be the heart of Android — now the most popular mobile operating system of all times.
GPL projects are used in many free and commercial applications. The GNU GPL license requires developers that use the GPL-licensed software to adhere to its licensing. A developer modifying GPL-licensed code must release a source if he or she releases a project to the public. For instance, a custom Android kernel based on the official one must be an open-source project too, and the source must be made available to those that request it.
GNU GPL must always be free
A South Korean developer company called Hancom, decided to use the source code of PostScript and PDF interpreter Ghostscript. The latter is an open-source project that uses GPL as its license. The specific Ghostscript licensing thus obliged Hancom to do one of two things: the South Koreans could either open the source-code of Hancom Office suite, or pay a licensing fee to Artifex. Hancom Office is free to install, although it remains a commercial product and its developers intend to profit from it. So far, the application was installed more than 100,000 times.
Ghostscript has been part of Hancom’s software since 2013. The company didn’t open the source code or pay the fee, so Artifex decided to fill a lawsuit against them. A trial took place in the US District Court for the Northern District of California.
In the complaint, the Ghostscript creators expressed their concern about the infringements of the GNU GPL and Artifex’s copyright. Artifex wanted Hancom to pull the code of Ghostscript and pay a “reasonable royalty”.
Hancom reportedly made $86.3 million in revenue for their products in 2015. The South Korean company refused to pay, and issued a motion to dismiss the case. As a reason, they said that the company didn’t sign anything so the license wasn’t ‘a real contract’.
The GNU GPL is often belittled and ignored by companies, even some of the bigger ones. To illustrate the problem we can look at the smartphone OEMs and SoC producers, who often refuse to distribute the source code they are obliged to provide. In the past, XDA made several public call-outs to OEMs to who don’t adhere to the rules established by GPL licensing. Unfortunately, there is still a number of smartphone producers that do not take the GPL seriously.
The enforceability of open source licenses like the GNU GPL has remained a legal question for a long time. The Federal Circuit Court of Appeals held in a case in 2006 in which Robert Jacobsen sued Martin Katzer for copyright infringement, and Artifex v. Hancom is another big case that can possibly change the general perception of open-source contracts.
Wake up call?
Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley, in her order on the motion on April 25, said that one doesn’t need to sign a contract to be legally bounded to open-source license requirements. Judge Corley stated that “[the] Plaintiff alleges that Defendant used Ghostscript, did not obtain a commercial license, and represented publicly that its use of Ghostscript was licensed under the [GNU GPL]. These allegations sufficiently plead the existence of a contract”.
As a result, the federal court ruled that an open-source license is, in fact, an enforceable contract. This is a small victory for the open-source community, as this case sets a precedent that shouldn’t be ignored. It’s still uncertain whether Artifex will win or not, but the ruling shows that the GNU GPL should be treated seriously. We will keep our fingers crossed, as this means that big companies that refuse to release the source code they owe customers could be finally sued.Getty Images
The lion's share of the plutonium used for the US nuclear arsenal during the Cold War came from the Hanford plant on the Columbia River in the US state of Washington. The plutonium used in the first atomic bomb test in July 1945 came from Hanford as did the material used in "Fat Man," the bomb which destroyed Nagasaki on Aug. 9, 1945.
Fifty-two buildings at Hanford remain contaminated to this day, and 240 square miles are uninhabitable due to the radioactivity that has seeped into the soil and ground water: uranium, cesium, strontium, plutonium and other deadly radio-nuclides. Altogether, more than 204,000 cubic meters of highly radioactive waste remain on site -- two-thirds of the total for the entire US. In one area, discharges of more than 216 million liters of radioactive, liquid waste and cooling water have flowed out of leaky tanks. More than 100,000 spent fuel rods -- 2,300 tons of them -- still sit in leaky basins close to the Columbia River.
The plant is also notorious for the so-called "Green Run" -- the deliberate release of a highly radioactive cloud from the T-plant, the world's largest plutonium factory at the time. The radiation was almost 1,000 times worse than that released during the 1979 meltdown at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania, the worst nuclear accident in American history. Fallout from the experiment drifted all the way to California. People wondered why they suddenly got sick. Studies would eventually show that some babies at Hanford were radiated twice as much as the children of Chernobyl.Big Gay Following: Seth MacFarlane
He’s not “family,” but Emmy-winning Family Guy and American Dad creator Seth MacFarlane consistently packs his irreverent animated sitcoms with queer gags and subplots, even devoting entire episodes to hot-button gay issues such as marriage and adoption rights. With his sexy baritone (similar to Family Guy’s alcoholic dog Brian, just one of the many colorful characters he voices himself), the 34-year-old devoted Democrat drew us in to discuss what makes homosexuality so damn funny, and — step aside, Dumbledore — out one of his most popular characters as “almost certainly gay.”
The Advocate: I hope you’re prepared for my very gay line of questioning.
Seth MacFarlane: I spent half the holidays with my gay cousin, so I think I’m good to go.
How did your cousin inform your views on homosexuality?
We went to see him in a show when he was in high school or college, and I remember my parents talking about the fact that he might be gay and just doesn’t know it yet. It turned out that they were right. With certain parts of our family, it was taken for granted — “Oh, he’s gay” — and we didn’t think any more of it. Other parts of the family were, at times, less enlightened about it. At one point somebody said, “Maybe there’s a way for him to be cured,” which was fucking horrifying to hear from somebody that you love. But I credit my parents for raising me to be a logical person. I went to a very conservative boarding school called Kent with a lot of Republican students from very wealthy families, and a lot of times that does come with an unfortunate amount of negative traditionalism. I certainly remember hearing students use the word “fag” and whatnot, but it didn’t really register with me just because I hadn’t been directly exposed to any openly gay people yet. But then when I was, it was nice to find out that my brain was already set up the right way, so I didn’t give a shit.
Were you ever mistaken for gay, perhaps due in part to your longtime love of musical theater?
Oh God, yeah. Big deal.
Did that ever cramp your style romantically?
No. If anything, it would’ve helped. Hot chicks love gay guys.
What inspired Family Guy’s season 4 gay marriage episode “You May Now Kiss the…Uh…Guy Who Receives,” in which Brian’s flamboyant cousin Jasper visits with his Filipino boyfriend?
A couple of years prior I had teamed up to write a pilot with two writers, both of whom were gay. One of them said that when he travels through the Midwest with his partner they have to go through this fucking dog and pony act when they stop at a hotel and the guy behind the counter says, “You want one room or two?” They have this charade where they’ll say to each other, “Is one room OK with you?” “Yeah, I’m cool with that if you are.” “Yeah, no big deal, we’ll just take one.” That was one of many conversations I had with them where I thought to myself, Why is it that Johnny Spaghetti Stain in fucking Georgia can knock a woman up, legally be married to her, and then beat the shit out of her, but these two intelligent, sophisticated writers who have been together for 20 years can’t get married? It’s infuriating and idiotic. I’m incredibly passionate about my support for the gay |
of RM Corp vows to take over the world through Krang Chips in the first half of the series, then seeks to become World President in the second half, all while attempting to discredit and destroy ZZ's heroic efforts. He is crafty enough to send a bomb-equipped robot duplicate of himself to his own birthday celebration, knowing that ZZ will be there (as seen in "Rock the Corp"). LLP also has considerable fighting skills of his own in "A Tale of Two Paradims" where he manages to fend off Ninjzz with fisticuffs and pushes Ninjzz to the ground.
Dr. Hiss (voiced by Ian James Corlett) - The Corp's resident cyborg mad scientist who speaks with a lisp, and chief creator of the Corps' bots. His faith in said bots is high, and though they are destroyed on a regular basis, he becomes visibly dismayed upon learning that the Krang Chip-equipped 3A can be hacked (as seen in "You Can Bank On It"). Hiss is as a personal hatred for ZZ, generally attempting to kill him outright with overwhelming firepower (but halting within range of media witnesses - "Lost"). Hiss often personally engages in battles, yet the Boyzz Brigade try to avoid injuring him, his name and personality could be references to the Nazi politician Rudolf Hess.
Lady Frenzy (voiced by Janyse Jaud) - Paradim's second-in-command who holds romantic feelings for ZZ which sometimes conflict with her loyalties to LLP and the Corp. She doesn't share Dr. Hiss' confidence in RM Corp's bots, and thus will generally attempt to negotiate or threaten before resorting to violence. As fitting to her position, she has a far cooler mind than Hiss.
Other human characters [ edit ]
Lonnie Chang - News reporter and anchor. The primary source of ZZ's bad press, although she doesn't seem to consider him a threat in person, getting within interviewing distance of him at one point ("Lost"). It is even revealed through her daughter, Rebecca (who appears in the episode "Building Eight"), that she has steadily grown more and more skeptical of ZZ being a terrorist throughout the series. Based on Connie Chung, if only in name.
Alicia - Seeing that ZZ appears lonely, the Boyzz Brigade set him up with a model named Alicia, and they genuinely seem to like one another. Their first date ends somewhat disastrously because of the Corp, but Alicia is willing to see ZZ again, despite being aware of the dangers that come from being associated with him. However, Lady Frenzy learns about Alicia's relationship with ZZ and takes advantage of their resemblance to set up a trap for ZZ. Alicia makes an appearance again during ZZ's birthday and seems to have an on-off romantic relationship with him.
President Bando - The President of Africa, who is a political opponent of LLP and is one of the few people on Earth who believes in ZZ.
Robots [ edit ]
The Boyzz Brigade [ edit ]
Short for "Brain Operated Young Zygoetopic Zoids," these robots are ZZ's allies against RM Corp.
The Street Boyzz A duo of front-line construction worker-themed combatants that use construction-themed weapons. The Street Boyzz think of each other as brothers and are equipped with retractable roller-blades for quick movement. Jammerzz (voiced by Cusse Mankuma) - Has a large jackhammer for one arm, ending in twin laser cannons at the shoulder. He enjoys battering his opponents with his jackhammer and occasionally speaks in rhyme/rap. Toolzz (voiced by Stefano Giulianetti) - Uses a wrench and drill as weapons, often dismantling the opposition rather than destroying them. He also has a small laser cannon in his arm and dislikes heights.
A duo of front-line construction worker-themed combatants that use construction-themed weapons. The Street Boyzz think of each other as brothers and are equipped with retractable roller-blades for quick movement.
The Sports Boyzz Another team of front-line combatants that use sports-themed weapons. They use their sports skills to lob, hit, kick, drive, smash, and otherwise launch sports-ball-type explosives at the opposition. All Ball - The leader of the Sports Boyzz, demonstrating expertise in volleyball and soccer. His wide-body design, while effective, gives him a comical running style. Batzz - Expert in baseball, and carries a bat. The most humanoid of the Sports Boyzz in appearance. Batzz had the unenviable experience of crashing into a baseball light fixture and briefly losing his memory (as seen in "Lost"). Bogey (voiced by Stefano Giulianetti) - Expert in golf. His single arm is a golf club. When piloting a vehicle, such as a Jungle Fiver component, he projects beams from his eyes to do so. Ace - Expert in tennis, and has a racket arm. Consequently, he pilots one-handed and is the only Sport Boyzz equipped with a laser.
Another team of front-line combatants that use sports-themed weapons. They use their sports skills to lob, hit, kick, drive, smash, and otherwise launch sports-ball-type explosives at the opposition.
The Science Boyzz (Analysis-Type Bots) - Two scientist robots who serve as the group's research and development duo. They stay out of combat for the most part except for dire emergencies, and usually only leave the base for intelligence/reconnaissance purposes. They are sometimes called upon to pilot Jungle Fiver when the Sports Boyzz or Street Boyzz are unable to do so. D'Nerd (voiced by Terry Klassen) - A large data bank with a computer for a head. D'Nerd was occasionally brought out into the field in that capacity. Often replies to statements with the dictionary definitions of words. Notably forgot to put film into a camera before taking an important, incriminating video ("This Land Is My Land"). He was once captured and brought to LLP, who dismissed him as a talking dictionary. Genesix (voiced by Michael Donovan) - Creates most of the new vehicles and things for ZZ, often in the sense of being the one to actually build them. The engineer of the Boyzz Brigade, Genesix was the original Boyzz prototype and his name is a play on the word "genesis".
(Analysis-Type Bots) - Two scientist robots who serve as the group's research and development duo. They stay out of combat for the most part except for dire emergencies, and usually only leave the base for intelligence/reconnaissance purposes. They are sometimes called upon to pilot Jungle Fiver when the Sports Boyzz or Street Boyzz are unable to do so.
Watzon - The team doctor and a dry wit. Makes repairs to the Boyzz, and administers medical aid to humans where required. Surprisingly fearless for his intended purpose, he dragged Cook along on a dangerous mission to save Ziv and Blitzy's lives while the other Boyzz were paralyzed without leadership ("Flowers For ZZ").
Other Boyzz (Stand-Alone Bots) - These robots aren't grouped like the others. Cook the Cooking Boyzz (voiced by Michael Donovan) - A chef robot that usually stays at the base and cooks for the Zulanders. Ninjzz the Ninja Boyzz (voiced by Surya Kellar) - A ninja robot who is the first Boyzz to be built during the show and the only one specifically built for combat. ZZ modeled Ninjzz' electronic brain on the greatest martial artists on Earth, making Ninjzz formidable in hand-to-hand combat. He prefers to fight with his sword or nunchaku, but sometimes uses a hand-held laser gun. In "Flowers for ZZ", he took over leadership of the Boyzz while ZZ and Blitzy were incapacitated. Kiddie the Child Boyzz - Designed possibly to serve as a playmate for Blitzy. Kiddie behaves like a young boy but does help out on missions occasionally. Kiddie behaves much like a younger sibling, and tends to annoy Blitzy from time to time. Momzz the Mother Boyzz - She was only present for one episode when Genesix felt ZZ and Blitzy needed a mother. Destroyed during a suicide run to save everyone else. Swang the Bug Boyzz - Acts as a reconnaissance and distractions specialist. Moves by hopping. Cannot speak normally, instead communicating with synthesized chirps which the other Boyzz Brigade (ZZ and Blitzy included) can understand. Twig - The largest Boyzz and ZZ's bodyguard. Twig is designed to function with ZZ's car, able to transform into a robot or fly when his master is in danger. He can also detach from the car when not out on a mission, so he can fit inside the base. Twig is also very well armed and often aids in frontal assaults when maximum firepower is needed.
(Stand-Alone Bots) - These robots aren't grouped like the others.
The Talking Heads - The Talking Heads (or "T-Heads") are a group of robot heads that sit on a shelf in ZZ's house. They usually just comment on goings-on but occasionally are put to work helping the other Boyzz (such as in the episode "Flowers for ZZ"). Even though they are mostly immobile (they can turn toward one another), their positions on the shelf rearrange from episode to episode. Individually they are known as: T1 - A talking green robot head with fins. T2 - A pink robot head that laughs a lot. T3 - A rectangular purple robot head. T4 - A green robot head with eyestalks. T5 - A gold-colored robot head.
- The Talking Heads (or "T-Heads") are a group of robot heads that sit on a shelf in ZZ's house. They usually just comment on goings-on but occasionally are put to work helping the other Boyzz (such as in the episode "Flowers for ZZ"). Even though they are mostly immobile (they can turn toward one another), their positions on the shelf rearrange from episode to episode. Individually they are known as:
Birden and Freehand - These bots aid the team by acting as decoys against the Corp's Security Bots. Birden is a robot bird built by Genesix, but he was too busy to build an accurate navigation system causing Birden to fly around randomly and cause havoc. Freehand is basically an arm attached to a rotor that flies around ZZ's house, usually enacting tasks for the Talking Heads.
Jungle Fiver - The Boyzz Brigade's most powerful weapon. A group of five vehicles that can transform into robots and also combine into a heavily armed giant robotic fighting machine. It is generally considered to be the one element of the Boyzz Brigade mainly under Blitzy's command, while ZZ takes command of the remainder of the brigade. The individual vehicles and Jungle Fiver appear to have some sort of autopilot, but are usually (more so as the series progressed) piloted by the Boyzz or the Zulanders. Jungle Fiver usually engages the Corp's "monster bots" and is treated as a 'trump card' by the Boyzz Brigade. The combination itself is password-protected at one point (which was 'zucchini' as seen in "Flowers for ZZ"), possibly related to Blitzy yelling, "Jungle Fiver, Combine!" when it combines. The name is a pun on the phrase "jungle fever." Jungle Fiver is upgraded later in the series to be capable of trans-lunar space travel, but is otherwise capable of atmospheric flight. Its biggest weakness is its combined size: civilian airport radar can easily spot it (as seen in "Lost"). Half Bot - An ATV-type robot. Jet Bot - A jet-type robot. Tank Bot - A tank-type robot. Heli Bot - A helicopter-type robot. Hover Bot - A hovercraft-type robot.
- The Boyzz Brigade's most powerful weapon. A group of five vehicles that can transform into robots and also combine into a heavily armed giant robotic fighting machine. It is generally considered to be the one element of the Boyzz Brigade mainly under Blitzy's command, while ZZ takes command of the remainder of the brigade. The individual vehicles and Jungle Fiver appear to have some sort of autopilot, but are usually (more so as the series progressed) piloted by the Boyzz or the Zulanders. Jungle Fiver usually engages the Corp's "monster bots" and is treated as a 'trump card' by the Boyzz Brigade. The combination itself is password-protected at one point (which was 'zucchini' as seen in "Flowers for ZZ"), possibly related to Blitzy yelling, "Jungle Fiver, Combine!" when it combines. The name is a pun on the phrase "jungle fever." Jungle Fiver is upgraded later in the series to be capable of trans-lunar space travel, but is otherwise capable of atmospheric flight. Its biggest weakness is its combined size: civilian airport radar can easily spot it (as seen in "Lost").
The Boyzz Brigade also have a number of other vehicles, including a "mole" digger, a stealth submarine (invisible to radar/sonar, but visually identifiable), and the Splitvan (a van that can divide into multiple smaller vehicles). Blitzy is especially fond of her VAF, a sort of attack jet with GERWALK-capable 'legs'.
There are also other bots under ZZ's command, known only as "Battle Bots".
RM Corp Bots (3A type) [ edit ]
Although the RM Corp's bots are devoid of personality (and universally speak in the same monotone synthesized voice), there are a few common types.
3P - An enormous green robot that serves as power booster bot for "MDB" (see below).
Beast Bot - A special-purpose canine-like robot designed by Dr. Hiss to track and locate Ziv Zulander.
Green Bot - Green Bots are the Corp's standard soldier robots. They have stronger armor than Security Bots and are better armed, with a laser cannon on one arm and a set of pincers on the other, but behave in the same manner.
Humabot - Humabots are mercenary cyborg soldiers that work for the Corp in exchange for robotic upgrades.
Massive Destruction Bot - The Massive Destruction Bot (or MDB) is a class of robot that is one of Dr. Hiss's creations. Although there are several variants, the original prototype was nicknamed "Goliath". MDBs do not speak and usually require the Zulanders to deploy Jungle Fiver to do battle.
Private Police Bot - Also known as "P.P.B.", these well-armed robots featuring black and purple armor are a more advanced version of the Green Bot and are usually used for the personal protection of Corp staffers but are occasionally dispatched for open combat when needed.
Security Bot - Security Bots are the most common opposition ZZ and the Boyzz Brigade encounter in the first half of the series. Designed to monitor and patrol restricted areas, they have security cameras for heads and exposed joints which the Boyzz, especially Toolzz, frequently exploit for dismantling.So you’re learning how to play the drums – and we all know what you’re thinking. When do I get to show off some awesome drum solos?! Before you can get to that, though, you’ll need to learn the basics: rudiments, the difference between traditional grip and matched grip, and so on. But after that? Experiment away! Check out the video below as Chicago drum teacher Joel S. shares his strategies for crafting cool drum solos…
Joel S. teaches drum, music performance, music theory and percussion lessons to students of all ages in Chicago, IL. Joel joined the TakeLessons team in August 2012, with his Bachelor’s degree in Percussion from the New England Conservatory, and a Master’s degree from the Chicago College of Performing Arts. Learn more about Joel, or visit TakeLessons to search for a drum teacher near you!Receiver DeSean Jackson says the coaching change the Philadelphia Eagles made should result in at least one certainty for next season after struggling to a 4-12 finish in 2012.
Retaining the services of Michael Vick.
"For sure I can see it. Now that Chip Kelly is our offensive coordinator, I mean our head coach, Michael Vick I think it's a no-brainer to keep him here," Jackson said Friday in an interview with the NFL Network. "It fits his playing style and what he's done perfect."
In December, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported Vick was not willing to work with the Eagles toward restructuring his contract, which calls for him to make $15.5 million in base salary next season.
If the Eagles release Vick by Feb. 6, they won't have to pay him the guaranteed $3 million in his deal, the report said.
Vick, 32, had 2,362 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and 10 interceptions this season, his fourth with the Eagles. The Eagles hired Kelly after firing Andy Reid, who quickly landed the head coaching job with the Kansas City Chiefs after 14 seasons in Philadelphia.
But Jackson was encouraged by the prospect of returning with Kelly at the helm.
"Honestly, I don't know what it is exactly he's going to do, but all I can say is I'm very excited," Jackson said, according to the NFL Network.
Jackson spoke of playing in college against Kelly's Oregon team when the receiver was at California.
"That conversation we had with Chip," Jackson said. "He was like, 'Man, now I'm happy I can coach you and have you scoring against other teams instead of me.' "
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.Portland, Oregon, was to be the site of a rally by Patriot Prayer. In keeping with the recent trend, the rally was met with a counter-protest, and tensions mounted between the opposing factions. According to the Portland Police, seven people have been arrested during multiple protests during a permitted march in downtown Portland. The protest, held in Terry Schrunk Plaza, Waterfront Park, and other areas downtown, resulted in road shutdowns.
Portland Stands United Against Hate (PSUAH) were in attendance and held a march. Police arrested several demonstrators who were armed with multiple weapons including rocks, irritant smoke bombs, and various other projectiles. Counter-protestors hurled the projectiles at police officers, two of whom have sustained minor injuries as a result.
Below is an official statement from Portland Police.
“The intent of law enforcement today was to provide a safe environment for all participants, non-participants, and community members while ensuring the peaceful exercise of the First Amendment.”
Portland Police have been keeping the public updated via their Twitter feed, offering information, updates, and photos of some of the weapons confiscated during the event. Some protesters left the area for Vancouver, Washington. Portland Police Bureau has sent personnel to support authorities in Vancouver.
Multiple People Arrested During Protests in Downtown (Photo) https://t.co/FxVp67xS56 pic.twitter.com/UDoTt7ntPx — Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) September 10, 2017
Officers are reporting that photographers are being attacked by protesters. — Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) September 10, 2017
Resisting arrest, interfering with a police officer, harassment, disorderly conduct, attempted theft, and assault on a police officer were among the charges doled out. Agencies involved in managing the safety of the event included the Portland Police Bureau, Oregon State Police, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Protective Service, Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, and Portland Fire and Rescue.
Portland Police will be reviewing video and images of the event today to further investigate anyone involved in criminal activity who are not currently in custody.
Portland Police ask anyone with information to come forward. It can be shared anonymously to Crime Stoppers of Oregon by texting CRIMES (247637), online at http://crimestoppersoforegon.com/submit_online_tip.php or by calling 503-823-HELP (4357).
Things are getting complicated in the car park, police trying to protect egress of PP attendees as more antifa show up pic.twitter.com/CaoDLhXbLD — Jason Wilson (@jason_a_w) September 10, 2017
After things got sticky in Salmon Park in Portland, organizer and Patriot Prayer spokesman Joey Gibson announced a venue change. The counter-protesters followed, however.
Police had to ensure the safety of protesters from counter-protesters, having the demonstrators leave eight at a time, shielded by officers.
We’re down at the Portland Riverfront where a few antifa members are hanging out. Already a bigger police presence than last time. #LiveOnK2 pic.twitter.com/zGYYiM6n5G — Catherine Van (@cat08van) September 10, 2017
“As you know in Vancouver, [police] don’t mess around. This is a way for us to continue to be peaceful,” Gibson informed followers in video published at Facebook. “If Antifa wants to come over, it’s going to be a problem for them.”
Patriot Prayer has been defamed as a “White Supremacist” organization, but considering one of their most active members is a Samoan, that seems unlikely. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler had the following to say of the event.
“On Sunday, Portland will find itself – once again – in the middle of national events, as demonstrators and counter-demonstrators converge on our city. This is not the first set of demonstrations in Portland. This will not be the last. But how we conduct ourselves as a community will send a message about our city to the rest of the nation. “Portland rejects racism, bigotry, and xenophobia. We reject white supremacy. Messages of hate are not welcome in Portland. We have seen – far too often – how these words of hate can quickly turn to acts of violence. Portland also rejects violence. “Around the country, we’ve seen demonstrations that have involved arrests and illegal acts. My hope is that we are better than that. We can do it better. We can do it the Portland way. In Portland we celebrate diversity, we stand up for others, we promote unity, and we practice non-violence. “Over recent weeks, my office has worked closely with the Portland Police Bureau, as well as state, local and federal officials, on plans to protect the safety of everyone who chooses to demonstrate on Sunday. Portland Police will focus on ensuring that people’s right for freedom of expression and speech is protected. However, illegal behavior is not acceptable. “We will not tolerate acts of violence. We will not tolerate vandalism. We will not tolerate criminal behavior. I call on everyone who plans on demonstrating here Sunday to do so peacefully, to help ensure that everyone goes home safely.”
Most recently, allegations of a truck attempting to run into the counter-protesters was reported by an eyewitness via Twitter. This story will be updated as more information is available.
Something hairy developing in downtown Vancouver- car stopped in the middle of 6th amid accusations of dangerous driving from antifa pic.twitter.com/Z1Qmdg8SIs — Jason Wilson (@jason_a_w) September 10, 2017
UPDATE: The driver of a black truck that sped through the streets has been arrested in Vancouver. Some members of the crowd allege that the truck was attacked by masked Antifa counter-protesters before it rushed through the streets.
[Featured Image by Portland Police]David Rockwell is getting ready to graduate from Ripon College in Wisconsin and come back to his hometown and do some good.
Rockwell, 24, wasn’t a super bad kid. He wasn’t a super good one, either. He scraped by until his freshman year in college, when his lack of direction and motivation finally caught up with him.
He got involved in the wrong crowd, working for a local street gang as a driver, helping gang members sell drugs. One day, he messed up and was beaten. He was held against his will for several hours.
Somehow, Rockwell was able to convince his captors to release him. Out of fear for his safety, he fled Rockford. When he returned a few months later, he went into counseling and started his road to recovery. Soon after, he enrolled at Ripon.
Last fall, he won a $1,000 grant from the Good Money Challenge, an entrepreneurial competition sponsored by Marquette University and the Brady Corp. in Milwaukee. His proposal: Rapping Up Conflict, a nonprofit that would use hip-hop and spoken word as a tool in conflict resolution and help young people understand the impact of violence and victimization on society.
Rockwell would like to pilot the program in Rockford this summer. He hopes it will have an impact on young people like him — the misguided ones who silently slip through the cracks.
“My story started in Rockford,” he said. “I really want to come back and make a difference here.”
About 70 groups and individuals competed in the Good Money Challenge; 11 were selected to present their ideas to a panel of judges.
Rockwell is graduating in May with an English major and a minor in nonprofit management.
“Winning this award gives me a tremendous amount of pride in the adversity I overcame with my departure from the streets and gang activity. Financially, it provides me the majority of my curriculum costs, which is essential to launching my pilot program. At the end of the day, I’m one step closer to playing a part in decreasing youth victimization.”
Rockwell is the son of Donn and Cynthia Jo Rockwell of Rockford. He is a 2009 graduate of Auburn High School.
Corina Curry: 815-987-1371, [email protected], @corinacurryThe Cronus was launched in 2011 as Trek’s first-ever carbon fibre cyclo-cross platform and marked the Wisconsin-based firm’s first proper foray into the CX market.
Our two-month test has revealed a machine which is as at home on the race track as it is on the road – and everything in between – thanks to a winning combination of dependability, stability and versatility.
The Trek Cronus CX Pro is as at home on the trails as it is on the race track
The frame
Trek’s cyclo-cross offering is split into three ranges, with two bikes in each of the entry-level CrossRip, mid-range Ion CX, and top-of-the-range Cronus CX collections.
The Cronus CX Pro is the cheaper of the two builds at £2,000 and is equipped with Shimano 105 shifters/front derailleur/rear derailleur, FSA Energy Cross 46-36t chainset, Avid Shorty 6 cantilever brakes and Bontrager finishing kit, with the upgraded Cronus CX Ultimate getting a SRAM Force groupset, Shimano Ultegra wheels and Avid Shorty Ultimate brakes for £3,000.
The frame remains the same, however, and it’s trademark Trek, with beefy proportions throughout, not least on the downtube. In short, it’s huge, tapering ever-so-slightly from the super-wide BB90 bottom bracket (the widest available on the market) to the junction with the headtube, which tapers from a 1.5″ lower bearing to a 1-1/8″ upper bearing.
The top tube (of which the underside is slightly flattened to make the bike easier to shoulder) is also wide – and certainly wide enough to occasionally catch your legs, especially if you ride knock-kneed like I do – while the seattube, which rises to meet a 27.2mm seatpost, looks decidedly skinny in comparison to the rest of the frame, which is constructed from the same 500 Series OCLV carbon fibre as Trek’s 5-Series Madone and Domane road bikes.
Trek describe the Cronus CX Pro as an “ultra-tough, pure-bred cyclo-cross racer”
Out back, the chunky theme continues with the chainstays, which are strong enough in their own right to allow Trek to do away with a chainstay bridge, allowing masses of mud clearance between the rear tyre and the bottom bracket.
The Cronus CX Pro is part of the Gary Fisher Collection and wears his signature on the downtube, while at the front end, the fork uses the eccentric American designer’s Fisher Control Column dropout design, which can accommodate the oversized hub and 25mm end caps found on FCC-compatible wheels. Trek say that improves wheel stiffness but it’s worth noting the Bontrager Race hoops specced with the Cronus CX Pro have a standard sized hub.
At the top of the fork, the front brake hanger is bolted into the crown, thereby increasing the distance between the housing stop and the brake calliper, and doing a good job of minimising brake judder.
The ride
The Cronus CX Pro has a slightly taller headtube than we’ve come to expect, at 167mm on our size 56cm test model, and that translates to a fairly upright riding position. Stand over the bike and it feels substantial beneath you as the toptube slopes only a little, but jump aboard and the slightly shorter than average toptube (effective length 553mm) means it doesn’t feel too long when riding.
It does, however, provide a very stable footing for the machine as a whole. The Cronus CX Pro doesn’t perhaps have the zip of some ‘cross bikes when throwing it around a race course, but it’s ultimately a super-reliable platform, with solid steering which delivers the bike in the direction you want it, and while the 44cm-wide Bontrager Race Lite Anatomic-C handlebars may feel too wide for many when compared to their road bike (I normally ride with 40cm handlebars), they do go some way to contributing to that confidence-inspiring ride.
The super-wide BB90 bottom bracket is at the heart of the frame and there’s no doubting the Cronus CX Pro delivers plenty of stiffness, but it does so in a ‘mind your own business’ way. By that, I mean the bike doesn’t jump from underneath you when you stamp on the pedals, but it still ensures more than enough of that power is transferred to the back wheel.
That’s partly a consequence of the 500 Series OCLV carbon fibre lay-up. The Cronus CX Pro isolates itself from rough off-road terrain, with the frame offering bags of compliance, which, along with the sure-footed handling, makes for a relatively neutral ride, allowing the rider to concentrate on the task at hand.
Beefy tube profiles
Cyclo-cross bike are becoming increasingly popular as do-it-all machines and while Trek describe the Cronus CX Pro as an “ultra-tough, pure-bred cyclo-cross racer”, it has enough built-in versatility to mark it out for day-to-day use as well. Cyclo-cross riders normally do away with bottles over an hour-long race but the Cronus CX Pro has mounts for two cages in addition to hidden mudguard mounts, which means it can double up as a winter training bike or year-round commuter.
Most of the £2,000 price tag has gone into the development of the frame and the spec is mostly functional and reliable, with Shimano 105 taking care of shifting duties and Avid’s strong but occasionally squealy Shorty 6 cantilever brakes providing the stopping power. The Bontrager CX0 tyres were particularly impressive, offering a good amount of grip despite their billing as rubber suitable for dry and hard conditions, and when we asked Trek for the CX3 mud tyres ahead of the final round of the Rapha Super Cross series we got more grip again thanks to the effective open knob design.
Bontrager’s Race clincher wheels are solid and dependable without offering much in the way of performance, as you’d expect for budget hoops: ideal for training but an obvious upgrade for racing, particularly as most experienced ‘cross riders will want a tubular wheelset and tyre combination come race day. Otherwise, the Bontrager Evoke 2 saddle is comfortable but on the spongy side compared to racier models, and looks a little out of place on the start line of a race.
All in all, the combination of a superb frame and solid build delivers a hugely pleasurable ride whether racing, hacking around the woods or using the Cronus CX Pro as a do-it-all winter trainer on road. Some riders may prefer a machine which delivers a sharper ride and more feedback from the rough stuff but if you’re after dependability, stability and versatility, then the Cronus CX Pro has it in bags.
Discuss on the forum
www.trekbikes.comYoung Australians are among the least prepared around the world for the digital economy, ranking last in a global survey of nine countries.
Australians were least confident of their technical abilities and job prospects in the innovation age, a report released at the World Economic Forum by IT consultancy Infosys said.
And while they're highly aware of the need to learn new skills, Australians are also the least interested in improving their STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) knowledge.
Less than a fifth wanted to develop data skills, build mobile apps or learn how to code.
And even fewer, just 3.41 per cent of survey respondents, had a desire to work for a startup over a large company.
The result puts Australians at the bottom of the heap compared to other young people surveyed in China, India, United States, UK, Germany, France, South Africa and Brazil.
Andrew Groth, the vice president of Infosys Australia and New Zealand, said the Turnbull government's focus on innovation had not come a moment too soon.
"Australia's STEM skills gap is too large and we need to start closing it," he said.
The survey of 9,000 people aged between 16 and 25 showed that 40 per cent believed their current job could be replaced by some form of automation within a decade.
Those in developing countries like India and China were most optimistic and confident about their work skills.
The IT gender imbalance in those countries was also significantly smaller than Australia's where the gap was highest with 48 per cent of men displaying IT competence compared to 28 per cent of women.A Nebraska legislator is hoping to make it illegal for private insurance companies to offer coverage of abortion to the women of his state.
Nebraska State Senator Beau McCoy wants to make it illegal for private health insurance providers to offer plans regulated by the state to pay for (legal) abortion care. Under the Nelson Amendment in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, this type of legislation is becoming more common on a state-by-state basis. McCoy is clearly emboldened by a rash of anti-choice bills he’s sponsored from prohibiting abortions after 20 weeks to requiring a government-sanctioned abortion “screening” (which passed only to be blocked by a federal judge) in his ongoing battle against women and families.
McCoy is proposing a law which would not only block insurance coverage of abortion in plans sold under Nebraska’s yet-to-be created state health exchange but also block private insurance companies from providing abortion coverage, outside of the state exchanges. The only exception? When a woman’s life is endangered by the pregnancy. His colleague, Senator Annette Dubas, has proposed a simliar bill which would prevent insurance coverage of legal abortion within the state insurance exchange plans only. She’s also said there will be an exception for a woman’s life.
Am I misunderstanding something? How does a woman (and her family) purchase insurance coverage criminalized under state law in advance of her life being endangered by the pregnancy?
According to the Omaha World-Herald,
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“Nebraskans who find abortion morally reprehensible should not be forced to pay for abortions through their insurance premiums,” McCoy said.
Under this reasoning, when a vegetarian visits a grocery store to purchase vegetables, it’s “morally reprehensible” that they are giving money to a store that also sells meat. Why not pass a law barring grocery stores from selling meat? Why not pass a law which allows Americans to opt-out of “being forced” to pay taxes to a government that provides tax breaks to Catholic Churches which help advocate for legislation which stomps on many other Americans’ rights? Why not opt-out of paying taxes which go towards paying for wars with which many disagree? Is this really the way McCoy thinks our country functions best?
McCoy’s bill would only apply to those insurance plans regulated by the state, not “self-insured group plans,” notes the Omaha World-Herald.
Currently, under the health reform law, health plans available through the insurance exchange could include abortion coverage.
However, as Jodi Jacobson writes in a through run-down of the Nelson Amendment’s “Dos and Don’ts,” policy holders who participate in the health care exhanges must send “separate checks” if they want supplemental abortion coverage so as not to, essentially, “taint” the pool of insurance-holder purity.
Unfortunately, according to the Omaha World-Herald, “…few [Nebraska insurance] companies offer such coverage.”
And Kyle Carlson, legal director for Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, says that if a private insurance company chooses to offer abortion coverage, the state should not stand in the way.
“What this policy does is inherently unfair,” he said, because it means women who need subsidized health insurance could not get abortion coverage.”
If Nebraska State Sen. Beau McCoy gets his wish, Nebraska women will have almost no access to their constitutional right to access legal abortion care.Australian actor will also produce film about Harding’s 1994 battle with rival Nancy Kerrigan, which attracted some of the highest US TV viewing figures in Winter Olympics history
Margot Robbie: 'Every actor has a price tag' Read more
The Wolf of Wall Street’s Margot Robbie looks set to play the disgraced American figure skater Tonya Harding in a drama about the incident in which Harding’s rival Nancy Kerrigan was attacked with an iron bar at a competition prior to the 1994 Winter Olympics, according to Deadline.
I, Tonya is based on a screenplay by Steven Rogers (Love the Coopers), who conducted extensive interviews with Harding and her ex-husband Jeff Gillooly. Robbie will also be a producer and aims to find a director for the project.
Harding, who grew up in poverty in Portland, Oregon, was the first American woman to land a triple axel jump in a major competition. She won the ladies’ singles title at the 1991 US figure skating championships and was second at that year’s world championships. Controversy erupted when Gillooly was arrested for hiring men to attack Kerrigan at a competition before the 1994 Games in Lillehammer, Norway.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest American figure skaters Tonya Harding, left, and Nancy Kerrigan at the 1994 US Figure Skating Championships in Detroit. Photograph: Merline Summers/AP
Kerrigan, who came from a privileged background, recovered in time to compete at the Olympics, where she won a silver medal. Harding threatened to sue the American figure skating authorities if they removed her from the competition, and went on to finish in eighth place. The pair’s battle attracted some of the highest US television viewing figures in Winter Olympics history.
After she admitted that she knew about the attack after the fact, Harding was banned for life and stripped of her 1994 US championship gold. She later released a sex tape with Gillooly and competed on the TV show Celebrity Boxing |
, and resource scarcity, plus current players assisting newcomers, a very dynamic and interconnected community of shared understanding takes shape.
An underwater village built as a group effort. source
♦
Survival Horror + Scary Audio The enemy sounds in Minecraft are not much fancier than the graphics. And yet, because of the danger they pose to the player inventory, the proximity of the enemies implied by the sound is genuinely terrifying. Player weapons are weak – arrows are scarce, swords are short range, and rare materials are needed to make strong blades. Attacks are relentless, and come not only at night, but from any dark place, including a natural cave or a dark corner of the player’s home. Since at any given time the player is likely carrying supplies either mid-gathering or mid-building, there’s always something at stake when the player encounters enemies.
12 pumpkins, 14 moss stone, 8 gems,
19 brick blocks, 29 obsidian, 21 TNT, set of
diamond armor/gear… bad time to die.
The better you’re doing, the scarier the game.
(Picture for sake of illustration; players stash
their best goods in chests before going out.)
♦
Forced Breaks for Night Short music tracks play when the sun is about to go up or go down, signaling either the need to seek shelter or to prepare for adventuring out another day. During the sheltered down time at night, a break is imposed on play, giving outlet to web browsing, book reading, homework doing, TV watching, or even indoor Minecraft tasks (smelting ore, harvesting indoor farms, crafting, deep mining…). This helps keep the outdoor activity from feeling like it’s completely dominating the player’s time, and makes being outside more exciting since attention must be paid to either leaving enough time to return to shelter, or carrying enough supplies to create a provisional site on short notice.
♦
Charming Cubic Animals Boom Blox introduced the gaming world to cute blocky animals. Minecraft animals are in a similarly adorable, low-poly style. Finding cows hopping around a construction area, chickens wandering around a house, and sheep riding in mine carts is delightful and unexpected, breathing life into an otherwise static world, without adding to the danger. That the animals yield useful materials when hit (feathers for arrows, meat for health, hides for armor, dyeable wool for colorful building and decorating) only increases the positive association with these animals, who remain unaggressive even while under attack.
Precious blocky animals.
♦
Kid-Friendly No swearing, no sultry cutscenes, no political/religious philosobabble, no blood, and no torture. A lot of games and media out there are almost kid friendly, but fail on account of carelessness on the part of the author(s) – for example there’s a relevant Penny Arcade comic about Minecraft that I wanted to include earlier, but there’s swearing in it that adds nothing to the humor, so I excluded it. Minecraft doesn’t need those gimmicks to work, so it doesn’t have them, making it possible for families and young peer groups to adventure and build together.
♦
Surprises in Updates If there’s a roadmap of what features the developers intend to add next, it’s kept secret. Each update to the game includes undocumented feature additions – new materials, new crafting combinations, and other new features are thrown in unexpectedly. Halloween last year included a massive update, including a few minor touches like pumpkin blocks, but also a whole extra dimension, “Nether” (Hell) with new monsters and materials which can be accessed by making portals from the main world. More recently, music blocks were added, creating another opportunity for people to develop, teach, and show off talent within the game.
Portal song played with in-game
music blocks and red stone circuits.
Blocks are hit to change note, and which
material they rest on affects instrument.
source
In a Word
Minecraft is a game about discovery. Discovering what’s beyond the horizon, discovering new cave systems, discovering incredible projects others have done, discovering new features snuck into updates, discovering new like-minded people, discovering architecture / electronics / sculpture / texturing / landscaping / action / photography / decorating / music / trading / storytelling / adventure / modding, and discovering that we all love to make things, provided that we have an accessible and cost-effective way to do so.
Anything to Add?
If you’re a fellow Minecraft player, and have suggestions as to what about the game’s design or circumstances might contribute to its success, feel free to chime in with a comment.
Permalink: http://www.hobbygamedev.com/beg/why-minecraft-works-design-concepts/Jump to Section Background Method Result Conclusion Keywords
Among enrolled patients, 72.4%(163/225) gained secondary resistance, and 8.9%(20/225) had primary resistance. Molecular mechanisms of clinically primary resistance were shown in Fig a. The variants of ALK fusion were different between primary and secondary resistance patients. There were more variants of ALK fusion appeared in the group with primary resistance except E6-A20 and E13-A20.Among secondary resistant patients，non-EML4 partners fusion, such as DMD-ALK fusion,YWHAQ&TAF1B-ALK fusion, GALNT14-ALK fusion and SLC19A3-CCL20-ALK fusion were found, which responded to crizotinib treatment. Acquired ALK L1196M/G1269A mutations were found in both primary and secondary resistant patients, and while ALK I1171T mutation was only found in secondary resistant patients. Wnt signaling pathway was activated significantly after the treatment of crizotinib according to Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) and GeneOntology(GO) analyzes. Moreover, AMER1 aberrance was inclined to appear in the primary resistance patients, which was significant different between the two groups in KEGG and GO analyzes.MUMBAI: For as long as anyone can remember, producing fake property rent receipt, often from parents and relatives, has been an easy way to lower tax burden. Such cavalier disregard for tax rule was overlooked by most employers as well as taxman, who possibly felt it was a minor transgression. Perhaps, not anymore.The income tax department now has good reason to insist on proof from the tax payer showing that he is indeed a genuine tenant, staying in the property in question.A salaried employee receiving 'house rent allowance' from the employer could escape paying tax on at least 60% of this amount by generating sham rent receipt.However, according to a recent tribunal ruling, the assessing officer can now demand proof — such as leave and licence agreement, letter to the housing co-operative society informing about the tenancy, electricity bill, water bill etc. — in allowing a lower taxable income as computed by a salaried employee."The ITAT ( Income Tax Appellate Tribunal ) ruling has now laid down the criteria for the assessing officer to consider the claim of a salaried employee and if necessary question its justification. This will put the onus on the salaried class to follow the rules in availing the tax rebate," said Dilip Lakhani, senior tax advisor, Deloitte Haskins & Sells LLP.Understandably, none of the required documents are available with salaried employees submitting fake rent receipts. There may not be any actual rent outflow from the person as he may be staying in his family home and collecting a receipt signed by his father. Even if a person is a genuine tenant, the amount mentioned in the receipt may be more than what's paid. This will not pose a problem if the person receiving the rent is outside the tax net. There are several instances where a person may be staying separately but claiming to pay rent to a relative owning another property in the same city; or, one of member of the family claiming a loan repayment deduction while another submitting a false rent receipt to evade tax.Given the widespread practice of paying tax on only a small slice of HRA, it's unclear how far tax officials would go in questioning such claims and pinning down salaried employees.However, ITAT Mumbai's decision to strike down the HRA exemption claim of a salaried individual for rent paid to her mother could set a precedent. "Technology and stricter reporting system may make it easier for the (income tax) department. For instance, there was a time when many never bothered to pay tax on interest earned from bank fixed deposits. Today, it’s almost impossible. In case of HRA exemption, the assessing officer may crosscheck whether the address mentioned in the ITR form is the same as the property on which rent is paid," said a tax officer.The Tribunal ruling comes a few months after the government's decision to cap the loss on property bought with borrowed money. Till now, a person paying an interest of, say, Rs 3 lakh on a loan (he took to buy the property) and earning Rs 1.2 lakh as rent could show the difference of Rs 1.8 lakh as 'loss' and set it off against salary income to pay lower tax.In the last Union budget it was laid down that such losses for an individual tax payer cannot exceed Rs 2 lakh.It’s almost the holiday season, when millions of people foolishly decide they need to spend time with their loved ones. (Yeah we don’t get it either.)
If you’re facing the prospect of air travel from now until New Year’s, you might want to keep some handy tips in mind.
And who better to give them than Bianca Del Rio, who is criss-crossing the globe on her Rolodex of Hate Comedy Tour to cast her special brand of shade in person.
Here are five essential travel tips from Bianca Del Rio
Show up early because like a Grindr hookup, the airline might change their departure time. Don’t wear a turban. If you can’t easily handle your carry-on luggage, neither can the overhead compartment. Wait til your zone is called to try boarding the plane. No joke. WAIT TIL YOUR F**KING ZONE IS CALLED!! No matter how bad your travel experience is, salted nuts make everything better.Rex Tillerson at the State Department. After he humiliated Mitt Romney by feeding him frogs’ legs while blowing a raspberry, the liar-in-chief-to-be was still dissatisfied with his options. So he listened to several D.C. insiders—all with business and financial ties to ExxonMobil—and picked the oil company CEO. Tillerson has spent his career at the oil giant and signed billions of dollars in deals with the Russian state-owned oil company Rosneft, deals that (among other things) would let Exxon pursue oil drilling in Russian Arctic territory. The deals were scotched, however, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and subsequent sanctions against Russia. But Tillerson and his best bud, Russian President Vladimir Putin, are betting that sanctions will be lifted, enriching folks who are already rich. Like Tillerson, who owns $218 million in Exxon stock. Already some Republican senators have raised “serious concerns” (what would politicians do if they couldn’t raise serious concerns?) and hinted that they might oppose the pick, such as South Carolina’s Lindsey Graham. Let’s hope a majority of senators say nyet!
Tom Price at the Department of Health and Human Services. Price, an orthopedic surgeon and Republican congressman from Georgia, wants to abolish the Affordable Care Act, privatize Medicare, cut Medicaid, and defund Planned Parenthood. He advocates letting doctors balance-bill Medicare patients, meaning they could charge whatever they want and ask patients to pay for what Medicare doesn’t. Price never met a social safety net program he didn’t want to trash, especially when it comes to women’s health.
Steven Mnuchin at the Treasury Department. Mnuchin, who spent years at Goldman Sachs, was known as the “foreclosure king” and benefited bigly off the 2008 housing crisis. His bank once tried to foreclose on a 90-year-old woman because she mistakenly underpaid her mortgage by 27 cents. Guess Trump saw Mnuchin, a hedge fund manager and Hollywood producer, as a kindred spirit because they both saw “opportunity” in the housing collapse ("That's called business," as Trump said in the first presidential debate). That, and the fact that Mnuchin was Trump’s top fundraiser.
Wilbur Ross at the Commerce Department. Ross, a billionaire private equity investor and specialist in leveraged buyouts, has made money by buying distressed companies. He actually has some support from organized labor for saving steel jobs, but he also was responsible for layoffs of textile workers and coal miners. And 12 miners died in an explosion at one of his mines that had been cited for numerous safety citations. Ross, the richest in the bunch, also was a big Trump cheerleader and donor.
Jeff Beauregard Sessions III as attorney general. The Alabama senator was deemed too racist by fellow Republicans to be confirmed as a federal judge, and he’s been seething about it ever since. “Just the thought of him overseeing the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is frightening,” said attorney J. Gerald Hebert, who knew Sessions when Hebert worked on voting rights in the 1980s. What does Sessions care about? It’s better to list what he doesn’t care about: voting rights, civil rights, LGBT rights, solving immigration issues, and any form of legalized marijuana.
John Kelly at the Department of Homeland Security. Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general, is actually considered a “middle of the road” pick, and it could have been worse. Some of the other rumored choices were Kansas Secretary of State and vote suppressor Kris Kobach, Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke (who advocated “pitchforks and torches”), and defeated (finally!) Maricopa County (Arizona) Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
James Mattis at the Defense Department. The retired Marine Corps general earned the nickname of “Mad Dog” for statements such as "Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet." Sounds like a charmer. He has been hawkish on Iran. But at least he’s against torture.
Elaine Chao at the Transportation Department. Chao is married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who all but threatened political blackmail if news about how Russian cyberhacking was made public before the election. Is this political payback for McConnell making sure the story stayed partially under the rug? At least Chao has some government experience, having been Labor secretary in the George W. Bush administration.
Betsy DeVos at the Department of Education. Why would Trump pick someone who doesn’t believe in public education? Who pushes charter schools and private school vouchers? Because the heir to the Amway fortune donated money to his campaign, of course. Speaking of fortunes, she should pay the $5.3 million in fines she owes to the state of Ohio because her now-defunct school-choice PAC violated the state’s campaign finance laws. Hey, maybe Trump can find a little extra cash in the Trump Foundation, since settling lawsuits seems to be what he thinks foundation money is for.
Ben Carson at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Pick your favorite Ben Carson theory of lunacy: The pyramids were built for storing grain? God gave the retired pediatric neurosurgeon the answers to his chemistry final in a dream? NASA made it to the moon because God was in the Declaration of Independence? All of those whackadoodle theories have nothing to do with housing policy, unless you count the pyramids, which did house dead folks. But then again, nothing he’s ever done has anything to do with housing policy.
Ryan Zinke at the Department of the Interior. The Montana freshman congressman, said to be a friend to big oil, is an outdoorsman and hunter, and he reportedly hit it off with Donald Trump Jr., also an avid hunter. Guess bumping chests with the Trump boys trumps conservation expertise.
Andy Puzder at the Department of Labor. Puzder made a fortune with fast-food franchise companies like Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr., but he’s against raising the minimum wage and doesn’t like paying overtime. Instead, he likes commercials with models in bikinis eating burgers. Not exactly what the working man or woman needs.
Rick Perry at the Department of Energy. Remember when Perry famously tanked at a Republican debate for his “oops” moment? When he couldn’t remember the third department he was going to abolish? Yeah, it was Energy. Is this really the guy we want in charge of the nuclear weapons stockpile? Maybe this is Trump’s big joke on Perry—maybe he’s going to abolish the department himself after the GOP Senate confirms the man Molly Ivins often called “Governor Goodhair.” All in retaliation for the time Perry called Trump a “cancer on conservatism” and “toxic.” Oil lover Perry is also on the board of the company building the Dakota Access Pipeline.
We still don’t know Trump’s pick for Agriculture secretary. But we Old MacDonald is available, and he can sing “E-I-E-I-O.” Nor has there been an announcement of Trump’s choice for Veterans Affairs. Hey, since Trump loves appointing generals and David Petraeus was passed over at State, maybe this would be a good fit. If Petraeus’ probation officer agrees.
Some posts still need Senate approval and are considered Cabinet-level even if they’re not technically in the cabinet.
Mike Pompeo as CIA director. The Kansas congressman, rumored to be the love child of Charles and David Koch because he’s received more contributions from Koch employees than anyone else running for office, is enthusiastic about torture. He wants to bring back NSA spying. He thinks whistleblower Edward Snowden deserves a death sentence. And he says the detainees at Gitmo “are treated exceptionally well.” Everything you’d ever want in a CIA chief.
Linda McMahon as head of the Small Business Administration. Because what says small business success to folks trying to get a new business off the ground like the billionaire head of a fake wrestling outfit such as World Wrestling Entertainment?
Scott Pruitt at the Environmental Protection Agency. Talk about an oxymoron. Pruitt, a Republican climate change denier who is the Oklahoma attorney general, has sued the EPA numerous times to halt environmental regulations. Never mind the fact that Oklahoma is awash with fracking-caused earthquakes—the more fracking, the better, believes Pruitt, who has ties to the fossil fuel industry. Putting Scott Pruitt in charge of the EPA is “like appointing Darth Vader to lead the Rebel Alliance," says Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune.
Nikki Haley as United Nations ambassador. The South Carolina governor wasn’t originally a Trump fan, but appointing her to the post paves the way for her lieutenant governor, Henry McMaster (who was an early endorser), to become guv of the Palmetto State and run as an incumbent in 2018.
This list leaves out Trump’s other stellar picks who don’t need Senate approval, such as retired Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn as national security adviser, who has a habit of leaking classified information and spreading wild conspiracy theories; Steve Bannon of Breitbart fame as top political adviser to keep bending Trump’s ear about white nationalism; Reince Priebus as chief of staff, second in weaseldom only to House Speaker Paul Ryan; and the Trump offspring, who will be “running the businesses” while having nothing at all to do with government. This is even as they continue to sit in meetings with world leaders, potential Cabinet picks, and U.S. industry mavens and as Ivanka is rumored to be getting White House office space normally reserved for the first lady while Melania stays ensconced in Trump Tower.
To make you feel even worse, the secretary of state is the first cabinet official in line for the presidency should anything happen to the president, the vice president, the speaker of the House, and the president pro tempore of the Senate. Sort of puts the Rex Tillerson-Vladimir Putin bromance in a whole new light.20-year-old porter pleads for death penalty in smile after murdering two
(From Jinghua.cn) 20 years old porter Ma Jingku chopped his boss’s daughter-in-law and her 2-year-old son to death with an axe after being asked by the woman to help look after the kid. Ma’s case open for trial on Mar 1st. When confronted by his victims’ devastated family, Ma shrugged his shoulders and even worn a smile on his face. He bowed to the court and pleaded for immediate death penalty.
Born 1991 in Heilongjiang Province, Ma is a porter for a trading company in Beijing. Ms Yun is the accountant as well as daughter-in-law for the head of company. According to Ma, they don’t any hold grudge against each whatsoever. It was May 22nd last year, a Sunday when he planned to sleep yet was woken up to unload goods at 6am.
“I am not an angry person usually, but that day out of nowhere I was a little grumpy.” Ma said. 2 hours later he finished unloading and went into the kitchen of the company, dropped 20-some sleeping pills into the porridge pot, thinking there would be no more work if everybody wants to sleep. An hour later, the boss and a few other employees showed symptoms of dizziness and nausea and went to the hospital.
When the night fell, Ma wanted to go to bed when Ms Yun who was busy doing her laundry asked Ma to fix the light bulb and look after her son. “I was pissed at that time and refused it. She then commanded that as an employee I should do whatever she said.” Ma recalled. The two then got into a fight during which Ma picked up an axe in the corner and smashed it into Ms Yun’s head. “I just wanted to give her a lesson, but she screamed ‘help, somebody’s killing’ when holding her crying son. I panicked, and finished them.”
According to Ma, it was dark inside the room. He smashed the two for about 20 times with his eyes closed until there was no more sound and the axe was broken. Scared of getting caught by colleagues, he dragged Ms Yun to another yard during which he heard the woman repeating “why”. Ma said on the court: “How should I know why? My legs are trembling, my life is over.”
Ma put Ms Yun under a truck and planned to start the truck to run over her body. He gave up since he didn’t know how to drive a truck. On his way back to the dorm, he noticed that Ms Yun’s son was still there. He picked it up and threw the body into a warehouse. Afterwards, Ma got changed and went to the office as well as his boss and Ms Yun’s room to steal 3000 yuan, mobile and some bank cards before fleeing the scene driving his boss’s car.
“I don’t know how to drive, but I figured it out right there.” Ma drove in the direction of his hometown and tried to race other cars on the highway. “I didn’t know how to do it, so the car hit the guardrail.” Ma abandoned the car and spent 2000 yuan to hire an illegal car back to Wuchang City, Heilongjiang Province. He planned to visit some friends and relatives before committing suicide, never expected to be arrested by the police next day.
In the courtroom, the victims’ husband and her parents filed for civil claims of 1.39 m yuan and 870,000 yuan respectively. Ms Yun’s husband kneeled at the judge and requested an immediate death penalty on Ma.
Ma’s defense lawyer explained that Ma’s parents divorced when he was still young, he lived with his father who was sentenced to death for murder when he was 4 years old, after which he was abused by step mother. It was all these difficult experience in his childhood that resulted in Ma’s extreme and defective personality as well as twisted view of life. Ma’s lawyer pleaded for light sentence for the young man. However, Ma gave up self defense and was reluctant to talk more about his childhood other than the fact that his early experience had resulted in frequent insomnia. He said that he has the thought of committing suicide since little.
Throughout the trial, Ma didn’t show any sign of regret or apology towards the victims and their family. At his closing statement, he bowed to the judge and said: “I hope the judge can grant me death penalty as soon as possible, and execute it immediately, thanks.”
The trial closed without judgment announcement in court.Tiger Woods and the PGA Tour continue their exclusive relationship with EA SPORTS for a sixth game in the best-selling professional golf series. Nineteen courses are available in this version, ten of which are based on authentic venues in Pebble Beach, Sawgrass, the Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Princeville, Torrey Pines, Poppy Hills, Spyglass Hill, St. Andrews, and other official locales. Players will be able to compete as or against 20 PGA Tour athletes, including the additions of John Daly and Adam Scott to go along with Ty Tryon, Charles Howell III, Notah Begay III, Vijay Singh, Jesper Parnevik, Jim Furyk, and more.
In addition to the pros, players can select one of 12 returning characters from Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003 or, for the first time in the series, create their own golfer. Players can select head shape, eye color, body type, skin tone, and other physical attributes, and they'll be able to unlock additional clothing and accessories for their golfer by performing well. The game once again employs the Total Precision Swing system for analog club movement, but Bill Macatee has been replaced with Gary McCord for commentary duties along with David Feherty. Top performances during a round can earn players Trophy Balls for achieving certain milestones in drives, chip-ins, and putts.
New to this version of the game is the PGA Tour Season Mode, where golfers can embark on a 52-week schedule for up to ten consecutive seasons. Throughout their career, players can earn corporate sponsorships from actual equipment manufacturers and try to earn more money than the great Tiger Woods. The Xbox internal clock is used to offer players tournaments corresponding to their real-life counterparts. Other new ways to play include the World Tour; where players can unlock golfers, earn money, and win equipment while traveling to different destinations across the globe; and variants such as Long Drive Shootout, Best Ball, Stableford scoring, and Battle Golf, among others.Debuchy hits out at Lille for hampering his potential switch to Newcastle
Frustrated French right-back Mathieu Debuchy has hit out in anger at Lille's refusal to sell him to Newcastle.
Debuchy explained he had been given several conflicting reasons why he cannot leave, by different people.
The 27-year-old impressed at Euro 2012 and has been a long-time target for Newcastle boss Alan Pardew.
Toon target: Mathieu Debuchy (left) is wanted by Newcastle boss Alan Pardew
'I called the president and left him a message. I do not understand. One day I said I’m not leaving because I have no replacement,' Debuchy told L'Equipe.
'One day, this is because the supply is insufficient to Newcastle. One day, the coach who is blocking me.
'One day, it was President. I feel that everyone does not have the same speech.
'I’m close to Yohan [Cabaye] and I followed his season. Now I have the chance to play in the best league in the world.'
Lille have already completed a deal for Troyes defender Djibril Sidibe, a similar type of player to Debuchy.
Debuchy wants to follow in the footsteps of Cabaye, who moved to the north-east from Lille last summer.
The midfielder excelled in his debut Premier League season, thrilling Toon fans as they finished fifth.Burlington’s city council approved a new Fair and Impartial Policing Policy Monday, completing a process that began just after Donald Trump was elected president.
The policy declares that staff of the Burlington Police Department, officers and civilians, will “not routinely ask any person about their immigration status.” The policy was designed to assure people in Burlington, especially those who may not be in the United States legally, that the city’s police force is more interested in keeping the community safe than enforcing federal immigration laws.
Speaking to the city council before a vote on the policy Monday, Weinberger said that in November “it was clear that there was great concern within the community about the implications of the new Trump presidency for the people of Burlington.”
Weinberger initially called for Burlington to officially become a “sanctuary city,” but that politically popular term became risky after U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions threatened federal funding to “sanctuary” jurisdictions. (After a federal court found that the administration had overstepped, Sessions clarified his guidance.)
The lone “no” vote on the city council came from Dave Hartnett, a Democrat representing the city’s North District. Hartnett said he had concerns about whether the policy would put the city in danger of losing federal funds, and he worried that a mandatory statewide policy coming within the next year would complicate the city’s efforts.
“I thought it was more important that we took our time. Instead of getting it done quickly I’d rather get it done right,” he said.
City Attorney Eileen Blackwood said the policy explicitly addressed concerns about a potential risk to Burlington’s federal funding after Sessions issued his guidance on the topic.
"Not only are we not coming close to willfully violating [federal law], we are clearly saying that the City of Burlington will abide by it." - Eileen Blackwood, Burlington city attorney
“In that memo, Attorney General Sessions said that a sanctuary jurisdiction is one that willfully chooses to violate 8 U.S. C. Section 1373, so we have written into our policy that,” Blackwood paused to find her place on the page in front of her, “‘nothing in this policy is intended to violate 8 U.S.C. Section 1373. And we have specifically said that pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1373 ‘the City of Burlington may not prohibit or in any way restrict any government entity or official from sending to or receiving from federal immigration authorities information about the citizenship or immigration status of any individual.’”
Blackwood said the city is firmly on safe ground with the policy.
“Not only are we not coming close to willfully violating it, we are clearly saying that the City of Burlington will abide by it,” she said.
In response to Hartnett's concern about potential conflicts with the coming state policy, Blackwood said that there is nothing preventing Burlington's city council from making changes to the city's policy later.
The policy has an exemption that states that Burlington police officers may ask about immigration status if they’re working with federal authorities as part of Operation Stonegarden, which is a program through which local departments work with the Department of Homeland Security in border regions. Police Chief Brandon del Pozo said the Burlington Police Department does not participate in the program and has no plans to.
Del Pozo acknowledged that because of the federal law cited in Sessions’ memo, if officers come to know that a person is in the country illegally without asking, there is nothing the police department can do to stop the officer from going to the feds with that information.
“If an officer of his or her own volition decides to communicate on the topic of someone’s immigration status with federal authorities, then 1373 means that we cannot prevent that officer from doing so,” del Pozo said.
New North End Republican Councilor Kurt Wright asked del Pozo if he thought the policy would “in any way tie the hands of the Burlington Police from doing their job adequately.”
Del Pozo said that unless it’s the job of local police to enforce federal immigration law, the policy doesn’t stand in their way.
“In my opinion, our job centers around public safety and crime control – and also collaborating with the federal government on public safety and crime control – moreso than simple immigration process, so I’d have to say the answer to that question is no.”The NJ Department of Health and Human Services revealed this week that they have 90 doctors currently registered in their still-being-implemented medical marijuana program. The New Jersey Medical Marijuana program is the first in the nation to require that doctors must complete special requirements to recommend the use of medical marijuana. They also require that those same doctors register with the state before they begin recommending cannabis as a medical therapy.
The doctor registration program was part of the strict and controversial special regulations that were proposed by New Jersey’s Governor, Chris Christie. The program was passed by law over 18 months ago. Patients, most of who are terminal set out by the tough standards to get a card in New Jersey, have been waiting but so far the complete set of regulations have yet to be officially finalized. With 18 months worth of delays to the program, the NJ Legislature took the rare move to pass a resolution stating that the regulations are working against the intent of the compassionate use law.
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Doctors in the state criticized a registry that requires additional training in addictive medicine since there are no such requirements for prescribing other drugs. Under the NJ rules, patients must seek out one of these 90 doctors out of more than 30,000 practicing physicians in the state to begin the long process of entering the medical marijuana program. But, qualifying patients are having a hard time finding one of those 90 since the list is not public.
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Since home cultivation is not allowed, the patient must also choose one out of the six Alternative Treatment Center sites where they would be allowed to obtain medical marijuana, and then they must wait for the approval of the Department of Health and Human Services which will send them an official ID card. Currently the number of patients registered in the New Jersey Medical Marijuana program passed in January of 2010 is zero. There is not one open dispensary in New Jersey, although there are some multi-million dollar facilities that have been approved as dispensaries. Many of the patients who fought long and hard with what little energy their disabilities and diseases have left them with have all but given up on the program. Those with MS, Cancer, HIV and other serious conditions have returned to the black market instead. End of Life caregivers and hospice personal have had to look the other way as families of dying patients have had to risk arrest for easing the pain of a loved one. You can find out more about the New Jersey medical marijuana program and the struggles to implement it chronicled on Chris Goldstein’s website, Freedomisgreen.com.
undefinedThe woman arrested last Thursday after throwing a shoe at former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is reported to be the same woman who disrupted the trial of Aurora theater shooter James Holmes, claiming he was innocent and a victim of a New World Order conspiracy.
According to the National Journal, Alison Michelle Ernst, 36, was removed from a Colorado courtroom, in August 2012, during an appearance by Holmes claiming she had evidence that would prove his innocence.
Following her removal, Ernst filed a motion stating that Holmes was the victim of a “huge conspiracy.”
“Holmes is an innocent man. James Holmes must be released to me asap [sic]. This is a huge conspiracy,” Ernst’s motion read.
She described a prominent businessman as the mastermind behind the attack, “involved in with new world and a group of cabal evil worldwide crooks who want to control the world through false flag attacks akin to George Orwell 1984 [sic].”
Following the dismissal of her motion, Ernst posted a document on her personal website seeking a restraining order against Holmes, claiming: “James enters my head like Dennis Quaid in ‘Innerspace’ and he zooms to my heart and plays with it and forces me to care for him.”
She added that Holmes was, “…entering my mind through subliminal messaging and causing me to be obsessed with him on a daily basis.”
Despite Holmes’ incarceration, Ernst claimed that she faced “imminent danger and bodily harm from defendant James Holmes.”
Federal officials in Las Vegas declined to press charges against Ernst for the Mandalay Bay shoe-throwing incident, turning the case over to local authorities.
Clark County, Nev., prosecutors were expected to file disorderly conduct charges against Ernst who was released and ordered to appear back in court on June 24.Hullabaloo
Monday, June 22, 2009
Learn, Damn You, Learn!!!
by dday
Something fairly interesting happened today. It doesn't mean we will get a public health insurance option to compete with the insurance industry, but it doesn't exactly hurt. Apparently some Democrats thought that if they only watered down such a public option to nothing, they would get that vaunted bipartisan support, and everybody could go back to their districts and claim they did something when they in fact would have done nothing. But as those of us who have been observing this have known for some time, these aren't your father's Republicans, or your grandfather's, or any other relative. They are the rump conservative party, openly hostile to using government for any means other than profit-taking, and preferring to tell their constituents "good luck" instead of making any tangible difference to their struggles. And somehow, Democrats just discovered this.
Some Senate Democrats have considered nixing the public option proposal in order to win Republican support for the bill.
Schumer's role is important because he had been acting as an intermediary between liberal Democrats and moderates who are trying to strike a deal on the issue with Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee. Of the five House and Senate committees working on health care, Finance is the only one that appears to have a chance at reaching a bipartisan agreement.
Schumer said Finance Republicans had rejected several proposals designed to beef up the suggested nonprofit insurance co-ops. These included setting up a national structure for the co-ops, $10 billion in government seed money, power to negotiate payment rates to medical providers nationwide and creation of a presidentially appointed board of directors.
The Democrats tried to basically bury the public option as long as they could get any manner of support for the weak substitute. And the Republicans wouldn't budge. Like in 1993, their mission is to kill health care reform, period. Why anyone would think that any alternative would be true is beyond me, but Senate Democrats obviously needed to play Tic-Tac-Toe with the computer endlessly until they realized what a strange game it all is, and that "the only winning move is not to play." Ezra Klein comes to the same conclusion.
Republicans, (Schumer) suggests, are standing lockstep even against efforts to create a private co-op system that could offer an alternative to for-profit insurance. Their concern with the co-op plan is not that the government would be taking over the health-care system. It's that the current insurance providers would face unexpectedly aggressive competition in the marketplace. Which raises an interesting, and potentially clarifying, question: Are Republicans in this to preserve the healthy functioning of a competitive private market or preserve the profits of the currently dominant insurance companies?
Further proof of that learning experience came today from Kent Conrad, the man who devised this health co-op plan by throwing a dart against a board, as he appeared to acknowledge its limitations.
The wheels looked to be coming off with health care reform last week. But a poll showing huge public support for a public health care option and a strong bill from the House of Representatives have changed the dynamic.
Schumer and other backers of a public option insist |
, N.B. “You walk in and it’s like Cheers: Everyone knows your name.
“It really is a vanishing institution in the midst of all these chain restaurants, and Gus and Penny have given so much to the community just by being who they are.”
Some 36 years after the first meals slid off the grill, the Right Spot is closing. Though the exact date has yet to be finalized, the end is near. Gus, who turns 80 in December, and his charming bride of 50 years are retiring. “Gus is getting old and I’m not far behind,” Penny, 71, pointed out with a wry grin.
Perhaps a holiday is in order for this hard-working pair, whose last vacation was a trip to Daytona… a quarter-century ago.
“We’re going to miss this place, especially the people” reflected Penny, a mild-mannered farmer’s daughter from a region in Greece called Arcadia. “So many people have supported us, so many friends we have made. I’m a people person. Staying at home is no piece of cake for me.“
Her husband, a farmer’s son from Corinth, a hour southwest of Athens, concurred, calling the closing a “bitter-sweet moment.”
On the day a newspaperman visited, customer Randy Heaney strolled in with his fiance Marina Baptista.
“Gus and Penny are so good,” Heaney said over an order of ham and mashed potatoes. “They treat me just like a son.”
Heaney isn’t alone in that sentiment.
“They’ve been like family,” said Jack McCalpin, general manager of an adjacent shoe store that also opened in 1977.
“People keep tabs on them and, in a way, almost felt sorry for them because of the long hours put in.
“But Gus and Penny also keep tabs on you,” the shoe pusher added. “If you haven’t been in for a couple of days, they’ll ask about you. They’re truly genuine people who work extremely hard and treat everyone the same.”
As with any worker worth his salt in the food service industry, orders from Right Spot regulars are not so much taken as committed to memory and provided without request.
“If I wanted to change my coffee, I’d probably have to write a letter,” quipped McCalpin. “As it is now, once they see me coming, my coffee’s on the way, just the way I take it. Order once and they remember.”
Business has slowed significantly this century, what with businesses in the area, such as this venerable fish-wrap, relocating and shrunken staffs at others.
“It was good up until the late ‘90s,” explained Penny, “then the downtown workforce changed.”
Their secret to success was really no secret at all — just common sense.
“Try to be nice to people and prepare good meals,” Gus reasoned.”
In its salad days, all 62 seats, including six chrome-leg stools at the counter, filled up at lunchtime and during morning and afternoon coffee breaks.
In those days of permissible smoking, the Right Spot was a blue-haze haven for puffers.
“You couldn’t see your nose some days,” Dr. Ted Marras, youngest of Gus and Penny’s two sons, recalled from Toronto Western Hospital where he is — oh, the irony — a respirologist. “It was like a bingo hall.
“The big-picture memory for me are the customers, who were more like extended family,” added the physician, who, at 43, is two years younger than brother Peter. “That’s what made the Right Spot so special.
“When Dad’s arthritis worsened, or when the restaurant got really busy, people just served themselves and there was never a problem. It was just such a friendly atmosphere.”
When he purchased the building, handyman Gus almost single-handedly renovated the former home of Vandermeer Meats, tearing down walls, putting up new ones, installing kitchen equipment, everything but the wiring.
The building came with a narrow right-of-way laneway. Somehow, Gus always managed to park his car in the Right Spot’s tight spot without incident, leaving barely enough room on the driver’s side to exit the vehicle and virtually none on the passenger side.
“It was amazing how he could shoe-horn a car in there, but he did,” said Dr. Ted.
Penny’s asked if her husband ever once kissed the side wall with the sedan.
“Never. If there were any scratches, they were mine,” she admitted with a laugh, recounting the times she drove while her husband recuperated in hospital from two separate hip replacements, including a 24-day stay for the second procedure.
That convalescence marked the only time her “Mr. Gus” failed to punch the clock in 36 years on the job.
His wife outdid him in that regard. Penny was perfect, even after she shattered her left arm picking lilacs off a tree.
“I never missed a shift,” she said, revealing the lengthy scar on the elbow of the surgically-repaired arm.
Not lost on lawyer Hickey was the couple’s benevolence towards the less fortunate.
“They were particularly generous to people who couldn’t afford much.”
It’s hard to imagine that commendable policy being tolerated by the suits who run the big chain restaurants.
With Gus and Penny Marras, profits were important, though nowhere near as as important as people.It is October once again, which means it is time to bust out the horror movie collection in time for Halloween. Alternative Nation writer Anthony Carioscia returns with his usual picks for viewings on these crisp fall nights, this time wishing to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of 1986, which was an awesome year for horror. The genre saw so many now iconic films that year, as well as many sequels and remakes to classics and new helpings from many masters of the genre. Here, in no particular order, are Anthony’s picks for the ten best horror films of that year.
House
From Steve Miner, director of Friday the 13th parts 2 and 3, comes a a distinct take on the haunted house genre. The film is about a troubled author who lives in his dead aunt’s house. While haunted house films are known to be serious, House is more tongue in cheek in tone.
Chopping Mall
Directed by B-movie director Jim Wynorski, this film is about a bunch of teenagers being killed by robots in a mall. The film’s a real cheese fest… in an awesome way.
April Fool’s Day
A group of college friends all go to a retreat owned by their friend, Muffy. Muffy loves playing tricks on her friends and her retreat is full of joke traps. Guess what? People start being killed off one by one by an unknown person! This film is not full of gore like most slashers and focuses more on thrills. Also, the ending is a real shocker! In 2008, a film with the same title was released. It is usually mistaken for a remake, but really has nothing to do with this comedy-horror classic.
Demons 2
One year after Demons, writer Dario Argento and director Lamberto Bava return with this epic sequel. Turning up the gore and cheese of the first film, Demons 2 is a must see for any fan of the first film. This film is also the acting debut of Asia Argento, who was only ten at the time.
The Hitcher
Jim (C. Thomas Howell) is a young man who decides to pick up a random hitchhiker (Rutger Hauer). This individual turns out to be a serial killer, and the film turns into a visceral game of cat and mouse. The Hitcher is a film that will keep you on the edge of your set with its thrilling suspense and performances from the amazing cast.
From Beyond
After the success of 1985’s Re-animator, director Stuart Gordon once again took helm to adapt an H.P. Lovecraft story. Based on the short story of the same name, From Beyond is about a group of scientists researching dimensional travel. Their research is a success, but not without horrifying results!
Friday the 13th Part 6: Jason Lives
Tommy Jarvis, the hero of the fourth and fifth films in this series, goes to the cemetery to get rid of Jason’s body for good. This accidentally brings him back to life, as the metal poll he uses to impale Jason is struck by lightning (not making this up). With Jason on the loose again, Tommy knows he must stop him. This entry is noted to be the first in the series to have supernatural elements, and became popular with fans for its fourth wall breaking sense of humor.
Class of Nuke’Em High
From the legendary company known as Troma comes one of their most iconic and entertaining films. When teenagers start buying weed from the power plant next to their high school school, strange things start happening. This includes students turning into a gang of Mad Max rip offs, a girl puking out a monster, and a young boy gaining super powers. Fans of b-grade horror comedies should definitely check this one, out as it must be seen to be believed.
The Fly
From the twisted mind of David Cronenberg comes this remake of the Vincent Price classic. This version takes the concept of the original and twists it to fit Cronenberg’s body horror style. While not as good as the original, The Fly is still one of the greatest remakes ever made.
Aliens
Directed by the world renown James Cameron, Aliens is one of the best examples of a perfect sequel. The film takes the science fiction/horror blending of the first and adds in elements of the action and war genres. Tons of action, scares, and even a few laughs coat this very memorable film that doesn’t feel dull for a second, making for one of the few times in this genre where the sequel is better than the first film.
Honorable Mentions: Night of the Creeps, Terrorvision, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2Many YouTube Red subscribers aren't making use of the dedicated YouTube Music app yet, but it remains one of the somewhat unique perks of the program. Since launch, the app hasn't seen all that many changes, but updates have been coming out pretty regularly with little tweaks and adjustments. Last week, an unexpected jump from v1.20 to v1.25 suggested some big changes were afoot. A teardown didn't reveal anything of substance – just some minor visual tweaks – but a new changelog has come out since the release of v1.26 this week, and gives us something a little more meaningful.
What's New
Official Changelog: New: Listen to your YouTube playlists in the YouTube Music app! Find your saved playlists in the Liked music tab, and discover new playlists in Search. This feature will be rolling out to users over the next several weeks.
Fixed: A bug in Offline mixtape that was preventing some users from turning it on or off, or allowing playback. Unofficial Additional Notes: (totally trivial) Overflow menus on individual songs now spring out from the overflow button instead of anchoring to the center of the screen. The background also doesn't dim anymore when an overflow menu is opened.
Settings screen now uses sliding toggles in place of checkboxes.
"Push notifications" renamed to "Notifications"
YouTube Playlists In The Music App
This is the biggest change of the group, and it requires very little explanation. Quite simply, YouTube playlists on an account should now appear under the "Likes" tab of the Music app. For users that have crafted a few playlists of favorite music videos, this will mean the YouTube Music becomes a reasonably good alternative to the main app, even if they functionally similar.
I should point out that none of my devices (nor those of anybody I've talked to) have actually seen their YouTube playlists appear in the Music app, even after updating to v1.26. Perhaps this is a server-side rollout, or maybe this changelog item was posted prematurely, but don't be too surprised if it doesn't appear right away.
Visual Adjustments
I'm not a big fan of enumerating really small visual tweaks in individual app updates, but these particular changes appear more intentional than many of the things YouTube has been testing.
Left: previous version. Right: latest versions.
The first change is tied to the overflow menus that appear with individual songs and some other parts of the app. In previous version, the background dims and the menu appears centered on the screen. As of v1.25, the menu pops out from the overflow button and the background is left unchanged.
Left: previous version. Right: latest versions.
The Settings screen (and its children) has made the switch to slider toggles in place of checkboxes. And if you care about such things, the toggle for "Push notifications" has been renamed simply to "Notifications." (Yay?)
Download
The APK is signed by Google and upgrades your existing app. The cryptographic signature guarantees that the file is safe to install and was not tampered with in any way. Rather than wait for Google to push this download to your devices, which can take days, download and install it just like any other APK.
Version: 1.26.6Some 13 years after the credits rolled on the final episode, the X-Files still remains one of the most iconic and boundary-pushing TV shows to ever grace our screens. Over its 9 year run on Fox it astounded audiences with its 202 episodes of alien abduction, government conspiracy, and things that go bump in the night - spawning three movies and a spin-off show on its way. At the time the longest running sci-fi series in US history, and now with one of the biggest cult followings in the world, barely a week goes by without another rumour of a reboot or a revival. Even today, its influence on prime time TV can be seen, with the creators behind Lost, Desperate Housewives, Fringe, Millennium, and Warehouse 13 all speaking of their love for the show and how they took elements of it for their own. The show made us see television (and the night sky) in an entirely different way, but some of the most astonishing facts aren't about the monsters, ghouls, or shady government agencies that featured in the stories, but about what went on behind the camera. Bizarre cameos, painting a quarry, and even predicting America's worst terrorist attack, sometimes the truth of the show was stranger than the fiction.Chapter Text
The old back allies of Yongen hadn’t changed one bit since Akira’s departure. The same people stood outside speaking to each other and the same faded signs still swung above the small stores dotting the surrounding area. On any other day Akira would be drinking in the atmosphere and enjoying his return to his old haunt.
Akira stalked through the back allies as the high sun beat down on him. The sweltering heat had already done a number on the retired Phantom Thief. The top several buttons of his shirt had been undone, and sweat stains lined his once pristine white shirt.
Morgana had escaped Akira’s bag, which had become closer to an oven, and had taken refuge on his shoulder. What little relief this provided the small cat was offset by his jet black fur.
Akira grabbed the collar of his shirt and attempted to fan his torso, but it had little effect. He checked on Morgana and found the poor cat had resorted to fanning himself with his tiny paw. He wanted to laugh, but nothing seemed particularly funny at this moment.
The journey from Kyoto to Tokyo had been a longer one than either of them had remembered. The trip was made worse when the A/C on the train broke down, trapping the two of them inside a life-size toaster. They had both been so excited to see the other thieves, but now Akira had some other worries.
“Crap…” Akira ran his hand through his hair as he looked down at his current state, “I can’t let Futaba see me like this.” He tried to straighten his increasingly wrinkled shirt, but he looked as disgusting as he had a moment before, hell he thought he looked even worse.
“Futaba!? How can you think about Futaba at a time like this?” Morgana moaned pitifully, “How am I going to be able to look Lady Ann in the eye when I look like this…” Akira looked at his friend and frowned. He looked exactly the same as always except for how exhausted he looked. If anything, he was going to get more attention because of his weak state. Akira on the other hand looked like a drowned rat. “Besides Sojiro and I are the only ones who know you two are dating. I doubt she will even want to be near you anyway.” If that was the cat’s way of cheering him up he was doing a piss poor job of it.
They finally arrived at the door to Leblanc. He would have allowed himself a moment to enjoy the feeling of being home once again, but the allure of cool air against his body was far too tempting. Without a moment of fan fair, Akira pushed open the door.
The Café had changed slightly since he lived there. For once it was actually lively, there were a decent amount of people sitting at each booth, all having hushed conversations between themselves. The air still smelled of roasted coffee and mixed spices, a smell that had once permeated everything Akira had ever owned. The floors had recently been mopped and the tables had all been freshly wiped.
“Well look what the cat dragged in. Literally.” A deep voice carried over the rest of the noise and Akira turned to meet the owner’s gaze.
Sojiro Sakura stood behind the bar, leaning down with arms keeping him propped up. He smiled behind his thin frames and he still had the same confidence oozing out of every inch of his body. His face turned to a frown however, when he got a better look at Akira.
“What happened to you? You look like someone threw you in a crock pot.” Akira reached up and pinched a strand of his hair as he tried not to think about his appearance too much.
“The A/C on the train went out a few minutes into the trip.” Sojiro’s eyes widened with surprise and understanding.
“Ah well. I suppose it can’t be helped then. Everyone is already upstairs waiting for you.” Sojiro gave him a sympathetic smile. He may have been less than enthusiastic about Akira’s relationship with his daughter, but Akira always got the feeling that he was hoping for things to work out. It was a confusing situation, but he was glad for the sympathy regardless.
Akira nodded at Sojiro and made his way to the stairs in the back. As he reached the bottom he could already hear the voices of his friends carrying softly down from the attic. He smiled as he ascended the short stairway and he tried to hide as much of his horrible appearance as possible.
“DUDE HE’S HERE!” Ryuji’s voice shattered the calm atmosphere as Akira rounded the final step.
Akira’s old room was exactly how he remembered it. His small bed was made up in the corner, and the desk had been recently cleaned off. The bookshelf remained empty since he had cleared it earlier this year. His friends had pulled out the table and had set out several chairs around it.
Ryuji sat on the couch while Ann stood beside him leaning against the small table that had once housed Akira’s old CRT TV. Yusuke and Haru had pulled up a small workbench and were sitting with their backs turned towards Akira, though they each had their heads turned back so that they could see him. Finally, Makoto and Futaba had found their home in two fold up chairs opposite of the couch. An empty fold out chair had been set at the other end of the room.
The room erupted into a din of noise as they all shouted out their welcomes, but Akira missed most of them as his eyes met Futaba’s. She smiled sweetly at him and he gave her a warm smile in return. He wanted to pull her into his arms, but even if he didn’t look like he had been roasted over an open fire, they had both decided to keep things a secret for now.
Futaba had always been shy about their relationship and the two of them were worried about what would happen to the group dynamic if everyone knew. Akira suddenly had a vision of Ryuji giving him a long-winded speech about betrayal while Yusuke attempted to convince him that he needed a nude painting of them together.
“Dude come sit over-“ Ryuji was pointing at the open spot next to him on the couch when Ann unceremoniously dropped down next to Ryuji and Akira swore he saw her jab her elbow into his stomach.
“Why don’t you sit in the open chair at the head of the table?” Akira smiled weakly, unsure of what just happened, and made his way over to his newly chosen seat. As he did Morgan softly leapt onto the table and made his way over to Ann. Akira dropped his bag onto the floor before taking his seat. As he began to relax Futaba pulled her chair closer and gave him a worried look.
“You two look horrible, what happened?” It looked like everyone had wanted to ask the same question as they were all suddenly looking between Akira and the collapsed cat on the table. Akira recounted his tale once more and his friends cringed as he tried to fan himself once more. A brief silence passed as he finished his tale.
“Well you are here now and we have the A/C running hard, so I’m sure you will be back to normal in no time.” Makoto’s attempts to lift his spirts were kind, but he found the cool air to be a much better motivator.
“I think you would make for a perfect painting.” Yusuke’s hands were held up and had Akira framed between his fingers. “The Struggles of Man.” Akira hated to admit it, but he had missed Yusuke’s oddly positive outlook on things.
“Some things never change.” Ann smiled as she leaned onto the table. Haru giggled as Yusuke seemed to be unmoved by the rest of the group’s groans.
“Man forget all that! Akira is back! We should be celebrating.” Ryuji practically stood out of his seat as he spoke.
“He’s right. We’ve all been looking forward to being together again.” Haru’s call to action was slightly undercut by her continuous fight against the giggles.
“Actually, I have a bit of an idea about all that.” Morgana seemed to have finally been able to pull himself out of his funk as he was now wrapped in a ball with his head resting on his paws. “We’ve found some very interesting information that we think you will all want to hear.” Morgana turned to look at Akira.
Akira’s gut reaction was to correct Morgana. When had ‘we’ ever worked on anything? It had been Akira who had done all of the research after all. Akira’s eyes wondered to Ann however and he sighed. His friend was simply trying to show off and who was he to judge him for that. After all he… Akira gave a sidelong look at Futaba and allowed himself a small smile. Yeah it wasn’t like he didn’t want to show off as well.
“Ever since we left Morgana and I have been working on a new mission. Operation: Morgana is Human.” Akira let the words sink in as everyone’s gaze turned to him and then back to the cat.
“Um did you hit your head man?” Ryuji gave Akira a confused look, “Morgana is a cat.” Morgana’s eyes narrowed, but apparently Akira’s feline friend was too tired to act on his rage. Akira shook his head before he continued.
“Well sure he is a cat for now, but I started to wonder, what if there was something about the Metaverse that we didn’t know? I mean think about it, before it disappeared there was still a lot of things that we only had conjectured about.”
“I think I see where you are going. What if there was something that could change Morgana into a person and it existed within the Metaverse. It’s a good theory, but the Metaverse is gone. Even if it did exist it doesn’t anymore.” Makoto’s chin was firmly resting in her hand as she spoke, an old habit of hers.
“True enough, but I think Akira has a point. We didn’t know everything about the Metaverse so how can we be sure it has been completely destroyed?” Akira was surprised, but happy, to see that Yusuke was already on his wavelength about this.
“Woah! Inari can be surprisingly intelligent!” Futaba’s words rang with sudden shock as she stared wide eyed at the resident artist.
“What do you mean surprisingly!?” Yusuke huffed as he stared at his nemesis.
“Anyway why don’t we let Akira continue?” Ann had raised her voice as she tried to gain control of the room. Akira nodded at her before continuing.
“Yusuke had the right of it. We don’t even know when the Metaverse was created or if there were other ways to get in the Metaverse. Morgana was able to leave it without the phone app so there must be another way in and out right?”
“Um that’s a good thought, but where do we even start looking?” Haru’s voice was a bit louder than Akira remembered. Apparently, she had gained some confidence while he had been away.
“Actually, I’ve already got a starting place for us. I started by looking for other strange instances that have occurred over the last few years. I came across a few potential leads, but nothing substantial. My most promising lead was a collection of incidents that happened several years back on Tatsumi Port Island, but I couldn’t link any of them.” Akira shook his head in frustration. He had done a lot of research on that particular lead, but anytime he felt like he was closing in on a solid theory the evidence he needed just wasn’t there. It was honestly like someone had gone through and deleted all the connecting information, but anytime he thought of it that way he just felt paranoid.
“I wish you would have asked for my help…” Futaba pouted as she looked at him. He had considered asking for her help, but she had seemed so busy recently and her foray back to school seemed to have been exhausting her. He wanted to be her strength, not a constant source of problems. Plus he didn’t want her to get involved, especially with his other problem still dangling over his head.
“I would have, but I wanted to have something substantial before I came to any of you with this theory.” He gave her a weak smile, but he knew he would have to make it up to her somehow. Maybe after everyone left he could give her some much needed attention… FOCUS! He ran his hand through his hair in an attempt to get his mind back on track. Usually Akira could lock on to whatever he needed to and focus on it until his task was complete. When Futaba was involved however, his mind tended to betray him.
“I agree with Futaba. You could have asked any of us to help. You know we would have done anything we could to aid you.” Makoto gave him a stern look and Akira couldn’t help but pull on a strand of his hair.
“I understand how you feel, but like I said this was all just a theory. I wanted to make sure I had something to back it up before I brought it up. I promise to keep you guys informed from now on.” He gave the group an apologetic look.
“Man it’s not like it’s a big deal or anything. I know you guys wish you were part of this, but that’s just who Akira is. We can give him crap later because I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t have brought this up if the story was going to end with: I didn’t find shit.” Ryuji had always had a way with words. Akira chuckled at his friend and silently thanked him for motioning him to continue. There was a reason that Akira thought of Ryuji as one of his closest friends.
“Like I was saying, every lead a dead end. That is until I found several articles about a strange set of murders a few years back.” That caught everyone’s attention. “I started looking into it simply because anything strange could have something to do with the Metaverse, but I found something far more interesting.” Akira could feel the corner of his mouth turn up into a smirk. “This took place five years ago in a small town called Inaba.”
“That names sounds familiar for some reason…” Ryuji scratched his nose and furrowed his brow.
“It all started when two women were found hanging from some powerlines. It was a strange set of circumstances especially since neither victim had any evidence as to how they were killed. What followed was a string of disappearances over the course of several months.”
“Hey wait, this does sound familiar.” Ann was lightly biting her thumb as she was trying to grasp at some thread, but Akira could see her memory was currently failing her.
“Now disappearances are one thing, but the strangest thing is that every single person that went missing suddenly showed back up perfectly fine a few days or weeks later. Then there are some accounts that these kids started seeing each other on a regular basis.” Makoto’s eyes lit up and she stared wide eyed at Akira before glancing around the room. Akira pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he watched the gears in Makoto’s brain begin to spin at top speed.
“It wasn’t just the Metaverse we didn’t completely understand…” Makoto’s voice surprised the rest of the group and they quickly turned back towards her. “They were Persona users!” There was a stunned silence as Makoto came to the same conclusion Akira had.
“Woah! If there are other Persona users they could know a different way into the Metaverse!” Futaba’s feet almost slipped off her chair as she failed to contain her excitement.
“Exactly.” Akira rested his head into his hand as he tried not to be too smug. “The best part about all this though, was that I was able to find the names of these people. Yukiko Amagi, Kanji Tatsumi, Rise Kujikawa-“
“RISE KUJIKAWA!” Both Ann and Ryuji yelled the name in tandem as Ryuji was suddenly standing.
“The actress and singer! Dude she is so hot!” Ryuji pumped his fist in the air and Akira had to stop himself from laughing. “Dude I knew I had heard this story before! It was big news when she quit and left for Inaba!”
“I own all her music! She is so cool!” Ann’s eyes were practically sparkling. “I found ever piece of information I could on her as I got more into my modeling career!”
“Perhaps we should let Akira finish?” Haru smiled as she stared at the two fans. Yusuke however, seemed to be enjoying himself as he framed the two of them within his fingers.
“I should do a painting of you two. Your passion is remarkable.” Yusuke had a very calm smile across his face as he considered his new proposal.
“Wha-what!? No way you are putting me in the same painting as Ryuji. “
“Hey what is that supposed to mean.” Ryuji stared down at Ann as she turned away. Akira could have sword he saw Ann’s cheeks turn pink.
“Anyway.” Akira pulled the room’s attention once more and he saw Ann give him a brief smile. “The last person is Naoto Shirogane.”
“The detective?” Makoto asked surprised and Akira nodded. “I think she’s worked with Sae a few times. If I remember correctly my sister is quite the fan.”
“I could see that.” Akira laughed, “Well after Naoto suddenly reappeared a little girl was kidnapped. Naoto and the others showed up at the hospital a few nights later with the girl. Then only a few weeks later Naoto delivered the murderer to the police.” Akira let that sink in as he watched the other thieves begin to catch up to where Makoto and were. “There are reports of others working with them, especially in an article that details a concert that Rise put on at the local Junes, but there was no mention of their names anywhere. It would make sense if there were others however, if you take the disappearances into account.”
“Then we have a way to learn more!” Haru was louder than normal and she held her left hand over her heart. “We should contact them and ask for more information!” Akira smiled partly because he had already done so, but also because they had finally gotten to the real reason he hadn’t told the rest of the thieves he was looking into this.
“Actually, I have already contacted Naoto.” The room was silent as they waited for him to continue, and excited air seemed to buzz around the room. “I should explain however, that I don’t think we can go to them for much more. Naoto did seem to know more than she was letting on but…”
“What’s wrong?” Futaba’s voice was soft and he could hear the hints of concern slipping into her words.
“The police are still keeping an eye on me.” A loud bang echoed through the room as Ryuji slammed his fist down on the table.
“WHAT! That’s bullshit!” Ann’s hand reached up and gently grasped his arm.
“Ryuji calm down!” She was clearly trying to mask her own anger as well. Despite her words her free hand was clenched and her knuckles were white.
“This is outrageous, we proved your innocence with the help of Nijima-san!” Yusuke was standing as well, but he was doing a much better job at handling his emotions.
Akira was about to speak when he felt his hand suddenly wrapped in something else. He turned to see Futaba’s small hand holding his. Her left hand was covering her mouth as she looked terrified. Akira sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He briefly wondered when he had picked up that particular habit.
“This is why I tried to keep you guys out of this until I knew it was worth it. I don’t want you guys to get caught up in my past reputation. That’s also why I don’t want to get these other Persona users involved. The more people that get into contact with me, the harder their lives become.” The other thieves remained quiet for a long time as Akira scratched his head.
“We can’t let this stop us now.” Morgana had pushed himself to his feet and was now standing in the center of the table. “Akira has already talked to Shirogane and we have a solid lead. We believe that if we go visit Inaba we may actually find a clue about how to make me human. We just need to keep our heads down and everything will be fine.”
Akira had said the same thing to Morgana earlier, but he had clearly forgotten his own advice the moment the others had gotten involved. He had never wanted to put the others in danger, but Morgana was right. If he didn’t want to put them in danger he never would have let any of them be Phantom Thieves in the first place, nor would he have contacted Naoto. It was their choice to get involved, and it’s not like he could stop them even if he wanted to.
“He’s right. As much as I wish they would stop following me, the only way to help Morgana is to keep pushing forward.” Akira nodded to himself as he re-affirmed his conviction. “I was thinking we could leave at the end of this week and go stay in Inaba for a few days. I know it’s sudden so if you guys can’t go I-“
“We’re going.” The words rang throughout the room as the retired thieves stared at their previous leader. Akira would be lying if he said that he wasn’t moved. He reached up and pulled another strand of his hair.
“Thanks guys. Well I guess we need to look for a place to stay once we get there. It’s going to be expensive with the train ride and the cost of the living. I’ve been working some odd jobs so I should be able to afford a few of us, but help would be appreciated.”
“Wait you have been working and investigating this? You have been keeping up with your studies, right?” There was an edge to Makoto’s voice and Akira could see bodily harm was in his future if he didn’t answer correctly.
“Yes, it’s just been a bit harder than normal. No need to worry, I’m still top of the class.”
“What the eff man! There is no way you can keep doing all these things and keep up with your grades.” Ryuji looked like he had suffered a serious betrayal.
“Just because you’re an idiot doesn’t mean everyone else has to be.” Ann almost choked on her glass of water as Ryuji stared down at the offending cat.
“You know maybe we should just go on a vacation and forget the cat here.” Morgana flicked his tail back and forth, looking rather uninterested at Ryuji’s comments.
To be completely honest, without Morgana, Akira’s grades would have slipped. He had been running himself pretty ragged over the last few months, and if Morgana hadn’t been hiding in his desk reminding him about test dates and quizzes, he would have let his grades drop for sure.
“Futaba, I do believe you can let go of his hand now.” Yusuke said absentmindedly as he slipped a small package of snacks from his pocket.
Akira looked down and saw that their hands were still intertwined with one another. Their eyes met and she almost jumped clear out of her chair, her hand shooting back to her chest.
“Shut up Inari! I was just trying to make him feel better is all!” Her face was a bright red as she clutched the offending hand against her body. Akira laughed as he looked around the room. He had forgotten what being around his friends had felt like. It felt like home.
_ _ _
“Don’t forget to prepare for the trip!” Makoto yelled out as Yusuke and Haru walked down the stairs, back into the café. Ryuji and Ann were gathering their things and preparing to leave as well. “We should meet here tomorrow morning. We have a lot to discuss about our new plans.”
“Dude we should get sushi tomorrow!” Ryuji had stopped grabbing his things as he looked around the room for approval.
“Um what does that have to do with our trip? Also, shouldn’t we be saving money?” Makoto shook her head and Ryuji frowned.
“Don’t worry I’m sure we will find some great food in Inaba.” Ann pat his back and Ryuji scratched the back of his head.
“Yeah I suppose so. Well we better get out of here. You coming Futaba?” Ryuji’s eyes met hers and Akira watched as her cheeks turned a bright shade of pink.
“Um I have a few things I want to talk to Akira about before I head home.” Her eyes dropped to the floor as her hands began to fidget.
“Oh? Yeah, I |
klaineana (okoumé) that dominates parts of Gabon), indicating a forest age of a few hundred years. Another example, Gond et al. [24] used a satellite-based analysis of seasonality to describe a broad band of low diversity, disturbed and semi-deciduous forest in the Sangha River Interval, and area of sandier soils and possible lower rainfall that divides the western Congo Basin from the eastern Basin. In this presently low population density region, there is abundant evidence of past cultivation, and past retreat of the forest [19].
Hence, the story of Africa's forests has been one of climatic change even throughout the Holocene, and altering levels of direct human impacts. The ecology and biodiversity of Africa reflect this history of disturbance, with lower levels of wet-affiliated species than expected for the current climate [17], and a high abundance of large trees that disperse and grow rapidly and perhaps represent an advanced stage of succession (ecological ‘scar tissue’ spreading over a disturbance [25]). These species may therefore be more adaptable to contemporary climate change and disturbance, but this hypothesis remains to be rigorously tested.
The African forests have been through phases of dense human settlement, and also population collapse, as in Central Africa 1600–1000 BP and more widely since 500 BP with the Atlantic slave trade and forced resettlement. Currently, there is very high population pressure in some regions (e.g. across West Africa, and the northern and eastern margins of the Congo Basin), but low population pressure in the central and western regions of the basin. The human populations of the American tropics also witnessed a massive (disease-associated) collapse after European colonization of the Americas. However, pre-collapse human impacts in much of Amazonia away from drier fringes and river margins are likely to have been less [26,27] despite some arguments to the contrary [28]. In particular, the Americas never experienced an Iron Age, which in Africa produced more effective tools for clearing forest and greater demand of wood fuel for smelters. The climate of African rainforests is also, on average, much drier than most of the tropics, and therefore more suitable for a greater variety of successful agricultural crops.
4. Deforestation: patterns and causes
Deforestation is the most visible and prominent agent of contemporary change in tropical forests. Globally, rates of deforestation at the start of this century were around 5.4 million ha yr−1 [29], contributing about 1.30±0.24 Pg C of emissions to the atmosphere, about 15±3% of global human-caused CO 2 emissions [30]. The rates of deforestation in Amazonia and Southeast Asia are fairly well defined [29,31], because national reporting capacity in countries such as Brazil and Malaysia is high, and in area terms much of it is driven by medium-to-large-scale clearing for cattle ranching and soya bean (in Amazonia) and oil palm plantations (Southeast Asia), both of which are fairly easy to detect by satellite. In Africa, there has been much more uncertainty about rates and patterns of deforestation, because national reporting capacity has been low, and the mode of deforestation is primarily small-scale clearing by subsistence farmers. This requires high-resolution imagery such as those provided by Landsat.
Mayaux et al. [2] present a new analysis of deforestation across the African rainforest zone over two 10-year intervals 1990–2000 and 2000–2010, taking advantage of the recent free availability of the Landsat archive to conduct high-resolution time-series analyses of 10 × 10 km areas distributed on a regular grid at each integer latitude and longitude intersect. They estimate that African rainforest net deforestation rates were 0.59 million ha yr−1 between 1990 and 2000, and decreased to 0.29 million ha yr−1 over 2000–2010. This rate is four times smaller in absolute terms than that in Latin America, and the proportional rate is also smaller (0.3% versus 0.4%; [32]). The absolute rates in Asia are also three to four times larger [31]. Hence, from a global perspective, much of Africa is still a relatively low rainforest deforestation continent, contributing only about 11% to global gross deforestation. This reflects the almost complete absence of agro-industrial scale clearing in Africa, which accounts for around 55% of global tropical rainforest deforestation in the 2000–2005 period [29]. At a finer scale, there are hotspots of deforestation in West Africa and the fringes of the Congo Basin, and no evidence of a decline in deforestation in Madagascar. Rates of deforestation seem to rise when rural population densities rise above around 10 people km−2, or the area of cropland rises above 10%, in a 10 × 10 km2 square. Hotspots of deforestation are also found around transport networks and close to cities, including areas suitable for agriculture within 5 h travel time to major markets, and wood fuel and charcoal provisioning within 12 h from a city. These are very similar to the ‘waves of degradation’ documented in East Africa, which conform to economic models based on the value of products derived from tropical landscapes [33].
The pattern of low and declining rates of deforestation in African rainforests (and particularly in Central Africa) is somewhat surprising and warrants further exploration. Rudel [3] presents a national-scale analysis of the drivers of deforestation. He notes several key features of human ecology that are important in the context of Africa: the population has long been much poorer and more rural than that in Latin America but now has the highest rates of urban population growth (3.7% per year between 2000 and 2005), much of the urbanization is occurring without industrialization (e.g. domestic energy supply is mainly wood fuel), and almost all of the significant Congo Basin countries that account for almost 90% of Africa's rainforest cover have large extractive oil and mineral industries (with Cameroon being a notable exception). This extraction of oil and minerals triggers economic booms that set off cascades of economic side effects (such as high labour costs, less competitive agricultural exports, more food imports) that retard agricultural expansion, accelerate urbanization and slow rates of deforestation in remote, rural regions. Deforestation is particularly concentrated in peri-urban areas and along transport routes [2], to meet the demands of the concentrated and growing urban population. Consistent with this hypothesis, both Rudel and Mayaux et al. [2] find that the lowest rates of deforestation tend occur in mineral- and oil-rich nations. It is worthwhile to consider the particular circumstances of the rainforest giant, the DRC, separately in this analysis, as some different dynamics may be occurring there. It accounts for over 50% of African rainforest area [2], has high oil and mineral receipts (around 90% of exports) and yet low rural income and has experienced high levels of political instability that is still pervasive in some regions. Albeit from a very low baseline rate, it is experiencing increasing levels of deforestation [34], in particular around its rapidly urbanizing zones.
5. Selective logging
Logging is a more cryptic agent of change, challenging to monitor by satellite. In popular usage, logging is often confused with deforestation, partially, because, in temperate regions, logging is often associated with clear-cutting of low diversity forests. In the high diversity African tropics, there are typically only one to two timber trees harvested per hectare [35], and it makes little economic sense to clear cut forests remote from markets. This contrasts with Southeast Asia, where the dipterocarp-rich forests yield many more timber species, and are much more intensively logged (around 10–20 trees per hectare) and heavily damaged by logging. In principle, a tropical forest can be logged with low impact, and given sufficient recovery time before return logging, this could be sustainable, although the definition of what is sustainable logging is much debated [36,37]. Much of the damage associated with logging comes from collateral damage to other trees, and through the opening up of logging tracks and platforms. Research from Amazonia [38] has also suggested that logging can often be the precursor of complete deforestation, and also opens up the forest to a drier microclimate and increased fire vulnerability.
In Central Africa, much of the lowland rainforest area is apportioned to long-term logging concessions, about 44 million ha [39]. Over the past two decades, there has been a noteworthy shift from unsustainable ‘mining’ of timber resources to at least an aspiration for sustainable management and conservation of timber resources. Between 1990 and 2002, most countries in Central Africa redefined their forestry laws to make management plans for logging concessions mandatory. Over 18.6 million hectare of forests in Central Africa now have a management plan [40].
Gourlet-Fleury et al. [35] present results from a long-running (24 year) logging experiment in the Central African Republic to assess the effects of disturbance linked to logging and thinning on the structure and dynamics of the forest. They find that the forest responded fast to the logging disturbance, rebounding back to near original levels of biomass after 24 years, but the volume of timber did not recover so quickly. With the logging of one to two trees per hectare removed every 30 years, the forest appears to maintain biomass and function. However, the most highly valued timber species take much longer to recover, so in terms of maintenance of timber species such logging is still effectively ‘mining’ of timber resources.
Mayaux et al. [2] and Rudel [3] explore the possible linkages between logging and subsequent deforestation. They find little evidence of logging leading to deforestation, either at national or local scales. One key difference from Amazonia is the lack of an active colonization frontier with pressure to clear logged forest. The loose network of logging tracks, owing to the light exploitation density, combined with the low population density, does not provoke the critical conditions for deforestation, except around a few concessions in the DRC. They do however greatly facilitate hunting pressure, which can have knock-on consequences on forest structure and biomass and discussed below.
6. Woody encroachment
Many analyses of forest cover change are biased towards detecting and quantifying forest loss. Much less attention has been focused on areas where forest cover seems to be increasing. Such increases in forest cover (or woody encroachment) may be caused by locally reduced direct human pressure (e.g. where rural depopulation is underway), particularly changes in the fire regime, by increasing rainfall (as suggested by most climate models for much of eastern Africa: [5,41]) or by rising atmospheric CO 2 concentrations favouring tree growth over grasses, and enabling tree saplings to better escape grass-associated ‘fire traps’ in mixed tree–grass regions [42].
Mitchard & Flintrop [4] present an analysis of this phenomenon of woody encroachment, by both conducting a systematic review of published instances of woody encroachment in Africa, and by conducting a long-term (1982–2006) study of satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). This is a vegetation index that is a measure of greenness, across the mixed tree–grass systems of Africa. In the peak dry season when grasses are yellow, NDVI is likely to be a good proxy for tree cover. They find evidence of increased dry season NDVI across the north fringes of the rainforest biome, but general loss of greenness in the southern African Miombo woodland regions where there is heavy degradation pressure. All documented studies of woody encroachment coincide with an increasing trend of NDVI at the same locale (though not always significant).
In South Africa, there is substantial evidence that the woody encroachment is associated with increased CO 2 rather than with rainfall or with reduced land use pressure [42]. It is plausible that a similar factor is driving the encroachment in more northern regions, although recent increases in precipitation following drying in the 1970s and 1980s may also be a factor [43]. Lewis et al. [8] have noted that intact old-growth forests in Africa have been increasing in biomass, possible in response to higher CO 2, something also noted by Gourlet-Fleury et al. [35] in the control plots in their logging experiment. Hence, the consistent phenomenon of CO 2 fertilization may be increasing forest biomass in biomes ranging from wet rainforests to dry tree–grass systems. Thus, calculations of the carbon sink across the tropical forest biome should include that from woody encroachment, not yet well estimated, in addition to that already estimated for rainforests.
7. Defaunation
Other aspects of human-induced change in rainforests are less visible to satellites than deforestation, but more pervasive. Among the most important of these is hunting, whether for bushmeat or for international trade in wildlife parts such as ivory and skins. Abernethy et al. [44] present a review of the factors driving hunting in Central Africa, and a synthesis of data on the direct impacts of hunting on the functioning of forest ecosystems.
Africa is the origin continent of humanity, and African rainforest species have evolved in the presence of hominid hunters and their ancestors. This is in sharp contrast to, for example, the Americas, Madagascar and Australia, which suffered a major loss of megafauna around the time of arrival of the first human hunters [45]. As a result, until decades to centuries ago, African rainforests have held abundant populations of megafauna such as elephants and large primates. However, modern hunting pressure, driven by increased commercial trade, has resulted in depopulation and local extinction of many larger rainforest mammals. The remaining forest reserves of West Africa, often structurally intact but devoid of medium and large fauna, are ‘empty forests’. Now, the most striking rates of defaunation are in Central Africa. A massive increase in ivory poaching has led to 62% of Central Africa's forest elephants being lost within a decade (2002–2011), with no sign of a decline in the rate of poaching [46]. Large declines are also occurring in ape populations, which declined by 50% in a study across Gabon over 1984–2000 [47]. At a less dramatic but even more widespread scale, bushmeat hunting affects around 178 species in Central Africa, with over half these species deemed threatened by this hunting [44]. It has been estimated that over 6.5 million tonnes of bushmeat per annum are extracted from tropical forests, rising by over 100 000 tonnes each year, of which 90% is extracted from African forests [48,49].
These massive rates of defaunation represent a direct loss of some of the most unique and valuable aspects of African forests. They also have knock-on effects, such as loss of top predators such as leopards as their prey become rare, effects on forest structure, seed dispersal and recruitment [50] and possible changes in nutrient diffusion through the forest [7]. These can lead to shifts in the tree species composition of the forest [51]. The loss of high wood density animal-dispersed species may also lead to a reduction of biomass in the forest [44]. By contrast, Lewis et al. [6] make the suggestion that by ‘culling’ small trees, megafauna might actually increase the preponderance and lifetime of larger trees and the overall biomass of rainforests, which may explain why African rainforests have higher biomass than Amazonia, where the megafauna went extinct around 10 000 years ago. This might partially explain why Central African rainforests have higher biomass than West African ones, and why Africa has higher biomass than Amazonia, where the megafauna went extinct around 10 000 years ago. Consistent with this, a recent report tracking forest responses, which a forest was hunted to silence, showed a dramatic increase in tree stem density [52]. The ongoing expansion of logging trails into the remotest parts of the African rainforest realm is likely to only intensify hunting pressure and its consequences, as accessible areas have much higher bushmeat extraction than inaccessible areas [44].
8. Climate and climate change
A number of papers in this theme issue explore the theme of climate change, a looming but poorly quantified and understood threat to the African rainforest realm. James et al. [5] and also Zelazowski et al. [11] conduct an in-depth analysis of multiple climate-change projections for the region. All climate models agree that the African rainforest regions will warm, with a mean rate across models of 0.8–1.0°C per 1°C of global warming. Hence, the African rainforest realm is likely to warm by 3–4°C over this century under the most likely emissions scenarios. How tropical organisms will adapt to these this warming remains unclear—some studies argue that tropical organisms are particularly sensitive to warming because of their limited seasonality and interannual variability in temperature [53,54]. Similarly, in the lowland tropics organisms are required to travel long distance to maintain a constant temperature as mean air temperature increases [55]. Conversely, some species more than three million years old may have experiences warmer temperatures than those expected in the coming decades and may therefore be able to adapt [56].
For rainfall, a simple average of change in total annual rainfall across models suggests little overall change in the central and western regions of equatorial Africa, and wetting of the eastern regions. Such an analysis would be deeply misleading, however. When metrics of the seasonality of rainfall are considered, most models predict intensified dry seasons in the western Congo Basin. Outside of the West and Central African core, most models suggest that East African forests will get wetter, but Madagascar's forests will experience increasingly severe water stress. The length of and intensity of the dry season is likely to matter more than the mean rainfall in determining the viability of rainforests [11]. On the other hand, a number of models still suggest wetting of western equatorial Africa, hence averaged across models there is little overall trend. James et al. [5] delve further into the patterns and mechanisms that distinguish the ‘dry’ models from the ‘wet’ models. They show that drying is associated with enhanced sea surface warming over the Indian Ocean, together with warming in the tropical North Atlantic causing a northward shift in the inter-tropical convergence zone. Warming in both these regions drives enhanced uplift of air in these regions, which in turn drives intense subsidence in western equatorial Africa. The review identifies these ocean-driven atmospheric circulation shifts as the likely atmospheric mechanism to the potential threat to the rainforests of the western Congo Basin, and it is a clear research priority to identify whether the dry models (the majority) or the wet models are more plausible. There is clear evidence that Congo Basin and West African forests have retreated substantially because of climate change even as recently as 3000 years ago [19,20], suggesting that the climate change-induced forest retreat is certainly feasible.
Probably the greatest challenge in understanding and projecting the future climate of the African forest realm, and in particular the Congo Basin, is that the current climate is so poorly observed and understood. This deficiency is of global significance, because the Congo Basin is the second most important convective ‘engine’ of the global atmospheric circulation after the Maritime Continent (insular Southeast Asia and the surrounding waters) and is also the region of highest lightning strike frequencies on the planet [57]. In transition seasons (March–May and September–November), the Congo Basin dominates global tropical rainfall [58]. Despite this importance, the Congo Basin is poorly studied because of the dearth of available ground-based climate observations from the region, particularly in the past few decades [58]. The number of rain gauges reporting from this vast region declined from more than 50 in the period 1950–1980, to less than 10 over the period 1990–2010 [58]. Much of this decline is driven by political instability: for example, only three meteorological stations from the DRC reported to the Global Telecommunication System in 2013, despite this country accounting for over half of Africa's rainforests. Washington et al. [58] analyse a range of model and satellite observation products for the region, and show there is little agreement in estimates of the distribution and total quantity of rainfall in the region (e.g. whether the western or eastern Congo Basin is wetter). The datasets differ by a factor of at least two, and in absolute terms by at least 2000 mm per year.
Clearly, there is a need to re-establish a ground meteorological observation system over the region. In the short term, however, Washington et al. [58] suggest that even a short-period, intensive observation campaign that targets the atmospheric circulation and water transport could yield vital insights and clues to the true rainfall regime of the region. Such a campaign would combine radiosondes, weather radar and aircraft data collection, as done for West Africa past decade by the African monsoon multidisciplinary analyses (AMMA) programme [59]. There is also evidence that the tropical African climate is more predictable in the short term (seasonal and interannual scale) than many other regions because of its strong links to Atlantic and Indian Ocean sea surface temperatures [60].
Beyond changes in a mean state of the climate, increasing variability and seasonality are also key indicators of a changing and unstable climate system. An important signature is the intensity and frequency of extreme drought events. Asefi-Najafabady & Saatchi [61] analyse time series of precipitation in Central and West Africa using time series of ground interpolated observations, and, since 2001, tropical rainfall monitoring mission satellite rainfall estimates. They show substantial interannual variation in dry season intensity (particularly in 2005, 2006 and 2007) as part of a general drying trend in West Africa and the northern Congo Basin that started in the 1970s.
But are such drought events linked to global climate or just a signature of natural variability? The drying observed in West Africa since the 1970s is thought to be largely driven by natural variability [62], but is there also a signature of global warming either in this region or across the Congo Basin? Attempts to answer such questions are termed attribution studies. They require very large ensembles of climate model simulations, so that the statistics of a rare event such as an extreme drought can be estimated some with confidence. Otto et al. [60] present an attribution analysis of drought events for the Congo Basin, the first attempt at an attribution study for a tropical forest region. To generate the large ensemble of climate model outputs, they use output from the weather@home project, which runs climate models distributed across volunteers' computers. They compare simulated current climate with a counterfactual current climate in the absence of greenhouse warming, to see if there is a statistically significant change in the probability of modelled drought events that could be attributed to global warming. In the case of the Congo Basin, they find no conclusive evidence that changes in drought frequency can be attributed to global warming. All such attribution studies rely on the model's ability to simulate the region's climate, and in the case of Central Africa, the lack of observational data make it very hard to be sure what the actual climate is.
If there is a mean drying, or if variability becomes more extreme, then how will African forests respond to such events? From one perspective, African forests are more vulnerable to climate change because they sit close to a rainfall threshold that favours savannas over rainforests. The previous extensive contractions of the rainforests in the Ice Age and the drier periods of the Holocene indicate that extensive climate-driven rainforest loss is clearly quite possible. On the other hand, as long as the rainfall threshold is not crossed, the disturbance-adapted nature of many African forests may favour more resilience than their Amazonian or Asian counterparts [12,19]. Willis et al. [12] suggest that the palaeoecological record in Africa indicates a nonlinear and spatially heterogeneous response to a change in climate: little change until some threshold is crossed, then a rapid shift in the ecosystem.
There is evidence of at least short-term resilience to drought. Fauset et al. [63] explored the response of Ghanaian forests to the drying event in the 1970s. They found that after 20 years of exposure to a drier climate, the composition of the forests shifted towards more drought-adapted, deciduous species, and plot-level biomass actually increased over time. This suggests a relatively rapid response in forest composition to perturbations, which gives some resilience to the persistence of the forest biome. However, in areas which burnt during a particularly severe drought year in 1983, there was a transition to non-forest habitats that persists to the present day. This highlights the importance of interannual variability, fire and human pressures in mediating the resilience of forests to climate change.
At a larger scale, Asefi-Najafabady & Saatchi [61] examined changes in canopy structure and moisture content using microwave satellite data. They found that, despite substantial drought events over the past decade, there was little evidence of lingering effects on the forest canopy. This contrasts with a study using identical methods in Amazonia [64], which found a lingering multi-year response in the canopy of southwest Amazonia. Amazonia has had a more stable climate history than tropical Africa, and may have higher abundance of species more accustomed to a stable climate, and hence more vulnerable to climate change.
A key factor to consider is the rapid rise of atmospheric CO 2, by the end of this century to levels probably not experienced for over 50 myr. This is a feature of twenty-first century change that makes it very different from previous changes during the Ice Ages. High atmospheric CO 2 can have a number of consequences: it can directly stimulate plant photosynthesis and growth, it can increase the water use efficiency of plants in dry environments, and it can increase the competitive advantage of trees over tropical grasses, enabling woody encroachment and expansion of forests into savannas. The ongoing increase in woody biomass in old-growth African rainforests reported by Lewis et al. [8], and Gourlet-Fleury et al. [35] and the woody encroachment of savannas reported by Mitchard & Flintropp [4] may both be signatures of rising CO 2, although other factors such as recovery from disturbance cannot be completely ruled out.
Fisher et al. [65] present a synthesis of outputs from nine global vegetation models for the African rainforest biome. They find that most models predict a current increase in biomass in response to CO 2 fertilization of about 0.5 Mg C ha−1 yr−1, very close the field-observed value of 0.6 Mg C ha−1 yr−1 reported by Lewis et al. [8]. The models suggest the rate of absorption of CO 2 flux has been declining in West Africa and the northern Congo because of the recent dry decades. Most models predict the carbon sink to continue to decline in strength over this century: the exact timing and magnitude of that decline causes model predictions to diverge as the century progresses.
Hence, the picture emerging from field monitoring, palaeoecological work, satellite monitoring and ecophysiological modelling is one of resilience to occasional droughts, moderate warming and moderate long-term drying. This contrasts with the high rates of climate-change-related extinction produced by bioclimatic envelope models. This resilience is perhaps greater than for other major tropical forest regions because of Africa's history of climate change and human pressure: the potentially most vulnerable species are already extinct. However, the palaeoecological data also point to there being thresholds (perhaps closer in African forests than in other places), when the forest can convert rapidly to savannas. Such thresholds may be amplified when forest–climate feedbacks are considered, where the retreat of the rainforest reduces recirculation of water to the atmosphere and thereby reduces rainfall, which causes further forest retreat. Within the constraints of our limited understanding of the climate circulation of the region [58], there is evidence that the rainforest plays a critical role in recycling precipitated water back to the atmosphere [66,67], and regional climate model simulations suggest that extensive loss of forests causes not only large decreases local rainfall but also affects the African monsoon and hence rainfall patterns across many more arid, marginal areas of this generally dry continent [68].
9. Threats and opportunities
(a) The threat of dramatic change
The unique demographic and economic circumstance of much of humid tropical Africa presents the opportunity to possibly raise incomes without extensive clearance. However, a major threat to the forest biome is the potential of a shift to commercial agro-plantations. If poorly planned, then these industrial croplands could lead to extensive loss of forests as witnessed in Southeast Asia, and in soya bean regions of Amazonia, especially when combined with poor governance. On the other hand, the international commercial organizations involved in operating such plantations may be more amenable to land use planning and international governance pressure. In particular, any discussion of the future of the African forest biome as a whole needs to consider the unique importance and particular circumstances of the DRC, with its combination of high mineral resources, high rates of deforestation, fragile governance and civil conflict.
Climate change is a big unknown, because we simply do not know enough about the nature of the present and future climate of tropical Africa, nor about the response of vegetation to that climate change. We know it will almost certainly be 3–4°C warmer in the forest realm by 2100 that atmospheric CO 2 concentrations will be much higher, and that rainfall variability will probably be greater. Critically, we do not know what the likely patterns of rainfall change will be. James et al. [5] have identified that climate models tend to cluster towards two opposing modes of rainfall change, associated with sea surface temperature patterns in the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. The more negative mode would imply substantial drying and retreat of rainforests across Central and West Africa, as seems to have happened a mere 3000 years ago [15], although in the twenty-first century context the high levels of CO 2 may to some extent partially offset the negative impacts of drying on forest vegetation. In the opposing ‘positive’ mode of climate change, there would be increased rainfall across Central and West Africa resulting in substantial woody encroachment in the savanna biomes.
(b) Opportunities for rainforest conservation
There are new opportunities emerging to support the conservation of forests. The opportunity attracting the most attention is through international climate change mitigation funding for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and conservation of forest carbon stocks, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (REDD+). That is, payments would be made based on verified reductions in carbon emissions in a country relative to an agreed emissions baseline in the absence of any mitigation activity. This represents a potentially transformative opportunity for a more sustainable future for Africa's forests, but also faces a number of challenges, foremost of which are an international agreement on climate change mitigation targets and strategies, and effective implementation of the international flow of funds. At the national and subnational level, REDD+ also brings huge challenges owing to limited national capacity to implement and monitor the complexities of land and tree tenure arrangements, and ensuring safeguards for forest peoples and for biodiversity protection. The slow pace of progress towards any international agreement on climate change is resulting in disenchantment with REDD+. Nonetheless, progress is being made in setting up national architectures and developing the capacity to implement REDD+ and monitor and report on its progress, as well as in implementing local-scale pilot projects. Maniatis et al. [69] examine the current flows of REDD+ finance in Congo Basin countries and the status of national engagement and capacity to implement REDD+. They find that there has already been at least US$550 million of REDD+ financing committed or disbursed, with the biggest recipients being the DRC (41%), regional entities (34%) and Cameroon (15%). There is a large disparity in terms of preparedness of REDD+, with the two largest African rainforest countries (DRC and Gabon) making substantial progress, and many of the lower rainforest area countries trailing behind. Such building of capacity and awareness of national forest resources may already be having an impact on slowing down deforestation and degradation activities in the region.
In addition to these challenges at international and national level, one key challenge for the implementation of REDD+ or other forest sustainability efforts is successful engagement by local communities in the management of their forests. There are lessons to be learnt and models to be adopted in the light of decades of experience in tropical forest conservation in Africa. Asare et al. [70] highlight and reviews one promising model that has emerged from Ghana: the community resource management area (CREMA). This mechanism authorizes rural communities and land users to benefit economically from their forest resources, while allowing them to manage the resources in ways that are founded upon traditional values and are compatible with local by laws and national legislation. As a mitigation strategy, the CREMA has the potential to solve many of the key local-scale challenges for REDD+ in Africa, including definition of boundaries, small-holder aggregation, free prior and informed consent, ensuring permanence, preventing leakage, clarifying land tenure and carbon rights, and enabling equitable benefits-sharing. Successful implementation of REDD+ at local scale would require African government support for CREMAs or similar mechanisms, and motivation by communities to integrate such systems within their traditional values and natural resource management systems.
We started this synthesis by pointing out that all tropical rainforest continents and regions have their unique history, climate, ecology, governance and patterns of utilization that make the prospects of their tropical forests particular to that region. This theme issue has highlighted the multifaceted uniqueness (or ‘exceptionalism’) of the African humid forest biome. Other tropical forest regions may also have some of these features in common with Africa, but this particular combination of features characterizes much of the African rainforest biome. Key among these are
— the extensive history of climate variation, biome expansion and retreat, and human interaction with the biome, — the relatively dry and cool climate when compared with other major tropical forest regions, — the relatively low plant species diversity and yet extremely high animal biomass (in the non-heavily hunted forests), — complex patterns of customary and state land tenure built in long histories of low-level forest exploitation, — the dominance of selective logging, small-scale farming and bushmeat hunting as the major forms of pressure on the rainforest biome, in contrast to the agro-industrial pressures that dominate in the tropical Americas and Asia, — the particular context of mineral- and oil-driven economies of Central Africa, resulting in unusually low rates of deforestation and agricultural activity, and — the particular governance and poverty challenges and civil conflict context of the African tropical forest giant, the DRC.
We conclude by highlighting some research needs that have emerged from this theme issue.
First and foremost, there is a need to build up relevant scientific capacity in African countries, building upon and supporting existing research institutions, and creating mechanisms for scholarships for study in both Africa and overseas, and for research and fellowships and infrastructure development. Sparsely funded African research institutions should have greater access to funds which can support African research priorities.
There is a need for basic ecological understanding of the African rainforest biome, which lags far behind that of the Americas and Asia. This includes understanding productivity, species distributions, drought- and temperature-sensitivity and interactions with climate and soils. This requires investment in selected intensive studies sites combined with more extensive distributed networks of study sites, both integrated and standardized with parallel efforts in other rainforest continents. Attention should also be focused on the more rare rainforest formations, such as swamp, montane, inselberg and mangrove forests, as well as the widespread wet and dry forest biomes.
If anything, our understanding of Central African climate is even weaker than our understanding of its ecology. There is a pressing need to rebuild the climate monitoring network in Africa, linking in the weather stations to global reporting networks and integrating with satellite observations. There are also opportunities for major advances in insight through a short-term, targeted campaign that focused on understanding the circulation and moisture flow patterns across Central Africa in the dry season. Similar campaigns in South America such as the Large-scale Biosphere–Atmosphere programme in Amazonia (LBA) have transformed our understanding of the Amazon region and greatly enhanced local capacity. We also need to understand the interactions between the rainforests and the atmosphere: to what extent is the rainforest a critical source of recycled water and a driver of atmospheric circulation across this generally arid continent, and how would rainfall patterns change in the event of substantial retreat of rainforests?
There is also a need to better understand and monitor the particular processes of change that predominate in Africa. What is the nature of small-scale farming and how well can it be monitored by satellites? What are the threshold levels of defaunation pressure that drive species to local extinction or functional irrelevance? How does the spreading network of logging trails affect defaunation? Can we better understand how the structure of intact African forests is affected by historical change and by ongoing defaunation? What are the interactions between forest degradation, fire risk and climate sensitivity?
In social science research, there is a need to better understand the unique interactions between urbanization, poverty, oil and mineral extraction, economic growth, wood fuel use and agriculture in an African context, and in the particular context of each African country. We need to understand the political ecology and economy at scales ranging from international through to community and individual farmer.
There is also a need to better apply the research to practical management and conservation of the rainforest biome. Of critical importance is finding platforms and processes that enable sustainable, effective management of African forests and forest resources that operate at multiple scales (local to national) and accommodate state and traditional values and norms. When large-scale agro-industry arrives in the African rainforest biome (as it has begun to do already), how can its negative impacts be minimized and development and conservation goals both be met? What are optimal strategies to protect the African fauna and the many ecosystem services that they provide? Can we reliably identify the areas of the rainforest biome most vulnerable to climate change, and manage and plan accordingly to maximize resilience of the biome, its species and its human inhabitants? Can effective mechanisms (at both international, national and local scale) be developed that bring benefits to African communities from conserving and sustainably managing the rainforest biome and the many ecosystem services they provide?
This short synthesis has highlighted many surprising aspects of the African rainforest biome, and how different it is in many aspects from other, perhaps better understood, rainforest regions. It has also highlighted how little we know and how much there is still to discover. There are reasons for concern, such has the heavy levels of defaunation and the potential impacts of climate change, and reasons for hope, such as the low rates of deforestation and the possible resilience of rainforests species to climate change. We call on the research and policy communities to redouble efforts to give this fascinating rainforest continent the attention it so richly deserves.
Footnotes
One contribution of 18 to a Theme Issue ‘Change in African rainforests: past, present and future’.NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The nation's armed services wrapped up a record year for recruiting as a with |
31 85 21.247 0 10 50 82 26.317 2 16 38 42 10.238 1 8
Pitching [ edit ]
Starting pitchers [ edit ]
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Player G IP W L ERA SO 36 256.1 22 7 2.63 86 31 200 18 6 2.84 35 34 209.2 19 8 3.00 51 27 184 13 6 3.38 45 29 166.1 10 3 4.11 81
Other pitchers [ edit ]
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Player G IP W L ERA SO 50 213 19 7 2.28 75 21 88.2 7 4 4.87 25
Relief pitchers [ edit ]
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Player G W L SV ERA SO 19 2 3 4 2.89 23 16 0 0 0 8.00 10 1 0 0 0 9.00 0
1927 World Series [ edit ]
Game Date Visitor Score Home Score Record (NYY-PIT) Attendance 1 October 5 New York Yankees 5 Pittsburgh Pirates 4 1–0 41,467 2 October 6 New York Yankees 6 Pittsburgh Pirates 2 2–0 41,634 3 October 7 Pittsburgh Pirates 1 New York Yankees 8 3–0 60,695 4 October 8 Pittsburgh Pirates 3 New York Yankees 4 4–0 57,909 New York Yankees win 4–0
Awards and honors [ edit ]
Since a voter could select only one player per team, two good candidates from the same team could find their votes split and both of their chances of winning hurt. In addition, the clause prohibiting repeat winners led to unusual results like Babe Ruth's 1927 (one of the greatest offensive seasons of all time) not being eligible for the award. As The New York Times wrote in 1925, "[T]he purpose, of course, is to pass the honor around, but the effect is to pass an empty honor around."[5]
League leaders [ edit ]
Babe Ruth, Major League Baseball home run champion (60)
Earle Combs, American League leader, triples (23) [6]
Lou Gehrig, American League RBI champion (175)
Franchise records [ edit ]
Earle Combs, Yankees single season record, triples in a season (23)
In popular culture [ edit ]
In 2016, ESPN announced 1927: The Diary of Myles Thomas, part a new genre of storytelling known as "real-time historical fiction."[7] The core of the project is a historical novel in the form of a diary of Myles Thomas, written by Douglas Alden, complemented by a wealth of fact-based content from the season, all published along the same timeline as the events unfolded almost 90 years ago. Through Myles Thomas's diary entries, additional essays and real-time social-media components (including Twitter[8]) "re-living" that famous Yankees season, the goal is to explore the rarefied nexus of baseball, jazz and Prohibition — defining elements of the remarkable world that existed in 1927. The diary runs the length of the full 1927 season, from April 13 through October 10, 1927.[9]
Notes [ edit ]"It was an impressive crowd," he said. But after marching down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol the crowd "only filled the Capitol grounds, maybe up to Third Street," he said.
Yet the photo showed the crowd sprawling far beyond that to the Washington Monument, which is bordered by 15th and and 17th Streets.
There's another big problem with the photograph: it doesn't include the National Museum of the American Indian, a building located at the corner of Fourth St. and Independence Ave. that opened on Sept. 14, 2004. (Looking at the photograph, the building should be in the upper right hand corner of the National Mall, next to the Air and Space Museum.) That means the picture was taken before the museum opened exactly five years ago. So clearly the photo doesn't show the "tea party" crowd from the Sept. 12 protest.Disclaimer: We let Daniel go to Dragon Con with a saxophone. Things happened. He went to panels and bought stuff, but this whole first blog is about what happened with that saxophone. We didn’t plan on letting him bring a saxophone, but his counter argument was a solid hour of Careless Whisper, and we caved like the Cubs in the playoffs.
When someone asks me to explain Dragon Con to them, it normally results in lots of hand gestures, wide eyes, excitement, jumping, and a little bit of exaggeration. All of this is warranted because Dragon Con is more of an experience than a place. For years I have been going to Dragon Con, typically as Bender, and just roaming around. I was basically a walking photo-op. But this year, Max was all like, “Hey, we should go to Dragon Con and make connections,” and I was all like, “If I agree to this will you untie me?” So after working out some minor details, we set off on an adventure. Separately. Because I am a giant child when it comes to things like this. WITNESS MY DRAGON CON!
So, as I mentioned above, I normally either wear Bender or just walk around in street clothes. When I wear Bender I get my picture taken more times than Shatner. But… Bender is really heavy and it is hard to make “connections” with people when you are encased in a plastic suit of armor. I used this as an excuse to wear the costume that I have wanted to do for years: The SexySaxMan! Now, for those of you keeping track at home, I’m a decent sax player. I can play altissimo notes and I have a pretty good ear… so I thought I would just figure out a few other sci-fi themes to play when I was tired of Careless Whisper. So, after picking up my badge Friday, I headed back to my car to put on my SexySaxMan costume. I suited up and started walking to the Marriott and I heard nothing.
This was terrifying. Suddenly, I was thinking, “Oh no, what if SexySaxMan is not as popular as I thought? What if they laugh at me?” But then I started to think a little more clearly. I thought, “I wonder if they think the sax is just a prop and that I can’t play it.” I decided to test my theory. So, right outside of the Marriott, I took a deep breath, bent my knees a little bit and played the loudest Careless Whisper of my life. Halfway through I heard people start cheering and moving over to me. It was then I realized that I had a license to play whatever I wanted wherever I wanted to whomever I wanted.
Most Frequently Played: Careless Whisper
Could there be any other? People asked me to play it over and over and over again. “Hey, hey, can you play that George Michael song? What about the George Michael song? Thanks man, before you leave could you play that George Michael song?” Also, whenever anyone asked for Free Bird they got an extra-loud Careless Whisper. It was the repetitive soundtrack to my convention and I am looking forward to not hearing it for a while.
Biggest “WTF?” Played: Turn Down for What
So we are sitting in High Velocity. You know, that one bar in the Marriott that you wind going to at least once over the weekend. People at our table start requesting things, and I am just sitting there, in a restaurant full of people, figuring them out. Then, Turn Down for What comes on over the speakers and someone tells me to play that. About 20 seconds later I am bouncing around the area playing the repetitive rhythm and people are staring at me in shock and then THEY started bouncing around. I’m still not even sure it happened for real.
Biggest Accidental Crowd Gathering: Attack on Titan Theme
So I come up behind these girls who are wearing matching Attack on Titan costumes and I just start ripping out the theme as loud as I can. They INSIST that I continue to play while they take a selfie-video looking bad-ass with me in the background. After they walk away I notice several people in Titan costumes looking around, asking where that was coming from. Apparently, if you play the song of her people, Mikasa will come running.
Biggest Headtrip: Animaniacs Music
So I am wondering around the walk of fame, having already serenaded Felicia Day with some quality Careless Whisper, when I come upon Rob Paulsen’s table. Yakko Warner. I walk up to him and tell him that I watched Animaniacs a lot as a kid, and I have a pretty good ear and I think I have figured out the Animaniacs theme. I proceed to play part of the theme, which grabs the attention of one Randy Rogel – the guy who wrote all of those bitching songs like “Yakko’s World” and “No L.” I wind up having a 5 minute conversation with these guys which really made me feel like I was 8 again. Then I went back Monday afternoon and got a short video of me playing along as Rob sang “No L.” I feel like I have hit the pinnacle of musicianship now.
Best Game of Musical Chairs: Blood Drive
I totally turned the LifeSouth Blood Drive into a game of musical chairs. I took requests. Sometimes I could play those songs. If I couldn’t, well, then the crowd would get a heavy dose of Careless Whisper. Even the nurses drawing the blood were getting into it. Then were dancing back and forth and having a good time. At one point, right before sitting down to give blood, I got right up next to a lovely girl, did the whole bit, and then said, “Excuse me, nurse, you might want to check her pulse, her heart is probably racing… and she might need some of those ice packs to cool her off.” Many people laughed and I felt like I was not a complete letdown.
Most Crowd Pleasing Musical Bit: SolveForX pre-panel
So, after having a dinner with the guys from Comedy4Cast and Technorama (look those podcasts up, people) where I entertained a table of blue haired Canadians by playing Phantom of the Opera with a cloth napkin draped over half of my head, we went to the SolveForX show. Keep in mind I am still dressed up like a chubby SexySaxMan. While waiting for the show to start a woman in red walked by, so I decide to walk up right behind her and give her the Careless Whisper that she never knew she needed. To my surprise the crowd laughs at this… so I walk around the back of the room and sneak up on a woman sitting on the isle in the middle of the room and do it again. Same reaction. Now, not wanting to go to the well too may times, I decided to change things up. I approach another woman and play a few bars of “Do You Want to Build a Snowman” followed by the back end of “Let it Go.” She blushed, the crowd laughs, I decide to keep going. “Turn Down for What” happens while bouncing towards the front of the room. Then, I make eye contact with another woman who clearly needs some George Michael in her life, but I decide to give her some John Williams instead. I play the Rebel Fleet Theme from Star Wars and the crowd begins to clap like I had just pulled a puppy out of a well. I move through it slowly, getting to the part where it gets high right before the end. And then, AND THEN, Careless Whisper starts. Everyone starts laughing, I can’t even keep playing. It was the second best feeling I had from music over the entire Con.
Most Moving Moment: Frozen for a Kid
I specifically learned Snowman and Let it Go for the kids. I would walk up behind parents and play a few bars of Snow Man and the kids would whip around, eyes wide with excitement. One parent told me to screw off when I did it and their kid began screaming that they wanted to hear the funny man play Frozen. I squatted down and told the kid that his Dad didn’t want him to have any fun so I couldn’t play Frozen. I heard the kid start screaming as I walked away. Parents, do not be douche bags to people who are nice to your kids. (Unless they look super creepy and are driving a panel van.) You have to understand – pulling Frozen music away from a five-year-old is like waking up a sleepwalker: You don’t want to do it.
But, even considering the 30+ little girls in Elsa dresses who sang along with me when I played Let it Go, the most moving moment was Sunday afternoon. I walked into the Marriott in costume and saw an exasperated mother standing by the desk and two kids sitting down. At this point I had figured out that girls always respond to Frozen, boys were a toss up. Sometimes they liked Frozen, other times they responded like a full grown man. So, I aim myself at the girl and play a few bars of Snow Man. The boy turns around with the kind of speed that I only use when someone says, “Who wants a fireball shot?” I could tell that the boy was disabled (and those of you who know me for real and know my family know that I am not going to go into any specific details about that) and his face was lit up like a Christmas tree. He looked so happy and when I started playing Let it Go he swayed back and forth. I finish my bit and stand up and his mother address me and tells me that he had not been feeling well and that was the first time all day that he had smiled.
That, more so than playing for Felicia Day, playing along with Yakko Warner, holding half a ballroom captive with my antics or even crashing karaoke with my sax when Don’t Stop Believing started playing… that was the most amazing part of the whole convention to me.
Yea, we pay the price of admission for Dragon Con to see the panels and shop the vendors and go to the parties. But also, we get to be whatever we want for a weekend. You can be a Ghostbuster (huge props to the Alabama fan with the Crimson Tide Ghostbusters suit), Spiderman, a Jedi, a fanboy, or a SexySaxMan. People love to see their favorite characters in person. But be cautious, you can’t have a bitchin’ costume and refuse pictures: With Great Cosplay Comes Great Responsibility. If you can make people smile and have a good time with your DragonCon antics, do it.
I easily played this over 300 times.Review: Leonard Cohen, 'You Want It Darker'
Note: NPR's First Listen audio comes down after the album is released. However, you can still listen with the Spotify playlist at the bottom of the page.
toggle caption Courtesy of the artist
The first sound Leonard Cohen makes on his new album is a nanosecond's rush of labored air. It's not a wheeze, exactly, or a hiccup. But it's not a singer's note, either. The singing (such as it is) soon follows, and the 82-year-old's somber tone signals that matters of grave import are about to be discussed. He's making an inquiry into the peculiar strain of creeping soul distress, both personal and universal, that he's been diagnosing since at least 1992's The Future.
We lack the precise terminology for this condition, because the dimmer switch doesn't go that low. To Cohen, the particular darkness that defines his 14th studio album is nearly inescapable, and found everywhere. It's in the sad futility behind the image "a million candles burning for the love that never came." And it's in the ambivalent confession, "I struggled with some demons, they were middle-class and tame / I didn't know I had permission to murder and to maim."
It's a thick blanket of grim. And then, after verses soaked in sentimental old-man rue and seemingly personal details, Cohen pivots to a curious "we" for the chorus: "You want it darker... we kill the flame."
He could, of course, be talking about organized religion. After all, there's a cantor and a cameo from a choir; it's certainly not the first time religion has been blamed for squelching the spark. At the same time, that phrase "We kill the flame" could just as easily be a slogan for a new business offering an escapism upgrade.
Sepulchral of voice but steady of eye, Cohen devotes much of You Want It Darker to the metaphor of the fragile flame and the myriad ways it gets extinguished, from within and without. He's written on this before, but not quite this way: The nine songs are elegies. Sometimes wistful and sometimes angry, they're suffused with sad violin and small, brave string orchestrations. They unfold with a slow, stately, church-ritual order; when you're moving toward this thick dark, every step is measured.
Cohen titled his last album Popular Problems, and there's nothing remotely popular about the ones he addresses here, which fall under the general heading "Confronting Mortality At Close Proximity." It's terrifying but also oddly tranquil; the fast-running clock has a way of clarifying what matters. Still, it's unsettling to hear this man who so eloquently mapped the terrain of lust and obsession say that he no longer has use for temptation.
Plus, nearly everything that's brightening or uplifting about life is addressed in the past tense. Cohen mixes score-settling personal reflections with existential concerns — observations about the twisted forms fear can take, grumbles about the coarseness of current discourse, deep sighs over what he detects as a general erosion of empathy. Even when he's lamenting his own insensitivity (in "Treaty," he tells a former lover, "I'm sorry for that ghost I made you be"), he's often looking over his shoulder the way George Orwell did, wondering if some larger state or societal force is forcing him toward ghostness, too.
Cohen certainly sounds like a ghost at times — or a sentry who's so devoted to his duty that he soldiers on past quitting time. There are multiple references to "leaving the table" or "exiting the game," and what's startling isn't the question of whether this is a formal stated farewell or the clear and beautiful detachment he brings to this present circumstance. He's doing what he's always done, describing what's in front of him and looking for layers of meaning in the shadows. He's doing it in riveting ways, with a quality of attention that comes only from inner calm and quiet — and healthy distance from modern maelstroms. Cohen isn't sugarcoating the news, and he's not relinquishing any of his grace. The flame may be nearly extinguished, but while it still flickers, it's the poet's charge to ennoble it as best he can.I am regularly reminded of the amazing innovation coming out of the Nordic region. Countries like Sweden, Finland and even tiny Denmark regularly punch above their weight, producing global companies like Spotify, Rovio, Tradeshift and Everbread. But there remains one country which seems bizarrely content not to engage nearly as much with the global tech scene, and that’s Norway.
There’s a huge irony here. The web browser Opera started out in 1994 as a research project within Telenor, Norway’s main telco. If they’d played it right we would be continuing to talk about Opera, rather than Chrome, Safari or Explorer these days. And there remains a few bright sparks on the horizon like the innovative Bipper, founded by Silje Vallestad. But take a look at the stats and they are disappointing.
NORWAY BY THE NUMBERS
There are only 42 companies listed on CrunchBase for Norway. Because of its global nature, CrunchBase is usually a good indication for how internationally active the startup are in a country. In Finlad there are 55, Sweden 131.
And despite a world-renowned education system, social support system and a great quality of life, Norway looks like it is losing the battle to join the global innovation race.
In February, a report titled “Norway scores poorly on innovation” news site E24 noted that Norway came out badly on an EU Commission overview of innovation and R&D.
Indeed, Norway ranked as achieving only moderate levels of innovation, and was in the same bracket as Greece, the Czech Republic, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Hungary, Malta and Slovakia.
The best rated EU countries turned out to be Sweden first, followed by Germany, Denmark and Finland – so most of Norways close neighbours. Sweden was only defeated by the non-EU countries of Switzerland, the USA, Japan and South Korea.
According to the EU Commission’s report, Norway had great human capital, good research systems, and “relatively” good access to capital and assistance to entrepreneurs. But, it said, there has been a sharp decline in investment in innovation. The report also found Norway was low on its investment in innovation, the number of new patents, new products and new services.
The report did not go into innovation in the field of oil and gas, where Norway usually does well. But that’s hardly the point. If Norway is to develop further its going to need more than just natural resources.
IS INNOVATION NORWAY FAILING ENTREPRENEURS?
I spoke to a local entrepreneur who is frustrated with the situation.
Hanna Aase is a well known social media expert in Norway, founder of Toveis Media. However, she now plans to launch a tech startup called Wonderloop.
Wonderloop will be based on live interaction and is currently raising a $100,000 in seed funding. The idea is to increase someone’s chances of meeting the right person to do business with, combined with the integration of social networks. It’s a hot area right now, with Sean Parker backing the new Airtime project and a new startup called Runfaces suddenly getting traction in the US.
But Hanna’s quest for financial backing in Norway is a powerful indication of the lack of vision Norway’s funding bodies have.
She says she recently had her application for Wonderloop rejected by Innovation Norway – the government-backed fund – because, they said, it was “aiming too high”. It’s ironic because Innovation Norway’s slogan is “We give local ideas global opportunities” and they claim to look for unique business models.
“If you have a product in oil, shipping or natural resources then you’re good in Norway, anything else, forget it,” she tells me.
