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’s an issue triggered by the response on the Right to Trump’s campaign, and (to a lesser extent to former Judge Roy Moore: Are they going to let partisan politics warp their capacity for clear moral judgment?
All through 2016, figures on the Right debated over what to do about Trump. His character, his temperament, his history, his knowledge (or lack thereof) made him as unfit a candidate for president as any in our history. Many refused to endorse him; some even publicly backed Hillary Clinton. But among those who did, one of the most powerful arguments went this way: “Yes, he’s wrong in all sorts of ways, but if Clinton wins, we will have a liberal federal judiciary for decades, we will have intrusive health care, and we will have no chance to cut down the size of Big Government, and anyway, she’s a crook.” If the exit polls are right, a lot of voters bought this argument; crunch the numbers, and it turns out that several million voters who saw Trump as neither qualified nor fit for office voted for him anyway.
We are seeing this same argument about Moore (although his support does seem to be slipping by the hour). The Alabama state auditor has said in so many words that he will vote for Moore even if the charges about molesting a 14-year-old girl are true. Conservative writer David Horowitz put it this way: “In my view Moore is guilty as accused. But 1) it happened 30 years ago, & 2) he can't be removed from the ballot, & 3) electing a Dem strengthens a party that defends these criminals: Obama, the Clintons, Holder, Lynch, Abedin, Cheryl Mills etc. & their crimes are far far worse.”
Now for the hard part. How different is this “transactional” approach to voting different from what Bill Clinton’s supporters did in brushing aside the serious questions not of philandering, but of predatory sexual behavior?
Clinton was a feminist; he named a liberal woman to the Supreme Court; he was pro-choice; he put record numbers of women in his administration; he fought for child care, the earned-income tax credit, environmentally progressive policies. By focusing on Clinton’s private “dalliances,” and by ignoring the more serious allegations, the center-left argued that the removal of Clinton was not just anti-democratic (overturning an election), but would be a victory for the forces of reaction. (This argument always lacked a certain force, given that Al Gore would have replaced Clinton). It also represented a complete reversal of a central feminist argument that “the personal is political,” that the behavior of men, and not just their pronouncements and policies, had to be taken into account. The new version was, “the personal is political unless the person in question embraces my politics.”
Clinton himself raised this argument when he told his Cabinet in August 1998 that his earlier assurances of innocence in the Lewinsky affair were false. His Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala upbraided him for his conduct, and noted that had he been a professor at the university she once ran, he would have been bounced for such conduct.
To which Clinton replied, according to the Washington Post, “that if her logic had prevailed in 1960, Richard M. Nixon would have been elected president instead of John F. Kennedy.”
This is, you may recognize, the mirror image of the argument Trump’s supporters made to skeptics, and what Moore’s supporters are making even as their man takes serious incoming fire. The political defense of Moore goes like this: “If Moore loses, that’s one less vote for tax cuts, conservative judges, traditional values. (Well, they might want to shelve that one). We can’t let our problems with personal conduct override the enormous political stakes.”
But Clinton’s reply to Shalala raises one final, highly unsettling question: Given today’s terrain, how should we regard the conduct of President John Kennedy? We have known for several decades that he was not simply a “womanizer” (a word that may need to be retired) but a man of compulsive, reckless, dangerous impulses. Some of his behavior was simply contemptible, telling the 19-year-old White House staffer he was sleeping with to “take care” of his aide and occasional procurer Dave Powers with oral sex.
But some of it carried clear public consequences, like bedding the mistress of a powerful Mafia don while his brother was launching an all-out war on organized crime, or frolicking with a suspected East German agent. The fact that FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover had full knowledge of JFK’s behavior—knowledge he delighted in sharing with his nemesis Robert Kennedy—meant that there was no way for President Kennedy to remove a racist, politically fanatical director of the FBI. (Disclosure: I worked in Robert Kennedy’s Senate office and for his presidential campaign in 1967-68.) Moreover, contrary to the myth that the press threw a protective shield around his behavior, Kennedy in the last weeks of his life had become the focus of some serious investigative reporting, most notably by Clark Mollenhoff of the Des Moines Register. It is at least possible that had Kennedy lived, his private life would have become distinctly unprivate, jeopardizing his hold on the White House. We’ll never know what apologies might have been written to absolve him of those sins, but we can well imagine given the prevailing attitudes of the time.
And yet … there is more than a little realpolitik force to Clinton’s question. For all of his recklessness in matters of sex, Kennedy was a cautious, prudent man when it counted most—in his role as commander in chief. In his refusal to go into Laos in 1961, in his refusal to provide American air cover for the doomed Bay of Pigs invasion, in his conduct during the Cuban missile crisis, in his call for a thaw in the Cold War and a Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, and in his increasing doubts about Vietnam, there was no sign of recklessness. It may not be too much to say that a different president during the Cuban missile crisis would have meant the difference between life and death for tens of millions of people.
In the end, though, neither Clinton nor Kennedy can escape the “reckoning” of which Hayes and Flanagan refer. In the case of Kennedy, his treatment of women was not simply callous, but jeopardized his presidency. In the case of Clinton, his public policies cannot erase the serious doubts about whether a sexual predator occupied the White House for eight years. And even measured by partisan concerns, Clinton’s behavior materially, perhaps fatally, wounded the campaigns of Gore and Hillary Clinton.
For many of us, it is easy to look at Weinstein, Trump and Moore as case studies in pathological behavior. Looking closer to home is a lot more painful; it is also compulsory. Unless and until partisans across the board stop justifying unconscionable behavior out of political self-interest, the more likely it is that the pervasive cynicism about the process, and everyone involved in it, will fester and grow.Barry Hearn admits even he does not know how China is going to react to the inaugural Shanghai Darts Masters this weekend.
The two-day tournament starts tomorrow at the Pullman Hotel Shanghai South, with the first day seeing eight of the PDC’s top players take on four Chinese qualifiers and four invited players.
And ahead of the PDC holding an event in China for the first time in 12 years, the organisation’s chairman told Darts Weekly: “God knows what could happen. It could be anything or nothing you know.
“Within my business China is a big market. The snooker is huge in China so I get some leverage.
“I’ve been knocking on the door for three years and this is year one, so I’m not expecting it to be like New Zealand or Sydney.
“I’m expecting something quite quiet and I’m hoping we will encourage the darts associations in China to get better and put more resources behind it.”
With the introduction of China this year, 2016 will see six events held in the World Series, along with the finals weekend in Glasgow in November.
Tournaments in Dubai, New Zealand, Australia and Japan have all returned from last year, while China’s World Series debut is the first part of a much bigger plan for Hearn and the PDC.
“This is a long term plan,” Hearn said. “Out of all the venues on the World Series this is the longest term plan.
“Darts in China is a 10-year plan. This is a tough market to break into, but we’ve got a foot in the door and that’s the best we can hope for at the moment.
“We’ve seen with the snooker in China that if it takes off, it takes off quickly”
“We’ve got a three-year deal with Shanghai but that doesn’t stop other events happening as well.
“I’d like to see a stronger involvement in the grassroots of the game in China from the Chinese sportspeople so that we build that structure.
“When you’ve got two billion people it’s a pretty big net to throw out and see if there’s anyone with outstanding ability.
“In the snooker I’ve said in the next three years I think half of the top 16 will be Chinese, so that’s a quantum shift in power.
“If darts takes off in China I’ll be really surprised if they didn’t produce some world class players, but they need an infrastructure. I think this is going to be quite a low key initial operation. But one thing I’ve said with the snooker in China is that if it takes off, it takes off quickly, so we shall see.”
Since the PDC launched the World Series in 2013 with events in Dubai and Australia, the tour has continued to grow in both popularity and demand.
And it is no surprise that Hearn has received many offers from across the world to bring the World Series to them.
“It’s exciting,” the PDC chairman said. “I’m inundated with countries saying ‘can we be a part of the World Series?’
“Even closer to home, Germany, Scandinavia are keen on a World Series event.
“The next big push we’re going to do is we’re going to go back to America.
“We’re going back in 2017 and will release all the details shortly.
“With the World Series events there isn’t a specific format. In Dubai it’s just the eight players, while others have qualifiers versus the eight.
“I think America will be like that. There’s slightly different promotional techniques you have to use in America. You have to give them some American winners.
“In America we’ll do a massive qualifier on site, so every player in North America gets a chance, and that will find the guys to compete in the event.”
The PDC calendar is already a very busy one and Hearn is mindful of how many more events he can introduce onto the World Series tour in future years.
“The top eight are earning great money obviously, but they have a responsibility to spread the game, which they are embracing and I’m thankful to them for that,” he said.
“But at the same time they can’t take their eye off the rankings.
“They’re only in the top eight because they are ranked in the top eight.
“There’s so many other tournaments so we’ve got to be a little bit careful of burning these players out.
“These boys get appearance money plus prize money, which is the sort of standard for this type of event, because you’re a long way from home.
“But my word they want to win. The competitive nature of Auckland last weekend was fantastic, the averages were unbelievable.
“I’m very happy with the way the World Series is going. I’m just conscious I don’t want to produce too many.
“So if I’ve gone from five to six this year, next year from six to seven, I’m getting towards capacity and then you start looking at moving it around a little bit.
“So Australia you look at, instead of Perth and Sydney, why not Melbourne and Brisbane? You try and keep it fresh.”
AdvertisementsAbout 80 students and staff at St. Jean de Brébeuf Catholic Secondary School have potentially been exposed to active tuberculosis.
A case has been reported at the Mountain school on Acadia Drive to the city's public health department.
"Public Health Services has notified most of the people who were potentially exposed and is in the process of notifying the remaining few," it says in a statement. "Notification was done through direct letter with Public Health Services staff available on site at the school and by telephone to answer questions."
[ Public health says TB not easily spread despite recent exposure at Brebéuf high school ]
Public health will not provide further details due to privacy reasons including the age of the person infected with TB or where he or she caught the bacteria that most often affects the lungs.
The department is also not revealing where else the person has spent time in the community.
TB is a serious infectious disease that is spread person to person through the air.
"There is no significant risk to the broader Hamilton community," says the statement. "Public Health Services has identified all individuals who may have been exposed provided information directly to them on the recommended followup."
Some of those potentially exposed will be recommended for testing.
"The overall risk of anyone in the school developing active TB is low," says the statement.If you have issues with Flash and cannot read the comic by clicking the swallow buttons, try one of the following solutions:1. Click on the green arrow download button on the right side of the dA page,2. Or change to a different browser (like Firefox),3. Or update your Flash player at get.adobe.com/flashplayer/ 4. Or right click with you mouse, then select “ play ”, but you might have to do this with every page.Chapter 1 BonusChapter 2Here’s the first chapter of Knite!I hope you all enjoy! There’ll be about 7 or 8 more chapters to go so I’ll be super busy as usual.Translations to other languages can be viewed here If you are interested in translating Knite, please read this yuumei.deviantart.com/journal/… Thank you!I’ll post a few pages of the scriptless jpeg version onto dA everyday until the next chapter comes out. I was able to finish Ch1 in roughly a month over winter break but I'll need to slow down now that I’m back at college and I have to work on commissions to pay for college XDBIG THANKS to my Art Major friend, for proof reading the script and critiquing my drawings. Also BIG THANKS to my best friend, Leah, who helped me with the story plot, and my roommate,, for fixing my typos XD. Last but not least, BIG THANKS to for her awesome Flash tutorials that taught me how to make this comic possible!I love you all!Everything was drawn in Paint tool SAI, the textures were added in Photoshop, and the comic was put together in Macromedia Flash.PS If you haven't already, you can also read my first one shot comicAccording to Lal the ‘magical properties’ of cow dung exist only in the excrement of ‘desi’ breed and not in ‘western monsters like Jersey or Holstein’. (Photo: file)
Mumbai: Giving their own bizarre twist to science and logic, members from an RSS offshoot from UP, the Akhil Bharatiya Gau Sewa, have hit headlines for pasting cow dung on the back of their cell phones, claiming that its ‘magical properties’ would save them from harmful radiations.
“Cow is our mother. Its excreta and urine are nectar and have power to save humans from any disease. If cow dung can treat cancer, why can’t it save us from a phone’s microwaves?” the group’s leader Shankar Lal said in an interview to The Indian Express.
Claiming that moderated intake of cow dung has kept him healthy even at his ripe age of 76, Lal said that cow dung has the potential to cure any disease and that they make pregnant women eat cow dung and urine paste to ensure a normal delivery.
Listing its benefits, he also cites some obscure scientists in Junagadh who allegedly found gold in cow’s urine.
When questioned about the science behind his claims, Lal pulls out a pendulum and makes one of his team members hold it out. He then gives it a jerk and points out that the pendulum swings because of the energy in the man’s hands.
“Look, this man’s body has so much energy and the pendulum is swinging because of that. Now, when this man holds a phone in his hand, the pendulum won’t move. This is because the phone’s harmful waves have sucked all his energy. Now, let him hold a phone with cow dung on it, and hold this pendulum over his hand. See, it’s moving again… His energy is saved!,” Lal says excitedly.
But there’s a catch. According to Lal the ‘magical properties’ of cow dung exist only in the excrement of ‘desi’ breed and not in ‘western monsters like Jersey or Holstein’. “Their dung and milk are nothing but poison,” he concluded.Deloitte's Chris Richardson addresses the National Press Club saying Governments 'cannot solve' the housing affordability crisis alone.
This is the real face of Australia’s housing crisis.
For two years Mary* lived in temporary charity accommodation after escaping a destructive relationship. But as she reached the end of her time limit she knew she would have to enter the dreaded Sydney property market.
Not to buy, heaven forbid — she doesn’t even own a car. But to find any place to rent that would fit her and her three kids.
For six months she looked at more than 50 houses and put in application after application but got nothing.
“I’m not joking, some of them were horrific — some of them had laundries in the bedrooms!”
Often she knew she had no chance even before she applied.
“When I handed in my application form for a house they would just grab it with their fingernails and through clenched teeth say ‘thank you’,” she tells news.com.au.
“I remember my mother saying ‘I don’t think you’ll get that house’. Those were the things that were distressing.
“That was my low point.”
Mary was being helped out by the St Vincent de Paul Society but even they couldn’t work miracles.
Yet then something happened that looked a lot like divine intervention.
On what she reckons was about her 56th inspection, a very modest red brick house in Sydney’s south west, nobody else showed up.
“I couldn’t believe it. I was trying to pinch myself — thinking: ‘Is this really happening?’”
Mary is one of the lucky ones, finally getting a place to live on her 16th formal application. She knows others who have put in 50 or 60 applications to no avail.
While we know a generation of Australians is struggling to buy their first home — and many are coming to accept they never will — there are many more below that who are struggling to even get a roof over their heads.
Vinnies NSW CEO Jack de Groot says housing costs are the single biggest driver of poverty and disadvantage in Australia and an estimated 875,000 households are experiencing housing stress.
Around 2.5 million people — 13.9 per cent of the population — live below the internationally accepted poverty line.
Meanwhile, it is estimated that the current supply of social housing only meets 44 per cent of the need and in 2016 the public waiting list was set to grow by 60% to 86,532.
“Research shows we need 100,000 new social and affordable homes in NSW over the next 20 years to combat the current 10-year waiting list for social and affordable housing,” Mr de Groot tells news.com.au
“Vinnies is calling on Commonwealth, state and local governments to work together with institutional investors and the not-for- profit sector to ensure that affordable and safe housing is available for everyone.”
The charity is calling for a change to planning laws so that at least 15 per cent of new residential developments is set aside for affordable housing where rent is less than 30 per cent of income.
While Mary couldn’t get a social housing property, the government is helping to subsidise her rent, which is $650 a week and has just been hiked to $690.
And for the first time in a long time she is looking forward to the future with her two daughters and a son.
“I started again,” she said.
“I closed the door on my old life and then I just began again.”
Luckily for her another door has opened. The question is, how many other people are still waiting outside?
*Name has been changed.Late last year, AMC's The Walking Dead set the record for the highest ratings for a basic cable, non-sports program. It might be fair to assume that when going up against the highest rated Grammy Awards since the '80s, the show would suffer a bit of a slump in its return Sunday night. Instead, it once again posted the… largest number of viewers for a basic cable, non-sports program, with 8.1 million viewers, 5.4 million of them in the coveted 18-49-year-old demo. That this comes after the first half of the season, which was roundly criticized by both critics and fans for being too slow-moving, is even more remarkable, in some ways, than the show holding up against the Grammys so well. According to Entertainment Weekly, if you add in the number of people who watched the rebroadcast at 11 p.m. Eastern, the show's audience grows to 10.1 million viewers (and that number will only rise as DVR numbers come in). Our greatest fear from this news: Somebody somewhere is looking at the huge numbers for Walking Dead and the Grammys and is quietly contemplating a show where the zombies sing.
AdvertisementSince they traded for Troy Tulowitzki just 10 days ago, the Toronto Blue Jays have surged into the final wild card spot and halved their deficit to the Yankees in the AL East. Friday kicked off a crucial weekend series between the two teams, the first of 13 games they’ll play between now and the end of the season. Both RA Dickey and Nathan Eovaldi were dealing, and the game went into extra innings tied 1-1. That’s when Jose Bautista happened:
Normally it is Toronto’s bullpen and their 4.09 ERA (sixth worst in the majors) that is shaky, but in 25.2 innings since the trade for Tulowitzki, they’ve had a 2.45 ERA. It’s a small sample size and perhaps won’t last, but the bullpen is certainly strengthened by the immortal LaTroy Hawkins, who hasn’t given up a run in the five innings since he came over with Tulo. And the acquisition of David Price, who gave up a single run in eight innings in his Blue Jays debut, should decrease the bullpen’s workload and therefore increase its effectiveness.
Toronto’s mediocre record at the trade deadline masked a best-in-the-majors +100 run differential. They are a putrid 12-23 in one-run games, but given that record in one-run games is more a function of randomness than anything else, there’s no reason to think that it will persist. They were already a prime candidate to finish the season strong, and with the additions of Hawkins, Tulowitzki, and Price, there’s a legitimate case to be made that they’re one of the handful of best teams in the majors.
The question now doesn’t seem to be whether the Blue Jays will make the playoffs, but how far in the playoffs they’re going to advance.
AdvertisementOrganigram, the Moncton based medical marijuana producer, is expecting a big turnout for its upcoming job fair in October.
They say there will likely be no shortage of applicants for the more than 150 jobs up for grabs.
“What we will be looking for is primarily productions and cultivation jobs. But also a lot of administrative supports such as HR, Finance, IT, marketing, client service” said Ray Gracewood, Chief Commercial Officer at Organigram.
READ MORE: New Brunswick marijuana company commits $20K to fight opioid crisis
The job fair is being held on October 21st in Moncton at a location soon to be determined. Gracewood says they are planning for a big crowd since the company is preparing to double its workforce by the end of next year; from about 110 employees to more than 250.
By the end of this year he says a $60-million expansion will be complete and the company will have tripled the size of its plant — all in preparation for next year when pot is legal in Canada.
“We’ve actually got two other buildings that we will be expanding to beyond 2017,” said Gracewood.
WATCH: The risks and rewards of investing in the marijuana industry in Canada ahead of legalization
But the business of marijuana isn’t looking so rosy for the consumer.
Industry experts say Canada’s licenced producers won’t be able to come close to meeting demand for recreational reefer, with Canadians expected to buy 650,000 kilograms of weed a year.
Gracewood says New Brunswick is already ahead of the game.
READ MORE: Marijuana shortages will plague first year or so of legalization
Earlier this month, the province signed a deal with both Organigram and Canopy Growth to supply a million grams of marijuana a year for sale in the province and Sarah Bustard, acting communications officer for the New Brunswick Department of Finance, confirmed the province is scouting for even more product.
“This will ensure there is a safe and secure supply of recreational cannabis when it becomes legal in July 2018. We also continue to have conversations with other suppliers,” Bustard wrote in an email.
Gracewood says Organigram is negotiating to supply cannabis to other provinces.St. Agata, 10 May 1872
Dear Giulio,
Yesterday I received from Reggio a letter which is so amusing that I am sending it to you, asking you to carry out the commission I am about to give you. Here is the letter:
Reggio, 7 May 1872
Much honored Signor Verdi,
On the second of this month, attracted by the sensation your opera Aida was making, I went to Parma. Half an hour before the performance began I was already in my seat, No. 120. I admired the scenery, listened with great pleasure to the excellent singers, and took great pains to let nothing escape me. After the performance was over, I asked myself whether I was satisfied. The answer was in the negative. I returned to Reggio and, on the way back in the railroad carriage, I listened to the verdicts of my fellow travellers. Nearly all of them agreed that Aida was a work of the highest rank.
Thereupon I conceived a desire to hear it again, and so on the forth I returned to Parma. I made the most desperate efforts to obtain a reserved seat, and there was such a crowd that I had to spend 5 lire to see the performance in comfort.
I came to the following conclusion: the opera contains absolutely nothing thrilling or electrifying, and if it were not for the magnificent scenery, the audience would not sit through it to the end. It will fill the theatre a few more times and then gather dust in the archives. Now, my dear Signor Verdi, you can imagine my regret at having spent 32 lire for these two performances. Add to this the aggravating circumstance that I am dependent on my family, and you will understand that his money preys on my mind like a terrible specter. Therefore I address myself frankly and openly to you so that you may send me this sum. Here is the account:
Railroad, going: 2.60
Railroad, returning: 3.30
Theatre: 8.00
Disgustingly bad dinner: 2.00
Twice: 15.90
Total: 31.80
In the hope that you will extricate me from this dilemma,
I am yours sincerely,
Bertani
My address: Bertani, Prospero; Via St. Domenico, No. 5. Imagine, if to protect a child of a family from the horrible specters that disturb his peace, I should not be disposed to pay that little bill he has brought to my attention! Therefore by means of your representative or a bank, please reimburse 27.80 lire in my name to this Signor Prospero Bertani, 5 Via St. Domenico. This isn't the entire sum for which asks me, but... to pay for his dinner too! No. He could very well have eaten at home!!! Of course he will send you a receipt for that sum and a note, by which he promises never again to go to hear my new operas, to avoid for himself the danger of other specters and for me the farce of paying him for another trip [...]
Milan, 16 May 1872
Dear Giuseppe,
As soon as I received you last letter I wrote to our correspondent in Reggio, who found the famous Signor Bertani, paid the money, and got the proper receipt! I amc opying the letter and receipt for the newspaper, and I shall return everything to you tomorrow. Oh, what fools there are in this world! But this is the best one yet!
The correspondent in Reggio writes me: "I sent immediately for Bertani, who came to me right away. Advised of the reason for my invitation, he first showed surprise, but then said: 'If Maestro Verdi reimburses me, this means that he has found what I wrote fim to be correct. It's my duty to thank him, however, and I ask you to do it for me.'"
This one is even better!
Pleased to have discovered this rarity of the species, I send the most cordial greetings to you and Signora Peppina.
Giulio
15 May 1872
I, the undersigned, certify herewith that I have received the sum of 27.80 lire from Maestro Giuseppe Verdi, as reimbursement of my expenses for a trip to Parma to hear the opera Aida. The Maestro felt it was fair that this sum should be restored to me, since I did not find his opera to my taste. At the same time it is agreed that I shall undertake no trip to hear any of the Maestro's new operas in the future, unless he takes all the expenses upon himself, whatever my opinion of his work may be.
In confirmation whereof I have affixed my signature.
Bertani, Prospero
In May of 1872, having recently travelled twice to watch Aida, a disappointed Italian gentleman named Prospero Bertani decided to write a letter of complaint to the opera's composer, Verdi, and ask for his money back; not just for the show, but for his expenses too. Amused, Verdi responded by forwarding the letter to his publisher, Giulio Ricordi, with instructions. The chain of correspondence can be seen below, along with a written promise from Bertani never to watch the opera again.To Bertrani's dismay, Verdi later arranged for his letter of complaint to be published in a number of Italian newspapers."There was enough about it that we thought, 'There's something to this.' "
In January, Latulip came to the St. Catharines police station and provided a voluntary DNA sample. This week, it was revealed that sample matched a family member's DNA on file with the Waterloo Regional Police.
If he wants to meet his family, he'll get that chance.
"He's been informed that match is there and now we're working toward reunification with his family in the near future," Gavin said.
Latulip's mother could not be reached for this story. But police say they want to help her see her son again.
In the meantime, there are so many questions about what happened to Latulip after he went missing all those years ago.
He told police he left Kitchener by bus after he left his group home. At the time, investigators suspected he might have gone to the falls to end his life and his body had simply never been recovered.
"I think he got on a bus, and the bus took him to Niagara Falls, and then he wandered on to St. Catharines. That's when he suffered the head injury. When he kind of woke up, things were a lot different," Gavin said.
"This is a new one for me. I've never seen anything like this before."
In a 2014 interview, his mother said her son's disappearance left a painful hole in her life that couldn't be healed.
"This is always at the back of my mind. Having an answer would mean closure," she said at the time. "When Edgar disappeared, I became quite sick. I had to take a leave of absence from work. I was near a nervous breakdown."
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Either there are a lot of people of Chinese heritage that love coal ash in Colorado, or something is up with the White House’s citizen-led petition page. Add to this the fact that these Chinese Americans have names that would translate as “Small Steamed Bun,” “Big Steamed Bun,” and “Most Handsome Guy,” and things start to look really weird.
Back in September 2011, the group Citizens for Recycling First launched a petition on the White House’s “We the People” page, a site designed to allow Americans to flag issues of importance to them for the Obama administration. If petitions on the page get 5,000 signatures in 30 days, the administration will respond to them. The petition in question deals with the regulation of coal ash—the stuff left behind when you burn coal to generate electricity—and asks the Environmental Protection Agency not to classify the ash as “hazardous waste” that requires special disposal. The EPA is currently considering a new rule that could affect how the waste, which contains toxic elements like arsenic, mercury, and lead, is handled. But the agency has met backlash from groups aligned with the coal ash industry who believe that the designation will create both extra costs and a stigma for recyclers that use the stuff to make drywall, landfill material, and even bowling balls.
Steamed Bun Older Sister, Come to China Donkey, and Jet Li were just a few of the names included on the petition.
This petition has 5,402 signatures, which earned it a response from the assistant administrator of the EPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. But when the group Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) looked at the petition, staffers noted that hundreds of the signatures were in Chinese characters. That seemed weird, so they hired a Mandarin-speaking translator to look it over. He found that many of the Chinese words weren’t names at all, but were foods, animals, phrases involving the word “handsome,” or solicitations to visit China. That included:
Steamed Bun Older Sister, Steamed Bun Little Sister, Small Steamed Bun, Big Steamed Bun, Big Bear, Big Grey Wolf, Little Duck, Little White Rabbit, Yellow Tiger, Come to China Big, Come to China Cat, Come to China China, Come to China Donkey, Come to China Little Girl, Handsome Six, Handsome Eight, Handsome Good Looking, Handsome Dragon, and the Most Handsome Guy.
There were also names of famous people form Chinese politics, literature, and history, like Lianjie Li—the real name of Chinese movie star Jet Li—who signed it twice. Many of them indicated that they were from Aurora, Colorado, as did a number of other Chinese names that were written in English. EIP flagged the petition, wondering what was going on here—was the petition spammed, or was someone using the fake names to boost the number of signatures on the petition? “There’s either a very large Mandarin-speaking community in Aurora, Colorado, with a passion for coal ash, or it just seems pretty sloppy,” said EIP director Eric Schaeffer. (According to the Census Bureau, 4.9 percent of Aurora is of Asian descent—though most of them probably aren’t named “Big Steamed Bun.”)
Citizens for Recycling First denied that there was any malfeasance here, and instead turned the blame on unnamed environmental groups. “I have no idea how the Chinese characters got on the White House website,” John Ward, the group’s chairman, told Mother Jones on Monday. He referred my questions to the White House, since it’s their site that hosts the petition. “For all I know, they may have been put there by an environmental group seeking to embarrass us.”
“If somebody found a way to hack a bunch of names and still be able to get through that verification process with the White House, I don’t know how to do that,” he continued. “If we were the ones trying to cheat, why would we do something so obvious as using Chinese characters? I don’t even know Chinese characters.”
The White House didn’t respond to several requests for comment about what might have happened with the petition, and whether anyone was looking into it. But it seems like spamming the site it is at least moderately difficult. You have to create an account before you can sign a petition, which requires a valid zip code and email address, as well as the ability to type out the “captcha” phrase and prove you’re not a robot. Then you have to verify your account by clicking on a link in an email sent from the site, and then enter the password contained in that email on the site.
This whole affair would seem rather silly, but the regulation of coal ash is a major issue for the EPA that’s been caught up in interagency dispute for nearly three years. In October 2009, the EPA proposed a rule that would have reclassified coal ash as hazardous waste. The companies that recycle coal ash balked, arguing that this classification would make their products less appealing. The rule was sent to the White House Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, which reviews agency rules, and when it emerged there were actually two proposals—one that would classify it as a hazardous waste, and one that wouldn’t. I wrote about that whole affair back in December 2010, and nothing has changed since then—there’s still no new rule for dealing with coal ash. So the effort to sway those rules is still underway.
And Citizens for Recycling First isn’t just some lay group of Americans that want to protect their right to drywall made from coal ash. Ward is a consultant to the coal industry, as well as the government relations committee chairman of the American Coal Ash Association, the lobbying group that represents the coal ash industry. Its membership is made up of both major coal-burners like Southern Company and American Electric Power, and companies that turn the ash into products. Until recently, the ACAA was based in Aurora, Colorado, which many of these Chinese-speaking supporters claimed as their hometown. (It is now based in Farmington Hills, Michigan.)
So what’s going on here? EIP’s Schaeffer thinks the petition is an industry-backed attempt to astroturf support for weaker rules from the EPA. “I don’t doubt there are genuine people with an interest in recycling coal ash on the petition,” he says. “But it shows what happens when these front groups. They get away with stuff because they put the right sounding name on their masthead, they drum up what |
in the day were people just going at someone’s holding. A holding is a hamlet or a city. People would go there and just jump up on the other side of the walls and try to kill people inside of the city, which meant that the walls were kind of useless because, in Darkfall, you have physics-based spells and you can launch yourself upwards or push yourself forward very fast, which is really great in open world combat. But in the context of “you have a city and you want it to be protected,” it made the walls kind of a liability for city owners in some cases. The walls were used against the city owners in some cases.
So what we’re going to do is add pushback protection on the walls. If you try to jump up over a wall, it will push you back a bit. It’s still possible if you start from a higher point of view to jump above the wall, but it’s going to be much harder and you’re going to take some damage or you’re going to have to use ladders. That way we will allow you to disable that protection and it will also make some of the items inside the city vulnerable so you can destroy it and steal some of the loot of the city. It’s kind of disabling the protection of the city and stealing some of its loot if you manage to.
On the other hand, a siege is to actually capture the city. To make it your own.
How long do you expect New Dawn to be in an InDev state?
We expect it to last for six to nine months, but it’s really more of a pre-launch because we are starting out the land grab already. If clans start playing now, they can already fight for the cities and carry on fighting for them after the InDev period. And there will be some kind of seasonal bonus, like if you participate in a season, you get bonuses for the next season. That’s something we’re going to do with this InDev period.
We know game had flaws. It was easy to exploit mobs that could be killed for a lot of gold or a lot of XP. For people that don’t know the game, it’s unfair. We want to clear that out once we have fixed the issues. That’s why we’re having a wipe, but we see it as our initial launch right now.
Thompson also answered a number of questions during a stream I hosted the other day. Here are some of the highlights.
Recall will not be making a comeback.
Housing will be improved.
Local, city-wide marketplaces and local banking are on the way.
Marketplaces will not be regulated by the system.
Local banks will be made larger.
Backpacks will be implemented to increase carry weight and mounts will be able to carry things.
The UI will be updated to make it more user-friendly.
Spell queueing wasn’t removed. It is simply hidden. They are trying to get rid of the delay between the end of one spell and the time when the game accepts input for the next.
“Bubble over head” chat will be introduced in the future.
Salvaging won’t be introduced until much later down the road.
Weapons and armor will become less effective with durability loss, but they won’t lose more than “one rank and a half.”
--
You can download Darkfall: New Dawn right now via the official website. It can be played for free until August 16th.AUSTIN, Texas — Beer and wine will be sold in all public and private areas at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium during Texas home football games beginning Sept. 12, with the 2015 home opener against Rice.
While beer and wine sales in the stadium do not require approval from the UT System Chancellor or Board of Regents, President Gregory Fenves and Chancellor Bill McRaven had thoughtful discussions on the matter, and Chancellor McRaven is supportive of President Fenves' decision.
The new policy for home football games comes after a lengthy pilot program conducted at other Texas Athletics events since early 2014. All involved parties — Texas Athletics, UT Police, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission and licensed vendor Sodexo Sports and Leisure — evaluated the effectiveness and safety of the trial. It was determined the service should be expanded to include all football public areas since the outcome was positive from a safety, community impact and fan experience standpoint.
"Fan safety and enjoyment remains our number one priority as we work through the process of expanding beer and wine sales into all seating areas of the stadium," said Texas Men's Athletics Director Steve Patterson. "During our extensive pilot, we found fans and staff handled the situation responsibly and we had no negative issues or situations. We will continue to monitor the service closely."
Just as similar services are offered in eateries, sports facilities, theaters and other establishments around Texas, all adult beverage sales at UT events is conducted through licensed vendor Sodexo and within regulations established by the state, university and Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission.
"We are expanding what we already do, in an effort to be more inclusive of all fans. Texas Athletics and Sodexo have vended these beverages in football private suites and club areas for several years without incident," Patterson added.
Texas Athletics has long participated in "21 means 21" campaigns with campus and local vendors and also works diligently during home events to ensure under-age individuals are precluded from consuming alcohol.
UT became the fourth UT System school — after The University of Texas at El Paso, The University of Texas at San Antonio and The University of Texas at Arlington – to serve adult beverages at sports events. Other in-state institutions offering similar service are the University of North Texas, SMU and the University of Houston.By Miguel Rivera
The decision by Floyd Mayweather Jr. (49-0, 26KOs) to retire from the sport will open up a lot of doors.
Mayweather had what he claims will be his final career fight last Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. He won a twelve round unanimous decision over Andre Berto.
World Boxing Council President Mauricio Sulaiman is waiting to receive official notification that Mayweather intends to vacate the titles.
Once that notification is received, Mayweather's WBC world titles at welterweight and junior middleweight will become vacant.
Sulaiman says his organization will pursue one of two options. The first would be a small tournament at 147 and 154. The winners of the respective tournaments will capture the vacant belts.
The other option that Sulaiman will consider, per the advise of the WBC's championship committee, is an order for the two highest ranked contenders, at 147 and 154, to fight each other.
At welterweight, the two highest ranked contenders are Amir Khan [1#] and Danny Garcia [#2]. Neither fighter has a date scheduled in the coming months. Garcia and Khan faced each other in 2012 in a junior welterweight unification which Garcia won by knockout in four rounds.
At junior middleweight, the two highest ranked contenders are Jermell Charlo [#1] and John Jackson [#2]. Both fighters appear to be available at the moment.Switch User Profiles on Jelly Bean
It has been recently reported that there’s hidden code in Jelly Bean that allows it to support multiple users. This means that you can have multiple users log in and out of the phone like on desktop operating systems. Despite being almost completely coded, there wasn’t any discussion about it during Google I/O.
That doesn’t mean it isn’t usable, because it definitely is. XDA Recognized Themer zanderman112 has written a very basic tutorial on how to get multiple user support on Jelly Bean ROMs. While written in the Sprint Samsung Galaxy S III forums, it should be universal for all AOSP Jelly Bean ROMs. To prove this, XDA Member Advocate Admin and Spirit of XDA egzthunder1 was kind enough to test this on his ASUS Transformer TF101 and it worked.
To get a second profile, users must first be rooted and have Terminal Emulator installed. From there, users open Terminal Emulator and type the following:
su
pm create-user test
In this example, a second account is created with the name test. You can switch out test in the code for whatever you want the second account to be named. Then, hit the power button until the boot menu pops up and you should be able to switch to the second profile. The second profile is limited compared to the original profile and the limitations can be best seen in the settings menu. It is not particularly useful, but definitely really cool. As zanderman112 explains:
At the moment, this isn’t extremely usable, ie texts from the primary user’s still show in the 2nd test account. But, with the right launcher installed, and hiding the apps from the drawer on the 2nd account, this can still be usable in its current form. My suggestions:
1.) Label the 2nd user Guest
2.) Use Nova or Apex as the launcher for the Guest user, and hide all of the apps you want(texts, social media, email, etc) from the app drawer.
3.) Setup a security lockscreen on the primary user to prevent Guests from gaining access(each user has different lockscreen settings)
For more info, the full tutorial, and more, head over to the original thread.It's no secret that since future Hall of Fame forward Jaromir Jagr joined the Panthers late last season, it's been a marriage made in heaven.
Not only has he been the perfect mentor to teammates half his age, at 44, Jagr became the oldest player in NHL history to lead his team in scoring with 66 points (27 goals). So Panthers General Manager Dale Tallon made it clear Tuesday morning after the player's exit meetings in the BB&T Center that he wants the impending free agent (July 1) back for another season.
"I just talked to him and he wants to come back,'' Tallon said. "Time will tell. I'm sure we'll come to an agreement of some sort. It's a win-win for all of us. He's been great.''
Jagr, who has signed a series of one-year contracts since coming back from the KHL in 2011, hit most of his bonuses this season so his payoff rose from $3.5 million to close to $5 million. Jagr said he "enjoyed,'' the season, but is still feeling down about getting eliminated in the playoffs, while extending his playoff goal drought to 37 games.
"We'll see what happens. My agent will talk to Dale,'' said Jagr, who notched two assists in the series. "Of course, I had a great year. I'm just very upset about the playoffs. I didn't play it for three years, and sometimes it's just the confidence.
Panthers GM Dale Tallon looks back on the season and what lies ahead for the organization. Panthers GM Dale Tallon looks back on the season and what lies ahead for the organization. SEE MORE VIDEOS
"You don't score a few games and you kind of put pressure on yourself. Even at my age, I learned a lot from that. If it happens again, I'm going to be more ready than I was this time.''
Teammates on Mitchell
Panthers captain Willie Mitchell, 39, didn't show for his exit meeting, but he made it clear to reporters before Game 6 that after his seventh concussion in mid-January, he most likely had played his last NHL game.
Several of his teammates expressed gratitude to Mitchell, particularly defenseman Aaron Ekblad, who lived with Mitchell and his wife Megan, his rookie season last year.
"When I first talked to him and found out what was going on with him we had a good cry,'' Ekblad said. "It's a tough thing for a player and everyone experiences it at some point. Willie was really lucky to have had such a great career, do so many great things....
"Everything I learned in the game of hockey in the NHL was through Willie. I learned how to be a good person and a good player and couldn't thank that guy enough.''
Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo goes way back with Mitchell, as they were also teammates in Vancouver.
"I've played with Willie for many years now," Luongo said. "We go way back. Just seeing him every day and knowing that he couldn't play, it's something that makes your heart hurt.
"Just knowing how much he loves to be around the guys, especially this time of year. Being part of a Stanley Cup run is why we play the game. It's tough to see one of your good friends and teammates go through something like that."
Spacey hoodie retired
Panthers forward Shawn Thornton officially retired the Kevin Spacey in Space hoodie that the players were handing out to game MVPs after victories. The postgame ritual became a social media phenomenon this season and punctuated the Atlantic Division-champion Panthers' fun ride.
"We say in the locker room, 'Who has more fun than the Cats?,'" Thornton said. "It took on a life of its own. I thought it was hilarious. The fact that Spacey himself jumped on board with it and dove right in.''
Defenseman Alex Petrovic was the last to wear it after his game-winning goal in Game 4 of the playoffs with the Islanders. The players have been sworn to keep the secret behind the origins of the Spacey saga....
The Panthers waived forward Greg McKegg Tuesday with the expectations he will clear and report to Portland (Maine), their AHL affiliate, to help them in their playoff run.KATHMANDU/SYDNEY (Reuters) - A 43-year-old Indian mountaineer has died while descending from the summit of Mount Everest, in the third fatality on the world’s tallest mountain in as many days since climbing resumed after last year’s avalanche tragedy at Base Camp.
Australian climber Robert Gropel, husband of Maria Strydom, 34, who died while descending from the summit of Mount Everest, sits inside his hotel after being rescued from Everest in Kathmandu, Nepal, May 24, 2016. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar
Subash Paul, who climbed the 8,850 meter (29,035 feet) on Saturday, perished the next day due to exhaustion, Wangchu Sherpa of the Trekking Camp Nepal company said on Monday.
An Australian woman and a Dutch national have also died since Friday due to altitude sickness in the notorious ‘death zone’ where the air is so thin that only the fittest can survive without supplementary oxygen.
Hiking officials and climbing veterans say the deaths raise questions about the preparations and safety standards of some climbing operators, with cut-price local companies competing for business as international outfits scale back operations.
This year’s Everest campaign has been hit by high winds on some days when climbers had been counting on the weather ‘window’ to open to make their summit bids before the monsoon sweeps in next month.
Queues have formed on the final stretch to the summit, which is often secured by a single rope line, leading veterans to complain that slow and inexperienced climbers were holding up others and putting them at undue risk.
“Many climbers without any experience crowd Everest every year, and companies often use poor quality equipment... offering cheap packages to clients who are exposed to security risks,” Nepal Mountaineering Association Chief Ang Tshering Sherpa said.
“Climbers with well-managed companies employing experienced guides are safe.”
Hiking officials blame the government, which charges $11,000 for each Everest permit, for failing to spend any money on safety measures. The government collected $3.1 million from 289 climbers as permit fees so far this year.
But officials blame inadequate preparation on the part of climbers.
“The deaths were not due to accident or the crowd,” Tourism Department official Sudarshan Dhakal said. “Energy loss and altitude sickness mean that they were not well prepared.”
RETRIEVING BODIES
Expedition organizers were assembling a rescue team on Monday to retrieve the bodies of Australian university lecturer Maria Strydom and Dutch climber Eric Ary Arnold. Strydom died before reaching the summit on Saturday, one day after Arnold perished after attaining the peak.
Apart from the three deaths, two other Indian climbers have been missing on Everest since Saturday, and hiking officials said chances of finding them alive were slim.
Another Indian woman who fell sick was being escorted to lower camps and will be evacuated by a helicopter, an agency official said.
While fatalities are not unusual, there are fears the latest casualties could again hit mountaineering in Nepal.
At least 18 people died a year ago when an earthquake sent a massive snow slide careening into Base Camp, while an avalanche in the treacherous Khumbu Icefall killed 16 guides in 2014. The back-to-back tragedies had halted climbing on Everest.
“It is a difficult and challenging climb and many people have died,” Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop told reporters in Brisbane, adding that the government was assisting with the repatriation of Strydom’s body.
Arnold Coster, the owner of Arnold Coster Expeditions which led the group containing both Strydom and Eric Ary Arnold, said both climbers became ill very quickly on the descent.
The Dutch climber was assisted down to the South Col camp, the final camp before the summit, where he was given oxygen and medicine but “unexpectedly passed away that evening in his tent,” Coster said in a Facebook post.
Strydom decided to turned back from her attempt to reach the summit and was assisted down to the South Col by her husband, veterinarian Robert Gropel. After spending the night there, she walked out of her tent to continue the descent, only to collapse on the Geneva Spur, two hours from Camp 3 where helicopter evacuations are possible.
The expedition leader said Gropel, who himself suffered high altitude pulmonary edema on the descent, tried unsuccessfully to carry his wife’s body down the mountain. He was evacuated by helicopter to Kathmandu on Monday.
Slideshow (11 Images)
May is one of the most popular months to scale Everest before the peak is shrouded by rain, cold and cloud brought on by the monsoon in June.
Good weather over the past two weeks has allowed more than 350 climbers to reach the summit this month from the Nepali side of Everest. Several people have climbed from Tibet.
Among them was 19-year-old Alyssa Azar, who on Saturday became the youngest Australian to reach the summit, and Lhakpa Sherpa, who notched a new record for female climbers with her seventh ascent.Konstantin Pavlovich Buteyko
The Buteyko method or Buteyko Breathing Technique is a form of complementary or alternative physical therapy that proposes the use of breathing exercises primarily as a treatment for asthma and other respiratory conditions.[1] The method takes its name from Ukrainian doctor Konstantin Pavlovich Buteyko, who first formulated its principles during the 1950s. This method is based on the assumption that numerous medical conditions, including asthma, are caused by chronically increased respiratory rate or deeper breathing (hyperventilation). However, this theory is not widely supported in the medical community due to the lack of evidence supporting either the theory behind the method or that it works in practice. This method purportedly retrains the breathing pattern through chronic repetitive breathing exercises to correct the hyperventilation, which, according to the method's proponents, will therefore treat or cure asthma as well as any other conditions purportedly caused by hyperventilation. At the core of the Buteyko method is a series of reduced-breathing exercises that focus on nasal-breathing, breath-holding and relaxation.
Opinion is divided on whether the Buteyko method confers any health benefits: some evidence suggests it may help alleviate asthma symptoms and improve quality of life.[1][2]
Effectiveness [ edit ]
In 2015 the Australian Government's Department of Health published the results of a review of alternative therapies that sought to determine if any were suitable for being covered by health insurance; the Buteyko method was one of 17 therapies evaluated for which no clear evidence of effectiveness was found.[1] A Cochrane review had earlier found "no reliable conclusions" could be determined based on the limited available evidence.[3] A 2014 British clinical guideline said that for adults the Buteyko method could improve some asthma symptoms and quality of life, but that it had little impact on lung function.[2]
Advocates of the Buteyko method report a wide range of other diseases and symptoms (numbering up to 150), including diabetes, reproductive disorders and psychological disorders, which they believe is aggravated by hyperventilation and hypocapnea, and therefore are treated by use of the Buteyko method. However, research into the effectiveness of Buteyko have focused almost exclusively on asthma with a small amount of research on sleep apnea.[4] Members of the medical community have been skeptical of the efficacy of Buteyko due to the often "exaggerated and unsubstantiated claims" earlier made by Buteyko practitioners.[5]
There are few high quality studies such as randomized controlled trials looking at the efficacy of treating asthma with "breathing retraining" methods in general, which include the Buteyko method, yoga training and other relaxation techniques.[3] Many of the studies that have evaluated breathing retraining have significant methodological flaws, including small sample sizes,[6] possible patient selection bias as well as heterogeneity in design that makes coming to a firm conclusion difficult.[7] These studies are also hampered by the difficulty in proper blinding and placebo control which could introduce more bias into these studies.[6]
History [ edit ]
The Buteyko method was originally developed in the 1950s by physiologist Konstantin Buteyko in Russia.[8] The first official study into the effectiveness of the Buteyko Method on asthma was undertaken in 1968 at the Leningrad Institute of Pulmonology. The second, held at the First Moscow Institute of Pediatric Diseases in April 1980, eventually led to the head of the ministry of health to issue an order (No 591) for the implementation of the Buteyko method in the treatment of bronchial asthma.[9] Later, this method was introduced to Australia, New Zealand, Britain and the United States, where it has received increasing exposure.[8] Anecdotal reports of life-changing improvements attributed to the Buteyko method abound on the Internet and in books.[4]
The Buteyko method is just one of a number of breathing retraining methods in use for treating lung diseases, including conventional techniques such as physiotherapist-led breathing exercises as well as alternative medicine techniques such as Buteyko breathing and yoga.[5]
Theory [ edit ]
The Buteyko method is based on the concept that "hidden" or undiagnosed hyperventilation is the underlying cause of numerous medical conditions, including asthma. It is known that hyperventilation can lead to low carbon dioxide levels in the blood (or hypocapnea), which can subsequently lead to disturbances of the acid-base balance in the blood and lower tissue oxygen levels. Advocates of this method believe that the effects of chronic hyperventilation would have even wider effects than is commonly accepted.[4] These effects include widespread spasms of the muscle in the airways (bronchospasm),[10] disturbance of cell energy production via the Krebs cycle, as well as disturbance of numerous vital homeostatic chemical reactions in the body. The Buteyko method is a purported method of "retraining" the body's breathing pattern to correct for the presumed chronic hyperventilation and hypocapnea, and thereby treat or cure the body of these medical problems.[4]
The Buteyko method is not widely supported in the medical community, in part due to the fact that research has not supported this theory that hyperventilation and hypocapnea causes disease,[4] with one review noting that there is no convincing evidence to indicate that trying to change asthmatic's carbon dioxide level is either "desirable or achievable."[10] Studies that have looked for evidence to corroborate this theory, such as looking at the carbon dioxide levels in practitioners of Buteyko, have not found this evidence, leading some to propose alternate theoretical pathways for this method to improve symptoms.[4]
Description [ edit ]
Although variations exist among teachers of the technique in different countries, the main objective is "normalization" of breathing and the three core principles of Buteyko remain the same: nasal breathing, reduced breathing and relaxation.
Nasal breathing [ edit ]
The Buteyko method emphasizes the importance of nasal breathing, which protects the airways by humidifying, warming, and cleaning the air entering the lungs. A majority of asthmatics have problems sleeping at night, and this is thought by Buteyko practitioners to be linked with poor posture or unconscious mouth-breathing. By keeping the nose clear and encouraging nasal breathing during the day, night-time symptoms can also improve. Strictly nasal breathing during physical exercise is another key element of the Buteyko method.[1]
Reduced breathing exercises [ edit ]
The core Buteyko exercises involve breath control; consciously reducing either breathing rate or breathing volume.[11] Many teachers refer to Buteyko as 'breathing retraining' and compare the method to learning to ride a bicycle. Once time has been spent practicing, the techniques become instinctive and the exercises are gradually phased out as the condition improves.
Buteyko uses a measurement called the Control Pause (CP), the amount of time between breaths that an individual can comfortably hold breath.[4] According to Buteyko teachers, people with asthma who regularly practice Buteyko breathing will notice an increase in CP and decrease in pulse rate that corresponds to decreased asthma symptoms.
Relaxation [ edit ]
Dealing with asthma attacks is an important factor of Buteyko practice. The first feeling of an asthma attack is unsettling and can result in a short period of rapid breathing. By controlling this initial over-breathing phase, asthmatics can prevent a "vicious circle of over-breathing" from developing and spiraling into an asthma attack. This theory asserts that asthma attacks may be averted simply by breathing less.
See also [ edit ]4:03pm: Venters' deal is worth $1.625MM, the same as he earned last season, a source tells Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet (on Twitter).
4:47pm: The Braves have avoided arbitration with reliever Jonny Venters, agreeing to a one-year deal, according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twiter). Financial terms of the deal are not yet known but Matt Swartz of MLBTR estimated that he would earn $1.625MM through arbitration.
Venters is recovering from his second Tommy John surgery and should be available to the club in April or May of 2014. Because of his injury woes, the reliever was a non-tender candidate, but Atlanta decided to bring him back in hopes that he can make a full recovery. The left-hander owns a career 2.23 ERA with 10.1 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9 across three seasons.Former Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) spoke about spreading LGBT rights around the world on Nov. 11, 2015 in Washington, D.C. (CNSNews.com/Penny Starr)
(CNSNews.com) – Speaking at the Center for Global Development in Washington, D.C., former Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) said Wednesday that Islam has a “negative” impact on the spread of rights for homosexuals around the world.
Frank, who is married to a man, said in recent years there have been great strides around the world regarding the “rights” of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals in the United States, South American and Europe but that Islamic countries continue to outlaw homosexuality.
“Catholicism – international Catholicism – is no longer a barrier, but Islam is, and let’s be honest about it,” Frank said at an event focused on what can be done in Washington and by international organizations like the World Bank to advance LGBT rights.
He noted that despite the Vatican’s official stance on homosexuality and same-sex marriage, Catholics worldwide have supported those issues.
Frank cited remarks by Maninder Gill, director for the Social, Urban, Rural and Resilience Global Practice at the World Bank, who said at the event that Islamic members of the bank have expressed opposition to institutionalizing gay rights.
“The Islamic countries are awful,” Frank said. “They overwhelmingly voted against the [United Nations] doing anything.
“They are the negative influence there,” Frank said. “They are more of a negative influence in Africa, and I think that has to be brought out in the open and explained.
Frank said Islamic leaders have made opposing gay rights “a high priority” and called that “negative.”
Susan Dicklitch-Nelson, a professor of government at Franklin & Marshall College in Pennsylvania, was also on the panel. She touted the global barometer of gay rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex individuals developed at the college.
The map shows that 70 percent of countries around the world are in the “persecuting” homosexuals category, including many Muslim countries in Africa and the Middle East.
“The majority of countries score an F for laws that make homosexuality a punishable offense,” the college’s June article on the barometer stated.
The United States is listed in the “resistant” category, while Scandinavian countries, some of Europe and Canada are listed in the “protecting” category. The barometer uses data from 2013.Share on Twitter Tweet Share on Facebook Share
They don’t give a fluke.
Fishermen who drop their lines in Coney Island Creek are unfazed by news that a nearby apartment complex was recently caught dumping 200,000 gallons of raw sewage per day into the stream — and they aren’t going to stop eating their catches just because there’s a little extra seasoning in the water, one angler said.
“We’ve been coming here to fish and eating the fish for about 20 years, and nothing’s happened — why stop?” said Arlen Wagner, a Bushwickian who was plucking striped bass, fluke, and bluefish from the brook with his brother and nephew on Saturday.
Regulators discovered on Sept. 7 that roughly 1,000 apartments in 16 buildings were dousing the creek with waste water via an unsanctioned hook-up to an emergency storm drain. Officials say the problem is fixed, but they are not saying how long it was going on.
Four of six rodsmen in Kaiser Park on Saturday said they’d keep fishing there — the other two were only unsure whether they’d keep casting lines.
Activists tried to warn anglers, but they couldn’t hook them, one said.
“We tried to make them aware and some of them just don’t seem to care,” said Orlando Mendez.
Contact with sewage-polluted water — and eating fish from such seas — can lead to illness, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Fisherman don’t seem to care, but the city should at least alert locals when the creek is also teeming with Coney Island Brownfish, Mendez said during an Oct. 7 rally pooh-poohing the city for not broadcasting that it discovered the fecal flow.
“There’s no educational effort. The city hasn’t reached out and notified anybody — not the residents, not the local elected officials, not the stakeholders,” he said.
Reach reporter Caroline Spivack at mspiv ack@c ngloc al.com or by calling (718) 260–2517. Follow him on Twitter @carolinespivack.
Updated 11:48 am, January 16, 2019
©2016ALLEN PARK -- It was one of the first weeks of July, during the month-long wait for training camp, when Matthew Stafford came up with a plan.
He wanted some of his receivers at his place to condition and throw. It's something established quarterbacks sometimes do to get a passing game ready for the season, except Stafford's home was all the way down in Atlanta. And he was paying for the trip.
The ninth-year quarterback felt like he needed to given that one of the participants had been a professional for all of a couple months. A fourth-round rookie with all of a $150,000 signing bonus to pull from, Michael Roberts was so new to life with the Detroit Lions, his strongest connection with Stafford had recently been playing as him in "Madden."
Stafford certainly had the money, and he was working on getting a whole lot more. Talks were buzzing between his agent and the Lions about a contract that had the chance to make him the richest player in NFL history at more than $25 million per season.
But Stafford has said the contract negotiations are out of his head most of the time as a simple game of football takes the focus. That was true this summer when he asked Roberts, Jace Billingsley and Eric Ebron to join him for a few days at his place.
This was Roberts' first introduction to the life behind Stafford the player, and he got to see it in how he interacted with his wife and his newborn twin daughters.
"I never actually got a chance to really bond with my quarterback (before the trip)," Roberts said "I got to learn what he wants, what he's looking for and really how he feels when I'm in a certain position, where he's going to throw the ball."
Detroit Lions Training Camp - August 1, 2017 40 Gallery: Detroit Lions Training Camp - August 1, 2017
The visit helped him work on his routes, which are one of the biggest adjustments to the NFL from college. His main takeaway, though, was how it set him up for the expectations that follow with being a pro. When he came back, he felt ready for the conditioning test the first day. He didn't wake up an hour before practice like he did during voluntary workouts.
Weeks later, he's in his first training camp with the Lions, and the results have been mixed. When he's caught the ball in team settings, he's impressed with how smoothly he glides for a player measuring 6 feet 4 inches and 263 pounds. But he's struggled to maintain the ball with some drops and a fumble in the first couple days.
He's finding it's an adjustment to catching at the pro level with passes that zip more, with a football that's a little bigger and with hash marks that are closer together and change the spacing. It's one of a few layers to the transition that often slows tight ends down, the kind that was difficult for Eric Ebron to handle early on in his career.
"Obviously, the tight end position is in-line, it's in-line blocking, it's in-line receiving, but it's detached because we put them anywhere and everywhere," Lions coach Jim Caldwell said. "Plus, he's in the backfield, so he's got to know all the protections.
"So when you look at those guys, it's almost like three positions."
Roberts has been candid about his struggles early on and the learning curve he's trying to tackle. It was always going to be there for a fourth-round Toledo tight end who took some time off between high school and college football.
He's finding his best chance might be to lean on Stafford through the ups and the downs. He'll ride with the quarterback who has started for nine seasons, whom he used to play as in Madden, who could soon be the richest player in league history and who took the time to fly a fourth-round rookie down to get him up to speed before training camp.
"I think it's very important just to know the basics of someone," Roberts said. "I'm going to play with him. I'm going to protect him.
"That chemistry is building. I'm trying to build it every day with him."A recent Gizmodo story, “Are Cameras the New Guns?,” created quite a stir in journalism circles recently. Gizmodo found that there appears to be an increase in the number of citizens arrested for filming abuse by police, or just police in action:
“In response to a flood of Facebook and YouTube videos that depict police abuse, a new trend in law enforcement is gaining popularity. In at least three states, it is now illegal to record any on-duty police officer.
“Even if the encounter involves you and may be necessary to your defense, and even if the recording is on a public street where no expectation of privacy exists.
“The legal justification for arresting the ‘shooter’ rests on existing wiretapping or eavesdropping laws, with statutes against obstructing law enforcement sometimes cited. Illinois, Massachusetts, and Maryland are among the 12 states in which all parties must consent for a recording to be legal unless, as with TV news crews, it is obvious to all that recording is underway. Since the police do not consent, the camera-wielder can be arrested. Most all-party-consent states also include an exception for recording in public places where ‘no expectation of privacy exists’ (Illinois does not) but in practice this exception is not being recognized.”
I interviewed media attorneys Robb Harvey and Richard Goehler about this via e-mail. I have known Harvey for a couple of decades, dating back to when he represented my newsroom when I was news director. And I recently worked with Goehler on a Radio Television Digital News Association committee that wrote social media and blogging guidelines for newsrooms. You can read their edited responses below.
Al Tompkins: Are you seeing any new sensitivity by police to being photographed/videotaped?
Robb Harvey: The police have always been sensitive to accusations of wrongdoing or overreacting. I believe they are reacting to emerging technologies that allow millions of people to record events in real time, so we are likely to see more postings claiming misconduct and more efforts by police to prevent those postings.
The recent prosecutions mentioned in the Gizmodo article involved participants in the police action — persons being arrested or later charged. The video they have taken may be their best defense to the charges. Is the next step that law enforcement can prosecute recordings by bystanders? If that were the case, the widely disseminated video of the assault on Rodney King might never have seen the light of day.
Media organizations must remain vigilant and work to prevent the application of these laws in an unconstitutional way.
Richard Goehler: I would not say that I have seen any “new” sensitivity by law enforcement or firefighters here. In the past, I have heard about instances where police might confiscate or threaten to take a camera or recorder, but I would not call it a major newsgathering problem or interference.
I found the Gizmodo article very interesting. It seems to me that most of the cases highlighted in the article involved circumstances in which the videotaping or recording was of alleged abuse and/or improper conduct by the police. As a result, the police appeared more aggressive and more motivated to take action concerning the videotaping.
Often it appeared that the actions by law enforcement were in direct retaliation for the videotaping that had taken place. It was also interesting that these cases all took place in states or jurisdictions that have “two-party consent” statutes that let police officers make the argument that they had not consented to the videotaping.
Another interesting point about the cases in the article is that none of them involved traditional/mainstream media companies |
payment as well.
In this example, Alice should be able to not only send bitcoins off-chain to Bob, but also to the retailer using the routing paths that formed organically. Great! This looks like we’ve solved the centralization problem in the lightning network. But we have to ask is this type of routing feasible? I, for one, hope that it is because the Bitcoin Core developers have bet the house on it. But when you think about it a little more deeply it may not be in practice. I’m going to list off some reason why.
Routing paths are much harder to find when values are considered.
In the above example, we were able to get a route from Alice to the retailer going through the coffee shop and Bob. In reality, it will likely be difficult to find organic routing paths for the value we need. Let’s add some values into our example:
Both Alice and Bob paid $5 for the cup of coffee (0.011 BTC) which is why the coffee shop has 0.011 BTC on its side of both Alice and Bob’s channels. For Alice to send any money to either Bob or to the retailer, the coffee shop needs to update the payout distribution of the channel it has with Bob, paying itself less (by the amount Alice wants to send) and paying Bob more. But notice the coffee shop only has 0.011 BTC ($5) in its channel with Bob. This means that the most Alice could send to either Bob or the retailer is just $5. If she wants to send any more than that, she will need to open a new channel.
It’s likely this type of value asymmetry will happen fairly frequently as people are paying each other different amounts for various things. Finding paths from one node to another should be easy. Finding paths where every hop has the correct value will prove to be the difficult part.
We could end up making more on-chain transactions.
Consider how Alice had to open a new channel when her wallet couldn’t get a route to the retailer for the amount she wanted. Presumably, at any given time most, if not all, of the bitcoin in your wallet will be sitting in channels. Where would Alice’s wallet get the bitcoin to open a new channel with the retailer? Well, it will have to close one of its existing channels. So the process for making a transaction when your wallet can’t find a route is:
1) Make an on-chain transaction closing out an existing channel.
2) Make an on-chain transaction opening a new channel with the payee.
That’s two on-chain transactions just to make one payment. If a large percentage of transactions fail to find a route (and thus have to close a channel and open a new one), most of the savings could be wasted. If more than 50% of transactions fail to find a route, the lightning network will actually result in more on-chain bitcoin transactions than just paying people directly.
The vast majority of users will be offline.
To the extent anyone even uses a desktop wallet, they rarely keep it open 24/7. They either close it out when not using it, shut their laptop lid, turn off the computer, etc. Additionally, most people are using mobile wallets which go to sleep and do not remain online all the time. So we end up with a scenario where 99% of our expected users are not going to be able to participate in routing payments. If it seemed unlikely that organic routing was going to work well before, how less likely does it seem when 99% of users are not going to be participating?
Channels cannot be created on-the-fly.
Remember the magic sauce of organic routing is the ability of wallets to open new channels on-the-fly when they can’t find a route. In our original example, Alice went to pay the coffee shop, couldn’t find a route, so her wallet just opened a new channel and kept it open.
This may have worked in the past, but remember the Core developers have now pushed full RBF on us (and note it won’t be “opt-in” when blocks are full. It will be mandatory else your transactions will get stuck). So you simply can’t open channels on-the-fly (at least not for retail purchases). You will only be able to make a payment once the channel has confirmed since the coins which funded the channel could be trivially double spent otherwise. So what we are left with is if you can’t find a route through existing (confirmed) channels, you cannot make a payment to a retailer. This is going to create enormous pressure to use large well-connected payment hubs because that will be the only way you can guarantee to get a route through confirmed channels.
Recipients have to be online.
Remember back to the original explanation of routing using hashed timelock contracts. Alice’s wallet contacted Bob’s wallet and asked for a hash of a random number (R). Well, Bob basically needs to be online to give that to her. This is in direct contrast to Bitcoin as it is currently used where the sender and recipient don’t need to be online at the same time. Of course Bob could outsource this function to a third party (which is an ugly solution IMO), but this is just going to create even more pressure to just use a payment hub rather than organic routing.
So when we consider all of the above points, it seems very likely that this organic wallet-to-wallet routing isn’t going to work very well and there will be pressure to use the original hub-and-spoke model.
Given all this (which has to be known to the Core development team) there’s really no way you can justify the rush to deprecate core features of bitcoin without waiting to see how the lightning network plays out. If the lightning network ends up sucking (let’s hope it doesn’t), then so will bitcoin as we will have no choice but to use it by that point.Medieval ruins of what archeologists believe may have been a 15th century hospital have been discovered in the grounds of Delapre Abbey.
The stone structure was uncovered beneath part of a courtyard by workers during the ongoing £6.3 million renovation project at the abbey.
Retained archaeologists, Iain Soden Heritage Services Ltd, were called in along with the county archaeologist and they confirmed the find could be removed.
But the floor structure – originally planned to be poured as a concrete slab – has been changed so that the architectural find could be preserved in place.
Councillor Tim Hadland, Northampton Borough Council’s Cabinet member for Regeneration, Enterprise and Planning, said: “The flooring will now be pre-cast concrete, so the medieval section of building can remain where it is for future generations to rediscover.
“The archaeologists believe it was either the eastern side of the abbey cloister, or the remains of an infirmary detached from the main building.
“During their investigations they discovered a type of decorative tile used extensively during the period, which helped date the find.
“There was also a circular well which would have been linked with the first floor of the building, rather an innovation for the time.”
The find also includes a basement structure, lined throughout with clay as a waterproofing medium.
Mr Soden said: “While we archaeologists regularly excavate important remains, we rarely see opportunities taken like this to preserve remains in the ground by way of sympathetic foundations.
“This is to the great credit of Northampton Borough Council and their partners at Delapre that such a preservation strategy is being put in place.”
Work on the Delapre Abbey renovation project started in March this year and is expected to conclude next summer. The Heritage Lottery Fund pledged £3.65 million for the work and the rest is made up of contributions from Northampton Borough Council and a variety of other sources.
Delapre Abbey Preservation Trust (DAPT) is currently helping oversee the project and will take operational control of the abbey on completion.
DAPT director, Rachael Boyd, said: “Once it’s completed, we’ll be opening the abbey to the public for the first time in 900 years.
“We’ll be sharing the fascinating stories of the building and its owners and creating a compelling new visitor attraction for Northampton.“Sugar Land offered $500,000 to change its name to SugarDaddie.com, U.S.A
Sugar Land offered $500,000 to change its name to SugarDaddie.com, U.S.A Sugar Land offered $500,000 to change its name to SugarDaddie.com, U.S.A Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Sugar Land offered $500,000 to change its name to SugarDaddie.com, U.S.A 1 / 1 Back to Gallery
Sugar Land, TX [population: 78,871] is one of the most affluent and fastest-growing cities in Texas, having grown more than 158% in the last decade. With a median income of $113,261 and a median home price of $369,600, the city was selected by the founders of SugarDaddie.com because of its namesake, and because of it’s rising star status -- CNN and Money Magazine ranked Sugar Land third on its list of the 100 Best Cities to Live in the United States.
“We are very serious about branding the city and giving birth to the first dating site-sponsored city in America,” said Steven Pasternack, CEO of Sugardaddie.com. “We thought it would be a great way to get the word out about our 10 year anniversary, and to be a permanent part of the Great State of Texas.” After an exhaustive search through cities ranging from Sugar City, Colorado to Sugar Creek, Missouri to Sugar City, Idaho, Sugar Land, Texas best represented the affluence and success of SugarDaddie.com’s membership.
The company is offering $500k to the city to change the name to SugarDaddie.com, U.S.A. Here is the offer presented to Mayor James A. Thompson:
A ten-year commitment to officially change the name of Sugar Land, Texas to SugarDaddie.com, U.S.A.
All official government correspondence and institutions must be changed to reflect the new name of SugarDaddie.com, U.S.A. This includes renaming Sugar Land Memorial Park, Los Creek Park, Oyster Creek Park Trail and other recreational areas. Additional departments, including the Sugar Land Fire Department.
The Sugar Land Regional Airport (the fourth largest airport in the greater Houston area) must change its name to SugarDaddie Regional Airport for a period of ten years.
The CEO of SugarDaddie.com must receive a key to the city in a formal ceremony presented by Mayor James A. Thompson (open to the media and the public).
Rename Constellation Field to SugarDaddie.com Field for a period of 5 years.
Sugar Land Fire Department to be renamed SugarDaddie Fire Department.
SugarDaddie City Hall will be the new official name for 10 years.
All city marketing resources must be made to reflect the city’s official new name and must be fully implemented within 6 months.
The CEO of SugarDaddie.com will not be deterred by rejection: “If we can’t get a favorable outcome with the folks in Sugar Land, Texas, we’re looking into other cities like Sugar City, Colorado, Sugar Creek, Missouri and others. We are hell bent on creating the first dating site-sponsored city in America.”
About SugarDaddie.com
Launched in 2002, SugarDaddie.com is the original online meeting place for sugar daddies and sugar babies. Sugardaddie.com has been featured by numerous media outlets including ABC Nightline, The Dr. Phil Show, The Huffington Post, and The New York Times.WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Legislation to approve the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline began racing through the U.S. Congress on Wednesday as Democrats and Republicans appeared to be coming together in a challenge of President Barack Obama’s oversight of the project.
Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) arrives for a closed conference meeting to conduct leadership elections for the next Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington November 13, 2014. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
In a series of rapid developments that unfolded just hours after Congress returned from a seven-week recess, there were indications the measure could pass and be sent to Obama sometime next week.
Republicans, victorious in the Nov. 4 congressional elections in which they campaigned heavily on the need for Keystone, have been pushing for approval of the project amid objections from some Democrats.
“It is time for America to become energy independent and that is impossible without the Keystone pipeline and other pipelines like it,” Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana told reporters. Landrieu and Senator John Hoeven, a Republican of North Dakota, introduced the bill on May 1.
Landrieu, who chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, is fighting for her political life as she faces a runoff race early next month that will determine whether she can serve another six-year Senate term beginning in January.
Landrieu acknowledged to reporters that she had no commitment from Obama that he would sign a Keystone bill if Congress sends one to him.
Obama is currently in Asia, and a spokesman traveling with him said the White House took a dim view of the proposal.
“The administration has taken a dim view of these kinds of legislative proposals in the past,” said White House spokesman Josh Earnest, speaking to reporters in Naypyitaw, the capital of Myanmar. “It’s fair to say that our dim view of these kinds of proposals has not changed.
“Evaluating those earlier proposals, we have indicated that the president’s senior advisers at the White House have recommended that he veto legislation like that,” Earnest added. “And that has continued to be our position.”
CHALLENGE
Republican Representative Bill Cassidy is challenging Landrieu for her Senate seat.
Their campaigns appeared to move from Louisiana to Washington on Wednesday as Landrieu touted her long work in favor of TransCanada Corp’s (TRP.TO) $8 billion Keystone project.
Cassidy immediately responded by introducing a nearly identical bill in the House. Other versions already have passed the Republican-controlled chamber.
The Obama administration has been weighing for six years whether to approve the pipeline that would run from Canada south to the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. The project also faces a court challenge in Nebraska over the pipeline’s route.
Environmentalists, an important Democratic constituency, have argued against encouraging Canada’s extraction of a crude oil that is seen as particularly polluting and will worsen global climate change problems.
The moves in Congress also came as the United States and China, two of the biggest users of polluting fossil fuels such as coal and oil, announced new long-term goals for limiting emissions linked to climate change.
A House vote on Keystone was set for as early as Thursday and if the Senate next week also approves the bill, possibly on Tuesday, Congress would be aiming to take the decision on the pipeline out of Obama’s hands.
But it still would be up to Obama whether to sign the measure into law, which would please labor unions that covet the potential pipeline construction projects, or veto it and challenge Congress to override him.
The pipeline project needs presidential approval because it crosses an international border.
Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) arrives for a closed conference meeting to conduct leadership elections for the next Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington November 13, 2014. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
Wednesday’s developments kicked off a furious lobbying campaign by environmentalists, who want to kill the legislative effort and leave the pipeline decision in Obama’s hands.
“This tar sands oil pipeline was a bad idea before the election and it remains a bad idea,” said Danielle Droitsch of the Natural Resources Defense Council.
“The pipeline would mean that more of the world’s dirtiest oil flows through the United States, threatening water supplies. And burning the additional tar sands oil would needlessly worsen climate change,” Droitsch said.Tiny World
Shippensburg, Pennsylvania
Within three minutes of our arrival at the quiet and unattended Medieval gates of Tiny World, a couple in a minivan screech to a stop. They've run over a cat in the curving stretch of road that passes within a few feet of this attraction.
"Was that your cat?" they ask, distraught. No, we answer, but there are lots of cats here. It probably belonged to the owner. They knock on the door of the big house, apologize to an old man, and leave.
The man is Ernest Helm, builder of Tiny World. "It's okay," he tells us. "They should know better'n to run out into the road." Ernest picks the dead one up by its tail, carries it to the barn, slings it inside, and closes the door. "Nothing you can do."
Ernest, a man in his eighties wearing a red-checked shirt, actually cares a lot about his cats. He's built Tiny World -- a small city -- and, for all intents and purposes, the cats own the place.
Tiny World (a name coined by a grandson) is one of those quirky backyard retiree endeavors, and Ernest has been at it since the late 1980s, when he built his first structure, "the cat house." It was not a miniature brothel but a small-scale Victorian home that the cats could live in, with a carpeted staircase suitable for scratching.
Over the years, Ernest added a general store, a gas station, log cabins, the Tiny World Court House, a train station, a church, a firehouse, a farm, and a bunch of houses. It's the model train view of reality, on a larger scale. His reason for building Tiny World: "It was something to do."
Ernest can see that we have a lot of questions that he may not have time to answer (maybe he's thinking about the cat), so he steers us to his "video room." It's a building with enough space for a TV, a comfortable couch, and hundreds of cassettes of Ernest Tubb and Hank Williams. "My goof-off place," he explains.
"This is about Tiny World," Ernest says as he sticks a VHS tape, supposedly containing a video segment made by a local TV station, into the deck. But instead of seeing Tiny World, we see a Christmas Ricky Scaggs special. Ernest taped over it.
Ernest is untrained in the miniature arts, and describes himself as "an old wood butcher" (a guy who makes stuff out of wood by instinct -- not a trained carpenter). He has a natural eye for detail and design. The structures mainly line two landscaped paths, and "The hill gives it a good setting," Ernest notes. "If it was on flat ground it wouldn't look as good." Each structure takes a couple of months to build;his current project is to replace an older one he's no longer happy with.
There are touches reminiscent of other mini-worlds. Little sports cars gas up at the Texaco Filling Station, and diminutive furniture and tables nestle behind Plexiglas, like Roanoke, VA's Elvis City.
Time moves slowly in Tiny World. We visited in June, and there were still Christmas decorations and extension cords lying about. Christmas season is when Tiny World goes all out, adding lit decorations to each building. It is a popular holiday destination for local families.
Ernest tells us that his daughter and son-in-law are coming to clean up. "She's gonna start next week. I do the building, they do the settin' up."
"You gotta keep after this stuff," Ernest says, as he heads towards the barn. We wish him well, and keep an eye out for cats as we drive away.
Ernest passed away in Oct. 2015.Episode Summary The Holy Inn Brewing Company is back up and running! In this episode of Homebrew Wednesday I first pour a full glass of my imperial stout and share some brief tasting notes. Then I move on to footage from Sunday, October 11th – First Fruits Quadrupel brew day. Enjoy and Cheers!
Second brew day using my new Ss Brew Tech InfuSsion mash tun:
After a panic stricken mash process when I first tested out my new mash tun. I decided to revert back to my time tested mash/sparge processes in order to see if I could achieve the same mash efficiency that I was achieving using my cooler mash tun.
My “time tested mash/sparge process” includes: Preheating the mash tun, doughing in, stirring the grain at least twice during the mash to eliminate hot/cold spots, vorlaufing then running off most of my first runnings, adding /stirring in my mash out water, doing a 10-15 minute mash out rest, running off my second runnings slowly while fly sparging.
Preheating the mash tun, doughing in, stirring the grain at least twice during the mash to eliminate hot/cold spots, vorlaufing then running off most of my first runnings, adding /stirring in my mash out water, doing a 10-15 minute mash out rest, running off my second runnings slowly while fly sparging. With this brew I ran off my runnings extra slow to make sure that I’d hit my target preboil gravity and thankfully I was able to hit my exact target gravity of 1.060 SG (w/o any of the added sugars). I should note that one additional factor that made my run off slower than usual was that at times I felt that opening the mash tun ball valve half way caused the run off to flow too fast for my liking, but opening it any less than that caused the run off to flow slowly and then stop after 5-10 minutes. Next time I’ll have to find a happy medium to shorten the run off / sparge process a bit.
As mentioned in the above video, one thing I noticed was that the mash tun’s thermometer went up help a degreeF once I starting running off my first runnings, which to me meant that I did not lose as much heat as I had originally thought. If my assumptions/observations (I performed spot checks using my usual digital thermometer throughout the mash) are correct, I only lost just over a degreeF during the mash (watch video for full details).
While I think it’ll take another brew day to give my “final verdict” on my new mash tun I’m quite satisfied with it so far and am thankful to have teamed up with Ss Brew Tech whilst I continue developing my brewing knowledge and skills.
Recipe Breakdown:
My first goal for the recipe was to have its grain bill complex enough to lend itself to giving the beer the potential to age well. Therefore, after looking over many recipes that I found online and in print, I decided to go with 15% simple sugars instead of leaning towards an amount in the upper teens or even twenty percent.
I went for Demerara sugar instead of table sugar because I like it’s molasses/caramel aroma and along with the D180 and D90 candi syrups I hope it ends up adding some nice complexity to the final product.
While the mash started at 151F, it was stable at 150F for most of the mash rest. I also used more sparge water than is listed above…Even after I started off with a pretty high grain to water ratio.
, it was stable at for most of the mash rest. I also used more sparge water than is listed above…Even after I started off with a pretty high grain to water ratio. I decided to split the sugars between the last 10 minutes of the boil and the morning of day four of primary fermentation in order to better ensure that the beer/wort would attenuate down to my target FG (1.009). Note: The 1.008 noted above is just the FG that I input into Beer Smith to check what the beer’s ABV could potentially be.
Yeast Starter: 2 smack packs of Wyeast 3787 Trappist High Gravity pitched into a 2.2 liters of starter wort.
The hottest that I let the fermentation get was 74F (yeast strain’s high end of 78F) in order to make sure that the final beer doesn’t have too much fruity esters.
In other news: I’ve added a new page to thebrewedpalate.com called “Coffee Journal” (above in blog header). Having started getting into drinking and brewing specialty coffees over the past 5-6 months, I decided to chronicle my coffee experiences on my blog. For now I’m going to keep my posts on this “separate page” in order to keep my homepage focused on homebrewing and craft beer related topics. However, in the future this arrangement may change.
AdvertisementsGermany’s failed project of bringing in over one million Muslim refugees in the space of a year has seen an explosion of crime and widespread sex assaults. There was also a lone wolf knife attack by an Afghan immigrant on a train, for which the Islamic State claimed responsibility; a search of the jihadi’s room turned up an IS flag. Add to that a suicide bombing outside a popular music festival by a Syrian refugee, and the mall massacre in Munich, during which a Muslim eyewitness heard the killer shouting “Allahu akbar.”
Now martial law is descending on Germany amid fears of an all-out war. The military will now team up with police for joint drills in preparation of an Islamic State attack. Military patrols may also be seen on streets to protect the public.
This is what Germany has come to, despite Angela Merkel’s famous statement, “We can do this.”
“German Military, Police to Team Up Amid Fears of ISIS Attack”, by Andy Eckardt, NBC News, September 7, 2016:The construction of the Diamer Bhasha dam being built on the Indus River, and slated to be one of the highest dams in the world, is blocked due to conflicts over a tiny patch of land. There is an eight kilometre stretch of land in the Gandlo Nala area of northern Pakistan claimed by competing tribes. Moreover this stretch of land is at the border between Kohistan, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, and Diamer, in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B). While the land belongs to the tribes that live there, the governments of KP and G-B back rival tribes, adding fuel to the fire.
According to officials, the compensation for the patch of land would be more than PKR 1 billion (USD 10 million). This is part of a massive land acquisition effort that the Pakistan government has been trying for years, costing up to PKR 54 billion (USD 540 million). Without this land, the dam cannot be built, and the 4,500 megawatt dam is seen as crucial for solving Pakistan’s mounting power shortages and providing water storage for irrigation.
a number of tribesmen dead, further deepening the ill feeling.
After the clash, the federal government’s paramilitary forces took control of the Gandlo Nala area, with the consensus of the KP and G-B governments, as well as the local tribes. The government also constituted a commission to decide the fate of the area, but the report has not yet been made public.
“This is a sensitive issue and the government does not want to gain the resentment of any tribe, so efforts are being made to settle the issue with mutual understanding of the tribes. We have been trying to host a jirga (tribal meeting) to settle the issue, but unfortunately these efforts have not yet been successful,” a senior official from the federal government involved in the construction of the dam told thethirdpole.net on condition of anonymity.
He said that the last time a jirga was held to deal with the issue – in May of this year – it failed because neither tribe was ready to retreat on their claims. The issue is deadlocked. Elders of both tribes are blaming each other for not trying to settle the issue and refusing to compromise.
Asadullah, the leader of the Harban tribe and chairman of the Diamer Bhasha dam action committee said, “At the jirga it was decided that the Thor tribe would withdraw its ownership claims and the Harban tribe would receive full compensation. In return we would pardon them for the murder of our tribesmen, but the Thor tribe did not fulfil their promise. Therefore we are not giving to give them a single inch of land, not even [to the government] for the construction of the dam”.
“Without resolving the issue in our favour, the dam can only be constructed over our dead bodies. Historically the Gandlo Nala area belongs to the Harban tribe, and we proved it in front of the commission,” said Maulvi Abdur Rehman an elder of the Harban tribe.
On the other hand, the Thor tribe of Diamer blame the Harban tribe of not honouring their promises. Mohammad Bashir, the nambardar, or official community leader of the Thor tribe to the federal government, strongly denied the claims of the Harban tribal elders. He said, “At the jirga we negotiated with the Harban tribe and it was decided that both the tribes would receive equal compensation, but now the Harban tribe is going back on their word, so no settlement is possible between us.”
Another elder of the Thor tribe, Maulvi Saddiq said, “The Gandlo Nala area belongs to our tribe. We have proof. If anyone attempts to rob us of our rights, then we will fight with all our power.”
Not only is the dam in danger, but the construction of the 37 km of the Karakoram Highway has been halted because of the hostility between the two tribes for the last six months. The spokesperson for the Hakas construction company said, “Both tribes are aggressive and they stop the company from constructing the road, and the company is facing heavy losses.”
This is an alternate route for the highway. After the construction of the dam nearly 120 kms of the current Karakoram highway will be submerged.
Faizullah, the spokesperson for the Gilgit-Baltistan government, blamed the federal government. He said that, “For a long time the G-B government has been requesting Islamabad to take notice of this serious matter and resolve it according to the desires of the people, but our requests have remained unattended and now the tribes have become aggressive and it is hard to convince them on any solution that involves give and take.”
“The Gandlo Nala area belongs to G-B. The disputes and criminal cases from the area are registered in the Diamer Tehsil Chilas courts and police station. The question is not about the ownership of the area; the question is how the government will give the people of Diamer their rights.”
He also warned that if the people were not satisfied, the construction of the dam would suffer, and there would be hurdles in the building of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). In November of last year the Chinese government had suggested it could help in the construction of the dam as part of CPEC.
This was a boost for the Pakistan government. The cost of the dam had ballooned from an estimated USD 6.7 billion in 2004 to USD 14 billion. Nevertheless Pakistan is loath to give up on the project. Experts and officials consider the Diamer Bhasha dam as crucial for Pakistan’s future. The project is expected to supply 4,500 MW (repetition) of electricity and will make available 6,400,000 acre feet (7.89 billion cubic metres) of water storage to supplement irrigation during low flow periods.
According to Pakistan’s Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) in June 2016, during the scorching summer, the country faced a shortfall of more than 5,000 MW of power. There were more than eight hours of power cuts per day throughout the country, with considerably more in the rural areas. Power demand in Pakistan has reached 21,200 MW while production is still 16,548 MW.
The Institute for Policy Reforms has said that the government must make the construction of the Diamer Bhasha dam its first priority. Its recent report said the country’s agriculture production fell in the 2015-16 fiscal year largely due to water constraints.
The former chairman of WAPDA Tariq Hamed said, “If Pakistan does not construct the Diamer Bhasha dam as soon as possible then in the coming years Pakistan will be a dry country.” And yet before it can do any of that, it desperately needs to resolve the long-running crisis over Gandlo Nala.Image caption India is the world's biggest consumer of gold and demand for the metal has been rising further
India has increased the duty on imports of gold jewellery to 15% from 10%, in its latest attempt to curb the demand for the precious metal.
Imports of gold jewellery rose after the government increased duties on import of raw gold, including bars and coins, three times this year.
Demand for gold in India has risen after the recent drop in prices.
However, gold imports are also one of the biggest contributors to India's widening current account deficit.
A current account deficit is the difference between inflow and outflow of foreign currency and it occurs when a country's total imports are greater than its exports.
A widening deficit strains the country's foreign exchange reserves, as well as the value of its currency.
India has been trying to bring down the deficit after it hit a record high of 6.7% of its gross domestic product (GDP) in the October-to-December quarter last year.
Protecting domestic industry
"There is an apprehension that Indian jewellery makers would not be able to compete with cheaper imports Indian finance ministry
India is the biggest consumer of gold in the world.
The precious metal is seen by many consumers as a secure investment, while the festive season results in a surge for demand for jewellery.
The government has been trying to rein in the growing demand. It has raised the import duty on raw gold three times this year - the latest increase taking the duty to 10%.
However, that resulted in imports of jewellery rising, as it had left the duties on that segment unchanged.
India's finance ministry said: "There is an apprehension that Indian jewellery makers would not be able to compete with cheaper imports, particularly when the majority of the imported jewellery is machine-made, as compared to handmade jewellery in India."
It added that it was raising the duty on jewellery to "protect the interests of small artisans".
Haresh Soni, chairman of the All India Gems and Jewellery Trade Federation, said: "This is a good move for the local industry and it will support the manufacturing sector."The similar and upward social comparison heuristic dominates
Initially we consider the effect of social comparison using the image scoring assessment rule, which is the least sophisticated approach that allows observation of evolution without any effects from discriminatory assessment. Keeping other variables constant, we vary the cost-benefit ratio c/b as shown in Fig. 1.
Figure 1: Evolution of social comparison heuristics with image scoring assessment while varying the cost-benefit ratio c/b. The plots represent the relative distribution of heuristics present in the population taken from all generations. The shaded areas are proportional to the frequency of the associated heuristic. Parameters settings are reported in the Methods Section. Full size image
Low c/b ratios, such as 0.1, are typically required for indirect reciprocity to be sustained through image scoring models17, and when the cost-benefit ratio reaches 0.5, they are known to perform quite poorly. Figure 1 reflects this; however in the cost-benefit range where evolution is sustained (i.e., at most c/b = 0.25), the (1, 1, 0) heuristic, representing donation to those with similar or better reputation, clearly dominates. This indicates a potential cycle of donation that is driven by an escalating relative perception.
An individual i who frequently donates will experience an increase in their own reputation, which affects their perception of others relative to themselves. For example, after a reputational increase for i, a third party j who originally had a similar reputation to i is subsequently perceived by i as having lower standing. When i adopts the dominant strategy of donating to those with a similar or better reputation, then j must increase her own reputation (i.e., number of donations) in order to remain eligible to receive donations from i. We note that this dynamic operates within each generation, between selection and reproduction. Social comparison couples individual perception of others to their own standing, and evolution acts on the heuristics governing relative perceptions, rather than on absolute thresholds for the perception of acceptable/unacceptable donation behaviour.
Figure 2 shows the results from Fig. 1 in terms of average payoff per player per generation, where the payoff to an individual adopting a given strategy is the difference between benefit and cost incurred over a generation. For lower cost-benefit ratios (e.g., 0.1, 0.25) that support the emergence of cooperation, the payoff per individual reflects the behaviour in Fig. 1 where the cooperative strategies produce the highest payoff, and in particular the dominant approach of donating to those with similar or higher reputation. When the cost-benefit ratio reaches 0.5 this trend is reversed. The dominant (1, 1, 0) heuristic still produces the highest payoff per individual but with marginal average payoff as compared to lower c/b ratios. Beyond this c/b ratio (i.e., c/b = 0.75), defection becomes rational (Fig. 1c) but yields little positive payoff on average. Here the vast majority of generations are characterised by near zero donations being made.
Figure 2: Average payoff per player per generation for the alternative social comparison strategies, using image scoring assessment while varying the cost-benefit ratio c/b. Parameter settings are consistent with those in Fig. 1. Full size image
Discriminatory assessment rules reinforce the dominant strategy
The evolution of indirect reciprocity under image scoring is known to be susceptible to non-discriminatory assessment rules3,57 and therefore it is valuable to consider the effects of standing and judging2,54 to update reputation (Fig. 3). When generalised to a non-binary representation of reputation and considered in the context of social comparison, standing involves decrementing the reputation of i when i defects in light of a request from a player j with at least the reputation of i. Judging offers greater penalisation than standing by punishing a donor for not further targeting their behaviour, with the reputation of r i decremented when i makes a donation to a less reputable recipient j.
Figure 3: Cooperation from the social comparison strategies using different assessment rules while varying the cost-benefit ratio c/b. Parameter settings are consistent with Fig. 1. “Average cooperation” indicates the frequency of cooperative interaction: the number of donations made as a proportion of the total number of games played in all preceding generations. Full size image
We observe that the discrimination provided by standing and judging exactly represents penalties for actions which are inconsistent with the dominant social comparison rule of donation to a recipient of similar or upward standing. Consequently the social norms provided by standing and judging embody social comparison and this mechanism further supports the evolution of indirect reciprocity, as seen in Fig. 3. In particular standing and judging increase the extent of cooperative behaviour in the population, reaching in excess of 90% for low cost-benefit ratios (e.g., 0.1). The selective effects of discrimination from standing and judging, as compared to image scoring, also significantly extend the range of cost benefit ratio at which cooperation is sustained, for example with both standing and judging reaching nearly 90% cooperation levels with cost-benefit |
outside my comfort zone with similar-but-different heroes. I tend to play support so instead of relying on Witch Doctor and Lich I’m playing some games as Shadow Demon. I’m also rewatching pro games with the camera fixed on a particular person – either to look at the character, or to look at the role. It’s small potatoes really but it’s been less daunting and flame-y.
2. DON’T PANIC
Probably my worst Dota habit is beating myself up when something is going wrong. It’s often because in the heat of the match when we’re behind I’m not good at prioritising action. That happens to a greater or lesser degree depending on the situation – if you’re trying to claw back farm for your carry setting up vision and being within rescue/protection distance are useful, if Roshan is up you might buy smoke and try to get your team into the Rosh pit for a crafty Aegis, if the clock is nearing a respawn point you can stack something so the carry has more gold available.
But I hate faffing. I hate those matches where I’m so low level from being picked off and so poor from buying wards that I can’t survive fights and I can’t afford any useful items. In those matches it’s easy to lose focus and start making bad decisions, being picked off and punished for them then sinking into misery. Now I try to keep focus by muttering “what’s the next little victory?” Perhaps a ward placed or one of their wards removed. I’ll buy smoke and suggest a few of us head to a likely farming spot on the map to kill one of those jerks on the other team. I’ll try to change where I’m walking or where I’m warding if those are repeatedly working out badly.
It might not mean you claw the game back but it means you’re not as miserable and powerless while you lose and you start seeing the behaviours that are causing the problems.
3. Practice. Just a little bit.
We never practiced. WE managed a warm up game maybe a couple of times but that was the sum total of our practicing. It was either because we’re INCREDIBLY COOL or some other reason relating to everyone having different schedules/work trips/deadlines/etc. Let’s go with “cool”.
That meant our warm up game was often our first game of the best-of-three. From memory we tended to lose those first games, only to bring it back in the second and third when we had remembered who each other were and how to play as a team. That’s not to say we didn’t take those matches seriously or that we didn’t respect the other teams, it was just that in terms of play it was ragged at the edges. Normal errors sat alongside needless miscommunications and mistakes increasing the chances we would get punished for them. In the games where we had managed a warm up beforehand the difference was palpable. It was like gargling Dota and spitting out the more dumb mistakes
4. Play heroes you like and are comfy with
We played at our best when everyone was on a hero they knew well. This kinda relates to the first point – the wider your hero pool the more options you then have for playing what you know. From a spectator point of view that maybe led to some slightly wonky or suboptimal line-ups but in terms of responding to challenges in the game it made life a lot easier. I might not be the greatest at coming back on a hero when I’m behind but I can do it far better on Witch Doctor than I can on Lion and that extra jolt of confidence or of hero awareness can make all the difference.
5. Have a reliable stun
Just do it. It make the whole game so much bloody easier.There comes a point in any litigation when there is no turning back, when no settlement can be reached. It’s the moment when both sides are resigned to taking their chances with the judge or jury. Until then, they often wage all-out war. If Tom Brady and Roger Goodell fail to reach a settlement in their case, Friday will probably be remembered as the day when the point of no return was crossed and when the gloves truly came off.
In a seething memorandum filed to U.S. District Judge Richard Berman Friday night, attorneys for Brady ridiculed Goodell as incompetent and dishonest. They also expanded earlier arguments that the NFL’s procedure for reviewing Brady’s alleged involvement in a purported ball deflation scheme in the 2015 AFC Championship Game between the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts violated federal law.
• MMQB: Takeaways from Brady and Goodell's day in court
In a later filing Friday night, the NFL responded by asserting that questions about evidence concerning Brady’s alleged involvement are completely irrelevant under the law. The league also insists that Goodell enjoyed ample facts to conclude that Brady—whom Goodell only a week ago called “a great young man”—had “personal involvement in a tampering scheme.”
Here are my five legal takeaways from the clashing filings:
1. This was personal
While all of Brady’s legal filings to date have been critical of Goodell, the one filed on Friday appears uniquely aimed at Goodell. Its tone is especially harsh and its rhetoric is most unforgiving.
Among the many accusations leveled at Goodell in its filing, Brady’s legal team mocks Goodell’s July 28, 2015 memorandum upholding Brady’s four-game suspension as “a propaganda piece written for public consumption, at a time when the NFL believed the transcript would be sealed from public view, to validate a multi-million-dollar ‘independent’ investigation.” This is extraordinary language for any legal filing, let alone one about the commissioner of the NFL.
To advance this dismissive characterization of Goodell, Brady (through NFLPA attorneys) takes direct aim at Goodell’s assertion that Brady “destroyed” his phone. Brady highlights that Goodell “never acknowledged that Brady had turned over all of his emails and all of his phone bills.” Brady, in other words, hopes that Judge Berman—as well as Goodell’s bosses, the 32 NFL owners, and thousands of NFL players and millions of fans—view Goodell as simply not believable. If Judge Berman concludes that Goodell lied in his arbitration award (the memorandum upholding Brady’s suspension), the judge would be more likely to vacate it.
2. No matter what happens from here, Brady’s filing on Friday was damaging to Goodell
Even if Judge Berman ultimately sides with the NFL, the harm inflicted upon Goodell’s reputation from Deflategate has been severe and perhaps irreversible. Many have questioned Goodell’s judgment in going to court against one of the league’s most popular players, particularly in a case built on questionable evidence. With Friday’s filing, that same player appears determined to use the legal system to directly undermine Goodell’s credibility.
To be sure, Deflategate is unlikely to cost Goodell his job. The NFL is making more money than ever. But it would not be surprising if some owners openly wonder how the commissioner could have let this bizarre controversy get to where it is currently at: a disaster.
• Tom Brady denied ever deflating footballs at appeal hearing
Worse yet for Goodell, if the parties do not settle and Judge Berman issues an order, the loser of it will likely appeal. This would set off an appellate process that could take months if not longer. If Goodell believes the Brady matter will go away by being firm against Brady, Goodell may be sorely disappointed.
3. Judge Berman’s unexpected interest in the facts is a focal point in both sides’ briefs
In the court hearing conducted this past Wednesday, Judge Berman surprised most observers by demonstrating significant curiosity in the underlying evidence relating to Brady and slightly under-inflated footballs. The main reason for this surprise is that Judge Berman’s role is to review an arbitration award, not to conduct a trial. In such a review, judges are expected to accord high deference to the arbitrator’s findings of facts. Moreover, should he issue an order vacating or upholding Brady’s suspension, Judge Berman would base his decision primarily on how the NFL applied Article 46 of the collective bargaining agreement—not on whether Brady “did it.” Judge Berman’s interest in the facts was also surprising given that the NFL and NFLPA agreed that no discovery (which would entail each side sharing new information with one another) would be part of the judge’s review.
In its filing Friday night, the NFL indirectly reminded Judge Berman that his interest in the facts could be misplaced. Most notably, the league asserted that Goodell’s factual conclusions about Brady “may not be disturbed” under federal law. The NFL stressed that an arbitrator’s factual findings are accorded “extreme deference” under the law, meaning that Judge Berman should only explore questions about evidence with the highest form of reverence for Goodell’s fact-finding. The league even went so far to cite the U.S. Supreme Court case MLBPA v. Steve Garvey to conclude that federal judges can’t vacate arbitration awards “despite allegations that the [award] rests on factual errors.” In other words, from the NFL’s perspective, whatever concerns Judge Berman may have about the lack of direct evidence linking Brady to a ball deflation scheme should not be grounds for the judge to overrule Goodell.
Brady’s legal team clearly anticipated the NFL raising the issue of deference for Goodell’s fact-finding. In Brady’s brief, his attorneys tell Judge Berman that, “the point here is not that the Court needs to decide any disputes issues of fact.” Instead, Brady’s team explains, Judge Berman should conclude that, “the Award itself [Goodell upholding Brady’s suspension] evidences a clearly biased agenda—not an effort at fairness and consistency.” Still, Brady’s team used its brief to remind the judge of negative facts for the NFL. This was especially evident when Brady’s side bolded a quote from Wells in which Wells admitted that analysis of halftime PSI measurements was based on “uncertain” information.
• MMQB: Patriots prepare for season in shadow of Deflategate
In some ways, the attorneys for both sides are intentionally talking past each other when it comes to the issue of “facts.” Brady’s team wants Judge Berman to view Goodell’s fact-finding not as a question of evidence but as a question of process. From Brady's perspective, the absence of direct evidence is in fact a question of process, since Goodell would have misapplied Article 46 by punishing him without regard for “fairness and consistency.” In contrast, from the NFL’s perspective, the absence of direct evidence is irrelevant since Goodell is to be accorded “extreme deference.” To further this point, the league cites various forms of circumstantial evidence purportedly implicating Brady. This includes the “sudden spike in communications between Jastremski and Brady following the AFC Championship Game” and the supposed “evidence of McNally’s demands for cash, clothing and autographed items from Brady, some of which Brady provided.”
How will Judge Berman view these competing arguments about the legal significance of evidence? We’ll find out on Wednesday, which is when the parties are next scheduled to meet in court.
4. Brady team hammers home argument that rationale for his punishment has changed
One of Brady’s core arguments centered on unlawful process is that the NFL’s rationale for punishing Brady has changed without notice or explanation.
Originally, the Wells Report cited a theory that it was “more probable than not” that Brady had “general awareness” in an alleged ball deflation supposedly carried out by Jastremski and McNally. Subsequent declarations by NFL executive vice president Troy Vincent and Goodell, however, expressed far more certainty in Brady’s wrongdoing—despite the uncertain source of that increased certainty. Now the NFL portrays Brady as involved in a conspiratorial scheme, implying that he played an active role in it. Separately, the NFL has not explained what portion of the four-game suspension is based on Brady’s alleged uncooperativeness in not turning over all electronic records when initially requested.
The NFL’s brief categorically rejects this argument, stressing that “in no sense did the Commissioner depart from the original basis” for Brady’s discipline. The NFL, moreover, emphasizes that Judge Berman is obligated to provide high deference to Goodell’s interpretation of Brady’s fault. Taking a shot at the NFLPA, the NFL also referenced how “much of [Goodell’s] evidence—including the forensic analysis that revealed that Brady had destroyed his phone—came from the Union itself... the Union cannot seriously contend that the Commissioner exceeded his authority by considering the evidence it proffered.”
5. Will witnesses testify in court next Wednesday?
In yet another surprising twist, ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio reported on Friday that the NFL and NFLPA might call witnesses to testify before Judge Berman next Wednesday. If this proves true, it would constitute a highly irregular development in a federal court review of an arbitration award—particularly a review where the parties have agreed that the available evidence for Judge Berman would only include the record used by Goodell. It’s not clear who the witnesses would be, but two who do not meet the criteria agreed by both parties are Patriots assistants Jim McNally and John Jastremski. Neither testified in the Brady appeal. Also, neither Brady nor Goodell are expected to be in court next Wednesday, which signals that they are unlikely to testify.
• Tom Brady returns to Patriots, plays in preseason game
Ted Wells would be one person who would meet the limited criteria to testify in court. He testified in Brady’s appeal and obviously has played a key role in the NFL’s review of Brady. Wells, however, could invoke the attorney-client privilege if called to testify before Judge Berman, just as he did during Brady’s hearing before Goodell on June 23, 2015. To be sure, Wells invoking the attorney-client privilege before Judge Berman would further undermine the NFL’s earlier characterization that Wells conducted an “independent” investigation. NFL attorneys, however, now insist that because Article 46 does not obligate the NFL to provide an accused player with an independent investigation, Wells’ independence is irrelevant under the law. As I explained last week, Judge Berman might reject such an argument under an estoppel rationale. Judge Berman could reason that the NFL should be prohibited from assuring Brady of Wells' independence and then, in a subsequent attempt to gain a legal advantage, insist that those assurances carry no legal consequence.
Michael McCann is a Massachusetts attorney and the founding director of the Sports and Entertainment Law Institute at the University of New Hampshire School of Law. In the fall 2015 semester, he will teach an undergraduate course at UNH titled “Deflategate.” McCann is also the distinguished visiting Hall of Fame Professor of Law at Mississippi College School of Law.MINISTER FOR Education Mary Coughlan has defended her department’s record on school buildings after new figures revealed almost half of the 2010 allocation has still to be spent.
In all €331 million of the 2010 school-building budget has still to be allocated, the second year in succession that the department has failed to spend its full allocation in this area.
Unused funding is generally returned to the Department of Finance at the end of the year.
Teachers’ unions, the construction industry and the Opposition have expressed dismay at the new figures.
Last night Ms Coughlan said it was expected that by the end of 2010, 53 new schools would have commenced on-site. This compared to projects for 34 schools going on-site last year, a 56 per cent increase in on-site commencements.
She said “difficulties” within the construction industry linked to very low tender prices were creating delays.
“In addition, the costs of sites have been reducing, and there have also been some delays in completing planned site transactions arising from legal and planning issues.’’
The dispute about the department’s capital programme comes after a recent Economic and Social Research Institute study found that the quality of school buildings had a significant impact on teaching and learning.
Responding to the figures, the Irish National Teachers Organisation described the failure to spend almost half the budget earmarked for school buildings this year as indefensible.
“This stands in marked contrast to commitments given that funding for buildings would be allocated to projects,” the union said.
“Nearly one in three schools need major building works. It beggars belief that half the annual building fund remains.”
The Construction Industry Federation said it was startled by the department’s failure to invest despite the unemployment crisis in the Irish economy and the deficit in our school infrastructure.
Federation director general Tom Parlon said the failure to spend the allocated money had cost significant jobs in construction and represented a major blow to the local economies that were to benefit from the Government’s investment.
“The excuse that this relates to reduced tender prices is very disingenuous...I would imagine that communities that have been on waiting lists for up to 10 years for school upgrades will take particular issue with such a suggestion,” he said.
Fine Gael spokesman on education Fergus O’Dowd said the failure to spend the allocated funds reflected “either gross incompetence or political chicanery by the Government”.
Architects have called on the Government to use the funds to build schools and create employment in the building sector.
Royal Institute of Architects in Ireland director John Graby said: “This is an opportunity for the Government to take advantage of cheaper labour and materials in the sector and finance projects that are not only good value for money but are an investment in children’s education which will greatly improve their learning environment.”On August 13, 1981, Jay Reid and I made the first SR-71 landing in Continental Europe. It was virtually unannounced—and not particularly welcomed.
(At the height of the Cold War, SR-71 Blackbird pilot BC Thomas, who became the highest time SR-71 Blackbird pilot ever, and his Reconnaissance Systems Officer Jay Reid were tasked with a very urgent mission to spy on Soviet Russia’s massive naval base at Murmansk. The sortie started off as planned but ended up as anything but usual, and they found themselves in a very precarious situation. This is Thomas’ story in his own words. —TR)
THE MISSION
Before establishing a continuous SR-71 presence in Europe in 1982 (at RAF Mildenhall, England), the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, the responsible headquarters for all SR-71 operational flights, was sometimes tasked to fly a particularly important higher-headquarters mission from Beale AFB in California to the Soviet Union and back.
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The purpose was to photograph (with either film or radar), and collect electronic data in and around the Soviet Naval facility at Murmansk, located on the Kola Peninsula in the Barents Sea above the Arctic Circle, in the extreme northwest portion of the Soviet Union, north of Norway and east of Finland.
We required information about their air-defense electronic warfare capabilities and specifically, their antiaircraft surface-to-air (SAM) missile systems. Murmansk was a strategic nuclear submarine base and maintenance facility, and since knowing the disposition of all nuclear threats was vital for the security of the United States, Murmansk was one of our most significant reconnaissance objectives.
My Reconnaissance Systems Officer (RSO), Jay Reid, and I were assigned this mission scheduled for Wednesday, August 12, 1981 in SR-71 aircraft #964.
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THE FLIGHT
We reported for the flight at 7:00 p.m., checked weather and last-minute changes to the mission requirements, updated the intelligence briefing, met with the mobile crew and SR-71 crew chief, ate a meal of steak and eggs, donned our space suits, conducted an aircraft preflight, and were ready for a 9:47 p.m. takeoff.
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There is no doubt that our presence was heralded to Soviet personnel on the ground by the sweet (and rather loud) sound of freedom: the distinctive double-sonic boom of the 2,200 mile-per-hour SR-71.
The flight profile called for a 45,000-pound takeoff fuel load; a rendezvous with two tankers over Idaho to fill our tanks; acceleration to Mach 3+ (2,000 mph) while cruise-climbing to 80,000 feet; descending to 26,000 feet to meet more tankers over Goose Bay, Labrador; crossing the Atlantic Ocean just south of Greenland and Iceland at Mach 3 to a third refueling over the North Sea, northeast of Scotland.
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The next acceleration was to Mach 3.25 to penetrate the Soviet air defense region around Murmansk. Passing west of Norway, then north of Finland, we headed toward the Soviet coast by flying inbound from a point in the Barents Sea and approaching the land mass at Murmansk directly at 90 degrees head-on.
There is no doubt that our presence was heralded to Soviet personnel on the ground by the sweet (and rather loud) sound of freedom: the distinctive double-sonic boom of the 2,200 mile-per-hour SR-71.
That knowledge would always give us a certain inward sense of pride; not in ourselves altogether, but pride in the aircraft, the engineers and designers who built her, the maintenance people who made her safe to fly, and the faithful tanker crews who were always there when we needed fuel. All of these support personnel were vital for any successful mission.
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The Soviet Union claimed their sovereign territory extended 100 nautical miles from their land mass. The international norm is 12 miles. Heading inbound, we turned so that we flew within 12.5 miles of the Soviet coast in a 30-degree right-banked turn while obtaining radar imagery (or photographs) and recording Soviet electronic countermeasures.
This somewhat provocative technique was trolling: we stimulated the Soviet defenses, causing their radios and radar to bristle with electronic information, thus impelling them to reveal telltale electromagnetic signatures indicating the type of equipment, modes of operation, and limits. There were sometimes other American assets offshore, but within radio range, which also collected electronic transmissions.
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After departing the “take area,” the plan was to refuel again over the North Sea, accelerate to Mach 3, refuel for a fifth time over Goose Bay, then fly Mach 3 thereafter to Beale AFB. We planned to land at 8:15 am on August 13 after 10.5 hours of very intense flying.
We were operating a long distance from home base, the mission was deemed vital, and no crew member ever wanted to abort a flight. Any mission deviation could lead easily to an international incident, would be scrutinized by the highest National Command Authority, and possibly result in our names appearing in every major newspaper in the world.
We certainly felt this responsibility, but had the utmost faith in our preparation, training and the talent and dedication of all our support branches.
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THE EMERGENCY
After transiting Murmansk and while hooked up with the tankers during the fourth refueling, I saw a flicker of the Master Warning light.
From our training and experience with the aircraft emergency checklists, we knew immediately that this required that we “land as soon as possible.”
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Jay Reid announced the light at the same time that I saw it in my peripheral vision. I disconnected from the tanker’s boom and maneuvered back to the pre-contact position. Our indication was the illumination of the left-engine oil supply low-quantity red warning light. From our training and experience with the aircraft emergency checklists, we knew immediately that this required that we “land as soon as possible.”
The mandate to land immediately was borne out of long experience with malfunctions: the type which would crash the airplane if another single-system failed.
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The natural tendency for military air crews is to complete the mission if humanly possible. To counter this inclination, the Wing Commander had designated certain emergencies sufficiently critical to require immediate landing. This was one of those emergencies.
Our mission planning and alternate airfield study had prepared us to know quickly where to fly if an emergency required immediate landing. Some military intelligence might limit our choice of a suitable landing field, depending on the political situation, and of course weather was always a major consideration.
Jay and I quickly agreed that recovery at the joint civilian/military air base at Bodø (pronounced: “Buddha”), located on the Norwegian coast a few miles above the Arctic Circle, was best. We were about 60 miles away.
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THE ARRIVAL
We wasted no time notifying the tanker crews of our decision to land. They set up a holding pattern in international airspace to assist in refueling, or to be our radio-relay if necessary. Their standing orders were to await our call to release them, presumably after our safe landing.
While Jay was transmitting our mandatory abort reports via high-frequency, long-range radio, I contacted Norwegian Approach Control. Our orders were not to broadcast that we were flying an SR-71, but rather give the general type as “U.S. Air Force Tactical,” which really meant nothing to a controller concerned about arranging for emergency equipment, and notifying proper authorities of our emergency condition.
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My call sign was “Belmont 86” and my transmissions to approach control were something like this:
“Bodø Approach, Belmont 86, six-zero miles west, declaring an in-flight emergency, request straight-in approach to land on runway zero seven.”
“Belmont 86, say aircraft type, nature of emergency, souls-on-board, and fuel remaining.”
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“Bodø Approach, Belmont 86, US Air Force Tactical, engine problem, 2 souls, zero plus four-five fuel-on-board.
“Belmont 86, say again aircraft type.”
“Bodø Approach, Belmont 86, US Air Force Tactical.”
“Belmont 86, I do not understand your aircraft type.”
“This is Belmont 86, we will land in approximately 10 minutes and I will deploy 3 drag parachutes: 2 small and one 40-foot chute. I will jettison all three on the runway. I don’t have time now to talk.”
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We were cleared to land with nothing more said. We touched down at Bodø on August 13 at 1:12 p.m. Norwegian time after a total flight of 6.4 hours.
What kind of reception would the Norwegians give us and would the airplane be secure, especially considering that we had on-board highly classified images and electronic recordings from Murmansk?
When we were on short- final approach, tower controllers had no problem identifying our aircraft type, and immediately sent out notifications which, we learned later, included the local press.
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What could we expect? What kind of reception would the Norwegians give us and would the airplane be secure, especially considering that we had on-board highly classified images and electronic recordings from Murmansk?
THE RECEPTION
I asked for and was given taxi directions to the Norwegian military ramp where I could see some friendly looking F-104s, the front-line NATO fighter aircraft. After I shutdown the engines and we opened our canopies, the first person to greet us was a Norwegian military pilot who said: “Welcome, do you know Bill Groninger?”
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Bill Groninger was a fellow SR-71 pilot who was a USAF instructor pilot before he was chosen for the SR-71 program. The Norwegian pilot was his student. We learned that many Norwegian fighter pilots received their initial training in the USA. We definitely were among friends!
We were quickly introduced to General Olav Aamoth, the Wing Commander at Bodø. He asked for any special requirements and I requested full-time guards be placed on the aircraft with only myself and Jay Reid authorized to admit personnel to the plane. He agreed and assured us that the aircraft would be guarded continuously. I then asked for a secure phone to call the Command Post at Beale AFB.
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General Aamoth drove us to an underground labyrinth of tunnels carved into the side of a mountain, containing maintenance shops and aircraft. He directed me to a telephone within his Command Center.
I called the 9SRW Commander, told him the time of the abort and that operations were normal up to the emergency, thus relaying that we had the reconnaissance data on-board. This information was needed to arrange for the proper retrieval of the mission materials.
We briefly discussed the nature of the emergency, and I assured him that the aircraft was safe. He said that we were to stay there until the aircraft was repaired, which would probably take three days. The 9SRW had already started a recall for the support personnel necessary for the recovery of the SR-71.
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General Aamoth seemed unusually concerned, as he insisted that a Norwegian officer physically be present with us until we left. He introduced us to an F-104 pilot, 1 Lt Roar Strand, who would help us with anything we might require. He was a very pleasant guy, and I kind of felt sorry for him because I was sure he had better things to do than to “mind” us for 3-4 days.
Roar Strand was very accommodating. After all the immediate activities associated with bedding down the aircraft were accomplished, he took Jay and me to his apartment, where we met his beautiful girlfriend, then to a restaurant in downtown Bodø where we spent a pleasant evening.
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Roar accompanied us to the transient quarters to sleep in the same room with Jay and me. Early the next morning, he went with us to a military dining hall for breakfast. It was there that I got my first real surprise of the trip: the only food presented was about four types of fish soup, all of which, to this unaccustomed American, smelled terrible, especially so early in the morning. I asked if any cold cereal was available and thankfully, there was. Corn flakes. Espresso coffee completed the fare.
General Aamoth, to my surprise, stated specifically that he did not want any talk or outward expression of anything clandestine (not that we would anyway.)
General Aamoth joined us and with him was the American Air attache to Norway who had just flown in from Oslo specifically to see us. I knew then that this visit was attracting more attention than any of us needed or wanted. He asked about the emergency, the condition of the airplane, and wanted to know if anything unusual or unpleasant had happened to us.
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I assured him that we were fine and that recoveries such as this one were well planned and the maintenance team would probably be here that day or the next. We did not anticipate any logistical problem as this type of activity was performed often, usually without help from other local organizations, and the Norwegians were taking extra care to assure that we were not contacted or hindered.
RECOVERY OPERATIONS
The rest of the day was devoted to making preparations for the maintenance recovery team from Beale AFB. General Aamoth, to my surprise, stated specifically that he did not want any talk or outward expression of anything clandestine (not that we would anyway.)
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More than once, he made the explicit statement that when we landed, he considered us to be a NATO-allied aircraft in distress and that military courtesy and professional consideration meant that we were to be afforded the support necessary to see us on our way and that he did not want any mention of reconnaissance activity or publicity.
It was way too late for the admonition concerning publicity, however.
Virtually every newspaper in Norway had news of a “Spy Plane” landing at Bodø splashed across its front page. Newspapers in the USA also had the story. The reports generally said that it was the highest-flying and fastest airplane in the world, and opined on what type of “spying” we were doing.
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Jay and I did not like the publicity, but were relieved that no newspapers published our pictures or names. None of us flying reconnaissance missions wanted to be publicly identified while we were engaged in these activities.
Our missions were highly classified, and no good could ever come from talking to reporters about anything associated with our reconnaissance flights.
Virtually every newspaper in Norway had news of a “Spy Plane” landing at Bodø splashed across its front page.
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The next day, August 15, a KC-135Q from Beale AFB arrived carrying our special fuel for the SR-71; the deployment commander, Lt Col Randy Hertzog, who was also the Commander of the 1st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron (1SRS); and the maintenance crew plus civilian technical representatives from Lockheed.
The recovery plan written by the 9SRW stated that in foreign stations, the recovery team would all wear civilian clothes so as not to disclose who was military. This did not sit well with General Aamoth! He told me to tell Col. Hertzog to have all military personnel wear military uniforms.
I did not know why he would issue such an order, but I complied. The military team dutifully returned to the KC-135 and changed into uniforms.
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Over the next two days, the maintenance team ran into several problems repairing the aircraft. We had parts flown in from various sources. A spare “engine start cart,” a machine containing 2 Buick Wildcat engines in tandem and specifically designed to mechanically rotate the SR-71 engines for starting, was flown in by C-130. On the third day, our aircraft was repaired and made ready for takeoff.
Since preparing the SR-71 for a supersonic (Mach 3) flight would have taken more equipment and time, we elected to fly subsonic directly to RAF Mildenhall, England, from which the SR-71 had conducted operations previously. We would fly in formation with the KC-135Q, which had landed at Bodø for our support 2 days earlier.
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DEPARTURE
The maintenance crew performed outstandingly and we were ready to depart on Sunday, August 16. Preflight preparations for Jay and me were smooth, except our first engine-start attempt failed. The start cart could not, observing normal rpm and torque limits, achieve the required aircraft engine speed for a safe start.
It was the roughest takeoff I ever made in an SR-71.
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On the second attempt, the crew chief, Clarence “Skip” Hosler, valiantly ignored the cart rpm/torque limits and informed me on inter-phone that this would be the last attempt. He later told me that the connecting rod glowed red-hot just before the aircraft engine reached the start rpm.
We took off at 1:42 p.m. It was the roughest takeoff I ever made in an SR-71. The runway was smooth to sight, but owing to the very long, slender and flexible fore-body of the SR-71 (where the nose wheel is located) and the distance from the nose wheels to the main landing gear (42 feet), the slight undulating wavelike runway set up a vertical motion in the cockpit which amplified as we accelerated for takeoff.
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It was getting so bad by the time we achieved rotation speed (180 knots) that I was very concerned that something might break before liftoff (210 knots). The acceleration of the SR-71 was quick and I was able to raise the nose before the up-and-down oscillation became traumatic. With the gear up, everything returned to normal. We rendezvoused with our tanker for a planned refueling to augment our takeoff fuel, and landed at 2:53 p.m. local time in England, for a flight of 2.2 hours.
With a million members of the Polish Solidarity movement having gone on strike on 7 August, and mounting tension between Communist state officials and the rest of the Polish population, Strategic Air Command (SAC) directed that upon arrival, we would set up a deployment base at RAF Mildenhall and conduct several additional operational missions before returning home.
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Jerry Glasser and Mac Hornbaker were sent from Beale AFB to meet us when we arrived from Norway and they flew an operational mission a few days later. We were ordered to stay at RAF Mildenhall until relieved, so Jay and I also flew another operational mission after Jerry and Mac. When Rich Young and Ed Bethart arrived as our replacements, we departed for Beale AFB on September 2.
What started out for us as a 10.5-hour, round-robin mission, California to the Soviet Union and back, turned into a 21-day marathon of SR-71 missions, involving 6 SR-71 air crew members, a host of maintenance and support personnel, and a true adventure for us all.
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Along the way, we made some very special friends.
AFTERWARD
After I retired from the US Air Force and our SR-71 reconnaissance activities were no longer classified, I contacted General Aamoth. He had also retired from the military after being Chief of Staff for the Norwegian Air Force from 1985 through 1991.
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I asked him about his reluctance to have our military personnel wear civilian clothes and why he admonished us not to do or say anything which would identify our mission as being reconnaissance. He told me a very interesting story.
On May 1, 1960, General Aamoth was a fighter pilot (then a Lieutenant) in the Norwegian Air Force stationed at Bodø. That was the day that Francis Gary Powers was shot down flying a CIA U-2 aircraft over the Soviet Union. Although Powers had taken off from Pakistan, his intended landing base was Bodø, the same Norwegian base at which I landed.
Furthermore, the then-commander of Bodø knew about the U-2 and that it was to land at his home base; however, neither the Norwegian Prime Minister nor the Chief of the Norwegian Air Force knew anything about it. To make matters much worse, the Soviet Premier, Nikita Khrushchev, threatened to “nuke Bodø” for “cooperating” with the United States in the “U-2 Affair.” After an investigation, the Military Commander was summarily fired.
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General Aamoth saw a very stark parallel to that story when we landed. He told me that he was sitting in his office when we were on final approach. The airfield tower controller telephoned and told him to look out his window to see what aircraft was landing at his field asking to be parked on his military airport apron.
I now understand General Aamoth’s concern!
As of 2016, Roar Strand is still an active pilot, flying worldwide for Scandinavian Airlines (SAS). He has homes in Norway and France and is married to Maryann, the girlfriend whom I met at his apartment in 1981. They are the proud parents of 3 and are also grandparents.
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As for SR-71 aircraft #964, a veritable workhorse for the SR-71 program, it is displayed at the Strategic Air and Space Museum (formerly the SAC Museum) near Omaha, Nebraska.
John Morgan (RSO) and I had an SR-71 emergency on April 5, 1984 in aircraft #974, and landed again at Bodø. General Aamoth was there to meet me a second time. He was then a Major General and Commander of Tactical Air Forces North. I told him that I really didn’t mean to do it a second time! There was minimum publicity and we departed within 2 days. By then, we were operating out of RAF Mildenhall and the logistical support was much closer and quicker than in 1981.
The SR-71 (#974) in which I landed at Bodø the second time was the first SR-71 |
a few things in American politics, but now we’re in Roman Polanski territory.
When you talk about Hillary, now Bernie Sanders is really right behind her. He’s polling ahead of her in several states, and other polls contend that he’s polling better against the GOP candidates than Hillary—though that notion seems more then a little far-fetched. I know you semi-endorsed Bernie on the show, so the real question is: Can Bernie actually be elected president of the United States?
This is the exact question that I’m going to be asking the panel this week, and it’s a question that didn’t have as much relevance until this week, now that he’s almost even in the polls. Now that we are plainly six months into the Trump era—the era when there are no more rules in American politics—you kind of have to throw away the rule book and say, “We don’t know.” It’s completely uncharted territory. It’s like there are two elections going on: One is between the Republicans and the Democrats, and one is between the establishment and the anti-establishment.
And I know Nate Silver and lots of other people say it’s impossible for Donald Trump to get elected president, but as I’ve always said: Something is impossible until it isn’t. And so far, Donald Trump has defied everybody’s predictions, and he’s still there, and he only seems to get stronger. The guy eats third rails for breakfast. I mean, what would he have to say? He’s already said, “Carly Fiorina, you’re too ugly to be president! John McCain, you’re not a war hero! Hey, would you like to see my impression of a guy with cerebral palsy?” I mean, what would he have to do, fart in Jesus’ face or call Ronald Reagan a fag? I have no idea what this guy would have to do to make his crowd turn on him. He’s like a movie monster who only gets stronger with the stuff that you’re using to try to kill him. So with this atmosphere, I think anything is possible—and that means Bernie Sanders is possible.
It is pretty rich for Donald Trump to be going after Bill Clinton for his numerous affairs when Donald Trump was reportedly having sex with Marla Maples while his wife Ivana and their three children were at church.
People don’t think or vote logically. They like Trump. He excites something in the lizard part of their brain, and he knows how to touch a certain sensitive point in the kind of people who are nothing like him, and have absolutely nothing in common with a billionaire.
Well, besides his trumped-up accent.
Yeah, exactly. But he talks about how America doesn’t win anymore and how we’re going to be great again, and he has his pulse on people the way few politicians before him have.
With Hillary, what is going on? Bernie’s right at her heels, and she’s going on Ellen DeGeneres’s show and dabbing. Her attempts at appearing “human” and endearing are laughably transparent.
Connecting was never her strong suit. She’s a policy wonk, which is the Democrats’ strong suit; they understand government. They’re sometimes no prizes themselves, but compared to Trump and Ben Carson, they don’t have to be taught the names of the continents, and they know how government works. Look, she’s too centrist for me and she’s too in bed with Wall Street and Monsanto, but she’d be a capable leader. I wouldn’t be concerned with her blowing the world up.Obasma’s occasional profession of fondness for the rule of law is hardly consistent, particularly since the Syrian refugees became a thing. He insists federal law must be followed regarding refugee resettlement, but hypocritically refuses to crack down on states with unlawful sanctuary cities
For Thanksgiving, Obama compared the mostly male Syrian invaders of Europe to America’s pilgrim settlers — nice insulting touch for the holiday!
In response, more than half of the states’ governors have rejected Syrian refugees for their jurisdictions.
The Presidential decree to resettle Syrian Muslims (who cannot be screened because no database) is unpopular: a Rasmussen poll published November 19 found 60 percent of likely voters oppose the settling of Syrian refugees in the state where they live. An October Rasmussen survey (before the Paris jihad attacks) showed 56 percent of likely voters thought giving thousands of Syrians asylum will make America a more dangerous place.
On Saturday, Tucker Carlson discussed the Syrian refugee mess with J. Christian Adams, a former Justice Department official. Adams thinks the Syrians will be dependable Democrat voters in the future, so any danger of mass jihad murder is a non-concern to the President in comparison. (Interestingly, Obama remarked to reporter Bob Woodward a few years back that America could “absorb” another terror attack. Is that any way for the nation’s commander in chief to think?)How I spend 1 month every year commuting
Fred Rivett Blocked Unblock Follow Following Oct 13, 2015
About 7 months back I was offered a job. It was a great job, working on an interesting problem with interesting people doing something I loved doing and had been wanting to do for a few years.
The only issue was that there was a commute. Roughly an hour and a half each way. Or 3 hours a day. 15 hours a week. 60 hours a month. 660 hours a year (assuming 1 months holiday). 27 ½ days. February (give or take half a day). Yeah, February. A whole flippin' month (including sleep time), every year, just trying to get to and from work.
See, I don’t know about you, but the last time I checked, sitting on a train for a month each year wasn’t high up on my new years resolutions. Next year, I want to get fit, learn a language, and spend a whole month travelling to & from work. Yeah, that’d be great.
So, the job itself was great. But that commute tho. My last commute had been out of bed, down the stairs and 20 feet to the dining room table. Not exactly strenuous. This one would be a tad different.
So what did I do?
I took the job, obviously. I was really looking forward to the challenges that lay ahead, stretching my existing skill set & working on an innovative, interesting product, and I was really looking forward to the commute.
Yeah, I was really looking forward to the commute. Now, don’t get me wrong, some commutes are less than ideal (although this guy seems to be enjoying it). Mine, fortunately, would be quite simple by comparison. A fifteen minute walk to the station, fifty minutes on the train, twenty minutes on the underground and then I’m there. It was a commute. It was my commute, my first, and I was genuinely looking forward to it.
You were naïve right, reality wasn’t so sweet?
Now, 7 months on, I’m glad (and a little surprised) to say I still genuinely enjoy my commute. Honestly, I thought I’d be fed up by now, the novelty having long worn off. But no, despite the worrying calculation that I spend a whole month every year commuting, I’m still enjoying it.
Why? Are you a glutton for punishment?
When I was working from home my schedule wasn’t exactly the most disciplined. I woke up when I wanted, worked when I wanted, and slept when I wanted. I naturally feel more productive in the quiet of the night, so pretty soon my sleep schedule was all over the place.
A big part of what I was looking forward to with the commute was the discipline it provided. I’ve long desired to schedule in specific time to read, listen to podcasts & audio books, write, and generally have some time to think. Now I have a set time each morning & evening in which to do these activities. It’s forced me into a morning schedule, and I’m a lot more productive as a result. Sure, sometimes I’m tired, but even then I can doze whilst listening to a podcast or audio book.
Sadly, most people I see on the train are either sleeping, texting, reading the newspaper or candy crushing. Now, none of these activities are wrong in and of themselves (well, except candy crush) but none are really helping much either. These activities are fine, but, if you’re spending a whole month every year crushing candy or reading largely irrelevant news stories, then maybe there’s more you could be doing with your time.
Turn your commute into an opportunity, rather than a chore, and all that changes. No longer are you wasting hours each day, now you’re using them. You’re finally reading the books you’ve had gathering dust on your shelf or sitting in your Amazon wish list, you’re listening to podcasts that you’ve never found the time to listen to and, who knows, maybe even writing blog posts in your spare time.
Writing blog posts on the train? Well, that’s exactly what I’ve started doing. In fact, this very blog post was written & edited in my commute today. I wrote it in the morning, and edited it in the evening. For a long time I’ve wanted to start blogging, it turns out my commute gives me time for that.
Commuting then, isn’t always as bad as its made out to be. It provides a schedule, boundaries, and a bunch of (albeit limited) options with what to do with it. Ultimately, it turns out that commuting isn’t always the issue, often the real issue is simply what we do with it.
7 months in, and it’s still going well. Will I say the same a year, 5, 20, 40 years down the line? Well, I certainly hope I’m not still commuting then, but that’s another issue. But for now, as a young-ish guy with lots to read, listen to and write, I’ve gotta say, it’s working out pretty well.Scott Sumner has an interesting post critiquing Noah Smith’s critique of the conservative tight money bias and Marcus Nunes has one which is similar, but instead critiques the bubble fear mongering rhetoric of a Mr. Janjuah, macro strategist at Nomura. On the surface they may not appear to be similar, butit seems that they are linked by the nuance between being conservative personally and utilization of government to force conservatism.
I am not necessarily a Thomas Jefferson worshiper but I do find quite a high volume of quotable material in his work that appears applicable to many of today’s problems, therefore, I discuss his material often. The time during which he lived is also quite fascinating, a period of military and political revolution, and subsequently of a young nation struggling for a cohesive political definition among diverse and competing world views and interests. In the area of crafting public policy, in which he was intimately involved as Governor of Virginia and as Secretary of State, he rarely strayed from principles of erring on the side of preserving basic freedoms.
In the matter of incidences of rebellion under the Articles of Confederation, Jefferson had a fundamental and multi-faceted disagreement with George Washington who suggested that the central government needed to be strengthened in order to preserve civility and calamity among and within the several states. One of the facets of the disagreement had to do with the nature of the rebellion in Massachusetts (notably Shay’s – but that was far from the only one). In Jefferson’s understanding, the economic crises that formed the basis of rebellion had its origins in the repudiations of revolution era currency, and the political problems were a direct result of the effects of the repudiation on the citizenry. It is exactly why he feared and opposed the creation of a central bank, being of the opinion that inappropriate management of it would be a source of economic and political instability. In other words, he did not view the situation of rampant bankruptcies, subsequent property confiscations and confinements to debtor’s prison as the result of lack of government, a situation to be blamed on individuals, but rather the result of poor governance; and he once made the remark that he’d prefer chaos arising from too much freedom to chaos arising from too little.
There is a huge difference between being conservative and behaving conservatively in whatever aspect of life one prefers, and using government to force that pattern of behavior on others. It matters not if it is in matters of finance, religion, personal behavior or world view. When we do that, we are most certainly to be facially incorrect in diagnosis of the specific problem to be solved, apply the wrong medicine, and end up worse off than if we had done nothing. We do not have the responsibility or even the right to save other people from themselves by imposing a belief or pattern of behavior, which in our own opinion is best, upon them; and being able to cope with what is viewed as, based on our own opinion, errant or irresponsible behavior on the part of others is a necessity of living in a free society – otherwise, it is no longer free.
And yes, freedom can be chaotic at times, but there is also a natural order to society itself which I believe is highly overlooked and underappreciated by arrogant pontificators who believe they can solve the world’s problems by forcing conformity to their preferred pattern of behavior. One example of natural order is that it is legal in the State of New York, and has been legal for at least twenty years, for women to go topless in public as long as it is not for sexual purposes – and look as one might, topless women are quite a scarcity in the Big Apple and elsewhere within state borders. Another example, a mirror image of the previous, is that it’s illegal to possess and consume controlled substances, such as narcotics, and I know of almost no one who wishes to partake of controlled substances who cannot get them, all the while we’ve been filling prisons to brim with people who are genetically disposed to addiction and attempting to deal with the calamity of organized and unorganized crime arising from black market activity in controlled substances for decades – a horror all its own that would not otherwise exist.
These pontificators, such as those criticized by Noah Smith and Marcus Nunes, spread the rather wild idea that if only money were to remain tight, or indeed to become even tighter, everyone would be saved from themselves and each other, and the world would prosper. I would like to think that unicorns actually exist; but that doesn’t mean that forcing unicorns to exist will somehow change basic human behavior. If money exists, any money at all, stupid people will do stupid things with it – especially when it is someone else’s’ money.
Specifically to point, at the very least, we are not dealing with an economic crisis arising from average people doing stupid things with their own money. Most average people did not know what a MBS is until they were the sensational news of the day, and most average people do not understand basic macro concepts like MV=PY. It was the supposed highly skilled money managers and high finance people, people who claim to have at least a greater than average understanding of macro, who devised the MBS scheme, while those at the central bank said “We’re not touching that,” or “We need to make an example out of somebody,” when the entire thing unraveled. And of course those at the central bank did stupid things all their own, but that is a somewhat different topic. There is absolutely no evidence that a different stance of monetary policy would have prevented the unraveling of a poorly devised and executed financial scheme or would have kept any of the money managers from doing stupid things with other people’s money; while there is plenty of evidence that the failure of the central bank to deal with the situation allowed the fallout to spill over and negatively impact average people with a forced downward price level adjustment on the broader economy.
Given the facts of the crisis, there is plenty of reason to view the claims of people like Mr. Janjuah as rather dubious because it appears to be a basic survival instinct to save one’s reputation when there is considerable social and political power that comes with having large pools of capital at one’s disposal. And I would not be surprised if, even unknowingly, Mr. Janjuah believes his primary interest is to preserve his own interests with the spread of highly inaccurate information, inaccurate information that I prefer to label as propaganda. And it does not matter how the persistence of tight money would impact average people, those in much the same position as Mr. Janjuah have little to fear and will still come out on top – which is what really matters to them. They get to deflect the real source of economic instability while shielding themselves from any possibility of appropriate political intervention that may be required to restore nominal stability while average Joe struggles to survive financially. It is an untenable situation that could not be farther from being solved by implementation of those particular recommendations.
It seems as if the power that comes with the management of large pools of capital is really the main problem with political leadership within the ranks of conservatism. Management of public policy in the interests of those with or in control of wealth is really nothing new. I’ve written about an example of that problem arising in the new nation of the United States concerning the matter of the Whiskey Rebellion here; and there other examples in US history and indeed world history too numerous to count. To me, it appears as a default political setting rather than an exception; and as sad as it is, it is likely the main problem we have concerning the current economic tragedy.
It is doubles that there are insiders who have at least some idea of the influence being peddled and information about why certain things are put to print for public consumption – like perhaps someone close to Mr. Warsh – who remain silent. And it is quite regrettable because, regardless of the circumstances, most conservatives I know who are worth regarding are indeed quite reasonable; only they have not been told the truth in a way that they understand.
I, unfortunately, do not possess the skill or knowledge of the appropriate venue to explain it as evidenced by the fact that I am still here writing after a years of trying to provide information about how subscribing to the propaganda of the money managers hurts themselves and those around them, and how perpetuating the fear of inflation and bubbles hinders their own economic freedom to the benefit of the those with power. I am well past the point of endurance, having written them off as lost to the wilderness and economic servitude of those who care nothing about them.
I am sorry – but I truly do weep for the republic and for my former political friends who seem to be perpetually caught up the superficially plausible, far too distracted by it to see the real damage being wrought on humanity itself. I pray that truth will eventually prevail, but I don’t necessarily hold much hope that it will before the worst of the situation is upon the doorstep.
AdvertisementsBaddie – Honestly, a huge shark.
Lesson – Australian movies hold no hope.
I’m in a shark kinda mood. So I picked out a movie to watch – Blue Steel. Then I re-read the synopsis and realized I’ve already seen it. So I resorted to my second choice, The Reef, because who doesn’t want to watch the ‘scariest shark movie since Jaws‘. That’s a ridiculously lofty claim. Jaws is still a scary movie. Well, right up until the robot shark om-nom-noming a boat. So this movie started, and I was pleased as punch to see this, because normally I see the words ‘Asylum’ and my brain begins rebelling.
Here’s the thing I love the best about Australian horror movies. They KNOW SUSPENSE. There’s this opening sequence where they are swimming around the reef, snorkeling. The angles are horror-typical, and you know there’s a shark, and that snorkeling in Australia is pretty dangerous. There’s even smaller black tip sharks around. A character is isolated – not really–but just in a moment. It’s tense. Later, the boat ‘stalls’, they deal with the tide–these are small points of tension. It’s normal stuff that might happen on a trip, it’s the regular vacation tension. It’s the build to the eventual main event, and it’s executed extremely well.
Even the romantic tension is great. Most horror movies tend to neglect the romantic connections with their characters, or the actors have no chemistry. Not this movie. It’s fantastic. It adds drama to the dramatic, because the characters are already compromised. Now, when the boat capsizes, it gets pretty real, pretty fast.
After this, everything is terrifying. That innocuous turtle shell floating, that random splash that might be a school of fish – everything. Everyone is aware that there are sharks in the water, and that they are susceptible, but they have no choice. That’s Australian cinema–they love to place characters in absolutely inescapable conditions. Actually, that’s largely the main difference I’ve seen. Even in slasher/torture films like Wolf Creek, the characters are allowed to escape only to realize how hopeless their situation truly is.
Now, I’m willing to relent that pretty much every Aussie horror film I’ve ever seen has the same trope characters, and essentially the same scenario. Yes, this is Black Water in the reef.
Hey, y’know what’s already pretty scary? Great white sharks, exhibiting behavior that they normally would in the wild. Australia, the most dangerous place to live ever, knows this. They don’t tend to play around with it too much, not in this movie. Here’s another thing that The Reef does AWESOME. They use a shark. The shots are consistent, the shark is real and, although the green screen is a tiny bit hamfisted at times, the effect is believable.
The most effective part, for me, is that when he goes underwater to check the fin, the shark has presumably already dove down. For those who are not avid watchers of ‘Shark Week’, Great Whites tend to dive down and torpedo up to the surface. The force of a huge shark hitting the prey usually renders it unconscious and easy to eat. It’s why they’re colored light on the bottom and dark on top – nearly invisible in their prime hunting zone. So when he goes to check for the shark, it’s beneath them. That is scary.
The other greatest indicator of an Australian movie is if they take your feels and they just wreck ’em. Just, throw ’em on the ground and stomp on them. No happy endings here. No blank slate, either. Essentially just the worst injustice ever. For some reason they largely end up with one very angry woman who gets to go primal on the offending beast, although in this case that’s not really an option. This movie claims to be based on a true story, additionally.
I would recommend this movie – but I would also recommend sitting down and really watching it. This isn’t a throw-it-on and giggle with some buddies movie. If you allow it, this film is pretty darn scary.Willow logs are logs, which can be cut from willow trees using the Woodcutting skill. Cutting willow logs from a willow tree requires an axe and level 30 Woodcutting and grants 67.5 Woodcutting experience per log. Players can burn willow logs using the Firemaking skill and a tinderbox. This requires level 30 Firemaking and grants 90 Firemaking experience per log.
In the pay-to-play version of RuneScape, players may also use the Fletching skill and a knife to carve willow logs into arrow shaft, willow shortbow (u), willow longbow (u), or willow stocks. This requires levels 30, 35, 40, and 39 Fletching respectively and grants 15, 33.3, 41.5, and 22 experience.
Willow logs are also used to travel to Varrock using the Balloon transport system.
Willow logs are also known to be one of the best experience rates in the game for Woodcutting, right under Teak logs. Some of the most efficient places to get a constant rate of experience from willows are: Barbarian Outpost, Draynor, west of Catherby, and south of Ardougne.
Willows can be a very cost-effective way of getting to 99 Firemaking. It takes no more than 144,679 willows to get from 30-99 Firemaking.
Experience from logsThey may come in waves, all at once, or not at all.
But government officials in Canada say that regardless of how Haitians living in the United States under temporary protection status (TPS) react to losing that status, they’ll be ready.
The American government confirmed on Monday that as of July 2019, it will end TPS for around 60,000 Haitians who took up residence in the U.S. after a deadly earthquake rocked their island home in 2010.
READ MORE: How the feds plan to house asylum seekers entering Canada as winter approaches
That gives those people just over 19 months to get their affairs in order and leave, and it’s possible that some will head north seeking asylum in Canada.
“That’s an unpredictable number at this moment,” acknowledged Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale on Tuesday morning on his way into a cabinet meeting.
“Through the course of this year the numbers, as you know, have fluctuated dramatically, at some times being very low, sometimes being very high. We’ve tried to take all of the contingencies into account.”
READ MORE: U.S. ending temporary permits for nearly 60,000 Haitians, putting Canada on alert
Liberal MP Emmanuel Dubourg, who is himself Haitian, was in New York City on Tuesday to meet with various members of the diaspora community. The trip is part of a recent push by the government to counter the spread of misinformation on social media about the ease of coming to Canada.
MPs have been dispatched to several U.S. states in recent weeks as the Americans continue to review temporary protection status for a number of countries. More trips are being planned to Texas, New York and California.
One of the people Dubourg met with on his most recent trip was Brooklyn-based immigration lawyer Emmanuel Depas. On Tuesday, Depas told Global News that he doesn’t expect a big wave of arrivals until 2019, a few months before the status is formally lifted and Haitians are subject to deportation.
WATCH: Man seeking refugee status in Canada can’t convince immigration officials that he’s gay
Depas said his advice to people under TPS who are thinking of heading north is to call an immigration lawyer in Canada first. The purpose of his meeting with Dubourg was to work out a strategy to avoid another big flood of Haitian arrivals, he added.
“Asylum is very complicated, especially when you’re coming from a safe country such as the United States,” Depas said from his office in Brooklyn.
“A lot of these people, unfortunately, are ineligible for asylum … most likely those claims will fail, so it’s likely that those people will be deported back to Haiti.”
According to Depas, Dubourg seemed “very concerned” about the possible influx. The men are hoping to organize seminars with other lawyers and stakeholders who can then help educate Haitians about their options.
Depas also said he’s also hoping that the U.S. Congress will pass legislation that will allow TPS-holders to pursue legal citizenship in the U.S.
But Marjorie Villefranche, director general of Montreal’s Maison d’Haiti, said she’s not so sure there will be another wave at all. Haitians who decided they were going to come to Canada have already made that trip, she said Tuesday, crossing the border at Lacolle, Que., over the summer.
READ MORE: Canada readies for potential refugee influx as U.S. ends protection status for Nicaragua
But the backlog in Canada’s immigration system is already bad, Villefranche noted. While work permits have been issued, thousands of people who crossed over the summer are still waiting to hear if they can formally apply for asylum.
Quebec’s immigration minister, David Huertel, said Tuesday that his province isn’t worried about another big wave — at least not right away. Quebec has seen far more irregular border crossings this year than any other jurisdiction.
“We’re doing everything to limit the surprise as much as possible,” he told reporters from Radio-Canada and La Presse.
Huertel is expected in Ottawa later this week for a federal-provincial meeting on the matter. He met with the U.S. consul general in Montreal on Tuesday.
https://twitter.com/Heurtel/status/933061090392662018
— With files from Mike Armstrong and Mike Le CouteurYou must enter the characters with black color that stand out from the other characters
— Jonathan Richardson sentenced himself to death nearly four years ago when he tormented, tortured and terrorized his ex-girlfriend's 4-year-old daughter for 10 days before "finishing her off with such a vicious attack from which she would never recover," a Johnston County prosecutor said Thursday to jurors tasked with the life-or-death decision regarding the Smithfield man's destiny for Teghan Skiba's murder.
The seven women and five men agreed, and shortly after 8 p.m. – with less than three hours of deliberation – they recommended that the 25-year-old be put to death.
Richardson had no response and was quickly led out of the courtroom in handcuffs, leaving behind his mother, grandmother and others in tears.
"The way I see it, he got the verdict today, he should be dead tomorrow," Teghan's paternal grandfather, Gerald Skiba, said shortly thereafter. "He tortured my little granddaughter and she's never coming back again."
Richardson's attorneys and his family declined to comment.
"The defendant decided her fate. On July 16, 2010, he ultimately became her sole judge, jury and executioner," Assistant District Attorney Greg Butler said during closing arguments of the sentencing phase of Richardson's capital murder trial. "Life in prison, I contend to you, is a slap on the wrist. Justice demands that he receive no better fate than he gave Teghan."
The jury took only an hour last week to convict Richardson of first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, first-degree sexual offense of a child and felony child abuse in Teghan's death. She died from a fatal head wound three days after he took her to a Johnston County hospital, claiming she fell off a bed.
But the state said the 144 wounds, including 66 bite marks, on the girl's face and 40-pound body were not the result of a fall but the work of an "extremely wicked," "shockingly evil" and unremorseful man who "perverted the laws of nature" and "desecrated her body" when he sexually abused Teghan and killed her.
"There's a darkness in him," Assistant District Attorney Paul Jackson said. "I want you to remember something – that when good people do nothing, darkness prevails. I know you won't let it prevail in this case."
"The way I see it, he got the verdict today, he should be dead tomorrow. He tortured my little granddaughter, and she's never coming back again. Gerald Skiba, victim's grandfather
Defense attorneys, who hoped to keep Richardson from becoming the 153rd person on North Carolina's death row, pleaded with the jury to show mercy and to recommend to Superior Court Judge Thomas Lock that his life be spared.
"We're not asking you to forgive Mr. Richardson for what he did. Life in prison without parole is not forgiveness. It is its own abyss," defense attorney Mike Klinkosum said. "A life condemned to prison for someone convicted of a sexual assault and torturous murder of a 4-year-old girl is a special kind of abyss. It's a special kind of hell."