“There is little real angel funding culture in Norway. There are no well known incubation programs. Although I easily raised funding for a media company which had clients, there seems to be zero appetite for early stage technology companies which need funding to grow if they are to succeed.
“In Norway we like to invest in what’s already successful. The fear of failing here is huge even though you can’t predict in advance how a company will do. Norway is missing the boat compared to our neighbours in this field. And we hate being beaten by Sweden. The government knows what it must do and they have given Innovation Norway a lot of money, but it’s being controlled by people who have little knowledge of tech startups. The ‘senior advisor’ who reviewed my application is not even on Facebook. It’s like evaluating a new car model without ever driven one.
It appears Innovation Norway is not well connected to the international tech scene. They insisted the business plan for Wonderloop be submitted in Norwegian, even though it was written in English for international investors.
Hanna says the experience has put her off trying to raise capital in Norway.
“The result is that I’ll probably move. It’s basically as expensive for me to move to Oslo as it is to move to Silicon Valley. It pains me to leave what I think is one of the best countries in the world but I can’t stay in a country that does not believe in me.”
Aase’s story will no doubt chime with many European entrepreneurs who get let down by short-sighted government backed funds, which they must often turn to when private capital is so scarce outside of major centres like London, Paris or Berlin.
But it’s also an indication that Norway is losing the battle to take its place in the fast-paced Nordic tech scene. It didn’t need to be that way.
SIRI COULD HAVE BEEN NORWEGIAN. IT WASN’T.
Siri, the magical application in the iPhone that returns search results when you talk to it, could well have been built-in Norway.
Its creator, Day Kittlaus, is half Norwegian and half American. He held management positions in Telenor. But he eventually chose to move the US to create Siri with Adam Cheyer and Tom Gruber in 2007. Siri was famously a startup which Steve Jobs took a personal interest in and later bought for a rumoured $200m.
Siri is even said to be named after the famous Norwegian meteorologist and business woman Siri Kalvig.
But Siri did not end up being a Norwegian company, it was American.
Interviewed by e24, Kittlaus was asked what he thought Norway should do to become a technological superpower?
He replied that the government should take some of its oil wealth and invest in a cluster near Oslo airport and fund basic research that companies could commercialise.
“The state would recover all their money many times over,” he said.
The question is, is anyone at Innovation Norway listening?
UPDATE:
Here’s a little more on Norway’s woes.
Out of a total population in Norway of 5 million, the workforce is 2.62 million. The welfare system in Norway is so strong, that 616,000 people get welfare payments (sickness,
disability etc) and 19 % of the population of active working age is now partially
or completely unable to work [source].
Plus, a very high taxation regime does not encourage taking risks – why spend years on education or a risky tech startup when you can be carpenter and have a guaranteed job and about the same salary as a software developer?Starting this week, with the help of basketball analytics experts Jeremias Engelmann and Steve Ilardi, we’re rolling out weekly NBA power rankings fueled by ESPN’s Real Plus-Minus player ratings. These power ratings predict how well each team will perform over the coming week of games; we’ll also list each team’s projected end-of-season win total and its odds of making the playoffs.
If you want to read more about how these ratings work, scroll below the rankings.
Q: What do these ratings mean?
A: They represent each team’s projected per-100 possession performance — schedule-adjusted and relative to league average — for the coming week, taking into account the quality of players on each roster, as well as injuries and expected minute allocations.
Q: How is player quality measured?
A: Using ESPN’s Real Plus-Minus (RPM), which attempts to isolate each player’s contribution to the team’s scoring margin while on the court by adjusting for the quality of his teammates and opponents faced. While the version of RPM listed at ESPN.com is a single-season metric, these power ratings use the more predictive multiyear version of RPM.
Q: Where do the rosters come from?
A: ESPN’s depth charts and injury wire.
Q: Who generates the projected minute allocations?
A: Jeremias Engelmann, the creator of Real Plus-Minus, provides the minute projections for each team.
Q: How are these different from other computer power ratings available, such as the Hollinger Power Rankings?
A: Most power ratings are, to some extent or another, backward-looking; they can only generate ratings using inputs from games the team has played. Given a large enough — and relevant enough — sample of played games, this is usually not a problem. But in the case of early-season rankings, or when a team experiences roster changes midseason (via trades or injuries), it takes time for traditional power ratings to catch up to the team’s new quality.
These RPM power ratings, however, are based on the talent of the players on hand for each team. The advantage of this approach is that when a player is added to or subtracted from a team, a talent-based rating can adjust immediately, without waiting for new games to be played. In other words, injuries, trades and signings are instantly accounted for in these rankings.
The other side of that coin is that, barring personnel changes, these ratings aren’t going to change drastically from week to week. RPM player talent estimates have a strong grounding in Bayesian statistics; and for veteran players, their prior rating carries a good deal of weight. So, while a team’s “statement win” in a given week might have a tangible effect on human or even recency-weighted computer power rankings, it’s unlikely to move the needle much with these ratings.
Q: Why look at only the next week?
A: The ratings can also be modified to use long-term minute projections for players who are injured but will return later in the season. For now, though, we’ve chosen to use the short-term version to get a good snapshot of where each team stands.
Q: What are the projected wins and playoff odds?
A: Those are generated via the aforementioned long-term RPM talent ratings, rather than the short-term numbers from the power rankings themselves. The long-term ratings are used to simulate every remaining game in the 2014-15 schedule, and the simulated results are added to the NBA’s actual standings. Expected wins are the average number of wins for the team at the end of the season across the simulations; playoff probability shows the percentage of simulations in which the team qualified for the postseason.
Q: How good are these ratings?
A: It’s hard to say, as this type of analysis — using aggregated player talent ratings to estimate team strength — doesn’t have a long track record. However, RPM itself (or at least its predecessor, xRAPM) is consistently the single most predictive advanced metric available to the public. And the FiveThirtyEight preseason projections, which used a similar methodology, are performing well in a prediction contest against other metrics.Early years
Navy service
College years
Test pilot
Astronaut career
Life after Apollo
Personal life
Armstrong's family described him as a "reluctant American hero".[175][176][177] Recalling Armstrong's humility, John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth, told CNN: "[Armstrong] didn't feel that he should be out huckstering himself. He was a humble person, and that's the way he remained after his lunar flight, as well as before."[178] Some former astronauts, including Glenn and Harrison Schmitt, sought political careers after leaving NASA; but although Armstrong was approached by groups from both political parties, he declined the offers. He described his political leanings as favoring states' rights and opposing the United States acting as the "world's policeman". When Armstrong applied at a local Methodist church to lead a Boy Scout troop in the late 1950s, he gave his religious affiliation as "deist". His mother later said that Armstrong's religious views caused her grief and distress in later life, as she was more religious. In the early 1980s, Armstrong was the subject of a hoax saying that he converted to Islam after hearing the adhan, the Muslim call to prayer, while walking on the Moon. The Indonesian singer Suhaemi wrote a song called "Gema Suara Adzan di Bulan" ("The Resonant Sound of the Call to Prayer on the Moon"), describing Armstrong's conversion; the song was discussed widely in Jakarta news outlets in 1983. Similar hoax stories were seen in Egypt and Malaysia. In March 1983, the State Department responded by issuing a message to embassies and consulates in Muslim countries saying that Armstrong "has not converted to Islam". The hoax surfaced occasionally for the next three decades. Part of the confusion arose from the similarity between the names of Armstrong's American residence in Lebanon, Ohio, and the country of Lebanon, which has a majority Muslim population. Armstrong speaks in February 2012 on the 50th anniversary of John Glenn's first spaceflight. In 1972, Armstrong visited the town of Langholm, Scotland, the traditional seat of Clan Armstrong. He was made the first freeman of the burgh, and happily declared the town his home.[184] The Justice of the Peace read from an unrepealed 400-year-old law that required him to hang any Armstrong found in the town. While working at his farm near Lebanon, Ohio, in November 1978, Armstrong jumped off the back of his grain truck and his wedding ring was caught in the wheel, tearing off the tip of his left hand's ring finger. He collected the severed digit and packed it in ice, and surgeons reattached it at the Jewish Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. In February 1991, a year after his father died, and nine months after the death of his mother, Armstrong suffered a mild heart attack while skiing with friends at Aspen, Colorado. Armstrong and his first wife, Janet, separated in 1990[188] and divorced in 1994, after 38 years of marriage.[189] He met his second wife, Carol Held Knight, at a golf tournament in 1992, when they were seated together at breakfast. She said little to Armstrong, but two weeks later he called her to ask what she was doing. She replied that she was cutting down a cherry tree, and 35 minutes later Armstrong was at her house to help. They were married in Ohio on June 12, 1994, and had a second ceremony at San Ysidro Ranch in California. He lived in Indian Hill, Ohio.[190] Armstrong guarded the use of his name, image, and famous quote. When it was launched in 1981, MTV wanted to use his quote in its station identification, with the American flag replaced with the MTV logo, but he refused the use of his voice and likeness.[192] He sued Hallmark Cards in 1994 when they used his name, and a recording of the "one small step" quote, in a Christmas ornament without his permission. The lawsuit was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum, which Armstrong donated to Purdue.[194] In May 2005, Armstrong became involved in a legal dispute with his barber of 20 years, Mark Sizemore. After cutting Armstrong's hair, Sizemore sold some of it to a collector for $3,000 without Armstrong's knowledge.[195] Armstrong threatened legal action against Sizemore unless he returned the hair or donated the proceeds to a charity of Armstrong's choosing. Sizemore, unable to retrieve the hair, donated the proceeds to charity.[197]
Illness and death
Legacy
Notes
ReferencesWife And Mother: 'You'd Never Suspect My Junkie Past'
Enlarge this image Maria Fabrizio for NPR Maria Fabrizio for NPR
It has been seven years and two months since I woke from my coma. My eyelids were taped shut and my arms were cuffed to some unknown object. The first sense that came back was sound. I could hear the voices of doctors and nurses chatting about the weather.
I distinctly remember a doctor poking my bare feet with a scalpel. "Vegetable," I heard him say. Everything was blackness. "God, help me, what have I done?" I thought. I'm in hell, and I put myself here.
My demon was methadone. A difficult pregnancy and cesarean section had caused nerve damage, and the Vicodin and Percocet weren't cutting it anymore. Postpartum depression, exhaustion and an unhappy marriage compounded the pain.
Doctors sent me to specialists, whose cures were backed with commercials, free pens and a 30-day supply free from the sample drawer.
The doctor at the chronic pain clinic assured my mom that I'd be closely monitored and that pharmaceutical use was documented and safe. "Methadone is for heroin addicts," she said. I left with a month's worth of pills that day.
Soon, I was under the care of a psychiatrist, pain specialists and family practice doctors. I was getting up to 14 different meds. I couldn't tell where my pain came from anymore. Side effects led to new drugs, and more side effects.
My husband — once friend and partner — was now my jailer, controlling access to my pills he kept locked in a safe. A single Xanax turned into five if I could sneak them. And the methadone went from one, to two, to four until I drifted off into a drooling heap at Quiznos.
I became too medicated to parent my son, so he moved in with my parents. Motherhood became a burden I despised. My husband and I spent our time quarreling, drinking and sleeping. Friends disappeared. Finances were obliterated by medical bills and time off work.
My addiction owned me. Once a girl obsessed with my appearance, I was now a greasy, slovenly woman who could no longer perform even the most basic hygiene. Although a die-hard atheist, I begged God to make me die. Of all things, Carrie Underwood's "Jesus Take the Wheel" came on one day, and I broke down sobbing.
What happened next is family lore, as I have no memory of it. My husband found me passed out on the bathroom floor and put me to bed. The next day, he called my mom and asked her to check on me. I was blue. By the time we got to the ER, I had stopped breathing. The medics revived my heart twice. With two collapsed lungs and failing kidneys, my prognosis for survival was less than 10 percent.
I was informed of this after waking up two weeks later. When the ventilator was removed, a nurse asked me why I did it.
"Did what?" I said.
"Try to kill yourself."
A relative cleaning the house had found my empty bottle of methadone. I had taken a month's worth in the 48 hours after filling the prescription.
During my coma, I experienced a phenomenon that brings skeptics out of the woodwork and of which I have no proof. But I recall being lifted into the most beautiful white light, and looking down from the sky at Earth, amazed at its perfection. I watched a droplet of water fall from the sky into the forest. The images were vivid and perfect. I had lost it all by not recognizing the beauty of what it means to be alive.
Today, I |
6,000 regular users. The users are located all over the world, though the majority of them appear to be in the United States. Users get “points” for completed missions; top-ranked users complete five or six missions a day. Top users win prizes: a congratulatory letter from a government minister, or a doll of David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s founding prime minister.
In addition to the app, Act.il produces pro-Israel web content that carries no logo. It distributes that content to other pro-Israel groups, including the Adelson-funded Jewish fraternity Alpha Epsilon Pi and The Israel Project, which push them out on their own social media feeds.
As its app continues to get off the ground, Act.il is also building a network of local “media rooms” in cities across the United States. The media rooms are the human side of the Act.il operation, community-building efforts for local Israeli Americans. But they also serve as ways to bring Act.il’s online tool to local activists, and local fights.
In November, the Boston media room created a mission for the app that asked users to email a Boston-area church to complain about a screening there of a documentary that is critical of Israel. The proposed text of the email likens the screening of the film to the white supremacist riot in Charlottesville, Virginia, and calls the film’s narrator, Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters, a “well-known anti-Semite.” While some Jewish activists had campaigned against the film screening, local Jewish establishment groups, including Boston’s Jewish Community Relations Council, pointedly did not.
Tammy Levy, an IAC employee, runs the Act.il “media room” in Tenafly. On the Wednesday the Forward visited, Levy opened the evening session with a PowerPoint presentation. Going around the room, Levy asked the adult and high school student volunteers for advice for a few of their number who were being sent out that weekend with a hired professional videographer to shoot a pro-Israel video in Washington Square Park.
“Enjoy the mission,” one adult mentor said.
The Boston and Tenafly “media rooms” are two of five planned or active in the United States. The Boston wing operates in cooperation with the Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston; another, soon to open in New York City, will be hosted in Manhattan by The Paul R. Singer Foundation, funded by the Republican hedge fund billionaire. In New Jersey, Levy also runs regular Act.il advocacy-training sessions at The Frisch School, a local Jewish day school.
“We go a little bit deeper so they actually understand everything they’re doing,” Levy said.
Much of the work of the “media room” seemed to be managed closely by Ben Yosef’s headquarters in Herzliya. Levy said that ideas and material for the weekly sessions come from staff at headquarters. One adult volunteer was busy filling out a spreadsheet sent from Herzilya with time slots for posting content on the local “media room’s” social media feeds. And at the end of the weekly session, the adult mentors fill out a “weekly update” form that is sent back to the headquarters in Israel.
Act.il is difficult to contextualize within traditional frameworks of online propaganda campaigns. Ido Kilovaty, a cyber fellow at Yale Law School’s Center for Global Legal Challenges, said that it seemed to be a “form of information operation, enabled by crowdsourcing techniques, paired with a strong ideological motive, backed by authoritative appeal.” In other words, an attempt to manipulate online media with the help of a large number of ideological volunteers.
Despite early hiccups, it could be the future of Israel’s online efforts to improve its international image. The Ministry of Strategic Affairs has been embracing secretive data-focused programs in its efforts against BDS. Initiatives in cyberspace seem likely to increase.
“It’s a beautiful initiative that brings the supporter of Israel to the same place under the same vision of helping the State of Israel online, and doing it in a simple and smart way,” Ben Yosef said.
Contact Josh Nathan-Kazis at [email protected] or on Twitter, @joshnathankazis
This story "Israeli App Makes American Jews Online Foot Soldiers" was written by Josh Nathan-Kazis.CLOSE Obama Defends Black Lives Matter Movement AP
Yasssssss, Barry! (Photo11: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI, AFP/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON — President Obama told law enforcement officials Thursday that the Black Lives Matter movement has highlighted a point too long ignored: "There is a specific problem that is happening in the African-American community that is not happening in other communities, and that is a legitimate issue that we've got to address."
"The African-American community is not just making this up. It's not something that's just being politicized. It's real," Obama said. "We as a society, particularly given our history. have to take this seriously."
Black Lives Matter, a social media-driven movement borne of a series of police shootings of African-American men and youths, has provoked a backlash from some police officers and others who have responded with a refrain of "All Lives Matter."
But Obama called that discussion a "trap." "I think everybody understands all lives matter. Everybody wants strong, effective law enforcement. Everybody wants their kids to be safe when they're walking to school. Nobody wants to see police officers who are doing their job, fairly, hurt. Everybody understands it's a dangerous job," he said.
VIDEO:More of Obama's words on policing, and your responses
Obama's remarks came at the end of a White House panel moderated by Bill Keller, the former New York Times editor now overseeing a criminal justice news organization called The Marshall Project. With him on the panel were Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck and U.S. Attorney John Walsh of Colorado for an event attended by other police chiefs and Justice Department officials.
But the president also said that the discussion of criminal justice needs to be broader than police and prosecutors.
"We can't put the entire onus of the problem on law enforcement," he said. "I think there's been a healthy debate about police-community relations, and some of the episodes we've seen across the country. But we as a society, if we're not investing in opportunities for poorer kids, and then we expect police and and prosecutors to keep them out of sight and out of mind, that's a failed strategy."
Obama is in the midst of a national tour to push for an overhaul to the criminal justice system. He spoke about prescription painkillers and heroin abuse Wednesday in Charleston, W.Va., and will speak to the International Association of Chiefs of Police in Chicago next week.
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Have you ever wondered who controls the mainstream media? In America today, we are more “connected” than ever. The average American watches 153 hours of television a month, and we also spend countless hours watching movies, playing video games, listening to music, reading books and surfing the Internet. If someone could control the production of all of that media, that would make them immensely powerful. They would literally be in a position to tell people what to think. Well, what if I told you that there are just six enormous media conglomerates that combine to produce about 90 percent of all the media that Americans consume. Would that alarm you? It should alarm you. The truth is that our attitudes, opinions and beliefs are greatly shaped by what we allow into our minds. After all, they don’t call it “programming” for no reason. Even those of us that realize that we are connected to “the matrix” probably greatly underestimate the tremendous influence that the media has over us. We live at a time when it is absolutely imperative to think for ourselves, but most Americans are being absolutely overwhelmed with information and seem more than content to let others do their thinking for them. Sadly, this is greatly contributing to the downfall of our society.
And of course the mainstream media desperately does not want you to look at “the man behind the curtain”. They just want you to stay plugged into the “programming” that they are feeding you without asking any questions.
Fortunately, a growing minority of Americans are waking up and are starting to reject the mainstream media. An increasing number of people are beginning to recognize that the mainstream media is the mouthpiece of the establishment and that it is promoting the agenda of the establishment.
So why is the mainstream media so bad? The following are 7 things about the mainstream media that they do not want you to know…
#1 The Mainstream Media Has Very Deep Ties To The Establishment
Did you know that the president of CBS and the president of ABC both have brothers that are top officials in the Obama administration?
The big news networks have developed an almost incestuous relationship with the federal government in recent years. But of course the same could be said of the relationship that the media has with the big corporations that own stock in their parent companies and that advertise on their networks.
This is one of the reasons why we very rarely ever see any hard hitting stories on the big networks anymore. The flow of information through the corporate-dominated media is very tightly controlled, and there are a lot of gatekeepers that make sure that the “wrong stories” don’t get put out to the public. As a result, many of the “big stories” that have come out in recent years were originally broken by the alternative media.
#2 The Mainstream Media Gets Things Wrong Very Frequently
Even prominent members of the mainstream media admit that this is the case. For example, during a recent speech at Quinnipiac University CBS anchor Scott Pelley confessed that journalists in the mainstream media “are getting big stories wrong, over and over again”…
“Let me take the first arrow: During our coverage of Newtown, I sat on my set and I reported that Nancy Lanza was a teacher at the school. And that her son had attacked her classroom. It’s a hell of a story, but it was dead wrong. Now, I was the managing editor, I made the decision to go ahead with that and I did, and that’s what I said, and I was absolutely wrong. So let me just take the first arrow here.”
#3 The American Public Does Not Consider The Media To Be Very Trustworthy
Trust in the mainstream media has definitely been slipping. In fact, a Gallup poll taken last year found that distrust of the media had reached an all-time high. According to that poll, 60 percent of Americans “have little or no trust” that the media is reporting the news accurately.
A separate Rasmussen Reports survey found that only 6 percent of all Americans consider the news media to be “very trustworthy”.
Hopefully this trend will accelerate and a lot more people will stop trusting the media blindly.
#4 The Mainstream Media And The Politicians That They Worship Hate The Fact That They Cannot Control Internet News Sites
In the old days, the mainstream media had a virtual monopoly on the news. But these days, anyone with an Internet connection can put up a news site, and this is driving the establishment absolutely bonkers.
For example, Barack Obama is known to have a great dislike for the alternative media. The following is from a recent WND article…
NBC News Political Director Chuck Todd says President Obama was making it “clear” at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner over the weekend how he feels about the rise of Internet news sites like Politico, Buzzfeed and … well, WND. “He hates it.” Appearing on “Meet the Press” Sunday morning following Saturday night’s media, politics and celebrity soiree, Todd explained the president’s disdain for independent online news sources was showing during his speech. “It did seem … I thought his pot shots, joke-wise, and then the serious stuff about the Internet, the rise of the Internet media and social media and all that stuff – he hates it, OK? He hates this part of the media,” Todd said. “He really thinks that the, sort of, the buzzification – this isn’t just about Buzzfeed or Politico and all this stuff – he thinks that sort of coverage of political media has hurt political discourse. He hates it. And I think he was just trying to make that clear last night.”
#5 The Mainstream Media Is Extremely Liberal
When it comes to politics, the mainstream media is far more liberal than the general population is.
For example, one survey found that 41 percent of American voters believe that the average reporter is more liberal than they are, while only 18 percent believe that the average reporter is more conservative than they are.
A very disturbing UCLA study on media bias discovered that the vast majority of media outlets are “left of center”…
Of the 20 major media outlets studied, 18 scored left of center, with CBS’ “Evening News,” The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times ranking second, third and fourth most liberal behind the news pages of The Wall Street Journal.
And even MSNBC has confirmed the liberal bias of the media. According to MSNBC, mainstream journalists are far more likely to donate their own money to Democrats than they are to Republicans…
MSNBC.com identified 143 journalists who made political contributions from 2004 through the start of the 2008 campaign, according to the public records of the Federal Election Commission. Most of the newsroom checkbooks leaned to the left: 125 journalists gave to Democrats and liberal causes. Only 16 gave to Republicans. Two gave to both parties.
#6 Six Mammoth Media Corporations Produce About 90 Percent Of The Media That Americans Consume
As I mentioned at the top of this article, there are six giant media behemoths that control almost all of the media that we consume. These corporate giants own television networks, cable channels, movie studios, newspapers, magazines, publishing houses, video game makers, music labels and even many of our favorite websites.
The media ownership chart posted below originally comes from a previous article that I authored entitled “Who Owns The Media? The 6 Monolithic Corporations That Control Almost Everything We Watch, Hear And Read“, but it has been updated to reflect some of the latest information. The power that these companies have is so vast that it is hard to put into words…
Time Warner
CNN
Home Box Office (HBO)
Time Inc.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
CW Network (partial ownership)
TMZ
New Line Cinema
Time Warner Cable
Cinemax
Cartoon Network
TBS
TNT
America Online
MapQuest
Moviefone
Castle Rock
Sports Illustrated
Fortune
Marie Claire
DC Comics
People Magazine
Walt Disney
ABC Television Network
Disney Publishing
ESPN Inc.
Disney Channel
The History Channel
SOAPnet
A&E
Lifetime
Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Buena Vista Theatrical Productions
Buena Vista Records
Disney Records
Hollywood Records
Miramax Films
Touchstone Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures
Pixar Animation Studios
277 Radio Stations
Buena Vista Games
Hyperion Books
Viacom
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Home Entertainment
Black Entertainment Television (BET)
Comedy Central
Country Music Television (CMT)
Logo
MTV
MTV Canada
MTV2
Nick Magazine
Nick at Nite
Nick Jr.
Nickelodeon
Noggin
Spike TV
The Movie Channel
TV Land
VH1
News Corporation
Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Fox Television Stations
The New York Post
TV Guide
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Beliefnet
Fox Business Network
Fox Kids Europe
Fox News Channel
Fox Sports Net
Fox Television Network
FX
My Network TV
MySpace
News Limited News
Phoenix InfoNews Channel
Phoenix Movies Channel
Sky PerfecTV
Speed Channel
STAR TV India
STAR TV Taiwan
STAR World
Times Higher Education Supplement Magazine
Times Literary Supplement Magazine
Times of London
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
20th Century Fox International
20th Century Fox Studios
20th Century Fox Television
BSkyB
The Wall Street Journal
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Interactive Media
FOXTEL
HarperCollins Publishers
The National Geographic Channel
National Rugby League
News Interactive
News Outdoor
Radio Veronica
ReganBooks
Sky Italia
Sky Radio Denmark
Sky Radio Germany
Sky Radio Netherlands
STAR
Zondervan
CBS Corporation
CBS News
CBS Sports
CBS Television Network
CNET
Showtime
TV.com
CBS Radio Inc. (130 stations)
CBS Consumer Products
CBS Outdoor
CW Network (50% ownership)
Infinity Broadcasting
Simon & Schuster (Pocket Books, Scribner)
Westwood One Radio Network
Comcast
NBC
Bravo
CNBC
NBC News
MSNBC
NBC Sports
NBC Television Network
Oxygen
SciFi Magazine
Syfy (Sci Fi Channel)
Telemundo
USA Network
Weather Channel
Focus Features
NBC Universal Television Distribution
NBC Universal Television Studio
Paxson Communications (partial ownership)
Hulu
Universal Parks & Resorts
Universal Pictures
Universal Studio Home Video
#7 The American People Are Absolutely Addicted To The Mainstream Media
In a previous article about the media, I noted that the average American watches 153 hours of television a month.
When you allow that much information to be downloaded into your brain, it is going to have a dramatic impact on how you think.
Americans are more “connected” than they ever have been before. This is especially true of our kids. They are constantly on one sort of electronic device or another. The following is a brief excerpt from a recent article by Daniel Taylor…
According to a 2010 LA Times report, young people spend on average 53 hours a week watching TV, playing video games, and sitting at the computer. Facebook users spend about 15 hours a month on the social networking site. People are walking – and driving – blindly while texting, sometimes walking into fountains and even falling off cliffs.
If that Los Angeles Times report is true, that means that our young people are spending more than 200 hours a month connected to the media.
But we are only awake for about 480 hours a month.
When it comes to influencing the American people, nobody has more power than the big media companies do.
And until we can break this sick addiction to the mainstream media and get people to start thinking for themselves, we will never see widespread changes in our society. As long as people are being “programmed” by the mainstream media, they will continue to express the opinions, attitudes and beliefs that have been downloaded into their minds.
Please share this article with as many people as you can. It is crucial that we wake as many people up as possible while we still can.I’ve been feeling creative lately, but sometimes the pressure of doing a full photoshoot stops me from posting a perfectly nice drink. To address this I am starting a new series of “Sunday Night Sessions” wherein I will trade some production quality for actually posting a drink I find interesting.
Phone cameras are getting pretty good these days, so I feel like I can put out a passable product, but the point here is to not stress about it too much. This drink explores two different ideas that have been spinning around in my mind lately.
Oil Syrup
First, I have been increasingly fixated on finding ways to integrate fat into drinks. Cocktails are mostly lean. Many aromatic drinks have an expression of citrus oil as a garnish, such as variants on the martini and the manhattan, but for some reason, they stop there.
Some old comfort food classics like the White Russian and the Grasshopper incorporate milk or cream, and hot buttered rum tries to integrate butter into a hot toddy. More recently, (well, 2009) I saw this recipe for cold buttered rum floating around the internet. Someone figured out that you could create a delicious and stable butter syrup using ticaloid gum, and used it to make a cold version of the classic. Is a butter emulsion reconstructed milk?
Ticaloid gum is proprietary, and can be substituted by a 9:1 mixture of xanthan gum to gum arabic. It works really well in the butter, because it gives a produces a thick, creamy mouthfeel, but when I tried it with other oils I did not like it. One of my guests compared a szechuan chili oil emulsion with ticaloid gum to a mango smoothie, but it wasn’t the texture of a fresh blended mango, it was the texture of a bottled pasteurized supermarket mango smoothie. I did not find this to be appetizing. The texture distracted from the flavor, to the point of ruin.
Now I make my oil syrups with the scarcest amount of xanthan gum possible to achieve a stable emulsion. They still come out a little milky; the more fat you use, the creamier the syrup becomes.
Chemesthesis
Chemesthesis is defined as the chemical sensibility of the skin and mucous membranes. Chemesthetic sensations arise when chemical compounds activate receptors associated with other senses that mediate pain, touch, and thermal perception. These chemical-induced reactions do not fit into the traditional sense categories of taste and smell. Examples of chemesthetic sensations include the burn-like irritation from capsaicin and related compounds in foods like chili peppers; the coolness of menthol in mouthwashes and topical analgesic creams; the stinging or tingling of carbonated beverages in the nose and mouth; the tear-induction of cut onions; and the pungent, cough-inducing sensation in the back of the throat elicited by the oleocanthal in high-quality extra virgin olive oil.[2] Some of these sensations may be referred to as spiciness, pungency, or piquancy.
I have been especially fascinated with chemesthetic sensations in drinks, and I have found that fats are ideal carriers for many of these compounds. Indeed, kumquat is rich in an aromatic compound called limonene, which is a skin irritant and which can produce a numbing sensation. It is found in the peels of most citrus fruits, but kumquat has a high concentration of it, and is unusual in that most people eat the skin of the kumquat whole, whereas other citrus has too much bitter pith.
If you’ve ever bitten into a citrus peel and felt that numbing sensation, then you know what I’m aiming for. It’s a similar, and equally enjoyable numbness to that of a szechuan peppercorn.
Inspiration
I found the idea for this drink in the Alinea cookbook, which I picked up when I was fortunate enough to visit them last year. In the book, he describes a dish in which one component is a candied kumquat filled with sesame oil and aquavit.
Come Quat About It
1.5 oz Aquavit, preferably caraway-forward
3-4 raw kumquats
3-4 poached kumquats, sous vide at 85C for 20 minutes
.75 oz black sesame orgeat
Muddle the kumquats until they are fully smashed, yielding all of their juice. Be sure to macerate the peels to get out as much oil as possible. Shake over ice and then double strain through a fine mesh strainer. This is laborious but worth it. Garnish with black sesame seeds.
If you are serving this to a group, you might want to muddle and strain the drink in advance, and then shake it to order. Toasting the sesame seeds will help to increase their aroma.
Black Sesame “Orgeat”
100g water
100g sugar
45g toasted black sesame oil
.1 gram xanthan gum
Make a slurry of 10:1 granulated sugar:xanthan gum, and blend it together with a fork. In a microwave or a small pot, combine 100g water with 99g sugar until all the sugar is integrated and the syrup is clear. Add the oil and 1.1 grams of the xanthan slurry and integrate it using a hand-blender.
Cheers.Out[17]:
The following magic functions are currently available: %alias Define an alias for a system command. %alias_magic %autocall Make functions callable without having to type parentheses. %automagic Make magic functions callable without having to type the initial %. %autosave Set the autosave interval in the notebook (in seconds). %bookmark Manage IPython's bookmark system. %cat Alias for `!cat` %cd Change the current working directory. %clear Clear the terminal. %colors Switch color scheme for prompts, info system and exception handlers. %config configure IPython %connect_info Print information for connecting other clients to this kernel %cp Alias for `!cp` %debug %dhist Print your history of visited directories. %dirs Return the current directory stack. %doctest_mode Toggle doctest mode on and off. %ed Alias for `%edit`. %edit Bring up an editor and execute the resulting code. %env Get, set, or list environment variables. %gui Enable or disable IPython GUI event loop integration. %hist Alias for `%history`. %history %killbgscripts Kill all BG processes started by %%script and its family. %ldir Alias for `!ls -F -o --color %l | grep /$` %less Show a file through the pager. %lf Alias for `!ls -F -o --color %l | grep ^-` %lk Alias for `!ls -F -o --color %l | grep ^l` %ll Alias for `!ls -F -o --color` %load Load code into the current frontend. %load_ext Load an IPython extension by its module name. %loadpy Alias of `%load` %logoff Temporarily stop logging. %logon Restart logging. %logstart Start logging anywhere in a session. %logstate Print the status of the logging system. %logstop Fully stop logging and close log file. %ls Alias for `!ls -F --color` %lsmagic List currently available magic functions. %lx Alias for `!ls -F -o --color %l | grep ^-..x` %macro Define a macro for future re-execution. It accepts ranges of history, %magic Print information about the magic function system. %man Find the man page for the given command and display in pager. %matplotlib %mkdir Alias for `!mkdir` %more Show a file through the pager. %mv Alias for `!mv` %notebook %page Pretty print the object and display it through a pager. %pastebin Upload code to Github's Gist paste bin, returning the URL. %pdb Control the automatic calling of the pdb interactive debugger. %pdef Print the call signature for any callable object. %pdoc Print the docstring for an object. %pfile Print (or run through pager) the file where an object is defined. %pinfo Provide detailed information about an object. %pinfo2 Provide extra detailed information about an object. %popd Change to directory popped off the top of the stack. %pprint Toggle pretty printing on/off. %precision Set floating point precision for pretty printing. %profile Print your currently active IPython profile. %prun Run a statement through the python code profiler. %psearch Search for object in namespaces by wildcard. %psource Print (or run through pager) the source code for an object. %pushd Place the current dir on stack and change directory. %pwd Return the current working directory path. %pycat Show a syntax-highlighted file through a pager. %pylab %qtconsole Open a qtconsole connected to this kernel. %quickref Show a quick reference sheet %quickref_text Return the quickref text to be assigned to a variable %recall Repeat a command, or get command to input line for editing. %rehashx Update the alias table with all executable files in $PATH. %reload_ext Reload an IPython extension by its module name. %rep Alias for `%recall`. %rerun Re-run previous input %reset Resets the namespace by removing all names defined by the user, if %reset_selective Resets the namespace by removing names defined by the user. %rm Alias for `!rm` %rmdir Alias for `!rmdir` %run Run the named file inside IPython as a program. %save Save a set of lines or a macro to a given filename. %sc Shell capture - run shell command and capture output (DEPRECATED use!). %set_env Set environment variables. Assumptions are that either "val" is a %store Lightweight persistence for python variables. %sx Shell execute - run shell command and capture output (!! is short-hand). %system Shell execute - run shell command and capture output (!! is short-hand). %tb Print the last traceback with the currently active exception mode. %time Time execution of a Python statement or expression. %timeit Time execution of a Python statement or expression %unalias Remove an alias %unload_ext Unload an IPython extension by its module name. %who Print all interactive variables, with some minimal formatting. %who_ls Return a sorted list of all interactive variables. %whos Like %who, but gives some extra information about each variable. %xdel Delete a variable, trying to clear it from anywhere that %xmode Switch modes for the exception handlers. %%! Shell execute - run shell command and capture output (!! is short-hand). %%HTML Alias for `%%html`. %%SVG Alias for `%%svg`. %%bash %%bash script magic %%capture %%debug %%file Alias for `%%writefile`. %%html Render the cell as a block of HTML %%javascript Run the cell block of Javascript code %%js Run the cell block of Javascript code %%latex Render the cell as a block of latex %%perl %%perl script magic %%prun Run a statement through the python code profiler. %%pypy %%pypy script magic %%python %%python script magic %%python2 %%python2 script magic %%python3 %%python3 script magic %%ruby %%ruby script magic %%script %%sh %%sh script magic %%svg Render the cell as an SVG literal %%sx Shell execute - run shell command and capture output (!! is short-hand). %%system Shell execute - run shell command and capture output (!! is short-hand). %%time Time execution of a Python statement or expression. %%timeit Time execution of a Python statement or expression %%writefileA rigged democratic system, a “grotesque” military fighting unwinnable wars under the “drone commander in chief”, and the future of the movement behind presidential candidate Bernie Sanders were the focus of Day One at the Left Forum in New York City.
This weekend’s theme “Rage, Rebellion, Revolution” brings thousands to John Jay College from Friday through Sunday.
Journalist Chris Hedges, author and activist Tariq Ali, and Code Pink’s Medea Benjamin headlined the opening plenary with fiery remarks moderated by Laura Flanders.
Chris Hedges
Chris Hedges, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author, addressed the nature of power in the 2016 presidential election.
“It is our job to make the powerful frightened of us,” he said. “That is what movements do. Movements keep power in check, and as any good anarchist will tell you, power is always the problem, no matter who holds it.”
According to Hedges, who doesn’t hold out hope for Sanders getting the Democratic Party nomination, said it was a mistake to run within that party and that both Sanders and his supporters are now dealing with the fact that the system is rigged.
Chris Hedges speaking on Capitalism & Militarism at the Left Forum 2016 pic.twitter.com/ymDmBDKUVq — cynthia may (@may_gilmer212) May 20, 2016
“The cost of running the primaries is that paid for by the taxpayers,” Hedges said. “And yet, the primary rules are determined by the Democratic Party, so that they can manipulate a system as they did in Nevada, to steal the vote from Sanders.”
Citing the exclusion of independents in closed primaries and the dominance of superdelegates and super PACs, Hedges added: “It’s very clear that without all of these mechanisms, Sanders would win the nomination.”
He insisted there is “palpable evidence that democracy within the United States is a fraud,” and referred to Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump’s high unfavorability ratings to highlight the importance of creating movements outside the system of “the mantra of ‘the least worst.’”
As for outgoing President Barack Obama, Hedges said his attack on civil liberties has been worse than that by George W Bush, pointing to his use of the Espionage Act.
Medea Benjamin
Medea Benjamin, the Code Pink activist known for infiltrating Congressional hearings and the Republican convention, started by disagreeing with Hedges’ opinion that Sanders should have run as an independent, describing the party as Clinton, Wall Street, and the weapons industry on one side and people who “really want the Democratic Party to represent their values and they are values that Bernie Sanders is standing for” on the other.
Benjamin took an impromptu straw poll of those in the room, asking who was voting for Hillary Clinton, the Green Party’s Jill Stein, libertarian Gary Johnson, or Republican Donald Trump.
Stein won by a huge majority, showing that the “lesser of two evils” argument may not force Sanders supporters to settle for Clinton.
Benjamin praised Obama, a frequent adversary, for his “successes” with the Iran nuclear deal and Cuba, adding, “Let’s not forget, they did not happen while Hillary Clinton was secretary of state.”
Her lovefest for the current president quickly ended when she referred to him as “the drone commander in chief,” reminding everyone of the way he spread “horrendous technology” and failed to reduce terrorism.
While giving props to Donald Trump’s NATO skepticism, she emphasized, “Let’s not be fooled by Trump,” noting that his campaign built on Islamophobia, anti-immigration and the fact that he is open to bringing back torture.
Benjamin ended on a positive by highlighting how the “localized economy” could replace the war economy, encouraging people to invest in credit unions, buy from local farmers, and choose thrift shops over sweatshops.
“This is the kind of economy we have to build,” she said.
Tariq Ali
Legendary activist Tariq Ali, the supposed inspiration of the Rolling Stones hit “Street Fightin’ Man”, brought an international perspective to the US election and said “we are on the verge of change,” referring to the mobilization of people around Sanders, which has brought people together “more than any other time in recent US history.”
"There are left futures ahead, and we're seeing them in small ways around the world."-Tariq Ali #LeftForum2016pic.twitter.com/nL9BOIA0Zf — Left Forum (@LeftForum) May 21, 2016
He then brought the crowd across the pond to talk about Jeremy Corbyn’s remarkable uphill struggle within his own party and the establishment, citing the senior army general who told Rupert Murdoch’s Sunday Times that if Corbyn was elected Prime Minister, there would be “mutinies in the army and they would refuse to follow orders.”
Ali also took a wary view of London’s new Muslim Labour Party Mayor Sadiq Khan, particularly how his centrist views clash with Corbyn’s vision for the party.
Stay linked to RT throughout the weekend for live streams and highlights from the Left Forum
An early session on Saturday takes us inside the cooperative revolution in Jackson, Mississippi, which currently faces pushback from the Republican governor and state legislature.
Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein and Socialist city councilmember Kshama Sawant headline Saturday’s events, while Sunday features what promises to be an electric conversation between Democracy Now host Amy Goodman and public intellectual Slavoj Žižek.
Shandre Delaney, mother of Carrington Keys - one of the Dallas 6 who took a stand against prison abuse at the hands of officers in a Pennsylvania state prison, and a coordinator of the Justice for the Dallas 6 Support Campaign, will also be taking part in panel discussion on Sunday entitled "Leadership and Power for the Movement for Prisoners’ Rights, and against Solitary Confinement."
Mother Shandre Delaney on her son's incarceration at 18 & 10yrs in solitary for jailhouse activism #LeftForum2016pic.twitter.com/sAIfHc9ri1 — Alexander Rubinstein (@AlexR_DC) May 21, 2016
Others in attendance over the weekend include Debra Sweet from the World Can't Wait group, which, as per its website, aims "to halt and reverse the terrible program of war, repression and theocracy that was initiated by the Bush / Cheney regime and the ongoing crimes."Like this article? rabble is reader-supported journalism. Chip in to keep stories like these coming.
Last week students at L'Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) disrupted a board meeting after learning administrators planned to sign a $50 million, seven-year, contract with security giant GardaWorld. Protesters are angry the administration has sought to expel student leaders and ramp up security at the politically active campus as they cut programs.
The world's largest privately held security firm, Garda is open about its need for repressive university, business and political leaders. The Montreal firm's chief executive, Stephan Cretier, called the 2012 Québec student strike "positive" for business: "Naturally, when there's unrest somewhere -- the Egyptian election or some disruption here in Quebec or a labour disruption somewhere -- unfortunately it's usually good for business."
But, that's not half of it. A 2014 Canadian Business profile described Garda's business as "renting out bands of armed men to protect clients working in some of the Earth's most dangerous outposts." Garda operates in Iraq, Afghanistan, Colombia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Algeria, Yemen, Somalia, Libya and elsewhere.
Established in 1995, the early 2000s invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan propelled Garda's international growth. With financing from Quebec's Caisse de dépôt pension fund, by 2007 they had as many as 5,000 employees in the region.
While U.S. militarism boosts its profits, the company has deflected criticism with a noble Canadian shield. When four Garda employees were kidnapped (and later killed) in 2007, the head of the company claimed its private soldiers in Iraq were "perceived differently because we're Canadian." Of course he didn't mention if Iraqis shot by unaccountable mercenaries feel that way on discovering the bullets were fired by an employee of a Canadian firm.
Garda has been engulfed in controversy in Afghanistan as well. In 2012 two of its British employees were caught with dozens of unlicensed AK-47 rifles and jailed for three months while two years later the head of Garda's Afghan operations, Daniel Ménard, was jailed for three weeks on similar charges. Commander of Canadian Forces in Afghanistan in 2009-10, Ménard left the military after he was court-martialed for recklessly discharging his weapon and having sexual relations with a subordinate.
In 2013 Garda established operations in Nigeria to provide "logistical support" for international oil firms, which have faced political and criminal attacks. That year Garda also rented a villa in Mogadishu, Somalia, to lodge energy contractors and international development workers as well as accompany them around the country. A 2014 report |
, revealing evidence of Russian spying activities; Menzies called a Royal Commission to investigate.[26]
In 1956, a committee headed by Sir Keith Murray was established to inquire into the financial plight of Australia's universities, and Menzies injected funds into the sector under conditions which preserved the autonomy of universities.
Menzies continued the expanded immigration program established under Chifley, and took important steps towards dismantling the White Australia Policy. In the early-1950s, external affairs minister Percy Spender helped to establish the Colombo Plan for providing economic aid to underdeveloped nations in Australia's region. Under that scheme many future Asian leaders studied in Australia.[27] In 1958, the government replaced the Immigration Act's arbitrarily applied European language dictation test with an entry permit system, that reflected economic and skills criteria.[28][29] In 1962, Menzies' Commonwealth Electoral Act provided that all Indigenous Australians should have the right to enrol and vote at federal elections (prior to this, indigenous people in Queensland, Western Australia and some in the Northern Territory had been excluded from voting unless they were ex-servicemen).[30] In 1949, the Liberals appointed Dame Enid Lyons as the first woman to serve in an Australian Cabinet. Menzies remained a staunch supporter of links to the monarchy and British Commonwealth but formalised an alliance with the United States and concluded the Agreement on Commerce between Australia and Japan which was signed in July 1957 and launched post-war trade with Japan, beginning a growth of Australian exports of coal, iron ore and mineral resources that would steadily climb until Japan became Australia's largest trading partner.
Menzies retired in 1966 as Australia's longest-serving Prime Minister.
Holt Government [ edit ]
Prime Minister Harold Holt (second from left), with SEATO leaders in Manila, in 1966. The Liberal Party was in power through much of the early Post-War period in which Australia's allegiances, immigration and trade policies shifted away from reliance on the United Kingdom.
Harold Holt replaced the retiring Robert Menzies in 1966 and the Holt Government went on to win 82 seats to Labor's 41 at the 1966 election.[31] Holt remained Prime Minister until 19 December 1967, when he was declared presumed dead two days after disappearing in rough surf in which he had gone for a swim. As of 2018, his body has still not been found.
Holt increased Australian commitment to the growing War in Vietnam, which met with some public opposition. His government oversaw conversion to decimal currency. Holt faced Britain's withdrawal from Asia by visiting and hosting many Asian leaders and by expanding ties to the United States, hosting the first visit to Australia by an American president, his friend Lyndon B. Johnson. Holt's government introduced the Migration Act 1966, which effectively dismantled the White Australia Policy and increased access to non-European migrants, including refugees fleeing the Vietnam War. Holt also called the 1967 Referendum which removed the discriminatory clause in the Australian Constitution which excluded Aboriginal Australians from being counted in the census – the referendum was one of the few to be overwhelmingly endorsed by the Australian electorate (over 90% voted "Yes"). By the end of 1967, the Liberals' initially popular support for the war in Vietnam was causing increasing public protest.[32]
Gorton Government [ edit ]
The Liberals chose John Gorton to replace Holt. Gorton, a former World War II Royal Australian Air Force pilot, with a battle scarred face, said he was "Australian to the bootheels" and had a personal style which often affronted some conservatives.
The Gorton Government increased funding for the arts, setting up the Australian Council for the Arts, the Australian Film Development Corporation and the National Film and Television Training School. The Gorton Government passed legislation establishing equal pay for men and women and increased pensions, allowances and education scholarships, as well as providing free health care to 250,000 of the nation's poor (but not universal health care). Gorton's government kept Australia in the Vietnam War but stopped replacing troops at the end of 1970.[33]
Gorton maintained good relations with the United States and Britain, but pursued closer ties with Asia. The Gorton government experienced a decline in voter support at the 1969 election. State Liberal leaders saw his policies as too Centralist, while other Liberals didn't like his personal behaviour. In 1971, Defence Minister Malcolm Fraser, resigned and said Gorton was "not fit to hold the great office of Prime Minister". In a vote on the leadership the Liberal Party split 50/50, and although this was insufficient to remove him as the leader, Gorton decided this was also insufficient support for him, and he resigned.[33]
McMahon Government and Snedden leadership [ edit ]
Former treasurer, William McMahon, replaced Gorton as Prime Minister. Gorton remained a front bencher but relations with Fraser remained strained. The McMahon Government ended when Gough Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party out of its 23-year period in Opposition at the 1972 election.
The economy was weakening. McMahon maintained Australia's diminishing commitment to Vietnam and criticised Opposition leader, Gough Whitlam, for visiting Communist China in 1972—only to have the US President Richard Nixon announce a planned visit soon after.[34]
During McMahon's period in office, Neville Bonner joined the Senate and became the first Indigenous Australian in the Australian Parliament.[35] Bonner was chosen by the Liberal Party to fill a Senate vacancy in 1971 and celebrated his maiden parliamentary speech with a boomerang throwing display on the lawns of Parliament. Bonner went on to win election at the 1972 election and served as a Liberal Senator for 12 years. He worked on Indigenous and social welfare issues and proved an independent minded Senator, often crossing the floor on Parliamentary votes.[36]
Following Whitlam's victory, John Gorton played a further role in reform by introducing a Parliamentary motion from Opposition supporting the legalisation of same-gender sexual relations. Billy Snedden led the party against Whitlam in the 1974 federal election, which saw a return of the Labor government. When Malcolm Fraser won the Liberal Party leadership from Snedden in 1975, Gorton walked out of the Party Room.[37]
Fraser years [ edit ]
Following the 1974–75 Loans Affair, the Malcolm Fraser led Liberal-Country Party Coalition argued that the Whitlam Government was incompetent and delayed passage of the Government's money bills in the Senate, until the government would promise a new election. Whitlam refused, yet Fraser insisted leading to the divisive 1975 Australian constitutional crisis. The deadlock came to an end when the Whitlam government was dismissed by the Governor-General, Sir John Kerr on 11 November 1975 and Fraser was installed as caretaker Prime Minister, pending an election. Fraser won in a landslide at the resulting 1975 election.
Fraser maintained some of the social reforms of the Whitlam era, while seeking increased fiscal restraint. His government included the first Aboriginal federal parliamentarian, Neville Bonner, and in 1976, Parliament passed the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1976, which, while limited to the Northern Territory, affirmed "inalienable" freehold title to some traditional lands. Fraser established the multicultural broadcaster SBS, accepted Vietnamese refugees, opposed minority white rule in Apartheid South Africa and Rhodesia and opposed Soviet expansionism. A significant program of economic reform, however, was not pursued. By 1983, the Australian economy was suffering with the early 1980s recession and amidst the effects of a severe drought. Fraser had promoted "states' rights" and his government refused to use Commonwealth powers to stop the construction of the Franklin Dam in Tasmania in 1982.[38] Liberal minister Don Chipp split off from the party to form a new social liberal party, the Australian Democrats in 1977. Fraser won further substantial majorities at the 1977 and 1980 elections, before losing to the Bob Hawke-led Australian Labor Party in the 1983 election.[39]
Federal opposition, state success [ edit ]
A period of division for the Liberals followed, with former Treasurer John Howard competing with former Foreign Minister Andrew Peacock for supremacy. The Australian economy was facing the early 1990s recession. Unemployment reached 11.4% in 1992. Under Dr John Hewson, in November 1991, the opposition launched the 650-page Fightback! policy document—a radical collection of "dry", economic liberal measures including the introduction of a Goods and Services Tax (GST), various changes to Medicare including the abolition of bulk billing for non-concession holders, the introduction of a nine-month limit on unemployment benefits, various changes to industrial relations including the abolition of awards, a $13 billion personal income tax cut directed at middle and upper income earners, $10 billion in government spending cuts, the abolition of state payroll taxes and the privatisation of a large number of government owned enterprises − representing the start of a very different future direction to the keynesian economic policies practiced by previous Liberal/National Coalition governments. The 15 percent GST was the centerpiece of the policy document. Through 1992, Labor Prime Minister Paul Keating mounted a campaign against the Fightback package, and particularly against the GST, which he described as an attack on the working class in that it shifted the tax burden from direct taxation of the wealthy to indirect taxation as a broad-based consumption tax. Pressure group activity and public opinion was relentless, which led Hewson to exempt food from the proposed GST—leading to questions surrounding the complexity of what food was and wasn't to be exempt from the GST. Hewson's difficulty in explaining this to the electorate was exemplified in the infamous birthday cake interview, considered by some as a turning point in the election campaign. Keating won a record fifth consecutive Labor term at the 1993 election. A number of the proposals were later adopted into law in some form, to a small extent during the Keating Labor government, and to a larger extent during the Howard Liberal government (most famously the GST), while unemployment benefits and bulk billing were re-targeted for a time by the Abbott Liberal government.
At the state level, the Liberals have been dominant for long periods in all states except Queensland, where they have always held fewer seats than the National Party (not to be confused with the old Nationalist Party). The Liberals were in power in Victoria from 1955 to 1982. Jeff Kennett led the party back to office in that state in 1992, and remained Premier until 1999.
In South Australia, initially a Liberal and Country Party affiliated party, the Liberal and Country League (LCL), mostly led by Premier of South Australia Tom Playford, was in power from the 1933 election to the 1965 election, though with assistance from an electoral malapportionment, or gerrymander, known as the Playmander. The LCL's Steele Hall governed for one term from the 1968 election to the 1970 election and during this time began the process of dismantling the Playmander. David Tonkin, as leader of the South Australian Division of the Liberal Party of Australia, became Premier at the 1979 election for one term, losing office at the 1982 election. The Liberals returned to power at the 1993 election, led by Premiers Dean Brown, John Olsen and Rob Kerin through two terms, until their defeat at the 2002 election. They remained in opposition for 16 years, under a record five Opposition Leaders, until Steven Marshall led the party to victory in 2018.
The dual aligned Country Liberal Party ruled the Northern Territory from 1978 to 2001.
The party has held office in Western Australia intermittently since 1947. Liberal Richard Court was Premier of the state for most of the 1990s.
In New South Wales, the Liberal Party has not been in office as much as its Labor rival, and just three leaders have led the party from opposition to government in that state: Sir Robert Askin, who was premier from 1965 to 1975, Nick Greiner, who came to office in 1988 and resigned in 1992, and Barry O'Farrell who would lead the party out of 16 years in opposition in 2011.
The Liberal Party does not officially contest most local government elections, although many members do run for office in local government as independents. An exception is the Brisbane City Council, where both Sallyanne Atkinson and Campbell Newman have been elected Lord Mayor of Brisbane.[40]
Howard Government [ edit ]
Prime Minister John Howard with APEC leaders in Sydney in 2007. Howard supported the traditional icons of Australian identity and its international allegiances, but oversaw booming trade with Asia and increased multiethnic immigration.
Labor's Paul Keating lost the 1996 Election to the Liberals' John Howard. The Liberals had been in Opposition for 13 years.[41] With John Howard as Prime Minister, Peter Costello as Treasurer and Alexander Downer as Foreign Minister, the Howard Government remained in power until their electoral defeat to Kevin Rudd in 2007.
Howard generally framed the Liberals as being conservative on social policy, debt reduction and matters like maintaining Commonwealth links and the American Alliance but his premiership saw booming trade with Asia and expanding multiethnic immigration. His government concluded the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement with the Bush Administration in 2004.[35]
Howard differed from his Labor predecessor Paul Keating in that he supported traditional Australian institutions like the Monarchy in Australia, the commemoration of ANZAC Day and the design of the Australian flag, but like Keating he pursued privatisation of public utilities and the introduction of a broad based consumption tax (although Keating had dropped support for a GST by the time of his 1993 election victory). Howard's premiership coincided with Al Qaeda's 11 September attacks on the United States. The Howard Government invoked the ANZUS treaty in response to the attacks and supported America's campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq.
In the 2004 Federal elections the party strengthened its majority in the Lower House and, with its coalition partners, became the first federal government in twenty years to gain an absolute majority in the Senate. This control of both houses permitted their passing of legislation without the need to negotiate with independents or minor parties, exemplified by industrial relations legislation known as WorkChoices, a wide-ranging effort to increase deregulation of industrial laws in Australia.
In 2005, Howard reflected on his government's cultural and foreign policy outlook in oft repeated terms:[42]
When I became Prime Minister nine years ago, I believed that this nation was defining its place in the world too narrowly. My Government has rebalanced Australia's foreign policy to better reflect the unique intersection of history, geography, culture and economic opportunity that our country represents. Time has only strengthened my conviction that we do not face a choice between our history and our geography. — John Howard
The 2007 federal election saw the defeat of the Howard federal government, and the Liberal Party was in opposition throughout Australia at the state and federal level; the highest Liberal office-holder at the time was Lord Mayor of Brisbane Campbell Newman. This ended after the Western Australian state election, 2008, when Colin Barnett became Premier of that state.
After Howard [ edit ]
Following the 2007 federal election, Dr Brendan Nelson was elected leader by the Parliamentary Liberal Party. On 16 September 2008, in a second contest following a spill motion, Nelson lost the leadership to Malcolm Turnbull.[43] On 1 December 2009, a subsequent leadership election saw Turnbull lose the leadership to Tony Abbott by 42 votes to 41 on the second ballot.[44] Abbott led the party to the 2010 federal election, which saw an increase in the Liberal Party vote and resulted in the first hung parliament since the 1940 election.[45]
Through 2010, the party remained in opposition at the Tasmanian and South Australian state elections and achieved state government in Victoria. In March 2011, the New South Wales Liberal-National Coalition led by Barry O'Farrell won government with the largest election victory in post-war Australian history at the State Election.[46] In Queensland, the Liberal and National parties merged in 2008 to form the new Liberal National Party of Queensland (registered as the Queensland Division of the Liberal Party of Australia). In March 2012, the new party achieved Government in an historic landslide, led by former Brisbane Lord Mayor, Campbell Newman.[47]
In March 2013, the Western Australian Liberal-National government won re-election while the party won government in Tasmania in 2014 and lost their fourth election in a row at the South Australian election. However, the Victorian Liberal-National government, now led by Denis Napthine, became the first one term government in Victoria in 60 years. Similarly, just two months later, the Liberal National government in Queensland was defeated just three years after its historic landslide victory. The New South Wales Liberal-National Coalition, however, managed to win re-election in March 2015. In 2016 the Federal Liberals narrowly won re-election in July 2016 while the Liberal-affiliated Country Liberals suffered a historic defeat in the Northern Territory and Canberra Liberals lost their fifth election in a row in October 2016. The Liberals fared little better in 2017 with the Barnett-led Liberal-National government in Western Australia also suffered a landslide defeat in March.
Abbott government [ edit ]
Turnbull government [ edit ]
During Turbull's time in office saw tensions between Moderate and Conservative factions within the Liberal Party.
On 21 August 2018, Conservative Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton challenged Turnbull for the leadership of the Liberal Party. Turnbull survived the challenge, winning 48 votes to Dutton's 35. they would later have an further challenged which turnbull would lose the leadership.
Morrison government [ edit ]
Turnbull resigned from parliament on 31 August 2018, triggering a by-election in the seat of Wentworth.[48] The Liberals lost the by-election to an Independent, the Coalition also losing its majority in the House of Representatives.
Further dissatisfaction within the Liberal Party has seen a number of centrist and economically-liberal candidates announce that they will be nominating as independents in wealthy electorates for the 2019 federal election, with a specific focus on "addressing climate change".[49][50][51][52]
Ideology and factions [ edit ]
The contemporary Liberal Party generally advocates economic liberalism (see New Right). Historically, the party has supported a higher degree of economic protectionism and interventionism than it has in recent decades. However, from its foundation the party has identified itself as an anti-socialist grouping of liberals and conservatives. Strong opposition to socialism and communism in Australia and abroad was one of its founding principles. The party's founder and longest-serving leader Robert Menzies envisaged that Australia's middle class would form its main constituency.[54]
Towards the end of his term as Prime Minister of Australia and in a final address to the Liberal Party Federal Council in 1964, Menzies spoke of the "Liberal Creed" as follows:
As the etymology of our name "Liberal" indicates, we have stood for freedom... We took the name ‘Liberal’ because we were determined to be a progressive party, willing to make experiments, in no sense reactionary but believing in the individual, his right and his enterprise, and rejecting the socialist panacea. We have realised that men and women are not just ciphers in a calculation, but are individual human beings whose individual welfare and development must be the main concern of government... We have learned that the right answer is to set the individual free, to aim at equality of opportunity, to protect the individual against oppression, to create a society in which rights and duties are recognised and made effective. Robert Menzies[55]
Soon after the election of the Howard Government the new Prime Minister John Howard, who was to become the second-longest serving Liberal Prime Minister, spoke of his interpretation of the "Liberal Tradition" in a Robert Menzies Lecture in 1996:
Menzies knew the importance for Australian Liberalism to draw upon both the classical liberal as well as the conservative political traditions. He believed in a liberal political tradition that encompassed both Edmund Burke and John Stuart Mill—a tradition which I have described in contemporary terms as the broad church of Australian Liberalism. John Howard[55]
Throughout their history, the Liberals have been in electoral terms largely the party of the middle class (whom Menzies, in the era of the party's formation called "The forgotten people"), though such class-based voting patterns are no longer as clear as they once were. In the 1970s a left-wing middle class emerged that no longer voted Liberal.[56] One effect of this was the success of a breakaway party, the Australian Democrats, founded in 1977 by former Liberal minister Don Chipp and members of minor liberal parties. On the other hand, the Liberals have done increasingly well in recent years among socially conservative working-class voters.[57] However, the Liberal Party's key support base remains the upper-middle classes—16 of the 20 richest federal electorates are held by the Liberals, most of which are safe seats.[58] In country areas they either compete with or have a truce with the Nationals, depending on various factors.
Menzies was an ardent constitutional monarchist, who supported the monarchy in Australia and links to the Commonwealth of Nations. Today the party is divided on the question of republicanism, with some (such as incumbent leader Scott Morrison) being monarchists, while others (such as his predecessor Malcolm Turnbull) are republicans. The Menzies Government formalised Australia's alliance with the United States in 1951 and the party has remained a strong supporter of the mutual defence treaty.
Domestically, Menzies presided over a fairly regulated economy in which utilities were publicly owned, and commercial activity was highly regulated through centralised wage-fixing and high tariff protection. Liberal leaders from Menzies to Malcolm Fraser generally maintained Australia's high tariff levels. At that time the Liberals' coalition partner, the Country Party, the older of the two in the coalition (now known as the "National Party"), had considerable influence over the government's economic policies. It was not until the late 1970s and through their period out of power federally in the 1980s that the party came to be influenced by what was known as the "New Right"—a conservative liberal group who advocated market deregulation, privatisation of public utilities, reductions in the size of government programs and tax cuts.
Socially, while liberty and freedom of enterprise form the basis of its beliefs, elements of the party have wavered between what is termed "small-l liberalism" and social conservatism. Historically, Liberal Governments have been responsible for the carriage of a number of notable "socially liberal" reforms, including the opening of Australia to multiethnic immigration under Menzies and Harold Holt; Holt's 1967 Referendum on Aboriginal Rights;[59] John Gorton's support for cinema and the arts;[60] selection of the first Aboriginal Senator, Neville Bonner, in 1971;[61] and Malcolm Fraser's Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1976. A West Australian Liberal, Ken Wyatt, became the first Indigenous Australian elected to the House of Representatives in 2010.[62]
The Liberal Party is a member of the International Democrat Union.
Historical female representation [ edit ]
The Liberal Party and its predecessor parties have been the first to directly elect female representatives to the federal and every state and territory parliament nationwide. The first female member of the Australian House of Representatives and member of cabinet, Dame Enid Lyons, was elected in 1943 as a Liberal representing the division of Darwin in Tasmania. The first female representative elected in each state and territory for the Liberal Party or its direct predecessors were, in order of election:
Organisation [ edit ]
The Liberal Party's organisation is dominated by the six state divisions, reflecting the party's original commitment to a federalised system of government (a commitment which was strongly maintained by all Liberal governments bar the Gorton government until 1983, but was to a large extent abandoned by the Howard Government, which showed strong centralising tendencies). Menzies deliberately created a weak national party machine and strong state divisions. Party policy is made almost entirely by the parliamentary parties, not by the party's rank-and-file members, although Liberal party members do have a degree of influence over party policy.[63]
The Liberal Party's basic organisational unit is the branch, which consists of party members in a particular locality. For each electorate there is a conference—notionally above the branches—which coordinates campaigning in the electorate and regularly communicates with the member (or candidate) for the electorate. As there are three levels of government in Australia, each branch elects delegates to a local, state, and federal conference.[63]
All the branches in an Australian state are grouped into a Division. The ruling body for the Division is a State Council. There is also one Federal Council which represents the entire organisational Liberal Party in Australia. Branch executives are delegates to the Councils ex-officio and additional delegates are elected by branches, depending on their size.[63]
Preselection of electoral candidates is performed by a special electoral college convened for the purpose. Membership of the electoral college consists of head office delegates, branch officers, and elected delegates from branches.[63]
List of leaders [ edit ]
The following is a complete list of Liberal Party leaders:
Key:
Liberal Labor Country/National
PM: Prime Minister
LO: Leader of the Opposition
†: Died in office
Federal leaders by time in office [ edit ]
No Name Term began Term ended Time in office Term as Prime Minister 1 21 February 1945 20 January 1966 7003763800000000000♠ 20 years, 333 days (UAP 1939–41), 1949–66 (8) 30 January 1995 29 November 2007 7003468600000000000♠ 12 years, 303 days 1996–2007 6 21 March 1975 11 March 1983 7003291200000000000♠ 7 years, 355 days 1975–83 13 1 December 2009 14 September 2015 7003211300000000000♠ 5 years, 287 days 2013–15 9 3 April 1990 23 May 1994 7003151100000000000♠ 4 years, 50 days 8 5 September 1985 9 May 1989 7003134200000000000♠ 3 years, 246 days 3 10 January 1968 10 March 1971 7003115500000000000♠ 3 years, 59 days 1968–71 (12) 14 September 2015 24 August 2018 7003107500000000000♠ 2 years, 344 days 2015–2018 7 11 March 1983 5 September 1985 7002909000000000000♠ 2 years, 178 days 5 20 December 1972 21 March 1975 7002821000000000000♠ 2 years, 91 days 2 20 January 1966 19 December 1967 7002698000000000000♠ 1 year, 333 days 1966–67 4 10 March 1971 5 December 1972 7002636000000000000♠ 1 year, 270 days 1971–72 12 16 September 2008 1 December 2009 7002441000000000000♠ 1 year, 76 days (7) 9 May 1989 3 April 1990 7002329000000000000♠ 329 days 11 29 November 2007 16 September 2008 7002292000000000000♠ 292 days 10 23 May 1994 30 January 1995 7002252000000000000♠ 252 days 14 24 August 2018 Incumbent 7002184000000000000♠ 184 days 2018–present
Totals for leaders who served multiple non-consecutive terms:
John Howard: 16 years, 184 days
Malcolm Turnbull: 7003170000000000000♠ 4 years, 239 days
4 years, 239 days Andrew Peacock: 3 years, 142 days
Federal deputy leaders [ edit ]
Notes
^ 7002305000000000000♠ 305 days), [65][66] From 23 May 1989 to 24 March 1990 (305 days), Wal Fife occupied the unique position of "Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party in the House of Representatives". This was because Fred Chaney was a member of the Senate during that time; it was necessary to elected a temporary House-only deputy for procedural reasons.
Current state and territory parliamentary leaders [ edit ]
1 Queensland is represented by the Liberal National Party of Queensland. This party is the result of a merger of the Queensland Division of the Liberal Party and the Queensland National Party to contest elections as a single party. Graphic shows seats that would be held by Liberal Party if the two conservative parties are to split.
2 The Northern Territory is represented by the Country Liberal Party, which is endorsed as the Territory division of the Liberal Party.
Past state premiers and territory chief ministers [ edit ]
Federal presidents [ edit ]
R.G. Menzies House, the Liberal Party's national headquarters, in the Canberra suburb of Barton
Shown in chronological order of presidency
Federal election results [ edit ]
House of Representatives [ edit ]
a b c Including the 15 LNP MPs who sit in the Liberal party room. ^ Including the 3 LNP Senators who sit in the Liberal party room. ^ Including the 16 LNP MPs who sit in the Liberal party room.
Donors [ edit ]
For the 2015–2016 financial year, the top ten disclosed donors to the Liberal Party were: Paul Marks (Nimrod resources) ($1,300,000), Pratt Holdings ($790,000), Hong Kong Kingson Investment Company ($710,000), Aus Gold Mining Group ($410,000), Village Roadshow ($325,000), Waratah Group ($300,000), Walker Corporation ($225,000), Australian Gypsum Industries ($196,000), National Automotive Leasing and Salary Packaging Association ($177,000) and Westfield Corporation ($150,000).[67][68]
The Liberal Party also receives undisclosed funding through several methods, such as "associated entities". Cormack Foundation,[69] Eight by Five, Free Enterprise Foundation, Federal Forum and Northern Sydney Conservative forum are entities which have been used to funnel donations to the Liberal Party without disclosing the source.[70][71][72]
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
Further reading [ edit ]Joe Lieberman, you just screwed my mother when you played political gamesmanship with the proposal to lower the Medicare opt in age to 55. See, my mom devoted herself to raising her family and that meant giving up a lot. She gave up a potential career for us, choosing instead to try to be at home as much as possible to give us a nuturing family life and work a series of low-wage, part-time jobs to try and bring money in for food and the mortgage. Many women still choose that route today - I admit that I'm one of them - because at a certain point you are "upside down" on the amount of money you take in with a job versus the amount of money you pay out in childcare expenses.
It's life, we all make choices.
The downside to my mother's life choice of being there for her children was that now, when my dad is reaching retirement age, she will have to try to convince her employer to take her on full time so that she can have health care coverage until she reaches the age of 65, because my parents can't afford the Cobra payments after my dad retires from his job.
It isn't a long time we're talking about, and there's a pretty good - not certain, but pretty good - chance that Mom will be able to work this out. But still, at the end of her working life after busting butt for us she will have to bust some more for over a year just so she can be covered in case something happens with her back, or her high blood pressure, or any number of other things that one's body can do to one in their 60's.
Still, my mom is fortunate. She is lucky in that she has options. But those options are only the coincidence of fate - how many women are in my mother's place who didn't have their stars align in the right pattern and who now have to spend every day worrying about what they will do if they get ill, or need to have a knee replaced, or discover that they have any number of lifetime conditions that require medical treatment?
Joe Lieberman, you just made my mom's life harder because of your pigheaded, evil need for retribution against a rag-tag group of internet bloggers who had the temerity to primary you.
So on behalf of my mother, and all the women in her similar situation: F*ck you and the horse you rode into the Senate on. As God is my witness I will work every. friggin. day. to ensure your defeat when your seat is up, and I'll talk to my friends and neighbors about doing the same.
Peace out.
UPDATE: With my thanks for the recs please accept this humble 6 second baby smack-down of Joe Lieberman:
Kid's got a point, you know.Document given to Speaker includes dozens of examples of threats, including calls for Brexit ‘mutineer’ to be hanged
A Conservative MP who last week rebelled over Brexit has submitted a dossier of threats of violence against her to the Speaker as Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn condemned an increase in intimidation against MPs.
A document provided by Anna Soubry and seen by the Guardian includes dozens of examples of threats, including several calls for her to be hanged for treason. The messages have been received since she was called a “mutineer” on the front page of the Daily Telegraph alongside colleagues and then, last week, voted against the government.
Dominic Grieve, who led last week’s push for MPs to be given a “meaningful vote” on the final Brexit deal, also reported death threats to the police, while another MP told the Guardian they had been forced to use a panic alarm in their constituency office.
May used a statement to update parliament on last week’s EU council meeting in Brussels to address the question of intimidation.
“We are dealing with questions of great significance to our country’s future – so it is natural that there are strongly held views on all sides of this chamber, and it is right and proper that we should debate them and do so with all the passion and conviction that makes our democracy what it is,” the prime minister said.
“But there can never be a place for the threats of violence and intimidation against some members that we have seen in recent days – our politics must be better than that.”
Corbyn highlighted a newspaper front page that accused the 11 Tory rebels of being a group of “self-consumed malcontents” and asked: “Proud of yourselves?”
“The Daily Mail, which previously branded members of the judiciary as enemies of the people, is now whipping up hatred against backbench rebel MPs,” the Labour leader said. “Threats and intimidation have no place in our politics.”
May said it was a “bit rich” for Corbyn to intervene, given the abuse of Tory MPs during the election. But the Labour MP for Dewsbury, Paula Sherriff, said this was not a partisan issue.
The dossier provided by Soubry is divided into the response she received after the Telegraph accused her and colleagues of being mutineers and those received after she and others voted against the government on amendment 7.
In one message, an individual said they would love to go on a tour of Westminster “but can’t make enough explosives in time”. Another asked whether Soubry should be subject to treason charges along with May, Amber Rudd, the home secretary, and Philip Hammond, the chancellor. “Is there enough rope to hang them along the Embankment?”
Others described MPs as “scum”, called for deselections and for them to be hanged, drawn and quartered, while one used a hashtag naming the Labour MP Jo Cox, who was murdered by a far-right extremist. It said the “mutineers” had committed treason and their “heads belong on spikes outside”.
Soubry made clear she wanted to show the Speaker, John Bercow, the scale of the intimidation.
“We’re in danger of fanatical ideologically driven extremists controlling British politics,” she said, claiming that hard-right Brexiters and supporters of the leftwing group Momentum were using “bully-boy tactics”.
“The internet provides the means for these extremists to peddle their hatred and paranoia. But party leaders must call them out and condemn them,” Soubry told the Guardian, also highlighting media coverage.
“Certain sections of our media must understand the responsibility they have to report accurately and in a way that doesn’t fuel intolerance and prejudice. And all of us in politics, Labour and Conservative, must speak out against this tyranny. Our democracy is seriously under threat and we must stand up and defend it.”
In response the Speaker of the Commons told MPs: “As members of parliament, you are never traitors, you are never mutineers, never malcontents, never enemies of the people.”
BBC Parliament (@BBCParliament) "You are never mutineers, never traitors, never malcontents, never enemies of the people" - the Speaker's message to MPs after hearing stories of online abuse. pic.twitter.com/0uU5bfGXK9
The Labour MP Chris Bryant said that since the 14th century, the Speaker of the Commons had demanded freedoms for MPs, including to “speak freely without fear or favour”.
He highlighted a case in 1957 when a newspaper editor, John Junor, was brought before the bar of the House of Commons after condemning a government scheme that gave politicians generous petrol allocations. He was found in contempt of parliament because of fears of the backlash that MPs would face.
“Everyone felt it was an attempt to threaten and intimidate the politicians,” said Bryant, who argued that intimidation was now common practice across a range of subjects that stretched beyond Brexit.
He said it was critical for politicians not to support threats from individuals or newspapers.
“Stop retweeting and deselections. Let us treat each other with respect. It is dangerous to a democracy – who wants to be an MP in a world in which you just take endless abuse, what does it do to the mental health of MPs?”
The Labour MP Stephen Doughty later outlined other examples of intimidation. “I too have had the threats. I’ve had a fake bomb sent to my office, the homophobia, the threats of hanging, a threat this week that all traitors should be shot.”
“There is a plague on all our houses in the way that the fringes of political parties operate. I am sick and tired of the abuse – I had a local party member post that hanging was too good for me.”
A Tory MP said: “We are tolerating violence of language and it is being fuelled by |
manages to capture attention for a wide variety of fans. 90’s Nickelodeon is a prime example of having cartoons that appealed to both adults and children, and it’s time we bring that back through shows like Korra and Miraculous.
2. Great writing and voice acting.
Although it is mentioned several times before this, Miraculous tells a fantastic tale of two covert superheroes, each with their own unique character and personality. This cartoon is an amazing blend of genres, from action to superhero, comedy, and romance. All of these elements are integrated very well into the narrative and there is never a dull moment. The English dub is very well done with top voices actors bringing the characters to life. Adrien and Marinette’s voices are done especially well, which is definitely a plus since the entire plot focuses on them. Speaking of the two main characters, the best thing about this series is…
1. Ladybug, Cat Noir, and their relationship.
Not only do Ladybug/Marinette and Cat Noir/Adrien stand out as the protagonists, they each have their own personalities and alter egos. The chemistry between both of them being one of the many highlights in the series. Marinette is a kind girl who is interested in fashion design, having a massive crush on Adrien, a rich boy from class who is well-liked but reserved. Little do they know that they fight together on a daily basis as their alter egos, Ladybug and Cat Noir. Both of their characters by themselves are very interesting, especially in contrast with their superhero counterparts. When she turns into Ladybug, Marinette is much more confident in herself. When Adrien transforms into Cat Noir, his personality change is more drastic, becoming more outgoing, flirty, and cocky. The romantic subplot becomes even more interesting when Cat Noir develops a crush on Ladybug, who she does not know is Adrien and brushes off his flirty behavior. This makes for a great twist and many fans wishing they would discover their true identities as soon as possible. Either way, the interactions between them are absolutely adorable to watch, making them one of the best duos I’ve ever seen in a cartoon. Even without the romantic subplot, they are both great choices for leads.
Where to watch:
If you live in the USA, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir premieres each Sunday at 12pm ET. It is also available to watch on Nick’s website and season 1 is available on Amazon and iTunes.
FROM AROUND THE WEBAnother investigation has cleared former Alberta Premier Alison Redford of wrongdoing in the so-called "Tobaccogate" controversy.
Redford was justice minister when she picked a consortium of law firms to sue tobacco companies on behalf of the province. Her former husband, Robert Hawkes, was a partner in one of the firms selected.
An ethics commissioner says there was no evidence of any conflict of interest — the same conclusion as an earlier probe in 2013.
Redford joined the Calgary Eyeopener on Wednesday morning to talk about the decision — and share her thoughts on the direction of the PC Party of Alberta.
Q: You have been exonerated, again. How do you feel about all this?
A: I think it's really important for people to have faith in public institutions and politics is politics. It was a pretty hairy time in Alberta while I was serving as premier. Lots of allegations were made and we continued to insist that if there were those concerns then they should be investigated. They've been investigated three times and we keep getting the same results.
Q: How did this affect your life and career?
A: It was a surprise. You say politics is personal... until you've been through some of what I've gone through and what other public figures have gone through, it's really difficult to understand what that means. I have a great family and we're having a good life, but it was three years of a lot of thinking about the fact that this conversation continued to go on in the public and it's not just about the person who's elected, it's about their spouse, their kids, their siblings, things like that.
My mom passed away a week before I was elected leader of the party and premier of the province and I will tell you that there were many times in the last three years when I was very thankful that she had never had to see the experience that I went through.
A portrait of former premier Alison Redford hangs in the legislature. (Kim Trynacity/CBC)
Q: How far away do you feel now from the Progressive Conservative Party?
A: I feel quite a ways away from it. I certainly left the party when the party decided they no longer wanted me to be leader. I moved away very quickly from that and have not been involved in politics in any way since then. I left that behind right away and haven't looked back on that since.
Q: What do you make of Jason Kenney as the leader of the party you once led?
A: I was very proud to be the last elected Progressive Conservative leader in Alberta. The party, after I left it, made choices in terms of the direction it wanted to take and we'll see if Albertans think that those are the right choices. I don't believe that that's a direction that Albertans are comfortable with — but that's their choice.
Q: Do you think the unite-the-right movement is a good idea?
A: We see that come and go and it's always a cycle. Certainly, 15 years ago or so, it worked at a federal level. I don't know if it'll work at a provincial level. I'm not even close enough to know what the leaders are thinking or saying about it.
Jason Kenney is the newly-elected leader of the Alberta PC party that Alison Redford once led (Todd Korol/Canadian Press)
Q: What are you up to these days?
A: I'm working. I left politics and got a job. Before I was ever justice minister, all of the work that I did was international work. What I tried to do was think about what I like to do, which was that, and try to take what I've learned as premier and combine the two. When I was premier, I'm really proud of the work we did on creating a new energy regulator, putting in place a Canadian energy strategy, and working on Keystone. And so those are all pieces that I've combined now into a new area of work, where I work in countries like Pakistan for the World Bank on gas sector reform. I do work in Colombia and Peru with regulators and with ministers that are making decisions about how to solve particular problems that they have in certain regions around Indigenous consultation and pipeline construction.
Q: Are you happier today than you were when you were in politics?
A: Yes, I am — because I've had a series of experiences that have tested me, they've tested my family, they've tested my friendships and I'm solidly on my own two feet and very comfortable with who I am. I'm very proud of what we were able to do as a government. One of the things I wanted to do when I was elected as premier was to shift the direction of the province in terms of some pretty significant areas and I'm glad we were able to do that. Obviously that comes with a price — change agents are not always well thought of and life goes on.
With files from the Calgary EyeopenerCLOSE Twelve video games were announced as finalists to be inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame. (March 28, 2017) Tina MacIntyre-Yee
2017 finalists for Strong's World Video Game HOF (Photo: Provided)
The Strong’s World Video Game Hall of Fame announced the 12 finalists for induction into the class of 2017 Tuesday.
The finalists are: Donkey Kong, Final Fantasy VII, Halo: Combat Evolved, Microsoft Windows Solitaire, Mortal Kombat, Myst, Pokemon Red and Green, Portal, Resident Evil, Street Fighter II, Tomb Raider and Wii Sports.
“These 12 World Video Game Hall of Fame finalists span decades, gaming platforms, and countries of origin — but what they all have in common is their undeniable impact on the world of gaming and popular culture,” said Jon-Paul C. Dyson, director of The Strong’s International Center for the History of Electronic Games.
More: (2016) Space Invaders, The Sims among inductees into Video Game HOF
Thousands of nominations from more than 100 countries were considered this year. The games are judged on icon-status; longevity; geographical reach; and influence.
The final inductees will be announced during a special ceremony at The Strong museum at 10:30 a.m. on May 4.
FILE VIDEO OF 2016 WINNERS:
CLOSE Six games were inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame at The Strong National Museum of Play. (May 5, 2016) Video by Tina MacIntyre-Yee.
Read or Share this story: http://on.rocne.ws/2ouzBuMWhen I first started keto, I was living on little pita pizzas for lunch time. They’re fast to make and tasty. And my husband has a pizza addiction.
Later on, I decided I wanted a real pizza, and created a damn good low carb pizza crust. Also because, you know, my husband has a pizza addiction.
But one of my friends, Liz, mentioned eating “pizzadillas,” and I was intrigued. I like pizza. I love quesadillas. Sounds like the perfect combo!
And it totally is. I now make pizzadillas far more often than I make pita pizzas or full-size pizzas. They’re really simple to make and I love the crunch when I bite into them! Also, my local Walmart has gotten hit-or-miss at stocking the Joseph’s Bakery low carb pitas, but I can find low carb Mission tortillas at any grocery store in town. CB and I seriously eat these a couple of times a week, and we are both still sustaining weight loss.
Ingredients
your favorite low carb tortilla – I prefer Mission Carb Balance flour tortillas
1/4-1/2c mozzarella cheese, depending on how cheesy you want it
1/4c marinara sauce
pepperoni – 8 sandwich pepperoni or 12 or so little pepperoni
coconut oil – I use 1T to fry up 3 of these bad boys, so adjust for however much you are making
Assemble your pizzadilla!
Fry that bad boy up!
The “secret” to making an excellent pizzadilla is in the frying. You don’t want to just throw it in the microwave and melt it together… ugh. You want to pan-fry it in coconut oil to make it crispy and melty and delicious. While you’re assembling your pizzadilla, heat your griddle or skillet and melt coconut oil on it. I usually cook 3 with 1T of oil, so you won’t need very much at all if you are just fixing one.
The oil is ready when a droplet of water will bounce off of it.
Aaaaaand that’s it! I like to serve mine with a quarter cup of marinara/pizza sauce. The Publix brand is my favorite, but the Ragu and Prego ones aren’t bad either.
Nutrition
Coming in at 12g net carbs, this can be a pretty good chunk of your daily load if you stick to 20g or less. But many people don’t… and it’s also fairly easy to add into your routine even if you do. Pair it with some bacon and eggs for breakfast and some broccoli and chicken thighs for dinner and voila, less than 20g carbs with this delicious treat still on the menu for midday. You can save yourself some more carbs if you shred your own cheese, also, but I prefer the ease of the pre-shredded. Whichever you prefer!
Again, this is not a ground-breaking recipe. I don’t tend to do those here. But it is very simple, very fast, and very delicious. It’s solidly keto, but close enough to “normal” food to hit that craving dead-on. I can’t even take the credit for coming up with this – I’ve seen a lot of people make them – but time and time again, my pizzadilla posts on my instagram get the most comments and questions about my cooking technique. So I hope this inspired some of you all to try it!
As always, if you enjoyed this recipe, would you pretty please consider liking my Facebook page? You could also follow me on Instagram. And I love comments here – let me know how you like a recipe, and/or how you tweak it to make it your own!Belgian prosecutors say a suspect in the attacks in Paris in 2015 has been charged with being a leader of the extremist cell that killed 130 people.
The 30-year-old Belgian national, Yassine Atar, has been charged with "terrorist assassinations" and of being "a leader in the activities of a terrorist group."
The federal prosecutor's office said Friday that he has been remanded in custody for one month. The cases of extremist suspects in Belgium are reviewed monthly until their trials, so such periods of custody are almost always extended.
Prosecutors declined to provide more information.
Atar was arrested on March 27, 2016, five days after suicide bombers attacked the Brussels airport and subway, killing 32 people.
He was a cousin of two of those bombers, the brothers Ibrahim and Khalid Bakraoui.
Atar is also the brother of one of the supposed masterminds of the Paris plot, Oussama Atar.
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks on Nov. 13, 2015, which hit a rock concert, the national soccer stadium and bustling sidewalk cafes. Hundreds of people were also injured.Whether you want to play competitive women’s flat track roller derby, support the sport by officiating or volunteering, or are looking for a different way to get in shape, Spindletop Roller Girls has a place for you.
RECREATIONAL LEAGUE Rec League is a place for women to play roller derby without having to make the commitments required to be a home team skater. It offers women a fun, safe, opportunity to express and build their athletic abilities.
OFFICIATING The Spindletop Roller Girls Wildcatters Officials Crew in Beaumont works hard to provide tournament-level officiating for the local and visiting skaters. Do you have what it takes to officiate women’s flat track derby?
TRY OUT Are you ready to play competitive women’s flat track roller derby? Find out when the next try out is and how you can prepare.
TRANSFER Moving to the Beaumont area and interested in joining the team? Contact us to find out how transferring to SRG works.
VOLUNTEER Spindletop Roller Girls is so thankful for the amazing volunteers that help our league function. Flat track roller derby would not be where it is in Southeast Texas without them. You can be part of our derby family, too!No special preview this week I’m afraid, but there is a game update.
I didn’t intend to do an update right at this moment but I’ve finally, finally fixed a memory leak on the Scraps server that I’ve been trying to track down for months. I’ve been looking at it on and off in the evenings so that it didn’t impact development on the game, but I’ve also really wanted to get it fixed. If you ran a game, even a single-player one, for a long time with lots of vehicles being spawned and destroyed, it’d eventually mess up and weird things would start to happen – like all damage would stop registering. It also meant that dedicated servers needed much closer supervision than they should have needed.
In the meantime while I’ve been working on the new game mode I’ve also been fixing other things, so there are some other bonus changes here as well.
Changelog
2016-6 – 0.5.4.4
– Added partial Polish translation
– Adjusted collision damage down a little
– Adjusted AI targeting a little. More shots at parts, less direct chassis shots
– AI aiming calculation now takes the shooter’s velocity into account as well as the target’s. Be afraid
– Made the in-game chassis colliders more detailed. Previously there was a box that could end up “protecting” some low components like small engines, with the chassis taking damage instead of the hit part
– Adjusted some sounds and volumes of various things
– Removed wreckage size scaling as it spawned since it looked dumb and was dumb
– Had to exclude screen resolutions that don’t match your monitor’s aspect ratio due to a bug in the Unity engine. On Linux resolution reporting is too fickle to limit: If a chosen res doesn’t look right, just try another one
– Added visual indicator to health bars to help show when damage is done
– Wreckage pickup is far more performance-efficient. No more slowdown when complex vehicles drive over wreckage.
Bug Fixes:
– FINALLY tracked down a memory leak on the server that was causing trouble when running the game for a long time
– Fixed a couple of bugs with bullet spread. Machine-guns were more accurate than they looked visually (they match the visuals now)
– Projectile trail FX angle fix
2016-4 – 0.5.4.3
– Improved AI pathing quite a bit
– If AI gets stuck persuing in a circle, it’ll eventually break out
– Updated the vehicle/environment shader look a little
Bug Fixes:
– ATI cards that didn’t support DirectX 11 had some issues with the new terrain shader. Disabled some features if ATI+DX9 is detected to help the look
Info on the bug in the form of a technical description
The Scraps server was slowly using up more and more RAM, until eventually the whole thing would crash with a stack overflow exception. But the stack wasn’t the problem – it was the heap.
I knew that it was the heap because looking at the Unity profiler, it appeared that all objects were being garbage collected just as they should be, but the thing that grew was Other->ManagedHeap.UsedSize. In other words things on the heap were getting allocated and not deallocated, so the heap had to keep growing when new things were made.
Unfortunately in Unity it’s impossible to inspect the heap, although it is now possible on platforms that use IL2CPP. Being able to inspect the contents of the heap would have solved this much faster.
I fairly quickly worked out that creating and destroying vehicles was the problem, but the profiler reported that everything on the vehicles was successfully destroyed. Yet the leak implied something big was being held onto. There had to be a reference somewhere to something on a vehicle from something outside of the vehicle, that never got freed.
My eventual discovery after slowly hacking pieces of Scraps apart was that it was an event subscription to an event on a static class.
Scraps parts have a Health class that’s a MonoBehaviour, and Health has a non-MonoBehaviour class that acts as a sub-component to do different things depending on whether this is a client or server machine (remember that this leak only happened on the server).
When the health script was created, the member class subscribed to a static tick event on a static clock class that the server has. When the health script was destroyed, it run its explosion effects and all that, and also told the member class to unsubscribe from its event… most of the time.
The problem was that the Health script’s call to the member class wasn’t in its OnDestroy, it was in another method that did all the destroying actions for the part and then called Destroy() itself – and that method didn’t get called in every situation. Thus sometimes the event never got unsubscribed, and the reference to the member class was held by the static clock class forever, preventing it from being destroyed.
Much more was being retained on the heap than just that one class, so my theory is that Unity was managing to remove the vehicle’s data on the C# side, but not in the C++ back-end. Thus the profiler would show that every object was destroyed successfully, but in fact the static clock class’ reference held onto the non-MonoBehaviour class which in turn was holding onto the whole vehicle part with its memory-consuming mesh and textures.
To fix the issue for certain I basically just moved the cleanup code into the OnDestroy of the Health script, guaranteeing that if the script is destroyed, its member class gets cleaned up as well.
TL;DR: If your heap is growing forever and you aren’t leaking any objects, one thing to look for is events that mightn’t be being unsubscribed. And don’t think that a GameObject being gone means it’s necessarily really gone.
Info on the bug in the form of a story
Guests come to a party at your place and they want to use your dinnerware, but you want to keep track of who’s taken some out of the cupboard so when a guest takes a plate, you also get them to tie a rope around their wrist with the other end tied to the cupboard (you’re a particularly annoying host).
When a guest leaves the party, they’ll put back their plate, untie their rope, and leave.
But sometimes, due to an oversight in your party planning, guests can leave without returning their plate – with their rope still tied to the cupboard!
Later the party is over and it looks like everyone’s left, but you find that you can’t fully close the door because there are some ropes still tied on to a bunch of people outside. Over time and several parties, you accumulate more and more guests who are still tied on with ropes.
You find that you cannot get all guests to return their plates before they leave (as a terrible host I assume you’ve also attracted terrible quests). But you can fix the problem. You revise your party rules so that instead of guests untying their ropes when they return their plate, they must untie their rope when they leave the party, no matter what. Now your house and yard are properly cleared out every time a party is over. And you buy some new plates I guess.Russia’s economy shrank sharply in November and the rouble resumed its slide as Western sanctions and a slump in oil prices combined to inflict the first contraction in GDP since the global financial crisis.
The economy ministry said gross domestic product shrank 0.5 per cent last month, the first drop since October 2009. With oil exports forming the backbone of the economy, analysts said the contraction is likely to worsen.
The slide on the oil market accelerated this month after the exporters’ group Opec refused to cut output, and prices are down almost 50 per cent from a peak in June.
On top of this, the sanctions imposed over Moscow’s role in the Ukraine crisis have deterred foreign investment and led to over $100 billion flooding out of the Russian economy this year. “With the current oil price we expect things to get worse. There is no cause for optimism,” said Dmitry Polevoy, chief economist for Russia and CIS at ING Bank in Moscow. “This is linked to sanctions first of all, oil and the panic we saw on the market in December. The damage to the banking system and consumer sentiment will take a long time to repair.”
The sanctions have severely reduced the ability of Russian companies to borrow abroad, triggering the worst currency crisis since Russia defaulted on its debt in 1998.
The rouble, which had strengthened on Friday, slumped over 6 per cent against the dollar in early trade on Monday in thin trade, although it later regained some of the losses. Overall the rouble’s weakness will inevitably lead to higher inflation next year by pushing up the cost of imports, threatening President Vladimir Putin’s reputation for ensuring Russia’s prosperity. Government ministries forecast the slump in oil prices will lead to a 4 per cent contraction of the economy next year and that inflation could exceed 10 per cent.
The rouble had lost more than half of its value at one stage in December, although it has recovered since then after the government introduced informal capital controls and raised interest rates steeply. The government issued orders to large state-controlled oil and gas exporters Gazprom and Rosneft to sell some of their dollar revenues to shore up the rouble.
Russians have kept a wary eye on the exchange rate since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Hyper-inflation wiped out their savings over several years in the early 1990s and the rouble collapsed again in 1998.
Earlier, the rouble had lost over 3 per cent against the dollar and was trading at 56.00, hurt by exporters scaling back foreign-currency sales after meeting their end-of-month tax payments.
The Russian currency is much weaker than the 30-35 seen in the first half of the year but well up from an all-time low of around 80 per dollar in mid-December. The rouble’s slide has prompted huge buying of foreign currency in Russia and heavy withdrawals of bank deposits, heaping pressure on a vulnerable banking sector whose access to Western capital markets is restricted by the sanctions.
On Friday, Russian authorities also significantly scaled up rescue funds for Trust Bank, saying they would provide up to $2.4 billion in loans to bail out the mid-sized lender, the first bank to fall victim to the crisis.
ReutersFor those of you who are fans - or at least avid listeners to the hit podcast "S-Town," you may be left with a few questions:
What happened to Mary Grace?
Where is the gold??
Did Cousin Rita have something to gain?
What happened to all those dogs?
I can't answer these questions definitively, but a recent examination of Mary Grace McLemore's Conservatorship/Guardianship file from the Bibb County Probate Court sheds light on a few of them.
Now, first I'll say that as an attorney who specializes in Conservatorships, as soon as John mention Mary Grace had dementia, I immediately wondered if he was her Conservator. For clarification, a "conservatorship" is equivalent to a guardianship for an adult. Conservatorships allow one person - the Conservator -to manage medical and financial affairs for another, usually a person with dementia or related illness. All John's trips to visit his lawyer - one B. Boozer Downs, Jr. - led me to believe a Conservatorship might be in place.
Despite my suppositions, a review of Mary Grace's file revealed that John did not have Conservatorship over Mary Grace, but was her "agent" under a power of attorney. It appears that Mary Grace signed the power of attorney very close to the time she was diagnosed with dementia, which legally can be very risky. However, with no other close family besides John, a lawsuit would have seemed unlikely.
A conservatorship proceeding was not initiated until after John's suicide, when Mary Grace's second cousin, Rita Lawrence, petitioned the court to become Conservator of both Mary Grace's "person," and her "estate." A Conservatorship of the Person would allow Rita to manage health and medical decisions for Mary Grace, while Conservatorship of the Estate would giv her control over Mary Grace's financial affairs.
Now, let's start with perhaps the biggest curiosity of S-Town: What happened to the Gold?
Apologies if I got you too excited - I too was hoping Mary Grace's Conservatorship file, which contains a detailed accounting of all her expenses and income, would show signs of a gold discovery. Alas, it was not so. Even a hint of mysterious funds was not to be found. Instead, Rita was lending money to Mary Grace (or rather her conservatorship bank account) so that she could pay for expenses incurred prior to the sale of her property.
If Mary Grace didn't have any gold, what assets did she have?
Other than the property Mary Grace and John lived on - a vast 123 acres of mostly forested land, Mary Grace had a paltry $98 in her bank account when John passed away. According to the Conservatorship accounting, Mary Grace did have a monthly income of about $2,000 from Social Security and VA benefits.
On August 12, 2016 Burt Holdings (ironically owned by rumored-but-not murderer Kaleb's father) bought Mary Grace's property for $280,000. The funds from the property sale would have gone directly to Mary Grace's conservatorship account, to be used for her care. If anything is left over, it would be inherited by her heirs.
What happened to Mary Grace after Rita became Conservator?
When listening to the show, I concluded that Mary Grace had gone to Florida to live with Rita (or Reta). But that was not the case, at least for the following year after John's death. From shortly after John's suicide to the end of the Conservatorship accounting in July 2016, Mary Grace still resided in Alabama, just 7 miles away from her home with John. She was apparently sent to live with a full time caregiver.
This fact would certainly quell any fears Tyler Goodson had about Mary Grace being taken away. It's unclear exactly who the caregiver is in relation to the family, or how she ended up being the one to care for Mary Grace, but it seems to me like the small town equivalent of placing a Conservatee in a residential living facility.
Is Mary Grace in a better situation than she was with John?
It is unclear as to whether or not Mary Grace is happier and receiving superior care. Rita reports to the court that Mary Grace is "thriving" in her new environment, and I certainly hope she is. It's also unclear if Mary Grace was being properly cared for by John. According to the Conservatorship documents, the Woodstock property had to be sprayed for fleas on at least two different occasions after John's death. This is a bad sign in general, but we of course have to take into account the many dogs that lived with them. Which brings us to the question...
What happened to all those Dogs?
Those of you who listened to the podcast will remember that John said he had quite a few dogs. According to Mary Grace's file, she paid $60 in August of 2015 to remove 10 dogs from the property. Presumably someone took care of the dogs after John died - was it Tyler? Sadly, many of those dogs probably did not survive the year.
Did Cousin Rita have something to gain?
S-Town inspired a bit of a conspiracy around Rita's presence in Mary Grace's life. In fact, many conservatorship cases can turn in to hotly contested matters where one party is in fact out to gain something for themselves. After a review of her file, however, I have to say that in this particular matter, that does not appear to be the case. In fact, due to the many criminal counts Tyler is being tried for, it appears that Tyler, and John by default, are the ones guilty of wreaking havoc in the Conservatorship case. Why John? Because he killed himself in what was likely a traumatizing event for Tyler - and furthermore neglected to do a will leaving Tyler what he'd supposedly promised to him. Had John done a will, Tyler likely would have gotten more closure and been able to move forward with his life.
Now, that's not to say that Rita did everything for Mary Grace out of sheer love and kindness. She did get paid for her time. This is normal for Conservators, however. If the Conservator is a child of the Conservatee, he or she may not seek payment, but other relatives typically do. In Bibb County the rate is $18/hr, while here in Northern California the rate ranges between $25-$40/hr, depending on the county. Still, assuming Rita never found any gold, she certainly did not become rich by stepping in to help Mary Grace. Moreover, Rita appears to be the only relatively young family member Mary Grace had. Two other relatives live in Alabama - cousins Elna and Kay. They appear to be Mary Grace's direct heirs, and were asked to sign off on the sale of her property. Elna and Kay are likely quite old themselves, and therefore not in a position to care for Mary Grace. So Rita was the best choice.
So, now you know what happened to Mary Grace after John's death, and perhaps have a little more insight into the story of John McLemore and S-Town, also commonly called Woodstock, Alabama.
For more information about Conservatorship, contact my Walnut Creek Elder Law Office at 925-322-1795.IMPORTANT NOTE: 03/05/18: Regrettably Retina-X Studios, which offers cutting edge technology that helps parents and employers gather important information on devices they own, has been the victim of sophisticated and repeated illegal hackings. Over the past year, Retina-X Studios has begun to implement steps designed to enhance our security measures which had the positive outcome of restricting data obtained by the hackers in the most recent intrusion. No personal data was accessed, but some photographic material of TeenShield and PhoneSheriff customers has been exposed. As a result, and to protect our valued customers, Retina-X Studios is immediately and indefinitely halting its PhoneSheriff, TeenShield, SniperSpy and Mobile Spy products. We will be offering pro-rated refunds to any customers who currently have a contract with Retina-X Studios for these services. If you are an active subscriber of any of these services, you will receive an email from us with information about how to obtain a pro-rated refund and access to your data during this process.
Retina-X Studios is sharing information about the illegal hackings and cooperating with the appropriate authorities. The perpetrators of these illegal acts have been motivated by their unfounded opposition to the private activities of parents and employers on devices they own and with the consent of users of the devices. The perpetrators, who will likely never be identified or brought to justice, have shared their actions with online publications to gain attention. They are cowards who work in the dark and use the media to promote their agenda. Retina-X apologizes to our customers for any inconvenience this situation has caused, but our first priority is to you. We appreciate the loyalty you have shown our company and these valuable services.A historian commissioned by German automaker Volkswagen to examine the company's role under Brazil's military dictatorship from 1964 to 1985 has concluded that while some security guards cooperated with regime officials, there was no concrete proof that the collaboration went further.
"There is no clear evidence found that the cooperation was institutionalized by the company," said Christopher Kopper (above photo), a history professor at Germany's Bielefeld University.
His study, based on statements by former employees and archive material, said VW security guards had collaborated with the regime's political police by listing workers seen as leftist militants, allowing interrogations with the use of torture at the VW factory and providing cars for detainees to be transported away.
Read more: VW executive Oliver Schmidt sentenced to seven years in jail over Dieselgate
Authoritarian regime
The company commissioned the study in response to accusations that Volkswagen do Brasil had worked together with the military regime, which has been found to have committed various atrocities while crushing opposition groups, including the systematic torture of detainees.
VW has a major site at Sao Bernardo do Campo in Brazil
However, VW said it was not considering paying any financial compensation to victims at the moment, and was also not planning to extend the study to activities at its factory in Argentina during the years of military rule there.
VW is the third-largest automaker in Brazil by sales.
Several demonstrators protested outside the factory during the event marking the publication of the study, complaining that VW had refused to issue a formal apology or compensate the victims.
Kopper said at the event that the company had given him full assistance in carrying out a completely independent study.
Read more: Investigators raid VW offices as tax fraud suspicion lingers
.
tj/ng (Reuters, AP)Kobe Bryant has been involved in an NBA player love fest since announcing his retirement plans earlier this season.
But Paul George gave the aging Lakers star a gentle reminder of why this is Bryant's final season after getting past the 37-year-old for the winning bucket as the Pacers came away with an 89-87 win over Los Angeles on Monday.
MORE: Ranking every All-Star | Remembering Kobe's first All-Star game
“Well, he is old,” George told Fox Sports reporters after the game. “I got a little push step on him.”
Paul George on how he got by Kobe: "Well. He is old." 😂😂😂😂 https://t.co/BRXnfoUclZ — Jared Wade (@Jared_Wade) February 9, 2016
George scored seven of his 21 points in the game’s final 1:11 to help erase a four-point deficit.
.@Yg_Trece with the go-ahead bucket and the foul against his idol, Kobe Bryant. https://t.co/nKyvgVJ2E2 — iPacers (@iPacersblog) February 9, 2016
Bryant finished with 19 points, hitting three consecutive 3-point shots to give his team an 82-79 advantage with 2:30 remaining.BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi said on Thursday that his economic knowledge was limited just one word - trusteeship. "And this is enough for me."
The remark came in reply to Finance Minister P. Chidambaram's jibe in January that Modi's knowledge of economics could be written on the back of a postage stamp.
"My knowledge is so small that you do not even need a postal stamp to write it. It is encapsulated in just one word - trustee, like Gandhi-ji talked of trusteeship. You are the trustee of the country's resources, not its owner. For me, this much knowledge is enough," the Gujarat Chief Minister said at International Conference on Indian Economy in New Delhi.
Outlining the BJP's economic agenda for the Lok Sabha elections, Modi said: "We must build an agenda for speedy yet sustainable economic growth that is inclusive of all, respectful of individuals, responsive to innovation and responsible towards the future generations. We must build an economic agenda that leads to increased standards of living and social justice."
Modi said development should be made a 'jan andolan" (mass movement).
"Development should be a mass movement. Gandhi-ji made freedom struggle a mass movement. He linked every word and act to freedom struggle. Like this, development should also be linked to mass movement. Even a bus driver should say 'I'm working for the country's development and say I will not waste diesel'," he said.
Modi said the push for growth has to come from states.
"We need to strengthen our federal structure. The prime minister and all the chief ministers are a team that has to run the country. The PM and his Cabinet is not a complete team. The team will be complete if the PM and the CMs work together and bring change," he said.CINCINNATI, Aug. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Continuing its rapid expansion across the media marketplace, Newsy is now live on over-the-top streaming service YouTube TV, which is available to 50% of U.S. households.
Newsy is the first news brand focused on younger audiences to join the Google-owned YouTube TV lineup of more than 50 networks, including ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX |
to maintain a Muslim appearance, Burckhardt spent eight years traveling in Syria, learning the language and customs while waiting for a caravan to form. Just as some Arab merchants were ready to depart for the interior in 1817, the perfectly disguised “Euro-Muslim” died of dysentery before leaving Cairo.[23]
Henry Nicholls [ edit ]
The most bizarre story of the African Association was that of Henry Nicholls in 1804. Kryza writes, "Having failed in assaults from the north (Tripoli), the east (Cairo), and the west (Gambia), the membership now proposed that an effort be made from the south. The site chosen from which to strike inland was a British trading post in the Gulf of Guinea".[24] In the cruelest of ironies, the river mouth that emptied into the Gulf, from whence Nicholls was to set out in search of the Niger, was precisely the end of the Niger itself—only the Europeans did not know it yet. The starting point of the expedition was in fact its destination.[24] By 1805 Nicholls had died, probably of malaria.
Meanwhile, England was preoccupied with its rivalry with France, and the government decided to take on a larger role in Africa's exploration in order to establish a commercial dominance there before the French. Sir Joseph Banks was growing ill, and slowly the African Association's influence began to diminish. "The torch was passed from the private to the public sector," though the Association continued its involvement in British exploration until it was absorbed by the Royal Geographical Society in 1831.[24]
The Influence [ edit ]
No explorer sent expressly by the African Association ever did find Timbuktu, though it was a major in the Royal African Corps named Alexander Gordon Laing who finally walked through its gates in 1826.[25] The findings of the Association's recruits, however, accomplished much for European knowledge of Africa and its people. Peter Brent describes the common perception of Africa in the years preceding the African Association:
Jungle, desert, mountain and savannah swam into one disagreeable continuity…all the peoples and sub-divisions of the peoples, all the cultures and languages and religions, were forced by the European imagination into one mould. Out of it stepped the “native,” the “savage,” offering the blood of sacrifice to grinning gods, dancing in lunatic abandon around flames and…making a meal of his enemies.[26]
In contrast, according to Brent, "the explorers themselves had no such view of Africans, no simple picture that rejected African reality and denied to Africans their full humanity."[26] Mungo Park's description in particular contributed to a balanced perspective. George Shepperson writes that, beyond Park's romanticized travel exploits, "his writing indicated that Africans were human beings with their own cultures and commerce (and not monstrous creatures), with whom constructive relations would be possible."[27]
This "humanizing" of the African people in the minds of Europeans was no doubt a boon to the abolition of the slave trade, since many of the African Association's members were abolitionists and had ties to William Wilberforce. "By the beginning of the 19th century," Brent writes, "the attack on the whole appalling business had sharpened, and Africa had become the subject of the day. And still, despite everything, the European ignorance about most of the continent’s interior remained almost unaltered. It was a situation that had to be put right."[28] The relentless efforts of the African Association over forty-three years certainly contributed to this enlightenment.
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
^ Geo. Cawthorn, The Modern Traveller Vol. II, Travels of Ledyard, Lucas, and Sonnini, London: British Library, 1800. ^ Frank T. Kryza, The Race for Timbuktu: In Search of Africa’s City of Gold, New York: HarperCollins, 2006, p. 11. a b c Kryza p. 12. ^ Peter Brent, Black Nile: Mungo Park and the Search for the Niger, London: Gordon & Cremonesi, 1977, p. 45. ^ Brent, p. 26. ^ Davidson Nicol, "Mungo Park and the River Niger", African Affairs 55, no. 218, January 1956, p. 47. ^ Nicol p. 47. a b Brent p. 46. ^ Brent p. 44. ^ Kryza pp. 12-13. a b Kryza p. 16. ^ Kryza p. 17. ^ Brent p. 28. a b Kryza p. 18. ^ Brent p. 32. ^ Brent p. 33. ^ Brent p. 34. ^ Kryza p. 19. ^ Kryza pp. 19-20. a b Kryza p. 20. ^ Kryza pp. 40-42. ^ Kryza pp. 44-50. ^ Kryza p. 45. a b c Kryza p. 46. ^ Kryza p. 229. a b Brent p. 169. ^ George Shepperson, "Mungo Park and the Scottish Contribution to Africa", African Affairs 70, no. 280, July 1971, p. 278. ^ Brent p. 18.
Further reading [ edit ]Hundreds of activists protested near the home of a police officer in Anaheim, California, Wednesday over video allegedly showing the plainclothes cop firing a gun in front of a group of minors. Many chanted, “don’t shoot the kids,” and “arrest violent cops!”
Police have arrested two teenagers in connection with Tuesday afternoon’s confrontation, but Gaby Hernandez, a spokesperson for a group that organized the protest, told The Huffington Post that activists want the “immediate arrest” of the officer for “child abuse” for the incident.
Two videos that witnesses filmed of the dispute have attracted more than 5 million views since Tuesday. The footage shows a white man pulling a 13-year-old Latino boy by his collar as a group of minors watch, repeatedly asking the adult to let him go. Anaheim Police Department later identified the man as an off-duty Los Angeles Police Department officer, though they did not name him.
In the video, the off-duty officer can be heard saying that the boy threatened to shoot him. The teen can be heard denying the officer’s claim. The teenager adds that the officer called another girl an offensive word for walking on his property.
One kid rushes at the off-duty officer and the teen, causing them to fall in a bush. Another teenager tries to punch the man but misses. The officer then appears to pull a gun from his waistband and a single gunshot rings out. Police later arrive on the scene.
The video does not show what led up to the incident, but authorities said it began when a group of kids walked across the officer’s property on Tuesday at 2:40 p.m., according to an official press release.
Police allege that a 13-year-old boy threatened to shoot the off-duty police officer, “at which time the officer attempted to detain the teen.” Anaheim police confirmed that the off-duty officer fired the gun once, but said no one was struck by gunfire.
The 13 year old’s father says he learned from the teen’s mother that their son had told the officer “I’m going to sue you,” but the officer heard “shoot” instead of “sue,” OC Weekly reported.
At 2:05 in the video above, the teen can be heard insisting to the officer that he said “sue” and not “shoot.”
Demonstrators assembled Wednesday night in the neighborhood where the footage was filmed condemned the officer’s behavior. Naui Ocelotl Huitzilopochtli, a protestor and Orange County resident who lives 5 miles from the officer’s house, said that the community was upset with the Anaheim police for arresting the teen and not the officer.
“You can tell the people are mad,”Huitzilopochtli told HuffPost.
“If it would have been a [white kid] this would have never happened,” he added. “White kids don’t go through this,” referring to the 13-year-old’s arrest. “Only people of Mexican descent or black people.”
Facebook/Jay Gonzalez In the video, an off-duty officer pulls a gun from his waistband in front of several minors.
Anaheim Police Department Sgt. Daron Wyatt said Thursday that at least 24 people were arrested during a protest at the intersection of Palais Road and Euclid Street, including six people he described as juveniles.
“All are misdemeanor charges for … variations of failure to disperse, resisting arrest, and battery on a peace officer,” Wyatt said. He added that there were reports of car or home windows being broken and “other acts of vandalism.”
Police have arrested a 13-year-old boy they believe appeared in the video for criminal threats and battery. They also arrested a 15-year-old for assault and battery, according to an Anaheim police press release issued Tuesday. The off-duty officer was not arrested but is cooperating with the investigation.
A spokesperson for the LAPD told HuffPost on Wednesday that it has launched an administrative investigation into the incident, adding that the off-duty officer is not currently facing any charges. However, he has been placed on administrative duty while the LAPD conducts their investigation, according to NBC4 News.
The teen’s family said that their attorneys are examining the incident.
Alma Jimenez, a woman claiming to be the teen’s mom, said on Facebook she’s asking for justice over the confrontation. The teen’s father told OC Weekly that the family is seeking legal representation and plans to sue.
Matt Ferner contributed to this report.The weapon used was a Crickett designed for use by children, a coroner said (Picture: Crickett)
A boy aged five has accidentally shot and killed his two-year-old sister with a gun he was given as a present.
The incident happened on Tuesday afternoon while the boy played with a.22-caliber rifle at a house in Cumberland County, Kentucky.
Police said the shooting happened just after 1 pm at the property on Lawson’s Bottom Road.
The two-year-old was taken to Cumberland County Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
Cumberland County coroner Gary White identified the girl as Caroline Starks and an autopsy has been scheduled for Wednesday.
He told the told the Lexington Herald-Leader the children’s mother was at home when the shooting occurred.
Mr White explained the gun was a gift the boy received last year and was made by Crickett, who market guns made for children.
He said: ‘It’s a Crickett. It’s a little rifle for a kid [that] the boy’s used to shooting the little girl.’
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Mr White said the gun was kept in a corner, and the family did not realise a shell had been left in it.
He said the shooting will be ruled unintentional, adding: ‘Just one of those crazy accidents.’
The shooting is the latest of several involving young children this month.
Brandon Holt, aged six, was shot in the head by a four-year-old whose home he was visiting.
Police said the boy obtained a.22-calibre rifle from inside his home and other weapons were found at the scene of the shooting.
And the wife of a sheriff’s deputy died after a four-year-old found a loaded pistol and shot her during a family gathering.Here is another great post about a Rockabilly wedding from Dandy Lion.
last week we featured houston station. this week i want to feature a dandy wedding that was held there!
wedding colors were influenced by this fabulous nashvegas sign.
guests were greeted with a hardbound, custom guestbook with photos of the couple. the horseshoe was also on their invitations and later at the desert table. the small jar was one of many favors – local honey donated from a friend with custom horseshoe tags.
black was the base color, bringing out the others in high contrast! we set up black chairs for the ceremony with bright yellow programs.
the bridesmaids wore white dresses and colorful shoes so you know what comes next…
the bride wore black!
red poms made from recycled tissue paper defined the aisle. red chiffon and christmas lights frame the ceremony.
the happy couple!
after photos, we snuck them away for a few minutes to be together and have a bite to eat.
another favor — gathered saplings that could be taken home and planted.
dessert table setup — fun flamingos and cakes with different flavors!
finalized dessert table and ribbon wall. the bride does not like cake so she ate pie instead!
the plates stacked on the left are biogradeable palm leaves. these and other eco-friendly table settings can be found at ihospitality.
hillbilly casino kept the party going and guests on the dance floor!
this couple loved bold colors, horseshoes, flamingos and the earth. they wanted it to be formal and feel like a wedding, while also expressing their personality. they were also very aware of the environmental impact of their event. what do you think? what did you like or dislike?
with love,
lindsey
Source: Dandy LionIf you're reading this post in a Web browser, you've probably already noticed that something is a little... different. This afternoon we pushed the second half of our Ars Version 5.5 that went live back in December. As you poke around and use the site over the next few days, you should notice a large number of design (and quite a few functional) updates from the way the site used to look and operate.
From the category pages, to author bios, to our comments, there's not a nook or cranny that's been left untouched by Aurich Lawson's nimble Photoshop fingers. You've probably seen quite a few new bits already, but I thought it might be helpful if we presented some of the biggest changes side by side with their older counterparts.
Category pages
An old category page "top"
The new category page "top." Note the cool new category headers, the restyled sidebar links, and the new treatment of articles.
An old category page.
A new category page. Note how we highlight features here like we do on the front page.
Articles
An article in the old design.
A newly styled article. Note how the content starts higher on the page, and the restyled article links in the sidebar.
How the bottom of an article looked in the old design.
The new bottom of an article. Note the new comment bar, and newly minted sharing links, now featuring Facebook and a ton more (including email) in the "Share button."
The Ars Premier Experience
How an article looks to an Ars Premier Subscriber
How the front page looks to an Ars Premier Subscriber
Author pages
An author page on the old design
Author bios on the new design. Coming soon will be additional links for an author, like Twitter pages, personal blog, and more.
Footer
The old crusty footer.
New, super-fresh footer.
Comments
Comments on the old design.
Super sweet new comments. The overall design is, we feel, a lot easier on the eyes. We're also calling out authors and staff members much better now.
Sidebar
The latest top stories sidebar box in the old design.
The latest top stories box on the new design. Much cleaner look overall. We've removed the ability to use this box on the front page, as the whole front page replicates this functionality (and more) now.
Forums
Fresh new icons at the bottom of the forums.
Feedback
As with all our projects and changes here, we highly value the input of our readers. If you have comments or constructive criticism, please feel free to leave them in the comments below. If you prefer to use email, you can send your feedback to [email protected].
Thanks
None of this project would've been possible without the work of our Technical Director Kurt Mackey, our Creative Director Aurich Lawson, our HTML/CSS Guru Greg Hines, our Developer and Project Manager Extraordinare Clint Ecker (that's me), or without the support, direction, and feedback from nearly the entire editorial staff here at Ars Technica.It is axiomatic that congressional Republicans will oppose anything smacking of “gun control,” which may as well be read as “ your mama.”
Thus, it comes as no surprise that President Obama’s announcement of executive actions to clarify and enhance federal gun laws prompted reflexive, hyperbolic responses from the right.
Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) said “Obama is obsessed with undermining the Second Amendment,” while Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.) averred, “We don’t beat the bad guys by taking away our guns. W e beat the bad guys by using our guns.”
Spoken like a true Canadian-born Texan who has been busy burnishing his “outsider” Outdoor Guy image. What’s next? Cruz drinking the warm blood of a freshly slain (unarmed) beast?
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (Wis.) criticized the president for a “dangerous level of executive overreach” and for circumventing congressional opposition — as though Congress has been working feverishly to reduce gun violence. Rather, Republicans focus their laser beams on Obama’s and the Democratic Party’s political motivations, shocking to none, and remind us that we already have enough gun laws.
During a speech on gun control from the White House Jan. 5, President Obama criticized the partisan nature of the debate surrounding gun control. (AP)
This may well be true, but couldn’t we stand to tweak them a bit? Or, perhaps, enforce them? And isn’t it possible to reduce the number of guns in the wrong hands without surrendering our Second Amendment rights or invoking the slippery slope of government confiscation?
Of course it is — and we can.
Obama made an artful and poignant counterargument to the usual objections Tuesday during a news conference at the White House. He reminded those gathered, including many who have lost family members to gun violence, that other people also have rights — the right to peaceable assembly and the right to practice their religion without being shot.
In fairness to the gun lobby, which may not deserve such charity, one can understand reservations about limiting access to guns. What is less easily understood is the refusal of Republicans to take the reins of any given issue and do something constructive rather than invariably waiting to be forced into the ignoble position of “no.”
It is one thing to be in the pocket of the National Rifle Association. It is another to do nothing and then assume a superior posture of purposeful neglect, as though do-nothingness were a policy and smug intransigence a philosophy.
The steps Obama is trying to take won’t save every life, but they seem minimally intrusive and could have significant effects. Summarizing briefly, he’s clarifying existing law and more tightly defining “gun dealer” in order to impose broader background checks; upgrading technology for improved information-sharing and safer guns; increasing relevant workforces to speed up background checks; and closing loopholes that have allowed criminals to buy guns online and elsewhere with a separate set of rules. Or no rules.
Giving the FBI more resources to modernize its system will help. So will giving $500 million to mental- health services aimed at keeping guns away from people determined to hurt themselves or others.
Requiring shippers to report stolen guns will also be helpful — and investing in smart -gun technology could be a game changer. As Obama said, tearing up at the mention of the Sandy Hook shooting that took the lives of 20 first-graders, if we can keep children from opening aspirin bottles, surely we can prevent their pulling the trigger on a gun.
As for expanding background checks, only the criminal or the suicidal object to waiting a day or two before taking home a gun. And if the government doesn’t complete the process within three days, seller and buyer can proceed anyway.
What concerns most people, meanwhile, are those weapons, especially semiautomatics with large magazines, whose only purpose is to kill people. Many argue that no current law could have prevented any of the mass shootings in recent years, but is this sufficient justification for doing nothing when doing something could make a difference we may never know about — the child who didn’t die because new technology prevented him from firing a pistol? The Islamic State-inspired terrorist who didn’t murder holiday revelers because he failed an online background check?
Obama’s actions won’t go unchallenged, needless to say. And much political hay will be threshed, bundled and sold to Republican primary voters in the meantime. But GOP voters should be as skeptical of those ringing the gong of doom as they have been of Obama. In a civilized society, more guns can’t be better than fewer.
Read more from Kathleen Parker’s archive, follow her on Twitter or find her on Facebook.The Acting Company has returned to the GuthrieTheater for a fourth midwinter run at Shakespeare. The new York-based troupe launched "Henry V" in 2008 and then followed with "Romeo and Juliet" and "The Comedy of Errors." This year, "Julius Caesar" gets a shakedown cruise before going on the road.
Director Rob Melrose's production is compact, brisk and contemporary -- perfect for touring. Using a wall of video projections, set designer Neil Patel has positioned this "Caesar" in 2012, complete with news telecasts and shots of the U.S. Capitol. Sound designer Cliff Caruthers thumps the point home with lots of bass and hip-hop over scene changes. The sleek suits in Candice Donnelly's costume scheme carry the air of modern power.
Melrose's staging lands in the middle ground of success -- a workmanlike and worthy introduction to the play. He and Ian Belknap, who directed last year's fine "Comedy of Errors" for the Acting Company, have trimmed the text judiciously; the action rarely lags. No one in the young cast is overmatched, and the language most often is expressed well.
If there is a contribution to our understanding of "Caesar," it is how well the personal bond between Caesar (Bjorn DuPaty) and Brutus (William Sturdivant) declares itself. This comes primarily in Sturdivant's performance. His Brutus feels the regret of his betrayal. In a play with such epic politics, this relationship sometimes gets lost.
Otherwise, nuance largely is overpowered by shouting, with little modulation, and key moments seem to be left unexplored. Does Caesar "show a troubled mind" after returning from the crowds? Is Casca's interpretation of Calpurnia's dream really so convincing that it persuades Caesar to come to the Senate on the Ides of March? Could Mark Antony's body language find more tenderness as he renders the fallen Brutus as "the noblest Roman of them all?" Zachary Fine brings a fulsome rage to Antony's funeral oration, but we miss the manipulative levers working in his mind, the subtle coaxing of his audience. DuPaty needs more charisma as Caesar, a man whose populist skills made him one of history's first rock-star warrior/politicians.
Sid Solomon, as Cassius, has the best grasp of the text, with a precise articulation. Kevin Orton makes Casca distinct with the veneer of an old Washington pol, although this characterization sometimes affects a scene's intentions.
For newcomers, this "Caesar" brings you the play with little unnecessary business and does so in two hours -- not an unworthy feat. If you wish for something transformative, look elsewhere.On this day — Herman Cain’s campaign continues and he blames the press for his difficulties; Romney struggles against Newt’s surge and tough questions; retail politicking may be a thing of the past; plus the rest of the day’s must reads in ‘The Clips’
—
Blame The Press
With his campaign under fire from allegations of a sexual relationship, Herman Cain blamed the media for his troubles in an interview with FOX News and said that the press is trying set up Newt Gingrich as the candidate so they can attack Gingrich’s personal life during the general election campaign; Politco has the highlights:
– He said accusers like Ginger White are coming forward to undermine him as a general election candidate, and said Democrats would prefer to run against Newt Gingrich: “I can only conjecture that maybe I am the Democrats’ worst nightmare if I win the nomination … Maybe the Democrats want Newt Gingrich to win the nomination, so they can then go after his personal life.”
Cain’s campaign held a conference call on Tuesday and later said that the candidate was re-evaluating his candidacy and promised more details in an Ohio speech scheduled for Thursday. Thursday came, he gave the speech but gave no indication that any reconsideration had taken place; National Journal reports:
“Stay inspired,” Cain told an enthusiastic audience of several hundred at a local hotel. “They want me to believe that we can’t do this. They want you to believe that with enough character assassination on me that I will drop out.” … “One of the reasons that they want to try to shoot me down and tear me down is because of the strength of my message that’s resonating with the American people,” Cain said. Repeating a line he uses to turn his sometimes-unpolished approach into a virtue, Cain added: “With me, you don’t have to worry about being politically correct.” Cain asked voters to be skeptical of campaign “disinformation” as he continues his quest for the White House. “Here’s what I need you to do to help me get there: Stay informed,” he said. “Stupid people are ruining America.”
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Romney on Defense
It appears that there was one thing that the Romney campaign hadn’t considered as a possible obstacle on the way to the nomination in the fall of 2011, the return of the once-politically dead Newt Gingrich; the Washington Post reports:
Once left for dead, the former House speaker has suddenly emerged as Romney’s most durable opponent yet — in part because he has performed well in the debates and, unlike the others, he is viewed by many in the Republican Party as a plausible president. For this unexpected turn in what has been a steady and sure campaign, the Romney team has no road map. With just five weeks until the Iowa caucuses, the former Massachusetts governor and his advisers are trying to figure out what to do. Will they stick to their tried-and-true playbook and hope Gingrich falls on his own, just like the others? Or will Romney engage Gingrich directly and aggressively, either through ads or in a pair of upcoming debates? “Is there enough time for Gingrich to self-destruct on his own before Jan. 3, or do you have to help it along? It’s a tough call,” said a GOP strategist who informally advises Romney’s campaign and, like other advisers interviewed, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal thinking.
– Romney’s snippy interview with FOX News’ Bret Baier doesn’t seem to be helping matters much either during a time when Romney’s campaign expected to be closing the deal; Politico reports:
Romney’s performance in the interview – his first sit-down with Baier and one of the few he’s granted at all to anyone this cycle – was fairly widely seen as less than great for the candidate. Romney supporters argue the bar is set unfairly high for him, and that may be so – but the problem is, frontrunners get the most slings, and the campaign’s decision to essentially shield him as far as the press is concerned has also raised the stakes on his performance in every interview he does.
—
The Immigration Duel
Gringich and Romney have been dueling over if either candidate supports “amnesty” for illegal aliens. While Romney has attempted to use the issue to put some distance between the conservative base that Gingrich is trying to attract and the former House speaker, the Washington Post found that there isn’t a significant difference between them:
In the past, Romney has taken positions that sound exceedingly close to those Gingrich has articulated during this campaign. Gingrich’s view is that, for someone who has been here many years — a quarter-century, he said — and who has put down roots in a community, there should be some system for moving to permanent legal status short of citizenship. Gingrich argues that, as a practical matter, it would not make sense to break up families and disrupt the lives of people who have integrated themselves fully into American society. Four years ago, on NBC’s “Meet The Press,” Romney said this: “My view is that those 12 million who’ve come here illegally should be given the opportunity to sign up to stay here, but they should not be given any advantage in becoming a permanent resident or citizen by virtue of simply coming here illegally.”
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The Clips
– The New York Times reports that retail politicking, which has been a mainstay in early primary states, could become a much less important role on the presidential campaign trail.
– The National Journal’s Reid Wilson writes that changing demographics could give President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign a much needed boost.
– The Washington Post reports that a tea party hero is expected to run for governor of Virginia.
– The Austin American-Statesman’s R.G. Ratcliffe reports that personal financial disclosures to run for federal office have finally given some insight into how much Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst is worth (the short answer: a lot).
– The San Antonio Express-News’ Sig Christenson reports that a Medal of Honor winner has taken defense contracting giant BAE Systems to court over an arms deal with Pakistan that he tried to stop.Eli Broad, the wealthy philanthropist who is about to open a major new museum in Los Angeles, is a billionaire straight from central casting. He is a self-made man in the quintessential American industry — home construction — who has also built and burned bridges all across this sprawling city. Ask around, and no one seems to like him, though many call him effective and all agree he is the city’s supremely influential cultural leader, a Tamburlaine of contemporary art. They admire his brilliance, covet his money, fear his power and lament his character, which is described as imperious, egomaniacal and relentless.
On Sunday, Broad and his wife, Edythe, will open the Broad, a $140 million museum that will store and display the Broad Collection, some 2,000 works, with a new one being added, on average, about once a week. Located next to Los Angeles’s iconic landmark of contemporary architecture, the Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Broad was designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the New York firm that created the High Line park and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston and that was slated to design the ill-fated and unrealized temporary “Bubble” space for the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington.
The juxtaposition is striking. Gehry’s Disney Hall is set at an angle to the street, and it shimmers, gleams and curves in all directions, while the Broad faces Grand Avenue squarely with a cool, white, boxlike form covered in what the architects call a “veil” of perforated glass-fiber reinforced concrete. But even more striking than the contrast with the Gehry building is the Broad’s subtle argument with much of recent museum design. The prevailing theology of many public buildings today, including too many museums, is about erasing the line between the city and the structure, so that one feels the excitement of urban energy ever present, even while looking at art. The most salient example is the new Whitney Museum in New York, which makes love to Manhattan so eagerly that one can’t help but gape at the city’s promiscuous ubiquity.
The Broad is more inward-looking and allows for a more contemplative experience. Perhaps without intending to do so, it recaptures some of the spiritual drama of the much-maligned monumental museums of yesteryear: Fundamental to any tour of the Broad is a long escalator ride from the lobby level to the square-acre expanse of open, column-free exhibition space on the third floor. This escalation performs much of the same function as the wide, monumental steps that front many of the museums built a century ago. It separates the visitor from the city and from his cares, cars and concerns; it is a narthex for the age of distraction, allowing the mind to rebirth itself into a state of greater focus and spiritual expectation.
Co-founders of The Broad, Eli and Edythe Broad, in the third-floor galleries. (Elizabeth Daniels /Courtesy of The Broad)
The escalator connects the two essential elements of the building. The “veil” is the exoskeleton, punctured by diagonal cuts and distended windows that look a bit like the webbed packing material that has mercifully replaced Styrofoam peanuts. At street level, the Grand Avenue corners of the veil lift up, recalling the shaved corner of the redesigned Juilliard School at Lincoln Center, another DS+R project. These triangular portals scoop in visitors from the street, who then discover the voluptuously non-Euclidean lobby, a space that feels both subterranean and monumental at the same time, like caverns measureless to man, or the underbelly of some enormous prehistoric mammal.
The undulating ceiling of the lobby is part of what the architects call “the vault.” The Broads have long conceived of their collection as a “lending library” of art, and they wanted that collection stored on site. Ordinarily, that would mean creating a lot of back-of-house space with a storage facility hidden from view.
“We decided to turn that liability into a protagonist,” says Elizabeth Diller, one of the founding partners of DS+R. So the vault became a separate structural element inside the enveloping veil, not just a place to store art, but also a kind of mushroom in a box, overhanging the lobby from a giant cantilever, with the third-floor exhibition hall on the mushroom’s cap.
“You are always in relation to it,” says Diller. “It hovers over you, you shoot through it, you snake back through it and you come back out underneath it.” The museum’s circulation pattern offers visitors glimpses into the vault’s storage space as well, with its sliding racks of art visible from the complex descending staircase that visitors follow after exploring the main gallery on the third floor.
All of this rests on a massive scaffolding that covers a three-floor parking structure. So it is a complex structure with dramatic but strikingly intuitive results. In some ways it recalls Gordon Bunshaft’s Beinecke Library at Yale, where the books are contained in a core glass-lined internal tower, surrounded by a dramatic translucent skin that mediates the light while shutting out the world. It also has affinities with the old Whitney Building, designed by Marcel Breuer, which dramatically invites the visitor to step out of the world so as to see the world, through art, with renewed vigor.
It isn’t, of course, a perfect building. A lecture hall on the second floor feels austere and charmless, and is, surprisingly, the only interior place where one can experience one of the most whimsical features of the building, an oculus that looks from the outside like a thumb print or tiny crater in the veil. But the oculus doesn’t make much sense from inside the lecture hall, which is tiny and dispiriting. And a round elevator, which gives access from the lobby to the third floor, terminates in a distracting glass case in the middle of the main exhibition space.
The Broad’s lobby with escalator. (Iwan Baan/Courtesy of The Broad and Diller Scofidio + Renfro)
The main problem, however, isn’t the building, but the Broad collection itself. More than 250 works are on display, and too many of them are the usual high-end trash. The volume of work chosen for the inaugural exhibition, on both the third floor and a smaller first-floor gallery that will eventually be used for temporary shows, is overwhelming. Partition walls clutter the third floor and obliterate its spatial drama. And too many of the works are so large, and importune the visitor so aggressively, that one feels hectored by hectares of art.
Even though the bad overwhelms the great, there are great works throughout, including a magnificent room devoted to Cy Twombly documenting the arc of his career, iconic Pop works of the 1960s, and compelling art by Ed Ruscha, John Baldessari and Jasper Johns. A room of Ellsworth Kelly is too constrained for the work to have impact, as is a giant piece by Robert Therrien, his 1994 “Under the Table,” which is a Brobdingnagian table and chairs stuffed into a Lilliputian gallery at one corner of the top floor.
Someone has taken care, here and there, to create smart moments amid the clangor, but Jeff Koons always wins. The first gallery encountered has large-scale but effective work by Julie Mehretu, El Anatsui and Mark Bradford, pieces that accentuate the drama of the exterior world you’ve left behind. Mehretu’s “Cairo” (from 2013), recalls the Freudian overlays of history and the unconscious that are the essence of the megalopolis lifestyle; Bradford’s “Corner of Desire and Piety” (2008) refers to the social failures of the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe and by extension the frailty and irrationality of the urban fabric; and the El Anatsui tapestry, “Red Black,” 2010, undulating on the wall, recalls the skin of the museum itself, woven of many pieces, with a curious declivity dramatizing its strength. But a large Jeff Koons piece is droning nearby, vitiating thought with its generic monotone of irony.
A few spaces for video offer relief, including Ragnar Kjartansson’s magnificent “The Visitors,” 2012, and a room devoted to William Kentridge. But video doesn’t seem to be an essential part of this first display; nor are there oases of smaller work or works on paper to modulate the experience. Big is the theme, and it’s exhausting.
So leave the building and lest anyone deprecate it too much — which is inevitable given the local swelling and indigestion that Broad’s name seems to cause in this town — stand at the corner of Grand Avenue and Second Street. Behind you is Gehry’s metal masterpiece; before you is an estimable refusal to be intimidated by it. And if you look down the north face of the building, the angle of the distended cuts in the veil seem to be absorbing the power of the bright blue sky, radiating it down to the ground, while along the Grand Street facade the same energies seem to flow up out of the sidewalk and back to the heavens. The veil has an energy of its own, a force field protecting a dramatic rarity: a space for art that respects the experience of looking and engagement, as a thing apart, and something worth leaving the world behind to do on its own terms.
The Broad, located at 221 S. Grand Ave. in Los Angeles, is scheduled to open to the public on Sept. 20. For more information visit www.thebroad.org.The Healy-Rae brothers are taking different stances on support for a minority Fine Gael |
other drivers whose attention is diverted by hand-held devices fueled a 45% spike in distracted driving charges last year, a growing trend despite some of North American’s toughest penalties for that in Ontario.
WORST INTERSECTION
Busy Wellington and Commissioners roads tops the hit parade, with more crashes than any other crossing in the city.
THE NUMBERS
Impaired driving charges
2013: 532
2012: 465
2011: 472
2010: 507
Distracted driving tickets:
2013: 1,680
2012: 1,160
Crashes
2013: 10,069
2012: 9,522
CRASHES
Up 6% last year, with more than 10,000 reported.
1. Wellington/Commissioners: 84
2. Richmond/Oxford: 78
3. Highbury/Oxford: 76
4. Highbury/Hamilton: 74
5. Adelaide/Oxford: 72
6. Exeter/Wellington: 68
7. Southdale/Wonderland: 65
8. Highbury/Huron: 64
9. Springbank/Wonderland: 62
10. Cheapside/Highbury: 61The Gallery
The Chemical Gallery will open some time in early May 2013. I am currently searching for venues. It will be free and open to the public. I hope for the gallery to be inviting to a wide range of ages and educational backgrounds. Science is something for everyone to enjoy!
Projects
There are many projects that will make up The Chemical Gallery. They are all described below.
Chemistry 101
Chemistry 101 is an interactive animation piece about the groups of the periodic table. Users select a group using buttons on a podium. The program then displays a short animation explaining the features of that group. This piece is already complete and will be on display in the gallery.
Sun, Supernovae, Synthetic
Sun Supernovae Synthetic will be a live action parody of a cooking show in which the host "cooks" elements. This video will explain how all of the elements were formed from hydrogen, first in stars, then in supernovae, then in particle colliders.
The Mole
This video will visualize how large a mole (6.022x10^23) is. It will show how large a mole of some everyday objects such as golf balls or oranges would be. Since that would be enormous they will be shown in comparison to the moon in the night sky.
Dance of the Fundamental Forces
This video will explain the behaviors of the four fundamental forces, gravity, electromagnetism, and the strong and weak nuclear force. This will be done by actors in solid colored outfits interacting with balls representing atoms and particles.
The Ancient Elements
This video will explain antiquated ideas of the elements using shadow puppets. It will explain the platonic elements and the chinese elements.
Parts of the Atom
This video will explain the parts of the atom from the nucleus all the way down to the quarks and leptons. This will be done with fluorescent props and white gloves under a blacklight. A voice over will explain the particles as a pair of disembodied hands move the props around.
Very Nearly Nothing
This video will explain the comparatively vast spaces within an atom. The distance between the nucleus and the outermost electron is huge compared to the size of the particles. This video will show a host traveling the radius of an atom scaled up large enough for the nucleus to be represented by an exercise ball.
Electronegativity Periodic Table
This piece will be a sculpture of a periodic table warped to show electronegativity as height, higher electronegativity will be shown by deeper pits and lower electronegativity will be higher areas so that a marble representing an electron will roll into the elements with the highest electronegativity.
Atomic Radii Rug
This felted floor rug will show the relative sizes of atoms. The rug will be made of many brightly colored concentric circles each labeled with the name of an element.
Solar System Wall Image
This piece will consist of 9 circular doors with the images of the planets and sun printed on them. When opened, the doors reveal pie charts of the chemical abundance of each object.
Human Body Wall Image
This piece will explain the chemical composition of the human body. A silhouette of a person will be surrounded by small doors. The doors will have chemical blocks from the periodic table on the outside and examples of how that chemical is used by the body on the inside.
Rewards
Periodic Table of Donors
Donors will be commemorated with a sculpture in the gallery. The Periodic Table of Donors will be made of engraved wooden plaques mounted on the wall. They will look something like this...
Any size donation qualifies you for the periodic table of donors. But the most generous donors will be placed on the highest position and if this project has more than 118 backers only the 118 highest donations will be displayed.
Postcard
For any size donation I will send you a signed promotional postcard from The Chemical Gallery
Button
For a $10 donation you will receive a button that will look something like this...
T-shirts
For a $20 donation you will receive a molecular model T-shirt. Pick your favorite chemical from the five options below. Include with your donation the size and design that you want.
Alcohol
Caffeine
Capsaicin
Nicotine
THC
DvD
One of the four big prizes you can choose for a donation of $50 or more is an interactive DvD copy of Chemistry 101. I've modified the interactivity of the original piece to work with a DvD menu.
Magnets
The next of the four big prizes you can choose for a donation of $50 or more is a complete set of periodic table refrigerator magnets. I've already made a set for myself. Here's what they look like.
True Name Periodic Table
Another of the four big prizes you can choose for a donation of $50 or more is a true name periodic table. It tells the etymological origin of each element's name. Here's what a small part of the poster looks like.
Poster Sample
Trading Cards
The last of the big prizes that you can choose for a donation of $50 or more is a pack of chemical trading cards loaded with information about the elements. Check out the example below.The Big Mac, if you once called it King, has been dethroned. In its place now sits Long Jong Silver’s Big Catch platter, newly crowned as the unhealthiest restaurant meal in America.
The dubious honor was handed out Tuesday by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a non-profit group that promotes nutrition and healthy eating. According to their report, the Big Catch clocks in at 1,320 calories, 33 grams of trans fat, and 3,700 milligrams of sodium. That's roughly two weeks-worth of fat. By comparison, the Big Mac could only muster a measly 750 calories.
CSPI are now demanding that Long John Silver’s suspend sales of the meal, as well as the use of unhealthy cooking oils in its recipes. They have also urged the FDA to revoke their approval of hydrogenated cooking oils. CSPI is threatening Long John Silver’s with legal action if they do not comply.
The report also claims that Long John Silver’s nutrition facts understate the actual amount of trans fat and sodium in its menu.
“We stand behind our published food data and will review any requests from CSPI that raise questions about our data,” said Long John spokesman Gary Gerdemann.We all know that creating the right culture is very important to your success as a company.
Office-based teams have the benefit of face to face contact, and the team can be offered a wide range of perks that can help engage and motivate these employees further.
However when your team is remote, at home, across town or across the world, there can be challenges to providing employee perks, yet it is not an impossible mission.
Whilst providing perks on their own do not make a great company culture, they certainly help improve the morale and engagement of your team. Providing specific perks that encourage professional development, improving health and creating a productive workspace means that you are creating a happier, healthier and more productive team.
Here are 10 fantastic ways to build a positive culture that I encourage you to consider, and help make work just that little bit better for your remote team.
Flexible hours
The reason many employees choose remote employment is for the flexibility in hours. Unless there is a specific customer-facing need to have your team work set hours, encourage them to work around other life commitments, such as taking children to school and the like.
For many roles, as long as the team member reaches a certain amount of hours per week, it really doesn’t matter what time of their day they do the work.
Book allowance
A great way to both encourage constant learning and increasing knowledge is to give your remote team access to a team book subscription account or an allowance each month or quarter to buy physical or electronic books.
See Hubstaff’s 5 Favorite Remote Working Books for a few great books worth reading.
Encourage social chat
If you are using a tool such as Slack or a video/audio team conference tool, perhaps set up a regular time for team members to chat about their week or month. This is a great time to also ask new employees to do a little talk about themselves; their hobbies, life and what makes them happy.
The more your team understand each other personally, the better the cohesion amongst the team; think of this is a ‘virtual watercooler’ in a sense.
Health club membership
Just because your remote team isn’t in one location doesn’t mean that you should care about their health. Offering a subsidy or full cost coverage of a health club or exercise classes is a great way to illustrate that you care about your team’s health.
For example, GitHub covers gym memberships for remote workers or fitness classes on site. They also offer meditation and massages.
Team retreats
A few times a year, Buffer gets their entire remote team together at a different location, to meet face to face. They cover all the expenses—flights, accommodation, most meals and fun activities. They have a great article on their blog about the motivations behind this, and why it works for them.
Whilst this is the most expensive suggestion in this list, it needn’t be so regular; perhaps an annual team gathering could be organized, and different team members get to host the team in their city or town.
Survey the team regularly
I may be biased, being the founder of 6Q employee survey software, however, I strongly believe that asking your team how they feel regularly goes a long way towards improving your culture. If you have a very small team, this could be informal and achieved by Slack or email, however, once you have a team larger than around 10 employees, having a more structured system in place is best.
There are plenty of systems out there, or you can use a free form builder, however, tools like ours allows you to track mood and sentiment over time, as well as encourage ongoing productive feedback cycles.
Co-working membership
It can get pretty lonely working on your own, even with all the options of communication available. Why not see if there is a co-working space near your remote employees home, that they can join and visit a day or two per week, to break the monotony of working from home.
For example, Automattic offers employees a home office and co-working allowance to ensure they all have the right environment for their work, no matter what the role.
Technology allowance
Remote employees tend to have their own equipment from the start, however giving them an opportunity to upgrade their working conditions can return better productivity and far more engaged remote team members.
For example, Formstack CEO, Chris Byers, says “We supply all of our employees with the tools they need to get their jobs done. All team members are provided a laptop and an electronics allowance.”
Positive recognition
Not everything needs to cost money. Sending regular messages of support and recognition is a great way to improve the engagement of your distributed team. This is also proven by science; the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology published a 2014 study, which found that gratitude increased self-esteem, which is an essential component to optimal performance.
This gratitude and recognition can be a simple emailed personal thank you from managers or the CEO. This can provide a much-needed boost of happiness, which in turn, can make a difference to productivity.
Training allowance
We want to ensure our employees are constantly learning, and avoiding skill decay (the problem with skills that deteriorate over time, as technology surpasses skills). A training allowance is a great way to both combat this and encourage everyone to continue learning.
At distributed employer, Chargify, they have an unlimited training allowance. “Every Chargify employee is encouraged to seek out learning resources. We don’t have strict guidelines around this — basically “spend whatever you think is reasonable” on educational resources. You can buy books, take online courses, subscribe to a video service, etc.” says Kate Harvey, Content & Search Marketing Manager at Chargify.
Final words
I encourage you to look at various ways to build culture through remote team perks such as the ones above or create your own based on your experience with what drives motivation with your team.
Choosing perks that directly tie into encouraging professional development, means that your employees avoid skill decay, a big issue, particularly in the technology space. Whilst activities such as offering a book allowance, team retreats, and a training allowance seem like you are being generous, you are actually subtly encouraging constant improvement.
Flexible hours, social chat, health club membership, employee surveys and a simple thank you encourages better health and happiness, which has been proven to improve productivity, profits and reduces employee turnover, a costly exercise for many businesses.
If you are looking for other suggestions, a great method is to literally ask your remote employees what would make their work lives better. You’ll be often surprised at what the responses are!
This is a guest post by Miles Burke.You’ve probably never been to McKissick Island. Actually, you’ve probably never heard of it. We take a trip to McKissick Island and explain why it may be the most geographically-challenged place in Nebraska.
McKissick Island (far right), on a map that hangs on the wall of the office of the Nemaha County clerk. (Photo by Mike Tobias, NET News). CLICK HERE for a Google Map of McKissick Island and the surrounding area. Maybe better known is the Iowa community that sits on the Nebraska side of the Missouri River. CLICK HERE to learn more about Carter lake, Iowa.
A shredded piece of a metal building flaps in a biting 20-degree wind. It’s the only sound you hear this day on McKissick Island, Nebraska. You don’t hear hundreds of ducks grazing on the remains of harvested corn. You don’t hear cars; on some roads you see a few tire tracks in the couple inches of snow that fell a week earlier, others are untraveled, the snow disturbed only by deer hooves. In the distance you see steam rising from a power plant just south of Nebraska City. It’s distant, on the other side of the Missouri River from McKissick Island. That’s right, McKissick Island is east of the Missouri River.
Clayton Lang lived on McKissick Island for most of his life. He now lives in Hamburg, Iowa, but still farms about 1,000 acres on McKissick Island. (Photo by Mike Tobias, NET News)
“A lot of people don’t understand what it is when you try to tell them,” says Clayton Lang, who farms on McKissick Island, where he grew up. “It’s Nebraska ground on the basically the wrong side of the river, surrounded by Missouri and you’ve got an Iowa address.”
Confused? Just south of Nebraska City, the main channel of the Missouri River used to take a thumb-shaped diversion to the east. In 1867, just a few months after Nebraska became a state, a flood changed the river’s channel, cutting off the thumb. That left McKissick Island – 5,000 acres, about eight square miles of Nebraska – on the other side of the river, surrounded by Missouri but just a mile or so from the southern border of Iowa and the nearest town, Hamburg, Iowa.
Still confused? Try living there. Lang tells a story about renewing his driver’s license.