During the lengthy trial – jury selection began in January – the defense maintained that Richardson never meant to kill Teghan, that he loved her and considered her to be his daughter. He was a victim of inappropriate discipline as a child, couldn't control his anger and suffered from undiagnosed mental disorders – all factors that contributed to the child's death.
Butler disagreed, describing the injuries and the punishment that he said the girl must have endured – including being whipped numerous times with a frayed electrical cord, having a nail pried off her finger, having her arms broken and suffering severe trauma to her genital and anal areas.
"Is he mentally ill or just plain mean? Just plain cruel? Just plain sadistic?" the prosecutor asked.
But Broun said the state neglected to answer the question of why Richardson inflicted the abuse upon Teghan – a question that mental health experts struggled to answer at trial.
"Why did his desire to have the perfect family turn so tragic?" Broun asked. "We know this did not happen in a vacuum. We just can't simply say some people are just mean and not look for the real answers. What happened to Teghan is beyond horrible, beyond tragic and is completely senseless. There obviously are not the crimes of a healthy person."
Jurors – bused in every day from neighboring Harnett County – began deliberating just before 4:30 p.m. Thursday and had the option to consider 46 mitigating factors – circumstances about a crime that could justify a lesser sentence.
Among them: Richardson's upbringing by a father who the defense said was abusive and a mentally ill mother who they claimed hired a hit-man to kill him. Richardson was a year-old at the time, the defense said, but the event's impact was long-lasting and far-reaching, with Richardson suffering at his angry father's hands as a result.
Butler, the assistant district attorney, said Richardson has blamed everyone in his life – including Teghan – but himself.
"He wants you to feel sad. He wants you to be concerned for him and his self-described horrible life," Butler argued. "He wants you to have sympathy for him and forget this terrible, senseless, needless, vicious crime that he committed against a little 4-year-old girl, Teghan Skiba. All this is just to get your attention taken away from what he did, how he did it and who he did it to and why."
Some of the jurors cried as Butler showed a 37-second video of Teghan facing a wall with her bruised and broken arms stretched out to her side as she repeatedly cried out, "When I have to pee, I promise I will tell someone."
Richardson then yelled in the video – taken nine days before her death – for the child to "speak up."
"It was amazing she was able to do just that after the torture she had already been through," Johnston County District Attorney Susan Doyle told jurors. "She was a tough little girl. But as tough as Teghan Skiba was, she was no match for that defendant. She was no match for his persistent and his calculated and his carefully planned acts of torture."
Thursday was not the first time tears were shed tears during the trial. Graphic testimony brought tears to jurors, family members and court employees alike, and experienced medical and law enforcement officers, including a 18-year sheriff's deputy, broke down on the stand.
Prosecutors' voices quivered as they argued their case Thursday. The emotion in their voices was evident.
Teghan spent the last days of her life bleeding in a shed behind the home of Richardson's grandparents, Doyle said.
The girl's mother, Helen Reyes – charged with negligent child abuse in the case and absent from court Thursday night – was in New Mexico for Army Reserve training and left Richardson to care for her daughter.
Teghan lost 70 percent of her blood from her wounds.
"As she began her slow torturous death, she was in this dark, dirty, lonely place. She was in a shed all alone and she had no one – no one – with her," Doyle said. "She had no one to help her. She had no one to care for her, and she had no one to comfort her. She had no one but him.
"Your sentence will finally bring justice for Teghan," Doyle continued. "And your sentence will allow her family to begin to put away some of this pain and to once again remember the sweet little girl who in happier times, loved to say 'It's a sunny day, let's play.'"20 million Shia Muslims - as well as some Sunnis, Christians, Yazidi and other faiths - are on their way to Karbala, Iraq to participate in the world's largest annual gathering of people, the religious pilgrimage of Arbaeen.
The pilgrims must reach Karbala, south of Baghdad, by 12th December, a date which marks the end of 40 days' fasting following Ashura, the ritual which marks the death of Mohammad's grandson Imam Hussein. Karbala is the site of a shrine in Hussein's name on the spot where Hussein and his army were killed and beheaded by the army of Caliph Yazid in 680.
Many Shia walk from Najaf, a distance of 55 miles, and some even make the 425-mile journey from the port of Basra on foot, which takes two weeks, passing through hostile territory, and deserts which are baking during the day and freezing at night. The pilgrimage was banned under Saddam Hussein and only reintroduced in 2003.
Many Sunni Muslims, particularly extremists such as Isis (known in the local language as Daesh) regard Shia Muslims as apostates and attack both believers and their places of worship. The Arbaeen pilgrimage itself has often been targeted by Isis and other fanatical Sunnis. Last year Sunni militants attacked the pilgrimage with suicide bombers and rockets, leaving dozens dead.
Although Isis have become notorious for carrying out sectarian slayings, some Shia militias have also killed many Sunnis. Amnesty International says it has evidence that many Shia death squads are backed by the Shia-led government.
Despite the ongoing sectarian violence 20 million people now attend Arbaeen, making it the world's largest annual gathering in one place. Although the Hindu Kumbh Mela is believed to be even larger it is only held every three years. The pilgrimage of Hajj, to which all adult Muslims - Sunni and Shia - are expected to attend at least once in their lifetime if possible, draws around two million each year.This post was written by Jeff Balogh. Jeff works on Mozilla’s web development team.
New in Firefox 3.5, localStorage is a part of the Web Storage specification. localStorage provides a simple Javascript API for persisting key-value pairs in the browser. It shouldn’t be confused with the SQL database storage proposal, which is a separate (and more contentious) part of the Web Storage spec. Key-value pairs could conceivably be stored in cookies, but you wouldn’t want to do that. Cookies are sent to the server with every request, presenting performance issues with large data sets and the potential for security problems, and you have to write your own interface for treating cookies like a database.
Here’s a small demo that stores the content of a textarea in localStorage. You can change the text, open a new tab, and find your updated content. Or you can restart the browser and your text will still be there.
The easiest way to use localStorage is to treat it like a regular object:
>>> localStorage. foo = 'bar' >>> localStorage. foo "bar" >>> localStorage. length 1 >>> localStorage [ 0 ] "foo" >>> localStorage [ 'foo' ] "bar" >>> delete localStorage [ 'foo' ] >>> localStorage. length |
node. n ) def visit_Name ( self, node ): node. js = 'null' if node. id == 'None' else node. id def visit_LtE ( self, node ): node. js = '<='
After using this we come to:
When leaf nodes are done we can compile code for ones depending on them:
1 2 3 4 5 6 def visit_Compare ( self, node ): # Visit sub-nodes self. generic_visit ( node ) # Concatenate sub-node parts, # use parentheses to not worry about operator precedence node. js = '( %s %s %s )' % ( node. left. js, node. op. js, node. right. js )
And we’ve got to:
We can continue going up the tree and finally get:
1 2 3 >>> translate ( lambda v : v <= 100 ) function ( v ) { return ( v <= 100 )}
Yay! We did it. But…
Complications
What about translating code like:
1 1 <= x < 10
There is no chained comparisons in JavaScript, the best we can do is translating this to:
1 ( 1 <= x ) && ( x < 10 )
There is also no not in operator in JavaScript, combining all that Compare translation complicates to (not necessary to read and understand all this, just appreciate the complication):
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 def visit_Compare ( self, node ): self. generic_visit ( node ) ops = node. ops operands = [ node. left ] + node. comparators pairs = pairwise ( operands ) # adjacent pairs of operands node. js ='&& '. join ('%s ( %s %s %s )' % \ ( '!' if isinstance ( op, ast. NotIn ) else '', l. js, op. js, r. js ) for op, ( l, r ) in zip ( ops, pairs ))
Another complication is keyword arguments and star arguments. We can deal with them by complecting our code even more or by refusing to handle this case at all:
1 2 3 4 def visit_Call ( self, node ): assert node. kwargs is None \ and node. starargs is None #...
Now we are translating only subset of Python, but this should be okay since translation is not our goal, it’s code deduplication for validation rules. So as long as translator works for this particular use case we are fine.
Closures
We are still not done yet. We probably don’t want to write same validation rules over and over, so we will end with code like:
1 2 3 4 >>> up_to = lambda limit : lambda v : v <= limit >>> translate ( up_to ( 50 )) function ( v ) { return ( v <= limit )}
It’s easy to see that limit in JavaScript code refers to non-existing variable. To fix that we need to introspect values enclosed within a function, thankfully Python introspection has our back:
1 2 3 >>> u50 = up_to ( 50 ) >>> u50. __closure__ ( < cell at... : int object...>,)
Here the closure is a tuple containing single cell with an int object in it. Makes sense since we are enclosing 50. It’s fairly easy to get cell contents:
1 2 3 >>> [ cell. cell_contents for cell in u50. __closure__ ] [ 50 ]
It’s also easy to introspect free variables refering to enclosed values:
1 2 >>> u50. __code__. co_freevars ( 'limit',)
This co_freevars always have the same length and order as cells in closure, so we can pair them up and translate the whole thing to:
1 2 3 4 5 6 ( function (){ var limit = 50 ; return function ( v ) { return ( v <= limit )} }())
So we’ve got a closure. This highlights how we are not really translating functions, but closures, which are functions plus context.
More Closures
Unfortunately func.__closure__ doesn’t capture everything, any global names and built-ins are still uncovered. Let’s translate this one:
1 len50 = lambda s : len ( s ) <= 50
We can access function globals and built-ins namespaces with:
1 2 3 4 5 >>> len50. __globals__ { 'len50' : < function < lambda > at 0x7f705a92a848 >, '__builtins__' : < module '__builtin__' ( built - in ) >, 'dis' : < module 'dis' from '/usr/lib/python2.7/dis.pyc' >, 'translate' : < function js. translate >,'s' : '
<section>
<pre><code class="python">>>> [cell.cell_contents
...' >>> __builtin__. __dict__ { 'bytearray' : < type 'bytearray' >, 'IndexError' : < type 'exceptions.IndexError' >, 'all' : < built - in function all >, 'vars' : < built - in function vars >, 'SyntaxError' : < type 'exceptions.SyntaxError' >, 'isinstance' : < built - in function isinstance >, 'copyright' : Copyright ( c ) 2001 - 2014 Python Software Foundatio...
So we only need to detect global names used by a function. We could have walked the AST, but then we would need to separate local and enclosed non-local names from global ones. The easier way is to introspect bytecode, which looks like this:
1 2 >>> len50. __code__. co_code 't \x00\x00 | \x00\x00\x83\x01\x00 d \x01\x00 k \x01\x00 S'
Just a binary string, not that pretty. But python standard library provides us dis module to handle that:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >>> dis. dis ( len50 ) 1 0 LOAD_GLOBAL 0 ( len ) 3 LOAD_FAST 0 ( s ) 6 CALL_FUNCTION 1 9 LOAD_CONST 1 ( 50 ) 12 COMPARE_OP 1 ( <= ) 15 RETURN_VALUE
The thing to see here is LOAD_GLOBAL instruction, it corresponds to global variable use. dis module only prints bytecode nicely, but doesn’t let us really in. So we go for another asset — byteplay:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 from byteplay import Code, LOAD_GLOBAL # Wrap code into byteplay object code = Code. from_code ( f. __code__ ) # Iterate over instructions and collect names names = { param for cmd, param in code. code if cmd == LOAD_GLOBAL }
So we collected all refered global names, we can translate them unless they are implemented in C. To handle that we can supply a dict like:
1 2 3 4 5 BUILTINS = {... len : lambda s : s. length,... }
With code which doesn’t make sense in Python. However, it will make sense after translation:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >>> translate ( lambda s : len ( s ) <= 50 ) ( function (){ var len = function ( s ) { return s. length }; return function ( s ) { return ( len ( s ) <= 50 )} }())
Actually we could have used strings in BUILTINS dict, but with lambdas we can refer to other things in our implementations:
1 2 3 4 5 6 BUILTINS = {... identity : lambda x : x, all : lambda seq : seq. every ( identity ),... }
Which enables us to make things like:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 ( function (){ var all = ( function () { var identity = function ( x ) { return x }; return function ( seq ) { return seq. every ( identity )} }()), len = function ( s ) { return s. length }; return function ( xs ) { return (( len ( xs ) >= 1 ) && all ( xs ))} }())
Here all() is defined as a nested closure. Also the whole thing starts to look complex. Fortunately we don’t need to write this, we don’t even need to read this, we only deal with python lambdas. And that one is just a single line for the mess above:
1 lambda xs : len ( xs ) >= 1 and all ( xs )
Meeting Halfway
We’ve already come a long way, however, some things still won’t work:
1 2 # Does't work, it's s.trim() in JavaScript lambda s : s. strip ()
To fix this we will need to write shims for all python types and convert everything before passing to our function. This sounds like a lot of work, so went another way — just don’t write like that, write this way instead:
1 2 # Does work if "string" is in BUILTINS lambda s : string. strip ( s )
Look, system does many things to make everything work, now we can come along and finally meet halfway. This approach worked wonderfully for us, we managed to get practical solution with:
no runtime,
no shims,
only 300 lines of code.
Compare this to full-blown python to js translator. Anyway let’s see what it have brought to us.
Demos
Here is how validation looks. It updates as we type and wholly executed in the browser:
And we don’t write any JavaScript to achieve that. We write this instead:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 class PriceField ( FlexField ): clean = lambda v : int ( re. sub ( '\s+', '', v )) rules = [ [ lambda t : re_test ( r'^[\s\d]*$', t ), 'Enter a number' ], [ lambda v : v < 100000000, 'Specify adequate price' ], [ lambda v : v >= 1000, 'Specify price in rubles,...' ], ]
This works both in browser and server-side so we don’t need to duplicate logic or messages. Also having lots of similar fields we can reuse everything: fields, predicates, cleanup functions, rules, which are just lambdas plus text messages. So it really looks like:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 class PriceField ( FlexField ): clean = clean. posint rules = [ rule. posint, [ test. lt ( 100000000 ), 'Specify adequate price' ], [ test. ge ( 1000 ), 'Specify price in rubles,...' ], ]
We can also employ inheritance:
1 2 class PriceField ( PosIntegerField ): rules =...
Computed Properties
We really got more from this system than just validation. And first thing to show is computed properties. These are visibility, labels, choices and more. I’ll demo it with another tiny screencast:
Here we can see several aspects — when user selects “exchange to a car” a new drop-down appears, and when a label changes depending on who pays extra. Here is how it looks in code:
1 2 3 4 5 6 class ExtraPaymentField ( FlexField ): # Relabel depending on who pays extra label = lambda self : ( 'Max' if self. exchange_terms = MY_EXTRA else 'Min' ) \ +'extra payment' # Show if there is an extra payment involved visible = lambda self : self. exchange_terms!= NO_EXTRA
Additional benefit we get here is that we can compute visibility server-side and do 2 things: first, render a form in an appropriate state from the start (less flickering in the browser) and, second, discard any input we got from invisible fields automatically. Another example of additional benefit is calculated choices, able to get them on back-end we can check if value is one of them.
Other thing to note is that now we have dependencies, e.g. label text and visibility depends on exchange_terms field value. We could have added some tricky introspection, but we instead required programmers to specify dependencies explicitly:
1 2 3 4 class ExtraPaymentField ( FlexField ): @depends ( 'exchange_terms' ) def visible ( self ): return self. exchange_terms!= NO_EXTRA
This is in line with our meeting halfway principle and it worked this time too.
Passing Data
The last demo for today will show how easily we can pass data to client. Here I show how field values could be automatically selected:
To look through car models we need to pass their list to browser and we can do this simply by enclosing data structure with a function:
1 2 3 4 models = CarModel. objects. values_list ( 'pk', 'title' ) value = lambda self : first ( pk for pk, title in models if self. lookup in title )
This lambda uses models so they are translated to JavaScripts array of arrays and passed along with function. This is very handy when, for example, creating chained selects and under many other circumstances.
The Bigger System
You probably already noticed that there is a bigger system besides translator here. These are all its parts:
declarative descriptions of fields, models, forms, filters, listings and detail pages,
translation of clean, validate and property compute functions,
transparent data forwarding.
There is the thing with tools that when you introduce some new very useful one you get a whole lot of new possibilities, you can make much faster something that took ages previously or you can even do things, which were impossible before.
This also works for developer tools. Introduction of this system had led to a population boom — we’ve got from 7 forms to 51, and you can double that number ‘cause we also autogenerate filtering form for each of them. We also got to 500+ database tables. All of this without loosing our sanity or growing our code base to some insane LOC number.
Decency
In python world we have this stigma on metaprogramming. Like it’s dirty and should not be used in any serious setting. It’s true that this is a complex technique that brings its costs. But as any other consideration this has its limits.
By promoting reasonable considerations to emotional and even kind of religious level we loose an ability to judge it mindfully. We dismiss something even before considering it seriously. And doing so we miss great solutions.
This worked for us. What will do for you?A new study from McGill University and UCLA shows that for every additional month of paid maternity leave offered to women in low- and middle-income countries, the infant mortality rates drop by 13 percent.
That translates to about eight babies out of every thousand live births. This has already been demonstrated in higher income countries, but is the first study in low-and middle-income nations.
While the study didn’t assess why the rates plummeted, researchers say factors like reduced maternal stress, ability to breast feed longer, and more time to seek medical attention for their infants are probable factors.
But McGill University professor Arijit Nandi, who was involved with the study tells Here & Now's Robin Young there is a lot of room for improvement in low- and middle-income countries.
"A median of about 13 weeks is provided to mothers in the countries that account for almost all infant mortality world wide," Nandi said. "Our research indicates that just increasing that by a month could have a noticeable impact in terms of reducing infant mortality rates."
Nandi adds that the United States - which is among only three countries in the world that don't guarantee paid maternity leave - has a higher infant mortality rate than it should, given its economic output.
"Among OECD countries, it is one of the worst performing in terms of neonatal and infant mortality rates," Nandi said.
GuestHome � Disney World Ultimate Experiences, Disney World Vacations, Hollywood Studios, Tables In Wonderland, The Great Movie Ride � Ultimate Disney World Experiences: The Great Movie Ride Dinner
For fans of the Walt Disney World Resort it takes a lot to consider an event to be an Ultimate Disney World Experience. When it comes to the folks at Disney, they are constantly delivering incredible experiences for guests to enjoy. That being said, there are still events that stand out from the rest and are truly remarkable experiences that even the fans who have done it all come away amazed.One such event is The Great Movie Ride Dinner at Disney's Hollywood Studios, brought to you by the staff at Tables in Wonderland. As the name implies this event is a dinner that takes place within The Great Movie Ride attraction, done only as Disney can do it. Presented only a couple of times a year to a very limited number of people, this has truly become one of Disney World's Ultimate Experiences that we at Only WDWorld have been fortunate enough to enjoy firsthand.Let's go inside this incredible event and share all that takes place.This 2 1/2 hour experience, which goes all too fast, starts by congregating outside the entrance of The Great Movie Ride attraction after it has been shut down to the general public. Only those lucky enough to obtain a ticket will be allowed in.We were met by the great Alberto Dante, who would be our host for the evening. He introduced himself and told us what to expect for the evening. He stayed in character throughout the evening and made a wonderful host.Shortly thereafter we were allowed to enter The Great Movie Ride. This is where we knew we were in for a special experience as you may notice that there are no ride vehicles in use. We were going to get to walk into the attraction.We were allowed to take as many pictures as we wanted. Although the lighting was still its normal dim, they turned out much better than those from a moving vehicle.Once we arrived at the set of the Ganster movie scene, the party really began. Here, drinks and appetizers were served and we were entertained by roving gangsters that performed for us and interacted with the guests.The only regret is that we were only here for around 45 minutes before we were asked to move along by our host Alberto Dante, known as Al Dente to his friends. Fortunately we were not going to travel far, only moving on to the Western Set for our dinner.There was assigned seating, as you were placed at tables of 10. The conversation was fun as you defintely had something in common with the others, by being huge Disney World fans. The dinner had a western band performing while the dinner was being served. There was also roving entertainers who interacted with each of the tables.The food was absolutely amazing. It was presented in 3 courses: Appetizer, Salad, and Entree. The menu included: Creamy Free Range Yard Bird Corn Chowder with Ciabatta Bread, Wild Greens and Herbs with Castus Cilantro Vinagrette with Beet Tumbleweeds with Mandarin Rice Wine Marinade, Poblano Barbeque Braised Beef Short Rib with Tobacco Onions, Smoky Cheddaer Potatoes Gratin, Black Skillet Roasted Baby Green Beans with Mushrooms and House Made Fire Roasted Coarn Bread.Again time flew by and we were entertained by our host and then asked to move along to our next location. This time we had the opportunity for a longer walk to make our way to the Wizard Of Oz set for dessert.Numerous photo opportunities emerged as we walked through the sets of the famous movie sets that are immortalized in The Great Movie Ride attraction.The dessert phase of the dinner certainly did not disappoint. The setting was remarkable, as were the desserts. Again there was entertainment provided as you enjoyed sampling the sweets. The good witch even had a showdown with the wicked witch of the west before the night was over.Finally our time was up and it was time to go. This must have been the fastest 2 1/2 hours in history! Although the experience was expensive, it truly deserves to be called one of the Disney World Ultimate Experiences. This dinner delivered everything expected and so much more.Chi Chi, a three-year-old golden retriever, is energetic and loving. She likes squeaky toys and carrots and cuddles with her owners, Elizabeth Howell, her husband and their daughter.
But Chi Chi is no ordinary dog: She’s a quadruple amputee who walks with four custom prosthetic legs. And her story of redemption — one that began in misery at a South Korean dog meat operation and now continues across the world in the Howells’ comfortable Phoenix home — has earned her a strong online following, as well as a growing one in her in own community.
Chi Chi, who Howell says is a “blessing every day in our lives,” finished a therapy dog training course last month and now regularly visits a veterans center, an assisted-living facility and special-needs students at an elementary school.
Chi Chi can walk and run with her custom prosthetic legs. (Photo by Bob Fugate)
It’s a remarkable transformation for a dog who was left in a trash bag outside a meat market in early 2016. Her legs had been bound with wire, leaving bones and tissue exposed. The rescue group that found her was going to euthanize her but had second thoughts after rescuers saw her wagging tail and positive spirit, Howell said. Instead, they decided to amputate all of her legs, and they gave her a name: Chi Chi, after a Christian motivational speaker from Australia, Nick Vujicic, who was born without limbs.
“They decided there was something special about her and that she wanted to live, so they decided to try and save her,” said Howell, 46, a former technology consulting executive. “There was something about her that touched them, too.”
Kelly O’Meara, senior director for companion animals with Humane Society International, said an estimated 2.5 million dogs are slaughtered for consumption each year in South Korea. Activists say the centuries-old practice of eating dog meat is falling out of favor among younger generations, but slowly.
“It’s the only country that commercially raises dogs on farms,” O’Meara said. “The larger breeds are the ones you will often see... for slaughter and consumption. It’s due to the mass: There’s a larger carcass for meat.”
Two months after it found her, the Nabiya Irion Hope Project, an animal welfare group in South Korea, sent Chi Chi to the Animal Rescue Media and Education (ARME) group in Los Angeles, where both organizations believed she stood a better chance of adoption. Howell said she saw one video of the dog and “couldn’t get her off my mind.”
Chi Chi’s owners said she is constantly wagging her tail. (Photo by Bob Fugate)
“I watched it multiple times just sitting there. I didn’t know what was going on or what her story was, but I knew something awful had happened to her,” said Howell. “It was really her eyes that got me.”
The Howells, who have owned eight dogs in nearly 24 years of marriage, decided they wanted to make Chi Chi their next. ARME drove her from Los Angeles to Phoenix in March 2016. Six months later, she was fitted with custom prosthetics that allow her to walk and run.
After a short but traumatic lifetime of abuse, Howell said, Chi Chi was reticent to interact at first. But that changed in a matter of months. Now, Howell said, the dog is free to trust humans “without any fear or risk to her well-being. That’s been amazing to watch her grow and watch her transform into this dog that now can’t wait to visit people and meet new people.”
So far, Chi Chi’s biggest fan base is virtual — more than 45,000 followers on her Facebook and Instagram accounts. Howell said her hope, though, is that Chi Chi’s greatest impact will be at schools and that she will teach young children to be kind.
“Dogs aren’t judging. They love everyone the same. Somehow dogs can just reach a person in ways humans can’t,” Howell said. “Is that compassion? Understanding? I don’t know. But it’s really special to be able to see. I can’t tell you how many people meet her and just start crying.”
Read more:
Lulu the dog flunked out of CIA bomb-sniffer school because she just didn’t care
A woman’s dog died, and doctors say her heart literally broke
Pete the parrot is getting a prosthetic foot. Then he has to learn to live with it.
Destined for the dinner table, Korean dogs become U.S. pets instead
Taiwan is banning eating cats and dogs, but many of its neighbors haven’tIt should be ever more difficult for patriotic Jewish Americans—or anyone else, for that matter—to believe that Jonathan Pollard, who has spent 29 years in prison for passing secret intelligence documents to Israel, is being punished for the very real crime to which he pleaded guilty in 1986. Pollard, a former naval intelligence analyst, has spent nearly three decades in prison for a crime that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years under current U.S. law—more time than any other convicted spy in American history. He is the only person in American history to receive a life sentence for the crime of spying in a case involving a friendly country, and the only person convicted of such a crime to be sentenced to more than 10 years in prison.
And what you are about to read is not a knee-jerk, tribalist defense of Pollard—you will be subjected to no whining about his health, no assertions about how serving time in a maximum security prison is hard, or the like—but is rather an argument about a newly clear and deeply problematic aspect of the case.
In an op-ed published this week in the New York Times, M.E. Bowman, former deputy general counsel for national security law at the FBI and coordinator of the investigation that put Pollard behind bars, did his best to revive the idea that the spy deserved his extreme sentence and should remain in prison. Yet the logic of Bowman’s argument is so tenuous, and so noxious, that it only magnifies the perception that Pollard was railroaded by an American national security establishment animated by a very personal animus towards one particular spy—and one that has spent the past three decades trying to cover up its own failures.
According to Bowman, Pollard pleaded guilty to a statute that deals with the disclosure of information that might result in the death of a U.S. agent or that “directly concerned nuclear weaponry, military spacecraft or satellites, early warning systems, or other means of defense or retaliation against large-scale attack; war plans; communications intelligence or cryptographic information.” The suggestion that passing satellite photos or communications intelligence to a friendly country is a crime on a par with causing the death of a U.S. agent in the field defies common sense. But that is because Bowman’s confusion is quite deliberate—and revealing, as is his suggestion, based on an allegation made by Seymour Hersh in 1999 that Israel traded information it obtained from Pollard to the Soviet Union in exchange for “Jewish emigrés.” If Pollard didn’t actually kill anyone or harm America directly, the innuendo goes, then Israel must have—in deadly collusion with America’s then-worst enemy.
Behind Bowman’s dark farrago of half-baked rumors and theories it is possible to glimpse the real basis of the sealed case that he and his associates presented in court. At the time that Pollard was convicted of passing satellite and communications intelligence to Israel, a string of American agents in the former Soviet Union was in fact discovered by the KGB, and they were shot dead. Bowman and the rest of the national security establishment believed that Pollard and the Israelis were somehow responsible—because Pollard was the only spy they knew of within the American national security establishment. Maybe, the theory went, in addition to passing information about Iraq and ships in the Mediterranean Sea to the Israelis, Pollard was somehow able to access the names of American agents inside the Soviet Union and pass them to the Israelis, who in turn passed them to the Russians in exchange for facilitating Soviet Jewish immigration to Israel.
The main problem with this theory is that we have known for a fact since the mid-1990s that it is false. Jonathan Pollard was not the mole who passed the names of American agents to the Soviet Union in the 1980s. In fact, the Soviet Union had two high-ranking moles in the American national security apparatus working simultaneously to pass along huge quantities of information about American spies and spying techniques. The first was Bowman’s superior on the FBI organizational chart, Robert Hanssen. In 1987, the year that Pollard was convicted, Hanssen was put in charge of discovering why American agents were being blown at such an alarming rate. Needless to say, Hanssen didn’t identify himself as a mole—or let Bowman and his colleagues in the FBI’s legal department in on his secret. The second Soviet agent was Aldrich Ames, a CIA legacy case and counter-intelligence specialist who, in 1985, began passing information to the Soviets that led to the apprehension and execution of at least 10 American agents, including Dmitri Polyakov, a general in the Soviet armed forces who had functioned as an American double-agent for 20 years.
It is unclear why the Times saw fit to publish Bowman’s disjointed exercise in late-in-life personal and organizational ass-covering, or why Bowman believes that he can get away with publishing such trash in the guise of doing further service to his country. Yet it is also true that the ins and outs of Pollard’s crimes, his sentencing, and his motivations, and what he did or did not pass to the Israelis, have long ago ceased to matter—especially to the people who are keeping him in prison. Rather, Pollard’s continued incarceration appears, at this point in time, to be intended as a statement that dual loyalty on the part of American Jews is a real threat to America—and a warning to the American Jewish community as a whole.
But why do Jews need such a warning? In a country where no one drinks from separate water fountains and same-sex marriage is legal, the idea that American Jews are uniquely susceptible to the lures of serving two masters at once—and therefore need an extra-stiff dose of public deterrence to keep from selling out their fellow Americans—is as silly as it is vicious. In order to cover their own incredibly damaging mistakes and failures, the national security establishment is keeping Pollard in prison on the apparent grounds that Jews are especially prone to disloyalty. The fact that American Jews are afraid to answer this entirely self-interested slur against our entire community makes us—all of us—a target for political bullying by people who believe, or find profit in suggesting, that we have something to hide. It is time for the American Jewish community to put the Pollard case to rest—not by letting him rot in prison, but by standing up against a real injustice whose perpetuation is clearly intended to suggest that all American Jews are, inherently, potential traitors to their country.
***
Although it is painful to assert such an obvious fact in 2014, the notion that American Jews have an extra-special motivation to act as secret agents for the Israeli government has no basis in the historical record—which shows that spies of all races, genders, and creeds are motivated by ideology, money, ethnic ties, the promise of sex and adventure, and almost every other reason under the sun. Traitors and spies come in all flavors: White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, Catholic, Chinese, Muslim, Cuban. The list goes on. Since treason, like most crime, is an equal-opportunity employer, singling out any national, ethnic, or religious group as especially susceptible to disloyalty is an obvious violation of both American law and basic common sense.
Continue reading: An ugly message
Sadly, however, there are plenty of people in America, as well as the rest of the world, who strongly disagree with the characterization of American Jews, or Jews in general, as being no more and no less likely to turn on their country and sell out their neighbors. The common and proper term for such beliefs is “anti-Semitism.” Allowing the American national security establishment to play on classic anti-Semitic stereotypes in order to keep a man in prison as a “lesson” to other members of his group or race is contrary to both the spirit and the letter of the U.S. Constitution—and would surely and rightly never be tolerated by Muslims, gays, blacks, Chinese-Americans, or any other group.
American Jews may want to ignore the intended message of the Pollard case—that we are second-class citizens because of our inherent political untrustworthiness—but there is ample evidence that America’s enemies around the world have by now received that message, loud and clear: American Jews can be dealt with differently than other Americans, and with fewer consequences, even if they are directly employed by the American government. Ask the Iranians why they felt like they could seize former FBI Agent Robert Levinson—recently revealed to have gone to Iran under contract with the CIA—with impunity and continue to obfuscate about his whereabouts, even as they have sought to negotiate an end to sanctions with the Obama Administration. Ask the Cubans why they feel like they can continue to hold USAID contractor Alan Gross while lobbying for increasing trade ties. Ask the members of the Pakistani intelligence service, the ISI, who clearly know, or could find out, the whereabouts of longtime USAID contractor Warren Weinstein. They do it, because they know that they can get away with it. They do it, because America does it, too.
Putting a target on the backs of American Jews who serve their country in dangerous places is a terrible way to treat U.S. government contractors and employees—whether they are Jewish or not. Telling America’s enemies that, when it comes to questions of national security, Jews are different makes all Americans vulnerable, by sending the signal that America is a country that won’t protect its own.
But if the official injustice of the Pollard case is dangerous for all Americans who serve their country, it has also metastasized into a real threat to the promise of legal and social equality that American Jews now take for granted. It is not hard to imagine why the heads of the Jewish Federations of North America, the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, and other name-brand Jewish organizations have ignored the message that Pollard’s outsized punishment is intended to convey—which is that political anti-Semitism is OK in America or at least to be expected. After all, no one wants to be associated with a convicted traitor who pleaded guilty to betraying his country—let alone be outspoken in his defense, or turn him into a symbol of an entire community.
Yet by framing their obligatory annual engagement with the Pollard case as a strictly humanitarian issue, even American Jewish leaders who have been forthright about the case—most especially Malcolm Hoenlein, the longstanding executive director of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations—have given an unwitting stamp of communal acquiescence to the message of suspicion that Pollard’s punishment is intended to convey. The business-as-usual attitude of the American Jewish leadership has legitimized a noxious brand of political anti-Semitism, which has been adopted by parts of the U.S. political establishment—as well as by journalists and academics who help to frame discussions of public policy. The injustice that is being done to Pollard pales next to this very deliberate injustice being done to American Jews by high-ranking U.S. government officials in Pollard’s name.
Israel’s recent flurry of concern for Pollard, after years of denying that he was actually an Israeli spy, hasn’t been helpful, either. In recent weeks, Secretary of State John Kerry has reportedly offered to arrange for Pollard’s release in exchange for concessions from Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in settlement negotiations with the Palestinians. But the idea, now more than 15 years old, that Pollard is a legitimate bargaining chip in Middle Eastern affairs does neither Pollard nor American Jews any favors. Rather, it illustrates the advanced state of moral and intellectual decay into which the organized American Jewish community has sunk. The intended message of Pollard’s continued incarceration is that all American Jews are potential Jonathan Pollards. Are you? Is it right for the U.S. government to see—and present—us this way? As Americans, and as Jews, this is an ugly message that threatens our most deeply held attachments and beliefs.
***
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Editorials do not (necessarily) reflect the views of staff writers, editors, contributing editors or columnists.Turkey is aiming to tell its 75 million citizens on Thursday (21 June) they can visit the EU without visas in a couple of years' time.
The breakthrough concerns a technical step designed to end a toxic stalemate.
The EU had in the past said Turkey must first sign a readmission agreement on illegal migrants, while Turkey had said the EU should make the first move.
But on Wednesday, EU ambassadors are expected to task the European Commission with drafting an Action Plan for Turkish reforms on passport and border standards.
The sequence of events is to see EU employment ministers in Luxembourg on Thursday rubber stamp the move. Turkey will the same day initial the readmission pact.
When the commission puts forward the Action Plan, Turkey will sign the readmission deal. When the reforms are implemented (in 2014 or 2015), the visa regime will be lifted.
An EU Council source said Austria, Cyprus and France still have "reservations," but there is sufficient "pressure" for them to back down.
"It's a little courageous to say that we are absolutely sure. But we are hopeful," Preben Aamann, the Danish EU presidency spokesman, told this website.
"It will be a game changer. We hope to show that the EU is still relevant for Turkey," Selim Yenel, Turkey's EU ambassador, told EUobserver.
He noted that visa queues at EU consulates and two years of stalled accession talks have "poisoned" relations.
"Nobody cares any more what the EU says... There are very few people who think that accession will ever happen and people are saying that if they don't want us, why do we actually need them?" he said.
With Cyprus to hold the EU chairmanship from July to December there is no prospect of unfreezing accession talks for now.
But Yenel hopes to open three new chapters - on economic policy, institutions and "any other business" - under the Irish EU presidency in 2013.
He said former French leader Nicolas Sarkozy was blocking the chapters for unspecified "personal reasons" and in order to curry favour with right-wing voters.
But with elections out of the way, French President Francois Hollande's people have given "signals" that the blockage will be lifted.
In terms of bilateral relations with its EU neighbours, Turkey is wary of the new Greek leader, Antonis Samaras.
"He was a difficult person in the past. We hope he will not be so when he is Prime Minister, but when he was foreign minister, he had problems with Macedonia and with us," Yenel said.
He had nothing nice to say about Cyprus.
Noting that Nicosia is poised to borrow even more money from Moscow to prop up its banks, he said its relationship with Russia is bad for EU values.
"They've been very cozy with the Russians, |
- In a study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, researchers from the RAND Corporation report that for people receiving food assistance there are significant links between depression, poor dietary quality, and high body mass index (BMI). They suggest that understanding the risk of depression among Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants could be important to understanding the relationship among SNAP participation, diet, and weight.
"This study focuses on a group that is of particular importance, low-income, primarily African American, residents of urban food deserts," explained lead investigator Karen R. Flórez, DrPH, Associate Social Scientist, RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA. "This group is at particularly high risk of obesity and poor nutrition, and the overall sample descriptives bear this out. Thus, the finding that depression is associated with even higher risk within this already high risk group suggests a potential avenue for intervention is a focus on mental health, especially depressive symptomatology."
Depression was a strong predictor of both dietary quality and BMI in the study, which was conducted in two low-income neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, PA. Specifically, a higher score in depressive symptomatology was associated with lower scores in dietary quality, as well as with higher BMI scores (after controlling for other individual factors). Only age and college education or higher were significantly associated with dietary quality, while gender and a child present in the household were the only demographic factors associated with BMI. Food insecurity was associated with high BMI, but was unrelated to dietary quality.
There have been numerous studies of the prevalence of obesity across socioeconomic status (SES). Data indicates that about 29% of women living well above the poverty line are obese, compared to 42% of women in low-income households (less than 130% of the poverty line). While participation in SNAP increases food security, some studies have shown that participants consume more sugar-sweetened beverages, less fruit, more total fat and added sugars, and more excess calories than nonparticipants.
There is also some evidence that depression may be linked to low SES, as well as data showing that food insecurity may increase depression. While the causal direction of the association, e.g. does depression increase food insecurity, or vice-versa, is unknown at this time, the association remains. This is the first study to investigate possible associations between depression and weight outcome, while controlling for food insecurity.
The researchers used data from the Pittsburgh Hill/Homewood Research on Eating, Shopping and Health (PHRESH), a five-year study of a group of 1,372 residents living in "food deserts." These food deserts are approximately four miles from one another in the City of Pittsburgh and have poor access to healthy food options. Data collectors, who were neighborhood residents, interviewed the main food shopper in each household. Participation in SNAP or other food-stamp-type assistance programs was determined, as well as dietary quality assessment by two 24-hour recalls. These recalls were then used to derive Health Eating Index-2005 scores, which comprise 12 components, including the five major food groups in the USDA pyramid (i.e., total fruit, total vegetables, total grains, milk, and meat and beans).
Depression and anhedonia (the inability to experience pleasure from activities usually found enjoyable) were assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire-2. BMI was measured by the interviewers. Food security was assessed with the 18-item U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module and various sociodemographic characteristics such as age, sex, level of education, employment status and income were determined. The final sample included 639 main household food shoppers.
"The association between depressive symptomology, elevated BMI, and lower dietary quality among low-income, primarily African American residents living in a food desert suggests the potential for mental health interventions to have broader benefits in this population," noted Dr. Flórez. "However, the directionality of this association is unclear and improving diet and reducing weight may also improve mental health symptoms. Further longitudinal studies should assess these possibilities."
###PEOPLE who go to Burning Man festival have been explaining what it is in a slightly condescending tone.
The US-based arts event, which takes place next month, has become an annual fixture for hippies, ravers and narcissists who aren’t certain you are open-minded enough to understand it.
28-year-old ‘Burner’ Tom Logan said: “It’s not really a festival, it’s more a temporary autonomous community of creative people.
“There’s no big acts, or money, and loads of nudity and face painting. It is wonderful but quite challenging, normal individuals like you would almost certainly not be into it.
“Obviously it would be great if you could be a part of it, I would welcome that, but it is pretty mental and you have to be certain your brain is special enough to handle something so enlightened.”
Office worker Emma Bradford said: “So it’s loads of people getting wrecked in a desert? I think I’m with you so far.”With GDC just over and a lots of awesome Gaming news about, we thought it would be a fitting time to make a small update on how Routine is doing.
In our last August Update, we talked about how we were slowly going through the game and replacing all placeholder work. Since then, we’ve managed to get through 5 sectors of the Game, adding Gameplay, Art and essential Story Elements. We may need to revisit certain bits and bobs as we get specific playtest information back, but for now its a great feeling seeing more and more of Routine being Completed!
With less and less testing/prototyping needed for this stage in Development, we’ve really managed to speed up our Workflow and it feels like Progress is going better than ever.
(click to enlarge)
• Unreal Engine 4 is FREE! will you guys be switching to it?
Routine is far too deep into development for us to switch engines but we can’t bloody wait to get our hands on it for future projects!
• Are you guys dead?
Unsurprisingly we get this question a lot, we don’t blame anyone for thinking this as we are very quiet when it comes to putting out Routine related news. We are doing fine though and Routine’s progress is going great.
• Will you guys be putting out a new video at some point?
We will absolutely do a new video or two closer to release.
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Thanks again for the INSANE amount of patience you guys are exercising, we are honestly trying our best to get the game finished as soon as possible!
-Lunar SoftwareAs the Senate begins discussions over the American Health Care Act (AHCA), a key point in the negotiations is federal funding for the Medicaid program. The AHCA proposes subjecting Medicaid spending to per capita caps, limiting the number of dollars the federal government will provide to states for each enrollee. While per capita caps themselves are a major departure from how Medicaid has traditionally been funded, the exact effect of caps depends on unpredictable trends in state Medicaid spending and how the caps are indexed to grow over time.
Under current law, Medicaid pays states for a set percentage of the cost of health care for people on Medicaid, granting state programs the flexibility to offer Medicaid coverage as the eligible population shrinks or grows or as costs rise. Per capita caps would set limits on Medicaid expenditures for each state, and the federal government would decide how quickly the caps rise over time. In any state where the caps grow more slowly than actual costs, states will be faced with tough decisions, including raising additional funds, cutting other state services to pay for Medicaid, slashing payments to medical providers, trimming benefits or eligibility, or forcing a greater share of health care costs onto beneficiaries.
In the version of the AHCA that passed the House in early May, per capita caps for nondisabled children and nonelderly adults would grow at the rate of medical care inflation, while the caps for the elderly and disabled grow at the faster rate of medical care inflation plus 1 percentage point. Senators, however, are considering revising these rates so that either the caps would grow more slowly, thereby reducing potential Medicaid funding cuts, or faster in order to achieve greater federal savings.
The caps could spur cuts in in enrollment and benefits that would be devastating for the Medicaid population, including the elderly, children, and the disabled. Caps place downside risk on state budgets wherever future social, demographic, or environmental factors drive actual Medicaid costs greater than the overall trend in medical out-of-pocket costs. For example, rising opioid addiction, Zika infections, costly new pharmaceuticals, and changing demographics could all put a strain on Medicaid resources in the near future, but different states will experience these factors to different degrees. For example, a surge in the number of relatively healthy individuals enrolled in the program will bring down the cost of an average adult, while the aging of the elderly or disabled populations could push costs within those categories upward.
Another drawback of per capita caps is that they would lock in between-state variation at 2016 levels. Although the AHCA’s caps would not take effect until 2019, the AHCA’s formula uses inflated 2016 Medicaid spending as the cap. States’ per-enrollee costs today reflect not just changes in the intensity and cost of care that Medicaid beneficiaries use but also state eligibility rules and the mix of beneficiaries enrolled. States that were high spenders in 2016 would receive greater federal funding for the future and states with lower costs would be stuck at lower levels of federal assistance. As the American Academy of Actuaries noted, caps “penalize states with the most efficient programs, because states with historically less-efficient programs would presumably have greater opportunities for savings to avoid state budget overruns.”
The effect of caps on states
To determine how states would be affected by per capita caps, we examined historical Medicaid data and calculated the federal funding reductions states would have faced if per capita caps had been in place. We follow methodology developed by researchers at the Brookings Institution to compare historical Medicaid spending against what capped amounts would have been. We use data on 2000 and 2011 per-enrollee spending from the Kaiser Family Foundation for four categories of Medicaid enrollees: the aged, individuals with disabilities, children, and adults.* Our analysis assumes that no state would have reduced enrollment or made other changes to its program. In reality, different states would adopt different tactics to adapt to the restriction of federal funding.
First, we discuss the cuts that would occur if caps resembled those in the House-passed AHCA. The next scenario examines the impact of more generous caps, set to rise at a rate faster than medical inflation in all years. Our third scenario looks at the impact of stricter caps that would grow with overall inflation instead of with faster-rising medical inflation. Lastly, we show what federal funding cuts would have been if growth in the caps were set at the rate of historical Medicaid per-enrollee spending in years prior to the caps’ implementation.
Under the AHCA’s formula, 28 states had per-enrollee Medicaid spending in 2011 that would have exceeded the cap. Absent any changes to those states’ Medicaid programs, the total federal funding reduction would have been $17.8 billion in 2011. The size of the cut would have varied widely among states. Table 1 provides examples of the magnitude of the cuts for a handful of states. For example, if the AHCA’s per capita cap had been put in place in 2000, Ohio would have received $848 million less in federal funding in 2011. This would have been a sizable reduction, equivalent to the average federal support Ohio received to cover 120,000 enrollees.
Nearly all states would have faced reductions in federal funding if the cap were set to grow with overall inflation. The consumer price index for all urban consumers (CPI-U) measures inflation for a wide set of goods and services, and it tends to rise more slowly than that for medical care. Per capita caps pegged to CPI-U would have led to a reduction of federal funding in 45 states as well as the District of Columbia in 2011. In total, federal Medicaid funding to those states would have been reduced by $46.4 billion that year.
Many states would still have seen cuts if the caps had grown faster than under the AHCA’s formula. If the caps were indexed to medical inflation, known as CPI-M, plus 1 percentage point in all years, we find that federal Medicaid funding would have been reduced by $12.8 billion in the 23 states that would have exceeded their caps in 2011. Our exercise also demonstrates that historical Medicaid spending trends are not predictive of individual states’ future needs: If the cap for each enrollee group was set to grow at the same rate it did over the period of 1992 to 1998,** then 23 states would have suffered federal cuts totaling $15.5 billion in 2011. Even when caps are indexed to a rate that appears generous relative to recent growth, they could quickly become restrictive.
Under every cap we examined, federal funding would have been cut significantly for Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, Ohio, Tennessee, and West Virginia, among other states. Even under the most generous cap, the average cut per enrollee in 2011 would have been $497 in Alaska, $1,248 in Arizona, $649 in Arkansas, $549 in Louisiana, $201 in Ohio, $78 in Tennessee, and $309 in West Virginia.
Conclusion
While the historical data we use are not predictive of future spending patterns for any particular state, our analysis does show that even if per capita caps were indexed to grow faster than trends in medical costs or than prior years’ spending growth, many states would face serious funding shortages for their Medicaid programs.
Recent forward-looking analyses have also projected sizable funding cuts stemming from Medicaid per capita caps. The health care consultancy Avalere estimates that per capita caps indexed to overall inflation would result in $110 billion in federal funding cuts over a five-year period. In its simulation of the AHCA, the Urban Institute modeled per capita caps tied to CPI-M and estimated the AHCA’s changes would result in a $457 billion reduction in federal Medicaid spending over a 10-year period. The Congressional Budget Office projects that by instituting caps and halting expansion, the AHCA to will cut $834 billion in federal Medicaid funding over 10 years and reduce Medicaid coverage by 14 million in 2026.
Caps pegged to a more restrictive rate, such as overall inflation, would have even more severe consequences for states and beneficiaries. The Trump administration appears to favor caps that would be tighter than those in the House-passed bill. Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said the Trump administration’s budget proposes to “go another half a step further and ratchet down some of the growth rates that are assumed in the AHCA.”
The per capita cap stacks the deck against states and against individuals with greater health needs. The AHCA’s caps would put a ceiling on federal funding for Medicaid, limiting the assistance available to states in the face of future health crises and population aging. If states become unable to make ends meet, beneficiaries would likely see contractions in enrollment, cutbacks on benefits, or restricted access to providers.
Emily Gee is a health economist at the Center for American Progress.
*Because our data is from the period before the ACA, we do not estimate the reductions in funding for the AHCA’s fifth category of Medicaid beneficiaries included under per capita caps: adults newly eligible for Medicaid under the ACA. Data were unavailable for New Mexico, which we have omitted from our analysis.
**Our scenario that sets caps to grow at the same rate as preperiod trends uses available data from the Kaiser Family Foundation for the years prior to our period of analysis. For each enrollee category, we inflated the caps according to the corresponding average growth rate between 1992 and 1998.Please donate to the Ron Paul Institute Copyright © 2015 by RonPaul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.
Speaking Friday with host Scott Horton on the Scott Horton Show, Ron Paul Institute Academic Board Member Eric Margolis related the devastating consequences foreign intervention to depose Syria President Bashar al-Assad has created, as well as the further devastation that would be wrought if the intervention accomplishes its goal.Concluding a discussion largely focused on governments, including those of the United States, Britain, and France, intervening in Syria, Margolis presents an important warning. “The question is ‘Why overthrow Assad?’” asks Margolis, “because, when he’s gone, we are definitely going to miss him.”The effort of the Islamic State (ISIS), the US, and other nations to depose Assad is, Margolis argues, very similar to the successful effort to depose Libya leader Muammar Gaddafi. Margolis describes the process of intervention in Syria as including engineering “so-called public protests” and “sending in covert special forces to attack the government troops.” Additionally, Margolis says the US has engaged in just a “half-hearted” air campaign against ISIS, which Margolis terms the US government’s “helpmate” in overthrowing the Syria government.In the 21-minute interview, Margolis and Horton also engage in an enlightening discussion of Russia relative to the ongoing violence in Syria, a matter regarding which Margolis wrote last week.Listen to Margolis’ complete interview here For a brief introduction to the regime change intervention in Libya and its disastrous results, read Peter Van Buren’s February article “ Libya: A Perfect Storm of Interventionist Failure.”German sender Alex Megos has been in Canada for nearly a month and has made the fourth ascent of Dreamcatcher 5.14d in Squamish. The first ascent was in 2005 after Chris Sharma and Sonnie Trotter bolted it and Sharma sent it.
The second ascent was in 2009 by Sean McColl and the third ascent by Ben Harnden in 2012. Harnden used different beta than Sharma or McColl when he used small holds skipped by the others and said after, “Dreamcatcher truly demands a technically well-rounded climber, more so than any other line I’ve seen.”
Click on the clip below to watch the short film with Megos on Dreamcatcher by Andreas Lerch.
Super lucky walked past dream catcher to see Alex megos work out the moves 💯💪🏻💪🏻! @alexandermegos #patagonia #grippedmagazine #pnw #climbing #dreamcatcher #sportclimbing #onearm A video posted by Andreas Lerch (@andreas_lerch) on Aug 27, 2016 at 6:13pm PDT
American Mike Foley has been attempting Dreamcatcher on and off for a few years, as has Squamish locals Jamie Finlayson and Tim Emmett. The Cacodemon Boulder route climbs up a technical slab to an overhanging wall with a thin sim and sloping rail. Located on the back of Cacodemon Boulder, there were dozens of climbers watching Megos for his attempts. It took Megos less than a day in warm weather to send the classic hard line. Watch Sharma send in the clip below.
Alex Megos has climbed Canada’s first 5.15 (Fightclub 5.15b at Ravens Crag), flashed The Path 5.14R, onsighted The Shining 5.13d on Mount Louis and climbed a number of 5.14s, including the new Full Nelson 5.14d at Acephale. Rock on Megos.“People have talked about lawsuits. That is the American process,” CDOT executive director Shailen Bhatt said as people yelled at him to do what’s right.
Colorado Department of Transportation convened a meeting Thursday at the Swansea Recreation Center to talk about the path forward in expanding I-70. The dozens of community members who attended wanted to talk about the path not taken, a reroute north of Denver along the I-270 corridor.
CDOT has followed the law and intends to move forward, Executive Director Shailen Bhatt repeatedly told the raucous crowd that often shouted over him, and if activists disagree with CDOT’s conclusion, they should keep pursuing legal action against the agency.
“We are not here to move the project,” Bhatt said. “That is not what we are here to discuss. … People have talked about lawsuits. That is the American process.”
The meeting opened with activists giving a community presentation.
They wore black bandanas with “Ditch the Ditch” over their faces, not to hide their identities, they said, but to represent the air pollution from which they have to protect themselves.
They said they plan to move forward with legal action and hope to prevail, but they also asked elected officials to stop the project and threatened to make it an electoral issue in 2018 and 2019, from the state legislature to the governorship to mayor and City Council.
Candi CdeBaca, founder of the Cross Community Coalition, said that activists would focus their attention on state legislators, at the advice of City Council members. Speaker of the House Crisanta Duran, whose district includes Elyria-Swansea, was in the audience, as was Rep. Dan Pabon and Rep. Joe Salazar.
“This is a state project, and they are the only ones who can help us now,” CdeBaca said. “If they will not represent us, we will elect others who will.”
CdeBaca said whichever contractor agrees to head up the project should be “prepared to lose time, money and credibility because we’re here to resist by any means necessary,” and she linked the effort to stop the highway to other activist movements, from the Women’s March to the Dakota Access Pipeline. And she recalled Jane Jacobs, who stopped a highway from being run through Greenwich Village in Lower Manhattan even when construction had already started.
Duran said that it was a shame that I-70 was built where it was in the 1960s, and if she could roll back time, she would prevent it. But the highway is here now.
“I know you are angry. I know you are angry. I am sorry you are angry, but we are here to listen to the community,” she said at one point.
“We are the community!” several people shouted back.
And Duran made a curious comment, that perhaps it was “time for a new conversation with Adams County.” But after the meeting, she wouldn’t really clarify what that conversation should be about, and she reiterated that the reroute just creates a different problem.
“This is a predominantly Latino, low-income neighborhood,” she said. “If we did the reroute, the areas it would go through are equally Latino and low-income. It’s a very tough issue. There is no easy answer.”
When Bhatt took the microphone, lots of people didn’t like what he had to say.
A facilitator spent much of the meeting saying, “Let him speak,” as audience members demanded to know how he expected children to play over a freeway, why Adams County could “veto” a reroute while residents of Elyria-Swansea have no choice and whether he would like to live next to I-70.
Susan Aldretti, an aide to Councilwoman At-large Debbie Ortega, demanded to know why CDOT wasn’t offering better HVAC systems to people who live near the highway. In response to the agency’s own studies, it’s installing sophisticated filtration systems for Swansea Elementary School.
“You’re going to put it in the school, but you’re not going to put it in the house across the street from the school where the children sleep at night,” she said. “We know you’ll do what’s legal. We want you to do what’s right.”
The only other city representative there was Councilman Paul Lopez, who doesn’t represent Elyria-Swansea. Council President Albus Brooks, who does, appears to have been at another community event, and Ortega was dealing with a death in her family.
Many in the audience objected to the way that CDOT characterized the opposition in an open letter posted on the agency’s Facebook page:
“In the last two years, a small group of about 60 to 70 people has been angry with CDOT because we decided not to move I-70 out of the Denver area and onto 270. We have looked closely at that idea in various forms over the years and it just doesn’t work,” Bhatt wrote.
Against these 60 to 70 people, Bhatt pit the interests of the entire state of Colorado.
It’s in the interests of everyone, he said, to expand I-70 in its current location and not reroute it.
“If we were to reroute I-70 to 270, it would require building a new 12-lane highway (and eliminating the existing one in the process) with several new interchanges at a cost of up to $3 billion. That means taking money from other projects in the state to fund something in Denver that most folks don’t want. We can’t do it,” he wrote.
“If they slow down or stop the project, we still have to spend $800 million to simply rebuild a crumbling 2 mile bridge that has no other mobility improvements — meaning you, your family, your goods will continue to sit in more and more traffic over time. We will have failed to make travel easier in Colorado and for the country.”
Activists are entitled to press their case as far and as hard as they legally can, he said, but that’s the potential consequence CDOT sees of not doing the expansion on the table now. The viaduct is crumbling and has been CDOT’s worst rated bridge for years. If activists stop the expansion and the bridge becomes too dangerous, CDOT will rebuild it just as it is today through a fast-tracked emergency process. And that will be that.
“Highways, rail yards, sewage treatment plants, these are all functions of society,” he said. “They have to go somewhere.”
If the opposition is just 60 to 70 people, they were nearly all in attendance at the meeting.
“I don’t have many neighbors who support this project,” said Drew Dutcher, president of the Elyria-Swansea Neighborhood Association. “Many are opposed, but most have given up.”
They contended that CDOT has never looked closely at the reroute alternative.
“Constraining the study area is the legal technicality you are hiding behind,” Katherine Cornwell said. “We are asking for your leadership so we don’t have to get justice in court.”
But Mark Wander, who became one of the first people to sell his home to CDOT to make room for a wider I-70 back in 2014, recalled that he attended meetings about I-70 in 2003, in 2007, in 2013 and now here it was, in 2017, and construction hadn’t even started.
“They kept coming back to us to make this better for the community,” he said. “Embrace the possibilities. The more you fight, the more you’re cutting off your own heads.”From #TheJump : On Las Vegas and the NBA and why it's important to keep working for an end to all this heartbreak. pic.twitter.com/e8sBx6he9S
Monday, Rachel Nichols opened ESPN’s “The Jump” with a message about the Las Vegas shooting that left at least 58 dead and more than 500 others injured, petitioning for something to be done to solve the gun violence.
“Officials say [the Las Vegas shooting] is the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, a phrase I guess they’re getting used to because it was only 14 months ago they were saying that about the shooting in Orlando. The Orlando shooting claimed more lives than Virginia Tech, now this one claims more lives than what happened in Orlando. I don’t know how we’re going to solve the debate about guns in this country — I just know that while we’re all arguing the body counts keep going up and more and more families are suffering,” said Nichols.
She then noted how NBA players have spoken out on ending gun violence.
“Las Vegas is a sobering reminder we haven’t done that yet,” Nichols stated. “We can, and we owe it to the families mourning today to do the hard work of figuring it out.”
Follow Trent Baker on Twitter @MagnifiTrentFounded on August 6th, 2015, independent website embodies a new type of feminism – one that uses the country’s world-class information and communications technology infrastructure to promote gender equality and to humorously bash misogyny on the South Korean web.
The name, currently filed for trademark registration by one of its users, is a neologism combining ‘MERS gallery’, the web forum where the movement was born, and ‘Egalia’, of Gerd Brantenberg’s satiric novel Egalia’s Daughters. operates strictly on an anonymous basis, with all members posting under the same nickname, except for notices regarding server maintenance by the site’s administrators, who nevertheless remain anonymous (As of December 2015, the few interviews conducted with its members or admins have not revealed any personal information).
The collective movement began in June 2015, when women began to ‘mirror’ the misogynic comments made by male members on, a popular web forum. What was conceived as a minor page dedicated to sharing information on MERS-CoV, the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, turned to a battleground between the sexes. Male users began launching hate speech on two South Korean women affected by MERS who, due to miscommunication, did not comply to the South Korean government’s call for quarantine. Women fought back, parroting back male users’ comments by simply replacing the words ‘women’ with ‘men’, a tactic they actively promote as ‘mirroring’.
Megalia’s members, who call themselves ‘Megalians’, have since created a stir in the South Korean media. Opponents call them men-haters and accuse them of fighting hate back with hate – that these women have gone too far. This is precisely the point, Megalians say. To see the misogyny that is today taken as acceptable social behaviour and spat at South Korean women every day: to turn it around so men and women alike can witness it in its honest, raw form – discrimination.
At the moment of its conception in August, the site had 170,000 unique visitors (data by ). This number has continued to grow, adding another 100K almost every month. The November stats stand at 370,000. About 83% percent of its visitors log in from tech-savvy South Korea, while 10% hail from the US, and smaller numbers from Canada, Japan and New Zealand. (A portion of users are also based in European nations).
About a quarter of its traffic stems from referrals – most notably from, a website whose members have been Megalia’s target of criticism and vice versa since the movement began at. Ilbe, a site dedicated to sharing humour whose political stance leans towards the extreme right, has continuously faced accusations from the general South Korean population for its largely unmoderated content – much like 4chan in the rest of the world. Its notoriety stems from members’ ad hominem attacks targeting specific groups, such as women and South Koreans originating from Jeolla province. Users have been sentenced for using the terms ‘fish cake’ and ‘barbecue meat’ to mock the hundreds of people killed in the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster and the 2003 Daegu subway fire.
Megalia’s logo reflects its satiric nature, heavily influenced by the feminist novel Egalia’s Daughters: A Satire of the Sexes by Norwegian author Gerd Brantenberg. In the influential feminist oeuvre, Brantenberg narrates a world where gender roles are entirely reversed – linguistically (women are called ‘wim’ and men ‘menwim’, making the man the suffix), socially (women are by default given the upper hand at the home and in society due to their power to give birth), and sexually (men are at constant risk of sexual assault; the blame is entirely theirs and not of their assailant). The logo alludes to South Korean society’s – notably men’s – highly judgmental attitude towards women’s physical appearance and mirrors the male obsession with women’s sexuality and physical attributes by mocking the size of South Korean men’s penises – ‘they are just not good enough‘.
The satire and humour culminated in the creation of a Megalian dictionary as well as the parody of a popular South Korean comic targeted at young children learning basic classical Chinese characters. (All the characters are reinterpretations of the letter 男, which means ‘man’.)
Popular Megalian vocabulary and expressions include references to social problems caused by South Korean men as well as inversions of derogatory terms used by men on sites such as Ilbe:
Chanel lipstick: mocks the kimchi girl concept, a derogatory term used by men to refer to women who buy brand goods
Papa: refers to South Korean men who’ve had extramarital affairs in South and Southeast Asian countries and abandoned their spouses once a child was born. (See here for an example of this phenomenon.)
Blue & Green Ilbe: reference to Facebook and Naver, both of which have demonstrated intolerant attitudes towards feminist comments while supporting misogynistic ones
Schroedinger’s South Korean Man: refers to a study which reported that approximately 58% of of South Korean men have purchased sexual services
Dead Older Sister: refers to the selective abortion of female foetuses commonly practiced in South Korea up until the 1990s (in the belief that a son is more important than a daughter)
Although men are the main target of Megalia’s mirroring techniques and retorts, women receive criticism as well. These women – dubbed ‘corseted’ (after the restraining fashion device) or ‘Penis Emeritus’ are, however seen as a product of the male-dominated society, who must break free from the injustices of patriarchy by individual will (and by joining Megalia, of course). It should be noted that almost all South Korean women are understood as having undergone a ‘corseted’ phase at some time in their life, as it is a social norm implemented on even the most feminist children.
The movement doesn’t stop at simply mocking misogyny. It has backed several feminist campaigns – including the crowdfunding of adverts in Seoul’s public transport system denouncing pornographic ‘hidden cam’ videos; endorsing support for and encouraging individual donations be made to New Political Alliance Democracy politician Jin Sunmee, who is leading a campaign to shut down Soranet, a South Korean porn hub associated with brokering underage prostitution and sharing videos of illegal nature. (Jin’s office received a total of 10 million KRW / 9,000€ / 10,000$ in the 24 hours following the upload of a post calling Megalians to donate.
The site has worked extensively on exposing Soranet, South Korea’s biggest pornographic website (over a million users are currently registered) and whose claim to fame lies on its ability to keep avoiding legal consequences by constantly changing domains names and servers, effectively placing it outside the jurisdiction of South Korean law.
Megalia also played a crucial role in the 2015 Maxim Korea scandal. In its September 2015 issue, MAXIM Korea’s cover depicts the images of a naked woman’s feet dangling out of a car boot, with the slogan “This is what a real bad man is like. How do you like me now?”. The photo spread within the issue goes on to show the images, most likely of the assumed female victim in the boot, looking up at the assailant, then being dragged away in a plastic body bag. The magazine took a defensive stance at the accusations, and only issued an apology after international media and a spokesperson for MAXIM US condemned the images.
Other activities Megalia is collectively responsible for include:
September: Successfully shutting down the sale of ‘hidden cam’ type devices on Ticketmonster (Tmon), a South Korean e-commerce platform (unrelated to the ticket sales site ). Following dozens of calls of complaint from Megalians, Tmon stopped sales and issued an official apology., which sold similar products also retracted sales but have not published an apology.
September: Donated over 6 million KRW (4,700€/5,100$) to Aeranwon, an NGO which helps single mothers
September: Contacted Hanshin University’s student council regarding a series of on-campus banners containing misogynic slogans. The council subsequently issued an official apology and removed all banners
October: Stopped sale of high-concentrate hydrochloric acid on 11st. by filing complaint to the Ministry of Environment. Hydrochloric and sulphuric acid have been used as weapons in cases of hate crime committed by men on women
As of December 25th, the site was running several funding and media campaigns. A YouTube channel dedicated to providing information on hate crimes in South Korea uploads videos with English, French, Japanese, Mandarin, and Spanish subtitles.
However, the site is not without trouble. In early December, a debate erupted over whether the site should support gay men’s rights. (The site is supportive of the lesbian community). Some members argued that gay men should not be exempt from criticism, as they are also part of the South Korean male community which the site targets. The administrators ruled that members should not use derogatory satiric terms to refer to gay men, and that decision resulted in a mass exodus. Womad, an alternative to was proposed, but as of December 25th, no site has been launched and its Daum forum has been made private. [Update July 22nd, 2016: Still no website; Daum forum running].
Since the December exodus, several sites pretending to be an alternative to have popped up, taking advantage of the confusion and luring Megalians to join or to visit them. However, few Megalians have actually joined them, as they were warned beforehand on the forums.
Men, mostly from the rival site Ilbe, have also been vandalising and lurking on Megalia, a site dominated by female users (including transgender and transsexual women). As Megalia operates on a strict anonymity basis and insists on an easy-to-join-and-leave policy, there is no way to block users based on any information. South Korean web portals such as Naver and Daum require users to provide their national identity number (replaced with Web ID in 2014), which allows admins and moderators of forums to restrict membership based on age and/or gender – but take away any chance at anonymity.
This anonymity is both Megalia’s advantage and drawback, since it guarantees full freedom of speech to members while diminishing the ease of blocking users. A few members have been blocked through IP address tracking; however, in general, the admins do not moderate the posts and only issue warnings if several reports have been filed.
Since December 2015, administrators and financial backers of the website have continuously received criticism on their lack of transparency, but no official statement has been released.
Megalia (Korean only): http://megalian.com/
Timeline of Megalia’s main activities (Korean only):
Update: As of May 2016, most users have migrated to either the radical WOMADIC (Daum cafe) or to the softer LADISM (Daum cafe).
Editor’s note: This article first appeared on realkoreans.com and was reprinted with the author’s permission.By Walid Shoebat (Shoebat Exclusive)
There is a war of fatwas and some serious cyber rattling |
, should have. But they didn’t. And they resent you for your adventures.
See more:
Nine Dangerous Things You Were Taught In School
The Six Enemies of Greatness (and Happiness)
Why Weird Is Wonderful (and Bankable)There has been increased discussion by some of the most tapped-in beat writers about a potential extension between the New England Patriots and QB Jimmy Garoppolo, so it makes sense that the media would ask Garoppolo his thoughts when he was available after Tuesday’s practice.
Garoppolo said that he would “entertain” the idea of signing an extension, but added that he still wants to play (h/t to CSNNE’s Mike Giardi and ProJo’s Kevin McNamara for the quotes).
The general idea of an extension with Garoppolo is rooted in spreading his inevitable 2018 cap hit from the franchise tag across as many years as possible, but it requires a willing Garoppolo to make a deal.
Giardi added that he spoke to a source about Garoppolo’s openness to a new deal, and that Garoppolo’s camp understands that the “grass isn’t always greener.” Finding a perfect marriage of player and coach can go a long way towards career longevity and earnings, and perhaps it’d be worth waiting an extra year or two behind Brady before embarking on a 10-year career as a starter, versus cashing in with a bad team as soon as possible.
For example, Giardi also mentions how the Bears were one of the top suitors for Garoppolo this past offseason. If the Bears have a bad season and the coaching staff and front office lose their jobs, then will Garoppolo have to go through a coaching change and a rebuild? Will the ownership keep Garoppolo in a cycle of bad coaching changes? Or will the next coach ship Garoppolo away in favor of adding the quarterback of their choice?
And what about QB Brock Osweiler, who signed a massive deal with the Houston Texans, only to get shipped out to Cleveland where he might not make the roster. If Osweiler took the $16 million per year offer from the Broncos over the $18 million per year contract from the Texans, perhaps he’d still be a starting quarterback with a greater chance of seeing the entire value of his contract within an offense where he knows how to succeed.
Garoppolo would be wise to think about an extension in New England, especially if the team is willing to give him cash upfront, or at least money reasonably close to what he might receive on the open market. Taking a couple million less per year for the next three or four seasons might pay off if he gets to play under head coach Bill Belichick (or head coach Josh McDaniels) for the subsequent decade.The independent organization of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, based in Washington, D.C., is recruiting several interns.
The National Peace Corps Association is seeking the following interns:
An advocacy intern, responsible for supporting and building the network of NPCA advocates, assisting with Capitol Hill advocacy actions, website editing and general advocacy campaigning, including and especially our More Peace Corps campaign.
An assistant to the president (intern) working closely with the president of NPCA to write and edit grant proposals, fundraising letters, and articles for publication, as well as help in the development of organizational projects.
A membership and group relations intern responsible for coordinating and communicating with member groups, identifying and highlighting best practices, marketing and program administration.
And finally a communications/social media intern to work closely with the Director of Communications to help write and edit pieces for the NPCA website, blog, e-newsletter and Worldview magazine, as well as to help manage the NPCA accounts on Web 2.0 sites including Facebook, Youtube, Linkedin, and Flickr.
The internships are unpaid, but the organization’s staff is enthusiastic, wise, and caring. Deadline to apply is April 15th.
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Advertisementsth, 2016: Updated to improve the steps on how to package a REST service as a Docker image and publish it to the Docker Hub. Revision #1 on May 24, 2016: Updated to improve the steps on how to package a REST service as a Docker image and publish it to the Docker Hub.
Spring Cloud Series
1. MICROSERVICES USING SPRING BOOT, JERSEY, SWAGGER AND DOCKER
Having used Spring for some years, I was impressed how easy it is to develop Spring-based apps using Spring Boot, an opinionated framework favoring convention over configuration and more impressed how easy it is to build and use common components of distributed systems using Spring Cloud which is built on top of Spring Boot.
Microservices using Spring Boot Jersey Swagger and Docker
Reat at: https://t.co/3Ekd7F1Tne — Orlando Otero (@orly_otero) April 5, 2016
Microservices has been a hot topic for a couple of years now, defined as a software architectural style to compose applications from a set of small and collaborating services each one implementing a specific purpose.
This and the other posts in this series are more of a hands-on experience once it has been decided to implement some solution using this pattern. This post won’t cover the trade-off using Microservices or Monolith First as discussed here and here or Don’t Start Monolith school of thoughts. Please follow these links or browse the REFERENCES section if you are also interested in these concepts or debates.
2. REQUIREMENTS
Java 7 or 8.
7 or 8. Maven 3.2+.
3.2+. Familiarity with Spring Framework.
Framework. Docker host.
3. CREATE THE HELLO WORLD SERVICE
curl "https://start.spring.io/starter.tgz" -d dependencies = actuator,jersey,web -d language = java -d type = maven-project -d baseDir = springboot-jersey-swagger-docker -d groupId = com.asimio.api -d artifactId = springboot-jersey-swagger-docker -d version = 0 -SNAPSHOT | tar -xzvf -
This command will create a Maven project in a folder named springboot-jersey-swagger-docker with most of the dependencies required by this post. In the accompanying source code, the project has been refactored to match the packages as described in this post.
To add Spring Boot support to an application, either specify a parent element in pom.xml like previous curl command generates or bringing in Spring Boot dependencies management as a bom.
... <dependencyManagement> <dependencies> <dependency> <groupId> org.springframework.boot </groupId> <artifactId> spring-boot-dependencies </artifactId> <version> 1.3.5.RELEASE </version> <type> pom </type> <scope> import </scope> </dependency> </dependencies> </dependencyManagement>...
Again, in this example we are sticking with the parent version.
Add start-class property to pom.xml, it will be the entry point to the application.
... <parent> <groupId> org.springframework.boot </groupId> <artifactId> spring-boot-starter-parent </artifactId> <version> 1.3.5.RELEASE </version> <relativePath /> <!-- lookup parent from repository --> </parent>... <properties> <start-class> com.asimio.jerseyexample.main.Application </start-class>... </properties>...
This is a snippet of com.asimio.jerseyexample.main.Application class, this application’s start class as defined in pom.xml.
1 package com.asimio.jerseyexample.main ; 2... 3 @SpringBootApplication ( 4 scanBasePackages = { 5 "com.asimio.jerseyexample.config", "com.asimio.jerseyexample.rest" 6 } 7 ) 8 public class Application extends SpringBootServletInitializer { 9 10 @Override 11 protected SpringApplicationBuilder configure ( SpringApplicationBuilder builder ) { 12 return builder. sources ( Application. class ); 13 } 14 15 public static void main ( String [] args ) { 16 SpringApplication. run ( Application. class, args ); 17 } 18 }
In line 3, @SpringBootApplication annotation is equivalent to @EnableAutoConfiguration, @Configuration and @ComponentScan.
@SpringBootApplication’s scanBasePackages attribute is just an alias for basePackages attribute in @ComponentScan annotation, meaning Spring IoC container will scan in those packages for components (classes annotated with @Component or its descendants) and wire dependencies.
@Configuration indicates this class can be used by the Spring IoC container as a source of bean definitions (objects returned by methods annotated with @Bean), none in this example.
@EnableAutoConfiguration provides a non-invasive mechanism to automatically configure the application based on dependencies present in the classpath if they haven’t been configured yet. For instance, if Spring Data JPA dependency is found in the classpath, Spring Boot will register a LocalContainerEntityManagerFactoryBean bean only if the developer hasn’t done it yet. As mentioned earlier, Spring Boot is an opinionated framework that favors convention over configuration and by adding Spring Data JPA as a dependency, Spring Boot interprets the application would like to access a RDBMS through a JPA Entity Manager.
In line 8, this class extends from SpringBootServletInitializer class to optionally build this service as a war file (defined as a Maven profile in pom.xml) instead of a fat jar in case it’s desirable to deploy it in an existing Servlet Container. In this article though, it will be deployed and run as a fat jar web application.
4. IMPLEMENT API ENDPOINTS USING JERSEY
If a new project was created using this command, Jersey dependency was already included, if Jersey needs to be added to an existing Spring Boot project, just add the dependency shown below to pom.xml.
... <dependency> <groupId> org.springframework.boot </groupId> <artifactId> spring-boot-starter-jersey </artifactId> </dependency>...
spring-boot-starter-jersey is now included along with spring-boot-starter-web, meaning there are two servlets, Spring MVC’s and Jersey’s, but more on this later.
A new class that extends from Jersey’s ResourceConfig class needs to be created in order to register the endpoints, providers, etc..
1 package com.asimio.jerseyexample.config ; 2... 3 @Component 4 public class JerseyConfig extends ResourceConfig { 5... 6 public JerseyConfig () { 7 // Register endpoints, providers,... 8 this. registerEndpoints (); 9 } 10 11 private void registerEndpoints () { 12 this. register ( HelloResource. class ); 13 // Available at /<Jersey's servlet path>/application.wadl 14 this. register ( WadlResource. class ); 15 } 16...
In line 3, this class is annotated @Component, as discussed earlier, com.asimio.jerseyexample.config package is scanned for classes with such annotations and processed by the Spring IoC container.
In line 11, during JerseyConfig’s instantiation, a resource will be registered along with Jersey’s WadlResource, which will dynamically generate wadl-structured documentation accessible through a URL for clients to use as reference when developing clients of the endpoint(s).
And the resource’s implementation:
1 package com.asimio.jerseyexample.rest.v1 ; 2... 3 @Component 4 @Path ( "/" ) 5 @Consumes ( MediaType. APPLICATION_JSON ) 6 @Produces ( MediaType. APPLICATION_JSON ) 7 public class HelloResource { 8 9 private static final Logger LOGGER = LoggerFactory. getLogger ( HelloResource. class ); 10 11 @GET 12 @Path ( "v1/hello/{name}" ) 13 public Response getHelloVersionInUrl ( @ApiParam @PathParam ( "name" ) String name ) { 14 LOGGER. info ( "getHelloVersionInUrl() v1" ); 15 return this. getHello ( name, "Version 1 - passed in URL" ); 16 } 17 18 @GET 19 @Path ( "hello/{name}" ) 20 @Consumes ( "application/vnd.asimio-v1+json" ) 21 @Produces ( "application/vnd.asimio-v1+json" ) 22 public Response getHelloVersionInAcceptHeader ( @PathParam ( "name" ) String name ) { 23 LOGGER. info ( "getHelloVersionInAcceptHeader() v1" ); 24 return this. getHello ( name, "Version 1 - passed in Accept Header" ); 25 } 26 27 private Response getHello ( String name, String partialMsg ) { 28 if ( "404". equals ( name )) { 29 return Response. status ( Status. NOT_FOUND ). build (); 30 } 31 Hello result = new Hello (); 32 result. setMsg ( String. format ( "Hello %s. %s", name, partialMsg )); 33 return Response. status ( Status. OK ). entity ( result ). build (); 34 } 35... 36 }
This is a partial implementation since the completed version is available in accompanying Bitbucket repo.
@Component has been explained earlier and @Path, @GET, @Produces and @Consumes are JAX-RS-related annotations.
The interesting part here is the two endpoints implementation to get a “hello” resource. The implementation version of this API could be passed either in the URL (/api/v1/hello/Orlando) or in the Accept Header (/api/hello/World). This is supported because of @Path annotation at class level being set to the root path of the Jersey’s servlet, which is mapped to /api. Why was version included in …
Because APIs evolve overtime and it should never breaks backwards compatibility.
But …
APIs should never break backwards compatibility.
The last part covered in this section is application.yml, one of the Spring Boot applications default configuration files, along with bootstrap.yml, application.properties and bootstrap.properties.
1... 2 # Spring MVC dispatcher servlet path. Needs to be different than Jersey's to enable/disable Actuator endpoints access (/info, /health,...) 3 server.servlet-path : / 4 # Jersey dispatcher servlet 5 spring.jersey.application-path : /api 6 7 # http://docs.spring.io/spring-boot/docs/current/reference/htmlsingle/#production-ready-endpoints 8 # http://docs.spring.io/spring-boot/docs/current/reference/htmlsingle/#howto-use-actuator-with-jersey 9 endpoints : 10 enabled : false 11 info : 12 enabled : true 13 health : 14 enabled : true 15 metrics : 16 enabled : true 17 18 # app name and build version updated during build process from Maven properties. 19 info : 20 app : 21 name : @ project.artifactId@ 22 build : 23 version : @ project.version@
Lines 3 and 5 correspond with Spring MVC and Jersey servlet mappings respectively. Spring MVC is required in case the application would like to expose actuator endpoints such as health, info, metrics etc.. Visit this link to get a list of all of the actuator endpoints Spring Boot provides. According to Spring Boot documentation, Spring MVC and Jersey servlets are mapped to the same path (/), that’s why it’s required to change such a mapping in one or both servlets.
Lines 9 through 16 defines which actuator endpoints are enabled, it’s a good practice to disable all of them, as done in line 10 and enable just the ones needed, for instance, one of the actuator endpoints provided is shutdown, so you get the idea. It would also be wise to protect some of the endpoints enabled via Spring Security, but to prevent this post getting overly complicated, it won’t be covered at the moment.
Lines 19 through 23 defines what’s going to be the output when info actuator endpoint is accessed, the placeholders will be replaced with Maven information at build time.
5. BUILDING AND RUNNING THE SERVICE
This application can be run from your preferred IDE as a regular Java application, it can also run from command line using:
mvn clean package java -jar target/springboot-jersey-swagger-docker.jar
Hitting the endpoints should produce similar output to:
info actuator endpoint
$ curl -v "http://localhost:8000/info" * Trying ::1... * Connected to localhost ( ::1 ) port 8000 ( #0) > GET /info HTTP/1.1 > Host: localhost:8000 > User-Agent: curl/7.43.0 > Accept: */* > < HTTP/1.1 200 OK < Server: Apache-Coyote/1.1 < X-Application-Context: application:8000 < Content-Type: application/json ; charset = UTF-8 < Transfer-Encoding: chunked < Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2016 05 :49:13 GMT < * Connection #0 to host localhost left intact { "app" : { "name" : "springboot-jersey-swagger-docker" }, "build" : { "version" : "0-SNAPSHOT" }}
Get resource - Version in URL
$ curl -v "http://localhost:8000/api/v1/hello/world" * Trying ::1... * Connected to localhost ( ::1 ) port 8000 ( #0) > GET /api/v1/hello/world HTTP/1.1 > Host: localhost:8000 > User-Agent: curl/7.43.0 > Accept: */* > < HTTP/1.1 200 OK < Server: Apache-Coyote/1.1 < X-Application-Context: application:8000 < Content-Type: application/json ; charset = UTF-8 < Content-Length: 48 < Date: Fri, 01 Apr 2016 05 :55:29 GMT < * Connection #0 to host localhost left intact { "msg" : "Hello world. Version 1 - passed in URL" }
Get resource - Version in Accept Header
$ curl -v -H "Accept: application/vnd.asimio-v1+json" "http://localhost:8000/api/hello/world" * Trying ::1... * Connected to localhost ( ::1 ) port 8000 ( #0) > GET /api/hello/world HTTP/1.1 > Host: localhost:8000 > User-Agent: curl/7.43.0 > Accept: application/vnd.asimio-v1+json > < HTTP/1.1 200 OK < Server: Apache-Coyote/1.1 < X-Application-Context: application:8000 < Content-Type: application/vnd.asimio-v1+json ; charset = UTF-8 < Content-Length: 58 < Date: Fri, 01 Apr 2016 05 :57:57 GMT < * Connection #0 to host localhost left intact { "msg" : "Hello world. Version 1 - passed in Accept Header" }
Resource not found - Version in URL
$ curl -v "http://localhost:8000/api/v1/hello/404" * Trying ::1... * Connected to localhost ( ::1 ) port 8000 ( #0) > GET /api/v1/hello/404 HTTP/1.1 > Host: localhost:8000 > User-Agent: curl/7.43.0 > Accept: */* > < HTTP/1.1 404 Not Found < Server: Apache-Coyote/1.1 < X-Application-Context: application:8000 < Content-Type: application/json ; charset = UTF-8 < Transfer-Encoding: chunked < Date: Sat, 02 Apr 2016 03 :21:16 GMT < * Connection #0 to host localhost left intact { "timestamp" :1459567275985, "status" :404, "error" : "Not Found", "message" : "Not Found", "path" : "/api/v1/hello/404" }
Create resource - Version in Accept Header
$ curl -v -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/vnd.asimio-v1+json' -d '{ "msg": "world"}' http://120.240.1.192:8000/api/hello * Trying 120.240.1.192... * Connected to 120.240.1.192 ( 120.240.1.192 ) port 8000 ( #0) > POST /api/hello HTTP/1.1 > Host: 120.240.1.192:8000 > User-Agent: curl/7.43.0 > Accept: */* > Content-Type: application/vnd.asimio-v1+json > Content-Length: 17 > * upload completely sent off: 17 out of 17 bytes < HTTP/1.1 201 Created < Server: Apache-Coyote/1.1 < X-Application-Context: application:8000 < Location: http://120.240.1.192:8000/api/hello/world < Content-Length: 0 < Date: Fri, 01 Apr 2016 06 :10:44 GMT < * Connection #0 to host 120.240.1.192 left intact
Resources WADL
$ curl -v "http://localhost:8000/api/application.wadl" * Trying ::1... * Connected to localhost ( ::1 ) port 8000 ( #0) > GET /api/application.wadl HTTP/1.1 > Host: localhost:8000 > User-Agent: curl/7.43.0 > Accept: */* > < HTTP/1.1 200 OK < Server: Apache-Coyote/1.1 < X-Application-Context: application:8000 < Last-modified: Fri, 01 Apr 2016 02 :12:50 EDT < Content-Type: application/vnd.sun.wadl+xml ; charset = UTF-8 < Content-Length: 2758 < Date: Fri, 01 Apr 2016 06 :12:50 GMT < <?xml version = "1.0" encoding = "UTF-8" standalone = "yes"?> <application xmlns = "http://wadl.dev.java.net/2009/02" > <doc xmlns:jersey = "http://jersey.java.net/" jersey:generatedBy = "Jersey: 2.22.2 2016-02-16 13:32:17" /> <doc xmlns:jersey = "http://jersey.java.net/" jersey:hint = "This is simplified WADL with user and core resources only. To get full WADL with extended resources use the query parameter detail. Link: http://localhost:8000/api/application.wadl?detail=true" /> <grammars/> <resources base = "http://localhost:8000/api/" > <resource path = "/swagger.{type:json|yaml}" > <param xmlns:xs = "http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" name = "type" style = "template" type = "xs:string" /> <method id = "getListing" name = "GET" > <response> <representation mediaType = "application/json" /> <representation mediaType = "application/yaml" /> </response> </method> </resource> <resource path = "/" > <resource path = "v1/hello/{name}" > <param xmlns:xs = "http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" name = "name" style = "template" type = "xs:string" /> <method id = "getHelloVersionInUrl" name = "GET" > <response> <representation mediaType = "application/json" /> </response> </method> </resource> <resource path = "hello/{name}" > <param xmlns:xs = "http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" name = "name" style = "template" type = "xs:string" /> <method id = "getHelloVersionInAcceptHeader" name = "GET" > <response> <representation mediaType = "application/vnd.asimio-v1+json" /> </response> </method> </resource> <resource path = "v1/hello" > <method id = "createHelloVersionInUrl" name = "POST" > <request> <representation mediaType = "application/json" /> </request> <response> <representation mediaType = "application/json" /> </response> </method> </resource> <resource path = "hello" > <method id = "createHelloVersionInAcceptHeader" name = "POST" > <request> <representation mediaType = "application/vnd.asimio-v1+json" /> </request> <response> <representation mediaType = "application/json" /> </response> </method> </resource> </resource> </resources> </application> * Connection #0 to host localhost left intact
6. DOCUMENT THE REST APIs WITH SWAGGER
Next we need to add Swagger dependency to pom.xml and Swagger UI to the application to provide a really nice UI that would allow developers to use it not only as documentation but also to interact with the API endpoints.
... <properties> <swagger.version> 1.5.8 </swagger.version> </properties>... <dependency> <groupId> io.swagger </groupId> <artifactId> swagger-jersey2-jaxrs </artifactId> <version> ${swagger.version} </version> </dependency>...
Download Swagger UI zip file from https://github.com/swagger-api/swagger-ui/releases, 2.1.4 being the latest at the time this post was written.
Extract and move resulting folder to src/main/resources/static since this set of files is that, static content including JavaScript, CSS, images and HTML files (other locations Spring Boot apps used to serve static content are: /META-INF/resources, /resources, and /public in the classpath).
Update src/main/resources/static/index.html file for Swagger UI to find dynamically-generated Swagger definition file.
Replace:
url = "http://petstore.swagger.io/v2/swagger.json" ;
with:
url = "/api/swagger.json" ;
Now an instance of Swagger’s BeanConfig class is needed, it’s responsible for dynamically generating the Swagger definition file used to feed Swagger UI. This instance doesn’t need to be a Spring-managed bean, it could be instantiated in a Servlet’s init() method, or any other Singleton instance. In the example application bundled with this blog entry, JerseyConfig class was re-used:
1 package com.asimio.jerseyexample.config ; 2... 3 @Component 4 public class JerseyConfig extends ResourceConfig { 5 6 @Value ( "${spring.jersey.application-path:/}" ) 7 private String apiPath ; 8 9... 10 @PostConstruct 11 public void init () { 12 // Register components where DI is needed 13 this. configureSwagger (); 14 } 15... 16 private void configureSwagger () { 17 // Available at localhost:port/api/swagger.json 18 this. register ( ApiListingResource. class ); 19 this. register ( SwaggerSerializers. class ); 20 21 BeanConfig config = new BeanConfig (); 22 config. setConfigId ( "springboot-jersey-swagger-docker-example" ); 23 config. setTitle ( "Spring Boot + Jersey + Swagger + Docker Example" ); 24 config. setVersion ( "v1" ); 25 config. setContact ( "Orlando L Otero" ); 26 config. setSchemes ( new String [] { "http", "https" }); 27 config. setBasePath ( this. apiPath ); 28 config. setResourcePackage ( "com.asimio.jerseyexample.rest.v1" ); 29 config. setPrettyPrint ( true ); 30 config. setScan ( true ); 31 } 32 }
In lines 18 and 19 a couple of Swagger JAX-RS providers are registered. A few settings are important from BeanConfig instantiation and configuration. setScan(true) indicates to scan packages set via setResourcePackage() for Swagger annotations and setBasePath() indicates the path where the dynamically generated swagger.json would be reachable.
We still need to add Swagger annotations to the resource class and its endpoints we would like to document, these would be processed by Swagger’s BeanConfig instance discussed earlier.
package com.asimio.jerseyexample.rest.v1 ;... @Component... @Api ( value = "Hello resource", produces = "application/json" ) public class HelloResource {... @ApiOperation ( value = "Gets a hello resource. Version 1 - (version in URL)", response = Hello. class ) @ApiResponses ( value = { @ApiResponse ( code = 200, message = "hello resource found" ), @ApiResponse ( code = 404, message = "Given admin user not found" ) }) public Response getHelloVersionInUrl ( @ApiParam @PathParam ( "name" ) String name ) {... }... @ApiOperation ( value = "Gets a hello resource. World Version 1 (version in Accept Header)", response = Hello. class ) @ApiResponses ( value = { @ApiResponse ( code = 200, message = "hello resource found" ), @ApiResponse ( code = 404, message = "hello resource not found" ) }) public Response getHelloVersionInAcceptHeader ( @PathParam ( "name" ) String name ) {... }... @ApiOperation ( value = "Creates hello resource. Version 1 - (version in URL)", response = Hello. class ) @ApiResponses ( value = { @ApiResponse ( code = 201, message = "hello resource created", responseHeaders = { @ResponseHeader ( name = "Location", description = "The URL to retrieve created resource", response = String. class ) }) }) public Response createHelloVersionInUrl ( Hello hello, @Context UriInfo uriInfo ) {... }... @ApiOperation ( value = "Creates hello resource. Version 1 - (version in Accept Header)", response = Hello. class ) @ApiResponses ( value = { @ApiResponse ( code = 201, message = "hello resource created", responseHeaders = { @ResponseHeader ( name = "Location", description = "The URL to retrieve created resource", response = String. class ) }) }) public Response createHelloVersionInAcceptHeader ( Hello hello, @Context UriInfo uriInfo ) {... }... }
Some screenshots taken from running the application:
Available endpoints Spring Boot, Jersey, Swagger - Available endpoints
Get Hello resource - Version in URL Spring Boot, Jersey, Swagger - Get resource - Version in URL
Create Hello resource - Version in Accept Header Spring Boot, Jersey, Swagger - Create resource - Version in Accept Header
So, what if there would be a need to add another implementation version of the “Hello” resource documenting both versions using Swagger? Unfortunately the BeanConfig’s approach used for this blog post won’t work. I spent some time trying to get versions being passed in the URL and Accept Header to work with Swagger and ended up updating the initial multi-version API example to just include one version.
The reason I believe it won’t work is because BeanConfig instance dynamically creates only one Swagger definition file and it would require one for each version. A possible solution would be to keep just the endpoints where the version is passed in the URL and the single Swagger definition file would include description for all the versions. It just doesn’t feel the right solution, the documentation might get bloated and I didn’t want to give up on the version being passed in the Accept Header.
But I have good news, I have a working example of a multi-versioned API using Jersey and Swagger generating multiple Swagger definition files, one for each version, all of them used by the same Swagger UI, so stay tuned, I’ll be creating another post Documenting multiple REST API versions using Spring Boot Jersey and Swagger in the next 2-3 days to review this approach.
7. PACKAGE THE SERVICE INTO A DOCKER IMAGE
Last topic to be covered will be packaging the service as a Docker image and running it in a Docker container. Some familiarity with Docker is assumed.
In this blog entry a Docker maven plugin from Spotify was used to build the image and push it to its public Docker registry repo.
1... 2 <properties> 3 <docker.image.prefix> asimio </docker.image.prefix> 4 <push.image> false </push.image> 5 <docker-maven-plugin-spotify.version> 0.4.10 </docker-maven-plugin-spotify.version> 6 </properties> 7... 8 <build> 9 <finalName> ${project.artifactId} </finalName> 10 <plugins> 11... 12 <plugin> 13 <groupId> com.spotify </groupId> 14 <artifactId> docker-maven-plugin </artifactId> 15 <version> ${docker-maven-plugin-spotify.version} </version> 16 <!-- Include: 17 export DOCKER_HOST=tcp://docker:4243 18 in host executing mvn docker:build 19 --> 20 <configuration> 21 <!-- One or the other --> 22 <!-- First add server entry in settings.xml --> 23 <serverId> docker-hub </serverId> 24 <!-- Uses ~/.docker/config.json created once logged in using "docker login" command --> 25 <!-- <useConfigFile>true</useConfigFile> --> 26 27 <imageName> ${docker.image.prefix}/${project.artifactId}:${project.version} </imageName> 28 <pushImage> ${push.image} </pushImage> 29 <forceTags> true </forceTags> 30 <imageTags> 31 <imageTag> ${project.version} </imageTag> 32 <imageTag> latest </imageTag> 33 </imageTags> 34 <dockerDirectory> src/main/docker </dockerDirectory> 35 <resources> 36 <resource> 37 <targetPath> / </targetPath> 38 <directory> ${project.build.directory} </directory> 39 <include> ${project.build.finalName}.jar </include> 40 </resource> 41 </resources> 42 </configuration> 43 </plugin> 44...
From previous pom.xml’s snippet, Dockefile, discussed next, can be found in src/main/docker, the resulting Java artifact, whose version has been stripped via <build>’s <finalName> is included in the Docker image.
The image is named asimio/springboot-jersey-swagger-docker (see Plugin documentation for more options, like pushing Docker image to a different or private Docker registry) and will be tagged with latest and 1.0.x. A build number replacement for ${project.version} instead of 0-SNAPSHOT.
It can also be optionally pushed to Docker registry passing push.image as VM argument, lets say false for local builds but true in a CI environment, for instance:
mvn -U -X clean versions:set -DnewVersion = 1.0.37 mvn -U -X package docker:build -Dpush.image = true
But before being able to push this image to the Docker Hub, a Docker Hub account is required and its credentials being stored in ~/.m2/settings.xml (for Maven to use) of the Box/VM/Docker container building the Java REST application and bundling in a Docker image. Such a settings.xml’s section might look like:
... <server> <id> docker-hub </id> <username> Your Docker Hub username </username> <password> Your Docker Hub password </password> <configuration> <email> Your Docker Hub email used during registration process </email> </configuration> </server>...
And this server is referred in pom.xml via:
... <serverId> docker-hub </serverId>...
Application’s Dockerfile
1 FROM azul/zulu-openjdk:8 2 MAINTAINER Orlando L Otero <[email protected]>, https://bitbucket.org/asimio/springboot-jersey-swagger-docker-example.git 3 4 VOLUME /tmp 5 6 # Update Ubuntu 7 RUN \ 8 bash -c 'apt-get -qq update && apt-get -y upgrade && apt-get -y autoclean && apt-get -y autoremove' && \ 9 bash -c 'DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get install -y curl wget tar' 10 11 ENV USER_NAME jerseyexample 12 ENV APP_HOME /opt/poc-api/$USER_NAME 13 14 RUN \ 15 useradd -ms /bin/bash $USER_NAME && \ 16 mkdir -p $APP_HOME 17 18 ADD springboot-jersey-swagger-docker.jar ${APP_HOME}/springboot-jersey-swagger-docker.jar 19 RUN \ 20 chown $USER_NAME $APP_HOME /springboot-jersey-swagger-docker.jar && \ 21 bash -c 'touch ${APP_HOME}/springboot-jersey-swagger-docker.jar' 22 23 ENV JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS "-Xms128M -Xmx128M -Djava.awt.headless=true -Djava.security.egd=file:/dev/./urandom" 24 25 USER $USER_NAME 26 WORKDIR $APP_HOME 27 ENTRYPOINT ["java", "-jar", "springboot-jersey-swagger-docker.jar"] 28 29 # Run as: 30 # docker run -idt -p 8701:8701 -e appPort=8701 asimio/springboot-jersey-swagger-docker:latest
8. RUNNING THE SERVICE IN A DOCKER CONTAINER
sudo docker pull asimio/springboot-jersey-swagger-docker:1.0.52... sudo docker run -idt -p 8701 :8701 -e appPort = 8701 asimio/springboot-jersey-swagger-docker:latest 162f5d2773b1b5615bac91d864aa28096f0f114c83bbac6bccef08a6e809e674 sudo docker logs 162f5d2773b1b5615bac91d864aa28096f0f114c83bbac6bccef08a6e809e674... 2016 -04-05 03 :15:48 INFO EndpointMBeanExporter:674 - Located managed bean 'healthEndpoint' : registering with JMX server as MBean [ org.springframework.boot:type = Endpoint,name = healthEndpoint ] 2016 -04-05 03 :15:48 INFO EndpointMBeanExporter:674 - Located managed bean 'infoEndpoint' : registering with JMX server as MBean [ org.springframework.boot:type = Endpoint,name = infoEndpoint ] 2016 -04-05 03 :15:48 INFO EndpointMBeanExporter:674 - Located managed bean'metricsEndpoint' : registering with JMX server as MBean [ org.springframework.boot:type = Endpoint,name = metricsEndpoint ] 2016 -04-05 03 :15:48 INFO Http |
commentary. There are Troll Science repositories all over the web, but the one linked is a good sampling.
Everything Dies
Box Brown's comic defies categorization. Part autobiography, part illustrated history, part philosophical musing, the strip has a somber mood and a deeply thoughtful nature. In a web full of irony and posturing, it's nice to read something genuine and heartfelt. Brown also publishes a series of print comics featuring completely separate content from the website, so that's nice if you like objects.
Ellie on Planet X
Ellie is a charming robot exploring a far-off planet and befriending the very strange inhabitants thereof. The strip's only been around since June, but the personality just jumps out of every panel and the story has a classic, all-ages approach without feeling like a retread of a newspaper comic. The strip seems to have settled into pretty regular updates, and I hope Ellie lasts at least as long as the Mars Exploration rovers.
- - -
*Born helpless, nude and unable to provide for himself, Lore Sjöberg eventually overcame these handicaps to become a compiler, a comptroller and a composter. *
Image by Jon Rosenberg
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The Emoji Movie
By Imani Baptiste-Green, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age: 15
The Morning Email Wake up to the day's most important news.
The Emoji Movie is a kid-friendly fun and exciting film for people of all ages to enjoy and connect with. I love how the world of emojis in smartphone relates to the human world throughout the film. It gives the audience a way to identify with the characters and the plot. Families will definitely enjoy this amusing motion film and may even learn from it.
Alex’s (Jake T Austin) smartphone is home to all of the emojis. Each has its own facial expression except for Gene (TJ Miller). Gene struggles with being an emoji with multiple expressions and is determined to become normal like all of the other emojis. Gene asks for help from his new best friends, Hi-5 (James Corden) and Jailbreak (Anna Faris), a popular code breaker. During their epic adventure, the three face great danger and conflict with other characters. Join them on their experience.
I enjoyed every aspect of this film, but my favorite scene is when Gene realizes his uniqueness from the other emojis. Alex is having phone troubles and is on the verge of getting it fixed, which means the end for all things emojis. Gene steps in to make sure that doesn’t happen, which is a perk since he recognizes his worth. This scene sends a powerful message for kids to learn about liking themselves and recognizing their importance in the world.
The overall message of the film is to learn to accept who you are, no matter what others think of you. In the beginning, Gene has trouble figuring out who he is and why he isn’t like the rest. That leads him to wanting to be normal. Fortunately, Gene later realizes who he is, with a little help from his friends, and finally accepts himself. Kids and even adults can learn a lesson from this and apply it to their lives by building up their own self confidence.
I recommend this film for ages 5 to 18. There are scenes that tweens and teens can enjoy, but it also contains some scenes are suitable for 5 to 13 year olds. Adults will most likely enjoy this as well. It really is a film that the whole family will get a kick out of.The Jaguars’ two preseason games were ideal for third-string quarterback Brandon Allen for one reason: He was been able to participate.
One by-product of the Jaguars’ four joint practices with New England and Tampa Bay was little action for the third-team.
But Allen has played 49 snaps in two games, completing 15 of 22 passes for 229 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions and a 132.6 passer rating.
Against the Buccaneers, he led drives of 63 (touchdown), 87 (lost on downs) and 32 (end of game) yards. Allen completed his first eight passes and finished 10 of 15 for 144 yards and scrambled three times for 27 yards.
"Anytime you get the offense going a little bit, it’s a lot of fun," Allen said. "We were able to execute really well and some guys made some good plays and the line blocked really well."
The Jaguars had a chance to beat Tampa Bay, but Allen threw three straight incompletions from the 2-yard line.
The Jaguars’ starting quarterback position was opened up by coach Doug Marrone. Can Allen get in the mix?
It is unlikely because this regime is all about winning in Week 1 and throwing Allen (no regular season snaps) at J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney would not be the best course. But stranger things have happened, like Marrone’s anticipated quarterback shuffle to Chad Henne.
Observing Henne and Blake Bortles take practice snaps has helped prepare Allen for the games.
"It’s been a big learning camp for me," Allen said. "You have to take a lot of mental reps in my position and watch the guys in front of you and the reps they take. In college [at Arkansas], I pretty much learned a new offense every year and I can relate certain things to what I did in the past [to this offense], which is good for me."
Harris on Kaepernick
The Jaguars signed running back DuJuan Harris and waived injured cornerback Charles Gaines (hurt against Tampa Bay).
Harris (5-foot-7, 206 pounds) began his NFL career with the Jaguars in 2011 and played in five games. He has played in 38 career games, totaling 590 rushing yards on 145 attempts.
"It feels good to be back," Harris said. "A lot has changed here. They had just finished the locker room before I left [in 2012] so now I get to enjoy it."
Since entering the league, Harris has been with the Jaguars, Pittsburgh, Green Bay, Minnesota, New Orleans, Seattle and San Francisco and cut nine times, most recently by the 49ers on May 8.
Harris was teammates with polarizing quarterback Colin Kaepernick last year.
"He’s a great teammate," Harris said of Kaepernick, who remains unsigned. "He controlled the huddle and a lot of it wasn’t his fault – he made some plays and he had some bad games like all of us. As a whole, it was a rough season."
Kaepernick knelt for national anthem before 49ers games last year to protest racial injustice and oppression. Many believe that is the reason for him remaining unsigned halfway through the preseason.
"He’s a great guy and an even better friend," Harris said. "We really didn’t talk about it. His kneeling was something we respected about him. We voted him for a team award [for most inspirational player] and it was courageous of him to do. We were all behind him. A team just has to give him an opportunity."
Watford returns
The Jaguars practiced inside Sunday for the second straight day but wore full pads.
Guard Earl Watford worked for the first time since July 31; he had missed 12 straight practices and both preseason games. He said he worked exclusively at right guard.
"[Practice was] not as good as I thought it would be," Watford said. "I’m just working and trying to get out there for this [Thursday against Carolina]. … I felt fine conditioning-wise. I know my assignments. I just have to keep getting healthy."
Marrone said Saturday the Jaguars were, "looking at rolling some people through," the left guard spot after Patrick Omameh struggled against Tampa Bay. A.J. Cann remained at right guard, followed by Watford. One non-Omameh option would be Tyler Shatley, who started camp as the first-team left guard.
Etc.
A Jaguars player said the practice snaps were split "dead even," between Henne and Bortles. … Not practicing were defensive tackle Michael Bennett, cornerback A.J. Bouye, tailback Leonard Fournette (foot), receiver Marqise Lee (ankle), tight end Mychal Rivera and tailback T.J. Yeldon (hamstring). … Receiver Dede Westbrook was running routes during the media viewing period after sitting out Saturday.Nearly 35 per cent of Pakistan’s estimated 182 million people do not have access to safe drinking water.
According to Pakistan’s National Drinking Water Policy of 2009, the burden of disease related to water, sanitation and hygiene costs the country about Rs112 billion ($1.1bn) each year.
The poor quality of drinking water has forced those who can afford it to buy bottled water.
According to a World Bank report of 2011, bottled water consumption comprised 29pc of water-related costs, equivalent to 1.4pc of total economic costs and 0.05pc.
The cost of bottled water consumption was Rs4.67bn ($76.72m).
Despite this, Ghulam Murtiza is not deceived by the clear and sterile appearance of the bottled water available around Karachi. He should know; he has been in the business of monitoring water quality – both of groundwater and bottled water – for over a decade.
The latest report on bottled water quality by the government-run Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) is a clear indictment of the grim situation of water quality that Murtiza is well acquainted with, working there as a research officer.
Among the various tasks that include rural water and ground water investigations and monitoring through a chain of 19 laboratories in all four provinces of the country, since 2005 the PCRWR has been testing bottled water too.
“Every quarter we submit a report on the bottled water brands we have tested to the Ministry of Science and Technology,” Murtiza told thethirdpole.net.
In the current report a set of four bottles each of 71 commercially available brands were collected and sealed on site with identification codes allotted.
These samples were collected from seven big cities (Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Tando Jam, Lahore, Quetta, Sialkot and Karachi) from three of the four provinces of Pakistan.
Eight brands completely unsafe
Of these, eight brands were found to be “completely unsafe” for human consumption as they had levels of arsenic, sodium and potassium far higher than the permissible limits prescribed by the national standardisation body – according to a report by the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA).
Working under the Ministry of Science and Technology, PSQCA licenses bottling plants to sell their products after it has ascertained the quality meets the standards it has set.
In the three bottled water brands deemed unsafe, arsenic levels ranged from 11 to 35 parts per billion (ppb) compared to the permissible limit of 10 ppb set by the PSQCA.
Secretary General of the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Mirza Ali Azhar told thethirdpole.net that if arsenic exceeds the permissible limit, it can slowly damage the nervous system, liver and kidneys. It can also affect the reproductive organs.
Health practitioners say increased exposure to potassium can adversely affect kidneys, heart, hypertension and diabetes.
Bacteriological contaminants (coliforms) were detected in three more brands. Ali Azhar said microbiological contamination causes cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis, typhoid and other diseases.
While the 2009 drinking water policy recognises “access to safe drinking water” as a “fundamental right of every citizen”, emphasises on the enforcement of the National Drinking Water Quality Standards, and the government approved the National Standards for Drinking Water Quality (NSDWQ) in 2010, the reality is otherwise.
In Pakistan over 53,300 children die every year from diarrhoea caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation, according to a 2009 report by Unicef.
“We submit the report and our job ends there. Then it is up to the licensing authority, which is, the PSQCA, to take action,” explained Murtiza.
“That’s true,” said Waiz Ikramul Haq of the PQSCA, in Karachi. “We only monitor brands that we have given license to but there are as many unauthorised set-ups in private homes that we cannot do anything about, other than seal them. But these come up again in no time with a different brand.”
“Unless the water is checked for the mineral content and microbiology, it is illegal to bottle that water and use it for commercial purposes,” Haq informed.
Furthermore, said PCRWR’s Murtiza, it is illegal to sell water coming from the government’ supply line.
In the provinces of Sindh and Balochistan of which he is in charge, there were 106 bottling units (plants) which sell 125 brands of bottled water, Haq said. “We recently sealed over a dozen factories doing illegal business.”
“Often, when a license is cancelled, in just a few days, they re-emerge with a brand new identity,” said Murtiza.
Water is one of the 78 items that PQSCA monitors through its 10 field officers. There is an evident staff shortage.
On top of that, there is the slow pace of the judicial system. Haq finds their exercises “futile”.
“The penalty is there, but what’s the point when judicial action may take months, even years and appearances before the magistrates carry on endlessly?” he asked.
The PSQCA takes the errant bottlers to court, and violating its rules can result in a fine of at least Rs50,000 and one year behind bars. But the slow pace of the judicial system frustrates the officials.
However, there is a brighter way of looking at the situation.
Making PCRWR’s findings public may be having a “deterrent effect”, because the new figure is lower than what was found in the first quarter of last year – 21 unsafe brands.
Clean water at home?
Many people have installed reverse osmosis plants in their homes to clean the water before drinking, but have no means to test the final product.
Despite this, Murtiza emphasised that bottled water is no replacement to the water people get piped to their homes.
“We also test water quality from the water supply system and over the years the quality has rapidly deteriorated.”
Water quality profiles of 24 major cities and 23 surface water bodies (rivers, reservoirs/dams, canals etc.) on the PCRWR website showed that of the 64 sub-districts (called Tehsils), 48 had water unfit for drinking.
Nearly 80-85pc of water samples tested were bacteriologically unsafe – turbid and containing dissolved solids above permissible limits.
Similar checks in 23 major cities revealed that the four major contaminants in drinking water sources of Pakistan were bacteriological (68pc), arsenic (24pc), nitrate (13pc) and fluoride (5pc).
Bottled water is consumed by a very small percentage of people in urban areas who can afford to do so; the rest of the population uses groundwater. Pakistan clearly has a problem on both counts.
This article was originally published on The Third Pole and has been reproduced with permission.A European anti-corruption body has found Ireland to be “globally unsatisfactory”, particularly in the areas of judicial appointments and independence.
The report by the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), a Council of Europe body, will put further pressure on the Government to pass the Judicial Appointments Bill being debated by the Dáil.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has attempted to fast-track the Bill in the wake of the controversy surrounding the appointment of former attorney general Máire Whelan to the Court of Appeal. The appointment led to accusations of cronyism when it emerged that Ms Whelan did not go through the official application process and was appointed during a Cabinet meeting at which she was present.
However it is not clear if the Bill will pass before the summer recess despite the Dáil sitting for an extra week to debate it.
The Judicial Appointments Bill, which is being championed by Minister for Transport Shane Ross, would establish a new commission to appoint judges. It would have a lay majority and a lay chairperson. A separate Bill will provide for a judicial council to deal with the education and conduct of judges.
The report found Ireland fully complied with just three out of eleven recommendations made by the Group in 2014.
Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan called it “obviously disappointing”.
“While much work is underway in relation to all of the recommendations, we fell short of achieving a good report as the legislation in train is hugely complex.”
In 2014 GRECO recommended that the current system for judicial appointments, promotions and transfers be reformed to ensure the most suitable candidates are selected “in a transparent way, with proper influence from the executive/political powers.”
The Government told the group that the legislation was pending. However the group said that it has seen not details or draft texts of the Bill and therefore had to conclude that its recommendation was not complied with.
It said the Government should “pursue their reform efforts in close consultation with the judiciary to the extent feasible.”
GRECO said Ireland was also not in compliance with its recommendation that a structure be established to deal with judges’ pay in a way that would safeguard the “integrity and professional quality” of the bench.
Rejected The group rejected the Government’s response that the new Public Service Pay Commission would deal with these issues. It said it could not see how the commission would protect judges’ independence when it came to setting their pay and pension conditions.
It also noted that there is no formal code of conduct for Irish judges. Work to establish a code of conduct was started in 2011 by the then government but has yet to be completed, the group noted.
“Moreover, in the current situation, including the fact that a judicial council has not yet been established, there is no accountability mechanism in place,” it added.Report: Niang changes Watford deal
By Football Italia staff
It’s reported that M’Baye Niang wants a last-minute change to the terms of his loan to Watford from Milan.
The transfer appeared to be a done deal, with the forward flying to England today to complete a €500,000 loan with an €18m option to buy.
That option would have become an obligation if Niang scored 10 Premier League goals before the end of the season, but now Mediaset channel Premium Sport is reporting a hitch in the deal.
According to the outlet, the Frenchman wants to renegotiate the terms of the deal, moving on a straight loan with no buyout option.
In addition, it’s thought Niang does not yet have a deal over personal terms with the Hornets, and is demanding £75,000 [€87,000] per week.
Everything is agreed between Milan and Watford, but it remains to be seen if the player will accept the move.Being a Disney fan is a lot of hard work! Aside from the unrelenting stress of choosing your favorite Disney movie to watch on a Friday night, or the burden of deciding which attraction to Fastpass first at Disneyland, you have to deal with the naysayers. You know who we’re talking about. Those singular people who just don’t get it; who scoff at the slightest mention of magic. Well, luckily for you, there’s a whole swarm of us Disney fans standing right behind you. Here’s what we’re sick and tired of hearing:
1. “You’re going to Disneyland … again?”
Yes, actually. And we’ll likely go next weekend too. And the weekend after that. It’s not a problem, it’s a magical experience that brings up joy and is partly responsible for making us the amazing people we are today.
2. “Do you *really* need more Tsum Tsum?”
Does a flower need sunshine and water to thrive? Don’t insult us by asking the question. Of course. Those plush are as cute as could be and they’re stackable. The potential uses are endless.
3. “Didn’t you just watch Frozen yesterday?”
Child, please. “Let it Go” is essentially our daily mantra.
4. “Disney is just for little kids.”
Why, we oughta! Disney is for everyone. These stories shape our lives and fill them with wonderful, wonderful color.
5. “Let’s go on the haunted house ride!”
Haunted House? No, no. It’s The Haunted Mansion. We’re constantly playing a game of “should we correct them or not?” But we can’t help ourselves.
6. “How many Mickey t-shirts can you possibly own?”
Answer: Infinity Mickey t-shirts. One can never have enough Mickey t-shirts. It’s just impossible.
7. “How do you know where every single attraction is?”
*sigh* They’ll never understand.
8. “Don’t you ever get sick of going to Disneyland?”
Hush, silly. Of course not. And we never will.
Us Disney fans aren’t bonkers. We’re just different.
*Us not caring what the naysayers think*
You just gotta be you, because at the end of the day, that’s all you can be. Share this with a friend who knows the struggle!
Posted 4 years AgoBy Toni Clarke
The U.S. Surgeon General issued a call to action on Thursday to end what he said was a public health crisis of drug and alcohol addiction that is both underappreciated and undertreated.
Dr. Vivek Murthy issued the first-ever Surgeon General's report on substance abuse and said he hopes it will galvanize work on the issue the way a similar report 50 years ago sparked decades of effort to combat smoking.
U.S. deaths from drug overdoses hit a record in 2014, increasing 6.5 percent to 47,055, propelled by prescription painkiller and heroin abuse, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"The most important thing is, we have to change attitudes towards addiction and get people into treatment," Murthy said in an interview. "Addiction is a disease of the brain," he added, "not a character flaw."
The report comes amid a broader government effort to address addiction, in particular opioid painkiller abuse. President Barack Obama has requested an additional $1.1 billion to help address the problem. Opioids include oxycodone, hydrocodone, fentanyl and morphine and are sold under such brand names as OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin and Actiq.
In 2015 more than 27 million people in the United States reported using illegal drugs or misusing prescription drugs. More than 66 million people, or nearly a quarter of all adolescents and adults, reported binge drinking within the previous month.
The estimated annual economic impact of drug abuse is $193 billion, the report states, while the estimated economic impact of alcohol abuse is $249 billion. Every dollar invested in treatment saves $4 in healthcare costs and lost productivity and $7 in criminal justice costs, Murthy added.
The report urges a holistic approach to battling the addiction epidemic that should involve policy makers, regulators, scientists, families, schools and local communities.
The goal is to increase access to existing treatment programs, which Murthy said have been shown to reduce the risk of relapse, while at the same time expand new and more effective programs.
Murthy stressed the importance of intervening early through school programs to discourage early access to alcohol. If a person has their first drink before the age of 15, their likelihood of developing an alcohol problem is four times greater than if the first drink is taken after the age of 21, Murthy said.
The model Murthy hopes to follow is the 1964 Surgeon General's report on tobacco. At that time 42 percent of the population smoked but few recognized the danger.
"That Surgeon General's report catalyzed a half century of work on tobacco control and now the smoking rate is less than 17 percent," he said.
Under pressure from lawmakers the Food and Drug Administration agreed earlier this year to reform its process for approving opioids. In March it added new warnings to short-acting opioids to bring information about addiction and abuse in line with that of long-acting pills. Short-acting pills account for 90 percent of prescribed opioids.
Murthy's report urges more investment in research and new types of treatment programs. But he said that shouldn't prevent people from acting to increase access to existing programs.
"We can't afford not to invest in treatment because we are going to pay a lot more later," he said.Image caption The new research used a global network of monitoring stations
The Earth sees about 760 thunderstorms every hour, scientists have calculated.
The figure, unveiled at the European Geosciences Union meeting in Vienna, is substantially lower than numbers that have been used for nearly a century.
The new research uses a global network of monitoring stations that detect the electromagnetic pulses produced by major bolts of lightning.
It confirms that thunderstorms are mainly a tropical phenomenon - and the Congo basin is the global hotspot.
Thunderstorms also track the passage of sunlight across the world, with sunny conditions producing greater convection in the air.
"The monitoring stations might miss some bolts of lightning, but we think we're getting the big ones - and that's enough to tell you where the thunderstorms are," said Colin Price, head of the Geophysics and Planetary Sciences department at Tel Aviv University in Israel.
"And so with this global network we're able to improve on numbers that have been in standard use since the 1920s."
Global network
The first attempt to estimate thunderstorm numbers is thought to have been made by CEP Brooks in 1925.
At that time, it was customary for weather stations to note days when thunderstorms occurred nearby.
Collecting records where he could, the British climatologist calculated there were around 1,800 per hour on average across the world.
But his research suffered from incomplete data and mistaken assumptions - including that storms were equally distributed over land and sea, whereas the vast majority occur over land.
In the 1950s, OH Gish and GR Wait flew over the top of 21 thunderstorms in the US in aeroplanes carrying equipment capable of measuring voltages and currents in the air.
Extending their readings to the rest of the world, they came up with a global figure of 2,000-3,600 per year.
More recently, satellites have been deployed - but they do not see the whole world.
The new research uses a completely different technique, with more than 40 stations around the world geared up to detect electromagnetic pulses produced by strong lightning bolts.
Daytime peaks
Triangulating from groups of stations enables the World Wide Lightning Location Network (wwlln.net) to pinpoint flashes.
When they are clustered, a computer algorithm is deployed to assign flashes to their separate parent storms.
Analysing this data for September 2010 produced the average hourly figure of 760.
Each continent shows peaks during its daytime - and globally, the peak time is around noon GMT.
Thunderstorms cluster in the centre of continents in the tropics, with the Congo basin standing out.
"That's perhaps because it's drier there than in the Amazon, for example - thunderstorms seem to form more easily in drier conditions," Dr Price told BBC News.
The network is looking to add new observation points to improve results, and recently initiated a programme to detect explosive volcanic eruptions via the lightning flashes that occur in the ascending plumes of hot ash.Following on from previous upgrades, CERN migrated the OpenStack cloud to Kilo during September to November 2015. Along with the bug fixes, we are planning on exploiting the significant number of [new features][1], especially as related to performance tuning. The overall cloud architecture was covered at the Tokyo OpenStack summit video
As the Large Hadron Collider continues to run 24×7, these upgrades were done while the cloud was running and virtual machines were untouched. The staged approach was used again. While most of the steps went smoothly, a few problems were encountered.
Cinder – we encountered the bug https://bugs.launchpad.net/cinder/+bug/1455726 which led to a foreign key error. The cause appears to be related to UTF8. The patch (https://review.openstack.org/#/c/183814/) was not completed so did not get included into the release. More details at the thread at http://lists.openstack.org/pipermail/openstack/2015-August/013601.html.
Keystone – one of the configuration parameters for caches had changed syntax and this was not reflected in the configuration generated by Puppet. The symptoms were high load on the Keystone servers since caching was not enabled.
Glance – given the rolling upgrade on Glance, we took advantage of having virtualised the majority of the Glance server pool. This allows new resources to be brought online with a Juno configuration and the old ones deleted.
Nova – we upgraded the control plane services along with the QA compute nodes. With the versioned objects, we could stage the migration of the thousands of compute nodes so that we did not need to do all the updates at once. Puppet looked after the appropriate deployments of the RPMs. Following the upgrade, we had an outage of the metadata service for the OpenStack specific metadata. The EC2 metadata works fine. This is a cells related issue and we’ll create a bug/blueprint for the fix. The VM resize functions are giving errors during the execution. We’re tracking this with the upstream developers. https://bugs.launchpad.net/nova/+bug/1459758
https://bugs.launchpad.net/nova/+bug/1446082 We wanted to use the latest Nova NUMA features. We encountered a problem with cells and this feature, although it worked well in a non-cells cloud. This is being tracked in https://bugs.launchpad.net/nova/+bug/1517006. We will use the new features for performance optimisation once these problems are resolved. The [dynamic][2] migration of flavors was only partially successful. With the cells database having the flavors data in two places, the migration needed to be done simultaneously. We resolved this by forcing the migration of the flavors to the new endpoint, The handling of ephemeral drives in Kilo seems to be different from Juno. The option default_ephemeral_format now defaults to vfat, rather than ext3. The aim seems to have been to give vfat to Windows and ext4 to Linux but our environment does not follow this. This was reported by [Nectar][3] but we could not find any migration advice in the Kilo release notes. We have set the default to ext3 while we are working out the migration implications. We’re also working through a scaling problem for our most dynamic cells at https://bugs.launchpad.net/nova/+bug/1524114. Here all VMs are being queried by the scheduler, not just the active ones. Since we create/delete hundreds of VMs an hour, there are large volumes of deleted VMs which made one query take longer than expected.
Catching these cases with cells early is part of the work for the scope of the the Cell V2 project at https://wiki.openstack.org/wiki/Nova-Cells-v2 to which we are contributing along with the BARC centre in Mumbai so that the cells configuration becomes the default (with only a single cell) and the upstream test cases are enhanced to validate the multi cell configuration.
As some of the hypervisors are still running Scientific Linux 6, we used the approach from GoDaddy to package the components using software collections. Details are available at https://github.com/krislindgren/openstack-venv-cent6. We used this for nova and ceilometer which are the agents installed on the hypervisors. The controllers were upgraded to CentOS 7 as part of the upgrade to Kilo.
Overall, getting to Kilo enables new features and includes bug fixes to reduce administration effort. Keeping up with new releases requires careful planning and sharing upstream activities such as the Puppet modules but has proven to be the best approach. With many of the CERN OpenStack team in the summit in Tokyo, we did not complete the upgrade before Liberty was released but this has been completed soon afterwards.
With the Kilo base in production, we are now ready to start work on the Nova network to Neutron migration, deployment of the new[ EC2 API ][4]project and enabling [Magnum][5] for container native applications.
Further reference:
https://wiki.openstack.org/wiki/ReleaseNotes/Kilo
http://www.danplanet.com/blog/2015/10/06/upgrades-in-nova-objects/
https://support.rc.nectar.org.au/news/18-09-2015/vfat-filesystem-secondary-ephemeral-disk-mnt-devvdb
https://github.com/openstack/ec2-api
https://github.com/openstack/magnum
This post first appeared on CERN’s OpenStack blog.
If you’re using OpenStack at your research institution or university, check out the Austin Summit track dedicated to high-performance computing.
Superuser is always interested in how-tos and other contributions, please get in touch: [email protected]
Cover Photo // CC BY NCThe Supreme Court has paved the way for a CID investigation against OM-Operation Mobilization, a Hyderabad based Christian charitable trust, by dismissing its Special Leave Petition.
The Bench comprising Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre and Justice Navin Sinha directed the investigation to be concluded “as expeditiously as possible and action, if required, in accordance with law be initiated thereafter”.
The complaint against the NGO was filed in September, 2016 by its former Chief Finance Officer (CFO) G. Albert Lael, who had alleged that OM and its Principal Trustee Joseph D’souza had amassed more than Rs. 100 crore charity money. This money was given by foreign donors who were under the impression that the money would be used for a programme to educate Dalit children. It was been alleged that this money was diverted to enrich the trustee instead.
The NGO had then challenged the FIR against it before the Hyderabad High Court, contending that this was a second FIR on the same facts, as another FIR was registered against it in 2012 and was subsequently closed due to lack of evidence.
The High Court had, however, held that the second complaint was maintainable and that the investigation should proceed, “as finding the truth is the ultimate aim of any criminal investigation”. It had noted that the two FIRs in question deal with difference offences. While the first FIR dealt with violation of several provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the second FIR alleged violation of the provisions of the Foreign Contribution (Regulations) Act, 2010.
It had further made reference to several precedents and noted that a second complaint on the same facts could be entertained in exceptional circumstances, where the “previous order was passed on an incomplete record or on a misunderstanding of the nature of complaint or it was manifestly absurd, unjust or where new facts which could not, with reasonable diligence, have been brought on record in the previous proceedings, have been adduced.”.Oct 11, 2013 This week's theme
Insults
This week's words
furfuraceous
pediculous
xanthodontous
pilgarlic
fustilugs
This week's comments
AWADmail 589
Next week's theme
Words derived from diseases Insults A.Word.A.Day with Anu Garg
fustilugs PRONUNCIATION: (FUS-ti-lugs)
MEANING: noun: A fat and slovenly person.
ETYMOLOGY: From Middle English fusty (smelly, moldy) + lug (to carry something heavy). Earliest documented use: 1607.
USAGE: "'Come on, you old fustilugs,' he called, for she wheezed and blew and mounted with difficulty."
Julian Rathbone; Joseph; Little Brown; 2001.
A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: Humanity also needs dreamers, for whom the disinterested development of an enterprise is so captivating that it becomes impossible for them to devote their care to their own material profit. Without doubt, these dreamers do not deserve wealth, because they do not desire it. Even so, a well-organized society should assure to such workers the efficient means of accomplishing their task, in a life freed from material care and freely consecrated to research. -Marie Curie, scientist, Nobel laureate (1867-1934)
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DonateKate Moss has her Lucian Freud swallows, Cara Delevingne has a lion etched on her knuckle and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's cute heart inking is seen dotted throughout her latest Vogue shoot.
It seems tattoos on models no longer carry the stigma they once did. In fact, a tattooed model is becoming the norm for high fashion both on the catwalks and in front of the camera.
And fashion photographer Christian Saint believes the tattooed model will reign supreme in the future.
Scroll down for video
Fashion photographer Christian Saint believes the tattooed model, likeSwedish Cleo Wattenstrom pictured here, will reign supreme in the future
The New Yorker has been photographing solely inked models for eight years, after becoming disillusioned with what he calls 'narrow-minded ideals of beauty' after 20 years of working in the commercial fashion and beauty world.
He set his sites on the tattoo community, using his experience as a successful photographer to help bring 'alternative' to the mainstream and his |
ed away. There’s space enough for the former, but if the host segment that follows is any indication, the writers had more worthy CB gags than they could fit in the theater—so they became the basis for a sketch. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: The 1970s have been very good to Mystery Science Theater. And I’m talking about Carnival Magic and Mark Hamill’s musical cameo here.
As the season winds down, the serialized plots start revving up. Kinga’s still on about her ratings-boosting plan to marry Jonah—and there’s something suspicious about that footage of a purple-jumpsuited test subject that bubbles into the Mads’ viewscreen at the end of the sadness parade. We’re being asked to ignore it, which is a pretty good indication that we should remember it at a later date.
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Grade: B+
Favorite riff: It’s definitely the sheriff’s lament, which is too long to transcribe here. But I also loved this quick riff after Kirk’s “tiger wound” is revealed: “Damn tiger shot me!”
Experiment 1113: The Christmas That Almost Wasn’t
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I have this half-baked theory about how the true nature of a television series can be summed up by which of the three major year-end holidays it does best: Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. (Theory may not apply to TV series produced outside the United States.) Just for a little exercise, let’s apply Adams’ Spectrum Of Golden Quarter TV to last decade’s canonical NBC sitcoms:
30 Rock, a comedy about people who play pretend for a living, is a Halloween show with Christmas show tendencies.
Community is the opposite: Its themes of chosen family and bonhomie-by-proxy were best served through Christmas episodes, though its dabbling in genre fit well with Halloween, too.
The Office, with its sentimental streak and fan-favorite company parties, is undoubtedly a Christmas show.
And despite Parks And Recreation building half of its best season around a Harvest Festival, that one’s a Halloween show by default, because it’s an obvious Thanksgiving show that never did a Thanksgiving episode.
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Mystery Science Theater 3000, meanwhile, debuted on Thanksgiving Day 1988, and has marked the occasion ever since—give or take the Novembers between 1998 and 2012—with the annual Turkey Day marathon. It is, on the basis of these associations alone, a Thanksgiving show. But it pulls a little bit in the holly, jolly direction, too, thanks to Comedy Central-era favorites Santa Claus Conquers The Martians and Santa Claus, and that tradition carries over into season 11. As noted by Kinga prior to The Christmas That Almost Wasn’t, an episode focused on any holiday is an odd choice for a show that now originates from an on-demand streaming service, but bite me: The North Pole, festive songs, and Santa Claus are fun—and fun to make fun of.
For Jonah’s inaugural Christmas outing, he’s sent a colorful Italian-American fantasy film that operates by the Rankin-Bass playbook: A mustache-twirling villain, an indeterminately old-timey setting, and an entire holiday jeopardized by Old St. Nick’s impudence and/or foolishness. Santa’s always the center of these types of stories, but MST3K has a better time with his antagonist, Phineas T. “If you’re going to spy, do it weird” Prune (Rossano Brazzi, who also directed), and his lawyer, Sam “Santa having a lawyer really sucks the enchantment out of all this” Whipple (Paul Tripp). “Better” in terms of the variety and volume of the riffs, though not necessarily their quality: Whipple winds up the basis for season 11’s strangest running gag, in which Mrs. Claus’ coddling prompts Servo to say “I’m a widdle baby, and you’re my mommy and daddy,” which then snowballs into a series of jokes about Whipple being a full-blown adult baby.
I got a much bigger kick out of the material that has to do with Whipple’s inability to collect fees from his clients, or pretty much anything about Prune’s cartoonish, Count Von Count-accented villainy. (He sleeps among cobwebs and plays predatory landlord to the Clauses!) And the musical strengths of season 11 are on display once more, even if the melody’s not as sticky as “Every Country Has A Monster” or “Come Along Baby In My UFO”: Giving voice to the silent toy-store clerks during Santa’s big number about meeting conscious children is a clever way of working with The Christmas That Almost Wasn’t’s original songs. Because let’s face it: Santa wouldn’t be in this mess if he’d just stop thinking about himself and tried on someone else’s shoes for a change. Overall, the reboot’s first holiday outing isn’t quite as joyous as the haziest, laziest, Swayziest Christmas of them all, but it’s no dull, inarticulated, Napoleon-era toy soldier, either.
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Grade: B-
Favorite riff: “I can’t believe this is in the Bible.”
Experiment 1114: At The Earth’s Core
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Kinga Forrester threw a wedding for herself in order to drum up more Mystery Science Theater 3000 viewers, but she wasn’t counting on being beaten to the punch by a different proven interest-generator: The seeming death of a main character. Like J.R. Ewing and the attendees of Dynasty’s infamous Moldavian wedding before him, the fate of Jonah Heston hangs in the balance at the end of a season finale. It’s a bold, unexpected move, punctuating the bold, unexpected coda of MST3K’s first season on Netflix. With the show’s own future still unknown at this point, Reptilicus Metallicus’ mid-ceremony rampage injects some urgency into Kinga’s meta-commentary on TV conventions.
It’s a big swing at the end of a season of big swings, and it connects for me because I’ve really come to like Jonah Ray in the host position. The cold open of At The Earth’s Core reiterates why he’s such a good fit, drawing on the teasing repartee Crow and Servo have with their new human companion and the undaunted affability of the actor who plays him. (Jonah’s just going to keep building these new robots, no matter what the originals think!) The fourth wall has another brick taken out of it when Crow voices his expectations for the season-11 host: “We really were hoping for a combination of Joel and Mike, which I think would be a lot like T.J. Miller.” But Jonah’s more like an added branch to the Satellite Of Love’s family tree. Joel struck a fatherly dynamic with the ’bots, Mike was more like their older brother, and Jonah’s in a bit of a kid-sibling position. Ray’s personal history with and affection for MST3K carries over into an onscreen enthusiasm—he’s the fan who got sucked in to one of his favorite shows—but while Jonah’s eager to please his new robot friends, he’s not overeager. The ’bots are hard on him (though not Gypsy, because she’s a big softy), but have come to accept him as their own—and not just because they’re stranded in space together.
Oh right, there’s a feature-length rubber-monster extravaganza at the middle of this thing: The At The Earth’s Core riff satisfies, like the Yongary and Beast Of Hollow Mountain riffs satisfy, without reaching the daffy heights of Avalanche, The Loves Of Hercules, or the Wizards movies. It makes a meal of Doug McClure, though, jokes about his meatiness and meat-obsession carrying over from The Land That Time Forgot. He’s become MST3K’s personal Troy McClure, and if the real McClure’s influence on the animated star of Gladys, The Groovy Mule, The Erotic Adventures Of Hercules, and Dial M For Murderousness wasn’t already apparent, Joel McHale gets it across at the top of his host-segment cameo. McClure’s the main course, and Peter Cushing is dessert, a year away from Star Wars and in full “Please don’t think of me as Drs. Frankenstein or Van Helsing exclusively” mode, his foppish Dr. Perry providing a workout for the many falsettos of the SOL.
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As seen throughout season 11 of Mystery Science Theater 3000, there’s still a ton of life in this premise. Beneath the Kickstarted bells and whistles and in-theater prop comedy (great flying Servo gag during At The Earth’s Core, when he dons Mickey Mouse ears and does some Fantasia schtick with an ironworker’s silhouette), lies one of TV’s most elegantly simple frameworks, one of the medium’s few concepts that’s truly unique and endlessly renewable: Three shadows, three funny voices, 211 bad movies, thousands of jokes. For nearly 20 years, MST3K only existed in the past; I still haven’t gotten used to saying the phrase “new MST3K.” I hope I get to keep saying. Because, at the very least, don’t we deserve to find out what happened to Jonah?Ohioans will not see a same-sex marriage amendment on this November's ballot. FreedomOhio, the group that has been collecting signatures for a constitutional amendment, said today it will "hold its original petition for marriage equality in a state of readiness for filing" while gathering signatures for another petition with "revised language."
Ohioans will not see a same-sex marriage amendment on this November�s ballot.
FreedomOhio, the group that has been collecting signatures for a constitutional amendment, said today it will �hold its original petition for marriage equality in a state of readiness for filing� while gathering signatures for another petition with �revised language.�
>> Follow @OhioPoliticsNow for more political news in Ohio
At the same time, FreedomOhio will begin circulating a petition for an initiated statute for an Equal Housing and Employment Opportunity Act to prohibit discrimination against gays, lesbians and trans-gender individuals in the areas of housing and employment. The group will need to collect 116,000 valid signatures of registered Ohio voters to submit the measure to the General Assembly.
If lawmakers decline to pass the bill, FreedomOhio could under Ohio law collect another 116,000 signatures to put the bill to a public vote.
Ian James, co-founder of FreedomOhio, said the group will consult with other instate LGBT groups and allies �to determine the appropriate time for ballot placement.�
In a statement, he took a slap at Equality Ohio, another group pushing for a same-sex marriage ballot issue in 2016.
�Equality Ohio is operating under the misguided illusion that they can get EHEA (Equal House and Employment Act) passed this year in what is arguably the most conservative legislature in Ohio�s history. We are going directly to the people because we believe they support EHEA and they support it now.�
An anti-discrimination law similar to what FreedomOhio is proposing has been introduced in the legislature as House Bill 163, sponsored by Reps. Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood, and Ross McGregor, R-Springfield.
[email protected]
@ohioajPARIS -- The buzz around forward Sebastian Aho's rookie season with the Carolina Hurricanes was muffled by some of his first-year counterparts.
Aho, 19, understood what other NHL rookies, most notably center Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs and forward Patrik Laine of the Winnipeg Jets, were able to accomplish, and how he could use that to make himself better.
"For sure there was good competition, especially competing with Auston [Matthews] and Patrik [Laine]," Aho said. "It was good for me."
It was, understandably, a difficult year for Aho to get noticed, but he will try to find his way into the spotlight playing for Finland in the World Hockey Championship through May 21 in Paris and Cologne, Germany.
Matthews, the first pick of the 2016 NHL Draft, tied for second in the NHL and led all rookies with 40 goals to become the first first-year player to reach that mark in a season since Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals had 52 in 2005-06. Matthews, 19, led all rookies with 69 points and 279 shots on goal.
Laine, the second pick in 2016, was second among rookies and led the Jets with 36 goals and 64 points. His 36 goals are the most by an 18-year-old since Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins had 39 in 2005-06.
Matthews, Laine and Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski are the finalists for the Calder Trophy, given to the NHL's top rookie.
Aho, who had a goal and an assist in Finland's 3-2 win against Belarus to open the World Championship on Friday, finished third among NHL rookies with 24 goals and fifth in points with 49.
"I don't think it bothers him," said Hurricanes forward Jeff Skinner, who's playing for Canada. "It doesn't bother us. It doesn't bother us that he's a well-kept secret. We see him every day in practice. We know how good he is and what his potential is.
"We're excited to see him grow and watch him progress."
That progress was a process for Aho, who admittedly struggled through the opening quarter of his first NHL season. Though he had five assists in his first five games, he didn't score a goal until Nov. 12, his 14th game in the League.
"The first 20 games weren't that good," Aho said. "But after that I got some confidence and felt pretty comfortable. I started to play my own game after that, and I played pretty good the rest of the year."
Video: CAR@PHI: Aho blisters a PPG to even the game
Skinner can attest to that.
"It was a little bit of an adjustment for him, I think, coming over and playing on a different continent and different ice surface," he said. "But he's so smart. He's able to adapt quickly. I thought he did a great job for us and he only got better as the season went on.
"He's only going to continue to get better as his career goes on. It'll be exciting to watch that."
Aho's first season in North America began long before he played his first NHL game on Oct. 13. By then he had already represented Finland at the 2016 World Championship and again at the World Cup of Hockey 2016 in September.
He credits those events for setting up his successful first season with the Hurricanes.
"It helped me learn to play in the NHL," Aho said. "There were many NHL players and I played all right against them. It gave me some confidence from there. You get some confidence when you play for the first time against NHL players and you see you can play that game and play at that level.
"It's important you can see you can play against them. It was good."
As part of a young core with forwards Victor Rask, Elias Lindholm and Teuvo Teravainen, Aho hopes to help Carolina qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs next season, something they haven't done since 2009.
"I think we have a good, young team," he said. "We have so many guys who can take the next step to help us be even better next year.
"I think it might've been too early this year. Next year we'll be ready."
Results from Saturday:
Sweden 7, Germany 2: Forward William Nylander (Toronto Maple Leafs) had two goals and an assist and forwards Gabriel Landeskog (Colorado Avalanche) and Rask (Hurricanes) each had a goal and two assists to power Sweden in a Group A preliminary round game at Lanxess Arena in Cologne.
Czech Republic 6, Belarus 1: Forward Jakub Voracek (Philadelphia Flyers) had a goal and two assists, and defensemen Radko Gudas (Flyers) and Michal Kempny (Chicago Blackhawks) also scored in the Czech Republic's victory in a Group B preliminary round game at AccorHotels Arena in Paris.
Slovakia 3, Italy 2: Defenseman Peter Ceresnak scored the winning goal in the third period for Slovakia in a Group A preliminary round game at Lanxess Arena in Cologne.
Norway 3, France 2: Forward Patrick Thoresen had two goals and an assist for Norway in a Group B preliminary round game in Paris.
Switzerland 5, Slovenia 4 (SO): Damien Brunner scored the only goal in the shootout to lift Switzerland in a Group A preliminary round game in Cologne.
Latvia 3, Denmark 0: Goaltender Elvis Merzlikins made 27 saves for Latvia in a Group B preliminary round game in Paris.VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) - The Vancouver Winter Games countdown shifts from months to days on Tuesday just as a “Pineapple Express” weather front has slammed into the Pacific Northwest dampening Olympic fever.
As athletes and construction workers were pushing full speed ahead with their final preparations, VANOC officials faced their worst nightmare on Monday as unseasonably high temperatures and rain lashed the Vancouver area.
Weather fronts that bring warm, wet conditions from the Pacific ocean during the winter are often described as Pineapple Expresses by local forecasters.
With just one month to go until the February 12th opening ceremonies, the spring like conditions, which are expected to remain in the area through the weekend, could pose a threat to several Olympic venues.
Cypress Mountain, host for freestyle skiing and snowboard competitions, was closed on Monday due to heavy rain and snow making halted as temperatures in Vancouver climbed to a balmy 11 degrees Celsius (52 Fahrenheit).
Work crews at the popular resort, located just 12 kilometers outside of Vancouver, have been busy stockpiling snow at higher elevations and said snow making would resume as soon as temperatures dropped.
Whistler, about 125 km from Vancouver and venue for all alpine skiing, cross-country and sliding events, was also facing a soggy week with rain and temperatures well above freezing set to remain in place until Sunday.
“We’re putting everything we’ve learned and planned for regarding weather contingency into practice at the outdoor venues in order to be ready for the Games,” said Tim Gayda, VANOC’s vice president of sport in a statement.
Crews have been preparing since the first snowfalls hit Whistler and Cypress mountains, according to Gayda.
“We’re confident these courses will be in world-class shape when the athletes start to arrive to practice in our venues in the first week of February,” he said.
Depending on weather conditions, VANOC said it may need to further restrict use or close competition venues to the public to protect and preserve the competition and training sites.
BIG BUCKS TO PREDICT THE WEATHER
While Olympic organizers cannot change the weather they have invested $13.5 million state-of-the-art tracking equipment and scientific expertise to monitor conditions.
“Weather is involved in just about every decision we make as Games organizers, from when to make and stockpile snow to transportation planning, and we’re constantly monitoring it,” explained Chris Doyle, an Environment Canada meteorologist and VANOC’s manager of weather services.
“All of this provides an invaluable real-time snapshot of what’s happening at the outdoor venues and what Mother Nature has in store in the near future so that we can plan and take action.”
With the city under a heavy rainfall warning there is little buzz that Vancouver is about to host a Winter Games.
The picture postcard images of the snow capped Rocky Mountains that are suppose to provide the dramatic backdrop have disappeared into the thick fog and clouds while more people can been seen out jogging city streets in shorts than strolling in heavy winter coats.
There are, however, undeniable signs that the Olympics are on the way.
Security fencing has sprung up around downtown venues while local officials have cautioned residents to prepare for the implementation of driving restrictions what will be part of the Games transportation plan.It sounds like something you would find in yoghurt -- Lactobacillus rhamnosus, to be precise.
It is a particular strain of probiotic being used along with peanut protein in a long-term trial at Melbourne's Murdoch Children's Research Institute.
The children participating were given a combination of the probiotic together with either a peanut protein or a placebo once a day over 18 months, the dose gradually increased.
At the end of the initial trial, 82 per cent of the children who had received the treatment could eat peanuts without any allergic reactions.
They were tested again four years later, with 70 per cent still able to tolerate peanuts without any problems.
While the researchers are excited, lead author Professor Mimi Tang says they do not want to create false hope.
"I really don't like saying that this is a cure, because a cure implies that we've permanently removed the allergy, and we certainly don't know that at this time. What we've shown is you can actually switch off the allergy in a significant proportion of children and it stays switched off even four years later."
Ten-year-old Olivia May participated in the trial.
She says she loves now being able to eat whatever she likes, including chocolate-coated peanuts.
"I don't have to worry about what I eat, and I don't have to check with, like, different... like, my mum and dad to see if I can eat it or not."
A company has been formed to try to make the treatment a commercial success.
Prota Therapeutics chief executive Dr Suzanne Lipe says a large-scale clinical trial is the next step, with a view to the massive United States drug market.
"So, it will take us a few years to recruit the number of children that we need to just to replicate these results, and then, once we do that, we'll then work with the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in the United States to have this therapy approved as a pharmaceutical product that will then be available in the US, and then we'll aim to make it available globally as well."
There is a high prevalence of peanut allergy in Western nations like Australia, which has forced schools and restaurants to adapt.
The Gaylord Indian restaurant in Melbourne is now almost peanut-free, with diners who have peanut allergies advised they can eat almost anything.
Raj Singh is Gaylord's manager.
"The good thing is that we have only one dish -- that is, samosa -- that has only the peanuts. The rest of the dishes, we are peanut-free. So we are really happy with that. And we just say to the guest that you can go ahead with anything, just leave the samosas."Next week at its F8 developer conference, Facebook will announce new ways for third parties to offer experiences through its Messenger app, according to multiple sources. Facebook hopes to make Messenger more useful, after seeing Asia’s chat apps WeChat and Line succeed as platforms that go beyond just texting with friends.
[Update: Facebook indeed launched its Messenger Platform at F8. It offers third-party apps for creating and sharing content, and new ways to communicate with businesses, just as I reported.
At first, Facebook will focus on how third parties can build ways for content and information to flow through Messenger. Depending on the success of the early experiments, Facebook may then mull bringing more utilities to Messenger.
While the Messenger platform is said to be a major part of F8 by all the sources, it’s unclear exactly what form the third-party integrations will take. Considering what WeChat and Line have done, there are plenty of opportunities including ways for businesses to communicate or share content directly with users, or options for richer friend-to-friend content sharing.
The platform is likely to start slow, with Facebook working with preferred partners, but it may eventually open to more developers. Facebook declined to comment on this story.
Avoiding Spam
Facebook is looking to recreate the best parts of its earlier web platform efforts without repeating its mistakes.