“I give them my address, and they held me there because the lady didn’t know exactly what to say because I was getting a Nebraska drivers’ license and I had an Iowa address,” Lang recalled, “and she said, ‘I’ve never seen this before. So there’s got to be something wrong.’”
Mike Stenzel is the third generation of his family to farm on McKissick Island, where he lived as a child. (Photo by Mike Tobias, NET News)
“I remember one issue (when) I was in the service and I was in California,” said Mike Stenzel, another McKissick Island farmer who also grew up on the Island. “I called back and I got the operator, (who said) ‘Well, we don’t have a number for that.’ I said, ‘Well yes you do, try West Hamburg, Nebraska.’ That’s how we finally got through. It wasn’t Hamburg, Iowa, because our address was Hamburg, Iowa, I said, ‘You try West Hamburg, Nebraska, and see if that doesn’t go through.’”
Nemaha County, and a local farmer hired by the county, maintain 5 miles of gravel roads on McKissick Island. (Photo by Mike Tobias, NET News)
It also creates some challenges for local government. For example, Nemaha County takes care of five miles of roads, ditches and culverts on McKissick Island.
"Whenever we do go over there to do any work, we haul all our equipment over like the backhoe, motor graters, we drive them over," says Bob Hutton, a Nemaha County commissioner.
“It is more costly to go across the river,” said Joyce Oakley, Nemaha County clerk.
Costly because of the extra distance to get there and haul materials. Also, the trip through other states means additional Department of Transportation permits are needed for equipment.
“We had to make sure we had the correct DOT permits,” Oakley said.
Andrew Wagner, Clayton Lang's stepson, lived on McKissick Island for most of his 19 years. "I really miss living down there," Wagner says. (Photo by Mike Tobias, NET News)
The county also hires a local farmer for some of the work. About any government service you can imagine has been a little different on McKissick Island over the years. What schools kids go to and who pays for this. Where fire and rescue protection comes from. Andrew Wagner farms on the Island with Clayton Lang, his stepfather.
“We had a guy die, a farmhand, and he had a heart attack on the tractor,” recalled Andrew Wagner, who farms on the Island with his stepfather, Clayton Lang. “They called the ambulance. They didn’t know how to get down there, so finally they got down like an hour and a half, two hours later after this happened. The guy happened to pass away.”
Wagner said 911 service was fixed after that incident a decade or so ago. In general, it appears over time there have been solutions to challenges created by this geographic oddity. But it still begs the question, why not give or sell McKissick Island to Missouri?
“I don’t think so in my opinion,” Hutton said. “We get quite a bit of tax revenue off of it.”
About $185,000 for 2013, according to the Nemaha County assessor’s office. Nebraska lost some tax revenue and land to Missouri in 1999, when an act of Congress shifted a smaller piece of Nemaha County land from Nebraska to Missouri. But another act of Congress that same year and a century-old U.S. Supreme Court decision has guaranteed the Island’s permanent home.
“It’s just McKissick Island and it belongs to the State of Nebraska,” Hutton said.
Which takes us back to the flapping metal and abandoned feel of McKissick Island. There’s never really been a town, but at times there’s been a school, church, houses and as many as 30 families here. By 2011, Clayton Lang’s family were the only ones left. Then the Missouri River flooded.
Today, McKissick Island is littered with memories of the 2011 flood: damaged farm buildings and piles of debris. (Photo by Mike Tobias, NET News)
“I guess I was just one who just hung on as long as I could,” Lang said. “But this last time, it took the whole house and it just wasn’t feasible to rebuild just because you’re building in the flood plain.”
Floodwaters also shredded metal buildings, flattened grain bins and uprooted trees.
“It’s completely different,” Wagner said. “There are no trees. There are no buildings. It’s all barren.”
“You get disoriented sometimes going down the road because a lot of the landmarks aren’t there anymore,” Stenzel said. “The flood issue it took its toll on the buildings, and the trees and everything else. It’s all gone.”
Stenzel lives in Hamburg but still farms McKissick Island land. Same with Lang and his stepson. They talk with pride, and a little sadness, about this island that’s not really an island. About this odd, unique little piece of Nebraska on the wrong side of the river.
“It’s kind of a special place, you know,” Stenzel said. “There are no other places around close anyway that’s that unique.”
"I don’t think a lot of people realize that we have that many acres over across the river," Oakley added.
A Short History of McKissick Island
McKissick Island (also known as “McKissick’s Island”) is named for the McKissick family, who bought land in the area in the 1840s and is generally credited with helping found nearby Hamburg, Iowa. It’s believed the McKissick family left the area in 1861.
When Nebraska entered the union on March 1, 1867, the state’s official boundaries included the Island, which essentially was a thumb-shaped eastern extension of the main channel of the Missouri River. Four months later, a flood rerouted and straightened the main channel of the river, cutting-off McKissick Island.
In 1904, Missouri went to the U.S. Supreme Court claiming jurisdiction of McKissick Island, saying the border was legally the middle of the river. Nebraska filed its own suit, claiming borders were determined by surveyors at the time of statehood. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Nebraska, with Justice John Marshall Harlan saying, "The question is well settled at common law, that the person whose land is bounded by a stream of water, which changes its course gradually by alluvial formations, shall still hold by the same boundary, including the accumulated soil.” A survey in 1999 led to a Congressional resolution which reaffirmed the location of McKissick Island in Nebraska.
It is believed at its peak, in the early 1900s, about 30 families were living on McKissick Island. A log schoolhouse was built in 1881, replaced in 1903 by an improved structure for grades one through eight. The school closed in 1956. There was also a United Methodist Church, built in 1897.We started tracking yesterday the emerging meme that Obama’s restructuring of the defense budget amounts to being weak on defense. It’s an important early framing of the debate, driven by Republicans, and all too often adopted by media who should know better.
The meme is in full bloom this morning, with a chorus of Republicans equating the elimination of wasteful and obsolete weapons programs with being dovish — even as the money is reallocated to other defense priorities and the total defense budget increases.
But I don’t think anyone has gone quite as far as Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK):
While President Obama’s short changing of America’s Armed Forces is deeply disappointing, it is – unfortunately – not a surprise. Throughout his campaign and during his short tenure as President, he has made it clear that he believes his charm and eloquence are adequate substitutes for a strong military. That will not work. Whether President Obama knows it or not, President Bush’s foreign enemies were also America’s enemies. He cannot charm them out of their opposition to our country. The cuts announced today, however, take that naivete to a dangerous new level. I intend to do everything I can to make sure they do not actually occur.
Cole perfectly captures the strident, reactionary, and ultimately stale and unoriginal talking points coming from the GOP. We’ve been hearing this for so long, it’s almost a caricature of the right wing, still reading Tom Clancy and fighting the Soviets.A federal trial court ruled that Nevada can limit marriage to opposite-sex couples in a ruling made public hours before the Supreme Court is due to consider whether it will hear any of several cases addressing same-sex couples' marriage rights.
Judge Robert C. Jones, a George W. Bush appointee, found that the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of equal protection of the laws does not "[prohibit] the People of the State of Nevada from maintaining statutes that reserve the institution of civil marriage to one-man–one-woman relationships."
Jones ruled that a prior Supreme Court precedent — a 1972 case, Baker v. Nelson, that denied a same-sex couple's marriage claim as lacking any "substantial federal question" — controlled his decision. Even if not, he ruled that the "exclusion of same-sex couples from the institution of civil marriage" was constitutional "[b]ecause the maintenance of the traditional institution of civil marriage as between one man and one woman is a legitimate state interest."
In reaching his decision, Jones found that a classification like Nevada's marriage law, which distinguishes between heterosexual and homosexual people (his analysis did not address bisexuality), should not be viewed with additional scrutiny, as are laws that distinguish based on sex or race. The analysis, made as part of challenges claiming a violation of the Constitution's equal protection guarantees, asks whether the group claiming discrimination under the law has experienced a history of discrimination and continues to face levels of political powerlessness.
In these areas, Jones found — contrary to a recent decision by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals — that gay and lesbian people did not exhibit the characteristics necessary for additional protection.
"Homosexuals have not historically been denied the right to vote, the right to serve on juries, or the right to own property," he wrote, in dismissing claims of a history of discrimination. Noting recent ballot successes on marriage issues, Jones wrote, "It simply cannot be seriously maintained, in light of these and other recent democratic victories, that homosexuals do not have the ability to protect themselves from discrimination through democratic processes such that extraordinary protection from majoritarian processes is appropriate."
Once Jones decided that "rational basis," the lowest type of scrutiny, would be applied to Nevada's prohibition on allowing same-sex couples to marry, he quickly found several reasons for upholding the differential treatment.
"The protection of the traditional institution of marriage, which is a conceivable basis for the distinction drawn in this case, is a legitimate state interest," he began, adding that if the state recognized same-sex couples' marriages, "it is conceivable that a meaningful percentage of heterosexual persons would cease to value the civil institution as highly as they previously had and hence enter into it less frequently... because they no longer wish to be associated with the civil institution as redefined."
Notably, Jones began his opinion by looking at the nature of the distinction drawn by Nevada itself.
"Homosexual persons may marry in Nevada, but like heterosexual persons, they may not marry members of the same sex. That is, a homosexual man may marry anyone a heterosexual man may marry, and a homosexual woman may marry anyone a heterosexual woman may marry," he wrote. "Although the State appears to have drawn no distinction at all at first glance, and although the distinction drawn by the State could be characterized as gender-based... the Court finds that for the purposes of an equal protection challenge, the distinction is definitely sexual-orientation based."
The case was brought by Lambda Legal, whose lead attorney on the case, Tara Borelli, said in a statement, "We will appeal and continue to fight for these loving couples, who are harmed by Nevada's law barring marriage for same-sex couples. By forbidding same-sex couples' access to marriage, the State brands them and their children as second-class citizens."
Their appeal will be to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.Capitals, Wizards owner Ted Leonsis. Photo/Image: Noel St. John Photo Gallery NPC Luncheon: Ted Leonsis
For frustrated Washington sports fans who haven’t experienced a championship by one of the city’s professional sports franchises in two decades, an end to the long drought may be in sight, Washington Capitals principal owner Ted Leonsis told a National Press Club Luncheon July 13.
Although he stopped short of predicting a championship next season, “our belief is that if we continue to make the playoffs, one of these days it’ll be us” who wins the Stanley Cup, hockey’s ultimate prize, Leonsis said.
In each of the last two seasons, the Capitals made the National Hockey League playoffs but were eliminated early despite winning division titles.
“We’ll get there one day," he said.
Leonsis, majority owner of the Washington Wizards and Mystics professional basketball teams, in his third Club appearance devoted most of his remarks to the Capitals. He rejected questions about the Wizards, which he acquired only in recent months, because of an NBA ban on owners discussing their teams during the league’s current labor negotiations with the player’s union.
In his only comment about the Wizards, he said his strategy for reversing its recent struggles is the same as is with the Capitals: “Hoard young draft picks and prospects.”
As for the Capitals, “we’re not happy we haven’t had playoff success,” Leonsis said. But he expressed optimism over the future because of the team’s influx of talented young players, who are gaining experience together. Recent acquisitions of five free agents, he said, bolster the outlook for next year.
In his formal remarks, Leonsis emphasized the importance of sports teams as one of five institutions, including universities, public space, iconic real estate and media, “ that define what a city is about.”
“If we can one day win a championship, we can bring the community together. It is a huge responsibility that I really take seriously," he said.
Leonsis, a former 13-year senior executive at AOL, opened his remarks by urging journalists not to be discouraged by criticism, contraction and negative headlines. At a moment in history when local, mobile, social and real-time media are attracting venture capital, “it is an interesting time to be in the media,” he stressed. “This is the greatest time to be in the industry in which you are participating.”
An active blogger and e-mail correspondent with fans, Leonsis noted to journalists that “I am now part of what you do – we are in it [the media world] together.”In 2008, I was still suffering from Republican representation, so I volunteered for Jeff Merkley’s Senate campaign, helped oust goose-stepping Gordon Smith, and now enjoy 100% representation by progressive Democrats. Yesterday I received a form email from Jeff, with a petition to end the war in Afghanistan and request to spread it around. I am proud to do so.
Dear Tom,
Nearly ten years ago, America went to war in Afghanistan to destroy the safe havens of the terrorist organization that attacked us on September 11th and bring the perpetrators to justice. We succeeded.
Now it’s time to end that war.
In July, President Obama is scheduled to begin a troop withdrawal, but he hasn’t said whether that will be a token change, or a real change in policy. Join me, the Council for a Livable World, and thousands of your fellow citizens and tell the President that we want a significant troop withdrawal in July to start ending our war in Afghanistan.
We have accomplished our goals in Afghanistan. According to leading military experts, al Qaeda has fewer than 100 operatives there. And its leader, Osama Bin Laden, was killed just a few short weeks ago in a brave attack by dedicated American military personnel.
A prolonged, expensive nation-building undertaking in Afghanistan doesn’t make us safer. It is telling that Bin Laden was found in Pakistan, not Afghanistan. Terrorist groups are no longer bound to nations and neither should be our efforts to stop them.
I’m sending a letter from a group of Senators to the President to tell him that we think America can’t afford nation building in a place riddled with corruption, divided by ancient conflicts, and where the government isn’t a reliable partner. We’ve got plenty of nation building to do here at home.
If you agree, please visit LivableWorld.org to add your voice urging the President to begin bringing American troops home in July.
Our men and women in uniform bravely and skillfully undertake any mission we set out for them. They can and will keep after terrorists wherever they may be, but that doesn’t require us pouring American blood or hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars into Afghanistan indefinitely.
I have asked President Barack Obama to stick with a schedule that starts bringing our troops home this summer and ends our involvement in Afghanistan responsibly by 2014. I hope you will join me in this effort.
Ten years is more than long enough – let’s bring our troops home.
Thanks for your support,
Jeff MerkleyLast week I happened to stumble across several unopened packs of cards from 1982’s The Dark Crystal at a local Anime store, I went in expecting to find My Neighbor Totoro items…not dreaming I would find some 31 year old retro treasure!
The packaging as you can see in the image above is in pretty good shape and I made sure to check it over just in case this was a reprinting that I hadn’t come across before. It certainly appeared to be legit and the price tag on just one pack was five bucks so I decided to take the chance.
So this afternoon it was with all of the pomp and circumstance usually reserved for the excavation of a lost tomb or ruin that I carefully opened a pack of cards that had waited 31 years to fall into a Jim Henson fan’s hands and to be shared with all of you.Chapter 3
Rekindling
Blake awoke to nausea and a pounding in her head. She tried to open her eyelids, but either they were too heavy or she'd somehow lost her vision in the night. Her first instinct told her this must be a hangover, and one that even put the morning after Yang's birthday celebration to shame. Every inch of her body ached, and she was dully aware of warm, heavy breathing on the back of her neck.
She immediately tensed up as every instinct told her she was vulnerable and in danger, but the fear driven by her skittish nature was slowly replaced by butterflies in her stomach.
Even if she couldn't see, Blake knew her face must've been scarlet, and groaned inwardly as waking up with someone in her bed definitely hadn't been the plan even if she and Sun were technically still letting each other see other people, and briefly she wondered what state the other girls must've been in to let her bring a boy back to the room. Ruby would probably just giggle at the two of them, but Weiss wouldn't appreciate having slept in the same room as the opposite sex, and would demand that he leave before he saw her nightgown and got a peek at her upper thigh. Yang, of course, would've allowed it, definitely would've encouraged it, and more than likely would've suggested they share while wearing that crooked grin of her's that always left everyone guessing whether she was being serious or not.
Deciding nothing could be done at this point, mostly because she'd probably die if she tried to get up, Blake shifted her position to get more comfortable when she froze. This wasn't her bed, nor was it any of her roommates'.
In team RWBY's 'official handbook' that'd been written in red crayon by its illustrious leader, and co-authored by her near illiterate sister, certain articles had been included during the first team meeting that ensured that no girl ever went home with a boy if they were skunk-faunus drunk. They would keep an eye on each other and make sure they all made it home safely, and awoke with mustaches drawn on their faces. Some friends they were...
Blake attempted to flare her aura to help fight the hangover like her partner had taught her, but it was as though her powers had been completely drained.
'Looks like you wasted all your strength last night, Blakey,' said an obnoxiously cheerful voice in her head. 'Must've been having my kind of fun all night long to be this sore.'
"Shut up, Yang," she grunted reflexively.
She ran a hand over her body self-consciously. They were under thick blankets, which was good she supposed, and she wasn't naked, thank God. But she also wasn't wearing one of her yukatas. Instead, she was in a loose pair of boy shorts and a tank top, which were obviously meant for a girl with wider hips and larger-
*gulp*
'Girl?'
She found herself feeling more wryly annoyed with herself than upset, and found solace that at least she didn't have to worry about any surprises in the coming days. And who knew? She couldn't remember anything from the previous night, so perhaps nothing happened at all. Maybe the stranger had just been kind in offering to share her bed and a pair of her pajamas. And maybe Beowolves could fly...
Slowly, she opened her eyes and glanced over her shoulder to see who she was sharing a bed with, or more precisely she realized, a couch.
'Couldn't make it to the bed could ya, Tiger?'
Once the blurry objects went away and her sight adjusted to the dark, Blake realized she was staring into lilac.
"Morning," yawned someone buried under a blonde mane. "Was I talking in my sleep again?"
"You..." she snarled accusingly. "I should've known. It was always going to be you wasn't it? You just couldn't help yourself could you?"
"Oh, hey, Blake. Fancy meeting you here huh?" The other girl casually parted her hair to the side as though nothing was out of the ordinary, which for her was entirely possible. "Have a good night sleep?"
"Uh, I'm never drinking again," she swore to herself, which caused the other girl to snort. "Yang, is that your hand? Actually, why do I even bother..."
"Heh, would it make you feel better if I said I sadly can't feel your Bellabooty right now?"
The amber colored glare answered her question.
"You're no fun," Yang pouted. "Want me to move it?"
"Would you mind?"
"Yes actually. I usually have to sleep with it in a sling, and it's comfortable where it's at."
Her teasing was lighthearted, but |
committed this cowardly act and we urge the offender, or anyone with information, to come forward.
"We know a number of people would have seen the offender.
"Police staff work tirelessly every day to keep our community safe and violent acts like this against our officers are unacceptable.
"The officer has been discharged from hospital today and will continue to receive support while she recovers at home," Honan said.
Ōtāhuhu town centre was heaving with fans after Mate Ma'a Tonga snuck a 24-22 victory against Lebanon in Christchurch.
There had been a large police presence in the area after riots resulted in the arrests of 53 people last weekend.
One person had been arrested in south Auckland during Saturday night's celebrations as of 10pm.
In Christchurch there were no incidents of concern and no arrests.
One person was evicted from AMI Stadium for intoxication, but the level of alcohol consumption was low, Canterbury District Metro Area Commander Superintendent Lane Todd said.
The assault follows a security guard being king-hit outside the Tonga vs Samoa game in Hamilton earlier this month.
In the other quarter final, New Zealand experienced its worst ever defeat, losing to Fiji 4-2 in Wellington.We look at what other landmarks are in the reach of Pep Guardiola's team
Manchester City's title quest continued its relentless pace with a 2-0 win at Leicester City that extended their record for the best start to a Premier League season.
With a trip to Huddersfield Town next up, on Sunday, we look at what other Premier League records are in danger from Pep Guardiola’s team over the next month or so.
Most consecutive wins in a season – 13
The win over Leicester was Man City’s 10th in a row in the league. They are three off the record of 13 consecutive wins in the same campaign, held jointly by Arsenal (2001/02) and Chelsea (2016/17).
They would equal the record by beating Huddersfield (A), Southampton (H) and West Ham United (H).
Most consecutive wins – 14
If Man City do win their next three matches, a Manchester derby at Old Trafford will afford them the chance to beat the mark above and equal Arsenal’s overall record of 14 consecutive league victories, achieved between February and August 2002.
Three points at Old Trafford would then mean that beating Swansea City at Liberty Stadium on 13 December would set a new mark of 15.
Most consecutive away wins – 11
The victory at King Power Stadium was Man City’s seventh in a row on the road, having won all six of this campaign after a 5-0 win at Watford on the final day of last season.
If they claim victories at John Smith’s Stadium, Old Trafford and Liberty Stadium, three points at Newcastle United on 27 December would equal the 11 consecutive away wins set by Chelsea between April and December 2008. It would also set them up for beating the record at Crystal Palace four days later.
Most wins
The mark of 30 wins in a season, which champions Chelsea set last term, is attainable, as are several other more longer term marks held by the Blues.
Having been held by Everton at home in Matchweek 2, City need to win all their remaining matches at Etihad Stadium to equal the record of 18 home wins in a season. That is held jointly by Chelsea (2005/06), Manchester United (2010/11) and Man City themselves in (2011/12).
Most away wins
The record for the most away wins in a season is 15, set by Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea in 2004/05.
If Man City's form of 12 matches was extended through to the season’s end, Chelsea’s records for most goals and points in a season would fall too.
Most goals
Carlo Ancelotti’s team scored 103 goals in 2009/10 but Man City’s 40 goals after 12 matches puts them on course for more than 126.
Most points
Mourinho’s 2004/05 vintage racked up a record 95 points on their way to the title but City’s 34 would, extrapolated over a season, total more than 107.
Terriers test
But a busy set of fixtures over the next few weeks are set to test City, starting with the trip to a Huddersfield side who have already shocked one Manchester club this season. The Terriers ended United’s unbeaten start to the season with a 2-1 win in Matchweek 9 last month.
A Manchester double would be all the more stunning for David Wagner’s team and preserve a few records held dear by fans in London.Now let's blow this thing and go home! Perfect for fans of Star Wars and soccer
Soccer ball, football, whatever you want to call it
Limited quantities - once they're gone, they're gone forever
One of our merchants somehow managed to wrangle a pallet of exclusive merchandise from Star Wars Celebration Europe II (2013). It's probably best if we don't ask questions. Each item is extremely limited quantity, so snag 'em now before they're gone forever!
A few years back, we threw together a basketball that looks like the Death Star to use as a photo prop for our Stormtrooper Basketball Jersey. Customers told us they wanted the ball more than the jersey. So imagine our glee when we saw that one of the items from Celebration Europe II was an officially-licensed Death Star Soccer Ball. The battle station's distinctive surface pattern adorns the hexagons and pentagons of this football's surface.
Product SpecificationsWith two trilogies of films based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth books behind him, Peter Jackson has had plenty of experience crafting the world for the big screen. But, in a new DVD extra from the third The Hobbit film, Jackson reveals how trying a process bringing that second trilogy to life was.
An extra on the The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies DVD takes an honest and open look at the production of the entire The Hobbit trilogy and the problems they faced when Jackson took over the films from Guillermo del Toro.
“Because Guillermo Del Toro had to leave and I jumped in and took over, we didn’t wind the clock back a year and a half and give me a year and a half prep to design the movie, which was different to what he was doing,” Jackson says in the extra.
There had been years of preparation with del Toro, but Jackson obviously had a different vision for the film, which had to be fit into a truncated pre-production process and often in the midst of shooting. “…As a result of it being impossible, I just started shooting the movie with most of it not prepped at all,” Jackson explains, referencing the small time period between the start of production between The Hobbit and The Adventures of Tintin, in addition to Jackson falling ill for a number of weeks.
“If I was a director that hadn’t had that 25 years of experience doing this in the past, it would have just been almost impossible,” Jackson says. “We would just tell the crew to take an extended lunch for an hour or so because I wanted to just get my head completely clear and plot it through. I spent so much of The Hobbit feeling like I was not on top of it.”
The Battle of the Five Armies is now available on DVD and Blu-ray.First thing’s first: Teflon, one of the most famous and widely used non-stick coatings in cookware, was not invented by NASA. It also, for the record, does not cause cancer or any other measurably health problems when small molecules fleck off into your food. Still, the substance PTFE (called Teflon for some products) does stop food from sticking to the surface of a super-heated slab of metal — pretty impressive. Just a thin sheet of PTFE over aluminum can let us sear meat or fiber or noodles without those foods chemically fusing to the source of heat. That means we get tastier food with (hopefully) less need for added fats.
That’s actually a good place to start, with oil. Take just about any substance, a slab of untreated iron for instance, and slather it in oil to make it temporarily non-stick. This is because the oil comes to coat the heating surface on the molecular level, forming a fatty barrier that stops the food from directly contacting the metal. If it does, chemical bonding can occur with the food, and you’ll probably leave the bottom layer of your food on the pan when you go to lift it out. Repeated oiling of a cooking surface will lead to the formation of a patina, a thick and viscous layer of reacted oil that comes to coat the metal with high resiliency.
That’s how cast-iron and other untreated metal cookware works, by forming a thick patina of oil. Incidentally, iron makes such a good cooking surface partly because its density gives it high heat capacity, but also because it expands slightly as it heats. This expansion opens and enlarges the valleys in the surface of the pan and allows oil to flow inside — when the pan then cools and shrinks back down, this oil is trapped deep within the structure of the metal. This makes a well-maintained cast iron pan very non-stick indeed.
More technically advanced non-stick coatings have sought to replicate this age-old functionality without the downsides — an incredibly heavy pan, a fragile non-stick coating vulnerable to soaps and acidic liquids, and the need to constantly add fatty oils to every meal. PTFE managed this fairly well (though it’s quite easily scratch off itself) but works by an entirely different method than cooking oil: hydrophobicity. The strong carbon-fluoride bonds are too strong to be beaten out by some measly carbon-food bond, and so they stay perfectly intact even when heated to very high temperatures. Additionally, Teflon is a very hydrophobic substance, which means it repels water — and virtually all of our foodstuffs are mostly water, by weight.
There are other synthetic non-stick coatings besides PTFE, but they all basically follow the same logic: create a durable metal coating with a chemical that will retain its chemical integrity even when violently heated. The main reason PTFE has been so successful within this sphere is that we’ve come up with a handy way of getting it to stick to cookware materials (notably aluminum) and because it’s been proven health-safe by years of testing.
There’s a place for both patina- and synthetically-based coating in any kitchen, as each has its own advantages and disadvantages. But non-stick cookware has put a whole range of recipes within the grasp of home cooks working on just about any budget. They allow healthier cooking, too –though fat is not necessarily the enemy of nutrition. And many oils (not the least of which being melted butter!) bring with them a lot of flavor and nutrition all their own.“Skinny, skinny, skinny,” said Dave Fothergill, a director of the agency of the moment, Red Model Management. “Everybody’s shrinking themselves.”
This was abundantly clear in the castings of models for New York shows by Duckie Brown, Thom Browne, Patrik Ervell, Robert Geller and Marc by Marc Jacobs, where models like Stas Svetlichnyy of Russia typified the new norm. Mr. Svetlichnyy’s top weight, he said last week, is about 145 pounds. He is 6 feet tall with a 28-inch waist.
“Designers like the skinny guy,” he said backstage last Friday at the Duckie Brown show. “It looks good in the clothes and that’s the main thing. That’s just the way it is now.”
Even in Milan last month at shows like Dolce & Gabbana and Dsquared, where the castings traditionally ran to beefcake types, the models were leaner and less muscled, more light-bodied. Just as tellingly, Dolce & Gabbana’s look-book for spring 2008 (a catalog of the complete collection) featured not the male models the label has traditionally favored — industry stars like Chad White and Tyson Ballou, who have movie star looks and porn star physiques — but men who look as if they have never seen the inside of a gym.
“The look is different from when I started in the business eight years ago,” Mr. Ballou said last week during a photo shoot at the Milk Studios in lower Manhattan. In many of the model castings, which tend to be dominated by a handful of people, the body style that now dominates is the one Charles Atlas made a career out of trying to improve.
“The first thing I did when I moved to New York was immediately start going to the gym,” the designer John Bartlett said. That was in the long-ago 1980s. But the idea of bulking up now seems retro when musicians and taste arbiters like Devendra Banhart boast of having starved themselves in order to look good in clothes.
“The eye has changed,” Mr. Bartlett said. “Clothes now are tighter and tighter. Guys are younger and younger. Everyone is influenced by what Europe shows.”
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What Europe (which is to say influential designers like Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons at Jil Sander) shows are men as tall as Tom Brady but who wear a size 38 suit.
“There are designers that lead the way,” said James Scully, a seasoned casting agent best known for the numerous modeling discoveries he made when he worked at Gucci under Tom Ford. “Everyone looks to Miuccia Prada for the standard the way they used to look at Hedi Slimane. Once the Hedi Slimanization got started, all anyone wanted to cast was the scrawny kid who looked like he got sand kicked in his face. The big, great looking models just stopped going to Europe. They knew they’d never get cast.”
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For starters, they knew that they would never fit into designers’ samples. “When I started out in the magazine business in 1994, the sample size was an Italian 50,” said Long Nguyen of Flaunt magazine, referring to a size equivalent to a snug 40-regular.
“That was an appropriate size for a normal 6-foot male,” Mr. Nguyen said. Yet just six years later — coincidentally at about the time Mr. Slimane left his job as the men’s wear designer at YSL for Dior Homme — the typical sample size had dwindled to 48. Now it is 46.
“At that point you might as well save money and just go over to the boy’s department,” Mr. Nguyen said from his seat in the front row of the Benjamin Cho show, which was jammed as usual with a selection of reedy boys in Buffalo plaid jackets and stovepipe jeans, the same types that fill Brooklyn clubs like Sugarland. “I’m not really sure if designers are making clothes smaller or if people are smaller now,” Mr Nguyen said.
According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Americans are taller and much heavier today than 40 years ago. The report, released in 2002, showed that the average height of adult American men has increased to 5-9 ½ in 2002 from just over 5-8 in 1960. The average weight of the same adult man had risen dramatically, to 191 pounds from 166.3.
Nowadays a model that weighed in at 191 pounds, no matter how handsome, would be turned away from most agencies or else sent to a fat farm.
Far from inspiring a spate of industry breast-beating, as occurred after the international news media got hold of the deaths of two young female models who died from eating disorders, the trend favoring very skinny male models has been accepted as a matter or course.
“I personally think that it’s the consumer that’s doing this, and fashion is just responding,” said Kelly Cutrone, the founder of People’s Revolution, a fashion branding and production company. “No one wants a beautiful women or a beautiful man anymore.”
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In terms of image, the current preference is for beauty that is not fully evolved. “People are afraid to look over 21 or make any statement of what it means to be adult,” Ms. Cutrone said.
George Brown, a booking agent at Red Model Management, said: “When I get that random phone call from a boy who says, ‘I’m 6-foot-1 and I’m calling from Kansas,’ I immediately ask, ‘What do you weigh?’ If they say 188 or 190, I know we can’t use him. Our guys are 155 pounds at that height.”
Their waists, like that of Mr. Svetlichnyy, measure 28 or 30 inches. They have, ideally, long necks, pencil thighs, narrow shoulders and chests no more than 35.5 inches in circumference, Mr. Brown said. “It’s client driven,” he added. “That’s just the size that blue-chip designers and high-end editorials want.”
For Patrik Ervell’s show on Saturday, the casting brief called for new faces and men whose bodies were suited to a scarecrow silhouette. “We had to measure their thighs,” Mr. Brown said.
For models like Demián Tkach, a 26-year-old Argentine who was recently discovered by the photographer Bruce Weber, the tightening tape measure may cut off a career.
Mr. Tkach said that when he came here from Mexico, where he had been working: “My agency asked me to lose some muscle. I lost a little bit to help them, because I understand the designers are not looking for a male image anymore. They’re looking for some kind of androgyne.”Monitoring the environmental impacts of industry is a core function of government, and the vital work should be the responsibility not of an arm's-length agency but of the province itself, says Alberta Environment Minister Shannon Phillips.
The minister announced Tuesday the government will disband the Alberta Environmental Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Agency, created two years ago under the Conservatives.
Under the new system, the province will retain AEMERA's independent scientific review panel, but that panel, now headed by a chief scientist, will report directly to the department.
The panel will advise the chief scientist about what to monitor and how often to do so, and will report on its performance.
"In the past there have been questions about the credibility and transparency of this work," Phillips said. "Environmental monitoring will now take its place alongside public safety and public health as part of the core business of government."
Outsourcing the work created duplication and wasted money, said Phillips, who had some harsh words for the Tory government her party replaced last spring.
"Certainly, the previous government, there were many instances in which they didn't take these matters seriously at all," she said. "Which led, in many ways, to the tarnishing of our international reputation."
The announcement came hours after a review called AEMERA a "failed experiment" and said its work should be rolled back into the government.
The report said AEMERA was needlessly expensive, poorly co-ordinated and split by bureaucratic infighting.
"It is hard to escape the conclusion that AEMERA is a failed experiment in outsourcing a core responsibility of government to an arm's-length body," wrote report author Paul Boothe, director of the Lawrence National Centre for Policy and Management at Western University's Ivey School of Business.
"Three years and tens of millions of dollars later, the results are an organization that is still struggling to get established, dysfunctional relationships with its two key partners... and a failure of all three parties to realize the promise of the... plan to bring critically needed, world-class environmental monitoring to Alberta's oilsands."
New structure met with support
The agency was founded in 2012 after years of criticism about how Alberta was keeping track of the environmental impacts of the then-rapidly expanding oilsands.
The plan was to bring provincial scientists together with resources from Environment Canada to jointly co-ordinate the study of how the industry was affecting the region's air, land and water.
The Wildrose supports the government's move to dissolve the agency and bring environmental monitoring in-house again.
"I think what we want most is world class environmental monitoring," said Todd Loewen, environment critic for the Wildrose.
Liberal leader David Swann said he will have to wait and see whether the NDP is able to provide better transparency than the previous government.
"In the past government there was no credibility about what the government was doing in-house," Swann said. "It remains to be seen now whether this government will provide the credibility in-house."
PC leader Ric McIver, whose party created AEMERA, said during question period at the legislature that industry should not have to put money toward monitoring that is no longer arms-length.
"This is taxation without representation," he said.
Industry pays $50 million to the agency, while the province contributes another $28 million to fund the expansion of environmental monitoring across the province.
Phillips said that will not change under the new structure.
'Bureaucratic infighting'
The agency's research plans have been hailed as a dramatic improvement and numerous scientific papers have been published from its work. But Boothe, a former Environment Canada deputy minister, said the organization itself never gelled.
Boothe's report points out the funding agreement between government and industry expired a year ago and has never been renewed, "in part because of AEMERA's unwillingness to accept (Environment Canada) as an equal partner in oilsands monitoring."
How the agency was supposed to work with the provincial Environment Department and who it was accountable to was never made clear, he wrote.
The transfer of provincial scientists to the agency made it hard for the government to fulfil its other environmental responsibilities. The agency's reluctance to allow for a federal role restricted its use of Environment Canada resources.
Andrew Read, a policy analyst from the Pembina Institute, said even though AEMERA was considered arms-length, there was still political interference.
"Some of our concerns at the onset of AMERA was that there was still a check with the environment minister for the release of any environmental information," Read said. "That will not be the case in the future and that is a positive step."
A steep price
It also cost more than it should.
"In part, the higher costs come because its governance and administrative structures duplicate structures that already exist, at lower cost, in the public sector," wrote Boothe. "In addition, costs are higher because AEMERA has chosen private rather than public sector salary and benefit comparators."
Boothe outlined several options for Alberta Environment Minister Shannon Phillips. But his preferred path is to return the agency's work to her department with clear lines of accountability to the minister.
"This option has the benefit of consolidating scarce scientific expertise in one location in Alberta," he wrote. "The administrative structure of this option is likely to be the least costly to operate."
His concerns were presaged in February by a scientific peer review, which found the agency's work was poorly focused and co-ordinated. The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers also expressed concerns about the need for more integration, analysis and coherence.
Boothe concluded the agency failed because it was based on a false belief that the public didn't trust Alberta's environmental monitoring because it was done by government. Instead, he said, the public didn't trust it because it was bad monitoring.
The new monitoring structure will be in place by summer 2016. The auditor general will review how it's working within two years.The 2016 Pre Season is underway and while it's too early to make any large judgments and assessments on what the season bodes for the team and what the players will be like, there were still a few interesting things that showed up from the first game. Here are just a few thoughts about what I saw and some items to keep watching as the preseason unfolds.
1. Running Game
It's an evaluation time, not just for players but also for plays. Bill Musgrave has had all offseason to review tape and think about what he wants to implement this year. In practice, there are times to practice plays, but to really see if they will work, the team needs to run them against live opponents.
Starters or backups, the OL were on the move. Musgrave had each line position pulling at some point in the game, either tackle, either guard, and the center. And he introduced some new plays and added some wrinkles to existing plays.
One in particular stood out, a weakside run with a designed cutback.
The backside blockers kick out and the backside TE angles down to seal the LB. The defense flows towards the initial run gap and the runner cuts back into a wide open lane. It takes advantage of (over) aggressive defenses that attack the run and creates a large natural running lane.
Interestingly, it may force defenders to be less aggressive and may lead to some playside holes.
The Raiders ran it three times on the night and it was successful each time. Latavius Murray ran it for 11 and Jamize ran it for 5. Then on the Raiders' final offensive play of the night, George Atkinson III made a spectacular 35 yard TD run; yup, on this same play.
Watch for it and see if it continues to be effective.
A side note : Murray may have heard all the criticisms of his running style. On a couple of instances, he lowered his shoulder into a defender and fell forward. Watch for this going forward. Maybe he can be a bruising, power back after all.
An interesting note: Of 21 running plays only 4 of them were from shotgun. The breakdown was like this :
Shotgun : 4 rushes, 11 yards, 2.8 avg
Under Center : 17 rushes, 155 yards, 9.1 avg
Again, it's only preseason and so we can't extrapolate too much about the scheme, but it is interesting that there was apparently a significant focus on running from under center. This is something to keep an eye on in the next couple of preseason games as it may give a hint to the run game attack.
2. Safety Play
On the 4th defensive series, instead of playing the traditional Free and Strong roles, Nate Allen and Dewey McDonald lined up as left and right. Then, depending on the strength of the formation (or the play call), one would drop to the single deep FS position and the other would slide to the Strong position.
When the strength of the formation is to the right, Nate Allen plays down and Dewey McDonald plays Deep.
But when it's to the other side, Dewey drops down and Nate plays back.
On motion, the safeties rotated to adjust to formation change. Here, the Cardinals' tight end lines up to the left
and when he motions to the right, the safeties rotate.
Obviously, we can't learn too much about scheme from Preseason game 1, but this stood out in my mind for a couple of reasons :
This is how Ken Norton had his safeties play for the brief time they were both healthy in Week 1 of 2015. Recall that Nate Allen suffered a knee injury early in the 2nd defensive series. This scheme requires hybrid talents to function and will take advantage of it if the defense has 2 safeties with such talents. Karl Joseph seems an almost PERFECT skill/talent match to this scheme.
In the first series, Karl Joseph and Reggie Nelson did play the traditional roles with Joseph playing free and Nelson playing strong. This is unsurprising since Joseph is a rookie and getting his first real taste of NFL play.
But keep an eye on this moving forward, particularly in preseason game 3. Just watch how the safeties line up and how they move/rotate.
3. Defensive line
Khalil Mack's physical abilities and his raw power were on display in 2015. In the offseason, he's been hard at work to keep improving and in this first preseason game, we saw some some flashes of new moves.
After hearing Donald Penn extol Mack's dip move, I was eager to see it at work. In fact, I really want to see Mack attack the edge with dip and rip. Instead, in this game, we saw two new counter moves--a counter club and an inside dip--that are sure to give opposing tackles nightmares in film prep.
Mario Edwards Jr was flashing quickness and power. His best play of the night was on a zone run when he took on the RT, stacked him up, forced the RB to cut back, tossed the tackle aside, and then made the tackle. It was beautiful. Unfortunately, at the end of the play rookie Jihad Ward fell on Mario, resulting in Mario's strained hip.
Justin Ellis was extremely active and violent, showing a lot of power as well as some newfound quickness. Jelly may have been a bit enamored with overpowering the opposing center; on several plays Jelly drove the center 2 yards deep, but he neglected the gap and allowed the center to wall him off away from the play.
First look at Jihad Ward was a nice one. His power and his relentless motor were on display, as were his relative slow get-off and his still-raw technique. Did not get a feel for his quickness or explosiveness (yet) but his attitude and his hustle to chase down any play any where on the field was immediately impressive. I bet the coaching staff loves him. You can win with guys that leave it all on the field like that and so far the team has quite a few like him.
"Sunshine" James Cowser looked like a phenom with the backups. He did absolutely anything and everything you could ask. Stood up against the run, took on double teams, split defenders, and then showed some pass rush and tipped a pass to help give Neiko Thorpe his interception.
Shilique Calhoun looked like he still has a ways to go.
4. Pass Protection
The starting 5 linemen are going to be great and the only question is how long will it take for them to get the all-important chemistry so that they are able to function as a single unit instead of as five individuals.
Our first peek at the communication and chemistry was a good one. The protection held up pretty well, the best example being the deep out route to Michael Crabtree. On that play, Derek Carr had a beautiful pocket and was able to step into his throw.
Later, the Cardinals' pass rush attacked with a Tackle/End stunt on the right side and the new starting tandem of Gabe Jackson and Menelik Watson picked it up beautifully. You have to love that.
There are two main concerns to the pass protection though: Clive Walford and Latavius Murray.
Each of these players had opportunities to showcase their pass protection skills when Arizona brought some pressure. Unfortunately, at this stage, they both struggled a bit which led to some pressure on Derek Carr.
Clive Walford is looking to make the jump from rookie contributor to second year impact player. A key to him making this big jump forward is earning more snaps with dependable pass protection.
The better the base OL protection is, the more important the skill position protection will be. The OL looks like it will be formidable so opposing defensive coordinators may design pass rushes to exploit the weak link. So keep on eye on this part of the pass pro going forward.
5. Punting Game
It looks like Marquette King got bionic upgrades in his leg this offseason. He was already gifted with a powerful leg and in the past few years, he's become more consistent with his technique and getting his punts off with regularity.
In the Arizona desert this past week, Marquette may not have realized how booming his leg was. The ball was just jumping off his foot as if being launched into orbit.
Remember in 2011 when Shane Lechler hit that 80 yard punt that went 80 yards in the air? That was an insane punt. On Friday, Marquette was putting some balls 70+ yards in the air.
He had 8 punts on the night, 7 from Oakland territory (the 8th was from the Arizona 40 yardline). On the 7 punts, he averaged 54 yards and a healthy 4.1 seconds hangtime.
# From To Yards Hangtime 1 OAK 41 EZ 59 4.7 2 OAK 39 ARI 14 47 3.9 3 OAK 25 ARI 22 53 4.5 4 OAK 28 ARI 15 57 3.3 5 OAK 35 EZ 65 4.4 6 OAK 35 ARI 26 39 3.6 7 ARI 42 ARI 12 30 4.5 8 OAK 33 ARI 8 59 4.5 Avg 54.1 4.1
Interesting side note : Taiwan Jones did not play last night. Not sure if it means anything, but he was listed as a healthy scratch.
Finale
A four-touchdown game and a 31-10 win made for a really fun and enjoyable evening. Aside from the score, we got a nice taste of football after being 7 months deprived and making it even more exciting is that the team was showing a lot of really interesting things.
In years past, the team was clearly a work in progress that would struggle to fill out the roster with frontline NFL players, but as of now the team appears flush with talent and they are just starting to grow.
Expectations are sky high for the team this year and every little thing is going to be highly scrutinized. We shouldn't take things too seriously right now or make too big a deal about any little bit yet, but really, so far so good.The US is the world’s largest national economy, and the epitome of industrialization. Because of its wealth, high standards of living, and availability of world-class services, many Americans believe theirs to be one of the better—or outright best—countries in the world to live.
Measuring wellbeing can be tricky: Seemingly objective standards, like income, are affected by the availability of social services, which improve life even for low-earners. Infant mortality, another common measure of wellbeing, can actually be higher in countries where advanced healthcare technologies allow premature babies to be born in the first place. Nonetheless, there are some comparisons we can make: In 2015, the United Nations defined 17 goals for any country claiming to achieve complete sustainable development. Those goals range from ending poverty, to gender equality, to environmental preservation.
Quartz used those goals to compare the US development to that of other wealthy nations, following the blueprint of a 2016 report by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). We found that the US performs scores dismally in most areas—such as healthcare, education, and violence.
Below is a breakdown that shows how the US fares for 11 of the 17 goals. Since the US ranks about average in water and sanitation, sustainable production and consumption, ocean preservation, and landscape preservation, we didn’t highlight those in the analysis. We also didn’t look into climate change, as the sheer size and population of the US make it difficult to compare its impact with other countries, and didn’t explore the last development goal, global partnership, as it’s intended as an instrumental tool to implement other goals.
The analysis proves that, while Americans may be doing relatively fine, “best country to live in” is a serious stretch.
Poverty
The US has the second-highest rate of poverty among rich countries (poverty here measured by the percentage of people earning less than half the national median income.)
According to a 2012 UNICEF study, 23.1% US kids live in poverty. Other studies place the number a little lower, at about 20%, but both numbers are much higher than in other advanced countries. For black and Hispanic American children, the poverty rate is even higher, at 36% and 31%.
Food security and nutrition
Food security is reflected in both access to food and diet quality. Obesity is a primary indicator of poor diet, and although the US isn’t the fattest country in the world (several Pacific island countries, as well as Qatar and Egypt, precede it), it leads OECD countries in obesity.
When it comes to food production, things aren’t quite as dramatic, though the US soil’s level of fertility is below the OECD average. Although its agricultural production remains one of the world’s largest, the country’s output growth was about 1% between 2003 and 2012—less than half of the OECD average of 2.5%.
Health
Americans spend nearly 17% of GDP on health care, with a yearly per capita cost of over $9,400. That’s $1,600 more than the second-highest spender, Luxembourg, and more than double the OECD average.
But while Americans spend enormously, they remain in relatively poor health. The US has fewer physicians, hospital beds, and psychiatric care beds than most other economically advanced countries, ranking towards the bottom in each of these parameters. The US is also the only advanced economy in the world not to have full health coverage of its population.
Things aren’t better when it comes to mortality. Child mortality is higher in the US than any other advanced economy, and adult Americans also live shorter lives: Average US life expectancy is 78.8 years, nearly two years less than the OECD average. For comparison, Japan has the longest life expectancy in the OECD, at 83.7 years.
The US also stands out as one of the only countries in the world where maternal mortality has increased, rather than decreasing, over the past 15 years.
Education
When it comes to education, US schools are mostly distinguished by their high cost. The US is among the five countries spending the most (pdf, p. 10) on education between pre-primary and secondary school. Plus, Americans spend far more on higher education: The cost (direct and indirect) of a tertiary degree in the US is around $110,000 for both men and women, against an OECD average of $50,000 for men and $40,000 for women.
In the US, early childhood education is attended by fewer children (55% versus an OECD average of 84% attendance), at an older age (four years old, versus three years old), and can be administered by untrained professionals. Most other high-income OECD countries have specific educator certification requirements.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the US fares just about average among OECD countries when it comes to basic literacy and problem solving skills. Advanced literacy (pdf, p.15) in the US is below the OECD average. Basic numeracy in the US is lower than in most other wealthy OECD nations.
Gender equality
Gender |
, Verizon has been quietly spying on its customers with unkillable "supercookies," persistent tracking beacons that allow the telecom behemoth, its advertising partners, and any third party that knows to look for them to track users as they browse the web.
On Monday, the FCC issued a consent decree hitting Verizon with a $1.3 million fine for injecting those tracking beacons, called Unique Identifier Headers or UIDH, into unencrypted traffic on its network without customers' knowledge or consent—a violation of both the Communications Act of 1934 and the FCC's Open Internet Transparency Rule.
Apart from the fine, the FCC also ruled that Verizon must be more transparent about its use of the beacons and, crucially, must not share customers' beacons with third parties unless they opt in.
But the decree has a glaring loophole: Verizon can still track customers who haven't specifically opted-in through AOL's expansive advertising network, which according to ComScore reached 35 percent of all desktop internet users through ads appearing on websites they visited in January. That's because Verizon now owns AOL, making its ad network a Verizon subsidiary instead of a "third party."
"With respect to sharing UIDH internally within Verizon, Inc. and its subsidiaries, it must obtain either opt-in or opt-out consent from its customers," the FCC's decree states.
In other words, apart from Verizon parting with some pocket change and being subject to new transparency requirements, very little has changed.
Verizon even admitted to ProPublica that the order doesn't affect its current operations, since it had already stopped sending the beacons except to visitors of sites that are part of AOL's ad network—which, again, already reaches an enormous percentage of web users. In October, when Verizon announced it would revive the beacons to use across AOL web properties, its ad network's reach was as high as 43.3 percent of the web-using populace, according to ComScore.
You may recall the uproar that occurred when researchers first discovered Verizon attaching the UIDH tracking beacons to all unencrypted traffic on its network. The company responded by allowing customers to opt-out and reassuring that outside third parties wouldn't use the beacons to create their own customer profiles. The latter claim lasted about a week, at which point security researchers discovered a company called Turn doing exactly what Verizon said wouldn't happen (Turn shortly after announced it had stopped using the beacons, but there was nothing stopping other companies from doing the same).
The consent decree also officially terminates the FCC's investigation of Verizon's UIDH practices, so there will likely be no further examination of the company's consent-less tracking. And while the company now provides a way to opt-out, it's well-known at this point that default settings always rule the day, and few people ever go to the necessary lengths to change settings once they're opted in to something.
The fact is Verizon, like a rapidly increasing number of companies, is now in the business of monetizing behavioral data. And if big companies can't easily monetize that data via third party ad networks, they can simply buy out those networks and do everything in-house.Wednesday was Women’s Equality Day, the anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave American women the right to vote 95 years ago.
And how have Republicans marked this egalitarian milestone? Why, with another bimbo eruption, of course.
The perpetrator, as usual, was Donald Trump, the front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination, who, in his three-week-old feud with debate moderator Megyn Kelly, circulated a tweet late Monday once again referring to the Fox News star as a “bimbo.”
[Donald Trump keeps bullying Megyn Kelly on Twitter]
Fox News boss Roger Ailes, who had already had words with Trump over his sexist attacks on the anchor, fired back Tuesday with a statement saying Trump’s “surprise and unprovoked attack on Megyn Kelly during her show last night is as unacceptable as it is disturbing.” He went on to call Trump’s Twitter attack “crude and irresponsible.”
1 of 12 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad × Cutting ties with Trump: Who has dumped him and why View Photos The Republican presidential hopeful has faced an avalanche of criticism over his characterization of illegal immigrants as “rapists,” drug dealers and other criminals. Caption The GOP presidential hopeful has faced an avalanche of criticism over his characterization of illegal immigrants. Randal Pinkett, Tara Dowdell and Kwame Jackso Former "Apprentice" contestants Randal Pinkett, right, Tara Dowdell, center, and Kwame Jackson speak at a news conference in New York. The contestants claim that a great deal of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's conversation has been divisive and extremely dangerous for America. Pinkett, a business consultant who won the show’s fourth season, said he is grateful for the opportunities that have come his way as a result of “The Apprentice” but added, “because our allegiance to our country supersedes our relationship with Donald, we see today as an act of patriotism, not disloyalty.” Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue.
“Donald Trump rarely apologizes, although in this case, he should,” Ailes said.
Trump’s response, at a press conference in Iowa: “It is a very small element in my life, Megyn Kelly. I don’t care about Megyn Kelly. No, I would not apologize. She should probably apologize to me, but I just don’t care.”
Right. The victim of Trump’s misogyny should apologize to him.
More telling than Trump’s latest disparagement of women, or his flip rejection of Ailes’s demand for an apology, is the reaction from the rest of the Republican presidential field: virtual silence.
Even businesswoman Carly Fiorina, one of the few candidates who has called out Trump in the past, stepped carefully when asked about Trump on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Wednesday. She said Trump represents “a wake-up call to a lot of folks,” and the closest she got to criticizing him was to say that “character will be revealed of all the candidates over time and under pressure.”
But the character of the candidates already has been revealed. Trump is acting like a sexist and a bigot — and the rest of the candidates are, with occasional exceptions, too timid to call him what he is.
Over the weekend, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus even praised the contribution made by Trump’s candidacy. “I think it’s a net positive for everybody,” he said in a radio interview.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and the media don't always have the best relationship. Throwing Univision anchor Jorge Ramos out of his news conference was just the latest. See a few other times here. (Jhaan Elker/The Washington Post)
A net positive? That’s an intriguing calculation, considering all the gross negatives:
Describing Mexican immigrants as rapists and thugs.
Kicking one of the nation’s leading Latino journalists, Jorge Ramos, out of a news conference, telling him, “Go back to Univision.”
[Trump throws Univision anchor out of event]
Reacting to Kelly’s tough debate questioning — about his tendency to refer to women as “fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals” — with derision and then by employing the “bimbo” slur and saying, “You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever.”
I’m no fan of Ailes, and I’ve taken issue with Kelly’s journalism before, but I’m squarely with them on this one. Kelly is no bimbo, and, more to the point, it’s just not acceptable for an aspirant to the nation’s highest office to talk this way. It has nothing to do with party or ideology — it’s about decency.
To their credit, some of Trump’s opponents have stood up to him after previous bouts of sexism. Fiorina, the only woman in the Republican race, said that “women of all kinds are really sort of horrified by this” and that “there are certain things that cut across political boundaries.” (Trump, true to form, responded by saying that listening to Fiorina gives you “a massive headache.”) Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) called Trump a “jackass,” but others have tended to be gentler. Jeb Bush, referring to women, asked, “Do we want to insult 53 percent of all voters?” Scott Walker said he would “never use the kind of language that you’ve heard out of him,” while Rick Santorum urged an end to “crass personal attacks.”
But as the Trump outrages continue, they tend to be met more by eye-rolls and a Trump-will-be-Trump acceptance — and less by condemnation. After this week’s bimbo episode, a Washington Post search for responses by the candidates as of late Wednesday found only George Pataki (yes, he’s still in the race) weighing in, saying Trump was “over the line” and displaying a “demeaning attitude towards women.”
That’s good, but insufficient. The way to combat Trump’s bigotry and misogyny is to denounce it as loudly as he spews it.
Twitter: @Milbank
Read more from Dana Milbank’s archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.Several cars were destroyed after they burst into flames tonight in the Brussels business district of Saint Gilles amid fears of a possible terror attack.
Early reports suggest that there may have been up to three blasts, although there has been on official confirmation of a terrorist explosion.
Several cars have been destroyed been destroyed with video posted on social media showing pictures of a large fire.
A large section of Brussels city centre has been closed off after several cars burst into flames, pictured
It is not yet known what caused the fire, although locals are worried it may be a terrorist attack
Locals reported hearing several explosions as a number of cars burst into flames in the city centre
The cars were destroyed in the area of Saint-Gilles, which is close to Molenbeek and the European Parliament
There are no reports yet of what caused the blaze and despite the extensive damage, they are not believed to have been as a result of a terrorist attack.
Local newspaper HLN.BE reported that eight cars had been destroyed in the incident although nobody was killed or injured.
Fire officers soon had the incident under control, according to local reporters.
However the cars affected suffered substantial damage and the cause of the blaze is currently under investigation.A federal judge, asked by the government on Tuesday to freeze his plan giving teenage girls broader access to morning-after birth control, instead seized the chance to accuse health officials of taking steps that would end up hurting poor people and improve their chances of prevailing in a protracted legal fight with reproductive rights advocates.
U.S. District Judge Edward Korman took aim at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's announcement last week that it was loosening restrictions on the Plan B One-Step morning-after pill, saying it can be sold without a prescription to those 15 and older. Previously, those sales were limited to teenagers who were at least 17.
The move came just before the U.S. Department of Justice announced it would appeal an order by Korman requiring drugstores to sell both Plan B and cheaper generic alternatives to women of any age.
At a hearing in federal court in Brooklyn, Korman told an assistant U.S. attorney that the FDA ruling was a cynical attempt to "sugarcoat this appeal of yours."
Korman said he would issue a ruling before the end of the week on the request to stay his order. But he left little doubt about where he stood, accusing the Justice Department lawyer of "intellectual dishonesty" and calling further delays in the 12-year-old case "a charade."
When the government lawyer argued that delaying Korman's order while it was on appeal was in the public interest, the judge responded, "Is there a public interest in unwanted pregnancies... that can often result in abortions?"
The judge also expressed outrage at another provision under the new FDA rules that would require government-issued photo identification to get the pills, placing an "impossible burden" on disadvantaged people without IDs.
"The poor, the young and African-Americans are going to be put in the position of not having access to this drug," he said.
Making the same point earlier, he asked, "Is that the policy of the Obama administration?"
In court papers, attorneys for the Center for Reproductive Rights have said every day that the ruling does not get enforced is "life-altering" to some women. They said a delay for the duration of appeals "will perpetuate — for months, or years — the unconscionable delays that have permeated the defendants' actions with regard to emergency contraception."
The Justice Department had argued that "substantial market confusion" could result if Korman's order stood.
"I know the court has been frustrated with the pace (of the case)," Assistant U.S. Attorney Franklin Amanat said Tuesday. But he added, "Sometime the people are better served when the government acts deliberately and incrementally."
Korman in the past had been highly critical of the government's behavior, saying in his ruling that the decision to limit sales of the contraceptive was "politically motivated, scientifically unjustified and contrary to agency precedent."
The FDA was preparing in 2011 to allow over-the-counter sale of the morning-after pill with no agency limits when Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius overruled her own scientists in an unprecedented move.“Today, almost every college student works, but you can’t work your way through college anymore,” Anthony P. Carnevale, director of the center and the report’s lead author, said in a statement. “Even if you work, you have to take out loans and take on debt.”
Working, the report notes, can open career opportunities for students. But, particularly for first-generation and low-income college students, working long hours can lead to poor grades, or worse, dropping out. While students from wealthy families can afford to take unpaid internships to gain hands-on knowledge in their desired field, low-income students often end up in restaurant or retail positions.
Although these jobs can offer valuable experience, they often don’t provide the crucial networking opportunities that can help students break into a number of industries. These students also are disproportionately concentrated in under-resourced schools, the report says, meaning they may have less access to career guidance and counseling.
There’s also a lack of clarity around which degrees lead to which careers. “We need much stronger connections between learning and work,” Nicole Smith, chief economist at the center and a coauthor of the report, said in a statement. “When students pick a major or field of study, they need to be told up front what kind of career it likely leads to and how much money they are likely to make, especially if they have to pay back student loans.”
The Obama administration had sought to help answer that question with an ambitious college ratings plan, but it was scrapped amid pushback from colleges. The president wanted, as part of that plan, to tie the amount of federal aid that a school receives to such factors as employment rates and earnings. The report advocates funding postsecondary education in part through labor market outcomes, and suggests more investment in competency-based education, the idea that a student could earn credit for skills with labor-market value.
Advocates on both sides of the aisle have argued that looking at what skills a student can demonstrate as opposed to how many credit hours they’ve earned could help older students and veterans with workforce experience. According to the report, a third of working learners are age 30 or older, and concentrated in health care and business fields. Finally, the report calls on more employers to help foot tuition bills.
One thing is clear, as the report’s title, “Learning While Earning: The New Normal,” points out. The days of students just being students are long gone and unlikely to return. Juggling work and school is the standard, a balancing act that can benefit learners when both occur in moderation. But the number of students who have no option but to work long hours to pay for school and satisfy other financial obligations is rising, and this report argues that there are openings for policies to ease that burden.
This story is part of our Next America: Workforce project, which is supported by a grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to [email protected].
Emily DeRuy is a former staff writer at The Atlantic, where she covered education. Twitter EmailIn a year full of revelations, sudden twists, and a steady barrage of breaking-news push notifications, it’s easy to miss the slight but durable shifts that happen when a force building for years finally secures power.
In 2017, that’s what happened to law enforcement — or rather, to a particular vision of law enforcement, in which rank-and-file officers are an embattled group standing up for their rights, and “public safety” means deferring to the interests of those officers.
The assimilation of law-enforcement politics into the American culture war has been a few years in the making. 2017 was the year that the cult of the culture-warrior cop took the reins of the federal government — thanks to a president whose most consistent theme was the restoration of social order.
Many of the president’s policy promises remain unfulfilled or suffer roadblocks. His drive to empower certain law enforcement officers in the name of law and order has been arguably his first year’s least-qualified success.
The adoption of law enforcement officers by conservatives as a form of identity politics — from the state legislature in Louisiana to the NFL — started before Donald J. Trump. 2017 was the year that made it clear that it’s powerful and durable enough to outlast him.
An identity politics conservatives could get behind
Donald Trump, as president, is making policy by culture war. At times, this has distracted from or even undermined his own administration’s actions (never mind those of Congress). But when it comes to empowering rank-and-file law enforcement officials by weakening oversight of them, the president and his policymakers are in lockstep.
Trump brags about taking the handcuffs off federal immigration agents; an executive order signed the first week of his presidency gave them latitude to arrest and deport any unauthorized immigrant in the US. He jokes to a group of police officers that they should be rougher with subjects; his Department of Justice (led by Jeff Sessions) has moved away from civil rights investigations into local police departments.
Trump says that MS-13 is terrorizing communities; his Department of Homeland Security is renewing contracts with local law enforcement to enforce immigration law, and has reauthorized local cops to get access to military equipment. Trump complains of “American carnage”; his administration has pivoted away from support for criminal-justice reform, and pushed federal prosecutors to focus on drugs, violent crime, and immigration charges.
The last Republican administration adopted the soldier as its mascot — “supporting the troops” became synonymous with supporting the Bush administration’s interventionist foreign policy. But as Republicans soured on interventionism (and on George W. Bush), the lionization of “the troops” grew more peripheral to conservative visions of America.
The current Republican president, while he likes generals (particularly gruff generals with tough-sounding nicknames), isn’t much of a natural commander-in-chief. He’s happy to delegate the military decision-making, and a bit awkward (to say the least) interacting with actual soldiers and their families.
More fundamentally, Trump’s vision of America doesn’t mesh with the vision of the soldier as the archetypical American hero: a globally respected force out to protect the rights and freedom of all, through force when necessary. He’s much more comfortable with an America that is somehow the underdog, beset by haters and losers without and within, but is finally punching its way back.
The “American heroes” best suited to Trump’s vision aren’t soldiers — they’re law enforcement officers. Support for law enforcement has become a form of identity politics allyship for many white and conservative Americans: a way to argue against progressive policies and attitudes by speaking on behalf of a marginalized group.
It’s long been accepted — in practice, if not in policy — that the No. 1 job of law enforcement officers is to keep themselves safe, and that they ought to be allowed to do whatever it takes to ensure that. From that perspective, any attempts to restrict the power of police officers — whether from management or from the public — are rules imposed from the outside that could render officers unable to defend themselves. They are, or could be, threats to officers’ lives.
Combine this with some high-profile ambush-style attacks on police and you have the germ of a powerful idea: that criticism of police officers puts their lives in danger.
This is an idea that’s been put forward, broadly, by conservative analysts like Heather Mac Donald, who’s championed the “Ferguson effect” theory — that protests in response to high-profile police shootings end up empowering criminals and demotivating police. It’s encouraged by cable news coverage that has often conflated calls for reforms to police departments with “anti-police” sentiments, and blurred the lines between peaceful protest and riot — giving many suburban Americans the idea that the “inner cities” of America are grotesquely unsafe.
And it’s led to the adoption of “Blue Lives Matter” as a response to “Black Lives Matter,” in slogan and in sentiment, by Republicans — especially the law-and-order, racially conservative Republicans who make up the core of Donald Trump’s supporters.
Since 2014, Gallup polling has found that Americans’ confidence in police has polarized. While similar numbers of Americans say they’re confident in police between 2015 and 2017 (54 percent) as 2012 to 2014 (55 percent), the composition has changed. Liberals, African Americans, and Latinos are less confident in police. Whites, older Americans, and especially conservatives are more confident.
From 2012 to 2014, conservative confidence in police averaged 59 percent; from 2015 to 2017, it jumped 8 points higher, to 67 percent.
Speakers led Republican National Convention attendees in “Blue Lives Matter” chants. Blue Lives Matter bills that would make it a hate crime to target a police officer have already been passed in Louisiana — where the law has been used to arrest at least one protester — and are under consideration in other states. (One of the executive orders Trump signed appears to call for Congress to pass such a law at the federal level as well.)
The animating idea is that law enforcement officers, under President Barack Obama, were a persecuted group — the public hated them and would jump on them for any minor error, and the federal government was more interested in scrutinizing them than supporting them.
By supporting civil rights inquiries into the Ferguson and Baltimore police departments and expressing an interest in improving police-community relations, President Obama had, by this view, chosen “the side” of the disorderly protesters. And therefore, it was only appropriate for President Trump to choose “the side” of the police.
A powerful exception to “deep state” skepticism
The “Blue Lives Matter” culture war paralleled an internal fight that had often burst out into the open over Obama’s immigration policy, between Department of Homeland Security leadership trying to set “priorities” for which unauthorized immigrants to apprehend and immigration enforcement unions that felt bureaucrats were preventing them from doing their job.
The immigration-bureaucracy battle broke down along familiar labor/management lines. But because agents’ “low morale” was blamed in part on the Obama administration’s “handcuffs,” it was hard to tell where the bread-and-butter disputes ended and the ideological disagreement — the idea that to attempt to control or scrutinize the actions of law enforcement officials would automatically make it impossible for them to do their jobs and protect the public — began.
Trump’s willingness to take the side of the agents gave him an important institutional ally as a candidate for the presidency. And he immediately kept his promise to them.
Trump’s most immediate and lasting success on his signature issue has been to “take the handcuffs off” immigration enforcement agents, restoring their ability to arrest unauthorized immigrants wherever found, to give them more latitude in where they can make those arrests, and to build closer connections between local law-enforcement agencies and the federal immigration-enforcement system.
The administration rescinded a host of memos in its first week setting enforcement priorities. It hasn’t replaced them with a strategy of its own. That’s by design. Tactical flexibility for agents — taking the handcuffs off — can’t coexist with extensive centrally set strategy.
This is a quietly radical vision of policymaking. It’s a vision in which, because rank-and-file law enforcement officers know best what it takes to keep communities safe (after all, they live it) everyone else — including the public and their own superiors — should yield to their judgment. It’s a vision of policymaking made on the front lines.
It’s hardly like the Trump administration is applying this decentralist view consistently. In most other respects, they have shown a deep distrust of rank-and-file government employees — and on occasion a desire to purge the “deep state.” It’s not like they’re automatically deferential to law enforcement (just look at the FBI), or even to immigration functionaries. The administration’s travel bans take authority out of the hands of consular officers; immigration judges worry that the Department of Justice is trying to bully them into taking a hard line against defendants in their courtrooms.
So this isn’t deference to local knowledge. It’s deference to the work of maintaining the social order. The people on the “front lines” of securing the homeland — a phrase favored by chief of staff (and former Homeland Security Secretary) John Kelly — must be allowed to operate on their own terms, in the shadows, to keep nightmares at bay.
A resistance to public oversight
It’s that insistence on deference, in part, that’s led to law enforcement being the focus of national news less in 2017 than in previous years (with the obvious exception of the FBI). No police shooting has attracted sustained national attention in the way they have in previous years. (Conversely, attacks on law-enforcement officials have become news stories only on the right.)
You can’t have news without public knowledge. And those deferential to law enforcement don’t believe that public knowledge is terribly relevant to getting the job done — or can even be detrimental to it.
The federal government can’t produce blockbuster reports into systemic injustices in local law enforcement if it isn’t investigating them. We reporters can’t analyze how well the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts are actually working when the data is being presented to us by enforcement agencies themselves, rather than statistics agencies, and is subject to unclear definitions (and just plain sloppy mistakes) that make it hard to tell what’s going on.
It’s hard to find out the truth about, say, what really killed a border patrol agent in Texas when one of the administration’s top officials has upbraided the press for not “defaulting” to the answers given by rank and file agents in the past. It’s hard to know what policies ICE really has in place for raids when DHS officials refuse to meet with one party’s representatives in Congress. It’s hard to believe administration paeans to the actions of customs agents during the first travel ban when the former DHS inspector general is accusing them of trying to suppress a report alleging they violated court orders.
To ask questions is to be ungrateful for the security that law enforcement officers provide. As John Kelly puts it, asking questions of certain institutions is a sign that America has forgotten how to honor the “sacred.” The implication is that it is the duty of American citizens to place their faith in the people sworn to protect them — not the other way round.
When it’s the job of the public to serve police
Law enforcement officers are one of many groups of people whose lives are affected by public safety policy. They have skin in the game and an understandable interest in protecting it. Law enforcement officers often candidly agree that as far as they’re concerned, their No. 1 job is to get home safe, and they’ll do what it takes to ensure that. They are, essentially, a class — which is why it makes sense that conservatives, normally anti-union, have embraced unions representing law enforcement officers.
But they are only one of many interests at stake. And their interests are often independent of the broader question of preventing crime and promoting safety.
The more explicitly support for law enforcement is cast as a form of identity politics, the clearer this becomes. A dozen states have passed laws stiffening penalties for attacks on police officers (to vomit on an officer in Georgia is now a felony); a handful of them, including Texas and Kentucky, have classified attacks on officers as hate crimes.
Other stakeholders have other interests, including transparency, privacy, and sometimes safety from overpolicing and excessive force.
The insistence on deference to law enforcement thus creates a paradox. Law-enforcement officers have been adopted by one side of a culture war, and their specific interests happily championed. But to point out that the interest of law enforcement isn’t a universal interest is enough to cast you as undeserving of the protection that they provide.
This is really the only way the “Ferguson effect” makes logical sense: If you accept that police are justified in refusing to protect residents who don’t respect police. It’s the only way that it makes sense for ICE Head Thomas Homan to simultaneously say that no unauthorized immigrant should feel safe from law enforcement, and insist that unauthorized immigrants who are victims of crime and domestic violence are obligated to report those crimes to police: If you accept that it is a civic duty to respect the authority of law enforcement, and to withhold that respect is to forfeit membership in the community.
It’s genuinely hard to protect everyone. It usually requires a process of trust-building, maintaining a fragile equilibrium, gathering input from a range of specific groups with specific interests and expertise. That’s not what public safety meant in 2017. It meant a gift bestowed by law-enforcement officers on grateful Americans — and one that would disappear, poof, the minute anyone dared to examine it too closely.Fresno Mayor Lee Brand said Wednesday that Fresno will not become a sanctuary city for undocumented immigrants.
More than 400 jurisdictions across the country have some sort of sanctuary policy, including Los Angeles, San Francisco and about 40 others in California.
But in a meeting with The Fresno Bee’s editorial board, Brand said that he does not want to jeopardize federal funds for public works projects he says the city needs. Brand said he’s stuck between a Democratic governor and a Republican president, and he needs to maintain a neutral stance in order to maintain a good relationship with both.
“I’m not going to make Fresno a sanctuary city because I don’t want to make Fresno ineligible from receiving potentially millions of dollars in infrastructure and other types of projects,” he said. “My philosophy is to follow the law and to avoid these national culture-war questions.”
The term “sanctuary city” has no singular definition, but applies generally to cities that offer political support or protections to undocumented residents. Some cities established policies barring police from stopping people solely based on their immigration status. Others, such as San Francisco, Chicago and Los Angeles, take it further by setting up The term “sanctuary city” has no singular definition, but applies generally to cities that offer political support or protections to undocumented residents. Some cities established policies barring police from stopping people solely based on their immigration status. Others, such as San Francisco, Chicago and Los Angeles, take it further by setting up legal defense funds for immigrants facing deportation. San Francisco, which has been a sanctuary city for decades, established a law in 2013 declaring that local authorities cannot hold immigrants without nonviolent felonies for immigration agents.
President Donald Trump has vowed to crack down on sanctuary cities that protect immigrants in the U.S. illegally. Details about Trump’s crackdown remain unclear. Trump on Wednesday signed two executive orders designed to begin building a border wall with Mexico, add lockups for detaining immigrants who cross the border illegally, enhance enforcement powers for border agents and strip federal funding to cities that refuse to cooperate with immigration enforcement, President Donald Trump has vowed to crack down on sanctuary cities that protect immigrants in the U.S. illegally. Details about Trump’s crackdown remain unclear. Trump on Wednesday signed two executive orders designed to begin building a border wall with Mexico, add lockups for detaining immigrants who cross the border illegally, enhance enforcement powers for border agents and strip federal funding to cities that refuse to cooperate with immigration enforcement, the Los Angeles Times reported.
According to a draft document reviewed by The Times, under the new order, the federal government would threaten to withhold funds from cities that limit cooperation with immigration officials.
Brand pointed out that Fresno police don’t ask suspects for their immigration status. “We only arrest criminals, whether they are illegal or legal,” he said.
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, however, does The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, however, does collaborate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, allowing agents to work from inside the county jail to determine whether undocumented immigrants should be deported. The American Civil Liberties Union says the program, which has been in place since 2015, lacks public oversight and leaves immigrants vulnerable to abuse.
Brand said he understands the moral issues, but said, “I’ve got to follow a path that represents everybody’s city of Fresno.”
“We’re a city that has never gotten our fair share of anything,” he said. “This is a city that needs a lot of help. I can’t make this a better city if I’m going to alienate the people giving the money.”
, Fresno leaders, including City Councilwoman Esmeralda Soria, Councilman Oliver Baines and leaders of the faith and immigrant communities, said they would advocate for Fresno’s undocumented residents. After Trump’s election, Fresno leaders, including City Councilwoman Esmeralda Soria, Councilman Oliver Baines and leaders of the faith and immigrant communities, said they would advocate for Fresno’s undocumented residents.
Faith in the Valley, a multifaith grassroots organization of 120 congregations from Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Fresno and Kern counties, released a statement vowing to defend immigrants against Trump’s executive actions. Several of the congregations have initiated plans to offer sanctuary to immigrants who are under threat of deportation. A Faith in the Valley, a multifaith grassroots organization of 120 congregations from Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Fresno and Kern counties, released a statement vowing to defend immigrants against Trump’s executive actions. Several of the congregations have initiated plans to offer sanctuary to immigrants who are under threat of deportation. A 2011 ICE memo ensures enforcement does not happen at sensitive locations like schools and churches unless there’s an imminent threat.
Executive director the Executive director the Rev. Trena Turner of Victory in Praise Church in Stockton said she was disappointed and concerned to learn Fresno will not become a sanctuary city.
“Tens of thousands of Central Valley immigrants and refugees are counting on us for protection and defense,” she said.Washington (CNN) President Donald Trump has just one month left to salvage a lost legislative year in a presidency that he vowed would be an endless victory lap -- but has yet to produce a major new law that reshapes the nation.
The President's road to a congressional win could be paved by passing the first sweeping tax reform package in decades, which would appease restive Republican voters and represent an undeniable personal political triumph.
But it also comes strewn with obstacles, many of his own making.
Trump's tenuous relationship with his own party, and the split between the GOP's populist and establishment wings, will complicate the effort by Republican leaders to deliver on their monopoly on Washington power.
Democrats have the chance to leverage the threat of a government shutdown to advance their own agenda after stunning Republicans by tempting the President into a deal to avoid a previous fiscal crunch in September.
And controversy pitting Trump against GOP leaders over Roy Moore in the Alabama Senate race, and the darkening cloud of the Russia investigation, risk scrambling the President's concentration in the crucial weeks to come.
Trump's presidency has also often produced Washington storms that distract the White House from the events on which he will be judged by posterity.
By Monday, the administration was locked in a new legal tussle over executive power with the outgoing head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Richard Cordray, who quit on Friday and named his former chief of staff Leandra English, as his interim successor.
The administration insists that the President has the authority to appoint an interim director, and Trump named his budget chief Mick Mulvaney, a longtime critic of the bureau, to the post.
The President, meanwhile, opened the week touting optimism over the possibility for a victory on Capitol Hill.
Back in D.C., big week for Tax Cuts and many other things of great importance to our Country. Senate Republicans will hopefully come through for all of us. The Tax Cut Bill is getting better and better. The end result will be great for ALL! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2017
"Back in D.C., big week for Tax Cuts and many other things of great importance to our Country," Trump tweeted Sunday night. "Senate Republicans will hopefully come through for all of us. The Tax Cut Bill is getting better and better. The end result will be great for ALL!"
But his frustration about his barren legislative record is revealed by another of his periodic attempts to rewrite political reality.
Since the first day I took office, all you hear is the phony Democrat excuse for losing the election, Russia, Russia,Russia. Despite this I have the economy booming and have possibly done more than any 10 month President. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 26, 2017
"Since the first day I took office, all you hear is the phony Democrat excuse for losing the election, Russia, Russia,Russia," Trump tweeted earlier Sunday evening. "Despite this I have the economy booming and have possibly done more than any 10 month President. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"
Trump also tweeted a link at the weekend to a website listing his achievements in office, writing "Wow, even I didn't realize we did so much. Wish the Fake News would report! Thank you."
Wow, even I didn't realize we did so much. Wish the Fake News would report! Thank you. https://t.co/ApVbu2b0Jd — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 25, 2017
The list largely reflected strong job growth, executive orders he signed on issues like immigration and minor bills passed by Congress.
But Trump has failed to use the moment of his maximum power to forge a legislative legacy, and his low approval ratings have dented his influence in Washington at a moment when most presidents achieve their biggest wins.
2018 looms
His hopes of a more prolific year in 2018 rest on lawmakers already fixated with midterm elections who will be wary of tough political votes.
Republican senators openly admit that their supporters could deal them a rebuke in November if they fail to produce tangible results for their lease on power by passing the tax reform bill.
"For every Republican senator, the fate of the party is in our hands, as well as that of the economy," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, told CNN's Dana Bash Sunday on "State of the Union."
"The economy needs a tax cut, and the Republican Party needs to deliver. So, I think we will get there," he said.
The House has already passed its version of the tax reform |
cocaine's rise, the Reagan administration started the War on Drugs in the 80's. That hasn't stopped the proliferation of the drug in cities across America or with the cartels that continue to feed at the trough of this $30 billion dollar a year business. Cocaine use may have peaked decades ago, but it's never gone away. With the advent of crack cocaine in the 1980s, the trade became deadlier and more toxic than ever before. The high demand for the product has rendered more than 70% of Mexico under the control of the smuggling trade. American law enforcement agencies from Texas to California are fearful that this nefarious element will soon enter their country unchallenged. According to the officers interviewed in the film, border security is lax, and bureaucrats in Washington are doing little to remedy the crisis. For them, the discovery of a dismembered body – whether it be a trafficker, illegal immigrant or innocent bystander - has become a daily occurrence. This harsh reality is lost on most of the users themselves, who run the gamut from the hippest clubbers to the homeless population across America. Each user profiled in the film shares their experiences with the alluring white powder. Whether they use the drug recreationally or habitually, they have all witnessed the hold it can have on a life. From the personal to the political, Cocaine: History Between the Lines is a comprehensive account of a drug that has left much devastation in its wake.EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — If you haven’t heard by now, and there’s no way that’s possible, Odell Beckham Jr. was on the practice field for the first day of the Giants’ minicamp. And the scene was... exceptionally normal.
Beckham ran some routes. He caught some passes. He dropped one (no, this is not a big deal). Afterward, he ate lunch in the cafeteria with teammates. After weeks of external speculation surrounding Beckham’s reasons for skipping the Giants’ voluntary offseason program to train on his own in Los Angeles, all was calm at team headquarters. Really, it’s been that way all along.
At safety Landon Collins’ charity softball game a few weeks ago, Giants Super Bowl XLII hero David Tyree, the team’s current director of player development, put it this way: “We would love to have him here, but he doesn’t need to be here. He’s doing great.” This week, at the team’s mandatory minicamp, Beckham needed to be there. So, he is.
Odell Beckham Jr. Jamie Sabau/Getty Images
Asked on Tuesday about his decision to spend April and May in California, Beckham said, “Really I was just taking the time to train, make sure that I get proper training, and really growing and maturing.” Physically, Beckham did speed, acceleration and movement training with his L.A.-based performance coach, Jamal Liggin. Mentally, he said he sought insight from a number of books, among them, The Four Agreements, “a practical guide to personal freedom” that is a favorite of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
“There [are] just four basic principles that are in there and one of them that you really had to learn was to use your words wisely and don’t take anything personal ever,” Beckham said. “As you kind of get this guideline of this book, it starts to help you grow and really mature into who you are as a person... I feel as if I am a little bit wiser.”
As for what Beckham missed in the 10 OTA practices, his quarterback, Eli Manning, said, “Not much.”
• THE MMQB MAILBAG: Doug Williams’ New Role in Washington
Last week, an ESPN report claimed that while no one in Beckham’s camp has admitted it, his absence from OTAs was “directly related to his desire for a new deal.” But a few weeks earlier, NFL Network’s Kimberly Jones had spoken to Beckham on the record, and he told her he “for sure” would attend mandatory minicamp. Skipping OTAs and then attending minicamp would be a very strange way to push for a new contract—you don’t create any leverage by sitting out the voluntary stuff and then showing up when it’s mandatory. Beckham said as much while addressing the crowd of nearly 50 reporters in attendance for his first press conference since the playoff loss in January.
“I have never really seen the whole—what’s it called—holdout and all of that stuff work,” Beckham said. “So that was never in my mind: I’m not going to go to OTAs to get a new contract. I don’t really think that that proves a point in my opinion. So I was really just out there really taking that time for myself to reflect on life and value what is really important and like I said, to grow and mature in life. You should be growing each and every year, each and every day you should be growing, until the day that you leave this earth.”
Beckham is scheduled to make $1.8 million this year, and around $8 million in 2018 on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract that the Giants picked up this spring (as a No. 12 pick, the option will be worth the average of the No. 3 through No. 25 highest salaries at his position). So yes, the 24-year-old star receiver is underpaid—but there’s no reason for the Giants to address his contract right now. At the league meetings in May, owner John Mara said that contract talks hadn’t happened yet but would likely begin “at some point during the year.” Mara also made clear then what he repeated at a town hall for season-ticket holders last week: He wants Beckham to finish his career with the Giants. “I think we are on the same page there,” Beckham said on Tuesday. “Obviously this is one of the best organizations in the league, and I would love to be here for the rest of my life.”
The trajectory of Beckham’s career has been of intense interest to NFL observers. His meteoric rise from an injured rookie to one of the league’s most electrifying receivers was itself a fascinating storyline, but he’s also received strong criticism for his lack of discipline and focus. Last season ended with Beckham’s punching a hole in a wall at Lambeau Field after the Giants’ 38-13 playoff loss to the Packers, which prompted general manager Jerry Reese to publicly implore for him to “grow up.”
• TIM ROHAN: The Ideal Modern Linebacker
Beckham has created for himself many questions heading into his fourth professional season that can’t be answered until the games begin. The true test will come this fall, when he faces the frustrations of double-teams while opposing defenders try to get under his skin in ways that have caused him to lose his cool in the past. But his mission was clear during the first day of the Giants’ mandatory minicamp.
Shortly after that first practice, Beckham’s cleat designer—a man named Troy Cole, who goes by “Kickasso”—posted on Instagram a since-deleted picture of custom Nike cleats he said Beckham wore on the field that day. Printed on them were black-and-white logos of ESPN, and the New York Post, and TMZ, which had been crossed out with red Xs and “SHHHHH!”
The caption: Silence the critics.
Question? Comment? Story idea? Let us know at [email protected] weather can be unforgiving from November to March, but nothing warms you up faster than a stop in at one of the best winter pubs in Calgary. We searched the city for the friendliest, coziest spots to spend a frosty night, and present to you the list below to make sure you never go cold again.
See the list of the 7 best winter pubs in Calgary »
#7 BEST WINTER PUB IN CALGARY: The Ship & Anchor
17 Avenue SW’s Ship & Anchor is one of the best landmarks on Calgary’s pub scene. It’s a darkly lit English-style pub with plenty of UK football scarves proudly showcased above the bar. Several local beers are on tap and the pub fare is plentiful and affordable—they even serve several delicious vegetarian options, which is a rarity for a pub. It’s the locals’ go-to for a solid hangover breakfast, to watch soccer and catch live music. The corner stage plays host to several of the city’s best local bands, and the Saturday afternoon jams and free Wednesday night shows are normally packed.
• The Ship & Anchor, 534 17 Avenue SW, 403-245-3333, shipandanchor.com
• Map and reviews
#6 BEST WINTER PUB IN CALGARY: Barley Mill Neighbourhood Pub
Located across from Eau Claire Market, the building housing this downtown Calgary pub dates back to 1886 when the area was first being developed. The attractive space has maintained its vintage charm, though the menu and drink lists have thankfully been updated. The busy spot is a regular haunt for those working around Eau Claire and in the downtown core. On a cold day, try the beef dip sandwich or bison shepherd’s pie.
• Barley Mill Neighbourhood Pub, 201 Barclay Parade SW, 403-290-1500, barleymill.net
• Map and reviews
#5 BEST WINTER PUB IN CALGARY: Hop in Brew Pub House
A charming pub located in a historic Calgary home in the Beltline area. The house has a university club atmosphere, with pool tables on the top floor, narrow staircases and a clientele comprised largely of students (though the city’s independent artists and beer snobs flock here as well). With an impressive selection of unique bottled and tap beers—we love the Edmonton’s Alley Kat brews—the Hop in Brew is a treasure trove for those who know their suds. The house is warm and inviting, and the kitchen churns out rich, cheese-heavy pizzas.
• Hop in Brew Pub House, 213 12 Avenue SW, 403-266-2595
• Map and reviews
#4 BEST WINTER PUB IN CALGARY: The Kensington Pub
This two-level bar is styled after a classic English pub, and gets extra cozy on a winter night. Several beers are on tap, and there’s a solid pub-fare menu and a lively clientele. The Kensington is a considered one of the best neighbourhood pubs in Calgary’s Kensington and Sunnyside districts.
• The Kensington Pub, 207 10A Street SW, 403-270-4505, kensingtonpub.com
• Map and reviews
#3 BEST WINTER PUB IN CALGARY: Local 510
Local 510 is the hippest winter pub on the list, but it’s one of our favourites. Located on the corner of 4th Street and 17th Avenue SW, this joint is situated in one of Calgary’s busiest shopping and dining hubs. The clientele is diverse, but skews younger and artistic. Wood panelling and a rustic chandelier set the tone for a warm space on a cold winter night. Bands play throughout the month, free of charge, and the traditional meatloaf with mashed potatoes (with a pint of Anchor Steam on the side) make for a hearty meal when it’s frosty outside.
• Local 510, 510 17 Avenue SW., 403-229-4036, localtavern.ca
• Map and reviews
#2 BEST WINTER PUB IN CALGARY: Oak Tree Tavern
From the traditional dark wood and leather interior to the robust beer list, Oak Tree Tavern exudes a classic pub atmosphere. The menu features stick-to-your-ribs fare, including the requisite burgers, but they also have some more unusual options like fries covered in spicy curry sauce and tempura battered, deep-fried tuna sushi rolls. More than 30 kinds of beer are available, including a couple gluten-free brews.
• Oak Tree Tavern, 124B 10 St NW, 403-270-3347, www.oaktreetavern.com
• Map and reviews
#1 BEST WINTER PUB IN CALGARY: National Beer Hall
This new beer hall exclusively carries North American craft beers (over 70 on tap and 25 bottles) and the menu includes items from their rotisserie as well as UK-style savoury pies. The clientele is a mix of uptown business-types and young foodies. The menu is designed by chef Justin Leboe of the celebrated 17th Avenue restaurant, Model Milk.
• National Beer Hall, 550 17 Avenue SW., 403-229-0226, ntnl.ca
• Map and reviewsRussian social network giant VKontakte has confirmed the resignation of its founder, Pavel Durov. After publicly stating that he was quitting and then changing his mind, Durov has now accused the firm of not notifying him personally of the final decision.
The company said that Durov's resignation was granted in accordance with a Russian law that enables an individual to resign from his contract obligations after handing in a one-month notice, which Durov did on March 21, VKontakte's press service told Interfax.
“Since...the set period of a month has passed and his resignation has not been withdrawn, Pavel Durov's powers as general director of VKontakte have been terminated,” it said. First deputy general director Boris Dobrodeyev and acting CEO Dmitry Sergeyev have been tasked with running the company until the appointment of a new head.
Durov claims he heard news of his resignation from the press – not the company's managing board.
“It is interesting that the shareholders did not have enough courage to do it directly,” Durov wrote on his VKontakte (VK) page, “about this mysterious dismissal I learnt from the press.”
“Today VKontakte was transferred under the full control of Igor Sechin and Alisher Usmanov,” Durov said, referring to a recent rift the company had with authorities.
Durov's dismissal follows a series of events associated with a number of alleged speculations about him leaving his post.
The 29-year-old entrepreneur announced earlier this month that he had withdrawn his resignation as the company’s CEO, after initially stating that he was leaving on April 1. Posting his resignation on April Fool's Day was a hint that it wasn’t final, Durov said.
“Since it came to my knowledge that my resignation at this moment can create unnecessary risks for our company, I intend to remain and serve as the CEO,” Durov wrote in a letter to the board, as quoted by Forbes. In his April Fool's Day resignation message, Durov said he was leaving, as it was becoming increasingly difficult “to defend those principles which were once part of the basis of our social network.”
The company's executive director, Dmitry Sergeyev, said in a Monday statement that despite Durov's claims, the entrepreneur did not formally withdraw his resignation. “Despite the comments that followed and the discussions...unfortunately it was not withdrawn,” Sergeyev said, as quoted by Vedomosti.
In January, Pavel Durov sold his 12 percent stake in the social network. This sparked rumors that he was planning to leave his post as chief executive. Earlier this month, Durov claimed he was forced to sell his shares back in January following a rift with the Russian Security Service.
Recently, Durov made waves by publicly refusing to share personal data of VKontakte users with the Russian Security Service, in particular details of people involved in organizing the Ukrainian protest movement that led to a coup in February.
“Our response has been and remains a categorical refusal – Russian jurisdiction does not extend to Ukrainian users of VKontakte,” Durov wrote at the time. “Giving personal details of Ukrainians to Russian authorities would not only be against the law, but also a betrayal of all those millions of people in Ukraine who have trusted us.”
Durov founded VKontakte in 2006 with an interface similar to Facebook. It became Russia’s leading social network and now has over 61 million active users in Russia and over 100 million worldwide. It is ahead of its rival, Odnoklassniki, which has 54 million Russian users, according to researcher ComScore. Facebook has 13 million users in Russia.
The social network became hugely popular among Russian speakers for its virtually unlimited access to videos and music freely uploaded by other users, which often infringes on international copyrights.
Durov is an enigmatic figure and a successful entrepreneur who has largely managed to stay away from the public eye, despite occasional gestures such as throwing paper airplanes made of money out the window of the VKontakte offices in St Petersburg. Last year, he was accused of running over a policeman and even had his home and office searched.
VKontakte is now controlled by billionaire Alisher Usmanov's Mail Group, which holds 52 percent of the company shares. The remaining 48 percent is controlled by investment group United Capital Partners.Lux Ahoy
Welcome to the Duel Fighting between two ship commanders right in the center of a cartoon sea. This game is a classic gun dueal and it reuqires your accuracy and strategy skills. Battle the opponent with your weapon, aim accurately and choos the right balance of power, then SHOOT. The winner is the one who left, the loser sinks. Fair battle, clear rules, only one captain survives…
Two rivals — a sophisticated monster called LUXAMILLION and a posh elephant called TRUNKFORD — are fighting an epic war across the seven seas. Their goal: total world domination. Their mighty galleons come equipped with massive cannons – a weapon designed to strike a fatal blow! Take three devastating attacks and your enemy will find themselves at the bottom of the ocean, while the victor takes home treasure most landlubbers can only dream of. Then, on to the next island, until all the loot in the world is yours!
Lux Ahoy is a cute and fun this is a turn-based aim-and-shoot game, where you battle with an A.I. for treasure and destruction.
Lux Ahoy! How To Play
Choose your character.
Click/Tap to shoot.
Choose the right angle and power balance.
Damage the opponent 3 times and get the coins.
Do you love this game? Share it with your friends!
If you really like this game and want to play it with your friends, then share in your social media accounts! Use Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest buttons that show up on the left hand and press to share the game page.
Play other cool games at Playsterr.Upson was one of about 60 passengers and crew who survived the sinking of the packet steamer J.S. Seaverns near Michipicoten Harbor in May 1884.
It had been a harrowing experience for the survivors — "it was a fine night or all (would) have been lost," Upson noted in a letter home that was later reprinted in the Chicago Inter Ocean newspaper.
But while they may have been glad to be alive, the passengers and crew must have lamented their lot, with their possessions and supplies now on the bottom of the lake — and a wait of indeterminate length until they all could be picked up from the isolated outpost.
"This," Upson wrote of his surroundings, "is the most outlandish out-of-a-way place in the world."
A group of shipwreck hunters with ties to the Northland met earlier this year along that "outlandish" stretch of shore, in search of the lost Seaverns.
Using historical accounts and old charts to guide them, they located the wreck in relatively short order using sonar. On further exploration the five-man team found the Seaverns to be "in beautiful shape," said Dan Fountain of Negaunee, Mich., who led the way in researching the wreck.
Parts of the ship are "amazingly intact," said Ken Merryman of the Twin Cities, who made dives on the wreck.
Fountain and Merryman will give a presentation on the Seaverns, talking about the history of the ship and the state of the wreck, at the annual Gales of November conference that takes place Friday and Saturday in Duluth.
The wreck of the Seaverns
Even today, the eastern shore of Lake Superior can be a desolate and unforgiving one for mariners.
Once you head north from Sault Ste. Marie, there are only a few settlements — and few harbors of any kind — which carry names that seem to fit the rugged surroundings. Names like Gargantua Harbor, and to the north of that Michipicoten Harbor.
It was to the latter that the J.S. Seaverns made its way in May 1884. In an area where members of the Michipicoten First Nation had resided for centuries, the harbor was being used as a supply point for the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway.
"At the time there was just a very small port there, just a dock and a warehouse," said Fountain.
The 130-foot ship had been built just four years earlier, at Saugatuck, Mich., using the keel from the 1857 ship John P. Ward. For the first few years of its life the Seaverns spent time carrying fruit from Michigan to Chicago, Fountain said. By the spring of 1884 it had been sold to a new owner who added cabins and put it into service hauling freight along the eastern and northern shores of Lake Superior, servicing lumber camps and the railroad construction work en route to Port Arthur and Fort William (today's Thunder Bay).
The Seaverns left Chicago in May carrying a wide assortment of cargo for Michipicoten and several later ports of call — food, supplies, equipment for a planing mill — along with about 15 crew members and 45 passengers. By the time it had finished unloading goods at Michipicoten, it was late on a calm night.
"In backing out we struck a rock, putting a hole in her," wrote mate James Campbell in a letter that, like Upson's, was reprinted in the Chicago Inter Ocean newspaper later that month. The ship apparently made a run for a beach, "a distance of about seven miles across the bay, and when halfway across she sunk. We had a hard time in getting out.... We had to fight to get to the boats."
All aboard made it to shore in the lifeboats. As for why the ship hit the rock, at least one theory pinned blame on an inexperienced captain.
"It is claimed that her master knew nothing of the north shore of Lake Superior. This north shore... has never been surveyed and there are no charts to aid navigators, there are no buoys, and there are but four lights. It is insisted that no man not well acquainted on this dangerous coast should be given charge of any craft going there," the Chicago Times reported several weeks after the wreck, in a story located by Fountain.
The Seaverns and its cargo were estimated at the time to be worth $30,000 to $50,000 — that would be several hundred thousand dollars today.
There was talk of salvaging the ship and its cargo in the months and years that followed, but it appears that none of those efforts had any success. They did help get the wreck marked on some charts in the years after the ship sank, only to be forgotten later.
Finding the wreck
About 10 or 15 years ago, Fountain said, he "was looking through some very old charts... and here's a chart that showed (the Michipicoten) area, and it had a little note on it and a wreck symbol."
The wreck on the chart, though, was spelled "Saffern" — something Fountain wasn't familiar with. It was a dead end.
A few years later he came across a reference to the wrecked Seaverns, and made the connection: The Saffern and the Seaverns were the same ship.
He continued to research the ship; years went by. Its remote location made searching for it a challenge. But this summer, Merryman went on a circumnavigation of Lake Superior in his boat Heyboy. When he reached Michipicoten Harbor, he was joined by Fountain, Jerry Eliason of Scanlon, Kraig Smith of Rice Lake, Wis., and Nick Lintgen of New Hope, Minn., to search for the Seaverns on July 28.
The ship wasn't exactly where he thought it would be, Fountain said — but it was close enough that it took less than a half-day of sonar searching to locate it, a few miles out from the harbor.
Eliason noted that a "typical" wreck, say one that can be narrowed down to a 100-square-mile area, might take 15 days of searching with sonar to find — with those 15 days sometimes spread across several years.
After finding the Seaverns on sonar, the team dropped a camera to the wreck, and Merryman and Lintgen also made dives to further explore the ship.
The video footage and photos show that the Seaverns "is quite intact," Fountain said. "The upper cabins are somewhat broken up... (but) the hull itself seems to be totally intact... the hole in the bottom, that's not evident. The anchors are still sitting on deck... the ship's helm wheel is leaning up against the starboard side of the wreck."
The lower cabins are intact, Merryman said — with some containing a couple bunks, and a corner stand for a wash basin.
There's evidence that the Seaverns wasn't just a utilitarian workhorse; elements of refinement are still visible, such as curved corners in the cabins, a stairwell banister with turned spindles, and the remains of a heating stove that — though deteriorated — still retains decorative elements.
"As you're descending the anchor line to get to it, it's just kind of the unknown. And then you get there, and it was in such great condition... (it's) just kind of general awe, initially seeing it," Lintgen said of the ship.
Merryman noted that the Seaverns wasn't a bulk freighter like so many wrecks on Lake Superior. "This one is a little coastal steamer, package freight," he said — a random mix of items rather than a single cargo of coal or iron ore.
The divers found an assortment of dishes, some still stacked in cupboards; the planing mill equipment partially crated up; big slabs of some indeterminate material — a kind of meat? Animal hides? — that after years underwater had taken on the appearance of whale blubber, Merryman said.
"There's all kinds of interesting stuff... just looking at it and trying to figure out, 'what is that?,' " Eliason said.
All of it untouched by human hands since the ship sank 132 years ago.
"That was really cool, to see everything completely as it was when the ship went down," Lintgen said.
"It was never on anybody's radar, probably because it's in such a remote area," he said.
For now, the group has no plans to revisit the Seaverns, in part because of the challenge of getting a boat and diving equipment to that location.
They will be able to spend the winter reviewing the video footage and photos they shot, to gain more insights on the wreck.
"Any shipwreck you (dive), it's always new to you," Lintgen said. "Being that it's new to everybody just adds a whole other level to it."Leidys Shull's home in Houston under water. (Photo: Social media)
Leidys Shull resorted to posting photos as the flood waters were rising on Twitter. She called 911 but was forwarded from one place to the next with long waits that yielded nothing.
“I called 911 and they sent me to the fire department and it was a long time and they told me that I had to be on the waiting list and to wait, since yesterday,” Shull told CNN. “Today, it’s about one o’clock and nobody has come yet.”
The first floor of her home has been completely submerged and she was with 11 friends and family on the second floor of her house with seven adults and four children all of whom are under six-years-old. She said that the waters continue to rise.
“Our goal is to try and get out of here today,” she explained, while a baby can be heard crying. “Because now it is very cold, the water is cold. It’s so deep that we cannot swim. You know, we could lose our life trying to get out of this area.”
She said that she could see her neighbors trying to make it through the water and trying to help each other, but no first responders have been able to make it. The group has a little bit of food and water for now but she fears they won’t have any tomorrow, so they haven’t had lunch yet today.
“We’re worried for our lives,” she said sobbing on the phone. “All the neighborhood is trapped inside their houses.”
She went on to say that city officials and emergency crews are instructing her to stay inside and shelter in place, but the fear continues to rise along with the water creeping up the stairs of her family home.
Shull began crying explaining the dire situation and begging for help. CNN had her repeat her address live on air hoping that individuals helping might hear the need and rescue them. For anyone who might be willing to rescue Shull as well as her neighbors please find 21931 Westfields Ridge Drive in Houston.
Following the interview with Shull, CNN spoke with Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-TX) asking why first responders haven’t been able to reach her in the last 24 hours. He couldn’t answer. With so many millions of people in the city, and so few first responders, the city was quickly overwhelmed.
The Harris County Sheriff is asking that residents seeking rescue hang a sheet, towel or article of clothing out to indicate they need help. Many addresses have been obscured by the flood waters:
IMPORTANT: If you are awaiting rescue, hang a towel or sheet prominently so we can find you. Adresses are hard to spot. #harvey #hounews — HCSOTexas (@HCSOTexas) August 28, 2017
If you want to help survivors like Leidys you can click here.
Watch below:
Houston woman desperately begs for help after… by sarahburrisDesign practitioners have many options. The diversity of small businesses in design fields allows employees to find work that truly matches their creative and financial goals. But do unpaid interns have choices too?
I recently read an article in Spare Change News on the prevalence of unpaid internships. Although it does not discuss internships vis-à-vis architects, the article goes into great detail on the legalities of unpaid work in the United States. View it here:
The Underground Intern Economy
I should say that the author of the article is also currently dating me (whasup!) and suggested that I write this post to re-frame her topic for the design community. Here is a summary of the article's salient points:
An unpaid internship at a for-profit company is illegal if the intern's work is an “advantage” to the company, displaces paid staff, or is not similar to academic training.
Supply of entry-level workers is outgrowing demand, intensifying competition and driving the price of labor (i.e. wages) down to zero for some people.
Recent graduates frequently need experience to win an entry-level job (irony?), and unpaid internships are often the only way forward.
Unpaid internships are expensive for workers because of housing and transportation costs. These employees therefore pay to receive professional experience.
In the U.S., the word “intern” routinely connotes work without pay. It is becoming standard practice to deny wages to interns (although no formal statistical sources actively explore this trend).
If you look at the infographic I made for this post, you'll see that the cost of an architecture degree is higher than that of a standard 4-year bachelor's. This is not only because of the extra tuition and housing expenses required for a 5-year architecture degree, but also because of a higher opportunity cost. College may be a great investment for the future (and as my notebooks always said, “College Ruled”), but full-time students lose out on potential wages while they earn degrees. Those lost wages are the cost of college: a missed financial opportunity.
An unpaid internship after graduation raises the (opportunity) cost of attending school. Think of it like a tuition increase. But, unlike other disciplines, architecture holds a 13.9% unemployment rate for workers fresh out of college, not to mention twice the average student debt. Victory is ours. For young architects to then accept unpaid internships requires additional financial resources, attained either by working multiple jobs as baristas and babysitters, or by dipping into Mom and Dad's expense account. The result is decreased diversity in the workplace: affluent parents are able to finance their children's living expenses, allowing them to gain valuable experience and pull ahead of their peers.
Isn't that gloriously ironic? Not having a salary... is a status symbol. But the fact is that many cash-strapped graduates are simply not able to work in their chosen field because the only job openings are unpaid. In historically prestigious professions, such as law or medicine, the high cost of education and prolonged training periods of minimal pay become barriers to individuals of lower socioeconomic status. Architecture is no different. And with the number of unpaid internships increasing for many other professions as well, it is tempting to see this as another form of unconscious class discrimination in the U.S.
Why are interns falling over each other to work for free? It may be that design professionals simply champion self-sacrifice: think of repetitive all-nighters in college studios, or the overtime work required in fast-paced firms. In American culture, young people are made to pay their dues to prove that they can handle the pressure of an elite service industry. Unpaid internships fit well into this paradigm, as they illustrate an employee's work ethic and enthusiasm for creativity.
Many interns enjoy the challenge, and they understand (rightly so) that unpaid jobs are temporary learning experiences that will produce stronger resumes. But for Gen Y, the practice of unpaid internships may soon become the contemporary equivalent of the entry-level job.
Further Reading:
A comic spin on statistical thinking:
http://www.coffeewithanarchitect.com/2011/05/01/architecture-stats/
Department of Labor Internship Laws:
http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs71.pdf
Good opinion blog of unpaid internships:
http://unfairinternships.wordpress.com/faq/An orchid researcher based on the island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean and collaborating with researchers at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (RBG Kew) has used motion sensitive night cameras to capture the first known occurrence of a cricket functioning as a pollinator of flowering plants. Not only is this the first time this behaviour has been documented in a member of the Orthoptera order of insects -- who are better known for eating plants -- but the 'raspy cricket' is also entirely new to science.
The discovery is revealed in a paper published in Annals of Botany.
In 2008 Claire Micheneau, a RBG Kew-associated PhD student studying how the epiphytic orchid genus Angraecum has adapted to different pollinators on Reunion Island, and Jacques Fournel, her collaborator, shot the remarkable footage. It shows a raspy cricket (Glomeremus sp) carrying pollen on its head as it retreats from the greenish-white flowers of Angraecum cadetii.
The genus Angraecum is best known for Darwin's study of the comet orchid, Angraecum sesquipedale of Madagascar, and his hypothesis that it was pollinated by a bizarre, long-tongued moth pollinator -- a theory that was later proved to be true many years after his death.
Says Claire Micheneau, "We knew from monitoring pollen content in the flowers that pollination was taking place. However, we did not observe it during the day. That's why we rigged up a night camera and caught this raspy cricket in action. Watching the footage for the first time, and realising that we had filmed a truly surprising shift in the pollination of Angraecum, a genus that is mainly specialised for moth pollination, was thrilling.
"The moths that are the main Angraecum pollinators on Madagascar are not found on Reunion and until we started our research the pollination of this genus on Reunion had always been an open question."
Micheneau's research also revealed that two other species of Reunion Island Angraecum orchids (A. bracteosum and A. striatum) are pollinated by two species of small white eye songbirds (Zosterops borbonicus and Zosterops olivaceus).
She continues, "My studies have shown that the raspy cricket is also a surprisingly efficient pollinator with higher rates of pollination and fruit set in Angraecum cadetii than those recorded in its bird-pollinated sister-species." (1)
There is a close match in size between the raspy cricket's head and Angraecum cadetii's nectar-spur opening (2). These wingless raspy crickets reach the flowers by climbing up the leaves of the orchid or jumping across from neighbouring plants. They use long very long antenna to explore their surroundings.
Just why the raspy cricket developed a taste for orchid nectar is still a key question for Micheneau. "Although crickets are typically omnivorous and eat both plant material and other insects, we think the raspy cricket has evolved to eat nectar to compensate for the general scarcity of other insects on Reunion."NFL Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Houston Texans to be on Sky Sports
NFL Hard Knocks to be shown on Sky Sports
For the first time the reality sports documentary NFL Hard Knocks will be available to UK and Ireland viewers on Sky Sports.
Starting this Sunday, NFL Hard Knocks, produced by NFL Films and HBO, is the tenth season of the ground breaking documentary that has been enjoyed across America since 2001.
The documentary for 2015 is based around the Houston Texans, the first AFC South team to have a Hard Knocks featured around them. The series follows the lives of the players, coaches and backroom staff, whilst the team battle for positions, work to stay fit and look towards the season. There is also a look into team revelry and personal downtime focusing on their lives away from the field.
Watch J.J. Watt flip a 1000 lb tire as he prepares for the 2015/16 NFL season. NFL Hard Knocks training camp with the Houston Texans starts this Sunday Watch J.J. Watt flip a 1000 lb tire as he prepares for the 2015/16 NFL season. NFL Hard Knocks training camp with the Houston Texans starts this Sunday
There is no shortage of compelling storylines following the team with players such as J.J. Watt and DeAndre Hopkins making star turns, Arian Foster looking to recover from his injuries and Ryan Mallett and Brian Hoyer competing for quarterback.
On the lead up to the new season, Sky Sports viewers |
gestational crates should add a lot more momentum to efforts to end the practice of confining sows while pregnant.
"It's a promising move," says Paul Shapiro, senior director of farm animal protection for the Humane Society of the United States.
The animal rights organization, a longtime critic of factory farming practices, collaborated with the McDonald's folks on the joint announcement, which requires the suppliers of McRib and other meat to submit their plans for phasing out the crates by May. "No other fast-food company has done what McDonald's has done here," Shapiro tells The Salt.
On U.S. farms, most sows are confined while pregnant in 2-foot-wide steel crates. The practice keeps the pigs from fighting and snatching others' food. But critics say that changes in animal handling and feeding can minimize those risks without having to pen the animals so tightly they can't walk or turn around.
"Imagine taking a 500-pound, social, intelligent animal and immobilizing them for years," Shapiro says. "The crates are lined up by the thousands, like parked cars."
The Humane Society and other animal welfare groups have been pressuring pork producers on the issue for over a decade. In 2007, Smithfield, the world's largest pork producer, said that it would phase out gestational crates by 2017. Now McDonald's is pushing for bigger changes, faster.
About 100 million pigs are raised in the United States for food each year, according to the Humane Society. And 1 percent of that pork is bought by McDonald's, according to the corporation.
Th National Pork Producers Council gave a thumbs up to crate announcement, calling it an opportunity for market-led reform. "Pork industry customers have expressed a desire to see changes in how pigs are raised. Farmers are responding and modifying their practices accordingly," the lobbying group said in a statement. "That process is effective, it is efficient and doesn't require an act of Congress."
Perhaps they've been following the experiences of their brethren in the poultry industry, who have been struggling to deal with a growing patchwork of state regulations demanding more spacious cages and nest boxes.
The chicken folks have also found a new ally in the Humane Society, as NPR's Dan Charles reported earlier this month. The two group are lobbying together for a single federal rule on cage and nest box sizes.
McDonald's clout helped jump-start that campaign, too. In 1999, when the McMuffin purveyor ordered egg suppliers to provide more space for laying hens, other fast food emporiums quickly followed suit.
Chipotle's commercial showing a farmer liberating his livestock has had more than 5 million page views since August. Chipotle YouTube
Chipotle Mexican Grill has required its suppliers to use larger pens or outdoor paddocks since 2001. But it lacks the muscle in the marketplace of its former corporate parent. Chipotle's commercial that's a hymn to uncrating farm animals, was featured on Sunday's Grammy Awards, and has scored more than 5 million hits on YouTube.Point, shoot and … what? From amazing architecture to abandoned places, sometimes the subject is at the center of compelling and creative photography techniques and photographers – but at other times the types and approaches take the proverbial cake. These fascinating photography techniques take the art of image-making into entire new dimensions.
Some photographers seem to freeze, slow, or speed up time. Others like Will Pearson rotate our views in dizzying directions elevate our views to dazzling heights. Featuring eye-popping works from 3D, panoramic and high-speed to infrared, HDR and tilt-shift photographers, here is a visual guide to ten of the world’s most awesome ways to take a photograph.
Who says photography is limited to what a standard frame or even a panoramic one can see? Some photographers shoot entirely in the round, creating amazing full-circle spiralling panoramas or even fully-mobile three-dimensional shots that can only be viewed via computer.
While most images capture moments in time that any ordinary human could see some high-speed shots provide us with photographic glimpses of faster-than-sight phenomena invisible to the naked eye, from bullets piercing bottles to aesthetically splendidly water splashes.
At the opposite extreme from high-speed photography lies the vast world of motion-blur imagery. From a single time-lapse shot it can be possible to see many moments collapsed into one and create permanent montage artworks from ephemeral events.
Employed to the extreme and they can seem like gimmicks but taken to just the right degree and color-altering approaches like infrared and HDR can take ordinary scenes and make them extraordinary, enhancing contrast and rendering some aspects of an image more real than reality.
Night photography can bring out the best in photographers, playing on subtlties of shadow, shade and contrast not visible during the daytime. These photographers range in their approaches but universally add something new to the art of creating nighttime images.
Black and white is, of course, where photography began – but is not at all where it has ended up. However, some contemporary photographers have reclaimed this original art and applied new techniques to the old approaches begun by the original masters of photography.
: Monochrome and duotone photography are not, however, limited to black and white. Many photographic artist make marvelous compositions from a single color, shade or tone beyond greyscale. These works can be potently expressive despite their singular colors.
Mirrors are found in many places in nature and architecture – from smooth running streams to finely polished floors. Many photographers continue to experiment with the myriad possibilities of reflection that present themselves in our everyday experience.
Scale are perspective are pervasive issues in the realm of photography – mastering them is one thing, but twisting them to a whole different purpose can be quite another. Tilt-shift photography tweaks our ideas of relative and real sizes and unique and creative ways.
Who says you need a camera to take pictures? Long before cameras as we know them existed, innovative artists and scientists used these techniques to create images – creative contemporary photographers have returned to them as well.
While they stage their work very carefully – to the point of it being as much about performance as freeze-frame photography – Denis Darzacq and Liwei have made an incredible art out of perfectly timed and angled photographs.
As with Darzacq and Liwei, Michael Hughes has made a mission of somewhat less-than-serious but strangely compelling photography. He travels the world and replaces real-life monuments and wonders with his own miniatures in self-made images.British journalists - and British journals - are being manipulated by the secret intelligence agencies, and I think we ought to try and put a stop to it.
The manipulation takes three forms. The first is the attempt to recruit journalists to spy on other people, or to go themselves under journalistic "cover". This occurs today and it has gone on for years. It is dangerous, not only for the journalist concerned, but for other journalists who get tarred with the espionage brush. Farzad Bazoft was a colleague of mine on the Observer when he was executed by Saddam Hussein for espionage. In a sense it didn't matter whether he was really a spy or not. Either way, he ended up dead.
The second form of manipulation that worries me is when intelligence officers are allowed to pose as journalists in order to write tendentious articles under false names. Evidence of this only rarely comes to light, but two examples have surfaced recently, mainly because of the whistleblowing activities of a couple of renegade officers - David Shayler from MI5 and Richard Tomlinson from MI6.
The third sort of manipulation is the most insidious - when intelligence agency propaganda stories are planted on willing journalists, who disguise their origin from their readers. There is - or has been until recently - a very active programme by the secret agencies to colour what appears in the British press, called, if publications by various defectors can be believed, information operations, or "I/Ops". I am - unusually - in a position to provide some information about its operations.
Let us take the third allegation first. Black propaganda - false material where the source is disguised - has been a tool of British intelligence agencies since the days of the second world war, when the Special Operations Executive (SOE) got up to all kinds of tricks with clandestine radio stations, to drip pornography and pessimism into the ears of impressionable German soldiers. Post-war, this unwholesome game mutated into the anti-Soviet Information Research Department (IRD). Its task was ostensibly to plant anti-communist stories in the developing-world press, but its lurid tales of Marxist drunkenness and corruption sometimes leaked back to confuse the readers of the British media.
A colourful example of the way these techniques expanded to meet the exigencies of the hour came in the early 70s, when the readers of the News of the World were treated to a front-page splash, "Russian sub in IRA plot sensation", complete with aerial photograph of the conning tower of a Soviet sub awash off the coast of Donegal. That was the work of Hugh Mooney of the IRD, which was eventually closed down in 1977.
Its spirit did not die, however. Nearly 25 years later, readers of the Sunday Telegraph were regaled with with the dramatic story of the son of Libya's Colonel Gadafy and his alleged connection to a currency counterfeiting plan. The story was written by Con Coughlin, the paper's chief foreign correspondent and it was falsely attributed to a "British banking official". In fact, it had been given to him by officers of MI6, who, it transpired, had been supplying Coughlin with material for years.
The origins of that November 1995 newspaper article only came to light when they were recently disclosed by Mark Hollingsworth, the biographer of renegade security service officer David Shayler. Shayler had worked on MI5's Libya desk at the time, in liaison with his counterparts in the foreign espionage service, MI6, and had come away with a detailed knowledge of events, and a bundle of secret documents to back them up.
The allegations were confirmed from an unexpected direction. The Sunday Telegraph was served with a libel writ by Gadafy's son. The paper was unable to back up its suggestion that Gadafy junior might have been linked to a fraud, but pleaded, in effect, that it had been supplied with the material by the government.
In a long and detailed statement, which entered the public domain in the course of a judgment given in an interlocutory appeal on October 28 1998, the paper described how, under Charles Moore's editorship, a lunch had been arranged with the then Conservative foreign secretary, Malcolm Rifkind, at which Con Coughlin had been present. Told by Rifkind that countries such as Iran were trying to get hold of hard currency to beat sanctions, Coughlin was later briefed by an MI6 man - his regular contact.
Some weeks later, he was introduced to a second MI6 man, who spent several hours with him and handed over extensive details of the story about Gadafy's son. Although Coughlin asked for evidence, and was shown purported bank statements, the pleadings make clear that he was dependent on MI6 for the discreditable details about the alleged counterfeiting scam. He was required to keep the source strictly confidential.
Throughout the formal pleadings, the Telegraph preserved the figleaf of its sources by referring to a "Western government security agency". But this veil of coyness was blown away by City solicitor David Hooper in his book on libel published last month, Reputations Under Fire, in which he says: "In reality [they were] members of MI6."
So, unusually, an MI6 exercise in planting a story has been laid bare. Now, there is no suggestion that Con Coughlin is dishonest in his work. He is a perfectly conscientious journalist who I expect did his best to substantiate his facts and undoubtedly believed in their truth. But nevertheless, those facts may not have been true. And I believe he made a serious mistake in falsely attributing his story to a "British banking official". His readers ought to know where his material is coming from. When the Sunday Telegraph got into trouble with the libel case, it seems, after all, to have suddenly found it possible to become a lot more specific about its sources.
This was not an isolated example of recent MI6 I/Ops. In August 1997, the present foreign editor of the Independent, Leonard Doyle, was also in contact with MI6 while he was at his previous post at the Observer. I know, because I became involved in an MI6-inspired story as a result. Doyle's MI6 contact supplied him with intelligence information about an Iranian exile who, while running a pizza business in Glasgow, was also attempting to lay hands on a sophisticated mass spectrometer which could be used for measuring uranium enrichment - a key stage in acquiring components for a nuclear bomb.
We were supplied with a mass of apparently high-quality intelligence from MI6, including surveillance details of a meeting in an Istanbul hotel between our pizza merchant and men involved in Iranian nuclear procurement.
I should make clear that we did not publish merely on the say-so of MI6. We travelled to Glasgow, confronted the pizza merchant, and only when he admitted that he had been dealing with representatives of the nuclear industry in Iran did we publish an article. In that story we made it plain that our target had been watched by Western intelligence.
Nevertheless, I felt uneasy, and vowed never to take part in such an exercise again. Although all parties, from the foreign editor down, behaved scrupulously, we had been obliged to conceal from our readers the full facts and had ended up, in effect, acting as government agents.
Now, after the Tomlinson/Shayler defections and the subsequent revelation of MI6's continuing I/Ops programme of which my Iranian experience was plainly a part, I think the cause of honest journalism is best served by candour. We all ought to come clean about these approaches, and devise some ethics to deal with them. In our vanity, we imagine that we control these sources. But the truth is that they are very deliberately seeking to control us.
The second intelligence tactic of manipulation which gives concern is the habit of allowing spies to write under false names. It was Tomlinson, I suspect, who, having worked in the area, first blew the whistle on this one. And it was a recently published book - MI6 by Stephen Dorril - which once again added the final piece of the jigsaw.
Two articles appeared in the Spectator in early 1994 under the byline Kenneth Roberts. They were datelined Sarajevo, and Roberts was described as having been working with the UN in Bosnia as an adviser. In fact, he was MI6 officer Keith Robert Craig (the pseudonym was a simple one), whose local cover was as a civilian "attached" to the British military unit's Balkan secretariat.
At the time, Bosnia was the site of attacks and atrocities from neighbouring Serbia, and also the focus of some passionate reporting from British journalists. The British military was there in a UN peacekeeping role, but anyone who read Roberts's articles might have begun to wonder whether it was not a better policy for British troops to go home and leave the Serbs a free hand.
The first article on February 5 rehearsed arguments for a UN withdrawal, pointing out that all sides committed atrocities. The second piece complained, baselessly, about "warped" and inaccurate reporting by journalists, including the BBC's Kate Adie.
It is possible, of course, that Craig was merely overcome with private literary urges whilst marooned in the Balkans, and thought it more politic to express his own opinions under a nom de plume. But one of the traditional roles of I/Ops is to plant stories. What is not clear is how the introduction to the Spectator was made, or whether Craig confided his real trade to the then editor of the Spectator, Dominic Lawson. In his recent book about MI6, Stephen Dorril points out that Dominic Lawson's brother-in-law, Anthony Monckton, was himself a serving MI6 officer, who was to take over the Zagreb station in the Balkans in 1996. (Rosa Monckton, his sister and Dominic Lawson's wife, was the late Princess Diana's close friend.)
These relationships - which the disenchanted Tomlinson knew all about because he had himself served undercover in the Balkans in the same time-frame - have only slowly emerged into the public domain. There is no reason to believe the then editor of the Spectator did anything improper at all, and certainly no reason to think that he was acting as an agent of MI6, whether paid or unpaid. But, as an editor, wittingly or not, it must be a bad idea to end up in a position where an MI6 officer is writing for your publication on matters of political controversy, under a false name.
The final malpractice which the Tomlinson/Shayler defections have brought to light is the continuing deliberate blurring by MI6 of the line between journalist and spy. This is an old crime - Kim Philby, former foreign correspondent of the Observer would have had plenty of stories to tell about that. But it should be exposed and stopped. Tomlinson himself, by his own account, spent six months in 1993 travelling around Croatia and Serbia trying to recruit informants, under the guise of a British journalist. Dorril, in his book, publishes the further assertion that the Spectator itself was unknowingly used as cover by no fewer than three MI6 officers working in Bosnia, Belgrade and Moldova.
The most dismaying allegation floated by Tomlinson was that he had heard within MI6 of a "national newspaper editor" who was used as an agent, and had received up to £100,000 in covert payments, accessed at an offshore bank, via a false passport obligingly supplied by MI6 itself. This claim set off a hue and cry, during which the hapless Dominic Lawson, now editor of the Sunday Telegraph, issued his denial, and other editors came under suspicious scrutiny.
In fact, I believe Tomlinson has been wrongly reported. Those who have talked to him in detail say that he has no first-hand knowledge, but merely knew of something a colleague obliquely mentioned. Hearing the words "editor" and "national newspaper", Tomlinson jumped to the wrong conclusion, and then started guessing. Spies are, after all, very like journalists in their methods - but merely less reliable. What those in the newspaper business know is that there is all the difference in the world between "the editor" and "an editor". Newspapers have, for example, education editors, environment editors and defence editors (not, I should say, that I have any evidence against any individual members of these categories).
And a senior journalist at that level - who could travel, see things, report back - would be of more practical use in the business of espionage than, say, the editor of any national newspaper. So the hunt is still on for the miscreant. And, make no mistake, this kind of behaviour by journalists is dangerous and wrong.
Our first task as practitioners is to document what goes on in this very furtive field. Our second task ought to be to hold an open debate on what the proper relations between the intelligence agencies and the media ought to be. And our final task must then be to find ways of actually behaving more sensibly.
This article appears in the current edition of the British Journalism Review. Copies, £4.95 from BR&D Ltd (01702 552912). www.bjr.org.ukNevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) recently assigned its judges and referee for the upcoming UFC 200 pay-per-view (PPV) championship main event, which takes place on Sat., July 9, 2016 inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
But not without a complaint from Jon Jones' camp.
It seems the interim light heavyweight champion is concerned about the sort of job referee "Big" John McCarthy will do once the cage door closes in "Sin City." That's where reigning titleholder Daniel Cormier -- himself unhappy with some veteran officials -- will try to unify the 205-pound titles at Jones' expense.
NSAC Executive Director Bob Bennett was unimpressed (via MMA Fighting):
"Earlier this morning, I did receive at 8:18 an e-mail from the Jones camp, from Mr. (Malki) Kawa, expressing his concerns regarding referee John McCarthy in this fight. Upon review of his complaints or his concerns, I did some research, and I certainly respect the comments that he made, but I do not think they are significant enough to deter me from moving from my initial recommendation."
McCarthy has not officiated a Jones fight since Alexander Gustafsson nearly upset the apple cart at UFC 165.
The judges assigned for "Cormier vs. Jones 2" -- which may be a factor considering their first go-round went the full 25 minutes -- are Derek Cleary, Sal D'Amato, and Glenn Trowbridge. McCarthy will also referee the strawweight title rematch between Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Claudia Gadelha at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 23 Finale the night before.
For much more on UFC 200 click here.Back in April it emerged the government had ordered a review of the way the Reserve Bank operates. Delays releasing the report has fueled talk that the scope of the review may have been wider than initially suggested.
A review of the Reserve Bank may have recommended far more wide ranging changes than even Finance Minister Steven Joyce expected.
Back in April it emerged that after years defending the Reserve Bank's operating model, Joyce instructed Treasury to commission a review of aspects of its structure.
At the time it appeared the review, conducted by former State Services Commissioner Iain Rennie was to be limited only to the Reserve Bank's process for determining movements in the official cash rate (OCR), and whether the bank should be in charge of the legislation it operates under.
MAARTEN HOLL/STUFF The entrance to the New Zealand Treasury, at 1 The Terrace, Wellington, immediately opposite the Reserve Bank.
But there is growing speculation that Treasury may have given Rennie a wider brief than Joyce suggested. Treasury has refused to release the terms of reference of the report, or the final report, which was delivered back in April.
READ MORE: Reserve Bank governor's unique power over interest rates to come under review
Cameron Bagrie, chief economist for ANZ, said without the terms of reference he was "flying a bit blind", but it was possible the review was headed towards recommending a model used across the Tasman, where powers are split between the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority (APRA).
"The consensus seems to be that the review is about monetary policy," Bagrie said.
"I suspect it's broader and maybe they are looking at whether we have an Australian model where they have the RBA for monetary policy, financial stability, markets, payments et al and APRA for the prudential/regulatory side."
Splitting banking regulation from the Reserve Bank would reduce the scope - and power - of the central bank considerably.
Top officials within the Reserve Bank are said to believe Rennie's report is something of a power grab by Treasury.
Michael Reddell, the former special advisor to the Reserve Bank, said even the details released about the report already released, around which organisation was responsible for the central bank's governing legislation, amounted to a power play.
Treasury's refusal to release the report for so long suggested it did not give the Reserve Bank structure the clean bill of health the government wanted, at a time when political rivals were calling for the bank to be reformed.
"If the report was concluded in the direction Steven Joyce wanted it, we would have seen it released by now, because it would have supported him," Reddell said.
While countries such as Australia split monetary policy from banking regulation, but Rennie said it went against the international trend, which saw the Bank of England take over regulation of the banking system from the Financial Services Authority.
But Reddell said even this model would require a change for the Reserve Bank, with separate internal boards for interest rate setting functions and banking supervision.
Almost uniquely, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand governor is solely responsible for setting the benchmark interest rate, although former governor Graeme Wheeler established a committee decision-making model. All members of the committee were Reserve Bank staff, who reported to Wheeler.
Joyce has not responded to a request for comment on the report.President Trump endorsed the Republican candidate in the race to replace Mike Pompeo in the House by saying he needs Ron Estes in Congress to help advance his plans.
Estes is the Republican candidate in Kansas' 4th District running to replace Pompeo, now Trump's CIA director. While the seat has been solidly Republican, there is some concern about it flipping in recent weeks and Republicans have been taking the special election seriously.
Trump, who recorded a robocall to advocate for Estes, said voters need to put Estes in Congress to help him.
"Ron Estes is running TODAY for Congress in the Great State of Kansas. A wonderful guy, I need his help on Healthcare & Tax Cuts (Reform)," Trump tweeted.
Ron Estes is running TODAY for Congress in the Great State of Kansas. A wonderful guy, I need his help on Healthcare & Tax Cuts (Reform). — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2017
Estes is running against James Thompson, the Democratic candidate in the district.
The seat is suddenly seen as vulnerable due to the unpopularity of Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback, a Republican, and Trump's own issues in office. However, the district went for Trump by 30 points in November.
The Washington Examiner reported last week Kansas Republicans are worried about Estes' lackluster campaign and GOP heavy hitters like Sen. Ted Cruz have visited the Wichita-area district in recent days to campaign with him.In his dreams, the story must have had a far happier ending.
After sailing over 4000 kilometres from Turkey in a 4.8-metre yacht, Ramazan Noyan Culum imagined that the British woman he loved would be swept off her feet and accept his hand in marriage.
Ramazan Culum's odyssey of love has attracted international attention. Photo: Ramazan Culum
Instead, his eight-month odyssey took him only as far as an immigration removal office in Sussex, with the object of his desire telling him he will be arrested if he comes anywhere near her.
Mr Culum, a 38-year-old Turkish businessman, was picked up by Customs officials in the Channel this week after sailing the length of Europe to win the affections of Courtney Murray, whom he met at a restaurant in Cyprus in 2005.Looking like the twin brother of Star Wars villain General Grievous but sporting a mohawk, this four-armed, drum-playing robot mysteriously showed up on YouTube a few days ago with little information provided, but all the potential for going viral. Though the bot could have performed a drum cover of a variety of old school ditties, it’s been programmed to embrace its inner rebel by covering The Ramone’s Blitzkrieg Bop.
Now, automated drumming was first achieved with electronic drum machines, which have been commercially available for over 50 years. But having a robot play real drums is altogether different as it captures the action and attitude that makes drummers rock stars as well as sounding authentic.
So perhaps this can serve as a gauge of where robotics technology is at by asking the question, who can perform a drum cover of punk classic better: a robot or a human?
To answer this, watch the following video (courtesy of lichenthrope) as the head-banging bot tries to channel drummer Tommy Ramone:
Surprisingly, this robot is not new. In fact, two videos of the bot were posted on YouTube (here and here) from the same performance at Glastonbury 2008, which also profiled two robot pole dancers. Since then, the origins of this bot remain murky (anyone know? comment below).
Now, here’s the second video performed by a biological organism with two arms fewer and a smaller drum kit:
I’m not a trained musician, but the human drummer seems to play the song tighter and have a better feel for the musical style. Adje1960, who uploaded the video to YouTube as part of a collaboration, is probably also comfortable playing with other human musicians. I’m guessing the robot drummer is a solo player.
CHALLENGE: Drum cover of a punk classic
WINNER: Human
Yet, it’s a short-lived victory. Other similar robot drummers have been in the works for years (such as Steve and P.E.A.R.T.). Look to the future of music and you will see that robots and artificial intelligence are all up in its business. On the robot side, Toyota has been developing Partner Robots to accompany human musicians and the German company Festo recently announced the development of a robotic quintet that can compose music and then perform it, just to name a few examples. Artificial intelligence is also poised to take over the music world with apps like Shazam that can identify any song by just a portion of the tune and algorithms that can predict whether a song with be wildly popular or not.
Will robot performers be the mainstay of bands some time in the future? A magic eight ball would probably read “All signs point to yes!” But like many activities in the Robot Vs. Human realm, humans still derive great pleasure from doing things that robots can do. Otherwise, wouldn’t drum machines be the standard instead of the exception?Police suspect arson in both cases, which caused no injuries. No arrests have been made.
“Everyone got out of the building. There were nine residents and two staff members who got themselves out,” Johan Winsnes from the Stockholm emergency services centre told news agency TT.
The nine asylum seekers living of the centre in the well-heeled northern suburb of Sigtuna and two staff members were evacuated before firefighters arrived shortly before 2 am.
Around 20 firefighters tackled the blaze, but the building could not be saved.
A previous fire hit a home in Stockholm's working-class Fagersjö neighbourhood early on Sunday. All 40 residents were evacuated safely.
Sweden accepted the second highest number of refugees per capita in the European Union in 2015, receiving a record 163,000 asylum applications, as the continent struggles with its worst migration crisis since World War II.
The nation saw a wave of around 20 arson attacks against refugee centres last year, but the culprits have rarely been caught.MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — A Republican lawyer pushing the allegations that Sen. Bernie Sanders’ wife committed bank fraud to win a loan while president of a now-defunct Vermont college has a long history of filing complaints against left-of-center politicians in the state.
The complaints and public records requests filed by Brady Toensing date to 2004, when he sought expense documents from a Vermont auditor of accounts to a 2015 complaint that the state’s former Democratic attorney general had committed campaign finance violations.
Then he went after his biggest target to date, alleging during the 2016 campaign that Jane Sanders’ committed bank fraud while arranging a $10 million financing deal for Burlington College.
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Toensing, 49, lives in the Vermont community of Charlotte, is a partner in the Washington law firm diGenova and Toensing, which was founded by his mother and stepfather, two high-profile former federal prosecutors once called by The Washington Post “a classic Washington power couple.”
In an email to The Associated Press, Toensing, who did not point to any of his complaints leading to charges or discipline against his targets, said his efforts are designed “to shine a light on the conduct of public officials.”
“An open government is a fundamental principal of our democracy and the sole purpose of the government sunshine law,” he said.
All of his efforts have been focused on Democrats or members of the state’s Progressive Party. “There aren’t many targets on the Republican side here in Vermont,” Toensing said of the liberal state.
And Toensing noted that last month, in a case supported by the Vermont Press Association, he asked the Vermont Supreme Court to rule “the public records law reaches public records on employees’ private accounts.”
Toensing’s complaint against Sanders has garnered him far more attention than any of the others. Since word got out last month that Jane Sanders had retained lawyers, the politically independent senator is being asked about it nearly everywhere he goes.
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Sanders, who has called his wife “perhaps the most honest person I know,” noted that the Burlington College allegations were first made in early 2016 — more than five years after the deal was put together — just as his ultimately unsuccessful bid for the Democratic presidential nomination was gaining traction.
“Right in the middle of my presidential campaign, I know this will shock the viewers, the vice chairman of the Vermont Republican Party who happened to be Donald Trump’s campaign manager raised this issue and initiated this investigation,” Sanders said July 2 on CNN’s State of the Union. Although he did not name him, Sanders was referring to Toensing.
In a January 2016 letter sent to Vermont’s United States Attorney and the acting inspector general of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., Toensing alleged that in 2010, while Jane Sanders was president of Burlington College, she overstated the value of donations promised to the college as part of a $10 million deal to buy 33-acres (13-hectares) of prime property on the Lake Champlain waterfront along with the former headquarters of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington. She promised a minimum of $2.27 million in grants and loans but collected only a fraction of that amount.
In 2014, the college sold the property. Never able to recover from the debt, it closed in 2016. The president of the college when it closed, Carol Moore, blamed the real estate deal for the demise of the school.
The office of Vermont’s U.S. attorney won’t confirm whether the matter is being investigated, but former college officials say they have been questioned by federal agents, and last month the Sanderses acknowledged they had hired lawyers.
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Conor Casey, executive director of the Vermont Democratic Party, said Toensing has a history of filing frivolous complaints. He called the complaints against Jane Sanders “a political witch hunt.”
“This is another notch in Brady’s belt, a waste of time and a politically motivated attack,” Casey said
“It makes you wonder if it’s not dirty politics, a character smear, which is certainly what he was trying to do to me,” said former Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell, a Democrat who was the subject of a 2015 investigation by an independent counsel appointed by Democratic former Gov. Peter Shumlin after Toensing filed the campaign finance complaints against him.
The investigation into Sorrell by former Republican state Rep. Thomas Little cleared him of five of six allegations, referring the sixth to the state police, which announced in January 2016 that they would not investigate, although they referred the issue to federal authorities. Sorrell’s attorney in that case, former Vermont U.S. Attorney David Kirby, who is also one of Jane Sanders’ lawyers, said he was later told by federal authorities that no charges would be filed against Sorrell.
“It’s unfortunate that he’s brought this kind of politics to Vermont,” Sorrell said of Toensing.
Sanders’ former presidential campaign manager, Jeff Weaver, who has acted as the family spokesman on the Burlington College issue, said Toensing is carrying out a “crusade” against Vermont Democrats and other left-wing politicians.
“Brady Toensing is now throwing mud for national Republicans who want to slander Bernie and Jane Sanders,” Weaver said in an email. “Their motivation for these dishonest attacks is pretty transparent. Bernie Sanders’ sustained popularity is a threat to the national Republican Party’s right-wing agenda.”
Former Republican state Sen. Vincent Illuzzi, now the Essex County state’s attorney, said he didn’t know about the Sanders allegations but followed Toensing when he defended a defeated GOP gubernatorial candidate in a campaign finance case.
“He’s got good legal skills,” Illuzzi said.In this edtition, Harry Hill turns interviewer and invites his chosen guest Tim Vine into the Chain Reaction hot seat.
Chain Reaction is the talk show with a twist where one week's interviewee becomes the next week's interviewer. John Cleese was first in the hot seat back in 1991 and since then, a procession of big names from the world of comedy and entertainment including Jennifer Saunders, Jarvis Cocker and Eddie Izzard have helped continue the chain.
Harry Hill is an award winning comedian and world class swingball player. Born in Woking in 1964, he holds a medical degree from the University of London. His books include Flight from Deathrow and Tim the Tiny Horse. He has been a stand-up since the early 90s and is well known as the star of TV Burp and the voice of You've Been Framed. Harry can currently be seen on Alien Fun Capsule.
For this edition Harry is joined by Tim Vine (AKA The Punslinger, The Joke-a-motive or The Punaway Train). Tim is best known for his frenetic stage shows, rammed full of rapid one liners, songs and props. He previously starred in BBC1s Not Going Out, ITV1s The Sketch Show and hosted the seminal Channel 5 quiz show Whittle.
Together they discuss Tim's teenage dreams of being a pop star, giant moths and the roots of Tim's act.
Producer: Adnan Ahmed
A BBC Studios Production
Photo credit: Matt Stronge.About a year ago, I was merging lanes on the highway during an hour-long trek to a job interview when, in my rearview mirror, I saw a middle finger waving furiously at me. Cutting the other driver off had been my fault, and so when he changed lanes to zoom up beside me I turned in my seat to wave and mouth an exaggerated and lip-readable “I’m sorry”.
I could read his lips, too.
“Pull over!” he was shouting. He had also switched fingers, and was now pointing at the shoulder of the expressway beside me.
This was where we were to fight.
And so I did what you do when you’re a liberal guy who teaches college writing and writes stories for a living. I shook my head and squinted at him like he was a lower, more barbarian life-form, and I meant it. One of three outcomes was possible:
1) He beats me up
2) I beat him up
3) We square off until one of us backs down
In any scenario, the fact that I cut him off doesn’t change, and I’m late for a chance to pick up some freelance work. If my kids had been in the car, it might have been an opportunity for a good lesson: this is how you ignore an idiot.
All good reasons, and yet there was something else at work: a consuming, spine-level electric hum I like to call The Fear. And with it, my subconscious was calling me out.
“You have never been in a fight,” it said.
I have never been in a real one, anyway – and by that I mean a streetfight with no rules, no refs, no squishy surface under our feet. This shouldn’t bother me but at times, I feel like I’ve missed a necessary rite of passage to become a man.
I’m not supposed to feel this way. I |
those who compete once and lose, both to competitors and coaches. On Sunday night, the 17 days of the Rio Games conclude. On Monday morning, most Americans will rise and go work. The athletes will do — what, exactly? Many don’t know.
“It’s an emotional, psychological transition, and it’s very tough,” said Steven Ungerleider, a sports psychologist and author who has worked with both the International Olympic Committee and the U.S. Olympic Committee for four decades. “... We’re always seeing a large number of athletes who win medals, or don’t win medals, and come home, the lights are turned out, the media is gone, and they go into a state of shock because they have been up on the pedestal and this emotional high for so long. And without their training regimen and support staff, it’s a tough transition.”
Suddenly, a lot of free time
In the months leading up to the Olympics, athletes are defined by their preparation and sacrifice. Katie Ledecky put off college for a year and swam 70,000 yards each week. Jordan Burroughs began days with pre-dawn runs and seemingly infinite sets of pull-ups and push-ups before even taking to the wrestling mat for practice sessions, eschewing time with his toddler son and infant daughter. Simone Biles chose home-schooling over her friends, and any semblance of a social life, to train more than 30 hours weekly and travel for gymnastics.
All of those decisions were based on the cycle of the Olympics. The Games may enter the public’s consciousness only for 17 days every four years. For the athletes, almost by definition, they are an obsession.
[This federally created body is supposed to help Olympic athletes, but it doesn’t.]
“It’s almost like Christmas,” Burroughs said. “It’s like, ‘I can’t wait until Christmas, I want to open my presents early. Mom, Dad, what’d you get me? I got to see it. The presents are under the tree, let me open them.’
“But once you open them and you play with them, you realize that, man, it’s over. Now there’s 364 days until the next one. But for us, it’s over 1,000 days.”
The effort athletes exert often results in expectations both about what being an Olympian will mean and what life afterward will be like. Taraje Williams-Murray twice made the Olympic team in judo. In 2004, he was teammates with Rhadi Ferguson. In the weeks following the Beijing Games, the two wrote a post on Williams-Murray’s blog titled, “Post-Olympic Stress Disorder: The Dark Side of Going for the Gold,” which warned athletes about the perils of becoming addicted to the competition and the attention.
“You think sex is great?” they wrote. “You think gambling [and winning] is great? Driving fast cars? Sky-diving? None of that can light a candle to the thrill of that torch, to the sense of fate, destiny — being a part of something so BIG, universal. You are on stage and the WHOLE world is watching YOU.”
The reality: Many Olympic athletes must pay some out of pocket for training and travel. Williams-Murray returned to financial stresses.
“I was burdened with debt from the run, as well as student loans,” he said Saturday by email. “I had bouts with depression and often self-medicated with alcohol and marijuana.”
That isn’t a solitary story. David Boudia was 19 when he made his first Olympic team as a diver in 2008. Like with most athletes, his focus on the Games defined his existence.
“Everything I did, I did with the idea of going to the Olympics and winning,” Boudia said before the Rio Games began. “I wanted fame, the riches. I wanted the Games to be the vehicle that delivered all those things.”
Boudia expected to win a medal, maybe two. Instead, he finished 10th in the 10-meter platform event and, with a partner, fifth in the 10-meter synchronized competition. He returned home to Indiana, enrolled at Purdue University, but entered a world he couldn’t handle. He drank. He did drugs. In his book “Greater Than Gold,” released as the Rio Games opened, he revealed that he contemplated suicide.
“The Olympics didn’t fulfill me or bring me satisfaction,” Boudia said. “So for a long time, I wanted to do nothing except to stay in bed.”
[Archives: The last flight of Speedy Peterson]
The reality is that only a fraction of the competitors in any Olympics end up on the podium. Each arrives with a goal, a standard by which he or she would define success. If that goal isn’t reached, they return home to a great unknown.
“Imagine what they’re going through,” said Robert B. Andrews, a Houston-based sports-performance consultant who works with Biles, the gymnast who won five medalists here. “They put so much passion and commitment and attention and focus into this. They all have a plan for competing. Then when the plan ends, what is the next plan? How do you even begin? There is a huge sense of loss.”
But such a sense isn’t unique to competitors who don’t medal. The public troubles of U.S. freestyle skier Jeret “Speedy” Peterson began at the 2006 Turin Olympics, where he was sent home early after fighting with a friend on the street following his seventh-place finish.
Peterson, a bold competitor who invented the high-risk “Hurricane” jump, struggled with alcohol and depression following a troubled childhood in which he was sexually abused and his younger sister was killed by a drunk driver.
When Peterson won silver at the 2010 Vancouver Games, he broke down in tears. In July 2011, he committed suicide at age 29.
Adjusting to a 9-to-5 life
The USOC’s website includes a section on sports psychology that features links to 14 articles on the topic of athletic performance, offering them as helpful resources for coaching and athletes, with titles such as “A three-step formula for competition readiness,” “Routines, rituals and performing under pressure,” and “USOC Sports Psychology’s Top Ten Guiding Principles for Mental training.”
Not a single article deals with what athletes face when competition is over. This, despite the fact that athletes, coaches and sports psychologists have understood the phenomenon going back decades. In 1997, Ungerleider studied 57 Olympians in 12 sports and wrote about the need for developing ways of helping elite athletes make a successful transition to the workplace.
“The majority don’t have a game plan,” Ungerleider said. “... When there is not a program in place or a mentor to prepare them, many of them get depressed. Empirical data show they start drinking or taking drugs or sort of get lost if they don’t have a support system.”
The USOC now offers the “Athlete and Career Education Program” to offer counseling and help former Olympians deal with planning a career, finding a job, networking and academics. But in some ways, the very qualities that pushed these athletes to the top of their pursuits can make it difficult to fit into a 9-to-5 existence.
“Olympians are outliers, largely independent and often self-starters — individuals that are largely predisposed and may have a natural advantage as entrepreneurs,” Williams-Murray said. “The path to a new self-identity that may allow these high achievers to be happy may go beyond finding a job.”
[So you just won a gold medal? Welcome to the rest of your life.]
There is now, though, a heightened awareness about what awaits Olympians when they return home. Many athletes here said they have discussed potential pitfalls with teammates. Swimmer Allison Schmitt won three gold medals, a silver and a bronze at the 2012 London Olympics, but she fell into such a deep depression over the ensuing two years that she and her coaches believed it was unlikely she would compete at such a level again.
With help, Schmitt overcame her problems. She came to Rio with the goal of not only helping the Americans to a medal — which she did, gold in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay — but to, as she said, “de-stigmatize the negativity around mental health.” Schmitt said before she left Rio that she plans to travel, that she knows she must keep busy. But she also knows that understanding her past experiences doesn’t mean she is better prepared to deal with what’s to come.
“I’m more aware of it,” she said. “I don’t know exactly how much more prepared I am for it. I would like to say I am.”
The last day of the Rio Games is Sunday. Some athletes have already departed. And back in Houston, Andrews, the sports-performance consultant, is fielding pleas for help.
“I’ve already had [Rio] Olympic athletes calling me and saying, ‘I need to come in and talk. I don’t know what to do next,’ ” Andrews said. “Their Olympics are over and, ‘I don’t know how to handle everything that’s coming at me. How do I handle this TV show and all these appearances and endorsements? I want to keep competing, but I don’t know how much time to take off. Where do I go to vacation?’ ”
Adam Kilgore contributed to this report.A small non-denominational church in Texas violated federal tax law by urging passers-by to vote for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, according to Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
Ray Miller, pastor of the Church in the Valley in Leakey, last week posted a message on the church’s marquee that read: “Vote for the Mormon, not the Muslim! The capitalist, not the communist!”
Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United, said it was clear the message urged voters to support Romney and reject President Barack Obama. Some conservatives believe Obama is a Muslim, even though he has been a practicing Christian for many years. Gallup found last year that 18 percent of Republicans believed Obama was Muslim.
“Miller may indeed have strong feelings about the election, but that does not give him the right to use his tax-exempt church to endorse a candidate,” Lynn said in a complaint to the IRS. “In fact, Miller’s actions are, I believe, a clear and flagrant violation of the law.”
The Johnson amendment in the Internal Revenue Code prohibits tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations, including churches, from intervening in political campaigns on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate.
Churches that violate the statute can have their tax-exempt status revoked, but are more likely to just receive a warning letter.
“Millions of Americans are aware that this church has openly violated the law, and many of them are asking what the IRS intends to do about it. Failure to act will only spur more houses of worship to ignore the law,” Lynn added.
Watch video, courtesy of WAFB 9 News, below:
WAFB 9 News Baton Rouge, Louisiana News, Weather, SportsTyson Fury says he has been kept from "providing for his family"
UK Anti-Doping (Ukad) fears it could be made insolvent or require a government bailout over a dispute with Tyson Fury.
Former world heavyweight champion Fury tested positive for a banned steroid in June 2016, and says the adverse result came from eating uncastrated wild boar.