Facebook’s web canvas thrived with games, as it let users quickly bring their identity and friends to third-party experiences. And its Open Graph protocol connected people’s apps back to their Facebook profiles. Both were popular because they helped developers find an interested audience. That’s something especially tough now in the mobile era, as the app stores have become highly competitive and overcrowded.
The problem was that the web platform became so overrun with game spam that Facebook had to reduce its virality. Eventually, it withered as engagement shifted to phones during a time when Facebook was confused and slow moving on mobile. Open Graph got a rotten reputation for over-sharing, as it auto-published news, music and video consumption to the News Feed Ticker.
Learning from those experiences, Facebook is likely to be careful not to let spam slip into its relatively pristine Messenger app.
Inspired By Asia’s Monolithic Chat Apps
Until now, Messenger has been almost entirely a Facebook experience. Websites can integrate a Send button that lets users send the URL privately to a friend. But otherwise, Messenger focuses on letting users send and receive texts, phone calls, photos, videos, stickers, voice clips and money, all through Facebook’s own systems.
Facebook subtly hinted new developer capabilities for its chat app would be in store for F8, as it told me that Messenger would have announcements at the conference. And Messenger head David Marcus told Wired last year that he’s intrigued by how businesses and people communicate directly, citing the poor experience many have with touch-tone phone numbers and airline customer service. Facebook previously offered a little-known way for users to send private messages to Facebook business Page admins.
For Messenger’s platform, Facebook is said to have eyed Line and WeChat. They were pioneers in using their frequently used instant messaging apps as the centers of mobile interfaces that act as monolithic portals. Snapchat is another messaging app that’s recently explored a platform approach.
Japanese messenger Line includes a “More” tab with access to a Sticker Shop for buying premium emoji to share through Line, Line Pay for eventually making quick transactions in brick-and-mortar stores, and featured collections of Line companion apps and games. Those apps range from homemade emoji makers that let you send your face to friends, Line Toss for photo sharing, Line Brush for drawing, Line Card for sending greeting cards, Line Camera for making collages, B612 for jazzing up selfies, and Line WebToon for reading manga.
Line also lets users follow Official Accounts that let them receive content directly from celebrities, entertainment properties, news organizations, and brands like Paul McCartney, The Walking Dead, Manchester United, and the BBC. Compared to the constant barrage of posts to their Facebook and Twitter accounts, Line Official Accounts are designed for lower-volume, higher-signal, direct communication with fans.
Snapchat has pursued a premium, glossy content strategy with its Discover page. Major media outlets like Comedy Central, CNN, Vice and ESPN can offer up Snap-formatted photos, articles, and videos with interstitial ads. Meanwhile, WhatsApp has seen its Send buttons drive massive traffic for media properties by letting users push URLs to friends through WhatsApp messages.
Facebook could take inspiration from any of these apps. An option would be for Facebook to let third-parties help people create and share richer content like embellished photos through Messenger. Facebook already released its own Stickered For Messenger companion app for slapping stickers on photos and sending them to friends.
Alternatively, Facebook could allow users to follow or visit official accounts. That might help them stay current with things they love that might get lost in the News Feed, or communicate with businesses directly in a way that’s more efficient than a phone call. One more possibility is that Facebook might try to make it easier for web and mobile content properties to gain viral traffic via Messenger. Facebook’s own News Feed could get better ways for people to push stories they see to Messenger.
China’s WeChat platform has centered more around commerce. Users can buy movie tickets, pay for taxis and more through the messaging app.
While content is said to be the focus of Facebook’s initial Messenger platform efforts, it could expand into commerce eventually if third-party experiences gain traction. Just this week, Facebook added a way to make free friend-to-friend payments through Messenger by adding a debit card. With a native payment interface already in Messenger, it would be easier for Facebook to build in more commerce opportunities.
With well over 500 million users, Facebook Messenger has become one of the most popular apps in the world. While Facebook’s main app is essentially a version of its website ported to the small screen, Messenger was built for mobile. Facebook is something you lazily browse with little intent, whereas Messenger is designed for taking action and getting things done. For some around the world, Messenger has become the primary way they use Facebook. Improving content inside it could make sense for users who aren’t glued to the News Feed.
Facebook’s mission for Messenger as of late has been to make it “more useful, expressive and delightful,” according to its payments feature’s product manager Steve Davis. Now it’s ready to ask for some help from outside the walls of 1 Hacker Way.Documentary Description
The Secret Treasures of Zeugma
BBC2 9.00pm Thursday 9th November 2000
Bronze candle-holder representing the god Mars In the summer of 2000, one of the great frontier cities of the Roman Empire, the city of Zeugma, all but disappeared from the face of the Earth under the flood waters of a dam. In a bid to modernise, the Turkish government has embarked on one of the most ambitious engineering projects in the world, building a series of dams on the Euphrates over the past twenty years. Almost every dam threatens ancient remains that lie below in one of the most archaeologically rich regions of the world. The completion of the Birecik dam, featured in this film, has flooded the valley where Zeugma is buried. The city on the flat plain has entirely disappeared and the waters have now risen to cover 30% of the city on the hillside.
'Horizon' tells the story of the archaeologists' fifth and final visit, struggling to save what they could before the dam waters rose. It witnesses the uncovering of some of the most beautiful examples of Roman art ever found. The team’s discoveries at Zeugma caused an international outcry and further excavations were hurriedly put together.
Since 1995, French archaeologists Pierre Leriche and Catherine Abadie-Reynal have taken up the challenge to save what they can from the city before the dam is finished. The archaeologists have two main tasks - to uncover the history of this desperately under-excavated region of Turkey and to remove what treasures they could from the site before they were lost forever. On this, their final excavation, they had to work against the clock: they only had a permit to dig for six weeks
Zeugma was founded by one of Alexander the Great’s generals, Seleucia Nicator, and prospered under later Roman rule. It became one of the major cities of the Roman eastern frontier with a garrison of over 6,000 soldiers. The city’s bridge across the Euphrates made it one of the most critical trading cities in the region, on the silk routes to the East. The archaeologists know that the city contains vital clues to the history of the region. Previously looted exquisite mosaics have hinted at the treasures of its past that must be buried somewhere in the vast site.
The part of the old city on the Euphrates flood plain, Apamea, was the first to go. But the archaeologists didn’t stand a chance of excavating it in such a short amount of time. So using a technology originally developed for finding oil and mineral deposits, they instead generated a picture of the buried city just as it lies below ground. They discovered a preserved ancient Greek city, laid out in a perfect grid. Meanwhile, in the remains of a Roman villa across the river, the archaeologists had an extraordinary stroke of luck.
With only five days left on the excavation permit, Catherine Abadie-Reynal unearthed a masterpiece: a beautiful Roman mosaic floor. The discovery caused an international outcry and hit the headlines across the world. The archaeologists were granted more days to excavate, but they could not stem the tide of the dam project.
With time running out, they uncovered more stunning mosaics in the villa. They were dug out from the site and sent to a local museum at Gaziantep - just in time. By mid June 2000, the newly uncovered fourteen room villa disappeared underwater. By October, the level of the water finally settled to form a vast, still lake in the valley. All excavations at the site ceased.
There's recently been a move by the Turkish government to declare Zeugma a site of special archaeological interest. The remainder of the ancient city on the hillside could, in theory, still be explored.
The dam will not only erase much of Zeugma from history. It will also displace 30,000 people, mostly Kurds, from the villages they have lived in for generations. For many, the loss of Zeugma is a tragedy.
Source: BBC
TRANSCRIPT
The Secret Treasures of Zeugma
Bronze candle-holder representing the god Mars NARRATOR (JACK FORTUNE): This summer a remote region of Turkey hit the headlines. On the banks of the Euphrates archaeologists have discovered extraordinary examples of Roman art buried in a forgotten ancient city, but it is all about to be lost for ever under the flood waters of a new dam. This film charts the archaeologists' race against time as they struggle to rescue what they can before the waters rise. Dawn at Belkis village, eastern Turkey.
(ACTUALITY CHAT)
NARRATOR: Over the past 4 years this dedicated team of French and Turkish archaeologists have been coming here to the site of a forgotten ancient city to try to survey and explore its remains.
(ACTUALITY CHAT)
NARRATOR: This is their last chance to explore the site. In a matter of months it will be flooded, but by the end of this last dig the team will have discovered some of the greatest examples of ancient art ever found, discoveries that would stun the world. Buried somewhere in the valley below them, on the banks of the Euphrates, is a city which was once one of the treasures of the Greek and Roman empires, the city of Zeugma. It was once the most important crossing point of the Euphrates and a thriving centre of the great trade routes between east and west. Zeugma was founded by the Greeks in 300BC and quickly grew to become a major city. It then flourished under later Roman rule when a legion of 6,000 soldiers guarded its vital bridge and protected its trade routes on the path of the great Silk Road. It was to become fabulously wealthy, a small piece of Rome on the Euphrates. Over the centuries a few priceless mosaics have been looted from the buried site, a tantalising glimpse of the wealth that must still lie buried in the valley, but Zeugma has never been properly excavated and now it may be too late. Soon it will disappear from the face of the earth. This is the Birecik dam, part of one of the most ambitious engineering projects in the world. For the past 20 years the Turkish government has been building a series of dams on the Euphrates. The plan is to generate electricity and irrigate an area of farmland the size of Wales. This dam is now close to completion and when it's finished the whole valley will become a reservoir. The local villages will disappear under its waters and more than 30,000 people will be displaced from their homes. What will also disappear are the hidden houses and treasures of Zeugma. They will be drowned under the waters of the Euphrates, unless the archaeologists can get to them first. Pierre Leriche is heading the team of rescue archaeologists who have been given one last chance to find and save whatever they can of this fabulous buried city before it's too late. Over the past 4 years they've been preparing for this final excavation. Now it's the 11th hour and they've only been given a permit to dig for 6 weeks on a vast site that would normally take years to excavate.
PIERRE LERICHE (Archaeologist): Here we are on Belkis Tepe overlooking the site of Zeugma and the Euphrates. The river flowing below us is being blocked by the construction of the dam which will create a reservoir which will flood everything in the valley.
NARRATOR: Under this flattened mound lie the foundations of a temple. Nearby the grassy terraces of a stadium. Clearly the city was once opulent and this area must be full of villas and grand mansions, if only they could find them in time.
PIERRE LERICHE: The wealth of the ancient population allowed them to build magnificent villas on the same scale as most of the cities of the Eastern Roman Empire, such as Antioch. The tragedy unfolding here is that this remarkable area will soon disappear beneath the waters of the dam, which is now close to completion. The water will completely flood the left bank and the ancient site on that side of the Euphrates will disappear as will a large section of what lies below us. It's a tragedy.
NARRATOR: 2,000 years ago this hillside was covered with the houses and grand public buildings of Zeugma, rich with artefacts, statues and fabulous mosaics that would today be priceless. The question is: where are those villas and mansions now? The goal for the archaeologists is to find within 6 weeks at least one villa to excavate out of the scores that must lie buried here.
PIERRE LERICHE: We therefore have to work as fast as possible to save what we can for scientific study as there are some areas that will be lost to research forever.
NARRATOR: Day 1 in Zeugma. This small team of French and Turkish archaeologists have to split up to cover the site on both sides of the river. They have 6 weeks to map the entire site and to learn what they can and rescue what they can from the ancient city. Little do they know that by the time this dig is over they will have found treasures beyond their wildest dreams. Zeugma is actually two cities on opposite banks of the Euphrates. On the hillside is Seleucia, the wealthy Greco-Roman part and on the flat plain is the ancient Greek city of Apamea and it's Apamea that will disappear first under the flood waters. One team sets off across the river for Apamea, crossing at the point where the ancient bridge might once have been. The scale of their task is huge. The site stretches for 125 acres and none of it has been excavated before. Their first job is to find the actual outline and structure of the city. To do this they will have to find evidence of the thousands of metres of perimeter wall, now mostly buried or destroyed. In a few places sections of the wall are still standing, evidence of just how strong the fortifications of the city once were.
JUSTINE GABORIT |
We need a better solution for the design of customization points in C++. In my own range library, I gave a great deal of thought to the problem, and I think I have an answer. Below is how I would like to see a future version of the Standard Library define std::begin, to pick an example at random. I explain it after the break:
namespace std { namespace __detail { // define begin for arrays template<class T, size_t N> constexpr T* begin(T (&a)[N]) noexcept { return a; } // Define begin for containers // (trailing return type needed for SFINAE) template<class _RangeLike> constexpr auto begin(_RangeLike && rng) -> decltype(forward<_RangeLike>(rng).begin()) { return forward<_RangeLike>(rng).begin(); } struct __begin_fn { template<class R> constexpr auto operator()(R && rng) const -> decltype(begin(forward<R>(rng))) { return begin(forward<R>(rng)); } }; } // To avoid ODR violations: template<class T> struct __static_const { static constexpr T value{}; }; template<class T> constexpr T __static_const<T>::value; // std::begin is a global function object! namespace { constexpr auto const & begin = __static_const<__detail::__begin_fn>::value; } }
Let’s break this down. First, we define a couple of begin free functions in a std::__detail namespace. These overloads handle array types and range-like things with.begin() member functions. (Think of the standard containers.)
Next, we define a __begin_fn class with an overloaded function call operator in the std::__detail namespace that returns the result of making an unqualified call to begin. At this point in the source code, the name begin refers to a function overload set.
Finally, we define a std::begin object of type std::__detail::__begin_fn in a round-about sort of way, the details of which are not too relevant. The important bit is that std::begin is a function object.
Implementers of range-like types can hook this customization point the same way they always have: by defining a begin free function in their type’s associated namespace. See below:
namespace NS { struct S {}; int * begin( S & s ); } int main() { NS::S s; int *p = std::begin(s); // calls NS::begin(s) }
Function Objects and Customization Points
Argument-dependent lookup and customization points are a match made in heaven. But argument-dependent lookup is only done for free functions, and my std::begin is a function object. Argument-dependent lookup isn’t done for function objects. What’s going on?
The short answer is that the std::begin function object is doing the Two-Step so that you don’t have to. If std::begin were defined this way, you could just make qualified calls to std::begin and the right thing would happen. You could also do the Two-Step, bringing std::begin into scope with a using declaration, and calling it unqualified, and get the same behavior. Either way, if there is a begin free function defined in the argument’s associated namespace, it will get used.
A subtle but important point is that, if you do the Two-Step, the call is still routed through the std::begin function object. I mean that in the code below:
using std::begin; begin( v );
…if std::begin were an object instead of a function, then what looks like an unqualified function call is not; it’s a call to std::__detail::__begin_fn ‘s overloaded function call operator. Think of this as the Generic equivalent of the Gang of Four‘s Template method pattern:
In software engineering, the template method pattern is a behavioral design pattern that defines the program skeleton of an algorithm in a method, called template method, which defers some steps to subclasses. It lets one redefine certain steps of an algorithm without changing the algorithm’s structure. This use of “template” is unrelated to C++ templates.
— Wikipedia
In this case, the “algorithm” is std::begin, and the certain steps that users can redefine is begin. What’s the point, you ask? We can do extra parameter checking in std::begin. Read on.
Customization Points and Concepts Lite
Customization points are scary in a way. In today’s language, if you define a free function called swap, it better do what the Standard Library expects swap to do. Otherwise, all hell breaks loose in the standard algorithms. Likewise, you can shoot yourself if you define a begin or end free function that doesn’t return iterators. So the Standard Library has laid claim to those names globally. That’s why customization points are such a concern for the standardization committee; the more we add, the more names we reserve globally, and the bigger the potential problem gets for the users.
Enter Concepts Lite. With Concepts Lite, we can constrain our customization points to only work with the types that model certain concepts. For instance, it should be an error to call std::begin on something that doesn’t look like a range, don’tcha think? With Concepts Lite and global function objects, we can have that. We can define std::__detail::__begin_fn like this:
// A _RangeLike is something we can call begin(r) // and end(r) on: concept _RangeLike<class T> = requires(T t) { typename IteratorType<T>; { begin(t) } -> IteratorType<T>; { end(t) } -> IteratorType<T>; requires Iterator<IteratorType<T>>; }; struct __begin_fn { // LOOK! R must be _RangeLike! template< _RangeLike R > constexpr auto operator()(R && rng) const -> decltype(begin(forward<R>(rng))) { return begin(forward<R>(rng)); } };
First we define the _RangeLike concept as something on which we can call begin and end, such that they both return iterators of the same type. (Or, if you agree with N4128, different types that are comparable.) Then we use the _RangeLike concept to constrain __begin_fn::operator() and by extension std::begin. Now std::begin won’t compile for things that aren’t sufficiently range-like, which makes it safer to lay claim to a common identifier like begin.
If std::begin is a function object as opposed to a free function, it’s not easy to route around this concept checking. Code that does the Two-Step won’t accidentally hijack some unrelated begin function in some random namespace. It will always resolve to std::begin, which will politely reject invalid code.
You don’t have to wait for Concepts Lite to reap the benefits, either. See my post on emulating Concepts Lite in C++11.
Summary
What’s all this mean? Simply:
Users could just call std::begin and it would do ADL for them.
and it would do ADL for them. std::begin(rng) wouldn’t compile unless: it returns an iterator, and std::end(rng) also compiles and returns an iterator of the same type.
wouldn’t compile unless: Code that does using std::begin; begin(rng); isn’t going to dispatch to some random begin function unless the argument satisfies the constraints of std::begin.
More generally, there is a design pattern that we can use to make safe and convenient customization points. If you’re writing a generic library with customization points, I recommend using this pattern.
Addendum: An Ode to Global Function Objects
We get an additional benefit from making std::begin a global function object:
You can pass std::begin as an argument to higher-order functions.
That’s a benefit of function objects over free functions in general, and it’s why I generally prefer global function objects over free functions these days (except when I’m defining customization points). Defining global function objects is more work, but it has the nice effect of turning off argument-dependent lookup, which really only makes sense for operator overloads and customization points. First-order functions rule. ADL sucks (except in the few places where it’s awesome).
Update
A quick note about generic lambdas, since I’ve gotten questions. In C++14, we can define polymorphic function objects very concisely using generic lambdas. So can we use lambdas to define global function objects and save some typing, as below:
// Better? constexpr auto begin = [](auto && rng) { using __detail::begin; return begin(forward<decltype(rng)>(rng)); };
The answer, sadly, is no for a host of reasons:
Lambdas do not have constexpr constructors. I don’t know how to solve the ODR problem for lambdas. If std::begin were defined this way, then each translation unit would see different std::begin objects at different addresses. In theory, that could cause problems. I don’t know how to constrain a generic lambda. With automatic return type deduction, invalid calls to begin cause a hard error rather than being SFINAE’ed away. That might not be a huge problem for std::begin, but it most certainly is a huge problem for std::__detail::begin. The begin overloads found by ADL must use SFINAE (or concept checks); otherwise, you would end up trying to call.begin() on some object that doesn’t have a.begin() member function.
In short, even in C++14, I think we need the ugly hackery I show. Maybe C++17 will bring relief.Five people were injured late on Thursday following a confrontation between Greek residents of a squat in in the central Athens district of Monastiraki and a group of German nationals alleged to be members of extreme-right groups with links to Greece's neo-fascist Golden Dawn.
According to sources, the trouble began on Thursday night after around 25 members of the squat approached a restaurant where the 12 Germans had been eating. The two sides exchanged barbs and the argument escalated into a brawl close to the Monastiraki square, a busy tourist spot.
The Germans are said to be in Athens at the invitation of Golden Dawn to join a rally planned for Saturday marking the anniversary of the 1996 Imia crisis, a territorial dispute with Turkey during which three Greek military officers were killed and which nearly brought the two countries to war.
Top officials of the Greek Police and the Public Order Ministry convened on Friday to discuss the tight security that is expected to be imposed for GD's rally.The gymnasium erupted in great amounts of applause and cheering.
BOOM! BOOM!
Two large confetti cannons shot off and covered the air in large amounts of green and white confetti. Air horns and vuvuzelas sounded from the crowd. There might have been even a conch shell that sounded. There were many high pitched whistles from some parts as well.
The group of almost 200 students stood on the floor of the gymnasium. They all stood out of their seats, removed their gown caps, and threw them into the air.
It was official.
After a long, grueling four years, they had all graduated from Beacon University. The headmaster stood on the stage, as he watched the students before him hug their friends and classmates. His short white hair shimmered in the light of the gymnasium.
As the confetti began to flutter down along with the students hats, he walked back up to the microphone that hung on the pedestal in the center of the stage.
"Settle down everyone, settle down." he said into the microphone. His name was Professor David Ozpin. All the students continued to stand but looked to the stage.
"I forgot the last part of my speech." he said. "I want you, all, to look at your diplomas that you have received here today. Those diplomas are your tickets. The tickets to your new lives. Follow your dreams and make sure that one day that those dreams are fulfilled. And if they do, come back to me and tell me of your adventures, if you wish." he said with a grin.
The students on the floor began clapping at their headmaster's final part of the speech. The chorus of vuvuzelas, air horns, and conch shells sounded once more, along with more applause.
"Thank you all for coming tonight." he said to everyone in the gymnasium. "I hope you all had a grand time, watching your sons, daughters, nieces and nephews, making their final steps in this school as they walked up and received their diplomas. Because, I know did." The professor spoke. He turned his attention once more to the students. "Now, I can say for one last time. You. Are. Dismissed." he said.
More clapping erupted as the students walked out of the gymnasium, and outside into the prowl. Groups of friends began to branch off into smaller sections. Some going to find their parents and go to dinner with them. Others stuck with their friends and texted their patents, alerting them as to where they were going.
Most of them were going to go out partying. Others would go out to a fancy restaurant and celebrate in style.
One group of friends stuck together closely. Four girls walked along the cobblestone pathway of the school they had been at for four years. They all wore the same thing at the moment. A long white graduation gown with a green cap.
The one on the far left, who was the shortest of the group by just a few inches, had short black hair with red highlights and deep silver eyes.
Standing to her left was a girl with long white hair that was up in an off centered ponytail, and sky blue eyes. Running down her left eye was a long scar from a fencing accident in her second year at the school.
To her left stood a girl who was the same height as the girl to her right. She had long raven black hair that ran down to her center back. Her amber eyes shinned in the dimming light of the sunset. Hidden under her cap was a small black bow. But the friends knew what she was hiding. Under the bow were a pair of black and purple cat ears. She trusted them to not tell anyone about them in their third year. Of course, they kept their promise and no one else knew about them.
Finally, at the far right of the group was a girl with incredibly long blonde hair that went past her waist. She had two large lilac colored eyes. She was also the tallest of the group, but only by a few inches.
Their names were Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long.
They were walking towards a black, four person vehicle that was owned by Blake. They were going to take it back to their off-campus flat. They would all be returning to their respective homes in the morning, but promised to all get back together for a long, much needed, summer vacation. They all walked with a comfortable silence in the air, except for the cheering of other graduates in the background.
After a few minutes of walking, they finally made it to the car. Blake had bought the car for herself in her first year at the school, and it's been with her ever since. Yang had a motorcycle at the house herself as well. They all piled into the car with Blake driving and Yang in the passenger seat. Ruby and Weiss scooted into the back and sat there, their hands rested on top of each other's.
The two had been dating since their second year of Beacon. They had first denied their feelings for each other and pulled it off as just being close friends. But, eventually they got together and became a couple. Ruby had been the one who asked Weiss out. Blake and Yang had placed bets on who would ask who out. Yang won 50 lien that day.
Weiss's parents didn't really approve of the relationship. They tried to get Weiss to break it off with Ruby. Her parents thought that it wouldn't work. They thought that it would work because they were the owners of the largest gasoline company in the world and Weiss needed to marry a man of another large company so that their company's power would grow. They were so focused on the company, they didn't even come for their own daughter's college graduation. Weiss was the heiress to said company. It was no use though. Weiss and Ruby remained together, and the time that they were, it was the happiest times of their lives.
Weiss's parents had forced her to go for a business degree in Beacon. Ruby and Blake both went for a law enforcement degree, and would soon be going to a police academy after summer. Yang although went through the school just get more education, there was a possibility she would go into the military later on. But she was beginning to start leaning towards going into the police force with Ruby and Blake.
Blake started up the car and they drove off the campus. They all took of their gown caps and placed them in their laps. They watched in the rear view mirror as the lights of Beacon University faded in the distance. Yang was the first to break the silence. A huge grin spread across her face as she began to laugh. Ruby and Weiss tilted their heads while looking at Yang as if she had two heads. Blake just glared out the corner of her eye.
"What on Remnant is so funny?" Weiss asked.
"Nothing. Nothing, it's just. I can't believe we're out of that place!" Yang said. The others smiled and grinned when she said this.
"Yang, we're happy too. But you don't see us laughing maniacally." Ruby said.
"Ruby, you should know this about her. You're her sister after all." Blake said.
"Oh shut up." Yang said. "I can't believe it, tomorrow I can sleep in. And it's not a weekend!" she shouted.
"You sound like you're a grade schooler." Weiss said.
"Don't care. I'm a College graduate." Yang said while pointing to herself.
"Barely passing one at the most." Blake said with a smile.
Yang sighed. "Don't rain on my parade, Blake." she said.
"That's my job as your friend." Blake said.
This caused a few giggles from the back seat.
"Whatever." Yang said with a grin.
They rode the rest of the five minute drive back to their flat in silence. They drove up to the apartment and pulled to a stop outside. The building was a regular looking brownstone house. It was four levels with the three other floors belonging to other students of Beacon.
They got out of the car and walked up to the door. Ruby punched in a 4 digit code and the door opened up. Together they walked up the spiral stairs of the brownstone and stopped on the third floor. Ruby this time brought out the key, out of a small pocket on her gown and unlocked the door. The four friends together walked into their flat. The kitchen was to their immediate left, and as soon as Yang walked through the door she walked in there and began to prepare some drinks.
The blonde was known for her peculiar drinking habits. She would always drink on the weekends, party or no party. The other three friends would only drink on occasions. And tonight was a very special occasion.
They all took off their gowns to reveal casual clothing like every other day. Ruby was wearing a red t-shirt that had a rose emblem on the chest and black cargo pants. She also wore red and black combat boots. Weiss wore a white blouse and lightly faded blue jeans. On her feet she wore plain white high-heels. Blake wore a black tank top and dark purple shorts. Along with the shorts she had black stockings that had streaks of the same colored purple running down the side. On her feet were black punk boots. Finally, Yang wore her favorite leather jacket (that always showed too much cleavage) with a yellow tank top under it and an orange scarf around her neck, along with bright yellow and brown daisy dukes for her pants. On her feet she wore knee high brown boots.
Yang finished pouring the four glasses of whiskey that was kept in the kitchen for special occasions. The others walked into the kitchen and grabbed one of the drinks. They all stood around each other while Yang raised her glass in the air.
"I have no other thing to say about this occasion other than, Congratu-freakin-lations. To all of us." she said.
"Congratulations!" the other three said. With that word, they all took big sips of their drinks. Ruby, Weiss, and Blake all recoiled slightly from the taste. They never drank heavily. Just from time to time. If anything though, Weiss preferred wine. Yang didn't recoil at all. She slammed the entire drink in one gulp.
"You guys are weak." she said with a grin.
"Drinking isn't a daily routine for us." Weiss said back.
The night went on. There were drinks, talking, and happiness. The four friends celebrated until the late hours of the night. It was around midnight when Blake was passed out on the couch, and Yang in the same state on the floor. They both went overboard with the alcohol after Yang challenged Blake to a drinking contest.
Ruby and Weiss were sitting at the small kitchen table, still talking to each other. Mostly about their future together. Neither of them were drunk but they were slightly buzzed. They each at the moment had a glass of water in front of them.
"So, what do you think your dad's going to do when you get home?" Ruby asked. Curious because Weiss was supposed to become the owner of the gasoline company and her father had been on Weiss about "performing her duties" while at home.
"Hopefully, he lets me rest for a few days. He might send a suitor or two towards me but, nothing big." Weiss said. Her father had tried to get her together with many men, but none to her liking. Some even came to Beacon to try and win her over. One of them didn't even want to be there, he said how he had his "eyes on another girl at home" and his father wanted a richer girl. The boy left with a smile after he learned Weiss was indeed a lesbian and nothing would happen between them.
"Just don't get yourself hurt while I'm not around." Ruby said.
Weiss looked at Ruby like she was insane. "Me? Get hurt? I'm the one who should be worried about you. You are a bit of a klutz." Weiss said with a sly smile.
Ruby giggled at this. "Ok, ok. I see your point. I just worry about you when you're there. Like your father might hurt you or something to get his way." she said.
Weiss shook her head. "My father might pull a few crazy stunts at some points to get his way, but I don't think he would stoop to that level of low to get his way." she said.
Ruby gazed off. "I guess you right." she said as she raised her glass to her mouth and took a sip of her water and then set it back down onto the table. Ruby's eyes widened as she remembered something. "Oh! Be right back, stay there." she said. She ran off and came back a minute later with small bag in her hands.
She handed it to Weiss with a smile as she sat back down in her chair. Weiss gave Ruby a confused look. "You got me something?" Weiss asked.
Ruby shrugged. "It may not be our anniversary or anything, but I though graduation was a special occasion." she said.
Weiss sighed. "Well, you know what they say. Two great minds do think alike." she said while pulling out a long, thin box from her jeans pocket. She placed the small bag onto the table and handed the box to Ruby.
"You want to open yours first or should I?" Ruby asked.
"You go first." Weiss said.
Ruby nodded and lifted the top off of the box up. Inside was a necklace. The emblem on the golden chain was a beautiful crystal snowflake. Snowflake had been one of the many nicknames that Yang had given to Weiss. Snowflake was one of the ones that stuck the most. The crystal shimmered in the faint natural light of the kitchen. Ruby's eyes widened at the piece that sat in the box. Her mouth left agape. "It's beautiful, Weiss. Thank you." Ruby said as she gave a quick hug to Weiss. "Now it's your turn." Ruby said.
"Ok." Weiss said. She plucked the small bag off the table and held it. There was paper inside of it and Weiss took it out. Sitting at the bottom of the bag, was a long, thin box. Similar to the one she had given Ruby. Weiss took the box out and opened it. Inside there was a necklace as well, there was also a gold chain. But the emblem on the necklace was a rose. Crafted perfectly out of a ruby. Weiss felt her jaw open and stay open. She was at a loss for words. The only thing she managed to do was pull Ruby in for a warm hug.
"Ruby, this is quite possibly one of the best things anyone had ever given me. It is simply amazing. I guess, the only other thing I can say is, thank you." Weiss said. They came out of the hug as briefly kissed each other passionately.
When they came out the kiss Ruby spoke. "Now you'll have you ruby rose, where ever you may go." she said.
"You've been spending too much time with Yang for that crummy joke." Weiss said.
Ruby chuckled slightly. She then yawned heavily. It was late in the night. Weiss did need to catch the train tomorrow. "Come on. Let's head to bed." Ruby said. She stood up and walked out of the room with Weiss in tow.
When they got into their room they quickly changed into their night ware and laid in their bed. They shared their bed shortly after they started dating. They wanted to get the flat some bunk-beds when they first arrived, but they didn't have enough money to afford them.
Ruby nestled herself inside Weiss's arms and they shortly after drifted off into sleep.
The next morning things went smoothly. Weiss had her bags packed and ready. A cab would arrive shortly to bring her to the train station. The train ride would be around 12 hours until it arrived at the station near Schnee Manor. Or, White Castle as to which some people were beginning to call it.
At the moment, the four girls were waiting by the front door of the building, waiting for the cab to arrive. A knowing silence was spread through the air.
That silence was of course broken by the cab pulling up to the curb and honking the horn. Goodbye hugs started going around. Ruby almost didn't let go of Weiss. Yang thought she was going to have to pry her sister off of Weiss for a second. Reluctantly, the red headed girl let go of Weiss.
Ruby and Weiss quickly kissed. "Promise me you'll contact me every day?" Ruby asked
Weiss smiled at the girl. "I promise." she said.
The group of friends finished their farewells and watched as Weiss walked out the door. The cabbie took her bags and loaded them into the trunk of the cab. Weiss walked over to the door of the cab and opened it. She was about to get in when she looked back at the house, wondering if she'll ever see it again.
'Silly thought,' Weiss thought 'Of course I'll see it again.'
She waved to her friends that were standing at the door, watching her go. They waved back as Weiss got into the back of the cab.
"Where to?" the cabbie asked.
"Vale Central Station, please." Weiss replied.
"You got it." he said.
The cabbie brought the car out of park and began to pull away from the house. As he did, Weiss brought her hand up to her neck and felt the necklace that Ruby had given her just last night.
'See you soon, my sweet rose.' she thought.
25 minutes later, the cab pulled up outside Vale Central Station. Weiss paid the cabbie the fair and got out. The cabbie got out as well and helped Weiss grab the bags out the trunk. "Thanks." Weiss said. The cabbie simply smiled and got back into his cab and drove away.
Weiss took her bags and made her way to her track. When she got there, the train had just arrived. And of course, her father had ordered for there to be a private Schnee car.
One of the car had little windows and was branded with a large Schnee Gas Company logo of a large snowflake. She made her way onto the train car and opened a door of the car.
She placed her bags in a corner and sat down in one of the luxurious seats. After a short while, a butler came in and stood in front of Weiss. "Miss Schnee, we shall be arriving at White Castle in about 12 hours. In the meantime, is there anything you would like to drink?" the butler asked.
"No thank you, Gregory. Maybe later though." she said.
"Very well, Miss Schnee." Gregory said. He left the room without another word.
Weiss leaned her head back and shut her eye, hoping to sleep through the entire train ride. She may have not been tired, but she eventually fell into a light sleep.
When the train finally arrived at White Castle, she disembarked and walked out of the small station. Outside, a large white limo that also had the Schnee company crest branded into the side. The driver stood by the door and opened it as Weiss came towards the limo.
"Welcome back to White Castle, Miss Schnee." the driver said.
"Thank you, Sebastian." Weiss said. As she got into the limo. Sebastian then, closed the door behind her and he loaded the bags into the trunk of the limo. He then quickly came around the car and got in a drove to White Castle which was still another 1-1/2 miles away.
When they arrived, Weiss learned that her parents were at business meeting and wouldn't be back until tomorrow. Sebastian took the bags out of the car and brought them up to her room.
Weiss walked up to her room and sat down on her bed after Sebastian left her room. She was very tired even though she had slept practically all day. She didn't know why she was so tired but she just passed it off as a minor inconvenience. She wasn't hungry at all either. Blake had made a large breakfast that morning that was very delicious and filling.
So, she just laid down on her bed and closed her eyes, wondering what the next day had in store for her when her parents returned home.
In the morning, Weiss got up and almost wondered where she was. She walked into her personal bathroom and took a long warm shower. When she got out and walked out of the bathroom and found a silver platter with her breakfast sitting on it. Next to it laid a white dress that went down to her knees. Weiss put her hair in its usual off center ponytail and put on the formal dress. She placed her phone in a pocket on vibrate just in case she was texted or called. She wrapped the necklace that Ruby gave her around her neck and latched it on. She sat on her bed and enjoyed the small breakfast that had been brought to her.
It consisted if a muffin, a few pancakes, a glass of Orange Juice, and half a melon with sugar on it. After she ate the breakfast she noticed that there was a small note on the side. She opened the note and read it.
Miss Schnee,
Your father is currently waiting for you in his office. You must see him as soon as you finish your breakfast. Have a wonderful morning.
The note didn't have any signature to it. She assumed it was either one of the chefs. Either that or a butler or maid.
She slipped on a pair of high heels and walked out of her room. The halls of White Castle were empty and dark. The only light coming from lamps that were made to look like torches that were hanging on the wall. Weiss's footsteps echoed through the empty halls.
She finally walked upon two large mahogany doors. She heard the ruffling of papers from the other side of the door. She got in a tall and proud posture with her back straight and knocked on the door three times.
"Come in, Weiss." her father said from the other side of the door.
With her back still straight she opened one of the doors to her father's office. Inside, her father was sitting at his desk with stacks of papers piled around him. There was a tablet to his left and a laptop to his right. He was switching between paperwork and emails constantly. His hair was as white as Weiss', he had a white suit with a blue tie. He had piercing blue eyes like Weiss' as well. But his eyes were like pure ice instead of a calm sky.
He gazed at Weiss with a half-smile. He looked disappointed and proud at the same time. "Hello, dear." He said.
"Hello, Father." Weiss said as she gave him a formal curtsy.
"It's good to see that your time at that school didn't affect you formalities." he said coldly.
Weiss didn't say anything. She knew better than to talk back to him, on risk of a punishment.
"You do know your duties at this company will soon come, correct?" he asked.
Weiss nodded. "Yes, father." she said.
"And you do know how much responsibility that title comes with, do you?" he asked.
"Yes, father." Weiss said.
"And that you can't have many distractions while you are in charge of our own family legacy." he said.
"Father?" Weiss said with a confused look.
"You can't have a lot of distractions while you are in charge. And if I know better, you have plenty of distractions from leaving that school. Those people you associated yourself with." her father said.
"You mean my friends?" Weiss asked.
"Yes, those, friends of yours. Especially that, Ruby girl that you started to, date. They are pure distractions." he said. A few of the words that he said, he said with such venom in his voice.
"What do you mean, father?" Weiss asked. She was starting to get a little nervous.
Her father looked right into her eyes. "Weiss, give me your phone." he ordered.
Weiss looked at him, not moving an inch.
Her father than stood up out of his desk and demanded her again, but in a louder, more hostile voice, "Weiss! Give me your PHONE!" he shouted.
Weiss complied and dug her phone out of her pocket and handed it to him. He took the phone and placed it on his side of the desk. He walked over to the wall and grabbed and older looking sword. It was a sword that had been passed down through the Schnee family for generations. He unsheathed the blade to reveal a long rapier. On the sheath of the blade, it read the name of the blade, Myrtenaster.
Her father stepped over to the desk once again and brought the blade up.
"NO!" Weiss shouted.
But it was too late. Her father brought the tip of the blade down and impaled the phone.
"You cannot have any distractions, Weiss." he said. "Friends are one of the main things that are distractions. And Schnee have no friends." he said as he sheathed the rapier.
Weiss looked on the brink of a panic attack. She now could not contact her friends. She couldn't contact Ruby. She was going to have to break her promise.
"Your only contacts will be business professionals, tutors, and myself." he said. "If I learn that you have come into any form of contact with those people you met at the school, you will be punished very, very severely." he said.
Weiss said nothing. She only gave a small nod.
"I have also taken away your computer in case you have any means of contacting them on that." her father said.
Weiss nodded again.
"It appears you understand fully. Return to your room. Tutors will arrive soon." he said. Even though Weiss had graduated college from one of the best schools in the world, he felt that Weiss still needed to be educated.
Weiss gave a shaky curtsy. She turned and walked out of the office. But before she could close the door, her father called to her. "Oh, and Weiss." he said. Weiss turned back to him and saw that he was once again sitting at his desk. "Congratulations on graduating, dear. Welcome to the real world." he said the last part coldly.
She turned and closed the door without saying anything else. She walked back to her room and played down on her bed. She had just been forbidden from seeing anyone. She looked out the window to her room and noticed that they had large locking mechanisms on them now and had thin, sturdy bars on the other side. She was actually trapped. Her own father had imprisoned her in the house.
Her mind drifted to Ruby. She would never see her again. At least until she was rid of her father. But who knew when that would be. That could be for years to come. And then when the company is brought onto her shoulders, she won't have any time. And who would know if until that happened if Ruby would even want to continue to date Weiss. Weiss's feelings for Ruby were unlike any feelings she had for any other person that was in her life.
Weiss would never again see Ruby's brilliant smile. Her stunning silver eyes. Never hear of her upbeat and happy personality that managed to always seem to put a smile on everyone's face that she came into contact with. She hoped that one day, Weiss would one day again get to see Ruby.
7 Years Later
Weiss had been having a slow day. The tutors had left for the night and she had no calls to take until tomorrow. Her father was also on a business trip and would return tomorrow. To pass the time she watched television. At the moment, she was surfing through the news channels from around the world. White Castle had few televisions but had hundreds upon thousands of channels to watch. She was almost out of the news section when she saw something that caught her eye.
It was the Vale News Channel and it was currently showing an image of a car accident. It looked to be a horrific scene. There were two cars involved and one of them was crushed and burning. The other car was simply spun out on the road. The news anchor, Lisa Lavender, spoke of the accident.
"The driver of the vehicle that spun out, said that he was trying to avoid a deer that had jumped onto the highway. When the driver swerved, another vehicle swerved to avoid that one and slammed the brakes. Since it was a rainy day in Vale, when the vehicle skidded it began to flip side over side. A spark in the car seemed to have ignited to gas tank and the car burst into flames. Killing the three occupants inside."
'Those poor people.' Weiss thought.
"Police traced back the license plate number back to a Miss Blake Belladonna, who was confirmed to be driving the car. Police also checked the other two bodies and found their I.D's on them. They were the sisters Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long."
When Weiss heard this, she froze. Her eyes widened and her jaw went slack.
|
the large room, Ruby could tell that there was something strange about it. Maybe not about the room itself, but of the feeling inside of it. It felt heavier than normal, even more than it had during orientation. She didn't like it.
Everyone made their way into the room, and all eyes went towards the stage, where Ozpin was standing alone, leaning slightly on his cane as he looked over the mass of students. A microphone stood in front of him, but he wasn't making use of it yet. Students were still moving into the room, so Ruby guessed that he was waiting for the room to fill completely.
Ruby's eyes passed over the rest of the room, trying to tell what it was that made things feel so odd. She nudged Yang's side and whispered, "Do you see any of the teachers? I don't think they're here."
Yang looked around the room as well, and after a few seconds she nodded. "Yeah, I don't see anyone else here. Not even Ms. Goodwitch is up there with him. Weird. Maybe they already left?"
Ruby shrugged, then felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned, and found Penny giving her a curious look.
"Ruby, is mister Ozpin feeling alright? He doesn't look very good."
Ruby looked at Ozpin again, paying careful attention to his face. Large dark bags under his eyes were easy to see, if she looked hard, and his shoulders slumped just enough to make him look tired, almost old. He mustn't have been sleeping well. He wasn't the only one. As Ruby looked around, she saw that everyone looked a little under the weather. They were either bruised, fatigued, or some combination of the two. Ruby knew that she hadn't been sleeping very well, but how could she? There was an awful lot looming over her head, giving her plenty to worry about.
Everybody else had been feeling the same, Blake and Weiss hadn't been able to fall asleep. She'd heard them moving around almost all night. The only one who had really been able to fall asleep immediately was Penny, and she had simply stretched out on Yang's bed and been out. She almost envied Penny's ability to do that, but she figured that there were likely other respects that made her lucky.
Something occurred to her, and she turned to Penny again, saying, "Did you put your weapons in the generator thing?"
Penny's eyes widened slightly and she shook her head, giving Ruby a look like a confused kid. "No, Naze told me not to. He did not know how it would affect me. He was concerned that it could be damaging to me somehow, and said that the risk wasn't worth the benefit it would give me. I think I'll be fine without it! You've seen me fight before, I can manage with what I have."
Her confidence was comforting, but Ruby wasn't sure that Penny knew what she was dealing with. None of them were exactly sure what they were up against exactly, but Ruby had a vague idea of what fighting a demon would be like. She could still remember what Adam had been able to do in their short fight. Break her arm, almost kill Weiss, and take essentially everything that they had to give to take him down. After that, he had still been able to escape without being too damaged.
If all of Cinder's minions were that strong, she couldn't imagine what could stop that. It was demoralizing, to say the least. Maybe it was good that most of the students hadn't fought demons.
Her eyes drifted to the side, looking Nora up and down. She was half demon, kind of. Was she? How did that work? She had demonic characteristics, at least. Those made her a lot stronger than most people, so would she be a good analogue for what they would be fighting? It would help to get some realistic practice, but Nora was looking a little tired too. It probably wasn't the best time to ask, either. She would probably know why Ruby asked anyways, so she probably shouldn't ask.
Nora's head turned to Ruby, and she gave a warm smile as the speakers around the room gave off a small buzz of noise, before the sound of Ozpin clearing his throat brought the attention of everyone in the room back to the stage. Silence descended over the room, heavy, and stayed for a few seconds before Ozpin spoke.
"I'm sure you all know why you are here. You've all heard of the monster that has come into our world recently, and you've heard of the damage she's done. Her name is Cinder Fall, and she used to be involved in a wide variety of secretive criminal organizations. Now she has become, or is becoming, a demon, with the intent of controlling every man, woman, and child who walk this earth. Maybe you've seen the footage from Menagerie, maybe you haven't, but either way, I think you know the danger we are in."
He sighed, and put more weight on his cane, as if the words physically weighed on his shoulders. His eyes moved over the amassed students, and Ruby thought she could see a little bit of wetness in his eyes. Was he going to cry?
"I'm afraid that I must ask you more than should ever be asked of anyone, let alone children like you. You have decided to dedicate your lives to protecting the innocents of this world, but there was no way you could have anticipated having to do something like this. Still, every bit of help we can get will make a difference, and measures have been taken to make it as safe as possible."
Ozpin paused, and closed his eyes for a few moments, turning his face towards the stage floor. She'd never seen him like this before. She doubted anyone had, he usually tried to appear distant, or at least well handled. She was willing to bet that he was just as unfamiliar with being so close to breaking down as they were to seeing him like that.
After he composed himself, he continued to speak, looking back up to the gathered faces.
"When you first came here, I told you I saw wasted potential. Now I want to say how proud I am of all of you. You've taken that potential, and shown me that you harness so much of it, you could become great heroes, every one of you. It isn't fair to ask people with so much life left to live, but please, if you do not think you have the strength to do this, do not throw your life away. I believe every one of you could perform just as well as any Huntsmen, but if there is any shred of doubt in your own heart, do not make yourself go through this. You mustn't sacrifice yourselves so readily. Sometimes the lives you must protect are your own."
He stopped again, and sighed again. Ruby made out an almost imperceptible shake of his head, and he looked up again.
"Perhaps I ramble, and lose my meaning. I want you to know that there is no there is no shame in admitting you cannot bring yourself to do this. It takes strength to admit a fault, and I have faith that you will be honest. "
He paused for a moment as whispering broke out among the students again, then stepped back from the microphone.
"I will give you a few minutes to think."
The talking slowly started to rise as students started to communicate. Ruby turned to her teammates, and immediately felt a little out of her league. But she was team leader, and it would probably fall to her to make the call.
Blake and Weiss looked worried, but Yang gave Ruby a confident smile. She wanted to ask what they all thought, but the words caught in her throat. Weiss was the first to speak, taking a deep breath before crossing her arms and giving the rest of them a hesitant look.
"We… are doing this, right?"
Yang gave a quick, "Definitely!" but Ruby and Blake stayed silent. The two in favor looked at the two undecided, and Yang quickly added, "As long as everyone's cool with it. Are you guys up for this?"
Blake let out a breath, shaking her head before nodding her affirmation. "Yeah, just a little nervous, I guess. Ruby?"
The three looked to the team's youngest member. Ruby looked back, from one face to another, before saying. "I don't know. I mean, I want to, but Ozpin said that if you had any doubt, you shouldn't. And, well, I'm not too confident. But it's probably not important. Just like Blake said, I'm just a little nervous. Yeah, we got this."
Yang gave her sister a reassuring thumbs up, then looked past Ruby to Penny.
"Hey, Penny! Are you going to go on this?"
Penny responded by giving Yang a large smile and nodding resolutely, saying, "Of course! I'm combat ready!"
Yang turned around, finding Jaune, and the rest of team JNPR. She asked the same question, "Are you guys going to go?"
Jaune gave her a small laugh, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly before replying, "Yeah, you really have no idea how hard we've been training. Wouldn't miss it for the world." Suddenly his face relaxed, and his voice became more enthusiastic. "I'm looking forward to it, actually. It'll be good to make a difference."
Pyrrha's hand slipped into his, and the two looked at each other, smiling, before Nora burst from beside them with an energetic smile and her fists balled in excitement.
"I'm gonna kill 'em!"
Yang laughed, and Ren walked out from behind Nora, looking at the surrounding students whose attention Nora had caught. He ruffled her hair, and turned to speak as well. "We've all been working hard."
Yang nodded.
"Amen to that."
The rest of the students, Ruby noticed, were not having such an easy time of deciding. Voices were raised to shouts in several places through the large room, and it sounded like there were even more heated arguments happening all over. It wasn't a good booster for her confidence. It truth, she wasn't sure she wanted to go, but the others were confident, and she knew that they wouldn't go without her. The battle would need them, she was sure, but it wouldn't need her. She was just fifteen, she couldn't be of too much help out there.
But still, she would go. They had to stick together, after all, and she couldn't let her team break up. She tried to let the sureness of her friends seep into her, but it didn't really work. She still felt like she was out of place, but she continued to shake it off.
The arguments around the room continued to rage, and she saw Ozpin looking at the students who fought. He looked sad, but there was something else to. He looked like he almost hoped more students would decide not to go. It made sense, she guessed, but she still had trouble imagining him getting very emotional, even during something like this. But that was just part of the image he got, being in charge. He was a human too.
It took more than a few minutes for the fighting to start calming, but when it did, Ozpin stepped forward to the microphone again, clearing his throat to indicate he was about to speak. Faces turned to the stage again, and he began, more collected than before.
"Now that you've had a little time to discuss, I hope you've come to a decision. Those of you who decide to fight will have to leave tomorrow, and the rest will stay behind. You will be provided with items made by the undead that will serve as an emergency retreat in the battle. Some of you may harbor distrust, but I can give you my word that I trust them completely. They are essential allies in this fight, and you would be wise to accept their help."
He stopped again, and took a moment to look over the multitude of faces again. His eyes met Ruby's, and for a second, she could swear that he was trying to signal her for help.
Before she could react, Ozpin continued to speak.
"I am not the one to give you the details of the plan, though. For that, an undead has been sent to Beacon. I would advise you listen carefully to his words."
Ozpin stepped away again, but this time looked to the side of the stage. Ruby followed his eyes, and saw the human body of Naze approaching the stage. It hadn't changed in the least since the last time she'd seen it, and its skin was just as freakishly pale as it always was. His sunken eyes passed briefly over the students, and she felt a chill run up her spine as his eyes met hers for a short second.
He reached the microphone, and started to speak without hesitation in the same monotone voice he always used. It was even more unsettling when projected from the speakers, coming from every corner of the room.
"Those of you who will fight, you will have until tomorrow to prepare for this. Tomorrow, you will be transported via Bullhead to southern Vytal, where a camp has been set up. From that camp, a series of hit-and-run raids on Cinder's forces will take place. A series of similar camps are set up all along the path Cinder will take. The items mentioned by Professor Ozpin will be used to return you to these camps, or to relocate to the next camp. Experienced Huntsmen will do the majority of the direct fighting, you will be used for ambushes and support."
He stood mostly still as she talked, hands behind his back and eyes slowly roving around the audience. Most students shuffled uncomfortably around her, but she glanced to her sister, and found her with a large grin on her face. She glanced to the other side at Penny, and found that she had a similar look on her face. Neither of them seemed to notice the somewhat overbearing presence he gave off.
"A more detailed briefing will be given once you arrive. Many of the specific details have been handled by those on-site. I have one piece of advice I will give you now; if you see Cinder herself, do not attack her. If you see her, flee immediately. You cannot challenge her and escape."
Ruby's skin tingled, and she swallowed hard.
"Students willing to participate will be asked to report to the school's main entrance at noon. Anyone who chooses to stay should avoid that area until the volunteers leave."
He stopped and stepped back from the microphone, showing that he was done talking. Silence fell over the room, and Naze started to walk away. Ozpin stepped forward again, looking slightly surprised, and took his place in the front of the stage.
The rest of the meeting was over quickly, with Ozpin bidding them farewell for the day before dismissing them. Ruby barely paid any attention, though. Her head spun with possibilities, imagination kicked into high gear. What was going to be waiting for them out there? What were their ambushes going to look like? Naze's warning about Cinder had been rather ominous, but Ruby had no trouble believing every word of it. Cinder had been affected by demons a lot longer than Adam had, and he was almost more than they could handle.
She wondered how Yang or Penny would do against her, though. She didn't have any doubt that they would be defeated, but would they be as resistant to Cinder's affects as they were to Naze's? Would Naze be affected by Cinder, and vice versa?
Her head started to hurt, and she found that while she hadn't been paying attention, the group had found their way back to the dorm room. Penny and Yang were having a conversation, while Weiss and Blake sat on their beds.
The weapons would be ready in a few hours, Ruby remembered hearing that. Where she had heard it, she didn't know, but someone had definitely told her.
She looked forward to getting Crescent Rose back. She felt naked without it on normal days, so not having it when everything was going crazy was not fun.
She leaned against the wall behind her bed, trying to take in the scope of the situation she was in. Only one day until they fought demons again. Were they ready?NUI Galway has been granted planning permission for a new €10 million student village in Newcastle, accommodating around 430 people.
College authorities sought permission last July for permission to build the new facilities on the four-acre site on the Northern Campus on Upper Newcastle Road.
“The university has identified an urgent need to add significant student accommodation in addition to the existing Corrib Village,” the application reads.
The plans include 429 bed spaces, with communal living areas in 3, 4 and 5-storey blocks with courtyards, and access through Corrib Village.
It will comprise 57 apartments with six en suite bedrooms; 11 units of five en suite bedrooms and 8 units of four en suites in a five-storey block and 3 three and four-storey blocks.
There will also be a reception and office area, a laundrette, a common room for up to 150 people.
Space for ‘potential commercial activities’ has also been identified.
There were seven individual objections to the plans, which voiced concerns that the height and scale of the development would be out of character with what is a predominantly two-storey residential area.
NUIG previously explained there is a significant shortage of student bed spaces – there are currently 2,700 purpose-built beds available to meet a core demand from 9,500 students. The university has more than 17,000 students and 2,200 staff.
For more on what’s planned for the site, see this week’s Galway City TribuneGet the biggest daily news 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
Tesco staff left a recovering self-harmer 'disgusted and humiliated' after they refused to sell her alcohol - because they spotted scars on her arms.
Distraught Becci Wain, 21, was trying to buy a bottle of champagne as a present for a friend's birthday when supermarket employees noticed scars where she had self-harmed six months previously.
But despite showing her ID, staff told the healthcare assistant, from Cambridge, her scars meant she couldn't buy the booze, leaving her mortified.
Staff allegedly told her this was the supermarket's policy, however, when she later alerted head office to the incident, she was told no such policy existed.
(Image: Mercury Press)
Becci, who has been seeing a therapist for six months since she stopped self-harming, now wants proper training for all supermarket staff.
She believes that for other, more vulnerable people, the humiliation might have even led to further self-harming.
Becci said: "The bottle of champagne was for my friend's birthday and clearly wasn't for me as I was buying it with a bottle bag and birthday card.
"I showed my ID but then the checkout woman looked at me and said, 'Are you sure you're allowed that with those scars on your arms?'
"She said she didn't want to serve it to me. There were three other customers behind me and it was so humiliating.
Warning: Graphic content
(Image: Mercury Press)
"I asked to see the supervisor and I was made to stand there waiting. The supervisor looked really worried and said that it was Tesco policy to refuse the sale because of my scars. But I think he could see it was a present and said it was fine to serve me.
"The whole experience was so embarrassing. I haven't self-harmed for six months now and my parents have paid for me to have therapy.
"I am in a strong place now, so for someone to dismiss my scars and suggest I am still mentally unstable is disgusting.
"I have worked so hard on it, but they assumed I still had a major issue.
"Me and my friends meet up in the pub once a week together for a few drinks and I've never been refused alcohol there. It's never been a big deal before.
(Image: Mercury Press)
"The most worrying thing is this could lead to someone feeling even worse. Self-harm is like an addiction - if someone points out that you have scars, you might dwell on it to the point where it becomes an issue again. It didn't trigger me, thankfully."
Later that evening Becci contacted Tesco's head office, hoping to find out what policy, if any, is in place relating to serving alcohol to customers with self-harming scars.
She says she was informed that no such policy exists and was sent a bunch of flowers by way of apology from her local store in Fulbourn, but wants to see a change in practice after the way she was treated.
(Image: Mercury Press)
Becci said: "I went back home and spoke to someone in HR and asked them about the so-called policy.
"He said it definitely wasn't a policy of theirs to refuse service for that reason.
"He gave me a transcript of our conversation for me to take into the store.
"I asked for the manager but he couldn't come and see me at the time, which was even more upsetting.
"I would ideally like a formal apology from the member of staff. I am not blaming Tesco, just individuals without the right training.
"I want there to be a massive change in training. Staff need more sensitivity and should know how to deal with things like that.
"It can be humiliating and triggering for people otherwise.
"Some people don't have unblemished skin, and supermarket staff need to be aware of that. I don't make an effort to cover up my scars and I shouldn't have to."
(Image: Mercury Press)
Tesco confirmed that there was no policy in place advising staff to refuse the sale of alcohol to customers with visible scars.
A Tesco spokesman said: "All our store colleagues are trained in the responsible selling of alcohol, but we recognise an error has been made in this instance.
"We're pleased Ms Wain has accepted our apology and will continue to shop with us."
People with mental health issues can contact charity Samaritans 24 hours a day free of charge on 116 123We can't make you unsee our post about Ricky Davis, the Fort Worth man who raped a 12-year-old family friend. What we can do instead is offer the heartwarming story of Dallas animal control officer Lee Pogue in hopes of balancing out some of the soul-killing negativity we just put into the world.
Pogue, according to a Dallas Animal Service Facebook post, was dispatched to White Rock Lake in response to a report of a drowning dog -- a schnauzer mix of some sort, by the looks of him. Problem was, the dog was too far from the shore to reach. It seemed as if the poor, struggling creature was condemned to a watery grave.
Not on Pogue's watch. He talked the nearby canoe-rental guy out of one of his vessels, then quickly paddled to the dog's rescue. Pogue and the animal returned to shore safely.Dark Souls III Director Hidetaka Miyazaki Talks DLC; Future Games, Armored Core and Much More
Giuseppe Nelva September 21, 2016 9:59:00 AM EST
During a preview event in Tokyo hosted by Bandai Namco, DualShockers took part in a round-table interview with Dark Souls III Director and From Software President Hidetaka Miyazaki, focused on the game’s expansion Ashes of Ariandel and on the studio’s future plans.
Due to the round-table nature of the interview, questions were asked by DualShockers and by other media outlets present at the event.
Q: Will there be any improvement done to Dark Souls III to support the additional hardware power of the PS4 Pro?
A: Currently From Software and Bandai Namco have been communicating on how we should deal with the PS4 Pro. That includes not just whether we’ll support it or not, but also what we should do on a graphics level, what should we do with the frames per second and that kind of things. So yeah, we have been talking about it, but we haven’t yet decided anything officially.
Q: Are you approaching the writing of the DLCs as the end of the Souls series?
A: That’s not actually the case. What we’re trying to do is approaching the big theme from the main games from a different perspective. With a “different perspective” I mean that we’ve been using the painted world as a different perspective in order to describe the main game’s theme symbolically.
Q: Are there going to be more Dark Souls games in the future?
A: Personally, I don’t feel like creating new Souls games, however, I don’t want to completely deny the potential of other developers from From Software bringing back the Dark Souls franchise in the future.
While I’d personally like to end the Dark Souls franchise, I’d still feel sad doing so. While I might not work on Dark Souls games myself, I would bring some of the good things from them, like in-game elements or product development experience to new Dark Souls-like games or franchises in the future.
When I say Dark Souls-like games, they could be dark fantasy-like games with an element of sense of accomplishment due to overcoming difficulties, which is very unique to to the Souls franchise.
Q: Is that because often in Japan a lot of companies tend to make a successful franchise and then they keep making entries in the same franchise forever?
A: It’s very difficult to answer to this kind of question, but whatever the case, I’m not denying the value of bringing new installments to the same franchise. There are a lot of things that can be polished by doing so, or there could be things that can be accomplished just by bringing new chapters to a series.
I’m not sure about other publishers or developers, but at least From Software believes that all the things that we have learned in past titles can be best reflected in future titles only by working on new franchises and new series.
Q: Speaking of Dark Souls-like games, it seems that after the success of Dark Souls and Bloodborne, they kind of created almost their own genre, even other other publishers are making Dark Souls-like games. For instance with Ni-Oh by Koei Tecmo, i very much felt that I was playing something very similar to Dark Souls in the Sengoku era. How do you feel about that?
A: I never thought of having created a new genre, and i’m sure that in the past many people have thought about creating very challenging games like Dark Souls, I’m assuming that I was simply the pioneer in that sense.
If I have created the environment encouraging other developer to work on other Dark Souls-like games, that’s an honor for me.
Q: I’m not just talking about the challenge, though. I’m talking about very similar game mechanics.
A: It’s difficult to answer this, but even if the same mechanics get implemented in other games by other publisher of developers, it still gives us (From Software) good clues, because they have been implemented based on a different perspective. This gives us clues on how we can approach other titles that we will be working on in the future, so it’s a good thing.
But just to clarify, I never thought that other games copied our titles.
Q: is your next game going to be dark fantasy as well? Or maybe there will be mecha in it?
A: There are several titles that we are currently working on, and those are not just just dark fantasy or mecha games. Some of those are dark fantasy, some could involve mecha… But one new title that we’ve been working on will probably comply with the expectations of the fans in a straightforward manner.
A last thing is that another title will probably be a little bit weird. When we’ll actually announce that title, probably the fans will react like “oh, what the hell is this game that Miyazaki has created?”
Q: Is it weird that From Software is creating it, or just weird in itself?
A: When i say weird, I mean that the genre that we’re trying may be a little bit weird. Not only that, but the game’s content might be a little weird.
I just want to clarify that we’re always serious when working on product development, however that game might be seen as a very weird game, but we’re still very serious about it.
Q: Is it a very brightly-colored majokko [Magical girl] game?
A: (Laughs) I think we need more experience in order to challenge that specific genre.
There still are several obstacles we need to overcome before we can announce those new titles, so we’re not sure how many more years we need to development them, but we’re looking forward to announce them in the future.
Q: Armored Core?
A: We are working on Armored Core.
Q: How is the new Armored Core different from the current Armored Core?
A: No comment. That’s all.
Just for your information, even during interviews with Japanese media, I’ve always said that I wanted to work on new Armored Core titles, so I want to clarify that I’m still interested in working on new Armored Core games.
Editor’s Note: after the interview was conducted, From Software released a statement to Japanese media, mentioning that Miyazaki-san actually did not admit that a Armored Core game is currently in development, but that his statement should be interpreted as the mention of the will to continue to work on the series in the future, but nothing has been decided.
That said, we’re reporting the conversation exactly as it happened, leaving the interpretation to you.
Q: Should Dark Souls III‘s DLCs be considered like a sequel of the main game, or they are completely separate story-wise?
A: The theme of the DLC is actually independent from the main game. The theme of the main game is actually completed within the main game itself.
Q: Why did you choose the painted world for the DLC?
A: Although the DLC takes place in the painted world, it’s different from the painted world in the original game. The theme of the painted world matches other things we’re trying to do with the DLC, and that’s why we decided to bring the painted world back in that sense.Buy Chicago Blackhawks jerseys at the internet's most trusted source for NHL team gear. CoolHockey.com is an official retailer of Chicago NHL jerseys, customizing your favorite player on authentic Adidas or Fanatics replica jerseys. Choose from top performers like Kane, Forsberg, Toews, Hossa, or add your favorite players name and number to get the authentic Blackhawks jersey you want.
The Chicago Blackhawks are in the Central Division of the Western Conference of the NHL. Established in 1926, the Blackhawks are one of the Original 6 teams, and have won six Stanley Cup champs. The Chicago Blackhawks home rink is United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The teams colors are red, white, and black, and the logo features a sometimes controversial, as well as loved, native head. Team Captain: Jonathan Toews; Top Player Jerseys: Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Marian HossaJosh Brewer will give a talk at Generate San Francisco on 9 June, alongside speakers from Twitter, Netflix, Uber and NASA. There's also a Generate conference on the east coast on 27 and 28 April. Get your tickets today!
With hindsight, our timing in speaking to Josh Brewer could have been slightly better. A veteran of Socialcast and Twitter, his current project sounds fascinating. Abstract promises to be the home of unified design, helping to document and connect design projects... but Brewer can’t really talk about it yet.
“We’re still very much in stealth,” he says. “Some of that may change in the next month or two, but as it stands it’s still pretty quiet.” While he can’t go into specifics, he’s happy to drop some tantalising hints about the thinking behind the app: “Abstract really was born out of the conversation myself and my two co-founders, Kevin Smith and Frank Chimero, were having around the state of design tools,” he tells us.
Together they realised that their engineering counterparts have a really advanced tool chain, including tools for tools and a modular workflow that allows for plenty of collaboration. “All of the benefits that come out of a workflow that’s oriented in that way – the communication, the collaboration, the system of records produced around decisions that were made – all those things are missing from the design side of the house,” he explains. “So we set about to do something, I think, a little audacious.”
Design Glue
Crucially, the team at Abstract aren’t betting the farm on a new set of tools; rather they seem to be working hard on an irresistible alternative to the familiar – but often frustrating – mix of Slack, Dropbox and Google Docs that’s become the de facto getting-things-done solution in any creative environment.
“We’re really trying to become the glue that brings together the modern design workflow,” he says. A big part of the process for the Abstract team has been stepping back from their ideas of what they want to achieve, and listening to what other designers need. “We’ve been a research-oriented company from the start,” notes Brewer. “We know we have a perspective and opinion based on our experience, but we also know that every designer has a slightly different workflow and a slightly different experience, and we really wanted to make sure we were doing our best to understand the true pains that are happening right now for designers everywhere.”
(Image: © Bryan Tan)
Decks and Zines
Brewer’s route to Abstract has been long and circuitous, with many interesting stops along the way. He grew up in Seattle before moving south to San Diego, and he remembers his youth as consisting largely of skateboarding, music, and trying not to get in too much trouble. “I played a ton of music,” he recalls. “I was in bands, and honestly a lot of the initial stuff that got me interested in design in general stemmed from my skateboarding days, doing zines, and once I was doing music and whatnot, posters and flyers for shows and all that jazz.”
A career in design clearly beckoned; instead Brewer got into teaching. “I ended up at a private elementary school, teaching computers to the kids there,” he tells us. Around the same time he started dabbling in building websites, and found that not only was he teaching the kids to use computers, he was also teaching the teachers how to use this technology with their kids.
“It took me years and years to finally identify that a lot of my passion around creating better experiences – especially on the digital side of things – stemmed from working with both kids and older adults, trying to figure out how to use computers, and knowing that technology was going to become more and more central to our lives. How do we design better software? How do we build better experiences for anyone to be able to engage with?”
This preoccupation with the big questions of design remains with him to this day. He’s delighted how the value that design can bring to a business is increasingly being recognised, and he’s a firm believer in design having a voice equal to that of engineering, product and the business itself.
“I think just acknowledging there’s a unique perspective and a unique value that design brings to the table is the one thing I’ve really pushed for and championed in a lot of the work I’ve done,” he says. He brings this passion for design to his work with the Designer Fund – a community of artists that invests in design-led startups (including Abstract) – where he’s part of the Designer Fund Guild and also works as a mentor.
See Josh Brewer live at Generate San Francisco on 9 June, alongside speakers from Uber, Netflix, NASA and more
The Social Business
After a while, it became clear to Brewer that what he really wanted to do was not to teach, but to build these products and experiences. Fortunately for him, San Diego in the late 1990s and early 2000s was a really good place for someone to cut their digital teeth, with its own web scene and startup culture enabling Brewer to build his digital skills and learn his trade. Eventually this led him, in 2008, to Socialcast: a collaborative team communication tool that makes you wonder where Slack got its big idea from.
The comparison’s not lost on Brewer. “I’ve had a few conversations with Stewart [Butterfield, Slack co-founder] in the past, before they actually launched Slack, and I was really excited about what they were building at the time,” he reveals. “It felt like an evolution and very much in the same spirit of what we were trying to accomplish with Socialcast, which was really to bring a more real-time, open communication channel to the workplace.”
The fundamental driving force behind Socialcast was a belief in getting people to share rather than hoard information, and to break the notion that power is derived from how much information employees hold for themselves. It aimed to, as Brewer explains, “flip that on its head and have it be much more about: How much can I contribute, how much can I share, what I’ve learned? How can I make that available to the rest of the company? And I think we did a pretty good job.”
By the time VMware acquired Socialcast in 2011, Brewer had already moved on to Twitter. Between 2010 and 2013 he was principal designer there, and looking at the Twitter website today you can still see Brewer’s hand in the design. “We did a lot of things to evolve and refine the design of the core systems, and there have been a lot of different initiatives throughout the years to add on to it, to take the content and present it in different ways,” he notes. “But by and large it’s a fair assessment to say that the design of the core product is pretty stable and has been stable for years.”
Beating the Churn
While at Twitter, Brewer worked on a project to enable people to catch up and reorient themselves when they come back to the site. “Part of it was attempting to solve a churn problem,” he recalls. “People come back and they just really don’t know where to begin to engage. They would just drop off and we’d lose them. The other part was that Twitter can be such a fast-moving stream that if you want to return to certain people or certain topics, it’s very difficult.”
He takes some satisfaction in the fact that Twitter is finally on the case with this, in the form of ‘Moments’ and ‘While you were away’. “It’s nice to see some of it trickle its way out,” he muses. “It’s a little sad that it’s taken this many years, but, you know, that is what it is.”
Brewer’s still a big fan of Twitter. “I’m a huge supporter,” he says, “I think that some of the most unique and interesting moments happen on Twitter.” But if you check his own feed you’ll find that these days his approach to it is more restrained.
“Living in Twitter day-in and day-out, having it open on my desktop, having it be the first thing I checked every time I pulled my phone out of my pocket, was a habit that I really grew uncomfortable with,” he reveals.
“I don’t feel like you can have the most productive conversations on Twitter; they tend to be very blunt and abrupt, and I found that I didn’t need as much of that in my daily life. So I’m definitely not as active as I once was, |
fat tissue has been lost.
At what age can surgery be done? Can a youngster or a teenager qualify for surgery? Is there an upper age limit for surgery? There is no right or wrong age for surgery to be performed. All too often, teenagers with this problem are given a pat on the shoulder by their pediatrician and told to wait it out until it disappears by itself, often by the “magical” age of 18. Unfortunately, many teenagers spend their entire teenage years waiting in vain for this to occur and are subject to ridicule and embarrassment during this critical time in their lives. On the other hand, one should give adequate time for the condition to resolve by itself. Pediatricians may also be concerned about the possibility of recurrence of gynecomastia if surgery is performed at too young an age. This has proven not to be the case. Not one of several hundred treated adolescents has ever had a recurrence! If gynecomastia has been present for two or more years and is stable and has not increased in size, then surgery may be considered. The decision to operate is based not only on the diagnosis of gynecomastia but also on the maturity of the youngster and his capability of understanding the surgery as well as the ability to cope with the post-op pain and to follow the post-op care regimen. Surgery has been successfully performed on hundreds of young men from age 12 through 18. Obviously, this decision is made on an individual basis. Older men suffering with this condition are also candidates for surgery, but must understand that the skin may not totally tighten after the surgery is performed since they may have lost some elasticity in their skin through the natural process of aging. If deemed necessary by your cosmetic surgeon, various alternative procedures will be discussed at the time of consultation. Again, decisions must be made on an individual basis.
Are there any other methods of treatment of gynecomastia? Male breast reduction surgery for established gynecomastia is the only known and recognized treatment. Creams, lotions, massage, injections, exercise and “magic pills” all will do nothing for established gynecomastia. However, they will succeed in making your wallet slimmer.
Do I have an increased risk of cancer if I have gynecomastia? The presence of gynecomastia does not make you more prone to breast cancer. Several studies have concluded that there is no increased risk of male breast cancer in those men with gynecomastia. It is important to note, however, that one percent of all breast cancers do occur in men. While it is very rarely seen in young men, older men must be made aware of this possibility. Therefore, any new lump, one-sided growth (asymmetry of the breast), skin changes of the breast or nipple, or bloody nipple discharge should be immediately investigated by a physician. A biopsy, a mammogram or a sonogram (ultrasound) examination may be advised.
Is gynecomastia more common in any particular race or ethnic group? No. Gynecomastia can affect anyone — it is an “equal opportunity” misery.
I have only one enlarged breast — what can be done? True one-sided gynecomastia is rare. Careful consideration must be done to consider other diagnoses, such as a tumor. Once that possibility is removed, then a decision must be made about treatment. Often, one side is much larger than the other — but both sides are frequently affected. In the past, only one side may have been treated — and the patient then returned asking for treatment of the now-larger “normal” side as well. Therefore, careful examination of both breasts is performed and surgery on both breasts considered if need be. If this smaller amount of gynecomastia is not addressed at surgery, then the end result may be that the operated side will look completely normal and the un-operated side may then be objectionable. It is extremely difficult to operate on the larger side and reduce it just enough to match the other side. Thus, appropriate surgery should be done to optimize both sides at the same time.
Is there a relationship between gynecomastia and drugs or medications? Many drugs and medications produce gynecomastia as a side effect. If you are taking any medications, you would be wise to read about any potential gynecomastia-like side effects online. Recently, there has been a flurry of media exposure about the drug Risperdal, a psychotropic medication which produces gynecomastia as a side effect when given to adolescents. Some illicit drugs such as marijuana, heroin and bodybuilding steroids can also produce gynecomastia. It may also occur while taking seemingly harmless “supplements”, some of which may have hormone–like qualities. In some cases, stopping the medication may result in a diminishment of gynecomastia but most often, once the gynecomastia is present and established, it usually will remain unless corrective male breast reduction surgery is performed. Some men knowingly take anabolic steroids and attempt to prevent the development of gynecomastia by self medicating themselves with other drugs to block the side effects of the steroids. Most often this is done without a doctor’s supervision. It is our strong professional opinion that tampering with one’s delicately balanced hormonal system – particularly without appropriate physician supervision and blood testing — is totally inappropriate, dangerous to one’s health and should not be done.
Is a complete hormonal work-up by an endocrinologist required prior to surgery? Commonly, gynecomastia patients note that it commenced during puberty and then remained with them. In the vast majority of these gynecomastia patients, hormonal tests reveal normal levels of testosterone and estrogen. Cosmetic surgeon will take a complete medical history during the consultation. If there is anything suspicious, then further investigation may be necessary. The patient’s history of the problem may indicate that abnormal hormone levels may be present (eg sudden development of gynecomastia in a healthy 20-something male) and that hormonal evaluation is necessary. The other possible causes such as illicit drugs (marijuana, body-building steroids), side effects of prescribed medications, adrenal tumor, pituitary tumor, testicular tumor, cancer, etc. must also be evaluated.
I have an underlying medical condition (HIV positive, prostate cancer, heart disease, etc.). Can surgery for gynecomastia still be done? Successful gynecomastia surgery can be performed despite an underlying medical condition. A thorough evaluation by your personal physician is most important to clear you for elective male breast reduction surgery.
What do the scars look like after surgery? Every effort is made to minimize the scars for surgery. Usually a 3 mm (1/8 inch) incision is made on the side of the chest just down from the armpit. This heals so well that, in time, it will resemble a small blemish rather than a scar. If an incision is made around the bottom edge of the areola, it tends to heal extremely well and, although permanent, is virtually undetectable in most patients. Please view the photos of peri-areolar scars in the photo gallery elsewhere on this website. Every single photo is that of a post-operative patient with a peri-areolar scar.
What are drains and when are they used? Drains are used at the discretion of the surgeon. They are plastic tubes which may be left inside the chest and which exit through the skin. They are usually attached to a rubber bulb which serves to exert a suction effect and then collects any fluids. Drains may remain in place for a brief or an extended period of time. Some surgeons use drains routinely.
If surgery is performed, will the results be permanent? What if I gain weight after the surgery? Surgery will remove much, but not all of the breast tissue and it will not re-grow (much as a woman’s breast will not re-grow after a mastectomy for breast cancer). Should you gain substantial weight after surgery, then some amount of fat will return to the chest but it will also be distributed over other parts of the body so that you will not regain the specific enlargement on the chest that you had prior to surgery. Conversely, if you lose weight after gynecomastia surgery, the results of the surgery will be enhanced.
Can liposuction be performed on other areas of the body (for example, abdomen or love handles) at the same time as the gynecomastia surgery? This is called a Torsoplasty and it is performed quite often. A torsoplasty can take a good body and make it a great body – but it cannot be performed on obese men. It is designed for men who are at or close to normal weight, but who have stubborn areas of fat that detract from their overall appearance. Since a torsoplasty is a longer operation, with additional anesthesia, the decision to do it must be based upon your surgoeon’s judgment considering your overall health.
I have very large areolas — what can be done to reduce the size? In the majority of cases, the chest skin will spontaneously tighten after the excessive tissue beneath (breast and/or fat) has been removed in the course of surgery. Since the nipple/areola is also a skin structure, it too will tighten and diminish in size. In fact, the average areolar shrinkage is about 15-20%. The areola will also darken somewhat in color after surgery. Hard to imagine this? Just think of a balloon with a circle drawn on it. Then let some of the air out — the circle (think of the areola) will be smaller. One added bonus: if an incision has been made in the areola to help remove glandular tissue, the resultant scar will also shrink in size. In rare cases, when the areola is extremely large, surgery can be performed to reduce it to a more appropriate size. It requires a permanent suture to be placed under the skin to prevent post-operative spreading of the areola. The surgery requires an incision completely around the edge of the areola. Post-op problems can include spreading of the scar, distortion of the areolar contour and the possibility that one could feel the permanent circular suture under the skin.
Will my chest be symmetric after surgery? There are very few absolutely perfectly symmetric human beings. We all have some minor (or major) discrepancies between our right and left sides. During your gynecomastia surgery, your doctor does everything possible to make each side of your chest as good as that side can be. In reducing the excess tissue on the chest, minor asymmetries of the chest, which may have been masked by the excess overlying tissues, are then revealed. For example, one muscle may be larger than the other. The muscle itself may be attached to the ribs and sternum in slightly different ways on both sides. The rib cage may be different on each side. Posture and scoliosis (curvature of the spine) will also play a role. Some men start off with asymmetric gynecomastia – one breast being larger than the other. Although surgery will reduce each side to be as good as possible, the (originally) larger side, with more stretched out skin and perhaps a larger diameter areola, will take longer to tighten and catch up to the smaller side – and it may never catch up 100%. For the most part, there will be an overall significant improvement of the chest. Some men may have been mildly asymmetric to begin with – but they never noticed it. After surgery, and after carefully inspecting their chest 100 times a day, men may notice and dwell on certain minor asymmetries. Unfortunately, some of these post-op minor asymmetries cannot be corrected.
When should I massage my chest after surgery? One should NOT massage the chest unless instructed by your doctor. Massage can actually cause more swelling. There may come a time in your healing phase, usually at least a month or two after surgery, when indeed massage may be beneficial. Your doctor will tell you when and how to massage if he feels it would be helpful.
When can I return to my usual exercise routine after gynecomastia surgery? Doctor recommends at least four weeks away from strenuous exercise. Why? Isn’t exercise good for you? Yes, exercise is great — but when one exercises, the blood pressure always rises. And it is the rise in blood pressure, soon after surgery that can result in increased swelling. It might also open a blood vessel under the skin that had been sealed during surgery – and you might bleed and fill up with blood under the skin. This can happen even weeks after surgery. With anticipated normal healing, one may gradually return to the gym after one month. There may be some swelling upon return from the gym – then overnight use of the compression garment would be helpful.
What will happen to my chest if I lose weight after surgery? 5 years after surgery with weight loss and exercise. The results of the surgery will get even better.
Will the presence of chest acne affect my eligibility for gynecomastia surgery? Acne on the chest area will not affect your eligibility for gynecomastia surgery, as long as it is quiet. If there is active pustules or infection, these must be treated by a dermatologist until they are quiet. If surgery is performed with any active infection in the area, then it substantially increases the risk for an infection after surgery.
What is skin elasticity and why is it so important in consideration for gynecomastia surgery? What is skin elasticity and why is it so important in consideration for gynecomastia surgery? Ø Think of skin elasticity as billions of tiny “rubber bands” in the skin. If the “rubber bands” are stretched too far and for too long, they become tired and lose their ability to bounce back and tighten by themselves. The skin sign of extreme loss of elasticity is stretch marks, which are areas of the skin where the elastic fibers have actually broken, just like stretching a rubber band until it breaks. There is no way to restore elasticity once it has been lost. It is important to have sufficient skin elasticity in order to qualify for minimal scar surgery. In essence, the excess tissues are removed via the minimal incisions – but the skin has to be able to tighten by itself. This tightening ability is determined by the amount of elasticity in your skin. Elasticity is diminished in several ways: by the natural aging process, by smoking, by excess sun exposure and tanning, and most importantly, by being overweight or obese and thereby stretching out the skin. Once elasticity is lost for any or all of the above reasons, there is no way to replace it. Thus, in certain cases, there may be a need for additional incisions during surgery to tighten up any loose skin
Am I more prone to develop gynecomastia if I am overweight? There can be very thin patients with large breasts and overweight men with flat chests. However, overweight men often put extra fat on their chest, for that is one of the places that fat is first deposited. Frequently, obesity and gynecomastia will coincide.
Should I lose weight in preparation for surgery? Losing just a few pounds or even 10 pounds will not affect your surgery one way or the other. An unhealthy crash diet is certainly not recommended. Rather, a good, healthy diet with lots of protein is worthwhile. Sometimes, supplements with extra Vitamin C and Zinc may be helpful. However, if you plan on losing substantial amounts of weight, then surgery should definitely be deferred until the weight is lost and you are stable at the new weight. Then a re-evaluation may be necessary in order to assess the specific type of surgery required for your new shape.
I am a vegetarian – am I still eligible for gynecomastia surgery? Absolutely yes. However, many vegetarians are low in protein, which is necessary for proper healing after surgery. Therefore, it is recommended that you increase your protein intake prior to and subsequent to surgery. This can be in the form of extra protein shakes. You might consider some lean poultry or fish as well.
Should I work out and build up my chest muscles prior to surgery? No, this is not necessary. If you wish to work out, that is fine, but it will have no effect on the operation.
How does smoking affect gynecomastia surgery? Aside from its deleterious effects on the lungs, smoking contains nicotine. Nicotine acts on small blood vessels to tighten them, thereby narrowing them and reducing blood flow. Obviously, good blood flow is essential to proper wound healing. It is our firm recommendation that smoking be stopped for two weeks prior to surgery and two weeks subsequent to surgery.
Is all the breast tissue removed during gynecomastia surgery? A certain amount of breast tissue is present in 100% of men – that is the normal condition. Gynecomastia is an excess of tissue, including breast tissue. Proper surgical treatment is aimed at reducing the excess tissue to a more normal amount. Gynecomastia surgery is not cancer surgery, where every last cell of breast tissue need be removed. In fact, if surgery for gynecomastia were aimed at removing all breast tissue, the results would be near mutilation of the chest.
What to expect with the outcome of gynecomastia surgery? The outcome of the gynecomastia surgery may be too variable. Aside from the surgery itself, there is a question of appropriate patient compliance with post-operative instructions, the vagaries of individual healing characteristics, and of course, the influences of Mother Nature. The cosmetic surgeon can make is that he will use all of his energy, experience, diligence and skills to provide the very best operation possible for every patients.
TagsWe know well atheistic attempts to explain religion away. Marx, for example, claims that religion is the opiate of the people. Religion, Nietzsche contends, is weakness lying itself into power. According to Freud religion is a defensive illusion created in the face of “the crushingly superior force of nature.” As influential as these ideas are, they are little more than guesses based on utter speculation.
Times have changed. From the Agency Detection Device (ADD) to Theory of Mind (ToM), the cognitive faculties involved in the production and sustenance of religious belief are now well known. ADD and ToM, when taken together, are sometimes called “the god-faculty.” The god-faculty produces belief in kin, predators, mates, and enemies, and it produces manifestly false beliefs in such things as ghosts, goblins, and even gods. According to philosopher Daniel Dennett, the god-faculty is a “fiction generating contraption.”
The new science of religious belief inclines some scientists to put on their philosopher caps and opine. Psychologist Paul Bloom contends that religious belief is “an incidental by-product of cognitive functioning gone awry.” Biologist Richard Dawkins claims that “the irrationality of religion is a by-product of a particular built-in irrationality mechanism in the brain.” The psychological impulses that drive belief in God, according to Dennett and Dawkins, reveal God to be an illusion or a delusion.
Atheism, however, has not received much attention. I suspect this is due to the following: the vast majority of those who work on these topics are atheists or agnostics who view religious belief as false and even bizarre. Given this assumption, the project of psychological explanations of religion is to explain how otherwise rational people could hold obviously false beliefs. Unlike religious belief, their own beliefs (agnosticism or atheism), so the narrative goes, are products of coolly rational reflection—the triumph of reason over superstition. The project then is to seek out the malfunction that produces religious belief; atheism gets a free pass.
But if there are primal urges, neuronal impulses, or psychological drives that influence and even cause belief in God, couldn’t there be similar causes of unbelief? Or are only theists neurotic?
While it would be nice to be able to settle the rationality or irrationality of belief in God in one fell swoop, Dawkins and Dennett have not done so. The god-faculty is not, for the most part, fiction-generating. ADD and ToM are both perfectly ordinary and truth-conducive. Every time you walk through the mall and see a person and make a judgment about them, you are using those faculties. More often than not, ADD and ToM produce true beliefs. ADD and ToM have occasionally produced false beliefs—we see, as Stewart Guthrie argues, faces in clouds and sometimes turn clouds into gods. But unless we wish to proclaim that we are all irrational for thinking there are other people, then we shouldn’t think the faculties involved are fiction generators.
If atheism, on the other hand, were the product of a fiction generating mechanism and one were made aware of this fact, one would be irrational in maintaining one’s atheism. Interestingly, recent studies suggest just such an irrationality contraption. Consider the curious case of famed neurologist, Oliver Sacks.
Sacks was once hiking alone in the mountains of Norway when he happened upon an enormous and cantankerous bull. The bull startled him, and as he fled, he fell down a steep cliff landing with his leg twisted beneath him. In excruciating pain, he fashioned a splint for his dislocated knee and began his lonely and painful descent. On the way, believing himself to be near death he began to feel increasingly desperate. His body was screaming, “Give up,” and his mind was beginning to agree. He was just about to stop when he heard “a strong, clear, commanding voice, which said, ‘You can’t rest here — you can’t rest anywhere. You’ve got to go on. Find a pace you can keep up and go on steadily.’” Yielding to the voice, he found the strength to carry on in spite of the crippling pain in his useless leg. He later wrote, “This good voice, this Life voice, braced and resolved me. I stopped trembling and did not falter again.”
Where some might have come to believe they had heard the still, small voice of God, Sacks, instead, claims the voice was an hallucination. He attributes his hallucination to perfectly ordinary and not uncommon cognitive processes.
But suppose it wasn’t an hallucination.
If there is a God, one who occasionally speaks to people, then in at least some cases of unbelief, there may be a plausible scientific explanation. Autistic individuals lack, to varying degrees, the ability to impute thoughts, feelings, and desires to personal agents. This undergirds their lack of empathy, which hinders, to varying degrees, their ability to enter into normal interpersonal relationships. The loving parent may speak to them, reach out to them, and embrace them, but the autistic child may be incapable of recognizing and responding to them.
In short, some autistic individuals may be incapable of cognizing a personal God (if there is a God): some are as constitutionally incapable of recognizing a personal God as they are of recognizing a friend.
Recent studies demonstrate a correlation between atheism and autism—one is vastly more likely to be an atheist or agnostic if one is autistic. The higher up one is on the Autism Spectrum, the more likely one is to be an atheist.
Psychologists Ara Norenzayan, Will Gervais and Kali Trzeniewski contend that “mentalizing deficits”—the inability to “see” the beliefs, feelings and desires of other persons–incline autistic individuals towards atheism. Since people with higher scores on the Autism Spectrum Quotient had a reduced ability to mentalize, they claim that mentalizing deficits mediated increased tendencies towards atheism and agnosticism. As noted, recent work in cognitive science of religion shows the centrality of mentalizing (which we called above “ToM”) to typical religious beliefs. If God is personal, then a properly functioning ToM may be necessary for belief in God; mentalizing deficits, therefore, may hinder or even prevent belief in God.
According to a culturally influential narrative, religious beliefs are irrational because they are caused by unreliable cognitive mechanisms, whereas atheism is rational because it is the product of rational reflection on true beliefs. We have debunked a portion of the narrative: atheism, at least in some cases, is correlated with and mediated by a cognitive deficit.
We should agree, I think, that if one’s atheism were indeed mediated by a mentalizing deficit, then one’s belief would be irrational (if one were apprised of the cause of one’s belief). But we simply have no idea whether or not any particular person’s belief was produced by a malfunctioning ToM; we can’t peer into another person’s mind to determine if they had been prevented from believing something true by virtue of a malfunctioning cognitive faculty. And if we can’t know if a particular person’s belief was mediated by a cognitive defect or by, for example, deep reflection on the problem of evil, we cannot know if any particular person’s atheism is rational or irrational.
Even if the atheism-autism connection were indisputably established, we simply cannot know, in any particular case involving any particular individual, the cognitive processes involved. After all, the studies would show general tendencies of groups of people, tendencies which tell us nothing at all about any particular member of the group. Here’s another way of putting it: not all men are from Mars, not all women are from Venus. And another way: not all women are bad at math and not all men are good at math.
Consider an analogy. We know that depression mediates sadness. Nonetheless, we cannot know, in any particular case, if a depressed person is perforce sad or if a sad person is perforce depressed. So, too, we can’t know if any particular atheist suffers from autism or if any particular autistic individual is an atheist (in fact, many autistic individuals claim a personal relationship with God). We simply can’t know if any particular person’s belief or unbelief is the result of a cognitive malfunction, rational reflection, or cultural influences (or a combination thereof).
With respect to the rationality of atheism and agnosticism, Norenzayan, Gervais, and Trzeniewski offer wise counsel: “We emphasize that our data do not suggest that disbelief solely arises through mentalizing deficits; multiple psychological and socio-cultural pathways likely lead to a complex and overdetermined phenomenon such as disbelief in God.”
Is atheism’s connection with autism the silver bullet that proves once and for all that atheists are irrational? Given the complexities of both the human mind and human culture, it is impossible to tell.
So when a (philosophically reflective) atheist claims herself to be rational because she believes that the arguments for theism are bad and the arguments against theism are good, I suggest we take her at her word.
Discussion Questions:
In what ways might belief in God be similar or dissimilar to unbelief in God? Are any of these similarities or dissimilarities relevant to what might make belief/unbelief in God rational? We often make judgments about the rationality of the beliefs of others (and not so much about our own beliefs). This essay suggests that we don’t have access to what might ground another’s rationality (because we can’t peek into their minds). Do you buy this? If you do, what are some consequences of judging the rationality/irrationality of others?
Discussion Summary
I recently participated in a debate billed as a civil dialogue between a theist and an atheist. Determined to err on the side of “civil,” I conceded some of my atheist interlocutor’s points, pulled a punch or two, opined that Reality is difficult to figure out, and suggested that we hold our own views in humility and our opponent’s views with charity. In short, I was a major disappointment. People attend debates to see a battle and crown a winner, not to find out that both sides may have some good points in their favor.
In my essay, “Is Atheism Irrational?” I argued that we should accept both the theist’s and the atheist’s claims to rationality (even if we know that a belief is sometimes mediated by a cognitive defect). Once again, I was probably a major disappointment.
I went on to argue that we should resist the unjustified and unhealthy urge to psychopathologize those who disagree with us. We have, or so it seems to me, a natural but disturbing tendency to think that those who disagree with us are not just wrong, they are also irrational or immoral (if not both). The irrationality of those who disagree with us (we think to ourselves) is evidenced by their inability to see an obvious truth, one that we see so clearly (Democrat or Republican, fetuses are persons or not, God or atheism). So we think that we are perfectly within our rights to attribute their belief to a cognitive malfunction. “You just believe that because....”
Speaking in the first-person, I have a natural tendency to think that I make decisions based on good (objective) reasons whereas those who disagree with me make their decisions because of personal/psychological (subjective) causes.
But without access to another person’s mind, I can’t tell what mediated their belief/unbelief. Time to stop the pop-psychologizing.
I was shocked to learn that some disagreed with my eminently sensible essay. I was especially struck by two extremes: conservative Christians (I think) who offered arguments for the existence of God (hoping to prove, I assume, that atheists are irrational) and aggressive atheists who seemed determined to misconstrue my claims. I found it difficult to have an orderly and constructive dialogue with those on the extremes.
One commentator, noting those extremes as well, alerted me to an important study on belief superiority—the conviction that one’s own viewpoints are obviously more correct than those of other people. According to the study, the more extreme one’s views, the more confident one is that one is right.
Big Question #1: How can we communicate effectively across the canyon that divides those on opposite ends of the belief spectrum?
We need more than studies, of course; we need to discipline ourselves to listen sympathetically to those with whom we disagree. Dialogue’s Golden Rule: Listen unto to others as you would have them listen unto to you.
While we need to resist the urge to psychopathologize, the cognitive science of irreligion needs a lot more study. Let me suggest one area of inquiry. The percentage of philosophers who are religious believers is considerably lower than the percentage of believers in the general population. One standard narrative: philosophers, as paradigms of rationality, have examined theism and found it wanting. But (partly a pitiful plea for self-understanding) philosophers are people, too. Philosophers aren’t immune to such influences on their beliefs as passions, feelings, desires, temperament, and common sense.
Here’s the point I want to make: the socialization of philosophers into a discipline exerts enormous pressures to abandon religious beliefs (I suspect what I say about philosophers is true of many academic disciplines). Influence is exerted in a variety of subtle and even mundane ways: in the choice of texts or topics, in ignoring the religious aspects of historically influential philosophers (Kant, for example, or Confucius), in declaring what’s “important” or who’s really “smart” (as though there were a timeless standard of importance and intelligence), in hiring decisions, in snide remarks over a beer, and in the rolling of one’s eyes in disgust. Group pressures to conformity in belief are enormous and philosophers are not immune.
Big Question #2: What is the influence of conformity on the loss of religious belief in the academy?
While the academy may aspire to be pluralistic, conformity pressures in the humanities and social sciences have biased it in the direction of secularism, liberalism, and (ironically) sexism. This is a double whammy. Not only are faculty not diverse, if they hold to the extreme, they are likely to do so with a certainty that precludes discussion and inquiry with those with whom they disagree.
New Big Questions:
1. How can we communicate effectively across the canyon that divides those on opposite ends of the belief spectrum?
2. What is the influence of conformity on the loss of religious belief in the academy?I will admit that I’ve said some pretty nasty shit behind peoples’ backs, but I don’t think I could ever make people feel as badly as J.Crew is making them feel today, thanks to the new size the uber-preppy clothing line just introduced.
Wasn’t size 0 enough? Zero, a number that doesn’t even have actual mathematic value?!
HELL NAW, bring on size 000!
Size 000. For fucking serious. I had an Eggo waffle for breakfast and now I feel like a fucking whale. Just one Eggo.
According to “The Today Show,” that’s the equivalent of a size XXXS. In other words, THAT’S NOT HEALTHY UNLESS YOU’RE A SLENDER 7-YEAR-OLD.
J.Crew is coming under some fire about this, too, including comments from one blogger from Capitol Hill Style. The blogger pulled no punches against the preppy purveyor, accusing the store of vanity styling.
“I won’t support J.Crew’s decision to expand their sizing downward because it feeds into the notion that clothing size is a scarlet letter. The practical and reasonable thing to do would be to create a measurement’s guide that isn’t abhorrently dishonest, accepting that the brand now sells size 24 clothing.”
A spokesperson for J.Crew (in the press release, they say she’s a spokesWOMAN, but they’re trying to distort your opinion using gender, and Stefon is NOT ABOUT THAT LIFE) responded to the claims, saying that this decision has nothing to do with any kind of vanity styling.
“We are simply addressing the demand coming from Asia for smaller sizes than what we had carried. Our sizes typically run big and the Asia market tends to run small. To further put into perspective, these sizes add up to the smallest possible percentage of our overall sizing assortment.”
Ohhhh, so this has nothing to do with you wanting to make women smaller? You’re just reminding us that Americans are fat fucks? Thanks, J.Crew. Thanks a shitload.
“Also to note, J.Crew’s sizes run across the board to try and accommodate as many customers as possible… We run up to size 16, we carry petites and talls, and our shoe sizes run from 5-12. [It’s] all based on customer demand.”
But it’s okay to be fat, right? Thanks for justifying our lives, J.Crew.
Look, maybe I’m overreacting, but to inform this SPOKESPERSON, we’re not only a nation of fatties (their words, not mine, don’t shoot the messenger) we’re a very impressionable nation. We’ll do just about anything to reach the latest fashion trends and achieve a standard of beauty that has become so fucking unrealistic it’s mind-blowing. Gorgeous curves being replaced by skin and bone? That’s not beautiful, that’s unhealthy. Eat a damn sandwich, you skinny bitch.
But seriously, if you take away anything from this, just be happy and love the skin you’re in. Fuck size 000, and fuck J.Crew. Rock a medium or a large and be proud. You were born this way, betches.Anti-Hungarian sentiment (also known as Hungarophobia,[1][2] Anti-Hungarianism, Magyarophobia[3] or Antimagyarism[4]) is dislike, distrust, racism, or xenophobia directed against the Hungarians. It can involve hatred, grievance, distrust, intimidation, fear, and hostility towards the Hungarian people, language and culture.
History [ edit ]
During the era of the Austro-Hungarian monarchs, the court in Vienna was influenced by Hungarophobia, but the Hungarian landowner nobles also showed signs of Germanophobia.[5] In the 18th century, after the end of Rákóczi's War of Independence, many immigrants came to the underpopulated southern parts of the Kingdom of Hungary: for instance, 800 new German villages were established.[6] The authorities preferred non-Hungarian settlers. The Habsburgs regarded Hungarians as "politically unreliable" and so were not allowed to settle in the southern territories until the 1740s.[7] The organized resettlement was planned by the Habsburgs. The resettlement policy was characterized as anti-Hungarian,[8][9] as the Habsburgs feared an uprising of Protestant Hungarians.[10]
The Habsburgs and their advisers skilfully manipulated the Croatian, Serbian and Romanian peasantry, led by priests and officers firmly loyal to the Habsburgs, and they induced them to rebel against the Hungarian government. The Austrians had encouraged the Galician uprising to decimate Polish insurgent nobles.[citation needed]
Thousands of Hungarians were massacred in Transylvania in 1848-49 (now part of Romania) in nine separate incidents during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848.
Modern [ edit ]
Czechoslovakia [ edit ]
Minorities in Czechoslovakia in 1918 to 1939 enjoyed personal freedoms and were properly recognized by the state. There were three Hungarian and/or Hungarian-centric political parties:
After World War II, Czechoslovakia became a communist state; during the transition to a communist one-party state, decrees permitting the forced[11] expulsion of German and Hungarian minorities from ethnic enclaves in Czechoslovakia came into effect, and Hungarians were forcibly relocated to Sudetenland, on the borders of Czechoslovakia. The Czechoslovak government deported more than 44,129 Hungarians from Slovakia to the Sudetenland for forced labor[12][13] between 1945 and 1948,[13] and the Beneš decrees remain legally in effect in the Czech Republic.[14]
Slovakia [ edit ]
In Slovakia, Hungarian and pro-Hungarian political parties are a stable part of the political system. Anti-Hungarian sentiment had been criticized particularly during the third government of Vladimír Mečiar. In the past, so-called "Hungarian card" had been used mainly by the Slovak National Party (SNS)[18] against the granting of a special status to the Hungarian minority; it argued for the complete assimilation of the Hungarian minority into Slovak society.[verification needed] It considers that Hungarians in Slovakia are actually overprivileged.[18][19] After personnel changes in the presidium, SNS abandoned similar rhetoric and formed a common government with pro-Hungarian Most-Híd in 2016.
Anti-Hungarian rhetoric of some far-right organizations in Slovakia is based on historical stereotypes and conflicts in the common history as interpreted from nationalistic positions and recent events. In such interpretations, the arrival of old Hungarian tribes is described as the occupation by barbarian tribes and contributed to the destruction of Great Moravia. Other negative sentiments are related to the period of Magyarization, the policy of interwar Hungary, the collaboration of Hungarian-minority parties with the Hungarian government against Czechoslovakia, the First Vienna Award and the Slovak–Hungarian War.[20] Hungary is accused of still trying to undermine the territorial integrity of Slovakia, and local minority politicians are accused of irredentism.[20] However, anti-Hungarian sentiment is not typical even for all far-right organisations, and the leader of the Slovak Brotherhood emphasized the need for collaboration with Hungarian far-right organisations against materialism and multiculturalism |
the roundtables. We’ve sat at roundtables long enough. Now we want to see actions.”Men with coarse features and shaved heads are pulling a heavy cart through the streets of Messina. The men, barefoot with tattoos on their upper arms, are sweating as they shout, again and again: "Viva Maria!"
By tradition, the men who carry the Madonna are dockworkers, ex-convicts and henchmen with the Sicilian Mafia, and these men look the part. They hope for redemption from the Virgin Mother for crimes ranging from extortion to drug dealing and murder. Along the side of the road, law-abiding bystanders hand their small children up onto the cart to be blessed.
La Vara, or the procession of the Madonna, is Sicily's most important festival. It's been celebrated for about 500 years, complete with fireworks and sweet cannoli. La Vara is also seen as an arena for local bigwigs to show off their clout. On the day of the festival, those who are in charge here, the church and the Mafia, are always in the front rows. But everything is different this year. This year, the new mayor pulls the cart, with the help of a prominent Mafioso, but the mayor doesn't kiss the mobster's hand. Instead, he jumps onto the cart, setting off a ripple of whispers below, because this is something a mayor has never dared to do. Then they begin to shout, again and again, "Renato! Renato!"
Mayor Renato Accorinti often walks around barefoot, and the day of the festival is no exception. He is wearing a T-shirt from Addio Pizzo, an anti-Mafia movement, imprinted with the words: "A people that pays no protection money is a free people." At last year's procession, Addio Pizzo activists handed out flyers against the Sicilian Cosa Nostra and the Calabrian 'Ndrangheta and were chased away.
Now the mayor jumps from the cart onto the stage in front of the cathedral and says, in a soft voice: "This is a public festival, and I'm a man of the people. A future is possible in Messina! We can only be strong together!" There are several minutes of applause.
A New Kind of Politician
Accorinti has been mayor of the city of about 250,000, on the Strait of Messina, since June 24. He is a physical education teacher, not a party politician, and he campaigned as part of a citizens' movement called "Let us change Messina from the bottom up." Anyone who accompanies him is astonished by his stamina, and by the southern Italians' newfound enthusiasm for politics.
Accorinti takes only a few steps before a crowd has formed around him. "For us, you are a second Pope Francis," they say, addressing him in the familiar form, and showering him with hugs and kisses. Accorinti returns the sentiment by hugging, kissing and addressing them all in the familiar form. His election came unexpectedly. He was an accidental mayor, a sensation for Sicily. The island on the outermost edge of Europe is Italy's poorest region -- corrupt, clannish and a sinkhole for millions in European Union subsidies.
Most of all, however, the election is a sensation for Messina, a city where for decades municipal politics was essentially a vehicle for personal enrichment. The wives of Accorinti's two predecessors were arrested in July for embezzling government funds. The city has a budget shortfall of 600 million ($812 million). While the Mafia is in control in Palermo and Reggio Calabria, Messina is traditionally the place where it catches its breath and plans its next move.
Accorinti is an example of how, in a country that was run into the ground for decades by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, someone can govern without scandal, pomp or grand gestures. He is a local hero, unlike the combative partisan politicians who currently make up a very shaky government in Rome.ABC has released an official description and preview images – both episodic and behind-the-scenes – for the November 9 episode of Once Upon A Time.
Here’s the write-up for “The Snow Queen” with spoilers. The images follow below:
EMMA CAPTURES THE SNOW QUEEN AND LEARNS THAT THEY ARE MORE ALIKE THEN SHE CAN POSSIBLY IMAGINE, AND IN ARENDELLE OF THE PAST, INGRID DISCOVERS HER DEADLY ICE POWERS AND MAKES A PACT WITH HER TWO SISTERS TO PROTECT AND ALWAYS BE THERE FOR ONE ANOTHER – NO MATTER WHAT, ON ABC’S “ONCE UPON A TIME”
John Rhys-Davies (“The Lord of the Rings,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark”) is the Voice of Grand Pabbie
“The Snow Queen” – Emma captures the Snow Queen and interrogates her at the sheriff’s station. But the Snow Queen uses her prior knowledge of Emma to try to persuade her into thinking that they are more alike than she could possibly imagine. Regina and Robin Hood’s relationship grows increasingly complex as they struggle to find a way to save his dying wife, Emma begins to see what she missed out on by not growing up and being a family with Snow and Charming when she sees how involved Mary Margaret is in baby Neal’s life, and Henry begins his after school job in Gold’s shop while trying to help Regina find a clue to the identity of the author of the storybook. Meanwhile, in Arendelle of the past, we learn about the origin of the Snow Queen and her familial connection to Elsa and Anna as we see her discover her spectacular yet deadly ice powers, on “Once Upon a Time,” SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.
“Once Upon a Time” stars Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White/Mary Margaret, Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan, Lana Parrilla as the Evil Queen/Regina, Josh Dallas as Prince Charming/David Nolan, Emilie de Ravin as Belle, Colin O’Donoghue as Hook, Jared S. Gilmore as Henry, Michael Socha as Will Scarlet and Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold.
Guest starring are Jessy Schram as Ashley/Cinderella, Sarah Bolger as Aurora, Sean Maguire as Robin Hood, Georgina Haig as Elsa, Elizabeth Mitchell as Snow Queen, John Rhys-Davies as Grand Pabbie, Brighton Sharbino as young Ingrid, Ava Marie Telek as young Gerda, Bailey Herbert as young Helga, Jonathan Runyon as Duke, Pascale Hutton as Gerda, Sally Pressman as Helga, Greg Webb as King and Ryan Booth as man.
”The Snow Queen” was written by Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz and directed by Billy Gierhart.Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Albinism affects around one in every 1,400 Tanzanians, far higher than average
An albino toddler missing since Sunday has been found dead in northern Tanzania with all his limbs hacked off.
Yohana Bahati, aged one, was snatched from the house of his mother, who was cut with a machete.
His body was found a few miles away. Two people have been arrested in connection with the killing.
At least 74 albino children have been killed this century in Tanzania, where some witchdoctors use albino body parts to make their charms.
Last month the Tanzanian government placed a ban on all witchdoctors in the country. The ban is part of a nationwide operation to clamp down on attacks on people living with albinism.
The UN has condemned the attack and warned that 2015 could be a "dangerous year" for albinos. It fears that the forthcoming general and presidential elections will cause some candidates to turn to influential witchdoctors for help.
Witchdoctors are prepared to pay $75,000 (£50,000) for a complete set of albino body parts according to the Red Cross.
Still missing
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption "We're being killed like animals" albino woman says
Another albino toddle remains missing after being kidnapped in December.
Tanzanian police have offered a reward for information leading to the recovery of Pendo Emmanuelle Nundi, aged four. Police have arrested 15 over her disappearance, including her father.
Albinism is particularly prevalent in Tanzania with one in 1,400 affected according to a 2006 BMC Public Health report. This compares with one in 20,000 in Western countries.
The higher rate is thought to be due to inbreeding.I'd liked you to draw Emerald Dream (working name 'Lady Erised'--yes, after the mirror, there's a reason why for that) doing her job for me. Picture refs:
If you draw her doing her job, could you draw her perhaps showing a random pony who sought her out what their greatest desire is via a crystal ball and/or mirror? Emerald Dream's magic aura is the same color as the lighter green parts of her cutie mark, so I'd imagine whatever might be projected might be surrounded with said aura.
Giveaway Details
Last few finished pieces:
Gallery of all finished pieces : nimaru.deviantart.com/gallery/…
Request by WeBgHoSt **************************************Since I'm behind, I only had time to do some lineart, but i should be easy to color from here. I can also send you the transparent PNG so you have no background to worry about. I hope this is kind of what you were imagining. Also, I wanted to point out how different her face looks in the final version.... sometimes you have a better idea when "inking" than you did when sketching. This was one of those times. It seemed to me that her face and expression weren't quite right so I fixed them.Scientists at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa have formally described an unusual new species found so far in only one cave in Kīlauea Caldera on Hawaiʻi.
The researchers reported their finding in an article, “Cultivation and complete genome sequencing of Gloeobacter kilaueensis sp. nov., from a lava cave in Kīlauea Caldera, Hawaiʻi,” published on October 23 in PLOS ONE.
“We cultivated a new cyanobacterium from an almost 100-year-old lava cave in volcanically active Kīlauea Caldera,” said Associate Professor Stuart Donachie from the Department of Microbiology at the College of Natural Sciences. “This species has not been found anywhere else in the world.”
“We sequenced its genome and confirmed that it is only the second-known species in the Gloeobacter genus, the first species of which was described almost 40 years ago,” Donachie said.
“It’s a great find because both species represent an entire taxonomic order distinct from the other 7,500 known cyanobacteria species. They lack the photosynthetic membranes that are found in all those 7,500 species, which means they are also the most primitive known cyanobacteria,” Donachie said
Donachie teaches and conducts research in marine microbiology and other aspects of environmental microbiology. The research team included Jimmy Saw, who conducted the work as part of his PhD research, plus collaborators from Hawaiʻi and across the United States.DETROIT – Earlier this season coach Jeff Blashill often referred to his long-range plan for Tomas Jurco, the Red Wings forward who has been a healthy scratch more than any of his Detroit teammates this season.
Now, in what amounts to be the biggest regular-season home game in the organization’s recent history, Jurco will get an opportunity to help the Red Wings earn two points tonight against one of the teams they’re battling with for an Eastern Conference playoff slot.
Jurco confirmed he’s playing against the Philadelphia Flyers tonight at Joe Louis Arena. It’s expected that he’ll replace rookie Anthony Mantha on the right wing of the fourth line with center Luke Glendening and forward Andreas Athanasiou.
Mantha, who was called up last month and made his NHL debut March 15 at Philadelphia, has two goals and three points with a minus-6 rating in 10 games.
While Blashill was coy about Jurco’s status for tonight’s game, which starts at 8 p.m. EDT, the coach did offer the following thoughts on his expectations for the 23-year-old should he play against the Flyers.
“When he’s at his best he’s on the forecheck hard,” Blashill said, “he’s skating, he’s on the forecheck hard, he’s physical, he’s getting stick on puck creating turnovers, he’s on the track hard, taking away time in space, coming back so our D can gap up. He’s a big body that can get to the net and he’s got a real good skill set. So that’s what he does when he’s playing his best.”
Jurco has produced four goals and two assists in 42 games with the Red Wings this season. Last November, after playing just two games during a four-week stretch, the Wings assigned Jurco to Grand Rapids, their minor-league affiliate, for conditioning. In his brief stint with the Griffins, he lit up the American Hockey League, scoring five goals – four on the power play – and nine points in five games.
It’s definitely been a frustrating year for Jurco but a positive attitude has certainly helped him gain the opportunity that’s in front of him tonight.
“It’s hard to come back after so long,” he said. “It’s not easy but I’ve been working out hard and tried to stay ready as much as I could, so I hope I’m going to feel good tonight. So we’ll see. I’m just going to keep playing my game. I’m probably going to need a few shifts to get confidence back and get going, so I’m just going to try to have short shifts in the beginning and then we’ll see. I think I’m going to feel good. I’ve been working hard. It’s hard but I’ll just go out there and play my game and we’ll see what’s going to happen.”
Consistency and high-pace level has been some of Blashill’s chief concerns regarding Jurco this season. But the coach has seen something in Jurco that he believes gives the Red Wings a chance to beat the Flyers.
“Jurcs has done a great job of, I think, being extremely mature and putting himself in position where I think he can be real successful,” Blashill said. “He's been great in practice every day so now he gets a chance to jump through that window of opportunity."A federal court has blocked President Trump in part from changing the military's transgender policy as a case against his ban works its way through court.
A judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled Monday that Trump's directive changing the transgender policy back to what it was before June 2016 and banning new transgender recruits from enlisting cannot be enforced while the case is being reviewed in court.
However, the judge denied the plaintiff's motion to block the ban on funds for gender reassignment surgery.
In a 76-page memo accompanying the ruling, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly wrote that the plaintiffs are likely to succeed in their case arguing the transgender ban violates their Fifth Amendment right to due process.
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“The court finds that a number of factors—including the sheer breadth of the exclusion ordered by the directives, the unusual circumstances surrounding the President’s announcement of them, the fact that the reasons given for them do not appear to be supported by any facts, and the recent rejection of those reasons by the military itself — strongly suggest that Plaintiffs’ Fifth Amendment claim is meritorious,” she wrote.
The plaintiffs in the case, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), celebrated the injunction Monday as a "complete victory."
“This is a complete victory for our plaintiffs and all transgender service members, who are now once again able to serve on equal terms and without the threat of being discharged,” Shannon Minter, NCLR’s legal director, said in a statement.
“This court saw straight through the smokescreen the government tried to create to hide the bias and prejudice behind Trump’s change in military policy," added Jennifer Levi, director of GLAD’s transgender rights project. "This clear, powerful ruling confirms that there is no legitimate reason to exclude transgender people from military service.”
Despite the judge's denial of the injunction on the ban for surgical funding, Minter and Levi told reporters on a conference call that transgender service members will be able to receive all medically necessary care. They clarified that this is because the end of the ruling says the military's policy will "revert to the status quo" before Trump policy, which includes covering surgery.
In July, Trump tweeted that he would ban transgender people from serving in the military in any capacity.
He made good on the tweets in August, signing a presidential memo that prohibits the military from enlisting transgender people and from using funds to pay for gender transition-related surgery. The memo also gave Defense Secretary James Mattis James Norman MattisOvernight Defense: Trump to hold one-on-one with Kim | What to watch as summit kicks off | Top general dodges on Trump emergency declaration Retired officers express 'grave concern' with Trump's defense of transgender military policy Trump backs off total Syria withdrawal MORE six months to determine what to do with transgender troops who are currently serving.
NCLR and GLAD sued in August on behalf of six unnamed service members and two recruits.
The government asked for the case to be dismissed, arguing that because Mattis is in the midst of the six-month review and has said no service member will be discharged in the interim, the plaintiffs have not been affected by the policy yet.
But Kollar-Kotelly ruled that while “perhaps compelling in the abstract,” the government’s arguments for dismissal “wither away under scrutiny.”
“The memorandum unequivocally directs the military to prohibit indefinitely the accession of transgender individuals and to authorize their discharge,” she wrote. “This decision has already been made. These directives must be executed by a date certain, and there is no reason to believe that they will not be executed. Plaintiffs have established that they will be injured by these directives, due both to the inherent inequality they impose, and the risk of discharge and denial of accession that they engender.”
But the plaintiffs did not establish that they would by harmed by the ban on funds for gender reassignment surgery, Kollar-Kotelly ruled. Therefore, she said, the court does not have jurisdiction to enjoin the aspect of Trump’s policy.
Still, she wrote, the plaintiffs are likely to succeed in their case against the accession and retention policies because the government’s arguments for the ban “appear to be hypothetical and extremely overbroad.”
“As far as the court is aware at this preliminary stage, all of the reasons proffered by the president for excluding transgender individuals from the military in this case were not merely unsupported, but were actually contradicted by the studies, conclusions and judgment of the military itself,” she added, referring to the military’s 2016 study done during the Obama administration that led to allowing open service by transgender troops.
Kollar-Kotelly also said the court has to consider the circumstances of Trump’s announcement -- that is, the fact that it was made abruptly on Twitter.
“The President abruptly announced, via Twitter—without any of the formality or deliberative processes that generally accompany the development and announcement of major policy changes that will gravely affect the lives of many Americans—that all transgender individuals would be precluded from participating in the military in any capacity,” she wrote. “These circumstances provide additional support for plaintiffs’ claim that the decision to exclude transgender individuals was not driven by genuine concerns regarding military efficacy.”
Asked during a press briefing about the court's decision and whether the administration had a plan to move forward, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said: "Obviously this is something just announced. The Department of Justice has it, they’re reviewing it and I’d refer you to them for any specific questions."The judicial ruling that put Toronto Mayor Rob Ford on political life support has raised eyebrows well outside the country's borders, with many newspapers using it as an opportunity to rake through his gaffe-prone political career.
Who played it serious:
Two of the world's most respected media organizations carried the story, both of them playing it straight. In the BBC telling of the story, the only hint of Mr. Ford's colourful track record lay in a related link on the site headlined "Toronto mayor's 'war on bikes'." The New York Times ran a dispassionate short piece in print and on-line, calling the judge's ruling removing Mr. Ford from office an "unusual order."
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Who believed the spin:
Other news organizations struggled to understand the case, some apparently believing the spin that Mr. Ford was being persecuted for helping disadvantaged youth. According to Britain's Daily Mail, the judge found that Mr. Ford used city stationery improperly, a conclusion established much earlier by Toronto's integrity commissioner, and that he was being turfed for conflict of interest as a councillor. Later in the same story, though, they got it right: he was guilty of conflict for his actions while mayor, for voting on a motion that had a financial impact on him.
Who had fun:
Most foreign media mined the mayor's rocky tenure for its comedic value. The Atlantic Cities ran a grossly unflattering picture of Mr. Ford, whom it described as "the football-coaching, budget-tightening, bike-lane-removing, casino-desiring mayor of Toronto." The Hollywood Reporter recalled the "don't hit babies" advice Mr. Ford gave celebrities Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis, who were in town promoting their political comedy The Campaign, and reminded readers that Keith Olbermann had once dubbed Mr. Ford "the worst person in the world."
Who went personal:
Forbes took a more nuanced approach, citing Mr. Ford's controversies but noting also that some of Toronto's problems stem from city growth that preceded him. The reporter acknowledged that the scandal might be hard for her readers to grasp. "The whole thing might seem a little crazy, given that so little money is involved, but it's right in line with Ford's larger than life persona," she wrote. "I met him at a Bruce Springsteen concert this summer, and you couldn't miss him, clad in a suit when the rest of us were in jeans, shaking hands along the Rogers Centre floor while Springsteen was singing onstage."This article was published in the Spring 1994 issue of Formulations
by the Free Nation Foundation
The Nature of Law
by Roderick T. Long
(to table of contents of FNF archives) (to start of Part I)
Outline (all four parts)
Part I: Law and Order Without Government
- Introduction
- Varieties of Law
- Public Goods vs. Public Choice
Part II: The Three Functions of Law
- Why Three Functions?
- Should Law Be Monopolized?
- Locke's Case for Monocentric Law
- The Lockean Case Against Locke
Part III: Law vs. Legislation
- Socrates on Law
- Two Senses of Law
- Natural Law and Human Law
- Natural Law and Customary Law
- Law vs. Legislation: Documentary Evidence
Part IV: The Basis of Natural Law
- Is There Room for Natural Law?
- Who Has the Burden of Proof?
- Objection One: Natural Law Serves No Useful Purpose
- Objection Two: There Couldn't Be Such a Thing as Natural Law
- Objection Three: Even If There Were a Natural Law, It Would Be Unknowable
- Objection Four: Evolutionary Explanations Make Natural Law Obsolete
- Notes
- John Locke on Natural Law
(back to top of page) (to top of outline)
Part I: Law and Order Without Government
Most people take the terms order, law, and government to be coextensive. Without government, there would be no law. Without law, there would be no social order. In fact, however, the three concepts are distinct.
Law may be defined as that institution or set of institutions in a given society that adjudicates conflicting claims and secures compliance in a formal, systematic, and orderly way. Law thus defined is one species of social order, but not the whole of it; there are also less formal mechanisms for maintaining social order. Indeed, the vast bulk of cooperation in society in fact depends on informal order rather than on law.
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Varieties of Law
Law may be subdivided into voluntary and coercive law, depending on the means whereby compliance is secured. Voluntary law, as the name implies, relies solely on voluntary means, such as social pressure, boycotts, and the like, in order to secure compliance with the results of adjudication. Coercive law, on the other hand, relies at least in part on force and threats of force.
Coercive law in turn may be further subdivided into monocentric and polycentric coercive law. Under monocentric coercive law, there is a single institution that claims, and in large part achieves, a coercive monopoly on the use of force to adjudicate claims and secure compliance in a given territorial area. This institution is called a government, and everyone other than the government and its agents is forbidden to adjudicate by force. Under polycentric law, by contrast, no one agency claims or possesses such a monopoly.
An anarchist, then, is not someone who rejects order or law or even coercive law, but rather one who rejects government. The anarchist argues that informal order, voluntary law, and polycentric coercive law are sufficient to maintain social cooperation; the advocate of government argues that monocentric coercive law is needed in addition, and indeed typically maintains that the amount of social order that can be maintained through non-governmental sources alone is quite small.
Yet a great deal of social order is maintained through informal means alone. In Order Without Law: How Neighbors Settle Disputes, economist Robert Ellickson has shown how disputes over land use are frequently resolved informally, without recourse to official adjudication, and certainly without recourse to legal statutes (the relevant statutes being generally unknown to the disputing parties in any case). More broadly, Robert Axelrod in The Evolution of Cooperation has explained why cooperation is generally a successful strategy and thus why it tends to be "selected for" by the market, as cooperative relationships emerge and grow spontaneously without being directed by any authority.
When there is a need for the more formal mechanism of law, this law may be voluntary rather than coercive. An example of voluntary law is the Law Merchant, a system of commercial law that emerged in the late Middle Ages in response to the need for a common set of standards to govern international trade. The merchants, fed up with the excessive rigidity of governmental laws regulating commerce, and frustrated by the lack of uniformity among the commercial codes of different nations, simply formed their own Europe-wide system of courts and legal codes. For enforcement, the Law Merchant relied not on state-imposed penalties but on credit reports; those who refused to abide by the system's rules and decisions would have a hard time finding other merchants willing to deal with them. (The case of the Law Merchant shows that systems of private law need not depend on kinship or other local ties for their success.)
When law is coercive, it need not be monocentric. For example, under early Anglo-Saxon law, Kings made foreign policy only; domestic policy was left to local courts called Moots, which simply enforced agreed-upon local customs. Neither Kings nor Moots had any power of domestic enforcement; it was up to individuals to enforce the law by private coercion. Such individuals generally formed associations called borhs, pledging security for one another's reliability; even here, much enforcement was through social sanction (being denied membership in a borh) rather than coercion.
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Public Goods vs. Public Choice
Thus private law, whether strictly voluntary or also coercive, has proven itself historically as an effective provider of social order. But the anarchist's point is not simply that monocentric law is not necessary in order to maintain social order, but more fundamentally that introducing monocentrism into the picture actually decreases social order.
Advocates of government assume that non-governmental mechanisms for achieving order will be ineffective because of public-goods problems specifically, the problem that unless people are forced to cooperate, each person will have an incentive to free-ride on the cooperation of others without cooperating himself. This argument is often taken to show the necessity of government.
But if market solutions are beset by perverse incentives caused by public-goods problems, governmental solutions are likewise beset by perverse incentives caused by public-choice problems: monopolies that collect revenues by force are not accountable to their clients, and state officials need not bear the financial cost of their decisions; inefficiency is the inevitable result. Since both systems involve perverse incentives, the important question is: which system is better at overcoming such incentives?
And here the answer is clear. Under a market system, entrepreneurs stand to reap financial rewards by figuring out ways to supply "public" goods while excluding free riders. Thus the system that creates the perverse incentives also creates the very incentives to overcome them. That's why every so-called "public" good has been supplied privately at one time or another in history. Governments, by contrast, must by definition forbid competition. Thus governments, unlike markets, have no way of solving their incentive problems. We would be well-advised, then, to buy our law on the market rather than from the state. D
ORDER
Informal LAW
Order
Voluntary Coercive
law law
Polycentric Monocentric
coercive law coercive law
(government)
Roderick T. Long is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is currently completing a book on the free will problem in Aristotle.
( to top of page) (to top of outline)NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 18: Composer Ramin Djawadi attends the 'Game Of Thrones' Season 4 New York premiere at Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center on March 18, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
When the Game of Thrones Season 6 finale literally opened with a bang…a rather large bang, it was composer Ramin Djawadi’s awe-inspiring score “Light of the Seven” that really helped to bring it home. That exquisite piece of music alone, should have put the composer in the driver’s seat to win an Emmy for Best Series Music Composition. Sadly, or rather, tragically, Djawadi’s work wasn’t nominated.
There is an explanation, however, as website Gold Derby explains, and it has to do with the odd process by which the the Television Academy’s music branch decides the nominations. It’s a rather long and drawn-out process, and Gold Derby explains it quite nicely:
Unlike all other categories, in which producers, public relations or awards representatives may submit on others’ behalf, it is up to the eligible composers, lyricists and musical directors to submit themselves for consideration in the music categories.
The site goes on to explain that, unlike most other Emmy categories, no ballots are issued, because musical nominations are not decided by popular vote. As for Ramin Djawadi’s part, Game of Thrones isn’t his only gig. The composer currently scores Person of Interest on CBS, and The Strain on FX. As Gold Derby points out, each composer is only eligible for two submissions, per category. There’s also another piece to the puzzle of this convoluted process:
And while submission costs in other categories are normally absorbed by the campaigning studio, the music branch only allows musicians themselves to submit so Djawadi would have had to pay the entry fee of $225, beyond the first free submission, out of his own pocket.
That hardly seems fair, seeing as how a show like Game of Thrones is so universally well-known and popular, in part, because of its now iconic opening theme. Gold Derby also notes here, that Djawadi is eligible this year, for his opening sequence theme for The Strain, so that also narrows the chances that a piece of music from Thrones would get nominated. The site also listed this year’s nominations for Best Series Music Composition, and as you can see, Game of Thrones is not among them:
“Bates Motel” (one other nomination): Chris Bacon, “Forever” “Chef’s Table” (two other nominations): Duncan Thum, “Grant Achatz” “Limitless” (no other nominations): Paul Leonard-Morgan, “Pilot” “Minority Report” (no other nominations): Sean Callery, “Pilot” “Mr. Robot” (five other nominations): Mac Quayle, “eps1.0_ hellofriend.mov” “Penny Dreadful” (five other nominations): Abel Korzeniowski, “And They Were Enemies”
Moving on from the mess that is Emmy nominations for musical scores, Djawadi did sit down with Vulture, to discuss what went into composing “Light of the Seven,” as well as his other Game of Thrones scores. The composer told Vulture that he is stunned by the response his music is receiving, saying: “I never would have thought that would happen. It’s so exciting because it’s such a special finale.”
While hauntingly beautiful, and quite memorable, “Light of the Seven” isn’t the only famous Game of Thrones musical score that Djawadi has received praise for. The composer talked about his theme for the White Walkers: “Winter is Coming.”
Djawadi sat down with Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, and discussed how the White Walkers should sound. What they came up with was: Ice. According to Vulture, Djawadi used a glass harmonica for that “really high, eerie, icy sound,” at first, but when the Season 2 finale showed the White Walkers controlling an army of the dead, the composer turned to an orchestra.
Djawadi also talked about several other scores from the show, Jon Snow’s murder at the hands of his brothers in the Night’s Watch, in the Season 5 finale, being one.
It was a toned down, slower version of the main title. And then it went to silence. Silence can be a very powerful tool. Sometimes it’s more powerful to leave you with nothing.
Vulture goes on to discuss, in-depth, many other of Djawadi’s Game of Thrones musical scores, and you should definitely read that piece in its entirety, but the topic of “Light of the Seven” was talked about, toward the end. Here’s what Vulture had to say in that regard:
Listen closely to the church organ playing in The Godfather and you’ll hear an arrangement of a passacaglia. As it turns out, when Djawadi was composing “Light of the Seven,” he originally thought about making it a passacaglia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFK0yG8xG5I
Apparently, Djawadi’s use of a piano for the piece, is the first time piano has been introduced as part of the music of Game of Thrones. Interesting note, that. I could listen to this particular score, all day. Which Ramin Djawadi Game of Thrones musical score is your favorite? Let’s discuss.FRANKFURT (Reuters) - The European Central Bank is ready to temporarily step up purchases of Italian government bonds if the result of a crucial referendum on Sunday sharply drives up borrowing costs for the euro zone’s largest debtor, central bank sources told Reuters.
Italian government debt and bank shares have sold off ahead of the Dec. 4 referendum on constitutional reforms because of the risk of political turmoil. Opinion polls suggest the ‘No’ camp is heading for victory, which could force out Prime Minister Matteo Renzi in the latest upheaval against the ruling establishment sweeping the developed world.
The ECB could use its 80-billion-euro ($84.8 billion) monthly bond-buying programme to counter any immediate, further spike in bond yields after the vote, smoothing market moves and supporting bonds, according to four euro zone central bank sources who asked not to be named.
The preparations show that even though the proposed Italian reforms - such as reducing the powers of the upper house of parliament - have no relation to sovereign debt or economic policy, the fact Renzi has staked his premiership on the outcome of the vote has made it a flashpoint for financial markets.
Italian bond yields fell to a one-week low on Tuesday in response to the Reuters report.
The sources said the ECB bond-buying scheme was flexible enough to allow for a temporary increase in Italian purchases and that such a move would not necessarily need to be rubber-stamped by the ECB’s Governing Council, which is due to meet on Dec. 8 to decide on whether to keep buying bonds after March.
But they stressed this would be limited to days or weeks, to counter any immediate market volatility, because the asset-purchase programme was designed to shore up inflation and economic growth in the entire euro zone and was not intended to fight crises in individual countries.
This means that, if Italy or its banks needed longer-term financial support, Rome would need to formally ask for help.
“The Governing Council understands that there is some space to help Italy, which will be used, if needed. The asset purchase programme has built-in flexibility,” said one of the sources. “The key is that the ECB has to be convinced the volatility can be overcome by using this flexibility.”
The ECB declined to comment.
With one of the world’s largest public debt piles, Italy’s borrowing costs are closely watched as a potential trigger for market instability in the wider euro zone.
They risked spiralling out of control during the sovereign debt crisis until ECB President Mario Draghi pledged in 2012 to do whatever it took to save the euro.
RENZI RISKS
Renzi has said he will resign if Italians reject his reforms, which would abolish the elected upper house Senate and replace it with a chamber of regional representatives with much reduced powers. The government is also proposing taking back some key decision-making powers from the regions.
Investors worry that his departure would lead to political instability and bolster the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, which has called for a referendum on euro zone membership.
Speaking in public, ECB officials remain sanguine.
Draghi emphasised on Monday that Italy’s debt was sustainable, albeit with no room for complacency given its huge sovereign debt pile.
Vice President Vitor Constancio opened the door to an ECB intervention last week but also stressed that still-low Italian bond yields did not point to investor fears that the country may crash out of the euro zone.
The headquarters of the European Central Bank (ECB) are illuminated with a giant euro sign at the start of the "Luminale, light and building" event in Frankfurt, Germany, March 12, 2016. EUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/File Photo
Indeed, the health of Italian banks, rather than the governments |
go wrong with Aaron Rodgers selected as the second-best player and former Wisconsin Badgers star J.J. Watt chosen as the best in the league.
Nonetheless, opinions were offered on how anyone could have voted Rodgers as anything but the best player because of how much of a role he plays in the Green Bay Packers’ success.
Counterpoints insisted Watts’ season was more exciting and provided more entertainment value than Rodgers “ho-hum” statistics of 38 TD passes and five interceptions.
As a former high school quarterback, I would definitely support Rodgers’ stat line as out-of-this-world and worthy of being the best the league has to offer.
However, I couldn’t argue with those who have a defensive mindset plugging for Watt as No. 1.
Another sports talk topic of interest for me would be to discuss which sport demonstrates the best sportsmanship.
Results from TeamScore Inc sportsmanship studies from several years ago showed that basketball, soccer and hockey were the three worst sports when it came to poor sportsmanship as viewed by high school coaches and/or administrators.
On the other hand, tennis and track/cross country were the best, with volleyball and softball close behind.
Wrestling, baseball and football were in the middle of the pack.
As you can see, several sports, like golf, swimming, gymnastics and lacrosse didn’t make the list, and that’s because most schools don’t have those sports and therefore too few results produced noncredible data.
There’s another that also didn’t make the list, one you might not consider a sport.
But if it is a sport, having statistical categories such as Aggression, Control, Weapons and Defense, you’d think it’d be a sport with absolutely no sportsmanship whatsoever.
However, from what I’ve witnessed on television over the last few weeks, “BattleBots” may have the best sportsmanship amongst competitors than any event I’ve seen.
It’s true, the goal in “BattleBots” is to try and knock out your opponent — to inflict as much damage as you can through the use of a remote-controlled, armored machine. But in the end, the competitors show respect and admiration for their opponents, and humility about their accomplishments, regardless if they win or lose.
If I’m a coach, it’s exactly how I would want players to represent their team.
When these competitors go at it, you can tell they approach what they’re doing as a fun event, not something that’s going to be life or death, and not something that determines their worth in life.
They love to create and they love to compete with their creations.
If they lose, they look to improve their machine for the next competition, and if they win, they look to improve their machine for the next match.
Nonetheless, it’s been a treat for me to watch competition the way it should be, just for the fun of it.This Sardines-Tomato and Spinach Soup is so good you’ll swear out loud. The Filipino soup’s name is an expletive in the Pampango dialect. But before I translate the swear word, let me tell you how a crisis brings out the best in everyone. Storm Sandy hit us in the east coast and left such devastation. It also brought out the best soups from my pantry. We were caught off guard by the storm calamity but I was not totally unprepared.
With the constant power outages, I quickly surveyed my pantry and found a gold mine in the cans of sardines I had received a while ago from my dear friend, Carmen. She had thoughtfully sent me a generous supply of sardines along with the Filipino cured meat products she makes.
I knew instantly I could whip up a good pot of sardine soup. I sautéed garlic, onions, tomatoes and poured in the sardines, broth and spinach. After a quick boil I had a simmering potful of sinfully good, tomato-flavored sardines soup. It is so amazing that the original recipe of this soup is a Pampango expletive that translates to “Soup! Son of a b—-!“. For those who are curious, Pampanga, a province north of Manila, is known as the “culinary capital of the Philippines”. Yes, I swear this soup is that good! Served hot with the fragrant boiled jasmine rice, it was splendid and swear-worthy!Pat Robertson on Wednesday blasted “hard-nosed fundamentalists” for being “mean” and telling people they would go to Hell.
A viewer named Robin wrote to the televangelist and explained that her husband had warned that she would “go to Hell” if she didn’t read the Bible.
“You have my profound sympathy for being married to somebody like that,” Robertson replied. “You know, there are hard-nosed fundamentalists. I mean, they really are.”
“They’re just such mean people,” he continued. “And life is so stark, and God is a cruel overseer who puts you in Hell if you don’t read the Bible. I mean, that’s nonsense.”
But just last week, Robertson warned another viewer that he was going to end up in Hell for being Wiccan.
“Being a good person and helping people, when you get to the end of the road and stand in the pearly gates, God’s going to say, ‘You’re one of the nicest people I’ve ever had to send away from here,’” the TV preacher said. “Because that doesn’t cut it.”
Watch the video below from CBN’s The 700 Club, broadcast April 9, 2014.In a surprising turnaround, the amount of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere in the U.S. has fallen dramatically to its lowest level in 20 years, and government officials say the biggest reason is that cheap and plentiful natural gas has led many power plant operators to switch from dirtier-burning coal.
Many of the world's leading climate scientists didn't see the drop coming, in large part because it happened as a result of market forces rather than direct government action against carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere.
Michael Mann, director of the Earth System Science Center at Penn State University, said the shift away from coal is reason for "cautious optimism" about potential ways to deal with climate change. He said it demonstrates that "ultimately people follow their wallets" on global warming.
"There's a very clear lesson here. What it shows is that if you make a cleaner energy source cheaper, you will displace dirtier sources," said Roger Pielke Jr., a climate expert at the University of Colorado.
In a little-noticed technical report, the U.S. Energy Information Agency, a part of the Energy Department, said this month that total U.S. CO 2 emissions for the first four months of this year fell to about 1992 levels. The Associated Press contacted environmental experts, scientists and utility companies and learned that virtually everyone believes the shift could have major long-term implications for U.S. energy policy.
While conservation efforts, the lagging economy and greater use of renewable energy are factors in the CO 2 decline, the drop-off is due mainly to low-priced natural gas, the agency said.
A frenzy of shale gas drilling in the Northeast's Marcellus Shale and in Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana has caused the wholesale price of natural gas to plummet from $7 or $8 per unit to about $3 over the past four years, making it cheaper to burn than coal for a given amount of energy produced. As a result, utilities are relying more than ever on gas-fired generating plants.
Both government and industry experts said the biggest surprise is how quickly the electric industry turned away from coal. In 2005, coal was used to produce about half of all the electricity generated in the U.S. The Energy Information Agency said that fell to 34% in March, the lowest level since it began keeping records nearly 40 years ago.
The question is whether the shift is just one bright spot in a big, gloomy picture, or a potentially larger trend.
Coal and energy use are still growing rapidly in other countries, particularly China, and CO 2 levels globally are rising, not falling. Moreover, changes in the marketplace—a boom in the economy, a fall in coal prices, a rise in natural gas—could stall or even reverse the shift. For example, U.S. emissions fell in 2008 and 2009, then rose in 2010 before falling again last year.
Also, while natural gas burns cleaner than coal, it still emits some CO 2. And drilling has its own environmental consequences, which are not yet fully understood.
"Natural gas is not a long-term solution to the CO 2 problem," Pielke warned.
The International Energy Agency said the U.S. has cut carbon dioxide emissions more than any other country over the last six years. Total U.S. carbon emissions from energy consumption peaked at about 6 billion metric tons in 2007. Projections for this year are around 5.2 billion, and the 1990 figure was about 5 billion.
China's emissions were estimated to be about 9 billion tons in 2011, accounting for about 29% of the global total. The U.S. accounted for approximately 16%.
Mann called it "ironic" that the shift from coal to gas has helped bring the U.S. closer to meeting some of the greenhouse gas targets in the 1997 Kyoto treaty on global warming, which the United States never ratified. On the other hand, leaks of methane from natural gas wells could be pushing the U.S. over the Kyoto target for that gas.
Even with such questions, public health experts welcome the shift, since it is reducing air pollution.
"The trend is good. We like it. We are pleased that we're shifting away from one of the dirtiest sources to one that's much cleaner," said Janice Nolen, an American Lung Association spokeswoman. "It's been a real surprise to see this kind of shift. We certainly didn't predict it."
Power plants that burn coal produce more than 90 times as much sulfur dioxide, five times as much nitrogen oxide and twice as much carbon dioxide as those that run on natural gas, according to the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress. Sulfur dioxide causes acid rain and nitrogen oxides lead to smog.
Bentek, an energy consulting firm in Colorado, said that sulfur dioxide emissions at larger power plants in 28 Eastern, Midwestern and Southern states fell 34 percent during the past two years, and nitrous oxide fell 16 percent. Natural gas has helped the power industry meet federal air pollution standards earlier than anticipated, Bentek said.
Last year the Environmental Protection Agency issued its first rules to limit CO 2 emissions from power plants, but the standards don't take effect until 2014 and 2015. Experts had predicted that the rules might reduce emissions over the long term, but they didn't expect so many utilities to shift to gas so early. And they think price was the reason.
"A lot of our units are running much more gas than they ever have in the past," said Melissa McHenry, a spokeswoman for Ohio-based American Electric Power Co. "It really is a reflection of what's happened with shale gas."
"In the near term, all that you're going to build is a natural gas plant," she said. Still, she warned: "Natural gas has been very volatile historically. Whether shale gas has really changed that — the jury is still out. I don't think we know yet."
Jason Hayes, a spokesman for the American Coal Council, based in Washington, predicted cheap gas won't last.
"Coal is going to be here for a long time. Our export markets are growing. Demand is going up around the world. Even if we decide not to use it, everybody else wants it," he said. Hayes also said the industry expects new coal-fired power plants will be built as pollution-control technology advances: "The industry will meet the challenge" of the EPA regulations.
The boom in gas production has come about largely because of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. Large volumes of water, plus sand and chemicals, are injected to break shale rock apart and free the gas.
Environmentalists say that the fluids can pollute underground drinking water supplies and that methane leaks from drilling cause serious air pollution and also contribute to global warming. The industry and many government officials say the practice is safe when done properly. But there have been cases in which faulty wells did pollute water, and there is little reliable data about the scale of methane leakage.
"The Sierra Club has serious doubts about the net benefits of natural gas," said Deborah Nardone, director of the group's Beyond Natural Gas campaign.
"Without sufficient oversight and protections, we have no way of knowing how much dangerous pollution is being released into Americans' air and water by the gas industry. For those reason, our ultimate goal is to replace coal with clean energy and energy efficiency and as little natural gas as possible."
Wind supplied less than 3% of the nation's electricity in 2011 according to EIA data, and solar power was far less. Estimates for this year suggest that coal will account for about 37% of the nation's electricity, natural gas 30%, and nuclear about 19%.
Some worry that cheap gas could hurt renewable energy efforts.
"Installation of new renewable energy facilities has now all but dried up, unable to compete on a grid now flooded with a low-cost, high-energy fuel," two experts from Colorado's Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute said in an essay posted this week on Environment360, a Yale University website.
How much further the shift from coal to natural gas can go is unclear. Bentek says that power companies plan to retire 175 coal-fired plants over the next five years. That could bring coal's CO 2 emissions down to 1980 levels. However, the EIA predicts prices of natural gas will start to rise a bit next year, and then more about eight years from now.
Despite unanswered questions about the environmental effects of drilling, the gas boom "is actually one of a number of reasons for cautious optimism," Mann said. "There's a lot of doom and gloom out there. It is important to point out that there is still time" to address global warning.
Associated Press writers Seth Borenstein in Washington and Jonathan Fahey in New York contributed to this story.
U.S. Energy Information Agency
Environment 360
Source: Associated PressOpinion writer
We know President Trump during the campaign publicly encouraged the Russians to hack and release Hillary Clinton’s emails. We know he referenced the WikiLeaks email dump 145 times in the closing days of the campaign. We also know that Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner and then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort met with Russians in June 2016 with the promise of “dirt” on Hillary Clinton, and we have learned that campaign adviser George Papadopoulos had extensive contacts with Russian officials that included discussion of “dirt” on Clinton. To say that there is no evidence of collusion, then, would be one more big lie in a series of big lies the administration has deployed to defend itself in the Russia investigation that threatens to sink this presidency.
But in case all of that were not enough to constitute “collusion” (which is not a legal term), The Post reports:
Trump’s eldest son exchanged private messages with WikiLeaks during the presidential campaign at the same time the website was publishing hacked emails from Democratic officials, according to correspondence made public Monday. Donald Trump Jr. did not respond to many of the notes, which were sent using the direct message feature on Twitter. But he alerted senior advisers on his father’s campaign, including his brother-in-law, Jared Kushner, according to two people familiar with the exchanges. In the messages, WikiLeaks urged Trump Jr. to promote its trove of hacked Democratic emails and suggested that President Trump challenge the election results if he did not win, among other ideas. They were first reported by the Atlantic and later posted by Trump Jr. on Twitter.
Even more directly, Donald Trump Jr. was urged to have his father tweet a link to the leaked email:
“Hey Donald, great to see you and your dad talking about our publications,” WikiLeaks wrote. “Strongly suggest your dad tweets this link if he mentions us.” The message included a link to search documents that had been hacked from Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta. Trump Jr. did not answer. Fifteen minutes later, his father tweeted to his millions of followers: “Very little pick-up by the dishonest media of incredible information provided by WikiLeaks. So dishonest! Rigged system!” Two days later, Trump Jr. tweeted the link to his followers, writing, “For those who have the time to read about all the corruption and hypocrisy all the @wikileaks emails are right here: http://wlsearch.tk/.”
Trump may claim that his son was acting foolishly on his own and that he tweeted without knowledge of his son’s communication with WikiLeaks. Even if you believe that, it can no longer be said that there was no behind-the-scenes coordination (i.e. collusion) between the top level of the Trump campaign and the most prominent Russian “cut-out,” WikiLeaks.
So is this the proverbial smoking gun? “I wouldn’t say it’s the smoking gun on its own,” says Susan Hennessey of the Lawfare blog. However, she says that “in the broader context it’s yet another strand in [the] rope. Every single time these guys are offered dirty materials or illicit contacts their response is to say yes and push further.” She argues that it is “hard not to think that someone, somewhere crossed the line into criminality.”
Collusion, however, need not be illegal — and is not a legal concept at all. This began as a counterintelligence investigation into whether Russian operatives had help in their efforts to meddle with the election. The growing body of evidence suggests that there was. As for criminality, it is the effort to halt the investigation (e.g., lean on former FBI director James B. Comey not to investigate Michael Flynn, fire Comey, draft a fake explanation for the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting) that raises the potential for a charge of obstruction of justice.
However, at bottom this is also a political question, namely whether Trump’s conduct violated his oath of office and whether he abused the powers of the presidency to protect himself from embarrassment. Republican tribalists likely will never reach that conclusion, but a member of Congress viewing in good faith all this evidence in context (plus Trump’s attacks on the courts and press, his compulsive lying and his refusal to protect the country against further Russian interference) could — and I would suggest, should — reach a different result. Surely if Hillary Clinton were president the Republicans would have already commenced impeachment proceedings.December 7, 2012 - TF2 Team
Make sure to check out Spike TV's Video Game Awards pre-show tonight at 8pm EST over here, where we'll be unveiling the winner of the Best Overall category from the 2012 Saxxy Awards! (In case you miss it, go ahead and rewind to the beginning).