But a legal battle with Ukad over the evidence has meant Fury, 29, has not fought for two years.
Now senior figures at the agency are worried if he were cleared, Fury could sue for loss of earnings.
Given he reportedly makes up to £5m a fight before other revenue streams are factored in, any potential payout would severely challenge Ukad with its annual budget of around £8m.
The public body would also face legal costs for its own lawyers and potentially those of the Fury camp.
The issue has been discussed by Ukad's board recently and has been raised in meetings with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), through whom they are accountable to Parliament.
Ukad is believed to have sought guidance from the Government on whether it will effectively underwrite the case.
Ukad and the DCMS both said they were unable to comment.
However, BBC Sport understands Ukad - and then DCMS - are not of a mind to drop the case, amid concerns over the effect such an action would have on integrity of the anti-doping process.
In addition, there are fears it would signal to sports stars that it is possible to draw out proceedings and effectively undermine the organisation charged with maintaining clean sport.
The background
Fury has not fought since beating Wladimir Klitschko
Fury was crowned world heavyweight champion in November 2015 after defeating Wladimir Klitschko. A rematch was scheduled for summer 2016 but Fury was forced to postpone, then withdraw.
Following reports relating to tests in early 2015, Ukad confirmed in June 2016 that he and cousin Hughie had tested positive for a banned substance - believed to be banned anabolic steroid nandrolone.
The pair were charged by Ukad but provisional suspensions were lifted in August 2016 after appeals from the boxers.
Two months later, Tyson gave up his world titles to focus on mental health problems and the British Boxing Board of Control suspended his licence "pending further investigation into anti-doping and medical issues".
Nandrolone acts similarly to the hormone testosterone and the Furys have relied on a defence that they ate uncastrated wild boar - which is naturally high in testosterone - as the reason for failing the test.
Furthermore, an issue over the admissibility of the evidence is now subject to an appeal from the Fury's legal team.
Ukad said in September that "all parties are awaiting a ruling" from the National Anti-Doping Panel (NADP), the independent body responsible for adjudicating on anti-doping disputes in UK sport.
BBC Sport understands the NADP will take place in December, while there was also a separate dispute ongoing over the tribunal process for the case.
The Fury camp have claimed Ukad's position and the potential threat to its finances have led to the delays in the case being heard, and could influence any decision.
Fury's trainer and uncle Peter Fury expressed his frustration on Twitter, writing: "Now you see it's virtually impossible to attain justice."
Fury's promoters, Hennessy Sports, said: "It has been a difficult two years but we will not stop until we have cleared Tyson Fury's and Hughie Fury's names."
However Ukad has insisted it has been pushing for a resolution "as quickly as possible".
Given the significant legal costs faced by Ukad so far - believed to be in excess of the £250,000 legal insurance funding it is entitled to claim - it was keen to go directly to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) for a definitive ruling.
Fury's fall since becoming world champion
In October 2016, Fury told Rolling Stone he had been taking cocaine in order to combat depression.
"I've been out drinking, Monday to Friday to Sunday, and taking cocaine," said Fury. "I can't deal with it and the only thing that helps me is when I get drunk out of my mind."
The former champion subsequently had his licence suspended by the British Boxing Board of Control pending "pending further investigation by Ukad into anti-doping and medical issues".
Fury has on several occasions discussed a return to the ring and has asked for authorities to "set me free" because he is "innocent".As Montanans headed to the polls to elect their lone U.S. House member, Republican leaders said that GOP candidate Greg Gianforte’s behavior toward a reporter on Wednesday night was unacceptable but should not disqualify him for office.
In-person voting began across the state less than 24 hours after Gianforte allegedly “body-slammed” Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs, who was trying to ask him a question about the House Republican health-care plan. Gianforte has been charged with misdemeanor assault in the incident.
The scuffle, caught on tape by the reporter and witnessed by a Fox News reporting team, threw the race to replace former congressman Ryan Zinke into sudden turmoil. As three major newspapers pulled their endorsements of the technology entrepreneur and some early voters sought in vain to change their ballots, GOP leaders urged Gianforte to apologize in an attempt to calm the waters.
“There is no time where a physical altercation should occur,” House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) said at his weekly news conference on Capitol Hill. “It should not have happened. Should the gentleman apologize? Yeah, I think he should apologize.”
Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), one of Gianforte’s closest allies in Montana politics, called his actions “unacceptable” and agreed he should apologize. “I do not condone violence in any way,” Daines said in a statement and a television interview.
Greg Gianforte, the Republican candidate for Montana’s only House seat, sits in a vehicle in Bozeman on May 24 after witnesses say he body-slammed a reporter. (Freddy Monares/Bozeman Daily Chronicle via AP)
Republicans fought off Democrats’ calls for Gianforte to withdraw from the race.
[Gianforte has history of controversial views, hostile comments to journalists]
“Don’t condone it, but I think knowing Greg for 20 years, and in the context of that relationship, he’ll do a good job,” Daines said in an interview with NBC.
Asked twice whether Republicans would let Gianforte join their House conference, Ryan said they would. “I’m going to let the people of Montana decide who they want as their representative,” he said.
Rep. Steve Stivers (R-Ohio), chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, said the candidate’s behavior was “totally out of character” for Gianforte but said that “we all make mistakes.”
“We need to let the facts surrounding this incident unfold,” Stivers said in a statement. “Today’s special election is bigger than any one person; it’s about the views of all Montanans. They deserve to have their voices heard in Washington.”
In Montana, where more than 200,000 of the 700,000 eligible voters have cast early absentee ballots, it was unclear how Gianforte’s blowup would affect the race.
(Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)
A spokeswoman for the Montana secretary of state said it was not possible for early voters to recast their ballots in light of Gianforte’s actions. The office received a dozen phone calls from early voters on Thursday morning wondering if they could revote, and reports suggested that local election officials had received a wave of similar calls.
“In Montana, we vote only once,” Christi Jacobsen, chief of staff to Secretary of State Corey Stapleton, wrote in an email. “Once you voted you can’t change your vote.”
[The Daily 202: Five fresh setbacks for Republicans, who can’t catch a break]
The polls will close at 10 p.m. Eastern time.
Wednesday’s incident took place after nearly four weeks of voting in a special election to replace Zinke, who became President Trump’s interior secretary in March. Gianforte’s opponent, Democrat Rob Quist, told reporters Thursday that the scuffle was a “matter for law enforcement” and declined to comment further.
National Democrats quickly pounced on the controversy. At a Thursday afternoon news conference, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called Gianforte a “wannabe Trump.”
“That’s his model. Donald Trump’s his model,” Pelosi said. “How do you explain that to children? You ask a question and I’ll strangle you? I mean, really.”
Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) suggested Gianforte had shirked an essential duty to voters by refusing to answer Jacobs’s question. “Part of the job representing the people of Montana is answering basic questions on important topics, topics such as how a dangerous health-care plan could impact the very people you are trying to represent. It’s part of the job,” the senator said.
Gianforte has not apologized for the incident, which upended the race considered by many to be a bellwether for Republicans’ political chances in the era of Trump.
Gallatin County police announced the charges late Wednesday after the Guardian published an audio recording of the incident made by Jacobs, the reporter.
[Analysis: Gianforte is fighting for a House seat. He might be miserable in Congress.]
In the recording, Jacobs can be heard asking Gianforte to respond to the newly released Congressional Budget Office score of House Republicans’ American Health Care Act, a bill Gianforte has said he was glad to see the House approve.
After Gianforte tells Jacobs to direct the question to his spokesman, Shane Scanlon, there is the sound of an altercation and Gianforte begins to shout.
“I’m sick and tired of you guys!” Gianforte says. “The last guy that came in here did the same thing. Get the hell out of here! Get the hell out of here! The last guy did the same thing. Are you with the Guardian?”
“Yes, and you just broke my glasses,” Jacobs says.
“The last guy did the same damn thing,” Gianforte says.
“You just body-slammed me and broke my glasses,” Jacobs says.
“Get the hell out of here,” Gianforte says.
After that, Jacobs can be heard on the tape saying he will be contacting the police.
Gianforte left without appearing at the rally, and Scanlon released a campaign statement calling Jacobs a “liberal reporter” who “aggressively shoved a recorder in Greg’s face.”
“Greg then attempted to grab the phone,” Scanlon said. “Jacobs grabbed Greg’s wrist, and spun away from Greg, pushing them both to the ground.”
[Trump Pence mum after alleged assault by Gianforte.]
Scanlon’s description was challenged by a Fox News Channel reporter who witnessed the scuffle and described Gianforte throwing Jacobs to the ground, grabbing his neck, striking him and exclaiming, “I’m sick and tired of this!”
“Nothing in the campaign statement is accurate except my name and my employer,” Jacobs told The Washington Post.
By dawn on Election Day, the assault charge was the biggest political story in Montana, and three of the state’s largest newspapers had pulled their endorsements, which the candidate had been touting in TV ads.
The Billings Gazette, which serves Montana’s largest city, told readers that it had made a “poor choice” by ignoring “questionable interactions” the candidate has had with reporters in the past.
The Helena Independent Record, which serves the state’s capital city, wrote that the concepts of democracy and press freedom were “under attack” by Gianforte.
And the Missoulian, which had taken heat from readers for backing Gianforte, pulled its support and suggested that the candidate, who narrowly lost a race for governor last year, should bow out of public life.
The American Health Care Act — the Republican replacement for the Affordable Care Act — had become the dominant issue in the campaign. In the closing days of the race, Quist focused his events and TV ads on his opposition to the Republican bill and brought in Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to help promote his position on U.S. health care: universal coverage.
[Ryan on Gianforte: ‘There’s never a call for physical altercations’]
Gianforte, meanwhile, had struggled to explain his position. In early May, reporters for The Post and the New York Times received a tape of Gianforte telling donors that he was glad that the AHCA had passed the House. But in public, he said he still had questions about the bill.
In a commercial that was still running on Election Day, Gianforte continued to obfuscate on the question of whether he could support the measure. And although he said that he would have a better idea of his vote when the CBO score arrived, Gianforte released no statement Tuesday.
“I will not vote for a repeal-and-replace unless it protects people with preexisting conditions, brings premiums down and protects rural access,” Gianforte says in the ad.
As word spread of the alleged assault in Bozeman, some supporters who had been knocking on doors for Quist began playing voters the audio clip. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which has invested more than $500,000 in the race, called for Gianforte to quit the race and released a last-minute radio ad featuring Jacobs’s audio of the incident.
In other races, candidates have been badly damaged for appearing to blow up at reporters or people recording them. In 2006, Mike Hatch, the Democratic nominee for governor of Minnesota, lost a close race after accusing a reporter who asked tough questions of being “a Republican whore.” In 2010, then-Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-N.C.) lost what had been a safe seat after manhandling a Republican tracker who asked whether he supported “the Obama agenda.”
But in interviews at Quist’s final rally, at a Missoula microbrewery, voters were skeptical that the attack could change the race. Gianforte entered the contest with high negative ratings and an image as a hard-charging bully who had joked about outnumbering a reporter at a town hall meeting and sued to keep people from fishing on public land near his home. He had nearly won the governor’s mansion anyway and had deflected attention from his low approval numbers with ads attacking Quist over unpaid taxes.
“Greg thinks he’s Donald Trump,” said Brent Morrow, 60. “He thinks he could shoot a guy on Fifth Avenue and get away with it.”
Fred Barbash contributed to this report.
Read more at PowerPostPhoto
To the tangle of emergency phone numbers in China — 110 for the police, 119 for fire, 120 for ambulance — add another: dial 12339 to report a spy.
The spy hotline made its debut in the northeastern province of Jilin on Sunday, according to a report in the state-controlled newspaper Jilin Daily, one year after the Chinese authorities introduced a new counterespionage law.
The hotline, run by the Jilin state security bureau, was set up to help citizens who encounter behavior that would harm China’s national security to report the matter immediately to state security organs, the Jilin Daily article said.
It warned of individuals or groups who “steal, pry out, buy or otherwise illegally obtain state secrets or intelligence, or conspire, coerce or pay government employees to become traitors.”
After repeated calls to the hotline on Monday, an officer finally picked up and answered a few basic questions about the service. He said the call, at 4:30 p.m., was the first of the day.
To report a spy, “tell us who he is, why you suspect him,” said the officer, who declined to give his name. “We’ll write everything down and report it to our supervisors. They will investigate the matter and get back to you.”
He said investigators would respond within a number of days, but that there was no reward.
A potential spy could be Chinese or foreign, and did not necessarily need to be an official. “Anyone can be a spy,” he said. “And anyone can also not be a spy.”
China does have a history, particularly during the Maoist era, of neighbors closely monitoring and reporting on each other. But before people rush to dial the spy hotline over the slightest suspicion, the authorities cautioned they weren’t looking for hearsay. The Jilin Daily warned that anyone responsible for “intentional fabrication, lies or false charges” would be punished.
Beijing has made it clear it considers espionage a grave threat. There have been several high-profile defections and attempted defections in recent years, and the National Security Agency appears to do extensive surveillance of Chinese mobile and Internet communications, according to disclosures by Edward J. Snowden, the former N.S.A. contractor.
In March, the government detained an American businesswoman who was traveling with a delegation in southern China. The woman, Phan Phan-Gillis, was formally arrested shortly before President Xi Jinping’s trip to Washington in September, for what a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman called “suspicion of activities harmful to Chinese national security.”
In May, China detained two Japanese citizens on suspicion of espionage. And last year, Kevin Garratt and Julia Dawn Garratt, a Canadian couple who ran a coffee shop in Dandong, a town on the border with North Korea, were also detained, with the husband later formally suspected of stealing state secrets and the wife released on bail.
Meanwhile, a note circulating on Chinese social media sites gave more details of who might be a spy, including people with lots of money but unclear work titles, people who say controversial things and then observe quietly or instigate others. It listed as potential suspects workers at nongovernmental organizations, missionaries and journalists stationed abroad or writing on foreign affairs.
The note, which did not name its source, also listed people who work irregular hours, have studied in many countries or appear too old to study overseas, ask sensitive questions or “throw out reactionary phrases or exaggerate the advantages of foreign countries.”
There was no indication that the note came from an official source. Its content was similar to an unofficial guide on spotting foreign spies that circulated online a year ago.
Global Times, a newspaper run by the Communist Party, described the hotline as similar to a line set up by MI5, the British domestic intelligence agency, in the late 1990s. The F.B.I. also asks for people with nonemergency information about potential espionage or terrorism to contact its field offices.
A separate hotline for Hainan Province in southeastern China received dozens of calls after it was set up in July and led to the uncovering of more than 10 cases of alleged crimes, Legal Daily reported in September.
The hotline based in Jilin will be available for reports from across the country, Jilin Daily said.
Follow Austin Ramzy on Twitter @austinramzy.It is not the Supporters' Shield or the MLS Cup, but the Philadelphia Union will play for a trophy. Following a 1-1 deadlock after 120 minutes, the Union survived in 4-3 in penalties to advance over FC Dallas Tuesday night in Frisco. As a result, the Union will not only play in but host the 2014 U.S. Open Cup Final.
The Union's first goal came in the second half when Sebastien Le Toux found Amobi Okugo open in the center of the box. Okugo was able to put just enough on the ball to send it past Raul Fernandez and the Union celebrated a lead in the U.S. Open Cup semi-final.
Zac MacMath had a very impressive outing making crucial stops in the second half as Dallas threatened an equalizer. But when a Union giveaway led to a Dallas break, MacMath became too aggressive and Fabian Castillo got around him and easily buried it in an open net to even the ledger.
Following 30 minutes of extra time where neither team scored, the Union and Dallas went to penalties. Goals by Sheanon Williams, Vincent Nogueira, Cristian Maidana, and Maurice Edu and two saves by MacMath gave the Union a celebration fans won't soon forget.
The Union's win will set up what some may consider the biggest game in franchise history. In the middle of September (date to be determined), the Union will host at PPL Park the winner of tomorrow's Seattle Sounders vs. Chicago Fire semi-final in the U.S. Open Cup Final where the winner will be crowned U.S. Open Cup champions and clinch a berth in the 2015-16 CONCACAF Champions League.It remains unlikely that Islamic militants could seize power in Pakistan, given the strength of Pakistan’s military, according to American intelligence analysts. But a senior American intelligence official expressed concern that recent successes by the Taliban in extending territorial gains could foreshadow the creation of “mini-Afghanistans” around Pakistan that would allow militants even more freedom to plot attacks.
American government officials and terrorism experts said that Al Qaeda’s increasing focus on a local strategy was partly born from necessity, as the C.I.A.’s intensifying airstrikes have reduced the group’s ability to hit targets in the West. The United States has conducted 17 drone attacks so far this year, including one on Saturday, according to American officials and Pakistani news accounts, compared with 36 strikes in all of 2008.
According to a Pakistani intelligence assessment provided to The New York Times in February, Al Qaeda has adapted to the deaths of its leaders by shifting “to conduct decentralized operations under small but well-organized regional groups” within Pakistan and Afghanistan. At the same time, the group has intensified its recruiting, to replace its airstrike casualties.
One of Al Qaeda’s main goals in Pakistan, the assessment said, was to “stage major terrorist attacks to create a feeling of insecurity, embarrass the government and retard economic development and political progress.”
The Qaeda operatives are foreigners inside Pakistan, and experts say that the group’s leaders, like Osama bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, appear to be wary of claiming credit for the violence in the country, possibly creating popular backlash against the group.
“They are trying to take an Arab face off this,” said Bruce Hoffman, a terrorism expert at Georgetown University.
“If you look at Al Qaeda as a brand, they know when to broadcast the brand, as the group has done in North Africa,” Mr. Hoffman said. “And they know when to cloak the brand, as it has done in Pakistan.”
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As a result, it is difficult for American officials to assess exactly which recent attacks in Pakistan are the work of Qaeda operatives. But intelligence officials say they believe that the Marriott Hotel bombing was partly planned by Usama al-Kini, a Kenyan Qaeda operative who was killed in Pakistan by a C.I.A. drone on New Year’s Day.
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According to Mr. Hoffman, Al Qaeda may be trying to achieve a separate goal: getting the C.I.A. to call off its campaign of airstrikes in the tribal areas. A wave of terrorist violence could foment so much popular discontent with the government of President Asif Ali Zardari, he said, that Pakistan might then try to pressure the Obama administration to scale back its drone campaign.
For now, however, Obama administration officials say they believe that the covert airstrikes are the best tool at their disposal to strike at Al Qaeda inside Pakistan, which remains the group’s most important haven, but where large numbers of American combat forces would never be welcome.
The April 19 strike that hit what appeared to have been a truck bomb in a compound used by Al Qaeda set off an enormous secondary explosion, intelligence officials say. A second, empty truck destroyed in the same attack may also have been there to be outfitted with explosives, they say.
In another significant attack, on April 29, missiles fired from a C.I.A. Predator killed Abu Sulayman al-Jazairi, an Algerian Qaeda planner who American intelligence officials say they believe helped train operatives for attacks in Europe and the United States.
Still, officials caution that Al Qaeda has not abandoned its goal of “spectacular” attacks in the United States and Europe. According to one American counterterrorism official, the group continues to plan attacks outside its sanctuary in the tribal areas, aiming at targets in the West and elsewhere in Pakistan.
“They are opportunistic to the extent they perceive vulnerabilities with the uncertain nature of Pakistani politics and the security situation in Swat and Buner,” said the American counterterrorism official, who like other officials interviewed for this article was not authorized to speak publicly on intelligence issues. “They’re trying to exploit it.”
In meetings this past week in Washington, American and Pakistani officials discussed the possibility of limited joint operations with American Predator and Reaper drones.
Under one proposal, the United States would retain control over the firing of missiles, but it would share with the Pakistani security forces some sophisticated imagery and communications intercepts that could be relayed to Pakistani combat forces on the ground.
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C.I.A. officials for months have resisted requests by Mr. Zardari to share the drone technology. In a television interview broadcast Sunday, the Pakistani leader said he would keep pressing to get his own Predator fleet.
“I’ve been asking for them, but I haven’t got a positive answer as yet,” Mr. Zardari said on NBC ’s “Meet the Press.”
“But I’m not giving up.”The Department of Defense needs to reevaluate discharge policies and streamline screening processes for soldiers who suffered a traumatic brain injury or have post-traumatic stress disorder, the government accountability office said on Tuesday.
The GOA found that of 91,764 service members separated for misconduct between 2011 and 2015, 57,141 of them had been diagnosed for PTSD or TBI at least two years earlier, accounting for 62 percent of separations for misconduct.
Servicemembers discharged with the reason “separated for misconduct,” as opposed to “honorable discharge,” make them potentially ineligible for VA health benefits, the GOA said in a statement.
They further highlighted that policies to address the impact of these disorders are inconsistent across the Navy, Army and Marine Corps, with either different parameters for screening for these disorders or no screening program in place at all.
The GOA recommends the DOD address the inconsistencies in their separation policies.
Copyright © 2019 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.As the National Park Service turns 100 years old in August, people are flocking to the parks, monuments, historical sites and other national treasures that the agency oversees.
Total visitors in 2014 and 2015 were higher than in previous years, according to National Park Service visitor data on about 375 sites where they track attendance or generate estimates.
An estimated 307 million people visited Park Service units last year, up from about 273 million two years earlier.
This spike is particularly apparent among national parks, such as Yellowstone, Glacier, and Minnesota's own Voyageurs National Park.
In addition to Voyageurs, the Park Service's Minnesota units include the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area and the Pipestone National Monument.
In Wisconsin, the Park Service oversees the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, and the Ice Age National Scenic Trail.
The National Park Service doesn't quite know what's driving the new popularity, but great weather in the interior West may have played a role. It's also possible that the lower numbers in previous years might have been due to renovation closures at various sites, plus the government shutdown in 2013 that also resulted in closures.
Visits to Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota are similar to the national trend, except there's a big dip in 2011. A spokesperson for the park said they don't know why visitor totals are lower in some years than |
that connected them to an intern at an anti-aging clinic who was quoted as saying he provided illegal substances to them and other professional athletes.
The intern, Charlie Sly, later recanted the comments he made to a reporter posing as a hurdler interested in obtaining performance-enhancing drugs.
Matthews and Peppers both have denied any connection with Sly and maintained they have not violated the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy. At the urging of the union, the two have refused to interview with investigators on the grounds the NFL is overstepping its bounds by demanding they cooperate.
By allowing its players to interview, the union feels it would be setting a precedent that commissioner Roger Goodell could compel any player to speak to investigators even if he has not violated the performance-enhancing drug policy. The league has stated the players would be suspended under the conduct detrimental to the league provision in the collective bargaining agreement and not the PED policy.
Both Matthews and Peppers, along with former Packers linebacker Mike Neal, submitted affidavits to the NFL stating what they knew, if anything, about the anti-aging clinic and the intern. The NFL has rejected those statements on the basis that they aren’t detailed enough and don’t allow for follow-up questions.
Thompson said it's hard to understand all the components of the investigation and the players' refusal to participate in interviews.
"What do I make of it?" he said. "I think everybody’s going to have an opinion on things. It is what it is. I’m sure there’s a lot of people that don’t understand what’s going; that would include probably most of the people in this room, including me.
"It’s a little more complicated than you might want it to be. But I think the more people pipe in, especially somebody like me, into the whole serenade, the less likely it is that it will work itself out."Friday, April 12, 2013
There have been many attempts over the last few years to address online copyright infringement. The most recent effort is the Copyright Alert System (“CAS”), which was rolled out in February 2013 as a system created to educate and alert the public about the dangers and harm caused by copyright infringement. The CAS is the first to outline pro-active, temperate measures to try to remedy one cause of the problem: the perceived anonymity of infringers operating through peer-to-peer websites. The CAS gives infringers the opportunity to be notified of and to discontinue their wrongful actions before costly litigation ensues.
The CAS is not a “law” but a voluntary effort by a private consortium (the Center for Copyright Information) comprised of a variety of large copyright owners (e.g., the Motion Picture Association of America [MPAA], the Recording Industry Association of America [RIAA] and Disney, among others) and internet service providers (e.g., cable companies such as Verizon, Cablevision, and Comcast or “ISPs”). Under the CAS, when content owners discover infringing content posted on websites alleged to knowing permit copyrighted content to be infringed (such as BitTorrent), they will send the suspected infringers a series of escalating “alerts” notifying them that they are accused of infringing copyright protected content. The CAS does not involve litigation or demands for damages. The hope is that through this process, users will realize that infringement is not taking place anonymously on peer-to-peer file sharing websites, that content owners are aware of the infringement, and that there can be serious and expensive legal repercussions if the infringement does not cease.
Under the CAS, content owners communicate with alleged infringers anonymously through a series of “alerts” sent to the users by their ISP after that user is identified by a content owner as having participated in copyright infringement. The ISPs will not monitor for copyright infringement. Rather, the content owners will monitor peer-to-peer websites, such as BitTorrent, alleged to knowing allow users to traffic in infringing material, and will send an alert to an ISP that an infringement is taking place, identifying the user by their IP address. The ISP will then send to the registered users of that IP address (without revealing to the content owner any names, addresses or other contact information) a series of alerts stating that that IP address is suspected of copyright infringement and outlining possible sanctions for future infringements.
How will the “alert” system work? The series of six possible escalating “alerts” will be implemented individually by each ISP under its own process. Generally, the system will work as follows:
First and Second Alerts – These “information” alerts notify the user that an infringement has been identified by a content owner associated with that IP address and force the user to acknowledge receipt of the notice. For example, a message may be sent via pop-up to the user’s browser requiring a click through acknowledgement, or a user may have to log into their ISP account to read and acknowledge a message.
Third and Fourth Alerts – These “warning” alerts will use more urgent language. Some ISPs may require the primary account holder (rather than just authorized users of the account) to log in to view a message.
Fifth and Sixth Alerts – Fourteen days after each of these last two urgent alerts have been sent, an ISP may take “mitigation actions.” During the fourteen day window, the accused user may file an appeal of these alerts, as discussed below. “Mitigation actions” could include Verizon, for example, throttling data speeds down to dial-up speeds for a few days, Comcast posting a persistent pop-up in the user’s browser requiring that user to contact Comcast for “further education and information about copyright infringement” before it will clear the alert from the user’s browser, or Cablevision disabling internet access for 24 hours.
How do you “appeal” an alert or argue you didn’t do it? Several of the ISPs, such as Cablevision, Verizon and Comcast, have already published their appeal processes, which are the same. They provide for an anonymous appeal (since, forcing the user to identify themselves would have a chilling effect) to the American Arbitration Association if an appeal is filed within fourteen days of the user receiving either their fifth or sixth “alert.” No appeal can be filed before then. The user must pay a fee of $35 (which will be refunded if the user wins the appeal), which may be reduced or waived if the user can prove financial hardship.
Generally, there are six grounds upon which a user can argue that the fifth and sixth “alerts” (and any mitigation measures) were unjustified.
The reproduction of the copyrighted work and distribution of it through the file sharing website is a “fair use” as interpreted by copyright law and the courts. The IP address and account were incorrectly identified as one through which acts of alleged copyright infringement have occurred. The allegedly infringed copyrighted work was published prior to 1923 and is in the public domain. The alleged infringement was committed through the unauthorized use of the IP address and account and the ISP customer was unaware of it and could not reasonably have prevented it. The sharing of the copyrighted material was authorized by its copyright owner. The allegedly infringing file/content is not primarily the allegedly infringed copyrighted work.
What happens after six alerts if there is no appeal and the ISP has taken all “mitigation actions”? Since the CCI’s stated goal is to educate the public, no further alerts will be sent and no further actions will likely be taken via the CAS process. However, just because an ISP may not take any further action under the CAS does not mean that the content owner itself will not take action (e.g., file a copyright infringement lawsuit).
It remains to be seen however how this program will be received and whether content owners will find it to be an effective strategy. We will continue to provide updates on developments under this system as it is implemented.We’re at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week, bringing you the latest tech and smartphone news straight from the show floor. Catch up with what’s happened so far on our dedicated MWC page.
We’ve seen some strange things at tradeshows. UFO speakers. Breathing iPhones. Robot seals. But Fujitsu’s latest innovation was a new one on us: it’s a wearable for cows.
With the catchy name of Estrus Detection System for Cattle, Fujitsu’s innovation clips round the cow’s ankle (or calf if you will) and acts as a pedometer, counting the number of steps she does every day. As if that wasn’t incredible enough, the reason for it is even better.
Cows walk up to six times more in a day when they’re on heat, apparently (presumably to take their minds off the unbearable sexual tension in their loins). That means the pedometer can tell the farmer when a particular cow is ready to mate, according to how many steps she’s done that day. This is quite literally a wearable that tells you when you’ve got a horny cow. Technology is brilliant.The search for the next Shalrie Joseph begins... now.
On Thursday, at a press conference in Antigua, MLS announced a new partnership with the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) to host a Caribbean Player Combine January 2-5 in St. John's, Antigua. The top players at the event, to be held at Antigua Recreation Grounds, will earn an invitation to the adidas MLS Player Combine in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., held later in January.
“We recognize that the CONCACAF area, and particularly the Caribbean, is rich with soccer talent,” MLS executive vice president Todd Durbin said in a statement released by the league. "This will be an opportunity for our scouts to evaluate and identify the region’s top players."
The Caribbean combine in January will be focused, particularly, on young talent, bringing in players aged 18-21, who will spend four days training and playing against local clubs.
“As CFU Member Associations turn their attention to Russia 2018, this is an exciting developmental opportunity for the opulent young talent in the Caribbean to assess their developmental level and the growth required to play at the highest level,” said CFU President Gordon Derrick.
“This partnership with MLS is another way in which we at the CFU are seeking to bridge the gap that exists between talent availability and scouting opportunities that the Caribbean region has received from professional leagues.”
Caribbean players have been having an impact on MLS since the league was founded, with the current Seattle Sounders midfielder and former New England Revolution star Joseph a particular standout.
A native of St. George's, Grenada, who represented his island home 20 times, Joseph is considered by many to be one of the top players in MLS history. A four-time MLS Best XI selection, he was a mainstay in the midfield for the Revolution during their mid-2000s heyday, helping the club to a US Open Cup title, a SuperLiga title, and three MLS Cup final appearances between 2003 and 2012.
Other prominent Caribbean players in MLS history include Trinidadian Stern John, Jamaican Jeff Cunningham, and Vincentian Ezra Hendrickson. Current Caribbean stars include Jamaicans Donovan Ricketts, Ryan Johnson, and Omar Cummings, Cuban Osvaldo Alonso, and Colorado Rapids forward Atiba Harris, a native of St. Kitts & Nevis.Océan Indien Mayotte: Une natalité record en 2016 L'Insee a publié son rapport annuel des naissances pour l'année 2016 à Mayotte. L'évolution du nombre de naissances et l'origine des parents sont notamment analysées.
En 2016, 9 500 enfants sont nés à Mayotte de mères domiciliées sur le territoire, soit le plus haut niveau jamais enregistré.
Le nombre de naissances a ainsi augmenté de 45 % entre 2013 et 2016.
Les mères natives de l'étranger sont les principales contributrices de cette forte progression. Les trois quarts des enfants nés en 2016 ont une mère de nationalité étrangère, comorienne pour la plupart. La moitié ont un père de nationalité étrangère. Mais près de six bébés sur dix ont au moins un de leurs parents français.
À la naissance de leurs enfants, les mères sont plus jeunes que dans le reste de la France. Les deux tiers des accouchements se font à Mamoudzou. Neuf naissances sur dix ont lieu hors mariage civil, le mariage étant principalement coutumier.
En 2016, 9 500 bébés naissent de mères domiciliées à Mayotte, alors qu’en 2013, 6 560 bébés ont vu le jour. Le nombre de naissances dépasse les niveaux atteints jusqu’à présent dans le département.
En comparaison, 2230 naissances de moins ont été enregistrées en 2016 en Guyane, dont le nombre d’habitants est pourtant proche de celui de Mayotte.
En 2016, trois quarts des enfants sont nés d’une mère native de l'étranger. Celles-ci sont les principales contributrices de la forte progression du nombre de naissances à Mayotte. En particulier, les mères nées aux Comores mettent au monde 69 % des bébés nés sur le sol mahorais en 2016, soit une progression de 7 points par rapport à 2014.
Entre 2014 et 2016, elles ont donné naissance à 2 000 enfants supplémentaires (+ 44 %). Quant aux mères natives de Madagascar, elles contribuent en 2016 à 5 % des bébés de Mayotte, soit 470 nourrissons contre 290 naissances l'année précédente. En comparaison, la hausse des naissances issues de mères natives de Mayotte est très modeste: 100 naissances de plus en 2016 par rapport à 2014, soit une augmentation de 5 %.
Moins de 2 % de ces mères natives d’un pays étranger ayant accouché à Mayotte en 2016 ont la nationalité française. Au niveau national, les Comores apparaissent désormais parmi les nationalités les plus fréquentes des mères étrangères.
4 enfants sur 10 nés de parents étrangers
Parmi les départements français, c'est à Mayotte que la proportion de naissances de mères de nationalité étrangère est la plus élevée (74 %), loin devant la Guyane (51 %) et la Seine-Saint-Denis (41 %).
Parallèlement, un enfant sur deux est né en 2016 d’un père de nationalité étrangère, principalement comorienne ; cette proportion est identique à celle de 2015. Au final, le nombre d’enfants nés de parents tous deux de nationalité étrangère augmente fortement. Ils représentent 42 % des naissances en 2016, contre 28 % des naissances en 2014.
La proportion de nouveau-nés dont au moins un des parents est français diminue donc nettement. Mais leur nombre augmente, passant de 5 200 en 2014 à 5 500 en 2016. Ceux-ci acquièrent directement la nationalité française par filiation.
Deux tiers des mères accouchent à Mamoudzou
La maternité de Mamoudzou concentre les deux tiers des accouchements. La grande majorité des autres naissances sont prises en charge dans les maternités de Dzaoudzi, Dzoumogné, Kahani et Mramadoudou.
À la naissance de leurs enfants, les mères sont âgées en moyenne de 28 ans : elles ont deux ans de moins que sur le reste du territoire français.
Laurence Gilibert - [email protected] Lu 2018 fois
Dans la même rubrique : < > Le Royaume-Uni doit rendre les Chagos à l'île Maurice "dans les plus brefs délais" Madagascar: 46 personnes perdent la vie, emportées par les eauxHow will Prince Andrew proceed with his official duties, given that he is named in court papers in which he is accused of abusing an under-age ‘sex slave’?
The Daily Mail reports today that the Duke of York is expected to host a reception on behalf of the British government for foreign ministers at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland later this month.
However, Mr S can reveal that Prince Andrew will not represent the government in any such way. While a final announcement is yet to be made regarding his attendance at the event, word reaches Steerpike that any reception will be hosted in a personal manner, and not on behalf of No.10.
A Palace spokesman states that there was never was to be a government reception. ‘The Duke’s schedule of engagements will be announced in due course,’ he said, adding that ‘as in previous years, any reception would be hosted in a personal capacity’.
Prince Andrew stepped down from his role as trade envoy in 2011 over his association with the convicted sex offender Jeremy Epstein. However, he has continued to represent the government, taking part in engagements on behalf of UK Trade and Investment.
Now that these latest allegations, denied by the Prince, have come to light, it remains to be seen whether this ‘special relationship’ will resume after the World Economic Forum.Detroit’s condominium market is projected to reach $100 million in new and existing sales this year, up from $70 million in 2016, according to The Loft Warehouse, the leading residential condominium broker in Detroit. The company projects 3,350 apartments and 638 condos will be added in the city between now and 2020.
“We never have to sell Detroit, the recovery speaks for itself,” says broker Sabra Sanzotta, who, along with her husband Jerome Huez, owns The Loft Warehouse in Detroit. “What you’re seeing today is that at certain residential apartment buildings in downtown Detroit and Midtown, as the leases expire, the units are being put up for sale. New projects also are coming on line.”
During a tour Monday of new and existing condo projects, Sanzotta says the average sales prices for condos at the end of 2016 reached $175 per square foot. That’s up from $40 to $80 per square foot from a year ago. Last year, condo sales in Midtown led the way and accounted for 51 percent of total sales, followed by the East Riverfront (24 percent), downtown (15 percent), with the remaining 10 percent spanning the city.
Driving the market are several new developments, including the upcoming Qline street car service running along Woodward Avenue that is expected to be operational in late April or early May; the opening in September of Little Caesars Arena at Woodward and Henry Street; the ongoing construction of The District Detroit, a 50-block area spanning downtown and Midtown; and the addition of offices, restaurants, and retail stores.
New projects include The Selden, a 12-unit luxury condo project with prices starting at $429,900. The project by the Ferlito Group, located at 438 Selden St., is expected to open by the end of the summer. Six units have been sold to date at prices ranging from $479,000 to $540,000.
The condos range in size from 1,158 square feet to 1,195 square feet and include two bedrooms, a kitchen and dining room, a living room, two full bathrooms, and a balcony. Amenities range from a common area rooftop lounge, bike storage, indoor parking, and a planned restaurant on the first floor.
On the conversion side, apartment buildings that are being sold as condominiums include The Carleton along John R Street in Brush Park; Willys Overland along Willis Street, 9 on 3rd Lofts on Third Avenue, and 449 W. Willis, all in Midtown; and in downtown the Westin Book Cadillac (two units) and the Fort Shelby Residences (56 units, with 25 percent pre-sold).
By 2020, other condo projects will be added Corktown and the East Riverfront District. Other projects in Midtown that are experiencing condo sales include the Ellington Lofts at Woodward and Mack avenues; the Park Shelton just north of the Detroit Institute of Arts; and the Canfield Lofts.I will be updating this post as details are revealed. First Diablo 3 panel starts at 2:15 PM PST.
New Game Mechanics/Modes/Areas: New snowy ruins zone called The Ruins of Sesheron, old Barbarian capital. Based on the area in the Diablo 2 cinematic where baal goes to the gate of Sesheron.
Will have new bounties and monsters in Adventure mode. New Monsters: New Boss: Rat King
Everytime you hit him rats come out of his back.
Summons Rat Tornados.
Eats your corpse when you die. General Changes: Three new Goblins: (1) The Blood Thief: Drops Blood Shards (2) Odious Collector: Drops Crafting Materials and Plans (3) Gem Hoarder: Drops Gems Goblins now seek out enemies and have unique minimap icons.
Adventure Mode: New Act Layouts in towns. To make all the artisans closer to each other. Rifts: New Boss: Rat King
Improved random map layout in Rift maps for Oasis, Spider Caves, Leoric's Jail.
No more long straight ways and loops, they want rifts to feel more fresh every time.
Experimenting with a new mechanic. Death timer when you die that increases every time you die, instead of just spawning at the last Greater Rift checkpoint.
Changes to Nephalem Trials coming to be more consistent. Pylons: Pylon Changes
Shield Pylon: Now reflects damage taken and explodes dealing damage when it ends.
Speed Pylon: Lasts 1 minute and ignores collisions even allowing you to walk through waller. Seasons: Season 2 on PTR soon.
They will bring back old conquests and add new ones.
They don't want a Paragon leader board, as it promotes repetitive gameplay.
They really liked speed racer conquest. (Complete story mode in an hour)
Three new conquests:
Get 50m gold outside of the vault
Kill certain bosses within 20 minutes of starting the game
Complete lore books
Legendary Gems Will not be redesigning current legendary gems, instead they will be adding new gems.
Hoping new legendary items will make the under used legendary gems perform better.
Two new Legendary gems.
New (and updated old) Legendary Items: More legendary items will be shown tomorrow
New item type: Ancient Legendary items.
Ancient items have higher stat ranges. About a 30% increase.
Higher chance on higher Torment and Greater Rifts for Ancient legendary items. 5-10% of legendary item to be Ancient quality.
For example: 500-650 Strength on a Chest Piece instead of 416-500.
Crown of the Primus: Slow Time gains the effects of all runes
Wormwood: Locust Swarm deals continous damage. Also rolls 21-25% Poison Damage.
Gungdo Gear:Exploding Palm's on-death explosion applies Exploding Palm.
Ranslor's Folly: Energy Twister periodically pulls in an enemy withing 30 yards. An enemy can only be pulled in this way once every 5 seconds.
New Sets: Barbarian: Set based on Whirlwind and Rend.
2 Piece:Rend Deals 300% more damage.
4 Piece: Rend lasts 300% longer.
6 Piece: Targets affected by rend take +30)% Whirlwind damage.
Demon Hunter: Multishot and Discipline
2 Piece: Gain 2 Discipline every time you use a Hatred Generator.
4 Piece: Take 20% less damage if there are enemies within 40 yards.
6 Piece: Every point of Discipline you currently have increases the damage of your Hatred Generators and Multishot by 10%
Wizard: Slow Time
2 Piece: Casting Arcane Orb, Energy Twister, Magic Missile and Shock Pulse reduce the cooldown of Slow Time by 1 second.
4 Piece: Enemies affected by your Slow Time take 1250% weapon damage every second.
6 Piece: Enemies affected by your Slow Time take 500% more damage from your Arcane Orb, Energy Twister, Magic Missile and Shock Pulse.
Monk: Sunwuko Set Changes
2 Piece: Casting Cyclone Strike, Exploding Palm, Lashing Tail Kick, Tempest Rush or Wave of Light causes a decoy to spawn that taunts nearby enemies and then explodes for 100% weapon damage.
4 Piece: Enemies hit by the decoy explosion take 500% from your Cyclone Strike, Exploding Palm, Lashing Tail Kick, Tempest Rush or Wave of Light abilities for 3 seconds.
Seasons: New Boss: Rat King Class Changes will be discussed at tomorrows Diablo panel.Richard Jones' Log: Say hello to pyglet
Thu, 08 Nov 2007
pyglet is now out in public beta! W00t and congratulations Alex!
Some of you may recall me demoing (and talking about) pyglet at pycon earlier this year. Alex has put in a lot of work since then on the multimedia side of things, and generally cleaning up compatibility issues. Oh, and he's also used it in two pyweek challenges :)
pyglet provides an object-oriented programming interface for developing games and other visually-rich applications for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. Some of the features of pyglet are:
No external dependencies or installation requirements. For most application and game requirements, pyglet needs nothing else besides Python, simplifying distribution and installation.
For most application and game requirements, pyglet needs nothing else besides Python, simplifying distribution and installation. Take advantage of multiple windows and multi-monitor desktops. pyglet allows you to use as many windows as you need, and is fully aware of multi-monitor setups for use with fullscreen games.
pyglet allows you to use as many windows as you need, and is fully aware of multi-monitor setups for use with fullscreen games. Load images, sound, music and video in almost any format. pyglet can optionally use AVbin to play back audio formats such as MP3, OGG/Vorbis and WMA, and video formats such as DivX, MPEG-2, H.264, WMV and Xvid.
pyglet is provided under the BSD open-source license, allowing you to use it for both commerical and other open-source projects with very little restriction.
Let's just say that first point again: for Python 2.5 users, there's no external dependencies or installation requirements when you use pyglet in your application. Oh, and Alex has made AVBin trivial to use when you need wide-ranging multimedia file format support. How cool is that?The Smith Tower is shown as fog blankets Elliott Bay and much of Puget Sound. A ridge of high pressure over the Pacific Northwest and an absence of wind have helped keep much of the area blanketed with thick fog. Photographed on Wednesday, October 23, 2013. (Joshua Trujillo, seattlepi.com)
SEATTLE - Seattle many not be in the path of totality, but we'll still have a pretty good view of Monday's solar eclipse, and some of the best places to watch throughout the Seattle area are hosting viewing parties.
The Pacific Science Center will have telescopes and glasses ready for guests starting 8:30 a.m. Monday.
Locals can also head to the Museum of Flight from 9:30 a.m. through 10:30 a.m. The museum will have educators and several NASA scientists on hand to help answer questions.
If you're hoping for something a little more boozy, the Smith Tower Observation Deck is selling Mimosas to visitors during the eclipse. Tickets for that go on sale at 8:30 a.m.
A number of community libraries will also host viewing parties, including the King County and Seattle Public Library Systems.
The 10 a.m. Seattle to Bremerton ferry run will also have an unobstructed view of the eclipse. The crew says they will have glasses for passengers that don't already have a pair.
If you can't witness the total solar eclipse in person, you can still see it online or via TV.
NASA, in addition to other several other sources, will offer hours of coverage online and on NASA Television beginning at noon. The agency plans to stream the eclipse on their Facebook page.Photo by Steve Gullick
Scottish slow-burn post-rock kings Mogwai report on their website that their new album comes baring the ridiculously badass title Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will. It'll be out February 14 in Europe via the band's own Rock Action label, and one day after that, their new North American label Sub Pop will release it over here.
Paul Savage, producer of the band's landmark Young Team album, once again manned the boards for this one, and we've got the tracklist below. Let's all pause an imagine how a Mogwai song called "You're Lionel Richie" might possibly sound. A limited edition version of the album will come with a bonus CD containing the 26-minute long piece "The Singing Mountain", which was originally recorded for Monument for Forgotten Future, an art installation in Essen, Germany by Douglas Gordon and Olaf Nicolai.
Early next year, the band will tour Europe, Japan, and America. We've got their dates below.
Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will:
01 White Noise
02 Mexican Grand Prix
03 Rano Pano
04 Death Rays
05 San Pedro
06 Letters to the Metro
07 George Square Thatcher Death Party
08 How to Be a Werewolf
09 Too Raging to Cheers
10 You're Lionel Richie
Mogwai:
01-26 Stirling, Scotland - Tolbooth
01-27 Paisley, Scotland - Paisley Town Hall
01-28 Perth, Scotland - Perth Theatre
01-29 Aberdeen, Scotland - The Lemon Tree
01-30 Glasgow, Scotland - Grand Ole Opry
02-02 Tokyo, Japan - TBA
02-13 Belfast, Northern Ireland - Mandela Hall
02-14 Galway, Ireland - The Live Lounge
02-15 Dublin, Ireland - Olympia Theatre
02-17 Bournemouth, England - O2 Academy
02-18 Cardiff, Wales - Cardiff University
02-19 Bristol, England - O2 Academy
02-20 Leeds, England - O2 Academy
02-21 Edinburgh, Scotland - Picture House
02-23 Oxford, England - The Regal
02-24 Birmingham, England - Birmingham Institute
02-25 London, England - Brixton O2 Academy
02-26 Manchester, England - Manchester Academy
02-27 Gateshead, England - The Sage
03-06 Frankfurt, Germany - Mousonturm
03-07 Munich, Germany - Backstage
03-08 Vienna, Austria - WuK
03-09 Bologna, Italy - Estragon
03-10 Milan, Italy - Alcatraz
03-11 Zurich, Switzerland - Rote Fabrik
03-13 Luxembourg, Luxembourg - Den Atelier
03-14 Cologne, Germany - Stollwerck
03-15 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso
03-17 Paris, France - Trianon
03-18 Lille, France - Aeronef
03-19 Strasbourg, France - La Laiterie
03-20 Lyon, France - Transbordeur
03-21 Nice, France - Theatre Lino Ventura
03-22 Toulouse, France - Le Bikini
03-24 Bordeaux, France - Rockschool Barbey
03-25 Caen, France - BBC
03-26 Brussels, Belgium - AB
03-28 Hamburg, Germany - Gruenspan
03-29 Berlin, Germany - Postbahnhof
03-30 Copenhagen, Denmark - Vega
03-31 Aarhus, Denmark - Voxhall
04-01 Gothenburg, Sweden - Tradgarn
04-02 Oslo, Norway - Rockefeller
04-03 Stockholm, Sweden - Debaser Medis
04-05 Helsinki, Finland - Tavastia
04-19 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
04-20 Philadelphia, PA - Starlight Ballroom
04-21-22 New York, NY - Webster Hall
04-23 Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club
04-25 Montreal, Quebec - Olympia Theater
04-26 Toronto, Ontario - Phoenix Concert Theatre
04-27 Pittsburgh, PA - Mr. Smalls Theatre
04-28 Detroit, MI - St. Andrews Hall
04-29 Chicago, IL - Metro
04-30 Omaha, NE - Slowdown
05-02 Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater
05-03 Salt Late City, UT - In the Venue
05-05 Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom
05-06 Vancouver, British Columbia - Commodore Ballroom
05-07 Seattle, WA - Showbox at the Market
05-09 San Francisco, CA - Regency Ballroom
05-10 Los Angeles, CA - Mayan Theater
05-11 Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern
05-13 Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theatre
05-15 Dallas, TX - Granada Theatre
05-16 Austin, TX - Stubbs Waller Creek
05-17 Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
05-19 Birmingham, AL - Workplay Theater
05-20 Atlanta, GA - Center StageIsrael spied on the US secretary of state, John Kerry, during peace talks with Palestinians and Arab states last year, the magazine Der Spiegel has reported.
The German weekly said on Sunday that Israeli intelligence and at least one other secret service intercepted Kerry’s phone calls during a doomed, nine-month effort to broker a peace deal.
If confirmed, the report will further sour the diplomat’s relationship with Binyamin Netanyahu’s government and raise fresh questions about the vulnerability of phone communications to eavesdropping.
There was no immediate reaction from Jerusalem or Washington. The State Department did not respond to a request for comment.
The report was published on another bloody day in Gaza, where a projectile hit a street outside a school where people were sheltering, killing at least seven and wounding dozens, many of whom were buying sweets and biscuits from stalls.
The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, called the attack a “moral outrage and a criminal act” and said the Israel Defence Forces had been repeatedly informed of the location of civilian shelters.
Citing “several intelligence sources”, Der Spiegel said Israeli spies and an unidentified intelligence agency listened in on Kerry’s talks with high-ranking officials from Israel, the Palestinian territories and Arab states. Some calls were allegedly made on normal phones and were not encrypted.
“The government in Jerusalem then used the information obtained in international negotiations aiming to reach a diplomatic solution in the Middle East,” it said.
Kerry invested his authority in the ambitious attempt to relaunch moribund Middle East diplomacy last year and persuaded Netanyahu and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, to resume negotiations. The effort fizzled out in April, with each side accusing the other of bad faith.
Kerry made several publicly reported comments during the talks that frayed his relationship with Jerusalem. He warned that Israel risked becoming an “apartheid state” if it did not reach a peace deal with the Palestinians, prompting protests by Israeli and US politicians. Kerry apologised.
The secretary of state ignited another furore by warning that failure to reach a peace agreement would damage Israel’s capacity to be a democratic state and could lead to more boycotts.
Israel’s defence minister, Moshe Ya’alon, called Kerry “obsessive and messianic” in his pursuit of an agreement. Yuval Steinitz, Israel’s intelligence minister, called his comments “offensive, unfair and insufferable”.
Two weeks ago, Kerry, who was making a tour of the US Sunday talk shows, was recorded by an open Fox News microphone appearing to criticise Israeli claims of a measured approach to its strikes on Gaza. “It’s a hell of a pinpoint operation, it’s a hell of a pinpoint operation,” Kerry said, while on the phone to an aide.
That Israel would wish to eavesdrop on its envoy is unlikely to surprise Washington but the allegation that it succeeded, along with another intelligence agency, may raise alarm.
US intelligence agencies are acutely aware of communication vulnerabilities – and are presumed to take countermeasures – given that they themselves tapped the phone of the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, among others.
The whistleblower Edward Snowden’s revelations about National Security Agency snooping on foreign leaders as well as millions of ordinary Americans makes it awkward for Washington to respond to reports of foreign intelligence agencies – be they Chinese, Israeli or anyone else – spying on US officials and corporations.
In May, Newsweek reported “unrivalled and unseemly” Israeli espionage in the US under cover of trade missions and joint defence technology contracts. Israeli officials called the report false and malicious.
It was reported in March that Israel and the Washington were discussing the possible release of the spy Jonathan Pollard, who is serving a life sentence for selling US secrets to Israel in the 1980s, as part of Kerry’s efforts to keep the peace process afloat.
Sunday’s attack on the school in Gaza was the third time in 10 days that a UN school had been hit. Regional efforts to broker a diplomatic end to the fighting between Israel and Hamas have so far proved elusive; the conflict is now in its 27th day and more than 1,700 people have been killed.These days, many public schools have been turned into leftist propaganda factories that Pol Pot would have envied. They teach kids that America is evil and diversity is the highest good. They train students in the violent tactics we have seen at work in the Occupy movement and the anti-cop Black Lives Matter
California has been delving into creative interpretations before. In 2012, Sacramento decreed that textbooks would soon include information about the many Sikh contributions to the state. That year also saw the addition of gay history for the schools, in which the law required “a study of the role and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans, persons with disabilities, and members of other cultural groups.” Also in 2012, Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill that encouraged social studies teachers to present material about the bracero program in |
is now the subject of a movie that's being sold as more of a comedy than a superhero film. Perhaps that's just the natural reaction to a character which didn't have the constant updates that Batman and Superman had, and so seems stuck in the 1930s. We can't approximate what he was back then, an earnest newspaperman trying to rid the world of two-bit hoodlums, and so the only way we can update it is to mock it.We spend a lot of time at Chalkbeat chasing the news to keep our readers informed about controversial policy changes, fast-moving debates, and late-breaking decisions.
But we also relish the opportunity to dig deep into issues affecting students and families, shine light on innovative ideas, and hear from dedicated educators making a difference. With that in mind, we’ve gathered 10 of our best stories from 2018.
These stories don’t necessarily chronicle the biggest education issues of 2018, from teacher walkouts to unprecedented state interventions. But they are stories we think are important and insightful, and that we enjoyed reporting and writing. We hope you enjoy reading them.
No walls: Forest preschools let kids run free, but can they change to reach diverse families?
One day this past summer, about a dozen children frolicked by a Jefferson County creek — making pretend tea in small metal buckets, and building dams with sticks and mud.
They were students at Worldmind Nature Immersion School, where children spend all their time outside. So-called forest preschools like Worldmind are beloved by many families but face significant regulatory and logistical barriers in expanding their footprint nationwide. Here in Colorado, a pilot program could lead a new kind of child care license designed for them.
And being licensed could help the schools confront another problem: a lack of diversity among their students. Read more.
Rise & Shine Colorado Get Colorado’s most important education stories delivered to your inbox daily Subscribe “Chalkbeat is my go-to education news source. Typically, Chalkbeat is the place to find out about district news before you hear about it anywhere else.” — Amy M.
Colorado was never ranked 46th for teacher pay. Does this change the debate?
It was an oft-cited statistic: that Colorado, despite its booming economy, ranked 46th in the nation for teacher pay. The eye-popping number found its way onto social media posts and signs at massive teacher rallies last spring. News outlets latched on to it, too.
But it was wrong. Colorado was actually ranked 30th in the nation.
Our story breaks down how the mistake happened (hint: a new data system, an unrevised report) — and how groups with different agendas seized on the snafu to score points. Read more.
This is the letter of apology that Adams 14 leaders never sent
The Adams 14 district in Commerce City is arguably the most troubled and low-performing in Colorado. Just last month, state officials directed Adams 14 to hire an external manager to oversee the district’s operations for at least the next four years.
Back in September, Adams 14 officials considered taking a rare step: saying sorry to the community. But an apology letter was never signed nor sent out.
Chalkbeat obtained a copy of the letter, which makes mention of “various and conflicting priorities, coupled with constant turnover and organizational disarray.” Read more.
Rising test scores and dwindling trust: Denver’s Tom Boasberg leaves a complicated legacy
Colorado’s largest school district experienced a big change this year when longtime leader Tom Boasberg announced he would step down after nearly 10 years in Denver Public Schools.
Because of his school improvement strategies — some of which were controversial and heightened tensions with the community — the district that the new superintendent, Susana Cordova, will inherit in January is vastly different than it was a decade ago.
One tangible difference: Schools that once served as anchors of the community but struggled academically have been closed or replaced. That disappearance was on display on one of Boasberg’s last days, when he held his cell phone close to his mouth and enunciated each word so his GPS would understand his direction: “Montbello High School.” Read more.
Parents in one Aurora high school are visiting classrooms and giving teachers feedback
Like many schools in Colorado, Aurora’s Rangeview High School has a test score gap between white and black students. But the assistant principal there came up with a unique way to try to address it: by inviting black parents to visit classrooms and observe how students are — or are not — engaging with the teacher’s lesson, and then provide suggestions for improvement.
“We give true and honest feedback,” said one parent involved, “if they looked or appeared comfortable, how they interacted with the environment, the temperature of the room.”
Although the assistant principal considers the African American Parent Committee an experiment, she said it’s generating uncomfortable but necessary conversations. Read more.
How education reform became a wedge issue among Colorado Democrats this election year
For years, more moderate Democrats, often working in unison with like-minded Republicans, championed education reform efforts ranging from school choice to holding educators accountable for student performance.
But partly because of backlash against President Donald Trump and his education secretary, those strategies no longer fly with many Democrats — especially left-leaning Democrats who see them as undercutting public education and devaluing the work of teachers.
That sentiment was palpable in Colorado’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, and could shape the next legislative session, which starts in January. “Education is the issue that really stands to divide the left in a very substantial way,” one observer said. Read more.
How a Colorado school district turned things around at 10,000 feet above sea level
School improvement efforts look a little different high in the Rocky Mountains. While many of the strategies used by the 1,000-student Lake County school district are familiar to urban settings, they’ve been retrofitted to meet the needs of a district that’s 100 miles west of Denver.
For example, instead of firing teachers and principals who weren’t accelerating student learning fast enough, the district adopted a new curriculum and gave its teachers lots of training.
“The belief that the people are the problem is wrong,” the superintendent said. “Our teachers are professionals, and we believe in them. We’re proving that there is a framework or a pathway for rural schools to improve that’s about building capacity within your own community.” Read more.
7 things to know about how Colorado schools punish their youngest students
After state lawmakers rejected a bill to limit the use of suspensions in the earliest grades, Chalkbeat wanted to know more about the early childhood discipline landscape in Colorado. Data from the Colorado Department of Education revealed several trends.
Among them: Young black boys are suspended at disproportionate rates. Some rural school districts have the highest early childhood suspension rates in the state.
And despite nationwide debate about the impact of harsh discipline on young children and local efforts to bring the numbers down, suspensions in the early grades are actually going up. Read more.
In Denver’s gentrifying neighborhoods, some middle-class parents are avoiding the school down the block
Many neighborhoods in Denver are gentrifying, with middle-class families moving into what have historically been working-class communities. That type of demographic shift could easily lead to neighborhood schools that are more integrated by family income and race.
But that doesn’t always happen in Denver. Instead, data show that wealthier families – more often than low-income families – are using Denver Public Schools’ universal school choice process to send their kids to schools elsewhere in the city.
That’s a problem because research shows integrated schools boost test scores for students from low-income families without lowering the scores of those from wealthier ones. Denver officials want to see those benefits, but allowing parents to choose may be thwarting them. Read more.
Why this Colorado principal hand delivers birthday cards to more than 2,000 students and staff
Northglenn High School Principal Sharee Blunt is Colorado’s 2018 School Principal of the year — but perhaps even more impressive is the enormous number of birthday cards she hand delivers each year. If you’re one of those people who can barely remember your spouse’s birthday, you’ll be floored by Blunt’s annual feat.
In our interview with Blunt, part of Chalkbeat’s “How I Lead” Q&A series with distinguished school leaders, she talks about what she realized after a mother’s emotional reaction, and why she gave a teacher a pass during a lesson that went awry. Read more.Puck Fair: In a remote Irish town, a goat reigns supreme — for a few days, at least
Posted
For a few days this week a goat will be king of a small town in Ireland's rural south-west.
Billed as one of Ireland's oldest festivals, the Puck Fair sees locals in the town of Killorglin pluck a wild mountain goat from its habitat and crown him "King Puck" for the duration of the event.
This year's king was paraded through the town on Thursday, where he was crowned by the Queen of Puck — an honour bestowed on a local schoolgirl.
This year, 12-year-old Caitlin Horgan took the crown.
The goat appeared relaxed, if occasionally bemused, during his coronation.
"I've seen it for the last 11 years, so it's nothing new but when I first moved here from England I thought it was strange," festival-goer Ben Henry said.
"I heard a fella today saying he's been coming to Puck for 57 years, so that says a lot."
The festival will feature music, street performers and a horse fair.
The origins of the event are unclear, though there are many local theories — from a harvest festival to tales of a lone goat fleeing Oliver Cromwell's troops into the village.
Organisers say historical references to the festival date back to the early 17th century.
As for King Puck, organisers say he is to be treated royally during his three-day reign with a diet of ash tree branches, water and cabbage to sustain him until he returns to his mountain home following his dethronement ceremony.
Organisers expect to welcome more than 100,000 visitors during the festival, which runs until August 12.
Reuters
Topics: offbeat, human-interest, animals, events, irelandImage copyright AP Image caption Many parts of rural Zimbabwe have been ravaged by drought
Zimbabwe's ruling party has been accused of deliberately withholding aid from opposition supporters in areas facing starvation because of drought.
The country's human rights commission said opponents of President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party had been told they would never get any food aid.
The government has not yet commented.
Mr Mugabe declared a state of disaster in February, with the government estimating that four million people would need food aid by January 2017.
"Ruling party members were the major perpetrators in violations linked to distribution of food," Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) chairman Elasto Mugwadi told media in the capital, Harare, detailing the findings of the investigation.
Image caption Provinces worst affected by drought (source: Zimbabwe government, Feb 2016)
Mr Mugwadi said huge numbers of people had been affected by the alleged tactic, without giving exact figures.
The government says half the rural population faces starvation.
In recent months, there have unprecedented protest against the government of the 92-year-old leader, who has now been in power for 36 years.
Analysis: Brian Hungwe, BBC News, Harare
The scathing report on the allegations of the politicisation of food aid in rural areas by senior government officials and public servants lays bare accusations that have long been denied by President Robert Mugabe.
The ZHRC says its findings were a result of extensive investigations across the country.
It will be difficult for Mr Mugabe to simply dismiss the allegations.
The powers of the rights body are enshrined in the constitution, giving it a legal mandate to carry out investigations into human rights violations and to make recommendations to parliament.
The political implications of the report are grave, especially with general elections due in 2018, although similar allegations have been made in the past.
With growing popular calls for electoral reform, there will be many who fear that this investigation betrays the extreme tactics which may be employed to ensure election victory.
Alleged attempts to exert pressure on rural folk by withholding food will be seized on by Mr Mugabe's critics as evidence that his government has reached a new low, especially given the food crisis the country is facing.
Zimbabwe has endured two years of failed rains, with this year's problems linked to the El Nino weather pattern.
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Asda's Ellesmere Port store has been forced to relocate its stock of envelopes after crafty criminals were caught posting stolen goods to themselves via the supermarket’s in-house Post Office.
Shoppers at the chain’s Ellesmere Port Supercentre branch were baffled after padded envelopes and postage boxes were moved away from the Post Office desk and kept behind the entertainment counter at the other end of the store.
Asda staff admitted to customers that the reason for the bizarre location of the envelopes was due to a wave of shoplifters taking stock including DVDs and CDs, sealing them in the envelopes and then posting them back using the store’s Post Office counter.
A confused Asda shopper posted on the Pride in the Port Facebook page to show his confusion about the sly shoplifting method.
Jennie Barker commented: “Who would have thought that there were such clever criminals in Ellesmere Port”.
Another Asda customer, Stacey Ashford-Holmes expressed her confusion about the situation. She said: “Well at least now I know why they’re there. I was so confused when I found out they were there.
Meanwhile, other shoppers made light of the situation. One said: “Ha ha! Class...... 1st class”
An Asda spokesperson confirmed that ‘a small number of customers’ were posting items to themselves using the in-store Post Office.
They said: “We take shoplifting very seriously and work with the local Police to ensure this doesn’t happen in our stores.
"This allows us to continue to offer the low prices that customers expect from Asda.”
Here is the original Facebook post:After all that has happened, the Alabama Senate race appears to be reverting to a fundamental political truth: A state that is one of the most Republican in the nation is likely to vote Republican.
Of course, there is still the possibility of some new and devastating sexual misconduct revelation about GOP candidate Roy Moore. But there is an increasing sense that the old and devastating sexual misconduct revelations are receding into the distant past of two weeks ago. Now, Moore is recovering in the polls and more Alabama voters seem comfortable with the idea of voting for him.
Part of that is because of the voters' long familiarity with Moore. For his supporters, the allegations did not seem to fit the man they admired. Something similar could be said of independents and even those Alabamians who see Moore as a Bible-thumping fanatic; the allegations did not seem to fit the man they hated. Neither recognized the Moore they thought they knew in stories in the Washington Post and other outlets that published allegations against Moore.
"When the allegations first came out, there was a little bit of a shock factor, because it seemed so out of character for the man they knew," a Moore campaign source said Wednesday. "I think that these allegations are not wearing well, because he has made such a strong impression on people over the years."
Moore appears to be recovering in the polls in the head-to-head matchup with Democratic opponent Doug Jones. Moore was six points ahead of Jones in the RealClearPolitics average of polls before the first allegations. By Nov. 21, Moore was eight-tenths of a point behind Jones. Now, Moore is back in the lead, but by just two points.
In the three most recent individual polls in the RCP average, Moore is ahead by six, five, and two points. In addition, the Moore campaign runs a tracking poll five nights a week, and it is showing Moore with around a five-point lead.
It appears the improvement in Moore's fortunes is being driven by a gradual change in the Alabama electorate's view of the allegations against him. In a poll taken from Nov. 16 to November 19, the firm Morning Consult asked registered voters, "Generally, do you find sexual misconduct allegations against [Moore] to be credible, or not credible?" Forty-three percent said credible, 19 percent said not credible, and 37 percent said they did not know or had no opinion.
In a new poll, taken from Nov. 21 to 25, Morning Consult asked the same question. Forty-one percent said they found the allegations credible, 21 percent said not credible, and 41 percent said they did not know or had no opinion.
That's not a huge change, but it's a total six percentage point increase in the group of people who say the allegations are not credible or who say they don't know. Most of the change occurred in the "don't know" column, suggesting that voters who originally believed the allegations are now doubting them.
A look inside the two polls shows most of that movement is happening among Republicans. In the earlier polls, 36 percent of self-identified Republicans said they found the allegations credible, versus 27 percent who found them not credible, and 37 percent who didn't know. In the new poll, 30 percent said they found the allegations credible, versus 26 percent who found them not credible, and 44 percent who didn't know.
The number of Republicans who said they don't believe the allegations stayed roughly the same. But there appears to have been a pretty significant shift from those who said they believed the allegations to those who now say they don't know.
Among Democrats, the number who believe the allegations stayed almost exactly the same from poll to poll. But the number who said they did not believe the allegations ticked upward. The same occurred with independents.
So each group, but especially Republicans, appears to be changing their view of the allegations against Moore. "Any regression we saw in the first aftermath [of the allegations] has stopped," a campaign source said. "Now, we're on a steady creep back up. People have absorbed the news, and they've had an opportunity to think about it."
Part of the change — perhaps a large part -- seems to reflect the idea that many voters don't view Moore's accusers in the same way that many media figures do. A number of media reports portray overwhelming evidence against Moore. "He's pitting his word against the word of nine women who accused him of varying degrees of sexual misconduct," CNN reported recently. The message is that the sheer number of accusers means at least some must be telling the truth.
But it seems likely that some Alabama voters don't see nine accusers. They see one accuser.
That one accuser is Leigh Corfman, who says Moore sexually assaulted her in 1979, when she was 14 years old. Published in the Washington Post, Corfman's was the first and most serious allegation against Moore, and it remains the most serious today. Corfman has seemed credible in media appearances, and Moore has not been able to refute her story. The Moore campaign realizes Corfman's is the most compelling allegation against him.
But the Post account also included the stories of three other women who said Moore asked them out when they were 16, 17, and 18 years old, and whose cases against Moore did not involve any physical abuse or coercion.
Then there was Beverly Young Nelson, who said Moore assaulted her in 1977, when she was 16. Nelson made the mistake of retaining celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred when she made her allegations, and she also mishandled Moore's contention that a signature in a yearbook she produced, ostensibly by Moore, might be a fake. Both moves reduced her credibility.
So that is five accusers right there. It is likely that voters pushed four of them to the side, leaving Corfman.
Then there was a woman who said Moore grabbed her behind in 1991, when she was 28. A woman who said Moore asked her out in 1982, when she was 17. A woman who said Moore asked her out repeatedly in 1977, when she was 18, and gave her an unwanted, "forceful" kiss. And finally, a woman who said Moore asked her out several times in 1977, when she was 22.
Asked her out several times when she was 22 years old? That's not the most outrageous allegation in the news these days. Four more accusers, some with very thin stories.
That makes nine. The point is not that none of the accusers is telling the truth. Perhaps some, or all, are. What appears to have happened in the Alabama race is that one very serious allegation was followed by a series of less serious, or less credible, accusations that in the end did not have the cumulative effect that Moore's opponents perhaps intended. Instead, the string of less serious accusers tended to focus attention on Corfman. (By the way, in both Morning Consult polls, Alabama women tended to doubt the accusers more than men.)
In addition, the eight less serious allegations looked even less serious in light of national reports of Harvey Weinstein, Louis CK, Charlie Rose, and Matt Lauer. In some of the eight instances, Moore's behavior seemed absolutely shy by comparison.
So the bottom line is, instead of Roy Moore versus nine accusers, in many voters' minds, the story is Roy Moore versus one accuser. And that is where the mental calculations begin.
Corfman's allegation is serious; she was, after all, 14 years old. But it's not airtight. And it was in 1979 -- 38 years ago. Memories fade, or change. And even if it is all true, has Moore changed in the nearly four decades since? Is there a statute of political limitations? Thoughts like that can change minds.
Finally, in many voters' minds, all that is combined with the Doug Jones factor. There's no doubt Moore's Democratic opponent is far to the left for a race in Alabama. Jones' views on abortion alone -- he supports it virtually up to the moment of birth -- would be enough to ensure defeat in an Alabama race. And so Alabama Republicans are more and more assessing the situation as Alabama Republicans. It would be no surprise if they vote that way.
"My guess is that they are recognizing that they have this Hobson's choice," said one senior GOP strategist who has been following the race. "They may not like Moore, they may not like what he has done, but when it comes down to it, they just don't want to vote for a Democrat."
Of course, all of that could change if new, more serious allegations emerge. But that is what is going on right now.
There have always been plenty of Alabama Republicans who don't like Roy Moore. They see him as a religious nut and an embarrassment to the state. But the Senate race will be determined by the Republicans who either support Moore or who, no matter what they think of him, simply don't see a vote for the Democrat as a real option. In a state as heavily Republican as Alabama, that's enough to win.A mid-nineteenth-century trident illustrates a changing marine ecosystem in the South Pacific
January/February 2013
Archaeological artifacts create not only a record of human behavior, but can also record past environmental conditions. By identifying the teeth of 19 different shark species that Gilbert Islanders used to make weapons, conservation biologist Joshua Drew of Columbia University discovered that two species of sharks that once swam in the surrounding waters are no longer found within several thousand miles of the islands.
Drew is certain that spotfin and dusky sharks were once local, since there is no ethnographic, linguistic, or material evidence for long-distance trade between the Gilbert Islands and any other place where the sharks might have lived. He is less clear about what caused their disappearance from these waters, but suggests it may have been depopulation as a result of the practice of finning, the removal of the animal's fin. Sharks are particularly susceptible to overfishing as they have long gestation periods and only a few pups are born with each pregnancy. "If we hadn't looked into these collections," says Drew, "our perception of what a healthy coral reef in the southern Pacific would have looked like would be totally different—and wrong. We would have had no idea these sharks were ever even there."Canned Hunting and Cub-Petting are Big Business in South Africa
South African government must regulate this growing industry to protect lions from trophy hunters and over-eager tourists
Jacalyn Beales
It is difficult to imagine an Africa without one of its most popular and revered creatures, the lion. Known by many as the King of the Jungle, the lion has traversed the wide-open spaces of Africa for centuries, capturing the hearts and imaginations of people around the world. Unfortunately, lions no longer roam as freely as they once did.
Photo by Tambako The Jaguar, on Flickr
In the last fifty years alone, approximately 50 percent of Africa’s lions have disappeared. What has happened to them all? In South Africa, many have fallen victim to poachers. Recently, lions have also faced the threat of canned hunting — hunts in which animals are confined in an area from which they cannot escape — to increasingly detrimental effect.
Not only is canned lion hunting legal in South Africa, it is a flourishing industry, popular especially amongst those who travel from outside the continent to shoot big game for trophy and sport. The industry is so popular, in fact, that in 2012, it generated approximately 807 million South African rand, roughly 70 million US dollars. Canned hunting is not the hunting of wild lions, however, but rather captive ones, and whereas trophy hunters often claim “fair chase” as a key element in their hunting activities, canned hunters simply pay to kill a lion in an enclosure.
The canned hunting industry has thrived in South Africa in large part because it is under-regulated. As Chris Mercer, co-founder of South Africa’s Campaign Against Canned Hunting, put it via email, “[The] government, to protect the canned hunting industry, has adopted a strained and unrealistic definition, based on silly permit conditions.” Essentially, anyone interested in bringing a lion trophy home through a canned hunt can do so, as long as they possess a permit, adhere to symbolic regulations, and have enough money to pay for the experience (some hunters pay as much as $38,000 to kill a lion).
Some hunters and wildlife conservation advocates argue that canned hunting can help conserve threatened species. That for every captive lion killed, a wild lion is saved. The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute suggests that, “establishing captive populations for saving species from extinction is an important contribution… to conservation.”
I recently discussed this idea via email with Mercer. When asked how people use hunting as a front for conservation, his answer was straightforward: “Those in favor of hunting say that captive-bred lions are helping to ‘save’ the wild population.” In essence, pro-hunting propaganda claims that every tame lion killed is a wild lion saved. This is not the case, however, and is based on the false assumption that, as Mercer puts it, “every hunter who is prevented from shooting a tame lion will automatically go out and kill a wild lion.”
The lucrative and cruel business of canned hunting belies an even more sinister one: cub-petting. Cub-petting offers tourists and volunteers the opportunity to interact directly with lion cubs. Of course, tourists must pay to pet the cubs, and many do not realize that cubs are the product of widespread factory farming, a practice in which lionesses are bred to have two to three cub litters in a year. This reproduction rate is not only unnatural for lionesses, but is also unhealthy. It is also unnatural for the cubs, which are taken from their mothers at a young age and thrust into the hands of starry-eyes tourists.
What is not revealed to the general public is that these cubs are bred for slaughter: After supporting the cub-petting industry, they will be fed into the canned hunting industry. According to Mercer, “All lion farmers breed lions for slaughter. Lion Park and Seaview have been exposed recently but all lion farms do it. Wherever lions are being bred, that is a lion farm, however they try to pass themselves off as ‘sanctuaries.’” There are more than 160 such lion farms in South Africa.
In a recent 60 Minutes segment, Kevin Richardson, also know as the lion whisperer, discussed this problem, explaining lions that grow up in the cub-petting industry do not end up back in the wild. Nor do the lions go to good homes, something that parks are quick to tell their tourists and volunteers to convince them to donate time and money to the “sanctuaries.” Richardson posed it perfectly in his interview when he asked, “Where are these good homes? Because I’d like to visit a few of those good homes myself, and maybe even some of my cats could go to these food homes. The reality is, there aren’t any.”
Unfortunately, this is true. But why sell these young lions into canned hunts? Because lions cannot be released back into the wild, captive lion breeding results in a surplus of animals, animals that are expensive to care for. Mercer explains in the 60 Minutes segment, “We know that there is no other market for adult lions other than the hunting industry. Lions eat meat. Meat’s expensive. So every day that that huntable lion remains with the breeder is money lost. They have to get rid of it. And it’s the hunting operation that takes it”
As a result, canned hunting and cub-petting are deeply intertwined, part of a cyclical process that turns lions into profit. So, could the abolishment of cub-petting ultimately decimate the canned hunting industry? I asked Mercer what he believed would happen if cub-petting ceased to exist, and his answer gave me a dose of reality: “This will never happen. Regulatory capture means that [South African] conservation decisions are actually made by Safari Club International in [the United States], which has aggressively occupied and now controls regulatory authorities in ‘rangeland states’ like [South Africa] or Tanzania. Breeding lions as living targets will continue but will gradually reduce in numbers owing to the ever-increasing costs of breeding lions, and the reduction in income from the cub petting spin off.”
With 8,000 captive lions in South Africa — compared to just 4,000 in the wild — the issue of canned hunting must be addressed. Political action and government regulation are much needed. As Mercer commented, South Africa has to “find the political will to protect wildlife.”Upon buying a new Lexus in November, a Houston man dropped the car off at a local repair shop for some repairs. But when he stopped by the shop recently to make one of his biweekly payments, a local news outlet reports that it had an eviction sign out front and all of the cars were gone—including his.
According to KPRC2, Randy Exom stopped by Houston’s On Site Auto Repair on Jan. 19 to make a payment for unspecified repairs to his new purchase. Instead, he saw eviction signs and a lack of vehicles. Thinking the owner, Shawn Gee, stole his car, Exom called to ask where the car was. But Exom didn’t get an exact address from Gee, which made him suspicious.
As it turns out, KPRC2 reports that the owner’s family has a history of claims about cars going missing from their shops.
While he didn’t give an exact address, KPRC2 reports that the area where Gee told Exom the shop was now located happened to be the place where his brother used to own a shop. The news outlet reported cases of missing cars from that shop in the fall, and KPRC2 reports that Gee worked there prior to opening his own place.
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KPRC2 reports that Exom found his car impounded on Friday, along with other cars from the now-closed shop. From KPRC2:
“My thing is my car was in your possession and you should have made some type of contact with me and say, ‘Hey this is what’s going on, sir,’” said a frustrated Exom. KPRC2 spoke with Gee by phone Friday. He declined an on-camera interview but confirmed his eviction, saying he and the building’s landlord had been deadlocked over repairs he said needed to be made. Gee also said that he was working with customers whose vehicles were impounded, to get their vehicles back.
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KPRC2 reports that as of Friday, Exom had yet to get his car back. If he’s stuck with the responsibility doing so, it’ll be $800.The London-based Free Tibet group said 18-year-old Gepey self-immolated on Saturday in Aba, a town that is under heavy security lockdown in western Sichuan province.
The group says Gepey was a monk from the town's Kirti Monastery, the scene of numerous protests against the Chinese government over the past several years. March 10 marked the start of the unsuccessful revolt that eventually caused the Dalai Lama to flee the Himalayan region in 1959.
More than two dozen Tibetans, including several teenagers, have set themselves on fire in China over the last year, protesting China's suppression of their religion and culture and calling for the return of the Dalai Lama.
Gepey died after self-immolating behind a military camp, Free Tibet said. The group said locals tried to take his body away but security personnel removed it.
A woman from the county Communist Party propaganda department said she had no information about the incident. Calls to the prefectural Communist Party department and police and county police rang unanswered. A man who answered the phone at the Kirti Monastery hung up when he was asked about the self-immolation.
Chinese authorities in Aba refused to allow locals to carry out traditional funeral rites for Gepey so as not to provide an opportunity for Tibetans to gather and protest, Free Tibet said.
Gepey was the third Tibetan this month to self-immolate near a building associated with Chinese authority. Earlier in March, another 18-year-old Tibetan man in the same county set himself on fire and walked to a government office building while a mother similarly protested outside a police station in Aba town.
"We are now witnessing a pattern of Tibetans setting themselves on fire in front of buildings which symbolize China's current crackdown in Tibet," Free Tibet's director Stephanie Brigden said in a statement. "Saturday's self-immolation is the latest in an ever-increasing list of courageous and profound acts which the world cannot continue to ignore."
Tibetans, including a prominent writer in Beijing, have pleaded for an end to the self-immolations, saying they are not helping the cause of Tibetan rights.
The communist government has blamed supporters of the exiled Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader the Dalai Lama for encouraging the self-immolations.
The Dalai Lama has said he does not encourage the protests, but he has praised the courage of those who engage in self-immolation and has attributed the protests to what he calls China's "cultural genocide" in Tibet.
Source: agenciesFor much of his career, Warren Zevon relied on A-list Los Angeles session pros and friends like Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt and Neil Young to help out on his records. But for his first live album, 1980’s Stand in the Fire, he called in a group comprised mostly of comparative amateurs.
He enlisted Boulder, a Colorado bar band that had been signed to Zevon's label, Elektra Records, and whose debut included a cover of his “Join Me in L.A.” After auditioning them solely by running them through Chuck Berry ’s “Johnny B. Goode,” Zevon hired them and brought along studio ace David Landau to play lead guitar. They then hit the road together for the Dog Ate the Part We Didn’t Like tour.
Released on Dec. 26, 1980, Stand in the Fire was culled from performances recorded during a multi-night stand at Los Angeles' Roxy. It’s the most full-blooded rock 'n' roll Zevon ever released. His earlier albums — great as they are — suffer from the genteel production techniques of the day, but he’s positively unleashed here. The whole thing threatens to come apart on a few occasions, but Zevon manages to hold it all together.
It helps that he's egged on by Boulder, who bring out the savage wit of such Zevon favorites as “Excitable Boy,” “Poor Poor Pitiful Me” and, especially, “Lawyers, Guns and Money." “Mohammed’s Radio” — with a rewritten verse to reflect the Iranian hostage situation — is particularly powerful, and “Jeannie Needs a Shooter” and "I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead” are beautifully bludgeoned within an inch of their lives. Two new songs, “The Sin” and the title track, plus a rave-up take on “Bo Diddley’s a Gunslinger” / “Bo Diddley” hold their own alongside the established material.
Listen to Warren Zevon's 'Stand in the Fire'
Zevon throws no small degree of spontaneity into the equation. He ad libs some new lyrics in “Werewolves of London” to take jabs at friends (“ And he’s looking for James Taylor," “I saw Jackson Browne walking slow down the avenue / You know, his heart is perfect” ) and, at the end of “Poor Poor Pitiful Me,” calls out his road manager and best friend George “Gorilla” Gruel: “Gorilla, get up and dance. Get up and dance or I’ll kill you. And I got the means!”
Despite its standing among Zevon fans, Stand in the Fire wasn't released on CD when the rest of his catalog hit the format. Instead, it was delayed until 2007. But it was worth the wait: Four additional songs from the shows (“Johnny Strikes Up the Band,” “Play It All Night Long” and solo piano renditions of “Frank and Jesse James” and “Hasten Down the Wind”) were added to the mix.By The Metric Maven
Double Bulldog Dare Edition
A primary motivation for my metric research has been to understand why the metric system was not implemented by the US in the late 1970s. Beyond the fact that the metric legislation was at best symbolic, and at worst a political joke, there has been almost no forward movement in our government for metrication in over 32 years. Why is this? Recently I ran across a tale of two Iowans which fits into this larger puzzle.
The first Iowan is John Adam Kasson (1822-1910). He was a Republican Member of the US House of Representatives from approximately 1863 to 1884. He lived in Des Moines and was a supporter of Abraham Lincoln. In 1866 Kasson penned The Metric Act of 1866. Kasson became a leading advocate for the metric system, and was made the Chairman of the Committee on a Uniform System of Coinage, Weights and Measures. He advocated |
yield. #JeSuisCharlie
18.15 DANISH POLICE SAY THEY DO NOT KNOW IF COPENHAGEN SHOOTING INCIDENT WAS A "TERRORIST ACT" BUT ARE INVESTIGATING IT AS ONE
17.50 Two suspected assailants escaped by vehicle after Copenhagen attack: police
17.44 More from Inna Shevchenko:
<noframe>Twitter: inna shevchenko - I was at the point of ny speech when i was saying that often it is an illusion that we have freedom of speech in Europe.then we heard shots</noframe>
17.35 Among those inside was Inna Shevchenko, an activist with feminist group Femen.
She said they are all now at a police station.
<noframe>Twitter: inna shevchenko - in the room with me there were few dozens of people, french ambassador Francois Zimeray, Lars Vilks</noframe> <noframe>Twitter: inna shevchenko - We are in police station now</noframe>
17.31 The victim was a 40-year-old Danish man, police have said.
17.30 Copenhagen police confirmed to the Berlingske newspaper that the suspects wore black and spoke Danish.
The meeting was held under tight security, with delegates subject to searches as they entered the building.
17.27
<noframe>Twitter: martinpoulsen - Eyewitness Claire Lambert says see saw group of young males running through Faelledparken immediately after gun fire. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?src=hash&q=%23cphshooting" target="_blank">#cphshooting</a></noframe>
17.22 Some reports suggest that the getaway car - the VW Polo - has been found abandoned, not far from the cultural centre.
17.13 ONE CIVILIAN DEAD AFTER SHOOTING INCIDENT IN COPENHAGEN - POLICE
17.12 These are the latest images from the cultural centre, showing how the attackers attempted to storm their way in.
17.01 More from Paris.
David Chazan reports that the French interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, will go to Copenhagen "as soon as possible," the office of President Hollande announced.
The French foreign minister has condemned what he said was "a terrorist attack".
16.55 The debate resumed after the shooting, according to one of the organisers.
Helle Merete Brix told TV2 News:
People actually reacted very calmly, and the meeting continued. We could not get away, so we continued our discussion.
She said that she and the Swedish cartoonist hid in the cold store of the cultural centre.
I was in a cold room and kept hold of Lars Vilks' hand. He was very cool.
We stood and told each other bad jokes.
His bodyguards did a tremendous job.
It is a dramatic and unpleasant reminder of what we are up against in these times.
16.49 The French ambassador, Francois Zimeray, has given a dramatic account of the attack to AFP news agency.
They fired on us from the outside. It was the same intention as (the January 7 attack on) Charlie Hebdo except they didn't manage to get in.
Intuitively I would say there were at least 50 gunshots, and the police here are saying 200.
Bullets went through the doors and everyone threw themselves to the floor. We managed to flee the room, and now we're staying inside because it's still dangerous.
The attackers haven't been caught and they could very well still be in the neighbourhood.
16.46 This is the latest image from the scene.
16.42 Danish police are searching for a VW Polo, registration number AT 25 919.
This tweet, from a local journalist, reads: "WANTED IN COPENHAGEN : Police are looking for a VW Polo with registration AT 25 919 after shots fired on Osterbro".
Osterbro is a district in central Copenhagen.
<noframe>Twitter: Kaare Sørensen - EFTERLYSNING I KØBENHAVN: Politiet søger VW Polo med registreringsnummer AT 25 919 efter skud på Østerbro</noframe>
16.36 Helle Merete Brix, one of the organizers of the event, told The Associated Press that Vilks was present at the event but not injured.
I saw a masked man running past. A couple of police officers were injured.
I clearly consider this as an attack on Lars Vilks.
16.34 Lars Vilks, the Swedish artist, has described himself as "a constant target".
16.32 A reminder that the French ambassador to Denmark was attending the discussion.
From Paris, our correspondent David Chazan reports:
Three Danish policemen have been wounded by shots fired at the cultural centre where a blasphemy debate was being held, the French TV news channel BFM reported
16.25 Mr Vilks spoke to The Wall Street Journal about the Charlie Hebdo attacks, and said that he refused to hide away in fear.
Police protection doesn’t offer a 100% guarantee as we saw with Charlie Hebdo but it goes pretty far. I don’t have to lie awake at night listening for odd sounds.
He has to plan outings in advance because he “can’t go anywhere without a police escort,” he said.
It’s tricky for me to be spontaneous.
Mr Vilks said he agrees that ridiculing religion in itself doesn’t have a value—“you need to have a point.” But he rejects the idea that artists and satirists should tread more carefully in their criticism of Islam.
Almost the entire Muslim world is subject to a theological rule that has a strange outcome when it comes to human rights. You can’t ignore that.
Then you’re talking tactics, how should one go about to change that.
Some say, you should be very careful, but that’s just postponing the problem. Sooner or later you have to explain what you’re criticising.
16.23 The event featured Swedish artist Lars Vilks, who in 2007 drew an image of the Prophet as a dog on a traffic circle.
As a result, Al Qaeda in Iraq placed a $150,000 bounty on his head, and protests broke out across the Middle East.
He now is protected by bodyguards - his security detail was increased following the Paris attacks - and was unharmed in today's shooting.
16.21 The shooting took place during a discussion entitled: "Art, blasphemy and the freedom of expression".
16.19 A Norwegian journalist says that Danish television is reporting that a civilian in his 30s has been killed.
We have not received any official confirmation of this.
<noframe>Twitter: Rune Thomas Ege - Breaking: Sources tells Danish <a href="http://www.twitter.com/tv2newsdk" target="_blank">@tv2newsdk</a> one civilian man in his 30s killed, three police officers wounded in Copenhagen terror attack.</noframe>
16.14 The French ambassador to Denmark, Francois Zimeray, was inside the cafe at the time.
He has tweeted that he is fine.
<noframe>Twitter: Frankrigs ambassadør - Still alive in the room</noframe>
16.11 It is not yet known who is behind the shooting. Two gunmen are said to be on the run, in a dark-coloured Volkswagen polo.
16.10 Danish media say several shots have been fired at a cafe in Copenhagen where a meeting about freedom of speech was being held, organized by Swedish artist Lars Vilks, who has faced numerous threats for caricaturing the Prophet Muhammad in 2007.
The TV2 channel said Saturday there were some 30 bullet holes in the window of the Krudttoenden cafe and said at least two people were taken away on stretchers, including a uniformed police officer.
Helle Merete Brix, one of the organizers of the event, told The Associated Press that Vilks was present at the event but not injured. When the artist is in Denmark, he receives police protection.
The cafe in northern Copenhagen, known for its jazz concerts, was hosting an event titled "Art, blasphemy and the freedom of expression" when the shots were fired.
Niels Ivar Larsen, one of the speakers at the event, told the TV2 channel that he saw two wounded people.CCTV footage has captured a pensioner hurling his next-door neighbour over a garden fence and trying to gouge out his eyes during series of rows started over a parking space.
Shocked victims Tilly and Philip Hellawell have today revealed they were terrified of Ferris from the moment he moved into the spacious farmhouse next-door which overlooks the Pennines in the scenic town of Bacup, Lancs.
Burnley Magistrates Court heard the chaos started just days after 18-stone Ferris and his wife Jean arrived in April 2012. The court heard that the Hellawells were regularly on the end of four-letter tirades concerning parking, their shared garden gate and alleged dog mess.
Events reached their climax on Christmas Eve last year after several months of incidents when Ferris, a director of a highways construction firm, lunged at retired company director Mr Hellawell, 67, as he was repairing a gate between the two properties.
On CCTV played in court Ferris could be heard to shout, "you put your hands on me once more and you'll be dead - and I mean dead", in between a torrent of foul language.I actually heard it on my car radio on NPR the other day—August 4, 2015. Melissa Block introduced the segment by saying that the way in which Joseph Smith had translated the Book of Mormon from the golden plates “had been shrouded in mystery until now.”
Wow! I thought. What startling revelation might this be? I waited with bated breath.
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Tom Gjelten then delivered the news: the Church Historian’s Office of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was publishing the Printer’s Manuscript of the Book of Mormon and a color photograph of the magical seer stone that Joseph used when he dictated the text of that manuscript.
Oh. Is that all?
The story was carried by numerous other news outlets including Associated Press and everyone that carried its version, by Fox News and CBS News, and on and on. The LDS Church made sure of it, releasing the story themselves through their Newsroom. At the same time, the LDS Church published an advance copy of an article slated for the October 2015 issue of its official flagship magazine Ensign. The article, “Joseph the Seer,” is authored by three men associated with the “Joseph Smith Papers” project, in which the LDS Church Historian’s Office is attempting to publish everything written or dictated by Joseph Smith. The two-volume set containing the Printer’s Manuscript that was published this week by the Church Historian’s Office (through the LDS Church’s official publishing house Deseret Book) is the latest release of the Joseph Smith Papers series.
[Tweet “What the Mormon Newsroom did not mention[…]was that there was nothing new about any of this.”]
What the Mormon Newsroom did not mention, and what none of the news outlets I have consulted evidently found out, was that there was nothing new about any of this.
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In Search of Transparency
First of all, a printed text of the Printer’s Manuscript (commonly known as P) was published in 2001 by the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS). The existence of P was not a secret; it has been owned by the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (more recently renamed Community of Christ) since 1903. The editor of the 2001 edition, Royal Skousen, wrote about P years earlier, and he is the editor of the newly released Joseph Smith Papers edition as well. This new edition will no doubt be an impressive publication, as it includes high-resolution photographs of the manuscript as well as introductory and supplemental material, but the text of P has been available for years.
[Tweet “The dreaded “anti-Mormon” critics have been saying for decades that Joseph used a seer stone.”]
Second, the fact that Joseph Smith used a seer stone in dictating the text of the Book of Mormon is something that the dreaded “anti-Mormon” critics (as Mormons insist on calling them) have been saying for decades, but which the LDS Church has rarely mentioned and never explained until very recently.1 It’s nice that the Church Historian’s Office has published a picture of it, but we already knew about it and even knew what it looked like; it is a small, smooth, chocolate-colored stone. As a matter of fact, the ministry where I serve, the Institute for Religious Research, has had an article about Joseph using the seer stone to dictate the Book of Mormon on its website since 1999.
Despite the reality that these things have long been known, the message communicated to the media was that the publication of P and a picture of the seer stone marked a new day of “transparency” for the LDS Church. What the media does not seem to understand is that whatever newfound transparency exists was forced on the LDS Church by the internet, which has given information about Joseph’s seer stone and other such matters such wide circulation that the LDS Church’s earlier strategy of ignoring the facts was no longer viable. As the New York Times reported in 2013, hitherto faithful Mormons even outside the United States who had been exposed to information online were asking hard questions and their leaders were giving faltering and faulty answers. The problem became so acute that in 2013 and 2014 the LDS Church published over a dozen new articles in its Gospel Topics series on the official LDS website, including an article on “Book of Mormon Translation” that did discuss the matter of the seer stone.
Although the LDS Church is now at least talking about the seer stone, it is still far from transparent in addressing the issues adequately. Two issues are of particular importance.
Joseph’s Treasure Hunting with a Seer Stone
Until very recently, the LDS Church avoided acknowledging that Joseph was engaged in hunting for buried treasure using one or more seer stones prior to his claiming to have found and translated the Book of Mormon. The Gospel Topics article on Book of Mormon translation, published at the end of 2013, did mention this briefly but attempted to minimize its significance:
“As a young man during the 1820s, Joseph Smith, like others in his day, used a seer stone to look for lost objects and buried treasure.”
A footnote claims that “Joseph did not hide his well-known early involvement in treasure seeking” because in July 1838 he admitted that he had been a “money-digger” while denying it had been profitable (a statement in Joseph Smith, “Answers to Questions,” Elders’ Journal, July 1838). However, Joseph said nothing there about the seer stone and clearly was trying to deny that his money-digging had any significance.
[Tweet “Joseph said nothing there about the seer stone…”]
That same year of 1838, Joseph dictated an account of his early years in which he claimed that his reputation as a money-digger was a misunderstanding. Part of this account eventually became known as Joseph Smith–History and is included in the LDS scripture collection called The Pearl of Great Price. In October 1825 Joseph had, he says, gone to live in the home of Josiah Stowell as a hired hand. Stowell had learned about a silver mine supposedly located in Harmony, Pennsylvania. Joseph reported, “After I went to live with him, he took me, with the rest of his hands, to dig for the silver mine, at which I continued to work for nearly a month, without success in our undertaking, and finally I prevailed with the old gentleman to cease digging after it. Hence arose the very prevalent story of my having been a money-digger” (Joseph Smith–History 1:56).
Joseph’s account here is quite deceptive. The fact is that Joseph was heavily engaged in “money-digging” throughout most of the period from 1822 to 1827. This means that Joseph had been pursuing “money digging” for a full three years or longer when Josiah Stowell approached him about the expedition to find the lost silver mine.2 Thus, Joseph’s claim that the story of his having been a money digger arose from one short-lived effort at the end of 1825 is quite misleading. Joseph also says in this same account that he was visited repeatedly by the angel Moroni, shown the gold plates, and instructed at length about his mission from 1823 to 1827—the same period during which he was often engaged in money-digging. Worse still, Joseph’s account omits the most controversial aspect of his participation in money-digging: his claim to be able to locate buried treasure using a seer stone. Stowell hired Joseph for his silver mine quest, not to perform the manual labor of digging as Joseph Smith–History would lead readers to believe, but to use his reputed gift with the seer stone to locate the mine.
Joseph’s Seer Stone and the Book of Mormon
A second and closely related issue has to do with Joseph’s use of the seer stone in dictating the “translation” of the gold plates as the Book of Mormon. Joseph’s wife Emma and the men who were supporting and working with Joseph when he produced the Book of Mormon gave numerous statements years later that all agree as to how Joseph did it. He would take his seer stone, put it inside his hat, and put the hat over his face to block outside light. He would then dictate to his scribe the English words he claimed he could see in light emanating from the stone. Joseph never looked at the gold plates when he was dictating his translation; they were either laid aside and covered up or hidden away in another room or building.
That is not what the LDS Church taught its members. Until 2013, the LDS Church taught the same story that Joseph did. According to his account, “there were two stones in silver bows—and these stones, fastened to a breastplate, constituted what is called the Urim and Thummim—deposited with the plates; and the possession and use of these stones were what constituted ‘seers’ in ancient or former times; and that God had prepared them for the purpose of translating the book” (JS-H 1:35). In the same meeting recorded in the 1838 Elders’ Journal article mentioned earlier, Joseph stated: “I obtained them [the plates], and the Urim and Thummim with them; by the means of which, I translated the plates; and thus came the book of Mormon.” Thus, Joseph clearly claimed that he translated the Book of Mormon, not with a seer stone used previously in treasure hunting, but with stone spectacles fastened to a breastplate that he found buried with the gold plates.
Mormon apologists are now arguing that Joseph and the early Mormons used the term “Urim and Thummim” in reference to both the stone spectacles and the seer stone, but this explanation will not work. Joseph explicitly stated that he translated the plates with the Urim and Thummim that he found “with them” (with the plates), that is, the apparatus with the two stones set in silver bows and fastened to a breastplate. Likewise, in his 1842 Wentworth Letter Joseph said, “With the records was found a curious instrument which the ancients called ‘Urim and Thummim,’ which consisted of two transparent stones set in the rims of a bow fastened to a breastplate. Through the medium of the Urim and Thummim I translated the record by the gift and power of God.” This statement leaves absolutely no room for the theory that by “the Urim and Thummim” Joseph actually meant his treasure-hunting seer stone.
So then, Joseph claimed to have translated the Book of Mormon using transparent stone spectacles that were in the box where the gold plates were found, whereas in fact he dictated his translation by looking at a non-transparent, chocolate-colored stone in his hat. In short, Joseph Smith himself gave false testimony when he claimed that he translated the Book of Mormon using the Urim and Thummim that he found with the gold plates. Recall that Joseph also gave false testimony when he claimed that he was not really a “money-digger” but rather had only briefly participated in a dig as one of several hired hands. These two lies are directly related because the common element is Joseph’s treasure-hunting seer stone.
Too Little Transparency, Too Late
Now, if Joseph’s testimony has been shown to be materially false in these important respects, on what grounds can anyone regard his testimony in other respects as trustworthy or believable? Moreover, the LDS Church perpetuated the deception throughout most of its history. No wonder many Mormons have been scandalized when they found out that what they were taught wasn’t true.
[Tweet “If Joseph’s testimony about this is false, how can we trust him on other matters?”]
If the LDS Church wants to be truly transparent, they will need to do much more than release documents and photos. They need to acknowledge publicly that Joseph Smith’s account of the origins of the Book of Mormon is deceptive and unreliable. That is a price for transparency that the LDS Church establishment leaders seem unlikely to be willing to pay.
Notes
1 This article originally stated that the LDS Church had “studiously avoided” Joseph’s use of a seer stone, which some Mormons have misunderstood to mean that they have never mentioned it at all. I have revised my statement to preclude this misunderstanding.
2 The Gospel Topics article “Book of Mormon Translation” mentioned earlier alludes vaguely to the fact that Joseph had a longer history of using seer stones in treasure hunting when it states that he used a seer stone for such purposes “during the 1820s.” Joseph actually was the defendant in a court case in 1826 in regards to the expedition with Stowell in late 1825. In the records of that case, Joseph acknowledged that he had a stone that he used “occasionally” for three years to locate lost items and buried treasures, including several times for Stowell. This would be three years prior to the incident in late 1825 that was the focus of the court case, therefore taking us back to 1822. Joseph suspended his money-digging and scrying for most or all of 1826 due to the trial, but resumed the practice for part of 1827. See especially Dan Vogel, “The Locations of Joseph Smith’s Early Treasure Quests,” Dialogue 27/3 (1994): 197-231. Vogel identifies eighteen locations where Joseph searched for buried treasure in 1822-1825 and 1827. Joseph finally ceased the practice in August 1827 after his father-in-law offered to help Joseph and Emma when Joseph promised to give up money-digging. The very next month, Joseph claimed to have found the gold plates.
Robert M. Bowman Jr. (born 1957) is an American Evangelical Christian theologian specializing in the study of apologetics.Kim Jong-nam arrives at Beijing International Airport in 2007. Credit:Getty Images He was known to have spent most of his time outside North Korea and had spoken out publicly against his family's dynastic control of the isolated state. Malaysian police official Fadzil Ahmat told Malaysian state news agency Bernama that the deceased had been approached from behind. "A woman came from behind and covered his face with a cloth laced with a liquid," he said. "The deceased... felt like someone grabbed or held his face from behind," Mr Fadzil said. "He felt dizzy, so he asked for help at the... counter of KLIA (airport)."
Police officers wait at the forensic department entrance at a hospital in Putrajaya, Malaysia, where Kim Jong-nam's body was taken. Credit:AAP Mr Fadzil said Kim Jong-nam had been planning to travel from Kuala Lumpur to Macau, where he had been living under Chinese protection and was quoted in 2012 as saying North Korea needed "Chinese-style economic reform". "I have conveyed the matter to the North Korean embassy," Mr Fadzil said, adding that an autopsy was planned to seek the cause of death. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un pictured in Pyongyang in 2016. Credit:AP Police were checking surveillance tapes on Wednesday to try to identify the attackers.
Police are also investigating Mr Kim's movements in Malaysia after he arrived in the country on February 6 on a flight from Macau. Kim Jong-nam's father was former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. Credit:AP Police said Malaysia has received a request to send the body to North Korea but it would not be released until completion of a post-mortem, which was being undertaken on Wednesday. Malaysia is one of a dwindling number of countries that has close relations with North Korea, which is under global sanctions over its nuclear and ballistic missile launches. Malaysians and North Koreans can visit each other's countries without visas. The North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur has made no comment.
South Korea's acting president and prime minister Hwang Kyo-ahn described the apparent assassination as a "brutal and inhumane" example of the nature of Kim Jong-un's regime. "Based on the understanding that this case is of great importance, our government is keeping close tabs on North Korea's movements," Mr Hwang said during a special session of his country's national security council on Wednesday. He reiterated a call for strengthened sanctions and pressure to force North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions. In October 2012, South Korean prosecutors said a North Korean man detained as a spy had admitted involvement in a plot to stage a hit-run accident targeting Kim Jong-nam in China in 2010. South Korean media outlets reported Kim's death in Kuala Lumpur was the result of a planned attack by North Korean spies, with some South Korean outlets originally claiming it had been carried out using "poison needles".
One of the outlets, Chosun, citing multiple local sources, claimed two women believed to be North Korean intelligence agents fled the airport in a taxi. "I think the two were female spies dispatched by North Korea," said an intelligence official, quoted by the Korea Joongang Daily. A South Korean government source confirmed the death to Reuters. There was no immediate comment from North Korea. In a statement, Malaysian police said the dead man held a passport under the name Kim Chol, born in Pyongyang on June 10, 1970. Kim Jong-nam is believed to have been born on May 10, 1971.
But Ken Gause, an American expert on North Korea, said Kim had previously travelled under the name Kim Chol. Mark Tokola, vice-president of the Korea Economic Institute in Washington and a former diplomat in South Korea, said it would be surprising if Kim Jong-nam was not killed on the orders of his half-brother, given that North Korean agents have reportedly tried to assassinate him in the past. "It seems probable that the motivation for the murder was a continuing sense of paranoia on the part of Kim Jong-un," he said. The North Korean leader has carried out a series of purges since assuming power five years ago which the South Korean government has described as a "reign of terror". South Korea's national news agency Yonhap quoted a source saying agents of the North's spy agency, the Reconnaissance General Bureau, carried out the assassination by taking advantage of a security loophole between Kim's bodyguards and Malaysian police at the airport.
South Korea's foreign ministry said it could not confirm the reports on Chosun regarding the two female spies, and the country's intelligence agency could not immediately be reached for comment. A US government source told Reuters it believed North Korea agents were responsible but did not provide evidence for that conclusion, and also said it was possible that Kim had been poisoned. Kim Jong-nam was for many years considered the heir apparent to his father but is believed to have fallen out of favour in 2001 after he was caught trying to enter Japan on a false passport, saying he had wanted to visit Tokyo Disneyland. The Joongang Daily quoted an intelligence official as saying Kim had been in a relationship with a woman in Malaysia and travelled there often. In 2013 Kim Jong-un's uncle Jang Song-thaek, once considered the country's second most powerful man, was executed and key figures linked to him purged. Kim Jong-nam had reportedly been close to his uncle.
In 2008 Kim Jong-nam reportedly suffered a stroke after which he travelled frequently to countries in South-east Asia and the Chinese territory of Macau. In 2012 he was reportedly having financial troubles and was evicted from a Macau hotel over a $US15,000 debt. His mother is the late Kim Jong-il's second wife, Song Hye-rim, a South Korean-born actress and one of at least three women with whom the former leader had children. The death became public late on Tuesday as the United Nations Security Council condemned Kim Jong-un for his country's firing of a ballistic missile on Sunday, the first direct challenge to the international community since US President Donald Trump took office on January 20. North Korea's media rejected the criticism on Tuesday, saying launching the missile with a range of 2000 kilometres was a "self-defence measure".
Loading Mr Trump, who was in the US with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the time of the launch, said, "I just want everybody to understand and fully know that the United States of America stands behind Japan, its great ally, 100 per cent." with agenciesLiving with bladder spasms is a painful reality for many. Not only is the condition physically painful, but it can also cause mental and emotional trauma among those dealing with bladder spasms daily.
What are bladder spasms?
Normally, passing urine is a systematic function of the body, wherein the bladder is gently filled up with urine and nerve signals are sent from the bladder to the brain to make one slowly become aware of the need to urinate. Once the brain receives this signal, it interprets it as a sign to start looking for a restroom to empty the bladder. In patients living with bladder incontinence or bladder spasms, this sensation surfaces suddenly with a sense of urgency, giving them little or no time to even look for a restroom.
A bladder spasm, also known as “detrusor contraction”, is known to occur when the bladder muscle involuntarily squeezes, almost suddenly without warning, and with an urgency to release urine. This spasm can result in a leakage as it forces the urine out from the bladder. Medically, this condition is referred to as “urge incontinence” or “overactive bladder”.
What is the feeling like?
Bladder spasms can be very painful in certain instances and are often described by patients as a cramping pain accompanied by a burning sensation. Some women describe their bladder spasm pain as those experienced during menstrual cramping or labor pain during childbirth.
Who can develop bladder spasms?
Bladder spasms can strike anyone and at any age. A bladder spasm among children is also referred to as the “pediatric unstable bladder” or “uninhibited bladder”.
Bladder spasms are commonly found in the following groups of people:
Elderly persons
Women going through menopause
Diabetics
Overweight and obese
Pregnant women or those who have recently given birth
Diagnosed with a urinary tract infection
Those who have undergone a recent lower abdominal or pelvic surgery
Those who have a bladder muscle impairment as a result of a disease or injury
People who are suffering from a neurological disease such as stroke
What causes bladder spasms?
There are various causes associated with bladder spasms. The cramping pain or spasms could result due to simple factors such as diet, a medication that is being taken by the patient, or it could arise due to the changes in the supply of blood or function of the bladder-controlling nerves.
Bladder spasms can also arise due to an infection, surgery, or in the case one is suffering from a nerve or muscle damage. To determine the exact cause of the bladder spasms, it is important to see a health practitioner at the earliest. In some instances, the cause remains unidentified even by a doctor. This condition is referred to as “idiopathic bladder spasms.”
Some of the common causes that are associated with the occurrence of bladder spasms are:
Urinary tract infection (UTI) – its common symptom includes bladder pains that are accompanied by a burning sensation.
Interstitial cystitis (IC)– is also known as “painful bladder syndrome,” which happens when the bladder or urinary pain is not due to other causes like UTI. In this condition, the pain experienced by the patient is recurrent and often severe.
Use of catheter - a catheter is a thin tube that is used to drain out urine from the body and is often inserted post-surgery. A catheter is inserted through the urethra and up into the bladder.
Bladder spasms are one of the most common and at times distressing complications of using catheters.
Bladder spasms resulting from nervous system disorders
The sensation to empty out the bladder is normally an involuntary response. The brain sends out nerve signals to the bladder muscles indicating the time to tighten (contract) the muscle and release the urine. Nervous system disorders can sometimes damage the nerves that send out communication signals between the brain and the bladder. When this miscommunication occurs, it results in a bladder dysfunction. This dysfunction resulting from nerve damage is known as the "neurogenic bladder.”
Bladder spasms resulting after a surgery
Some surgeries in the lower abdominal area may weaken the bladder or pelvic muscles, and in some cases, may result in damaging the nerves that control the bladder. Bladder spasms may occur in certain post-surgeries such as:
Bladder surgeries
C-section deliveries
A hysterectomy that could involve the removal of the uterus or other surrounding female organs
Prostatectomy (prostate removal in men)
Other forms of surgeries around the lower abdominal area
Other causes of bladder spasms
Some bladder spasms occur as a side effect of certain medications to treat various health reasons. Some of these medicines include:
Bethanechol (Urecholine)
Valrubicin (Valstar) - a prominent drug used in chemotherapy
Furosemide (Lasix) or hydrochlorothiazide - diuretics used to drain out excess water from the body
Spicy, acidic, or foods that are high in citrus content can cause bladder spasms to occur. Foods containing high amounts of chemicals such as preservatives and food additives may also irritate the lining of the bladder causing the spasms. Alcohol, artificial sweeteners, caffeine, pickled foods, and tomatoes are examples of some foods that can trigger bladder spasms.
Conditions that are related to bladder spasms
There are some diseases which are often associated with bladder spasms. Their symptoms may be caused by bladder spasms and if not, they may require immediate medical attention. They include:
Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
The kidneys, urethra, ureters and bladder are affected when it comes to urinary tract infections. These organs are involved in the passing of urine.
Kidneys lie on the waist. They are extremely vital as they are used in waste removal including excess water from blood in the form of urine. They are essential in blood pressure regulation, blood sugar content and electrolyte balance. Damage to the kidneys can be caused by conditions such as high blood pressure.
Ureters drain urine into the bladder and measure about 10 inches long. The bladder provisionally amasses formed urine. When it attains a certain minimum volume, nervous system sensations cause us to feel the urge to urinate and voluntary control of the bladder muscles can expel the urine. The urethra is a tube for expelling urine from the body. The urinary sphincter at its proximal end relaxes to allow expulsion of urine.
Any of the above parts can be infected, and as it has become accepted that the further up the infection is, the more severe it becomes.
The upper urinary tract involves the kidneys and ureter and infections that generally affect the kidney can cause fever, chills, nausea, and other symptoms.
Recommended treatment for controlling bladder spasms
The line of treatment chosen to provide relief from bladder spasms largely depends on what triggers the symptoms. The following are the common measures to bring about relief in patients suffering from bladder spasms:
Dietary modifications - dietary changes are likely to help manage and prevent bladder spasms if the spasms are triggered by certain foods and beverages. As part of the dietary management, the doctor may advise the patient to refrain from eating certain foods that are naturally spicy, acidic, or citric. Apart from these foods, patients are also advised to curb their alcohol and caffeine consumption.
Exercises - pelvic floor exercises such as kegels and physiotherapy can help in strengthening and relaxing the bladder and other related muscles. These exercises are recommended for an effective management of the condition. Exercises are a great way to help reduce bladder spasms in adults and children. While performing any form of bladder-related exercises, there should be expert guidance involved as putting pressure on the wrong muscles can worsen the symptoms.
Medications - bladder spasms are treated with medications in most cases. Drugs called “anticholinergics” are commonly prescribed to help relax the bladder muscles and to prevent the occurrence of spasms. The common side effect resulting from this line of medication is dryness of the mouth. Antidepressants are also administered to patients suffering from extreme bladder spasms. These medications can also aid in relaxing the bladder, thereby, helping in spasm management. In the case of children suffering from bladder spasms, “alpha-blockers” are prescribed, which work by relaxing the bladder as well as allowing it to empty completely.
Bladder spasm medication
Detrol
Tolterodine, the active ingredient in Detrol, causes the bladder to hold urine by preventing detrusor muscles from contracting and forcing out urine. Detrol is not advised for patients with gastric and urinary retention or uncontrolled narrow-angle glaucoma. Desiccated mouth, belly discomfort, stultification and neuralgia are some of the most common side effects of this drug.
Ditropan/oxybutynin chloride
This drug increases bladder volume and lessens detrusor muscle contraction by influencing the bladder’s smooth muscles and also delaying the urge to urinate. It satisfactorily treats the inability to hold urine, frequency and urgency. It is not proposed for people distressed with urine retention and extreme decreased movement in the gut. It is used under constant monitoring for people with renal dysfunction. Common side effects include nausea, diarrhea, loose bowels, constipation and dry mouth.
Alternative therapies
Certain alternative therapies can complement the main line of treatment, thus, making the patient’s recovery faster. Some of these therapies include:
Acupuncture - research suggests that bladder-related acupuncture may largely help in reducing bladder muscle contractions and in controlling the constant urge of urinating.
Biofeedback - is a highly effective method used in the treatment |
If you are using spinning media instead of SSD, you need to add this to your elasticsearch.yml :
index.merge.scheduler.max_thread_count: 1
We can also set it in the index settings:
curl -XPUT 'localhost:9200/my_index/_settings' -d '{ "index.merge.scheduler.max_thread_count" : 1 }'
In order to set it for all existing indices, use :
curl -XPUT 'localhost:9200/_settings' -d '{ "index.merge.scheduler.max_thread_count" : 1 }'
Flushing of Transaction Log
The translog helps prevent data loss in the event that a node fails. It is designed to help a shard recover operations that may otherwise have been lost between flushes. The log is committed to disk every 5 seconds, or upon each successful index, delete, update, or bulk request (whichever occurs first). Changes to Lucene are only persisted to disk during a Lucene commit, which is a relatively heavy operation and so cannot be performed after every index or delete operation. Changes that happen after one commit and before another will be lost in the event of process exit or hardware failure.
To prevent this data loss, each shard has a transaction log or write ahead log associated with it. Any index or delete operation is written to the translog after being processed by the internal Lucene index. In the event of a crash, recent transactions can be replayed from the transaction log when the shard recovers.
Blog Post: Why Is the Supergiant Packing Algorithm Unique? How Does It Save Me Money?
An Elasticsearch flush is the process of performing a Lucene commit and starting a new translog. It is done automatically in the background in order to make sure the transaction log doesn’t grow too large, which would make replaying its operations take a considerable amount of time during recovery. It is also exposed through an API, though it's rarely needed to be performed manually.
Compared to refreshing an index shard, the really expensive operation is flushing its transaction log (which involves a Lucene commit). Elasticsearch performs flushes based on a number of triggers that may be changed at run time. By delaying flushes, or disabling them completely, you can increase indexing throughput. Just be aware that nothing comes for free, and the delayed flush will of course take longer when it eventually happens.
The following dynamically updatable settings control how often the in-memory buffer is flushed to disk:
index.translog.flush_threshold_size - Once the translog hits this size, a flush will happen. Defaults to 512mb.
index.translog.flush_threshold_ops - After how many operations to flush. Defaults to unlimited.
index.translog.flush_threshold_period - How long to wait before triggering a flush regardless of translog size. Defaults to 30m.
index.translog.interval - How often to check if a flush is needed, randomized between the interval value and 2x the interval value. Defaults to 5s.
We can increase index.translog.flush_threshold_size from the default 512 MB to something larger, such as 1 GB. This allows larger segments to accumulate in the translog before a flush occurs. By letting larger segments build, you flush less often, and the larger segments merge less often. All of this adds up to less disk I/O overhead and better indexing rates. Of course, you will need the corresponding amount of heap memory free to accumulate the extra buffering space, so keep that in mind when adjusting this setting.
Capacity Planning for Indexing Buffer
The indexing buffer is used to store newly indexed documents. When it fills up, the documents in the buffer are written to a segment on disk. It is divided between all shards on the node.
The following settings are static and must be configured on every data node in the cluster:
indices.memory.index_buffer_size - Accepts either a percentage or a byte size value. It defaults to 10%, meaning that 10% of the total heap allocated to a node will be used as the indexing buffer size shared across all shards.
indices.memory.min_index_buffer_size - If the index_buffer_size is specified as a percentage, then this setting can be used to specify an absolute minimum. Defaults to 48mb.
indices.memory.max_index_buffer_size - If the index_buffer_size is specified as a percentage, then this setting can be used to specify an absolute maximum. Defaults to unbounded.
The setting indices.memory.index_buffer_size defines the percentage of available heap memory that may be used for indexing operations (the remaining heap memory will mainly be used for search operations). The default of 10% may be too low if you have lots of data to index, and it may make sense to set it to a higher value.
Indexing and Bulk Operation Threadpool Size
Consider increasing the node level thread pool size for indexing and bulk operations (and measure if it really brings an improvement).
index - For index/delete operations. Thread pool type is fixed with a size of No. of available processors, queue_size of 200. The maximum size for this pool is (1 + No. of available processors).
bulk - For bulk operations. Thread pool type is fixed with a size of No. of available processors, queue_size of 50. The maximum size for this pool is (1 + No. of available processors).
A single shard, which is a Lucene level, has a limit on the number of concurrent threads that are allowed to perform indexing at the same time. It defaults to 8 in Lucene, but in ES, it is allow to change it using index.index_concurrency.
We should be smarter about setting the default value for it, specifically in cases where there is a single index being indexed into, with one shard on a node. We already have the index/bulk threads pools to protect and control concurrency, so we can increase that default value in most cases to something more relaxed. Consider increasing the value, especially when there are no other shards on the node (and measure if it pays off).
Continue on to Part 3 of 'How to Maximize Elasticsearch Indexing Performance'.
Give It a Whirl!
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Questions? Drop us a note, and we'll get you a prompt response.
Not yet enjoying the benefits of a hosted ELK-stack enterprise search on Qbox? We invite you to create an account today and discover how easy it is to manage and scale your Elasticsearch environment in our cloud hosting service.Almost one third of the respondents in Bavaria say they want independence from Germany, according to a new poll, which also showed that the southern region has the strongest secessionist sentiment among all German states.
Thirty-two percent of Bavarians agreed with the statement that their “state should be independent from Germany,” a Bild commissioned survey conducted by the YouGov market research company revealed.
According to Bavarian Radio, 18 percent of respondents strongly agreed with the statement while 14 percent “would rather agree” with it.
The percentage of Bavarians who favor independence is rising the Deutschlandfunk broadcaster reported, adding, that according to a 2011 poll, only about a quarter of Bavarians supported that idea.
According to a 2016 Deutschlandfunk report, up to 40 percent of Bavarians also supported that idea of securing “more freedom” from the federal authorities.
The southern German region appears to have the strongest separatist sentiment among all German states, the poll published Sunday says.
It is followed by the central German region of Thuringia and the small western German state of Saarland located on the French border, where 22 percent of respondents support independence.
One in five Germans in the regions of Saxony, Mecklenburg-West Pomerania and Saxony-Anhalt also support the idea of their states becoming independent from Berlin, according to the poll.
More than 2,000 people from all German states took part in the poll that was conducted between June 29 and July 5, 2017.
However, any German state’s desire for independence is likely futile as the German constitution does not make provision for the right to secession.
In December 2016, the German Constitutional Court said in its clarification concerning an issue of holding an independence referendum in any German state: “There is no place for the secessionist aspirations of certain states under the constitution.”
Any such move would “violate the constitutional order,” the court added.
Original Article
Share ThisThere are plenty of reasons to think the Seattle Sounders have the deck stacked against them heading into Wednesday's decisive CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal match against Club America. But the Sounders' task did get a little bit easier after Saturday's Liga MX results.
Not only did Club America prove themselves perfectly mortal -- taking a 4-1 loss to UANL Tigres -- but they also lost midfielder Rubens Sambueza to what the team fears may be a broken collarbone. Sambueza has been one of America's top players this year, logging three goals and an assist in seven appearances. The midfielder also had assists on both of America's goals in the first leg against the Sounders, picking out Darwin Quintero with a long ball over the top for the first goal and looping a perfect cross to Oribe Peralta on the second.
For the second straight league game, America was also reduced to nine players. This time, it was defender Pablo Augilar and midfielder William da Silva who were ejected. Aguilar played 73 minutes, while da Silva didn't get ejected until second half stoppage time.
Assuming America uses the best lineup they have available, three of their four starting defenders will be starting their third match in eight days.When Ronald Reagan demanded in West Berlin in 1987 that Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev “tear down this wall”, the US president’s words stirred hearts and hopes – but Germany’s physical divide still seemed as solid as ever.
Even as Gorbachev sought to end years of stagnation in the USSR with his perestroika and glasnost restructuring, the East German (GDR) government under Erich Honecker was among the most reform-resistant in the Eastern Bloc.
“We thought the Wall would last forever, that’s what we were told,” says former East Berliner Monika, 61. “[In January 1989] Honecker said the Wall will stand for another hundred years.”
It might have done.
Despite calls for the GDR to end the forced confinement of its 16 million citizens; economics, the balance of power and fear of a resurgent or Soviet-aligned united Germany meant western leaders talked very differently backstage.
In April 1989, according to Gorbachev’s foreign policy adviser Anatoly Chernyaev, British premier Margaret Thatcher told the Soviet leader that Britain and Western Europe were not interested in German unification.
“We are not interested in the destabilization of Eastern Europe or the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact either... I can tell you that this is also the position of the US president,” Thatcher added, citing a personal message from George H. W. Bush.
Turning point
But the numbers of East Germans on the move began to grow rapidly.
With Moscow’s tacit assent, Hungary opened its border with Austria that spring, allowing thousands of GDR ‘tourists’ to flee into Austria and then on to West Germany. Czechoslovakia later followed suit.
“There was definitely a feeling that something was brewing,” recalled Mike Trobridge, a British student of German, who visited East Berlin in October 1989 during the 40th anniversary celebrations of the GDR.
“I was surprised to see such crowds on Alexanderplatz - and so many army trucks hidden away on side streets. Still, there was no feeling that the Wall itself was about to tumble.”
Meanwhile, the pro-democracy Monday demonstrations that began in Leipzig that autumn swelled in size. But the authorities stood back lest a forceful dispersal of the crowds became a massacre.
Even if the Wall still seemed unassailable, the writing was already on it for Honecker.
After 18 years at the GDR helm, he was ousted on October 18th by Politburo colleagues who then tried to woo the public with promises of more democracy.
But the barrier’s fate was also likely sealed with an unprecedented outpouring of feeling on November 4th, when half a million people rallied against the regime in East Berlin.
Five days later, a premature announcement of relaxed travel procedures precipitated the spontaneous opening of the Wall.
Within days, it became clear that this could not be reversed. The map of Europe was being redrawn, and this would include the collapse of the Soviet Union two years later.
Putin breaks his stove
As the implications of the Wall’s opening sank in, anxious Soviet representations in the GDR set about destroying tons of documentation about networks and informers.
“We burned so much that the stove burst,” Russian President and former KGB operative in Dresden Vladimir Putin wrote in his autobiography.
“I understood that [the fall of the Wall] was inevitable,” Putin recalled. “I was only sorry about the Soviet Union’s lost authority in Europe.
“I wanted it to be replaced by something different. But no one proposed anything different, and that’s the pity of it all. We just dumped everything and left.”
In December, the East German parliament revoked the leading role of the East German Communist Party (SED). German reunification came a year later, on October 3rd, 1990.
The number crunchers are still thrashing out how much has been spent on the process since then. Some economists put the figure at €2 trillion and the issue has triggered a fresh round of squabbling in this commemorative year.
“Instead of recognizing and valuing this as a great feat of solidarity that we have accomplished in Germany, the discussion is being reduced to a one-sided transfer balance sheet,” Reiner Haseloff, the state premier of the east German state Saxony-Anhalt, lamented.
But speaking of achievements since 1989, Chancellor Angela Merkel this month noted that “new generations are now welded” to modern Germany.
“It has changed lives,” she said of the peaceful revolution that occurred and the jubilation she witnessed as a former GDR citizen. “The feeling can never be forgotten.”
And if the consensus among western leaders then really was not to rock the European apple cart, some still seemed genuinely inclined to wish away the most hated symbol of Communist oppression.
Near the end of his 1987 appearance, Reagan spotted some spray-painted graffiti on the Berlin Wall and digressed from his speech to read it aloud: “This wall will fall. Beliefs become reality.”
By Nick AllenThere have been 13 crashes at the new Christchurch bus exchange since it opened in May
Bus drivers are blaming a "complete flop" of an automation system for 13 bus crashes at Christchurch's new bus interchange.
The regional council (Environment Canterbury) blamed "driver error" for the crashes at the $53 million Lichfield St facility which opened on May 25.
Two of the crashes were bus-to-bus collisions. Six crashes involved a reversing bus hitting a temporary fence. Four involved buses hitting a bollard and one involved a bus hitting the right side of the bay when reversing.
Stacy Squires The bus exchange in Christchurch has had 13 crashes since opening last month.
The accidents caused $5000 of damage to buses, including rear panel damage, a broken window, a broken rear vision mirror and various paint scrapes.
The Amalgamated Workers' Union (Awunz) raised concerns over the interchange's design last March.
ECan blamed the crashes on drivers not checking their rear view mirrors, but Awunz assistant secretary Lindsay Chappell said this was "incorrect".
Christchurch's new bus interchange opened on May 25.
Bus drivers were led to believe automation and computer systems were going to resolve sole reliance on rear view mirrors, he said.
"They have blind spots directly behind them where they can't see anything."
Chappell said the systems were meant to ensure only one bus reversed at a time. However, up to three buses sometimes competed for space.
"It's like a dodgem track in there."
Issues with the automation systems were occurring daily, Chappell said.
"It's just been a complete flop, by the sounds of things."
Drivers were venting their frustrations to the union on a daily basis, he said.
"They're putting up with enough stress on the roads around Canterbury without having to deal with this."
ECan operations director Wayne Holton-Jeffreys said the had been a noticeable improvement in crashes as drivers became more familiar with the required manoeuvres.
Lines painted on the bays had made "a significant difference" to drivers' lining their buses up to enter or exit the bay, he said.
Similar bus interchanges in Hamilton and the United Kingdom used the reversing design.
ECan public transport manager David Stenhouse said bus drivers had "for the most part adapted" to the interchange design.
There were minor crashes at the previous bus exchange and being able to reverse was "just a skill they need to have".
"There will be a need for recurrent training for some drivers," he said.
Stenhouse said the positioning of bus reversing cameras would be reviewed.
"Overall the facility is working really well with more than 860 buses per day on average using it, that's 18,100 bus movements in the last month, without incident," he said.
CCDU REJECTS 'FLOP' CLAIM
Christchurch Central Development Unit acting director Don Miskell said the claim the interchange design is unsafe was "unfounded". He rejected the assertion that the systems were a "flop".
"There are numerous examples around the world where bus exchanges or stations have reversing buses and operate safely and effectively," he said.
The design and layout of was computer modelled and field tested by bus drivers, he said.
"Aside from a small number of incidents from more than 10,000 bus movements to date, it has worked well."
Safety measures included lights indicating when it was safe for drivers to reverse, and mounted cameras allowing drivers to see the area behind their buses, the spokesman said.
- Comments are closed.Researchers from the Tel Aviv University and the Weizmann Institute of Science have come up with an attack method that can be used to extract full 4096-bit RSA keys simply by listening to the sound generated by computers.
The method has been tested on GNU Privacy Guard (GnuPG), an open source variant of the OpenPGP standard. The experts have determined that, on almost all computers, it’s possible to distinguish different patterns of CPU operations.
In the case of GnuPG, the researchers have been able to differentiate the acoustic signatures of different RSA secret keys by measuring the sound generated by the device during the decryption process.
While expensive hardware has been used for the attack, in some cases, a regular mobile phone might be enough to intercept the valuable information. With the aid of specialized hardware, the experts have managed to acoustically extract the keys from a 4-meter distance.
However, the method also worked with a mobile phone placed 30 cm away from the targeted computer.
What’s interesting is that the attack works even if there are loud fan noises, several computers in one room, or if the targeted user is multitasking.
“The interesting acoustic signals are mostly above 10KHz, whereas typical computer fan noise and normal room noise are concentrated at lower frequencies and can thus be filtered out. In task-switching systems, different tasks can be distinguished by their different acoustic spectral signatures,” the researchers noted.
“Using multiple cores turns out to help the attack (by shifting down the signal frequencies). When several computers are present, they can be told apart by spatial localization, or by their different acoustic signatures (which vary with the hardware, the component temperatures, and other environmental conditions).”
There are several plausible attack scenarios. The keys can be obtained with the aid of a phone placed near the victim’s computer, with a piece of malware installed on the victim’s own phone, and a malicious website that uses the device’s microphone to capture sound.
The scientists have notified GnuPG of the issues and some countermeasures have been implemented in GnuPG 1.x and libgcrypt to mitigate the attack. On the other hand, it’s uncertain if other algorithms of cryptographic implementations are vulnerable.
The complete paper, “RSA Key Extraction via Low-Bandwidth Acoustic Cryptanalysis,” is available on the Tel Aviv University’s website.STORY: This is the closest engineers have ever come to mimicking the dexterity of the human hand. A team at the University of Washington are developing a five-fingered robotic hand with unprecedented capabilities. It can handle objects and learn from its own mistakes. Graduate student Vikash Kumar says that there are several variables needed to develop a successful robotic hand. (SOUNDBITE) (English) VIKASH KUMAR, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON RESEARCHER, SAYING: "One of them is ability to act really fast because in case you are losing control of an object you want to quickly go and re-position yourself... That hand should be capable of doing a lot of different things and second, which is the most important piece of the puzzle, we need to have some kind of an intelligent unit that knows how to exploit that dexterity in order to solve those problems." Driving the hand is a series of actuators programmed to control cables that manipulate the hands' fingers and thumb with human-like reflexes. What really sets this robotic hand apart from earlier models is its ability to learn as it attempts to carry out a task, in much the same way humans learn 'on the job'. So with each attempt at a task the hand actually improves its performance. Assistant Professor Sergey Levine wrote the algorithm that the hand uses to learn. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SERGEY LEVINE, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON PROFESSOR, SAYING: "If we can get robots that can learn autonomously, they can learn on their own, then we don't need to figure out ourselves how the robot should perform the skill. We just need to define the skill and have the robot figure it out on its own. I think that's tremendously powerful because then we can have robots that can figure out on their own how to do a wide variety of behaviors." While there's still a ways to go, the commercial possibilities of a robotic hand that doesn't need programming and can learn tasks in an unanticipated environment are limitless. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SERGEY LEVINE, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON PROFESSOR, SAYING: "I think in order to succeed in those unstructured environments learning will be a crucial component because we need robots to deal with uncertainty, to deal with variable environments, with a lot of complexity they simply don't see in a factory setting." For now the hand continues to improve at it's current task. Next up, the researchers plan to share their design with engineers from around the world next week at the IEEE robotics conference in Sweden.Project H.A.M.M.E.R. was supposed to be a Wii title which catered for the needs of serious gamers, thanks to its gritty setting and focus on intense destructive action. Developed by Nintendo Software Technology - the North American studio responsible for titles like Wave Race: Blue Storm, Metroid Prime: Hunters and 1080° Avalanche - Project H.A.M.M.E.R. entered early development in 2003 and was officially announced at E3 2006, but would endure a painful development process before its eventual cancellation in 2009.
Our friends over at Unseen64 have been speaking to various sources close to Nintendo Software Technology and the resultant report - which includes gameplay footage and CGI renders created by external studio Silver Ant for the game's cut-scenes - doesn't paint a pretty picture of working practices at the studio.
Project H.A.M.M.E.R. - which was referred to internally at NST as Machinex - went through several revisions over the years and was actually close to being finished at one point, but the same conclusion appears to have been reached on several different occasions - the core Wii Remote-smashing gameplay simply wasn't fun enough. There was even a point when the game was totally rebooted as Wii Crush, a cute title which retained Project H.A.M.M.E.R.'s destructive overtones, but little else.
Perhaps more worrying are the accusations levelled at Nintendo's higher-ups in the report, which hints at cases of racism within the walls of NST. The project was overseen by senior Japanese staff based in NST's offices, and this created a cultural issue for the game, which was clearly aimed at a Western audience.
According to Unseen64's source, Western NST staff found their ideas repeatedly ignored, even being told that they wouldn't understand the reasoning because "they weren't Japanese". Around the time the title shifted focus and became Wii Crush, NST staffers began leaving the company in droves. The game's head designer was unceremoniously fired, and was blamed by NST's senior Japanese management for the failure of the project. They seemingly took no personal responsibility.
Departing staff would directly accuse the Japanese NST staffers of "nationalism", and this forced Nintendo of America to step in and take charge. An internal review took place - the actual content of which Unseen64 is unable to divulge - but it can say that moral survey scores came back as a record low. In 2009 the game was formally cancelled, marking the end of five and a half years of fruitless labour for NST.
The end result, Unseen64's sources state, is that NST has now been reduced to a minor role within Nintendo's development hierarchy. While the studio is still active - its most recent title was Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars and it assisted with the creation of Google-powered app Wii Street U - it is no longer trusted with AAA retail releases, and may never be again. The talent which created some of the studio's most impressive games has long since departed, many leaving due to their experience with Project H.A.M.M.E.R. and its painful development.
The full video report is below, and makes for essential viewing.RIYADH (Reuters) - A Saudi court of cassation upheld a ruling to behead and crucify a 22-year-old man convicted of raping five children and leaving one of them to die in the desert, newspapers reported on Tuesday.
The convict was arrested earlier this year after a seven-year old boy helped police in their investigation. The child left in the desert after the rape was three years old, Okaz newspaper said.
International rights groups have accused the kingdom, the birthplace of Islam, of applying draconian justice, beheading murderers, rapists and drug traffickers in public. So far this year about 40 people have been executed in Saudi Arabia.
In Saudi Arabia, crucifixion means tying the body of the convict to wooden beams to be displayed to the public after beheading.If you think Muslim sex attacks at public swimming pools are only happening in Europe, think again.
In Lowell, Massachusetts, a 22-year-old Syrian refugee, Emad Hasso, has been arrested after being accused of inappropriately touching a 13-year-old girl at a public swimming pool. Hasso has been in the United States only two months.
On Friday, Hasso was ordered held on $25,000 cash bail by the Lowell District Court after pleading not guilty to one count of indecent assault and battery on a child under 16. Hasso spoke through an interpreter.
Sign the petition! Urge Congress to ‘halt Muslim immigration now!’
Prosecutor Sam Miller reported on Thursday the 13-year-old girl said a man approached her, touched her upper thigh and asked her age. The girl told him she was too young for him and walked away. Hasso then allegedly followed the girl around the pool. While swimming, he again approached her, touched her upper thigh and asked her age. Miller said the girl responded that she was a “little kid, leave me alone.” At that point other people at the pool, including the lifeguard, saw some of the interaction between Hasso and the alleged victim and intervened.
Defense attorney William Kittredge reports Hasso speaks little English, and he receives assistance from the International Institute of New England, a nonprofit group which offers resources and information to immigrants and refugees. The organization has an office in Lowell, which is 25 miles north of Boston.
Hasso told Kittredge he may have “accidentally bumped” the girl while swimming in the pool, but denies he inappropriately touched her or spoke to her.
The girl’s mother was granted a harassment order on behalf of her daughter. During the hearing, Hasso used an interpreter to tell the judge, “First of all, I don’t speak the language and I haven’t spoke to her.”
Fortes ordered that Hasso have no contact with anyone under 16, except for family members, to stay away from the victim, the public pool and all Massachusetts State Department of Conservation and Recreation properties.
Judge Stacy Fortes set the bail over the defense attorney’s objections, because Hasso’s only ties to this country are his family members with whom he lives. Hasso is scheduled for a pretrial conference on July 29.
Pamela Geller, president of the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI) and Stop Islamization of America (SIOA), said: “It would be religiously insensitive of us to expect Muslim migrants to abandon the Quran’s teachings about how Muslim men may treat infidel women. This little girl is fair game. Emad Hasso is behaving in accordance with Shariah teachings about how infidel women can be treated. Other swimmers saw the attack and intervened. When charged, Hasso knew enough to lie and deny. The prophet would be proud.”
On June 2, three Muslim refugee boys from Sudan and Iraq were accused of raping a 5-year-old special-needs girl at athe Fawnbrook Apartments in Twin Falls, Idaho. The boys stripped her, urinated on her and one of boys, age 7, allegedly urinated in her mouth while the oldest boy, 14, filmed the entire incident.
WND has covered the Twin Falls incident in depth with five stories over the past month, including how the community is rising up against the continued influx of refugees. A group of Twin Falls residents marched through the Fawnbrook Apartments Saturday to show their support for the little girl and her family.
In “Stop the Islamization of America: A Practical Guide to the Resistance,” renowned activist Pamela Geller provides the answer, offering proven, practical guidance on how freedom lovers can stop jihadist initiatives in local communities.
Ninety-seven percent of the more than 7,000 Syrians already resettled in the U.S. since the start of the Syrian civil war have been Sunni Muslim, and less than 2 percent have been Christian, even though Christians are the most persecuted minority in Syria.
Since Oct. 1, 2015, just over 5,200 Syrian refugees have been delivered to U.S. cities and towns. That’s a little over half of the 10,000 Syrians that the Obama administration has promised the United Nations he would accept in fiscal 2016, which ends on Sept. 30. He has less than three months remaining to bring in the remaining 4,800.
Muslim sex attacks at public swimming pools in Europe are so frequent that Muslims have been banned in multiple areas, including all of Austria
In May, a 20-year-old Afghan migrant was arrested after sexually assaulting a six-year-old boy in the changing room of a Munich sports hall.
Sweden is at the top of the EU’s statistics on physical and sexual violence against women, sexual harassment and stalking. A police report stated unequivocally that it is “asylum-seeker boys” and “foreign men” who commit the vast majority of the reported crimes.
Just last weekend five rapes and 40 cases of “severe groping” were reported to police at a free concert in Karlstad, Sweden.
WND staffer Patrice Lewis contributed to this reportAll Ukrainian refugees of pension age will receive their pensions in Russia, Deputy PM Olga Golodets has said in a radio interview.
She oversees the social and health policies of the government, and said that Russia and Ukraine had a bilateral agreement allowing citizens to receive pensions in another country if the need arises. “We will pay the pensions to the refugees,” Golodets told reporters. She declined to expand on the approximate number of future recipients saying that the number of Ukrainian refugees in Russia was constantly growing.
The deputy PM also told reporters she estimates about 50,000 Ukrainian children will start attending Russian schools at the beginning of the new academic year on September 1.
Earlier this month the United Nations released a report estimating the number of Ukrainian refugees in the Russian Federation at 730,000. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday that this number was nearing 1 million.
Russian officials and human rights activists have repeatedly called for steps to make the life of Ukrainian refugees easier, and the Federal Migration Service has already introduced some measures.
In mid-august the Presidential Council for Human Rights urged the authorities to simplify the procedure for getting official refugee status and temporary asylum for Ukrainian citizens arriving in Russia from the regions engulfed in the conflict. The activists added that all Ukrainian refugees must be allowed to work in Russia without acquiring additional documents and receive medical insurance.
Earlier they had suggested to fast-track acquiring Russian citizenship for Ukrainian refugees.
At the end of July, the head of Russia’s Federal Migration Service, Konstantin Romodanovskiy, said Ukrainian citizens would be allowed to prolong their 90-day visa free stay by another 180 days, adding that they also will not be punished for minor violations of migration rules.
The Federal Migration Service has proposed a public discussion on a bill giving regional migration officials the authority to grant temporary asylum to Ukrainians within three days instead of the current three months, cancel the obligatory health test, and stop deporting and extraditing Ukrainians until ordered otherwise by the Russian government.
In June the head of the presidential administration, Sergey Ivanov visited a refugee camp in the Rostov Region and suggested giving Russian citizenship to people born on Russian soil; the current law only automatically grants citizenship to children of Russian parents.Alvin Dark, who was the All-Star shortstop and captain of the New York Giants’ pennant-winning teams in the 1950s and went on to manage the team to a pennant in San Francisco, but who was later shadowed by controversy over his attitude toward black and Latino players, died on Thursday at his home in Easley, S.C. He was 92.
His death was confirmed by his son Gene.
Dark played in three World Series, with the Boston Braves in 1948 and with the Giants in 1951 and 1954. He was the National League’s rookie of the year in 1948, when he hit.322 and helped the Braves capture the franchise’s first pennant in 34 years.
He was an All-Star three times as a Giant, had a career batting average of.289 with 2,089 hits in 14 seasons, and led N.L. shortstops in double plays three times. He teamed with second baseman Eddie Stanky, first with the Braves and then with the Giants, to form one of the finest middle-infield combinations of their era.
He was “the cement that holds the ball club together,” as Manager Leo Durocher said in 1954, just before the Giants clinched the pennant.Get the biggest Liverpool FC stories by email Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
Strikers Fabio Borini and Rickie Lambert are both expected to part company with Liverpool FC over the next fortnight.
Borini was told at the end of last season to find himself a new club and his agent has confirmed he’s held talks with Fiorentina.
Marco De Marchi has also told Anfield officials to expect a bid from West Ham but it has yet to arrive.
Italian Borini has scored three goals in 38 appearances for the Reds since his £10.5million move from Roma three years ago.
Liverpool accepted bids from Sunderland and QPR for him last summer but he snubbed their advances and stayed put. Now he’s accepted his future lies elsewhere.
READ MORE: Liverpool FC sign Christian Benteke for £32.5m
“Yes, we have spoken to Fiorentina, but are evaluating everything carefully,” De Marchi told Radio Blu.
“Fabio will decide also based on Liverpool’s needs. We are looking for an important project in Italy or elsewhere, but for the moment he doesn’t have a preference.”
Lambert is resigned to leaving his boyhood club over the coming weeks following the arrival of strikers Christian Benteke, Danny Ings and Divock Origi.
The big frontman has attracted interest from West Brom and Norwich City but as it stands there are no plans for him to return home early from the club’s tour of the Far East and Australia. His future is likely to be resolved next week.
Mario Balotelli is also surplus to requirements at Anfield but shifting him is proving problematic due to his £100,000 per week salary.Pirro also takes the Obama administration to task for sending a federal judge to read her surviving son his rights and thus ending an FBI interrogation. And she, as a lawyer, asks about Gov. Deval Patrick's decision to not "reveal what kind of taxpayer assistance Tamerlan got on grounds of privacy." Her reply is:
Judge Jeanine Pirro, a former District Attorney and star of her own program on Fox Television, answered the outlandish public statements of Zubeidat Tsarnaeva, the mother of the two Boston terrorists. Answering the outlandish questions, "Why didn't you send him to Guantanamo or whatever? Why did they have to kill him?" Pirro points out this is an admission of knowledge that Zubeidat's dead son was a terrorist.
According to a 2005 New York Times profile, Jeanine Pirro is of Lebanese Catholic decent. She is everything that the Tsarnaev family is not. Pirro's video is about seven and one half minutes long and can be seen on American Thinker or YouTube.
Jeanine Pirro, the former District Attorney of Westchester County who prosecuted many felons, was put at greater personal risk when her address was put on the infamous interactive webpage of people registered to have a gun by the Journal News.
He's dead. He's a terrorist. He has no rights. But it's okay to invade my privacy, and publish my name and where I live on an interactive map, because I am a lawful gun owner.
Governor, you take our money and give it to this guy, and you want to protect his privacy? You want to protect his rights?
Judge Jeanine Pirro, a former District Attorney and star of her own program on Fox Television, answered the outlandish public statements of Zubeidat Tsarnaeva, the mother of the two Boston terrorists. Answering the outlandish questions, "Why didn't you send him to Guantanamo or whatever? Why did they have to kill him?" Pirro points out this is an admission of knowledge that Zubeidat's dead son was a terrorist.
Pirro also takes the Obama administration to task for sending a federal judge to read her surviving son his rights and thus ending an FBI interrogation. And she, as a lawyer, asks about Gov. Deval Patrick's decision to not |
xiety: We worry. A gallery of contributors count the ways.
One day last year, I called my brother Scott in a state of agitation, self-hatred and incipient despair. Scott was at work and short on time. I got straight to the point. “I’m in a state of agitation, self-hatred and incipient despair!” I cried.
“Tell me more,” Scott said. “What is it?”
“I’m anxious — again! I’m anxious day and night. I wake up anxious and I go to bed anxious. I’m a total wreck. And I’m not doing anything to help myself! I know what helps and I’m not doing it! What’s wrong with me? Why am I not doing the things I know full well will make me feel better?”
“Oh,” Scott said. “That’s an easy one. It’s because you’re an idiot.” Then he said he’d call me after work.
When Scott called me an idiot, I initially took it as a joke — a bit of sharp-elbowed levity meant to nudge me out of my morbid self-involvement. As a brother, friend and fellow anxiety sufferer, Scott has license to make such jokes. And they help; they truly do. But the more I think about Scott’s comment the more I come to see it as containing real wisdom, as well as the power to explain one of the particular hells of anxiety: its tenacity.
Like many people who have been given a diagnosis of an anxiety disorder (and many who have not), I am always braced for the next recurrence. Anxiety, like the tide, is forever receding and returning, receding and returning. I have been experiencing this pattern for nearly 20 years now, so that my anxiety has come to seem, at times, inevitable and unassailable — a fait accompli. My anxiety, I’d concluded, is what I am. There is no escape.
Thanks to Scott, I am now coming to understand that this is not true. Thanks to Scott, I am now coming to understand that anyone, even the most neurotic of souls, can lessen and even elude anxiety, so long as he heeds a simple dictum: Don’t be an idiot.
I should define “idiot” for our purposes. I don’t mean someone of low I.Q. or poor academic abilities. Intelligence as commonly conceived has nothing to do with it. By “idiot,” I mean exactly what my brother meant when he tagged me with the epithet: an impractical and unreasonable person, a person who tends to forget all the important lessons, essentially a fool, one who willfully ignores all that he has learned about how to come to his own aid. A person who is so fixated on the fact that he is in a hole that he fails to climb out of the hole. An idiot, in short, is someone who is self-defeatingly lazy.
Graham Roumieu
Laziness: it isn’t a characteristic usually associated with the anxious. Hysteria, yes. Clamminess, yes. A shrill speaking voice, often. But laziness? If anything, people tend to view the anxious as more active and motivated than normal, because they are more haunted by the specter of failure. And yet long experience has taught me that it is laziness — and not enclosed spaces, social situations or any other countless triggers — that is the foremost enemy of the anxiety sufferer, for laziness prevents him from countering the very patterns of thought that make him anxious in the first place.