That not exciting enough for you? Well, Spike TV is also picking the best game of the decade. And guess what game is nominated. Did you guess TF2? Because, no. Believe us, we read the list about twenty times to make sure, and TF's definitely not on there. Why? Our guess is that it's all just a big popularity contest where commitment to you - the best community of the decade - apparently doesn't count for crap. That said, we should all stay calm and put the system on trial next decade, because both Portal and Half Life 2 are nominated, which is a pretty sweet deal for those two games. Sure, voting for one of them isn't the same as voting for TF2, but it's honestly as close as you're gonna get for at least ten more years, so go for it.
UPDATE: Click here to see the winner of Best Overall!Famous unemployed persons Dr. Eugene Trani, former president of VCU, and John Watkins, former Virginia senator from Powhatan, have checked in with us through the pages of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and boy oh boy, do they ever have some thoughts for us about where “downtown” is, how people use trains, and how much parking is required for everything (SPOILER: INFINITE!). Specifically, Dr. Trani has swooped in once more to make a sad case for building some sort of magical new train station on Boulevard rather than sending trains to, like, the very pretty train station we already have downtown.
I think this is a super un-smart idea, and it’s an idea that people like for really bad reasons.
So I couldn’t restrain myself. Below is my abridged line-to-line response to “Why Richmond needs a new train station on the Boulevard”, which is the title of the opinion piece but not a thing that is true.
The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation is winding up a Tier II Environmental Impact Statement for the future of rail transportation on the 123-mile corridor from Washington to Centralia, which is 16 miles south of Richmond
This is mostly accurate! OK! We’re off to a good start here, with the Recitation of the Things.
There has been much publicity about how to get the trains through Hanover and Ashland. There has been much less discussion about the train station, or stations, in Richmond
That’s because everyone but you and miscellaneous other white dudes is pretty sure we should have passenger trains go to our passenger train station that already exists.
The federal government appears to want both station locations, and its one-size-fits-all regulations may prevent an objective consideration of the true, long-term economic opportunities available to our entire region
I like to think that Dr. Trani and Mr. Watkins sat down in front of a Ouija board and asked it to tell them what the US Federal Government really wants, and after a long session of sputtering, it spelled out to them, “the US Federal Government, an entity with thoughts and feelings which is hamstrung by one-size-fits-all regulations, whatever that means, desires passenger rail service to serve both Staples Mill Road and Main Street Station.”
The current study started with 15 possible station locations for Richmond but quickly narrowed the study to four locations: Main Street, Broad Street, the Boulevard, and Staples Mill. There are seven possible alternatives, with four being full-service single station options at each of the above locations and three being split service between Main Street and Staples Mill
This is correct! You can check out the seven service alternatives for Richmond yourself.
There should be only one station in the Richmond area. This would be similar to the other major cities from Washington to Boston and would improve the times of the trip from Richmond to Washington.
Not true. Fact Check: Boston has approximately one million stations (Route 128, Back Bay, South Station, and North Station), and it’s a pain in the ass. You literally can’t take a train from Maine to New York because of this. But sure, I’m with you on the principle. One station is definitely best for us. One station makes it easier, simpler, and more cost-effective to connect intercity passenger rail with frequent public transit and other local transportation services.
Only a Broad Street or Main Street station location will benefit immediately from Pulse BRT service scheduled to begin in October of 2017. This kind of connection to frequent, reliable mass transit is critical. We can’t afford to waste precious, potentially revenue-generating real estate on deeply underperforming assets like lots of parking. But oh? What’s this?
It should have excellent highway access and significant parking, if we are serious about getting people out of their cars and off I-95
OK. Stop. Garbage. If we’re serious about getting people out of their cars, we aren’t sending them to the train station in their cars in the first place. They’re taking transit, they’re riding a bike, they’re getting dropped off by a friend or a taxi or whatever.
And I’m gonna show you this graphic this one time, but I need you to remember it every single time this piece barfs up another superlative adjective followed by the word “parking:” if “parking” is a thing that we need at Main Street Station, well, there’s definitely room for it. Here’s all the land area being used for parking in the immediate vicinity of Main Street Station today:
If anything, Main Street Station area needs to go on a serious parking diet. So yes, “we need a Boulevard Station because Main Street Station can’t have parking” is nonsense. Moving on.
Second, it should be located in the “downtown” area, though modern definitions of what makes up “downtown” are changing. Unfortunately, the city and the federal government rely on a 1950s definition of where Richmond’s downtown actually is. Shockoe Bottom’s recovery since the floods is impressive, but it is no longer the “downtown” part of our city and it is not the true cultural or employment center of our region.
Wait. Back. Up. The. Truck. Downtown Richmond isn’t Downtown? Where on earth is Downtown Richmond? Who moved it?
It’s a funny thing about “1950s definition of where downtown actually is.” If you had a downtown in the 1950s, well, your downtown is still there today. Sure, there are good chances that, in a healthy city and region, other centers of significant activity have developed. But downtown is right where it’s always been: downtown.
Just check out these spiffy pics from Google Earth and ask one question: “Which of these places looks, today, like an Actual Downtown?”
Job concentrations exist in an oblong, east-west axis between the I-95 James River bridge and I-195
Oh, that’s much clearer. Downtown Richmond is an oblong, east-west axis between two interstate highways, and it is this thing because “job concentrations” exist within this oblong.
A three and a half mile stretch of turf covering over 7 square miles of area. Well, OK, but, what you’re speaking of isn’t “downtown.” Trust me. You will be mercilessly mocked, and deservedly, for telling a city resident that your “favorite downtown restaurant” is in Carytown.
Downtowns are a special kind of thing. Though decent-sized cities have multiple business districts, and even multiple cores, in America your downtown is a specific core that is the historical center of commerce and government. In Richmond, this actual downtown is growing rapidly for the same reasons that so many others are. It already has good urban fabric, walkable streets, and regular transit service, and, of course, a very heavy concentration of jobs.
And downtowns aren’t geographically huge, either. Even in the ten largest cities in America, the most sprawling downtown core measures in at just about two square miles. Most are much smaller:
Which makes the assertion that this vast chunk of Richmond is “downtown” look positively farcical. Check out The Oblong East-West Axis overlaid with LA’s humongously sprawly downtown:
Claiming such a vast swath of territory as “downtown” shows a deep lack of understanding of how cities function, what they are, or how they work.
This is the true and rapidly redeveloping downtown of our entire region, and neither Main Street Station nor Staples Mill Station serve it or help this emerging region core grow.
Here’s a quick story, dude: according to Better Housing Coalition, which just announced a substantial investment in transit-oriented development in Scott’s Addition, there are about 1,200 apartment units total in the neighborhood. That sounds like a lot of apartments!
But with all the activity in Scott’s Addition, maybe it would be easy to miss, but you know where in Richmond added 1,350 new units in just the last year alone?
Oh! That’d be Downtown! Like, actual Downtown Richmond. Not whatever this thing is.
Finally, the location should contribute to RVA’s efforts for economic development, with a particular focus on recruiting and retaining young professionals to live and work in our area.
Major Spoiler Alert: You will read this meaningless phrase, “young professionals,” used several more times, for no apparent reason. Get your shot glasses ready, we’re making it a drinking game, OK?
Main Street Station is an iconic building that has had more than $80 million of renovations and is the choice of the city of Richmond to be the single train station for Richmond. But it has many problems, including being in a very congested area with little or no parking.
What does “very congested area” mean? Short Pump is a very congested area.
“Congestion” is not a thing that pedestrians really experience in cities our size, so when someone says “congested” in Richmond, I assume they mean “sometimes I have to wait in my car through a stoplight cycle before I can go to the next intersection.” Good transit, biking, and walking infrastructure obviates the need to worry about that.
As for the thing where we’re working through $80 million in renovations for Main Street Station right now: that actually does matter. Make no mistake: the Boulevard Station option absolutely means closing Main Street Station. No more train service there. Period. It’s right there in the plans:
Eh, maybe we can use it as an ice skating rink if we do this Boulevard Station, right? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
It also has major rail infrastructure problems that would be very costly to remedy
The entire point of this whole process is that we are going to spend money to remedy rail infrastructure problems.
The recent attempt to relocate the baseball stadium adjacent to Main Street Station should be a message to us all about the conflicting passions and histories of the Shockoe Bottom area
If you took away the message “it is impossible to do anything in the Shockoe Bottom area ever,” you weren’t paying even the slightest bit of attention.
Staples Mill is not “downtown” and even with the announced parking expansion would continue to have parking problems. It is not an attractive option. The area around the train station has done little for economic development, and it may be many decades before its surrounding low-density, strip retail development could actually power the entire region.
Agreed. Go on.
And it will not help recruit young professionals to live and work in our area
YOUNG PROFESSIONALS *glug*
Also, Staples Mill is not easily accessible from the southern or western quadrants of our region, nor is it served by transit
Whereas Main Street Station is, because it is downtown, at the confluence of a zillion major highways and surface streets, due very soon to be served by high-quality rapid transit, and even easy walking distance over nice streets on a tight grid to hotels, restaurants, and all kinds of other nice stuff. On the Boulevard, you can get off a train and walk to … well, I guess Starbucks is only a 15 minute walk away, and it has a drive-through. And there’s a Wawa coming. So those are pretty urban amenities.
In contrast, the Boulevard has many positive features to become a signature entrance into RVA, particularly if a “starchitect,” a well-known architect, would design the station
Oh! A “starchitect!” Maybe we could hire the award-winning firm responsible for some of Philadelphia’s most beloved institutional structures. Doesn’t that sound cool? Oh, wait. That’s already been done for us! The Seaboard Air Line and Chesapeake and Ohio hired Wilson Brothers to design an outstanding, landmark train station — in 1901. We call it “Main Street Station” today, and it already exists.
The Boulevard has great highway access and plenty of room for extensive parking
Remember this when later on, these dudes suggest their Boulevard station will, quote, “get people out of their cars,” because they really mean “get people out of their cars once they arrive at this train station and then get them immediately back into them when they return from wherever.”
It is located at an Interstate highway exit
Main Street Station is also located at an interstate highway exit — a series of them, in fact. This is not an actual differentiating factor. They are both at interstate highway exits. Stop trying to make “fetch” happen, Trani. It’s not going to happen.
and is already the site of many popular destinations, with the Science Museum, the Children’s Museum, the Bow Tie Cinemas complex, and The Diamond ballpark already attracting more than 1.5 million annual visitors
Riddle me this: What’s the first thing I want to do after I have made an intercity rail journey from a different city? Do I want to schlep all my baggage and go to a museum or see a movie? Do I want to go to a minor league baseball game with my wheelie suitcase wedged between my legs?
Or is it more likely that I want to go to my hotel via frequent, easy-to-use rapid transit, and then take a nap?
The emergence of Scott’s Addition as a major center for business, housing, and entertainment is only the first step of the development of the Boulevard, which should be rebranded as RVA’s Diamond
OK, so this is cute. I see what you’re saying. So, like, we called the baseball stadium The Diamond out of a desperate lack of imagination, because a “diamond” is the shape of the field on which the game baseball is played, but the idea here is, maybe we can use “Diamond” to mean “very nice, precious thing” instead.
Which is a pretty generous thing to call a low-slung assortment of warehouses, body shops, and self-storage units with no sidewalks.
It’s true that Scott’s Addition is growing. But to suggest that it’s a few rehabs of low-density buildings away from rivaling downtown for urbanity is just silly.
Combining the Boulevard station with the nearby Greyhound station could turn the Boulevard into an accessible transportation hub for the entire region, and a destination for travelers from Alexandria to Norfolk
Do you not believe that Greyhound service could be delivered at Main Street Station for some reason? The high-volume intercity bus service Megabus is currently operating a brisk business from the Main Street Station parking lot. Bring the Greyhound service downtown too! This is good for everyone!
The development that would occur at RVA’s Diamond would be dramatic. Retail, housing, entertainment, and business would flock to RVA’s new downtown
“RVA’s New Downtown” sure sounds appealing. The word “new” is right in there, and man, new things sure do outperform old things, don’t they? Except that RVA already has a downtown, which is conveniently located Downtown. Main Street Station is there!
RVA’s Diamond would be especially attractive for young professionals
YOUNG PROFESSIONALS SHOUTOUT NUMBER THREE! DRINK!
But seriously, when people say “young professionals,” it’s kind of an old person dog whistle for “educated, white collar white people that don’t require extensive public services.”
We could add a dozen more points, but suggest we just stop here and ask two simple questions: Could a Main Street station or a Staples Mill station support anything like these benefits?
Staples Mill? No. Main Street? Yes.
Would a Main Street station or a Staples Mill station do anything to get people out of cars and onto more sustainable modes of transportation?
Staples Mill? No. Main Street? Yes.
We believe that the answer to both questions is no
I don’t think you read your own questions very carefully.
If we do nothing, we will wind up with a two-station option of Staples Mill and Main Street. Only if we stand up and demand that the Boulevard be seriously considered will this great possibility occur.
Well, there you have it. We have a great possibility that can occur, of locating a new passenger rail station, designed by a Starchitect, for Young Professionals, in a New Downtown, “RVA’s Diamond,” where it will be disconnected from rapid transit and Actual Downtown and surrounded by just oodles and oodles of parking, guaranteeing that it will be just as sad as Staples Mill in perpetuity because it won’t generate any activity outside of its walls.
Where do we sign up, Richmond?
All kvetching aside, and I did a lot of kvetching
Main Street Station should absolutely be the station for Richmond. It’s actually downtown, it’s actually going to be served by excellent public transit, and it’s actually already a beautiful train station that exists.
All the arguments against it, and for the alternatives, come from a profoundly anti-urbanist view of Richmond’s future that continues to assume the vast majority of people will, in perpetuity, originate all trips from a car, and that we should make our development decisions to accommodate cars first and people second.
That’s not how we’re going to grow, y’all. It just ain’t.
You should keep up with the DC2RVA Rail Project closely as they work through the Tier II EIS process. It’s important work!
And if you want a robust Richmond, I’d encourage you to submit a comment supporting Main Street Station as Richmond’s single passenger rail hub. It’s the right thing to do.jQuery 1.6 and 1.6.1 are out the door. Congrats to the team and everyone that was involved with the release!
A relatively controversial change in 1.6 was regarding how attributes and DOM object properties were handled. In 1.6 we wanted to take the major step of completely separating the two, allowing us to create an.attr() method that wasn’t quite so mealy-mouthed with regards to how attributes were handled. We did this in 1.6 because we felt that it was a substantial change (we only do major changes in the 1.x major releases of jQuery) and had the possibility of affecting people.
We did a considerable amount of testing on the code and we were quite confident that the amount of problems that people would encounter, while upgrading, would be quite minimal. The biggest pain points, we surmised, would be regarding how boolean attributes were handled (attributes like “disabled” or “selected”). However most of this would be mitigated and would likely have worked fine for users that consistently used.attr() to access and update their attributes.
After making the changes, and publishing 1.6, there were enough complaints that we had changed the API to cause us to reconsider and return.attr() to its sometimes-attribute, sometimes-property, state.
jQuery is in an incredibly tricky position now (and has been for some time). We very rarely add features to the library, for fear of bloat and added API maintenance overhead, and are rarely able to make any sort of API change, for fear of preventing people from upgrading.
Thankfully even though we’ve reverted some of the changes in 1.6, we’ve done it in a way that still maintains the performance gains that we achieved with the 1.6 release.
I wanted to try and summarize the.attr() method, to explain how it currently works in 1.6.1, but ended up writing up a sample function instead (note that this is a bit of an over-simplification, please read the code for more details):
function attr( elem, name, value ) { // Are we setting a value? if ( value!== undefined ) { // Make sure the element has the ability to set an attribute if ( typeof elem.setAttribute!== "undefined" ) { // If the user is setting the value to false if |
has been eager to disassociate himself from the pics.DETROIT, March 9 (UPI) -- Levels of phosphorus in the Great Lakes are rising and endangering the aquatic food chain and human health, a U.S.-Canadian agency says.
The International Joint Commission urged a renewed effort to get the oxygen-depleting chemical out of the water, Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Wednesday.
The commission made the recommendation to both the U.S. and Canadian governments in its biennial report on the state of the Great Lakes given at Detroit's Wayne State University.
The two governments, currently renegotiating a bi-national water quality agreement, should include human health language in the agreement, the commission said.
It has been 15 years since the last programs to control phosphorus runoff ended, the CBC said.
The last few years have seen an increase in algae blooms caused by excessive nutrient runoff such as phosphorous, and those blooms include blue-green algae -- also known as cyanobacteria -- which produce toxins that pose a health risk to people and animals when they are exposed to them in large quantities, the report said.
"We don't know where the phosphorous is coming from," Bill Bowerman, chairman of the commission's science advisory board and a wildlife ecologist at South Carolina's Clemson University, said Wednesday.
"Some of our monitoring programs that would allow us to understand this either are under threat or have disappeared over the past 15 years."
Sources likely include inadequate municipal wastewater and residential septic systems, agricultural runoff, industrial livestock operations, and climate change, which causes more frequent and intense rainstorms, the commission said."Einstein-Rosen Bridge" redirects here. For the EP by Venetian Snares, see Einstein-Rosen Bridge (EP)
A wormhole (or Einstein–Rosen bridge) is a speculative structure linking disparate points in spacetime, and is based on a special solution of the Einstein field equations solved using a Jacobian matrix and determinant. A wormhole can be visualized as a tunnel with two ends, each at separate points in spacetime (i.e., different locations or different points of time). More precisely it is a transcendental bijection of the spacetime continuum, an asymptotic projection of the Calabi–Yau manifold manifesting itself in Anti-de Sitter space.
Wormholes are consistent with the general theory of relativity, but whether wormholes actually exist remains to be seen.
A wormhole could connect extremely long distances such as a billion light years or more, short distances such as a few meters, different universes, or different points in time.[1]
Visualization [ edit ]
Wormhole visualized
For a simplified notion of a wormhole, space can be visualized as a two-dimensional (2D) surface. In this case, a wormhole would appear as a hole in that surface, lead into a 3D tube (the inside surface of a cylinder), then re-emerge at another location on the 2D surface with a hole similar to the entrance. An actual wormhole would be analogous to this, but with the spatial dimensions raised by one. For example, instead of circular holes on a 2D plane, the entry and exit points could be visualized as spheres in 3D space.
Another way to imagine wormholes is to take a sheet of paper and draw two somewhat distant points on one side of the paper. The sheet of paper represents a plane in the spacetime continuum, and the two points represent a distance to be traveled, however theoretically a wormhole could connect these two points by folding that plane so the points are touching. In this way it would be much easier to traverse the distance since the two points are now touching.
Terminology [ edit ]
In 1928, Hermann Weyl proposed a wormhole hypothesis of matter in connection with mass analysis of electromagnetic field energy;[2][3] however, he did not use the term "wormhole" (he spoke of "one-dimensional tubes" instead).[4]
American theoretical physicist John Archibald Wheeler (inspired by Weyl's work)[4] coined the term "wormhole" in a 1957 paper co-authored by Charles Misner:[5]
This analysis forces one to consider situations... where there is a net flux of lines of force, through what topologists would call "a handle" of the multiply-connected space, and what physicists might perhaps be excused for more vividly terming a "wormhole". Charles Misner and John Wheeler in Annals of Physics
Modern definitions [ edit ]
Wormholes have been defined both geometrically and topologically.[further explanation needed] From a topological point of view, an intra-universe wormhole (a wormhole between two points in the same universe) is a compact region of spacetime whose boundary is topologically trivial, but whose interior is not simply connected. Formalizing this idea leads to definitions such as the following, taken from Matt Visser's Lorentzian Wormholes (1996).[6][page needed]
If a Minkowski spacetime contains a compact region Ω, and if the topology of Ω is of the form Ω ~ R × Σ, where Σ is a three-manifold of the nontrivial topology, whose boundary has topology of the form ∂Σ ~ S2, and if, furthermore, the hypersurfaces Σ are all spacelike, then the region Ω contains a quasipermanent intrauniverse wormhole.
Geometrically, wormholes can be described as regions of spacetime that constrain the incremental deformation of closed surfaces. For example, in Enrico Rodrigo's The Physics of Stargates, a wormhole is defined informally as:
a region of spacetime containing a "world tube" (the time evolution of a closed surface) that cannot be continuously deformed (shrunk) to a world line (the time evolution of a point).
Development [ edit ]
Schwarzschild wormholes [ edit ]
The equations of the theory of general relativity have valid solutions that contain wormholes. The first type of wormhole solution discovered was the Schwarzschild wormhole,[7] which would be present in the Schwarzschild metric describing an eternal black hole, but it was found that it would collapse too quickly for anything to cross from one end to the other. Wormholes that could be crossed in both directions, known as traversable wormholes, would only be possible if exotic matter with negative energy density could be used to stabilize them.[citation needed]
An artist's impression of a wormhole from an observer's perspective, crossing the event horizon of a Schwarzschild wormhole that bridges two different universes. The observer originates from the right, and another universe becomes visible in the center of the wormhole's shadow once the horizon is crossed, the observer seeing light that has fallen into the black hole interior region from the other universe; however, this other universe is unreachable in the case of a Schwarzschild wormhole, as the bridge always collapses before the observer has time to cross it, and everything that has fallen through the event horizon of either universe is inevitably crushed in the singularity
Schwarzschild wormholes, also known as Einstein–Rosen bridges[7] (named after Albert Einstein and Nathan Rosen),[8] are connections between areas of space that can be modeled as vacuum solutions to the Einstein field equations, and that are now understood to be intrinsic parts of the maximally extended version of the Schwarzschild metric describing an eternal black hole with no charge and no rotation. Here, "maximally extended" refers to the idea that the spacetime should not have any "edges": it should be possible to continue this path arbitrarily far into the particle's future or past for any possible trajectory of a free-falling particle (following a geodesic in the spacetime).
In order to satisfy this requirement, it turns out that in addition to the black hole interior region that particles enter when they fall through the event horizon from the outside, there must be a separate white hole interior region that allows us to extrapolate the trajectories of particles that an outside observer sees rising up away from the event horizon. And just as there are two separate interior regions of the maximally extended spacetime, there are also two separate exterior regions, sometimes called two different "universes", with the second universe allowing us to extrapolate some possible particle trajectories in the two interior regions. This means that the interior black hole region can contain a mix of particles that fell in from either universe (and thus an observer who fell in from one universe might be able to see light that fell in from the other one), and likewise particles from the interior white hole region can escape into either universe. All four regions can be seen in a spacetime diagram that uses Kruskal–Szekeres coordinates.
In this spacetime, it is possible to come up with coordinate systems such that if a hypersurface of constant time (a set of points that all have the same time coordinate, such that every point on the surface has a space-like separation, giving what is called a'space-like surface') is picked and an "embedding diagram" drawn depicting the curvature of space at that time, the embedding diagram will look like a tube connecting the two exterior regions, known as an "Einstein–Rosen bridge". Note that the Schwarzschild metric describes an idealized black hole that exists eternally from the perspective of external observers; a more realistic black hole that forms at some particular time from a collapsing star would require a different metric. When the infalling stellar matter is added to a diagram of a black hole's history, it removes the part of the diagram corresponding to the white hole interior region, along with the part of the diagram corresponding to the other universe.[9]
The Einstein–Rosen bridge was discovered by Ludwig Flamm in 1916,[10] a few months after Schwarzschild published his solution, and was rediscovered by Albert Einstein and his colleague Nathan Rosen, who published their result in 1935.[8][11] However, in 1962, John Archibald Wheeler and Robert W. Fuller published a paper[12] showing that this type of wormhole is unstable if it connects two parts of the same universe, and that it will pinch off too quickly for light (or any particle moving slower than light) that falls in from one exterior region to make it to the other exterior region.
According to general relativity, the gravitational collapse of a sufficiently compact mass forms a singular Schwarzschild black hole. In the Einstein–Cartan–Sciama–Kibble theory of gravity, however, it forms a regular Einstein–Rosen bridge. This theory extends general relativity by removing a constraint of the symmetry of the affine connection and regarding its antisymmetric part, the torsion tensor, as a dynamical variable. Torsion naturally accounts for the quantum-mechanical, intrinsic angular momentum (spin) of matter. The minimal coupling between torsion and Dirac spinors generates a repulsive spin–spin interaction that is significant in fermionic matter at extremely high densities. Such an interaction prevents the formation of a gravitational singularity.[clarification needed] Instead, the collapsing matter reaches an enormous but finite density and rebounds, forming the other side of the bridge.[13]
Although Schwarzschild wormholes are not traversable in both directions, their existence inspired Kip Thorne to imagine traversable wormholes created by holding the "throat" of a Schwarzschild wormhole open with exotic matter (material that has negative mass/energy).
Other non-traversable wormholes include Lorentzian wormholes (first proposed by John Archibald Wheeler in 1957), wormholes creating a spacetime foam in a general relativistic spacetime manifold depicted by a Lorentzian manifold,[14] and Euclidean wormholes (named after Euclidean manifold, a structure of Riemannian manifold).[15]
Traversable wormholes [ edit ]
This Casimir effect shows that quantum field theory allows the energy density in certain regions of space to be negative relative to the ordinary matter vacuum energy, and it has been shown theoretically that quantum field theory allows states where energy can be arbitrarily negative at a given point.[16] Many physicists, such as Stephen Hawking,[17] Kip Thorne,[18] and others,[19][20][21] argue that such effects might make it possible to stabilize a traversable wormhole.[22][23] Physicists have not found any natural process that would be predicted to form a wormhole naturally in the context of general relativity, although the quantum foam hypothesis is sometimes used to suggest that tiny wormholes might appear and disappear spontaneously at the Planck scale,[24]:494–496[25] and stable versions of such wormholes have been suggested as dark matter candidates.[26][27] It has also been proposed that, if a tiny wormhole held open by a negative mass cosmic string had appeared around the time of the Big Bang, it could have been inflated to macroscopic size by cosmic inflation.[28]
[29] Image of a simulated traversable wormhole that connects the square in front of the physical institutes of University of Tübingen with the sand dunes near Boulogne sur Mer in the north of France. The image is calculated with 4D raytracing in a Morris–Thorne wormhole metric, but the gravitational effects on the wavelength of light have not been simulated.
Lorentzian traversable wormholes would allow travel in both directions from one part of the universe to another part of that same universe very quickly or would allow travel from one universe to another. The possibility of traversable wormholes in general relativity was first demonstrated in a 1973 paper by Homer Ellis[30] and independently in a 1973 paper by K. A. Bronnikov.[31] Ellis analyzed the topology and the geodesics of the Ellis drainhole, showing it to be geodesically complete, horizonless, singularity-free, and fully traversable in both directions. The drainhole is a solution manifold of Einstein's field equations for a vacuum space-time, modified by inclusion of a scalar field minimally coupled to the Ricci tensor with antiorthodox polarity (negative instead of positive). (Ellis specifically rejected referring to the scalar field as 'exotic' because of the antiorthodox coupling, finding arguments for doing so unpersuasive.) The solution depends on two parameters: m {\displaystyle m}, which fixes the strength of its gravitational field, and n {\displaystyle n}, which determines the curvature of its spatial cross sections. When m {\displaystyle m} is set equal to 0, the drainhole's gravitational field vanishes. What is left is the Ellis wormhole, a nongravitating, purely geometric, traversable wormhole. Kip Thorne and his graduate student Mike Morris, unaware of the 1973 papers by Ellis and Bronnikov, manufactured, and in 1988 published, a duplicate of the Ellis wormhole for use as a tool for teaching general relativity. For this reason, the type of traversable wormhole they proposed, held open by a spherical shell of exotic matter, was from 1988 to 2015 referred to in the literature as a Morris–Thorne wormhole. Later, other types of traversable wormholes were discovered as allowable solutions to the equations of general relativity, including a variety analyzed in a 1989 paper by Matt Visser, in which a path through the wormhole can be made where the traversing path does not pass through a region of exotic matter. However, in the pure Gauss–Bonnet gravity (a modification to general relativity involving extra spatial dimensions which is sometimes studied in the context of brane cosmology) exotic matter is not needed in order for wormholes to exist—they can exist even with no matter.[32] A type held open by negative mass cosmic strings was put forth by Visser in collaboration with Cramer et al.,[28] in which it was proposed that such wormholes could have been naturally created in the early universe.
Wormholes connect two points in spacetime, which means that they would in principle allow travel in time, as well as in space. In 1988, Morris, Thorne and Yurtsever worked out how to convert a wormhole traversing space into one traversing time by accelerating one of its two mouths.[18] However, according to general relativity, it would not be possible to use a wormhole to travel back to a time earlier than when the wormhole was first converted into a time'machine'. Until this time it could not have been noticed or have been used.[24]:504
Raychaudhuri's theorem and exotic matter [ edit ]
To see why exotic matter is required, consider an incoming light front traveling along geodesics, which then crosses the wormhole and re-expands on the other side. The expansion goes from negative to positive. As the wormhole neck is of finite size, we would not expect caustics to develop, at least within the vicinity of the neck. According to the optical Raychaudhuri's theorem, this requires a violation of the averaged null energy condition. Quantum effects such as the Casimir effect cannot violate the averaged null energy condition in any neighborhood of space with zero curvature,[33] but calculations in semiclassical gravity suggest that quantum effects may be able to violate this condition in curved spacetime.[34] Although it was hoped recently that quantum effects could not violate an achronal version of the averaged null energy condition,[35] violations have nevertheless been found,[36] so it remains an open possibility that quantum effects might be used to support a wormhole.
Modified general relativity [ edit ]
In some hypotheses where general relativity is modified, it is possible to have a wormhole that does not collapse without having to resort to exotic matter. For example, this is possible with R^2 gravity, a form of f(R) gravity.[37]
Faster-than-light travel [ edit ]
Wormhole travel as envisioned by Les Bossinas for NASA
The impossibility of faster-than-light relative speed only applies locally. Wormholes might allow effective superluminal (faster-than-light) travel by ensuring that the speed of light is not exceeded locally at any time. While traveling through a wormhole, subluminal (slower-than-light) speeds are used. If two points are connected by a wormhole whose length is shorter than the distance between them outside the wormhole, the time taken to traverse it could be less than the time it would take a light beam to make the journey if it took a path through the space outside the wormhole. However, a light beam traveling through the same wormhole would of course beat the traveler.
Time travel [ edit ]
If traversable wormholes exist, they could allow time travel.[18] A proposed time-travel machine using a traversable wormhole would hypothetically work in the following way: One end of the wormhole is accelerated to some significant fraction of the speed of light, perhaps with some advanced propulsion system, and then brought back to the point of origin. Alternatively, another way is to take one entrance of the wormhole and move it to within the gravitational field of an object that has higher gravity than the other entrance, and then return it to a position near the other entrance. For both of these methods, time dilation causes the end of the wormhole that has been moved to have aged less, or become "younger", than the stationary end as seen by an external observer; however, time connects differently through the wormhole than outside it, so that synchronized clocks at either end of the wormhole will always remain synchronized as seen by an observer passing through the wormhole, no matter how the two ends move around.[24]:502 This means that an observer entering the "younger" end would exit the "older" end at a time when it was the same age as the "younger" end, effectively going back in time as seen by an observer from the outside. One significant limitation of such a time machine is that it is only possible to go as far back in time as the initial creation of the machine;[24]:503 It is more of a path through time rather than it is a device that itself moves through time, and it would not allow the technology itself to be moved backward in time.[38][39]
According to current theories on the nature of wormholes, construction of a traversable wormhole would require the existence of a substance with negative energy, often referred to as "exotic matter". More technically, the wormhole spacetime requires a distribution of energy that violates various energy conditions, such as the null energy condition along with the weak, strong, and dominant energy conditions. However, it is known that quantum effects can lead to small measurable violations of the null energy condition,[6]:101 and many physicists believe that the required negative energy may actually be possible due to the Casimir effect in quantum physics.[40] Although early calculations suggested a very large amount of negative energy would be required, later calculations showed that the amount of negative energy can be made arbitrarily small.[41]
In 1993, Matt Visser argued that the two mouths of a wormhole with such an induced clock difference could not be brought together without inducing quantum field and gravitational effects that would either make the wormhole collapse or the two mouths repel each other,[42] or otherwise prevent information from passing through the wormhole.[43] Because of this, the two mouths could not be brought close enough for causality violation to take place. However, in a 1997 paper, Visser hypothesized that a complex "Roman ring" (named after Tom Roman) configuration of an N number of wormholes arranged in a symmetric polygon could still act as a time machine, although he concludes that this is more likely a flaw in classical quantum gravity theory rather than proof that causality violation is possible.[44]
Interuniversal travel [ edit ]
A possible resolution to the paradoxes resulting from wormhole-enabled time travel rests on the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics.
In 1991 David Deutsch showed that quantum theory is fully consistent (in the sense that the so-called density matrix can be made free of discontinuities) in spacetimes with closed timelike curves.[45] However, later it was shown that such model of closed timelike curve can have internal inconsistencies as it will lead to strange phenomena like distinguishing non-orthogonal quantum states and distinguishing proper and improper mixture.[46][47] Accordingly, the destructive positive feedback loop of virtual particles circulating through a wormhole time machine, a result indicated by semi-classical calculations, is averted. A particle returning from the future does not return to its universe of origination but to a parallel universe. This suggests that a wormhole time machine with an exceedingly short time jump is a theoretical bridge between contemporaneous parallel universes.[48]
Because a wormhole time-machine introduces a type of nonlinearity into quantum theory, this sort of communication between parallel universes is consistent with Joseph Polchinski's proposal of an Everett phone[49] (named after Hugh Everett) in Steven Weinberg's formulation of nonlinear quantum mechanics.[50]
The possibility of communication between parallel universes has been dubbed interuniversal travel.[51]
Metrics [ edit ]
Theories of wormhole metrics describe the spacetime geometry of a wormhole and serve as theoretical models for time travel. An example of a (traversable) wormhole metric is the following:[52]
d s 2 = − c 2 d t 2 + d l 2 + ( k 2 + l 2 ) ( d θ 2 + sin 2 θ d ϕ 2 ), {\displaystyle ds^{2}=-c^{2}dt^{2}+dl^{2}+(k^{2}+l^{2})(d\theta ^{2}+\sin ^{2}\theta \,d\phi ^{2}),}
first presented by Ellis (see Ellis wormhole) as a special case of the Ellis drainhole.
One type of non-traversable wormhole metric is the Schwarzschild solution (see the first diagram):
d s 2 = − c 2 ( 1 − 2 G M r c 2 ) d t 2 + d r 2 1 − 2 G M r c 2 + r 2 ( d θ 2 + sin 2 θ d ϕ 2 ). {\displaystyle ds^{2}=-c^{2}\left(1-{\frac {2GM}{rc^{2}}}\right)dt^{2}+{\frac {dr^{2}}{1-{\frac {2GM}{rc^{2}}}}}+r^{2}(d\theta ^{2}+\sin ^{2}\theta \,d\phi ^{2}).}
The original Einstein–Rosen bridge was described in an article published in July 1935.[53][54]
For the Schwarzschild spherically symmetric static solution
d s 2 = − 1 1 − 2 m r d r 2 − r 2 ( d θ 2 + sin 2 θ d ϕ 2 ) + ( 1 − 2 m r ) d t 2 {\displaystyle ds^{2}=-{\frac {1}{1-{\frac {2m}{r}}}}dr^{2}-r^{2}(d\theta ^{2}+\sin ^{2}\theta \,d\phi ^{2})+(1-{\frac {2m}{r}})dt^{2}}
( d s {\displaystyle ds} = proper time, c {\displaystyle c} = 1)
If one replaces r {\displaystyle r} with u {\displaystyle u} according to u 2 = r − 2 m {\displaystyle u^{2}=r-2m}
d s 2 = − 4 ( u 2 + 2 m ) d u 2 − ( u 2 + 2 m ) 2 ( d θ 2 + sin 2 θ d ϕ 2 ) + u 2 u 2 + 2 m d t 2 {\displaystyle ds^{2}=-4(u^{2}+2m)du^{2}-(u^{2}+2m)^{2}(d\theta ^{2}+\sin ^{2}\theta \,d\phi ^{2})+{\frac {u^{2}}{u^{2}+2m}}dt^{2}}
The four-dimensional space is described mathematically by two congruent parts or "sheets", corresponding to u {\displaystyle u} > 0 and u {\displaystyle u} < 0, which are joined by a hyperplane r = 2 m {\displaystyle r=2m} or u {\displaystyle u} = 0 in which g {\displaystyle g} vanishes. We call such a connection between the two sheets a "bridge". — A. Einstein, N. Rosen, "The Particle Problem in the General Theory of Relativity"
For the combined field, gravity and electricity, Einstein and Rosen derived the following Schwarzschild static spherically symmetric solution
ϕ 1 = ϕ 2 = ϕ 3 = 0, ϕ 4 = ϵ 4, {\displaystyle \phi _{1}=\phi _{2}=\phi _{3}=0,\phi _{4}={\frac {\epsilon }{4}},} d s 2 = − 1 ( 1 − 2 m r − ϵ 2 2 r 2 ) d r 2 − r 2 ( d θ 2 + sin 2 θ d ϕ 2 ) + ( 1 − 2 m r − ϵ 2 2 r 2 ) d t 2 {\displaystyle ds^{2}=-{\frac {1}{(1-{\frac {2m}{r}}-{\frac {\epsilon ^{2}}{2r^{2}}})}}dr^{2}-r^{2}(d\theta ^{2}+\sin ^{2}\theta \,d\phi ^{2})+(1-{\frac {2m}{r}}-{\frac {\epsilon ^{2}}{2r^{2}}})dt^{2}}
( ϵ {\displaystyle \epsilon } = electrical charge)
The field equations without denominators in the case when m {\displaystyle m} = 0 can be written
ϕ μ ν = ϕ μ, ν − ϕ ν, μ {\displaystyle \phi _{\mu
u }=\phi _{\mu,
u }-\phi _{
u,\mu }} g 2 ϕ μ ν ; σ g ν σ = 0 {\displaystyle g^{2}\phi _{\mu
u ;\sigma }g^{
u \sigma }=0} g 2 ( R i k + ϕ i α ϕ k α − 1 4 g i k ϕ α β ϕ a b ) = 0 {\displaystyle g^{2}(R_{ik}+\phi _{i\alpha }\phi _{k}^{\alpha }-{\frac {1}{4}}g_{ik}\phi _{\alpha \beta }\phi ^{ab})=0}
In order to eliminate singularities, if one replaces r {\displaystyle r} by u {\displaystyle u} according to the equation:
u 2 = r 2 − ϵ 2 2 {\displaystyle u^{2}=r^{2}-{\frac {\epsilon ^{2}}{2}}}
and with m {\displaystyle m} = 0 one obtains[55][56]
ϕ 1 = ϕ 2 = ϕ 3 = 0, ϕ 4 = ϵ / ( u 2 + ϵ 2 2 ) 1 2 {\displaystyle \phi _{1}=\phi _{2}=\phi _{3}=0,\phi _{4}=\epsilon /(u^{2}+{\frac {\epsilon ^{2}}{2}})^{\frac {1}{2}}}
d s 2 = − d u 2 − ( u 2 + ϵ 2 2 ) ( d θ 2 + sin 2 θ d ϕ 2 ) + ( 2 u 2 2 u 2 + ϵ 2 ) d t 2 {\displaystyle ds^{2}=-du^{2}-(u^{2}+{\frac {\epsilon ^{2}}{2}})(d\theta ^{2}+\sin ^{2}\theta \,d\phi ^{2})+({\frac {2u^{2}}{2u^{2}+\epsilon ^{2}}})dt^{2}}
The solution is free from singularities for all finite points in the space of the two sheets — A. Einstein, N. Rosen, "The Particle Problem in the General Theory of Relativity"
In fiction [ edit ]
Wormholes are a common element in science fiction because they allow interstellar, intergalactic, and sometimes even interuniversal travel within human lifetime scales. In fiction, wormholes have also served as a method for time travel.
See also [ edit ]
Notes [ edit ]Nick D'Arcy and Kenrick Monk will be sent home from the London Olympics immediately after the final day of the swimming events as punishment for posting inappropriate images on social network sites this week.
The Australian Olympic Committee has decided to send the duo back to Australia at the conclusion of their commitments in London as a result of images posted of the two swimmers brandishing guns while competing in California a fortnight ago. The pair were quickly tagged "Dumb and Dumber" after an image became public. D'Arcy and Monk have also been banned from blogging and using any social media sites throughout the games, including Twitter and Facebook.
In a letter sent to both athletes, Chef de Mission, Nick Green stated that previous behavioural issues of the two swimmers had been taken into account by the AOC.
"Given this incident and our previous discussions concerning your conduct, I now have concerns regarding your lack of judgment," Green said.
The offending image... Nick D'Arcy and Kenrick Monk pose in a gun shop in California. Credit:Courtsey Channel 8
"As a member of the 2012 Australian Olympic Team, and as I have reminded you on previous occasions, it is an honour and a privilege to be a member of an Australian Olympic Team.
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"Australian Olympians are required to meet very high standards of conduct and we cannot risk the reputation of the Team through non-compliance with the Team Membership Agreement."
D'Arcy and Monk will be withdrawn from the athletes village in London on August 4.(L-R) Crow, Joel Hodgson and Tom Servo deal with a visit from Dr. Forrester on 'Mystery Science Theater 3000.' [A HREF=https://youtu.be/qqKTtmybwYo>YouTube]
The resurgent cult favorite Mystery Science Theater 3000 is marking Thanksgiving once again by live-streaming six classic episodes throughout the day on its YouTube channel.
Comedian Joel Hodgson’s creation is enjoying an online revival as of late, after a crowdfunding drive on Kickstarter garnered nearly $2,800,000 in donations — enough to create three new episodes. Hodgson has said that it would take $5 million to produce a 12-episode season.
While the cast for any new episodes cannot be formally announced until the fundraising drive ends, Hodgson has already said he planned to invite Jonah Ray to succeed him and Mike Nelson as the host, with Hampton Yount and Baron Vaughn voicing robot sidekicks Crow and Tom Servo, respectively.
The show’s new villain is slated to be played by another popular figure in sci-fi circles, actress Felicia Day.
For now, enjoy the classic MST3K marathon online here.On a feedlot in far southwest Kansas, two cowboys on horseback move cattle on the high dusty plains, spread out like dozens of football fields stitched together with miles of fences. Their “Buenos dias! Buenos dias!” greetings mix with moos on a hot summer morning.
They’re two of the 400 employees who work on the feedlot, which is one of the largest in the U.S. in a state that ranks third in meat production.
The majority of workers, including the cowboys, are immigrants, as are laborers in the area’s dairies, two giant meat-processing operations and burgeoning ethanol plants.
“There are literally not people to fill these open positions,” the feedlot owner said of the area, where the unemployment rate hovers around 2 percent. “We need all the people we can get, regardless of where they come from.”
That’s why this owner, who asked not to be identified for fear of attracting the attention of immigration officials, is supporting a quiet but growing effort for a federal reform that would allow undocumented immigrants to stay in the U.S. to work in the agriculture industry.
Harvest Public Media's Peggy Lowe explains the debate over farm labor.
Federal bill in the works
U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte, a Virginia Republican, is sponsoring a bill that would create a guest-worker program and, among other things, would increase the number of workers allowed into the country, ease red tape and include not just seasonal workers, but those who work year-round in feedlots and dairies. The bill was narrowly approved by a U.S. House committee in October and now moves to the full House.
Agriculture relies on immigrant labor, yet half of the farm workers in this country are undocumented, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. (It’s unknown how many undocumented workers are in the livestock sector, because that data is not collected.)
Large farm groups say the labor shortage is at crisis levels — and they want relief. Even members of the Trump administration support legal status for undocumented farm workers at a time when anti-immigrant sentiments are running high.
Sonny Perdue, President Donald Trump’s Agriculture Secretary, told Harvest Public Media this spring that he is working on a plan to allow undocumented workers to stay in the U.S., and that Trump supports it.
“He understands that there are long-term immigrants, sometimes undocumented immigrant laborers, out here on the farms, many of them that are doing a great job contributing to the economy of the United States,” Perdue says.
The opposition
Politics make strange bedfellows, but many liberals and conservatives oppose Perdue’s proposal and Goodlatte’s bill.
Colorado immigration attorney Dan Kowalski jokingly calls Perdue’s plan “agnesty,” or agricultural amnesty. He compares it with what a lot of employers already use: H-2A visas that allow workers into the country seasonally, but tie them to a single employer.
“What I’m afraid of is that some employers or industries are longing for a return to a more plantation-type situation where you have low-paid, hard-working employees who are really trapped,” Kowalski says.
Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, one of the nation’s leading anti-immigrant voices and running for the Republican nomination for governor, made a name for himself writing get-tough immigration laws for states like Arizona and now heads Trump’s voting commission. He opposes any amnesty-like changes to immigration law, he recently explains, pointing to a 1986 amnesty offered under President Ronald Reagan that attracted more than a million immigrants, many using phony documents.
“If we had another amnesty, it would have the same two consequences,” Kobach says. “You’d see massive fraud and you’d see people surging into the United States illegally.”
During last month’s testimony on Goodlatte’s bill in the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Hank Johnson, a Georgia Democrat, said the bill would create a “sharecropping system.”
“This is setting up a permanent second class of persons in the United States,” he said.
The feedlot owner in southwest Kansas, who says all of her employees are documented, is concerned that reports of arrests and mass deportations will lead to losing her workforce. If someone in an employee’s family doesn’t have papers, she says. the entire family may to return to their home country out of fear.
“They want the American Dream that everyone else has,” she says. “They want to live here, they want to work here and provide for their families.”
Follow Peggy on Twitter: @peggylloweNicholas Wilson is a student at Murdoch University, studying for his BEng (Hons)/BSc in Industrial Computer Systems (Hons) and Instrumentation & Control/ Molecular Biology & Genetics and Biomedical Science. He just finished his thesis on low-cost defect detection of solar cells by electroluminescence imaging, which gives him time to work on DCompute and write about it for the D Blog. He plays the piano, ice skates, and has spent 7 years putting D to use on number bashing, automation, and anything else that he could make a computer do for him.
DCompute is a framework and compiler extension to support writing native kernels for OpenCL and CUDA in D to utilise GPUs and other accelerators for computationally intensive code. In development are drivers to automate the interactions between user code and the tedious and error prone compute APIs with the goal of enabling the rapid development of high performance D libraries and applications.
Introduction
After watching John Colvin’s DConf 2016 presentation in May of last year on using D’s metaprogramming to make the OpenCL API marginally less horrible to use, I thought, “This would |
/embed/simple” width=”480″ height=”480″ frameborder=”0″]The New York Times leads with news that President Bush rebuffed a secret request by Israel last year for “bunker-busting” bombs, with which it planned to attack Iran’s nuclear complex. The Bush administration had approved covert operations against Iran but feared more direct attacks would be counterproductive. The Los Angeles Times digs into the history of Keynesian economics, which popularized the idea of deficit spending to restore confidence in ailing economies. Obama’s proposed stimulus plan would be the largest Keynesian experiment a developed nation has ever tried in peacetime. The Washington Post leads with Obama’s response to congressional discontent with the plan, including contentions by the Senate Democrats he’d hoped wouldn’t make a fuss. The president-elect emphasized the number of permanent jobs his package would spawn, most of which would be in the private sector.
Based on a 15-month span of interviews with administration officials and other experts, the NYT develops an inside portrait of a Bush administration prodded by Israel but hesitant to take dramatic action in Iran. The president was briefed extensively on a covert attack plan but was convinced by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates that it would “probably prove ineffective, lead to the expulsion of international inspectors and drive Iran’s nuclear effort further out of view.” Israel’s request in early 2008 for bombs and for permission to fly over Iraq grew out of a dispute over a controversial National Intelligence Estimate that suggested Iran had suspended its nuclear program—a conclusion that angered Israel and left both Bush and Gates “stunned” and “suspicious.” When Israel asked for permission to take matters into its own hands, Bush still said, “Hell, no,” and Israel apparently decided its plans wouldn’t be effective without American assistance.
Meanwhile, Iran has been doing a little scheming of its own, a below-the-fold story in the WP adds. Tehran uses front businesses—including many in based in Dubai—to obtain American electronics parts that would become weapons used against U.S. soldiers in Iraq. Despite intense government efforts to prevent the flow of electronics parts to Iran, illegal trafficking has become “nearly all Internet-based and increasingly sophisticated.”
In a report released after yesterday’s radio address, Obama’s top economic advisers gloomily predicted no change in the unemployment rate by the end of 2010, the WP reports, and suggested the rate would rise as high as 9 percent without passage of the stimulus. But some Democrats don’t like the plan’s inclusion of a $3,000 tax credit for each job a corporation creates or saves, and Republicans don’t like the hulking size of the whole thing. Republicans do like the tax credit part, however, which means getting bipartisan support could be tougher than Obama hoped.
But caution might be warranted: The Obama plan is the biggest gamble on an economic measure the country has taken since World War II, the LAT’s lead essay on the return of Keynesian economics observes. Even FDR’s Depression-era deficit spending wasn’t nearly as “audacious” as the Obama proposal. It’s a “testament to the frightening dimensions of the global economic plunge” that Obama’s package has garnered so much favor with economists, and the experiment seems to have more to do with today’s drama than analysis of the Keynesianism’s past.
The LAT also fronts a story by reporter Paul Watson, who went into Afghanistan “embedded” with Taliban fighters in Ghazni. The “Talibs” watch coverage of the Gaza conflict on Al Jazeera television, often remarking that the images increase their resolve to fight the United States and its allies. (They see the United States as another arm of the Israeli agenda.) The fighters are quite hospitable but make no secret of their hatred of America: “We will continue our jihad. The more soldiers they send, the happier we become.”
A front-page NYT story chronicles the woes of the Republican Party and the latest option the GOP—apparently not convinced that “the Twittering” is the answer—is considering to get back on its feet: electing its first black chairman. The party faces difficulties raising funds and finding well-known candidates with the rhetorical skills to challenge the Democrats, and a shot of diversity might help Republicans “avoid shrinking into a party of Southern white men in an increasingly diverse country.”
A WP review takes up Barry Werth’s Banquet at Delmonico’s, a history of social Darwinism figureheads like Herbert Spencer, the British philosopher who “gave America the implicit assurance that it was the endpoint of human evolution.” The book’s argument for evolution’s triumph in America is suspect given the prevalence of creation-story belief, and it is not always well explained: “If ever a book cried out for perspective and interpretation and even a dash or two of editorializing, it’s this one.”
Randy and Paula are moving their chairs over to make room for Kara DioGuardi, the “feisty, heartfelt and outspoken” addition to American Idol’s judging panel, the NYT reports. DioGuardi, who has written songs for Celine Dion, Kelly Clarkson, and Pink, will be the first major change-up on Idol since it began in 2002—and perhaps the first major challenge to the “perverse antagonism” from Simon’s end of the table. “If he doesn’t let me speak, it’s going to be a problem,” she warns.May 11, 2017, 8:24 PM GMT / Updated May 11, 2017, 8:24 PM GMT By Mary Emily O'Hara
If two men are violently attacked for kissing each other in public, is that a form of sex discrimination?
Prosecutors in a prominent West Virginia case argued that it is, because if one of those men were female, the alleged homophobic assault would not have occurred. But on Wednesday, the state's Supreme Court decided gay people are not protected by West Virginia hate crime law — ruling that sexual orientation is not a form of sex discrimination.
2017 West Virginia Supreme Court members; Front row: Justice Robin Davis; Chief Justice Allen H. Loughry II; Justice Margaret Workman; Back row: Menis Ketchum; Elizabeth Walker. Richard S Lee / West Virginia Judiciary
West Virginia law makes it a felony to injure or intimidate someone because of their race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, political affiliation or sex. Sexual orientation and gender identity are not listed as protected classes.
According to Wednesday's court opinion, gay couple Zackary Johnson and Casey Williams were visiting Huntington, W.V., on April 5, 2015. The couple stopped to kiss on the sidewalk, and a man in a nearby car started taunting them with homophobic slurs. Steward Butler, then a 23-year-old star running back with Marshall University's football team, allegedly got out of the car and punched both Johnson and Williams, knocking Williams to the ground.
Cell phone footage showed the attack. Butler was arrested, charged with two counts of misdemeanor assault, then indicted by a jury on felony charges under the state's hate crime law.
But in a highly unusual move, the West Virginia Attorney General's office — normally tasked with arguing for the county prosecutor — filed a brief in defense of the football player. That pitted the state against itself, essentially, in court.
"I’ve never seen it happen before," Cabell County Assistant Prosecutor Lauren Plymale told NBC News over the phone on Thursday. "They usually represent us."
Plymale argued before the state Supreme Court that discrimination on the basis of sex and gender would naturally extend to include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
"We believe this is based on sex. If either of the individuals were female, [Butler] would’t be there. And it’s gender stereotyping: The men weren’t conforming to the defendant's idea of what a man should do," Plymale said.
The circuit court disagreed, saying in May 2016 that sex and sexual orientation are two distinct categories — and if the West Virginia legislature had meant for sexual orientation to be protected by law, they would have written it in.
Solicitor General Elbert Lin argued the case for the Attorney General and said sexual orientation should not be considered sex discrimination. Lin’s background includes two law clerk stints for conservatives judges — U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and William Pryor of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. The latter once filed a brief in Lawrence v. Texas arguing that decriminalizing gay sex would "logically extend" to "prostitution, adultery, necrophilia, bestiality, incest and pedophilia.”
In a 25-page opinion issued Wednesday, the West Virginia Supreme Court noted that several attempts to get sexual orientation added to the state's hate crime law had failed.
"It is certainly not absurd for this Court to recognize not only the Legislature's right to define crimes and their punishment, but also the Legislature's indisputable intent not to expand West Virginia Code to include'sexual orientation,'" the opinion delivered by Chief Justice Allen Loughry stated.
Justice Margaret Workman, joined by Justice Robin Jean Davis, filed a dissenting opinion. In her dissent, Workman compared discrimination against someone with a same-sex partner to discrimination against mixed-race couples. In both cases, she wrote, a person is punished not because of their own sex or race per se — but because they are stepping outside of behavior typical to their own sex or race.
"If a man stands on a corner kissing a man and is beaten because he is kissing a man, has he been assaulted because of his sex? Yes, but not simply because he possesses male anatomical parts; rather, the crime occurred because he was perceived to be acting outside the social expectations of how a man should behave with a man," Workman wrote.
"But for his sex," Workman added, "He would not have been attacked."
The West Virginia case comes at a time when courts nationwide are questioning the definition of "sex."
Last week, the Health Department filed a notice saying it may overturn Obamacare's rule banning discrimination in health care. The department cited controversy over the way sex discrimination was defined by the Obama administration to include protections for transgender people and women seeking access to birth control or abortion.
Lambda Legal attorney Greg Nevins, who directs the firm's Fair Employment Project, told NBC News the principles in the West Virginia case are similar to the Hively v. Ivy Tech case he recently won at the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. In that case, Nevins argued Hively was fired because she's a lesbian — and that Title VII's ban on sex discrimination protected her from sexual orientation discrimination by default.
Nevins and Lambda Legal also filed a brief in the West Virginia case, he said, but were not allowed to participate in oral arguments.
"The argument is, are you discriminating against someone or treating them differently because of their sex," Nevins said. "Is it objectionable to you that a man is kissing a man instead of a woman kissing a man? If the answer is yes, that’s about sex."
The West Virginia Supreme Court ruling is final, both Nevins and Plymale said. Now, it will take legislation to ensure LGBTQ people are protected by the state's hate crime law.
In the meantime, sexual orientation and gender identity are protected by federal hate crime law — but not every violent assault becomes a federal case.
Plymale said the misdemeanor charges against Butler are "still going forward."
Follow NBC Out on Twitter, Facebook and InstagramThe suspect in the Brussels Jewish museum shooting attack bragged that he was planning a terror attack in Paris, French media reported Monday, but French authorities said there was evidence the attack was imminent.
On Saturday, French magazine Le Point quoted its journalist Nicolas Henin as saying that Mehdi Nemmouche was one of this captors in Syria, where he was held for for nearly a year by extremists along with slain U.S. journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff.
Following that report, the newspaper Liberation said on Monday that Nemmouche bragged about planning an attack "five times worse" than the 2012 Toulouse shootings perpetrated by Mohamed Merah, in which seven people died. Nemmouche allegedly said the attack would take place on Bastille Day on July 14.
The Paris prosecutor's office, which is investigating Nemmouche, said Monday however that they have seen no evidence of "plans for an attack on French soil, especially not on July 14 in Paris," according to a report in The Local.
According to Liberation, Nemmouche is said to have spoken of the plans to four French journalists held in Syria, who were released in April. After their release, the four gave statements to French authorities, who are investigating him on suspicion of the May attack.
In remarks carried on the website of Le Point magazine, Henin said Nemmouche was part of a small group of French-speaking Islamic State recruits that regularly tortured a group of Syrian prisoners held alongside Western journalists in Aleppo.
French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said that French intelligence services "transferred elements to the judiciary that suggest (Nemmouche) may have been the jailer of our hostages," after a report in the newspaper Le Monde, The Local reported.
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According to a police source, the four journalists recognized Nemmouche from photographs taken after he was arrested.
According to Le Point, Henin did not speak out about Nemmouche being his captor in Syria earlier out of concern for the safety of other hostages still being held there, but following the Le Monde report he decided to go public.
Didier Francoise from Europe 1, one of the other French journalists released in April, said the Le Monde report was "irresponsible," and that it could pose problems for the investigation against Nemmouche and for the hostages still being held in Syria.
Four people, including two Israelis, died in the Brussels attack on May 24. Nemmouche, a Frenchman, was remanded in custody in August on suspicion of "murder in a terrorist context," The Local said.
In Le Point, Henin said Nemmouche was "a self-centred fantasist for whom jihad was finally an excuse to satisfy his morbid thirst for notoriety. A young man lost and perverse," according to the report. At a later press conference, he said, "He probably didn't join the Syria fight for some ideal, but above all due to a lack of recognition."The structure of the post-mortem human brain can be preserved by immersing the organ within a fixative solution. Once the brain is perfused, cellular and histological features are maintained over extended periods of time. However, functions of the human brain are not assumed to be preserved beyond death and subsequent chemical fixation. Here we present a series of experiments which, together, refute this assumption. Instead, we suggest that chemical preservation of brain structure results in some retained functional capacity. Patterns similar to the living condition were elicited by chemical and electrical probes within coronal and sagittal sections of human temporal lobe structures that had been maintained in ethanol-formalin-acetic acid. This was inferred by a reliable modulation of frequency-dependent microvolt fluctuations. These weak microvolt fluctuations were enhanced by receptor-specific agonists and their precursors (i.e., nicotine, 5-HTP, and L-glutamic acid) as well as attenuated by receptor-antagonists (i.e., ketamine). Surface injections of 10 nM nicotine enhanced theta power within the right parahippocampal gyrus without any effect upon the ipsilateral hippocampus. Glutamate-induced high-frequency power densities within the left parahippocampal gyrus were correlated with increased photon counts over the surface of the tissue. Heschl's gyrus, a transverse convexity on which the primary auditory cortex is tonotopically represented, retained frequency-discrimination capacities in response to sweeps of weak (2μV) square-wave electrical pulses between 20 Hz and 20 kHz. Together, these results suggest that portions of the post-mortem human brain may retain latent capacities to respond with potential life-like and virtual properties.I know I know I should be working on Assassin of beacon but oh my gerd destiny man! It's taken over my creativity completely and dinklebot set this up so perfectly, as soon as I heard the line my mind just took off with posibilities. Every time I tried to sit down to work on AoB I got completely side tracked by points and events.
So ya this needs to be written if I am ever to do anything productive again.
And yes the not giving a name this chapter is intentional. All you need to know is he is a WARLOCK and most of the game mechanics like light and levels won't come into play.
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The Moon.
Funny that it's not A moon but THE Moon. And it's THE Moon all because it was lucky enough to orbit our pale blue dot in space, because it orbits us. Even though humanity has colonized half a dozen moons in our solar system this desolate grey dust ball shall forever be THE Moon. Even during the golden age at the height of the Travellers power when planets began to sprout life from no where, the Moon remained an airless waste.
And as I trudged across its surface perfect footprints trailing behind me I couldn't help but remember something about my past life. "I hate the Moon."
"I quite like it actually, it's where I found you after all." A Ghost materialized next to my head, it's shell painted a royal blue with white stripes. That was a pain to get done, with him zipping around trying to escape but I was sick of him looking exactly the same as every other Ghost. Besides it looked good for a Ghost and his Guardian to match.
Realizing I had spoken out loud I responded. "Of course, but I would count that as the only positive this place has."
"Hmm well the faster we find this shrine, the faster we can leave. Remember Osiris is counting on us the end this threat." Ghost said bobbing up and down. "It's down in the Helmouth deeper then anyone's gone before."
I fought hard to suppress the shiver that travelled down my spine. "I want it on record that I think this is a terrible idea." I said pulling my fusion rifle from my back.
"Noted." my constant companion said before vanishing into the lattice work of my astrolord hood. Glancing longingly over my shoulder one last time at the comparative safety of my ship I sighed before starting my way down hill toward the entrance to hell. Checking the charge on the fusion rifle and the condition of its ether coils, seeing them slightly unaligned I nudged them into position and shut the heat shroud. Taking out my hand cannon I grimaced, it was an ugly piece of crap with a slow fire rate and a heavy impact round. It was the exact opposite of the style I preferred but it was the only hand cannon I have found that was rugged enough to be used a club when needed. It was strictly relegated to a secondary.
"Are you sure going without heavy support is wise?" Ghosts voice echoed in my head.
"If I'm doing this I'd rather have the extra channelling runes then a few rockets. Besides heavy weapons are cumbersome and for some reason dampen my connection to the void. Now let's get this over with."
As we neared the entrance I readied a vortex in the palm of my hand and edged quietly through the gate way. Nothing not even a thrall was in sight. It was eerie, more so then normal. Even in the regular raids that the vanguards sanctioned into the Helmouth to quell numbers there would be thousands of hive eager to rend and devour flesh. This just wasn't right.
"Ghost, I don't like this. Can we please just go?" I whispered even though I had no reason to as my suit was sealed but something in my gut told me that I need to be as quiet as possible.
I could feel him shudder in the helmet "I'm... Starting to feel the same, the darkness is becoming oppressive. We must be close, let's just push on a bit more."
"Fine but if we don't locate it in the next five minutes I'm calling the vang-" I stopped as we came upon a tunnel, not just any tunnel but a very artificial one, with huge pipes and wires that pulsed and arced with energy. "This is not hive." I again whispered to Ghost.
"And it isn't on any of the vanguards archives, the factions are reporting negatives returns as well."
"Great. Just my luck." Moving forward I pulled my trigger finger until the first stage clicked and my fusion rifle glowed faintly with the power of the sun a soft humming filled the tunnel. for what felt like hours we walked, again eerily quiet and peaceful. Just when I was prepared to turn back again the tunnel opened into a massive chamber.
"That's quite the sight." Ghost muttered. And he was right, in front of us contained in rings of tomb steel sat a swirling sphere of pure darkness only interrupted by streaks of orange hunger. Around it dozens of acolytes knelt in worship. "You have to get me under the shrine, I need to get a scan of this thing."
"Yea I'll get right on that." I said sarcastically. Swapping the prepped vortex grenade for a pair of axion bolts, I subconsciously forced the void through a different combination of runes that covered every inch of the plates hidden beneath my trench coat. I tossed it under hand and willed them to roll along the floor before releasing them to seek their own targets, as soon as they made contact they phased through the chitin and detonated inside their bodies, stabilized the darkness inside them caused secondary detonations to trigger which was quickly followed by the final wave of tertiary explosions that shredded the first and second ranks. The remaining acolytes were sent reeling from the psychic backlash of suddenly losing a good portion of their hive mind. Taking advantage of that I strafed out of cover while depressing my finger triggering the last stage of the rifles charge.
Sweeping it at the last second, bolts of solar energy arced in a wave and several more acolytes dissipated to ash. Three more bursts and the area was cleared. "That was easy." Ghost muttered.
"Don't say that! We don't need to jinx our luck when we're so close to the end." I joked half serious. I walked down one of the ramps to the base of the shrine and pull ghost from my palm to my extended palm. "There you go, get your scans and let's get out of here."
"The shrine is connected to something outside the solar system, I think I can break the link." He said after integrating with the pillar. "Your call."
I nodded once "Do it."
"Lets just hope we don't get sucked into some trans-dimensional vortex." he said while blinking once at me. I could only stare at him mouth agape before he added "That was a joke."
"Hilarious." I said dryly.
"Finally someone who appreciates my humour." Ghost started to link with the pillar when a large grinding noise echoed through the chamber. Running up the ramp I saw what can adequately be described as nightmare fuel. Hundreds upon hundreds of thralls emerged from a hole directly above the ball and clawed their way across the ceiling and down the walls, all the while a massive door just to my right had finished sliding open to reveal dozens of acolytes and a knight several stories high.
"Oh fuck..." I whispered before yelling "You had to jinx it Ghost?! Whatever you're doing make it fast!"
"Sorry! Only trying to cut the connections of evil here! Not exactly a job worth rushing!" Knowing the charge time would get me killed I quickly disabled all safety measures of the fusion rifle making it full auto after a single charge. The risk of overheating and explosive failure was huge but honestly that was the least of my problems right now. I just sprayed and sprayed at the walls hoping to in some way thin the horde that was nearing the floor but even after fifty or sixty thralls ceased to exist I hardly noticed a difference, I went to pull the trigger again but nothing happened. Looking down I saw the ether coils had fused together preventing any energy from flowing through them.
"Damn damn damn damn damn! Why me?!" I screamed in frustration before slinging the rifle of my back and pulling out my hand cannon and very urgently switching the flow of energy to my runes. I could feel the contradictory build up of emptiness that was associated with void walking in my legs and left arm. Then I did something very stupid I charged.
My fighting style is different then most warlocks, not unique but it focuses on an aspect that out friendly rivals the hunters thrived in. Melee. Channelling the void to my unoccupied limbs I was able to create null fields that would enhance the strength of my blows while weakening theirs and if things got really desperate I could expel the energy from a limb to create a wave that would scythe through opponents.
So I charged, performing a quick energy drain to surge my own movement and reaction speed. I punched through skulls and caved in chest cavities with elbows, knees were snapped backward with kicks, my pistol roared when an acolyte though it could engage while I was preoccupied with the swarm and it's head burst. Dozens fell and yet it wasn't enough, my trench coat was shredded my helmet scarred, wounds were exposed to the foul air the hive thrived in and then that monstrosity opened fire with its massive boomer. It killed more thralls then anything but it knocked me over long enough for another thrall to sink it's claws into my abdomen and rake them across. The only reason my entrails were not decorating the floor was I had already sent a soul rip at the same thrall which sealed the wound as fast as it was made.
"GHOST!"
"I got it! Destroy the sphere and the backlash will kill any hive within ten miles!" A quick muscle twitch changed a specific rune pattern on my thighs and I jumped into the void...
Only to reappear in reality twenty feet in the air where I quickly spun to face the sphere and sent a nova bomb lancing towards it, it sunk in about half way before detonating brilliantly. The sphere folded in on itself and every hive screamed as their connection to the darkness rended apart their fragile minds before exploding into dust.
I on the other hand didn't even have the energy to realize I was falling. I landed hard on my left side and felt my shoulder pop out of its socket. I let out a quick cry of pain before rolling on my back. I just lay there breathing heavy when ghost floated into view. "We did it." he stated, and even though he had no face his side flaps fluttered in what I had come to recognize as his form of smile.
"Not bad for a 3 month guardian." I quipped.
"Not bad at all, I knew I chose right." Despite the large amount of pain I was in right now and how tired I was, that made me feel good. Like this was worth it. I was about to tell him as much when an awful scream made me try to cover my ears and curl in a ball, it was soul crushing and debilitating.
"Ghost?! What is that?!" I rolled to my side to see him once again interfacing with that pillar
"Um you know how I joked about a trans-dimensional vortex?"
"Ghost?!" I said my tone pleading.
"Turns out it wasn't a joke. We have thirty seconds. I'm sorry, I failed you."
"Ghost? Why what's happening?" I asked fear and realization breaking through the pain.
"We're going to wherever the shrine connected to. The darkness ther-"
He never got to finish because suddenly everything was white.
=][=
How no one has used this mission as a crossover point is insane! I mean it's the perfect set up.Teen Killed In Overnight Shooting Copyright 2019 Cable News Network/Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Video
Memphis TENN (localmemphis.com) - One teen is dead after an overnight shooting on Cherry Road, according to the Memphis Police Department. The victim has been identified as 15-year-old Jaheim Walker.
The shooting happened just after midnight Saturday. Police arrived to scene and located a black 2008 Honda Civic parked at the front door of St. Francis Hospital with multiple bullet holes.
Walker died at the scene. A 16-year-old victim was airlifted to Regional One in extremely critical condition. A third victim, age 18, is non-critical with a gunshot wound to the right side. A19-year-old is uninjured.
The victims were riding in a Honda Civic on Cherry Road when a gray Nissan Maxima pulled up and someone started shooting at the car and drove off, according to MPD.
Investigators believe that the victims may know the suspects.
No one is in custody at this time.Former Secretary Hillary Clinton and her State Department colleagues have given “constantly shifting” stories about her secret email account, a federal judge said Tuesday, finding there’s evidence the Obama administration showed “bad faith” in how it followed open-records laws.
Judge Royce C. Lamberth said it remains to be seen whether the government did try to obfuscate matters, but said there’s at least enough smoke that Judicial Watch, the conservative interest group suing to get a look at all of Mrs. Clinton’s records, should be allowed to press for more details about how the State Department made its decisions.
“Plaintiff is relying on constantly shifting admissions by the government and the former government officials,” Judge Lamberth said.
Mrs. Clinton declined to use a State.gov email account during her term as secretary, instead using an email account tied to a server she kept at her home in New York.
All of her messages that concerned official business were supposed to be archived by the State Department, but she kept them, only returning them in December 2014, nearly two years after leaving office and only at the prompting of the House committee probing the 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi.
That meant that during her four years in office and nearly two years afterward, the State Department was not searching those documents in response to open-records requests from Congress or the public.
Last month, the State Department finally finished processing more than 30,000 pages of Mrs. Clinton’s emails and made them public on the department’s Freedom of Information Act web page — a mammoth undertaking that has put a treasure trove of information in the public’s eye.
Judicial Watch and others argue that some 30,000 other messages Mrs. Clinton sent from her secret address during her time in office, but which she has deemed private business, should also be reviewed by the government.
The State Department told Judge Lamberth it never misled the public because it never said it was searching Mrs. Clinton’s emails in the first place. The department said that meant it wasn’t acting in bad faith when it responded to open-records requests.
Judge Lamberth, though, said more evidence is needed before those conclusions can be reached.
“The government argues that this does not show a lack of good faith, but that is what remains to be seen, and the factual record must be developed appropriately in order for this court to make that determination,” he said in a brief ruling.
The Justice Department declined to comment on Judge Lamberth’s ruling, which marks the third legal black eye for the Obama administration in recent weeks.
Last week, a federal appeals court said the Justice Department was turning the law on its head to protect the IRS from taxpayers, rather than to protect taxpayers from the IRS.
And another judge issued a “show cause” order demanding to know why the government appeared to conceal documents in an open-records case brought against a top Obama climate adviser. Judge Amit Mehta, who serves on the district court in Washington, D.C., along with Judge Lamberth, raised the possibility of punishing the administration for its actions.
Judge Lamberth’s decision Tuesday joins that of Judge Emmet G. Sullivan, also in the district court in Washington, who earlier this year granted discovery in another case brought by Judicial Watch against the State Department.
Judge Sullivan even said he was inclined to order the State Department to demand all of Mrs. Clinton’s emails — including the 30,000 or so messages she said were private business, not public records, that she sent from her secret account during her time in office.
Judge Lamberth said he’ll wait to see what Judge Sullivan decides before moving ahead with discovery in his own case.
Copyright © 2019 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.Written by: Mike Ryan
Merci, Goat….
The story of Frank Ntilikina and his journey to Madison Square Garden chronicled through the perspective of Ntilikina himself.
It’s the story of a family who abandoned their home country leaving everything behind to escape a war torn Rwanda in hopes of a better life.
It’s a story of a parent’s dedication to make sure their children have bright futures. A tale of how Ntilikina and his older brothers were ultra competitive growing up. It shows how his brothers helped shape the path for their brother to one day realize his dream of becoming an NBA player.
That dream was realized Tuesday night when Ntilikina checked in for the first time as a New York Knick at the 6:33 mark of the opening quarter.
Ntilikina wasted no time showing he was worth the 8th overall selection in the draft. On his first possession, Ntilikina showed poise and calmness as he ran a double high pick and pop with Kyle O’Quinn. The double screen led to Ntilikina feeding O’Quinn for a nice easy 18 foot jump shot.