It’s true that the anxious are rarely slothful in any typical sense. It’s more that we tend to be undisciplined, or somehow otherwise unwilling to see our anxiety for what it is — a habit of mind. To the argument that anxiety is not a habit but an affliction, I’d respond that the two are not mutually exclusive. Anxiety may come on like an affliction, but it persists due to habit. Or, to put this another way, just because you are afflicted with a mental disorder doesn’t mean that you can’t apply your conscious will to mitigating that disorder. Even if you use medication, as I do, to coax your nervous system in a more salutary direction, your will — your determination to act in a way that is counter to your nature — still factors in. Indeed, I am convinced it is essential to recovery.
This isn’t to say that being willful is easy. Anxious thoughts — the what-if’s, the should-have-been’s, the never-will-be’s — are dramatic thoughts. They are compelling thoughts. They are thoughts that have no compunction about seizing you by your lapels and shouting, “Listen to me! Believe me!” So we listen, and believe, without realizing that by doing so we are stepping onto a closed loop, a set of mental tracks that circle endlessly and get us nowhere. This makes the anxious habit very hard to break. Over time those mental tracks deepen and become hardened ruts. Our thoughts slip into grooves of illogic, hypervigilance and catastrophe.
My own mind, I am fairly certain, will always gravitate toward anxiety. And like many, I will often be disinclined to do anything about it. The reasons for this are no doubt complex and myriad. But it is certain that anxiety is exhausting and demoralizing: in many cases, as you listen to your anxious thoughts you get tired and apathetic. You get depressed. And that hopelessness, inaction and despair can become a sort of cocoon, a protective layer between you and the high-pitched terror of it all, and maybe, over time, even a painful and perverse comfort.
But that doesn’t mean — and here is the good news — that there is nothing we can do about anxiety. Indeed, there is plenty a person can do. The promising thing about a habit is that it is not the same thing as a fate. An alcoholic, we are told, is always an alcoholic — but not every alcoholic drinks. Similarly, an anxious person will always be at risk of anxiety, but he needn’t be troubled by it on a daily basis. He can avoid his own tendencies. He can elude his own habit.
To accomplish this, however, he has to work, and work hard. He has to fight — every day of his life, if he’s got it bad — to build new patterns of thought, so that his mind doesn’t fall into the old set of grooves. He has to dig new tracks and keep digging.
As for what that digging entails, I have my preferences. Over the course of my anxious life, I have found two reliable methods to keep my anxiety at bay: Zen meditation and cognitive-behavior therapy. Both methods teach, in their own fashion, that one’s thoughts are not to be taken as the gospel truth; both foster mindfulness and mental discipline. But you will likely have your own favored methods. You might find yoga, or exercise, or therapeutic breathing, or prayer are what work best for you. I’m not sure it matters what a person chooses — so long as he chooses and keeps choosing. So long as he remains dogged. Anything else, as my brother might say, is idiocy.
To view the author’s responses to reader comments, go to the comments section and click on NYT REPLIES.
(Anxiety welcomes submissions at [email protected].)With the scarcity of certain types of games on Windows Phone, many players turn to emulators to get their fix. Emulators allow us to play titles designed for older videogame consoles on our phones. Download an emulator and you’ll have access to hundreds of classic games, assuming you can find the ROMs (software images) for those games. Some people consider playing old games via emulation to be software piracy, while everybody else marvels at just how cool it is to play those old games on the go. The gaming emulators on Windows Phone come from two key developers, M.k and Samuel Blanchard. Today we bring you an in-depth interview with Samuel, the French developer who created Purple Cherry (a GameBoy Color emulator) and Blue Tomato (a Sega Master System emulator). Read on to learn about the challenges of porting emulators to Windows Phone and what Samuel’s next projects will be!
Please tell us a little about yourself outside of the world of development and gaming. It’s difficult for me to talk about myself outside development because it’s my main passion but I also like movies and comics. I’m a young father of an energetic baby, so my interests and passions are currently going through a lot of changes. How long have you been a programmer? I’ve started to learn on computer book when I have 14, but I bought my first computer when I was 15. It was a beautiful EXL100 from Exelvision - a strange French computer. I started programming with BASIC. Later on, with an Atari 520ST, I continued to use Assembler and C to make demos and games. Now I’m 40 years old and I still have a lot to learn. Is software development your profession or just a hobby?
It’s my profession and a hobby. I’m responsible for development and innovation at Naviso, a company that designs, develops and deploys computer management solutions. There I create web portals, tools and services for business use, plus applications for mobile devices - all with Microsoft technologies. Naviso is a winner of the AppCampus accelerator (http://www.appcampus.fi) and we are currently working on a big, fun application for Windows Phone. As hobby, I love to develop apps for Windows Phone. Some require a lot of work to create, like Purple Cherry or Let’s Walk. Others are just for fun or developed for contests. I’m also a Windows Phone MVP and Nokia Developer Champion. What got you interested in emulation?
Left: Fantasy Zone (arcade). Right: Crazy Zone (GBC)
In 1999, I developed my own GameBoy Color game. It was a remake of SEGA’s classic shoot-em-up Fantasy Zone called Crazy Zone. I entered it in a contest and won the first place. Crazy Zone later became the default game in Purple Cherry for Windows Phone. A few years later I had some time to spare, so I decided to create my own GameBoy emulator written in C# that could run Crazy Zone. It took so much hard work, but when I saw Zelda running in my emulator on PC for the first time, it was really exciting! Later I needed a cool platform to port my emulator onto, and I chose Windows Phone. Wario’s Jewels (the ancestor of Purple Cherry) was born. What made you choose Windows Phone as a development platform? Windows Phone is a natural place for a C# developer to work. I’m a huge fan of XAML. Thanks to tools like Visual Studio, Windows Phone is a very competitive platform for app and game development. In that case, what do you have in store for Windows Phone?
In fact I have three projects lined up: The first is to port a GameBoy Advance emulator (written in C# by Garbo) into Purple Cherry.
The second is a port of Visual Boy Advance (similar to M.k’s VBA8) but with the interface of Purple Cherry/Blue Tomato. See photo above.
Finally, I’m working on my AppCampus app (funded by Nokia and Microsoft). It’s a fun and completely new kind of app. Will the emulation projects use Windows Phone 8? No for the Purple Cherry GBA emulator but the engine is slow and the compatibility is not really good. Yes for the port of Visual Boy Advance because VBA is written in C++. How close is the WP8 GBA emulator to completion? As you know, my family has three members now and the baby take a lot of my time (but it’s cool). As a hobby, I can only work on the GBA during my holidays so it’s impossible for me to propose an ETA at this point. How much will it cost?
The Purple Cherry GBA functionality will be free, because it is just a bonus feature. The VBA port should cost $1.29 or so, just like the others apps in the Fruit emulators family. Will your VBA port play GameBoy or GameBoy Color games? It’s too early to tell right now. How does your GBA emulator compare to VBA8?
VBA8 is a really good port of VBA but the UI is very simple and I don’t like the controls very much. Damien Bigot, the graphic designer of my previous emulators’ controls, is working on new graphics for my GBA emulator’s controls. Does the GBA present any challenges to emulation compared to the previous systems you’ve worked with, GameBoy Color and Sega Master System/Game Gear? Like many emulators on mobile devices, my GBA emulator and M.k’s are ports of existent open source emulators. It’s not difficult to port them compared to creating one from scratch (as I did with Purple Cherry), but it is a bit boring. Speaking of which, do you have any plans to release WP8 versions of Blue Tomato and Purple Tomato?
Yes I plan to make WP8 versions because Purple Cherry and Blue Tomato are hybrids apps (containing Silverlight and XNA) and Windows Phone 8 has some problems with tombstoning hybrid apps. Tombstoning is when you freeze data in order to quit and return to it later, such as with Fast App Switching. How do you like developing for Windows Phone 8 so far, and what new opportunities does it present for hardware emulation? Dual core processors and C++/DirectX provide fantastic opportunities for emulation because they give direct access to the CPU. More power means we can emulate stronger hardware. It’s really cool how much we can accomplish with emulation on WP8, and all without jailbreaking anyone's devices! Another one of WP8's advantages is better accessory support. Do you plan to support the recently released MOGA Pro Controller in your emulators? I haven’t looked at the MOGA Pro SDK at this point. Is controller support important to your readers? Finally, are there any changes Microsoft could make to WP8 that would make it friendlier to developers like you? The technical offer of Microsoft is great but moving from XNA to DirectX is not simple. Maybe they could add some XAML control oriented pixel (to hide the complexity of Direct X) in order to help beginners. LinksThe N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist ketamine has rapid onset activity in treatment-resistant depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder. Due to similarities in brain network activity in depression and anxiety disorders, we hypothesized that ketamine might also be active in other refractory anxiety disorders. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of ketamine in 12 patients with refractory generalized anxiety disorder and/or social anxiety disorder who were not currently depressed, using an ascending single dose study design (0.25, 0.5, 1 mg/kg administered subcutaneously) at weekly intervals. Within 1 h of dosing, patients reported reduced anxiety, which persisted for up to seven days. A dose-response profile was noted for anxiolytic effects, dissociative side effects, and changes in blood pressure and heart rate, with minor changes at 0.25 mg/kg, and progressively greater and more durable changes at the higher doses. Ten of 12 patients were treatment responders at 0.5-1 mg/kg. Ketamine was safe and well tolerated in this population. Ketamine may be a potential therapeutic alternative for patients with refractory generalized anxiety disorder/social anxiety disorder. Along with its demonstrated effectiveness in patients with treatment-resistant depression, obsessive compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, these data raise the intriguing possibility that ketamine may have broad efficacy in disorders characterized by negative emotional states, and that these disorders may share a common precipitating neurobiology.Dimbiman, “Good Morning, Eyeball” from PERL 02 (1997)
This was the first strike from Zip (AKA Thomas Franzmann) as Dimbiman. 20 years on, “Good Morning, Eyeball” is still one of Perlon’s biggest tracks. It’s a prime example of the label’s early stripped-down and minimalist funk. All Zip needs is a bouncy bassline, a pitched down vocal, a couple of disorienting vocal shards and some shuffling hi-hats to create a hypnotic, drugged-out groove that has proven time and again to have a firm grip on dancers the world over.
Dimbiman, “Köppchen (Herberts D-D-D Dazzle Dub)” from PERL 06 (1998)
Matthew Herbert circa 1998 and Perlon: a match made in oddball minimal house heaven. His “D-D-D Dazzle Dub” infused the dry minimalism of Dimbiman’s original with the remixer’s trademark playfulness and lots of swing. When the elastic bassline finally hits two minutes into the track, chances are you are already deliriously jacking to the remix’s crisp, skeletal bump. And don’t get us started on the funkified vocal samples. Serious Herbert magic.
Ricardo Villalobos, “Frank Mueller Melodram” from PERL 08 (1999)
Ricardo’s first Perlon release is (unsurprisingly) one of the label’s early and all-time highlights. The title track is an introverted and blue ride with Ricardo’s intuitive drum programming. Back then, he was still a tad more dance floor-focused then he is today, and erratic 30-minute jams were the exception—not the rule. Actually, clocking in at nearly nine and a half minutes, “Frank Mueller Melodram” could groove on for at least another five without feeling annoyingly repetitive.
Pile, “Perlipop” from PERL 09 (1999)
In the mid-’90s, Pile, the trio consisting of Perlon founders Zip, Markus Nikolai and graphic designer Chris Rehberger (who was also responsible for Perlon’s signature eye-catching visual aesthetic), accidentally got a major label deal with Epic. They had produced music to accompany a book with Rehberger’s graphic designs, which Epic picked up after a chance meeting with one of their A&Rs in a Frankfurt club. They released an album and a couple of singles with reduced house abstractions and downtempo atmospherics before they decided to form their own independent label: Perlon. They only released one collaborative 12-inch on the label, and “Perlipop” is that record’s standout track. It’s not much more than a stripped-down groove until it gives way to an unexpectedly soulful vocal and some sweet chords. Rehberger is still Perlon’s head graphic designer, but Markus Nikolai is a different story. Is he still involved with the label, or is he still working as an optician? So many questions!
Ricardo Villalobos, “Spritzcussion (RV GM Sample Mix)” from PERL 10 (1999)
For us, “Spritzcussion” is without a doubt the strongest Villalobos production to appear on Perlon. While many of his other Perlon contributions explore depth and emotion, “Spritzcussion” is an undiluted and hazardously effective DJ tool. His masterful use of detailed percussion here gives the track a quakin’, shakin’ momentum and a zaniness that doesn’t interfere with its grooviness. Even in the context of the first Superlongevity compilation, which came out in 1999 with a number of truly visionary tracks, “Spritzcussion” is an absolute show-stopper.
Markus Nikolai, “Bushes (Freaks Turning Yellow Speakeasy)” from PERL 12 (1999)
Markus Nikolai’s “Bushes” is to Perlon what Isolee’s “Beau Mont Plage” is to Playhouse: the label’s first crossover hit that opened the door to the UK (and beyond). In the process it attracted the attention of Luke Solomun and Derrick Carter, who licensed the title track to Classic and its b-side, “Passion”, to Solomun’s Music For Freaks. Back in 1999, that really meant something. The UK was starting to recognize the different minimal takes on house music coming out of Germany or via German labels, and Perlon was one of the leading forces in that movement.
Akufen, “The Unexpected Guest” from PERL23 (2001)
While Akufen was admittedly responsible for some of the Perlon releases that aged the worst, this cut from Superlongevity 2 is a timeless groove. Ricardo Villalobos featured it early on the tracklist to his Love Family Trax DJ mix CD, alongside his own contribution to the compilation, “Panpot Spliff”.
Pantytec, “Elastobabe (Soul Capsule’s Cosmic Warrior Mix)” from PERL 26 (2002)
Released in the spring of 2002, “Elastobabe” hit the shops just in time to become a staple at the newly inaugurated Perlon parties in the garden of Berghain’s predecessor, Ostgut. The open-air dance floor held many ecstatic Sunday afternoon congregations. Soul Capsule’s remix injects the brooding and abstract original with a touch of trippy soulfulness and an irresistible groove. This is minimal house psychedelia of the highest order.
Luciano & Mathew Jonson, “Alpine Rocket” from PERL32 (2003)
In 2003 Mathew Jonson and Luciano were two fresh-faced kids from the block taking the minimal house and techno world by storm, so just the idea of them working together on music was cause for nervous anticipation. “Alpine Rocket” brought the best of both of their sounds together: Luciano’s crisp, glitchy beats and percussion and Mathew Jonson’s time-honored chords and sequences. It all coalesces in a 10-minute, mind-melting journey down the rabbit hole.
Minimal Man, “Chicken Store” from PERL 38 (2004)
Perlon stable member Baby Ford joined forces with his Minimal Man co-conspirator Ian Loveday on “Chicken Store”, a fidgety, jacking little trip. This is an essential crash-course for anyone new to the Perlon sound and experience—a gateway drug to the wonderful world of tech-house, if you will.
Melchior Productions Ltd., “The Later The Evening…” from PERL 46 (2005)
“The Later The Evening…” is an extraordinary entry in an extensive discography by a groundbreaking producer. In the domains of subtlety and timeless grooves, it competes only with other Thomas Melchior productions like “Feel Sensual”, which we’ve deemed a runner-up. It’s wobbly, skipping beat and see-saw bassline make it a sophisticated late-night jam that will never go out of style.
Matt John, “The Rising Scope” from PERL 49 (2005)
This was one of Matt John’s biggest hits. When it was finally released by Perlon in 2005, the track had already been a sure shot at notorious after-hours gigs like Beatstreet and Bar25 for some time. There are many people for whom Matt John’s first record marked the return to the “classic” Perlon sound: tipsy minimalist house wth a sense of humor and a soft spot for substantive psychedelia.
STL, “Purple Saturn Days” from PERL57 (2006)
Every element on “Purple Saturn Days” is dense, from STL’s oft-deployed thumping-kick and chunky-hat combo to the layers of glittering ambience that coalesce into the track’s astral melody when the drums finally drop after over six minutes of pure texture. It’s a great example of many of the most charming calling-cards of Stephan Laubner’s best work (those drums!) and the leader on a killer first appearance on Perlon, The Early Days EP. All of these tracks are winners.
Cassy, “More Policemen On The Beat” from PERL 64 (2007)
This is one of the few Cassy tracks that doesn’t feature her own vocals. The TR-808 chugs along nicely while the track seems to slowly fall apart in a k-hole of drums, blips and ominous melodies with every new bar. In short, it’s a perfect pick for the Perlon catalog.
A Guy Called Gerald, “Moon Jelly” from PERL 71 (2008)
A Guy Called Gerald’s sole outing on Perlon came as a bit of a surprise, but a track like “Moon Jelly” sits very comfortably between Portable‘s “Knowone Can Take Away” and Baby Ford’s “Gravy Train”. On a big sound system, the massive bassline will pleasantly massage your chest cavity like few others, while a shimmering harp melody and dubby effects guide you into altered states of awareness.
Shackleton, “(No More) Negative Thoughts” from PERL76 (2009)
Perhaps it was a surprise to listeners when the first album from avant-garde dubstep producer Shackleton appeared on a label known for leading the minimal revolution. But not only did the music pass surprisingly well with Perlon’s penchant for groovy minimalism and intricate drum work—it also counted as another example of the label’s knack for identifying and promoting dynamic trends and developments in dance floor sounds. Besides, Villalobos himself had already bridged the gap years before with his now-infamous, epic remix of Shackleton’s “Blood On My Hands”. Thus “(No More) Negative Thoughts” and the mini-album it appeared on, Three EPs, brought the minimal and dubstep crossover full circle.
Mara Trax, “Murphy’s Laugh” from PERL90 (2012)
As the union between a Perlon staple (Mayaan Nidam) and an experienced selector in scene associated with the label (Vera), Mara Trax was a natural fit for the label. “Murphy’s Laugh” is all chill, but the chunky drums make it compatible as a proper and tech-y tool.
The Mole, “Lockdown Party (DJ Sprinkles’ Crossfaderama)” from PERL94 (2013)
“Lockdown Party” proved that, even 94 records in, Perlon was still a hit-factory. If you didn’t hear the “Crossfaderama” rework by house icon DJ Sprinkles in 2013, did you even go out?
Margaret Dygas, “Even 11” from PERL 108 (2016)
In some ways, this syncopated rhythm could be seen as an extension of Perlon’s forays into dubstep-indebted genres that led to the release of Shackleton’s Three EPs. But perhaps that does an injustice to the fresh perspective Perlon vet Margaret Dygas provided on her most recent contribution to the label. Slinky, subtle, syncopated, rhythmic and complex: this is Perlon at its finest.
Binh, “Noah’s Day” from PERL111 (2016)
Binh’s introduction to the Perlon stable speaks to the label’s ability to remain relevant and inspiring by enlisting fresh faces from the cutting edge of the minimal-indebted music scene it played such an integral role in developing. Berlin-based Binh is no newcomer, but he has risen to prominence in recent years thanks to his role in pushing the genre into new but related pastures that keep the Perlon-related sound fresh even 19 years after its inauguration. The title track on his album, Noah’s Day, is devoted to his young son, and the cute hooting sounds and squelchy acid notes evoke a sense of good-natured wonder that we associate with li’l rugrats. But importantly, it’s also underpinned by Binh’s signature shuffly, marching drums. Cute—and effective.Please enable Javascript to watch this video
ADA, Okla. - An Ada man was shot and killed by a neighbor Friday after he tried drowning twin babies.
“It’s awful because I’ve held the babies and, like, I’ve played with them and I just gave them clothes yesterday," said neighbor Summer Pierce.
Officials say Leland Foster was allegedly threatening the mother of the children with a knife during the ordeal.
A 12-year-old girl who was in the home ran to a neighbor's house for help.
The neighbor, Cash Freeman, rushed back over to the home to find Foster trying to drown the 3-month-old twins, a boy and a girl, in the bathtub.
He then shot Foster twice in the back with a gun.
We spoke to Freeman off camera and he told us when he saw what was happening in the bathroom, he did what he had to do to save the babies. However, he told us he was concerned that he could be in trouble.
Pierce doesn't believe he should be.
“I think he did the right thing because who knows what would happen, because who knows what would have happened to the babies if he hadn’t intervened. They might not have made it.”
The spokesperson for Ada police told NewsChannel 4 that Freeman was questioned and released, but will have to go before the district attorney to see if it was a justified homicide.
The babies were flown to an Oklahoma City hospital but have been released.
Their grandfather told KXII, he was just happy the twins were safe and okay.
This isn't Foster's first brush with the law. In 2011, he was charged with domestic abuse by strangulation and arson in the first degree. He pleaded no contest.STANWOOD, Wash. -- Two teens who allegedly doused a chicken in gas and then tossed it into a bonfire have been arrested for investigation of animal cruelty.
An official with Pasado's Safe Haven came across a video of the event posted on social media. The video shows the live chicken being thrown into a bon fire, drenched in gasoline and beaten with a pitchfork, Island County Sheriff's officials said.
The chicken is then seen running out of the bonfire in flames as gas is being poured on the bird. Deputies say laughter can be heard in the background as the video is played.
Investigators later tracked down a 15- and 16-year-old boy believed to be involved in the video. They're now being held in the Island County Juvenile Facility for investigation of first degree animal cruelty.Canadians have found a sweet way to reward a Norwegian ski coach who helped an Albertan Olympian during a crucial moment at the Torino Games.
Bjornar Haakensmoen was presented with more than five tons of Canadian maple syrup in Oslo Wednesday for his act of sportsmanship at the Olympics in February.
The Norwegian cross-country coach received the gift as a token of appreciation for handing a spare ski pole to Sara Renner after the Canadian skier broke hers midway through the team sprint event.
Renner and Canadian teammate Beckie Scott went on to win a silver medal while the Norwegians placed fourth.
Haakensmoen's gesture struck a chord with many Candians. In the days following the pole pass, he was showered with thank-you notes and gifts ranging from wine and chocolate to hotel accomodation in Banff, Alta. But nothing to this point has stacked up to the 7,400 cans of maple syrup that recently rolled into Oslo.
The syrup was donated by fans across Canada as part of a drive called Project Maple Syrup.
The Norwegian and Canadian governments agreed to waive any import duties so the syrup wouldn't be too expensive for Haakensmoen to accept.
Haakensmoen, 37, said he was overwhelmed by the positive reaction by Canadians.
"When you get this kind of response it is, well, just enormous," said Haakensmoen.
So, does Haakensmoen even like maple syrup?
"It's sweet, and a little unusual," he said, admitting he only recently tried syrup for the first time. "We might have it from time to time, but not five times a day."
Haakensmoen resigned as sports director for Norwegian skiers after the Torino Games.
with files from Canadian PressSome drivers and others criticized IndyCar following the MAVTV 500 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. (Photo: Gary A. Vasquez / USA TODAY Sports)
IndyCar finally said enough is enough with public criticism, especially as it relates to last weekend's race at Auto Club Speedway. Such talk is damaging to the sport, CEO Mark Miles said Wednesday.
Miles didn't single anyone out in his rare midseason media availability, but he made it clear he wasn't pleased with those suggesting IndyCar allowed for dangerous conditions similar to those in the 2011 race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway where Dan Wheldon lost his life.
Several competitors complained on Saturday's television broadcast about the action featuring five-wide racing and a record 80 lead changes among 14 drivers. Team Penske president Tim Cindric implied IndyCar didn't listen to warnings of potential danger. Reigning series champion Will Power said someone must "take responsibility" for how the field unnecessarily bunched up. Indianapolis 500 winner Juan Pablo Montoya called the three hours of tension "stupid."
All of that seemed to cross Miles' line for public conduct.
"You take on a responsibility to look after the good of the whole," the CEO of Hulman & Company, which owns IndyCar and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, said. "We will certainly not be exceptional among sports leagues if we — when we — step up and assert ourselves more to do what we can do to minimize the times when individual participants comments are damaging to the whole.
"That does not mean that we can't tolerate criticism and that there won't be lots of different opinions on lots of different topics. But there are lines that have to be drawn."
Miles fielded three questions related to competitor comments, and he made his point clear.
"I wasn't pleased with some of that," he said, agreeing that the racing was closer than anyone expected, in part because of cooler-than-projected temperatures. "I'm not naming any names, and I've also said it's incumbent upon us to be a responsible (sanctioning body). But we will — I will — change this culture to some extent going forward by being more active.
"Whether we're pounding our chests about that or not, you can be sure it's going to happen."
Miles said no punishment will be handed out this time, although Power was fined $25,000 for shoving a medical worker following a late-race crash. But Miles said he needs to have "a number of conversations" and "tough love" is expected to follow.
That wasn't Miles' only message. Another addressed mounting criticism of the current schedule spanning only five months.
Miles stressed the current schedule — from late March to the end of August — was never the plan. He's long planned for a seven-month season, and vowed to make that happen in 2016.
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Among the possibilities for the front end of the schedule is a return to Phoenix International Raceway, although Miles said track officials must decide if there is enough time before its NASCAR event (March 15 this year).
Miles said IndyCar is open to moving the Fontana, Calif., oval race back to the fall, and there is a strong chance of returning to Road America, a popular road course in Elkhart Lake, Wis., for the first time since 2007. But in each case, there are a variety of factors that go into making these decisions, he said.
The new race in Boston will be Labor Day weekend (Sept. 2-4, 2016), but Miles has not guaranteed it will be the last race of the season. That could be Road America, Fontana or even somewhere else.
"The model we have been pursuing has been seven months — 16, 18, 20 events," he said.
Fines
In addition to a fine, Power was place on probation for the rest of the season for shoving a medical worker trying to get him off the track following Saturday's crash with Takuma Sato.
Dale Coyne Racing driver Tristan Vautier was fined $10,000 and similarly put on probation for the rest of the season for hitting a crew member during an early pit stop in the same race.
Race winner Graham Rahal's team will pay a $5,000 fine for leaving the pit box with the fuel hose still attached. The crew member fueling the car was placed on probation for three races.
Montoya was penalized $1,500 for running over an air hose for the second time this season.
Follow Star reporter Curt Cavin on Facebook and Twitter: @curtcavin.The following is a list of characters from the anime Future GPX Cyber Formula series, including all the characters in the TV series, the OVAs, and the games.
Character conception [ edit ]
Unlike other long-going series by Sunrise Productions, the Cyber Formula series seldom changes the major cast throughout the series. Most of the major characters were kept throughout the whole series while adding new characters throughout the production. The major difference to main casts to switching the main character role between Hayato Kazami and Bleed Kaga in Cyber Formula SIN.
The brackets after the teams and cars are their active seasons, including official settings other than game variations.
Main characters [ edit ]
Hayato Kazami [ edit ]
Hayato Kazami (風見 ハヤト, Kazami Hayato) is the main character in the anime series Future GPX Cyber Formula other than Cyber Formula SIN.
Hayato was introduced to the world of Cyber Formula when by accident he became the registered driver of the Cyber Formula car Asurada, designed by his father while he recovered it from the hands of mercenaries. The Cyber System registers a unique user for the vehicle at the time of activation and the it would take a week to reformat the vehicle for another driver. This was not an option as the race was to be held much sooner. This forces the Sugo Grand Prix team to go with Hayato as the driver for the license race over the team's driver at the time, Akira Hiyoshi. After earning his license to compete in the Cyber Grand Prix, Kazami becomes the youngest driver to ever compete in the Grand Prix, at the time.
His first season was successful, being the youngest driver to seize the World Championship title in his debut year by three wins and six podiums, including the stunning victory in Japan, overcoming the disadvantage of switching cars from Asurada GSX to Super Asurada 01 and stumbling at the beginning of the Grand Prix due to overconfidence and near-lack of racing skills. He and his team struggled in the following season's opener due to the high speed of development of other constructors. However, the development of Super Asurada AKF-11 and his driving skill would still prove strong against other opponents, especially Knight Schumacher (Osamu Sugo). He nearly abandoned the chance of becoming World Champion by requesting |
Odia language, culture and history.
Pattanayak said getting the status was well deserved. “But we should now think about what to do next. I have urged the state government to follow the Tamil Nadu model by instituting a central institute for high-end research in Odia. Tamil Nadu has established the Central Institute of Classical Tamil since 2005,” he said.
In his letter, he suggested a three-tier model for the institute where the governor would be a visitor and a person with high-calibre research background in culture, literature, art, history, archaeology or anthropology, the chairman. A distinguished board of members under a director can oversee the day-to-day functioning of the organisation.
The classical status would entail a one-time grant of Rs 100 crore for research and development of the language, Rs 5 crore recurring grant for chairs to be established in central universities, and two international chairs will be provided by the Centre.
“Getting money is not an issue, but how to use it could be a major challenge here in Odisha. For example, the Tamil Nadu government got Rs 75 crore in the first year, but could spend only Rs 34 crore and the rest went back to the Centre. We should seriously think about research work in Odia with an international outlook,” Pattanayak said.
Culture secretary Arabinda Padhee termed the achievement as “extraordinary”. “We are thankful to all the linguists and researchers, who helped us achieve this,” he said.
Odia personalities from various walks of life were delighted about the news. Noted litterateur and former president of the Odisha Sahitya Akademi Ramachandra Behera was overjoyed at the development.
“I feel very proud. Our language has a rich heritage, and now, it has been given the due respect and position. Getting the classical tag is a great boost to our literature,” he said.
Well-known sculptor Raghunath Mohapatra, a Padma Vibhushan recipient, said that with a 2,000-year legacy of art and culture, Odia language deserved the tag. “Now, we have a golden opportunity to take our literature to new heights,” he said.
Veteran Odissi dancer Kumkum Mohanty said that till steps were taken to introduce classical Odia literature among private schools, the tag might not make much difference. “If Odia youth does not understand chhanda and champu that are the epitome of classical Odia literature, penned by the greatest of poets such as Upendra Bhanja, how will the tag make a difference? Till it is a part of all levels of academics, mainly schools, our own Odia youth will continue to be unaware of the high standards of Odia classical literature,” she said.There is no place five-time world champion Jordan Burroughs enjoys competing more than wrestling-crazed Iran. The passion of the fans and level of competition is unmatched anywhere in the world. So you can imagine his concern this weekend when the Iranian Foreign Ministry responded to Donald Trump's immigration ban by saying it would not allow to Americans to enter Iran indefinitely.
Burroughs and a handful of other Americans are scheduled to leave Feb. 8 for a World Cup tournament in Kermanshah, Iran.
"All of the sudden it became this overnight thing," Burroughs said. "Here is this country that has been so instrumental to the culture and sport of wrestling. They are the greatest fans in the world. You just hope because of politics they don't say, 'Sorry, but this time the show is going to go on without you.'"
Former gold medalist Jordan Burroughs, who still plans to go to Iran for a World Cup tournament in February, says he hopes politics doesn't keep the U.S. athletes from competing. AAron Ontiveroz/Getty Images
At least for now, that doesn't appear to be the case. Travel arrangements have already been booked and the visa and qualification process is complete, Burroughs said. On Monday, USA Wrestling president Rich Bender assured them the trip would happen as planned, the 16th time U.S. wrestlers will compete in Iran since 1998, when the U.S. freestyle team was the first American sports team to do so.
"This tour continues a long history of goodwill and cooperation between the United States and Iran through wrestling, which is an impressive example of diplomacy between the people of these nations through sport," Bender said in a statement. "This is an important international competition, and we look forward to competing against the World's best wrestling teams."
The tournament is of heightened importance to Burroughs, the big gold-medal favorite who disappointed last summer in Rio when he failed to medal. The World Cup will mark Burroughs' first major international tournament since the Olympics. Though he admitted there could be added anxiety in Iran given the current political climate, he reiterated Bender's suggestion that the visit is as much about diplomacy as it is winning.
"Sports is one of the few institutions that transcends race, religion, culture and government," Burroughs said. "For me, making America great again starts internally with how you deal with the people around you. At the same time, of course you think, 'what if they want to retaliate? Here's a plane with 25 Americans landing in Tehran. That's a scary place to be. [President Trump] doesn't have to be there. He's making these decisions from his office while we will be in an arena with 13,000 Iranian fans. But you just try to be as diplomatic and respectful as possible regardless of what you believe or our government's decisions. You try to show that it's character that matters most."
The tournament is scheduled for Feb. 16 and 17. The decision for the U.S. to compete in Iran isn't entirely a surprise. During the Cold War, the U.S. competed regularly in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe and those teams competed stateside. And since the Cuban revolution, U.S. teams have competed in Cuba on nearly an annual basis.
In Iran, Burroughs will be part of a U.S. delegation that will feature 13 athletes, two coaches, a referee, a medical staff member and a videographer, plus other official delegates. Burroughs said the passion for wrestling is so high in Iran that he has more Instagram followers from Tehran than any other city in the world. He anticipates security will be similar to previous tournaments in Iran, where the U.S. wrestlers are not allowed to leave the team hotel and receive a police escort to and from the arena.
"You just try to maintain your focus," he said. "When we arrived in 2013, it wasn't a great time between our governments either. We met the president of Iran and it was great. It really said a lot for sport that we were able to go over there and compete even though our governments are at odds. Hopefully this time will share that same message. And win."After suffering heavy losses, ISIS appeals to youngsters and elderly to join its ranks in new video
US calls on Kurds, Shia forces to end rifts and focus on anti-ISIS campaign
ARA News
ERBIL – A security member from the radical group of Islamic State (ISIS) was killed by locals in Iraq’s northern city of Mosul after sexually harassing a women in the city, local sources reported on Tuesday.
Local activists confirmed that the jihadi militant was stabbed to death in the district of Aden eastern Mosul.
Speaking to ARA News in Mosul, head of the Nineveh media center Raafat al-Zarari said that a member of the ISIS security forces [also known as al-Hisba Police] who was responsible for enforcing ISIS’s regulations in the city, was killed by a group of civilian people in the district of Aden in Mosul after he tried to harass a woman in the area.
“The jihadi was captured by a group of civilians and slaughtered on charges of sexual harassment,” the source reported.
“Many people [who were seen carrying knives] attacked the official and stabbed him several times all over his body,” an eyewitness told ARA News. “The perpetrators disappeared before the ISIS-linked police patrols arrive in the area.”
“Al-Hisba police members have taken his corps to the hospital, but he died several hours later,” the source added, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The jihadi official, before his death, used to monitor the women and men who violate the group’s regulation in the district, according to local sources.
Speaking to ARA News in Erbil, Kurdish journalist Idris Badini said: “No one denies that these barbaric insurgents [ISIS] capture women and used them as sex slaves in their areas of control in Syria and Iraq. This is a main motivation for the group’s members to even turn into suicide bombers; they are dying for reaching the eternal and unlimited sex,” he argued.
“If we did not understand their real motivation for killing themselves and innocent people, we will never be able to defeat them,” Badini said.
The radical group in the district of Aden of Mosul did not take any procedures against the people of the district for fear of a possible uprising against ISIS in the region, especially the group currently faces challenges amid intenisified US-led coalition’s airstrikes on its command centers and vital locations in both Syria and Iraq for months, which have caused an apparent shortage in the group’s manpower.
Reporting by: Sarbaz Yousef
Source: ARA NewsMany low-level tweaks can normally only be performed on Android by flashing custom ROMs. The Xposed Framework allows you to modify your existing system without installing a new custom ROM. All it requires is root access.
RELATED: How to Flash a New ROM to Your Android Phone
Sure, you may want to flash a custom ROM like CyanogenMod to get the latest version of Android or use a wide variety of tweaks, but if you like the version of Android you already have, the Xposed framework is very flexible. Think of the Xposed Framework as building your own custom ROM for Android. Instead of downloading something like CyanogenMod, which comes with a bunch of new features baked in, Xposed lets you add just the features you want, one by one, through individual modules. No ROM flashing required. This article has a few examples of the things you can do, if you’re curious.
How It Works
To perform various low-level tweaks, developers have to modify system APK (app package) files. They generally release these changes as a custom ROM, which users have to flash onto their device.
The Xposed Framework requires root access to install, but should be able to work without root afterwards. It extends the /system/bin/app_process executable to load a specific JAR file on startup. This file’s classes will be part of every app process on the system — even system service processes. It’s then possible to modify an app’s behavior at runtime — no ROM flashing or modifying app APK files required.
RELATED: How to Root Your Android Phone with SuperSU and TWRP
The Xposed Framework isn’t guaranteed to work on every phone, nor are the individual models. It’s designed to work with most Android 4.0 and later devices. In addition, it (or its modules) may not work on heavily modified ROMs, or devices that heavily modify certain pieces of code (Samsung devices may run into issues, for example). The only way to know is to browse the Xposed forums or try it out for yourself. There are unofficial builds out there for TouchWiz and other versions of Android, if you’re willing to give them a shot.
Your phone will also need to be rooted. There’s no way around this, so if you haven’t rooted yet, there’s no better time than now! Every phone is a little different, so check out our rooting guide, and the XDA Developers Forum for your specific device for more information on how to root it.
RELATED: The Case Against Root: Why Android Devices Don’t Come Rooted
Lastly, keep in mind that–just like unlocking your bootloader and rooting–Xposed modules have access to deep system functions on your phone, and are a security risk. Only install modules from developers you trust, or search for open source modules and stick to those. Everything from here on out is at your own risk, so be careful and install responsibly.
You can browse the different Xposed tweaks available at Xposed’s web site, and see lots more info and frequently asked questions on the Xposed forum at XDA Developers.
Step One: Install the Xposed Framework
The Xposed Framework isn’t available in Google Play, so you’ll need to install it through one of two other methods.
Update: If you’re running Marshmallow or above, you can install the a newer, “systemless” version of Xposed, which is much more flexible than the old version discussed in this article. First, you’ll want to read about systemless root, and then learn how to install systemless Xposed here.
If you’re running a version of Android Ice Cream Sandwich, Jelly Bean, or KitKat, you can download the Xposed Installer APK from Xposed’s home page, then transfer it to your phone with a USB cable or an app like Dropbox. Then, launch the APK to begin the installation and skip to the next section.
If you’re running Android Lollipop or Marshmallow, installation is a bit more complicated: you’ll need to flash the framework using a custom recovery like TWRP, then sideload the installer. (Though remember, if you’re running Marshmallow, you can also install the systemless version, which is better.)
Head to Xposed’s forum thread on XDA Developers and download three files: the Xposed Installer APK, the Xposed Framework ZIP, and the Xposed Uninstaller ZIP. You may have to do some research to figure out which.zip file to download. “sdk21”, “sdk22”, and “sdk23” refer to Android 5.0, 5.1, and 6.0, respectively; “arm”, “arm64”, and “x86” refer to ARM, 64-bit ARM, and Intel processors, respectively.
So, since I have a Nexus 5X–which has a 64-bit ARM processor and is running Android 6.0.1 Lollipop–I downloaded the Xposed Installer APK, the xposed-v80-sdk23-arm64.zip file, and the xposed-uninstaller-arm64.zip file.
Transfer all three files to your phone using a USB cable or an app like Dropbox.
Next, reboot your phone into TWRP recovery. Doing this is a bit different on every phone–for example, you may have to hold the Power and Volume Down buttons simultaneously, then use the volume keys to boot “Recovery Mode”. Google instructions for your specific model to see how it’s done.
Once you’ve done so, you’ll be greeted with the familiar TWRP home screen. Click the Install button.
NOTE: You may want to make a backup in TWRP before continuing with this process.
The following screen will appear. Scroll down and navigate to the Xposed framework.zip file you transferred earlier.
Tap the Xposed zip and you’ll see this screen. Swipe to confirm the flash.
It should only take a moment to flash the package. When it finishes, tap the “Wipe Cache/Dalvik” button, then reboot your system.
If TWRP asks if you want to install SuperSU now, choose “Do Not Install”.
Your phone may take a few minutes to reboot, as it may “re-optimize” your apps. Give it time, and when it finishes, launch the Xposed Installer APK you transferred earlier. This will install the app you’ll use to manage your modules.
If you run into any problems with the installation–like your phone goes into a boot loop–just flash the Xposed Uninstaller.zip file in the same fashion and things should go back to normal. If all else fails, restore from your last TWRP backup.
Step Two: Set Up the Xposed Installer and Download a Module
Launch the Xposed Installer and you’ll be greeted with the screen below. Devices running KitKat will need to tap the “Framework” option, then tap the Install/Update button to install the Xposed Framework. You’ll need to reboot your phone when finished. Lollipop and Marshmallow users will have already done this through the.zip flashing in the previous step.
Remember, Xposed requires root access, so if you get a prompt at this point from your superuser app. Grant Xposed Installer superuser rights to continue.
Now that Xposed is all set up, it’s time for the fun part: installing modules. Xposed modules contain the different tweaks you can use to customize your system. Some are small, and only perform one function, while others are packages containing many useful tweaks. For this guide, we’re going to use a very simple example: XInsta, an Xposed module that adds an option to download photos from the Instagram app.
Tap the “Download” section of the Xposed Installer and tap the search button in the toolbar. Search for “xinsta” and select the XInsta module that appears.
Swipe over to the Versions tab and tap the “Download” button on the latest version. This will download and install the Xposed module in question.
When finished, the module will be installed, but not activated. In the Xposed Installer, head to the Modules section (or just select the notification that appears in your notification dropdown). Check the box next to the module you want to activate, and reboot your phone.
If you notice in the module’s description, it has one prerequisite: you need to give Instagram permission to access your phone’s storage. These kinds of things are common, so be sure to read the module’s description before you try to use it.
To do this, head to Settings > Apps > Instagram > Permissions and switch “Storage” to On.
Then, open the Instagram app and click the three dots next to a photo–if all went well, you should have the option to download that photo to your device.
Congratulations, you just successfully installed your first Xposed module!
Step Three: Tweak Your Module (if Applicable)
Many of the Xposed modules you download will have their own interface, from which you can tweak different settings related to the module. You can usually access this by tapping on the module in the “Modules” section of the Xposed Installer. In other cases, the module may even come with its own icon in the app drawer, as seen below.
Be sure to check out the settings for your modules. You never know what kind of goodies will be in there.
You can also long-press on the item’s entry in the Xposed Installer to update or uninstall the module.
Now that you’re up and running, we recommend browsing the Xposed module section to see all the things Xposed can offer. Our list of the best Xposed modules is also a good place to start exploring. I highly recommend GravityBox, pictured earlier in this article, which collects of many useful tweaks into one customizable package.
Uninstalling the Xposed Framework
If you ever want to uninstall the Xposed framework, return to the Xposed Installer app, tap Framework, and tap the Uninstall button. If you installed the framework using a.zip file, however, you’ll need to uninstall it by flashing the uninstaller.zip file from the XDA thread using TWRP.
Be sure to perform an uninstall in the Xposed Installer app before removing the Xposed Installer app from your device.
The Xposed Framework may just be a tool for Android geeks to tweak their phones, but it’s a faster, easier, and less invasive tool than a custom ROM is. This could also be used to install themes and perform other invasive customizations that would normally require a custom ROM. The Xposed Framework’s method doesn’t involve changing your device’s operating system and can be easily reversed, which makes it a great option for tweakers that really like to dig in.Shawn Timothy Nelson (August 21, 1959 – May 17, 1995) was an American plumber and U.S. Army veteran who stole an M60A3 Patton tank from a U.S. National Guard armory in San Diego, California and went on a rampage on May 17, 1995; he destroyed cars, fire hydrants, and an RV before being shot and killed by a policeman.[1]
Prior to the incident [ edit ]
Nelson was born in Birdseye, Utah, on August 21, 1959.[2]
Nelson was hospitalized in 1990 for neck and back injuries from a motorcycle accident. He sued the hospital for $1.6 million, citing negligence, assault, battery, and false imprisonment. A superior court judge dismissed the case, and the hospital counter-sued for $6,640 in medical fees and legal expenses. Nelson claimed that he was forced to be treated without his consent.
His wife of six years filed for divorce against him in 1991, and both of his parents died of cancer in 1992. Scott Nelson, Shawn's brother, said that Shawn became addicted to methamphetamine in the few years prior to the tank incident. His neighbors complained to authorities of Shawn yelling at his roommate at night. Nelson then began to exhibit unusual behavior. On one occasion, he dug a hole 15 feet (4.6 m) deep in his backyard in an attempt to mine for gold.[3]
In February 1995, he filed a notice informing the county of his plans to mine bedrock in his backyard.[citation needed] Nelson's fishing friend, Carson Honings, referred to the mine shaft as Shawn's "new hobby". In April, he filed two damage claims against the city totaling $2,000,000. One of them was for police negligence, and another for false arrest.
Nelson's neck and back problems, combined with the theft of plumbing equipment from his truck, effectively halted his business. With no income, his utilities were cut off and his house was in foreclosure.[1] In April 1995, his live-in girlfriend died of a drug overdose. His brother, Scott, said of him, "My brother was a good man. He'd help anybody. He just couldn't help himself."[citation needed]
Tank rampage [ edit ]
An M60A3 Patton (the same type of tank Nelson drove) on display in April 2005
According to San Diego police, the week before his tank rampage Nelson told a friend that he was thinking of committing suicide, and the following weekend, told a friend that "Oklahoma was good stuff,"[3] in apparent reference to the Oklahoma City bombing which happened about a month before. Whether Nelson condoned the attack or simply meant that he enjoyed the drama is not clear. Police did not believe Nelson had any connection with the bombing or with a terrorist group.
At dusk[3] on Wednesday, May 17, 1995, Nelson drove his Chevrolet van to the California Army National Guard Armory in the Kearny Mesa neighborhood of San Diego. Although the gate to the vehicle yard was usually locked after 5:00 p.m.,[citation needed] employees at the armory were working late, and left the gate open. The vehicle yard was completely deserted.
Nelson likely used a crowbar to break open the tank hatches[citation needed]. The tanks involved started with a push button and did not require an ignition key. The first two tanks he broke into would not start. As he lowered himself into the third tank, a 57-ton M60A3, he was finally noticed by a Guardsman, who approached the tank. Nelson started the vehicle, and with little chance of stopping him, the Guardsman rushed to a phone and called police. As ammunition was kept in another building, none of the vehicle's weapons could be loaded or used by Nelson.[1]
Nelson led police on a 23-minute, televised chase through the streets of the Clairemont neighborhood of San Diego. Police agencies involved in the chase included the San Diego Police Department, San Diego County Sheriff's Department, the California Highway Patrol, and due to the tank being stolen from the armory, possibly military police as well. Phillip Cady was the first police officer on the scene of the tank chase. The tank had a top speed of 30 miles per hour (48 km/h), making the chase slow compared to police chases involving automobiles. The 57-ton tank easily plowed through road signs, traffic lights, utility poles, fire hydrants and crushed several parked vehicles including an RV. The damage to utility poles knocked out power to at least 5,100 San Diego Gas & Electric customers in the Linda Vista neighborhood. Nelson traveled north on Convoy St, west on to Balboa Ave, and entered Interstate 805 heading south. While on Interstate 805 he attempted to knock down a pedestrian bridge by running into the supports, but gave up after he failed to topple it with the first few hits. Nelson drove the tank onto the State Route 163 freeway heading southbound, resulting in the freeway being closed and thousands of motorists being stuck. He eventually became caught on a concrete median barrier on State Route 163 north of the Genesee Avenue interchange located at approximately, as he attempted to cross into oncoming traffic. Four police officers climbed onto the tank. San Diego Police officer Paul Paxton, a gunnery sergeant at the time with the Marine Corps Reserve, opened the hatch. The officers ordered Nelson to surrender, but he said nothing and began lurching the tank back and forth in attempt to free it from the median.[1][4]
Officer Paxton's partner, Richard Piner, leaned in and shot Nelson. The bullet entered through Nelson's shoulder. Nelson later died at Sharp Memorial Hospital. Despite the widespread property destruction, Nelson was the only fatality in the incident.
Police action [ edit ]
Questions were raised as to whether it was necessary for the police to kill Nelson. Police Captain Tom Hall said that if Nelson had managed to free the tank, he "could have taken out no less than 35 vehicles that were passing at that moment."[1]
Police decided that if non-lethal action such as tear gas were used, this might have stopped Nelson, but not the tank, and officers would not be able to enter the tank if it were still mobile with tear gas present. According to live news coverage at the time, officials were seriously considering asking for help from the United States Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton in the form of a Cobra attack helicopter, as the police force lacked the means for disabling a tank.[citation needed] Scott Nelson, when asked, stated that police were justified in shooting his brother.[3]
News coverage [ edit ]
Local television news station KGTV, Channel 10, broadcast footage of Nelson's shirtless, bloody body being pulled from the tank by police both live and during the eleven o'clock news. It was in the broadcast that Scott Nelson recognized his brother as the perpetrator. KGTV was the only station that decided to air this footage. Jeff Klotzman, then the news director at KGTV, said in response to criticism, "We felt it was a critical part of the story. We warned our viewers three different times that it was graphic, and it was." Richard Tuininga, news director of KUSI, Channel 51, supported Klotzman's decision, even though his own news program decided not to air the footage.
Armory security [ edit ]
Officials at the National Guard armory where Nelson stole the tank were criticized for what appeared to be a huge lapse in security, especially after the attack in Oklahoma City the previous month. In addition to the open, unguarded gate to the vehicle lot, the fence surrounding the lot had damaged barbed wire in some places.
Residents near the armory said that even if the gate had been locked, Nelson could have simply climbed the fence in sections where the barbed wire was damaged. Armory officials said that only a few people are given keys to the vehicles, that the vehicles were kept far away from fences to make them difficult to reach, that only someone with proper knowledge could operate and even start a tank, and that there was just no way to foresee such an event taking place. After Nelson's theft of the tank, security was tightened at the Kearny Mesa armory.[5]
Documentary [ edit ]
Cul de Sac: A Suburban War Story, a documentary film, was based on the incident.[6]
See also [ edit ]It was already being described as the worst hack of the U.S. government in history. And it just got much worse.
A senior U.S. official has confirmed that foreign hackers compromised the intimate personal details of an untold number of government workers. Likely included in the hackers’ haul: information about workers’ sexual partners, drug and alcohol abuse, debts, gambling compulsions, marital troubles, and any criminal activity.
Those details, which are now presumed to be in the hands of Chinese spies, are found in the so-called “adjudication information” that U.S. investigators compile on government employees and contractors who are applying for security clearances. The exposure suggests that the massive computer breach at the Office of Personnel Management is more significant and potentially damaging to national security than officials have previously said.
Three former U.S. intelligence officials told The Daily Beast that the adjudication information would effectively provide dossiers on current and former government employees, as well as contractors. It gives foreign intelligence agencies a roadmap for finding people with access to the government’s most highly classified secrets.
Obama administration officials had previously acknowledged the breach of information that applicants voluntarily disclose on a routine questionnaire, called Standard Form 86, but the theft of the more detailed and wide-ranging adjudication information appears to have gone overlooked.
“Whoever compromised the adjudication information is going to have clear knowledge, beyond what’s in the SF86, about who the best targets for espionage are in the United States,” Michael Adams, a computer security expert who served more than two decades in the U.S. Special Operations Command, told The Daily Beast. “This is the most successful cyber attack in the history of the United States,” owing to the amount and quality of the information that was stolen, Adams said.
U.S. intelligence officers spend years trying to recruit foreign spies to gather the kinds of details and insights that are contained in adjudication information, one former senior U.S. official said.
This official, who requested anonymity, added that adjudication information would give foreign intelligence services “enormous leverage” over U.S. personnel whom they might forcibly interrogate for information or try to recruit.
Adjudication information would include the results of polygraph examinations, both former U.S. officials said. The exam can be extraordinarily intimate, bordering on humiliating. One former official said a polygrapher once asked if he’d ever practiced bestiality. Another said questions are designed to root out potential leakers, noting that he was asked about what contacts he’d had with journalists, including in a social setting.
The OPM’s chief information officer, Donna Seymour, acknowledged when she testified at a House hearing on June 16 that “clearance adjudication information” had been compromised. But the remark went virtually unnoticed, as lawmakers mostly focused their attention on the agency’s embattled director and the OPM’s weak computer security.
The adjudication process had a broad scope, taking into account the SF86 questionnaire, reports from background investigations, interviews with the applicant's family members and associates, his or her employment history, and for people seeking high-level clearances, the results of polygraph investigations.
Seymour said such records “span an employee’s career” and could stretch back as far as 30 years. Officials have said that as many as 18 million people may have been affected by the breach. Asked specifically what information the hackers had obtained, Seymour told lawmakers that she preferred to answer later in a “classified session.”
Seymour didn’t specify how many people’s information was stolen. But the OPM oversees background investigations, which comprise a key part of the adjudication process, for more than 90 percent of security clearance applicants, according to the Congressional Research Service. An OPM spokesman didn’t respond to a request for comment in time for publication.
A former senior U.S. intelligence official, who asked to remain anonymous, said the OPM breach would cause more damage to national security operations and personnel than the leaks by Edward Snowden about classified surveillance by the National Security Agency.
“This is worse than Snowden, because at least programs that were running before the leaks could be replaced or rebuilt,” the former official said. “But OPM, that’s the gift that keeps on giving. You can’t rebuild people.”
Adjudicators are in a powerful position because in deciding whether to recommend granting a security clearance, they have access to the entire scope of an applicant’s file and are told to make a subjective analysis.
“The adjudication process is the careful weighing of a number of variables known as the whole-person concept,” according to official guidelines. “Available, reliable information about the person, past and present, favorable and unfavorable, should be considered in reaching a determination.”
By design, adjudication is an invasive process, meant to unearth risk factors including drug and alcohol abuse, extramarital affairs, a history of violence, and other events that speak to a person’s “trustworthiness” and their susceptibility to blackmail or being recruited to spy for a foreign government.
For instance, “compulsive gambling is a concern, as it may lead to financial crimes including espionage,” the guidelines say. Adjudicators are told to note “a pattern of compulsive, self-destructive, or high risk sexual behavior,” “relapse after diagnosis of alcohol abuse,” and “emotionally unstable, irresponsible, dysfunctional, violent, paranoid, or bizarre behavior,” among other warning signs in 13 categories.
Some of the embarrassing personal details found in some adjudications have been made public. That’s what happens after an applicant who was denied a security clearance launched an appeal.
But those public reports are anonymous. The names are held back—but are contained in the OPM’s adjudication records. Those were compromised in the hack. In other words, it would be simple for spies to take these once-anonymous reports and attach a name to them.
How invasive are these exams? One applicant admitted to shooting his 19-year-old son in the leg during a physical altercation, sparked by an argument over whether his son’s girlfriend could live with him in the applicant’s grandmother’s house.
Another applicant who’d held a clearance for 25 years while serving in the military had an affair with his former college roommate’s wife “on and off for more than twenty years,” his adjudicator noted. The applicant told the wife about the affair in 2014, and they’re “working through their problems.”
A third applicant was reprimanded by his supervisor for accessing pornography on his work computer. He had “not told his wife about these issues because he feels embarrassed by his conduct,” his file notes.
Debts and drug and alcohol abuse are frequently considered in the adjudication process. One applicant was found to owe nearly $1.8 million from, among other things, four mortgages on three condominiums. He was denied a clearance. But another applicant’s clearance was granted on the condition that he stop drinking, after going through four alcohol addition treatment programs and relapsing every time.
Armed with such intimate details of a person’s worst moments, foreign spies would have unprecedented advantage against their U.S. adversaries. And the news is especially bad for people who hold the highest levels of clearance, which require more rigorous background checks, noted Adams, the computer security expert.
“The higher up you go in your sensitivity levels, the more data that’s in your adjudication file,” he said.
—Alexa Corse contributed research.Please ‘LIKE’ for updates:
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is incredible and I'm thrilled to be part of their exciting plans for next season.
"I don't think there could be a better move for me: to retire from one of the world's best football clubs at the end of the season and then join one of the world's best broadcasters.
"Until that time comes, I'll remain fully focussed on my remaining playing career with Liverpool and I'm looking forward to ending the season with good results."
Incredible
Barney Francis, Managing Director of Sky Sports, added: "Jamie has everything you want in an expert analyst; opinions, experience and incredible knowledge.
"He's hugely respected throughout the game and I know his immense insight on today's players, teams and tactics will make our football coverage even better.
"He joins us fresh from the changing room of one of the world's biggest clubs and will be part of our incredible line-up of football experts, who between them boast 25 League titles, 10 European trophies and over 700 international caps."
Sky Sports' schedule for the 2013/14 season includes 116 fixtures from the Barclays Premier League - three quarters of all live matches and more than ever before.
More than 120 UEFA Champions League fixtures, 75 npower Football League fixtures, the Capital One Cup, over 100 fixtures from La Liga, Clydesdale Bank Premier League, William Hill Scottish Cup and much more.
This year, Sky Sports viewers can enjoy the biggest football season ever as well as The British & Irish Lions Tour, back-to-back Ashes Series, the ICC Champions Trophy, every race live in the F1 season, Super League, US Open and USPGA Golf and Andy Murray defending his US Open title.
Upgrade to Sky Sports and get £5 off your first bill.Earth Mantra #earman083
Format: 256Kbps MP3
Number of tracks: 14
Genres: Ambient, Electronic, Drone, Space Music
Direct URL: earthmantra.com/goldensun
Release Mirror Site: Click Here
Visit This Artist: Click Here
Contact This Artist: Click Here
Download: #1 (277 MB) More Options Help
Some artists seem to have no limits to their talent whatsoever. When Lucette Bourdin released her magnum opus Silver Moon in February of 2009, we at Earth Mantra were so blown away by it that we could not conceive of how she could possibly top herself. Surely, we thought, this is the pinnacle of Lucette Bourdin's music.
Then just a few months later, Lucette asked us to release the sequel to Silver Moon, aptly entitled Golden Sun. A short time after listening to it, we picked ourselves back up off the floor.
Folks, we don't know how she did it, but she has topped herself again. Golden Sun is a two-disc cornucopia of some of the driftiest, loveliest, and most elegant ambient music we have ever heard. Everything there is to love about light ambient music can be heard in this jaw-dropping release, from sweet and subtle ambient washes to clever electronic pulsations, from mesmerizing shamanic sound sculptures to soaring melodic lines. An amazing breadth of music, performed beautifully, and captured in an immaculate recording. If that weren't enough, Lucette's beautiful artwork also adorns this release. Is there anything she cannot do?
We at Earth Mantra listen to a lot of ambient music, and are familiar with the works of thousands of artists at all levels of success and accomplishment. You'll have to trust us when we say there are very few artists, today or at any time, who have had both the sheer ambient chops and the sublime musical taste of Lucette Bourdin. She is clearly one of the best ambient artists active today, and we are ecstatic that she continues to release her breathtaking music through Earth Mantra.
In the notes for Silver Moon, we said that it was "sure to be one of the top releases of 2009". We'll go one better with Golden Sun and say this is quite possibly THE top release of 2009. Nothing less than music for the ages. All Earth Mantra releases are available under the Creative Commons Attribution - NonCommercial - NoDerivs 3.0 Unported license. For commercial use, please contact us.WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—Education Secretary Betsy DeVos criticized the media on Friday for placing so much emphasis on Donald Trump’s first hundred days, because “it’s so darn hard to count to a hundred.”
“I’m watching the news and they’re going on about a hundred days this and a hundred days that, and all I want to say is, ‘Who the heck can count all the way to a hundred?’ ” she said. “They’re acting like we’re a bunch of math geniuses.”
DeVos added that, if the media wanted to establish a benchmark for Trump’s achievement, “they should have picked a number of days that people can actually count to, like five or ten.”
The Education Secretary then demonstrated how it was possible to count to ten using one’s hands.
Despite the media’s obsession with “ridiculously big numbers,” DeVos said she has no intention of trying to count to a hundred.
“I have an important job and the last thing I need is to do something that makes my head hurt,” she said.Nova Scotia Power heads into a potentially contentious regulatory hearing Monday over its business dealings with fellow Emera subsidiaries.
At issue is whether Nova Scotia Power is looking for the lowest price for ratepayers or looking to maximize profits for the affiliated company.
Consultants for the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board have delivered a damning verdict in an audit of NSP's compliance with the affiliate code of conduct.
The code is intended to ensure NSP does not slip inside information to affiliates that is unavailable to third-party bidders. In a review spanning 2015 and 2016, NorthStar Consulting Group concluded NSP violated the code repeatedly.
"NS Power did not comply with a number of the Code Protocols," the NorthStar report said. "This was often apparent when reviewing documentation supporting affiliate transactions, the lack of separation of NS Power's organization from its affiliates, and the refusal to provide information related to corporate governance."
Nova Scotia Power denial
In an statement filed ahead of the hearing, NSP president and CEO Karen Hutt fought back against the NorthStar audit.
NSP president and CEO Karen Hutt fought back against the NorthStar audit in a statement filed before the hearing. (CBC)
Hutt said it was "disheartening" that NorthStar claimed "NS Power wishes to maintain the current state of affiliate relationships and transactions unencumbered by regulatory oversight."
"I want to assure this Board that this is simply not true," Hutt said in her statement.
Contract in detail
NorthStar says NSP could not demonstrate that the required analyses preceded the majority of NSP transactions with affiliates.
The auditors highlighted one affiliate contract where NSP selected Emera Utility Services to test 10,000 to 45,000 transformers.
The audit revealed:
"Broad, unrestricted" communication between NSP and Emera Utility Services sharing commercially sensitive information.
Overpayment for agreed costs.
Failure to analyze alternatives.
The final bill exceeded NSP's in-house estimate.
The dollar values were blacked out in the audit.
In her statement, Hutt said affiliate transactions provide value to NSP customers.
"When we engage in transactions with an affiliate, or any other company, we choose the option that delivers the best value to customers," Hutt says.
Same bosses run the company
The audit spells out the intertwining management between NSP and the parent company.
The chair of NSP is supposed to be an "independent director."
The NorthStar audit points to intertwining management between NSP and Emera. (Jonathan Villeneuve/Radio-Canada)
Emera chief operating officer Scott Balfour was appointed chair of the NSP board in May 2016. He is also chair of the board of Emera Maine, Emera NB and Emera Utility Services.
The Emera chief financial officer also fulfils that role for NSP.
The Emera corporate secretary is also the NSP corporate secretary.
The Emera vice-president of finance is also the NSP vice-president of finance.
The Emera chief human resources officer is also the NSP chief human resources officer.
The Emera chief legal officer is also the NSP chief legal officer.
Findings are 'concerning'
In a pre-filed statement, the consumer advocate representing NSP residential customers said he was worried about how much the utility spent on affiliate transactions in 2016.
"The findings are very concerning," said Bill Mahody, the consumer advocated representing NSP residential customers.
"The findings are the result of a significant amount of work by the auditors and a number of recommendations have been made by the auditor for improvements," Mahody told CBC News.
NSP claims good governance
NSP's Hutt defends the company's corporate structure, saying it is consistent with the code and practices of other utilities.
She also defended the role of Emera.
"Emera is a nationally recognized leader in corporate governance and NS Power is proud to be part of a broader organization that takes governance so seriously."President Donald Trump is "pro-life," or anti-choice, as per his own words and actions on many occasions. And Mike Pence is reaffirming the Trump administration's anti-reproductive rights stance. That's right, Trump's vice president will speak on Jan. 27 at the March for Life, an annual anti-abortion march in Washington, D.C.
Pence will be the first vice president or president to speak at the March, though former President George W. Bush called into the March in 2008, and President Ronald Reagan made a video for the March in 1988, the Washington Post reported. And Pence won't be the only member of the Trump administration to speak at the event; Kellyanne Conway, Trump's counselor, is also on the list of March speakers.
March for Life's president, Jeanna Mancini, told NBC News that Pence has been "a friend and champion of the pro-life cause his entire career." And she's not wrong. As Indiana's governor, Pence passed what he called a "comprehensive pro-life measure" that barred people from seeking abortions because of fetal abnormalities, such as disabilities, CNN reported. Even worse, Pence's bill further discouraged doctors from performing abortions, as they could be held liable for "wrongful death" if an investigation found they had aborted a baby based on its race, disability, or gender, according to the International Business Times.
When it comes to Planned Parenthood, Pence has made it clear on several occasions that he is aligned with the Trump administration's goals of defunding the organization. "If Planned Parenthood wants to be involved in providing counseling services and HIV testing, they ought not to be in the business of providing abortions," he told Politico in 2011. "As long as they aspire to do that, I'll be after them." And come after Planned Parenthood he has. By 2014, Indiana had cut Planned Parenthood's funding to half of its 2005 levels, the International Business Times reported.
Pence, a self-described evangelical Christian, can't seem to understand the concept of the separation of church and state. Just because he himself is opposed to abortion for religious reasons, it doesn't mean he should be able to outlaw abortion for everyone else. This is especially true, since he and Trump have discussed expanding "religious freedom" with evangelical leaders, Vox reported. And expanding religious freedom for one group shouldn't mean taking away another group's beliefs in reproductive freedom. After all, people who are morally or religiously opposed to abortions aren't being forced to get one. But if the Trump administration succeeds in outlawing abortion, all women will likely be forced to carry their pregnancies to term.
Trump seems pretty certain that more people will show up to Friday's March for Life than people did for the Women's March on Washington. During a Philadelphia retreat, the president allegedly told Republican members of Congress that "the press never gives [the March for Life] the credit they deserve," Politico reported. "They'll have 300, 400, 500, 600,000 people. You won't even read about it."
Clearly Trump is wrong about the press not covering the March for Life; plenty of news outlets have already published Trump's and Pence's comments on the event. And hopefully he's wrong about the number of people who show up to the March for Life, because our reproductive rights are at stake.The TCG Meta Snapshot is a project by some of the writers at YGOPRODeck that aims to encapsulate the state of the meta for a given 1-2 week period. The TCG Meta Snapshot also aims to rank decks in a somewhat looser tier system than the ones used on Pojo. The tiers that we will use are as follows:
Tier 1: Highly Competitive Meta Decks. 10% or more of tops, as ranked by Pojo. This will roughly correspond to Pojo’s Tier 1, with some overlap into Pojo’s Tier 2.
Tier 2: Semi-Competitive Meta Decks. Less than 10% of tops, as ranked by Pojo. Corresponds to the rest of Pojo’s Tier 2, Pojo’s Tier 3, and Rogue.
Tier 3: Semi-Competitive non-Meta/Rogue decks. 1-2 tops. Specifically includes decks that top small events or get lower rankings at medium events. Can also include decks that can potentially top but have not yet in a given format.
Tier 4: Casually Competitive non-meta decks. Decks that can compete at the locals level, but cannot top an event.
Archetype Explanation
SPYRAL is an archetype that premiered in The Dark Illusion TCG set of August 2016. There are 2 sub-archetypes within the SPYRAL archetype that are specific to some cards such as SPYRAL GEAR and SPYRAL MISSION categories. The name itself contains the word “Spy” and seems to be a play on the word “Spiral” combining the two as the appearance of cards is very reminiscent for that of the James Bond and Metal Gear series. The deck has surged in popularity because of the release of a powerful new Link monster, SPYRAL Double Helix. Due to key cards having soft OPT effects to generate large card advantage, the deck is capable of building large oppressive boards along with various protection mechanics.
Tier Ranking
SPYRALs were previously the undisputed “Tier 0” deck of the format due to its representation. Nearly all of the top placements played this deck, showcasing that any other deck fell short in terms of power and consistency in comparison. There was a recent banlist effective November 6th limiting 4 cards all of which were played in the SPYRAL deck: SPYRAL Quik-Fix, SPYRAL GEAR – Drone, Blackwing – Gofu the Vague Shadow, and Set Rotation. A lot of people perceived the deck to be dead due to its famous combo being one of the first 2 SPYRAL cards and using Machine Duplication on them. The new changes made Machine Duplication not even possible in terms of having targets. There were a few events which predicted that SPYRALs would be here to stay as events such as ARG St. Louis which used the new banlist several days before it was officially put into effect with SPYRALs being represented in 7 out of the top 16 decks.
Other events would see SPYRALs topping there as well but it wasn’t until YCS San Diego that the deck’s continued dominance was reaffirmed. This would be one of the largest events to fully see how the meta will fare with such a large sample size and SPYRALs made a statement that they were here to stay in the meta. SPYRAL was the deck that won the overall event and was the most represented deck in Top 32, Top 16, and Top 8 cuts. YCS Prague further reinforced with SPYRAL getting more than half of the Top 32 spots as well as 3 out of the Top 4 spots. It’s definitely not a SPYRAL or die format in which SPYRAL is oppressively forcing themselves onto everyone’s play mat, but if you’re wondering what the “best deck” of the format is the numbers point to SPYRAL.
Decklists
SPYRAL Tough is the centerpiece tech of this deck, especially considering it is run at 3 copies. This card is probably one of the most questionable cards run in the deck as everything else was fairly standard in comparison to the other SPYRAL decks. Watching the Deck Profile in which Faisal was asked about it, he starts off with by mentioning its use in the grind game and that it helps play around cards that the rest of the deck would normally lose to. Tough is not a hard OPT effect clause like Super Agent meaning that it can be used even after being summoned with cards like Big Red and Double Helix.
Faisal opted not to play Foolish Burial Goods and SPYRAL MISSION – Assault along with D.D. Crow which is used for the combo to build a board utilizing Tri-Gate Wizard. Listening to his Extra Deck choices and post-match interviews, he stated that he opted not play Goods as it is essentially just to have Assault which is a bad card to draw. Drawing both Goods and Assault makes both cards essentially useless. Goods can also negated by Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring and Assault can be hit by Maxx “C” upon activation.
He also chose to play 3 copies of SPYRAL Double Helix which attests to the overall playstyle of maintaining pure card advantage over his opponent. Watching his feature matches you can see this methodology come into effect such as searching SPYRAL GEAR – Utility Wire fairly early. This allowed him to set it as a form of disruption that if timed carefully could be a critical point of disruption.
This is a build that aligns a little more closely with the standard SPYRAL builds that build a board around Tri-Gate Wizard. This SPYRAL core of 8 is fairly streamlined to facilitate the combo with the only 3 of being Super Agent as he is the only card that can innately Special Summon itself and it is a Level 4 allowing for access to Number 41: Bagooska the Terribly Tired Tapir. The main tech card for this deck is PSY-Framegear Gamma which works as a preventative measure against other handtraps (while you have no monsters on the field) and it can even be used offensively to negate a monster effect, destroying the potential body it would leave behind. He also has Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier by synchroing the Gamma package along with a level 1 SPYRAL.
He is also running 2 copies of Goods and main decks Raigeki and Dark Hole. There’s also a higher amount of trap cards main decked compared to other SPYRAL variants with 3 copies of Rescue and an Imperial Order. His side deck consists of 3 copies of Droll & Lock Bird, Artifact Lancea, Ghost Reaper & Winter Cherries, Dimensional Barrier, and Evenly Matched, each which has its distinctive role in terms of being sided into. The thing that stuck out the most of this build is the choice of main decking power cards for going both 1st and 2nd, giving the deck a balance of options no matter which way the dice roll ended up going.
http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHAo1VQ-NW0
This is another deck build that utilizes multiple main decked SPYRAL Tough. His personal preference on the ratio for Tough is 2, but he even mentions it as the “MVP” of the deck showcasing its importance to the overall strategy. Another tech that was highlighted is Glow-Up Bulb which was utilized much more prior to the release of Circuit Break. The inclusion of Glow-Up Bulb gives easy access to Naturia Beast which can shut out a lot of the major decks in the meta right now, including the mirror match, Trickstars, and most especially Pendulum Magicians.
He ran only 2 Double Summons and 1 Goods/Assault which was surprising but the overall theme of these deck profiles is to move towards techs that allow the players to have more plans and decisions trees instead relying solely on a single combo. The 2nd copy of Big Red is echoed in Faisal’s build which speaks towards the mentality of playing through multiple turns of hand traps. Only 1 copy of Rescue was played, but if he’s expecting to be stopped by a hand trap before getting to Quik Fix then multiple Rescues can causes dead cards in hand.
For a decklist that isn’t from YCS San Diego, we have Andres Espinosa’s 1st place regional list. This was still within the new ban list changes and you’ll notice a common occurrence of the inclusion of SPYRAL Tough and 2 copies of Goods which puts a lower emphasis on consistently trying to have Assault in GY. As the modified format carries on, the topping SPYRAL builds are solidifying in terms of which techs help to advance the deck’s game plan the most.
These ratios are essentially “tried and true” which lessens overall creativity for the deck, but the few tech cards that will be played in anticipation of these cookie cutter builds will shine even more for the analytical players who can make correct meta calls. The big tech choice that is notable in this list in particular is Spell Shattering Arrow in the side deck. This can be particularly brutal in the mirror match when chained onto SPYRAL Sleeper as it will destroy Last Resort, causing the opponent to blow out their own board. It also has further usage in the Pendulum Magician matchup, making it a good side deck choice overall, especially when going second.
Tech Choices
SPYRAL Tough
Tough is less of a tech and is shaping up to be more of a staple inclusion in SPYRAL decks. This is because of its ability to break boards going second as well as provide an alternative method of looking at the opponent’s top card when Drone isn’t available. Perhaps most importantly, Tough’s effect is also not a hard once per turn. This means that multiply copies of Tough are not necessarily considered a brick as long as they can all be summoned out.
Tough outs a lot of cards that the rest of the deck may struggle against. He counts as a Super Agent on the field and in GY allowing it to have natural synergies with the other cards in the archetype that support Super Agent. The overall idea of building decks to have a stronger presence when going second is highlighted in Tough’s ability.
Foolish Burial Goods/Assault
In addition to Double Summon, playing a card such as Foolish Burial Goods will allow you to send SPYRAL MISSION – Assault to the GY which can help you SS a SPYRAL card in hand. This helps in facilitating the standard SPYRAL combos. The issue of this package is that it requires not having Assault in hand as drawing it will result in the “Garnet” effect, making Goods far less potent. The only real backup target for Goods is SPYRAL Mission Rescue, but unless multiple copies of that card are run, it is often best saved for a search by Master Plan. I’ve had to use Goods on another copy of Goods just to deck thin since there was no other way I would have wanted to use Goods and top decking it was disappointing to say the least.
PSY-Frame Gamma
The hand trap that can stop other hand traps with the caveat that you have no monsters on your field. This can be played around if your opponent waits until a monster is summoned so that they will not have their own hand traps negated, but while you have an empty board it means that everything you do is fair game. This card can also be used offensively when going second, because at any time it is possible to negate and destroy a monster, providing a combination of the disruption from both Ghost Ogre and Ash Blossom.
Gamma also comes with the benefit of summoning out 2 monsters on board which can provide defense on the opponent’s turn or make a level 8 Synchro if used on your own turn. These monsters will unfortunately be banished during the End Phase making the other 2 copies of Gamma dead, but cards such as Pot of Acquisitiveness help to alleviate this. Specific to the Trickstar matchup, it is also possible to play PSY-Framegear Epsilon which works the same as Gamma but for trap cards. This can serve as a potent counter to Trickstar Reincarnation.
The main drawback to running Gamma, however, is that it requires you run a completely dead card on top of not being usable at all times like most other popular hand traps.
Lyrilusc – Recital Starling
This card is a rank 1 Xyz that is able to search a Level 1 Winged-Beast monster, this search normally being for D.D. Crow. Crow is used as one of the layers of disruption in the extensive Tri-Gate Wizard combo. However, if one opts not to go this route the other options such as Sylvan Princessprite and Dullahan are overall stronger picks and this also leaves a main deck card slot open for a stronger handtrap than Crow. Recital Starling offers little past turn 1 and even less so if you hard draw into Crow already. With an Extra Deck that is relatively tight, this is a card that has mixed opinions on whether it should stay or be cut.
Destrudo, the Lost Dragon’s Frisson
More commonly used with Set Rotation and Dragon Ravine, it can still be played standalone now that Set Rotation is far less consistent. This card ensures a Level 7 Synchro monster such as Ancient Fairy Dragon or Black Rose Dragon. It can be Special Summoned from the GY or hand and, while it is a hefty cost (half your LP), it can be worth it to build a formidable board. Destrudo going into an Ancient Fairy Dragon can help create a decent board that could end with a Sleeper Resort setup, primarily due to Ancient Fairy’s Dragon’s ability to both search a new Field Spell and to Special Summon from the hand. However, because a lot of SPYRAL decks still run D.D. Crow, relying on Destrudo can be a mistake if it gets banished, causing a severe loss in Life Points for no real gain.
Matchups
SPYRAL
The mirror match can be quite grindy because handtraps are a major weakness for SPYRALs. It can be very hard for them to build up any type of board if they are constantly stopped by the various hand traps. Playing at top tier competitive events, it can be expected to see a lot of SPYRAL mirror matches because it is the favored deck of the format. The card that probably hurts this deck the most is Droll & Lock Bird because of the fact that it lingers for the entire turn and the SPYRAL deck thrives on all of its repeated searches. The other hand traps such as Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring and Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit should be used upon SPYRAL Double Helix’s effect activation to optimally cripple the SPYRAL player. Any later may be too late and any earlier can be possibly played around depending on the SPYRAL player’s hand.
Ghost Reaper & Winter Cherries can also be used to hit SPYRAL Double Helix which forces the SPYRAL player to have to build a board without this card. Popular side deck packages are the Artifacts (Artifact Sanctum, Artifact Scythe, Artifact Lancea) and Kaijus (Interrupted Kaiju Slumber, choice of Kaijus). Sanctum summons either Scythe which shuts off the Extra Deck for a turn or Lancea which is primarily used as a counter to Evenly Matched. Multiple Sanctums can also be used with only singular copies of each Artifact as SPYRAL Resort shuffles back in the Artifact monsters. When calling blind for a SPYRAL effect, I would recommend Spell due to the large Spell count throughout the deck for consistency.
Pendulum Magicians
Pend Magicians are generally a good matchup for SPYRALs because of the fact that they don’t main deck a lot of hand traps as they cannot afford to draw into multiple of them. 2 scales must be set and then monsters to Pendulum summon out which can be lackluster if there are not a lot in hand to facilitate this. Time Pendulumgraph is probably their most threatening card and thus most important card to bait out. This can be hard when you have less resources due to an Omega hand rip or are forced to play under Bagooska.
You could utilize SPYRAL Super Agent as a way to out this Time Pendulumgraph, but the only effective way to out Bagooska outside of a board wipe is to make a stronger Link monster. When calling blind for a SPYRAL effect, I would recommend Monster due to the fact that almost 3 quarters of a stnadard Pendulum Magician build being made up of monsters. When siding, take out the cards such as D.D. Crow as it is lackluster due to the fact that Pend Magis don’t use the GY as a secondary Resource.
There are obvious cards which can be very effective against Pend Magis such as Imperial Order, Anti-Spell Fragrance, and Unending Nightmare. However, the most important blow-out card in the matchup is often Evenly Matched. This card can be especially deadly because of the fact that the nature of scales requires the Pendulum player to keep a relatively high number of cards on the board. This is compounded by the fact that the deck has a hard time running too large of a side deck engine to out Evenly Matched, meaning it will often successfully resolve.
Trickstar
Trickstar is said to have a great matchup against SPYRALs because of their ability to have so many handtraps since they rely on a small in archetype engine that can be kickstarted off of 1 card. Their matchup is also stronger due to the ability of Trickstar Reincarnation to banish the many key 1-of cards that the deck runs. Going first they can also potentially use the Droll Lock combo on you, leaving you with 0 cards in hand. Even if they don’t use this, they will stop you from getting very far with your board by using handtraps.
PSY-Frame Gamma can be used to hold them off of using Droll & Lock Bird, but they will play around the card if they know that you have it. Luckily, Trickstar’s weakness is in amassing a board presence in which they have to use cards such as Scapegoat and Blackwing – Gofu the Vague Shadow to Link up into more formidable boss monsters. When calling blind for a SPYRAL effect, I would recommend Monster due to the large Monster count to account for handtraps.As we frequently like to point out here at The Atlantic, going to college is perhaps the single best financial decision a young adult can make. But there's a catch: you have to graduate. If not, the costs can easily swamp the benefits.
And that is one of the most important reasons why, in many ways, America's higher education system does more to deepen class divisions than it does to bridge them. Because the truth is that compared to their richer classmates, low-income students have only a faint hope of ever graduating from college if they even get there.
The two graphs below, from a recent report by Third Way, and based on major longitudinal studies of American youth, show how wide that gulf is. The blue dotted line tracks the youngest Baby Boomers, while the red line looks at the oldest Millennials. First, note that between the generations, the rich-poor attendance gap grew from 39 percentage points to 51 percentage points.
But graduation rates are perhaps even more appalling. Just 9 percent of students from the poorest families complete a degree -- meaning less than a third who ever enroll make it to commencement. By comparison, 54 percent of the most wealthy students earn a diploma, meaning they have about a two-thirds success rate.
Poor preparation may play a role here, but so do finances. Many low income students attempt to work their way through school without debt, which puts them at a greater risk of dropping out. Others find themselves financially overwhelmed even with the help of loans. Bottom line: For Americans of a certain class, college is a basic rite of passage. For many more, it's a roll of the dice.2016 has been absolutely brutal with the amount of talented musician deaths and we sadly have another to report as former Megadeth drummer Nick Menza has passed away at the age of 51.
According to reports, Menza was performing with the band OHM at the Baked Potato in Studio City, Calif. Saturday night (May 21) when he reportedly collapsed. Two patrons attempted to perform CPR until emergency personnel arrived and attempted to revive him.
The Baked Potato Facebook page simply posted, "RIP Nick Menza," while Menza's own Facebook page shared a comment from friend Allen Hall who offered the following confirmation :
We lost an amazing talent and fantastic person yesterday. Nick Menza was the nicest and most sincere guy you should ever hope to meet. He would take the shirt off his back to help you if you needed it. He had a passion for artwork, not just metal music. His tastes were far wider than that genre. He was a painter, a sculptor, a wood carver, a digital artist, a musician, a handicraftsman of metal and wood. He had an amazing creative talent, a flare for the fringes and a great imagination. I enjoyed the many projects we had where he needed advice on how to manufacture something, or glue it, or plate it. We made a good team, his artful talents and my practical knowledge on making things. Last week we had decided to start full production of 40 cajone drums per week, his talents here were extraordinary and we had discussed that this might be his true calling, a marriage of music, wood and hand carved art. I am sure it would have been a success. He liked to spin me up over conspiracy theories and aliens on purpose, just so he could get a rise out of me arguing that it was nonsense. He was someone who made hanging out quality time all the time. He used to get pissed at me when i would bring loud or shocking toys over for his kids when they visited, though he shared an equal enthusiasm with his kids for the Tesla coils I brought over. We used to sit around and think of crazy things to film and put on youtube. Things like alien conspiracy and such just for laughs. We made a fake UFO video once using after effects for fun and were shocked that it had such an enthusiastic following. So we let the story fly and were planning a follow on video of him being abducted. I wish we had found the time to do that, It would have been hilarious. Nick, you were taken too soon, it must have been a mistake, the world was a better place with you in it. I will miss you dearly my friend. Nicholas and Dante will miss you far worse. My heart goes out to your family.
After learning the news, Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine tweeted the following:
Menza began his career at the age of 18 drumming in the band Rhoads that featured Randy Rhoads brother Kelle on vocals. After working as a session musician for a bit, Menza answered the call in 1989 when Megadeth needed a new drummer. He remained with the band through 1998 and returned briefly in 2004. During his tenure with Megadeth, he appeared on the albums Rust in Peace, Countdown to Extinction, Youthanasia, Nativity in Black, Hidden Treasures and Cryptic Writings. There had been discussion of Menza returning to Megadeth prior to the release of the band's Dystopia album, but ultimately Megadeth went another direction. He also recorded on albums with fellow former Megadeth member Marty Friedman, issued a self-titled disc and performed with Memorain.
Our condolences to Menza's family and to his extended musical family.
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(Must provide own tent and chairs )WACO, Texas -- Baylor assistant football coaches will be off-limits to the media this fall, a change that comes in the wake of a scandal that led to the departure of coach Art Briles while his staff remained intact.
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Tomasz Klimczak, Maciej Bedrejczuk, Marcin Wernik and Maciej Janczar simul-climb on the upper section of the Polish Couloir (ED2, M7- AI5 90 degrees, 1500m) on the Ogre. After three days of mixed climbing, ice climbing and dry-tooling, the four men retreated from a notch below the unclimbed summit. [Photo] Tagas Expedition 2015
The Tagas Mountains, a small subrange of the Masherbrum Mountains south of K6 (7282m) in Pakistan's Karakoram region, has been off limits to alpinists for years. The Pakistani military, which had skirmishes with India in 2013 and 2014 over a disputed border, restricted access to the area. In 2015, however, four members of the Polish National Alpinism Team—Tomasz Klimczak, Maciej Bedrejczuk, Marcin Wernik and Maciej Janczar—received a permit to be the first expedition to climb in the area. The climbers ascended three rocky peaks above two arms of the Lachit Valley during a month-long visit in September. They completed first ascents of two unclimbed mountains and a new route to a saddle on another they called The Ogre, but failed to reach its pointed summit.
The team traveled past the tiny village of Lachit and then northwest up Lachit Valley, a deep valley twelve miles south of K6 (7282m), to a base camp below a moraine at 4000 meters. After acclimatizing, they ascended a pointed granite peak, dubbed Goat Peak (4991m), west of their camp.
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The team climbed steep ice gullies to the summit ridge of Dream Walker Peak (5809m) on the first ascent of their route Rolling (D)Ice (ED1/2 M5 AI5 80 degrees, 1450m). [Photo] Tagas Expedition 2015
The next objective was another unclimbed 5809-meter peak above base camp. On the first attempt, they climbed a glacier to a bivouac below the upper face but retreated the next morning because of avalanche danger. They tried again on September 4, climbing past the bivy spot and then simul-climbing 300 meters up ice slopes. Above, they worked up rock and ice gullies for ten pitches until nightfall. After two more pitches, they made an unplanned bivy at 5600 meters on a small ledge atop a rock buttress.
Snow fell that night from 2 a.m. until dawn, but the climbers, despite bad weather and a lack of sleep, continued up. Three more pitches, including the AI5 crux ice pitch up unprotected 15mm-thick ice, led to the narrow summit ridge. The four simul-climbed the ridge to the summit of what they later called Dream Walker Peak, reaching the top at 3 p.m. in thick fog. They started the descent in late afternoon, making 14 rappels in darkness from ice threads and piton anchors in constant snow and spindrift while "chilled to the marrow and exhausted," Klimczak said. The team reached their tents on the glacier at 2:30 a.m. The route was named Rolling (D)Ice (ED1/2 M5 AI5 80 degrees, 1450m).
The Tagas Expedition climbed 16 pitches up the new route Rolling (D)Ice over two days in early September on the first ascent of Dream Walker Peak in the previously restricted Tagas Mountains. [Photo] Tagas Expedition 2015
The team moved camp to another arm of the Lachit Valley a couple days later, planning to attempt several peaks. After scouting lines, they decided to attempt an imposing face with airy ridges and a sharp summit that they called the Ogre. The chosen line followed a couloir up the northeast face. After a bad weather spell, the team left base camp on September 18 and climbed to a higher camp below the face with four days of supplies.
The team climbed the steep Polish Couloir (ED2, M7- AI5 90 degree, 1500m) on the unclimbed Ogre over three days, ending at a high notch below the summit. After receiving an updated poor weather forecast from base camp, the climbers retreated, making 27 rappels back down the route. [Photo] Tagas Expedition 2015
On the first day, the four men simul-climbed 150 meters up the couloir, then roped up for nine steep ice pitches interrupted by another simul-climbing section to a bivy on snow. On day two they climbed 450 meters up the couloir on steep M5 terrain to another ice ledge bivy. The third day brought hard climbing up steep ice, an overhanging chimney, and M7 dry-tooling to a notch at 6004 meters. A rocky ridge headed north to the Ogre's summit but it was already late afternoon and the weather appeared ominous.
After checking the forecast, they decided to retreat, reaching the top bivouac late that night. The next day they rappelled down the couloir, reaching their tents at advanced base camp in the late afternoon on September 22. They named the route the Polish Couloir (ED2, M7 AI5 90 degrees, 1500m).
Pawel Petryna
Tagas Explored, a film of the Polish expedition by Pawel Petryna, will be released later this month.
Sources: Tomasz Klimczak, Planet Mountain, Google Earth
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advertisementRyan Kesler booked 25:29 of ice time on Monday night against the San Jose Sharks.
The line would make sense if it was early May, when the Vancouver Canucks were trounced in four straight by the San Jose Sharks. It seems to make a lot less sense when the line in fact comes from Monday night, when the Sharks beat the Canucks in the first preseason game of the year, a tilt with little meaning. San Jose's best player dressed Monday, Joe Pavelski, played 17:15.
It appeared foolish, to load such minutes on Kesler's shoulders, with worries of his durability over a long winter, including the Olympics.
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The Alain Vigneault era in Vancouver was characterized by a careful style. One manifestation was the amount of ice time players received. Vigneault would resist leaning too heavily on his best, knowing the toll the season and travel takes on the Canucks more so than others in the league.
Henrik Sedin, for one, has never averaged 20 minutes a night during his career. He peaked at 19:41 in 2009-10 and his 19:20 last year was typical of his time under Vigneault.
John Tortorella has other ideas. He is big on rest and recovery but sees physical convalescence occurring with days off – he promised the Canucks the most of any team in the league. Tortorella's skeptical that limiting in-game minutes keeps bodies fresh.
"I'm not a big believer in, 'Holy crap, he played 26 minutes, does he have anything left for Wednesday?' I don't buy it," said Tortorella on Tuesday in Vancouver after practice.
Tortorella cited the urgency of now in terms of player deployment.
"I want to win that game. I want to win Game 2, I'm not looking to Game 5. So if Sedin or Kes needs to be on the ice in those situations, in that third period and play 12 minutes of that third period, they will play the 12 minutes of that third period to try to win that game."
Henrik Sedin, afterwards, said he was poised for the extra duty. He and his brother had lobbied Vigneault for additional time, such as on the penalty kill, which they never played and are set to under Tortorella. Sedin, in his quiet, modest way, spoke of a hunger to show the league he and his brother are still top-tier players, able to drive scoring and contribute defensively.
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"We're capable," said Sedin, "of playing more than the minutes we did with AV."Democratic National Committee documents leaked by a hacker Tuesday reveal that Hillary Clinton’s requirements to give a speech included a private flight and a luxurious presidential hotel suite.
One of the documents leaked is a form filled out by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Foundation for the Harry Walker Agency. The Harry Walker Agency is a speaker’s bureau, which represented Hillary Clinton. On top of the $225,000 fee for her 20 minute speech, the agency gave the UNLV Foundation “standard travel expenses” for Clinton.
This “include[s] a chartered roundtrip private air transportation (e.g., a Gulfstream 450 or larger jet), which must be paid in advance of the event. The host will also need to pay for roundtrip business class airfare to and from the event city for two (2) advance staffers who will arrive in the city of the engagement up to three (3) business days prior to the event,” the document reads.
“The host is responsible for hotel accommodations at a hotel identified by Speaker’s staff. Accommodations should include a presidential suite for the Speaker and up to three (3) adjoining or contiguous single rooms for her travel aides and up to two (2) additional single rooms for the advance staff. The host is responsible for all ground transportation for the Speaker, her travel aides and the advance staff while they are in the city of the engagement, as well as all phone charges/cell phones and meals during their stay.”
Hosts for a Hillary Clinton speech are also “responsible for a $500 flat payment to reimburse the lead travel aide for out-of-pocket travel expenses. The host will be responsible for a flat fee of $1,000 for the services of the onsite stenographer who will be responsible for creating an immediate transcript of Secretary Clinton’s remarks.”
The Harry Walker Agency wrote that, “we will be unable to share a copy of the transcript following the event.”Unless you’ve just arrived in 2009 on a time machine, you know that smoking isn’t good for you. Did you know, that smoking isn’t good for your computer, either? It’s true, at least according to Apple. Two readers in different parts of the country claim that their Applecare warranties were voided due to secondhand smoke. Both readers appealed their cases up to the office of God Steve Jobs himself. Both lost.
Back in April, Derek copied us on his e-mail to Jobs:
I took my mid 2007 apple macbook (black) into the Jordan Creek Apple Store in West Des Moines, Iowa, on Saturday, April 25th, because I had been experiencing some issues with it overheating, and figured the fan was bad. After some initial testing, they took the computer in for work under my Applecare plan, which has over a year remaining on it. Today, April, 28, 2008, the Apple store called and informed me that due to the computer having been used in a house where there was smoking, that has voided the warranty and they refuse to work on the machine, due to “health risks of second hand smoke”. Not only is this faulty science, attributing non smoking residue to second hand smoke, on Chad’s part, no where in your applecare terms of service can I find anything mentioning being used in a smoking environment as voiding the warranty.
Jobs’ office did not help Derek, but he resolved some of the problems himself by disassembling his Macbook and cleaning it out with a can of compressed air.
A few months later, reader Ruth wrote to us with an identical complaint after trying to have her son’s iMac repaired at a local authorized repair center.
I bought an iMac for my son (for school) along with the extended Applecare warranty. A month ago, it quit working. My son took it to the authorized Mac service center. The “tech” informed him it would be ready in 48-72 hours. Five days go by and he’s heard nothing, so I called. They informed me that his computer can’t be worked on because it’s contaminated. When I asked for an explanation, she said he’s a smoker and it’s contaminated with cigarette smoke which they consider a bio-hazard! I checked my Applecare warranty and it says nothing about not honoring warranties if the owner is a smoker. The Applecare representative said they defer to the technician and my son’s computer cannot be fixed at any Apple Service Center due to being listed a bio-hazard. This computer cost approx. $3,000, with the extended warranty. I’m all for destroying cigarettes and putting big tobacco out of business (yes, I’m a reformed smoker), but to label a computer a biohazard because one is a smoker is going a bit too far in regulating who can have the warranty they purchased honored. Shouldn’t there be some disclaimer stating that they won’t honor warranties from smokers?
Ruth appealed her case to Steve Jobs’s office, which also declined to repair the iMac. In another letter, she wrote:
Dena [from Jobs’ office] did advise me that nicotine is on OSHA’s list of hazardous substances and Apple would not require an employee to repair anything deemed hazardous to their health. However, OSHA also lists calcium carbonate (found in calcium tablets), isopropyl alcohol (used to clean wounds), chlorine (used in swimming pools), hydrogen peroxide (also used to clean wounds), sucrose (a sugar), talc (as in powder), etc… as hazardous substances. … Dena set up an appointment at the same Apple store. They told me that they would take pictures of the computer – both inside and out before determining whether to proceed and that if the only problem was the optical drive, they’d probably just replace it. Dena called me earlier this week to deliver the “bad news.” She said that the computer is beyond economical repair due to tar from cigarette smoke! She said the hard drive is about to fail, the optical drive has failed and it isn’t feasible to repair the computer under the warranty. This computer is less than 2 years old! Only one person in my household smokes – one 21 year old college student. She said that I can get it repaired elsewhere at my expense. I asked why my warranty didn’t cover the repair and was told it’s an OSHA violation.
UPDATE:On Monday, reader Jeniffer wrote in that she has experienced the same problem with her Mac–in the last week.
I own a mac and live in Oklahoma. Recently the burner stopped working.
We have AppleCare so we took it in 2 days ago for repair. We just
recieved a call today stating we needed to come get it because they
are refusing to work on it due to health hazards from second hand
smoke due to OSHA violations.
Consumerist has tried repeatedly to obtain some kind of answer about these two cases from Apple’s media relations department, and we have received nothing on the record after months of waiting. Mostly, we’re curious what the threshold is for smoke damage to a computer, and why this is not mentioned in the Applecare contract.
(Photo: Sutanto Saputro???)Jan 14, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Ben Bishop (30) makes a save with help from Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Ryan Malone (12) against the New York Rangers during the second period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
The Tampa Bay Lightning started out down a goal, but they were able to battle back and defeat the New York Rangers 2-1.
This was the last meeting between these two teams this season. Add in the Lightning’s 5-0 win over the Rangers on November 25th at the Tampa Bay Times Forum, and the Bolts have taken the season series.
Despite what the scoreboard said when the buzzer sounded on the first period, the Lightning really did play a solid first. The Lightning was very aggressive and owned the puck for a good portion of the period.
It wasn’t until 11:55 that the tide would turn in the Rangers’ favor. This is when former Lightning center Brad Richards would fire off a wrist shot that would find its way past Bishop with assists from right wing Ryan Callahan and left wing Carl Hagelin.
The second period is where things got really heated, really quickly.
Just 29 seconds into the 2nd period, the Lightning would get the first power play of the night as Callahan would nail Bishop in the face with his stick, sending him crashing to the ice. Despite arguing his case, Callahan was sent to the box for 2 minutes for High Sticking.
You remember how I have always said that the best revenge is to score? Well, apparently the Tampa Bay Lightning agrees wholeheartedly.
The Bolts would score not one, but two goals with a 9 second period. The first goal, on the Power Play, was scored by defenseman Victor Hedman with the assist of the Captain Martin St. Louis and right wing Teddy Purcell. The second goal was scored by right wing Nikita Kucherov for his 7th goal of the season. The assists on the Kucherov went to defenseman Radko Gudas and right wing J.T. Brown.
The Lightning was solid on the Penalty Kill tonight, killing both of their penalties.
Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop played tonight as if he had never missed a game. Bishop blocked 33 of 34 shots that were brought against him tonight. This gave him a Save Percentage of.971.
Even though they did not get the win tonight, Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist had a pretty fantastic game as well. He stopped 23 of 25 shots brought against him for a Save Percentage of.920.
The team played far better tonight than they did in Columbus last night. The Bolts still struggled with turnovers midway through the first period, but they were able to overcome. The Lightning also did much better in regards to blocking shots.
It looks like Cooper really buckled down and addressed the issues before tonight’s game.
Your Three Stars of the Night:
Next up for the Tampa Bay Lightning, they head home to the Tampa Bay Times Forum to go head-to-head with John Tavares and the New York Islanders on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
What did you think of tonight’s performance? What do you think the Lightning need to take away from tonight’s performance in order to keep the momentum rolling against Islanders? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Be sure to stay up-to-date with all the latest Lightning news and updates with Bolts By the Bay. LIKE us on Facebook at Bolts By The Bay, and you can follow us on Twitter [email protected] a few days after it was announced that Alexander Burmistrov had signed a two-year contract to join Ak-Bars Kazan of the KHL, the Winnipeg Jets have learned that five of their restricted free agents have now filed for salary arbitration.
Blake Wheeler, Bryan Little, Zach Bogosian, Paul Postma and Eric Tangradi have each elected for arbitration before reaching today's 5:00PM EST deadline. The Jets' originally qualified thirteen of their RFA's on July 2, 2013 but have yet to reach new contracts with any of them.
More: NHL Free Agency 2013
Very often, players will sign with their club beforehand -- avoiding arbitration altogether -- as the proceedings can be less than pleasant.
In what was a lockout-shortened regular season, Wheeler finished second on the team in points (41), though he led the team in goals with nineteen. Little (32) and Bogosian (14) placed lower statistically but have both been integral parts to the rebuilding of this franchise thus far. Each are due raises on their current contracts, but it remains to be seen just how sizeable that stipend will be.
Arbitration hearings are set to take place in Toronto, ON between the two week period of July 22, 2013 to August 6, 2013 at which time the team and each player will attempt to settle the contract. Winnipeg still has the opportunity to sign each of the above-mentioned players before the arbitration period is reached.
Very often, players will sign with their club beforehand -- avoiding arbitration altogether -- as the proceedings can be less than pleasant. For example, James Mirtle describes the 2008 case of Washington Capitals defenceman Shaone Morrisonn who was raked over the coals by his General Manager, George McPhee:
"... the Capitals offered several less than flattering assessments of Morrisonn, a stay-at-home defenceman who was fourth on the team in ice time last season. Calling him "one-dimensional," Washington argued that Morrisonn received substantial playing time in 2005-06 and 2006-07 on a weak team as a result of being "at the right place at the right time."
While panic may seem to be setting in for some, this is but yet another piece of the bargaining puzzle known as restricted free agency and is merely a countermeasure to Kevin Cheveldayoff's initial offer-sheet phase. It's highly likely that some of these arbitration-elligible players will have new deals in place before having their day in court and for now all we can do is wait for the other shoe to drop.
We will continue to provide additional information as this story develops. Feel free to voice your opinion in the comments section below.Final Fantasy XIII-2 European pre-order bonuses, limited editions announced
European gets Crystal Edition, Limited Edition, pre-order pack.
Europe will receive two limited edition versions of Final Fantasy XIII-2 come its February 3, 2012 release in the continent. The special editions come in the form of a “Crystal Edition” and “Limited Collector’s Edition.”
Here’s what you’ll get in both:
Crystal Edition – £67.85
Presentation box
4-Disc FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 Original Soundtrack with premium digipak packaging (riginal Soundtrack item for the Crystal Edition does not include the song “New World” performed by Charice. All other background music from the game is included)
Exclusive FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 T-Shirt from the SQUARE ENIX PRODUCTS range. Never to be available elsewhere!
Artwork book “The Art of FINAL FANTASY XIII-2”, featuring artwork across the production
6 collectable postcards, featuring high quality CG artwork of main characters in the game
High Definition Lenticular Artprint, showing an iconic image of Lightning
Limited Collector’s Edition – £36.85
Unique packaging
Composer Selected Soundtrack: CD with selection of music tracks from the game, specially chosen by the composers
Artwork book “The Art of FINAL FANTASY XIII-2”
6 collectible postcards, featuring high quality CG artwork of main characters in the game
High Definition Lenticular Artprint, showing an iconic image of Lightning
Pre-ordering the game at select retailers will guarantee consumers an exclusive pre-order pack, which includes: a steelbook case, the “Fight In Style” downloadable content, which contains the Omega boss fight (recruitable) and new costumes for Serah and Noel, the Final Fantasy XIII -Episode 1- novella, and three lithograph art cards with key images of the game.
View more images of the Limited and Crystal Editions at the gallery.The former L.A. County sheriff's deputy who came up with the name "Operation Pandora's Box" for the scheme to block a federal investigation into civil rights abuses at Men's Central Jail was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison.James Sexton, a former Eagle Scout who earned his master's degree at USC last year, was found guilty of conspiracy and obstruction of justice in September. It was the 30-year old Alabama native's second trial. Jurors in his first trial were "hopelessly deadlocked" - and unable to reach a verdict. Prosecutors decided to retry Sexton after winning convictions against six of his co-defendants in a separate trial.Outside court Monday, Sexton and his attorney Tom O'Brien declined to comment.Prosecutors referred to Sexton as the "least culpable" of those indicted for their roles in the operation to hide inmate-turned-federal informant Anthony Brown from his FBI handlers. Co-conspirators Greg Thompson, Steve Leavins, Gerard Smith, Mickey Manzo, Scott Craig and Maricela Long, were sentenced in September to terms ranging from 21 months to 41 months in prison.Prosecutor Brandon Fox was asked by Eyewitness News what message he hopes the case sends to other law enforcement personnel."That you should cooperate with our federal grand jury investigations. If you don't cooperate with them and you obstruct those investigations, you will be held accountable and you will go to prison," says Fox.Sexton's case was made more complicated and fascinating to courtroom watchers by the fact that he cooperated initially with the FBI and federal prosecutors. He testified before the grand jury twice, provided documents and had 37 "documented contacts" with federal investigators as they put their case together. The FBI provided Sexton with a cell phone so he could communicate with them confidentially. Text messages between Sexton and an FBI agent indicate there was some concern for Sexton's safety as the case unfolded. In an unusual move, Sexton was allowed to keep two of his firearms after his indictment.Defense attorney Tom O'Brien told Judge Percy Anderson in court Monday that Sexton made a "critical mistake" by going along with the scheme, a decision that was out of character for the deputy who'd been on the job for less than three years. O'Brien says Sexton put himself in danger by helping prosecutors with their case."He stepped up and put himself in the crosshairs of being indicted and he was," says O'Brien.Prosecutors countered that Sexton's cooperation "meant nothing at the end of the day" because he did not testify in court against his co-defendants. Court documents suggest that Sexton's "cooperation" fell apart after he was asked twice to wear a wire that might capture conversations between higher-ups in the Sheriff's Department. Sexton's father, a longtime friend of then-Sheriff Lee Baca, was about to start a new job working as Baca's Chief of Homeland Security. Sexton refused to wear the wire."He did come in and talk to us on a number of occasions, but again, he was not a witness for us. He was not helpful to us," says Fox who referred to Sexton in court as "very complicated and complex."Testimony throughout the three trials indicates that Sheriff Lee Baca and Undersheriff Paul Tanaka were regularly briefed about the operation and did not raise any questions about how it was being handled. Defense attorneys argued that all seven of the defendants were merely following orders from their higher-ups, including Baca and Tanaka."I'm not going to comment on who we are going after and who we haven't gone after. As we mentioned in court many times, this is an ongoing investigation," says Fox. "We still have a lot going on. We have not finished our Men's Central Jail investigation."Sexton was one of about a dozen LASD deputies who guarded Anthony Brown over several weeks in the summer and fall of 2011 after Brown was linked to the FBI. Brown, a career criminal awaiting trial for armed robbery, was providing information to the FBI on alleged civil rights abuses inside Men's Central Jail.Brown's name was changed, his records jacket was hidden and computer records were altered to make it appear that Brown had been released from LASD custody. Defense attorneys argued that Brown was moved for his own safety because he'd been outed as a "snitch."Prosecutors used Sexton's own testimony to the grand jury against him. Sexton likened the department's handling of Brown to a "kidnapping," and colorfully described the how they decided to "break out the smoke and mirrors" to keep Brown hidden away.Judge Percy Anderson told Sexton in court Monday that despite his privileged upbringing and a supportive family, he'd lost the ability to distinguish right from wrong. Anderson denounced Sexton for being "totally unrepentant" and "refusing to accept responsibility.""For anybody to take the position that there was no harm to society is just flat-out wrong," says Anderson.Before today's sentencing, attorneys for Sexton filed paperwork asking for a lighter sentence, including letters of support from dozens of friends, family members and former co-workers. Among those writing in support of Sexton were an L.A. County Deputy District Attorney, a retired CIA official, a Captain in the U.S. Special Forces, a Green Beret and the President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.Attorneys also submitted dozens of awards and commendations Sexton received while on the job, including one from LAPD Charlie Beck for Sexton's role in reducing gang violence through his work in the jails.Sexton is expected to surrender to federal prison on or before February 16, 2015.The public beta of Twitter OAuth support has been released and I’m excited to introduce a new library that I’ve been working on called TwitterAuth. TwitterAuth is a Rails plugin that provides a full external authentication stack for Rails applications utilizing Twitter. Think of it as “Twitter Connect” for Rails, letting you create an application that may be logged into using only Twitter credentials.
TwitterAuth supports both OAuth and HTTP Basic (though OAuth is certainly the recommended strategy) giving you maximum flexibility for building the application. Without further ado, let’s get into the installation and usage of TwitterAuth!
Installation
TwitterAuth is available as a GemPlugin, so the preferred way to install it is simply to add it as a dependency in your config/environment.rb :
config.gem 'twitter-auth', :lib => 'twitter_auth' 1 config. gem 'twitter-auth', : lib =& gt ; 'twitter_auth'
You can also choose to install it as a traditional Rails plugin:
script/plugin install git://github.com/mbleigh/twitter-auth.git 1 script / plugin install git : //github.com/mbleigh/twitter-auth.git
Once you’ve installed it, you’re ready to create a new application using TwitterAuth!
The Low-Down
TwitterAuth uses Rails 2.3 Engine support to completely encapsulate the login process within itself. All you need to do is run a generator to make all of the support files necessary in your application. Run it with the --basic option if you want to use HTTP Basic, otherwise it will default to OAuth.
script/generate twitter_auth 1 script / generate twitter_auth
This generates a User class, a migration, and twitter_auth.yml. You will need to edit twitter_auth.yml to match the settings of your application, such as providing the OAuth client token and secret.
Once you’ve migrated, that’s it! You are up and running with Twitter authentication; just point users at /login to start the process (login and registration are handled in a single step). For more detailed usage information including how to access the Twitter API through TwitterAuth, take a look at the README file.
The source for TwitterAuth is available on GitHub. I have also created a Lighthouse Project for the reporting of any bugs you may come across. There is also a basic homepage that will be listing who’s using TwitterAuth.
If you’re pretty familiar with Rails authentication systems (particularly Restful Authentication), this is probably all you need to know to get started. Go forth and make awesome apps! If not, I’ve written a quick run-through of the whole process to make it easy for anyone to get started with Twitter apps.
A Quick Run-Through
I think the best way to show what TwitterAuth is capable of is just to show how quickly you can build a simple Twitter application with it. To that end, let’s build a simple way to look at your friends’ timeline in an old-school text-based way (note, this is a totally useless application but works well for a quick demo). First we need to generate the app:
rails texty-twitter 1 rails texty - twitter
Next we want to install TwitterAuth on the application, so we’ll add this to our config/environment.rb :
config.gem 'twitter-auth', :lib => 'twitter_auth' 1 config. gem 'twitter-auth', : lib =& gt ; 'twitter_auth'
Once we have hooked TwitterAuth into the application, we will want to run the generator to build the support files we need:
script/generate twitter_auth --oauth 1 script / generate twitter_auth -- oauth
Before I start on application logic I always lay out a basic HTML layout. Here it is for this application (in app/views/layouts/master.html.erb ):
<html> <head> <style type='text/css'> ul.tweets { list-style: none; margin: 0; padding: 0; } ul.tweets li { font-family: monospace; font-size: 14px; padding: 4px 8px; } ul.tweets li a { color: #fa0; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; } </style> </head> <body> <%= yield %> </body> </html> 1 & lt ; html & gt ; & lt ; head & gt ; & lt ; style type = 'text/css' & gt ; ul. tweets { list - style : none ; margin : 0 ; padding : 0 ; } ul. tweets li { font - family : monospace ; font - size : 14px ; padding : 4px 8px ; } ul. tweets li a { color : #fa0; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; } </style> </head> <body> <%= yield %> </body> </html>
The next step is to edit config/twitter_auth.yml to reflect our OAuth client key and secret (to register your application log in to Twitter and visit http://twitter.com/oauth_clients). Other than the client key and secret, the defaults are fine for our purposes. We’ve now set up a basic TwitterAuth application; that’s really all there is to it. So now let’s make it a working Twitter application. First let’s generate a controller:
script/generate controller timeline 1 script / generate controller timeline
This will just be a one-action controller that will render out the main timeline for the logged in user in an text-based manner. Here’s the contents of the controller:
class TimelineController < ApplicationController # this requires us to log in through Twitter before accessing any actions here before_filter :login_required def index @tweets = current_user.twitter.get('/statuses/friends_timeline') end end 1 class TimelineController & lt ; ApplicationController # this requires us to log in through Twitter before accessing any actions here before_filter :login_required def index @tweets = current_user.twitter.get('/statuses/friends_timeline') end end
In this action, current_user is the logged in user, and the twitter method provides a simple wrapper around the Twitter REST API that will automatically parse JSON API requests into Ruby hashes for you to use in your application. So current_user.twitter.get('/statuses/friends_timeline') will grab the latest statuses from your friends’ timeline (the main timeline you see when you’re logged in to Twitter) as an array of hashes. Now let’s display the tweets by creating app/views/timeline/index.html.erb :
<ul class='tweets'> <% for tweet in @tweets %> <li><%= link_to tweet['user']['screen_name'] + ':', 'http://twitter.com/' + tweet['user']['screen_name'], :target => '_blank' %> <%= tweet['text'] %></li> <% end %> </ul> 1 & lt ; ul class = 'tweets' & gt ; & lt ; % for tweet in @ tweets % & gt ; & lt ; li & gt ; & lt ; %= link_to tweet [ 'user' ] ['screen_name' ] + ':', 'http://twitter.com/' + tweet [ 'user' ] ['screen_name' ], : target =& gt ; '_blank' % & gt ; & lt ; %= tweet [ 'text' ] % & gt ; & lt ; / li & gt ; & lt ; % end % & gt ; & lt ; / ul & gt ;
This simply goes through each of the tweets we pulled down and adds a list item with a link to the author of the tweet and the content of the tweet. The structure of the hashes are identical to their description in the Return Elements section of the Twitter API wiki.
Finally, we need to add some routing to tie everything together. Make the config/routes.rb look like this:
ActionController::Routing::Routes.draw do |map| map.root :controller =>'stream', :action => 'index' end 1 ActionController :: Routing :: Routes. draw do | map | map. root : controller =& gt ;'stream' |
"this isn't a protest, this is a riot." That they are "not political." That "this is about individuals using the excuse of what happened the first two nights to make sure what happens the third night is worse". That this is "havoc." That this is "criminality pure and simple." That they do not "have the right" to do this. That "no benefit will come in the long term," from "looting a local shop," "setting a bus on fire," or "nicking a mobile phone." Above all, as you, Home Secretary put it, "There is no excuse for violence. There is no excuse for looting." (For a further litany and bestiary of speech, see here.)AndThere are some points of difference, it's true. We don't think "these people" are "apes," rats," "dogs". But we believe that you truly see them that way, and that what happens now is not the reason for your belief: it is merely a confirmation of how you've always thought of those who are definitely more poor and often more brown than you. As for the claim that your error lay in that "we should have helped the IPCC come closer to the Mark Duggan's family more quickly," it seems that you have already helped the police come plenty close to his family, in the worst way possible. One can't really say that it was the delay of the IPCC's approach to the family that is the problem here, can we? Doesn't it have more to do with the fact that he did not shoot at the police who murdered him?Lastly, we disagree that "what we're witnessing now has absolutely nothing to do with" that shooting. And that is the real difference, the tiny crack between us that widens into a yawning gulf, a division that cannot be squared.For we want to understand the world in its historical particularity, how and why it has gotten to be the way that it is, and why that is insupportable. You, however, simply want to make sure that it goes on as long as possible. Regardless of the quality, regardless of the consequences, regardless of anything other than your collected capacity to declare thatBut despite this, you've said much that is entirely correct. Let us, then, begin with where we agree."Political" here would seem to mean "that which has the character of politics" or "that which pertains to the set of concerns and questions addressed by the activity and category called politics." That seems clear enough.What is meant by politics, not in general and always, but when we speak of it now?Politics is the management of the social (i.e. the messy realm that acknowledges that there is not one person but many of them) and its contradictions. It does so through institutional representation of varying scales of involvement, ranging from the fantasy of one-to-one direct democracy to the election of presidents by millions of people. It runs alongside economics, which also bears on, determines, and relies upon the sphere of social existence. The economic order we have - the reproduction of capital - dictates a set of social relations between people and their world, and it understands those people, their time, and their exertion as ato be managed, extracted, tended, and circulated. Economics manages resources, through a set of relations dependent upon the material abstraction that is. Politics manages subjects and their needs, through a set of representations dependent upon the material abstraction that is. One can't think politics without economics and vice versa, although there are periods of time in which one seems more determinant, in the first and last instance, than the other.Given the polices you enact or support, it's hard to imagine you would disagree with this, although you probably don't like the language.To take any account of this era, then, is to understand the rapidly increasing difficulty for either politics or economics to govern, handle, or structure the fact of masses, the fact of the social. This story shows itself most clearly in two ways.First, the utter incapacity to provide adequate employment to an adequate number of people, such that the ranks of those whobe employed swells. This is a structural fact of the way capital develops. This is no accident of bad governance, though there is loads of ineptitude across the ruling board. This is not the fault of a "soft" immigration policy, in which growth rates would somehow have weathered the general collapse of manufacturing profitability for nearly forty years if only Britain could have been kept white, if post-colonial meant that those in the ex-colonies stayed put when the Empire found them too unruly to manage.Second, the slow bleeding, coupled with a recent gutting unprecedented in its severity and rapidity, of the carcass of the welfare state, through attacks on social programs, housing, and pensions. Such that the ranks of those who are employed, but not rich, and those who cannot be employed are further distanced from the means to adequately reproduce their own lives and those of their friends and families. This inability to do so is coupled with the present and vicious face of an old fact: when the poor get poorer, their needs - and desires, that thing always mocked by the upper and middle classes as if wanting something you can't afford means you are a moron - do not have the good grace to disappear. They get more desperate, the zones of the city get more rigorously divided, and the police get rougher.These are the basic axes on which we turn and which hang, deadly, over the heads of the mass. In short, the conditions which ground politics and economics - namely, citizenship and value - and produce the grounding assumption that both areandare in a shuddering, terrified disarray.To say, then, that these riots and this looting are "not political" is to understand something very key indeed. Namely, that politics as it heretofore stands has shown itself, for many years and more clearly than ever, to be utterly inadequate in addressing the concerns and needs of those who barely fall beneath its shadow to start.To mourn this fact is merely to insist, as you do, that "these people" should go back to their parts of the city and to the official channels of complaint, the ones that can be recognized as political, that you can know as such when you see it (even extending as far as a peaceful rally that knows when to go home!). Back to taking impossible shelter beneath a relation that has serves only as a dividing line that keeps them out. Back to. As such, only when they act "not politically" (skipping the mediation of citizenship and representation to appear) does that term even appear, as a negative definition. But you've never understood them "politically." You look the other way and hope that they do the same.But we are in Janus times, albeit ones where the two faces are wrenching their shred head apart in an attempt to spit in the face of the other.Riots are the other side of democracy, when democracy means the capacity and legitimacy to vote into place measures that directly wound the very population they purport to represent.Looting is the other side of credit, when credit entails the desperate scrambling of states and institutions to preserve a good line, cost to those who might borrow that credit be damned.(It is, to be sure, a coincidence that these specific few days have seen at once the riots, the lowering of the US credit rating, and severe turbulence on stock markets. But it is not incidental. Rioting and looting are as old as the economic extraction and political management of populations. In a time in which such extraction and management stop working so well, in whichitself is seized up, how can stopping and seizing not come more to the fore?)And "havoc," that which is being wrought? One of the earlier meanings of the word was not destruction as such (the thing wreaked) but the cry uttered that was the sign and injunction to start plundering. You cry havoc.Havoc, then, is the other side of, which itself meant - and means - both a division of people into classes for the purpose of extracting wealth (taxation) and a calling to arms. Havoc is held off by class and threatens to overwhelm it, the anarchic turn of stealing and laying waste that illuminates, negatively, this other relation, of legal theft and sanctioned destruction of lives and resources.Havoc is the basic criminality of class. Are you surprised to see that it is hard to contain?This is a common rejoinder, and again, it is entirely true. Folded into it is a fully legitimate recognition of the damage and trauma being done, primarily through loss of property, to many who clearly are nowhere near rich, who also scrape to get by, who build up a small life over many years.And for those who would ask us, in hopes of mocking us,we say:We would be furious. We would be devastated. How could we not?Because the point here has nothing to do with "legitimating" violence or with disavowing the shock and horror of those caught in the crossfire. It is that insofar as the very standard of the political collapses, insofar as its basic capacity to adequately capture and express the contradictions of an enormous mass of lives, so too its basic conceptual standards.Above all, the very notion ofwhich is fundamental to the blockage of real attempts to intervene in disastrous situations. The very idea of a cost-benefit analysis. And joined at the hip to economic concepts, the notion of equivalence and equality, such that you could adequate between the suffering and rage of desperately poor teen shat on by the country that mocks, loathes, and criminalizes him and the suffering and trauma of a poor shop-owner whose store was looted, whose capacity to get by is already stretched thin by gentrification-fueled rents, economic downturn.For us to genuinely think beyond the deadly impasse of politics is to reject these forms of evaluation and weighing. To abjure fairness. And instead to say:It is brutal that people are so cut off from access to bare necessities that they have to sell drugs and are consequently jailed for life for doing so.It is brutal that a family watches their home burn because of a riot.It is brutal that police shot first.It is brutal that people need to defend their stores with baseball bats, in fear of losing them.It is brutal that people have to spend their lives working in those stores, in fear of losing them.None of these are mutually exclusive. They are all true. But it is precisely that notion of restricting dissent and struggle to "politics" that performs the operation of grouping them into sides, such that you could balance and weigh them.They are incommensurable. They are also consequences of the same set of relations that make it extraordinarily difficult for much of the world to live.And we are in a time in which such a double condition, of that which cannot be measured and that which cannot be accidental, rules. It rules in the breakdown of sides, of the metric of fairness, in the upsurge in the midst of all that we thought could be clearly divided. It is a scrambling of poles of identity. One doesn't defend a riot. It is not "good" or "bad." A riot is a scrambling of positions of belonging and of judgment.Often, it is an internal dissolution of what might have appeared common lines of class.It involves situations the likes of which we are sure to see more, the turning of the hopelessly poor against the poor-but-just-getting-by, between shop-owners and looters, between workers and rioters, between those breaking the windows and those who clean them, and, internally, between individuals themselves, who cannot always be split into one or the other.This seems the way things are going now and are likely to go more in the coming decade, as the state recedes and regroups, intervenes brutally in explosive moments, but largely leaves both sides of the same poor to fend for themselves and to fight one another. They, and you, will come in only at the end to clean up the mess, take photos with brooms in hand, wring those hands, hope that everyone learned their lesson, and get back to the business of ignoring the legitimate concerns of those who are still there.And of course what happens is terrifying, thrilling, idiotic, sad, staggering, and inevitable. Of course. We never expected anything otherwise. And neither did you.About
Let’s face it. The world contains exactly two types of people - the dummies and the smarties. Watch a random movie trailer or click over to any given TV channel and you’ll find that there are an infinite number of projects dedicated solely to celebrating the idiocy of idiots. Whether it’s shows featuring vapid commentary on video fail compilations or multi-series franchises about wealthy drunks having pseudo-scripted screaming matches with each other, you don’t have to search far and wide for content about stupid people that appeals to a stupid audience.
So how about we change that and make a show for smart people to enjoy? But it's more than just a show for geniuses to passively watch...they can also participate in it, influence it, and help create something special.
This project isn’t going to exploit fans of nerd culture like some sort of dork-filled freak show. It’s going to elevate geekdom to a proper art form.
By donating to this project, you’re joining a movement towards bringing intelligent, interesting, and fun content back to the airwaves. If this project is successfully funded, we can produce a quality pilot that will be released online and then used to pitch as a network-ready game show. From there, the sky’s the limit - fancier celebrity judges, a bigger contestant pool, and all kinds of cool audience interactivity that’s never been done in a show before.
Meet Our Team
Paul Goebel - Writer/Producer, Host - Paul is an actor and stand-up comedian and has been seen on such familiar TV shows as Will & Grace and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Most importantly, Paul is the King of TV Trivia and has appeared on numerous TV and radio programs sharing his TV knowledge. At the start of the millennium, Paul proved himself to be the King of TV Trivia by taking the top spot in TV Land’s Ultimate Fan Search, earning him a wealth of prizes including his own hour to host and program on TV Land’s weekly schedule. He has been featured in Maxim and People magazines, as well as TV Guide. Paul has also written TV-related articles for websites and publications such as FilmThreat.com, BobandDavid.com, TVSquad.com and NationalLampoon.com, as well as his own site TheKingofTV.com. Paul is best known to his fans as the resident “TV Geek.” on Comedy Central’s gameshow, Beat the Geeks. In his spare time, Paul is a Tom Jones impersonator.
Brock LaBorde - Writer/Producer - A big fan of comedy and game shows, Brock’s probably best known as the creator of the Comedy Central pilot The House That Drips Blood on Alex, and Machinima’s The Tommy Wi-Show (both starring indie cult phenomenon Tommy Wiseau). Brock also wrote a Choose-Your-Own Adventure book in which you get to play Jesus Christ, and he was behind all sorts of viral videos (like this and this). Although stationed in Los Angeles, he also owns and operates The New Movement, a duo of improv comedy theaters in Austin and New Orleans, which allows him to develop and produce tons of small-scale and big-scale shows and events like Hell Yes Fest, The Air Sex World Championships, and many others.
The producers agree to donate 5% of any profits resulting from this project back to the Kickstarter community. http://kickingitforward.orgHave you ever had a close look at a record and wondered how that tiny groove can result in the sound you hear through your speakers? If so, you’ve come to the right place.
While the basic idea is around 140 years old, thanks to Edison’s phonograph the record as we now know it is more like half that age. Columbia Records launched the first 12in LP in 1948, with the first public demonstration taking place on June 20th at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York. The rest, as they say, is history.
It seems impossible to kill off the vinyl format. It’s a wonderful piece of engineering which, even today, seems just a little too unlikely to actually work. But work it does – and, with the right equipment, to a fabulous level.
MORE: How to set up a turntable
The groove
That record groove – and there is just one that spirals gently to the centre of the disc – is tiny, usually around 0.04-0.08mm wide (depending on the level of the signal). If you were to unravel it the groove would extend to a length of about 500 metres.
The two sides of the groove sit at right-angles to each other with the point of that angle facing down. Each side of the groove carries what can only be described as wiggles that represent the right- and left-channel audio information.
The side closest to the outside edge of the record carries the right-channel signal. This information can be stored in an area as small as a micron (one-thousandth of a millimetre), so the scale of the task to retrieve it is immense.
This also explains the sensitivity of record players to external vibrations and other disturbances.
MORE: How to get the best sound from your turntable
The cartridge
It’s the job of the cartridge to track the groove. More specifically, it is the job of the stylus tip to do it.
The tip is made of a very hard substance, normally diamond. But don’t get too excited - it’s industrial diamond rather than the really valuable stuff. That means it lacks the purity of the gems you might find in jewellery.
This diamond tip is usually shaped into a small point – though there are a variety of shapes the tip can take – that sits in the record groove and follows the wiggles as the record turns.
The nature and degree of the stylus’ movement is what translates into the varying frequencies and volume that you hear through the speakers. This movement is carried through the cantilever – the shaft the stylus tip is attached to – and into the cartridge body.
MORE: How a turntable is made
There are two types of cartridge: moving magnet and moving coil. They both work on the principle of using movement to induce current thanks to magnetic fields.
But, as the names imply, in one the magnet moves to induce current while in the other the coil does so and the magnet is fixed. So, assuming we’re talking about a moving magnet cartridge, in the case of our example a tiny magnet is attached to the hidden end of the cantilever, and as the stylus tip moves around it does too.
The magnet’s varying field causes current to flow in the tiny coils positioned close by, and this is the signal that comes out the back of the cartridge to be fed into your amplifier. Or, if your amplifier is a line-level device, as many are, a dedicated phono stage.
See all our cartridge reviews
The phono stage
What exactly does a phono stage do? The physical limitations of vinyl mean that the original signal has to be altered before it can be recorded - low frequencies are reduced in level and the highs are boosted.
The curve that governs this equalisation was set by the RIAA (Record Industry Association of America) years ago. If you’ve ever plugged a turntable directly into a line-level input you know you get a very quiet sound - and also one that is thin and bright, with no bass to speak of.
Every phono stage has the reverse response built into it - one that boosts bass and flattens treble to exactly the right degree. The result should be a tonally even presentation.
A phono stage is also an amplifier. Cartridge signals can be as low as a thousandth of a volt (CD’s output is specified at 2V) so the signal has to be amplified massively before the line-level stage of an amplifier can take over.
See all our phono stage reviews
So rather than the witchcraft we always sort-of suspected it must be, getting a sound from a vinyl disc turns out to be nothing more than fiendishly clever. It's worth bearing in mind the ingenuity at play when you next carefully place the tip of your stylus into the groove of a LP - but don't dwell on it for all that long. After all, there's music to be listened to.Pope Francis on Saturday called for stronger collective action by the international community to prevent war and terrorism. Speaking at a cemetery in Redipuglia, near Italy's border with Slovenia, the pope didn't point to any single nation or leader, but warned that less visible forces created the conditions for military conflict.
"In today's world, behind the scenes, there are interests, geopolitical strategies, lust for money and power, and there is the manufacture and sale of arms," he told a crowd of thousands at the graveyard, where more than 100,000 Italian soldiers who died in World War I are buried.
"Even today, after the second failure of another world war, perhaps one can speak of a third war: one fought piecemeal, with crimes, massacres, destruction," the pontiff said.
"The shadow of Cain hangs over us today in this cemetery. It is seen here. It is seen from 1914 right up to our own time. It is seen even in the present," he added.
The trip to the cemetery was thought to be infused with personal meaning for the pope, whose grandfather fought for Italy in nearby battlefields in the last two years of World War I.
An estimated 200,000 Roman Catholics, mainly from Italy, Slovenia and Croatia attended Saturday's ceremony, according to Vatican Radio.
pfd/nm (AFP, AP, epd)Our Kickstarter campaign has ended - thank you supporters! You can now order Seed Money by visiting www.leafcutterdesigns.com/shop/seed-money.html
New goal (achieved!): $45K = Buffalo nickels for all backers
Read the full update here...
What is Seed Money?
Seed Money looks like the real thing - pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters - but is far more valuable. Use it to solicit surprise and smiles from friends and strangers alike, and then tuck these paper coins in soil to grow colorful flowers and delicious vegetables. It's tender for tending!
Seed Money will be lovingly designed and made by Lea Redmond and her pals at Slide Sideways and Porridge Papers. This initial run of currency will include hand-illustrated pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters, and will be letterpress printed in Nebraska on thick custom papers embedded with seeds. Available in rolls for sharing and spreading the wealth, these lightweight, whimsical - and practical! - coins will slide easily into a purse or pocket.
What can you do with Seed Money coins?
All sorts of delightful things! And they're certainly not just for gardeners!
Secretly tuck them into medians, public parks, or your friend's front yard.
Leave a few with your tip at a restaurant.
Place them in coin return slots to surprise strangers.
Playfully try to use them at your local coffee shop or bakery.
Leave them on sidewalks for people to stumble upon.
Give them as a unique gift or party favor.
Grow an entire backyard flower/food garden with the full set of coins.
Pass them out at your farmer's market just for fun.
Send a roll to a politician with a letter expressing your opinion on agribusiness subsidies.
If you run a retail shop, hand over a few along with the real change.
Lock up a few rolls in a safety deposit box at your bank just in case Malthus was right. Or perhaps your porcelain piggy bank is more secure?
How is Seed Money designed and minted?
Lea will design both sides of each coin denomination. The artwork will be reminiscent of actual US coins but with a playful, hand-drawn aesthetic and a flight of fancy or two. Each coin will include the phrase, "In Soil We Trust."
Porridge Papers in Lincoln, Nebraska will then make four custom batches of hand-made paper embedded with organic seeds, one for each type of coin:
Pennies: flower mix (Don't worry, nothing invasive!)
Nickels: hearty greens mix (such as kale, chard & spinach)
Dimes: herb mix (such as thyme, dill, oregano, parsley & basil)
Quarters: salad mix (lettuce, carrot & tomato)
Seed Money will then be "struck," i.e. printed and die-cut, into tens of thousands of mint-condition paper coins on Porridge's letterpress machines. In the meantime, our pals Jacqui and Scott at Slide Sideways in Tacoma, Washington will design hand-lettered imagery for four unique coin wrappers. Finally, the loose paper change will be wrapped into rolls by hand in Oakland, California.
Lucky recipients might find the occasional rarity in their rolls of Seed Money: perhaps a 1935 buffalo nickel or a Canadian penny. Lea will also slip in a few "misprints" inspired by actual historical "strike errors." Did you know there are a few 2005 Kansas quarters out there that say "In God We Rust?"
In Soil We Trust
While our Seed Money is mostly lighthearted, it also carries subtle statements and questions about our relationships with nature and money. Can you imagine a culture that deemed food so important that its currency system was based on seeds? Call it the seed standard, instead of the gold standard. What if having a pocketful of seeds was a sign of wealth and prosperity?
A coin was once worth the actual amount of gold or silver it contained. Today, its value is purely representational. A melted down quarter is almost worthless and pennies are mostly just annoying. Our paper coins aim to re-infuse actual value into physical money. Seed Money promises to produce a bounty of beautiful, delightful, and edible experiences.
Exchanging real money for Seed Money
Our $10,000 funding goal is a function of the minimum quantity requirements for the custom-made seed papers and high-quality letterpress printing. We'd love to exceed our goal and "mint" an even bigger batch. The suggested Kickstarter pledge levels at right represent a roughly 30% discount to expected future retail pricing. Seed Money will be delivered to you sometime in October or November of this year - well before the holidays.
Thank you for your enthusiasm and support!
We absolutely love to create thoughtful, playful, high-quality objects and activities. We're regularly up past midnight dreaming up new concepts and making prototypes. Our last Kickstarter project - Retro Punch Boxes - was a big success and we can't wait to get Seed Money into your hands!About
Black.
It's everywhere. No color is as vast or extensive. It fills our lives. It's in our art, our science, our history, our religion, and our culture. Black has shaped our interests and sometimes even ourselves.
I'm a graphic design student interested in the phenomena of black and its striking but powerful presence. The New Black. is a campaign to make a new, worldwide, custom black color that everyone and anyone can identify with, and play a part in its creation. It’ll embody everything black stands for, but at the same time make it new again.
To create this new black, I’ll be working in conjunction with Pantone. Pantone generates color code formulas that are used all over the world to regulate and standardize official colors. With their help, I’ll be able to produce official swatches outlining the color’s formula and how to produce it. The New Black. will be unlike any of the preexisting black Pantone formulas, it will be a new shade, tint, and take on the color, that is otherwise thought to have no color.
Although black is thought to just be hex code #000000, or RGB 0/0/0; black encapsulates far more than just that, just as there are many many shades of "red" outside of just #ff0000. The funding will help produce the hex code of the color, as well as the RGB and CMYK values. So that the The New Black. will be able to exist within all print, screen, and web matter. Most importantly it will provide a Pantone Formula Ink "recipe" that will enable the color to manifest itself in practically any medium worldwide. So it can exist in paint, ink, plastic, ceramic, etc, etc.
Custom colors are made all the time, Coca Cola has their own red, UPS their own brown, and Tiffany Co. their own blue. But The New Black. will not be owned by a private corporation, it’ll be owned by us, for us all to use.
Colors are unlike anything else. They transcend language, have no geographic limitations, and are universal for us all to share. They don’t even have real definitions, but are as real and tangible as any one of us. They’ve existed far before us, and will continue to exist far after us.
In order to get the color creation process under way I need your help to back the project. I’m offering some pretty cool rewards to commemorate the color and I hope you’ll enjoy them.
I’m a design student that wants to create the very first crowd-sourced custom color that’ll be used by anyone, anywhere, at anytime. The New Black. will embody everything black stands for but also make it new again.Mauricio Pochettino believes that naughtiness is a part of what makes Dele Alli so nice in front of goal. The Tottenham Hotspur manager has watched Alli put himself at the centre of a few flashpoints over the past week and it is perhaps no coincidence that the midfielder has come to look more threatening at the same time.
Alli riled CSKA Moscow in Wednesday’s 3-1 Champions League win at Wembley when, in the act of giving the ball back after a stoppage, he floated a shot just over the crossbar. The CSKA goalkeeper, Igor Akinfeev, was worried enough to back-pedal and the midfielder, Zoran Tosic, squared up to Alli, before players from both sides converged.
Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur: match preview Read more
Pochettino said that Alli had assured him he was not trying to score but it was still cheeky and provocative. Alli would stand his ground in the confrontation with Tosic and, moments later, he left the toe of his boot in on him in a challenge. He went on to score Tottenham’s equaliser and it was his header that Akinfeev helped into his own net for the third.
On the previous Saturday Alli had incensed Swansea City with a dive to win a penalty, which opened the floodgates for Tottenham to win 5-0 at White Hart Lane. The 20-year-old was involved in three of the subsequent goals. Alli was subdued, at times during Tottenham’s stodgy spell that preceded the Swansea game, when they won one in 10 in all competitions, but he has found his form going into Sunday’s visit to Manchester United.
“Dele Alli is Dele Alli because he’s a little bit naughty,” Pochettino said. “Does he need that naughtiness? Yes, in context. Don’t cross the line, but this is a little bit his identity. It’s his character – in a good way.
“He’s a brilliant boy and he has a brilliant brain; he’s very smart. He is very sensitive, very intuitive and because he comes from a difficult [family] background, you can understand when you’re with him. He’s a very nice person – off the pitch. He was struggling a little bit with some [fitness] problems, which were small but they can affect your game. Now, he is recovering his form.”
Tottenham Hotspur v CSKA Moscow: Champions League – as it happened Read more
Pochettino described the away loss to Monaco on 22 November, which ended the club’s Champions League hopes, as the “toughest moment” of the season but he suggested that his players had been able to shake their heads clear. Although they lost at Chelsea four days later, the performance was encouraging and the wins over Swansea and CSKA have been emphatic.
“After Monaco, we have built our confidence and belief again,” Pochettino said. “We deserved more against Chelsea but you could start to feel the answer of the team. And then against Swansea and CSKA, we played in a similar way to before – up to when we beat Manchester City [on 2 October].
“We are improving as a collective, because Harry Kane is much better and now Toby Alderweireld is back, so is Ben Davies and, when we are together, we feel that we can beat everyone.”MONTREAL – P.K. Subban was named a finalist for the Norris Trophy on Monday, which is awarded to the defenseman who demonstrates the greatest all-round ability in the position during the regular season.
The 25-year-old will vie for the honour alongside Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators and Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings.
Subban, who previously claimed the award in 2013, enjoyed another remarkable campaign on the Canadiens’ back end. In his fifth full NHL season, the Toronto native finished in the Top 10 in multiple offensive categories among defensemen, registering career-highs with 15 goals, 45 assists, 60 points and a plus-21 differential in 82 games played. He also ranked second in the League among defensemen with eight power play goals, while logging a team-leading 26:12 of ice time per game. He was also the Canadiens’ most-utilized player with the man advantage.
Should Subban prevail, it would be the 13th time a member of the Canadiens has captured the trophy. Doug Harvey won the award six times while donning the CH. Larry Robinson is the only other Habs rearguard to have won the Norris Trophy on more than one occasion, claiming it in 1977 and 1980.
Two years ago, Subban became the first Habs player to be named the League’s top defenseman since Chris Chelios in 1989.
The NHL Awards will be held on Wednesday, June 24, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.Georgia’s voting infrastructure is too old, unreliable and vulnerable to be used without a forensic review of its operating systems, according to a lawsuit seeking to require voters’ use of paper ballots for next month’s 6th Congressional District runoff election.
The suit, filed in Fulton County Superior Court, names Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp — the state’s top election official — as a defendant, along with the election directors for all three counties that have communities in the 6th District: Cobb, DeKalb and Fulton.
It comes at a crucial time. Early in-person voting for the June 20 runoff begins Tuesday, with all eyes on Georgia ahead of the hotly contested race between Republican Karen Handel and Democrat Jon Ossoff.
Kemp reacted strongly to the allegations, which dovetail with a push by voting advocates for Georgia to commit to new election systems with the capability of producing a paper audit trail — something the state does not currently have.
“Georgia leads on cybersecurity and safe elections,” said Kemp. “Our voting systems are rock-solid,” he added, “and we are more than willing to put them to the test in the court of law.”
The Colorado-based Rocky Mountain Foundation filed the suit in conjunction with two Georgia voters, Donna Curling and Donna Price. Both Price and Curling are members of the foundation, which focuses on fair elections and government transparency, as well as a group called Georgians for Verified Voting.
Curling, a Fulton resident, lives in the 6th District, according to the suit. Price does not, and lives in DeKalb.
Georgia uses direct-recording electronic voting machines, or DREs, known by voters for their touch screens. The state committed to the machines in 2002 when it last overhauled its elections system. At the same time, it also eliminated a paper trail of recorded votes.
Georgia experienced no major problems during last year’s presidential election, and the current system has different layers of security and controls built into it to limit and detect unauthorized access.
The suit, however, notes that most recently Fulton experienced a technical problem April 18 that delayed reporting of election results because of what officials called a “rare error” involving a voting memory card that didn’t properly upload its tallies.
The suit, however, said the error should have been detected sooner than it was. It also cited other concerns, such as a recent investigation by the FBI into a potential hacking case at the Kennesaw State University’s Center for Election Systems — which works with the state to run its voting efforts.
The agency, after a month-long investigation said a “security researcher” was responsible and that his probing of the system broke no federal law. Advocates said the incident raised concerns of security vulnerabilities at the center that needed deeper scrutiny.
Any commitment by Georgia to overhaul its election systems would require tens of millions of dollars and would have to be implemented statewide.The NHL trade deadline may have been the final act for some general managers.
With only three weeks left in the season, all 30 teams tried to tweak at Wednesday’s cutoff to make trades, but a chosen few were more desperate than others because their jobs are on the line if they don’t make a playoff push.
Here’s a look at some GM’s in trouble:
Greg Sherman, Colorado: Many believe he’s in over his head and he’ll be the first one gone with coach Joe Sacco. The betting money is former star Joe Sakic takes on the lead role to try to get the Avs back to respectability.
Many believe he’s in over his head and he’ll be the first one gone with coach Joe Sacco. The betting money is former star Joe Sakic takes on the lead role to try to get the Avs back to respectability. George McPhee, Washington: Trying to save his butt, he dealt Filip Forsberg to the Predators for Martin Erat. The Caps might squeeze into a playoff spot, but Forsberg and Russian prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov have been available all season.
Trying to save his butt, he dealt Filip Forsberg to the Predators for Martin Erat. The Caps might squeeze into a playoff spot, but Forsberg and Russian prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov have been available all season. Jay Feaster, Calgary : Was getting rid of Jarome Iginla, Blake Comeau and Jay Bouwmeester enough to save Feaster? Hardly. A lot of speculation about the future of president Ken King, as well. The Flames’ situation is fluid.
: Was getting rid of Jarome Iginla, Blake Comeau and Jay Bouwmeester enough to save Feaster? Hardly. A lot of speculation about the future of president Ken King, as well. The Flames’ situation is fluid. Dale Tallon, Florida: He all but assured the fan base the club would make the playoffs this season. The signings of Sean Bergenheim, Alexei Kovalev and Ed Jovanovski were disastrous and the team has taken a major step |
in spring next year.Sound crazy? Maybe, but secession has been proposed several times over the years.
In 1969, when writer Norman Mailer and columnist Jimmy Breslin ran for mayor and city council president on the Independent Party ticket, one of their ideas was to make New York City the 51st State.
And in 2003, City Council member Peter Vallone introduced a bill that would allow the city to cut the state loose—because upstaters were sucking out too much of the city’s revenue.
But perhaps the closest New York City came to actually becoming sovereign was in 1861. The Civil War was pretty unpopular here because the city stood to lose so much money, since New York manufacturers wouldn’t be able to continue importing cotton from the South.
So Mayor Fernando Wood (looking dapper at left) proposed that the city form a city-state called Tri-Insula—that’s Latin for “three islands”—composed of Manhattan, Long Island, and Staten Island.
With Tri-Insula its own entity separate from the Union and the Confederacy, the Southern cotton trade wouldn’t have to stop.
In the end, it was just too radical an idea even for New Yorkers to accept.A leading nationalist politician and a Protestant with a unionist background gave unusual opinions for the communities they represent during a talk on Northern Ireland and the border.
Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) deputy leader Nichola Mallon warned that a border poll too soon could result in violence, and Protestant Frazer McCammond, a former member of the Alliance Party although with a unionist background, said Brexit would make him vote for Irish unity now.
Mallon said a 50 percent plus one majority in a border poll where Irish unity was not clearly mapped out would be a recipe for disaster.
3
Mallon, 38, from Belfast’s Ardoyne area and who has an honors degree in economics and politics from Trinity College, Dublin and an MA in comparative ethnic conflict from Queen's University Belfast, was speaking in Killough, Co. Down, on Saturday. She was addressing a conference on Northern Ireland’s place in a united Ireland.
The SDLP was once the biggest nationalist party in Northern Ireland until Sinn Fein took over the role in recent years.
Mallon said many people needed to be persuaded of the benefits of a reunified, reconciled Ireland, which “cannot be led by one party alone.”
“To be successful it needs plurality of contributions,” she said.
She would like a border poll to be called “when it can be won” and not during the Brexit process, as this would play on people’s fears.
“You need to show people clearly what they are voting for. Just calling a border poll and getting your 50 plus one is an absolute recipe for disaster. And I honestly believe and fear that it will actually erupt in violence,” she said.
McCammond, 60, from Dromore, Co. Down, who described himself as “a Protestant from a very unionist background” and “an Irishman first,” said that when he voted in favor of the Good Friday Agreement, he did not believe there would be any change to the constitutional position of Northern Ireland in his lifetime. However, he said that if there was a border poll on Irish unity, he would vote in favor.
“I believe that Brexit has changed that dynamic and there are Protestants like me who will vote for a united Ireland from a pragmatic point of view,” he said.
On a separate front, there was a hint of a break in the deadlock that has prevented efforts to resume a power-sharing administration in the North.
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) welcomed comments from Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams indicating that republicans are committed to the restoration of devolution in Northern Ireland.
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Adams told a republican commemoration event on Sunday that a deal to restore the Stormont executive was possible. He said his party was committed to the reinstitution of power-sharing in Northern Ireland.
Ex-DUP finance minister Simon Hamilton welcomed Adams’ “change of tone.” Hamilton said his party is holding talks with Sinn Fein this week.
Northern Ireland has effectively been without a devolved government since January. Its institutions collapsed amid a bitter row between the DUP and Sinn Fein about a botched green energy scheme.iOS: The Aeropress is one of our favorite coffee machines, but it can do much more than make a great cup of joe. Aeropress Timer for iPhone and iPad guides you through multiple coffee recipes, from single and dual-cup presses to inverted and roaster's preferred presses, all easy to make at home.
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Aeropress Timer has come a long way since our friends at Gizmodo mentioned it a while ago. The app still walks you through making the perfect basic cup with the press, but if you want to up your game, the app shows you how to make multiple cups at once, how to make stronger or more balanced cups, how to make a press that's more like a latte than an espresso, and so on. It even includes recipes from famous coffee roasters and championship Aeropress baristas (yes, there's an international Aeropress competition) from around the globe.
The app itself is $3, and comes with a ton of recipes built-in. From there, new recipe pack is $2 each. Hit the link below to read more.
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AeroPress Timer ($3) | iTunes App Store via AeroPress Timer 2 and One Thing WellImage copyright AFP Image caption There are numerous memorials around Rwanda to those killed in the genocide
Rwanda has suspended BBC broadcasts in the Kinyarwanda language with immediate effect because of a film questioning official accounts of the 1994 genocide.
The Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Agency (Rura) said it had received complaints from the public of incitement, hatred, revisionism and genocide denial.
At least 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus died in the genocide.
The BBC has denied that any part of the programme constitutes a "denial of the genocide against the Tutsi".
On Wednesday, Rwandan MPs approved a resolution calling on the government to ban the BBC and to charge the documentary-makers with genocide denial, which is a crime in the country.
Those killed in the genocide are generally believed to be mostly members of the minority ethnic Tutsi group, and Hutus opposed to the mass slaughter.
Rwandan genocide:
Image copyright AFP
6 April 1994: President Juvenal Habyarimana is killed when his plane was shot down on returning from peace talks with Tutsi RPF rebels
7 April: It is not clear who is behind the shooting but it sparks the systematic mass killing of mainly Tutsis by extremist Hutu militia and military elements
April-July: An estimated 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus are slaughtered
RPF denies accusations they killed thousands of Hutus as they marched through the country
July: RPF captures the capital, Kigali
July: Two million Hutus flee to Zaire, now DR Congo
The BBC programme Rwanda, The Untold Story, includes interviews with US-based researchers who say most of those killed may have been Hutus, killed by members of the then-rebel Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), which has been in power since 1994.
The programme also included interviews with former aides of RPF leader President Paul Kagame, accusing him of plotting to shoot down the presidential plane - the act seen as triggering the slaughter.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption BBC news reports recall how the genocide unfolded
He has consistently denied previous such accusations.
Rura said it had established a commission of inquiry to investigate the allegations it had received about the programme, after which further action may be taken.
The cabinet is meeting next week to discuss parliament's recommendations.
The BBC broadcasts affected by the suspension are produced by the BBC Great Lakes service, which was initially set up in the aftermath of the genocide as a lifeline service.
Its first broadcast - BBC Gahuzamiryango, meaning "the unifier of families" - was a 15-minute transmission aimed at bringing together families who had been separated.The Detroit Lions won the NFC North in 2016 if a shirt being sold at a Michigan T.J. Maxx is to be believed.
Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press published a piece which explained that the location in Chesterfield Township had Lions division title shirts on sale. The actual title, of course was claimed by the Green Bay Packers.
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Birkett reached out to T.J. Maxx and got their take on the situation, which was reported to be a mistake. Here's their take on what happened from his piece.
A T.J. Maxx spokesperson said by email the shirts, which were on sale for $4.99, found their way onto store shelves by mistake and the store will refund money to any customers who may have purchased the item. About a half dozen of the T-shirts were available at the Chesterfield Township location over the weekend, on a wall with apparel for other local sports teams. Three other T.J. Maxx stores did not have the shirt in stock. Companies licensed by the NFL to produce official merchandise sometimes pre-print T-shirts, hats and other memorabilia to commemorate significant accomplishments, but stock of erroneous shirts and other items are usually destroyed or donated and not available for sale domestically.
Here's a look at the shirt courtesy of Birkett's share of the story on Twitter.
Oops! Detroit Lions NFC North champions T-shirts are on sale now https://t.co/EnNDX6bHao h/t @BigE_810 — Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) July 24, 2017
As everyone knows, Lions fans have not celebrated a division title since 1993. Obviously, folks are hungry to do so, even if the swag they're wearing is factually incorrect.Top 5 ways Hitler’s Brownshirts actions are reflected in today’s political environment
There is something extremely ironic about liberals who infiltrate Trump rallies while simultaneously comparing the President to Adolph Hitler. The truth is, while the Nazi regime was far more violent and strictly evil, many of the tactics used by Hitler’s “Brownshirts” closely resemble the tactics of modern day progressives, anti-Trump protestors, and social justice warriors on college campuses.
The term “Brownshirt” refers to someone who would censor and often physically assault members of opposing parties in the name of Adolph Hitler. In addition to inciting violence, the Brownshirts would also provide protection, like bodyguards, for Nazi meetings and rallies. But even though Hitler has been gone for over 70 years since his death in 1945, his violent tactics and strategies are still very much alive.
Here are five ways Hitler’s Brownshirt actions are resembled in today’s political environment.
1) Project Veritas reveals “Bird-Dogging” tactics of democrat provocateurs
In October of last year, James O’Keefe’s Project Veritas released an undercover video detailing how the Clinton Campaign and the Democratic National Committee were using a tactic called “bird-dogging,” which refers to purposefully creating a sense of anarchy to disrupt and discredit the opposition. The video focuses on two people – Robert Creamer, who is the co-founder of a consulting group that contracted with the Clinton Campaign and the DNC, and Scott Foval, who is one of Creamer’s consultants. At one point in the undercover video, Foval is caught talking about staging “authentic grassroots protests” and training people to “get themselves into a situation on tape.”
2) Protestors push, threaten, and scream at Trump fundraiser attendees
In Minneapolis last summer, Trump supporters were harassed and even assaulted by protestors at the Minneapolis Convention Center. One of the protestors violently punched an elderly man in the side, while others stalked families yelling “F*** racists.” As Donald Trump’s motorcade arrived at the fundraiser, a protestor jumped onto one of the SUV’s. Thankfully, police were eventually able to gain control of the situation. (RELATED: You won’t believe what these university scientists are blaming left wing violence on.)
3) Violent protestors beat pro-Trump demonstrators in Berkeley, California
Just this past weekend, a mini riot broke out in Berkeley, California when protestors confronted pro-Trump demonstrators. The confrontation quickly turned violent, with fists being thrown and people being beaten with signs and sticks. Some demonstrators, including an elderly man, were even pepper sprayed by the anti-Trump agitators. Police quickly responded, lining the streets dressed in riot gear in an attempt to control the situation. In the end, ten people were arrested – five were taken into custody for battery, four for assault, and one for resisting arrest.
4) Students violently protest Milo Yiannopoulos at UC Berkeley
Violent protests broke out at UC Berkeley early last month over pro-Trump guest speaker Milo Yiannopoulos. Students ran freely around the campus intentionally damaging personal property and setting things on fire, including a generator-powered spotlight. Commercial grade fireworks were also launched at police. Yiannopoulos, who had to be evacuated from the campus after cancelling his speech, later wrote on social media that “violent left-wing protestors” were responsible for the riots. (RELATED: Just how much did the mainstream media downplay the riots at UC Berkeley?)
5) Democrat leaders fail to condemn the violence coming from their base
There’s a famous quote by Dietrich Bonhoeffer that says “silence in the face of evil is itself evil.” Indeed, although Democrat leaders didn’t directly participate in the violence, most of them were hesitant at best to condemn any of it. When asked to speak about the anti-Trump protests, then President Barack Obama casually said, “It takes a while for people to reconcile themselves with that new reality [of Donald Trump becoming the new president].” Senator Bernie Sanders seemed to justify the protests by citing the First Amendment. “People are angry. People are upset,” he said. “And they want to express their point of view that they are very frightened, in very, very strong disagreement with Mr. Trump, who has made bigotry the cornerstone of his campaign.” Senator Cory Booker, a Democrat from New Jersey, even went as far as to praise the protestors: “When you have a president that in his campaign, who ran saying things that aren’t just contrary to fact but literally threatening to use presidential power in a way that would erode the rights and privileges and equality of large sectors of Americans, then God bless the protestors.”
Sources:
Townhall.com
DailyCaller.com
Breitbart.com
TheBlaze.com
WashingtonTimes.com
NBCnews.comA suburban Roman Catholic church employee claims he was fired from his position because he plans to marry his same sex partner.Colin Collette says he's been on an emotional roller coaster since he got engaged last week, and fired this week. He was let go as the director of worship at Holy Family Parish in Inverness."The first thing that went through my mind wasn't bliss. The first thing that went through my mind was 'oh my God, what's going to happen," said Collette.Collette and his partner got engaged in Rome last week, just outside St. Peter's Basilica. As congratulations messages mounted on Facebook, Collette also received word the pastor of Holy Family parish wanted to meet with him."He said, 'I know this is something you've longed for your entire life.' I said yes. He said 'in light of that, I'd be happy to accept your resignation,'" said Collette.Collette refused and says he was fired the next day. He had worked at Holy Family as director of worship for nearly 17 years and he says his sexuality was no secret. His partner has been to mass at the church, and even read scripture on special occasions. What changed was his intent to get married."Don't ask, don't tell is the policy in the Church. So I guess as long as you're willing to live the lie, you're safe. Actually, you're never safe. You live in fear every day someone is going to call the Cardinal or someone is going to turn you in," said Collette.The Archdiocese of Chicago doesn't dispute Collette's version of events, saying in a statement: "Those that serve as Ministers of the Church, including worship ministers, are expected to conform their lives publicly with the teachings of the Church."Joe Offenburger is a mass coordinator at Holy Family, a place many describe as a progressive parish."It's like a dagger in your heart for this parish," said Offenburger. "To me, I think the Church needs to step into the 21st century, not stay back and I think the hierarchy is the last do that.""It's a place for Catholics where we had hope, until now," said Collette.Collette began playing the organ at a Catholic church when he was 12 years old. He once considered enrolling in the seminary to become a priest. He has a masters of divinity and a lot of supporters at Holy Family- but now, no job.Despite his recent engagement, he says there's no way he can even think about planning his wedding just yet.Raw chicken breasts
More than 55,000 pounds of chicken products were recalled by GNPCompany in Minnesota.
(File photo)
A Minnesota company has recalled more than 55,000 pounds of chicken products, after some had black soil and sand in the packaging.
GNP Company distributed the chicken to food service centers and retail stores nationwide. If you bought any of the items listed below, do not eat them. You can throw them away or return them to the store where you bought them.
No one so far has reported getting sick from eating the chicken.
Here are the details on the products recalled:
Produced between June 6 and 9, the packages say "P-322" inside the U.S. Department of Agriculture mark of inspection.
40-lb. cases containing "Gold'n Plump CHICKEN WINGETTES & DRUMMETTES 32900" with a use-by date of 6/18/2016 and 6/20/16.
40-lb. cases containing "Gold'n Plump Chicken Tenders 34400" with a use-by date of 6/16/2016, 6/18/2016, and 6/19/2016.
40-lb. cases containing "Gold'n Plump BONELESS SKINLESS CHICKEN BREAST PORTIONS 24700" with a use-by date of 6/29/2016.
40-lb. cases containing "Gold'n Plump CHICKEN LEG QUARTERS 20500" with a use-by date of 6/20/2016, 6/21/2016, and 6/22/2016.
40-lb. cases containing "Gold'n Plump CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS 30800" with a use-by date of 6/20/2016.
40-lb. cases containing "Gold'n Plump BONELESS SKINLESS CHICKEN BREAST PIECES 36400" with a use-by date of 6/22/16.
40-lb. cases containing "Gold'n Plump CHICKEN THIGHS WITHOUT BACKS 37800" with a use-by date of 6/20/2016, 6/24/2016, and 6/26/2016.
40-lb. cases containing "Gold'n Plump CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS 20800" with a use-by date of 6/18/2016 and 6/23/2016.
40-lb. cases containing "Gold'n Plump UNDER GRADE CHICKEN WING SEGMENTS 22900" with a use-by date of 6/17/2016, 6/19/2016, 6/20/2016, and 6/21/2016.
40-lb. cases containing "Gold'n Plump CHICKEN WINGS 31100" with a use-by date of 6/17/2016, 6/20/2016, and 6/21/2016.
40-lb. cases containing "Gold'n Plump CHICKEN LIVERS 31300" with a use-by date of 6/18/2016.
40-lb. cases containing "Just BARE BONELESS SKINLESS WHOLE CHICKEN LEG 37200" with a use-by date of 6/22/2016, 6/23/2016, 6/24/2016, and 6/25/2016.
40-lb. cases containing "Gold'n Plump CHICKEN WHOLE LEGS 20700" with a use-by date of 6/20/16.
40-lb. cases containing "Gold'n Plump CHICKEN GIZZARDS 31200" with a use-by date of 6/20/16 and 6/23/2016.
40-lb. cases containing "Gold'n Plump Chicken Wingette and Drummettes 33000" with a use-by date of 6/22/2016 and 6/24/2016.
40-lb. cases containing "Gold'n Plump Chicken Tenders 34900" with a use-by date of 6/23/2016 and 6/25/2016.
24-lb. cases containing "Just BARE WHOLE CHICKEN 59405" with a use-by date of 6/26/2016.
40-lb. cases containing "Just BARE CLIPPED CHICKEN BREAST TENDERS 53200" with a use-by date of 6/18/2016 and 6/20/2016.
-- Molly Harbarger
[email protected]
503-294-5923
@MollyHarbargerVideogames are the world’s most popular form of entertainment, and gamers come from all walks of life. But you wouldn’t know it from watching Hollywood movies, which tend to split gamers into two groups: those who use their exceptional abilities to fight aliens (Ender’s Game) and those who are total losers (Grandma’s Boy). Science fiction editor John Joseph Adams wishes there were more realism and variety to the gamers we see on screen.
“It’s sort of depressing we can be this far along in the history of videogames and people haven’t come up with more creative portrayals of gamers,” Adams says in Episode 163 of the Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy podcast.
He notes that some films like Scott Pilgrim vs. The World do present a more nuanced view of gamers, but such films are few and far between. And author and robot expert Daniel H. Wilson says that most movies about gamers, such as the recent Adam Sandler vehicle Pixels, seem phony.
“I feel like Hollywood is just cynically positioning the movies to take advantage of nostalgia from 35-to-45-year olds for ’80s arcade games,” he says.
Adams and Wilson recently edited Press Start to Play, an anthology of science fiction stories inspired by videogames, which they hope will present a more complex and informed view of gamers. Several stories in the book were written by working game designers like Chris Avellone and Micky Neilson.
Avellone notes that, not surprisingly, some of the best gamer characters are written by his friends in the industry. Though reading a novel by a colleague is always a fraught experience.
“Whenever one of your friends writes a book,” he says, “you have this horrible feeling of like, ‘Oh god, do I tell them if I actually read it or not? Do I compliment the cover art? What do I do?'”
Neilson recommends a book called The Holder’s Dominion by Genese Davis, the wife of one of his co-workers at Blizzard. An avid reader, she was looking for a novel that would help her understand her husband’s job, but had trouble finding anything that fit the bill.
“The more she played the games and got to actually understand gaming culture, she decided she would write her own book,” says Neilson. “It’s got a female protagonist, and what she’s going through learning to play the games. It’s actually very interesting.”
Adams is currently judging young adult fiction for the National Book Awards, and he notes that none of the books considered for this year’s award engage with videogames in any meaningful way. That’s a glaring omission given the giant role that games play in the lives of young people.
“There are so few books about this in the world of literature,” he says. “We need more.”
Listen to our complete interview with John Joseph Adams, Daniel H. Wilson, Chris Avellone, and Micky Neilson in Episode 163 of Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy. And check out some highlights from the discussion below.
David Barr Kirtley on Salman Rushdie:
“Apparently when there was the fatwa against Salman Rushdie—when religious fanatics wanted to kill him because of a book he had written—he was in hiding, and he had nothing to do but play Super Mario Bros., and so he was just playing Super Mario Bros. all day long. And he later wrote two kids books, Haroun and the Sea of Stories and Luka and the Fire of Life, which are inspired by Super Mario Bros., the second one apparently moreso than the first. But it involves people punching objects and having coins come out and that kind of thing. It’s very explicitly inspired by Super Mario Bros.”
Chris Avellone on text adventure games:
“I’m a big fan of adventure games, and The Lurking Horror was the first text-based adventure/horror game I played, and it left quite a mark. I really enjoyed it, and it terrified me. I caught myself thinking about it a lot as the years went on, and because I have this disability that most game designers do, where I look at any situation and try to break it down into game mechanics and stats, I was like, ‘What if there’s someone who’s psychologically broken, and all he sees of the real world is simple text commands for how to perform even the most basic actions, and that’s how he sees the world?’ And I thought that might be an interesting thing to explore [in fiction], as well as what may have led someone to that state, to want to break down the world so simplistically.”
Daniel H. Wilson on memory:
“When you’re young, you think, ‘OK, I’m going to collect experiences of the world.’ For me it was that I’d read books, and I’d throw the book against the wall, and I’d say, ‘It’s in the vault. I read it. I know it.’ And as you get older you realize, nope, we’re all goldfish. We’re just pulling in experiences and keeping some tiny piece of it, and it’s maybe stuck somewhere to your soul where it’s not even a part of your real memory. And the vast majority of everything we experience is just a waterfall going right over the edge.”
Chris Avellone on Wasteland:
“I’m wrapping up the Wasteland 2 novel, and the only reason I bring that up, aside from the Wasteland mentions, is because as soon as John started talking about the TRS-80—one of the characters starts the novel in a cult compound of people who worship the TRS-80, and I went through all the old manuals and coding premises, and I tried to use that for ways they organize their cult compound society, in terms of subroutines and the dangers of garbage in, garbage out. All this stuff was a blast, and it really took me back to the ’80s too, so that was a lot of fun to do.”Historian and award winning author Rod Gragg joined Breitbart News Daily SiriusXM hosts Alex Marlow and Raheem Kassam on Thursday to discuss his book, The Pilgrim Chronicles: An Eyewitness History of the Pilgrims and the Founding of Plymouth Colony.
Gragg discussed in concise detail the revolutionary nature of the English Reformation and how it led to the colonization of North America and ultimately the founding of the United States.
He pointed out how from the very beginning, the concept that every man was equal in the eyes of God and bestowed with inalienable rights was central to America’s founding philosophy.
Below is an excerpt from the book description, available here. The audio of the interview is below.
A Quest for Freedom All Americans are familiar with the story of the Pilgrims—persecuted for their religion in the Old World, they crossed the ocean to settle in a wild and dangerous land. But for most of us, the story ends after their brutal first winter at Plymouth with a supposedly peaceful encounter with the Native Americans and a happy Thanksgiving. Now, through the vivid memoirs, letters, and personal accounts in The Pilgrim Chronicles, you will discover the full, compelling story of their anguished journey and heroic strength. Award-winning historian Rod Gragg brings the Pilgrims to life in this lavishly illustrated guide, filled with moving, eyewitness narratives. From their persecution in England and painful exile in Holland to their voyage across the Atlantic and their struggle to survive among the Indians in an untamed wilderness, Gragg takes you on the harrowing and inspiring journey of a people seeking religious freedom. It was a very risky thing for the Pilgrims to travel to America colonies like Jamestown were barely hanging on and their residents has resorted to cannibalism. There were actually two ships that set out to Plymouth one was the Mayflower and the other was the Speedwell. They were actually off course they were trying to land near what today is NYC but they landed in Cape Cod Bay. We all know that our early history of relations with the Native Americans is a sad chapter but the original pilgrims actually had good relations and signed a peace treaty.
Breitbart News Daily airs on SiriusXM Patriot 125 weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Eastern.
LISTEN:The seventh RISC-V workshop is concluding today at Western Digital in Milpitas. I’ll be keeping a semi-live blog of talks and announcements throughout the day.
Celerity: An Open Source 511-core RISC-V Tiered Accelerator Fabric: Michael Taylor
Built in only 9 months.
Celerity is an accelerator-centric SoC with a tiered accelertor fabric.
Implemented in TSMC 16nm FFC. 25mm2 die area, 385M transistors
Why 511 RISC-V cores? 5 Linux-capable RV64G Rocket cores, 496-core RV32IM mesh tiled area “manycore”, 10-core RV32IM mesh tiled array (low voltage).
Used a flip-chip package.
Of the 5 general purpose cores, 4 connect to the manycore array and 1 interfaces with the Binary Neural Network accelerator. Each core executes independently within its own address space.
The BaseJump manycore architecture implements the RV32IM with a 5-stage pipeline (full forwarded, in-order, single issue). It has 4KB+4KB instruction and data scratchpads.
BaseJump Manycore Mesh Network: stores are routed based on the destination. Simple XY-dimension routing.
Each Rocket core has its own RoCC interface connecting to one of the routers in the mesh.
Uses a remote store programming model, which enables efficient producer-consumer programming models. Offer extended instructions such as load reserved (load value and set the reservation address), load-on-broken-reservation (stall if the reserved address wasn’t written by other cores), and a consumer instruction to wait on a given address/valud. No polling or interrupts are required.
Currently working on CUDA support.
Can fit 42 of the “manycore” cores per mm2 (vs 5 cores per mm2 for Rocket).
80% of the modules in the manycore are from the BaseJump library.
For the backend, hardened each core and replicated across the die.
Over 2/3rds of each manycore tile is memory.
For the BNN: each core in the manycore tier executes a remote-load-store program to orchestrate sending weights to the specialization tier via a hardware FIFO.
All code available at opencelerity.org.
Want to build the “DNA” for open source ASICs. i.e. the basic components needs for building a full system, spanning RTL, IP cores, hardware emulation, packaging, PCBs. See bjump.org.
The BaseJump STL contains several hundred modules, all parameterised.
The PULP Cores. A Set of Open-Source Ultra-Low-Power RISC-V Cores for Internet-of-Things Applications: Pasquale Davide Schiavone
PULP: Parallel Ultra-Low Power.
Designed for energy efficient hardware, e.g. near-sensor computation.
Have a set of 3 32-bit cores currently available, and working on a 64-bit Linux-capable core.
RISCY core has a 4-stage pipeline. RV32IM[F]C. 40.7-69.3kGE. 3.19 CoreMark/MHz. Also has a number of extensions for packed SIMD, fixed point, bit manipulation and hardware loops.
Zero-riscy has a 2-stage pipeline. RV32{I,E}[M]C. 11.6-18.9kGE. 2.44 CoreMark/MHz for RV32IMC and 0.91 for RV32EC. Optimized for area.
Arian core for Linux. 6-stage pipeline, RV64IMC, 185kGE, OoE execution and in-order commit. 2.01 CoreMark/MHz.
Also have a set of software tools for PULP. Virtual platform, timing model. Have 1MIPS simulation speed with timing accuracy between 20-20% of the target hardware. Can also profile using kcachegrind.
How to verify these cores? Use constrained pseudo-random test generation in a perturbated environment (random interrupts, stalls). The program generator tries to maximise the code coverage, and the instruction simulation and RTL model are compared.
Large number of companies using PULP/PULPino, e.g. Mentor, GreenWaves, NXP, Micron, Microsemi, Cadence, ST, Google, Intel.
PULPissimo platform will be released Q12018, including the new microDMA subsystem, new interrupt controller, new SDK etc. Taping out on GF22 soon.
BOOM v2. An open-source out-of-order RISC-V core: Chris Celio
Out of order superscalar implementing RV64g. Open source and written in Chisel (~16kloc). Built on top of the rocket-chip ecosystem.
Advanced branch prediction. Loads can issue out-of-order with regard to other loads and stores.
Parameterised, just a few lines to instantiate a 2-wide vs 4-wide BOOM.
BOOM has now been taped out! Taped out with a 2 person team in 4 months.
Total LoC for the SiFive U54 Rocket is 34kloc, vs 50kloc for BOOMv2, vs 1.3mloc (Verilog) for the UltraSPARC T2.
Boomv2 achieves 3.92 CoreMark/MHz (on the taped out BOOM), vs 3.71 for the Cortex-A9.
BOOMv1 had a short pipeline inspired by R10K, 21264, Cortex-A9 and a unified issue window.
BOOMv2: broke critical paths in the frontend. Put the BTB into SRAM. Also moved hashing to its own stage.
The first place+route for register file resulted in huge area. Ended up splitting the unified issue window, splitting the physical register file, moving issue and register read into separate stages. Then implemented 2-stage rename and 3-stage fetch.
Didn’t have the resources to support a customised register file. A synthesised register file resulted in huge congestion when routing the wires from the flip-flops. Instead, black-boxed the register file and hand-wrote some Verilog to instantiate specific flip-flops, muxes, and tri-state buffers. Effectively hand-crafting their own bit block out of standard cells.
Saw about a 25% decrease in clock period, and 20% decrease in CoreMark/MHz (due to increased load-use delay, fixable in the future). A lot of the work was about fixing design rule check and geometry errors.
Physical design is a bottleneck for agile hardware development. RTL hacking can be rapid, but it takes 2-3 hours for synthesis results and 8-24 hours for P+R results. Additionally, manual intervention is often required and reports are difficult to reason about.
Future directions for BOOM: further IPC and QoR improvements. Chris is joining Esperanto Technologies, but is committed to maintain the BOOM open-source repository.
Rocket Engines. Easy, custom RISC-V cores through reuse: Albert Magyar
Why are there so many RISC-V cores (or: why not reuse rocket?). Often a desire to match interface to be a “drop in” replacement for an existing core, or want to tailor microarchitecture for custom extensions. Also, may find Rocket is over-featured for the desired design point.
Less good reasons: not invented here, fear of Chisel.
There are a number of pitfalls for customized cores. e.g. introducing bugs that have long since been avoided in Rocket.
Avoid reusing either too little or too much. Can reuse individual components without using the top-level rocket-chip framework at all. Stitch together individual components.
The “big 3” components: CSR file, decoder, RISC-V compressed (RVC) expander.
produced a new RISC-V core IP: “BottleRocket”. This has a classic three-stage pipeline with a similar microarchitecture to Z-Scale and V-Scale. Implements RV32IMC. The generator produces a single, easy to connect tile.
Supports debug, test, platform features: 0.13 debug spec, RVFI trace port, external interrupt controller.
The open sourcing effort is underway, as is the integration with riscv-formal.
A Perspective on the Role of Open-Source IP in Government Electronic Systems: Linton Salmon
The USD Department of Defence (DoD) needs custom SoCs. Custom ICs are necessary to reach the target GOps/W. Computation requirements keep growing, and real-time results are often required.
Current DoD architectures often use older technology nodes. Now moving towards newer technology nodes (28nm and below).
Most of the cost for DoD custom SoCs is in design. Typically low volume (1k parts). For small volume, find design costs 92%, fab NRE 7%, 1% production costs.
Design cost are skyrocketing, increasingly dramatically with each technology node. This is a huge problem for the low volume DoD designs.
Is open source IP the answer? The good news is that it can sharply reduce resources, time and complexity or a DoD custom SoC design. Open source IP permits increased use of unique DoD security approaches.
The not |
and hundreds of them reacted to the bus attack by staging angry street protests in two provincial cities, destroying at least six cars and briefly cutting off railway lines.
"Either we get retribution or die like them," some chanted.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the ambush, which came on the eve of the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
But it bore the hallmarks of the Islamic State, which has been spearheading an insurgency that has carried out deadly attacks in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and, increasingly, on the country's mainland.
The Interior Ministry said the assailants opened fire as the bus traveled to the St. Samuel the Confessor monastery in Maghagha, about 220 kilometers (140 miles) south of Cairo. The Coptic Orthodox monastery is reachable only by an unpaved route that veers off the main highway.
Security and medical officials quoted witnesses as saying they saw eight to 10 attackers in military uniforms. They said one of the assailants' SUVs got stuck in the sand, so they torched it and hijacked a truck traveling the same road, killing its occupants.
Arab TV stations showed images of a bus riddled with bullet holes, with many of its windows shattered and bloodstains on the seats. Bodies lay on the ground, some covered with black plastic sheets. Children could be heard screaming hysterically in the background.
The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters, said the death toll stood at 28 and could rise.
The government is likely to further tighten security around churches, monasteries, schools and pilgrimages to remote Christian sites, which may be suspended, the officials said.
El-Sissi's government is in the midst of an ambitious and politically sensitive reform program to resuscitate the economy. The program has sent the cost of food and services soaring, feeding popular discontent. A new wave of increases for fuel and electricity is widely expected this summer.
Last month, el-Sissi declared a three-month state of emergency following twin suicide bombings that struck two churches north of Cairo on Palm Sunday. In December, a suicide bomber targeted a Cairo church. The three attacks, for which the Islamic State claimed responsibility, left at least 75 people dead.
After a visit to Egypt last month by Pope Francis, the Islamic State vowed to escalate attacks against Christians and urged Muslims to steer clear of Christian gatherings and Western embassies.
On Wednesday, Egypt blocked access to nearly two dozen websites it said were sympathetic to militants or spreading their ideology.
Egypt's Copts, the Middle East's largest Christian community, account for about 10 percent of the country's 93 million people.
Christians rallied behind el-Sissi, the former head of Egypt's military, in 2013 when he ousted his Islamist predecessor Mohammed Morsi, who hails from the Muslim Brotherhood. Attacks on Christian homes, businesses and churches subsequently surged.
___
Hendawi reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Maggie Michael and Maamoun Youssef contributed to this report from Cairo.FREDERICK TAYLOR was the most influential management guru of the early 20th century. His “Principles of Scientific Management” was the first management blockbuster. His fans included Henry Ford, who applied many of his ideas in his giant River Rouge car plant, and Vladimir Lenin, who regarded scientific management as one of the building blocks of socialism. Taylor’s appeal lay in his promise that management could be made into a science, and workers into cogs in an industrial machine. The best way to boost productivity, he argued, was to embrace three rules: break complex jobs down into simple ones; measure everything that workers do; and link pay to performance, giving bonuses to high-achievers and sacking sluggards.
Scientific management provoked a backlash. Aldous Huxley satirised it in “Brave New World” (1932), as did Charlie Chaplin in “Modern Times” (1936). A rival school of managers argued that workers are more productive if you treat them as human beings. But a recent article about Amazon in the New York Times suggests that Taylorism is thriving. The article claimed that the internet retailer uses classic Taylorist techniques to achieve efficiency: workers are constantly measured and those who fail to hit the numbers are ruthlessly eliminated, personal tragedies notwithstanding. Amazon’s boss, Jeff Bezos, insisted that he did not recognise the company portrayed in the piece. Nevertheless, it provoked quite a reaction: the article attracted more than 5,800 online comments, a record for a Times article, and a remarkable number of commenters claimed that their employers had adopted similar policies. Far from being an outlier, it would seem that Amazon is the embodiment of a new trend, digital Taylorism.
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This new version of Taylor’s theory starts with his three basic principles of good management but supercharges them with digital technology and applies them to a much wider range of employees—not just Taylor’s industrial workers but also service workers, knowledge workers and managers themselves. In Taylor’s world, managers were the lords of creation. In the digital world they are mere widgets in the giant corporate computer.
Technology allows the division of labour to be applied to a much wider range of jobs: companies such as Upwork (formerly oDesk) are making a business out of slicing clerical work into routine tasks and then outsourcing them to freelances. Technology also allows time-and-motion studies to be carried to new levels. Several firms, including Workday and Salesforce, produce peer-review software that turns performance assessments from an annual ritual into a never-ending trial. Alex Pentland of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has invented a “sociometric” badge, worn around the neck, that measures such things as your tone of voice, gestures and propensity to talk or listen. Turner Construction is using drones to monitor progress on a sports stadium it is building in California. Motorola makes terminals that strap to warehouse workers’ arms to help them do their jobs more efficiently—but could also be used to keep tabs on them.
As stopwatch management continues to conquer new territory, so too does pay for performance. The more firms depend on the brainpower of their employees, the more they are seeking to reward their finest minds with high salaries and stock options. “A great lathe operator commands several times the wage of an average lathe operator,” Bill Gates points out, “but a great writer of software code is worth 10,000 times the price of an average software writer.” Many firms, including Amazon, apply the same Darwinian logic to their worst performers as well, in a process known as “rank and yank”: workers are regularly ranked by productivity and the weakest are culled.
The reaction to the Times piece shows that digital Taylorism is just as unpopular as its stopwatch-based predecessor. Critics make some powerful points. “Gobbetising” knowledge jobs limits a worker’s ability to use his expertise creatively, they argue. Measuring everything robs jobs of their pleasure. Pushing people to their limits institutionalises “burn and churn”. Constant peer-reviews encourage back-stabbing. Indeed, some firms that graded their staff, including Microsoft, General Electric and Accenture, concluded that it is counter-productive, and dropped it.
The meatware fights back
The march of technology can cut both ways. The rise of smart machines may make Taylorism irrelevant in the long term: why turn workers into machines when machines can do ever more? The proliferation of websites such as Glassdoor, which let employees review their workplaces, may mean that firms which treat their workers as mere “meatware” lose the war for the sort of talent that cannot be mechanised. And Mr Pentland’s sociometric badges have produced some counter-intuitive results: for example, in a study of 80 employees in a Bank of America call centre, he found that the most successful teams were the ones that spent more time doing what their managers presumably didn’t want them to do: chatting with each other.
Even so, digital Taylorism looks set to be a more powerful force than its analogue predecessor. The prominent technology firms that set the tone for much of the business world are embracing it. Google, which hires a few thousand people a year from up to 3m applicants, constantly ranks its employees on a five-point scale. Investors seem to like Taylorism: Amazon’s share price ticked upwards after the Times’s exposé. The onward march of technology is producing ever more sophisticated ways of measuring and monitoring human resources. And Taylorist managers are mixing the sweet with the bitter: Amazon’s “Amabots”, as they call themselves, seem happy to put up with micromanagement if they get a nice bonus at the end of the year. The most basic axiom of management is “what gets measured gets managed”. So the more the technology of measurement advances, the more we hand power to Frederick Taylor’s successors.New Delhi: India does not need to adopt a hawkish foreign policy stance but just has to be firm and responsible in its dealing with its neighbours, Minister of State for Home, Kiren Rijiju, said on Monday.
At a function to mark the foundation day of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), he also said that although there were apprehensions about such organisations in the country, the NIA has proved that these were ill-founded.
"Idea of India is as a symbol of peace. There is no need to adopt hawkish (foreign) policy. We are naturally a soft power. But soft does not mean weak. We have to be firm, responsible and strong in our resolve," he said.
Rijiju's comments come at a time when his senior in the Home Ministry, Rajnath Singh, has made it clear that India would give a "fitting" reply to Pakistan on any instance of firing by its troops on Indian posts and civilian areas.
The Minister of State for Home said that India's basic behaviour is soft and it must not adopt a hawkish agenda towards its neighbours.
"We must not agree to a posture of war but have to be firm and responsible, besides being a stable power," he said.
Meanwhile, lauding the NIA, he said, "There have been apprehensions among the states about organisations like NIA and NCTC. But the NIA has proved that the apprehensions were ill-founded."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he was earlier the Chief Minister of Gujarat, had strongly opposed the previous UPA government's move to create the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC), saying it would "infringe" on the powers of the states. Given the opposition from several states, NCTC is yet to come into existence.
Earlier, delivering the second RV Raju memorial lecture on 'Pakistan and Neighbourhood: A Hawkish Agenda', senior journalist Shekhar Gupta highlighted various aspects of India's influence, including its democracy, on the neighbouring countries.
RV Raju, a former IPS officer was the first DG of NIA.
"We can have good influence on our neighbours, we can have bad influence on our neighbours. Neighbours always look upon us," Gupta said. Peaceful change of government in India through the working of the democratic process is a clean idea for its neighbours to follow, Gupta said. "Every time government change (happens) in India peacefully, it tells all its neighbours that this is what a country should do," he said.
Gupta averred that India has been pursuing a particular foreign policy for Pakistan and another policy for the remaining of its neighbours. New Delhi's approach towards Islamabad has to changed as it would contribute towards ending all insecurity in bilateral ties, he said. The noted journalist said India's foreign policy should not be guided by just "hawkish" or "dovish" framework, but by its strength of democracy and intellectual capital in conjunction with the astute use of military power.
Gupta also spoke at length on India's influence over its neighbouring countries, including Pakistan. He advocated a mix of "soft" and "hard" approach to attain foreign policy objectives.
On Pakistan, he said the world should take it upon itself to engage with the country and bring about a change in the society there.
PTI
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The coverage has pinpointed an obscure rabbinic prohibition as a major source of the problem: the ancient prohibition against mesirah, the handing over of a Jew to non-Jewish authorities. Ironically, the same Hebrew root forms the word “masoret,” or tradition, describing a priceless heritage handed over from one generation to another. But in this case, mesirah, the public disclosure of allegations against another Jew, is considered to be an act that desecrates God’s name.
It is important to emphasize that most rabbinic authorities concur that Judaism has no place for the protection of sexual predators. Even for those who might otherwise support mesirah, the prohibition does not apply when there is a perceived public menace. As Rabbi Moses Isserles states in his gloss to the Shulchan Aruch, “A person who attacks others should be punished. If the Jewish authorities do not have the power to punish him, he must be punished by the civil authorities.”
While unfortunately there is still considerable resistance in reporting dangerous behavior to secular authorities among the haredim, the problem is less mesirah itself than how these rabbis choose to apply it. To paraphrase the NRA gun lobby, mesirah doesn’t harm people: people do. In this case, those people are insular and misinformed Jewish leaders.
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That said, when you read Maimonides’ full explanation of mesirah, it gives one pause to wonder whether the time has come to eliminate it completely from the halachic lexicon. Maimonides, after all, was neither insular nor misinformed, and he lived in a society that was relatively benign toward Jews. Yet he writes: “It is forbidden to hand over a Jew to the heathen, neither his person nor his goods, even if he is wicked and a sinner, even if he causes distress and pain to fellow-Jews. Whoever hands over a Jew to the heathen has no part in the next world. It is permitted to kill a moser (informant) wherever he is. It is even permitted to kill him before he has handed over (a fellow Jew).”
Maimonides’ condemnation of the moser is reminiscent of the law regarding the rodef (the life-threatening pursuer), whom one is also allowed to kill. This rabbinic concept was employed most infamously by those advocating the murder of Prime Minister Rabin. The moser and rodef are linked explicitly in a commentary by Rebbenu Asher: “Thus, an informer is like a pursuer to kill someone and the victim may be saved at the cost of the life of the pursuer.”
In our world, it is the molester who is clearly the pursuer, not the guy who calls 911. It is the cover-up that shames the entire Jewish community, not the informant. In a free society with just courts and equal treatment under the law, mesirah is a relic, a conversation piece from a more perilous past, like that section of the Haggadah where we ask God to pour out divine wrath against our enemies.
The idea that Jews should be protective of Jewish sinners stems from a longstanding mistrust of just about every government we’ve lived under — everything until right now, here in America. The most obvious example was the Romans, whom the rabbis had in mind when they advised their students, “Love work, despise positions of power and do not become overly familiar with the government.” But the idea of protecting Jews from secular authorities has reached absurd extremes in Jewish law. The principle of mesirah has been used to dissuade Jewish auditors from reporting other Jews to the IRS for tax fraud and, as Rabbi Moshe Feinstein ruled, to prohibit us from turning a Jew in to secular authorities for fraudulent kashrut supervision. I for one am glad the Agriprocessors scandal was handled by the secular courts and not kept “within the family.”
Where does mesirah come from?
It all goes back to Moses. When he struck the Egyptian taskmaster, Exodus tells us that fellow Israelites began taunting him about the incident, which led Moses to become fearful that someone would turn him over to Pharaoh. Rashi posits that Moses wasn’t so much concerned about his own fate; he was concerned that his act would lead “villains and informers” to turn him in, making them unworthy of redemption. So he fled, not so much to protect himself as to protect his accusers from suffering the fate of the moser.
But change “Pharaoh” to “NYPD” or “FBI,” and the story reads quite differently. If Moses had struck a cop not in Egypt but Brooklyn, wouldn’t it have been absolutely appropriate for a fellow Jew to notify the authorities? Now replace “NYPD” with “Sheriff Jim Clark,” and would you turn in Moses for striking a cop who was assaulting peaceful protesters in Selma? Wouldn’t you want your moral code to protect him? True, one person’s freedom fighter is another person’s terrorist, but I can stand behind an objective moral standard that says that Moses was right, in the context of his times, and a child molester is wrong, anytime, anywhere, and Pharaoh and the NYPD are not created equal.
We can both protect Moses and turn in the molester for lots of reasons, but in each case, the least relevant factor is that the perpetrator happens to be Jewish. That’s mesirah’s fatal flaw.
It’s time to declaw this dangerous concept, so that it may never again be used to justify the protection of those who inflict suffering on innocent children.
Rabbi Joshua Hammerman is spiritual leader of Temple Beth-El in Stamford, Conn.A Canadian judge who wore a Donald Trump campaign hat into court after the US election has been suspended for 30 days without pay, 10 months after his actions triggered an unprecedented number of formal complaints.
On Tuesday, the Ontario judicial council said the conduct of Justice Bernd Zabel had fallen short of the impartiality and objectivity demanded of judges. “We have no hesitation in finding that Justice Zabel’s actions amounted to a serious breach of the standards of judicial conduct, that it had an adverse impact upon public confidence in the judiciary and the administration of justice,” the council wrote in its decision.
On the day after the US election in November, Zabel entered his courtroom in Hamilton, Ontario, clad in black robes and a red “Make America Great Again” baseball cap. The 69-year-old told those in court that the hat was meant to mark an “unprecedented” night in the United States and singled himself out as the lone Trump supporter among his colleagues.
Days later, amid public anger sparked by media reports of his actions, Zabel apologised for what he called a “misguided attempt to mark a moment in history”. His decision to wear the hat, he said, was not intended as a political statement or to endorse the political views of Trump.
Canada judge who wore Trump hat to court faces disciplinary hearing Read more
After receiving 81 complaints – 10 times more than the council had received about the conduct of any other judge in the province – the Ontario judicial council said it would hold a disciplinary hearing, with Zabel facing possible removal from the bench.
Many of the complaints highlighted the denigrating remarks Trump had made against women, Muslims and others throughout the election campaign, and questioned whether everyone could expect to be treated fairly and impartially in Zabel’s courtroom.
During the hearing, Zabel told the four-person panel he profoundly regretted his actions, describing them as an “ill-considered, ill-thought out” attempt at humour. “The man depicted in those complaints is not me,” Zabel told the panel. “I’m not a racist, I’m not a bigot, I’m not a misogynist.”
The panel also considered 63 letters and two cards that were written in support of Zabel, many of which praised the 27-year veteran of the bench for his professionalism and integrity.
Pointing to his “unblemished and exemplary service on the bench,” the judicial council said the “single aberrant and inexplicable act” need not mean that vulnerable groups should fear the treatment they would receive from Justice Zabel. “The evidence demonstrates that he is open-minded and impartial and that he does not exhibit any of the polarized, misogynistic, racist or homophobic views many of the complainants attribute to Donald Trump,” the council noted.
Zabel’s counsel said the judge – who has not been hearing cases since December –was eager to return to the bench. “Justice Zabel is very anxious to return to work,” said Giulia Gambacorta, one of his lawyers. “It’s been a long process, it’s been a very public reckoning for Justice Zabel and he’s really contrite – he’s been very contrite from the first day.”Image caption The genes are responsible for tiny changes in the DNA of brain tissue
The genetic make-up of our brain cells changes thousands of times over the course of our lifetimes, according to new research.
Scientists at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh have identified genes, called retrotransposons, responsible for tiny changes in the DNA of brain tissue.
They say their discovery completely overturns previous theories about how the brain works.
It could also increase understanding of conditions such as Parkinson's disease.
The study shows for the first time that brain cells are genetically different to other cells in the body, and are also genetically distinct from each other.
The research was carried out in collaboration with scientists from the Netherlands, Italy, Australia, Japan and the US.
They found that the retrotransposons were particularly active in areas of the brain linked to cell renewal.
Genetic changes
It is hoped that by mapping the location of these genes, scientists could identify mutations that impact on brain function and may cause diseases such as Parkinson's to develop.
The researchers are now investigating whether brain tumour formation and conditions which affect the memory, such as Alzheimer's, are associated with a change in retrotransposon activity.
Dr Geoff Faulkner, from the Roslin Institute, based at the University of Edinburgh, said: "This research completely overturns the belief that the genetic make-up of brain cells remains static throughout life and provides us with new information about how the brain works.
"If we can understand better how these subtle genetic changes occur we could shed light on how brain cells regenerate, how processes like memory formation may have a genetic basis and possibly link the activity of these genes to brain diseases."
The scientists' findings are published in the journal Nature.It’s called Measure 755. For Oklahoma, it forbids the use of international and Shari’ah law in state courts. As of the time of writing, it has passed, winning nearly 70% of the vote. As an American Muslim, and a citizen of New York, I am amused, concerned, fascinated and, oddly, given hope. Let me go in that order.
Shari’ah is, for Muslims, the “path to the water”; the texts that normatively define a moral life and the means to God and heaven in the life to come. But Shari’ah is an ideal. Muslims, across countries and centuries, have only ever been able to interpret revelation, producing readings of Shari’ah which are never fully conclusive, because Islam recognizes no central authority to define those readings once and for all. Thus Islam’s decentralization, its many competing discourses, all pushing and pulling around a body of texts that are nearly universally agreed upon—but over whose interpretations most debates never end.
What most Americans don’t realize is that we already have interpretations of Shari’ah law in our country; or, at least, interpretations of the personal, moral, and ethical components of the law, operating off of individual choice and will. When Muslims pray, they are following interpretations of Shari’ah. Fasting in Ramadan. Giving in charity. Even a smile, the Prophet Muhammad said, is charity.
So what this means in real terms is entirely beyond me, but I am amused that Oklahomans would consider this threat enough to pass a law, to head off (and I can’t believe this is the case) the looming Islamization of the West. Apparently, it will begin in the center of the country. About all this guarantees is that the booming Halal food market may be a no-go area, and the rapid growth of Islamic finance as a global industry will just have to pass Oklahoma by.
As a discourse, Shari’ah law has become far more globally significant due to the warnings of persons like Geert Wilders and other alarmists; now, apparently, we can add the people of Oklahoma to that list. What is happening to our America? Why are we so afraid of an abstract Islam, far beyond the ability of extremists and radicals to harm us?
Travel to other places in the world, like the Persian Gulf, Turkey, China, India, Brazil, and so on and so forth, and people are hungry with ambition, eager to embrace the economic opportunities that our country’s desire for globalization enabled and sustained in the first place. Now, we are turning away; we are scared of monsters whose shadows stretch across the planet.
But let me end with a note of hope. Consider that, for most Americans, Shari’ah is only known as an inflexible and intolerant system (considering the interpretations most Americans hear about, I don’t blame them). What most people oppose when they say they fear Islamic law is not the law per se, but those draconian and inhuman interpretations of Islamic law (so, keep in mind, Rumi was an Islamic lawyer, and furthermore he was much more qualified than the Taliban could ever claim to be). Given that impression, 30% of Oklahohamans still voted “no.”
These Oklahomans didn’t want to ban international or Shari’ah law from their state courts. Because they see through the feint, the misdirection, the pointing to supposed threats in place of the actual challenges—economics, climate change, education, and infrastructure—that will weigh down on us all, regardless of creed and color. How will this end? Sometimes, it is easier to go down a road than it is to come back.Tan Zhongyi became the new Women's World Champion after defeating Anna Muzychuk in tiebreaks. The 25-year-old has kept the title in China, after showing good technique and an astounding competitive spirit. Tan Zhongyi played no less than 34 games, and overcame a number of highly tense encounters.
After a draw in Game 4, the Women's World Chess Championship final — just like the World Championship in New York — was decided in tiebreaks. A priori, Anna Muzychuk was the favorite given the fact that she obtained an impressive double gold in last year's Rapid and Blitz World Championships in Qatar. The Ukrainian had White in the first 25-minute game.
The Chinese used the Petroff Defense and, curiously, until move 14 followed a game played by Anna Muzychuk against her sister. That game ended in a peaceful draw in a little over 30 moves, but this one would be different!
Against her sister Mariya, Anna chose the quiet 14.Qc3, with the idea of exchanging queens after Qb3. In Tehran, however, she showed her great preparation and improved with 14.f3!, followed by an increase on Black's center with Qe2, Bd2-c3. White got a better position, and after centralizing her queen, we arrived to one of the key positions of the game.
The natural 19.g4, avoiding Bf5 and preparing h4-h5, would create a lot of problems on Black's kingside. Probably Tan Zhongyi would eventually find herself forced to play Qc6, exchanging queens but weakening her structure, although Muzychuk always had Qe2 to keep her strongest attacking piece. Black's position would be very hard to defend! However, Anna decided to take on b7, which made the Chinese's task much easier. Nonetheless, White kept some pressure and maintained her advantage, which takes us to the most relevant moment of the game.
It's clear who has managed to keep the upper hand — Black is in serious trouble on the queenside! Anna could have played 38.a5 followed by Ra7, and there's no way to save the pawn or find much counterplay with Black. With the clock ticking, though, Muzychuk chose the wrong plan (38.Be3) and gave some tempi to her opponent, who created counterplay on the kingside and managed to draw the game. As a curiosity, it's worth pointing out that 38.Bd4?? would run into a rather artistic mate after 38...Be1#.
In the second game, Anna Muzychuk had no trouble to equalize with Black and, despite the fact that White had the bishop pair, her position seemed preferable.
Black can play the precise 19...Bxc5! forcing White to take with the pawn and stopping her initiative on the queenside. After this, she could have created problems on the other side of the board with g5-h5, while keeping a strong center with the knights — eventually White could place the queen on e6 and a rook on the d-file. Instead, Anna allowed her opponent to take on e4 with the knight and to advance on the queenside with b5. The position became quite dangerous!
The White pieces are better positioned, so Anna rightfully felt she needed to abandon a passive defense and played 31...Qb4!, sacrificing the a7-pawn in exchange of activity. The Chinese reacted correctly to the threats, maneuvered, and — after exchanging the a2-pawn for the e4-pawn — they arrived at a position that Muzychuk will hardly forget...
After the natural 39...Kg8 the game would go on, as White´s extra pawn might not be so important if Tan Zhongyi doesn't find a way to stop the very dangerous passed b-pawn. Despite the fact that the cold-blooded computer evaluates the position as favorable for White, there was still a lot of action on the board, with all three results possible. Muzychuk might have thought that White's d-pawn could become a queen and, to avoid a hypothetical check with d8Q+, she made the biggest mistake of the event: 39...Kh6?? The king is too exposed and the Chinese took her chance immediately with 40.g4!, threatening g5 and winning the game. It was an unexpected ending, which gave Tan Zhongyi the World Championship crown!
So the Women's World Championship is over. The event was marked by a controversial start, when a lot of players decided not to participate due to political reasons — Hou Yifan did not participate for other reasons. These absences lowered the popularity of the event in comparison to previous editions. However, we cannot but congratulate Tan Zhongyi, who showed nerves of steel to become the new Women's World Champion!
See also:The largest mass extinction in the history of animal life occurred some 252 million years ago, wiping out more than 96 percent of marine species and 70 percent of life on land — including the largest insects known to have inhabited the Earth. Multiple theories have aimed to explain the cause of what’s now known as the end-Permian extinction, including an asteroid impact, massive volcanic eruptions, or a cataclysmic cascade of environmental events. But pinpointing the cause of the extinction requires better measurements of how long the extinction period lasted.
Now researchers at MIT have determined that the end-Permian extinction occurred over 60,000 years, give or take 48,000 years — practically instantaneous, from a geologic perspective. The new timescale is based on more precise dating techniques, and indicates that the most severe extinction in history may have happened more than 10 times faster than scientists had previously thought.
“We’ve got the extinction nailed in absolute time and duration,” says Sam Bowring, the Robert R. Shrock Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at MIT. “How do you kill 96 percent of everything that lived in the oceans in tens of thousands of years? It could be that an exceptional extinction requires an exceptional explanation.”
In addition to establishing the extinction’s duration, Bowring, graduate student Seth Burgess, and a colleague from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology also found that, 10,000 years before the die-off,, the oceans experienced a pulse of light carbon, which likely reflects a massive addition of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. This dramatic change may have led to widespread ocean acidification and increased sea temperatures by 10 degrees Celsius or more, killing the majority of sea life.
But what originally triggered the spike in carbon dioxide? The leading theory among geologists and paleontologists has to do with widespread, long-lasting volcanic eruptions from the Siberian Traps, a region of Russia whose steplike hills are a result of repeated eruptions of magma. To determine whether eruptions from the Siberian Traps triggered a massive increase in oceanic carbon dioxide, Burgess and Bowring are using similar dating techniques to establish a timescale for the Permian period’s volcanic eruptions that are estimated to have covered over five million cubic kilometers.
“It is clear that whatever triggered extinction must have acted very quickly,” says Burgess, the lead author of a paper that reports the results in this week’s Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, “fast enough to destabilize the biosphere before the majority of plant and animal life had time to adapt in an effort to survive.”
Pinning dates on an extinction
In 2006, Bowring and his students made a trip to Meishan, China, a region whose rock formations bear evidence of the end-Permian extinction; geochronologists and paleontologists have flocked to the area to look for clues in its layers of sedimentary rock. In particular, scientists have focused on a section of rock that is thought to delineate the end of the Permian, and the beginning of the Triassic, based on evidence such as the number of fossils found in surrounding rock layers.
Bowring sampled rocks from this area, as well as from nearby alternating layers of volcanic ash beds and fossil-bearing rocks. After analyzing the rocks in the lab, his team reported in 2011 that the end-Permian likely lasted less than 200,000 years. However, this timeframe still wasn’t precise enough to draw any conclusions about what caused the extinction.
Now, the team has revised its estimates using more accurate dating techniques based on a better understanding of uncertainties in timescale measurements.
With this knowledge, Bowring and his colleagues reanalyzed rock samples collected from five volcanic ash beds at the Permian-Triassic boundary. The researchers pulverized rocks and separated out tiny zircon crystals containing a mix of uranium and lead. They then isolated uranium from lead, and measured the ratios of both isotopes to determine the age of each rock sample.
From their measurements, the researchers determined a much more precise “age model” for the end-Permian extinction, which now appears to have lasted about 60,000 years — with an uncertainty of 48,000 years — and was immediately preceded by a sharp increase in carbon dioxide in the oceans.
‘Spiraling toward the truth’
The new timeline adds weight to the theory that the extinction was triggered by massive volcanic eruptions from the Siberian Traps that released volatile chemicals, including carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere and oceans. With such a short extinction timeline, Bowring says it is possible that a single, catastrophic pulse of magmatic activity triggered an almost instantaneous collapse of all global ecosystems.
Andrew Knoll, a professor of earth and planetary sciences at Harvard University, says the group’s refined timeline will give scientists an opportunity to test whether the timing of the Siberian Traps eruptions coincides with the extinction.
“Most mechanisms proposed to account for the observed pattern of extinction rely on rapid environmental change, so the sharp constraints on timing also serve as tests of these ideas,” Knoll says. “[This new timeline] bring us closer to the resolution of a major problem posed by the geologic record.”
To confirm whether the Siberian Traps are indeed the extinction’s smoking gun, Burgess and Bowring plan to determine an equally precise timeline for the Siberian Traps eruptions, and will compare it to the new extinction timeline to see where the two events overlap. The researchers will investigate additional areas in China to see if the duration of the extinction can be even more precisely determined.
“We’ve refined our approach, and now we have higher accuracy and precision,” Bowring says. “You can think of it as slowly spiraling in toward the truth.”Quinn has been fascinated with Magic ever since Revised Edition. When he is not spending time with his lovely wife and amazing son, he's constantly brewing decks for, playing, and writing about Magic.
A Brief History of Catastrophes
Balance is one of the first noticeable cards in Magic to attempt to create parity on multiple levels. The notion of a card that lets you catch up to an opponent who's gotten far ahead of you in resources, putting you on even ground...what could go wrong, right?
The problem with Balance is that it affects the crucial resources of the game—cards in hand and lands—and it's so cheap to find ways to break that parity with whatever it doesn't touch—artifacts, enchantments, planeswalkers—that balance ends up in practice being, well, not balanced. Balance could easily turn into hand destruction, sweeper, and land destruction...all for the low, low price of two mana.
So, umm...take two?
Cataclysm is a powerful effect, and you can see where it evolves the concept of parity approached long ago by Balance. Cataclysm hits artifacts, creatures, enchantments, and lands. All players pick one of each they control and send everything else to the graveyard.
Cataclysm can be used as an almost-sweeper, and almost-land destruction...but it's better to think of Cataclysm and its descendants as very versatile anti-mass cards. If you want complete destruction of creatures, you want Wrath of God or Damnation. If you want to destroy all enchantments, you use Back to Nature. But for four mana, having the versatility to reduce on multiple levels at once is really good.
What if we added one mana to the cost, then attached a similar effect to a creature?
Tragic Artifact
So the card I skipped past here is |
bury said the secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, will issue a report next month with details of all allegations from 2015, including the names of countries whose troops stand accused. The information, including the status of the investigations, will be regularly updated online, he said.
“It’s hard to imagine the outrage that people working for the United Nations in the causes of peace and security feel when these kinds of allegations come to light,” Banbury said.
The UN is under pressure to act more quickly after an independent panel last month described its “gross institutional failure” in handling similar allegations in CAR against French and other peacekeepers. The panel’s report said the months-long delay in addressing children’s accounts of abuse had led to even more reported assaults.
The UN can report such allegations but countries themselves are responsible for prosecuting their troops over such crimes. Many do not.
The UN rights office said three of the girls said they believed their abusers were members of a Georgian contingent within an EU force, and another girl was allegedly abused by a soldier from another European country that was not named because “additional corroboration is needed” in that case.
UN staffers interviewed a 7-year-old girl and 9-year-old boy who said they had been abused by troops in the French Sangaris operation. The girl said she had performed “oral sex on French soldiers in exchange for a bottle of water and a sachet of cookies”, the statement from Hussein’s office said.
France's poisoned legacy in the Central African Republic Read more
A spokesman for Hussein’s office said the 7-year-old was the youngest alleged victim so far in any of the CAR cases. The two children said other children were abused in a similar fashion in repeated incidents involving several French soldiers, according to the statement.
France’s UN Mission tweeted on Friday: “France remains very mobilized in fight against violence and #sexualabuses & against impunity for those responsible.”
The EU’s foreign affairs service said the EU was informed of the allegations on 19 January and immediately offered assistance to the UN investigators. “The EU takes these allegations very seriously,” said the statement.
Georgia’s defence ministry said it received the allegations “with great concern”, adding that “it is our goal to investigate this matter in great detail and in case such grave crimes are proven, perpetrators of such crimes will be brought to justice”.
Rupert Colville, a spokesman for Hussein’s office, estimated that troops from about 10 foreign military contingents in CAR have now been embroiled in sexual misconduct allegations. He said it was difficult to estimate how many individual soldiers might have been involved.
“What is abundantly clear in the CAR is that it’s been rampant,” Colville told reporters. “What this does show is this is a problem with armies, with the military forces, and for whatever reason not enough is being done to stop this happening the message doesn’t seem to have got through.”
He said he was unaware of any convictions so far in any of the cases that have been brought to light.
Banbury said the UN was taking new steps to protect against sexual abuse, promote accountability and assist victims. Every single member of peacekeeping forces is now vetted, he said, and those involved in prior misconduct, human rights violations or serious crimes are not allowed to serve.
Other changes include acting within 24 hours of an allegation to collect evidence, including using rape kits and specially trained investigators. The UN is also asking troop-contributing countries to conclude their investigations of allegations within six months and report results and “we now proactively suspend payments for personnel who are credibly accused of abuse”, Banbury said.
He also urged others to come forward with allegations, saying that people who don’t report the information they receive are “complicit in the crime”.ISLAMABAD: Visibly in distress, the mother of slain Zain Rauf told the Supreme Court on Monday that she had no means to fight with the killers of his son who were very powerful and influential.
Along with her two daughters, Ghazala Rauf appeared before a three-judge Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Amir Hani Muslim and said that she has accepted the great loss of her son as the will of the God and does not have any resource to fight with these people.
While talking to reporters outside the Supreme Court, she also brushed aside the impression that she was under any pressure but asserted that she had not forgiven or pardoned the killers of her son but she does not want to pursue the case anymore.
On a suo motu the apex court had taken notice on the acquittal by Lahore Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) of five suspects including Mustafa Kanju — the son of former minister of state Siddique Kanju — in the Zain murder case.
At the last hearing on November 10, the apex court had summoned the complainants and eye witnesses in the Zain murder case.
Also read: 'Witnesses turned hostile after taking money from the accused'
On Monday the court held chamber hearing in which the mother and two daughters were summoned and later ordered the inspector general of Punjab police to take the victim’s family in protective custody and asked the prosecutors to provide the record of the appeal moved by the provincial government in the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the decision of trial court.
At the last hearing on Nov 10, prosecution had told the apex court that the complainants and eye witnesses in the Zain murder case had recanted from their earlier statements deposed before ATC after they were reportedly pressurised and offered monetary inducement that led them to sign on the blank papers.
Inside the courtroom the bench asked the mother to narrate what had happened on the fateful day when her son was killed.
Ghazala Rauf replied that she had come on court’s asking and that she had two daughters and cannot fight with the influential people.
The court, however, comforted the grief stricken mother and told her that “she does not need to be afraid of any one as no one, not even the police, can harass her”, adding that “the state will now contest the matter since it has become its responsibility to bring the criminals to justice”.
The court also observed that it will decide the matter in accordance with the law. “The way the case was heard prima facie, it seems ATC judge has not done justice,” regretted Justice Muslim.
Ghazala replied in negative when the court asked whether her brother Sohail Afzal became complainant in the case with her consent.
The prosecutor general of Punjab, Syed Ehtesham Qadir, told the court that the provincial government has already challenged the acquittal of the accused persons before LHC, adding that propriety demanded that the apex court should let the LHC decide the appeal so that it may not cause any prejudice to any party.
“Should we wash of our hands,” Justice Muslim observed adding that "Punjab approached the high court only after the Supreme Court took suo motu notice".
When asked, Qadir said none of the accused had fled the country, adding that the official witnesses were not examined by the trial court, besides the prosecution was not given proper opportunity to present their case.
The prosecutor general also regretted that Sohail Afzal signed the blank paper and resiled from the statement he deposed before the trial court which stated that he was the eyewitness of the murder of his nephew.
The Supreme Court was also not happy with the fact that ASI Mehboob Alam — who witnessed what is believed to be payment of money for retracting from their earlier stance before the trial court within the trial court premises — first went to register an FIR and then arrested the accused when "it should have been the other way round".
Mustafa Kanju along with his four guards had allegedly opened fire on a vehicle near Cavalry Ground area Lahore on April 1 killing Zain along with a passerby.
But the accused were acquitted of all charges by ATC-I Judge Muhammad Qasim on lack of evidence on October 28, though earlier the trial court had indicted the suspects for killing 16-year-old Zain and injuring Husain, 18, a passerby.
ATC had ordered the release of the accused after they moved an application before the trial court under Section 265-K CrPC seeking acquittal of all charges after complainant of the case and all prosecution witnesses did not testify against them.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.
Shai Galili, Likud’s comptroller, disqualified Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for running for the party leadership in the December 31 primary, a move that Netanyahu disputes and is likely to appeal.
Galili said Netanyahu must answer claims that he improperly used party resources in his leadership primary run.
Likud’s election committee said in response that Galili has no authority to disqualify Netanyahu, nor does he have a good reason.The Netanyahu campaign said in response that “the decision by the political dealer Galili is strange, motivated by irrelevant considerations and not at all binding.”The statement added: “Electoral Committee chairman Menahem Ne’eman clearly determined that Galili’s decision was hasty, invalid and Galili was not authorized to give it.”The prime minister is likely to appeal the decision to the Likud’s court and, if necessary, to general court.The prime minister’s only challenger for party leader is MK Danny Danon, as MK Moshe Feiglin pulled out of the race on Thursday.Galili described an event Netanyahu held at Likud headquarters in Tel Aviv – party property – for activists and chapter leaders on December 11, with the help of party employees.The comptroller quoted Netanyahu’s speech at the event as follows: “I want to thank my friends here, Likud members, who expressed support for me yesterday as leader of the country and Likud.... Likud members understand this election is about only one question: Who will lead the country, left-wing candidates that continue to multiply, or a broad, strong Likud government led by me, a government that will lead the State of Israel to safety, responsibly and determinedly. We will give that answer.”Galili emphasized the phrases “support for me...as leader” and “Likud government led by me” as problematic.According to the comptroller, a Likud worker helped Netanyahu at a primary campaign function in Ramat Gan on December 16.Though Galili said he did not know the source of funding for the event, he quoted Netanyahu as saying: “This is a clear election between Left and Right, between Likud led by me and Labor led by...uh... that’s not important [emphasis in original].”Galili explained that it is improper to have party employees help candidates, because they are supposed to be neutral in Likud primaries.A source close to Netanyahu said the event was a general Likud function in the party’s headquarters and wasn’t part of the primary campaign, and the Likud employees mentioned in the letter are appointees – a political adviser to Netanyahu and his secretary – and as such are authorized to take part in all of his activities, including political events.Netanyahu’s primary campaign responded that the letter is “puzzling, bizarre and baseless,” and accused “political actors with vested interests” of being behind it.“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu makes sure in every matter to follow the law and the Likud constitution and is careful to follow all of their rules, in the primary and in any other area.This distorted, tendentious paper will get an appropriate legal response” a campaign spokesman stated.Moreover, Netanyahu is to face challenges in the Likud court before the December 31 primary.Early last week, the court ruled that the leadership primary and the vote for the party’s list can be held on the same day, but Likud activists Eli Cornfeld and Ran Levy appealed the decision to the Tel Aviv District Court.In addition, the expanded Likud court has yet to rule on Netanyahu’s request to appoint candidates of his choosing to two slots – the 11th and the 23rd. The prime minister is considering former IDF deputy chiefs of staff Yoav Galant and Uzi Dayan, as well as economist Shlomo Maoz and former basketball player Tal Brody, who ran in previous Likud primaries.Gil Hoffman and Lahav Harkov contributed to this report.
Join Jerusalem Post Premium Plus now for just $5 and upgrade your experience with an ads-free website and exclusive content. Click here>>Uganda has declared itself free of Ebola, the World Health Organization announced Thursday.
The last confirmed case of the disease that causes a potentially deadly hemorrhagic fever was on August 3 and was discharged from the hospital 21 days later. A total of 24 cases were reported, including 17 deaths, the WHO said in a statement.
"WHO does not recommend that any travel or trade restrictions be applied to the Uganda with respect to this event," said health officials.
The Ebola virus causes Ebola hemorrhagic fever (Ebola HF), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms include fever, headache, joint and muscle aches, sore throat, and weakness, followed by diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain. Rashes, red eyes, hiccups and internal and external bleeding are also symptoms that are sometimes presented.
In July an outbreak of Ebola virus tied to a funeral began to infect residents of the African nation. The first victim of the Ebola outbreak was a 3-month-old girl and of the 65 people who attended her funeral, 15 later contracted the deadly disease. At least 11 people who attended the funeral died from Ebola, according to previous reports.
Health officials declared the outbreak under control in August after creating an "Ebola contact list' to isolate 176 people who had contact with people infected with Ebola.
Once the maximum incubation period for Ebola was met by the last infected patient, officials at Uganda's Ministry of Health declared the outbreak over.
An unrelated Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo may have infected up to 108 people, killing 31. The outbreak was blamed on tainted bushmeat that local villagers hunted.
The WHO has yet to declare that outbreak over.Image caption PMMA is a stimulant, similar in its effect to ecstasy
A highly-toxic class-A drug is being sold in Scotland, according to senior police officers.
ParaMethoxyMethylAmphetamine (PMMA) has been found in tablets which look like ecstasy.
The substance has also been found in drugs being sold as "legal highs" in Scotland.
The Association of Chief Police Officers Scotland said it had recovered quantities of PMMA after a series of raids.
It has been produced in pink tablets with a Rolex crown logo, and in white tablets with a four-leaf clover logo.
PMMA has also been recovered in powder form and police said it may also be present in other products and tablets.
Det Insp Tommy Crombie, of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency, said: "PMMA is a stimulant similar to ecstasy but it is not as potent.
"Users... may be tempted to take more tablets to achieve the desired effect, increasing the risk of a potentially fatal overdose.
"I would strongly advise drug users to avoid such products and follow harm reduction advice where necessary."The father of the man suspected in multiple bombings throughout New York and New Jersey this weekend says he reported his son to the FBI as a potential terrorist. Officials have confirmed that Mohammed Rahami reported his son Ahmed Khan Rahami in 2014, but law enforcement took little action following the alert.
“I called the FBI two years ago!” the elder Rahami told a swarm of reporters surrounding him in front of his family’s restaurant, First American Fried Chicken in Elizabeth, New Jersey. The New York Post notes that Mohammed Rahami also made several statements that were difficult to follow, such as “I have a connection with this guy” without referencing anyone in particular and asserting he did not think his son was a terrorist.
The New York Times confirmed with U.S. federal officials that Rahami did indeed report his son as a potential terrorist. Ahmed Rahami had allegedly stabbed his brother in the leg, and spent three months in jail over the incident, though he was never charged and, thus, did not have a criminal record.
Rahami’s report on his son was reportedly “passed to the Joint Terrorism Task Force led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Newark. Officers opened what is known as an assessment, the most basic of F.B.I. investigations, and interviewed the father, who then recanted.” The Times quotes their sources as saying that the elder Rahami later said he had only reported his son “out of anger.”
“It is not clear if officers interviewed Ahmad Rahami” over the report, the Times notes.
Ahmad Rahami is suspected of planting a number of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) throughout the tri-state area, beginning with the failed bombing of a charity 5K run in Seaside Park, New Jersey and continuing in Chelsea, Manhattan and Elizabeth, New Jersey. The bomb planted in Chelsea injured 29 people; there were no other injuries. Rahami was captured on Monday morning after a gunfight with police in Linden, a city near Elizabeth.
Rahami was a frequent traveler to his native Afghanistan and nearby Pakistan, where he is believed to have married. He was questioned by law enforcement on multiple occasions after returning from trips to Kandahar, an Al Qaeda hotbed where his family is from, and Quetta, a city in Pakistan under Taliban control.
Rahami was arrested carrying a small notebook which law enforcement sources say is full of ramblings referring to multiple attacks on U.S. soil, including the Fort Hood attack and the Boston Marathon bombings, and references to killing the “kuffar,” or unbelievers.
Rahami is due in court next week.Austin Michael Symonds, an 18-year-old employee of a Papa Murphy's pizzeria in Georgetown, Texas, was arrested by police last week after he was allegedly caught by a customer rubbing his scrotum on a pizza order. According to the arrest warrant obtained by the Austin American-Statesman, the customer confronted the teen, asking him his age and then, "So you are old enough to know better than to put your balls on someone's pizza?" Symonds responded by saying, "Yes," before apparently telling the customer, "Man, I am really sorry, that was stupid."
In a recorded phone call between Symonds and his manager, the teen apparently admits to having decided to rub his balls over the pizza—all Papa Murphy's "specialize" in uncooked pizzas you pick up and bake yourself—after the customer made the order right before closing time. Symonds later allegedly admitted that had he not been caught, he "probably" would have still given the testicle-rubbed pizza ("a family-sized stuffed pizza with Canadian bacon, pineapple and extra cheese") to the customer.
According to the Statesman, Symonds was charged by police with tampering with a consumer product and was released from Williamson County Jail on $10,000 bail.
[Image via KEYE]A Kurdish fighter walks by a wall bearing a drawing of the flag of the Islamic State group in the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar, in the Nineveh Province, on Nov. 13. Safin Hamed/AFP/Getty Images
The Islamic State group has made more than $500 million in oil sales on the black market and controls as much as $1 billion in cash from banks it robbed during its initial march across Syria and Iraq last summer, the Treasury Department estimates.
That may seem like a lot. But it only goes so far for the extremist group, particularly amid international military and economic efforts to contain it while it attempts to hold its so-called caliphate and govern a region of 5 million people or more. Analysts believe the group’s leaders need as much as $1 billion per month to keep generators filled, lights on and armored vehicles running.
So where are its resources coming from? That was the key subject of an unprecedented U.N. National Security meeting of 15 finance ministers on Thursday, headed by Treasury Secretary Jack Lew. The group adopted a plan it says will target the Islamic State group's oil production and sales, as well as seize up other sources of income the group collects from looting and selling antiquities and through an increasing emphasis on extortion and ransom rackets against the people within the territory it controls.
The new international law "will require countries to do more than they have been doing,” U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power told The Associated Press, adding the Islamic State group’s source of financing is "a problem we should be able to solve.”
But those with experience studying terrorists’ balance books say the group’s financial system is clearly much more advanced than Western governments previously appraised. It occupies a triangle between northwestern Iraq, northeastern Syria and southeastern Turkey where generations of underworld financiers have mastered the art of selling on the black market, smuggling goods across borders and turning illicit money into the kind of benign currency foreign banks accept. These regional experts working with Islamic State group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and his lieutenants don’t even need to buy into the group’s hard-line ideology, trading their expertise for the right to continue their illicit practices under the extremists' taxation.
But the model as is cannot last.
Smoking oil dregs are dumped into the ground on Nov. 14 near Derek, in Rojava, Syria.
John Moore/Getty Images
“Overall, they are an insurgent group that is acting like a state because circumstances are allowing them to do that,” says Matthew Levitt, a former Treasury official who tracks terrorist financing with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “In the long term, they don’t have a sustainable financial model. In the near term, which could be a decade, easily, they can get by.”
Levitt says he doesn’t see the kind of inflation that would normally exist in a region where money is only circulating around, rather than in and out. That's just one of a series of signs observers who spoke with U.S. News point out suggest a governing body like the Islamic State group would not have been able to survive as long as it has without accessing Jordanian, Turkish or Lebanese banks, trading with buyers outside its borders and – most troubling for countries like the U.S. – enjoying the support of international financiers living in places like Saudi Arabia, which enjoys a close but complicated relationship with Western powers.
For its part, Saudi Arabia has long denied allegations of funding terror, which extended back to claims the Islamic State group's predecessor al-Qaida received money from within the kingdom.
“There are pockets in those countries where people are sympathetic” to the extremists' cause, Dennis Lormel, a former terrorist finance investigator with the FBI, says of the entities that could support the Islamic State group's finances. “That sympathy certainly helps you be willfully blind. Part of it is a level of indifference and greed. Part of it is a facade that you think you’re dealing with legitimate money, when in fact you’re not.
“And part of it is the underground market,” Lormel says, stressing perhaps the largest gap in efforts to defeat the Islamic State group. “None of us really has a good grasp on that.”
Some of the U.S.-led efforts to cut off financing of the Islamic State group, also known as ISIL or ISIS, have had some success. A military campaign that began in recent weeks dubbed Tidal Wave II has capitalized on intelligence gleaned from a commando raid that killed a top Islamic State group financial minister known as Abu Sayyaf in May. One result of the campaign was evident last week when the Pentagon announced it killed a replacement finance chief for the extremist group in an airstrike – the third in as many months.
But it has also generated a newfound understanding of how the extremist network produces, moves and sells its oil, allowing coalition warplanes to start targeting oil sources without destroying the energy infrastructure of the country, officials say. This concern has served as the key excuse the White House has offered since the war began last year for why it hadn't targeted oil infrastructure sooner.
“It’s definitely hurting ISIL,” a senior U.S. official said on the condition of anonymity in order to speak candidly. “But let’s be clear: This is their primary source of revenue, and for quite some time. We believe that this is going down by the day.”
He did not offer further specifics since the U.S. is still appraising the Islamic State group's supposedly shrinking income. But at its peak, the Islamic State group was able to generate as much as $1.5 million per day off oil sales, he said, adding that number has diminished significantly.
The official also confirmed the extremist group previously profited from oil smuggled into Turkey. Russia has stepped up its rhetoric supporting these claims in recent weeks, ever since Turkey shot down one of its fighter jets that crossed into Turkish airspace without permission. Russian leaders insist top Turkish officials are still buying Islamic State group oil with the complicity of Prime Minister Recep Erdogan, who denies the allegations.
"We do not believe that there is much smuggling going on from ISIL territory into Turkey,” the U.S. official said, crediting U.S. and Turkish diplomatic efforts for stemming the flow of smuggled oil, but also saying the complexity of the trip and risk of losing oil shipments makes it no longer cost effective for the Islamic State group.
USN&WR
He would not offer further specifics, but indicated the main buyers are within Syria – likely those under the Islamic State group's control and, as other U.S. officials have indicated, the Russian-backed regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
The U.S.-led strategy is not focused on eliminating the Islamic State group’s ability to produce oil, as that would be an expensive endeavor and the network has become adept at deploying mobile refineries available on the Internet to re-establish oil flows following a coalition airstrike. Rather, the emphasis is on targeting elements of the chain of distribution, such as attacking truck drivers or mounting airstrikes that could taint the quality of the product, driving down revenues and making the venture too expensive to continue.
Even if the U.S. were able to dry up all of the Islamic State group’s oil income, it would still receive support elsewhere. The success of Tidal Wave II has already demonstrated the group’s ability to, as U.S. officials have said, turn to other sources of income in recent weeks, like extortion and kidnapping, which are not sustainable in the long term but could tide it over until it finds other income sources.
International donations remain a huge problem, particularly from countries with which the U.S. may be allied.
Analysts have expressed concerned about Saudi Arabia’s hard-line religious movement, such as the ultra-conservative Wahhabism that originated there. It continues its highly orthodox teachings through thousands of schools and helped inspire the rise of groups like al-Qaida.
A 2009 State Department document leaked through anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks indicated concern among U.S. officials for Saudi Arabia's "critical funding" of groups like al-Qaida or the Taliban, but those concerns have not been fully substantiated. One of the most widespread explanations is that the kingdom sees these Sunni Muslim extremists as the most effective hedge against their rival Shiite Muslim organizations, such as the Lebanese militant political party Hezbollah, Assad in Syria or the Iranian government itself.
“The U.S. is caught between a rock and a hard place. If they really want to fight ISIS, they have to degrade and destroy their ideology at the source, not to spread any further, and stop those actors [who] promote radicalism with petro dollar funding,” says Luay al-Khatteeb, an energy analyst with the Brookings Institution's Doha Center. “Wars on radical ideologies are not fought only by guns but by education and stopping all financing efforts that lead to radicalism.
"The U.S. and its Western allies really need to have a candid, frank dialogue with their own traditional partners in the Gulf and any hard-liners, on how to put an end to this ideology.”
Of its $250 billion budget, Saudi Arabia spends roughly 20 percent on education. That's about the same as what it spends on defense.
“It leaves a question mark for where much of that money goes,” al-Khatteeb says.On Friday, a front-page New York Times story reported that a rift has emerged within the Obama Administration over whether it has authority to kill “rank-and-file” Islamist militants in foreign countries in which there is not an internationally recognized “armed conflict.” The implications of this debate are not trivial: Imagine that Russia started killing individuals living in the United States with remote-controlled drone missiles, and argued that it was justified in doing so because it had determined, in secret, that they posed a threat to Russia’s security, and that the United States was unwilling to turn them over. Would we calmly pronounce such actions compliant with the rule of law? Not too likely.
And yet that is precisely the argument that the Obama Administration is now using in regard to American’s own actions in places like Yemen and Somalia—and by extension anywhere else it deems militant anti-US groups may be taking refuge. On the same day the Times article appeared, John Brennan, President Obama’s senior advisor on homeland security and counterterrorism, gave a speech at Harvard Law School in which he defended the United States’ use of drones to kill terrorists who are far from any “hot battlefield.” Brennan argued that the United States is justified in killing members of violent Islamist groups far from Afghanistan if they pose a threat to the United States, even if the threat is not “imminent” as that term has traditionally been understood. (As if to underscore the point, The Washington Post reports that the US has “significantly increased” its drone attacks in Yemen in recent months, out of fears that the government may collapse.)
In international law, where reciprocity governs, what is lawful for the goose is lawful for the gander. And when the goose is the United States, it sets a precedent that other countries may well feel warranted in following. Indeed, exploiting the international mandate to fight terrorism that has emerged since the September 11 attacks, Russia has already expanded its definition of terrorists to include those who promote “terrorist ideas”—for example, by distributing information that might encourage terrorist activity— and to authorize the Russian government to target “international terrorists” in other countries. It may seem fanciful that Russia would have the nerve to use such an authority within the United States—though in the case of Alexsander Litvinenko it appears to have had few qualms about taking extreme measures to kill an individual who had taken refuge in the United Kingdom. But it is not at all fanciful that once the US proclaims such tactics legitimate, other nations might seek to use them against their less powerful neighbors.
Ironically, Brennan’s speech lauded the benefits of fighting terrorism within the confines of the rule of law. When we uphold the rule of law, Brennan argued, “our counterterrorism tools are more likely to withstand the scrutiny of our courts, our allies, and the American people,” and to offer “a powerful alternative” to al Qaeda’s lawless ways. Indeed, as I argue in the current issue of The New York Review, the Obama administration deserves credit—along with civil society and the courts—for helping to restore the rule of law, at least partially, after the blatant disregard with which its predecessor dismissed it in the immediate aftermath of September 11.
Yet as the New York Times report makes clear, when it comes to targeted killings, there is serious dispute, even within the administration, about what the law permits.. Some, like State Department legal advisor Harold Koh, take the position that beyond the battlefield, we can attack only those “high-value individuals” who are actually engaged in plotting attacks on the United States, and only where their threats are specific enough to allow the US to claim the right to self-defense granted to all states under the UN Charter. The Charter permits nations to use unilateral military force only in self-defense against an armed attack, and has been interpreted to permit self-defense against threatened attacks only when they are imminent.. Defense Department lawyers maintain, by contrast, that the ongoing war against al-Qaeda authorizes us to kill any of the thousands of rank and file members not only of al-Qaeda itself, but also of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula—a Yemen-based group founded in 2009—and of al-Shabab, a Somalia-based militant group. Although both of the latter organizations were founded well after the September 11 attacks, the Defense Department considers them fair game because it deems them to be associated with al Qaeda.
In his Harvard speech, Brennan deftly avoided siding with either contending position. He insisted that the administration’s policy is “focused on those individuals who are a threat to the United States, whose removal would cause a significant—even if temporary—disruption of the plans and capabilities of al-Qaeda and its associated forces.” But note his use of the words “focused” and “associated forces.” He did not say that the administration’s targeting authority was limited to such individuals, only that for the moment that is where the US’s strategic focus lies. And he did not define what counts as an “associated force.” Is the US’s desire to disrupt temporarily the capabilities of al Shabab, a group largely consumed by an internal conflict in Somalia, enough to justify killing a high-ranking member (let alone the “rank and file”) with a drone, even if neither the individual nor the group is poised to attack us? Brennan’s formula seemed to suggest as much. And published accounts report that the US has indeed attacked al Shabab members with drones in Somalia.
Brennan further argued that the UN Charter requirement that a threat be imminent before a nation can exercise its right of self-defense makes less sense when a country faces a threat from a clandestine terrorist group, whose threats may be harder to spot in advance. But the purpose of that requirement was to ensure that military force is truly a last resort. Too many wars have been launched on the basis of ill-defined future threats. The watered-down imminence that Brennan seemed to advocate, especially when coupled with his suggestion that even a temporary disruption of “capabilities” is sufficient reason to strike, would seem to permit targeting even where no attack is in fact imminent. Such reasoning could also be used to justify lethal force in cases where it might well be possible to foil a possible attack through arrest, criminal prosecution, interdiction, or other means. As many countries, including Great Britain, Germany, Spain, and, Italy have shown, the fact that organized groups seek to engage in politically motivated violence does not necessitate a military response.
The legal parameters defining the use of military force against terrorists are unquestionably difficult to draw. On the one hand, no one disputes that it is permissible to kill an enemy soldier on the battlefield in an ongoing armed conflict. On the other hand, absent extreme circumstances, constitutional and international law bar a state from killing a human being in peacetime without a trial (and even then, many authorities hold that capital punishment violates international human rights law). Al-Qaeda has not limited its fight to the battlefield in Afghanistan, and most agree that, as long as sovereignty concerns are met, the use of military force can follow this enemy beyond the battlefield at least in some situations. Killing Osama bin Laden in Pakistan—whose tribal areas are for all practical purposes part of the theater of war—was the justified targeting of the enemy’s leader. But are al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula or al-Shabab the same “enemy,” or merely sympathetic adherents of a terrorist philosophy? They certainly did not attack us on September 11, nor are they harboring those who did. Can we summarily execute all terrorists who we fear might someday commit a terrorist act against us? Brennan’s speech offered no answers.
And that makes it especially disturbing that the contours of US policy and practice in this area remain largely secret. Presumably the administration has developed criteria for who can be killed and why, and a process for assessing who fits those criteria and when their targeting is justified. But if so, it hasn’t told us. Instead, it exercises the authority to kill, not only in Afghanistan and the border regions of Pakistan, but in Yemen,Somalia, and presumably elsewhere, based on a secret policy. We learn more about its outlines from leaks to The New York Times than from the cryptic comments of US officials in speeches like Brennan’s. If we are engaging the enemy within the rule of law, as Brennan insisted we must, we should have the courage to make our policies transparent, so that the people, both in the United States and beyond, can judge for themselves. And if, by contrast, we continue to justify such practices in only the vaguest of terms, we should expect other countries to take them up—and almost certainly in ways we will not find to our liking.Since 2014 the Darth Vader vs. Luke Skywalker on Bespin sequence being reshot for Star Wars: The Force Awakens has been something of discussion amongst sources with various levels of confirmation. The sequence was to happen when Rey enters the “Forceback” or flash back sequence at Maz’s Castle. Over the course of the production we heard rumors that there was an actor cast in the role as “Young Original Warrior.” The actor as Luke is still is not confirmed and neither is the person who played Darth Vader. In essence, we see Rey watch the fight from a new vantage point. It seems as if the Bespin pieces we see in the film were to be part of the set from which Rey watched the father and son duel.
A new book has hit today called Star Wars The Force Awakens: Rey’s Story:
On pages 99-100 of the book we have the flashback reiterated with the missing sequence described here:
As she peered into the distance, she saw a man in black wielding a red Lightsaber. His face was covered with a mask, molded to approximate a human face. But the mask’s eyes were dead and empty. The man’s red Lightsaber clashed against a brilliant beam of blue. A young man with blond hair raised his own Lightsaber and fought furiously against the monster in black.
It also calls the the man killed by Kylo Ren in the flash back a hero:
Before she knew it, more images flashed through her mind: a hero stabbed by a fiery blade, a battlefield filled with soldiers, a blue and- white droid beside a lost Jedi.
I hope it shows up on The Force Awakens Blu-ray. I highly recommend picking up Rey’s Story as it confirms a lot more than you’d think.I’ve fallen into a bit of a ritual over the last couple months. Every night around 11 or 12 I put on a movie and crawl into bed. Then twenty minutes later I take off my glasses and roll over. The movie is somewhat interesting, but I’m too tired, so I’ll just listen to it with my eyes shut to find out what happens. Ten minutes later I’m out cold. Sometimes I consider putting the same movie on the next night, to see what happens, but here’s the thing, I never do, because I don’t care, because all the movies are just so bland. I’ve seen them all before, these predictably derivative time wasters.
Last night was different. I was just as exhausted as I am every other night, old man that I am, but I couldn’t bring myself to take off the glasses |
, he admitted setting up his own brother-in-law with a prostitute, secretly filming the liaison, and sending the tape to his sister in an effort to dissuade them from testifying against him.
The man who prosecuted Charles Kushner was the former US Attorney for New Jersey and 2016 Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie.
Jared Kushner is reported to have been involved in counselling Mr Trump to choose Mike Pence as his running mate, over Mr Christie.
What do we know about Anbang?
China's Anbang Insurance Group was founded in 2004. It is now one of the country's corporate goliaths with an increasingly large international portfolio and interests ranging from banking to traditional Chinese medicine.
The firm first came to prominence in 2015 when it bought New York's landmark Waldorf Astoria hotel for $1.95bn (£1.35bn), then the biggest US real estate deal by a Chinese buyer.
Image copyright AP Image caption Barack Obama refused to stay at the Waldorf Astoria after it was sold to Anbang in 2015
Following the acquisition, then President Barack Obama refused to stay at the Waldorf Astoria during a UN general assembly gathering, citing security concerns.
Anbang has been making an aggressive push into the US property market over the last few years but little is known about the company.
In April 2016, the firm unexpectedly abandoned a $14bn (£9.75bn) takeover offer for Starwood Hotels, ending a three-week bidding war with Marriott. According to reports at the time, there were questions over its financing sources.
The company now claims to have total assets of more than 1.9tn yuan ($300bn, £240bn).
What are Angbang's political connections?
Anbang chairman Wu Xiaohui is considered one of the best politically-connected men in China, having married the grand-daughter of former leader, Deng Xiaopeng.
Image copyright Anbang Insurance Group Image caption Anbang chairman Wu Xiaohui (left) is one of China's most politically-connected businessmen
Mr Wu, 49, is considered "reclusive" but in 2015 he appeared at a Harvard event in Beijing, where he spoke about his firm's investment strategy.
"We must win the first battle and every battle thereafter, as we are representing Chinese enterprises going global," he said.
Company records have also shown members of the board to include the son of a top military commander under former leader Mao Zedong and the son of China's former prime minister Zhu Rongji.
Are international deals a problem for Trump?
Mr Trump's overseas business interests invite questions of whether his foreign policy decisions are directed by US interests or by his own - or his family's - business interests.
A section of the US Constitution known as the Emoluments Clause restricts what US presidents can accept from foreign governments.
America's founding fathers included this to prevent US leaders from being beholden to foreign governments.
After Mr Trump was elected in early November he spoke over the phone with Argentine President Mauricio Macri. After that call, the Trump Organization issued a press release indicating that Trump Tower Buenos Aires - which had been waiting permit approval to be built - was a done deal.
In January, Donald Trump said he had formally given "complete and total" control of the Trump Organization's businesses to his two sons in a bid to avoid conflicts of interest.
But meetings with Indian business partners and current projects in places like the Philippines and Brazil are also raising questions about what the power of the presidency could do for the Trump brand's international negotiating power.New Delhi: A 17-year-old girl, who had gone to a pub in West Delhi with a female friend, was allegedly drugged and molested by a youth and then gang-raped by three other men who had rescued her from the molester in the first place, police said on Tuesday.
The three men who had allegedly gang-raped the teenager at a flat in Dwarka were identified as Sahil, Vikky and Gulshan alias Babar, all in their 20s.
Following a complaint filed by the victim on Monday evening, police have arrested the three men and Akash (18) who had allegedly molested the teenager after spiking the drinks of the girls.
"The two girls, both 17-year-old and studying in Class X, had gone to a mall in Rajouri Garden area in West Delhi on Sunday evening where they met Akash who had got them entry into the night club. Once in, Akash started misbehaving with the girl...," said a senior police officer.
The girl told the police that it was then that Sahil, Vikky and Babar had stepped in and rescued her from Akash and chased him away.
The trio then offered to drop them home and hired an auto, but instead took them to a flat in Dwarka in South West Delhi where they took turns to rape the victim while her female friend slept in another room unaware.
Medical examinations have been conducted on both the girls and they were counselled by personnel of an NGO.
"The girl said that she could not resist their bid as she was under the effect of the drug. She has also said that she didn't know any of the four men.
We are investigating whether the other girl who was not assaulted knew any of them or not," the officer said.
"We have recorded the statement of the victim under CrPC Section 164. A case under various sections of the IPC and the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act has been registered at Rajouri Garden police station," said Additional Commissioner of Police (West) Ranvir Singh. Further investigations are underway, Singh added.
PTI
Firstpost is now on WhatsApp. For the latest analysis, commentary and news updates, sign up for our WhatsApp services. Just go to Firstpost.com/Whatsapp and hit the Subscribe button.Sanjay Leela Bhansali has clarified that his forthcoming film "Ram-leela" is inspired by and based on William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" and that it has nothing to do with either Indian folklore "Ramleela" or Lord Krishna's 'Rasleela'.Bhansali, who has produced and directed the film, Wednesday sought to set the record straight about the film's content in the wake of a Delhi court staying its scheduled Nov 15 release on a plea that the movie hurts the religious sentiments of Hindus as it contains sex, violence and vulgarity."It appears that some misinformation is being carried out regarding the said film ('Ram-leela') which we would like to clarify and state that the said film is inspired and based on William Shakespeare's work 'Romeo and Juliet'."The said film is neither related to 'Ramleela' folklore/traditional performance associated with Lord Ram nor related to 'Rasleela' associated with Lord Krishna. Ram, the character in the said film does not depict or resemble Lord Rama in any manner," read a statement issued on behalf of Bhansali.The movie, starring Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone, is scheduled to release Friday, but a Delhi court Tuesday stayed its release.The order followed a suit filed by six petitioners who believe the movie hurts the religious sentiments of Hindus as it contains sex, violence and vulgarity.The plea also said the word "Ram-leela" is associated with Lord Rama and people will also watch the movie with an expectation that it would be related to his life, but the film will hurt their sentiments.The petitioners demanded that the film's title be changed.According to Bhansali, the film "neither intends nor attempts to insult, wound or outrage the religion, religious feelings or religious beliefs of any class of citizens of India"."We trust that this allays, clarifies and sets at rest all apprehensions, doubts and misgivings regarding the said film," the statement further read.We are part of The Trust Project
48. Russia, home
Adidas have made some cracking kits for Euro 2016, and we’ll be waxing lyrical about them later, but Russia’s home top isn’t a patch on their swish away number. The crest imprint belongs on the wallpaper of a film noir brothel.
47 & 46. Iceland, home and away
Nobody is more excited than FFT to watch Iceland take on nations 20 times their size, but we wish they wouldn’t do it wearing shirts with weird collars made worse by Comic Sans-like lettering on the inside.
45. Portugal, away
We’d love to know what Cristiano Ronaldo thinks of this hue. It somewhat undermines the breastplate’s intended intimidating effect.
44. Romania, home
“Carl! Romania called – they need a new strip in time for tomorrow’s launch. I’ve just about got the collar sorted, although it’s a bit tight; do we have any material left for the rest of it? What do you mean, ‘just yellow’? How much yellow?”
43. Romania, away
“Oh, now you find another colour. All right, this’ll have to do. Let’s just hope they don’t face Ukraine or Sweden. No, Carl, for the last time: Brazil won’t be at the European Championship...”
42. Sweden, away
We applaud the intent to do something different, but this looks like a training top – albeit a durable one. You’d take it to the gym, anyway.
41. Germany, away
Speaking of training tops, this literally is one. Germany’s reversible away shirt, worn against England, doubles as a practice bib. Full marks for innovation; fewer marks for colouration.
40. Italy, home
A classical style suits the Azzurri, but there’s something not quite right about the pinstripes, restricting collar and wavy midriff pattern. Wait until you see the away kit, though – it’s bellissimo.
39 & 38. Albania, home and away
It isn’t easy to design a minimalist two-headed eagle to be fair, but these panels looks less like Albania’s emblem and more like the Millennium Bug. The home (red), away (white) and third (black) strips are near-identical in design, down to the unusual “Korean collar”.
Football Federation of #Albania New Official Kits pic.twitter.com/3RJtR4Dgcx — SHQIPERIA IME (@ShqiperiaImeAL) January 31, 2016
37. France, home
We’re big fans of Nike’s cross-brand matching of shirt and short colours (e.g. England), but France belong in a top-to-bottom Tricolor, dammit. Still, it’s a nice shade of blue, paler than previous jerseys.
The new France Euro 2016 Home Kit introduces a modern design for the hosts of the Euro 2016, released on March 17. pic.twitter.com/kPqxdEPv5h — 7M Sports (@7m_Sports) March 20, 2016
36. Ukraine, away
Tartan was born beside the Black Sea – who knew?
35. Czech Republic, home
We’re torn on this kit (probably because it’s so tight). The shading is nice, as is the central positioning of the crest, but the overall feel is that of a base layer rather than a football shirt. And why are those chevrons pointing so suggestively south?
34. Poland, away
This change strip is slick and tidy, not unlike the team. However, it’s perhaps in need of white shorts to offset the strong colour and assert Poland’s identity.
33. Ukraine, home
Eye-catching cross-hatching suits Ukraine’s regular uniform better than their blue away top, though we’re not sold on buttons adorning a football kit. And if you disagree, Crimea river. Eh? Eh? Oh, never mind.
32. Republic of Ireland, away
The FAI and Umbro released a new change strip at the behest of supporters, and they seem happier with this refined if routine effort than the "charcoal, white and green gecko" hues of the previous away shirt.
31. Slovakia, home
Sharing the midriff wave and thick hoops of Puma stablemates Italy and Switzerland respectively, with a swooping collar to boot, this feels a little unfocused.
48-31 • 30-21 • 20-11 • 10-1Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) said he is “very disappointed by the lack of action” President Trump has made on reversing Obama-era policies on undocumented immigrants such as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
“Every day they are complicit it is harder to resolve,” he told The Daily Caller Thursday. “Is [Trump] going to force us to go back to court again?”
“Every day this has been a violation of the Constitution,” King added of former President Barack Obama Barack Hussein ObamaWith low birth rate, America needs future migrants 4 ways Hillary looms over the 2020 race Obama goes viral after sporting black bomber jacket with '44' on sleeve at basketball game MORE’s executive orders on immigration.
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King said he wondered whether he and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly “may not share opinions on the rule of law.”
King said he discussed ending programs like DACA with Trump three weeks ago but has no news of coming action on the matter.
DACA lets qualifying undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children obtain work permits and relief from deportation based on their migratory status. The program has 750,000 people participating in it.
President Trump has ordered a crackdown on undocumented immigrants who commit crimes and he is significantly boosting the number of border patrol and immigration officers and judges. And he has called for work to begin on the construction of a U.S.-Mexico border wall.
On the campaign trail, Trump vowed to end DACA, but he has since spoken sympathetically of the young people who benefit from it.
“DACA is a very, very difficult subject for me,” he said in February, adding he wanted to approach the issue “with heart.”
“I have kids and grandkids, and I find it very hard doing exactly what the law says exactly to do, and, you know, the law is rough," he said.
Some DACA recipients have been detained by immigrations officers and set for deportation, prompting backlash from activists. Although they are not exempt from being deported, DACA recipients are not a priority for the Trump administration.Our object store is built on a distributed storage network. Nodes on the network, called “farmers,” store a lot of files, on a wide variety of hardware. Storj Share, our farming client, runs on everything from Raspberry Pis, to blades in server farms. In addition to the technical challenges of building and maintaining a distributed network, it turns out that writing, reading, and managing thousands of files on the same device presents some interesting problems in itself.
We started with the simple (and naive) approach: use the file system. Shards were stored as files in a folder. Performance was poor, as expected. After a while we switched to LevelDB, which was a huge step forward. It’s free software, runs well on low-end hardware, can be embedded, is easily modifiable, etc. etc. It was a huge step up in terms of maintainability and performance.
After a while though, we noticed performance drops sharply after about 100 GiB stored. As the size of the database increases a few things happen. Older data gets pushed down to lower levels, which increases read times. Compaction time scales linearly with database size, blocking most operations while it runs. This leads to long unpredictable hangs when reading and writing. We’d like farmers to be able to fill 4 TB hard drives with remotely-accessible files. Scaling issues at 100 GB are not exactly how we get there.
So we did what any self-respecting hacker would do: wrote a meta-layer to manage distributing data across hundreds of independent LevelDB instances. Yeah, that seems crazy, so bear with me for a minute. Compaction is causing most of the issues, so we thought about ways to bound the time it could run. As mentioned above, compaction scales linearly with database size. One of the best features of LevelDB is that creating, opening, and closing an instance is cheap. So we decided that attempting to modify LevelDB to scale vertically would be a huge mistake. Horizontal scaling is the way to go. After all, who would want one database when you could have 256 instead?
What is KFS?
KFS is the brainchild of our lead engineer, Gordon Hall, maintainer of Kad, and free-software activist. Unsurprisingly, it is heavily inspired by Kademlia, his first love. KFS is a management system for LevelDB instances that seeks to address the scaling problems. Rather than a single large instance, it shards files across 256 separate size-limited instances, called S-Buckets.
S-Buckets are limited to 32 GiB, giving a total capacity of 8 TiB. They’re then indexed 0 - 255. This keeps each bucket well under our 100 GiB scaling limit, and provides a one-byte identifier for each bucket. Incoming files are sorted into buckets using XOR distance (thanks Kademlia!). The first byte of the file’s hash is XORed with the first byte of a key. For Storj we use the node’s ID as the key, but any arbitrary byte could be used. The resulting byte is the index of the S-bucket that the file “belongs” in. This allows us to quickly and efficiently sort files into S-buckets deterministically and statelessly. It also lets us quickly identify which bucket a stored file is located in.
Opening, and closing buckets is cheap and fast, so we can do it on the fly as files and requests come in. We don’t even have to create the bucket until we sort a file into it. Using exclusive-or between an evenly distributed value like a cryptographic hash and a key provides an even distribution of results. This means that buckets fill at approximately the same rate, regardless of index. And any given read or write operation has an even chance of using any particular bucket. Ergo usage and operations are spread evenly (probabilistically speaking) across all buckets, as shown in the chart below.
Within a bucket, files are stored as a set of keyed 64 KiB chunks. For maximum performance of reads and writes, we want to store chunks consecutively. LevelDB sorts lexicographically by key, so chunks are keyed by concatenating an index to their hash. For example, chunk 0 is keyed by [HASH] 000000, and chunk 671 is keyed by [HASH] 000671. This ensures that all file reads and writes are a series of small, fast, consecutive 64 KiB reads or writes. It also allows for efficient partial reads at arbitrary indexes.
KFS takes the operations, data, and maintenance costs that would be devoted to an individual instance, and distributes them evenly across hundreds of buckets. By distributing the load we can ensure that no individual bucket hits the 100 GiB scalability limit while still storing many large files.
How’d it work out?
Horizontally scaling many LevelDB instances has a number of benefits to scalability. Chiefly, it mitigates the impact compaction has on operations. Because compaction runs individually across each instance, rather than across the whole data set, the issues compaction causes for scaling are minimized. Although compaction across the file set as a whole will take approximately the same amount of computation (compaction scales linearly with data), it now occurs separately for each instance. Which is to say, compaction is broken up into 256 smaller processes running independently.
Previously compaction would lock the entire database. With KFS it locks only individual buckets, leaving many others available to read and write. Operations and compaction are distributed evenly across hundreds of buckets, meaning the chance of an operation being blocked by compaction is small. Whereas previously compaction would block the entire fileset for several seconds (or longer on low-end hardware), it now blocks only small sections of the file set for a much shorter time period.
As a result, in our initial tests KFS performs faster for all tested operations and file sizes. It also performs more consistently for writes and unlinks. To reach these conclusions, we ran hundreds of tests with file sizes from 8 MiB to 512 MiB on reads, writes, and unlinks, and we intend to keep testing with a variety of hardware and parameter tweaks. See the full methodology here (credit to our data scientist, Patrick Gerbes).
We’re in the process of rolling KFS out to our farmers. In the future we hope to update the performance information with data from thousands of devices running it in the wild.
As with all our software, KFS is available on Github under the GPL. Additional documentation is available here. You can contact the Storj team there, or via [email protected] VIDEO: Michelle Wilkins testifies about her fetus being cut from her womb
BOULDER — The first woman walked into the emergency room carrying a baby that never took her first breath.
A second woman was rolled into the same trauma bay half an hour later, bleeding from a gash that stretched across her abdomen and unaware her 7-month-old fetus had been cut from her womb.
Details of what brought both women to the Longmont emergency room on March 18 emerged in a Boulder courtroom Wednesday. In an emotional first day of testimony, jurors were given a glimpse of the attack that left Michelle Wilkins, 27, bleeding, alone and close to death in a basement.
Dynel Lane, 35, has pleaded not guilty to the six felony counts, including attempted first-degree murder and unlawful termination of a pregnancy. Prosecutors said the fetus never took a breath.
In his opening statements, District Attorney Stan Garnett said Lane was “obsessed” with pregnancy and lied to her longtime boyfriend about a fake pregnancy for more than a year. She attended a baby shower and picked out the name James.
Defense attorneys offered little explanation for the attack they called “hasty, impulsive and reckless.” Lane never had any intention of killing Wilkins, they said.
But prosecutors and Wilkins described a brutal ambush that left Wilkins bleeding and unconscious as Lane cleaned up around her for roughly an hour. At one point, Lane shoved Wilkins off the bed to the floor to strip away the bloody sheets, Garnett said.
Jurors were shown photos of the bare mattress covered in deep, red patches of blood with blood smeared on the surrounding walls.
Wilkins’ soft voice trembled as she described how a chance meeting spiraled into the bizarre attack. It began March 17 when Wilkins responded to a Craigslist ad for free maternity clothes.
In a text to Lane, Wilkins asked if the clothes were still available: “Would love to have. Belly is bigger than ever!!”
The two women met at Lane’s home shortly before noon the next day and together went through maternity clothes, Wilkins said. They talked about pregnancy, shopping at thrift stores and their partners.
Lane appeared lonely. Every time Wilkins said she needed to leave, Lane spoke over her. When Wilkins opened the door to leave, Lane closed it.
Eventually, Wilkins said she turned to leave and began walking up the stairs from the basement. That’s when she felt Lane hit her in the back.
“She was pulling at my sweater, kind of scratched at me,” Wilkins said. Wilkins said she asked if a spider had been on her shoulder.
“I think I got it,” Lane responded.
But she said Lane hit her again. Then again.
When Wilkins confronted her, Lane became angry and threatened to call the police. Wilkins offered to call the police herself, which she said appeared to prompt Lane to start punching her with her fists.
Eventually, Lane pushed Wilkins backward onto a bed, Wilkins said. The two wrestled, with Lane trying to choke Wilkins. Lane smashed a glass bottle over Wilkins’ head.
“I kept saying, ‘Why are you doing this?’ ” Wilkins said. She then told Lane, “I don’t know why you’re doing this, but I love you.”
She said Lane responded, “If you love me, you’ll let me do this,” before stabbing Wilkins in the neck with a shard of broken glass.
Every time she pushed Lane off of her, Wilkins thought of her daughter.
“I wanted to survive for her, so I fought back harder,” Wilkins said, choking back tears.
But Lane was able to pin both of Wilkins’ arms beneath her knees and with all of her weight, Lane pressed the heel of her hand into Wilkins’ throat.
Everything went dark, Wilkins said.
The pain in her stomach was overwhelming when she woke up. Wilkins realized her feet and legs couldn’t support her when she tried to walk. Still, she said she “willed” herself to close the bedroom door. Wilkins then fell back on the bed.
“I could feel my intestines outside my body,” she said.
Wilkins called 911, and she spent six minutes on the phone with the dispatcher begging for help. A recording was played for the jury.
“She cut me,” Wilkins said. In a pained, breathless voice, Wilkins told the dispatcher that she was seven months pregnant.
“I’m pregnant. She cut me in my stomach,” she said.
When the first officer arrived, she reached out and clasped hands with Longmont police Officer Billy Sawyer. He urged Wilkins to put pressure on the deep cut across her stomach.
“She was covered, I mean covered head to toe, in blood,” Sawyer testified.
Wilkins told Sawyer she was pregnant as he tried to assess her wounds.
Shortly before Sawyer arrived at the home, Lane’s partner, David Ridley, came home early from work to take Lane to a doctor’s appointment. Inside, he found Lane standing in front of a closed door in the basement. Her hands were covered in blood.
She explained that she had given birth in the bathtub upstairs. Ridley told jurors that he found the fetus in the upstairs bathtub. He cradled the head, looking for signs of life.
He never saw any.
The two rushed to Longmont United Hospital. Inside the emergency room, Lane cried out to doctors, “Save my baby! Save him! Save him!”
Dr. Leslie Armstrong said she tried to restart the tiny heart but couldn’t. Before she declared a time of death, she told Lane that she had, in fact, just had a daughter, not a son.
Lane refused treatment in the emergency room, Armstrong said.
As she explained her concerns about bleeding to Lane, a nurse alerted Armstrong that a stabbing victim was en route to the hospital. Just five minutes away.
“I didn’t want to traumatize this family any more,” Armstrong told jurors.
So Armstrong quickly ordered Lane be taken to a different floor. There it would later be determined Lane was not pregnant. She would tell a different doctor that Wilkins attacked her and she killed her in self-defense, Garnett said.
Lane told the doctor that she removed the fetus in an attempt to save it.
But unaware of this, Armstrong prepped the emergency room for a pregnant patient with a gash that stretched from “hip bone to hip bone.” The wound was large enough that two doctors each had two hands inside searching for the source of the bleeding.
“She was barely alive,” Armstrong said.
It wasn’t until the next morning that Wilkins woke up and discovered that she had lost the baby she had planned to name Aurora.
Jordan Steffen: 303-954-1794, [email protected] or @jsteffendpA natural fear typical of most humans and other mammals
530 feet above the streets of Calgary
The fear of falling (FOF), also referred to as basophobia (or basiphobia), is a natural fear and is typical of most humans and mammals, in varying degrees of extremity. It differs from acrophobia (the fear of heights), although the two fears are closely related. The fear of falling encompasses the anxieties accompanying the sensation and the possibly dangerous effects of falling, as opposed to the heights themselves. Those who have little fear of falling may be said to have a head for heights. Basophobia is sometimes associated with astasia-abasia, the fear of walking/standing erect.
In humans [ edit ]
Infants [ edit ]
Studies done by psychologists Eleanor J. Gibson and Richard D. Walk have further explained the nature of this fear. One of their more famous studies is the "visual cliff". Below is their description of the cliff:
…a board laid across a large sheet of heavy glass which is supported a foot or more above the floor. On one side of the board a sheet of patterned material is placed flush against the undersurface of the glass, giving the glass the appearance as well as the substance of solidity. On the other side a sheet of the same material is laid upon the floor; this side of the board thus becomes the visual cliff.[1]
Thirty-six infants were tested in their experiments, ranging from six to fourteen months. Gibson and Walk found that when placed on the board, 27 of the infants would crawl on the shallow side when called by their mothers; only three ventured off the "edge" of the cliff. Many infants would crawl away from their mothers who were calling from the deep end, and some would cry because they couldn’t reach their mothers without crossing an apparent chasm. Some would pat the glass on the deep end, but even with this assurance would not crawl on the glass. These results, although unable to prove that this fear is innate, indicate that most human infants have well developed depth perception and are able to make the connection between depth and the danger that accompanies falling.
Elderly persons [ edit ]
For a long time, the fear of falling was merely believed to be a result of the psychological trauma of a fall, also called "post-fall syndrome".[2] This syndrome was first mentioned in 1982 by Murphy and Isaacs,[3] who noticed that after a fall, ambulatory persons developed intense fear and walking disorders. Fear of falling has been identified as one of the key symptoms of this syndrome. Since that time, FOF has gained recognition as a specific health problem among older adults. However, FOF was also commonly found among elderly persons who had not yet experienced a fall.[4]
Prevalence of FOF appears to increase with age and to be higher in women. Age remains significant in multiple logistic regression analyses.[5] The results of different studies have reported gender as a somewhat significant risk factor for fear of falling.[6][7] Other risk factors of fear of falling in the elderly include dizziness, self-rated health status, depression, and problems with gait and balance.[8][9]
In animals [ edit ]
Studies of nonhuman subjects support the theory that falling is an inborn fear. Gibson and Walk performed identical experiments with chicks, turtles, rats, kids, lambs, kittens, and puppies.[1] The results were similar to those of the human infants, although each animal behaved a little differently according to the characteristics of its species.
The chicks were tested less than 24 hours after birth. It suggested that depth perception develops quickly in chickens, as the chicks never made the "mistake" of walking off the "deep" side of the cliff. The kids and lambs were also tested as soon as they could stand on their own. During the experiment, no goat or lamb ever stepped onto the glass of the deep side. When placed there, the animals displayed typical behavior by going into a posture of defense, with their front legs rigid and their back legs limp. In this state of immobility, the animals were pushed forward across the glass until their head and field of vision crossed the solid edge on the opposite side of the cliff; the goats and lambs would then relax and proceed to spring forward upon its surface. Based on the results of the animals tested, the danger and fear of falling is instilled in animals at a very young age.
Factors that influence the fear of falling [ edit ]
Postural control [ edit ]
The postural control system has two functions: to ensure that balance is maintained by bracing the body against gravity, and to fix the orientation and position of the features that serve as a frame of reference for perception and action with respect to the external world.[10] Postural control relies on multisensory processing and motor responses that seem to be automatic and occur without awareness. Studies have shown that people afraid of heights or falling have poor postural control, especially in the absence of strong visual cues. These individuals rely heavily on vision to regulate their posture and balance.[11] When faced with high or unstable ground, the vestibular system in these individuals senses the instability and attempts to correct it by increasing postural sway to reactivate visual balance feedback (postural sway refers to the phenomenon of constant displacement and correction of the position of the center of gravity within the base of support).[12] This often fails, however, resulting in a feeling of increased instability and anxiety, which is often interpreted as fear.
Height vertigo [ edit ]
Closely related to postural control is the sensation of vertigo: a warning signal created by a loss of postural control when the distance between the observer and visible stationary objects becomes too large, and caused by a dysfunction of the vestibular system in the inner ear. In short, it is the feeling of motion when one is actually stationary. Symptoms of vertigo include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, and the inability to walk or stand. Some individuals are more reliant on visual cues to control posture than others. Vestibular sensations can arise when unsound information is detected along the sensory channels (this happens even to those with normal vestibular function), and feelings of vertigo can result in people with postural control issues.
Space and motion discomfort [ edit ]
Studies have shown that people with acrophobia and/or an extreme fear of falling have higher scores of SMD, or space and motion discomfort. These are physical symptoms elicited by visual or kinesthetic information that is inadequate for normal spatial orientation. Space and motion discomfort arises when conflicting information is detected among visual, kinesthetic, and vestibular sensory channels. Evidence has supported the claim that patients with anxiety and SMD rely more heavily on visual cues for postural changes.
Falling in dreams [ edit ]
Sleeping child – falling is a common occurrence in dreams
According to Sigmund Freud's The Interpretation of Dreams, falling dreams fall under the category of "typical dreams", meaning the "dreams which almost everyone has dreamt alike and which we are accustomed to assume must have the same meaning for everyone".[13] In the fairly recent study, "The Typical Dreams of Canadian University Students", common dreams were investigated by administering a Typical Dreams Questionnaire (TDQ).[14] The results confirmed that typical dreams are consistent over time, region, and gender, and a few themes can be considered almost universal: falling (73.8% prevalence), flying or soaring in the air (48.3%) and swimming (34.3%). In 1967, Saul and Curtis published a paper entitled "Dream Form and Strength of Impulse in Dreams of Falling and Other Dreams of Descent".[15] According to Saul and Curtis, dreams of falling can have various meanings, such as the sensation of falling asleep, the symbolization of a real risk of falling from bed, the repetition of traumatic experiences of falling or sensations of falling from parents’ arms in childhood, birth and delivery, ambition or the renouncement of responsibility, or life experiences such as flying in an airplane. They quote another author, Gutheil (1951), who suggests a range of possible meanings subsumed under the general idea of loss of (mental) equilibrium. These include loss of temper, loss of self-control, yielding, decline of the accepted moral standard or loss of consciousness.[1] Studies performed in recent years on the dream patterns of a group of 685 students attending secondary schools in Milan have concluded that, in dreams, fear is more frequently associated with falling, while happiness is connected with flying, and surprise with suspension and vertical movement (climbing, descent, ladder) content.[16]
Media treatment [ edit ]
In the Alfred Hitchcock film Vertigo, the hero, played by James Stewart, has to resign from the police force after an incident which causes him to develop both acrophobia and vertigo. Early on in the film he faints while climbing a stepladder. There are numerous references throughout the film to fear of heights and falling,
See also [ edit ]
Acrophobia – An extreme or irrational fear of heights
Head for heights
List of phobias – Wikimedia list article
Vertigo – Type of dizziness where a person feels as if they or the objects around them are movingIt’s both troubling and exciting at the same time that three 14-year-old children in Great Britain came up with an absolutely amazing condom concept, one that’s intended not only to prevent unwanted pregnancies, but also detect certain sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and change color to indicate when an infection is present.
DON’T MISS: Now You Can Really Cut the Cord: Pirate TV Service Now Has 500 Free TV Channels
Daanyaal Ali, 14, Muaz Nawaz, 13 and Chirag Shah, 14, are the smart students from Isaac Newton Academy in Ilford, Essex who have invented the S.T.EYE condom in order to “make detecting harmful [Sexually Transmitted Infections] safer than ever before.” The teens have received a TeenTech award for best health innovation, The independent reports, in recognition of their ingenious product.
The condom contains a built-in indicator that turns a different color depending on what kind of bacteria is present, and can detect sexual diseases including chlamydia and syphilis.
“We created the S.T.EYE as a new way for STI detection to help the future of the next generation,” Daanyall said.
“We wanted to make something that make detecting harmful STIs safer than ever before, so that people can take immediate action in the privacy of their own homes without the invasive procedures at the doctors.”
“We’ve made sure we’re able to give peace of mind to users and make sure people can be even more responsible than ever before,” the young inventor added.
It’s not clear though when such a product will be picked up and sold in stores.
UPDATE: This story was exposed as fake.Sayer Ji, Contributing Writer
Activist Post
New research released ahead of print and published in the journal Archives of Toxicology indicates that Roundup, the most common formulation of the herbicide glyphosate, is not only more toxic than its constituent ingredients, but is capable of damaging DNA within a human cell line when diluted down to 450-fold lower concentrations than presently used in GMO agricultural applications. In the researchers’ own words, Roundup has “genotoxic effects after short exposure to concentrations that correspond to a 450-fold dilution of spraying used in agriculture.”
The chemical – glyphosate – is the highest-selling herbicide in the world and has been identified as having a wide range of potential adverse health effects — largely minimized and/or under-reported — which include over two dozen diseases. Glyphosate’s primary properties of concern are its carcinogenicity, genotoxicity and endocrine disruptive actions.
Roundup contains a surfactant known as polyoxyethyleneamine which functions to reduce the surface tension between Roundup and the cells exposed to it, making the cellular membranes more permeable to absorbing glyphosate and other chemicals within the formula |
7
n=158
error= +/- 7.8 % 63 10 18 6 Decmia Oct 21-31
n=2000 (national)
error= +/- n.a. % 61 10 17 11 Decmia Oct 7- 17
n=2020 (national)
error= +/- n.a. % 53 9 19 15 Ekos Sep 29-Oct 12
n=387
error= +/- 5.0. % 56 10 20 9 Ekos Sep 15-28
n=351
error= +/- 5.2 % 57 10 20 9 Decima Sep 9-19
n=2023 (national)
error= +/- 6.9 % 61 7 21 8 Ekos Sep 8-14
n=179
error= +/- 7.3 % 52 6 23 12 Environics Sep 2-10
n=1833 (national)
error= +/- n.a. % 58 4 22 7 Decima Aug 12-22
n=2017 (National)
error= +/- 6.9 % (AB) 63 11 18 6 Ekos Aug 11-17
n=234
error= +/- 6.4 % 55 13 18 11 Decima Jul 29-Aug 9
n=2009 (national)
error= +/- 6.9 % AB 61 14 13 8 Ekos Jul 21-Aug 3
n=310
error= +/- 5.6 % 52 13 21 11 Decima Jul 15-25
n=2030 (National)
error= +/- 6.9 % 55 12 21 9 Ekos Jul 7-20
n=220
error= +/- 6.6 % 56 15 18 9 Angus Reid Jul 6-Jul 8
n=2031 (National)
error= +/- n.a. % 62 3 15 17 Environics Jul 5-8
n=1918 (National)
error= +/- n.a. % 59 7 27 6 Ekos Jun 22-Jul 6
n=233
error= +/- 6.4 % 57 12 17 12 Decima Jun 10-20
n=n.a.
error= +/- 6.8 % 55 10 19 10 Ekos Jun 9-15
n=174
error= +/- 7.4 % 57 13 13 13 Ekos May 26-Jun 1
n=254
error= +/- 6.2 % 55 11 17 14 Angus Reid May 25-27
n=2022 (National)
error= +/- n.a. % 61 6 16 14 Ekos May 19-25
n=229
error= +/- 6.5 % 57 11 16 12 Decima May 13-23
n=2010 (national)
error= +/- n.a. % 59 8 18 12 Ekos May 12-18
n=268
error= +/- 6.0 % 57 11 17 8 Decima May 6-16
n=n.a.
error= +/- 6.9 % 51 11 20 13 Ekos May 5-11
n=245
error= +/- 6.3 % 55 15 15 10
Click for 2008 Election Results in SASK or MAN Saskatchewan & Manitoba return to top
Link to Poll Polling Data 2008 Election Seats
Sask & Man Combined 22 0 2 4 2008 % Votes
Sask & Man Combined 51.2 6.2 17.1 24.7 2008 Election % Votes - Sask 53.8 5.5 14.9 25.5 2008 Election % Votes - Man 48.9 6.8 19.1 24.0 Forum May 1
n=247
error= +/- 6.2 % 51 5 14 30 Ekos Apr 29-May 1
n=207
error= +/- 6.8 % 42 8 18 32 Forum Apr 30
n=274
error= +/- 5.9 % 45 5 15 33 Ekos Apr 28-Apr 30
n=165
error= +/- 7.6 % 47 8 14 30 Angus Reid Apr 28-29
n=3003 (national)
error= +/- n.a. % 54 5 14 27 Leger Apr 25-28
n=369
error= +/- 5.3 % 49 4 16 30 Ekos Apr 25-27
n=199
error= +/- 7.0 % 46 6 19 27 Forum Apr 26
n=222
error= +/- 6.6 % 41 3 16 40 Angus Reid Apr 22-24
n=2040 (national)
error= +/- n.a. % 50 1 16 33 Ekos Apr 22-24
n=199
error= +/- 7.0 % 48 8 21 21 Leger Apr 15-17
n=358
error= +/- 5.3 % 47 4 21 27 Innovative Apr 13-17
n=1897 (national)
error= +/- n.a. % 51 6 22 20 Angus Reid Apr 15-16
n=2023 (national)
error= +/- n.a. % 51 3 19 27 Innovative Apr 8-11
n=2059 (national)
error= +/- n.a.% 51 7 23 20 Leger Mar 30-Apr 2
n=282
error= +/- 6.0 % 51 9 22 18 Ekos Mar 28-31
n=162
error= +/- 7.7 % 42 7 27 24 Leger Mar 23-24
n=300
error= +/- 5.7 % 52 9 19 20 Decima Mar 10-20
n=2001 (national)
error= +/- n.a. % 46 9 20 24 Ekos Feb 24-Mar 8
n=153
error= +/- 7.9 % 46 7 22 21 Decmia Feb 17-27
n=2020 (national)
error= +/- n.a. % 48 12 11 23 Decima Feb 3-13
n=3025 (national)
error +/- 5.6%SK-MB 48 9 22 20 Ekos Jan 13-26
n=250
error= +/- 6.2 % 48 7 23 20 Decima Jan 6-16
n=2019 (national)
error= +/- n.a. 49 10 19 20 Ekos Jan 4-12
n=172
error= +/- 7.5 % 38 12 32 16 Decima Dec 2-13
n=2022 (national)
error= +/- n.a.% 48 5 25 22 Decmia Oct 21-31
n=2000 (national)
error= +/- n.a. % 39 8 26 8 Decmia Oct 7- 17
n=2020 (national)
error= +/- n.a. % 42 10 22 23 Ekos Sep 29-Oct 12
n=254
error= +/- 6.2 % 46 9 23 18 Ekos Sep 15-28
n=255
error= +/- 6.1 % 43 12 30 12 Decima Sep 9-19
n=2023 (national)
error= +/- 6.9 % 42 8 24 23 Ekos Sep 1-14
n=221
error= +/- 6.6 % 41 10 22 25 Environics Sep 2-10
n=1833 (national)
error= +/- n.a. % 38 9 18 32 Decima Aug 12-22
n=2017 (National)
error= +/- 6.8% SK/MB 44 7 27 21 Ekos Aug 11-17
n=161
error= +/- 7.7 % 41 6 14 34 Decima Jul 29-Aug 9
n=2009 (national)
error= +/- 6.9 % S/M 49 14 25 14 Ekos Jul 21-Aug 3
n=189
error= +/- 7.1 % 48 6 20 23 Decima Jul 15-25
n=2030 (National)
error= +/- 6.9 % 39 7 19 34 Ekos Jul 7-20
n=156
error= +/- 7.9 % 49 8 16 22 Angus Reid Jul 6-8
n=2031 (National)
error= +/- n.a. % 55 4 23 18 Environics Jul 5-8
n=1918 (National)
error= +/- n.a. % 43 12 28 15 Ekos Jun 22-Jul 6
n=177
error= +/- 7.4 % 37 13 23 26 Decima Jun 10-20
n=n.a.
error= +/- 6.8 % 39 9 23 23 Ekos May 26-Jun 1
n=177
error= +/- 7.4 % 40 8 24 27 Angus Reid May 25-27
n=2022 (National)
error= +/- n.a. % 48 7 25 19 Ekos May 12-18
n=169
error= +/- 7.5 % 43 14 25 17 Decima May 13-23
n=2010 (national)
error= +/- n.a. % 47 11 17 23 Decima May 6-16
n=n.a.
error= +/- 6.9 % 47 8 23 20 Ekos May 5-11
n=170
error= +/- 7.5 % 45 6 25 22
Link to Poll Polling Data 2008 Election Seats ## 10 0 17 4 2008 Election % Votes
Altantic Provinces Combined 29.6 6.0 35.0 26.0 2008 Election % Votes - NB 39.4 6.1 32.5 21.9 2008 Election % Votes - NS 26.1 8.0 29.8 28.9 2008 Election % Votes - PEI 36.2 4.7 47.7 9.8 2008 Election % Votes - NL 16.6 1.7 46.8 33.7 Forum May 1
n=215
error= +/- 6.7 % 36 6 19 33 Ekos Apr 29-May 1
n=314
error= +/- 5.5 % 26 6 22 33 Ekos Apr 28-Apr 30
n=263
error= +/- 6.0 % 24 4 28 41 Forum Apr 30
n=302
error= +/-5.6 % 35 8 26 30 Angus Reid Apr 28-29
n=3003 (national)
error= +/- n.a. % 27 1 25 46 Leger Apr 25-28
n=374
error= +/- 5.2 % 34 4 21 31 Ekos Apr 25-27
n=178
error= +/- 5.5 % 29 4 32 32 Forum Apr 26
n=203
error= +/- 7.0 % 26 9 30 35 Angus Reid Apr 22-24
n=2040 (national)
error= +/- n.a. % 35 4 32 29 Ekos Apr 22-24
n=287
error= +/- 5.8 % 28 5 30 35 Leger Apr 15-17
n=261
error= +/- 6.2 % 33 3 34 29 Innovative Apr 13-17
n=1897 (national)
error= +/- n.a. % 37 5 38 19 Angus Reid Apr 15-16
n=2023 (national)
error= +/- n.a. % 22 7 38 32 Forum Apr 14
n=188
error= +/- 7.3 % 30 3 30 34 Innovative Apr 8-11
n=2059 (national)
error= +/- n.a.% 37 6 37 19 Compas Apr 6-11
n=2151 (national)
error= +/- n.a. % 40 7 37 16 Leger Mar 30-Apr 2
n=234
error= +/- 6.5 % 33 6 37 24 Ekos Mar 28-31
n=178
error= +/- 3.2 % 34 9 33 23 Leger Mar 23-24
n=303
error= +/- 5.7 % 43 5 27 25 Decima Mar 10-20
n=2001 (national)
error= +/- n.a. % 34 4 34 24 Ekos Feb 24-Mar 8
n=188
error= +/- 7.2 % 31 9 40 17 Decmia Feb 17-27
n=2020 (national)
error= +/- n.a. % 33 8 33 23 Ekos Feb 10-22
n=170
error= +/- 7.5 % 37 17 30 17 Decima Feb 3-13
n=3025 (national)
error= +/- 5.6 % ATL 39 10 29 24 Ekos Jan 13-26
n=299
error= +/- 5.7 % 34 9 36 20 Decima Jan 6-16
n=2019 (national)
error= +/- n.a. 35 4 42 15 Ekos Jan 4-12
n=195
error= +/- 7.0 % 32 7 32 26 Decima Dec 2-13
n=2022 (national)
error= +/- n.a.% 35 5 42 17 Decmia Oct 21-31
n=2000 (national)
error= +/- n.a. % 45 5 31 17 Decmia Oct 7- 17
n=2020 (national)
error= +/- n.a. % 34 6 40 18 Ekos Sep 29-Oct 12
n=271
error= +/- 6.0 % 32 10 34 22 Ekos Sep 15-28
n=280
error= +/- 5.9 % 30 10 38 19 Decima Sep 9-19
n=2023 (national)
error= +/- 6.9 % 33 8 34 23 Ekos Sep 1-14
n=211
error= +/- 6.8 % 31 9 35 23 Environics Sep 2-10
n=1833 (national)
error= +/- n.a. % 29 4 38 29 Decima Aug 12-22
n=2017 (National)
error= +/- 6.8 % (ATL) 45 9 28 18 Ekos Aug 11-17
n=187
error= +/- 7.2 % 31 6 35 26 Decima Jul 29-Aug 9
n=2009 (national)
error= +/- 6.9 % ATL 34 7 38 20 Ekos Jul 21-Aug 3
n=245
error= +/- 6.3 % 30 10 37 20 Decima Jul 15-25
n=2030 (National)
error= +/- 6.9 % 34 6 34 22 Ekos Jul 7-20
n=189
error= +/- 7.1 % 31 14 37 16 Angus Reid Jul 6-8
n=2031 (National)
error= +/- n.a. % 33 1 50 16 Environics Jul 5-8
n=1918 (National)
error= +/- n.a. % 30 6 40 22 Ekos Jun 22-Jul 6
n=218
error= +/- 6.6 % 34 9 35 19 Decima Jun 10-20
n=n.a.
error= +/- 6.8 % 38 7 36 17 Ekos May 26-Jun 1
n=220
error= +/- 6.6 % 33 8 34 23 Angus Reid May 25-27
n=2022 (National)
error= +/- n.a. % 32 4 40 22 Decima May 13-23
n=2010 (national)
error= +/- n.a. % 39 6 32 24 Ekos May 12-18
n=202
error= +/- 6.9 % 36 9 31 20 Decima May 6-16
n=n.a.
error= +/- 6.9 % 34 4 36 24 Ekos May 5-11
n=192
error= +/- 7.1 % 38 7 34 20 Ekos Apr 21-27
n=157
error= +/- 7.8 % 37 6 33 23 Ekos Apr 21-27
n=177
error= +/- 7.4 % 35 14 34 16
Notes:
Generally, regional results will be not included in this table if the margin of error is +/- 8% or greater.
* = approx. margin of error calculated from (0.5/(SQRTn*1.96))*100, where n is the sample size. When trying to do quick mental math to figure out a margin of error for a poll you hear about in the media, try 1/SQRTn*100.
## - in Atlantic Canada 1 independent was elected in 2008.
The results from a particular national poll may not be presented in these table for every region or province, because the sample size may be too small to allow reliable results.
Regional Polls in Past Elections
You can see how support for the parties varied regionally in the 2006 and 2004 elections
Links to Polling Companies
.Reigning WorldSBK Champion Jonathan Rea ended a two-day Portimao test with a flourish, homing in on Tom Sykes’ existing outright lap record using the new and less-grippy Pirelli qualifying tyre.
Rea set a 1’41.4 on the newer tyre which compares favourably to team-mate Sykes’ 1’41.360, set in 2013 using the super-sticky one-lap wonder Pirelli that has been ditched for the remainder of 2017.
“We changed the bike a little bit because the general balance wasn’t working for the circuit. It required a different setup due to the characteristics of the track and the big bumps have been generated over time. There is some patchy re-surfacing and the joins aren’t very smooth, so there was a lot of things to acclimatise to before we could get fast,” said Rea, speaking to BSN from his Isle of Man home.
“It has been really nice to test here in Portimao, especially to continue on from our positive test in Aragon. We worked in a calm and methodical way. The track was really dirty and because there were only a few bikes on track we never had perfect conditions on the ground. In saying that, the weather has been amazing and we were able to make a lot of laps, analysing some new parts.
“We also made a good step forward with our chassis set up, improving that in some key areas. We were able to draw some positive conclusions from doing two full race simulations, when my pace was strong. I also did a lot of practice starts and now I feel a bit more consistent in that area. After we ticked all the items off the list of work we had to do I used a Q tyre and we were able to make a really fast lap.
“I did a race simulation on both days in the late afternoon and they were more competitive than the races in 2015. I’m not exactly sure where we stack up as only Honda were testing there. I’m thankful to KRT for organising it as at this time of year we were maximising the similarities for when we will race there in September. Hopefully, we will be able to start FP1 much stronger.
“I’ve not been feeling my best since Thailand with sickness on and off. I had a throat infection at Aragon and last week was the first time I have been able to put some good training time on my cycle and motocross bike.”Here’s another example of Louisianians helping their neighbors that we have seen this weekend. Louisiana is called the “Sportsman’s Paradise” because we love our hunting and fishing here.
Many of us have flat-bottom boats which are perfect for shallow bayous. They’re also good for flooded streets.
When a major flood hits the state, this “Cajun Navy” assembles to rescue their neighbors who are trapped in flooded homes and rooftops.
From The Times-Picayune:
As thousands were stranded inside their homes as Louisiana floodwaters rose this weekend, social media users shared photos and thanks for the “Cajun Navy.” The term was affectionately applied to the many fishermen, hunters and leisure boaters who arrived to provide back up to official first responders backed up with emergency calls for stranded residents. The “Cajun Navy” faced no less strenuous work, according to one such volunteer. Chris Macaluso, a Baton Rouge resident, used his own boat to help get neighbors to dry ground from his own subdivision. “I had access to a boat I could use but, man, they got a lot of (people) in duck hunting boats riding around these neighborhoods who have no idea where they’re going, but they’re just here to help,” Macaluso said. “This is not easy work.”
Riding a boat around in flooded streets is not easy work. There is often a strong current whipping around flooded cars and houses. There are also many obstacles that can damage boats.
RELATED: No, We Don’t Need The Louisiana Legislature To Regulate The Cajun Navy
But people across Louisiana are proud of the “Cajun Navy.”
Shout out to the #CajunNavy, a group of citizens armed w/ only their personally owned boats, who have been rescuing folks from #BRflood. — Scott Gaudin (@ElDineroDoctor) August 15, 2016
https://twitter.com/MarvinC1945/status/765252189556133892
https://twitter.com/dtonguis/status/765230524226994176
#CajunNavy Once again Rising with the waters https://t.co/ef0IhgevXn — Editilla the Pun (@Editilla) August 15, 2016
#CajunNavy unbreaking my heart a little piece at a time. https://t.co/8VUwUI6DZU — Mea Arnold (@MeaArnold) August 14, 2016
Proud of the people of my state. #cajunnavy https://t.co/wiMAgE2sAB — Heather Elise Fox (@MakeupbyHeath3r) August 14, 2016
This flood was not the first time the Cajun Navy was deployed. It was deployed after Hurricane Katrina nearly 11 years ago.
Louisianians don’t sit around and wait for the government to come save us. We know from first hand experience we have to save ourselves.Emboldened by tests, and with the words “ruthless refactoring” in my head, I used to “improve” the codebase I was maintaining at a previous job. One day, my “cleanup” caused production to break. How could this be? I was being Agile. I was Testing. I was Merciless in my Refactoring. I had found Code Smells, dammit!
I was being irresponsible.
Lets be clear, first: I’m not going to be talking about the third step of the TDD cycle. Refactoring code that’s in development and not currently running on production is something you must absolutely do. Work clean, and write clean code. What we’re talking about is changes to existing, running code.
In Production is All That Matters, I outlined the importance of code in production and how to keep it running smoothly. One thing I didn’t touch on was changing that code. Every change to production introduces a risk of breaking something. Any system beyond a to-do list or blog engine has complexity that can be difficult to cover by tests. Integration tests are brittle, and cross-system tests more so. Manual QA is the most brittle of all.
Ideally, the size of your changes to production should be commensurate with the size of the feature you are adding. Small features should require small changes. Large changes should be an indicator of a large or complex feature.
A pure refactoring breaks this rule completely - a refactoring adds no direct business value to the application, yet introduces risk that something will break.
“But,” you say, “refactoring bad code makes it easier to change in the future. It makes us faster later, and we can deliver more business value then!”
“The future”, you say? I say You Ain’t Gonna Need It, AKA YAGNI. We tell ourselves not to invent features or add complexity to our code because we don’t know what the future holds. I would say that refactoring outside of the TDD cycle should be viewed in the same light.
How then, do we prevent our code base from rotting? How can we ever improve it? If we focus our efforts on demonstrable business value - the future be damned - how do we avoid having a big pile of shit codebase?
Before we answer, consider a piece of code you’d like to refactor. When you see it, it just looks bad. It’s hard to follow, has poor naming, and is generally ugly. It’s begging to be cleaned up. Now suppose that for the next six months, no requirement surfaces, nor bug is found, that requires modifying that code. Is its lack of cleanliness really a problem?
Clean code is not an end unto itself. Repeat: clean code is not an end unto itself1.
Clean code is a feature of code that is easy to change. Code that is easy to change enables us to provide value to the business more easily.
Our job isn’t to write clean code. Our job isn’t even to necessarily even write code at all. It’s to use software to deliver business value.
With that in mind, let’s get back to the question at hand: how do we improve our codebase?
When faced with a change we need to make, we form a plan of attack. This plan may be entirely in our heads, or we might sketch it out, but at some level we decide how we’re going to get started. I would argue that there are at least two ways to tackle every problem:
Plow through, making the change as expediently as possible, changing only what’s needed to ship.
Clean up or improve the code in a way that makes the change easier, then make the change.
All you have to do is decide which approach will deliver more value more quickly. To be honest, it’s often the first approach, but it’s not always. Occasionally, it’s actually faster to clean things up first.
And this is how you improve your codebase. When cleaning up the code enables you to work faster for a task you aren’t dreaming up but actually have at hand, refactoring is the way to go.
The beauty of this approach is that you never again need a “refactoring story” in your backlog, nor do you need to get “permission” to clean up some code. You simply do it to get your job done faster and better.
Of course, we are bad at estimating, so how can we know what to do? Here’s some guidelines that I’ve found helpful in determining if a refactoring will help:
Changes to public APIs - function, method, module, or class names - are almost never worth it, especially in a dynamically typed language, especially in Ruby but even moreso in JavaScript.
If you have to change a test, it’s probably not worth it (and not technically a refactoring).
If you’ll be deleting code, it’s probably a good sign.
If you are unfamiliar with the code, resist the urge to “clean it up” - we often conflate “I don’t understand this” with “this is poorly designed”.
When you do decide a refactoring is going to help, be sure to put that refactoring in its own commit. Ideally, get that refactoring up on production in advance of your change (depending on the significance of your change). Your tests only tell you what works, not what doesn’t. Production can give you more information.
Pushing your refactoring to production ahead of the actual change also has a nice side-effect: it forces you to consider the risk of the refactoring. When deciding what to do, if you know your refactoring is going up to production on its own, it allows you to think more clearly about the risk involved in the proposed refactoring. You may decide it’s not worth it.
This is what I call responsible refactoring. Although you don’t get to go apeshit “improving” your codebase, you do get a clear and simple process to make the code better in a way that has demonstrable, immediate benefits. Think about it next time you are tempted to “clean up” some smelly code.Time running out for climate action: report
Updated
The Federal Government's Climate Commission has warned the window for limiting future and costly climate change is rapidly closing.
In its first report, titled The Critical Decade, the commission says the evidence that the planet is warming is now even stronger.
It warns global warming could cause global sea levels to rise up to one metre by the end of the century, higher than previously thought.
Chief commissioner Tim Flannery says humanity is almost surely the primary cause of global warming.
"There's agreement that there's a temperature increase, there's an agreement that it's human-caused," he said.
"We have exactly eight years and seven months to meet our target of minus 5 per cent, which is a very ambitious target."
To minimise the risk, the commission says Australia must decarbonise its economy and move to clean energy sources by 2050.
That means carbon emissions must peak in the next few years and then strongly decline.
And while the report acknowledges the science is advancing strongly, it notes there are still questions in the public arena.
"The public still seems to be confused about a few of those issues and I think that's partly due to uninformed opinion," Professor Flannery said.
"You get all sorts of people posing as having some expertise in climate science, whether they be taxi drivers speaking to me or people in the media who don't have the expertise.
"That is clouding the waters a little bit and slowing things down."
Climate scientist and commissioner Professor Will Steffen is concerned the science is being muddied in the media by many with no credentials.
"I don't think we have the luxury anymore of climate denialism. We need to get beyond this fruitless phoney debate in the media," he said.
Professor Steffen says the decisions made between now and 2020 will determine the level of severity of global warming.
"We've got to make some very important policy decisions," he said.
"We have to make some very important investment decisions this decade if we're to take advantage of this fleeting last opportunity to get this situation under control."
The national director of the Youth Climate Coalition, Ellen Sandell, says the report shows the critical need for action now.
"We really need to trust [people] who have decades of experience who are saying that it is caused by humans and we actually need to do something about it now," she said.
"Otherwise younger generations like my generation are not going to be able to have the same quality of life that our parents and grandparents have."
Fresh approach
The commission, established by the Government to promote the case for tackling climate change, is calling for a fresh approach to reducing carbon emissions.
It says that rather than focusing on interim targets based on percentage cuts, governments should commit to emitting no more than an agreed carbon dioxide "budget" by 2050.
It says this budget approach would allow greater flexibility and encourage investment in the most effective technologies rather than quick-fix solutions.
The report has also taken a blowtorch to the Opposition's direct action policy.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's plan to reduce pollution is predominantly focused on storing carbon in soils and trees.
The commission says while returning carbon to land ecosystems can help restore degraded soils and improve the land's productivity, it does not equate to reducing fossil fuel emissions.
It says this is because because additional carbon is not permanently removed from the atmosphere-land-ocean cycle and could possibly lock in more severe climate change for the future.
But Mr Abbott says the report does not undermine the Coalition's strategy for reducing carbon emissions.
"The argument here is not about climate change; the argument here is about how to deal with it," he said.
"The Climate Commission report says direct action is a rapid way of reducing emissions."
The commission releases the 70-page Critical Decade report today.
Topics: climate-change, environment, pollution, government-and-politics, federal-government, australia
First postedAfter MONTHS of back-and-forth deliberation, including a whole second round of arguments, the matter of Gary Goldman’s lawsuit against Disney over the alleged copyright infringement of Zootopia is OVER!
In his final review of the claims against Disney, U.S. District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald has officially dismissed Goldman’s copyright infringement claim! To quote the Law360 article on the subject,
“…Goldman’s effort to make the plots of “Looney” and “Zootopia” seem similar were strained. All the purported similarities between the two works were themes, not plot points or sequences of events, that were too general to be protected by copyright law.”
And there you have it! The U.S. District Court of the Central District of California has finally tossed the case. The only way Goldman could possibly hope to appeal this decision in a higher court is to take it to either the Federal Circuit Court or the Supreme Court, both of which would review Judge Fitzgerald’s decision and see that there’s nothing more Goldman can say or do to add to this case, and would therefore not even consider it.
The Civil Minutes of the action taken by Judge Fitzgerald (which you can read here) is full of wonderful little tidbits, which we will share after the break. But for now, we can all rest easy knowing that Zootopia is no longer in any legal danger! Celebrations are in order!
Check after the break for some of my favorite passages from the official Minutes, in which I go completely overboard with reaction gifs. They’re gold, man. (sorry I couldn’t resist one final pun)
BoomCopyright by WDTN - All rights reserved Racheal Potter (Shelby County Jail).
Copyright by WDTN - All rights reserved Racheal Potter (Shelby County Jail).
SIDNEY, Ohio (WDTN) - Rachael Ellen Potter, 34, who is accused of kidnapping and assaulting a person last week entered a not guilty plea in court Thursday.
Potter is charged with one count of kidnapping and one count of felonious assault.
She is accused of restraining the 31-year-old victim and attempting to force her to perform oral sex, according to our partners at the Sidney Daily News. She is also accused of, with two others, kicking, punching and throwing a hard glass object at the victim and injecting her with a substance, causing serious physical harm to her.
When the grand jury handed up their indictment last week they also stated that Potter committed both offences with a sexual motivation, according to the Sidney Daily News.
Her bond was set at $100,000 and a no contact order with the victim was ordered.There are a lot of reasons why I'm voting yes on the plan for light rail tomorrow. I think it's an important vote for the city, but not an end-all vote. However, unlike the misleading advertising by those who don't want the light rail plan, I feel like now is the perfect time for us to be moving forward.
1) Alternatives for transportation -- I'm a strong believer in providing multiple alternatives for people to move about the city. Light rail is yet another option -- and it will bring new riders into public transit.
2) Democratic Power in Washington -- it is very likely that Barack Obama will be voted in as President tomorrow, along with a couple of dozen other House and Senate seats going to the Democrats, giving them a strong majority in both houses. With the Democrats being more in favor of energy efficient transportation options, there will be no greater time to get Federal dollars than over the next 2-4 years.
3) Kansas City Needs this -- not just in the "keeping up with the Jones" kind of way (although there's that too). We are badly in need of routes that will move people from the urban core to the jobs in other parts of the metro. In leiu of adequate bus service -- particularly in our suburbs -- a regional light rail plan would fit the bill nicely. 6 of the 20 top zip cods for jobs in this city lie either directly along the most likely connector rail line that would come in from Johnson County -- with another 3 major job hubs being easily connected with circulator bus routes in those areas. We must find a way to open up those jobs to |
their hands, then allows them to transfer funds up to $1000 per day via smartphone or digital wallet.
As Reuters reports, the machine’s debut Tuesday was a hit, with users lined up to make transactions.
Currently worth about $210 each, Bitcoins have no public founder or organization behind it. As a fully decentralized network, it relies on exchanges like the ones the ATM connects users to for representation it in legal battles and against the growing attention it’s getting from lawmakers and government agencies.
The machines allow users to trade the currency into cash, or deposit cash to purchase bitcoins as the popularity grows for the nearly anonymous currency.
Bitcoin expert Adam B. Levine says the machines can be thought of as terminals that connect to exchanges like Bitstamp and MtGox.
“When someone verifies their identity then hands over either dollars or a credit card, a corresponding amount of Bitcoin (minus a 2% fee for customers buying, 5% for customers selling) are actually purchased at current market price and transferred either to the users phone or a paper ticket,” Levine, editor-in-chief of the podcast Let’s Talk Bitcoin!, writes.
The benefit of the ATM is that if offers an instantaneous transaction, instead of taking days or weeks, Levine said.
This article tagged under: Currency
Bitcoin
PoliticsSALT LAKE CITY — Sources have told KSL.com that the Jazz intend to change the primary "mountain" logo to the current secondary "note" logo either this offseason or next.
The current primary logo is the mountain design, now on its third recoloration since originally being instituted in 1996.
That confuses many fans, as the Jazz have promoted the secondary logo, shown below, more heavily since bringing it back in 2010:
That's the wordmark on the Jazz's home court and uniforms as well, thus adding to the confusion. NBA clothiers, broadcasts, etc., all generally use the primary logo across all 30 teams, but for the Jazz, that's not the most prominent logo for the team.
When bringing back the Jazz note logo in 2010, the Jazz chose to keep the mountain logo as primary, largely due to financial considerations. The NBA league office charges a large fee when a team's primary logo is changed; that fee is smaller when simply a logo's colors, not the design, is changed. That's the move the Jazz made in 2010.
But since the most recent lockout, the Jazz have been far more willing to spend money on off-court expenditures. That's been reflected in everything from an expanded coaching staff and front office to the Jazz's purchase of the Idaho Stampede D-League team this year.
The plan, then, is to make the secondary "note" logo the primary logo, and invent a new secondary mark that hasn't been used before. Ultimately, that will reduce confusion and result in improved merchandise sales. Data show that apparel with the primary logo sells significantly less than apparel with the note logo.
One problem: the Jazz's current note logo doesn't feature the word "Utah" anywhere. NBA rules specify that a team's primary logo must include the full name of the team. The easiest way to solve this problem is to add "Utah" above the "Jazz" text, just as the team's primary logo from 1979-1996 did:
Another point of concern is the Jazz's home court. In his rankings of teams' home courts last season, Zach Lowe ranked the Jazz's court 25th out of the 30 NBA teams. While Lowe felt the Jazz's note logo at the center was perfect, he disliked the green in the key on either side. Some Jazz officials agree, and a change to blue or another color is being actively discussed.
The time frame on the changes is unknown, though given the NBA's extensive required time to change a logo, a change for the 2016-17 season is probably more likely than the 2015-16 season.
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PhotosOne person died and many injured in a clash between the management of Allied Nippon Limited, a company manufacturing break shoes of vehicles, and its former and current employees.
The clash took when the employees of the company, located in Industrial area site IV Link Road, were protesting the management's decision of dismissing many workers. The employees were also demanding a shift change and threatened to go on strike.
Sources said six members of the management and six employees were injured in the stand-off and were admitted to a nearby hospital. Later, Joginder Choudhary, AGM Nippon, succumbed to his injuries.
"The workers alleged that some officials threatened them and opened fire at them. Infuriated, the workers beat up the officials. They pelted the factory with stones and damaged property," said the police.
"The management is insensitive towards our demands of reinstating sacked labourers. They are yet to give us Diwali bonus. We feel exploited. We were planning to begin a strike from November 16 but the management was forcing us not to go on the strike," said Ganesh Dutt Joshi, a labourer who was admitted at Yashoda Multispeciality Hospital, Kaushambi, with minor injuries.
Allied Nippon officials, meanwhile, have refused to comment on the allegations.
The police said the Labour Commission had asked both parties to sit together and sort out the issue on November 15 but none agreed.
Circle Officer Satish Chandra said an FIR has been lodged. "We received a complaint from management, whose members sustained major injuries. A probe is on."
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Please read our terms of use before posting commentsThe New Light Baptist Church sits on the high ground of the near-Eastside with the bright lights of the Alamodome and Tower of the Americas visible in the near distance. Downtown seems so close, yet there is no pretending: For the African-American residents who gathered Thursday evening at the church on the corner of Piedmont Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive, life in their neighborhood is very different than life in your neighborhood and mine.
It’s less than 2.5 miles from the church to the Rivard Report offices at 110 East Houston St., where I write tonight and Scott Ball edits his photos, but it might as well be two different worlds when it comes to community views of law enforcement, the justice system, and the deep-seated fear, anger and frustration over police shootings of unarmed black men that have not resulted in any charges against any of the officers.
The evening was billed as a town hall meeting, titled “Justice for All.” As the church pews filled with members of the black community, there was a sense of anticipation and an edge in the air. Mayor Ivy Taylor, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus, and Bexar County District Attorney Nico LaHood were on the panel, along with U.S. Attorney Richard Durbin Jr. and representatives of the FBI and civil rights attorney Artessia “Tess” House and Dallas civil rights attorney Daryl Washington. Councilman Alan Warrick, who represents the Eastside, was also in attendance.
A Feb. 11 meeting convened by Mayor Taylor at City Hall with many of the same members of the Eastside community leadership and Chief McManus, City Manager Sheryl Sculley, Councilman Warrick and other city officials had been largely free of tension or acrimony. Many of the participants on both sides saw that meeting as a sobering yet promising start only seven days after San Antonio Police Officer John Lee fatally shot Antronie Scott, 36, as he emerged from his car outside a Northeast side apartment complex. Lee claimed he thought a cell phone Scott was holding in his upraised hands was a gun. Privately, a senior police official has said Lee should have never allowed the situation to spin out of control with such tragic consequences.
The New Light Baptist Church was overflowing with people by 7 p.m. Even the choir began to fill as neighbors continued to arrive. Community leaders hoping for an evening of healing, of getting answers to their questions, of showing the community that progress could be made, were left somewhere between deep disappointment and despair. The evening got off to an unpromising start when Debbie Bush, the aunt of Marquise Jones, left the church in tears after being cut off by one of the organizers while speaking at the microphone.
Jones was fatally shot by San Antonio Police Officer Robert Encina in the drive-thru of a Chacho’s franchise one year ago. Encina claimed Jones exited his vehicle holding a pistol after a minor parking lot fender-bender, an account disputed by others there. Encina was not charged in the shooting.
Audience members began to call out to let her speak, to no avail. They grew more vocal as the program continued and moderator Blaise Labbe of the Sinclair Broadcast Group, struggled to manage citizens lined up at microphones to speak. Some directed their question to the panelists, but many wanted to speak at length about their own negative experiences with police or their distrust of authority. Mayor Taylor, who lives in nearby Dignowity Hill and is widely respected in the African-American community, left after 45 minutes to attend the World Affairs Council dinner. After her departure, the dialogues devolved into angry filibustering, people standing in the church aisles carrying signs that read “I am Marquise Jones,” others calling out from the audience to heckle or criticize the frustrated moderator.
At one point neighborhood activist Mike Lowe led a dozen or so protestors into the church, carrying placards and shouting, “What do we want? Justice. When do we want it? Now. Black lives matter!” The protestors formed a semicircle behind McManus at the front of the church and continued to disrupt the proceedings. Several police officers sat stone-faced on the other side of the church as McManus looked straight ahead, ignoring those shouting around him, who eventually dispersed and marched out, chanting loudly.
That signaled a disorganized closing of the program, one that ended without resolution or much sense that constructive dialogue had taken place. The #BlackLivesMatter protestors stood outside in the dark, barely visible, holding their banner and chanting as people exited the church. The Tower of the Americas and other downtown landmarks were clearly visible. It was a view of another world.
Scott Ball / Rivard Report permalink permalink permalink permalink
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story misidentified the church at which the meeting was held. It was New Light Baptist Church.
*Top Image: San Antonio Police Chief William McManus sits as protestors, including Mike Lowe, surround him asking for justice for Marquise Jones and Antronie Scott. Photo by Scott Ball.
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Police Chief Reports on Crisis Training and Other ReformsMedia playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Ginger White told Good Morning America: "This was not sex for cash"
Herman Cain would not make a good president, says Ginger White, the woman who said she had a 13-year affair with the Republican White House hopeful.
Speaking to ABC News, Ms White also referred to her relationship with Mr Cain as "very casual".
The former pizza firm executive has denied the affair, calling Ms White a "troubled Atlanta businesswoman".
The candidate has said he is "reassessing" his campaign in light of the new allegations.
Ms White, 46, said on Wednesday that her mobile phone records show interactions with Mr Cain as late as November, although their relationship ended eight months ago when he began running for president.
"It was a very casual affair. Am I proud to admit to that? No I'm not," Ms White told ABC.
Mr Cain has not denied he was friends with Ms White, or that he helped her financially, but has denied they had any sexual relationship.
Analysis Whether he quits the race in the coming days, or soldiers on to Iowa, it still feels like game over for Herman Cain. With the sex allegations piling up, Republican voters have simply tired of this narrative. Notwithstanding his denials, Mr Cain is now damaged goods. As support and funds drain away, it would not come as a surprise to see him bow out soon, citing a need for privacy. Who benefits? The polls suggest a simple see-saw effect, in which Newt Gingrich rises as Herman Cain falls. Mr Gingrich, of course, has his own relationship baggage. But it seems many Republicans have factored in his past infidelity, and are focusing instead on the former Speaker's vast experience and powerful intellect. Conversely, Mitt Romney may hope that Mr Cain fights on, retaining a groundswell of support. That would further splinter the votes of anti-Romney conservatives.
Mr Cain, a former head of the National Restaurant Association, wrote to supporters on Tuesday: "I have helped many friends and acquaintances throughout the years... Ms White has made it apparent that she was abusing the friendship."
Ms White has said that Mr Cain never asked her to keep quiet about the affair.
"The funny thing about Herman Cain is never in a million years did he probably think that I would speak out on this," she said.
"And honestly speaking, I never wanted to."
Ms White said the affair took place over a 13-year period, describing it as an "on-and-off" relationship that included several trips, including to Las Vegas to see Mike Tyson fight Evander Holyfield.
Mr Cain has begun campaigning in Ohio this week, and made a speech to supporters on Wednesday, where he told supporters that there was "a groundswell of support" for him.
"They are attacking my character, my reputation, and my name, in order to try and bring me down," Mr Cain said.
'Too much of a cloud'
In recent weeks Mr Cain has also faced a series of allegations of sexual harassment dating from his time as head of a restaurant lobby group.
Mr Cain has denied the claims, but admitted a financial settlement was reached with one of his accusers, Karen Kraushaar.
Another woman, Sharon Bialek, went public with her accusation that Mr Cain groped her when she asked him for help finding a job.
Before the allegations began to emerge, the Georgia businessman had enjoyed a lead in several opinion polls.
But since then he has seen his ratings slip, while former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has surged.
In the event that Mr Cain quits the race, it is not clear which candidate would benefit most.
But Mr Gingrich rose to a new high in a Gallup opinion poll on Tuesday, while former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, who has maintained the steadiest lead, was down.
In a conference call with campaign staff on Tuesday, Mr Cain said the latest allegation was a "cause for reassessment".
"We have to do an assessment as to whether or not this is going to create too much of a cloud, in some people's minds, as to whether or not they would be able to support us going forth."
He concluded by telling his team: "If a decision is made, different than to plough ahead, you all will be the first to know."As a black Democrat I have to say: 2014 was a marquee year for black Republicans.
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But the reaction from the NAACP and black Democrats has been revulsion.
Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), a member of the Democratic House leadership, dismissed Republican South Carolina Senator Tim Scott Timothy (Tim) Eugene ScottSenate reignites blue slip war over Trump court picks Senate approves border bill that prevents shutdown Senate passes bill to make lynching a federal crime MORE’s victory as insignificant: “If you call progress electing a [black] person … who votes against the interests and aspirations of 95 percent of the black people in South Carolina, then I guess that’s progress.”
Another critic of the black Republican ascendency, Darron Smith, wrote in the Huffington Post that Mia Love’s achievement in becoming the first black Republican woman elected to the House is “dangerous.”
“Mia [Love] and others like her are seemingly out of touch with the political realities of African Americans and what remains at stake for them,” he wrote. The election of a conservative black woman, he continued, was “quite dangerous for people of color, sending a message that society is post-racial when, in fact, hate crimes, police shootings of innocent and unarmed black men and boys, and vitriolic online attacks have dramatically increased since the election of our first black president.”
Smith’s harsh appraisal fit with Rep. Charles Rangel’s (D-N.Y.) assessment of the GOP’s midterm wave in the South, in which Republicans ousted Democrats in Arkansas, Georgia and North Carolina. As one of the House’s longest-serving black Democrats, Rangel began by making the fair argument that Republicans in the South are using voter identification laws to suppress black turnout.
But he then drew a line straight from white racists in former slave-holding states to the present-day GOP. Those racists, he asserted, were “frustrated with the Emancipation Proclamation … became Republicans, then Tea Party people.”
Love, Scott and Will Hurd — a 35-year-old former CIA agent who became the first black Republican elected to Congress from Texas since the Civil War — all had far-right backing.
In response to this liberal backlash, Condoleezza Rice, a black southerner and former secretary of State for a Republican president, accused the critics of “fear mongering among minorities just because you disagree with Republicans.”
Secretary Rice is exactly right.
Even if the overwhelmingly white Republicans in Congress are using Scott, Love and Hurd to provide cover for lingering racist elements in the party, there is no excuse for assuming these three are racial traitors, or for insisting that all black people think alike.
My son, Raffi Williams, is a black Republican and a deputy press secretary for the Republican National Committee. He has often pointed out to me that it is important to have diversity present at every table of political power.
The real racism at play here is among those self-declared progressives who gloss over the fact that black people who are politically conservative and Republican have just as acute a sense of racial history — and of racial pride — as do their liberal counterparts.
Is Colin Powell, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the first black secretary of State, a racial token because he is a Republican? This is a man who built a tribute to the Buffalo Soldiers. When Powell first came to national prominence, in his military role, denigrating comments came from the white men who resented his rise because they themselves wanted his job. It is a shame to see similar slurs being used by black people on this new generation of black conservatives.
One of my political heroes is William T. Coleman, a black Republican who served as secretary of Transportation in the Ford administration. Coleman, now 94, is a master of black history. He grew up in racially divided Philadelphia, helped Thurgood Marshall break down laws of segregation, and later used his political access to open doors for black people in government and corporate life.
Is that a token?
Scott is positioned to become Congress’s leading advocate for reform of a broken public education system that is failing too many children. With nearly half of black students dropping out of high school, there is a desperate need for new ideas in the Senate on education.
Similarly, Love, as mayor of Saratoga Springs, Utah, focused on bringing more jobs to town. With black unemployment nationally over 11 percent, Love’s voice and her ideas for economic development create new opportunities for black Democrats to do business with Republicans.
Hurd’s CIA experience as an undercover officer in the Middle East brings a black man’s perspective to debates on dealing with Muslim extremists.
To be clear, it is up to Scott, Love and Hurd to be more than window dressing for a GOP with a major problem as a party defined by the anger of older, white, conservative men.
But they’ve beaten the odds so far. I’m rooting for them to do it again.
Juan Williams is an author and a political analyst for Fox News Channel.I’ve been reading a lot lately from some comment forums that the whole point of feminism was to bring to women the gift of choice. Their choice to work or not, vote, get an education, own property, etc.
A lot of women have been writing how their choice has been to be a mom, and that is why they are anti-feminist. One of the first comments on these threads is usually something along the lines of, well congratulations on your dream. Feminists made it possible.
Women aren’t feeling like being a mom isn’t acceptable for nothing.
Every time I hear someone say that feminism is about validating every choice a woman makes I have to fight back vomit. Do people really think that a stay at home mom is really on equal footing with a woman who works and takes care of herself? There’s no way those two things are the same....
Having kids and getting married are considered life milestones. We have baby showers and wedding parties as if it’s a huge accomplishment and cause for celebration to be able to get knocked up or find someone to walk down the aisle with. These aren’t accomplishments, they are actually super easy tasks, literally anyone can do them. They are the most common thing, ever, in the history of the world. They are, by definition, average. And here’s the thing, why on earth are we settling for average? If women can do anything, why are we still content with applauding them for doing nothing?...
Now, I actually agree with her about the part that it’s not a huge accomplishment to have kids. Most women can and it is what our bodies are made to do.
You will never have the time, energy, freedom or mobility to be exceptional if you have a husband and kids....
It’s because women secretly like to talk about how hard managing a household is so they don’t have to explain their lack of real accomplishments...
Women will be equal with men when we stop demanding that it be considered equally important to do housework and real work. They are not equal. Doing laundry will never be as important as being a doctor or an engineer or building a business. This word play is holding us back.
Now, I’m not terribly interested in dissecting this article. It’s pretty obvious. Many feminist will come back and say, well this is just one women and most feminists just don’t feel this way. This is not what real feminism is about!
But some very well known old school feminists felt the same way.
A parasite sucking out the living strength of another organism…the [housewife’s] labor does not even tend toward the creation of anything durable…. [W]oman’s work within the home [is] not directly useful to society, produces nothing. [The housewife] is subordinate, secondary, parasitic. It is for their common welfare that the situation must be altered by prohibiting marriage as a ‘career’ for woman.” ~ Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 1949. No woman should be authorized to stay at home and raise her children. Society should be totally different. Women should not have that choice, precisely because if there is such a choice, too many women will make that one.” – “Sex, Society, and the Female Dilemma,” Simone de Beauvoir Saturday Review, June 14, 1975.
[Housewives] are mindless and thing-hungry…not people. [Housework] is peculiarly suited to the capacities of feeble-minded girls. [It] arrests their development at an infantile level, short of personal identity with an inevitably weak core of self…. [Housewives] are in as much danger as the millions who walked to their own death in the concentration camps. [The] conditions which destroyed the human identity of so many prisoners were not the torture and brutality, but conditions similar to those which destroy the identity of the American housewife.” ~ Betty Friedan, The Feminine Mystique, 1963.
[Housewives] are dependent creatures who are still children…parasites.” ~ Gloria Steinem, “What It Would Be Like If Women Win,” Time, August 31, 1970
“Feminism was profoundly opposed to traditional conceptions of how families should be organized, [since] the very existence of full-time homemakers was incompatible with the women’s movement…. [I]f even 10 percent of American women remain full-time homemakers, this will reinforce traditional views of what women ought to do and encourage other women to become full-time homemakers at least while their children are very young…. If women disproportionately take time off from their careers to have children, or if they work less hard than men at their careers while their children are young, this will put them at a competitive disadvantage vis-a-vis men, particularly men whose wives do all the homemaking and child care…. This means that no matter how any individual feminist might feel about child care and housework, the movement as a whole had reasons to discourage full-time homemaking.” ~ Jane J. Mansbridge, Why We Lost the ERA, 1986.
“[The] housewife is a nobody, and [housework] is a dead-end job. It may actually have a deteriorating effect on her mind…rendering her incapable of prolonged concentration on any single task. [She] comes to seem dumb as well as dull. [B]eing a housewife makes women sick.” ~ Sociologist Jessie Bernard in The Future of Marriage, 1982.
There are more (and here. The first link does an excellent job of dissecting how feminism is not about choice).
Growing up, I always wanted to be a stay at home mom. My mother was for several years and I wanted to give this to my kids as well. I went to college because I was taught that I needed a degree to fall back on just in case my husband and I were to divorce. So, I did that and also came away with my MRS. But, I always knew I wanted to stay home. This desire has evolved as I’ve aged and it’s become a bit of a dream of mine to become that Matriarch one reads about. The strong woman who helps to guide those around her, who loves tremendously but firmly, who isn’t afraid but is at the same time, soft. Whose children go to her for comfort and wisdom and whose grandchildren run to her for hugs and cookies. Now, I have a very long way to go in achieving this dream and it’s one I plan on spending a lifetime reaching for.
Do I work at this because I think it’s the hardest job in the world? No, because it’s not. Do I do it because I think there is some kind of glory in it? No. I do it because it’s mine. I do it because it’s my dream and this is what I want. I want to give this to my kids, to my family, and to my husband. I used to worry what other people thought about this at times (though I’ve been lucky in that no one has ever said anything to me), but no more. This is my choice, my dream and I’m going to do it for me and mine.
**Does this mean I expect other woman to follow suit? No. My point here is that there are a lot of women who are afraid of this choice and who find themselves thinking there is something wrong with them for wanting it. Being a wife and mother can be an incredibly noble pursuit if you work at it. If it’s what you want, then make it yours.
AdvertisementsMozilla, Deutsche Telekom, LG, Qualcomm, TCL/ALCATEL ONETOUCH, Telefónica, ZTE and a number of other tech companies today launched a new initiative that aims to promote the open Web device ecosystem by “encouraging API compliance as well as ensuring competitive performance.” The Open Web Device Compliance Review Board (CRB) will operate as an independent not-for-profit organization, but its standards will be based on Mozilla’s principles of user privacy and control and will also form the basis of Mozilla’s Firefox OS branding requirements.
The idea behind this alliance, the members say, is to ensure that these devices – and for all intents and purposes, Firefox OS-based “boot-to-Gecko” (B2G) phones are currently the focus here – can be brought to market faster. The alliance also hopes that it can support device manufacturers by setting performance standards and minimize their costs for compatibility testing.
In order to do so, the group will set minimum quality bars for performance that will ensure that “performance is similar to any other OS running on a similar device.”
It will also ensure that developers can expect a set of open APIs that will be available on all certified devices. For the time being, though, the group hasn’t certified any specific devices yet, but plans to do so in the near future.
The CRB’s board includes four members from Mozilla, two from Qualcomm and one representative from ZTE – one of the first companies to bet on Firefox OS.
“Users want a wide selection of devices and great apps. Operators, device OEMs and vendors want to be able to develop and test quickly and independently, in order to get new products to market. The CRB will enable partners to do so efficiently, reliably and confidently,” said Andreas Gal, vice president of mobile at Mozilla and the president of the CRB in a canned statement today. “This is the next step in building the ecosystem and will make it easier for partners to get a wide selection of high-quality solutions into consumers’ hands quickly and efficiently.”Nissan recently revealed the 2015 Juke to media in Nashville, Tennessee. This garishly colored example, which reps jokingly called the “USC edition,” is part of a new program that allows buyers to pimp their Jukes with custom coloring. We think this will lead to a spate of pretty bizarre looking specimens of the already-funky Juke on US streets, but for JNCers in Japan, you can choose from a palette of heritage colors that have appeared on historic Skylines and Fairlady Zs.
In honor of the company’s 80th Anniversary, Nissan is offering the Juke in famous hues that have graced its iconic cars. From the Fairlady Z, there’s Premium Sunflare Orange and Premium Deep Maroon once found on S30s. From the Skyline comes Aurora Flare Blue Pearl, based on the Bayside Blue that was the hero color of the R34 GT-Rs. And because Japan, there’s one final shade of Brilliant White Pearl.
All 80th Anniversary Edition Jukes come with bronze electronically retractable door mirrors (for those tight Tokyo parking spaces), bronze 16-inch wheels, and chrome plated door handles.
Come 2015, you’ll be able to create something similar with your Juke. In the version shown last week, the wheels, head- and foglight bezels, side mirrors, door handles, spoiler, and running strips were all finished in custom candy red. In addition the new version will have boomerang headlights and taillights and a revised fascia. If Ferrari, Porsche and Rolls Royce can have personalized editions, why not the Juke?
Source: NissanWhile investigating the Tuesday incident at 1 Tarry Hill Drive and 16-18 Phillips Hill Road, where fireworks were thrown at two rabbis' houses by an unknown group of men, Clarkstown Police detectives recovered remnants of one the fireworks used in the crime.
The firework is labeled M-98, police said.
Although the firework believed to have been used is not for sale in the State of New York, it is widely available in other areas, including nearby Pennsylvania where it may be purchased legally, police said.
The two-part incident took place at the homes of two New City rabbis.
The Detective Bureau is surveying neighbors and residents, seeking any video surveillance. Patrol officers are also canvassing the neighborhood to look for other eyewitnesses. The department is also increasing high visibility patrol in the area and officials request that anyone with information about this matter to please contact the Clarkstown Police Department Detective Bureau at 845-639-5840.
A rally against hate crimes was held at noon Thursday in New City.TV Reviews All of our TV reviews in one convenient place.
The Magicians got awfully meta in its finale. There’s Quentin commenting on his own adventures as they happen, all the jokes about an invisible castle that people ran out of money to build, which seemed like a nod to the show’s own budget, plus the usual joking references to pop culture, like the “vaguely Tardis looking portal to Fillory” that Quentin and Julia hop in. But that’s just the type of show this is. It wants to make references to things it knows you know, then wink at you to let you know it’s in on the joke.
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But midway through all the fun and games (Eliot marries a woman? Eliot marries a woman!), things take a dark, dark turn. It’s also a turn that shifts the show irrevocably away from the novels. Though if only one thing was going to stay the same, poor Penny losing his hands is an unfortunate part to keep.
The Julia plot, on the other hand, other than her going to Fillory, is pretty much exactly what happens in the book. It seemed likely last week that her sunny memories of her ritual couldn’t possibly be true, and the show handled the scene about as well as could be hoped. It’s brief enough to make it clear what’s happening, but not so long that it gets gratuitous. She even gets a moment of agency right before it begins when she saves Kady, who she genuinely seems to care about.
The downside to the big Julia betrayal twist, unfortunately, is that the show has now suggested that the two victims of sexual assault are its villains, even if Julia hasn’t gone full Dark Willow yet. The imprisoned Christopher Plover tries to suggest that there’s some internal darkness in Martin Chatwin that grows over time, but it’s not quite enough to make up for the sense that Martin wouldn’t be who he is without what Plover has done to him. Julia and Martin are both obsessed with getting revenge on their rapists, between Martin’s long, slow torture of Plover and his recreation of the man’s study and Julia’s complete indifference to Quentin’s friends, who are all injured or dying. Their trauma becomes the only thing that matters to them, and they’ll destroy worlds to get their vengeance.
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There’s no right way to respond to what those characters have gone through, obviously. And Julia’s only just gone through her experience. In some ways this fits as the final tipping point for what Julia experienced over the course of the season. She’s at a real low point, and she latches onto the one thing that makes sense to her. The messiness of that plot point isn’t a black or white situation, just a gray area that results in a not-so-great pattern. And for now it’s a one episode pattern, and Julia, as one of the show’s main characters, seems likely to get a redemption arc to bring her back to the good guys. But no one should need a redemption arc after going through a sexual assault.
This is all overshadowing what was otherwise a pretty solid finale, all things considered. Sure, it’s jam-packed with events, but it wouldn’t have made too much sense to break any of it up into a multiple episode arc. Victoria’s big rescue is a bit of a letdown, Eliot becoming High King is a little out of nowhere, and even with the big reveal about what happened during the ritual, Julia’s friends were still written off before they’d had a chance to develop into people we cared about. But all of that plays into the overall sense that what these people were doing was pretty meaningless when it was held up to the power of the Beast. There’s nothing they can do to stop him, and Josh and Victoria seem like the smart ones when they run out.
All of which leaves the show with a pretty brutal end to its first season. For all of its lighter moments and affection for Taylor Swift, this is still a show about all of the terrible things that could happen if magic were real. People are still fickle, amoral beings, power still corrupts, and your childhood dreams are best left in your childhood. This unfortunate truth mostly comes at the expense of poor Quentin, who shows the personal maturity to recognize that he might not be the hero only to have his altruistic notion crash and burn not so very long after he’s propositioned by a pretty uninspiring version of the god figure in the books that shaped his life. Plus, now he has to rescue like four people, and he’s not the best magician of the bunch.
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This season was certainly bumpy, and some things worked better than others, but overall, a pretty fascinating attempt to distill what worked about a series of books into a TV show. I’ll be looking forward to Season 2.
Stray Observations
Hey, Kady made it! Good for you, Kady.
Speaking of, who do you think’s making it out of that study alive? Alice seems most likely to be a goner, but it would be nice to see her and Quentin actually deal with their issues next season.
There was a nice parallel moment to the beginning of the season when Quentin has to press his palm up against stone to gain knowledge. Earlier, it led him to Alice, and this time, it leads him to Ember. It was decidedly a better result the first time.
This was a very serious episode, but if you thought I was going to choose any episode image besides the one with the jar of Ember spunk, you’re definitely the fool of the Witch and the Fool.
Thanks for watching along with me! It’s been fun.Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: … And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive. …
And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink. And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him. And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river’s side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children. Then said his sister to Pharaoh’s daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee? And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child’s mother. And Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and |
dates and pecans, then doused in a delicious maple-mascarpone sauce, they’re elegant enough to serve at a fancy gathering, yet still wholesome and satisfying.
61. Cocoa Dusted Almonds
A protein- and fiber-rich superfood dusted in cocoa powder? Yes, please! These slightly sweet and salty nuts are a great option for on-the-go dessert consumption.
62. Harvest Fruit Compote
Looking for a way to use up all that fall fruit? Try this simple, healthy compote for an all-natural sugar fix.
What are your favorite gluten free desserts? Will you be trying any on this list? Share in the comments below or get in touch with the author on Twitter @lauranewc.Warning: experimental stuff ahead. Make sure you know more about running Rails in production than I do before you take this & run with it.
Source on GitHub
Here’s my favourite slide from Pete Hunt’s JSConf EU talk on React (which you should totally watch).
If you render a React component with the same data, it will always return the same result. It makes absolutely no difference whether you do that rendering on the client or the server.
That brings us to the official front end buzzword of 2014: Isomorphic JavaScript.
The Holy Grail. The united UI layer. Serve up real HTML on first page load, then kick off a client side JS app. All without duplicating a single line of UI code.
React makes this really easy if your back end is Node.js:
var HelloMessage = React.createClass({ render : function ( ) { return < div > Hello {this.props.name} </ div > ; } }); React.renderComponentToString(HelloMessage({ name : "John" })); React.renderComponent( < HelloMessage name = "John" />, mountNode);
Awesome? Awesome. Except I spend most of my day working on a big old Rails app.
The react-rails gem
The official react-rails gem is pretty great. The current 1.0.0.pre release gives you
React
Asset pipeline JSX compilation
An unobtrusive JS adapter that automatically mounts React components on HTML elements that have special data attributes (similar to jquery-ujs)
A view helper react_component for generating that mount node
By default, the react_component helper generates an empty div with data attributes, onto which react_ujs comes along and mounts a component.
However, thanks to John Lynch, if you specify the :prerender => true option the helper actually executes (via ExecJS) React.renderComponentToString and renders the component server side.
The Rails code
I built a tiny, super simple, stock Rails app using the CommentBox component from the React tutorial to try this out. It looks like this:
The whole thing is a React component composed of smaller React components, all server-rendered using the exact same JS files that are used by the client side JS app.
Here’s index.html.erb in its entirety:
< %= react_component( 'CommentBox', { :presenter => @presenter.to_json}, { :prerender => true }) %>
The Rails controller defines a presenter that gives the component all the initial data it needs to render.
def index @presenter = { :comments => Comment.last( 5 ), :form => { :action => comments_path, :csrf_param => request_forgery_protection_token, :csrf_token => form_authenticity_token } } end
When the page loads, react_ujs sees the component & calls React.renderComponent on it, which is smart enough to preserve the server rendered markup & just add event handlers.
With the client side app bootstrapped, the form submits via ajax & adds the new comment to the list. But if the JS fails to load or initialise, the form will submit normally with a full page refresh. Progressive enhancement ahoy!
You need to make the Rails controller handle both the ajax & non-ajax scenarios.
def create @comment = Comment.new(comment_params) @comment.save if request.xhr? render :json => Comment.last( 5 ) else redirect_to comments_path end end
Back in the client side CommentBox component, when the ajax request completes, we simply update it with the new state & React does its thing.
$.ajax({ success: function ( data ) { this.setState({ comments : data }); }.bind( this ) });
This is so awesome!
You don’t need a DOM on the server and, React being React, you’re not even really thinking about the DOM on the client. Because components are basically just idempotent functions, you can render them in any environment you like as long as you have some data representing the current state and the ability to execute JS.
There are some rough edges. Forms are harder. There are no Rails view helpers in React land. Passing in CSRF tokens & hand coding a hidden field every time is gonna get old fast.
That said, after playing around with this for a day, using different templates & languages depending on whether you’re rendering on the client or server feels totally arbitrary & stupid. The sometimes ERB, sometimes Handlebars workflow feels so kludgy now.
I’m looking forward to this future :D
Side note: If you don’t want to execute JS right there in your Rails app, another interesting approach is to spin up a Node.js app whose sole responsibility is rendering React components to strings. There’s an example of this views-as-a-service-over-http setup in the React repo.In 2006, voters in my birth state of Wisconsin enshrined discrimination into the state constitution, approving an anti-marriage equality amendment by a 59%-41% margin. I was there -- it was less than eight months after Michael and I had our wedding and we and scores of others fought like hell against it, but it went through anyway. It was a kick in the face for the Badger State's LGBT community.
Less than eight years later, the state has completely flipped. A new poll reveals that if the election were held today, the amendment would fail by essentially the same margin.
Fellow Cheesehead Paul Guequierre of the Human Rights Campaign reports:
[A] new poll released today by Marquette University... found 59 percent favor repealing the 2006 constitutional amendment, while 36 percent would continue the ban against marriage equality. Overall, 48 percent backed marriage equality, while 24 percent supported civil unions and another 24 percent said there should be no legal status for gay and lesbian couples.
Guequierre also points out that Wisconsin's inability to move forward on marriage stands in stark contrast to the state's history of equality milestones:
In 1982 Wisconsin became the first state to outlaw discrimination in employment and housing based on sexual orientation. Unfortunately gender identity is still not protected under state law. Also, when Tammy Baldwin was elected to Congress from Wisconsin's 2nd Congressional District in 1998, she became the first openly gay person elected to Congress as a non-incumbent. In 2012 Wisconsin voters sent Tammy to the U.S. Senate and in 2013 she became the first openly gay U.S. Senator in history.
Since Wisconsin state government is entirely controlled by anti-LGBT Republicans, the legal route is the state's best hope for repealing its marriage discrimination amendment. Just last month, the ACLU filed suit to overturn the ban.
Here's hoping they're successful, so that Wisconsin can once again live up to its progressive motto: "Forward!"If You Have a Dog, You’ll Know What I Feel
On paper, I am an elderly person in danger of deteriorating mentally and dying early because I live alone. In actuality, I live with three dogs, and have, until recently, enjoyed the company of other people every morning.
But my community is gradually being taken away from me. The off-leash law for dogs is the one that really has transformed my life for the worse. You see, even though Phoenix is supposedly under the control of the conservative Republicans to the point where our schools suffer and our health care is insufficient for the working poor, every time I move, I break at least one law. That law, though apparently benign and arguably necessary, has begun to destroy my sense of community with a place I’ve lived in for 45 years and my personal well-being. Every time I leave the house with the dogs, I feel like a fugitive.
I go out for a walk with the dogs some time between 5:30 and 6 every morning. I make a stop at Starbucks, and drive to the closest park, which is usually empty, except for other early dog walkers.
I don’t walk the dogs in my neighborhood because that’s pretty early in the morning and mine would set everyone else’s barking. Also, I had a hip replacement in 2006, after which I was officially designated as handicapped and warned by the hip surgeon not to let myself be pulled by the dogs anymore.
So I took the boys to a neighborhood park, where there were other people with dogs at that ungodly hour. These people became my friends. We walked together every morning, and I saw one couple get married and have a baby, several people lose their jobs and rebuild their lives in the Great Recession, and someone have surgery (besides me). The core park group ranged in age from 28-70, and everyone learned to respect, admire, and in some cases love each other. I’ve had parties in my home for these people and their dogs.
Then an outsider complained. The police swooped in, gave us tickets, and converted the park to a leash only park. That means even if your dog is obedience-trained and a canine good citizen, which two of my dogs are (and the other one weighs 11 pounds), it’s tough shit. I bet I’ve paid nearly $2000 in dog trainer fees to have my boys civilized, but the City of Phoenix made me lose my entire investment in an afternoon. They said I should go to the dog park.
So the boys and I began frequenting another park. And once again I made close friends, But again someone complained, and the police came with the squad car rolling across the grass and threatened us again with the tickets. I beat the first ticket by going to court and representing myself, and the City Attorney realized the the law was unclear and whether I was out of compliance was ambiguous. I just don’t feel like spending that time again.
Not only that, but it’s always the same officer.
The City has a $38 million budget deficit. In the face of potential layoffs, is this really the most important law to enforce with a police escort for dog walkers? What would be wrong with declaring some early hours of the morning legal to walk dogs off leash?
This morning I DID try to go to the dog park. Alone. No friends. No community, no socialization. That’s how I found out that
1) it doesn’t open before 6:30 (by which time I’m usually done) and
2) it’s closed for the summer for renovations anyway.
I know this is a first world problem, but in the third world there are no leash laws. I may have to move.NEW YORK (CNN) -- The number of deaths in Sudan's Darfur region since 2006 may have been underestimated by as much as 50 percent, the U.N. undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs said Tuesday.
An man injured in clashes with tribal fighters outside the African Union Mission in southern Darfur in 2007.
In March, international figures, including U.N. data, put the death toll in Darfur at 200,000, with another 2.5 million people displaced.
But 300,000 are believed to have died in the tribal conflict in the past two years, said John Holmes, who also is the United Nations emergency relief coordinator.
Holmes said that sexual violence has increased and that food allotments for civilians affected by the civil war will be halved in a few days.
Holmes gave the U.N. Security Council an update on conditions in the western Sudan region, revisiting a report he gave a year ago.
"I am sad to say that the humanitarian situation remains as grim today as it was then, if not more so," he said.
In 2008, 100,000 civilians have fled their homes, many not for the first time.
The Darfur conflict began five years ago, when ethnic African tribesmen took up arms, complaining of decades of neglect and discrimination by the Sudanese government.
Sudan's Arab-dominated government is accused of responding by unleashing tribal militias known as Janjaweed, which are said to have committed the worst atrocities against Darfur's local communities.
There also have been intra-rebel and tribal clashes, Holmes added.
He blamed the military arm of the Justice and Equality Movement faction of the Sudan Liberation Movement for the most recent round of violence, and he accused the government of using "disproportionate force" and failing to differentiate between civilians and rebels in their response.
"Darfur today is still characterized by insecurity, lawlessness and impunity," he said. "A particularly worrying feature is evidence of high levels of sexual violence and exploitation in the northern corridor of west Darfur over the past two months."
This is shown by the increased number of women and girls seeking treatment after sexual brutality, Holmes said.
The World Food Programme announced last week that it will have to cut back its food distributions in May, partly because of attacks on convoys that reduced the amount of supplies they can get through, Holmes said.
Six aid workers have been killed this year, and 42 humanitarian posts have been attacked.
The supply line also is hurt by soaring food prices: The price of staples such as millet has doubled since April 2007, Holmes said.
While expressing gratitude to the Sudanese government for improved cooperation under various agreements, Holmes said there still is no physical access to internally displaced persons and some other groups.
He said he was "saddened and angry" that after five years, there has been no lasting solution to the suffering.
He made several recommendations to the government, including disbanding the Janjaweed, providing security for citizens, ending impunity for criminals and shouldering more of the financial burden for humanitarian aid.
Holmes also said rebels must stop their attacks against people and humanitarian convoys. E-mail to a friend
All About Darfur • United NationsThe Atlas Mountains defy the standard model for mountain structure in which high topography must have deep roots for support, according to a new study from Earth scientists at USC.
In a new model, the researchers show that the mountains are floating on a layer of hot molten rock that flows beneath the region's lithosphere, perhaps all the way from the volcanic Canary Islands, just offshore northwestern Africa.
"Our findings confirm that mountain structures and their formation are far more complex than previously believed," said lead author Meghan Miller, assistant professor of Earth sciences at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.
The study, coauthored by Thorsten Becker, professor of Earth sciences at USC Dornsife, was published by Geology on Jan. 1, 2014 and highlighted by Nature Geoscience.
A well-established model for the Earth's lithosphere suggests that the height of the Earth's crust must be supported by a commensurate depth, much like how a tall iceberg doesn't simply float on the surface of the water but instead rests on a large submerged mass of ice. This property is known as "istostacy."
"The Atlas Mountains are at present out of balance, likely due to a confluence of existing lithospheric strength anomalies and deep mantle dynamics," Becker said.
Miller and Becker used seismometers to measure the thickness of the lithosphere - that is, the Earth's rigid outermost layer - beneath the Altas Mountains in Morocco. By analyzing 67 distant seismic events with 15 seismometers, the team was able to use the Earth's vibrations to "see" into the deep subsurface.
They found that the crust beneath the Atlas Mountains, which rise to an elevation of more than 4,000 meters, reaches a depth of only about 35 km - about 15 km shy of what the traditional model predicts.
"This study shows that deformation can be observed through the entire lithosphere and contributes to mountain building even far away from plate boundaries" Miller said.
Miller's lab is currently conducting further research into the timing and effects of the mountain building on other geological processes.
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This research was funded by the National Science Foundation, grant EAR-0809023.A veteran Washington D.C. investigative journalist says the Department of Homeland Security confiscated a stack of her confidential files during a raid of her home in August — leading her to fear that a number of her sources inside the federal government have now been exposed.
In an interview with The Daily Caller, journalist Audrey Hudson revealed that the Department of Homeland Security and Maryland State Police were involved in a predawn raid of her Shady Side, Md. home on Aug. 6. Hudson is a former Washington Times reporter and current freelance reporter.
A search warrant obtained by TheDC indicates that the August raid allowed law enforcement to search for firearms inside her home.
The document notes that her husband, Paul Flanagan, was found guilty in 1986 to resisting arrest in Prince George’s County. The warrant called for police to search the residence they share and seize all weapons and ammunition because he is prohibited under the law from possessing firearms.
But without Hudson’s knowledge, the agents also confiscated a batch of documents that contained information about sources inside the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration, she said.
Outraged over the seizure, Hudson is now speaking out. She said no subpoena for the notes was presented during the raid and argues the confiscation was outside of the search warrant’s parameter.
“They took my notes without my knowledge and without legal authority to do so,” Hudson said this week. “The search warrant they presented said nothing about walking out of here with a single sheet of paper.”
She provided TheDC with a photo showing the stack of file folders in a bag marked “evidence/property.”
On Thursday, a spokesman for the Maryland State Police declined to address any specifics about the search.
“Due to the ongoing criminal investigation and the potential for pending criminal charges at the state and/or federal level, the Maryland State Police will not discuss specific information about this investigation at this time,” spokesman Greg Shipley said in a statement to TheDC.
At about 4:30 a.m. on Aug. 6, Hudson said officers dressed in full body armor presented a search warrant to enter the home she shares on the bay with her husband. She estimates that at least seven officers took part in the raid.
After the search began, Hudson said she was asked by an investigator with the Coast Guard Investigative Service if she was the same Audrey Hudson who had written a series of critical stories about air marshals for The Washington Times over the last decade. The Coast Guard operates under the Department of Homeland Security.
Hudson said that investigator, Miguel Bosch, identified himself as a former air marshal official.
But it wasn’t until a month later, on Sept. 10, that Hudson was informed by Bosch that five files including her handwritten and typed notes from interviews with numerous confidential sources and other documents had been taken during the raid.
“In particular, the files included notes that were used to expose how the Federal Air Marshal Service had lied to Congress about the number of airline flights there were actually protecting against another terrorist attack,” Hudson wrote in a summary about the raid provided to TheDC.
Recalling the experience during an interview this week, Hudson said: “When they called and told me about it, I just about had a heart attack.”
She said she asked Bosch why they took the files. He responded that they needed to run them by TSA to make sure it was “legitimate” for her to have them.
“‘Legitimate’ for me to have my own notes?” she said incredulously on Wednesday.
Asked how many sources she thinks may have been exposed, Hudson said: “A lot. More than one. There were a lot of names in those files.”
“This guy basically came in here and took my anonymous sources and turned them over — took my whistle-blowers — and turned it over to the agency they were blowing the whistle on,” Hudson said. “And these guys still work there.”
The Daily Caller reached Bosch on his cell phone on Thursday. “Before I talk to you, I’m probably going to have to run this by our legal department,” he said.
Carlos Díaz, the chief of media relations for the Coast Guard, said in a statement that the Coast Guard Investigative Service was asked to participate in the raid because the search involved a Coast Guard employee. Flanagan is an ordinance technician for the Coast Guard in Baltimore.
Díaz explained that the files were taken because they found official government papers, which Hudson had obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.
“During the course of the search, the CGIS agent discovered government documents labeled FOUO – For Official Use Only (FOUO) – and LES – Law Enforcement Sensitive. The files that contained these documents were cataloged on the search warrant inventory and taken from the premises,” Díaz said.
“The documents were reviewed with the source agency and determined to be obtained properly through the Freedom of Information Act,” he said.
Diaz said Flanagan was notified that the documents were cleared and he later picked them up after signing for the files.
But Hudson doesn’t buy the explanation: “That explains the one file they took but does not explain why they took four other files with my handwritten and typed interview notes with confidential sources, that I staked my reputation as a journalist to protect under the auspices of the First Amendment of the Constitution,” she said.
Hudson said she and her husband knew something was up in February when the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives wanted to talk about a purchase Flanagan made about five years ago.
The court documents note that ATF investigators asked Flanagan if he obtained “possible machine gun parts from a Swedish National.” Flanagan responded that he once purchased a potato gun but threw it away because it didn’t work.
In July, according to the documents, Bosch interviewed several of Flanagan’s Coast Guard colleagues, who said Flanagan spoke often about being a “firearms collector.”
“One party that was interviewed remembered distinctly about Flanagan advising he had recently purchased a Bersa.380 handgun, and observed pictures of firearms similar to AK-47 semi-automatic rifles which were identified by Flanagan as being his,” the court documents state.
The documents also note that Victor Hodgin, the trooper in the criminal investigation division of the Maryland State Police whose name is on the search warrant, accessed Flanagan’s Facebook account in his investigation.
“Records maintained by www.Facebook.com will allow him to further implicate Paul Roland Flanagan in the illegal possession [of] firearms,” he wrote.
Hodgin didn’t return a voicemail left on his phone. Shipley, the spokesman with the Maryland State Police, said the “evidence and information developed during this investigation is currently under review by both the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office and the United States Attorney’s Office.”
“A determination will be made by officials in these offices regarding the state and or federal charges that may be placed as a result of this investigation,” he said.
Hudson told TheDC that the couple had a run-in with the Maryland State Police about six years ago. “A neighbor complained on New Years Eve about one of us shooting a gun off the pier here,” she said. “We live right on the bay.”
Hudson said the police gave them a slap on the wrist then. “They knew then we had these guns,” she said. “If this was a problem — that he wasn’t supposed to be around them — they should’ve told us then.”
During the raid, the officers also went after Hudson’s three pistols and three long guns, which she obtained legally.
“I’m a Kentucky girl,” she said. “I come kitchen trained, and firearm ready. I grew up with guns and I’ve always been around guns.”
Hudson has been a reporter in Washington, D.C. for nearly 15 years and was nominated twice by The Washington Times for the Pulitzer Prize. She is a freelancer for Newsmax and the Colorado Observer.
While at the Times, Hudson reported extensively on the air marshal program — specifically about whether Homeland Security officials had lied to Congress and reported protecting more flights than they really were. Using her sources inside the government, Hudson has also reported for years about possible terrorist “dry-runs” on airplanes.
Unlike some other reporters whose sources have been targeted in recent years by the government, Hudson said none of the information she had was classified or given to her by someone who broke the law.
“None of the documents were classified,” she said. “There were no laws broken in me obtaining these files.”
Hudson said she wants to let her sources know that they may have been exposed.
“Part of the reason I’m coming forward with this is I’m scared to contact them,” she said. “I’m terrified to contact them. … I’ve got to let these guys know somehow.”
Follow Alex on TwitterExecutive Summary
In 2012, a fourth of Iraq’s children lived in poverty, and we find that a third of all children in Iraq are unable to access all their basic child rights. Children have the highest risk of poverty across all age groups, and tend to live in households with lower incomes. Child poverty is a persistent issue in Iraq limiting the potential of a large portion of Iraq’s young population, curbing educational attainment, generating poor health outcomes, and preventing children from realizing their basic rights. Yet poor children and poor households are not the main beneficiaries of the range of social protection systems available to Iraqis. In order to come close to making Iraq a promising place for children again, there needs to be a significant focus on eradicating the specter of child poverty from vulnerable, poor and extremely poor children.
This report provides a comprehensive analysis of child poverty trends between 2007 and 2012, using data from the Iraq Household Socio-Economic Survey (IHSES) in those years. No other household survey for the measurement of poverty has been conducted in Iraq since this child poverty analysis was done in 2012/2013. We examine child poverty in Iraq by measuring the incidence, depth, severity, and risks of income poverty for children. We assess key determinants of child poverty to understand the interaction between expenditure (monetary or income poverty) and deprivation of child rights. The report also assesses the role of, and gap in, current social protection schemes in benefiting poor and vulnerable children.
Half of Iraq's 34,205,038 million people are children under the age of 18, and children comprised 3.7 million of Iraq’s 6.5 million poor people in 2012. While the total incidence of poverty had decreased from 22.9% in 2007 to 19% in 2012, nearly one in four children (23%) still live in poverty. Not only do children endure higher rates of poverty, but non-poor children also face a higher risk of falling into poverty. In 2012, children faced a 25% higher risk of poverty, on average, than other age groups in the population. At the same time, the percentage of children living in extreme poverty doubled to 1.2% of the poor, higher than the rates for adults and the elderly combined. More recent government estimates show that poverty in the general population in Iraq has increased to 23% and among internally displaced families to 38%.
We find that geography is a major determinant of child poverty in Iraq. Child poverty rates in rural areas is double that of urban areas; 34% of rural children are poor versus 17% of urban children. There are also large geographic discrepancies across governorates. For instance, the proportion of children living in poverty is less than 6% in the Kurdistan Region, but nearly 50% in the southern governorates of Muthanna, Qadissiya, Missan and Thi-Qar.
Our analysis provides a detailed profile of the poor child in Iraq. Rural children tend to be slightly poorer than their urban counterparts, and girls and boys face similar risk factors for poverty. Not surprisingly, parents who worked were less likely to have poor children, and there were high child poverty rates when the head of household is illiterate. Similarly, larger household sizes predicted higher levels of child poverty. While there are relatively low numbers of extreme poor children, the number is on the rise. Almost 8% of Iraqi children between six and 18 years participated in the labour force in 2012, with child labour a key predictor of life-long poverty.
For children, poverty cannot be understood solely in monetary terms, because children do not directly access income or spend it. Taking a more nuanced approach, we look at lack of access to children’s rights to health, education, water and sanitation, basic living standards, and protection. A third of all children in Iraq lack access to a child right guaranteed in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while the number is much higher for certain groups of children. For instance, half of children aged 0-4 lack access to one or more children’s rights. We also find that about 30% of Iraqi children under the age of five suffer from food deprivation and one in three adolescents lack full access to education. Indeed, children from the poorest 10% of households—living on less than 2.5 USD per person per day—have disproportionately the highest probability of becoming stunted, dropping out of primary school, or becoming deprived of access to improved water, sanitation, and durable housing.
In 2012, one in ten Iraqis benefited from some sort of social protection scheme such as social safety net support to vulnerable groups (such as orphans, widows, divorced women and the disabled) and the state pension system. Yet, a major finding of this report is that only 12.5% of Iraq’s poor are reached by these social safety net cash transfers. This leaves 272,000 extremely poor people and 5.35 million poor people without assistance from social protection schemes. Moreover, the report finds that 82% of government expenditures on cash transfers is actually benefiting more affluent segments of the population. While social protection is usually considered an insurance policy against poverty and a tool for promoting inclusive development, in Iraq social protection is not achieving these purposes. These schemes now cost the government 5.26 trillion ID (4.7 billion USD) or 4.5% of the country’s total annual budget.
Similarly, the Public Distribution System (PDS), set up in 1990 to prevent a food crisis as a result of the war, provided basic food rations to 96% of the total population in 2012. While the PDS provides almost universal food ration distribution, nearly 80% of total government expenditure on this system benefits more affluent Iraqis and only one-fifth (20.5%) of total government expenditure on the PDS reaches the poor and extremely poor. The fact that 98% of children live in a household receiving food rations, yet one in four children under five years old is still stunted, brings the effectiveness of the system into question.
This evidence calls for the establishment of a targeted child grant. Firstly, children represent a growing majority of the poor in Iraq, yet the current cash transfer schemes fail to reach most poor children, leaving them unprotected and vulnerable to serious deprivations of their rights. Secondly, cash assistance has a direct impact on children’s developmental outcomes and on the reduction of their households’ economic vulnerability. Preventing child poverty and deprivation has important long-term socio-economic and societal benefits. Given that needs and vulnerabilities vary considerably between the extremely poor, the poor, and the vulnerable, progressive cash assistance is the most adequate and equitable mechanism to address children’s poverty and multiple deprivations.
Children represent a growing majority of the poor, face a higher risk of falling into poverty and of becoming deprived of their rights, and are increasingly left without social protection. Evidence-based policy recommendations call for the need to have a more child-responsive budgeting allocation; to strengthen evidence-based, decentralized planning and programming; to introduce a child grant within the existing social safety net that targets vulnerable, poor and extremely poor children with progressive benefits; and to establish a real-time monitoring mechanism that captures child poverty on its broader definition.
Children should be given the highest priority on the agenda of policymakers engaged in designing anti-poverty strategies. This priority cannot be overstressed considering that children not only represent the majority of the poor and face an increasing risk of poverty, but also because children experience age-specific vulnerabilities, which amplify the damaging effect of poverty and irreversibly affect their growth potential.As Justin Trudeau took calls of congratulations from world leaders Tuesday, a story emerged of a prediction for his future made a few months after his birth, by a former U.S. president. It has already been dubbed “the Richard Nixon prophecy.” At a state dinner in Ottawa in 1972, when Justin Trudeau was just a few months old, the then-U.S. president toasted the baby’s arrival, and joked that Pierre Trudeau’s son would himself become prime minister someday.
Pierre, Margaret and Justin Trudeau in April, 1972, around the time of the U.S. President's visit to Ottawa where Richard Nixon toasted baby Justin, correctly predicting he would become Prime Minister of Canada. ( HAROLD BARKLEY / TORONTO STAR FILES )
It’s an obvious thing to say about the offspring of a fellow world leader. But it is also now the case that Nixon, who made errors and misjudgments that finally brought down his presidency, called Justin Trudeau’s ascension correctly. The infamous tapes Nixon had made of conversations in the Oval Office later revealed how at-odds the two leaders were, with Nixon referring to “this son of a bitch Trudeau” in a chat with his treasury secretary John Connally.
From the Toronto Star's coverage of the Ottawa gala which took place on April 12, 1972. ( toronto star archive )
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Prime minister-designate Justin Trudeau spoke on the phone Tuesday with a friendlier U.S. President Barack Obama, giving him notice that he will be making good on an election promise to scale down Canada’s current combat mission in the Middle East. But not all of the conversation was so serious. Trudeau, who not long ago had quite a mop of dark hair, said Obama warned him that he will start greying pretty quickly. During other calls of congratulations, Trudeau heard some gallows humour from fellow world leaders about the stresses of top job. He said one of them told him to enjoy this day, because it’s all downhill thereafter. Mexico’s Enrique Peña Nieto was the first to call the future prime minister on Monday night, and tweeted congratulations in Spanish: “Canada and Mexico have the opportunity to start a new chapter in their relationship.” As noted by the Washington Post, this is the first time since 2000 that the continent is led by three ostensibly left-of-centre governments.
“I have fond memories of my visit to Canada in April 2015 and my meeting with you,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted at Trudeau. “It was also great meeting your daughter, whom you had woken up early that day. Best wishes.” Foreign media coverage ranged from substantive pieces in front of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, to gossipy supermarket-tabloid-type headlines about Trudeau’s appearance.
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One example of the latter came from the U.K.’s Daily Mirror: “Is Justin Trudeau the sexiest politician in the world?” One Australian news headline said: “Justin Trudeau is Canada’s new, incredibly good looking prime minister.” And the U.K.’s Daily Mail: “No other leader in the world is as sexy: Canada’s new Prime Minister Justin Trudeau causes global stir.” Sexy or not, he faces some difficult first dates with his foreign partners. In a few weeks, he plans to attend the Paris climate-change negotiations, and will at the same time be developing a new anti-ISIS strategy. Some stories speculated on what a Trudeau win might mean. Many pieces mentioned the father-son dynamic, in Canada’s first multi-generational prime ministerial dynasty.
What America's First Lady of 1972 brought for four-month-old Justin. ( toronto star archive )What’s it like to spend a night at a huge telescope observatory? Jordi Busque recorded a brilliant timelapse of the Very Large Telescope (VLT) and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). What makes this video unique is not only the exotic location in Chile, but the use of sound in the area rather than music.
The VLT has four main mirrors that are each 8.2 meters (27 feet) in diameter, and four auxiliary telescopes that are each 1.8 meters (six feet) in diameter. When working together as a large interferometer, the European Southern Observatory says, the telescopes can resolve the equivalent of two headlights on a car on the Moon.
ALMA also uses interferometry, but in this case it is spread across 66 antennas that can be put as far apart as 16 kilometers (9.9 miles). It focuses on submillimeter astronomy, which allows astronomers to look past items such as dust clouds to see planetary systems in formation.
You can see more of Busque’s work at this website.The looks could be harsh and they could be frequent. And they were unexpected. When I moved to New York City, all I wanted to make was street photography. In the Big Apple, you need only step out your front door — every moment, every teaming sidewalk, every intersection is a photo. I arrived from Detroit. I had grand visions of following in the footsteps (on some streets, literally) of photographic heroes like Bruce Gilden and Gary Winogrand. The pedestrian bustle on every corner in NYC was not a feature of Detroit, a city of automobiles and of a declining population.
My bubble was soon burst. As good as the greats make it look and as fantastic as the scenes are they paint, street photography in New York is a tough, tough thing. I found that the photographer on the street is more often viewed as a nuisance than a romantic recorder of the life observed. On the sidewalk, I received constant sideways glances. Encountering open hostility to my practice was a shock to my mild Mid-western system. It was harsh and sobering realization.
What you see in Learning to Disappear are not actual moments but they are a fair reflection of the collected interactions between the public and I. Each photograph is a composite of images made from multiple frames shot from the same spot.
Learning to Disappear is about the dynamic relationship between viewer and subject; specifically, the way in which people react to having their photograph taken, candidly, by a stranger, and without their consent.
If you look closely, you’ll see that these are Photoshopped images. In some, the space that people “inhabit” adjacent to one another, or overlapping, just isn’t possible. The concentration of stares — most of them unwelcoming — fairly reflects my despondency after a day of shooting and a day of negative reaction.
In this era of ubiquitous street, corporate and state surveillance Learning To Disappear examines peoples’ reaction to the presence of the image-maker in public. My presence with a camera should be of no surprise to anyone and yet I was consistently met with curiosity, distrust, and hostility.
It didn’t take me long to shift from my desire to make photographs about the street, to making photographs about street photography. Maybe the |
MSTN protein levels determine his or her ability to put on muscle when exercising, although he admits this scenario has not been studied widely.
Slow-fiber muscle growth and endurance can likewise be controlled through gene manipulation. In August 2004 a team of researchers that included the Salk Institute for Biological Study's Ronald Evans reported that they altered a gene called PPAR-Delta to enhance its activity in mice, helping nurture fatigue-resistant slow-twitch muscles. These so-called "marathon mice" could run twice as far and for nearly twice as long as their unmodified counterparts.
This demonstrated ability to tinker with either fast- or slow-twitch muscle types begs the question: What would happen if one were to introduce genes for building both fast- and slow-twitch muscle in an athlete? "We've talked about doing it but have never done it," Sweeney says. "I assume you'd end up with a compromise that would be well suited to a sport like cycling, where you need a combination of endurance and power." Still, Sweeney adds, there has been little scientific reason (which translates into funding) to conduct such a study in mice, much less humans.
Gene manipulation will have its most significant impact in treating diseases and promoting health rather than enhancing athletic abilities, although sports will certainly benefit from this research. Scientists are already studying whether gene therapies can help people suffering from muscle diseases such as muscular dystrophy. "A lot has been learned about how we can make muscles stronger and bigger and contract with greater force," says Theodore Friedmann, a geneticist at the University of California, San Diego, and head of a gene-doping advisory panel for the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Scientific studies have introduced IGF-1 protein to mouse tissue to prevent the normal muscle degradation during aging. "Somewhere down the road efforts could be made to accomplish the same in people," he adds. "Who would not stand in line for something like this?"
Gene therapy has already proved useful in studies unrelated to muscle treatment. In December 2011, for example, a team of British researchers reported in The New England Journal of Medicine that they were able to treat six patients with hemophilia B—a disease in which blood cannot clot properly to control bleeding—by using a virus to deliver a gene enabling them to produce more of the clotting agent, factor IX.
Hard targets
Despite experiments with IGF-1 and MSTN protein levels in mouse muscle, identifying which genes are directly responsible for athletic prowess is a complicated matter. "What we've learned over the past 10 years since the sequencing of the human genome is that there's a heck of a lot more complexity here than we first envisioned," says Stephen Roth, a University of Maryland associate professor of exercise physiology, aging and genetics. "Everybody wants to know what are the genes that are contributing to athletic performance broadly or muscular strength or aerobic capacity or something like that. We still don't have any hard targets solidly recognized by the scientific community for their contribution to athletic performance."
By 2004 scientists had discovered more than 90 genes or chromosomal locations they thought were most responsible for determining athletic performance. Today the tally has risen to 220 genes.
Even with this lack of certainty, some companies have already tried to exploit what has been learned so far to market genetic tests they claim can reveal a child's athletic predispositions. Such companies "are sort of cherry-picking some literature and saying, 'Oh, these four or five gene variations are going to tell you something,'" Roth explains. But the bottom line is the more studies we've done, the less certain we are that any of these genes are really strong contributors by themselves."
Atlas Sports Genetics, LLC, in Boulder, Colo., began selling a $149 test in December 2008 the company said could screen for variants of the gene ACTN3, which in elite athletes is associated with the presence of the protein alpha-actinin-3 that helps the body produce fast-twitch muscle fibers. Muscle in lab mice that lacks alpha-actinin-3 acts more like slow-twitch muscle fiber and uses energy more efficiently, a condition better suited to endurance than mass and power. "The difficulty is that more advanced studies have not found exactly how loss of alpha-actinin-3 affects muscle function in humans," Roth says.
ACE, another gene studied in relation to physical endurance, has rendered uncertain results. Researchers originally argued that people with one variant of ACE would be better at endurance sports and those with a different variant would be better suited to strength and power, but the findings have been inconclusive. So although ACE and ACTN3 are the most recognized genes when it comes to athletics, neither is clearly predictive of performance. The predominant idea 10 or 15 years ago that there might be two, three or four really strong contributing genes to a particular trait like muscular strength "is kind of falling apart," Roth says. "We've been realizing, and it's just been borne out over the past several years, that it's not on the order of 10 or 20 genes but rather hundreds of genes, each with really small variations and huge numbers of possible combinations of those many, many genes that can result in a predisposition for excellence.
"Nothing about the science changed," he adds. "We made a guess early on that turned out not to be right in most instances—that's science."
Gene doping
WADA turned to Friedmann for help after the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics after rumors started flying that some of the athletes there had been genetically modified. Nothing was found, but the threat seemed real. Officials were well aware of a recent gene therapy trial at the University of Pennsylvania that had resulted in the death of a patient.
"In medicine, such risks are accepted by patients and by the profession that danger is being undertaken for purposes of healing and preventing pain and suffering," Friedmann says. "If those same tools when applied to a healthy young athlete were to go wrong, there would be far less ethical comfort for having done it. And one would not like to be in the middle of a society that blindly accepts throwing [erythropoietin (EPO)] genes into athletes so they can have improved endurance performance." EPO has been a favorite target for people interested in manipulating blood production in patients with cancer or chronic kidney disease. It has also been used and abused by professional cyclists and other athletes looking to improve their endurance.
Another scheme has been to inject an athlete's muscles with a gene that suppresses myostatin, a protein that inhibits muscle growth. With that, Sweeney says, "you're off and running as a gene doper. I don't know if anyone is doing it, but I think if someone with scientific training read the literature they might be able to figure out how to succeed at this point," even though testing of myostatin inhibitors injected directly into specific muscles has not progressed beyond animals.
Myostatin inhibitors as well as EPO and IGF-1 genes have been early candidates for gene-based doping, but they're not the only ones, Friedmann says. The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene instructs the body to form signal proteins that help it increase blood flow by sprouting new blood vessels in muscle. These proteins have been used to treat macular degeneration and to restore the oxygen supply to tissues when blood circulation is inadequate. Other tempting genes could be those that affect pain perception, regulate glucose levels, influence skeletal muscle adaptation to exercise and aid respiration.
Games at the 2012 Olympics
Gene manipulation is a big wild card at this year's Olympics, Roth says. "People have been predicting for the past several Olympics that there will be gene doping at the next Olympics, but there's never been solid evidence." Gene therapy is often studied in a medical context, and it fails a lot of the time, he notes. "Even if a gene therapy is known to be solid in terms of treating a disease, when you throw it into the context of athletic performance, you're dealing with the unknown."
The presence of gene doping is hard to detect with certainty. Most of the tests that might succeed require tissue samples from athletes under suspicion. "We're talking about a muscle biopsy, and there aren't a lot of athletes who will be willing to give tissue samples when they're getting ready to compete," Roth says. Gene manipulation is not likely to show up in the blood stream, urine or saliva, so the relatively nonintrusive tests of those fluids are not likely to determine much.
In response, WADA has adopted a new testing approach called the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP), which will be used at the London Olympics. Several international sporting authorities such as the International Cycling Union have also begun to use it. The key to ABP's success is that, rather than looking ad hoc for a specific agent—such as EPO—the program monitors an athlete's body over time for sudden changes, such as a jump up in red blood cell count.
Another way to detect the presence of gene doping is to recognize how the body responds to a foreign gene—notably, defense mechanisms it might deploy. "The effect of any drug or foreign gene will be complicated by an organism trying to prevent harm from that manipulation," Friedmann says—rather than from intended changes induced by EPO, for example.
The Olympic games make clear that all athletes are not created equal, but that hard work and dedication can give an athlete at least an outside chance of victory even if competitors come from the deeper end of the gene pool. "Elite performance is necessarily a combination of genetically based talent and training that exploits those gifts," Roth says. "If you could equalize all environmental factors, then the person with some physical or mental edge would win the competition. Fortunately those environmental factors do come into play, which gives sport the uncertainty and magic that spectators crave."Girl Hood is set to release a new album in early June, according to the girl group’s representatives, SC Entertainment.
The agency has also confirmed that the upcoming release will see the group take a new musical direction. Girl Hood is a collective of four “mature” women, all of whom are married and aged 27-35. They made their debut in March this year with a ballad entitled “Honey, Sweetie, I Love You.” Their forthcoming release, however, will see the quartet take a step up in musical pace, according to SC Entertainment.
A spokesperson for the agency said, “The title track of the album is has an electronica feel to it, as well as a fast beat. It is very catchy. The group has put a lot of effort into the release, so fans have every reason to look forward to it.”By Ginger Whitaker
Federal News Radio
The General Services Administration is bringing car-sharing to federal agencies in a new effort to save money and improve efficiency.
GSA gave contracts to Enterprise CarShare, ZipCar, Hertz and Carpingo as part of the initiative. The four companies will provide car-sharing services as an option for federal employees who use government vehicles, according to a GSA news release.
The pilot program will be introduced in Washington, D.C., New York City, Boston and Chicago. The goal is to determine how efficient and cost-saving car sharing can be for the government, rather than using taxis, renting, leasing or purchasing vehicles.
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“Every day across America, families and businesses look for practical ways to save money. GSA is doing just that with this car-sharing program that drives down costs, increases efficiency, and improves operations of the government fleet program,” said GSA Administrator Dan Tangherlini, in a news release.
The vehicles will be provided on a short-term, hourly basis, for no longer than one day.
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2 new car-sharing companies come to D.C.
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This was what she posted on SPF's Facebook page:
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"Good Job To SPF yes..and now tell me i am his Wife.My Name is Nassida Nasir.So tell me is it justify of the law to shot dead right on my husband head just because he tried to run away? Well people the real reason is bcoz he drove away and hit the barricades due to he did not have a driving license! So is this how he will be punished? And if it is a high security and professionals ones, they should know whether they hit a real terrorist. And here i am, with my 2months new born baby living without a father! Who was scared and running away without a driving license and punished in terrible way! So tell me if it was your husband can u live everyday without thinking of the incident!"
In response to some commentors who criticized her defense of her deceased husband, she said:
"Oh yeah, and so (not siding anyone) if the drugs was his, was the law created to shoot a person on the head w a riffle of M16, tell me pls.. Cos i just can't accept the way he was being punished."
"The have just came out from cantonment and let me clarify this to you that bag wasn't even carried w him, and i do not need to say who or whoever but what i can say he ran because he broke the law and the only thing he did was driving w/o license! Do u even think if there was so much of drugs? Wouldn't they check the news and avoid such places like shang ri la thr because there was a high security road block. And my ans is my late husband was only enjoying his joyride! And the joyride ended DEAD of his mischief"
For more potential updates from the deceased wife, you may visit the Facebook link posted below.Image copyright Reddit/ AP Image caption The tennis star and the social media co-founder got engaged in Rome, where they first met.
Serena Williams has used the social media platform Reddit to announce that she is engaged to its co-founder, Alexis Ohanian.
The tennis star made the announcement in the form of a poem.
She said he took her to Rome, where they first met, to propose to her - and she said yes.
It caps off a year in which Ms Williams won her seventh Wimbledon singles title and 22nd Grand Slam singles title, but dropped to world number two ranking.
All you need to know about Serena Williams
Reddit is a social media community where users group around topics, news articles and discussion points, rather than around people they know in offline life.
Mr Ohanian founded it in 2005 alongside a college friend, Steve Huffman.
Ms Williams posted to r/isaidyes, a forum where users share their stories of wedding proposals, saying he had taken her to the table in Rome where they first met, where he got down on one knee and "said four words".
Image copyright Reddit
One Reddit user responded by joking that the score was love-love.
Mr Ohanian and Ms Williams had kept their relationship quiet on social media and in the world of celebrity gossip, but rumours began to circulate last year that they might be romantically linked.The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January 2010 was abuzz about a slew of prototype 3-D TVs, but if new research from the MIT Media Lab is any indication, holographic TVs could be close behind. At the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers’ (SPIE) Practical Holography conference in San Francisco the weekend of Jan. 23, members of Michael Bove’s Object-Based Media Group presented a new system that can capture visual information using off-the-shelf electronics, send it over the Internet to a holographic display, and update the image at rates approaching those of feature films.
In November, researchers at the University of Arizona made headlines with an experimental holographic-video transmission system that used 16 cameras to capture data and whose display refreshed every two seconds. The new MIT system uses only one data-capture device — the new Kinect camera designed for Microsoft’s Xbox gaming system — and averages about 15 frames per second. Moreover, the MIT researchers didn’t get their hands on a Kinect until the end of December, and only in the week before the conference did they double the system’s frame rate from seven to 15 frames per second. They’re confident that with a little more time, they can boost the rate even higher, to the 24 frames per second of feature films or the 30 frames per second of TV — rates that create the illusion of continuous motion.
The difference between holograms and the type of 3-D images becoming common in movie theaters is frequently overlooked, Bove says. During a screening of, say, the 3-D version of Avatar, viewers on the far-left aisle of the theater see the same image that viewers on the far-right aisle do. That image may have depth, but it’s filmed from a single perspective. As a viewer moves around a hologram, however, his or her perspective on the depicted object changes continuously, just as it would if the object were real.
All the angles
A standard 3-D movie camera captures light bouncing off of an object at two different angles, one for each eye. But in the real world, light bounces off of objects at an infinite number of angles. Holographic video systems use devices that produce so-called diffraction fringes, fine patterns of light and dark that can bend the light passing through them in predictable ways. A dense enough array of fringe patterns, each bending light in a different direction, can simulate the effect of light bouncing off of a three-dimensional object.
The challenge with real-time holographic video is taking video data — in the case of the Kinect, the light intensity of image pixels and, for each of them, a measure of distance from the camera — and, on the fly, converting that data into a set of fringe patterns. Bove and his grad students — James Barabas, David Cranor, Sundeep Jolly and Dan Smalley — have made that challenge even tougher by limiting themselves to off-the-shelf hardware.
“Really, the focus of our work in digital holography — and I think this makes us pretty much unique among the very small community of people in the world even doing holovideo — is that we’re trying to make a consumer product,” Bove says. “So we’ve been saying, ‘How do you make it as cheap as possible — take advantage of hardware and standards and software and everything else that already exists?’ Because that’s the quickest way to bring it to market.”
Using a single Kinect camera and standard graphics chips, MIT researchers demonstrate the highest frame rate yet for streaming holographic video.
Video: Melanie Gonick; additional stills: James D. Barabas
In the group’s lab setup, the Kinect feeds data to an ordinary laptop, which relays it over the Internet. At the receiving end, a PC with three commercial graphics processing units — GPUs — computes the diffraction patterns.
GPUs differ from ordinary computer chips — CPUs — in that their circuitry has been tailored to a cluster of computationally intensive tasks that arise frequently during the processing of large graphics files. Much of the work that went into the new system involved re-describing the problem of computing diffraction patterns in a way that takes advantage of GPUs’ strengths.
Coming attractions
The one component of the researchers’ experimental system that can’t be bought at an electronics store for a couple hundred dollars is the holographic display itself. It’s the result of decades of research that began with MIT’s Stephen Benton, who built the first holographic video display in the late 1980s. (When Benton died in 2003, Bove’s group inherited the holographic-video project.) The current project uses a display known as the Mark-II, a successor to Benton’s original display that both Benton’s and Bove’s groups helped design. But Bove says that his group is developing a new display that is much more compact, produces larger images, and should also be cheaper to manufacture. (Bove and his students reported on an early version of the display at the same SPIE conference four years ago.)
Mark Lucente, director of display products for Zebra Imaging in Austin, Texas, which is commercializing holographic displays for videoconferencing applications, says that his company’s prospective customers are often uncomfortable with the sheer computational intensity of holographic video. “It’s very daunting,” he says. “1.5 gigabytes per second are being generated on the fly.” By demonstrating that off-the-shelf components can keep up with the computational load, Lucente says, Bove’s group is “helping show that it’s within the realm of possibility.” Indeed, he says, “by taking a video game and using it as an input device, [Bove] shows that it’s a hop, skip and a jump away from reality.”
When the Media Lab researchers demonstrate their new technology at the conference in San Francisco, another grad student in Bove’s group, Edwina Portocarrero, sporting a cowled tunic and a wig with side buns, will re-enact the scene from the first Star Wars movie in which a hologram of Princess Leia implores Obi-Wan Kenobi to re-join the battle against the evil empire. The resolution of the real hologram won’t be nearly as high as that of the special-effects hologram in the movie, but as Bove points out, “Princess Leia wasn’t being transmitted in real time. She was stored.”Young Filipino archer Gabriel Moreno made history on Sunday as he won a gold medal in the mixed team event of archery in the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games
Published 6:03 PM, August 24, 2014
NANJING, China – Young Filipino archer Gabriel Moreno made history on Sunday, August 24, as he won a gold medal in the mixed team event of archery in the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games (YOG).
The 16-year-old teamed up with Chinese archer Li Jiaman and beat Cynthia Freywald (Germany) and Mohamad Zolkepeli (Malaysia) with a total score of 113-105.
This is the first time the Philippines won a gold medal in an Olympic event. The last time the Philippines placed a medal in an international Olympic event was in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, where Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco won a silver medal.
Moreno earlier said that he was hopeful for a gold medal given the effort he has put in in his training.
“I want to make my country proud. I want to give the Philippine my very best,” Moreno said.
Fellow archer Bianca Gotuaco was eliminated in the elimination round of the women’s individual event on Saturday, August 23. She competed in the mixed team event with Prennoy Murong (Bangladesh) but got eliminated Friday, August 22.
Moreno started archery when he was 6 years old. At the age of 12, he competed in his first international archery event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. His medals have been piling up since then.
In 2013, Moreno bested other Filipino archers in the Philippine National Games and Palarong Pambansa (National Youth Olympic Event). In the same year, he and fellow YOG delegate Bianca Gotuaco qualified in the Nanjing YOG after winning in the Taipei qualifiers.
Moreno was also the country’s flag-bearer during the Games’ opening ceremonies on August 16.
The Nanjing YOG will run until Thursday, August 28. – Rappler.com
Editor's note: Title changed to specify that the gold medal was won in the Youth Olympics, which, like the Summer and Winter Games, is an International Olympic Committee (IOC) organized event.By
You honestly can’t go wrong with butter and chocolate. Then add in some PB and a crunchy element and you’ve got yourself a sweet treat with texture that is sure to satisfy any cravings you have during your ultra low-carb days while on The Carb Nite Solution or Carb Back-Loading. I had some hesitation when I made this for the first time. I thought the pork rinds would over-power everything and then I’d be left with a pork rind flavored concoction that would probably end up in the garbage. Well I couldn’t have been more wrong. After the first few bites all I could muster was omg, omg, OMG. In fact, when I starting thinking about what I wanted on my next Carbnite all I could think about was making more Puppy Chow…it’s that good! For more Ultra Low-Carb recipes, please visit FitLivingFoodies.com. To purchase the Transforming Recipes cookbook, which is loaded with 100+ more ultra low-carb recipes, click here.
Ingredients (approx. 4 cups):
4 cups plain pork rinds (roughly 164 grams)
1/2 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 stick of butter (about 1/4 cup or 4 tbsp)
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 tsp vanilla extract
3 packs of granulated Stevia or 1 full dropper of liquid Stevia – more or less to taste
Tools needed:
1 small mixing bowl
1 large mixing bowl
Mixing spoon
1 Measuring spoon
1 Measuring cup
Large zip-lock baggie or air-tight container
Instructions:
Step 1: Melt butter, oil and PB.
Place the butter, coconut oil and peanut butter in the small mixing bowl and microwave on medhigh for about 30 sec, or until the butter has melted. The oil will melt first and then the butter second. The PB does not need to be melted, just soft. Mix all three together well, making sure that the PB is completely incorporated and no chunks remain. The mixture should be slightly runny.
Step 2: Add cocoa powder.
Add the cocoa powder to the oil and butter mixture and stir well, making sure that the cocoa powder is completely dissolved. You can add the cocoa in small batches for easier mixing, but it’s not necessary.
Step 3: Add Stevia and Vanilla.
Mix in the Stevia and vanilla extract and stir well.
Step 4: Prep pork rinds.
Put the pork rinds in the large mixing bowl. I prefer using smaller pieces of pork rinds, specifically the ones that are slightly crunchier, rather than the airy ones because they hold their form better. If you only have large pieces then I suggest you break them up little before you coat them. You also want to avoid crumbs, so if you’ve broken up your pieces you’ll want to remove any crumbs that have settled at the bottom of the bowl.
Step 5: Coat pork rinds.
Carefully pour the chocolaty goodness over the pork rinds. You’ll want to do this a little bit at a time so the pork rinds do not get soggy. I suggest starting with a little and mixing it well, then add more. Continue to stir the mixture so every piece is evenly coated. Be careful not to crush the pork rinds during the mixing process.
Step 6: Cool and set.
Transfer the puppy chow to a zip-lock baggie or airtight container and place in the fridge for up to 30 minutes or until the chocolate has set completely. You might want to check in it a few times to break up the pieces a little, otherwise they will harder in one giant clump. These are best kept cold or chilled.
Step 7: Snack time!
Warning! Once you start you may not be able to stop.
Nutritional info:
Serving size: 1/2 cup
Calories: 329
Fat: 29g
Usable Carbs: 2.4g
Protein: 14gCalved off a glacier, the thick, clear ice in this iceberg radiates an ethereal blue color. Coarse ice crystals, and few bubbles or particles in the ice to scatter light, allow the light to penetrate deep into the surface before reflecting back. This increases the tendency for ice to slightly absorb red and infrared light to impart the blue tint. —Credit: Richard Droker Calved off a glacier, the thick, clear ice in this iceberg radiates an ethereal blue color. Coarse ice crystals, and few bubbles or particles in the ice to scatter light, allow the light to penetrate deep into the surface before reflecting back. This increases the tendency for ice to slightly absorb red and infrared light to impart the blue tint. —Credit: Richard Droker
Presently, 10 percent of land area on Earth is covered with glacial ice, including glaciers, ice caps, and the ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica. Glacierized areas cover over 15 million square kilometers (5.8 million square miles).
Glaciers store about 75 percent of the world's fresh water.
During the maximum point of the last ice age, glaciers covered about 32 percent of the total land area.
From the 17th century to the late 19th century, the world experienced a “Little Ice Age,” when temperatures were consistently cool enough for glaciers to advance in many areas of the world.
In the United States, glaciers cover over 75,000 square kilometers (30,000 square miles), with most of the glaciers located in Alaska.
If all land ice melted, sea level would rise approximately 70 meters (230 feet) worldwide.
This Landsat satellite image shows Bering Glacier in Alaska, the largest glacier in North America. Although the glacier has been retreating and thinning recently, it still surges about every 20 years or so. —Credit: NASA image by Robert Simmon, based on data provided by the Landsat 7 Science Team This Landsat satellite image shows Bering Glacier in Alaska, the largest glacier in North America. Although the glacier has been retreating and thinning recently, it still surges about every 20 years or so. —Credit: NASA image by Robert Simmon, based on data provided by the Landsat 7 Science Team
Glacier ice crystals can grow to be as large as baseballs.
Glacial ice often appears blue when it has become very dense. Years of compression gradually make the ice denser over time, forcing out the tiny air pockets between crystals. When glacier ice becomes extremely dense, the ice absorbs a small amount of red light, leaving a bluish tint in the reflected light, which is what we see. When glacier ice is white, that usually means that there are many tiny air bubbles still in the ice.
North America's longest glacier is the Bering Glacier in Alaska, measuring 190 kilometers (118 miles) long.
The Kutiah Glacier in Pakistan holds the record for the fastest glacial surge. In 1953, it raced more than 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) in three months, averaging about 112 meters (367 feet) per day.
Satellite images caught this large iceberg, named A54, calving off of what remains of the Larsen Ice Shelf in Antarctica. Scientists installed research equipment on the smaller AMIGOSberg to study how icebergs melt. —Credit: Images courtesy of Terry Haran, National Snow and Ice Data Center, using data from NASA MODIS. Satellite images caught this large iceberg, named A54, calving off of what remains of the Larsen Ice Shelf in Antarctica. Scientists installed research equipment on the smaller AMIGOSberg to study how icebergs melt. —Credit: Images courtesy of Terry Haran, National Snow and Ice Data Center, using data from NASA MODIS.
In Washington State, the state with the largest area of glaciers in the contiguous United States, melting glaciers provide 1.8 trillion liters (470 billion gallons) of water each summer.
The largest glacier in the world is the Lambert-Fisher Glacier in Antarctica. At 400 kilometers (250 miles) long, and up to 100 kilometers (60 miles) wide, this ice stream alone drains about 8 percent of the Antarctic Ice Sheet.
Antarctic ice is up to 4.7 kilometers (3 miles) thick in some areas.
Antarctic ice shelves may calve icebergs that are over 80 kilometers (50 miles) long.
The Antarctic continent has been at least partially covered by an ice sheet for the past 40 million years.
The land underneath parts of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet may be up to 2.5 kilometers (1.6 miles) below sea level.Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has criticized Donald Trump for promising to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. But Zuckerberg is now facing criticism for his neighbors for building a half-mile-long stone wall around his new Hawaii estate.
“The feeling of it is really oppressive. It’s immense,” resident Gy Hall told the local newspaper on the island of Kauai, the Garden Island. “It’s really sad that somebody would come in, and buy a huge piece of land and the first thing they do is cut off this view that’s been available and appreciative by the community here for years.”
Zuckerberg took a swipe at the presumptive Republican nominee and his wall proposal in April:
“I hear fearful voices calling for building walls and distancing people they label as others. For blocking free expression, for slowing immigration, reducing trade, and in some cases around the world even cutting access to the internet. “It takes courage to choose hope over fear. People will always call you naive but it’s this hope and this optimism that’s behind every important step forward.”
However, when it comes to his own $100 million, 750-acre estate, a wall seems to fit the bill.
Another local resident, Donna McMillen, complained bitterly to the Garden Island: “Money is no option [sic] for him. I’m 5’8” and when I’m walking, I see nothing but wall …It just doesn’t fit in with the natural beauty that we have here. There are people on the island who money can pay for anything. These kind of things that they do take away what Kauai is all about.”
The manager of the project says that it “follows all regulated rules and regulations by the county,” and at least one resident told the Garden Island that it is “attractive” because it uses local materials.
But others are irritated because Zuckerberg has not responded to their concerns.
“In the case of this wall, all he needs to do is take it down, so people have the view and the breeze back. It would end all discussion. That’s all we’re asking,” local resident Shosana Chanter told the Garden Island.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News. His new book, See No Evil: 19 Hard Truths the Left Can’t Handle, will be published by Regnery on July 25 and is available for pre-order through Amazon. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.“Minnesota billionaire Glen Taylor expects to close on his purchase of the Star Tribune by the end of next month, fulfilling a goal he has had for years,” writes MPR News business reporter Marty Moylan.
It may not be too long before Taylor has a chance to buy another newspaper: the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
A number of industry watchers say the paper’s owners may soon put it up for sale, hoping to exit the newspaper business.
Taylor said he’d probably take a look. But before he made an offer he’d need to know the financial condition of the Pioneer Press and the potential for the Twin Cities to support two daily newspapers.
But there are other factors to consider, said Rick Edmonds, a media business analyst at the Poynter Institute.
“Assuming he were to buy it would he continue to operate it separately?” he said. “Would it be folded into the Star Tribune?”
Edmonds said there also could be anti-trust concerns arising from Taylor owning both papers. He said federal officials might block such as sale if it violates anti-trust laws enacted to prevent companies from obtaining a monopoly.
“Unfortunately for him or somebody in that position,” Edmonds said, “he can’t just call the Justice Department and ask, ‘Is this OK?'”
On the other hand, Edmonds points out even a dead newspaper has value – in its circulation and advertising lists, trucks, buildings and other assets.
If Taylor acquires the Star Tribune as expected, he could try to buy the Pioneer Press for its assets and shut it down, hoping to realize gains in circulation and ad revenue, Edmonds said.Design Build Bluff built this charming off-grid home for a mother of four in Utah. Suzie Whitehorse fled her alcoholic husband and moved into a tiny rammed-earth domed shelter on the Navajo reservation, but the tiny hogan was not suitable for a growing family. So the Utah Graduate College of Architecture and Planning stepped in. Using mostly earth, salvaged materials, and traditional building techniques, 18 graduate students put together a beautiful new home complete with solar panels and a rocket stove that has instantly given Suzie and her children a whole new lease on life.
With a footprint of just under 1,000 square feet, the new house was constructed using clay, sand, straw, and water bricks clad in recycled sheets of aluminum, and then accented with recycled shipping pallets.
It gets hot and dusty on the reservation in the summer, so the design team raised the house four feet off the ground with recycled telephone poles, which encourages wind-swept sand to settle below and cool air to ventilate the home naturally. Absolutely no mechanical systems are required to keep the house either cool or warm.
Related: Off-Gridd Rammed Earth House on Navajo Nation Catches the Wind
During winter, the desert quickly becomes cold and hostile, so the team built a wonderful rocket stove powered by small bits of kindling that heats up the whole house in a jiffy. The southern exposure is glazed for optimum solar gain, in-floor radiant heating provides more warmth if needed, and vertical solar panels heat water.
Finally, a gutted roof harvests rainwater, which is stored in a 2,000 gallon cistern buried underground. Please read our interview with Design Build Bluff’s founder Hank Louis to get a sense of other inspiring projects that have transformed the lives of lucky people like Suzie Whitehorse.
+ Design Build Bluff
Via Arch DailyCarmelo Anthony the player might not be all that different from Carmelo Anthony the owner.
According to everyone from Puerto Rico FC’s technical director to the team’s coach to forward Giuseppe Gentile, Anthony is every bit the professional in the executive suite he is on the basketball court. He demands excellence but understands he is part of the building process of an expansion team.
“He’s been fantastic,” technical director Neil Sillett said Sunday during Puerto Rico FC’s 4-3 loss to the Cosmos. “He’s really engaged and always wants what’s best for the club. Obviously, he has a lot of sensible people around him to keep things going smoothly.”
It’s been two years since Anthony purchased an ownership stake in Puerto Rico FC, on an island close to the NBA All-Star’s heart. Anthony |
!"
I may or may not have planted that little nugget a few weeks ago, allowing her little friend Tiffany at ballet class to "overhear" it as I pretended to talk on my cell phone. I've been tracking this bit of misinformation like a barium meal as it worked its way through the kiddie underground — waiting, waiting for it to come out the other side — and it's finally popping up now. Bingo.
The CIA calls this kind of thing "Black Propaganda" and it's a sensible, cost effective countermeasure, I believe, to the overwhelming superiority of the forces aligned against us.
I vividly recall a rumor about rat hairs in Chunky candies when I was a kid. It swept across schoolyards nationwide — this in pre-internet days — and had, as I remember it, a terrible effect on the company's sales. I don't know where the rumor started. And it was proven to be untrue.
I'm not suggesting anybody do anything so morally wrong and unquestionably illegal.
I'm just sayin'.
Excerpted from Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain. Copyright 2010 by Anthony Bourdain. Excerpted with permission by HarperCollins Publishers.Here it is – I know not everyone agrees about vaccines, and that’s O.K. But what isn’t O.K. is when a government agency meant to prevent the spread of disease (well, at least that’s what they say openly) tells mothers to stop doing one thing that has mountains of evidence behind it to prove that it is not only beneficial, but vital to an infant’s health.
When you think the CDC might be corrupt, as evidenced from recent whistle-blowing facts, you don’t always realize just how deep and dark that corruption truly can be. The news that not one, but ten researchers from the CDC’s National Centers for Immunization and Respiratory Disease (NCIRD) released a paper arguing that because the immune-boosting effects of breastmilk inhibit the effects of the live oral rotavirus vaccine, nursing mothers should delay breastfeeding their infants is stupefying.
Although this paper does not recommend that mothers stop breastfeeding, it does advise them to delay nursing at the time that the vaccine is administered. At least there isn’t advice to stop breastfeeding completely.
In a seemingly weak attempt to remain scientifically unbiased, the researchers do point out that there are other ways for boosting a vaccine’s efficacy.
The researchers make the most ignominious admittance that:
Breastmilk counters the live vaccine, they’ve shown that breastmilk counters the virus.
When a baby’s body is fighting the live vaccine virus, it means they are fighting the virus itself. Proof, yet again that the human immune system, when supported through natural means like breastfeeding, is expert at defending itself.
If the CDC were not beholden to big pharmaceutical companies, who make billions off of unproven, unnecessary vaccines every year, then they would never be telling women to stop giving their babies immune-boosting breastmilk.
The CDC should be encouraging mothers to breastfeed, not telling them to stop so that their children can be given vaccines full of questionable adjuvants, and some that have been proven, by yet other whistle-blowers like Pfizer’s president who says that vaccines don’t work – to contain many health damaging ingredients.
This also means that the CDC’s researchers are assuming that the vaccine is better for the baby than breastfeeding. They’re assuming that the vaccine is safe.
The researchers also compared the breastmilk from mothers in India, South Korea, Vietnam, and the U.S. Indian mothers had the most potent breastmilk in fighting the vaccine, while U.S. moms had the weakest. Is it any wonder with glyphosate residues being found in mother’s breast milk and even fetal cells? Did you know that Pfizer was a spin off on Monsanto? Are we starting to see the link here?
I’m a breastfeeding mother of a six month old. I won’t stop breastfeeding my child, and certainly not for this reason.David has been quite active this morning, and shares some fascinating (and uplifting) intel data he has received. So… hold on of the ride here… there’s a bunch of them.
PS: if you have (or are) cats, they may get very excited by this information!
“My own sources independently confirmed that Charles would never become King, and would be forced to abdicate to William, so I do have independent confirmation on that. “100 spheres the size of either Neptune or Jupiter have entered our solar system in the last 2-3 years. There were many others the size of our Moon that came in between 1999 and 2001… “The Cabal used an advanced weapon to fire on one of the Moon-sized ones in mid-December. The object lit up, becoming a bright red spot in the sky that people saw… and redirected the beam back to the base it came from. This caused serious damage and some loss of life… Since that time we have had the no-fly zone around the earth and the quarantine around our solar system. No one who was already here is being allowed to leave — either from Earth or any of the “colonies,” as they are called. “The group that has appeared from the spheres is called the “Blue Avians.”… One of the five main factions in the Space Program, named Solar Warden, is allied with them now, and they are working with the Alliance on earth, but never the Cabal… The… main thing they said was that Cabal people were defecting over into the Alliance and altering the plans. “The key is that the Avians want us to move into a loving and peaceful world. They want this transition, similarly, to be as peaceful as possible. “The Blue Avians appear to be the same Ra that delivered the Law of One. They started out as a positive source — which were drawn as the hawk-headed “Gods” well after they left — and were quickly misconstrued as negative. They repeatedly say in the Law of One that the hawk is their symbol. “I do not know if we are ever going to actually see the Blue Avians. This group works behind the scenes… However, if the Snowden documents contain tons of data on the Secret Space Program, then we may be in store for a wild ride. That would be the closest we would get to a confirmation that this data about the spheres is correct. “…one of the things that has made the Cabal so upset is the Blue Avians have short-circuited them and have gone directly out and contacted the people. This can come in the form of a visible orb of light in the room. Most of the people getting this are being “downloaded” some sort of information… I think a great number of us have had some degree of “downloading” from these angelic beings already, whether we realize it or not.”
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Comment by dwilcock on March 3, 2015 @ 12:19 am
Got in early this time. My own sources independently confirmed that Charles would never become King, and would be forced to abdicate to William, so I do have independent confirmation on that.
The ET side of things has gotten very interesting, as I revealed in the radio show I did with George Noory last Wednesday night.
100 spheres the size of either Neptune or Jupiter have entered our solar system in the last 2-3 years. There were many others the size of our Moon that came in between 1999 and 2001.
The Pentagon and Cabal people got really excited about this at first because they thought these spheres were the return of their Anunnaki gods. However, the spheres remained cloaked with an advanced system that did not allow them to see inside, and did not respond to communications.
The Cabal used an advanced weapon to fire on one of the Moon-sized ones in mid-December. The object lit up, becoming a bright red spot in the sky that people saw (significantly smaller than the Moon, since it was farther away) and redirected the beam back to the base it came from. This caused serious damage and some loss of life.
Since that time we have had the no-fly zone around the earth and the quarantine around our solar system. No one who was already here is being allowed to leave — either from Earth or any of the “colonies,” as they are called. They cannot even get communications out. No one else appears to be able to get in either.
The group that has appeared from the spheres is called the “Blue Avians.” As silly as this may sound, they are eight-foot-tall humanoids derived from avian life, with birdlike heads and bright indigo-blue feathers. They have more or less normal-looking hands and feet. The head is a synergy between bird and human features. There are other avian types out there as well. It is not common but it does occur.
One of my insiders got pulled into a meeting that was very serious. We didn’t know if he was going to come out of it alive, or at least not without being heavily tortured and screamed at for what he had told me and what was leaked. Only later did we realize that the Blue Avians had personally requested him.
He was guaranteed by them that he would not be harmed. They told him many things. One thing they felt was very important was that they have not had ANY contact or communications with the Cabal. One of the five main factions in the Space Program, named Solar Warden, is allied with them now, and they are working with the Alliance on earth, but never the Cabal.
I had mistakenly said on Coast they had some contact with the Cabal and they corrected it.
They actually gave me some intriguing personal information. The other main thing they said was that Cabal people were defecting over into the Alliance and altering the plans. The Cabal people are pushing for “instantaneous violence” to solve the problem.
This is not going to be allowed.
Apparently the Avians are now “putting on the brakes” and “slowing things down a bit,” as it was about to go really wild, really fast, from what they were saying.
The key is that the Avians want us to move into a loving and peaceful world. They want this transition, similarly, to be as peaceful as possible.
That’s as much as I know now. I do not for a minute believe the insider was lying to me. He was deeply shaken and profoundly moved by this experience.
– David
Comment by dwilcock on March 3, 2015 @ 12:30 am
I should also say that originally he was supposed to go through the Space Program people first before being brought to an area where the Blue Avians would meet with him.
They had made it clear that he had “huge holes” in his “security” papers, that this was “not protocol,” and that there would be “disciplinary action” for what he had done (i.e. talking to me and leaking data online.)
He was very concerned about this and I didn’t know if he was going to come back alive. He was already grabbed, disciplined and tortured in December, so this looked like another round that could be even worse.
Anyway, he was supposedly going to get picked up at 3AM, three nights ago now. That didn’t happen.
Before the pickup was supposed to occur, he told me the Blue Avians had asked for him by name. This apparently was the first time they had ever spoken to the Cabal directly.
Once he told me this, I said he needed to re-frame the whole thing and not look at it as a negative. In fact, if these people are who they appear to be, it was a VERY positive event — and puts him in a remarkable position.
Without the help of the “Sphere Beings,” as they are called, the Alliance wouldn’t be able to accomplish this. There are apparently four races of Sphere Beings but the Blue Avians are the only ones that are visible at this time.
The 3AM meeting was canceled for no apparent reason and rescheduled to the same time the next night. In the meantime he had gone from abject fear to inspiration and confidence.
What ultimately ended up happening was a firefly-sized purple light appeared in his room. It pulled him out of his physical body and the entire meeting happened in the astral. His wife knew something was going to happen and when, and said that he was in a “weird trance state” while this was happening. She was very excited about it and it was obviously not something that could have been faked.
I feel like I have nothing to lose by sharing this. The Avians told him (and me by proxy) to go forward and share this, and that any ridicule we faced was “of absolutely no significance.”
So there you have it.
– David
Comment by dwilcock on March 3, 2015 @ 3:16 am
No one is asking anyone to give their power away.
The Blue Avians appear to be the same Ra that delivered the Law of One.
They started out as a positive source — which were drawn as the hawk-headed “Gods” well after they left — and were quickly misconstrued as negative.
They repeatedly say in the Law of One that the hawk is their symbol.
They also talk about the bird as a symbol of the “winged messenger” or angel.
The Hopis have an engaging legend about being rescued by “bird people.” Then you have the very clear Egyptian paintings. Then you have the “Tengu,” or bird-men that were seen in Japan.
When Luke met these people the last time, they all introduced themselves by name, and every name started with the same prefix, which sounded either like “Rey” or “Rawl,” from what he remembers. This was another compelling suggestion.
I have had multiple insider confirmations now on the spheres coming in. This is of great concern to the Cabal.
When people say shaming things, my response is “would you rather I not share this at all?” As weird as it is, and I totally get that it’s “high strangeness” to say the least, this is all coming from insiders who have absolutely proven their credibility.
I do not know if we are ever going to actually see the Blue Avians. This group works behind the scenes. There is a huge “learning curve” for people to understand the scope and variety of ET life that is out there.
However, if the Snowden documents contain tons of data on the Secret Space Program, then we may be in store for a wild ride. That would be the closest we would get to a confirmation that this data about the spheres is correct.
My own intuitive abilities have validated that this is true information. This included yesterday putting it together and realizing this group was Ra, then being told “Go outside now” and there was a rainbow. Then later I walked, connected even more dots and there was a much bigger rainbow in a completely separate location.
Synchronicities, dreams, et cetera… it’s all coming together.
BTW, one of the things that has made the Cabal so upset is the Blue Avians have short-circuited them and have gone directly out and contacted the people. This can come in the form of a visible orb of light in the room. Most of the people getting this are being “downloaded” some sort of information that they do not consciously recall yet. Others are getting open communication.
So there you have it.
– David
Comment by dwilcock on March 3, 2015 @ 3:35 am
All I can say is this is absolutely real. The people I am talking to about this are definitely not lying. We literally thought Luke might die, or at the very least be tortured, from having this meeting. The Cabal was very, very angry about it.
Then it was an intriguing twist that after I increased his “vibration” through inspiring him to see this invitation as positive, they were then able to pull him into an OBE instead of needing him physically there in person.
They also impressed upon him the need to eat a diet with a “much higher vibration” and did not give specifics, leaving it to me to tell him about the weaponization of the food supply by the Cabal and why you should avoid wheat, refined sugar, processed and pre-packaged food, fried food, conventional produce, et cetera.
Their goal is to ensure that the “cycles” of war, pain and fear do not continue, and that we move into a loving society. For me the most interesting new thing in light of this was that I was told BEFORE this update that Cabal elements had recently entered the Alliance — this is what the Blue Avians said — and then you have Ben saying William is cutting a deal with the Asians.
This would make a great episodic TV show or film if written properly!
– David
Comment by dwilcock on March 3, 2015 @ 4:05 am
The weirdest thing about the Blue Avians, from the Space Program perspective, is they do not need any technology. If they want to go somewhere, they just appear there. This is exactly what Ra says they are like at their level.
For this same reason, it seems clear that they could project themselves into whatever form they choose, and have chosen this form for its various symbolic characteristics.
It’s going to come out anyway, so I will also say that the Blue Avians confirmed I was one of the people they have been in contact with.
I think a great number of us have had some degree of “downloading” from these angelic beings already, whether we realize it or not.
We knew Ra was one of two key groups managing Earth’s transformation, but I never expected they would make such a dramatic “in person” appearance at the end of the cycle like this.
– DavidThe counter terror unit of the İzmir Police Department on Wednesday detained seven people allegedly being linked with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL, terror organization.
The İzmir-based operation has simultaneously been launched in 22 pre-determined addresses in Isparta and Erzurum provinces.
According to the information from police sources, the counter terror unit received a tip-off that some ISIL militants crossed into Turkey and came to İzmir.
Police seized 2 pistols, an ISIL flag and documents related to the terror organization, during operations in the Buca and Menemen districts in İzmir.
The detained suspects were accused of being linked with ISIL; even some of them had taken part in fighting in Syria.
The detainees were taken to the counter terror branch of the İzmir Province Police headquarter for questioning.
The operation is still underway.Digix Dev Tool Release — Doxity
Digix Blocked Unblock Follow Following Oct 28, 2016
Chris Hitchcott (Digix Core Dev)
This week I’ve been working on tests and documentation; more tests, and better docs.
Problem:
We wanted to use Solidity’s [natspec] feature to document contract methods. Basically, it means you can document your code within your code, as comments, that can be used by other developers or end users to gain a better understanding of what a contract does.
Unfortunately I found out that there currently wasn’t a way of automatically creating a documentation website.
Solution:
As there was no tool for this, we had to build our own, which I did this week. Today we are releasing the alpha version of Doxity, the world’s first (as far as I know) documentation generator built specifically for Solidity. There are some features still missing (check todos in readme) pending an update from Solidity compiler, but we can now automatically generate a nicely formatted website displaying the documentation for the contracts within a given project.
Check out the demo here: https://hitchcott.github.io/doxity-demo/docs/MetaCoin/
One day, we might even integrate web3/testrpc into the frontend and generate a GUI for making calls/transactions, so that you can manually test methods in your browser!When you design vacuum cleaners all day, you're going to need to let off steam somehow. The engineers at Dyson think that they've found the perfect way: building drag racers from components that would normally be used to sweep your floor. The only restriction given is that they had to be powered by the motor that's usually found in Dyson's handheld cleaners, with the winner being the person who got their racer to go fastest.
A few evenings' work later and the starting grid was assembled, with a diverse array of designs showing just how creative engineers can be, and one intrepid engineer even choosing to ride their creation like a box car. Some of the dragsters are impressively fast, but let's face it: the people who can build a bladeless fan should know a thing or two about aerodynamics. There's just one thing missing in all of this — where's the Ball?The CBC is warning the federal government that its efforts to control salary negotiations at the Crown agency could be at odds with the Broadcasting Act and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, leading to litigation.
Canadian Broadcasting Corp. chief executive Hubert Lacroix sent a letter to the Commons finance committee Wednesday, pleading for an amendment to the budget implementation bill to ensure the broadcaster's independence.
But when Liberal MP Scott Brison read parts of the letter to Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, the minister stiffly dismissed any possibility of changes to the bill.
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"The CBC may think it is a special, independent, Crown agency. This is wrong," Mr. Flaherty said.
"All Crown agencies have a responsibility through ministers, back to Parliament, to the people of Canada. They can't do whatever they want, particularly with taxpayers' money. They can't just go off and pay their executives and pay everybody else whatever they want to pay them."
In later testimony before a Senate committee, Mr. Flaherty added he was "disappointed" by Mr. Lacroix's letter and said he was not out to get the CBC, as some have suggested.
"If I wanted to do something not nice to the CBC as a Minister of Finance, I would have done it a long time ago … and I haven't. We have maintained a high level of budgeting for the CBC," he said.
The government's budget bill would require the CBC, and other government agencies, to seek a mandate to negotiate and "submit to the minister responsible a draft document setting out the general components of a policy on remuneration and conditions of employment."
The government has presented the measure as part of efforts to control costs at a time of fiscal austerity, bringing Crown corporations under the same broad restraint program that has been imposed on public servants.
But the CBC is different, Mr. Lacroix writes. The Broadcasting Act gives the CBC's board of directors "explicit authority" to determine salaries, and specifies that employees of the broadcaster are not public servants.
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"[The bill] … may give rise to conflicts with the Broadcasting Act and the Charter and compromise the Corporation's independence," reads the letter.
"This could potentially embroil the government, our corporation, and its unions in litigation, a result that could be avoided with an amendment that protects that independence."
The CBC head adds that the corporation is already accountable to taxpayers in its reports to Parliament, and that salary increases over the past seven years have averaged 1.9 per cent, compared to 3 per cent in the private sector.
"It is vital that CBC/Radio-Canada is able to function as the independent public broadcaster envisioned by Parliament," Mr. Lacroix concludes in the letter.
Mr. Flaherty said the CBC may be independent in the way it conducts its journalism, but not on budgetary matters.
In an e-mail response, a spokesman for Treasury Board President Tony Clement said the intent of the bill was to ensure consistency throughout the government in terms of labour costs.
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"The government has the ultimate financial responsibility for the Crown Corporations. We must ensure these costs are sustainable," said Matthew Conway.
The proposed measure has drawn fire from other sources, most notably from the union representing CBC employees, and the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting lobby group, which recently delivered a petition of more than 120,000 signatures calling for a "Free CBC" to Parliament Hill.Downtown Apartment Market Maintains 95% Occupancy Rate
A model unit at The Julian - Photo by Mollie Lyman.
Downtown Columbus has added hundreds of new apartment units every year for the past several years, and the demand for rental housing shows no sign of slowing. According to a new report released today by the Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District, the Downtown market has an apartment occupancy rate of 95%.
“I don’t know why, but I was a little surprised that the number was so high,” said Marc Conte, Deputy Director at the Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District, who gave a presentation this morning on the new report. “I was thinking maybe it would be lower because that number includes the Atlas Building, and they haven’t even moved everyone in yet.”
New apartments completed in 2015 thus far include the 98 new units at The Atlas Building, with over 500 more units currently under construction at 250 High, LC RiverSouth, The Julian, The Citizens Building, the Stoddard Building and more. Conte says that he doesn’t expect those new additions to change the high occupancy rate much.
“It could end up dipping as these new apartments come online, but I don’t see it going under 90% for quite awhile,” he explained. “While it does seem like a lot is under construction right now, they won’t all be coming online at the same time. We expected the LC to be further along at this point, and they’re not.”
According to the report, Downtown Columbus is now home to 7,471 residents in 5,250 housing units. Those numbers have more than doubled since 2002, when Downtown was only home to 2,251 dwellings and less than 3,500 residents.
“I think we’ll hit 10,000 Downtown residents by end of 2018,” proclaimed Conte. “That’s based on the projects under construction and what has been announced.”
The return of interest in urban living has caused a positive economic boost for the region as well. Since 2005, over $1.1 billion in private investment has gone toward the construction and renovation of new places to live and work Downtown.
Related News: Apartment Rental Rates in Columbus Have Grown by 25% Since 2011.
For ongoing discussion on apartments in Columbus, CLICK HERE to visit our Messageboard.
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About the Author Walker is the co-founder of ColumbusUnderground.com and TheMetropreneur.com along with his wife and business partner Anne Evans. Walker has turned local media into a full time career over the past decade and serves on multiple boards and committees throughout the community.
Tags:What is valuable in society and how shall we protect it? For conventional economists and politicians, the basic answer is simple: value is more or less the same as price. Value is the product of private property and “free markets” that distill countless individual preferences into a single, neutral, economic sum.
While this theory of value has always been flawed, both theoretically and empirically, alternative theories of value put forward by feminists, ecologists, Indigenous peoples, digital communities and commoners, have been largely underdeveloped or marginalized. The actual value generated by the “care economy,” social labor, eco-stewardship, digital communities and commoners is mostly ignored or considered a merely personal issue (“values”).
Because the definition of “value” is such a pivotal issue for governance, policy and law as they affect everyday life and the use of nature, this report explores neglected, alternative theories of value. It investigates how the importance of personal care, social labor and the intrinsic value of nature might be incorporated into our theories of value, with an eye toward strengthening social movements now challenging neoliberal capitalism, especially in political and policy arenas.
This report, written by David Bollier, draws upon three days of discussion by twenty thinkers and activists convened by the Commons Strategies Group in cooperation with the Heinrich Boell Foundation and David Graeber in September 2016.A new generation of A.I. algorithms, propelled by rising computational power, new hardware, and a shift in paradigms made its first notable impact in the creative world: The works of Gatys et al. and Krizhevsky et al. have not only gathered considerable public attention but have helped apps like Prisma to be adapted and used by millions. I strongly believe that this is merely the beginning. With the help of machine learning, we will fine-tune, simplify, and automate creative processes and ultimately empower new techniques for design and content creation.
We’ve been following this topic for quite some time now and have spent considerable effort in researching the opportunities of deep learning for our PhotoEditorSDK. After more than a year of research and development, today, we’re finally bringing one of our apps to beta. Portrait combines supervised deep learning with the visual power of our SDK. In a nutshell, Portrait makes creating beautifully designed portrait images as easy as taking a selfie. You turn your selfies into movie poster-like portraits, with styles ranging from double-exposure photography to stencil art. One may consider it as the next iteration of what Apple and Google recently brought to market with their new camera features.
We’ve now come a long way and gained invaluable insights on our journey so far. Not only did we get our hands dirty with countless training sessions and refinements to the neural net, but our first hand experience also helped to set expectation management right and to dismantle hype from substance. Most notably, it changed our product shaping process, making it more important than ever to foster strong ties between the product stakeholders and to share a common vision and goal everybody can get behind.
In the following I’d like to share the story of how we built the app and closed the gaps between roles of the stakeholders within this process.A freshman at Kent State University tasted the chip-flavored “Dewitos” drink when Pepsi offered samples on the college’s campus.
Pepsi recently conducted taste tests of a Doritos-flavored Mountain Dew. Think about that: a nacho-flavored chips flavored soda is now in existence.
Redditor and Kent State University freshman joes_nipples informed the world that Mountain Dew was doing a taste test at the Ohio college. The taste test included Lemon Ginger Mountain Dew, Mango Habanero Mountain Dew, and “Mountain Dew Dewitos.”
And back in late October, this photo appeared, apparently taken at Ohio University:
We were skeptical at first (like you might be right now); we thought, this might very well be a fake Mountain Dew product. For example, remember when you got excited about Fried Chicken Oreos, but then they were a fallacy? It sucked, didn’t it?
But Quartz confirms that, for better or for worse, the product is real.
Quartz writes, “A Pepsi spokesperson has confirmed that these product tests are indeed in progress.” A statement to Quartz via email said,
“We are always testing out new flavors of Mountain Dew, and giving our fans a voice in helping decide on the next new product has always been important to us. We opened up the DEW flavor vault and gave students a chance to try this Doritos-inspired flavor as part of a small program at colleges and universities.”
joes_nipples told Reddit: ”It tasted like orange with a doritos after taste. It tasted like straight doritos afterwards though. Weirdest thing I’ve ever drunken.”
Nevertheless, Dewitos is a thing that exists and the world will never be the same.
This is also next level to Mountain Dew flavored Cheetos, which only exist in Japan, because the Japanese are awesome at snacks.
[via Quartz, Kotaku, Reddit]The HBD
Palexperiment
Home Brewers in Pursuit of Recipe Replication by John Varady
Republished from BrewingTechniques' July/August 1998 issue. More than 45 home brewers from coast to coast, introduced to each other through the internet, devised a homebrew version of the 1997 Oregon Pale Ale Experiment to refine the test of recipe replication. The home brewers' scheme took the original experiment a step further by standardizing the yeast used. Here's the story of how it all came together and an outline of the experiment. In the spring of 1997, six pub brewers in Eugene, Oregon, conducted an experiment to determine whether different breweries could produce an identical beer (1). Starting with the same malts and hops and following the same basic brewing procedures, they each brewed a pale ale. Although many of the parameters were controlled, some variables were left to the mercy of commercial restrictions (yeast strain and batch size) or to the individual brewer's discretion (mash length and bittering calculations). To no one's surprise, the beers came out similar, but with significant differences. Two conclusions were reached: It takes more than a copy of a recipe and a set of procedures to reproduce a beer, and communal brewing is fun. In an attempt to bring some of this fun to a homebrew level, I turned to the Homebrew Digest (HBD), an online brewing forum, to solicit participants for a more controlled version of the experiment. This exercise, which has since been dubbed The Great HBD Palexperiment, gained the involvement of dozens of people from all across the United States. Next issue, BrewingTechniques will report the [LINK]findings[ENDLINK] of the various analyses of the finished beers. The present article reviews the human origins of the project and outlines the recipe and brewing parameters that participants agreed to follow in the pursuit of the HBD Palexperiment pale ale. A Call to Brewers
My original posting to the Homebrew Digest #2628 went out to the forum on 3 February 1998. It read: I am wondering if anyone has any interest in a HBD Pale Ale experiment like the one reported in BrewingTechniques magazine. I would like to see a bunch of us brew a beer from the same recipe. We could all agree to use the same grains, hops, and yeast and then submit them to the same contest for evaluation. We would all use our standard brewing techniques, water, and equipment. We could then see how each of the systems we use fare. This initial call to home brewers garnered only five responses. The exact details of the experiment were not defined; as such, few brewers expressed interest. After some discussion on the HBD, I offered to procure, weigh, and ship all the ingredients to guarantee that each brewer would be starting with exactly the same types and amounts of malt and hops. A pale ale recipe was put together, loosely based on the original Oregon experiment. We decided the batch size would be 5 gallons, with the malt bill consisting of 8.2 lb pale ale malt (82%), 1.0 lb crystal malt (10%), and 0.8 lb Munich malt (8%), for a total of 10 lb of malt. This recipe would yield an original gravity of 1.054, based on a mash efficiency of 75%. A single-infusion mash at 154 °F (68 °C) lasting for 60 minutes would be used. The hop schedule would result in a total of 40 IBUs from two additions of Centennial hops at 75 and 30 minutes, followed by two additions of Cascade hops at 15 and 0 minutes. Fermentation would be handled by Wyeast #1056 American Ale yeast. I decided to limit the experiment to 12 participants (100 lb of base malt) to keep things manageable. With the experiment defined, my second call to brewers received much more attention. Within a week I had received more than 50 requests from brewers wishing to be included. Amazed at the overwhelming response, and not wanting to disappoint anyone, I allowed everyone who showed interest to get involved. Democracy... or Anarchy?
With the large number of brewers participating, it became necessary to establish some sort of forum to discuss the experiment outside the realm of the HBD. Jen Jorgensen, one of the participating brewers, offered to put together an e-mail mailing list for the discussion of the experiment. I wanted the process to be democratic, so I encouraged feedback from everyone. It quickly became apparent that democracy and anarchy are separated by a fine line. Right from the start, we had trouble agreeing on what was to be meant by the "same recipe." Did it mean making a beer starting from the same amounts of ingredients, or making a beer to the same specifications? Because we expected each ale to be directly influenced by the brewery equipment, some brewers thought they should apply their knowledge of their systems to determine the amounts of malts and hops needed to achieve the target original gravity and IBUs. Some also thought that the final volume should be adjusted to hit the target original gravity with the amount of malt and hops predetermined, whereas others felt that the original plan was the best. We took a vote and decided that the purpose of the experiment would not be simply to see if we could make the same beer, but to see the effect that different brewers, brewhouses, and water would have on the same set of ingredients. During the discussion that followed, a couple of issues were raised and some alterations were made to the recipe and to the brewing procedures. It was decided that the length of the mash should be extended to 90 minutes to ensure complete starch conversion. The total IBUs were reduced from 40 to 35 to ease palate fatigue during evaluation. The 30-minute hop addition was changed from Centennial to Cascade to reduce the IBU variations caused by a late addition of a high-alpha hop. The use of copper finings became optional, though filtering was still not allowed. The Great HBD Palexperiment:
The Brewers Ronald Babcock [email protected] Denver, CO Jonathon Betterley [email protected] Bothell, WA Michel J. Brown [email protected] Portland, OR Chris Cooper [email protected] Commerce, MI Kyle Druey [email protected] Bakersfield, CA George Duarte [email protected] Saunderstown, RI Adam Fisher [email protected] Brookline, MA Eric Fouch [email protected] Kentwood, MI Darren Gaylor [email protected] Vancouver, WA Matt Grady [email protected] Burlington, VT Bryan Gros [email protected] Oakland, CA Troy Hager [email protected] Burlingame, CA Lou Heavner [email protected] Austin, TX Kelly Heflin [email protected] Fair Haven, NJ Jason Henning [email protected] Lacey, WA C.W. Hudak [email protected] San Diego, CA Wade Hutchison [email protected] Lewisburg, PA Chris Ingermann [email protected] Yorktown, IN Jamey Johns [email protected] San Ramon, CA Brad Johnson [email protected] Lenox, MA Dan Johnson [email protected] Conshohocken, PA Fred Johnson [email protected] Apex, NC Jens B. Jorgensen [email protected] |
noodles, and tofu and daikon if using. Arrange attractively, assigning each ingredient to different and separate areas of the pot (see photo above). Let simmer for 3 minutes. Taste the broth. If needed, add in some shoyu for taste. Scatter the pork belly across the top; simmer for 5 more minutes. Top with chopped shungiku if desired.
This recipe will serve 4 hungry diners nicely, with some leftovers to spare. Serve with a bowl of rice or noodles and yuzu kosho. Enjoy.
Edit, 6 August 2011: I’ve been asked to submit this post to JFesta: a blogging festival showcasing the best of Japan. The August theme is “Food in Japan.”
Edit, 7 August 2011: It seems that I’ve also been chosen as a featured Foodista Food Blog of the day, for this very post. Thanks, Foodista!Today I am going to compare the greatest action camera ever, the GoPro Hero4 Silver, with the new amazing Xiaomi Yi 4K. The GoPro has been the best for a while now, and it makes sense that other companies are catching up. The new Xiaomi Yi 4K is a beefed up action camera of it’s previous version. It also shows from the increased price tag. I recently reviewed the Xiaomi Yi 4K on it’s own and I was amazed of the video quality. Even the technical specifications look amazing. So I was only left with one option, I had to compare these 2 action cameras and see which one is a better action camera to buy.
Xiaomi Yi 4K Dimensions: 65x42x30mm / 2.5×1.6×1.2″
Weight: 95g / 3.6oz
Video Quality: 4K 30fps; 2.5K 30fps; 1440p 60fps; 1080p 120fps; 720p 200fps
Photo Quality: 12MP
Modes: Timer, Burst, Time Lapse Photo, Shutter, Loop Recording, Auto Low Light
WiFi: Yes
GPS: No
LCD: Yes
Digital Image Stabilization: Yes
Battery Life: 2 hours at 4K Check Best Price On Amazon!
GoPro Hero4 Silver Dimensions: 59x41x30 / 2.3×1.6×1.2″
Weight: 83g / 2.9oz
Video Quality: 4k 15fps; 2.7k 30fps; 1440p 48fps; 1080p 60fps; 720p 120fps
Photo Quality: 12MP
Modes: Night Photo & Night Lapse mode, Burst mode, Auto-Low Light mode
WiFi: Yes
GPS: No
LCD: Yes
Digital Image Stabilization: No
Battery Life: 1 hour at 4K Check Best Price On Amazon!
Let’s start with the basics. Based on the dimensions and design, the two action cameras are quite similar. The Xiaomi Yi 4K is a little bit bigger and also weighs more because of that. The Xiaomi has also got 3 color options to choose from: white, black and pink. Another note on the design is that the Xiaomi has only got 1 button on the camera – power/record. Everything else is done from the LCD touchscreen. GoPro Hero4 Silver on the other hand has a little bit more going for it on the surface. There is a separate button for WiFi, power, settings and recording. The settings can also be changed via the LCD touchscreen though. If there is one thing I want to give to GoPro is the way their camera feels. I don’t know if it is just me but it just feels like it has been made out of better quality materials. It just looks serious. Maybe it is the Xiaomis modern look that makes me prefer the GoPro design.
Design is cool but features are what really matter. Just judging from the technical specifications, the Xiaomi Yi should have an upper hand based on video resolutions and frame rates. It is able to record in 4K at 30fps and 1080p 120fps. GoPro on the other hand 4K at 15fps and 1080p at 60fps. Of course there are other resolutions as well, as you can see from the technical spec table. I just feel as you will be using those two the most. I know I do. The higher frame rates sound great and we should see a pretty nice difference in 4K. I’m not sure if the 120fps vs 60fps makes that much of a difference at 1080p though. For example Hollywood movies are made with 24fps so anything bigger than that should look the same to our eyes. Only difference is if you want to make some slow motion videos in 1080p. Then yeah the 120fps will become of use.
Also I want to add that the Xiaomi Yi does have a Digital Image Stabilization. Which should make their videos way more smoother during movement. PS! Digital Image Stabilization does not work at 4K! And finally the battery life, which has always been a problem for GoPro. Hero4 Silver is able to continuously shoot 4K videos for 1 hour. Xiaomi Yi 4K on the other hand for 2 hours.
Simply judging from the technical specifications, I have to give it to the Xiaomi Yi 4K. All of this for $249 is just amazing. $150 cheaper than its rival GoPro.
Video
Here is a 4K and 1080p video comparison between the 2 action cameras. When I was reviewing the Xiaomi Yi 4K action camera, one thing I really loved were the colors. I mentioned how they look as natural as GoPro’s. Well now that I can see both of them side by side, I have to say, I think the GoPro still has better colors. Compared to other budget action cameras though, the Xiaomi Yi 4K is light years ahead.
Now what makes the Xiaomi Yi 4K video good is the digital image stabilization system. Notice how much smoother its video is, while GoPro’s is shaky due to movement. Hopefully the new GoPro will have it featured. Now sharpness. Both of the action cameras function really well. Details are sharp and clear, very good for $249. I have to give it to GoPro though, when you pause the video, you will notice that the GoPro is a bit sharper and has less blur. It is really hard to notice but it is there.
Here is a great example how both of the action cameras handle slow motion and low light conditions. In my opinion the Xiaomi Yi 4K is way better at both. Well it does make sense, the Xiaomi Yi 4K can record 120fps at 1080p while GoPro at 720p. So that is where the difference comes from. Also Xiaomi has always been great at low light. You have much more visible details and the streetlights don’t blind the view.
Conclusion
This is a hard one. I’m not exactly sure which one is the best action camera. I personally prefer the GoPro Hero4 Silver. I just like the design more. That is really about it. Also I use a gimbal quite often, which makes the digital image stabilization system useless for me. Let me put it like this, if you are looking for a cheaper action camera, then get the Xiaomi Yi 4K. It is seriously amazing and I can see many disagree with me and claim it as the best action camera available. And I can’t argue with that, it really is that close. So in my opinion it comes down to personal preference.
Also for some reason I feel as the Xiaomi Yi 4K is better as a casual action camera if that makes sense. Like attaching it to your car or motorbike while cruising down the city. GoPro on the other hand fits more in the extreme sports scene. Obviously it doesn’t have to be like that but I just get that feeling.DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Second update as of 3:35 pm) — The head of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office of Valencia City, Bukidnon clarified that the school allegedly burned by the New People’s Army was actually gutted due to short circuit.
June Ray Valero, head of the CDRRMO told Davao Today that based on the initial investigation of the Bureau of Fire Protection, wires short circuited at the Concepcion National High School.
“Ang gi-rule gyud sa BFP short circuit kay naa may wire didto, daghang wire didto unya naay mga libro,” Valero said.
He said witnesses saw smoke coming from the side of the library where the appliances such as the television and cassette player were located.
The school building where the library and faculty room were totally burned with damage costs estimated at P160,000. Citing the BFP’s report, he said the fire started in the classroom just beside the school library.
The school, located in Barangay Concepcion, is 17-kilometers away from the fire station. The fire started on Sunday, March 26 at 4:35 pm and was declared a fire out at 7:03 pm.
Mary Jean Subayco, Junior high school English teacher, said contrary to reports that circulated on social media, there were no armed NPA guerrillas who went to their school to get a cut from the feeding program.
Subayco belied such claim because public secondary high schools do not have feeding program.
“Unang-una ang Concepcion National High School wala siyay feeding fund kay wala namay mga malnourished gyud kaayo sa high school. Wala gyud extortion nga nahitabo sa eskwelahan (Concepcion National High School has no feeding fund since there are no more malnourished students in high school. No extortion occurred in school),” she said.
She said in her three years of teaching, there were no instances of presence of guerrilla fighters in their school.
Valero added that he asked the Department of Education when the building was built since the structure is similar to the central elementary school built in 1960s.
He said DepEd informed him that the school was last repaired in 2005. The windows, he said, are still made of wood.
“There is really a chance that the wire will get brittle,” he said. Valero added that some of the materials were taken outside by residents to save it from the fire.
Valero said they have not yet talked with the Army officials who blamed the rebels for allegedly burning the school.
“The information I got from the arson investigator is that the Army probably connected the incident to the NPA because it was their anniversary yesterday. Usually during their anniversary, they really have actions. But so far, the BFP’s investigation found that the residents saw no armed men,” he said.
“Even the barangay captain could not conclude that the NPA was responsible for the burning,” he said.
Photographs of burnt school buildings made the rounds in social media on Wednesday, March 29, coinciding with the NPA’s 48th founding anniversary. The photos allegedly came from the army’s 8th Infantry Battalion operating in the province of Bukidnon.
In a statement sent by the Army’s 8th IB through e-mail, it said “the rebel group asked their share in the fund which was intended for the feeding program for their pupils.”
“The teachers refused to give in to their demands so the NPA resorted to such terroristic acts. Without considering the effects of their actions to the civilian populace especially the students of the said school, the armed group burned a faculty room, one classroom and one library in the process,” the Army said.
The NPA had said in its previous statements that it imposes what it called “revolutionary taxation” to big landlords and big business operating in their territories.(davaotoday.com)Our privacy statement
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The Rojiblancas, coached by Angel Villacampa, are scheduled to take part in two friendlies. The first is on Sunday against Linkopings FC and the second against Eskilstuna United DFF.
With no time to waste, and after resting at their hotel, the players held their first training session on Swedish soil. Stockholm's Kristinebergs IP training ground was the perfect venue.
"This city breathes football. The facilities are incredible and we're extremely grateful to LaLiga for this opportunity," said Sonia Bermudez, one of the team's star players, at the end of their first training session. "This is the perfect chance to prepare ourselves and be in tip-top condition for the start of the season," added 'Villa', Atletico Madrid Womens' manager.
The Atletico expedition will travel to Linkoping first thing tomorrow morning where they will play their first friendly on Sunday.AFP Volkswagen's main factory in Wolfsburg, Germany
German carmaker Volkswagen announced on Tuesday it would invest close to 1 billion ($1.59 billion) to build its first factory in the United States after the closure of its last plant 20 years ago. The company said it expects to open a new plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee by 2011. VW plans to produce 150,000 automobiles annually at the site as part of its effort to increase market share in America, which has eroded in recent years.
The new plant will be key to VW's declared strategy of increasing its annual car sales in the US by 2018 to 800,000. The company has a long way to go to reach that goal. In 2007, VW sold 230,000 cars from its VW line in the US as well as 93,000 Audi models, giving it a total market share in the country of only 2 percent.
The Chattanooga plant will also help buffer Volkswagen from dollar-euro currency fluctuations that have recently been a drag on its bottom line. "This, along with our growth strategy, is a prerequisite for the economic success of the company in the dollar region," VW CEO Martin Winterkorn said. He said the perception the factory would create in the US -- namely that VW is a domestic manufacturer -- could also help fuel its success. The company says the first car to roll off the assembly line will be a mid-size sedan designed especially for the American market.
Initially the company says it only plans to build VW models in Chattanooga, but it is considering production of Audi models in the future. Audi is also considering opening its own US plant. "We will make a decision about a location in the US early next year," a spokesperson said.
The US is a central part of Winterkorn's plan to increase VW turnover to 10 million automobiles in the next decade. The company is trying to surpass Toyota as the world's largest carmaker. By 2018, the company wants to sell a million cars a year in America. In the midst of current staggering oil prices, though, it may prove to be an overly ambitious goal. The energy crisis has paralyzed the US automobile market, and US carmakers like General Motors, Ford and Chrysler are all starting to move away from once lucrative, but gas-guzzling SUV and truck lines.
dsl/ap/reutersWindows 10 Mobile Build 10149 posiada sporo nowości w tym Microsoft Edge oraz latarkę!
Udało nam się dotrzeć do najnowszej odsłony systemu Windows 10 Mobile w wersji Build 10149. Obecna wersja dostępna w programie Windows Insider to Build 10136, która pomimo wysokiego numeru posiada sporo niedociągnięć oraz błędów. Najnowszy Build 10149 jest znacznie lepiej dopracowany oraz działa zdecydowanie płynniej. Zapraszam do krótkiej recenzji najnowszego systemu, który dotrze do Was w przyszłym tygodniu.
Na początek ekran startowy oraz centrum akcji. Pierwsze co rzuca się w oczy to kafelek z przeglądarką internetową Microsoft Edge, która jest już dostępna w najnowszym Build 10149. Po prawej widać centrum akcji, w którym znalazł się dodatkowy rząd skrótów możliwych do zdefiniowania przez użytkownika. Ponadto użytkownicy będą mogli przypiąć skrót do szybkiego włączania oraz wyłączania transmisji danych.
Pasek adresu w przeglądarce Microsoft Edge został przeniesiony z góry na dół. Przeskok w numeracji jest dosyć spory. Obecna wersja przeglądarki Project Spartan posiada numer 16.10136.0.0. Microsoft Edge posiada numer 19.10149.0.0 co jest zgodne z numerem wersji Build 10149. Widoczne na powyższych zrzutach ustawienia również doczekały się lekkiej zmiany. Teraz mamy możliwość wyboru preferencji wyświetlania strony – mobilna lub komputerowa.
Odświeżona została również lista aplikacji. Górny pasek wyszukiwania otrzymał ciemne tło oraz litery na liście nie posiadają ramek jak to ma miejsce w obecnej wersji systemu. Wyszukiwanie po literze alfabetu również otrzymało nowy wygląd.
Pasek zarządzania dźwiękiem również przeszedł małą metamorfozę. Zmieniły się nieco ikonki dzwonka i głośnika. Po prawej widzimy możliwość wybrania skrótu do centrum akcji. W systemie Windows 10 Mobile Build 10149 będzie w końcu dostępna latarka!
Powyżej widać ustawienia oszczędzania baterii dla przeglądarki Microsoft Edge. Tutaj nie zmieniło się nic. Wszystko jest tak samo jak to opisywałem w poniższym artykule.
[textblock style=”3″]Oszczędzanie baterii w Windows 10 Mobile z odświeżonymi statystykami[/textblock]
W nowej wersji system bez problemu będzie sobie radził z plikami PDF. Użytkownik będzie mógł wybrać aplikację za pomocą, której będzie chciał otwierać tego typu pliki.
Na koniec same dobre wieści. System Windows 10 Mobile w wersji Build 10149 jest prawie tak szybki jak oficjalna wersja Windows Phone 8.1 w przeciwieństwie do obecnej wersji Build 10136.
[textblock style=”3″]Korzystacie z systemu Windows 10 Mobile czy wróciliście do Windows Phone 8.1?[/textblock]
Ponadto najnowszy system Windows 10 Mobile trafi do naszych telefonów, będących w programie Windows Insider, w przyszłym tygodniu!Nguyen Hoang Hung is a haircutting samurai master wielding not just any sword – a Wakizashi sword, which is similar to a Katana sword, only shorter. And, yes, he cuts people’s hair with it.
The technique may look terrifying but actually – it takes skill, and Hung has mastered it. His unusual weapon-of-choice doesn’t affect the speed, accuracy or quality of his haircuts. They turn out looking pretty good!
So how did this Vietnamese hairdresser switch from shears to sword? According to Hung, he picked up the skill four years ago when he participated in a game show. In one of the challenges, he was required to cut hair using a handsaw instead of scissors. He found the experience so enjoyable, that he continued to perfect his skill after the show as well. For four years, he practiced cutting with his razor-sharp Wakizashi sword.
As he got better he started performing at special events and exhibitions, but then clients started asking for his specialty “samurai-sword haircut.”
Like a razor commonly used by hairdressers, the sword Hung uses creates wispy layers and intense texture. Check out the video below to see him in action.A new age traveller who became a wealthy wind farm tycoon was ‘abusive’ to his ex-wife when she asked for maintenance payments, a court has heard.
Kathleen Wyatt said she feared Dale Vince would ‘become violent’ when she went to him begging for cash after being left on benefits with two children.
She to court 22 years after they divorced, claiming he rendered her destitute while he grew his business.
Dale Vince: The wind farm tycoon, worth more than £100m, used to live in an old ambulance. His former wife is suing him for £2m of his fortune
Left penniless: Kathleen Wyatt says she is demanding the money despite divorcing Mr Vince 22-years ago
The landmark case, which has now reached the Supreme Court, could have far-reaching consequences for men who have become rich after a divorce.
Mr Vince left school at 15 and was part of a ‘Peace Convoy’ of hippies travelling around southwest England in the 1980s.
The pair married in 1981 when they were both penniless travellers, living largely on state benefits.
After their divorce in 1992, Mr Vince lived in an old ambulance he powered with a home-made wind turbine made from recycled materials.
A strict vegan with shaggy hair and an earring, he was described in the Court of Appeal as ‘the most improbable candidate for affluence’.
But in 1995, Mr Vince founded Ecotricity, which is now one of the UK’s biggest green energy companies and led to him being awarded OBE in 2004.
Now worth an estimated £107 million, he owns a sports car and lives in the £3million 18th century Rodborough Fort, near Stroud, Gloucestershire, with his new wife and their five-year-old son.
He also owns a football club, Gloucestershire’s Forest Green Rovers where he has banned red meat, and installed an organic football pitch, avoiding the use of chemicals and cut by a solar-powered lawnmower.
Meanwhile Miss Wyatt, 55, says she is so poor that she has been travelling to hearings from her home in Monmouthshire by bus – and has been sleeping in a bus station.
Her claim for maintenance was struck out by the Court of Appeal, but her lawyers are now challenging this decision in the Supreme Court.
If she is successful, it will lead to a full hearing before a family judge who will decide whether any financial settlement is due.
£3m hone: Where Mr Vince lives with his new wife and son
Yesterday, she said in statement read out to the court that she had waited this long to make her claim because she was afraid of her ex-husband.
When they divorced, she was left to care for the couple’s young son and her daughter from a previous relationship, who Mr Vince treated as his own during their marriage.
She said she had gone to Mr Vince in the early 1990s ‘desperate’ for money but had been ‘fobbed off’.
She said: ‘He said he could not help because his business was too much of a strain on his resources. I didn’t know what to do so in 1995 I contacted the Child Support Agency (CSA).’
The CSA then began investigating the finances of Mr Vince, prompting him to become ‘abusive’, according to his ex-wife.
Kathleen Wyatt (pictured right in 2003) said she feared Dale Vince (left) would ‘become violent’ when she went to him begging for cash after being left on benefits with two children
She added: ‘I couldn’t cope with the stress caused by him. I asked them to stop the assessment because I feared Dale would become violent towards me.’
The court heard Mr Vince’s finances improved ‘significantly’ after 1997 and continued to grow until the present day.
He was worth an estimated £57 million in 2012, which rose to £107 million according to the latest figures.
Philip Cayford QC, for Miss Wyatt, said: ‘We have no problem with that. It’s a remarkable story. The issue is whether the wife is entitled to a penny of that or not.
‘All the way through the 1990s and 2000s, she was clearly asking for assistance. It’s a sorry state that… in 2007 when the business was clearly flying and Mr Vince had had his OBE for three years, she wasn’t receiving a penny, and was having to borrow money from her son.’
Green energy entrepreneur Mr Vince is worth an estimated £107 million according to recent figures
Last year, senior family judge Lord Justice Thorpe said she had left her claim - amounting to around £100,000 for every year since she divorced him in 1992 - far too late.
But Mr Cayford said yesterday: ‘This case should not have been struck out. We say the Court of Appeal, with the greatest respect, got this wrong.’
The court heard Miss Wyatt found a new partner in 1993 and had two more children with him – but that he subsequently did not finance the family either.
Miss Wyatt was able to make the claim against Mr Vince because in family law cases, unlike in the civil courts, there is no time limit for a former spouse to bring a financial lawsuit.
Neither kept any documents from their divorce and the solicitors’ files have long since been shredded.
Davina Katz, Mr Vince’s solicitor and head of the family division at Schillings, said the case was significant because those who divorced young often did not resolve financial settlements if there was little wealth to share at the time.
She told the Financial Times: ‘There are plenty of people who separated decades ago but have not got divorced or if they did get divorced at the time did not deal with financial claims and so this could have profound implications.’Apple has just issued OS X version 10.8.5, the fifth major update that Mountain Lion has received since it was released last July. It's no Mavericks, but as usual the update includes a lengthy list of fixes and security updates that you'll want to apply to any Mac running 10.8. You can grab the Combo updater from Apple's support page here or download the update automatically through the App Store's software update page.
One of the fixes included in the update is meant to remedy a problem we had with the 2013 MacBook Air. It was one of the first high-end laptops to ship with support for the faster 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard, but our testing found that the improvements over the 802.11n adapter in the 2012 model just weren't as large as they should have been. Additional testing in Windows 8 confirmed that there was no problem with the hardware—for whatever reason, file transfers under OS X were less than one-third of the speed they were in Windows 8. 10.8.5 allegedly fixes this issue, so I broke out my 2013 MacBook Air to see what kind of improvements we can actually expect.
Our network configuration remains the same as it was in our original testing: we're copying a single large file from a 2012 Mac mini to a 2013 MacBook Air using the AFP and SMB protocols. The Mac mini is connected directly to our 802.11ac AirPort Extreme Base Station via gigabit Ethernet, while the Air is connected to the AirPort via 802.11ac. The laptop is about ten feet from the router, and there is a clear line of sight between the two. We tested under 10.8.4 and 10.8.5 using both the AFP and SMB protocols (AFP is said to be fixed in the 10.8.5 release notes; SMB is not mentioned).
That's more like it! When transferring files over the AFP protocol, it looks like OS X now performs more-or-less identically to Windows 8. Performance is well over double where it was in 10.8.4, which bodes well not just for the 2013 MacBook Air but for any other 802.11ac Macs that come out in the future. Transfer speeds over SMB haven't changed, unfortunately, but we wouldn't read too much into that—Apple is due to replace the Mountain Lion SMB implementation with a new SMB2-based protocol in Mavericks. While we haven't been able to test the latest OS X 10.9 developer betas, we're confident that Apple will have ironed out any issues by release, since the company is clearly aware of the problem.
One thing to note if, like me, you're using an OS X computer as your file server: I didn't get these increased file transfer speeds until I had updated both the MacBook Air and the Mac mini to 10.8.5. If you're using an NAS device or a Windows box as a file server, this probably won't be something you have to worry about, but it's worth noting for all-Mac setups.
Other fixes that are found in the 10.8.5 update include fixes to: an issue that prevents Mail.app from displaying images, an issue that prevents the screensaver from starting automatically, Xsan reliability fixes, more reliable large file transfers over Ethernet, authentication performance for Open Directory servers, smart card authentication issues, as well as the issues fixed in the 2013 MacBook Air Software Update 1.0.
There are also several security patches, which are also available via separate updates for Snow Leopard, Snow Leopard Server, Lion, and Lion Server.The Kraft Sports Group is tapping former StarCraft II pro Chris "HuK" Loranger to head its Overwatch League team operations, sources close to both parties told ESPN. Editor's Picks OWL announces standard player contract terms The upcoming Overwatch League has adopted new regulations and standards around player signings and salaries, the league's developer Blizzard Entertainment announced Wednesday.
Sources: Kraft, Wilpon buy into new esports venture Overwatch League Six organizations have signed on to be part of the upcoming Overwatch League, including groups run by Robert Kraft and Fred Wilpon, and two endemic teams -- Immortals and NRG Esports -- will pay $20 million to join, sources told ESPN. 1 Related
Loranger was recently in South Korea to visit friends and interact with Overwatch players and parties in the country on behalf of the Kraft Group, sources said. Upon returning stateside, he will continue to resume preparation for the end-of-year launch of the Overwatch League.
The player signing window for the Overwatch League opened on Monday, August 1. Participating organizations, including the Kraft Sports Group and Loranger, will have through October 30 to sign players who do not have existing contracts with organizations previously in the Overwatch competitive scene.
During his time in esports, Loranger competed in StarCraft II for seven years and won Major League Gaming Raleigh and Orlando in 2011. He also competed on behalf of several high profile esports teams, including Team Liquid and Evil Geniuses, the latter where he stayed until January.
In Overwatch, he has served primarily as an on-screen talent and has commentated and provided analysis at Major League Gaming Las Vegas 2016, ELeague's Overwatch Open, and the Overwatch Atlantic Showdown. He was also the general manager for Overwatch team Toronto Esports.
The Kraft Sports Group, which owns the NFL's New England Patriots, the MLS's New England Revolution, and Gillette Stadium in Boston, first made their entry into Overwatch in May. The sports organization acquired the Boston spot in the Overwatch League, which is slated to launch towards the end of the 2017 calendar year, for $20 million, sources told ESPN. It is among seven of the initial teams to buy-into the league.
The Kraft Sports Group declined to comment.A volcano exploded Friday morning on sparsely populated Kuchinoerabu Island, sending smoke and ash soaring into the sky above Kagoshima Prefecture and residents fleeing to the safety of nearby Yakushima Island.
The 9:59 a.m. eruption of 626-meter Mount Shindake, the island’s main peak, produced a plume over 9 km high and a pyroclastic flow that reached the shoreline, the Meteorological Agency said.
There was no warning.
“I heard a loud boom and when I looked at the mountains, I saw a gigantic plume rising above,” said a 64-year-old innkeeper who was in her garden at the time.
“I thought I’d be dead if I got caught in the cloud,” she said explaining why she ran to the shelter without any belongings. “There was an eruption last year, but this time the sound was really loud.”
All 137 of Kuchinoerabu’s residents were confirmed safe, including a 72-year-old man who received a forehead burn but was able to walk unaided, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency and local authorities said.
All had been evacuated by ferry, coast guard ship and helicopter to neighboring Yakushima Island by Friday evening, the Yakushima town office said.
Both islands are about 100 km south of Kyushu, but Yakushima is usually reachable only by two ferry routes.
“I have instructed the relevant personnel to do all they can to ensure the safety of the islanders,” Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters.
The prime minister’s office set up a response team at its crisis management center, while the Japan Coast Guard dispatched a large patrol ship to the area.
While no lava streams had been spotted as of Friday evening, a weather agency official warned of the risk of a second eruption and more pyroclastic flows, noting that none had reached the more populous Maeda district.
Situated some 100 km off the southern tip of Kyushu, Kuchinoerabu has only about 100 full-time residents. Some believed to have been present at the time were short-term visitors. The prefectural government said 141 people in all, from 78 families, were ordered to evacuate.
The evacuation started after the weather agency raised its alert for the island to 5 — the highest level — from 3, which imposed limits on climbing the volcano.
Friday’s eruption, which unleashed a large ash cloud, created a panic as residents fled with only the barest necessities.
Yukina Masuda who managed to evacuate to a shelter near the top of another peak, Banyagamine, said the eruption was much bigger than last year’s.
“It looks like all of the island’s residents are crammed into this shelter,” she said.
Hiroshi Watanabe, 61, who manages a campsite on adjacent Yakushima, said he learned of the eruption via the local wireless system.
He said the gray fumes released by the volcano soon started spreading and streaming out volcanic ash that reached Yakushima.
“I’m worried about my friend who is a member of a volunteer fire corps on Kuchinoerabu Island,” he said.
Until Friday, the volcano’s most recent eruption had been on Aug. 3 last year. That eruption prompted 87 people, including some individuals visiting on business, to leave the following day.
Experts had recorded unusual activity for about a decade leading up to last year’s eruption, and the latest blast could be a relatively large, prolonged one, said associate professor Ryusuke Imura of Kagoshima University.
Meanwhile, the eruption on Sept. 27 last year of Mount Ontake became Japan’s worst postwar volcanic disaster, claiming dozens of lives near the summit. Fifty-seven people were confirmed dead, but six remain missing, presumed buried under ash and rock.
The hot-spring district of Mount Hakone near Tokyo has risen by up to 15 cm in two weeks this month as sulfurous steam gushes from vents in the mountain’s flank.
Mount Sakurajima, close to Kagoshima, erupted explosively in August 2013, unleashing a plume that was 5 km high. The same mountain had 178 small eruptions in March alone and produced one last week that created a plume 4.3 km high.
Nobuo Geshi of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology claims Friday’s eruption is the same type as the one seen at Sakurajima but much larger.
Geshi, who heads a group of scientists conducting research on massive eruptions, said it is very similar to the one the island experienced in 1966.
He said it can also be regarded as part of the volcanic activity that continued after the eruption last August.
Geshi pointed out that none of the past cases was a one-off eruption, suggesting the activity may continue for a while.
Kuchinoerabu, located in an area south of Kyushu with a large concentration of active volcanoes, has experienced numerous bouts of |
primary debate three years ago.
Tuesday night, Paul came out swinging. “The media tells you and I that we should choose a GOP nominee with a track record full of sellouts, compromises and betrayals,” he tweeted. “So even though I’m at or near the top of every state poll for the nomination, they continue to try and dismiss my message of liberty!
“Thankfully, our national media doesn’t get to pick and choose our Republican Party’s presidential nominees. Patriots like YOU do!”
But by the end of the day Wednesday, the candidate seemed to recognize that perhaps that approach was bringing the wrong kind of attention to his nascent campaign, conceding that he often didn’t handle tough questions particularly well. “I’ve been universally testy and short-tempered with both male and female interviewers,” he admitted to CNN’s Wolf Blitzer.
Gage echoed Paul’s description, saying that in the interview with Guthrie, the senator had seemed to “come across as a bit of a bully. I don’t know if that’s specific to her being a woman, or incredibly bad manners.”
It’s an approach that usually fails to deliver in the long run, she added. “I think particularly when you’re trying to appeal to women voters, they’re a little turned off by that level of aggressiveness when it comes across as cranky and mean,” she said.
Williams reported from Washington.He was a large baby at 11 lb 6 oz (5.16 kg) and was named "Samson" by the nurses at the St. Francis Hospital.[2][3] Eastwood has English, Scottish, Dutch and Irish ancestry.[4] The elder of two siblings, he has a younger sister, Jeanne Bernhardt, born in 1934. His father worked as a salesman and briefly a detective in San Francisco, according to U.S. Census records,[5][6] and at different jobs along the West Coast during the 1930s.[7] In 1940, the Eastwoods settled in Piedmont, California and did not move again until after Clint reached adulthood.[8] Eastwood often drops references to the Great Depression in interviews, implying that he comes from a poor family, but according to Sondra Locke, "Actually they were never poor, they lived in a very wealthy part of town, had a swimming pool, belonged to the country club, and each drove his own car."[9]
Eastwood was a weak student and records indicate he had to attend summer school.[8] He was held back at Piedmont Junior High School due to poor academic scores, and later attended Piedmont High School from January 1945 to at least January 1946. Despite his athletic and musical talents, Eastwood shunned school teams and the band.[8] He was told he would make a good basketball player, but he was interested in individual pursuits like tennis and golf, a passion he retains today.[8] He transferred to Oakland Technical High School, where the drama teachers encouraged him to take part in school plays, but was not interested. According to Eastwood, all he had on his mind were "fast cars and easy women".[10][11] He took auto mechanic courses and studied aircraft maintenance, rebuilding both aircraft and car engines.[11] Eastwood also became a pianist; according to a friend, he "would actually play the piano until his fingers were bleeding".[11] He was scheduled to graduate in January 1949 as a midyear graduate, although it is not clear if he ever did.[12] Biographer Patrick McGilligan notes that high school graduation records are a matter of strict legal confidentiality.[12] "Clint graduated from the airplane shop. I think that was his major," joked classmate Don Kincaid.[12] Another high school friend, Don Loomis, echoed "I don't think he was spending that much time at school because he was having a pretty good time elsewhere."[12] "I think what happened is he just went off and started having a good time. I just don't think he finished high school," explained Fritz Manes,[12] a boyhood friend two years younger than Eastwood, who remained associated with him until their falling out in the mid-1980s.
By early 1949 his father moved to a plant in Seattle. Eastwood moved in with a friend in Oakland named Harry Pendleton. He was invited to a house party in Malibu, where he met the film director Howard Hawks who, with John Ford, would influence his career.[13] Eastwood rejoined his family in Seattle, where he worked at the Weyerhaeuser Company pulp mill in Springfield, Oregon with his father.[14] He worked briefly as a lifeguard after obtaining a certificate from a Red Cross course,[15] and played ragtime piano at a bar in Oakland.[citation needed]Last September the British government banned the teaching of creationism in all free schools and threatened to pull taxpayer funding from all faith schools who continue to teach it.
However, according to a new piece out in The Telegraph, “Creationism is still taught in dozens of faith schools despite Government threats to withdraw their funding.”
The news outlet continued to note that, “Freedom of Information (FOI) requests show that 54 private schools are still being funded by local authorities, while continuing to teach that the Earth began with Adam and Eve.”
According to research by the British Humanist Association, only 14 of the 91 schools originally noted to teach creationism while receiving taxpayer money have had their funds withdrawn.
Discussing the disappointing findings with The Telegraph, BHA director of public affairs and campaigns, Pavan Dhaliwal, said: “We congratulated the government last summer when it changed the rules on nursery place funding to this effect.
“It is hugely disappointing therefore to discover that creationist schools have continued to receive state funds since the ban on their doing so came into force.
“Little seems to have been done to ensure conformity to the new rules and the Department for Education (DfE) urgently needs to address this.
“The funding is administered by local authorities and they do not seem to have the same awareness as the DfE as to which local authorities are implicated by such a ban.
“As we have done in the past, we will be doing all we can to raise the issue with relevant officials to ensure that the ban on funding is properly implemented.”
While in September I argues the US could learn a lesson from such a ban, it seems that the UK still has work to do in actually enforcing it. The longer schools are allowed to mislead students, the greater the disadvantage these children will have later in life.
(Image: Amy Watts / Flickr / Creative Commons)BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Birmingham police said they've been unable to confirm reports that someone parachuted off the top of one of the city's decaying high-rise buildings early today.
Police spokesman Sgt. Johnny Williams Jr. said the department received reports sometime after midnight that someone jumped off the old Cabana Hotel, a 19-story vacant structure at Second Avenue North and 17th Street, and parachuted to the ground below.
"We were told someone jumped off with a parachute and then was scooped up by a car," Williams said.
If it happened, the practice is known as BASE jumping, a sport of using a parachute to jump from fixed objects. BASE is an acronym that stands for the four categories of objects from which one can jump: building, antenna, span, and earth.
Officers did respond to the call, and looked for the mystery jumper. "We haven't had a report of a body found anywhere," Williams said, "and there is no evidence of it actually happening."
Asked if it was against the law, Williams chuckled and said, "You just can't go around jumping off buildings anytime you feel like it."Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story reported that Lt. Joseph Franklin had died, according to law enforcement sources and a post on the Jersey City Police Detective's Benevolent Association Facebook page that has since been removed. Roxbury police have said as of 8:54 p.m. Franklin is still in critical condition.
FAR HILLS -- Lt. Joseph Franklin, a retired member of the Roxbury Police Department, remains in critical condition following a bicycle accident in Far Hills during the Police Unity Tour but he's not expected to recover from his injuries, law enforcement sources said.
A Facebook post by the Jersey City Police Detective's Benevolent Association Tuesday evening, which has since been taken down, said Franklin had died from his injuries but Roxbury police later said he was still in critical condition.
Law enforcement sources speaking to NJ Advance Media on the condition of anonymity said Franklin was not expected to recover.
Franklin was critically injured Monday during the first day of the 320-mile bike ride to Washington D.C. in honor of officers killed in the line of duty.
Far Hills police Chief Mike DeCarolis told NJ Advance Media borough police responded to Route 202 at Fox Hunt Court at 12:56 p.m. on Monday on a report of a downed cyclist, but by the time officers arrived on the scene the cyclist had already been taken to the hospital by an ambulance traveling with the Police Unity Tour.
DeCarolis said the circumstances of the crash were still unclear and officers were still collecting witness statements.
A spokeswoman for Morristown Medical Center said Tuesday evening Franklin's family has asked for privacy at this time.
The Police Unity Tour was started in 1997 by Florham Park Police Officer Patrick Montuore with 18 riders and has since risen to about 1,700 officers.
Justin Zaremba may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JustinZarembaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.On first encounter, it may be easy for a casual listener to write off Little Tybee as another indie/folk act from the south, but hidden among the violin and acoustic guitar, flannel, beards, and laid back southern demeanor—oh—and no less than five pairs of squared plastic framed glasses, is something much more complex and engaging. Compositions that shirk categorization. The sextet from Atlanta, Georgia have been developing their genre bending sound over the course of nearly seven years, three albums, and countless tours across the States. It’s time to start paying attention.
The group first appeared on my radar when virtuoso guitarist Tosin Abasi of metal band Animals as Leaders shared some of Tybee’s early music on Facebook, most notably to highlight the unique and quite frankly mind blowing abilities of fellow eight-string guitarist Josh Martin on the track Hearing Blue. These guitars have long been associated with heavy, punishing, metal riffs or wicked guitar solos. Much in the ethos of Little Tybee, Martin took his instrument and saw something different there. His rapid-fire percussive tapping was bafflingly precise, free of errors, and communicated through a crystal clear, glass-like tone. It was exciting, energizing, but somehow hypnotizing. Much of that can be credited to delicious grooves crafted by bassist Ryan Donald, drummer Pat Brooks and pianist Chris Case, not to mention the warm glow of Nirvana Kelly’s violin and the elastic croon of vocalist Brock Scott.
It’s easy to get lost in Josh’s playing, but the other members of the band are quick to pull the curtain back and reveal a much more refined and arranged sound, a sound that is very much dependent on every member of the band. Although each member of Little Tybee could stand as a musical force of nature on their own, as a unit, the group stands to create some of the most promising and truly original music of our generation. Above is the premiere offrom Little Tybee’s upcoming self-titled album. It’s a track that revels in its expansiveness, nimble guitar lines, Brock’s soaring falsetto, and what could be described as the first gypsy-prog breakdown I’ve ever heard.
Noisey: This is the bands fourth full-length release, what has the road been like leading up to the soon to be released self titled LP?
Ryan Donald: We've been at this for almost seven years now, which is absurd to think about, and it's been a good test to see if we're all really in this for keeps. Once we got off the ground and started touring, we had to accept the fact that, not only would we never be one of those bands that would get a large amount of notoriety very quickly, but also that this was just a fun way to travel while trying to at least break even and maybe learn something about life along the way.
Creatively though, our sound is always evolving in a fluid manner, so it was really tough to pin us down (and therefore add us on to bills) in the beginning. Our ever-elusive genre description forced our fans to simply play our records for their friends instead of trying to verbalize a description.
A trademark of many of your songs is the complexity of the musical arrangements, how do the songs take on this form?
Josh Martin: It starts with a single idea. If someone is trying to deviate or redefine the idea we survey their conviction and everyone else’s reactions and talk it out. Democracy is hard work, and consensus based decision making can be the most time consuming way to make decisions. If there’s one simple way we could describe this process it’s, the more members you have, and the more interesting/creative ideas each one is trying to incorporate, the more time you have to put in to make it work
Chris Case: There's a collective spirit of experimentation and searching for parts that will both expand the horizon of the track and preserve the intent behind the songwriting.
Ryan: One of our songs, “Don’t Quit Your Day Job,” started as a writing “micro practice” with myself, Brock and Josh. As we worked on it that night, the second half of the song started morphing from a down-tempoish jam into the grooving 16th note feel that it eventually became. I was the only member of the rhythm section there that night, so I figured, “Why not try this?” and it changed the whole course of the tune. Regardless, we found that these “micro practices” made it easier to discover what a song’s true nature was a lot quicker than before, so when it came time to start layering everything together, the road map of each song was more fully realized.
Josh has been receiving some recognition for his unique playing and technical prowess, has this impacted the course of the band?
Josh: The response to our new instructional content [for Ibanez] has been overwhelmingly positive and we are honored. I think so many people in different genres are craving new sounds. I’m not reinventing the wheel by any means, but I am consciously looking for things that haven’t been overrepresented on the instrument. Walking the line of doing this without compromising musicality is a complete mess. Sometimes putting more work into developing a technique for a particular part makes it harder to realize that it never belonged in the first place.
Being able to stand out in these ways has afforded us indispensable support from the guitar community. In a world where talent scouts no longer exist, it’s amazing to see multi-national companies like Ibanez, Dunlop, Fodera, and Aguilar reach out to underground acts and offer them instruments as well as a platform to advertise. They have fulfilled a role for us thought to be extinct.
Do you find the added level of complexity in your music alienating or engaging for new fans?
Ryan: The new fans are definitely ready for it, as they’ve discovered our band in its current state. Our hope is that our tried and true fans will accept the new material. Throughout our slow build as a band, our individual instrumental voices came increasingly to the forefront as we became not only more comfortable with each other’s playing styles. It’s not about showing off. It’s about pushing the limits of what’s acceptable within the framework of each particular song. This new record is not only our most complex in terms of the intricacy of each member's parts, but it’s also the most cohesive in terms of how we arranged those parts in each individual track. Hence, why we self-titled the record. We truly feel as if this is the first record we’ve released where we’re able to say, “We are Little Tybee and we have arrived.”
What's with the radios?
Brock Scott: My father was a sextant navigator for the trans Atlantic shipping industry during the 1970s. During his travels, my father carried this transistor radio along with him to listen to music. He gave me this radio a few years back and until about 6 months ago it was a nice but silent mantle piece. When trying to come up with a symbol for our new album, something about the design and history of the radio appealed to me. It encompassed everything that I felt Little Tybee represents. Transistor radios were the first portable music listening devices. I imagine how exhilarating it must have been to hear a song for the first time while traveling to an exotic location. We take this for granted today but I feel a sense of connectedness to the experiences the owners of these radios must have had when they first came out. I wanted to capture that sense of wonder and pair it to our music.
To your fans, Little Tybee is notorious for collaborating with other artists in new ways, such as the one shot one take puppet show music video for Boxcar Fair, can we expect similar collaborations on the next album?
Chris: Our experiences self-producing content have brought us into partnerships with amazing artists from a wide array of fields. Collaboration has always been an integral part of the Tybee aesthetic whether that's taken the form of visual artists creating unique posters or videographers and engineers lending their talents and equipment to the cause. We are always on the hunt for new opportunities and while some bands might see a day off on the road as a chance to relax, we are more likely to hustle up some bizarre location for a one off video shoot. Ultimately we love doing this and working to make the most out of the tools and community we've been blessed to be a part of.
Little Tybee Tour Dates
JUNE 10 - KNOXVILLE, TN - JIG AND REEL
JUNE 11 - NASHVILLE, TN - THE BASEMENT
JUNE 16 - TYBEE ISLAND, GA - TYBEE SOCIAL
JUNE 17 - SAVANNAH, GA - THE JINX
JUNE 18 - GAINESVILLE, FL - THE ATLANTIC
JUNE 19 - ATLANTA, GA - PARK TAVERN
JUNE 26 - DENTON, TX - HARVEST HOUSE
JUNE 27 - AMARILLO, TX - THE 806
JUNE 28 - SANTA FE, NM - GIG PERFORMANCE SPACE
JUNE 29 - PHOENIX, AZ - LAST EXIT LIVE
JUNE 30 - LOS ANGELES, CA - THE EDISON
JULY 1 - PASO ROBLES, CA - TOOTH AND NAIL WINERY
JULY 6 - PORTLAND, OR - DOUG FIR
JULY 7 - SEATTLE, WA - TRIPLE DOOR
JULY 9 - SALT LAKE CITY, UT - THE DAWG POUND
JULY 13 - KANSAS CITY, MO - RIOT ROOM
JULY 14 - DAVENPORT, IA - REDSTONE ROOM
JULY 15 - MILWAUKEE, WI - CACTUS CLUB
JULY 16 - CHICAGO, IL - TONIC ROOM
JULY 17 - GRAND RAPIDS, MI - FOUNDERS BREWING
JULY 19 - ANN ARBOR, MI - KALAMAZOO
JULY 21 - TORONTO, ON - SMILING BUDDHA
JULY 22 - MONTREAL, QC - BAR LE RITZ
JULY 23 - BURLINGTON, VT - HIGHER GROUND
JULY 25 - NEW YORK CITY, NY - ROUGH TRADE
JULY 26 - PHILADELPHIA, PA - BOURBON AND BRANCH
JULY 27 - WASHINGTON, DC - GYPSY SALLY’S
JULY 28 - RICHMOND, VA - HARDYWOOD PARK CRAFT BREWERY
JULY 29 / 30 - FLOYD, VA - FLOYD FEST
JULY 31 - RALEIGH, VA - KINGS BARCADE
AUGUST 6 - BIRMINGHAM, AL - SECRET STAGES
Pat Shahabian is a seriously dope drummer. Follow him on Twitter.Not all of the changes to Android 5.0 Lollipop are meant to be seen by regular users, but that doesn't make them any less important. One of the core components of the operating system is about to break free from the shackles of firmware updates and join the Play Store and Google Play services in receiving automatic updates directly from Google. As of Android 5.0, the WebView component will be a distinct apk, allowing it to be upgraded separately from the OS. Not only will this ensure important security updates find their way to our devices, but it will also make new features and APIs available to developers of applications that rely on WebView.
For those who aren't familiar with WebView, it's a component developers can use within their apps to display web content without launching a separate web browser. WebView is incredibly useful and powerful when used in the right applications, but it has also gained a bad reputation from developers that bundle it with nothing more than a few web pages and some javascript, usually resulting in something much slower and less efficient than a comparable native app.
Last year, with the release of Android 4.4 KitKat, the WebKit-based WebView was abandoned in favor of Google's own Chromium project. While this was generally seen as a good move to improve security and functionality –albeit, with a few notable tradeoffs– it didn't resolve the bigger issue: that security patches were still tied to official releases of the OS. Since the vast majority of phones and tablets are dependent on updates from manufacturers, known bugs and security exploits continued to exist on current flagship devices for months, and may never be fixed on older devices. Just days after KitKat was released, the Chrome Developer team acknowledged the problem and their intent to move toward a system of regular updates.
Even Nexus devices, which receive Android updates directly from Google (usually) within days of a new release, are running outdated versions of WebView. The last official version of Android to update its version of Chromium was KitKat 4.4.3 in June, which moved to M33. (Note: M33 was already 6 months old at the time.) It's been 5 months since that update, and Chromium is up to M39. OEMs can always choose to update the WebView manually in their own firmware releases, but this is inconsistent, and still allows their devices to become outdated on a different version.
Devices running Android 5.0 will still include a version of WebView bundled as a system app, but it is now an apk that can be updated separately from the OS. It uses the same mechanism that automatically updates the Play Store and Google Play services, a process that happens in the background without relying on users to update manually. The implications of regular updates go beyond simple security fixes, but may also bring performance and usability improvements, and even open up new APIs for developers to use in their own apps that otherwise may never have come to older versions of the OS.
The Chromium-based WebView included with the recently released Lollipop Developer Preview is tagged M37, and includes support for WebRTC, WebAudio, and WebGL. This is still a little behind the current version, M39, released in September, but it may be updated for the official release. The open source Chromium project generally releases new versions about every 6 weeks, but rollouts may not happen immediately, depending on how testing is to be done prior to release. The important thing is that we'll always receive regular updates and never again have to worry about gaping security holes that have been around for months, or even years.
Google Chrome Developers (Google+), Lollipop Features, Android 5.0 APIsLudwig the friendly piano coach
OneRoom Blocked Unblock Follow Following Mar 8, 2016
Bear with me for a moment, because this is kind of a strange thought: I want an artificially intelligent piano coach. I’d like to be able to sit down at the piano and practice, and have a friendly AI listen and watch and make suggestions.
Let’s call him Ludwig. He understands something about me and what I’m trying to achieve, and what makes for effective practice. He doesn’t need to have a full personality, nor be particularly creative. I just want him to remind me to do the things I want to do (like stop when I make a mistake), point out when I fail to do so, and ask relevant questions at the appropriate moments.
Let’s say I’m practicing a Beethoven sonata. I want to practice slowly and in small sections. Sometimes I do. Sometimes I don’t, and get carried away playing, even though I know it’s not productive. I’d like Ludwig to notice, and say “hey, slow down!” Or if I’m not sure what fingering would be best, maybe I could ask him. “What else could I try here?” “Well, maybe use your fourth finger instead of your third?” With some knowledge of the anatomy of human hands and access to a database of solutions from published scores…maybe it’s conceivable?
These are the kinds of things that a teacher can do. But even if you could afford to have a teacher sit next to you every time you practice, you wouldn’t want to. It would be cruel. This kind of coaching is also really hard to do for yourself. It takes a strong will to be deliberate, mindful, and reflective all the time.
You might object that Ludwig is counterproductive. That he actually weakens will-power, because you no longer need to summon all of the discipline from within. I don’t think so. I think that, done well, it’s just like any other coach. They don’t substitute for discipline. They catalyze it.
If I were Demis Hassabis, now that I’ve conquered Go, I might explore this. Because a technology like this would be extraordinarily powerful. An alarm clock. A personal trainer. A tutor! I’m not sure it’s meaningfully easier than creating a fully generally intelligent machine. And I’m not equipped to find out. But what I can do is write stuff. So I made an ultra-low-tech analog of my fantasy piano coach:
It’s a stack of cards, with helpful reminders and suggestions. I keep them by the piano, and flip through them before I practice to remind myself of my intentions, and whenever I get stuck, for inspiration. It’s not Scarlett Johansson, but it’s something.
If you’re a pianist and you want a copy, you can download them here:
You’ll have to print and cut them out yourself, and they won’t talk to you. But I hope you find them helpful.
Scott Forman has been playing the piano for more than two decades. He is currently a guide for OneRoom’s Classical Piano Practice Group.↓First Look – 20XX
20XX is being described by those who have played it as a “Mega Man Rogue-like“. This simple description is enough to get most gamers intrigued immediately. Having a chance to play 20XX, I can assure you the description is accurate and does not disappoint in the slightest.
Now, having a game compared to the likes of the Mega Man franchise has the potential to set it up for immediate backlash if said game doesn’t deliver. Thankfully, in the case with 20XX, it nails down the Mega Man elements aspect perfectly. However, the real question is how do these elements fused in with a rogue-like style mesh together? In the video we go over just that along with many of the other aspects of the game with this First Look into 20XX.Mother drops baby and toddler from window to escape Lakemba unit fire
Updated
A woman trapped in a burning apartment in Sydney's south-west overnight was forced to drop her two-day-old baby and two-year-old toddler out of a second-storey window to save them.
Key points: Mother, 27, dropped newborn and toddler onto sheet held by neighbours
Firefighters say neighbours' actions saved trio
Fire is not being treated as suspicious
The 27-year-old woman broke the window of her Lakemba unit and dropped the children onto a sheet that a group of people were holding.
Neighbour Arshad Mehmood, who caught the baby, said he was in his flat when he heard a big noise and someone yelling for help.
When he went outside he could see smoke and the woman near the window of her flat holding her newborn.
"She was holding the baby saying 'please help, help, help'," he said.
Mr Mehmood and his neighbours then got a bedsheet in which they caught the toddler.
He said the woman then pleaded for them to save the newborn before dropping the child.
"She just dropped it. I knew I just had to catch the baby and it landed it my arms. I wasn't expecting her to do it," he said.
Mr Mehmood said he felt for the woman.
"I don't want to be in her shoes," he said. "I wouldn't want to see any mother in her situation."
Neighbours put several mattresses underneath sheet
Dalila Awachi, who lives next door to the block, said she and her husband were watching TV when they heard something explode.
"My husband went there and asked her to stay until we bring some mattresses and some sheets so she can throw the babies, then we called the ambulance," Mrs Awachi said.
The blaze started in the kitchen of the second-storey unit on Wangee Road about 9:30pm on Thursday and quickly spread to surrounding units in the building, police said.
Ms Awachi said neighbours quickly worked together to help rescue the children.
"Other guys came to hold the sheets on all sides and they put the mattress down [on the ground], so the kids can't be injured," she said.
Ms Awachi said several mattresses were put underneath the sheet, so the children could have a soft landing, as the mother dropped them down from about six metres above.
"[The mother] was brave. She was very scared, she only came back from the hospital from having her baby yesterday, the baby is two days old," she said.
"She even broke the window to get out."
Mother was very brave, neighbour says
Fire and Rescue New South Wales Superintendent Adam Dewberry said the unit was well alight and the woman was sitting on the window ledge and about to jump off when firefighters arrived.
"One of the neighbours advised her the fire service was just arriving and asked her to hang on while they got to work and pulled her off," Superintendent Dewberry said.
"Even coming off that second ledge, she could have sustained some serious injuries as well. So it was a really good support network from the neighbours.
"The neighbours did a fantastic job. This could have very well been a very horrific tragedy."
The woman was taken to St George Hospital was scratches, burns and smoke inhalation and the children were not injured.
Ms Awachi's daughter Khaoulah Yahiaoui said it was a frightening situation.
"If the neighbours weren't helping it could have been worse," Ms Yahiaoui said.
She said it was heartbreaking watching the children being dropped onto the sheet as the mother was terrified
"She was scared more about her kids than herself, so she left herself as the last person in danger, I felt so sad for her."
Fire most likely an accident: firefighter
Superintendent Dewberry said heavy black smoke was billowing from the window when firefighters arrived.
"Firefighters extended a line of hose up into the building and started to suppress the fire.
"A second crew actually then used a second line of hose to apply water over that lady to protect her from the hot spoke - smoke and fire that was starting to vent through that room.
We advise people if they're going to have their doors locked with deadlocks or any locks to leave the keys in the locks Fire and Rescue Superintendent Adam Dewberry
"Firefighters then put a ladder up and picked that lady up off the window sill and carried her down to the ground."
He said investigators had examined the scene and determined that the fire was most likely accidental.
"At this stage, the investigation will continue. They've completed the investigation on-site. They will continue throughout the day.
"The kitchen area is an area of interest and through the morning and day we'll progress a little bit more to determine if that is the area where the fire originated.
"The occupants, where it was safe, were allowed to return to the units last night. The fire-affected unit and the unit above are still isolated from the residents returning."
Neighbours could not get in due to deadlock
Superintendent Dewberry said in modern buildings fires could spread in two to three minutes.
"We advise people if they're going to have their doors locked with deadlocks or any locks to leave the keys in the locks.
The lady was screaming and crying for help, help... she was just saying the word help MD Hasan, neighbour
"The neighbours actually did try to gain access to the unit but they couldn't get in because of the door lock with that."
Neighbour MD Hasan said he tried to break down the door to the unit but could not get in.
"I was sleeping in the unit... suddenly I heard a big bang and a lady was crying for help," Mr Hasan said.
"Then big, thick, black smoke came out all over the place and people came running from all the units to save their lives.
"The lady was screaming and crying for help, help... she was just saying the word help."
Topics: disasters-and-accidents, fires, lakemba-2195, nsw, australia
First postedDonald Trump speaking at the 2017 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland, on February 24, 2017. (Photo: Gage Skidmore / Flickr)
Growing up in New England, you see some wild stuff in wintertime. A flock of chubby cedar waxwings, 50 strong at least, swarming into a withered cherry tree to strip every last old berry off the branches. A pair of bobcats like oiled smoke disappearing into the woods with the snow hissing down. An old upright piano standing sentinel in a shoveled-out Brighton parking spot announcing a defiant mine. One memory stands out above all, however: A huge dump truck filled with gravel gone sideways on an icy hill, sliding slowly, almost gracefully toward its inevitable crunching doom as its engine howls in futility.
I think of that truck today, and feel like I have a good understanding of what it must be like to be a Republican in 2017.
Sarah Palin made famous the “How’s that Hope and Change thing working out for ya?” line during the Obama administration. One hundred days into the Trump phenomenon, and one is forced to wonder how that “winning” thing is working out for rank-and-file Republicans. Despite controlling the White House, Senate and House, they’ve barely won anything, and the Democrats have had very little to do with the string of disasters and fiascos the GOP has unleashed on itself. It isn’t just Trump, either. These clowns own the whole federal government from soup to nuts, and their response to laying hold of such a rare prize has been to light their own neckties on fire every time they get near the furnace.
Take this last week as a prime example. The first and most important issue on the table was passing a continuing resolution before the weekend to keep the government open and functioning. In the time it took for Trump to fire up his Twitter account on Monday, the bill was suddenly in mortal peril because the president appeared all too willing to hold the process hostage until he got funding for his Mexico wall. Nervous breakdowns began popping off all over Capitol Hill and in the Treasury Department until someone sat The Donald down and said, “Hey, buddy, you keep up with this and the government will shut down exactly on your 100th day. We call that a bad look, boss. Put this back in the crackerjack box it came from, K?” Amazingly enough, common sense prevailed.
Then, in an eruption of loose-cannonism that makes the Blue Man Group look like a Nebraska prayer circle by comparison, Trump abruptly went in 17 directions at once, and at the top of his voice: THIS 100 DAYS THING IS SO SILLY I MUST HAVE VICTORIES FOR MY 100 DAYS EVEN THOUGH IT’S MEANINGLESS WE MUST WIN BIGLY AT EVERYTHING OR MAYBE JUST ONE THING SO LET’S BLOW UP HEALTH CARE AGAIN. Paul Ryan once again tried to cobble together a bill that would be acceptable to the Freedom Caucus even as it became even more radioactive to the rest of the House, managed to do so, and watched the thing die on his doorstep like a worm on a hot sidewalk. The bill never made it out of the kitchen, and a second Trump campaign promise — the wall and repealing Obamacare — collapsed like so much dandelion fluff.
Finally, there was the Trump tax “plan” that was unveiled in the middle of the week. It consisted of 19 bullet points that explained nothing beyond, “Here’s a bunch of money for rich people, let’s explode the deficit.” The GOP’s deficit hawks must have felt like the Catholics after Martin Luther nailed the 95 theses to their door. “You’re gonna do what now? Remove the deduction for real estate taxes? I mean, I don’t like New Jersey much either, but this is goofy. How are you paying for this? Oh, you’re not.” Add another dead letter to the pile.
Are Trump and the Republicans bereft of “accomplishments” as we reach this ceremonial centennial moment? Far from it. Neil Gorsuch will be haunting the Supreme Court for decades to come. Vital environmental protections are being erased on a seemingly daily basis. The State Department and the EPA have almost ceased to exist. Perhaps worst of all, Trump has seen with his own two eyes how the media become chickens lost in a glorious ecstasy of fluttering and flapping whenever missiles are fired from a US warship. It’s been bad, all right, but damn. It could have been so very much worse if these people had figured out early on how the lights work in the meeting rooms.
One begins to get conspiratorial when confronted with such condensed incompetence. Are the congressional Republicans secretly running some kind of rear-guard action against Trump, blowing up bridges and cutting phone cables like the French Resistance in order to undo a president they wanted nothing to do with from the get-go? It wouldn’t surprise me; Trump is going to kill that party. By 2018, most GOP House members will probably go out and vote against themselves, just so they can flee the town and the next two years.
That’s a fun little mind movie, but in all probability Occam’s Razor — the simplest explanation is the correct one — prevails again. When three full |
. "I voted Republican almost every time," he said, and "I don't even know what they stand for anymore. And they've got to realize that they have a problem: 'Hello, my name is the Republican Party, and I've got a problem. I'm addicted to spending and big government.'"
The audience in the Marriott Wardman Park gave a huge cheer.
"But as of yet I haven't heard anyone say that," Beck added. "All they're talking about is: 'We need a big tent. We need a big tent. Can we get a bigger tent? How can we get a big tent?' "
"What is this, a circus?" Beck asked.
A screwdriver to the eye
For most of the three-day conference, the conservatives took aim at their favorite targets, President Obama, congressional Democrats, the media and Hollywood. By Saturday evening, the hot air and the overflow crowd had warmed the ballroom to an uncomfortable temperature. Coats came off and speakers perspired. Someone brought Beck a white towel midway through his address.
But there was something different about the message of the final session, as the activists sent an unmistakable message to the Republicans that they can't be taken for granted.
The straw poll was one sign. Approval for Obama was, naturally, all of 2 percent -- and those people probably like him because he's been helpful to Republican electoral chances. But 37 percent said they disapprove of congressional Republicans. And Michael Steele, the Republican national chairman, was viewed favorably by only 42 percent.
In overall popularity, Beck and Rush Limbaugh, at 70 percent apiece, were second only to Senate conservative Jim "Waterloo" DeMint (73 percent) and well ahead of Republican leaders John Boehner and Mitch McConnell.
The Ron Paul victory got a mixed reaction of cheers followed by boos in the hall. But there was no such division when Beck, likened to Babe Ruth in the introduction, entered the room to pounding music and a strobe effect from flashes. He had a roving microphone and called for his blackboard to teach his listeners about the evils of progressivism.
"It is still morning in America," Beck said. "It just happens to be kind of a head-pounding, hung-over, vomiting for four hours" morning. "The question is what made us sit there in the john vomiting for four hours?"
He scribbled "progressivism" on the board and said it afflicts Republicans as well as Democrats. "I'm so sick of hearing people say, 'Oh, Republicans are going to solve it all.' Really? It's just progressive-light.
"It's like somebody sticking a screwdriver in your eye," he continued, "and somebody else pulls it out and puts a pin in your eye. I don't want stuff in my eye."
'A socialist utopia'
In an apparent reference to John McCain, Beck condemned a "guy in the Republican Party who says his favorite president is Theodore Roosevelt." He then read disapprovingly the Roosevelt quote that "we grudge no man a fortune in civil life if it is honorably obtained and well used... so long as the gaining represents benefit to the community."
"Is this what the Republican Party stands for?" Beck demanded. He was answered with boos and cries of "no!" "It's big government, it's a socialist utopia and we need to address it as if it is a cancer."
Obama, no doubt, will be delighted to learn that he has been joined in the conservatives' ire by the Hero of San Juan Hill.
Beck went on. "It's not enough just to not suck as much as the other side."
The CPAC activists gave this line a standing ovation.
The barrage continued. "One party will tax and spend; one party won't tax but will spend: It's both of them," he said. And as for George W. Bush's presidency, "anybody who thought that George Bush was spending and it made any kind of sense was a madman."
"I'm a recovering alcoholic, and I screwed up my life six ways to Sunday," Beck said. "I believe in redemption, but the first step to getting redemption is you've got to admit that you've got a problem. I have not heard people in the Republican Party yet admit that they have a problem."
The CPAC activists went off to party, but Republican leaders were the ones likely to have headaches on Sunday morning.The documentary tells a story that's too good to be true.
"Unclaimed," by Canadian filmmaker Michael Jorgensen, is about a Vietnam veteran's search for and discovery of another Vietnam vet, a Birmingham native believed dead in 1968, who he believed was still alive and going about his life in Vietnam.
The amazing tale of Army Sgt. John Hartley Robertson's life in Vietnam, though, is likely more fiction than fact, according to reports Wednesday, a day after the film debuted at Toronto's Hot Docs film festival.
A 2009 memo from the U.S. Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office sent to London's Daily Mail sheds light on the identity of the man who claims in the film to be Robertson. The newspaper reports he is a Vietnamese man of French origin named Dang Tan Ngoc.
The U.S. first became aware of Ngoc in 2006, when he reportedly claimed to be Robertson but recanted the claim under questioning the Daily Mail reported. He again claimed to be an American in 2008, but was fingerprinted at the U.S. Embassy and his prints did not match those of Robertson.
Officials said Ngoc has a history of pretending to be an American veteran, presumably to get money from tourists and veterans groups.
"I mean this guy was a frequent flier at our office," retired Lt. Col. Todd Emoto, who was the commander of the Joint Prisoner of War Accounting Command in Hanoi, Vietnam, from 2008 to 2010, told Business Insider. "It totally blows my mind that he's gotten this far. He forgot how to speak English and his kids' names? Who falls for that?"
Robertson's sister has said she believes the man she met in Canada in the film's climactic scene is her brother, and that she does not think DNA testing is necessary, the Daily Mail reported.
Jorgensen has said the film is really about the man who searched for Robertson, Tom Faunce, and that it makes no judgment about the truth of Robertson's identity, according to the Daily Mail.App users will no longer have to remember passwords if Twitter has any say. A Twitter product for developers called Digits will let users log into apps with a phone number.
While most apps require an email address to log in, Digits lets you register for apps with phone numbers instead. By entering a phone number, selecting your home country and entering a one-time passcode into the app (sent via SMS), you'll be ready to go.
Digits is a part of Twitter Fabric, a toolkit designed to help developers build better, more lucrative apps. But it doesn't actually have anything to do with Twitter; Digits is a standalone service any app developer can use.
An example of a user receiving a passcode from Twitter's Digits service via SMS, then using that passcode to log into an app.
The announcement came on stage at the first Twitter Flight conference for mobile developers in San Francisco. The company said Digits will launch in 216 countries and in 28 languages on iOS, Android and the web later today.
Twitter notes that logins are an issue in emerging markets because many people don't have PCs and email addresses; because smartphones are cheaper, it's more common to have a phone number. By relying on phone numbers, Digits could let some apps tap into a large group of new users.
Markets aside, Digits solves a problem that faces every mobile user: the need to remember usernames and passwords — often long and complicated ones — to get up and running on an app. But companies can get creative, too. McDonald's is one of the first companies to use the service via its McDonald's Alarm app. This lets friends share coupons and offers with others; to redeem the offer, the user must prove they're a real person.
"McDonald’s felt social sign-ins put too much burden on a user to share personal details, and that email addresses and passwords were too often forgotten or onerous to manage," Twitter said in an official blog post. "Digits enables McDonald’s to quickly authenticate real users and get them into the app with a minimum of friction."
Developers will be able to build Digits into apps for free. It's unclear how — or if — Twitter plans to monetize Digits.Berahino was West Brom's top scorer last season with 20 goals
West Brom will hold talks with striker Saido Berahino after Tottenham's failed deadline-day bid to sign him.
But the England Under-21 international, 22, will be fined for comments he made on Twitter that appeared to criticise Jeremy Peace.
The Baggies chairman turned down two late bids for Berahino and criticised Spurs for trying to get him "cheaply".
Berahino will meet with West Brom manager Tony Pulis and other key club officials on Monday.
The forward was due to return to training on Friday but has been given extra time off.
Gordon Taylor, chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association, says the players' union has been in touch with West Brom and Berahino's representatives and expects them to resolve their differences.
Spurs had two other bids for Berahino rejected in the summer.
The player also had a transfer request turned down and made his dismay public when it became clear he would not be moving to White Hart Lane.
In a tweet, he appeared to suggest he would not play for the Baggies under Peace's chairmanship.
Peace has made it clear he feels Spurs are to blame in the matter, claiming he had spoken to Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy earlier in the summer to explain his club's stance.
"We have a key player who has been very unsettled by antics which were designed to get him out of our club cheaply," said Peace in a statement on the club's website on Tuesday.
"Those tactics have continued despite my making our position clear in my first conversation with Daniel Levy on this subject in mid-August.
"I said selling Saido so late in the window was not on our agenda.
"We are now left with the task of repairing the damage created by this unfortunate episode."
West Brom also said Tottenham's offer for Berahino was not enough - either the amount they had offered as an initial down-payment or the final total of £22.5m spread over five years.
'Making transfer requests public is disrespectful'
Levy later issued a transfer dealings statement on Spurs' official website which appeared to explain the club's dealings over Berahino.
"We have never, as a club, spoken about another team's players and I am not about to do so now," it read.
But it continued: "There is hardly a transfer concluded across Europe which doesn't include staged payments. This is particularly so when significant amounts such as £20m-£30m are involved - players don't come cheaply these days.
"Secondly, we do not make anything personal. None of the proposals, discussions or negotiations we undertake involve any personal elements or ego - everything we do is in the interest of what is best for our club.
"Thirdly, we never make anything public, particularly in the best interests of the players involved. Making aspects such as transfer requests public is wholly disrespectful to a player."
'Amazing reaction but I have some sympathy'
Former West Brom striker Jason Roberts says he has some sympathy for Berahino.
"Whatever the communication has been with Berahino, he has thought the transfer will go through," Roberts told BBC World Service.
"It was an amazing reaction to go out publicly to say you will not play for the chairman again - that is a big call from the player.
"I feel some sympathy for Saido as he is in the middle of this but at the same time, it may be a misjudgement to come out and say he won't play for the chairman again."
View from a sports lawyer
BBC Sport spoke to Mishcon de Reya's James King about the Berahino saga and the potential fallout of strike action by the player.
He told us the following:
A player is in breach of his contract if he refuses to play
Continued refusal to play can be deemed gross misconduct and a sackable offence, although this is unlikely as the player becomes a free agent and the club loses a transfer fee
A player can be fined up to two weeks' wages for breaching social media rules and up to four weeks' wages for other offences in a 12-month period
Punishments for refusal to play can include an order for the player to stay away from the club for up to a month, a suspension or a fine of up to six weeks' wages
Analysis - BBC Sport's Pat Murphy
"Berahino won't face the inevitable disciplinary process until Monday when he'll meet leading executives at the club to discuss his expected fine and to see how they can get such a discontented player back onside.
"West Brom's postponement of the meeting is designed to draw some of the sting from the media's focus on this spectacular fall-out between Peace and Berahino.
"But Peace's relationship with the player is nowhere near the as crucial as the role Pulis will play in his reintegration.
"I understand Pulis was resigned to losing such a valuable but disillusioned player, but now he somehow has to talk Berahino round."
What do the fans think?
Saido Berahino has not featured in West Brom's last three matches
West Brom Supporters' Club chairman John Homer believes the club and player need to "take a step back" now and move forward - but it may need Berahino to "show contrition and apologise to the Albion fans".
He told BBC Radio 5 live: "It's always upsetting when a player comes out and says he doesn't want to play for the club and wants away, so that will alienate him with some supporters.
"Football supporters are fickle though and if in a fortnight's time if he were to play against Aston Villa at Villa Park and get the winning goal, we'd have a different viewpoint on the lad."
And referring to the Burundi-born players rise through the ranks and to the fringes of the England national team, he added: "It's a tremendous story and for it to go foul at this stage of his career is desperately sad. It's doing nothing but damaging his prospects."
Can it be resolved?
PFA boss Gordon Taylor told BBC Sport: "Every difficult situation can be resolved. We get called in on a number of occasions where there are disputes between the players and the club and we're more than happy to try and help resolve this one.
"With social media, the players are young lads and we expect them to have old heads on young shoulders.
"I can't recommend any player refusing to play and I hope with the experienced management at the club the situation will be resolved. I would be surprised and disappointed if it wasn't.
"If he chooses not to play it will be difficult to get another club as he will lose his fitness and his form. He's clearly a very talented player with a big future."
For a recap of transfer deadline day, click here.In the first part of my Skype interview with Rand Miller, the legendary game designer talked about the highs and lows that Cyan experienced during the company’s early years, leading to the enormous success story of Myst. There was far more to come after that, however, and this time around Rand takes us through the additional ups and downs encountered between the development of Riven and present day. And while a 30-year anniversary is certainly a great reason to celebrate such an illustrious history, as you’re about to find out, it seems as if the story of Cyan Worlds is far from being over!
Ingmar Böke: What were the most important lessons the development of Myst taught you when it came to the impact on developing the sequel Riven, as well as the updated versions of Myst that followed throughout the years?
Rand Miller: In every product we made, we learned lessons. Myst again felt like an experiment for us, and Robyn would agree with that, we both talked about that; we didn’t really know what we were doing, we were just continuing to evolve our craft that we had worked on. This time it did feel, though, that we had reached some kind of an interesting level, a plateau that pushed it somewhere else with Myst. I think what we started looking at was a lot of things that we did right, but we were still young, and still experimenting, so I think we jumped right into Riven without really dissecting at that point what was good, and what was bad.
We just said, “well, we did it with Myst, let’s jump in and start drawing the maps for Riven”. We knew approximately where the story went, and we started design on it very quickly. So, I think after Riven is when I personally feel like I learned some lessons with regard to game design. It was funny because people asked us what the puzzles were gonna be like in Riven, and we said that the two critiques we heard on Myst were that the puzzles were too easy, and that the puzzles were too hard, so we told everybody that we would fix that in Riven. (both laugh)
Ingmar: Pretty ambitious!
Riven's puzzles got harder... boy, did they get harder!
Rand: (still laughing) It was! I think the way we looked at it, though, was with Riven we were going to start easier with the puzzles; we were going to try to get people immersed easier, and try not to put too much friction at the beginning. But then – towards the end – we were going to ramp it up, and we were going to give you some big challenges. I think after Riven we realized there were some pretty difficult ones at the end there; the fire marble puzzle was definitely a biggie as far as people telling me, “yeah, I got all the way through, but didn’t get that one” or, “that was the only one I had to get a hint on.” So, we learned from that, you know, you’ve got to balance.
I think there were a couple of things we did that, looking back, now I like what we did in Myst better than Riven, and that was that we separated the worlds out in Myst very distinctly, and made them very self-contained, so that you didn’t feel like you had to go to another world to complete this world. You just knew, “I have to find a page, and I have to find a book home.” You knew your goals, they were defined well, you did it, and you got on with the next world, and I think that was wonderful. I think it worked well, I think it set up Myst for some very satisfying experiences as far as gameplay friction goes. Riven did disperse things, where you might feel like you’ve got to go to a completely other island – at one point you even did with where the trap and where the frog was.
To be honest with you, making these adventure-type games is very difficult because – we’ve learned this lesson, too – we don’t have a game mechanism. Adventure game makers don’t have a game mechanism they can just plug in again. You can’t just say, “oh well, we’ll use the clocktower puzzle, and we’ll just give it another skin.” You can’t just do that – unlike, say, a shooter. We all know what you do in a first-person shooter: You have a weapon, you kill a bad guy, you increase your weapon rate, so you can kill a bigger bad guy. It’s not a bad game mechanism, it’s a great game mechanism, but it means that at least for somebody designing a shooter they have that part done. We have to be creative with every step along the way. It would be great for us if we could say, “hey, Myst worked really well, the way we put all those puzzles into the worlds worked well, let’s just do that again,” but you can’t do that – you have to be fresh, and you have to be unique. It’s a real challenge, and I think it’s why this particular genre is hard at every step along the way!
Ingmar: I still remember being a teenager, reading a German magazine called PC Joker, which had a very positive review of Riven sometime in 1997. Until this day, I remember looking at the screenshots in that magazine over and over again, thinking, “I’ve never seen something like this before!” The visuals simply blew me away. The funny thing is… when I look at the game in 2017, it still looks great!
Riven set an even higher bar with its photo-realism than its acclaimed predecessor
Rand: (laughs) Yeah! Honestly, I think Riven was definitely a hard threshold to beat with regard to pre-rendered images. What we were going for with Riven was photo-realism. We were taking all of the resources that Myst gave us, and we bought the equipment that Hollywood used, and we bought the software that Hollywood used, we used everything we could to make those images as convincing as we could. Once you get to photo-realism, it’s hard to get past that, so I think they hold up. To this day, you look back and think, “wow, that looks like a real place!”, and that’s hard to beat.
So the only place to go after that is, “well, ok… what if they’re not still pictures anymore?” You know, we had stayed away from real-time 3D up to that point because it was not able to do the kind of quality we wanted, but that was the direction – at least from my point of view; Robyn went on with his own stuff – but in my mind it was like, “whoa, I can make the worlds even more real now because real-time is starting to approach.” I mean, there were other tricks as well, but yeah, it’s interesting, I feel the same way about Riven when you look back at those pictures. We have some hanging in our office, and wow, these are still gorgeous!
Ingmar: You worked on Riven for quite a few years, and it was a huge project. It’s no secret the development was quite stressful. Please tell us a bit about that aspect. I guess when you finished Riven you probably felt like, “I’ll never do another game in my whole life!”
Rand: (laughs) Yes! To the best of our best knowledge it felt like what it must feel like for a woman to give birth. When we finished the game, people asked us, “hey, are you gonna do another one?” It’s probably not the best time to ask a woman if she’s gonna have another baby immediately after she just had one. (both laugh) She might need some time to forget about the pain. But yes, it was grueling, Riven was intense! And it was an internal pressure; we were setting the bar high for ourselves, and we had plenty of resources to push hard, so it was long hours, a huge team, lots of expenses for renders and equipment that didn’t work, models that were too complex and had to be broken down, movies that weren’t rendering a certain frame… the logistics were crazy, and there were many people who were part of that team who would tell you it was very intense pulling that off. When we were done, it was a good time to take a breath after that!It can be an awkward order for a pregnant woman: A glass of merlot, please.
But she is legally entitled to it, according to New York City.
For the first time, the city is explicitly prohibiting restaurants and bars from refusing alcoholic drink orders to mothers-to-be, with new guidelines that say doing so would represent discrimination under the city’s Human Rights Law.
“While covered entities may attempt to justify certain categorical exclusions based on maternal or fetal safety, using safety as a pretext for discrimination or as a way to reinforce traditional gender norms or stereotypes is unlawful,” the guidance released by the Commission on Human Rights on Friday says.
That would also apply to foods deemed risky during pregnancy, such as raw fish or soft cheese. But it’s alcohol consumption by pregnant women that has long driven the touchiest debates over private etiquette and public policy.Let me just start by saying I completely understand Barlow’s consternation when he found out that Weir turned Mexicali Blues into a polka romp. Apparently it was originally written as a ballad (or similar) but under Weir’s guidance it became what we know today.
I always thought the arrangement was pretty cheesy and didn’t do the lyrics justice. I get why the horns are on the studio version, but they just don’t sit right with me. (Even though they are the Tower of Power horns, which is a sweet horns section!) As the years progressed I feel like the song go cheesier and cheesier.
So why pick it? Well, for one apparently a lot of people like it. A derivation of this version really opened my eyes to that. My wife is by no means a Dead fan (“Sounds like spaghetti” is a direct quote), but she was kind enough to go to a Dark Star Orchestra show with me a few years ago at the Fillmore in Denver (whilst pregnant no less. What a trooper). DSO played 11/21/73 that evening (this was before RT4.3 was released). When they played Mexicali Blues everyone was dancing and having a good time and I was just waiting for the next song in the queue. My wife was a bit perplexed as she thought it was a fun song and a good one to dance to. And here is where we find the major difference between those that attended Dead shows and those of us who got into the band later either by choice or because we were simply too young to see them. I’m sure there are other songs that really got the crowd moving but that vibe doesn’t translate to tape in the same way. Part of this may simply be that I’m not that into all of Weir’s cowboy songs. Some I like, others I detest. Nevertheless, I did gain a new understanding of Mexicali Blues because of DSO and this show.
Keith is all over this with barroom type of piano and Jerry rolls together his own blend of country and blues licks adding flourishes throughout the song. Phil keeps it pretty simple here, and the drums are a bit down in the mix as well. Jerry takes a quick solo and Keith seemingly tries to match him along the way. Weir’s percussive playing offers a welcome sonic juxtaposition. And almost as quickly as it started, this tale of love and danger comes to a close.
Complete Setlist 11/21/73We'd normally save this sort of thing for McCarve'd Up (which will be back next week after being pre-empted for NFL draft coverage) but Tim McCarver said one of the stupidest things ever spoken on a television broadcast today, blaming global warming for "making the air thin" and thus leading to a rise in home runs.
Climate change, or in McCarver's words "climactic change," is the culprit (and not, say, steroids, the age of which McCarver insists is over). Global warming is a real thing (climate change deniers are already giving McCarver a beatdown online) but the theory it's led to increased major league offensive production is one of the most insane things ever asserted by a professional broadcaster. And this man is in the Hall of Fame! [Fox]It’s no secret that the Annunciation has been one of the most influential passages in the history of Christian spirituality. After all it is the setting of one of the mysteries of the rosary, from from this encounter that we receive the words “Hail Mary,” as well as the magnificat. This week, however, I was very intrigued by a spiritual practice common in the middle ages and early renaissance that focuses on how the responses of Mary in the annunciation offer a list of “laudable conditions” for the Christian life. These conditions, as taught by Fra Roberto Caracciola de Lecce, are as follows:
Conturbatio (Disquiet) – This is the state Mary is in when scripture tells us she is greatly troubled Cogitatio (Reflection)– This is the state Mary is in when she listens to the words of the Angel Interrogatio (Inquiry) – This is the state Mary is in when she responds Humiliatio (Submission) – This is the state Mary is in when scripture tells us she offers herself as handmaid of the Lord. Meritatio (Merit) – This is the state Mary is in when she lives in humble acceptance of God’s call
According to this lens on the Christian life, these are spiritual states that the faithful should strive to emulate by God’s Grace. I have decided to try out this practice of spirituality for the rest of the month to see if it helps me develop a better awareness of God’s movement in my life and heart.
To help me with this task I will be looking at some portrayals of the annunciation in art composed at the time when this spiritual practice was popular. Michael Baxandall has identified the following works as expressions of each of the spiritual states:
Conturbatio
Fillipino Lippi’s S. Lorenzo Pannel
Cogitatio
Master of the Barberini Panels, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Interrogatio
Alesso Baldovinetti, Uffizi Panel
Humiliatio
Fra Angellico, Musio
Meritatio
Michael Baxandall notes that this spiritual state is seen in depictions of the Theotokas on her own.
I have selected an image by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, called Virgin Adoring the Host.Events Edit
Police response Edit
Suspects and detainees Edit
Similar incidents Edit
Reactions Edit
Analysis Edit
See also: Immigration and crime in Germany § Sexual offences The sexual assaults in Cologne on New Year's Eve 2016 nevertheless ended the atmosphere of euphoria earlier in the year when hundreds of thousands of migrants had arrived in Germay.[219] The sexual assaults were compared by several newspapers and authorities like German Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) with attacks on women reported after the Arab Spring in numerous public places in Cairo, especially Tahrir Square, the most prominent victim of which was television journalist and correspondent Lara Logan. Egyptian women and, in some cases, foreign journalists were surrounded by groups of young men, often having been touched with sexual intent and partly undressed, or stripped naked and gang-raped.[220][221][222][223] According to a report on the Cologne events published by the BKA—and as cited by Die Welt on 10 January—the phenomenon is known in some North African/Middle eastern countries as taharrush gamea. It was reported that "[t]he BKA knew from some Arab countries the phenomenon of jointly committed sexual harassment of women in public. This type of crime was called there 'taharrush gamea' ('communal sexual harassment')."[100][101] Some women said that the events should not become a "political football" or allow a focus only on non-German suspects, since German women had been fighting against sexual harassment at such celebrations and elsewhere for many years.[224][225] On 11 February, Jürgen Mathies, the new police chief of Cologne, stated: [Some perpetrators had made appointments for celebrations on New Year's Eve] on the social media. Some of them said there: 'We go to Cologne, there will be a big party.' There is no evidence that we are dealing with structures of organized crime. It is rather the case that the phenomenon of such sexual assaults out of groups is a massive problem in Cairo for example. The perpetrators probably knew from their home countries the behavior that women are encircled by many men at the same time and then abused. However, I did not know about this phenomenon in Germany so far.[44] Questioned as to why most perpetrators in Cologne are not accused of sexual offences but of robbery and theft, Mathies replied, "It is easier to determine on the basis of video images: That person just took a cell phone away. Than: He has fingered a woman. These images are indeed anything but good."[44] In May 2016, De Correspondent published an analysis of the events based on eye-witness accounts, concluding that:[226] The bottom line in our reconstruction, though, is that the initial impression of a mob of 1,000 refugees going after the women of Germany never went away. And an entire group of people continues to be associated with crimes it had nothing to do with. Based on what we know so far, a more accurate description of what happened last New Year's Eve might be: several dozen young men, many of North African origin, are suspected of sexually assaulting and robbing hundreds of women in the crowd. The crimes were made possible by the crowded New Year's Eve conditions in and around Cologne's main train station. They appear to have been further facilitated by poor coordination among the different police forces responsible for responding to the situation.
See also EditWe've all seen the men and women who live out of shopping carts in cities throughout the world, but imagine if they could add one of Kevin Cyr's awesome pop-up tents to the mix. The Camper Kart is a portable home that boasts a cozy-looking bed, a lantern and even storage space. The earth-friendly shelter is made largely out of recycled materials that could potentially give the world's less fortunate a sheltered, private space in which to lay their heads at night.
Kevin Cyr recognizes that although some people choose to construct tiny houses out of a deep love for the environment, hundreds of thousands of people around the world don’t have the resources to build their own home – no matter how small it is. It weighs very little, features mesh walls that allow the tent to breathe and it folds down into a wooden box made of what appear to be recycled pieces of wood.
This inconspicuous intervention makes the the cart look very uninteresting to passersby and could well avert would-be thieves. We’re not sure how folks with no home could get their hands on one of these, except through sponsors or charity programs, but it looks significantly more comfortable than a cardboard box. For more solutions to nomadic life, check out Kevin’s Home in the Weeds.Amanda Brunker: 'It's not easy being 42 - especially when you're still 25 in your head'
Yes, it's my birthday. I am lucky to have made it to another year. But I'm not loving this phase of my life. I feel old. I look old. I have become a middle-aged mammy and I have no idea how it crept up on me. I used to be an "It girl", remember?
Obviously others have seen this descent, as almost all work has dried up for me.
A new breed of feisty feminists have appeared on the scene. Bloggers and Vloggers and twentysomething influencers who I've never heard of are being booked to do appearances and give comments instead of me.
Amanda Brunker.
I've over 40,000 followers across social media, but not one company has ever paid me for a tweet or an Instagram post. What is it I'm doing wrong?
Only yesterday I was hot and now it seems that 42 is not. It appears that I'm over the hill.
Amanda Brunker at Renards with owner Robbie Fox and model Emma Quinlan
I must have lost my sex appeal and therefore no randy male bosses want to hire me anymore. Seriously, am I really too much of a geriatric for old guy producers? Oh, the shame of being middle-aged.
Don't get me wrong, I don't hate being in my 40s. Nor do I begrudge fresh blood making a name for themselves.
Amanda Brunker.
Though I must admit it was difficult not to be a little insulted when entertainment programmes like Xpose kept asking young wans to host their show, instead of me, over the last year.
But on reflection, I'm just too old. That's OK.
Amanda Brunker
But what's not OK is that every gig is now closing for me. As a mother to two children that I'm in equal parts proud of and frustrated with, I am busy playing house.
I have become a taxi mom, a full-time chef, a cleaner - and yet I still need to earn a living too.
Though a certain group of society think I should curl up and fade away.
Has my 42-year-old external shell become too hideous for public viewing? My voice - albeit a little deeper and more cranky - no longer relevant?
Friday 02 October 2015. Amanda Brunker with her sons R to L: Setanta (8) and Edward (9) McLaughlin
Ranting aside, I wouldn't feel sorry for me. I have a beautiful home and a lovely life. I have had a good innings as they say. I just now feel a little overlooked and taken for granted.
I can't be the only fortysomething that feels this way, can I?
As the cooler kids would say, the struggle is real. Yes, pass the sick bag quick!
Maybe this sad fortysomething-feeling is exacerbated by the fact that I've no one to share my troubles with? In my 20s life was simpler. Bitching over pints on a Tuesday night was standard.
These days, sadly, everyone I know has enough worries of their own.
Instead I find myself offloading on strangers, giddy at the opportunity to speak with living, breathing humans. But then find myself over-sharing and scaring people.
The hint to stop talking only hits me when I've realised they've run off around the corner.
Maybe life would be easier if I just accepted being 42? It's not so bad really. I just wish I didn't feel 25 in my head.
HeraldMost Americans do not choose where they grow up and often end up living in the same place as adults, either for financial reasons or because of social and familial connections. Still, many Americans choose to pack up and move to a new state — usually in search of better life.
People who contemplate such a move would certainly consider a state’s overall quality of life. While every person is different and may weigh certain factors more than others, quality of life generally consists of a multitude of factors, including an area’s economy, jobs market, income levels, poverty, crime, education levels, health care, transportation, and whether the area is generally desirable.
Based on these factors and others, 24/7 Wall St. ranked all 50 states for overall quality of life.
Click here to see how livable each state is.
Click here to see our detailed findings and methodology.PALM BEACH, Fla. — The decision came Thursday afternoon on Air Force One on the way to Florida. President Trump assembled his National Security Council on his plane, some by secure video link, as the generals made |
An Opinionated Guide to Modern Java, Part 3: Web Development
By Ron
This is part 3 in a three-part series: part 1, part 2
May 15, 2014
Welcome to OGMJ, part 3. After playing with modern Java code in part 1, and exploring deployment, management, monitoring and benchmarking of JVM applications in part 2, it is time to delve into modern Java web development. But before we do, let me address some reader responses from last time.
Last week we’ve seen how the JVM takes monitoring seriously, and how it exposes every aspect of its runtime behavior. One of the readers mentioned a tool, which I’ve had the pleasure to use a few times but neglected to mention it in last week’s installment. This tool, JITWatch, it is called, helps to analyze the deepest reaches of the JVM, and is therefore only recommended to the most performance-conscious expert Java (or other JVM language) developers. It takes the output logs generated by adding these JVM options – -XX:+UnlockDiagnosticVMOptions -XX:+TraceClassLoading -XX:+LogCompilation -XX:+PrintAssembly – and turns them into explorable insight into how, and when, the JVM optimizes your code. It shows which methods are compiled to machine code (it even displays the generated machine code if the -XX:+PrintAssembly is available, on certain JVM builds), which are inlined, why certain methods have not been inlined, and much, much more. Usage information, as well as screenshots, can be found on the project’s wiki.
Some readers have opined that Capsule is somehow less standard than OS packages. This is not true, as capsules are stateless executables, and require no installation whatsoever; as such, they don’t even perform the same function as OS packages, which standardize installation. If your application requires some stateful installation (i.e., installation that requires user-guided configuration at install time), then Capsule is not for you. Others have expressed concern over capsules relying on the availability of a Maven repository at runtime. To this I say that, obviously, software comes at different points on an availability/”mission-criticalness” spectrum, and different applications might choose different tradeoffs when it comes to safety vs. convenience. You can create a capsule with no support for automatic upgrades, or a capsule with no external dependencies at all (and embed all dependencies directly in the capsule). You’ll still get automatic choice of a Java runtime and automatic JVM configuration when you launch the capsule. If you do choose to use external Maven dependencies, I think that there is no reason to suspect accidental inclusion of a wrong dependency version – or other such mishaps – any more than when dependency resolution is done at build time. On the contrary: in the former case, the dependencies are explicitly specified in the capsule, and the capsule can be asked to print out its entire dependency tree. Also, if your organization’s Maven release repository is used as a host for capsule artifacts, there is no reason not to treat it as a devops server, and make sure that it’s as available as other servers needed at runtime (especially because Maven repository software isn’t particularly known to crash).
Now let’s get back to the matter at hand.
Introduction to Modern Java Web Development
Because Java web servers are about as old as the web itself, and there are long, successful, traditions and practices associated with them – traditions which we will soon commence on dismantling – this is perhaps as good a time as any to explain what I mean by “modern” in this series’s title.
In this context, I take “modern” to mean “in accordance with current general software development trends”. These trends aren’t completely arbitrary, and they are consistent with one another. The birth of a very large number of small, young, fast-moving startups, has given rise to a preference of lean development approaches. Those require easier onboarding, fewer installation, deployment and configuration steps, and a convergence of the roles of development and operations. The growing popularity of the cloud encourages certain approaches towards resource management, namely virtualization, either at the hypervisor level or the OS level. OS-level deployment/resource allocation also supports the proliferation of polyglot architectures, which seek to use the right (but possibly different) tool for each job.
Traditional Java web servers – or, in their full-featured incarnation, application servers – have one particular distinguishing feature: the ability to run multiple applications in a single JVM instance. They provide a runtime that is separate from the application. It is upgraded, and installed separately. It can be launched separately. Applications are deployed to a fully configured, possible already running, runtime. While this approach has worked well for quite some time – and you may have good reasons to continue employing it – it is far from modern. Allocating resources among the different applications occupying the server is not simple (if possible at all), and it is certainly incompatible with current trends of using hypervisor- and OS containers to host applications. Tools and techniques designed for hypervisor/OS containers are not effective with multi-app servers. Even if these servers are used to host a single application, their operation is most certainly not modern: installing and configuring the web- or app- server is usually not trivial, and deploying applications to said servers take multiple steps, and may be cumbersome.
The modern approach, that used by practically all other languages and runtime platforms, and increasingly adopted in the Java world, is that of the single-app server. In this kind of server, the web container is embedded in the application (rather than the application being deployed to a web container). This allows for simple deployment, management and configuration, and resource allocation at the OS/hypervisor level. This is why, when modern Java is concerned, application servers (and by that I mean any servlet or full-featured Java EE server designed to run more than one application) – are dead.
Now, the tools and techniques we will survey here are far from comprehensive. Especially when it comes to web, and web-related, development, tools, libraries and frameworks proliferate. Part of the reason for that is that, unlike fields such as embedded development or mainframe applications, web development is popular among all those fast-moving startups I mentioned, as well as hobbyists. These populations are early adopters and like to experiment with new techniques and invent new ones – sometimes in order to get some technological edge, sometimes for learning purposes, and sometimes for more gratuitous self gratification. The outcome is hundreds of libraries, all achieving similar goals, but in slightly different ways. This happens in the Java world, just as it does in other language ecosystems.
Also, we will not discuss “full” web frameworks at all, and by that I mean large MVC frameworks, template systems, or any framework designed for applications that render HTML on the server. There are a few reasons for that: One, I’ve never used any of those, so I certainly cannot comment on their suitability or “modernness”; two, the topic is a complex one, requires much discussion, and has been done elsewhere (see here and here); three, it seems like web development is moving towards client-side rendering and “single-page apps” (with client side frameworks like Angular et al.), essentially adopting an architecture similar to old client-server apps, and relying on HTTP services to transfer data and commands to and from the server. That transition is not complete – in particular, it depends on mobile phone browsers improving their JavaScript performance – but it is near certain that we’ll be seeing less and less HTML generated dynamically on the server. We will, therefore, only discuss frameworks and libraries for HTTP “data” services.
HTTP Services with JAX-RS and Dropwizard
One of the things setting Java apart from other languages is the work of the JCP (Java Community Process), whose work it is to specify standard APIs (even for libraries not part of the language specification or even of the standard runtime library), which are then implemented by various commercial or open-source projects. These JSRs (Java Specification Requests), are made by expert groups, and are often known to take an eternity to fully mature and become a standard. But when JSRs are successful, they are very useful as almost all libraries catering to the related field, would implement the standard API, which makes switching implementations, if not trivial than at least less painful.
Standards are more important for server implementation (where the framework is much more pervasive in the code), than for clients (where each call is more-or-less independent and can be replaced). You can use three different HTTP clients, and 3 different JDBC APIs in the same method, but your server usually runs on a single framework. For that reason, you should prefer a standard server API over a non-standard one, unless the non-standard one gives you some very substantial advantages, or otherwise fits your particular use case significantly better. Mere API aesthetics should not sway you in favor of a non-standard API.
A lightweight web-service server, then, should best implement the standard APIs. When it comes to HTTP services, there are a couple of pertienent APIs. The first is the good-old Servlet API (currently under JSR-315 for Servlet 3.0, and JSR-340, for Servlet 3.1). Almost all Java web servers implement the Servlet API, some of them are “modern” (in the sense we discussed earlier), the most popular of which is Jetty. Unlike traditional Java web servers, Jetty is not a standalone web-app container, but a web-server library embedded in the application. It was built to be modern. But even more traditional web servers, like Tomcat, now have modern embedded modes. Because Servlets are a relatively low-level HTTP server API, we won’t be directly working with them here, so let’s move on to the next standard API, JAX-RS (currently, in version 2.0, specified in JSR-339). There are several implementations of JAX-RS, like Apache CXF, RESTEasy and Restlet, but the most popular one seems to be Jersey.
A JAX-RS implementation is usually used by applying it on top of a Servlet server. It would therefore be natural to build a modern Java web service microframework by putting together Jetty and Jersey, and that’s pretty much the tool we’ll be playing with next: Dropwizard.
So Dropwizard takes Jetty, Jersey, a JSON library called Jackson, Metrics – the modern performance monitoring library we presented in part 2 (which happens to have been created by Coda Hale, the man behind Dropwizard) – and a bunch of other libraries, and combines them into a complete, simple, modern Java web service microframework.
We’ll now write our first modern Java web service with Dropwizard. If you haven’t read part 1, I suggest you do so now, to familiarize yourself with the basic usage of Gradle, the build too we’ll be using.
We’ll create a new jmodern-web directory, cd into it, and create a Gradle project with gradle init --type java-library, and delete the stub source files Gradle creates ( src/main/java/Library.java and src/test/java/LibraryTest.java ).
Then, we’ll edit build.gradle to say:
apply plugin: 'java' apply plugin: 'application' sourceCompatibility = '1.8' mainClassName = 'jmodern.Main' version = '0.1.0' repositories { mavenCentral () } configurations { capsule } dependencies { compile 'io.dropwizard:dropwizard-core:0.7.0' capsule 'co.paralleluniverse:capsule:0.4.0' testCompile 'junit:junit:4.11' } task capsule ( type: Jar, dependsOn: classes ) { archiveName = "jmodern-web.jar" from jar // embed our application jar from { configurations. runtime } // embed dependencies from ( configurations. capsule. collect { zipTree ( it ) }) { include 'Capsule.class' } // we just need the single Capsule class manifest { attributes ( 'Main-Class' : 'Capsule', 'Application-Class' : mainClassName, 'Application-Version' : version, 'Min-Java-Version' : '1.8.0', 'JVM-Args' : run. jvmArgs. join ('' ), 'System-Properties' : run. systemProperties. collect { k, v -> "$k=$v" }. join ('' ), ) } }
Our src/main/java/jmodern/Main.java file would be:
package jmodern ; import io.dropwizard.Application ; import io.dropwizard.* ; import io.dropwizard.setup.* ; import java.util.* ; import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong ; import javax.ws.rs.* ; import javax.ws.rs.core.* ; public class Main extends Application < Configuration > { public static void main ( String [] args ) throws Exception { new Main (). run ( new String []{ "server" }); } @Override public void initialize ( Bootstrap < Configuration > bootstrap ) { } @Override public void run ( Configuration configuration, Environment environment ) { environment. jersey (). register ( new HelloWorldResource ()); } @Path ( "/hello-world" ) @Produces ( MediaType. APPLICATION_JSON ) public static class HelloWorldResource { private final AtomicLong counter = new AtomicLong (); @GET public Map < String, Object > sayHello ( @QueryParam ( "name" ) String name ) { Map < String, Object > res = new HashMap <>(); res. put ( "id", counter. incrementAndGet ()); res. put ( "content", "Hello, " + ( name!= null? name : "World" )); return res ; } } }
This is pretty much the simplest Dropwizard service possible. The sayHello method returns a map, which is automatically changed into a JSON object. To run this, type gradle run at the shell, or build a capsule first with gradle capsule and run it with java -jar build/libs/jmodern-web.jar. To test the service point your browser at http://localhost:8080/hello-world, and then at http://localhost:8080/hello-world?name=Modern+Developer.
Now let’s improve our service a bit by taking advantage of other Dropwizard features:
package jmodern ; import com.codahale.metrics.* ; import com.codahale.metrics.annotation.* ; import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.* ; import com.google.common.base.Optional ; import io.dropwizard.Application ; import io.dropwizard.* ; import io.dropwizard.setup.* ; import java.util.concurrent.ThreadLocalRandom ; import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong ; import javax.ws.rs.* ; import javax.ws.rs.core.* ; import org.hibernate.validator.constraints.* ; public class Main extends Application < Main. JModernConfiguration > { public static void main ( String [] args ) throws Exception { new Main (). run ( new String []{ "server", System. getProperty ( "dropwizard.config" )}); } @Override public void initialize ( Bootstrap < JModernConfiguration > bootstrap ) { } @Override public void run ( JModernConfiguration cfg, Environment env ) { JmxReporter. forRegistry ( env. metrics ()). build (). start (); // Manually add JMX reporting (Dropwizard regression) env. jersey (). register ( new HelloWorldResource ( cfg )); } // YAML Configuration public static class JModernConfiguration extends Configuration { @JsonProperty private @NotEmpty String template ; @JsonProperty private @NotEmpty String defaultName ; public String getTemplate () { return template ; } public String getDefaultName () { return defaultName ; } } // The actual service @Path ( "/hello-world" ) @Produces ( MediaType. APPLICATION_JSON ) public static class HelloWorldResource { private final AtomicLong counter = new AtomicLong (); private final String template ; private final String defaultName ; public HelloWorldResource ( JModernConfiguration cfg ) { this. template = cfg. getTemplate (); this. defaultName = cfg. getDefaultName (); } @Timed // monitor timing of this service with Metrics @GET public Saying sayHello ( @QueryParam ( "name" ) Optional < String > name ) throws InterruptedException { final String value = String. format ( template, name. or ( defaultName )); Thread. sleep ( ThreadLocalRandom. current (). nextInt ( 10, 500 )); return new Saying ( counter. incrementAndGet (), value ); } } // JSON (immutable!) payload public static class Saying { private long id ; private @Length ( max = 10 ) String content ; public Saying ( long id, String content ) { this. id = id ; this. content = content ; } public Saying () {} // required for deserialization @JsonProperty public long getId () { return id ; } @JsonProperty public String getContent () { return content ; } } }
We’ve made a few improvement. First, the JSON object is now modeled as an immutable Java class. Second, we’ve added a random sleep to our service, and the @Timed anontation, which will automatically monitor and report its latency with the Metrics library. Finally, we’ve made our HelloWorld service configurable, using DropWizard YAML configuration. While this is probably excessive for a simple “Hello, World” service, this serves as the basis for much more robust applications. The extra code has bought us monitoring, configurability and type safety. To create the configuration we’ll need to create a configuration class, and made a couple of changes to our build file.
The file src/main/resurces/jmodern.yml will contain our configuration:
template : Hello, %s! defaultName : Stranger
Next, add this to build.gradle so that when we run the server with gradle run, it will locate the config file:
run { systemProperty "dropwizard.config", "build/resources/main/jmodern.yml" }
Finally, we want to include the default configuration file in the capsule, so to the capsule section we’ll add:
from { sourceSets. main. resources }
and we’ll change the System-Properties manifest attribute to use our config file by default:
'System-Properties' : ( run. systemProperties + [ "dropwizard.config" : '$CAPSULE_DIR/jmodern.yml' ]). collect { k, v -> "$k=$v" }. join ('' ),
We’ll now build our deployment capsule with gradle capsule, and launch the server with java -jar build/libs/jmodern-web.jar. You can now test our improved service browser at http://localhost:8080/hello-world, and http://localhost:8080/hello-world?name=Modern+Developer.
What if we want to override the default? Create the following foo.yml file in the project’s directory:
template : Howdy, %s! defaultName : fella
To use the new configuration, we override the dropwizard.config system property:
java -Ddropwizard.config=foo.yml -jar build/libs/jmodern-web.jar
We can fire up VisualVM (see part 2) and take a look at (the many!) metrics our server reports, and in particular, our service methods timing:
When we point our browser to port 8081, we see Dropwizard’s admin console:
Going to http://localhost:8081/metrics, returns all collected metrics as a JSON object:
And that’s that! The configuration file can also be used to configure a lot of Dropwizard’s internals, set the logging level and more. See the Dropizard documentation for details.
All in all, Dropwizard is a lean, fun, modern microframework, that gives you simple deployment, easy configuration, and superb monitoring out of the box. Another, library with a similar goal is Spring Boot. Unfortunately, Boot does not use the JAX-RS standard API, but there’s a project that seeks to rectify that.
Dropwizard has a great out-of-the-box experience, but more advanced users might find it confining (some of Dropwizard’s components are hard to replace with others: its choice of a logging engine, for example). Those users might find it worthwhile to assemble Jersey, Jetty and other libraries of their choosing, and work out the plumbing themselves, to build a lightweight server that’s the best fit for their organization. Doing so should not require a lot of work, and the work necessary is only required once for all of your projects. Dropwizard is an excellent starting point, and if it works for you (which it should, in most cases), you can safely stick with it. We will be using Dropwizard for most of the examples in this post, but everything we do is possible using Jetty alone, or combined with Jersey. Dropwizard simply adds simple, consistent configuration and automatic monitoring without little extra work.
HTTP Clients
Add the following dependency to the build file:
compile 'io.dropwizard:dropwizard-client:0.7.0'
Add the following imports to jmodern.Main :
import io.dropwizard.client.* ; import com.sun.jersey.api.client.Client ;
and the following two lines to the JModernConfiguration class:
@Valid @NotNull @JsonProperty JerseyClientConfiguration httpClient = new JerseyClientConfiguration (); public JerseyClientConfiguration getJerseyClientConfiguration ( ) { return httpClient ; }
We’ll instantiate the client and register a new service, which we’ll call Consumer, in these two lines, added to the run method:
Client client = new JerseyClientBuilder ( env ). using ( cfg. getJerseyClientConfiguration ()). build ( "client" ); env. jersey (). register ( new ConsumerResource ( client ));
Finally, this will be our consumer service:
@Path ( "/consumer" ) @Produces ( MediaType. TEXT_PLAIN ) public static class ConsumerResource { private final Client client ; public ConsumerResource ( Client client ) { this. client = client ; } @Timed @GET public String consume () { Saying saying = client. resource ( UriBuilder. fromUri ( "http://localhost:8080/hello-world" ). queryParam ( "name", "consumer" ). build ()). get ( Saying. class ); return String. format ( "The service is saying: %s (id: %d)", saying. getContent (), saying. getId ()); } }
Notice how the returned JSON is deserialized into a Saying object; it can also be returned as a map, a string, and probably other types as well (Dropwizard is using an outdated version of the Jersey JAX-RS client, but the new API is similar). And because Dropwizard supports the Jersey JAX-RS client out-of-the-box, it automatically supplies performance metrics of outgoing requests.
To test our new service, start up our application ( gradle run, remember) and point your browser at http://localhost:8080/consumer.
So the JAX-RS standard also specifies a client API. But, as we’ve said before, when it comes to client APIs we can let ourselves use non-standard APIs as well. An interesting HTTP client API is Retrofit by Square. As you’ve seen, JAX-RS Client can automatically serialize and deserialize Java objects to JSON objects (or XML). Retrofit takes this automatic Java/REST translation (which, BTW, is not always a good thing; domain translations are often particularly leaky abstractions, but they’re helpful if you keep yourself constrained to simple protocols) a step further, and translates the service target URL – not just the payload – to Java interfaces. Unfortunately, Retrofit uses the same annotation names as JAX-RS (server), only defined in a different package, which would make our example a bit ugly. Luckily, Retrofit has a clone/derivatice called Feign, by Netflix. The differences between Feign and Retrofit are not entirely clear to me. Although it seems that Retrofit is more widely adopted (it is older), while Feign is more easily customizable. In any case, the two are extremely similar, and can be used pretty much interchangeably.
To try Feign out, add the following dependencies to build.gradle :
compile 'com.netflix.feign:feign-core:6.1.2' compile 'com.netflix.feign:feign-jaxrs:6.1.2' compile 'com.netflix.feign:feign-jackson:6.1.2'
and these imports to Main :
import feign.Feign ; import feign.jackson.* ; import feign.jaxrs.* ;
Instead of the JAX-RS client initialization and the consumer service registration in the run method, we’ll create a Feign.Builder :
Feign. Builder feignBuilder = Feign. builder (). contract ( new JAXRSModule. JAXRSContract ()) // we want JAX-RS annotations. encoder ( new JacksonEncoder ()) // we want Jackson because that's what Dropwizard uses already. decoder ( new JacksonDecoder ()); env. jersey (). register ( new ConsumerResource ( feignBuilder ));
Our consumer service will now look like this:
@Path ( "/consumer" ) @Produces ( MediaType. TEXT_PLAIN ) public static class ConsumerResource { private final HelloWorldAPI hellowWorld ; public ConsumerResource ( Feign. Builder feignBuilder ) { this. hellowWorld = feignBuilder. target ( HelloWorldAPI. class, "http://localhost:8080" ); } @Timed @GET public String consume () { Saying saying = hellowWorld. hi ( "consumer" ); return String. format ( "The service is saying: %s (id: %d)", saying. getContent (), saying. getId ()); } }
Finally, we’ll add the HelloWorldAPI interface, which puts the REST API in Java terms (you can put the interface definition somewhere in our Main class; no need to create a new Java file):
interface HelloWorldAPI { @GET @Path ( "/hello-world" ) Saying hi ( @QueryParam ( "name" ) String name ); @GET @Path ( "/hello-world" ) Saying hi (); }
This interface uses JAX-RS annotations to specify how method calls translate to HTTP requests. The code that actually performs this translation is automatically generated by Feign (or Retrofit).
After launching our server app, visit http://localhost:8080/consumer to test the new consumer service.
If you want to see how more complex REST APIs translate to Java, this very simple example demonstrates consuming the GitHub API with Retrofit, and here’s the same example using Feign. Both Retrofit and Feign are very feature-rich, and allow great control over how requests are translated and executed. At this point, I would recommend Retrofit over Feign because Retrofit is more mature, and it makes use of the efficient NIO networking API under the hood, while Feign uses the slow HttpURLConnection API (a better transport mechanism could be plugged into Feign, but I haven’t found any).
There are other, lower level HTTP client APIs (like Apache HTTP Client, which is also directly supported by Dropwizard), but in most circumstances, the higher-level APIs we’ve tried – JAX-RS Client or Retorfit/Feign – work best.
Database Access
The JDK includes a standard API for (relational) database access called JDBC (Java Database Connectivity). Practically all SQL databases support JDBC. But JDBC is a very low-level API, and can sometimes be tiresome to use. Java also has a standard high-level database access API – an ORM API actually – called JPA (Java Persistance API), specified by JSR-220 and JSR-317. Well known implementations of JPA include Hibernate, OpenJPA and EclipseLink. Do yourself a big favor and don’t use any of them if you can help it. Not that they don’t work – they most certainly do, and they are all fine implementations – but they’re often more trouble than they’re worth. Full blown ORMs encourage a complex object graph and a complex schema, which often results in extremely complex, automatically generated, SQL statements, which are then hard to optimize. Plus, such complex ORMs are not known for their terrific performance.
Using JDBC directly is often better, but perhaps the best approach is to use one of the tools we will now present. They are somewhere between the low-level JDBC, and a fullblown ORM. They are not standard, which means each has its own API and there aren’t competing, interchangeable, implementations for a standard one, but as we’ve said, going off the standards path is OK for client APIs. In our examples, we’ll be using the H2 embedded database, in in-memory mode.
We’ll start off with JDBI, which is also directly supported by Dropwizrd. To use JDBI effectively, you’ll need to trade off optimal schema and simple code, until you get to a nice middle ground (JDBI is not ideal for very complex schemas).
We’ll add these dependencies:
compile 'io.dropwizard:dropwizard-db:0.7.0' compile 'io.dropwizard:dropwizard-jdbi:0.7.0' runtime 'com.h2database:h2:1.4.178'
and these imports:
import io.dropwizard.db.* ; import io.dropwizard.jdbi.* ; import org.skife.jdbi.v2.* ; import org.skife.jdbi.v2.util.* ;
We then need to add a DataSource factory to JModernConfiguration :
@Valid @NotNull @JsonProperty private DataSourceFactory database = new DataSourceFactory (); public DataSourceFactory getDataSourceFactory ( ) { return database ; }
And the following to the run method, which will connect to the database and register our new DbService :
DBI dbi = new DBIFactory (). build ( env, cfg. getDataSourceFactory (), "db" ); env. jersey (). register ( new DBResource ( dbi ));
In order to configure the database, we need to add the following to jmodern.yml :
database : driverClass : org.h2.Driver url : jdbc:h2:mem:test user : u password : p
Finally, let’s create our database resource (if you’re finding the code changes hard to follow, the full listing is here):
@Path ( "/db" ) @Produces ( MediaType. APPLICATION_JSON ) public static class DBResource { private final DBI dbi ; public DBResource ( DBI dbi ) { this. dbi = dbi ; try ( Handle h = dbi. open ()) { h. execute ( "create table something (id int primary key auto_increment, name varchar(100))" ); String [] names = { "Gigantic", "Bone Machine", "Hey", "Cactus" }; Arrays. stream ( names ). forEach ( name -> h. insert ( "insert into something (name) values (?)", name )); } } @Timed @POST @Path ( "/add" ) public Map < String, Object > add ( String name ) { try ( Handle h = dbi. open ()) { int id = h. createStatement ( "insert into something (name) values (:name)" ). bind ( "name", name ). executeAndReturnGeneratedKeys ( IntegerMapper. FIRST ). first (); return find ( id ); } } @Timed @GET @Path ( "/item/{id}" ) public Map < String, Object > find ( @PathParam ( "id" ) Integer id ) { try ( Handle h = dbi. open ()) { return h. createQuery ( "select id, name from something where id = :id" ). bind ( "id", id ). first (); } } @Timed @GET @Path ( "/all" ) public List < Map < String, Object >> all ( @PathParam ( "id" ) Integer id ) { try ( Handle h = dbi. open ()) { return h. createQuery ( "select * from something" ). list (); } } }
For those of you who know JDBC, this is both familiar and different. JDBI has a fluent interface, and the operations return Java collections, which are then conveniantly and automatically serialized to JSON objects. All in all, this is like a fun, modern, JDBC.
Fire up the application and point your browser at http://localhost:8080/db/all to see all entries, or at http://localhost:8080/db/item/2 to see the second entry. Then, you can also a new entry by entering
curl --data Velouria http://localhost:8080/db/add
into the console.
JDBI can also go a step further, and just like Retrofit, provide us with a custom interface tailored to our DB usage. We’ll even get a bit tricker, by mapping table rows to Java objects.
This will be our domain object (full code listing is here)
public static class Something { @JsonProperty public final int id ; @JsonProperty public final String name ; public Something ( int id, String name ) { this. id = id ; this. name = name ; } }
The @JsonProperty annotations will ensure that returning this class from one of our service methods will automatically serialize it as a JSON object, but in order for JDBI to work with Something we also need to create a ResultSetMapper which transforms a JDBC ResultSet into a Something object:
public static class SomethingMapper implements ResultSetMapper < Something > { public Something map ( int index, ResultSet r, StatementContext ctx ) throws SQLException { return new Something ( r. getInt ( "id" ), r. getString ( "name" )); } }
Now, for the fun part. This is our DAO class (or SQL Object in JDBI parlance) – JDBI SQL Object is to the database what Retrofit is for REST:
@RegisterMapper ( SomethingMapper. class ) interface ModernDAO { @SqlUpdate ( "insert into something (name) values (:name)" ) @GetGeneratedKeys int insert ( @Bind ( "name" ) String name ); @SqlQuery ( "select * from something where id = :id" ) Something findById ( @Bind ( "id" ) int id ); @SqlQuery ( "select * from something" ) List < Something > all (); }
And now, our new and improved database resource can be written like this:
@Path ( "/db" ) @Produces ( MediaType. APPLICATION_JSON ) public static class DBResource { private final ModernDAO dao ; public DBResource ( DBI dbi ) { this. dao = dbi. onDemand ( ModernDAO. class ); try ( Handle h = dbi. open ()) { h. execute ( "create table something (id int primary key auto_increment, name varchar(100))" ); String [] names = { "Gigantic", "Bone Machine", "Hey", "Cactus" }; Arrays. stream ( names ). forEach ( name -> h. insert ( "insert into something (name) values (?)", name )); } } @Timed @POST @Path ( "/add" ) public Something add ( String name ) { return find ( dao. insert ( name )); } @Timed @GET @Path ( "/item/{id}" ) public Something find ( @PathParam ( "id" ) Integer id ) { return dao. findById ( id ); } @Timed @GET @Path ( "/all" ) public List < Something > all ( @PathParam ( "id" ) Integer id ) { return dao. all (); } }
JDBI isn’t a full ORM solution: it does not automatically generate SQL statements, nor does it automatically marshal full object graphs, but it does get us to a database access sweet-spot, with a lot less weight than any of the JPA implementations.
When using JDBI, Dropwizard will automatically add a health check (http://localhost:8081/healthcheck) that tests the database connectivity, and instrument our DAO with performance metrics:
The next database access library we will look at, jOOQ, is similar to JDBI’s fluent API (it doesn’t have an analogous API to JDBI’s SQL objects), but takes a different approach: it uses chains of method calls, rather than strings, to generate SQL statements (and it can generate SQL compatible with various database implementations).
We’ll add this dependency
compile 'org.jooq:jooq:3.3.2'
and these imports:
import org.jooq.Record ; import org.jooq.RecordMapper ; import static org. jooq. impl. DSL.*;
In the run method, we’ll now register our DB resource like so (the full code listing is here):
DataSource ds = cfg. getDataSourceFactory (). build ( env. metrics (), "db" ); // Dropwizard will monitor the connection pool env. jersey (). register ( new DBResource ( ds ));
And our new DBResource looks like this:
@Path ( "/db" ) @Produces ( MediaType. APPLICATION_JSON ) public static class DBResource { private final DataSource ds ; private static final RecordMapper < Record, Something > toSomething = record -> new Something ( record. getValue ( field ( "id", Integer. class )), record. getValue ( field ( "name", String. class ))); public DBResource ( DataSource ds ) throws SQLException { this. ds = ds ; try ( Connection conn = ds. getConnection ()) { conn. createStatement (). execute ( "create table something (id int primary key auto_increment, name varchar(100))" ); String [] names = { "Gigantic", "Bone Machine", "Hey", "Cactus" }; DSLContext context = using ( conn ); Arrays. stream ( names ). forEach ( name -> context. insertInto ( table ( "something" ), field ( "name" )). values ( name ). execute ()); } } @Timed @POST @Path ( "/add" ) public Something add ( String name ) throws SQLException { try ( Connection conn = ds. getConnection ()) { // this does not work int id = using ( conn ). insertInto ( table ( "something" ), field ( "name" )). values ( name ). returning ( field ( "id" )). fetchOne (). into ( Integer. class ); return find ( id ); } } @Timed @GET @Path ( "/item/{id}" ) public Something find ( @PathParam ( "id" ) Integer id ) throws SQLException { try ( Connection conn = ds. getConnection ()) { return using ( conn ). select ( field ( "id" ), field ( "name" )). from ( table ( "something" )). where ( field ( "id", Integer. class ). equal ( id )). fetchOne (). map ( toSomething ); } } @Timed @GET @Path ( "/all" ) public List < Something > all ( @PathParam ( "id" ) Integer id ) throws SQLException { try ( Connection conn = ds. getConnection ()) { return using ( conn ). select ( field ( "id" ), field ( "name" )). from ( table ( "something" )). fetch (). map ( toSomething ); } } }
Now, jOOQ does not yet implement DDL (SQL statements like create table ), so you’ll notice we’re creating the table using JDBC. That’s OK because jOOQ is implemented as a JDBC wrapper, and requires some JDBC anyway (I haven’t been able to get the add method to work (probably because of the auto-generated primary key). jOOQ people: if you’re reading this, please help).
This example really doesn’t do jOOQ justice, as its greatest strength is the ability to generate classes from your schema, and perform all the operations we’ve done above – and far more complex ones – in a completely typesafe manner. jOOQ is a little too clever for my own tastes, but if your schema is complex, it can be an invaluable tool.
Dependency Injection
Dependency injection is one of those programming patterns that, depending on whom you ask, can be said to be invaluable or completely useless. I believe that DI can be extremely useful in complex codebases; for simple ones it’s largely unnecessary. Java |
“I knew right away I’m going to get this one done,” Teravainen said. “It’s better to go to the bench with that kind of defensive play. Just have to play smarter with the blue lines and all those kind of areas. That can happen and I know that can happen, but it happened still. I learned from those. It’s good they didn’t score from that.”
Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville will ultimately decide who is sent down to Rockford, and he hasn’t tipped his hand yet. Quenneville showed his faith in Teravainen in two important Central Division games, playing him 14 minutes, 23 seconds against the Winnipeg Jets on Friday and 12:14 against the Blues.
Quenneville spoke favorably of Teravainen on Monday, but also touched on where he thought Teravainen could improve.
“I like the way he plays the game, his thought process,” Quenneville said. “He keeps himself above the puck. He’s positionally aware of our system. I think he grows and is more efficient each and every game. Offensively, I think he has the puck a little bit more.
“I think getting the puck for him is something he can add to his game, and strength is obviously something in the puck area he’ll grow once he gets more familiar with the strength that’s necessary or how to position himself where you can take advantage of your quickness and skills.”It took her six long years of ill health, stress, financial strain and struggle to get to where she is, but former domestic worker Zanele Sibiya (27) never gave up on her dream to get her BSc in physics and electronics from the University of Zululand in KwaZulu-Natal. She qualified earlier this month.
Sibiya is the third of 10 children. Although she knew her mother, a domestic worker, would not be able to pay for her to further her studies, she pressed on to achieve her qualification.
“It was something I had to do,” Zanele says. “It was my dream, even though things were difficult. When I was young, I [realised] I didn’t want to live the way most of my family was living, and I don’t want my kids to live the life I lived. I want to make it better for them.”
Zanele passed matric in 2007 with good results, but because of lack of funds, she had to take a gap year and work to raise money for her education. “I did some jobs like doing people’s hair and doing some domestic work. After a year, I’d raised enough funds to go to varsity.”
In 2009, she registered for her degree with the help of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). But due to the high volume of students registering that year, she was able to get only 50% of the funding she needed.
“So I decided to compromise and started looking for work,” Zanele explains. “My aim was to get good results so I could get a bursary. I applied for bursaries but there was no response.”
In her second year, she continued her studies with the help of the NSFAS. In 2011, what was supposed to be her final year, Zanele fell ill and spent months going in and out of hospital. Doctors were unable to find out what was wrong with her. Three months after several hospital visits, she found out that she was pregnant with twins.
“Things were so bad, I couldn’t focus on work, so I quit,” she says. She didn’t want to leave work but had to. “I was still going while pregnant, but I was very sick.”
The twins were born at the end of 2011, two months premature, and she had to stop studying to spend time with them in hospital.
The following year, Zanele was hospitalised with kidney stones and needed an operation. But on the day of surgery, the doctor who was meant to perform the procedure was unavailable. An intern decided to operate on her, but made an error and perforated her small intestine, which lead to further health complications.
“They were forced to take me to get an emergency operation, which took seven hours,” she says.
While recovering in hospital Zanele asked a friend to register her at varsity for 2012. But by the time she was able to attend classes, students were already getting ready to write their first-semester exams. She also had to take care of her twins. Worried that she wouldn’t be able to keep up with the work, she got a job with her mother as a domestic worker. She later worked for a kind doctor who helped her to finally continue her studies.
“In 2013, I went back to study, with the help of Dr Zanele Bikitsha who was like a sister to me, to try to complete the remaining modules,” Zanele says. “I explained to her that this is the money I’m using to pay for everything that I need for school and for my kids.”
By 2014, she had only one module left but was struggling to complete it because she was juggling raising her kids and working. Fearing that she was running out of time to complete the degree, which was being phased out of the curriculum, she approached her lecturers for an extension.
“I completed the module in June 2015 and I graduated this year,” she says.
Zanele says she still can’t believe she managed to get her degree.
“I am so blessed, because I was struggling, so I thank God for helping me with everything.”This is my first blog post since leaving my role as Mozilla’s CTO 6 months ago. As you may have read in the press, a good chunk of the original Firefox OS founding team has moved on from mobile and we created a startup to work on some cool products and technologies for the Internet of Things. You’ll hear more about what we are up to next month.
While I am no longer working directly on mobile, a curious event got my attention: A commit appeared in the Android code base that indicates that Google is abandoning its own re-implementation of Java in favor of Oracle’s original Java implementation. I’ll try to explain why I think this is a huge change and will have far-reaching implications for Android and the Android ecosystem.
Why did Google create its own Java clone?
To run a Java app, you need a runtime library written in Java called the Java standard classes. This library implements basic language constructs like hash tables or strings.
Since the early days, Android didn’t use Sun’s version of the Java standard classes. Instead, the Android team enhanced the open source Apache Harmony Java standard libraries. Harmony is an independent “clean room” open-source implementation of the Java standard libraries maintained by the Apache Foundation.
There is basically no technical advantage in using Harmony. Its a strictly less complete and less correct version of Sun’s original implementation. Why did Android invest all this effort to duplicate Sun’s open source Java standard classes?
Apache vs GPL
Over the course of Android’s meteoric rise, the powers behind Android demonstrated a deep strategic understanding of different classes of open source licenses, their strength, and their weaknesses. Android has from its early days successfully used open source licenses to enable proprietary technology. Sounds counter-intuitive, but it explains why Google rewrote so much open technology for Android.
Java is actually not the only major open technology piece Google reinvented. Since Android 1.0 Google uses bionic as its standard C library. There were very few strong technical reasons to use bionic over open source alternatives such as the GNU libc. Quite to the contrary, at Mozilla in the earlier days of Android we had to constantly fight deficiencies in bionic in comparison to existing open source standard C libraries. Famously, bionic was not thread safe in many cases, crashing multi-threaded applications.
Writing a standard C library from scratch is crazy. Its one of the most commoditized pieces of software. Its almost impossible to do it significantly better than existing implementations, and it costs a ton of time and money and compatibility is a huge pain. Why did Google do it anyway? There is a simple answer: Licensing.
Bionic (as Google’s Java implementation) is licensed under the non-viral Apache 2 (APL) license. You can use and modify APL code without having to publish the changes. In other words, you can make proprietary changes and improvements. This is not possible with the GNU libc, which is under the LGPL. I am pretty sure I know why Google thought that this is important, because as part of launching Firefox OS I talked to many of the same chipset vendors and OEMs that Google works with. Silicon vendors and OEMs like to differentiate at the software level, trying to improve Android code all over the stack. Especially silicon vendors often modify library code to take advantage of their proprietary silicon, and they don’t want to share these changes with the world. Its their competitive moat–their proprietary advantage. Google rewrote bionic — and Java standard classes — because silicon vendors and OEMs probably demanded that most parts of Android are open (ironic use of the word in this context) to this sort of proprietary approach.
Update: Bob Lee who worked for Google at the time commented below that OpenJDK didn’t exist yet when Android 1.0 launched (2007), so Google couldn’t use OpenJDK back then. GNU Classpath (LGPL) did exist since 2004, however. Google still chose Harmony, and stuck with it even after Apache abandoned the Harmony project in 2011. The switch now is clearly driven by the Oracle vs Google lawsuit.
“Open”JDK
OpenJDK is the name for Oracle’s Java that you can obtain under the GPL2, a viral open source license with strong protections. Any changes to OpenJDK have to be published as source code (except if you are Oracle).
Because Oracle has means to control Java beyond source code, OpenJDK is about as open as a prison. You can vote on how high the walls are, and you can even help build the walls, but if you are ever forced to walk into it, Oracle alone will decided when and whether you can leave. Oracle owns much of the roadmap of OpenJDK, and via compatibility requirements, trademarks, existing agreements, and API copyright lawsuits (Oracle vs Google) Oracle is pretty much in full control where OpenJDK is headed. What does this mean for Android?
In short: there is a new sheriff in town. The app ecosystem is at the heart of every mobile OS. Its what made Android and iOS successful, and its what made Firefox OS struggle. The app ecosystem rests on the app stack, in Android’s case Harmony in the past, and going forward OpenJDK. In other words, Oracle has now at least one hand at the steering wheel as well.
Its anyone’s guess what Oracle will do with it, but Google and Oracle have a long history of not getting along, so its going to be quite curious to watch. Java itself aims to be a platform, and it is similarly vast in scope as Android. Java includes its own user interface (UI) library Swing, for example. Google has of course its own Android UI framework. Swing will now sit on every Android phone, using up resources. Its unlikely that Oracle will try to force Google to actually use Swing, but Google has to make sure it works and is present and apps can use it. And, Oracle can easily force Google to include pretty much any other code or service that pleases Oracle. How about Java Push Notifications, specified and operated by Oracle? All Oracle has to do is add it to OpenJDK, and it will make its way into Android. Google is now on Oracle’s Hamster wheel.
A rough year ahead
In the short term Google’s biggest challenge will be to rip out Harmony and replace it with OpenJDK. They actually have been working on this for a while. It seems this project started in secret already 11 months ago, and is now being merged into the public repository.
All this code and technology churn will have massive implications for Android at a tactical level. Literally millions of lines of code are changing, and the new OpenJDK implementation will often have subtly different correctness or performance behavior than the Harmony code Google used previously. Here you can see Google updating a test for a specific boundary condition in date handling. Harmony had a different behavior than Oracle’s OpenJDK, and the test had to be fixed.
The app ecosystem runs on top of these shifting sands. The Android app store has millions of apps that rely on the Java standard classes, and just as tests have to be fixed, apps will randomly break due to the subtle changes the OpenJDK transition brings. Breakage will not be limited to correctness. Performance variances will be even harder to track down. Past performance workarounds will be obsolete but it will be hard to tell which ones, and entirely new performance problems will pop up. Fun.
And of course, licensing is changing as you can see here. The core of Android’s ecosystem runtime is now powered by GPL2 library code, copyright Oracle.
I also have a very hard time imagining Android N coming out on time with this magnitude of change happening behind the scenes. Google is changing engines mid-flight. The top priority will be to not crash. They won’t have much time to worry about arriving on schedule.
The winner
No matter how you look at this, this is a huge victory for Oracle. Oracle never had much of a mobile game, and all the sudden Oracle gained a good amount of roadmap and technology influence over the most important mobile ecosystem by scale. Oracle is a mobile titan now. I didn’t see that one coming.
The losers
Google, and silicon vendors. The entire middle part of the Android stack will be subject to proprietary Oracle control. Google calls this “reduced fragmentation” in their press release. That’s true, kind of. There will be less fragmentation because Oracle will control anything Java, including Android.
Silicon vendors will be still allowed to do proprietary enhancements if they obtain the same library code under a difference (non-viral, non-GPL2) license from Oracle — for a fee. Oracle has actually already a history of up-selling OpenJDK. They are offering certain components of the Java VM only for royalty payments. You get a basic garbage collector for free. If you want the really good one, it’ll cost you. I expect Oracle to attempt to monetize in similar ways the billions of mobile users it just stumbled upon.by Zachary Clemente
This past weekend, the 20th annual Small Press Expo (SPX) brought an explosion of independent and small press comics to the Marriott hotel in Bethesda, MD. Literally overflowing with an abundance of talent, the weekend was filled with amazing creators, signings, panels, even a wedding and a prom. One of the panels, Micro-Press and Beyond, discussed the findings of a study on micro-press comics publishers by moderator Robyn Chapman, who runs mini-comics publisher Paper Rocket, as well as posing the study’s questions to the panel participants. From left to right, the publishers are Chuck Forsman (Oily Comics), Keenan Marshall Keller (Drippy Bone Books), Anne Koyama (Koyama Press), and Raighne Hogan & Justin Skarhus (2D Cloud).
Chapman kicked off the panel by showing her findings, collected in The Tiny Report, a mini-comic she published, based on questions she received from 40 micro-press publishers, which she defines as being “one-person publishing houses”. The purpose of the Tiny Report is to be a “micropress yearbook”, serving to be an aid in understanding and chronicling the comics micro-press movement. One by one, she took the panel through some of the questions she posed for the report, seeing how they affect each representing publisher. While the responses for Forsman, Keller, Hogan, and Skarhus were fairly uniform; Koyama, as a more established publisher had slightly different answers. Although all agreed the major challenge of publishing was funding, seeing it as the root of any other discussed challenges, such as distribution or marketing.
The majority of the panel was an informative and lengthy discussion about how micro-publishing is in essence a massive clustercuss. Selling books to comic stores often requires very precise book-keeping, dealing with printing and shipping costs is a measured act of a madness, running the convention circuit can be emotionally and physically punishing, and even trying managing an online store or crowd-funding campaigns can be a full-time job. Despite all these hurdles, micro-press publishers have been springing up left and right to print minis and floppies, filling the void left by publishers left by publishers like Fantagraphics or Drawn & Quarterly, who now focus more on graphics novels, collections, or art books. Ultimately, the issues voiced come from a lack of steady funding as it’s not uncommon for an independent publisher to see a check for books sent to a store 6 months after the fact.
During the audience Q&A portion, a question I’ve been curious about was raised about artist contracts and compensation. Most of the publishers pay in copies or small royalties, depending from artist to artist and many don’t really bother with formal contracts. Only Koyama utilizes formal, customized contracts and pays a lump sum up front to each artist she works with.
“You’re an angel from Heaven.” – Forsman to Koyama
Lastly, on the word of submitting, all but Koyama takes submissions through email or convention drop-offs – all stating that finished or nearly finished work is ideal. Koyama bemoaned the fact that she often cannot find the names of people on their websites or tumblr pages and won’t be able to contact them. Koyama press rarely takes submissions, only publishing 10 books a year, all handpicked by Anne herself. Everyone agreed that the best possible policy for getting published is just “make a good comic.” When asked about the “Beyond” of micro-publishing, all wished for a climate where sustainable and local printing was a more affordable option, but for now, overseas printing is the most economical option.
This was my first time at SPX and it was an exceptional experience. I’ll be back next year and (hopefully) continuing small press coverage!
The Beat Staff is an elite group of trained ninjas.
Like this: Like Loading...BANGKOK — The Treasury Department warned social media Wednesday not to share footage of the new coins being minted to replace those currently in circulation.
The new design, which bears the portrait of King Vajiralongkorn, was briefly shown in a video about a French mint contracted to supply coins to Thailand. Treasury Director Pachorn Ananta-silpa said he has written a complaint to the mint for breaching its confidentiality agreement.
The design is supposed to be a state secret and has yet to be approved for release by the cabinet, Pachorn told reporters.
Read: Rama X to Replace Rama IX on Currency
The one-minute video was produced by Reuters. It explores a little-known fact that Thailand outsources its coin production to overseas mints like the one in France. At one point in the video, a French staff member shows what the new coin will look like to the camera.
A French television news segment back in April reported that Thai coins were being minted in Paris but did not show any designs.
Per tradition, King Bhumibol’s death in October 2016 means his long-ubiquitous face on coins and banknotes will be replaced by that of his successor, King Vajiralongkorn. The government previously confirmed that would take place but gave no timeline.
Pachorn said he will seek financial compensation from the French mint for the unauthorized display of the new coin design.
He also warned Thais not to share the video on social media.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1d_0p0Z0kS0aby Shuwei Fang
Dan Breznitz is an Associate Professor at Georgia Institute of Technology’s Sam Nunn School of International Affairs and The College of Management, and is an Associate Professor by courtesy at the School of Public Policy. Prof. Breznitz’s most recent book (co-authored with Michael Murphree) is The Run of the Red Queen: Government, Innovation, Globalization, and Economic Growth in China.
Berfrois
How does the Chinese growth experience differ from that of other emerging economies, for instance, another transition economy such as Russia and why?
Breznitz
Well, let us be a bit more precise here, we must not compare apples to oranges. To simplify things there are two kinds, if you will, of economies you can compare the Chinese story to. First, there are the former communist economies. Second, there are the poor and less developed economies that have “emerged.” The fact that Russia and China were both communist centrally-planned economies, actually hide the fact that Russia was a highly advanced, highly-educated and very technologically savvy economy in 1978. At the same time, China was poor, backward and not at all technologically advanced. Hence, it make more sense to compare China to other less-developed authoritarian economies, such as Korea and Taiwan, that grew rapidly thanks to a set of state-led policies and initiatives.
When you look at it that way, you are immediately struck by just how different China’s story has been so far. There are two interlinked, major differences between China’s economic rise and, let us say, Japan and Korea. The first, which you can be excused to think the opposite if you read the newspapers, is that China’s is an extremely open economy and, in reality the only case of a big diversified economy where FDI (foreign direct investment) and joint (foreign-led) ventures have been playing an extremely (though some might say the most) important, role in its growth. Multinational companies were virtually locked-out of Japan and Korea, and are still, for all purposes, not “allowed” into Japan. The opposite is the case in China.
Secondly, China’s rise is intimately tied to the changes in the way production is now internationally managed. If at the time that the Japanese and Koreans started to create their modern industry, the name of the game was big vertically integrated firms that were doing most, many times all, of the work from early R&D and conceptualization to the final product assembly and sale, today we talk about fragmentation. That is, the growing de-linking of discrete production stages, where activities such as R&D, design, fabrications, and assembly for final productions, sub-systems, and even components (such as IC chips, or pumps) is done by different companies that specializes in these specific set of activities and stages of production. This allowed specific locales to enter the global production system of industries, both high- and low-tech, in multiple entry points, without the need to amass the skills and the capital needed to excel in every stage of production, from R&D all the way to Quality Assurance.
Indeed, in my earlier work (Innovation and the State, Yale University Press), I showed how these processes allow Israel, Taiwan and Ireland to excel by the late 1990s in high technology through supplying very different outputs to the mostly US controlled, global ICT industry. China opening up and growth, was fortuitously timed at the perfect moment where these changes occurred. Consequently, China quickly become the manufacturing hub of the world, and could do that while being poor in both skills and capital, since it was foreigners who supplied the capital, the demand, the specification and the market knowledge. Thus, if Japan and Korea become manufacturing powerhouses of national champions who have strangling hold on the domestic market and sell complete products abroad. China quickly became the place where everything is produced by everyone for everywhere. In so doing, Chinese enterprises have been developing unique strengths, and now excel in a whole set of innovation activities around the production stages in which China is dominating the world.
Berfrois
The title of your most recent book, The Run of the Red Queen is a play on Lewis Carroll’s character, the Red Queen from Through the Looking Glass, who says, “it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place.” How does this apply in the context of Chinese economic growth?
Breznitz
Actually it is a double play, if you remember the Red Queen of Chess (not to be confused, thanks to Disney, with Queen of Hearts), explains to Alice that her world is a very fast world, and hence, one needs to run as fast as one can in order to stay in the same spot. Now if we go back to the major changes in the ways things and services are now produced globally in discrete stages, and follow this logic to the end (which sadly no economic growth or innovation theory has yet to do, leading to some very strange policies in both the developed and developing world), it follows that different locales, even these specializing in the same industry needs very different innovation capabilities to reach sustained success. Thus, if in the past, one could argue that all economies must master novel-product innovation in order to achieve long-term growth, we argue that under a world of fragmented production there are multiple strategies, each fits better different locales, and each with very different outcomes in terms of the number and kind of jobs created and the kind of skills and business models that companies need to excel in.
The Run of the Red Queen documents the coevolution of public policy and industrial strategy in China, which accidentally created two innovation systems, one national and one regional. These parallel systems have so far precluded novel-product innovation, but has allowed China to thrive in second generation, production and process innovation. We call this course of development China’s “Run of the Red Queen”. China shines by keeping its industrial production and service industries in perfect tandem with the technological frontier. Like the Red Queen, it runs as fast as possible in order to remain at the cusp of the global technology frontier, while not actually advancing the frontier itself. Nonetheless, if Alice was disappointed to find herself in the same place, China has since found out that this strategy has been leading it to become the world’s longest and most rapid economic growth miracle.
As the technology frontier moves ever further ahead, China has found that running fast enough to keep in step is extremely beneficial. Within an international economic system of globally fragmented production, China can excel in a wide array of innovative activities that might not advance the technological frontier but can certainly transform how the global economy works. Thus, as the technological cutting edge is advanced in other geographical locations in the world, China continuously grows in importance as a critical location for innovations building upon these discoveries. Furthermore, and crucial to the story of China, this changed model of globalized production creates new dependencies among and between countries and industries. Therefore, China’s rise to prominence in the IT industry has been due, in large part, to the new opportunities in specific stages of production opened by the fragmentation of the IT industry. However, China’s excelling in these stages not only transformed China into a critical part of the global production networks of the IT industry, but also created a new mutual dependency. On the one hand, the Chinese IT industry needs foreign – novel-product innovating – companies to keep producing in China. On the other, foreign companies are completely dependent on Chinese companies to be able to produce their novel-products, a capability they no longer (or never did) possess. For example, China might need Apple to develop concept and definition for the iPod, iPhone and iPad, but Apple would not be able to produce and sell these products without China. In our world of flexible IT “mass” production, the Red Queen country needs the novel-product-innovators to keep churning new ideas, and the novel-product-innovation countries need the Red Queen country to keep innovating on almost every other aspect of production and delivery.
Last but certainly not least on this point, we must emphasize that this model of development, China’s “Run of the Red Queen”, was developed by accident, partly as a result of local experimentation, and looks quite different from the declared goals of the central government.
Berfrois
The system of mutual dependency that you speak of, whereby China provides the production and foreign companies provides the ideas, how sustainable is this, if one assumes reliance on a cheap and abundant labour force to produce the goods?
Breznitz
Well, firstly I take beef with your assumption. As we document in the book, this is an incorrect view of what really happens in China. While part of the allure of China is the abundant labour (more and more viewed by many as a future market in itself as well as labour). Cheapness is not the core of China’s advantage anymore. Chinese companies (and I would be careful here not to say China, since this is not what the Central government truly wishes for, nor is it all or even most Chinese companies either) have developed significant innovative capacities around production. I think you will be hard pressed to find an American company that even knows how to produce many of its own products. Hence, the assumption that they can just hand this off to a generic Chinese company that would produce it according to their design and their guidance is, to be blunt, wrong. What you have is a system with growing “true” interdependencies.
Let me give you an example, Apple’s power supply system, the white cable with a box you stick to the socket. There is unbelievable amount of innovation and R&D that goes into making this system smaller, more efficient, and more reliable (remember that laptops going up in flames is not the best publicity). For that to happen, you need to have continuous R&D efforts with many engineers devoted to the task. I will give you one guess as to where in the world it happens: China. Thus, a key component, not very fashionable, nor one that we even think about in terms of innovation, but crucial to Apple (which many people thinks embodies everything which is good about Silicon Valley innovation) is utterly dependent on China, and China’s innovation capabilities, and not China’s infinite supply of unskilled cheap labour.
Consequently, your question is misframed, for the production and technological point of view, yes the system is sustainable. But, from the political point of view, especially with China’s seemingly growing strength, and the US stagnation (and growing unemployment) this is a very different question. True interdependency means that we cannot even have your own products without the other side. Hence, economically it seems natural that all should work together toward mutual enrichment. Politically, however, it means that both sides are critically vulnerable to the other side misbehaving (either on purpose or by mistake), which should lead both sides to very quickly escalate minor mishaps, for the fear of a strategic move. Solving these kinds of coordination problems necessitate better (or at least very aware of the issues), global governance mechanisms, vehicles and institutions. I would leave it to you to decide whether we have them at the moment, and whether our political leaders will even try to build them.
Berfrois
In the book you say that politics is the key to understanding China’s “Run of the Red Queen”. What do you mean by “Structural Uncertainty” and why has it shaped the trajectory of Chinese industry and innovation?
Breznitz
We define structured uncertainty as an agreement to disagree about the goals and methods of policy, leading to intrinsic unpredictability, and hence, ambiguity in implementation and enforcement of economic policies and rules. Structured uncertainty cements multiplicity of action without legitimizing any specific course or form of behaviour as the proper one. This ambiguity leads to some tolerance for multiple interpretations and implementations of the same policy.
For Chinese companies seeking new opportunities, at the same time that plurality of policy actions is tolerated, punishment for deemed transgressors can be severe, abrupt and seemingly arbitrary. The limits of tolerance are undefined, adding to the ambiguity. Structured uncertainty can thus be thought of as an institutional feature that guarantees a plurality of behaviours will be followed in any specific domain, with none of the actors knowing in advance what should be the appropriate ways to conduct themselves. Structured uncertainty exists to a certain degree in almost all policy domains in most countries. Indeed, it is the main reason why street-level bureaucracy is so important in every society. However, it takes on a different qualitative and quantitative manifestation in the Chinese system due to the specificities of its halting but continuous transformation from a revolutionary society to a more organized, bureaucratic rule-bound one.
Alice and the Red Queen, from Alice Through the Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll, 1865. Illustration by Sir John Tenniel
Structured uncertainty has particularly pronounced effects on R&D undertakings. As succinctly argued by Kenneth Arrow, even under conditions of perfect market competition there is a tendency for private economic agents to under-invest in R&D. Structured uncertainty, through its impact on the ability to appropriate and increased uncertainty, augments R&D’s inherent characteristics of indivisibility, inappropriability, and uncertainty, reducing private incentives to underwrite R&D. Under structured uncertainty the great puzzle for economic theory is why some Chinese companies even perform significant R&D.
Under these conditions Chinese organizations use multiple approaches, both official and unofficial, to mitigate uncertainty. These have led to the emergence of a strongly innovative organizational ecosystem, but one different from the West in its focus, and decidedly different from the one envisioned and coveted by China’s central government. This innovation ecosystem fosters a wide array of innovation activities but not novel product innovation.
To ensure an incentive for productive activities, innovators must be able to appropriate returns without resorting to extra-legal means. Organizations must ensure they are secure from predatory officials if they are to seek productive activities. To do so in China, organizations adopt multiple ownership forms and cultivate back channel relationships with officialdom to ensure protection from the fickle winds of state and to guarantee their chosen market remains viable. Organizations can choose to establish themselves as wholly-owned foreign enterprises, collectives, private enterprises, state-owned ones as well as more amorphous ownership forms such as minying. By redefining ownership, merging different types of ownership, and extending ownership rights to government at various levels, uncertainty regarding the behavior of officials can be partly mitigated. We can see across China’s high technology industries that this is the case: an industrial structure of mixed ownership types that offer greater assurance as to the ability to appropriate returns, but with relatively ambiguous channels of management authority by Western standards.
In terms of innovation capabilities, adapting to structured uncertainty means Chinese firms are relatively well able to avoid predations by the state but are less able to move forcefully in any area which demands commitment to high risk with long timeframes, exactly what is needed for novel product R&D. This limitation does not mean Chinese enterprises have no incentives to innovate. It is critically important to remember the flip-side of structured uncertainty. If there is one agreed upon benchmark with which to judge whether a policy or action by business is “proper” it is revenue growth and job creation. These are seen as categorical goods by both political and economic actors; hence they are pursued over and above all else. The goal of public policy, and research conducted by or within business, is to maximize revenue and job creation as fast as possible while generating and sustaining the least amount of risk. It follows, therefore, that enterprises will emphasize short-time horizons and incremental activities in proven technologies and market niches.
Second, in order to feel confident they will be able to appropriate returns, organizations in China seek workable means of securing them in an environment that lacks fully enforced formal property rights. The actual strategy an organization adopts derives from the industry sector in which the organization operates as well as the resources, human and otherwise, available to it. Most frequently, Chinese enterprises release incrementally improved models of their products and services with a very short lag time between new versions. This strategy limits the value of copying by would-be competitors and ensures the company manages to keep a profitable edge. China’s strengths in flexible manufacturing enable rapid turnarounds and short-runs of products, thus making this a workable innovation strategy. A second approach, exercised by large scale enterprises with major internal resources is to specialize in innovation of production methods or large-scale equipment design and fabrication. For these industries, the value of imitation is lower since prospective imitators would require massive capital assets of their own as well as – and more importantly – tacit knowledge in order to successfully pirate the organization’s technology. Such high end capital-intensive innovation strategy lends some protection copying by competitors even in the absence of property rights. Third, the most advanced local organizations or, more commonly, branches of foreign multinational companies opt to use the highest end local human resources to conduct highly theoretical or abstract research. Such primary research does not lend itself readily to imitation and requires the embedded tacit knowledge and technology transfer practices of the innovating firm in order to capitalize on any findings and deploy them in a final product.
Finally, when dealing with the financial system, firms in China adopt approaches designed to ensure access to capital. China’s financial organizations, even those which title themselves venture capital, are generally highly risk averse with the partial exception of state financing. Risk aversion privileges large-scale enterprises, proven business models using already developed technologies, or foreign enterprises. The relative scarcity and weaknesses of both traditional investment capital and venture capital mean that the role of government is greatly enhanced. However, the central state often opts to support only those ventures which accord with its development plans and its specific understanding of innovation. This means firms developing technologies outside the state’s vision are largely excluded but those in chosen industries can enjoy privileged access to capital. However, the lack of patient venture financing limits the range of R&D activities in which firms may engage, thus further encouraging their specialization in non-novel-product innovation niches.
That is not to say that Chinese firms do not derive lasting advantages from their innovations. Under fragmentation of production, Chinese enterprises aggressively pursue enduring advantages within specific phases of production. Global production networks not only make this strategy viable, but also supply China with the needed inputs in terms of novel ideas developed elsewhere, and the necessary market demand for innovations across the production cycle to make it sustainable. For innovative Chinese organizations, specialization under the new global conditions is significant because such it provides types of embedded knowledge that similarly to novel product innovations are valuable in granting lasting competitive advantage. Accordingly, the resulting benefits to the organization in terms of securing a competitive advantage in the market place are the same. Stage specialization and development of the related skills enables a firm to continue to innovate and grow at a given level without a strong need to excel in novel-product innovation.
Berfrois
What lessons can be learned from the Chinese experience for emerging economies, and indeed, the developed world. Can the “Run of the Red Queen” cross borders?
Breznitz
In the book we argue that China is not a sui generis, and that other nations can learn both what to do as well as what not to do from China’s example, particularly with regards to development and innovation policies. Like all countries, China has unique features and history but this does not mean theories of comparative political economy stop working when they cross its borders, or that intuitional analysis of China does not grant us insights relevant beyond the pale of the Middle Kingdom.
We dispelled two critical myths about innovation and the rise of China in the current age of global fragmented production. The lessons learned from dispelling these myths speak much to other emerging economies. The first lesson that China teaches other emerging economies is about the impact of the fragmentation of production on the array of new options available to them, as well as which options no longer exist for the same reason. Unlike what we are led to believe, the current processes of intensified, globally |
as the “General Theory”), which is the basis for much of modern day bourgeois macro-economics.
The ideas presented by Keynes in his General Theory were also very much shaped by historical events; in particular by the Great Depression and the scourge of mass unemployment that was seen across the industrialised world, with permanently high rates of unemployment in the region of 10-25%. Keynes sought to find the answer for this phenomena, and, importantly, to find a solution. Previous bourgeois economists had sought to try and justify capitalism theoretically; such people were mere apologists of capitalism. Keynes, however, painted himself as a “pragmatist”, who was no longer simply trying to justify capitalism theoretically, but was trying to save capitalism practically – to save capitalism from itself.
Keynes saw his role as a member of the “educated bourgeoisie”, and the role of the state in general, to intervene in the running of capitalism and to regulate it – not in the interests of ordinary working people, but in the interests of capitalism itself – to overcome the contradiction between the interests of various individual capitalists and the interests of the capitalist class as a whole. In other words, Keynes wanted capitalism without its contradictions.
Contradictions and Overproduction
This contradiction, which arises due to the private ownership of the means of production – which in turn means production for profit and competition between different private individuals in pursuit of this profit – is at the very heart of capitalism, and is responsible for both the great historical progressiveness of capitalism and its great destructiveness.
As the BBC series “Masters of Money” correctly pointed out, Marx (and Engels) were not blind to the achievements of capitalism, nor did they romanticise feudalism and rural life (in fact, in the Communist Manifesto, Marx and Engels described capitalism as having “rescued a considerable part of the population from the idiocy of rural life”). Under capitalism, the competition between individual capitalists in pursuit of profit leads to a large part of this profit being continually reinvested in new research and development, new science and technology, and new means of production, in order to reduce costs, undercut competitors, and gain a greater market share. In its early days, therefore, capitalism was immensely progressive in its ability to increase productivity, develop the productive capacity of society, and create tremendous amounts of wealth. As Marx and Engels stated in the Communist Manifesto:
“[Capitalism] has accomplished wonders far surpassing Egyptian pyramids, Roman aqueducts, and Gothic cathedrals.”
But this process of private ownership and competition contains the seeds of its own destruction. It is in the interest of the individual capitalist to pay their own workers as little as possible in order to maximise profits. However, these wages – and the wages of the workers employed by other capitalists – also form the demand for the commodities that capitalism produces, i.e. the market. Each individual capitalist would like to pay his/her workers as little as possible in order to maximise profits; but at the same time, he/she would also like his/her fellow capitalists to pay their workers as much as possible so that these workers can buy the commodities that are being produced.
Each capitalist is, however, trying to do the same thing; therefore, as individual capitalists compete against one another, trying to maximise their own profits, they cut the wages of the working class as a whole, thus reducing the market and destroying the basis on which they can sell their commodities and realise their profits. It is this interactive process of competition between many individual capitalists – each making decisions that are completely rational from their own individual perspective – that leads to an overall process that is distinctly irrational for the capitalist class as a whole.
Marx had long ago acknowledged and explained this inherent contradiction within capitalism – the contradiction of overproduction, in which the expansion of production in the pursuit of profit at the same time leads to a reduction in the ability for this profit to be realised. Those who came after Marx and who tried to find a solution to crises within the limits of capitalism were forced to ignore him and his ideas as far as possible, and instead sought to explain crises by looking at only one side of the problem. For Keynes, the main problem was the question of demand – or “effective demand” – as he referred to it; for Hayek, the key issue was the question of supply – in particular of the money supply.
Say’s Law
In order to try and explain the phenomena of the Great Depression and mass unemployment, Keynes had to break with many established assumptions from classical economy. In this respect, Keynes is attributed with having caused a “revolution” in economic theory. In reality, there is nothing new in what Keynes said, and most of his ideas had been expressed far more precisely, clearly, and thoroughly in the works of Marx and Engels; Keynes merely packaged his ideas in a way that was more palatable to the bourgeoisie.
In particular, Keynes attacked what is known as “Say’s Law”, attributed to Jean Baptiste Say (although not originally “discovered” by him), a French classical economist of the late 18th / early 19th century. Say’s Law is commonly referred to in terms of the idea that supply creates its own demand; that every seller brings a buyer to the market. Nowadays this same “law” is the basis for the “efficient market hypothesis” – the theory put forward by the most ardent supporters of the free market – that suggests that, if left to its own devises, in the long run market forces will solve all problems and will always find an “equilibrium” in which supply meets demand. But as Keynes was keen to point out, “in the long run we are all dead.”
Marx disproved Say’s Law long ago. (In fact, the presence of periodic crises is all that is needed to disprove Say’s Law!) In Volume II of Capital, Marx explained the accumulation and reproduction of capital that occurs under capitalism by means of a set of schema, in which the economy is divided into two sectors: department one, in which the means of production – i.e. capital goods or “productive consumption” – are produced; and department two, in which consumer goods, for the consumption of individual workers (or capitalists) are produced.
Marx showed that in an abstract theoretical sense, Say’s Law is actually true – the economy should be able to achieve equilibrium. But Marx demonstrated that this equilibrium could only be achieved on the basis of the capitalist class continually reinvesting profits into new capital goods – i.e. machinery, buildings, and infrastructure. On the one hand, this process is what allowed capitalism to play a historically progressive role for a period of time – to develop the means of production, both qualitatively in terms of new science and technology (and thus increase productivity), and also quantitatively in terms of its ability to produce a greater total mass of wealth.
On the other hand, this process also contains inherent contradictions: the “equilibrium” is an inherently unstable and temporary one, since these new means of production that are created must be put to work to create a greater mass of commodities, which in turn must find a market (i.e. demand) in order to be sold and for profit to be realised. In other words, capitalism achieves equilibrium in the short term, but only at the expense of creating even greater contradictions in the long term, and thus paving the way for an even larger crisis in the future. Keynes himself acknowledged this, saying that:
“Each time we secure today’s equilibrium by increased investment we are aggravating the difficulty of securing equilibrium tomorrow.” (“The General Theory”, chapter 8; Keynes)
However, unlike Marx, Keynes was not a thorough materialist and a dialectician, and thus did not fully draw the conclusions of this statement, as Marx had done many decades earlier – the conclusion that overproduction is an inherent contradiction within capitalism, resulting from the private ownership of the means of production and its drive to produce for profit.
Dialectical Materialism
The accumulation and reproduction schemas outlined by Marx in Volume II of Capital are precisely that: schemas; generalised abstractions of a complex process; long term averages, which cannot be achieved through a process of slow, smooth, linear change, but only through a dynamic and chaotic process – i.e. a dialectical process of contradictions and crises. In other words, these “equilibria” are dynamic equilibria – constantly being established and then broken – resulting from an infinitely complex process, rather than the static equilibria conceived of by the supporters of Say’s Law, who imagine the economy as a simple mechanical system, moving along like clockwork.
Stephanie Flanders, presenter of “Masters of Money”, claims that Keynes, Hayek, and Marx all had one thing in common: “they understood both the genius of capitalism, and its inherent instability.” But whereas Keynes and Hayek thought that you could distil capitalism or regulate it in order to separate the “genius” elements from the general instability, Marxism – using the method of dialectical materialism – shows how the factors that give rise to capitalism’s initial progressiveness – i.e. competition and the reinvestment of profits into new technology and means of production in order to generate even greater profits – are the very same factors that lead to capitalism’s inherent instability.
The key to Marx’s analysis of capitalism is precisely in the way that this method of dialectical materialism is applied to the field of political economy. Capitalism’s anarchic nature – resulting from the individual, private ownership over the means of production and the competition for profit that this entails – means that changes in the economy must occur in a dialectical way, thorough crises, rather than in the smooth, gradual way that the proponents of market forces and “supply and demand” imagine.
The imbalances seen under capitalism – i.e. between production and consumption; between the ever expanding forces of production and the limits of the market for the commodities resulting from these productive forces – are an inherent part of this anarchic system, and are seen at all scales within capitalism, such as the disproportionality between the different departments of the economy and even within a single sector (hence bottlenecks in production). But the only way to rid the system of these imbalances is precisely to eliminate the anarchy of the capitalist system itself – i.e. to have a democratic and socialised plan of production under the conscious will of society, rather than leaving production up to the blind forces of the market – as Marx explains in Capital:
“Since the aim of capital is not to minister to certain wants, but to produce profit, and since it accomplishes this purpose by methods which adapt the mass of production to the scale of production, not vice versa, a rift must continually ensue between the limited dimensions of consumption under capitalism and a production which forever tends to exceed this immanent barrier. Furthermore, capital consists of commodities, and therefore over-production of capital implies over-production of commodities. Hence the peculiar phenomenon of economists who deny over-production of commodities, admitting over-production of capital. To say that there is no general over-production, but rather a disproportion within the various branches of production, is no more than to say that under capitalist production the proportionality of the individual branches of production springs as a continual process from disproportionality, because the cohesion of the aggregate production imposes itself as a blind law upon the agents of production, and not as a law which, being understood and hence controlled by their common mind, brings the productive process under their joint control.” (Capital, Volume III, chapter 15; Marx)
The limitations of the classical economists and of the modern day proponents of the free market – i.e. the monetarists – lie precisely in their undialectical treatment of the economy. For these economic theorists, the economy is a simple, mechanical system. Their explanations are either built on the “Robinson Crusoe” model of the economy, in which there exists a single individual on a desert island who is both the only producer and the only consumer, or are similar to those of a simple barter economy, consisting of the exchange of commodities between individual producers. In either case, by abstracting the economy to this level of the individual or of simple exchange between individual producers, the bourgeois economists remove all mention of the division of society into classes and the resultant struggle that arises from this for the surplus produced in society.
Rather than seeing the mathematical models of the economy as the generalised abstractions and approximations of an infinitely complex reality that they really are, modern bourgeois economists think that the equations are the reality and that the economy must conform to their models. Rather than making the theories fit the facts, the facts are forced to fit the theories. A similar idealistic tendency is often seen within modern physics, whereby the theories are judged by the beauty and simplicity of the equations, rather than by how well they fit the facts and explain the actual real life phenomena that exist.
In contrast to this idealistic approach, Marxist economics – based on a dialectical and materialist outlook – seeks to reach generalised conclusions by looking at the multitude of events and collective historical experience under capitalism (and of the economic systems of previous class societies), in order to draw out the laws and tendencies present within the complex system that is the economy. As Engels points out in his polemic against Duhring:
“...the principles are not the starting-point of the investigation, but its final result; they are not applied to nature and human history, but abstracted from them, it is not nature and the realm of man which conform to these principles, but the principles are only valid in so far as they are in conformity with nature and history. That is the only materialist conception of the matter, and Herr Dühring's contrary conception is idealistic, makes things stand completely on their heads, and fashions the real world out of ideas, out of schemata, schemes or categories existing somewhere before the world, from eternity — just like a Hegel.” (Anti-Duhring, chapter 3; Engels)
There is, however, also the opposite tendency within bourgeois ideology that seeks to deny the existence of any laws within capitalism. For these people, history and the economy are random processes, beyond the realm of scientific investigation. Such a concept is equally as idealistic as the mechanical view of the classical economists, but now arrived at from the opposite direction.
Economics and Science
Stephanie Flanders in the “Masters of Money” series highlights this tendency amongst Keynes and Hayek to see the economy as something inherently unpredictable. Both of these gentlemen sought to turn political economy into a serious science; but yet, according to Flanders, both men saw capitalism as a completely unpredictable system, due to its complex and chaotic nature. Such a view, which is both undialectical and idealistic, is incompatible with a genuine scientific – and Marxist – view, which sees order arising from chaos; predictability arising out of the unpredictable, as we have explained elsewhere.
Economics, of course, is not an exact science in the same sense as mechanics, due to the complexity of the system involved and the impossibility of isolating this system from the rest of the world. One cannot create repeatable laboratory experiments in the world of economics (although that has not stopped economists such as Milton Friedman of the “Chicago school” of monetarism – an extreme advocate of free markets and laissez faire capitalism – from trying to create social experiments for their economic theories, such as in Chile under General Pinochet); nevertheless, by observing the variety of events and process that occur, and by comparing these events against each other in terms of their outcomes, variables, and constants, one can identify the contradictions within the processes and formulate laws that describe – and predict – the basic behaviour of the system at a certain scale.
In this respect, economics is similar to medicine, meteorology, or geology. A doctor cannot always tell you exactly what disease you have or at what point death will occur; nor can weather forecasters or seismologists tell you exactly what the weather will be like next month or when the next earthquake will hit. Nevertheless, doctors, meteorologists, and seismologists can all make predictions –and often very accurate ones – at a certain scale, and the accuracy of these predictions is continually increasing as scientific understanding improves on the basis of experience and investigation.
An analogy can be drawn with that of thermodynamics. The behaviour of an individual, isolated gas molecule can be described using Newtonian mechanics; however, the behaviour of this individual particle becomes unpredictable as soon as we now examine a container of many hundreds or thousands of gas molecules, all interacting with one another. Nevertheless, out of this incredibly complex system, one can still draw simple, generalised laws that describe the behaviour of the volume of gas as a whole, including properties such as the temperature and pressure of the gas. From complexity arises simplicity; out of chaos arises order.
Similarly, whilst one cannot predict the exact outcome of an individual’s life, at the scale of society as a whole, generalised laws can be drawn and predictions can be made, such as the economic laws of capitalist crisis and the historical laws of the development of the means of production, class struggle, and revolution.
Ultimately, however, these generalised laws and economic theories, which are abstracted from this historical experience and investigation, must be applied to the concrete conditions facing us in order to gain a proper understanding of any given situation; these conditions include a whole host of political factors. It should never be forgotten that the economy is not a simple mechanical system that can be represented by abstractions and equations; it is a battle of living, breathing forces, and ultimately it is the balance of class forces that determine the given outcome of any economic situation.
It is to the credit of Keynes and Hayek that they, like Marx, sought to treat economics as a science, looking for the laws that governed the economy by a careful study of the facts. However, unlike Marx, neither Keynes nor Hayek were thorough materialists, nor were they dialecticians. As a result, their theoretical explanations frequently fall into the traps outlined above: either of idealism, only looking at one side of a many-sided, complex problem, and thus failing to provide a material explanation for phenomena; or of mechanical materialism, seeking to explain the economy as a simple clockwork system where cause and effect are linear and act in only one direction.
Part two >While we hear almost daily reports of retailers having their payment systems hacked and customer records stolen, it looks like cybercriminals are increasingly realizing they can turn a profit by stealing assets many consumers treat as an afterthought — loyalty rewards.
KrebsOnSecurity.com reports on the rise of rewards-related theft, and specifically on the growing number of consumers who have seen their Hilton Honors loyalty accounts violated by hackers.
One man tells Krebs that he recently had more than 250,000 points stolen from his Hilton account.
First, the thieves accessed his online account and changed the e-mail addresses associated with the account so that he would not receive any correspondence regarding the use and abuse of his rewards.
Then they helped themselves to six different Hilton hotel reservations in September, from Atlanta all the way up the Atlantic coast to Stamford, CT, where we assume they attended a taping of the Jerry Springer Show.
It gets worse — because the victim had a corporate credit card linked to the Hilton Honors account, the thieves were able to use that card to purchase additional points.
Krebs checked out some online black markets where people buy things they can’t get at the corner sore (at least not legally) and found people selling Hilton HHonors points for a fraction of their face value, from as little as $10 for 50,000 points to only $200 for 1 million points, along with suggestions on how the purloined points could be used — turn them into gift cards, buy items from the Hilton HHonors online marketplace, or just turn them in for cash.
The seller advises against using them to book travel for yourself but does admit that it’s “safer (and cheaper) than using a carded hotel service.”
So how are thieves getting this info?
The fact is that, though many of us have earned some sort of loyalty rewards — whether it’s from airlines, hotels, retailers, or credit cards — not everyone treats the online repositories of these assets with the security they deserve. So you might be throwing away a good password on an unsafe site, or maybe you’re using a simple, common password on a site that is otherwise secure.
In the case of Hilton, it looks like hackers are taking advantage of the fact that there are two login options — either a user name and password or a member number and 4-digit PIN.
Hilton isn’t talking about these incidents, but Krebs points out that the hotel chain recently added a CAPTCHA step to its login process in an apparent effort to stop hackers from brute-forcing their way into accounts. This seems to indicate that thieves were just running scripts to try as many number/password combinations as possible until the account was unlocked.The heat. That's what I remember most. Shimmery and bright. Blinding. Stifling. Heeee-eeaat.
The kind that's not just on you, wrapped around you, but balled up and pulsing inside you -- a desert blanket with teeth. It's a type of heat that makes your skin cry and your eyeballs sweat, even in the shade; heat like a predator you can't run away from.
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I notice it right as I get off the plane -- not just the degrees but also the dust. Dust you can smell, kicked up by a thousand years of struggle. In a region this old, I'm sure each breath carries a dose of unintended history: Inhale, Alexander the Great; exhale, the Ottoman Empire; inhale, the USSR; exhale, the Taliban.
And now, at 90,000 troops, it's America's turn.
I have my own history.
A week from now, it'll be a year since my mother passed. Horrific car accident, traumatic brain injury. It wasn't the first TBI I'd seen, but I hope it's the last.
She's the reason I and my brothers joined the Marines.
The last time I was in a war zone, though, it was Iraq. Anbar. Operation Iraqi Freedom. I was also a journalist -- Marine combat correspondent, a Private Joker, like Full Metal Jacket.
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"Get rid of that peace pin and get with the winning team, kid," the Colonel says to Joker.
Yeah that was me, Raptor Man and Joker rolled into one person, hopping around the combat zone with a camera. By the end, I could tell you the type of helicopter approaching just from the sound alone.
I remember we were all terrified of roadside bombs. Nothing could rip the life out of you as quick as an improvised explosive device. Practically invisible. Pressure plates. Propane tanks. Shaped charges and command det. Incendiary bombs frying the flesh right off your bones, and tank mines turning tons of Humvee steel into an indistinguishable mess, quick as a red-light-running SUV.
Mom's car was like that, nearly indistinguishable. Her crimson "Marine Mom" plate was bent and hanging from the front. In the backseat, purchased moments before impact, was a mangled case of Rolling Rock, the beer we all loved to drink together when the boys and I were home. When it happened, Mom was getting ready for us to come home again. The green glass from the bottles spread around the demolished Ford at a scarred Pennsylvania crossroad.
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She told me once that she had cried every night during my first deployment in 2006. I deployed again in 2008. Long before I even went to bootcamp, though, she had told me she always pictured me living out of a backpack in some foreign country, carrying around a camera and a notepad.
I land in Kabul with a bit more than that. I have a pelican case of camera gear, a backpack, a duffel bag and an old Corps Alice pack. Double of everything; redundancy is key.
The big difference here is that I don't have the Marine Corps to back me up. I'm alone in my own zone, no Conex box full of extra camera bodies, batteries and lenses. What I have is what I got.
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I'm used to freedom. During deployments as a combat correspondent, or "CC," I had an almost insane amount of freedom. I could be in Baghdad on Sunday, Ramadi on Wednesday, and Mosul by the weekend. I was one of a very select group of "non-rate" entry level Marines who could justifiably look in a colonel's eye and ask, "Why?"
Also, I had a top-down, bottom-up view of the battlefield. I was included in high-viz command briefs as well as presence patrols.
The only problem was the multilevel public affairs web, a dicey bureaucracy hell-bent on "happy glad" editing and stories that reflect rosily on the command staff. It's like the scene in "Full Metal Jacket," written by a former combat correspondent in a short story called "Short Times":
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"So you didn't see any enemy bodies, no casualties?" says the public affairs officer.
"They must have carried them all away," says Joker.
"No blood trails?"
"It was raining."
"Well, throw in one casualty, say, a dead officer; grunts love to read about dead officers," says the PAO.
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"How 'bout a General?"
Yes, I'll admit, Military Public Affairs was a spin machine I desperately wanted to be free of. Full of "command messages," clever omissions and helpful little edits.
Criticism at all was out of the question. I guess the idea was that we got enough of that from the civilian side of coverage. But to even call what we did "coverage" would be a bit of a misnomer. It was more like public relations with a journalism arm.
It's like this. Ribbon cuttings: The General stands there smiling in front of a new clinic, and I take the standard big-scissor picture -- snap. He and some Iraqi leader shake hands then -- snap snap -- and everyone's happy right? But there are no details about how much we paid and how long it took to finish the project. I can't even mention that there's no electricity or acknowledge the smell of shit in the air, wafting from a waterless outhouse just meters from the building.
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I saw a little boy come running out of it, smiling, excited the Americans came to visit, and I walk over to take a look inside. A huge pile of human shit intermixed with, strangely enough, pages from prominent American magazines. A smeared Vogue cover; I think I see Esquire, too, and then Johnny Depp peers at me from between turds, flies kissing his face like teenage girls probably do to their posters back home.
It was all so very strange, ignoring details like this, simply because "civilian journalists" don't want to reflect harshly on command or the military, in general.
Don't get me wrong, though, I'm not here to pull the rug out from anyone's feet. I'm not looking for a runaway general, or a hard-hitting expose.
See, I understand that despite what the news media, pundits and commanding generals say, the reality of war is wall-to-wall gray. It may look cut and dry, good and evil, right and wrong, but on the ground, the moral abyss that stretches between weapon sights and targets contextualizes even the most distilled aspect of human struggle: Kill or be killed.
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Death, like a black hole, distorts everything around it.
Speaking of death, once I arrive in Kabul city, what I'm wishing for is a little more security. As an independent operator, I'm not as comfortable as I once was rolling around with 50 well-armed 19-year-old Marines.
My travel isn't so structured. Sit. Stand. Sleep. Get the bags off the truck, Private. Move the bags over here. Now over there. Eat. Form up. Go away. Get together. Load up. Strap in. I said: Strap. In. A C130 from Kuwait, and then you're in the shit.
Not so now. I land in Kabul a disoriented mess. I'm not with DynCorp or Raytheon. I'm not a former SEAL with Blackwater. There's no burly white guy waiting at the gate with a sign bearing my name.
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I'm a freelance journalist. I have to rely on some tiny, jumpy Afghan who's looking to make a quick buck to help me get my bags, fill out forms and register with the government. Then my "fixer," a journalist facilitator, shows up with his driver and car.
Still, they are Afghans, it is not a Humvee and I am not surrounded by armed service members who are eager to dispatch my enemies.
I've come a long way from being that aimless college grad living in his mom's basement. I remember I had recently become a Teach for America reject. She called me upstairs not long after I got the rejection letter. It was the afternoon. I probably still had bed hair, my breath a mixture of cold pizza and coffee.
I'll never forget her ultimatum: "Either you go back to school …"
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With my habit for whiskey? No. No more school.
"you get your teaching credentials and teach down by your father …"
In South Carolina, nah, I'll pass. What's the last one?
"or you enlist in the Marines."
What? Really?
"I know a recruiter …" -- undoubtedly from her days as a high school front desk secretary -- "Gunnery Sergeant Fannel. You can call him right now if you want."
Hmmm … "What's the number?"
Years later, seeing me as a success, my two brothers would follow suit.
When I do finally meet a service member in Kabul to pick up my media credentials from the local base, he drives out of the entry control point in a lumbering "hard skin" vehicle (one that looks like a regular SUV except it's armored).
He gets no farther than about 50 feet from the ECP, parks and gets out. He's totally covered in protective equipment.
I see now how ridiculous we Americans sometimes look to the locals. Obsessed with protection to the point that the protection itself actually makes us slower and more apt to trip, stumble, or get caught up -- in a lot of ways more vulnerable.
Also, it acts as a very ostentatious barrier between us and the Afghans.
This is not the first time I get the perspective of the locals. Another big difference this time is that I've given myself a week in the mix before I have to meet up for my flight out to Camp Leatherneck and the Marine units with whom I'll embed.
So I have a week to tool around Afghanistan, free as a bird flapping in the breeze, and my perspective is not solely limited to that of the military. It's important, I believe, to talk to the people and get to know them. I think the Marines would agree that talking to the people was no small part of their success in Anbar during the "Awakening" in '07 and '08. I hope it will be a part of my success as a reporter, this time on the civilian side.
The first time I was in Iraq, I'll admit that I hated all of them. A deep, scornful hatred, like black syrup pumping thick through my heart. A hawk that eats foreign policy hawks for breakfast, I wanted to glass the whole country.
Second time around, tasked with transition teams, I got to know a lot of Iraqis. Picked up a little Arabic. I began to understand them as a people, their generational struggle to exist beneath the iron arm of Saddam's royal tyranny.
You can Monday-morning-quarterback the shit out of our operation -- whether it was legal or not, how it was handled, etc. But in between the lines of the opinion sections of the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, it's prudent to understand that real people with families, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, dreams and nightmares -- actual human beings -- are trying to exist and cope with a never-ending cycle of trauma.
The Iraqis used to laugh at the American concept of post-traumatic stress disorder. Actually laugh. They'd say, "PTSD? Look at our children; they've grown up with PTSD."
The Afghans are no different. In fact, they're worse.
I cruise out west, to Kunduz, to the farms and the bazaars. I talk to farmers, fishermen and kids. Inside the city, I talk to prominent businessmen and city officials. In the park, I talk to regular citizens and even senior citizens as they play chess.
I go up into the mountain slums and give bubblegum to the children. I ask them what they want to be when they grow up, what they learn at school, and who their heroes are.
"John Cena!" Yells one kid, scrunching into a wrestler pose and smiling.
What amazes me is the amount of hope. It's understandable when a kid in New Jersey tells you he wants to be a firefighter or a doctor. Every kid here either wants to be a doctor or an engineer. It strums a chord of sorrow in me so deep that it takes all I can to ignore it; as I watch a toddler paw through an open sewer, it takes all I have to keep a straight face while I carry on a conversation with children who have lived nothing but war.
The city scene is what we would think of as post-apocalyptic. So is most of the countryside and suburbs, all the bazaars and farms. There is tinge of post-apocalypse everywhere. Not like Iraq, though. In Iraq, in Baghdad, they remembered once that their city was beautiful.
Here it is not so much post-, but also during, maybe even pre-. Even the parents of those children grew up in war. The Russians held ground in the '80s. The Taliban ran a regime of fire in the '90s. Now unfinished, unoccupied buildings dot the landscape as proof (alongside the looming U.S. withdrawal deadline) that the crooked fingers of 2008's economic apocalypse reach even into the darkest depths of war.
And once we go, where does that leave them? Most of them think Pakistan or Iran will take over. The optimists hope Russia or China will gain influence. Either way, the vast majority want the U.S. to stay.
It's funny, they refer to their country as the football field where armies come to compete for global dominance.
Regardless, I find they are a proud, strong and courteous people. They are also willing to fight for their country, which I find out once I get to Delaram II, a Marine base in Helmand.
After spending a week in Kabul and the surrounding area, I meet up with my military liaison and catch a flight south, to Camp Leatherneck and then down to Delaram II, to embed with a Marine Advisory Team.
I realize things are really different once a Marine -- one who would have drastically outranked me --calls me "sir."
"You don't have to call me sir, dude. Geoff will do just fine."
I realize I've just called a Gunnery Sergeant "dude." Yes, as opposed to being a guy in uniform with a camera, now I'm just a guy with a camera. The distance, regardless of my history, is palpable, typified by an intelligence lieutenant who stammers through an interview, unsure exactly of what to divulge.
Finally, for me, it begins to sink in that the phrase, "Once a Marine, always a Marine," is literally just that: a phrase.
The unit here is "advising" a brigade of the Afghan National Army. My first day there, the Afghan army simultaneously repels an enemy assault and finds some IEDs. They do both to a degree satisfactory to Marine standards, except they bring the IEDs back on the base, sending the Marines into a tizzy.
Marine explosive ordinance disposal appears to take care of the bombs (it turns out, they were inert anyway), and I find myself an interpreter so that I can talk to the Afghan chain of command. I think I'm going to focus on them more than the Marines, who are due to leave in the next two years anyway.
Inside the Afghan command center, I am alone, aside from the interpreter. No Marine Gunny. No PAO.
So there is freedom, and there is also more of a degree of objectivity, but objectivity is a relative concept. I know I have more latitude, but I also have more time. There's no quota. I can focus on whatever I want (there's a motorcycle-riding General here whom I've pretty much pegged for my next piece).
I guess that just leaves the question: Why? Why did I come back?
I've wondered that myself quite often. I remember on that last plane ride out, after my second deployment, there was a soul-deep sigh when the bird finally left the ground. Thank God, I thought, I have all my fingers and all my toes, all my limbs, all my skin, and I'm out. I don't ever have to come back.
But here I am. Again.
Maybe I want action. Or maybe it's that writers write what they know. It could even be that I miss the Corps. But that's not quite right.
I know that I want to offer a voice to voiceless people. I know that I want to see the truth -- report the truth -- in depth. And I know that, if not for anyone but my little brothers, I want to tell the stories of 19-year-old Marines -- Americans who were as old as those Afghan children when the planes took down our towers.
The truth is I don't really know why. It could be many things.
It could even be my mother, whom I still see in my dreams, and the drive to be the man she dreamed me to be. I wish the nearest Rolling Rock wasn't 4,000 miles away.Marco Urena seemed a bit tentative about his role when he first signed with the Earthquakes.
Speaking with reporters during his introductory press conference in January, the forward viewed fellow striker Chris Wondolowski more as competition, almost as if he felt he needed to outperform him in training camp to win more playing time. That viewpoint has changed.
Now having played four games with Wondolowski, Urena could not be more pleased in his pairing up top with the captain.
“Game by game the companionship gets stronger,” Urena said. “Chris and I are similar in the fact that we leave it all out on the field. I think that’s why we’ve had so much success together early on. The last two games have not gone our way but I think we’re only going to get better and he’s been a great guy to learn from.”
The attacking combination had mostly benefited Wondolowski, who recorded two assists and a goal in the team’s first two games. In Saturday’s 2-1 loss to New York City FC, it was the Costa Rican forward who finally reaped the rewards as he scored six minutes into the match.
The goal came after Urena’s return from the Costa Rica national team for World Cup qualifying, an experience he said left him motivated upon his return to San Jose. While Urena thought he had played well in the previous matches, he said it felt good to actually get |
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