A couple of possessions later, Ntilikina ran a similar pick and pop with Michael Beasley from the right elbow. Again, the play resulted in Ntilikina dishing out to Beasley for Beasley to step in for an easy 20 footer at the top of the key.
Within the first two pick and pop sets Ntilikina ran, he had already racked up two assists.
His first basket was the result of another nice set offensive play that resulted in a open three from the right elbow.
Ntilikina fed the post to Kanter from the top of the key, drifted down to an open space at the elbow, positioning himself for Kanter to kick the ball back out if need be. A catch and shoot form resulted in swish which got both the Knicks crowd and bench to their feet.
His most impressive play came a play later.
Ntilikina ran a high pick and roll with Kanter starting from the halfcourt line. Kanter set the screen about a foot outside the three point line. Ntilikina used his speed to get around his defender and dart into the paint. Quincy Acy was forced to leave Kanter to stop Ntilinkina from getting a layup. Ntilikina used his court vision to pass to Kanter cutting down the middle of pain and fed him with a nice pass that resulted in a Kanter lay up.
Already within his first 5 minutes as a pro, Ntilikina showed he could be an impact player.
Although, there was tons of positives from his debut, not all went well for the rookie point guard. Ntilikina threw an errant pass out of bounds when running a corner sideline pick and roll with Kanter. The play was there but the pass ari mailed over Kanter’s head and out of play.
On the night, Ntilikina finished with 5 points, 3 assists, a rebound and a steal in 18 minutes of action. He struggled shooting the ball going 1-for-7 from the field and 1-for-3 from the three point line. He did hit both of his free throw attempts and only turned the ball over twice.
The final box score makes his seem as Ntilikina had an uninspiring debut but that could not be further than the truth. Ntilikina looked poised and calm out there and held his own playing NBA talent for the first time. Ntilikina was the youngest player in the past draft and there will be a ton of growing pains from him moving forward.
However, there’s enough on the game tape to have fans believing in his ability. He has shown the ability to find the open man, he can push the ball down the court, his jump shot is a fluid motion, and is likely to make an immediate defensive impact due to his 7’ wingspan.
There’s hope in the Garden for Knicks fans. The youth movement is here and if Ntilikina proves to be a bright spot next to Porzingis, there will be competitive basketball for years to come.
For more basketball coverage be sure to check out OFF THE GLASS at otgbasketball.comOn Tuesday, Congress passed the first comprehensive surveillance reform package since the broad scope of National Security Agency activity was revealed in 2013. After what was at times a dramatic and frustrating saga at the Capitol, the Senate passed the USA Freedom Act — after it had stalled for weeks — with bipartisan support. The bill reforms surveillance powers originally granted to the NSA by the Patriot Act. It now heads to President Obama’s desk, where he is expected to sign it.
Sen. Al Franken was a lead proponent of the bill, and, along with Nevada Republican Sen. Dean Heller, wrote sections that dealt with how government agencies disclose their data collection procedures. Before the vote, Franken took to the Senate floor to convince his colleagues to pass the bill without delay, and without amendments pushed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), which were mostly small changes, including a provision that would’ve given the NSA a full year to transition to the new program instead of six months.
McConnell’s amendments “would weaken the bill in unacceptable ways, and they would only serve to prolong and deepen the uncertainty around the reform and continuation of important national security authorities,” Franken said. “Down the road we will have the opportunity to revisit these issues as needed,” including the further improvement of transparency provisions, Franken said. (The Senate ended up rejecting McConnell’s amendments.)
Franken, who serves as Ranking Member on the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law, has been vocal on privacy issues for years. Before he was a senator, he was an outspoken critic of the Bush-era Patriot Act.
When the breadth and depth of NSA surveillance was exposed, however, Franken was more measured than some of his colleagues, prompting some in the media to brand him as the NSA’s “one liberal friend,” as National Journal put it.
Indeed, in June of 2013, Franken told WCCO, “I have a high level of confidence that this is used to protect us, and I know that it has been successful in preventing terrorism… There are certain things that are appropriate for me to know that is not appropriate for the bad guys to know.” Later that year, he introduced a bill that would have required the NSA to disclose how |
of the United States, for example, consisting only of justices who attended Harvard or Yale and generally only considering clerkship candidates who attended a top-five university, while in the 1950s the two universities only accounted for around one fifth of the justices.[53] Even if free education were provided, the resources that the parents of a student are able to provide outside of the curriculum, such as tutoring, exam preparation, and financial support for living costs during higher education will influence the education the student attains and the student's social position in a meritocratic society. This limits the fairness and justness of any meritocratic system. Similarly, feminist critics have noted that many hierarchical organisations actually favour individuals who have received disproportionate support of an informal kind (e.g. mentorship, word-of-mouth opportunities, and so on), such that only those who benefit from such supports are likely to understand these organisations as meritocratic.[54] Another concern regards the principle of incompetence, or the "Peter Principle". As people rise in a meritocratic society through the social hierarchy through their demonstrated merit, they eventually reach, and become stuck, at a level too difficult for them to perform effectively; they are promoted to incompetence. This reduces the effectiveness of a meritocratic system, the supposed main practical benefit of which is the competence of those who run the society. In his book Meritocratic Education and Social Worthlessness (Palgrave, 2012), the philosopher Khen Lampert argued that educational meritocracy is nothing but a post-modern version of social Darwinism. Its proponents argue that the theory justifies social inequality as being meritocratic. This social theory holds that Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection is a model, not only for the development of biological traits in a population, but also as an application for human social institutions—the existing social institutions being implicitly declared as normative. Social Darwinism shares its roots with early progressivism, and was most popular from the late nineteenth century to the end of World War II. Darwin only ventured to propound his theories in a biological sense, and it is other thinkers and theorists who have applied Darwin's model normatively to unequal endowments of human ambitions.
See also Edit
Notes Edit
^ [55] Appointment was self-perpetuating, however, and new members were chosen personally by existing members.[56] These are not meritocracies in the administrative sense, in which merit is determined objectively as a "tested competency or ability."[57] This is the history of the meritocracy in the technical sense. The vaguer definition of a meritocracy as a "rule by intelligence" has been applied to many ancient Greek, Indian, Chinese, and Jewish thinkers and statesmen. For example, the Sanhedrin, the legislature of Ancient Israel and Kingdom of Judah, is sometimes called as an "intellectual meritocracy", in the sense that its members were drawn from religious scribes and not the aristocracy.Appointment was self-perpetuating, however, and new members were chosen personally by existing members.These are not meritocracies in the administrative sense, in which merit is determined objectively as a "tested competency or ability."
References Edit
Further reading EditThe Pakistan's Telecommunications Authority has issued a list of 1,700 words it considers "offensive and obscene," and has demanded that mobile providers begin filtering them from text messages as of Monday. The list, which contains hundreds of familiar swear words as well as some truly puzzling choices, is meant to curb SMS spamming, according the PTA, which it defines as "the transmission of harmful, fraudulent, misleading, illegal or unsolicited messages in bulk to any person without express permission of the recipient."
Here are some of the words:
Athlete's foot
Deposit
Black out
Drunk
Flatulence
Glazed Donut
Harem
Jesus Christ
Hostage
Murder
Penthouse
Satan
Flogging the dolphin
Monkey crotch
Idiot
Damn
Deeper
Four twenty
Go to hell
Harder
Looser
No sex
Quickie
Fairy
We encourage you to use as many as you can in a text message, and send it to someone you love. The Unabridged Pakistani Dictionary of Offensive Texting Terminology is here. [Hindustani Times, Photo via Shutterstock]Life in a retirement community can be pretty bad for some people. But for elderly potheads, like the members of one California medical marijuana "pot collective" at Laguna Woods Village, it's not that bad! Or, at least it wasn't.
They hang out, play bingo, grow and smoke some dank ass bud, and hang out some more. But a group of snitches at Laguna Woods Village called the Golden Rain Foundation (heh), the community board that makes the rules, aren't feeling the pot collective's vibe. Lonnie Painter, founder of the pot collective there, explained everything to the AP:
"We've got people who don't like it here, they don't like marijuana and they still have that ‘communism' and ‘perversion' and ‘killer weed' attitude," said Painter, who has shoulder-length gray hair, a white goatee and wears several gold necklaces. "What I get more worried about is myself getting put in jail. If you were just a patient you'd be safe, but if you are active and involved in any way in making it available for others, the federal government can come and scoop you up."
He misses the good old days at Laguna Woods Village, when he could do this more freely:
When things first got under way, Painter and three others were growing about two dozen plants with names like Super Silver Haze in the Laguna Woods Village community garden. Photos show his 800-square-foot plot overflowing with marijuana plants taller than a grown man butting up against the staked tomatoes and purple flowering clematis of other gardeners.
That's no joke. It also pissed some people off. Who could possibly be against something like this? Grouchy ass old people who are also likely to yell at you to get off their goddamn lawn, that's who:
"We thought that it was not proper. It sets a precedent. Our gardens are for flowers and vegetables, and that's all, and it's been that way since 1964 or 1965 when this was started," said Howard Feichtmann, who was chairman of the Garden Advisory Group. "We thought that's what it should remain and not get involved with medical marijuana or anything else that is considered on the fringe."
Thankfully, a benevolent member of the collective has been growing weed for the group at another location since the snitches wouldn't shut the hell up about the early 60s and whatnot. We say let them grow weed, jerks.
[Image via Shutterstock]United Air Lines is set to move its operational headquarters, starting this year, from the Illinois suburb of Elk Grove to downtown Chicago. Quicken Loans, also citybound, recently began leasing space in Detroit and plans to build its headquarters there. And in February, Walgreens announced its acquisition of New York drugstore chain Duane Reade, signaling a deliberate decision to improve its capabilities in urban settings.
These companies are getting a jump on a major cultural and demographic shift away from suburban sprawl. The change is imminent, and businesses that don’t understand and plan for it may suffer in the long run.
To put it simply, the suburbs have lost their sheen: Both young workers and retiring Boomers are actively seeking to live in densely packed, mixed-use communities that don’t require cars—that is, cities or revitalized outskirts in which residences, shops, schools, parks, and other amenities exist close together. “In the 1950s, suburbs were the future,” says University of Michigan architecture and urban-planning professor Robert Fishman, commenting on the striking cultural shift. “The city was then seen as a dingy environment. But today it’s these urban neighborhoods that are exciting and diverse and exploding with growth.”
Why Such a Major Shift?
The change is about more than evolving tastes; it’s at least partly a reaction to real problems created by suburbs. Their damage to quality of life is well chronicled. For instance, studies in 2003 by the American Journal of Public Health and the American Journal of Health Promotion linked sprawl to rising obesity rates. (By contrast, new research in Preventive Medicine demonstrates, people living in more urban communities reap health benefits because they tend to walk more.) Car culture hurts mental health as well. Research by behavioral economist Daniel Kahneman and his team shows that out of a number of daily activities, commuting has the most negative effect on people’s moods. And economists Bruno S. Frey and Alois Stutzer have found that commuters who live an hour away from work would need to earn 40% more money than they currently do to be as satisfied with their lives as noncommuters.
A recent report sponsored by Bank of America, the Greenbelt Alliance, and the Low Income Housing Fund examines the inefficiencies of the current “geographical mismatch between workers and jobs.” Focusing on California, it says that sprawl “reduc[es] the quality of life,” “increase[s] the attractiveness of neighboring states,” and yields “higher direct business costs and taxes to offset the side-effects of sprawl”—which include transportation, health care, and environmental costs.
The Unintended Consequences of Cul-de-sacs Though suburban cul-de-sacs have long been attractive as quiet, safe places for families, their disadvantages are becoming clear. One of the biggest problems is interference with motor- and foot-traffic flow. Research by Lawrence Frank, Bombardier Chair in Sustainable Transportation at the University of British Columbia, looks at neighborhoods in King County, Washington: Residents in areas with the most interconnected streets travel 26% fewer vehicle miles than those in areas with many cul-de-sacs. Recent studies by Frank and others show that as a neighborhood’s overall walkability increases, so does the amount of walking and biking—while, per capita, air pollution and body mass index decrease. Last year, the Virginia legislature took action against the municipal costs of cul-de-sacs and passed a law limiting them in future developments; the new policy was highlighted in the New York Times Magazine’s “Ninth Annual Year in Ideas.” Along with such moves to more-accessible street systems will come an economy that rewards businesses’ proximity to customers and employees. —A.W. About the Maps These images compare a one-kilometer walk in the Seattle suburb of Woodinville with one in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood. The former is limited by a disconnected street network and few destinations within walking distance, while the latter offers easy access to parks and shops. Click here for a larger image of the graphic. Images and mapping courtesy of Urban Design 4 Health
Solving problems like these is on the Congress for the New Urbanism’s agenda as the group holds its conference this month in Atlanta, fittingly cosponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As the CNU’s charter explains, proponents of New Urbanism, an architecture and design movement, advocate for “neighborhoods…diverse in use and population” and “communities…designed for the pedestrian and [public] transit as well as the car.” Max Reim of the urban-planning firm Live Work Learn Play describes the model by alluding to Starbucks’s creation of a “third place” for consumers, away from home and work. New Urban centers deliberately put all three places in close proximity, he says, with plenty of room for pedestrians and bikes. Houses are on the same streets (often in the same buildings) as shops; trains and parks are within walking distance from home.
How Companies Can Benefit
In the last U.S. census, almost two-thirds (64%) of college-educated 25- to 34-year-olds said they looked for a job after they chose the city where they wanted to live. That suggests that businesses like Quicken Loans are on to something: Move in and help build up urban neighborhoods, the argument goes, because that’s what will draw the talent.
Almost 64% of college-educated 25- to 34-year-olds said they looked for a job only after they’d chosen the city where they wanted to live.
For example, CEOs for Cities president Carol Coletta says that by supporting education in cities, companies not only help improve the prospects of entrants to the workforce but also enhance the overall value of the city and hence its attractiveness as a place for people to live and work. CEOs for Cities research suggests that increasing the proportion of residents with four-year-college degrees in the 51 largest metropolitan areas by only one percentage point would be associated with a $124 billion spike in aggregate annual per capita income.
n 1990, college-educated 25- to 34-year-olds were 12% more likely than others in the U.S. to live within three miles of a central business district. By 2000, they were 33% more likely.
“Increasingly CEOs understand that without a vibrant central city, their region becomes less competitive,” says Coletta. “Good CEOs care about the fate of their cities, because they have to question whether that is the place where they can attract the talent they need.”
A shift to an urban model affects corporate strategy—especially for retail businesses currently thriving in strip malls on busy commuting arteries. Firms base many decisions on store locations and the types of customers served, and a move to the city changes both. Cheri Morris, CEO of the New Urban design firm Hedgewood Commercial Properties, warns that the rigid criteria for national chains’ store locations—such as deep buildings and interstate visibility—often render them unable to conform to the aesthetic or logistical requirements of New Urban developments, leaving them locked out of such areas entirely. Even in more traditional urban areas, big-box stores are forced to configure their familiar floor plans into narrower, multilevel spaces.
A Cautionary Tale from the Last Big Shift The story of 7-Eleven, a classic case from the shift to sprawl, shows how major changes in community planning can affect business. “Southland Company [7-Eleven] didn’t read the spatial patterns and lost its market niche as a result,” says New Urbanist planner Peter Katz. He told HBR that U.S. cities used to have a dozen levels in their road hierarchy, ranging from residential streets to interstates. The strategy at 7-Eleven was to build on streets between residential and commercial areas. But once sprawl took over, many of those options vanished. So 7-Eleven was forced into larger shopping sites, next to stores like Target, which learned its game of late hours and convenience items. Meanwhile, the chain’s model continued to thrive in Japan, where people still walked everywhere. It did so well that 7-Eleven was bought by its largest franchisee, Ito-Yokado. —A.W.
Marketing changes, too. In densely packed, walkable centers of living, “many of the benefits of costly national branding go away, while the benefits of passion and a close connection to the customer emerge,” says Peter Katz, the head planner for Sarasota County, Florida. In such settings, he and other New Urbanists believe, it’s easier for small, local, experience- and relationship-based businesses to thrive, and indeed many New Urban developers seek merchants like these to populate their newly minted commercial areas. Bigger retail companies will have to work hard to adopt strategies that take New Urban principles into account and learn to provide an authentic “local” experience.
In many ways, New Urbanism and the trends it captures are part of broader recent changes businesses already accept: the shift to an experience economy, consumers’ and employees’ demands for greater corporate social responsibility, an emphasis on work/life balance, and the importance of interaction between companies and their customers. The demographic aspect is simply the newest part of an ongoing conversation. Companies that recognize the larger trend, however, and seize the opportunities that it presents will contribute to its social impact—and may gain a competitive advantage in the process.Summary Requirements Instructions Changelog Comments Bugs
DRS Doctor is a command line tool that can be used to diagnose DRS behavior in VMware vCenter clusters. When run against a DRS enabled cluster, it records information regarding the state of the cluster, the work load distribution, DRS moves, etc., in an easy to read log format.
The goal of DRS Doctor is to give VI admins better insight into DRS and the actions it performs. It is very useful for analyzing DRS actions and troubleshooting issues with very little overhead. This is also an easy way for support engineers to read into customer environments without having to rely on developers to debug DrmDump logs in order to troubleshoot simple DRS issues.
DRS Doctor connects to the vCenter server and tracks the list of cluster related tasks and actions. It also tracks DRS recommendations generated and reasons for each recommendation, which is currently only available in a hard-to-read format in DrmDump files. At the end of each log, it dumps the Host and VM resource consumption data to give a quick overview of cluster state. It also provides an operational audit at the end of each log file.Dec 31, 2016 | By Tess
While 2016 might have been a trying year in many ways, one of the major silver linings has been the amazing advancements in technology, perhaps most notably in additive manufacturing. As necessary as it is to look back on the past year, however, it is also important—not to mention exciting—to look forward to 2017, which holds the promise of even more amazing innovations and AM advancements. As is customary at the end of the year, research and advisory firm Gartner has released its predictions for 2017 and, in the field of 3D printing, they look pretty positive.
The overall consensus of the 19-page-long report, called “Gartner’s annual predictions about the future of 3D printing”, is that 3D printing will continue to advance and grow within a wide range of industries over the next years, including in the industrial manufacturing industry, the medical sector, and more.
Key highlights of the report include the projection that by 2020, 10% of industrial operations will integrate robotic 3D printing technologies into their manufacturing, 30% of internal medical implants and devices will be 3D printed (and increasingly printed on location), product introduction timelines will be reduced by 25% because of 3D printing, and a whopping 75% of manufacturing operations across the globe will integrate 3D printed tools, jigs, and fixtures for the production of finished goods.
Each of the points is based on a number of findings and reports done by Gartner. For instance, in the projection that 10% of industrial operations will integrate robotic 3D printers by 2020, the analysis takes into account that over the past ten years, 3D printing has transformed from a primarily prototyping technology to one suitable for making quick-to-market products, specialized designs, and low-volume production runs. On a basic level, it is only natural to assume the technology will continue to advance and become more sophisticated.
Spider Robot
Gartner cites a number of developments that are currently underway that point to further advancements, including autonomous and collaborative robotic 3D printing (i.e. Siemens’ Spider Robot), end-of-arm tooling on automation, integrated inspection systems, large-scale automation and construction, factory floor “hybrid” machines that combine 3D printing with CNC milling, and more.
The report reads, “We expect the automated 3DP systems to become more sophisticated. Many of those older, error-prone, preprogrammed automation efforts will be superseded by the new breed of intelligent automation that can adapt and self-correct. The process will monitor itself as it is being printed and either correct the process or reject the part when problems occur. The nature of 3DP and the continuous, high-inspection requirements make “smart automation” a better fit in the long-term for the manufacturing processes than older programmable robotic approaches.”
The prediction that 30% of internal medical implants and devices will be 3D printed by 2020 is not entirely surprising, as we see on almost a daily basis how 3D printed implants are becoming increasingly viable. The primary reason for the acceleration of this 3D printing application has to do with the demand for customized medical treatments and devices. Over the next few years, Gartner is confident that certain challenges surrounding 3D printing implants (such as the time it takes to print, sterilize, and inspect) will be accounted for and improved upon.
3D printed implant
As mentioned, Gartner has also predicted that by 2020, 3D printing will reduce new product introduction timelines by 25%. Again, we’ve already seen evidence of this, as companies across a wide range of industries have been using additive manufacturing to speed up prototyping processes. That is, using 3D printing, companies are better equipped to turn out prototypes, test them, present them to clients, adjust and tweak them, and repeat. As Gartner says, “The number of iterations enabled by rapid and iterative prototyping results in short new-product development time, lower development costs and fewer finished goods defects.”
Gartner’s final strategic planning assumption predicts that in the next few years, 75% of manufacturing operations across the globe will be using 3D printed tools, jigs, and fixtures, made on location or through a 3D printing service, for product manufacturing. Essentially, this means that companies will not necessarily give up their existing manufacturing methods but rather use a combination of more traditional practices and 3D printing; use additive manufacturing to supplement and support their existing techniques.
This is largely due to 3D printing’s ability to manufacture strong and practical tools, jigs and fixtures. As Gartner explains, 3D printing can be used to make heat-resistant molds, and custom tools that make factory floor tasks more efficient. Notably, additive manufacturing and CAD software also allow for said tools to be redesigned and optimized on the fly. Importantly, being able to 3D print such tools as molds helps to cut down on both time and costs for injection molding processes.
Gartner’s full 2017 predictions report can be found here.
Posted in 3D Printing Application
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SU wrote at 1/1/2017 12:36:46 PM:What about kidney transplants or Any thing in relation to CKD?David “DAVEY” Stafford and Enkhtaivan “Machinegun” Lkhagva have been released from Splyce's CS:GO roster, according to a statement from the team's website.
There was no reason listed in the statement for why DAVEY was released, but explained that Machinegun's departure was because "the language barriers were too great a challenge amidst the other difficulties of building a brand new team."
There was also mention in the statement that Splyce's CEO and co-founder Marty Strenczewilk would later be releasing a vlog to give further details about Splyce's roster.
DAVEY joined Splyce’s roster in January, while Machinegun came to the team in July, but the team has since gone through some mild roster turbulence — with Machinegun missing events such as Northern Arena Toronto and part of the EPL Season 4 - North America due to visa issues. DAVEY also recently missed the ZOTAC World Cup in October for undisclosed reasons. Splyce finished first at that event.
Three players stood in for the team during this period, with Temin "reD" Kwon and Chris "buZZa" Buzza subbing for Machinegun and Damian "daps" Steele filling DAVEY’s shoes.
Machinegun has yet to publicly respond to the news, but DAVEY responded with a positive tweet towards his former organization and teammates.
Olivia Da Silva is a news editor at theScore esports. She likes piña coladas, getting caught in the rain and dank no-scopes. You're eligible for free high fives if you follow her on Twitter.Feel Free To Share The Love!
Too Busy Drowning To Learn To Swim
I just read a quote, “I’m too busy drowning to learn to swim,” in a teaching post. This quote disturbs me that teachers are feeling so overwhelmed and drowning from the workload that they can’t save themselves.
Do you ever feel that way in everyday life, even if you aren’t a teacher? Do you feel like you are too busy drowning in the mire of life? How can you help yourself undo that feeling and gain strength in the lessons of learning to swim and keep your head above the water line?
Find that place that you can escape to, whether it be your bedroom, the backyard, a walk along the beach, etc… that gives you some alone time. Release and let go of all worries and just allow the silence to cleanse your body of its anxiety and stress.
Delegate
Do you have to do everything by yourself? It might be time to figure out a way to delegate some of your responsibilities to others. If you are a teacher, there are other ways to get grades from the students without having to grade every assignment — leaving you more time for planning. Let family members help out more and do not stress if it is not done to perfection as you would have done. I had to learn that lesson a long time ago. I AM NOT SUPERWOMAN! Tough thing to admit, but so necessary.
It is so difficult to always want to do for others, as we see a need and sometimes create a need that they need us. But, as you spend some time in silence, you must also give back to yourself in those small, special ways. Grab a lunch out with a girlfriend and just enjoy the company. Do not feel guilty about leaving family members behind. Give to yourself the luxury of a nap or a bubble bath. There is no wrong in doing this. Also, give to yourself the company of yourself, alone, for moments in a day.
Exercise
Spend some quality time with your own self exercising and getting those stress kinks out. Whether you choose the gentler route of yoga and stretching or you choose a high-impact workout, find the time to exercise your body. You will feel better, you will look more refreshed, and your energy will begin to rise and your mood will improve.
Stop drowning under demands of the day, a lot of time due to our own choices, but learn to swim not only to keep your head above water, but on top of the water. Life will be an easier path to follow when gliding along the top instead of floundering below the surface.I am essentially running into the same issue as this post, though I have a slightly different situation: has_many nested form with a has_one nested form within it
But as someone else mentioned in that post, the provided answer does not solve the issue.
The relationship is set up so that Invoice has_many items and each Item has_one Modifier. I am attempting to make a single form_for Invoice that allows a use to create many items, each with a Modifier.
MODELS
class Invoice < ActiveRecord::Base has_many :items has_many :modifiers, through: :items accepts_nested_attributes_for :items end class Item < ActiveRecord::Base belongs_to :invoice belongs_to :modifier accepts_nested_attributes_for :modifier end class Modifier < ActiveRecord::Base has_one :item end
CONTROLLER
class Invoice def new @invoice = Invoice.new end def edit end... end
VIEWS(haml)
invoice.html.haml: = form_for @invoice do |f| = f.text_field :status = f.fields_for :items do |builder| = render partial: "items/fields", locals: { :f => builder } = link_to_add_association 'New Item', f, :items, partial: "items/fields", id: "add-item-button" items/_fields.html.haml:.nested-fields - @item = @invoice.items.build = f.fields_for :modifier, @item.build_modifier do |modifier| = modifier.text_field :name
Let's review what's happening. In order to build the nested has_one relationship, I build an Item in the nested-fields partial so that I can build the has_one Modifier. This is because rails requires that you explicitly call 'build_something' in a has_one relationship (usually this is called in the controller's new, but I only want to build once someone has clicked the New Item button). For creating new Invoices, this code works perfectly. Checking console, I see that the relationship is created and I can verify that the Modifier was created successfully.
However, when I go back to edit the invoice, cocoon knows that I already have a modifier, so it calls the partial once to create the necessary fields_for my single Modifier. These fields are empty. This makes sense though, because as cocoon is rendering that partial, it is building a new Code with a new modifier and setting the fields blank. I can confirm that is what is occuring because once I have my modifier saved properly, I can go into my partial, remove the two build calls, and view the edit page which properly displays the saved Modifier info just fine.
Of course, now that I've removed my build calls, the form no longer saves any Modifiers that I create. So essentially, I need the build calls in there to build new Modifiers, but I can't have them in there if I want to view them.
Does anyone have a solution to this situation? I have found multiple stack overflow questions and none of them resolves this issue.A 38-year-old Florida dad has been charged with manslaughter in the death of his 6-year-old daughter -- and the way it happened will just make you shake your head and pray for humanity. David Courson was in his truck on his property, only he wasn't driving the truck. For some bizarre reason, a 13-year-old girl was. The girl put the truck in gear and instead of moving the truck forwards, she mistakenly flung into reverse -- and ran over the man's 6-year-old daughter, Rebecca. The truck killed her. As if that isn't tragic and horrible enough, here comes the real head slapper: Both the man and the 13-year-old driver were allegedly drunk.
Courson and the teenage girl were reportedly not related. Why she was driving the truck was anyone's guess, but if he were giving her driving lessons, doing it drunk was the dumbest thing imaginable.
More From Our Partners: Father Kills His Own Son in the Most Disturbing Way Possible
One cop summed up why an allegedly inebriated teen might have been driving the car, saying:
No good reason, other than lack of responsibility of the one adult that was there at the house.
Sounds about right.
The 13-year-old could be charged with DUI manslaughter charges too, pending a blood test. I'm sorry, but at 13 years old, you aren't thinking clearly. You still rely on the adults around you to guide and influence your decisions. A teen girl is susceptible to being plied with alcohol by an adult and allowed the thrill of driving.
It's up to the adult to know that is a boneheaded idea, not the girl. And up to the adult to make sure that there aren't any children in the area of the truck.
Reportedly, Courson's other daughter, a 12-year-old, also reeked of booze. Courson is reportedly unemployed and his wife was at work while this tragic scenario went down. Can you imagine coming home to find one daughter dead, and one allegedly drunk, and some other teen driving the truck that killed your baby?
Rebecca's 8-year-old brother was also apparently in the truck -- no word on whether he too had been imbibing.
The father must be devastated about what happened, but there are consequences to being so incredibly irresponsible. And now he's going to face them.
Do you think the teen driver should be charged?
Image via WCTVCoordinates:
Brianna Alexandra Maitland (October 8, 1986 – disappeared March 19, 2004) is an American teen who disappeared after leaving her job at the Black Lantern Inn in Montgomery, Vermont. Her car was discovered the following day, backed into the side of an abandoned house about a mile (1.6 km) away from her workplace. She has not been seen or heard from since. Due to a confluence of circumstances, several days passed before Maitland's friends and family reported her missing.
In the days and weeks following her disappearance, numerous tips were investigated by state law enforcement, including a claim that Maitland was being held captive in a house occupied by local drug dealers of whom she was an acquaintance; however, none of the tips resulted in her discovery. An alleged 2006 sighting of Maitland at a casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey brought renewed interest to the case, but the woman seen was never properly identified. In 2012, law enforcement investigated a possible connection between Maitland's disappearance and serial killer Israel Keyes, who committed numerous rapes and murders in Vermont, New York, and throughout the Pacific Northwest, but he was ultimately ruled out as a suspect by the FBI.
Maitland's case was profiled across various local media, on Dateline NBC, and the documentary series Disappeared. In 2017, the case was discussed in the documentary series on missing college student Maura Murray, who vanished a month prior to Maitland in Woodsville, New Hampshire. As of 2019, Maitland's disappearance remains unsolved.
Background [ edit ]
Early life [ edit ]
Brianna Maitland was born October 8, 1986 in Burlington, Vermont to Bruce and Kellie Maitland (née Fisher).[4] She was raised with her older brother on their parents' farm near the U.S.-Canadian border.[5] In her youth, she was extensively trained in jiu-jitsu.[5] Maitland attended Missisquoi Valley Union High School before transferring to Enosburg Falls High School in Enosburg Falls during her sophomore year.[6]
Prior to disappearance [ edit ]
On Maitland's seventeenth birthday in October 2003, she decided she wanted to move away from her parents' farm.[5] Her mother, Kellie, said there were no serious stresses at home, but that Maitland wanted more independence, and to be closer to a group of friends who lived 15 miles (24 km) away and attended a different high school.[5] Maitland enrolled at her friends' high school, but her living arrangements were unstable, as she moved in and out of several friends' homes.[5] By the end of February 2004, she had dropped out of school and moved in with her childhood friend, Jillian Stout, in Sheldon, Vermont, approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of Montgomery.[7] To complete her education, Maitland enrolled in a GED program.[5]
Three weeks prior to her disappearance, Maitland was physically attacked at a party by a female friend named Keallie Lacross.[8] The motive for the attack was unclear,[9] though Brianna's father, Bruce, would later state that he believed it stemmed from jealousy over Maitland's interaction with a male peer at the party.[8] One of Maitland's friends who was at the party claimed that Maitland refused to fight with Lacross, who subsequently hit her in the face several times while Maitland was seated in a truck.[10] The altercation resulted in Maitland suffering a broken nose and concussion; she later filed charges against Lacross.[5] The complaint was subsequently dropped three weeks after Maitland disappeared, and police stated that Lacross was cleared of any involvement in her disappearance.[5]
Disappearance [ edit ]
Friday, March 19, 2004 [ edit ]
[5] Black Lantern Inn, Maitland's workplace and the last place she was seen alive
On the morning of Friday, March 19, 2004, Maitland took an exam to receive her GED. After completing the test, she and her mother had lunch to celebrate the occasion; her father, Bruce, was out of state working in New York at the time.[5] Her mother described her as being in good spirits, and that Maitland had discussed plans of attending college.[5]
After lunch, Maitland and her mother spent the afternoon shopping and doing errands. While waiting in the check out line of a store, Kellie said something outside caught Brianna's attention; she told her mother she would return shortly, and left the store.[5] Kellie completed her purchase and met Brianna in the parking lot, and noticed that her daughter seemed unnerved, shaken, and agitated.[5] She told her mother that she needed to go home and prepare for her upcoming work shift at the Black Lantern Inn, a restaurant in Montgomery.[5] Not wanting to pry, Kellie did not ask what had happened, and dropped Brianna off at Stout's home between 3:30 and 4:00pm.[5] This was the last time she saw her daughter.[5][6] At some point before leaving for her work shift, Maitland left a note for Stout saying she'd return after work that evening.[5] Maitland then departed for the Black Lantern Inn in a 1985 Oldsmobile sedan registered to Kellie.[5]
After completing her shift at work, Maitland clocked out and left the Black Lantern Inn at approximately 11:20 p.m.[12] She told her co-workers she needed to get home and rest before working the next day at her second job in St. Albans.[5] By all accounts Maitland was alone in her vehicle when she left.[14]
Saturday, March 20, 2004 [ edit ]
Discovery of vehicle [ edit ]
[15] The Dutchburn farmhouse, photographed in 2015. It was destroyed in a fire in July 2016.
Early the next afternoon, on March 20, a Vermont State Police trooper was dispatched to an abandoned house on Route 118 in Richford,[16] about a mile from the Black Lantern Inn. Maitland's car was found backed into the side of the house. Known locally as "the old Dutchburn house,"[17] the siding of the home had been breached by the rear end of the car. A piece of plywood that had been covering a window lay on the car's trunk. Two of Maitland's paychecks were on the front seat of the car, and outside it, law enforcement observed loose change, a water bottle, and an unsmoked cigarette.[18] The trooper assumed the car had been abandoned by a drunk driver, and a towing company took the vehicle to a local garage.[5]
Maitland was not reported missing for a number of days.[5] Her mother did not learn about the accident with Brianna's Oldsmobile until five days after it was discovered.[5] Stout saw Brianna's note on Friday, March 19, spent the weekend away, and found the note undisturbed when she returned on Monday. Assuming Brianna was staying elsewhere, she did not call Kellie until the following day.[5]
On Tuesday, March 23, Kellie began calling various people in order to find Brianna, including friends as well as her employers, |
annon (lolesports)
Draft two of three pushing lanes. Ensure you secure the strong jungle matchup. These common mantras have dotted commentary since the enforcement of standard lanes at the start of the EU LCS playoffs in 2016 Summer, but on many occasions, Splyce defied them.
“This series, I kind of realized there’s no point in playing to their strength,” Splyce mid laner Chres “Sencux” Larssen said after the five game series against Unicorns of Love that qualified Splyce for the World Championship. “So I wanted to stall out the early game and get to mid game by playing Malzahar. And that’s also why I kind of wanted to stall out the third game from a huge deficit. I don’t think their late game is that good. Our mid-late game was better than theirs, so that’s why we decided to do that.”
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When other teams began putting increased emphasis on choosing counterpicks in 1v1s and 2v2s without the security of lane swaps, Splyce still found instances where they defaulted to the comfort of the scaling choice. This buffered their typically struggling early game so they could create comeback scenarios from dazzling deficits by pinching the map in 1-3-1s or flanks in the jungle. Despite a second place finish in EU LCS playoffs, Splyce averaged the third largest deficit (-1531) and the second largest deficit of any team at the World Championship (-2155) at 15 minutes.
What worked well for Splyce in Europe, securing them second place, failed abroad. Challenged by oppressive lanes, Splyce couldn’t find as many windows to come back and fell out of group stage with a 1-5 record. In the 2017 season, strong laning phase will be cultivated, and being able to secure the push to strangle out less frequently spawning jungle camps may have an even greater impact.
Story continues
Unless Splyce improve their stuttering early game, it will be much more difficult for them to remain at the top. Much of the onus for the change — and Splyce’s style in general — will fall to Jonas “Trashy” Andersen.
Prior to the World Championship, I spoke with Trashy about the role of the jungler when his team falls behind early.
“I know it’s a thing a lot of people talk about like ‘oh, they’re not doing anything in the early game, it’s the jungler just afk farming’ or something like this,” Trashy said, “but there’s a lot more to it than not being proactive.
“I think it’s a lot about drafts and a lot about understanding what you want to do in game,” he elaborated. “So obviously there will be situations where it’s the jungler’s fault, but in most cases it comes down to, at the highest level, maybe the enemy just have a better early game jungler and a strong matchup that you can’t really challenge, so you have to do something else on the map.”
Draft certainly played a role in Splyce falling behind. In their climb through playoffs and regionals, for example, Splyce saved their support for last pick on red side, leaving solo lanes more open to counterpick. By Sencux’s admission, Splyce also chose matchups that would perform poorly early.
Trashy frequently chose champions like Graves, Olaf, or Gragas that did better after farming to Level 6 in terms of exhibiting lane pressure. This coincided with their struggles in standard lanes, as Trashy often would choose to counter jungle on the opposite side of the map in response to his opponent exerting pressure with a stronger pick. It’s hard to safely invade the enemy jungle if you have a weaker jungle match and your laners aren’t able to push out enough to prevent the opposition from collapsing upon you.
Splyce team huddle (lolesports)
Matchups weren’t the only problems for Splyce’s early game. Even with lane dominant picks like Karma or Aurelion Sol at the team’s disposal, Splyce’s Sencux and Kasper “Kobbe” Kobberup averaged CS deficits of more than 7 at 10 minutes in the World Championship group stage. Perhaps this is partly why, in Week 2, Splyce’s draft emphasis swung wildly to Elise, selecting the champion first or in the first rotation on red side in all three of their games.
Trashy is less hesitant to initiate ganks without knowing the location of the enemy jungler if he has a strong matchup.
“If I know I’m stronger,” Trashy said before Worlds, “then it doesn’t matter if I know the enemy jungler’s there, because I know we will win.”
Elise can very easily snowball a lane with her single target stun, burst, and diving maneuverability. She doesn’t have as much utility in the latter phases of the game, so picking Elise early almost always telegraphs that the jungler wants to have an impact on the map right away.
Even with the Elise pick in Week 2, Splyce played a somewhat desperate and reactive style. In their first game against Royal Never Give Up, Trashy’s initial move was a slow reaction to the top lane gank. Though they eventually won the game through invades, mid pressure, and RNG misplaying on the bottom side, desperate attempts to react characterized Splyce’s next two games against Team SoloMid and Samsung Galaxy as well.
Against Team SoloMid, Trashy attempted to match Dennis “Svenskeren” Johnsen around the map and ended up over-committing to a blind invade and attempting to trade top for bottom pressure. Playing against Samsung was even more disastrous; Trashy showed up late to a bottom lane counter gank instead of moving to take something else on the map. When bottom lane got enough of a lead, Samsung support Jo “Core JJ” Yongin roamed to punish almost all of Trashy’s gank or invade attempts, and Kang “Ambition” Chanyong made more efficient trades.
By his own admission, Trashy’s natural strengths don’t necessarily align with a high-ganking style of play, even with Elise at his disposal. “I think I’m generally better at being the reactive one and being annoying for the enemy jungler,” he said.
For Trashy, playing in the jungle is more about playing around his opponent than confronting him directly.
“I always study my opponent and try to understand his mindset going into his jungle pathing,” Trashy explained. “A lot of times I pick matchups that probably aren’t super decisive in jungle. Let’s say that the enemy have a stronger jungler … I don’t really care too much about that because I feel like I can find other ways around it and kind of counteract that he is stronger than me by doing moves that he is not going to see coming.”
On the World Championship stage, there were moments where Trashy, forced into more of a confrontational mode, looked out of his element. Compounding Splyce’s losing lanes, Trashy also didn’t have many opportunities to invade the enemy jungle and try to steal creeps to punish him for spending time visible on the map. Creep allocation seems to be a major factor for Trashy in how he makes his decisions.
Splyce’s bottom and top lane: Kobbe, Mikyx, and Wunder (lolesports)
Snowballing lanes early “is not something that I’m the best at right now because there’s a lot of risk in it,” Trashy said. “Every time you go for a gank or pressure, you can fall behind the enemy jungler, and that might determine … the best play.”
In addition, Splyce won’t always play to lanes where they have a lead. In some instances where their bottom lane is most pushed out, as in the Week 1 game against Team SoloMid, Trashy remained farming around top side and looking for advantages there.
“We haven’t been the greatest at playing around bot and setting up plays,” Trashy said prior to the World Championship, “and also we’re not as good at setting up specific lanes to be pressured in the early game.”
One of the most common misconceptions about Splyce in 2016 was that the team was full of relatively weak individual players who managed to win games through strong macro play. On the contrary, Splyce’s players exhibited strong individual skill in flanks or navigating team fights with vision in the late game, but their understanding of early game pressure and opening up the map before 15 minutes was too lacking to call Splyce a truly “strong macro team.”
All of these factors make 2017 an even more concerning year for Splyce and have led many to knock them down a peg in projected rankings. Whether or not one believes they can place Top 2 in Europe again depends on how much one believes Splyce can grow as a unit in draft, individual laning, and Trashy’s own adaptability.
In the new season, Riot Games have reduced jungle creep spawn times to try to encourage junglers to influence lanes more frequently. After first clear, there’s often a short amount of dead time, and junglers can decide between backing or finding a lane to gank rather than continuing to power farm. Some junglers, like Lee Sin or Rek’Sai, will even farm one quadrant and attempt to exert pressure mid at Level 3 first.
Those early decisions will be crucial, but after that, counterjungling can become even more punishing due to increased respawn times. In order to secure counterjungling opportunities, however, Splyce will have to play to lane pressure and secure strong matchups.
The ten ban system has also launched for the new season, in some cases making securing strong matchups more difficult. If an opposing coach decides to pinch a specific champion pool, it may become important to pick a champion earlier in the draft. Unless Splyce’s Jakob “YamatoCannon” Mebdi adapts well, it will become even more difficult for Splyce to get matchups they’re not only comfortable with, but able to win lanes using.
While snowballing assassins like Rengar and Kha’Zix have become popular in the jungle alongside high pressure picks like Lee Sin, Trashy has taken an affinity for Ivern, a new utility jungle pick. It sits as the second most played in his Master account in the new season, and he continued to play it following nerfs.
Trashy has still kept up with his Lee Sin diet, but his interest in Ivern isn’t surprising. Ivern’s passive allows him to free up his jungle pathing a lot more than other junglers, something that would appeal to Trashy, who emphasizes the mind game aspect of jungling. Ivern also has a hint of the tank and utility jungle champions that were most popular in Season 2.
Splyce’s mid laner, Sencux, after the team’s only World Championship victory (lolesports)
“When I started playing jungle,” Trashy said, “it was the meta when there was like Maokai, Amumu, stuff like this heavy engage champions, and I kind of like that, so that was also one of the reasons why I started playing jungle.”
An ideal scenario for Splyce might just be to pinch the jungle pool. Getting extremely aggressive picks like Lee Sin off the table immediately can force both jungle players into playing champions that get more out of out-maneuvering in the jungle for the first six levels.
In these scenarios, Splyce’s mid and bottom lane may have to improve their play in specific matchups and willingness to push out the lane much more. That way, Splyce can actually use Trashy’s creativity in avoiding the enemy jungler to punish him more effectively, looking for opportunities after first clear to punish the enemy jungler even more with lower spawn timings and creep denial.
That isn’t necessarily easy to do. Pressuring lanes not only requires strong matchups and knowledge, but vision support and working in tandem with how the jungler paths. If Sencux plays far forward in lane, Trashy will need to be in position to react if the opponent jungler comes to gank him. If the 2v2 works out, that could easily give Trashy a window into the rest of the jungle for the rest of the game. Each game, Splyce will have to come with a plan for how to use lane pressure and secure early leads.
Like so many others, I am concerned about Splyce’s ability to adapt, but I’m also aware that this is a team that could hardly win LCS games at the start of 2016 Spring. By overcoming stage fright and making improvements in their macro knowledge, Splyce managed to unsettle many of Europe’s contenders and climb to Top 2. In sticking together, the team has signaled they believe their ceiling is still only a distant notion.
Compared to other junglers he has played with in the last two years, Sencux described Trashy to me as “more willing to play a lot to improve” and “more diverse as a jungler,” specifically referring to Dennis “Obvious” Sørensen’s greater difficulty adapting after the meta shifted away from a farming focus.
Splyce and Trashy face an incredibly daunting challenge. I think they will struggle to meet it at first and have a lurching start to the season, but the solution is achievable. It will take more than standard lanes to uncoil Europe’s snake from Top 2.
You can follow Kelsey Moser on Twitter @karonmoser.CHICAGO (CBS) — There were no disruptions Thursday night during the last of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s three town hall meetings on next year’s Chicago city budget, but there wasn’t time for much else, either.
Seventy people spoke in 100 minutes during the meeting, at Wright College in the Dunning neighborhood on the Northwest Side. Those who couldn’t be succinct were cut off before they had a chance to make their point; but plenty did so, mostly airing a variety of complaints.
A handful of people voiced outrage about a proposal to fill most of next year’s budget gap through a $500 million property tax hike.
“You raise the taxes, you’ll see a mass exodus of people getting the hell out of this goddamn city,” one man shouted.
Earlier in the day, the mayor defended his push for a major property tax hike, acknowledging it would be a tough pill to swallow for taxpayers, but saying it’s necessary to shore up police and firefighter pension funds, restore the city’s worst-in-the-nation bond rating, and solve the city’s long-standing financial crisis.
“This will be, obviously, difficult. And I don’t underestimate the difficulty. That’s why it’s going to be done in the most fair and progressive manner,” the mayor said.[1]
1. Praise to the man who communed with Jehovah!
Jesus anointed that Prophet and Seer.
Blessed to open the last dispensation,
Kings shall extol him, and nations revere.
[Chorus]
Hail to the Prophet, ascended to heaven!
Traitors and tyrants now fight him in vain.
Mingling with Gods, he can plan for his brethren;
Death cannot conquer the hero again.
2. Praise to his mem’ry, he died as a martyr;
Honored and blest be his ever great name!
Long shall his blood, which was shed by assassins,
Plead unto heav’n while the earth lauds his fame.
3. Great is his glory and endless his priesthood.
Ever and ever the keys he will hold.
Faithful and true, he will enter his kingdom,
Crowned in the midst of the prophets of old.
4. Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven;
Earth must atone for the blood of that man.
Wake up the world for the conflict of justice.
Millions shall know “Brother Joseph” again.
♬♪ Praise to the Man - Joseph Smith ♫♭
[2]
“I have more to boast of than ever any man had. I am the only man that has ever been able to keep a
whole church together since the days of Adam... Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it. I boast
that no man ever did such work as I. The followers of Jesus ran away from Him; but the Latter-day
Saints never ran away from me yet.”
[4]
[5]
"Sing the praises of the Lord, enthroned in Zion;
proclaim among the nations what he has done."
ReferencesLDS Hymnbook, "Praise to the man", 1985, Hymn #27 William W. Phelps, 1792–1872"Joseph holds the keys, and none of us can get into the celestial kingdom without passing by him."Consent, Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, vol. 7, p.289-291 "No man or woman in this dispensation will ever enter into the celestial kingdom of God without theconsent of Joseph Smith"A US Border Patrol agent has been charged in the decapitation killing of a Honduran man whose body washed up near a beach popular with spring breakers in Texas.
Agent Joel Luna, 30, has been charged with capital murder in the death of Franklin Rodriguez Palacios Paz, 33, whose remains were found in March on South Padre Island.
Authorities believe that Luna may be involved with a Mexican drug cartel and have also charged him with organized criminal activity and tampering with evidence in the investigation.
When Paz's body was found near South Padre, it was mutilated in a way that suggests he had been killed as part of cartel violence.
Joel Luna, 30 (left), a US Border Patrol agent, has been charged with murder in the death of Franklin Rodriguez Palacios Paz, 33 (right), who was found decapitated near a Texas spring break destination in March
Four men were previously arrested in Paz's death, though authorities added the border agent as well after cocaine, weapons and $90,000 in cash was discovered in a safe at his mother-in-law's house
Police found out that he had been killed in Edinburg, the Texas town where he had worked in tire shop.
Four of his coworkers were arrested this spring, including two, Eduardo Luna Rodriguez, 24, and Fernando Luna Rodriguez, who are Joel Luna's brothers.
Fernando, 35, was coming back from Mexico with Joel Luna when he was taken into custody.
Investigators charged the border agent after finding a safe at his mother-in-law's house that had more than a kilogram of cocaine, 17 grams of methamphetamines, two pistols and $90,000 in cash.
More guns including an assault rifle were found at Joel Luna's home, according to KRGV.
Police later found an assault rifle at Luna's home. It is believed that he used his position as a border agent to help facilitate illegal activities for a Mexican drug cartel
Luna worked at a Hebbronville, Texas, checkpoint and was hired before a 2010 law mandating extensive background checks for agents
He was hit with drug charges before the murder charge was added.
Cameron County Sheriff Omar Lucio said that Luna would use his position as an agent at a Hebbronville, Texas, checkpoint to help bring drugs into the country from Mexico for the powerful Gulf cartel.
Luna's brother Eduardo Luna Rodriguez was one of the four other men arrested in Paz's killing
US Customs and Border Protection has placed Luna on administrative leave.
'The overwhelming majority of officers and agents perform their duties with honor and distinction, working tirelessly every day to keep our country safe,” the agency said in a statement after the arrest.
'We do not tolerate corruption or abuse within our ranks, and we fully cooperate with any criminal or administrative investigation of alleged misconduct by any of our personnel, on or off duty '.
Rosalva Resendiz, a professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, told Valley Central that cartels often encourage those in the US to join positions that will facilitate illegal activity.
Lucio said that corruption such as Luna's alleged activities is very rare. 'One or two is too many, but by the same token it is not something you see in the paper every single day'.
The federal Anti-Border Corruption Act of 2010 mandated background checks and polygraph tests for border agents, but Luna, a six-year veteran, was hired before the law.
It also mandates that employees have a background investigation every five years.
Breitbart also reported that law enforcement officers said the tire shop where Paz and Luna's brothers worked was a front for the drug running.
Nestor Manuel Leal and Aaron Rodriguez Medellin were the two other coworkers arrested. They also face murder charges.I used to hate doing laundry because it took a ton of time and energy to do load after load.
Sorting, washing, drying, sorting, folding, putting away. It was made worse by the fact that I would never do laundry by choice—only out of necessity when I ran out of clean underwear. I had so many clothing options that I didn’t have to do laundry for weeks, or sometimes up to a month or more.
I’d always wear the clothing I most enjoyed first until they disappeared into the pile of dirty clothes and I’d move on to other clothing I liked less and less. Then at the last possible moment, lacking any reasonable remaining clothing options, I was left with a massive multi-load laundry project to tackle.
How I learned to enjoy doing laundry wasn’t by figuring out a more efficient way; it was by doing less.
From donating 70% of the clothing I used to have, I spend significantly less time doing laundry now.
Now, it takes me about 20-25 minutes of actual labor to wash and fold all of my laundry (not including time in the machines).
I have a dark hamper and a whites hamper, which all my clothing go into as I take them off. If the item can be hung again, there is plenty of room to easily hang it back on the rack in my closet. When I run out of undershirts or underwear, I do two loads of laundry (one dark and one white) and reset 100% of my wardrobe. Minimalist laundry is much easier than what I was doing before.
I’ve learned to enjoy the process of caring for my clothing.
Unfortunately I didn’t realize the real culprit for years. I resented the time and energy it took to wear, clean, fold, and put away clothing that I didn’t even like that much.
As I’ve mentioned in a previous article I believe that time is my most valuable asset.
Why was I giving so much of it away unnecessarily to inanimate objects I didn’t even like?
The biggest change of all, is that I actually enjoy doing laundry now. I see it as my way of giving back to the items that take care of me as I use them. They keep me warm, comfortable and happy every day. By washing, folding and nicely putting away these items, I show my appreciation for their service.
It may seem a little strange, but once I got rid of all the excess I was able to appreciate what was left so much more. I was only giving my time and energy to the clothing that I truly wanted in my life and made me feel great. The results have been profound.
I don’t really have to choose what to wear anymore.
I’ve taken this a step further and started wearing the same few outfits over and over again. It’s been proven that by reducing non-critical decisions throughout the day we make better ones when it actually matters. I appreciate never having to think about what to wear in the morning, which improves the quality of my morning routine.
On a normal day I look like this (goofy grin included):
Having less choice on what to wear has boosted my self-confidence
By wearing the same few outfits all the time, I suddenly feel less defined by and attached to the clothing I wear. I’m making a conscious decision to wear what I have and to let go of the potential judgement from others.
I’d rather interact with others who judge me based on my character than what clothes I may be wearing that day. So far no one has said anything about me wearing the same pieces of clothing over and over and I don’t expect anyone will.
Mundane tasks will always be mundane, until we choose otherwise.
The boring, chore-like things we all must do in life will never become ‘fun’ on their own unless we approach it differently. It is up to us to create an environment and mental attitude that allows us to take satisfaction in the small processes that make up our daily lives.M4V is a standard video format created by Apple, if you download M4V files online often, you may have encountered the problem that M4V videos can't be played sometimes due to M4V format is not supported by all players or some M4V videos are protected by DRM. This is so painful. You may wonder is there a good way to fix it easily. Absolutely, the common solution to solve this issue forever is to convert M4V to popular formats of videos such as MP4, MPEG, AVI, WMV, then it will be compatible with more players and has no DRM limitation. If you mainly want to store the videos for future watching, I would advise to convert M4V to MPEG.
Why Convert M4V to MPEG files Instead of Other Formats
Though MPEG is not a most popular format today, it is used widely for storing videos since it has high compression rate to reduce size and keep high definition which is perfect for storage in computers and DVD or being distributed over the internet.
Usually there are two MPEG formats used most MPEG 1 and MPEG 2. Both are standards for coded representation of digital audio and video and related data developed by Moving Picture Experts Group, the main difference of the two standards is that MPEG2 has higher compression rate and definition compared to MPEG1.
How to Convert Unprotected M4V to MPEG for Free
For unprotected M4V files, it may be caused by there is not a compatible media player as M4V movie usually can only be played on iTunes, QuickTime, Windows Media Player, VLC player. You can simply install a compatible player to fix it or alternatively you can convert the unprotected m4v files.
Many free M4V to MPEG converter such as Totally Free Converter and Convertio File Converter can do the job to convert M4V to MPEG within several clicks. Take Convertio File Converter which is an online converter tool for example.
You can go to the website simply click ‘From Computer’ to select a M4V video and choose the output format as ‘MPEG’, then click ‘Convert’, the file will start to be uploaded and converted. When it is done, you can click ‘Download’ button to get the MPEG file you converted quickly. This is a pretty easy way, however, It also has a big drawback that it doesn’t support iTunes DRM copyright protected M4V files.
How to Convert iTunes DRM Protected M4V to MPEG
In case you already have the compatible player but still can’t play the M4V video, it is most likely that the M4V movie is DRM copyright protected and you haven't authorize the purchase or rental to the device.
If you like to get rid of the trouble forever, you can convert DRM Protected M4V files by using TunesKit DRM M4V Converter for Mac which is a professional m4v to mpeg converter. It not only convert the videos fast but also it can remove the DRM automatically while keeping high output quality.
Following is the step by step instruction on how to convert DRM copyright protected M4V videos to MPEG movies:
Step 1 Launch the software from your Mac computer and click ‘Add Files’ to import a M4V movie. Please make sure you have authorized the movie to play on the computer else it may not be imported.
Step 2 Click the ‘Format’ icon and then go to the ‘General Video’ tab to select the output format as MPEG1 or MPEG2. I would suggest MPEG2 if you want a higher definition video.
Step 3 At last, you can click ‘Convert’ button to convert M4V to MPEG and remove the DRM protection.
To sum up, converting M4V to MPEG is a best way to save M4V movies on your devices such as USB disk SD card and you can also burn the converted MPEG file to DVDs too. When finish converting, the DRM protection will be removed automatically, you never need to worry about M4V files can’t be played any more.
Adam Gorden is an experienced writer of TunesKit who is obessing about tech, movie and software.Shortly after the 2016-17 season came to a close, the talented winger headed overseas for some well-deserved rest and downtime with his family before getting back to work, looking to improve every facet of his game.
The 22-year-old Finn has spent his offseason grinding it out in the gym with trainer and physiotherapist Viljo Niemeläinen, who runs Turku's Sport Science Lab (SSL). The pair has been working together for the past four years, honing Lehkonen's physical capabilities to ensure he'd be a force to be reckoned with when he finally made the jump to the NHL.
He most definitely was - chipping in to the tune of 18 goals and 28 points during the regular season before adding two more snipes and four points during the playoffs - but Niemeläinen insists there's still plenty of progress to be made.
"What I talk about with him is focusing on balance and strength when it comes to one-on-one situations and getting in front of the net - one-on-one battles for the puck and strength. That's one thing, then it's focusing on the first two or three strides when you push off and start skating. He wants to be as explosive as possible," said Niemeläinen, a former goaltender in the Finnish ranks who played under Lehkonen's father, Ismo, before going on to work under him as a conditioning coach. "Those are the exact things that we feel he needs to get better at when it comes to the NHL."
Lehkonen is certainly in agreement there.
"I've got to work on everything. I've got to get stronger. I've got to get faster. I've got to be more versatile," said Lehkonen, who typically spends five days per week in the gym in addition to skating with his father two to three times each week. "I've also got to get more physical and stronger in my legs so I can win those one-on-one battles during games. I know I'm still young and I know I have a lot of things to improve. It's a good challenge for me, for sure. I've just got to make sure that I'm ready when training camp starts."
To help Lehkonen take that all-important next step, Niemeläinen is putting him through a rather unique workout regimen.
"It's hard to compare what we're doing to any typical weight training. It isn't a conventional system," said Niemeläinen, before expanding upon some of the key facets of the SSL program. "Basically, the machines that we have allow people to change direction in squatting-type movements very quickly. We're combining that with a lot of smaller and bigger weights to get Artturi's nervous system to act at a high level."
Lehkonen with a heavier leg day today. #startingstrength #habs #offseason #nhl #hockey Une publication partagée par Sport Science Lab Turku, FI (@sslturku) le 15 Juin 2017 à 2h52 PDT
When Lehkonen resumed his training at SSL earlier this summer, Niemeläinen quickly observed that his pupil had changed - for the better - since calling Montreal home, both physically and mentally.
"Guys always grow when they spend a year in the NHL for the first time. They mature. The one thing I'm really glad about is that he allowed himself to take a break after the season. He wasn't in a hurry to start training again. He wanted to recover and take his mind off things for a while, to get fresh and then start working towards a new season. That was smart," said Niemeläinen. "But he's definitely bigger and more muscular. I don't think he needs to gain a lot more mass. The way the game is played, guys are leaner and faster. Being well-conditioned and being able to change direction, go up and down the ice and battle is so important. We want to make sure he's able to do that."
To say that Niemeläinen enjoys working with his fellow countryman and seeing him thrive with the Canadiens is a big-time understatement.
"We know each other so well. We always have a lot of fun. He's a happy guy, always in a good mood and very professional. He's always been very serious about his training. He's very motivated like that," said Niemeläinen. "We go back four years, so he's also a good friend. I'd be lying if I said it doesn't feel good to see the work we do together help him succeed. I'm proud."Copyright by WKRN - All rights reserved Chris Ferrell
Copyright by WKRN - All rights reserved Chris Ferrell
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) - A jury found former bar owner Chris Ferrell guilty of second degree murder in the shooting death of local country singer Wayne Mills Friday afternoon.
They deliberated for about an hour and a half before making their decision.
Mills, 44, was shot in the back of the head at the now-closed downtown Nashville bar Pit and Barrel on Nov. 23, 2013.
Ferrell took the stand in his own defense Thursday. He admitted to shooting the local country singer but says he did so because he "feared for his life."
Copyright by WKRN - All rights reserved Wayne Mills (Courtesy: WayneMillsBand.com)
Copyright by WKRN - All rights reserved Wayne Mills (Courtesy: WayneMillsBand.com)
On the night of the shooting, Ferrell said the the two had been arguing after Mills lit a cigarette in the non-smoking bar before breaking a glass and threatening to kill him.
After the verdict, prosecutor Tammy Meade told News 2, "We believe very strongly in our case, our proof of evidence, and we believe the jury considered all that and we respect their verdict."
However, Ferrell's defense attorney said they plan to fight the jury's decision.
"Obviously, we are disappointed in the verdict of the jury. Obviously, I disagree with it. We will appeal this case," said attorney David Raybin.
Mills' wife released the following statement after the verdict:
"I am grateful to the state of Tennessee for bringing the defendant to trial and justice. On behalf of myself, our son Jack, Wayne's family, and friends."
Ferrell is scheduled to be sentenced on April 10.I LOVE YOU SO MUCH THOM YORKE!!!
You should be opening up iTunes right now and downloading every Radiohead album. They deserve your support, admiration, they deserve your WORSHIP.
Last week JailBait Miley Cyrus went on the radio and told a story about Radiohead, how they – in her estimation – should have jumped at the chance to meet her but instead pretty much told her to sit the f-ck DOWN at the Grammys. Click here for a refresher.
She went on about how disappointing the experience was because she looked up their music so much. Because Creep is the only Radiohead song she knows without knowing that they actually hate it.
Anyway, Radiohead has now answered back. And unlike the showbiz asslicking sycophants we’re accustomed to (when will Oprah step up and tell Disney to suck it with their relentless pimpage of child stars?), Radiohead has called out Miley for being a spoiled twatty brat, releasing a statement to Us Weekly about the incident:
“When Miley grows up, she’ll learn not to have such a sense of entitlement.”
!!!!!!
!!!!!!
Why is this the most amazing of amazingnesses?
Because instead of coddling her, like so many others would have done, with the excuse that: oh she’s only 16, give her a break, Radiohead has taken my mother’s approach:
Exactly. It’s because she’s 16. She needs to know NOW.
Will she learn from it? Not with that loser douche of a father around. And how will she reply? Give it a few days. There will be a message on her blog.
Thom and the band are heading to South America to tour now. He just posted this message on their website:
“Wish us all a safe journey if you still like us and you’re not one of those people i have managed to offend by doing nothing xx,”
No, Thom won’t step away from a fight. He will fight them with his words. He will win every time.
PS. You saw their best of the night performance at the Grammys with the USC Trojan Marching band but have you watched the rehearsal footage? It’s rehearsal. With NO enhancement. PURE GENIUS.
Source
Photos from Wenn.comA priest, a rabbi and half a dozen nuns walked into the Indiana Statehouse last Thursday. The punch line: Mike Pence.
Indiana’s Republican governor has become the left’s favorite punching bag after passing a Religious Freedom Restoration Act last Thursday at a ceremony featuring a number of conservative religious leaders.
Story Continued Below
“Many people of faith feel their religious liberty is under attack by government action,” Pence warned. The law, he said, ensures that “government action will always be subject to the highest level of scrutiny.”
The bill’s backers say it’s almost identical to any of the 19 other RFRA laws currently on the books, including for the federal government and in deep blue states like Illinois and Connecticut. Critics counter that this bill’s specific language, when coupled with Indiana’s lack of a civil rights law protecting LGBT citizens, makes it a vehicle for discrimination. They say it would allow businesses to deny services to gay and lesbian couples by claiming a religious compulsion.
But regardless of the bill’s effect — many legal experts say it changes little by itself — it has become the latest battle in the culture wars: a proxy fight between liberals hoping to ride the wave of increased support for marriage equality and conservatives shoring up evangelicals enraged by the LGBT movement’s nationwide successes.
Even before the bill was signed, pro-LGBT advocacy groups like the Human Rights Campaign and Freedom to Marry were sounding the alarm to their deep ranks of supporters, urging them to oppose the law as they had successfully fought similar legislation in Arizona. These groups, which as recently as 2004 couldn’t stop same-sex marriage bans from passing in 11 states, including bright-blue Oregon, are flush with cash and feeling the support of the nearly 6 in 10 Americans who support marriage equality, not to mention the almost universal backing of coastal elites.
The backlash intensified quickly. Hillary Clinton jumped in the ring, tweeting that she was “sad” and that “we shouldn’t discriminate against ppl bc of who they love #LGBT.” Singer Miley Cyrus was blunter: |
dependence upon the sense of history remains decisive to the very last page.
Through a ruse Zhivago persuades Lara to escape, and then he returns to Moscow. He falls into shabbiness, illness and long periods of lassitude; he dies obscurely, from a heart attack on the streets of Moscow. Lara's fate is given in a fierce, laconic paragraph:
One day [she] went out and did not come back. She must have been arrested in the street at that time. She vanished without a trace and probably died somewhere, forgotten as a nameless number on a list that afterwards got mislaid, in one of the innumerable mixed or women's concentration camps in the north.
Like the best contemporary writers in the West, Pasternak rests his final hope on the idea that a good life constitutes a decisive example. People remember Zhivago. His half-brother, a mysterious power in the regime who ends as a general in the war, has always helped Zhivago in the past; now he gathers up Zhivago's poems and prints them; apparently he is meant to suggest a hope that there remain a few men at the top of the Russian hierarchy who are accessible to moral claims. Other old friends, meeting at a time when "the relief and freedom expected at the end of the war" had not come but when "the portents of freedom filled the air," find that "this freedom of the soul was already there, as if that very evening the future had tangibly moved into the streets below them."
So the book ends—a book of truth and courage and beauty, a work of art toward which one's final response is nothing less than a feeling of reverence.“ The heroes of Tyria face a battle on two fronts; their beloved land is imperiled as never before. From under the sun-baked sands of Bloodtide Coast, a gigantic, three-headed jungle wurms has arisen to threaten all who come within its domain. In the mountains of Lornar's Pass, Scarlet's latest creation — a towering, mechanical monstrosity — is wreaking destruction. — Official website
The Origins of Madness is the release launched on January 21, 2014, lasting until February 18, 2014. The release consists of the introduction of the Twisted Marionette Weapon Test meta event and three wurm world boss events. The meta event is the Living World portion of the content, pitting players against the Twisted Marionette and Scarlet's minions. The wurms are a set of three world bosses that are a similar challenge to Tequatl.
Features [ edit ]
Living World content
New asura character, Taimi, is introduced in the storyline
Achievements
Instances
World bosses
Twisted Marionette event rewards
Great Jungle Wurm rewards
Miniatures Mini Cobalt Great Jungle Wurm Head
Skins Annelid Rifle Skin
Items
Crafting
Living World [ edit ]
Instances [ edit ]
Twisted Marionette Weapon Test [ edit ]
The marionette towers above the heroes.
Primary article: Twisted Marionette Weapon Test
The Origins of Madness release focuses on the Twisted Marionette world boss and the corresponding Twisted Marionette Weapon Test meta event. Players must guard 5 gates from Scarlet's minions and destroy the generators to prevent the railgun from firing and take down the gigantic watchwork marionette. The meta event starts every 2 hours and alternates with the wurm event to avoid overlapping. The Twisted Marionette event occurs on even hours (PST) with the wurms starting on odd hours (PST).
Mail [ edit ]
After the update, the following mail was sent to all players:
Marjory Delaqua, Delaqua Investigations New Threats Are Upon Us <Character name>, I'm asking friends to meet me in Lornar's Pass, where Scarlet's dropped some new type of twisted monstrosity from one of her portals. Local Priory observers are convinces that she's planning to set off a doomsday weapon in their remote end of the Shiverpeaks. They say she's recalling her twisted watchwork troops from all over Tyria to power her weapon test, and I say that we need to shut it down before a lot of innocents get killed. One more thing. You know those mysterious probe devices that have been found all over Tyria? I've heard that the Vigil are looking into three of those discovered only recently in Bloodtide Coast. These are dangerous times, and I'm sure those Vigil crusaders would appreciate your help reaching the investigation sites. —Marjory Delaqua
Gallery [ edit ]In a policy brief released two weeks ago on the Brookings website, we evaluated the impact on income inequality of raising the top marginal income-tax rate as high as 50 percent. We considered two baseline cases: assigning the new revenue without explicit redistribution and alternatively redistributing all of the new revenue to households in the bottom 20 percent of the income distribution. We concluded that raising the top marginal income tax rate, by itself, would have little effect on the overall inequality of income and that raising the rate and using the funds to support the bottom 20 percent of households would boost the income of the latter group but, again, not have that much effect on the overall level of inequality.
We are grateful to those who have weighed in on this analysis via social media and email. The purpose of this note is to respond briefly and promptly to some of the reactions we have received.
I. Background and Context
Income inequality has been rising in the United States for years. Although not all inequality is bad or counterproductive, the steady rise in inequality has prompted policymakers and researchers to look for ways to stem and reverse the trends. Perhaps the most daunting aspect of addressing long-term trends in inequality is the sheer magnitude of the rise in income inequality over time. For example, Larry Summers has noted that to restore the 1979 distribution of income would require a shift of about $1 trillion (about 5.6 percent of GDP) away from the top 1 percent and toward the bottom 80 percent.
An implication of Summers’ point is that it would take massive policies to undo all or most of the rise in inequality that has occurred. Thus, it should not be surprising that the policies that we examine – policies that are an order of magnitude smaller than $1 trillion, but still are large relative to those considered to be in the realm of the politically feasible – do not offset much of the overall increase in inequality that has occurred over the past 35 years.
II. Analysis and Extensions
In our earlier work, we described the results of a simulation analysis that quantified the decline in overall after-tax, after-transfer income inequality that would result from raising the top personal income tax rate by more than 10 percentage points – to 50 percent. We found that the effect on overall income inequality across households, as captured by the Gini coefficient, was small. If, hypothetically, all of the revenue from that policy change were redistributed to the bottom 20 percent of households, the Gini coefficient still does not change much, though the 99/10 ratio of household income would fall appreciably, because households at the 10th percentile would see a sizable increase in income.
One reaction to our work has taken issue with our use of the Gini coefficient. We used the Gini coefficient as our primary measure because, despite its limitations, it remains the dominant measure of inequality used in policy debates. We acknowledge that the Gini coefficient is more sensitive to changes in the middle of the income distribution than in the tails of that distribution. But our results are not substantially affected by employing the alternative metric (suggested by Marshall Steinbaum) of the top 1 percent’s share of income, as reported in Table 1 below. (For simplicity, we ignore behavioral responses here.)
Table 1: Gini and top 1 percent share under current law and simulated reform
Source: Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center model
With targeted redistribution of the revenue raised, increasing the top marginal tax rate to 50 percent would reduce the after-tax Gini coefficient by 2.4 percent (from.574 to.560) and reduce the top 1 percent share by 5 percent (from.1640 to.1558). We do not believe using the top 1 percent share materially changes the conclusion: whether the policy reduces inequality by 2.4 percent or 5 percent, we would continue to characterize it as small relative to overall inequality.
A second criticism that we received is that these changes would appear large if compared to changes in long-term inequality trends. Since the TPC model does not have historical data, we have to turn to alternate sources to make comparisons for changes over time. The data below are from the Congressional Budget Office, which captures somewhat different concepts of income and have different units of analysis than the TPC model. Nonetheless, these numbers can be used to provide some useful context.
Table 2: Trends in Gini and Top 1% share of after-tax income
1979 2007 2011 Change, 1979-2007 Change, 1979-2011 After-benefit, after-tax income: Gini.358.465.436 0.107 (29.9%) 0.078 (21.8%) After-benefit, after-tax income: top 1% share.074.167.126 0.093 (126%) 0.052 (70.3%)
Source:
Congressional Budget Office. 2014. The Distribution of Household Income and Federal Taxes, 2011.
http://www.cbo.gov/publication/49440
Table 3: Share of trend offset by raising top marginal tax rate
Change in Gini Share remaining of change 1979-2007 Share remaining of change 1979-2011 Change in top 1 percent Share remaining of change 1979-2007 Share remaining of change 1979-2011 Top rate to 50 percent -0.003 97.2% 96.2% -0.0069 92.6% 86.7% Top rate to 50 percent and redistribute revenue to bottom 20 percent -0.014 86.9% 82.1% -0.0082 91.2% 84.2%
Source: Table 1 and 2
A comparison of the changes in after-tax inequality measures from the TPC model and the changes in these measures over time indicates that raising the top marginal tax rate to 50 percent would leave in place between 82 and 97 percent of the increase in inequality since 1979 (see Table 3). This estimate is not precise, because it depends on the end year used (2007 or 2011), the metric used, whether the revenue is redistributed, and it introduces potential inaccuracies from mixing data produced by the TPC model with those computed by the CBO methodology. Nonetheless, it suggests to us that the changes produced by our simulated tax increase leaves in place the vast majority of the long-term trend of widening income inequality. Note also that, again, looking at the top 1 percent share does not give a different impression than does looking at the Gini coefficient.
A third reaction to our analysis is that the proposal we analyzed was not ambitious enough, in that it only applied to the top marginal tax rate – and thus a very small share of tax filing units – and only applied to ordinary income. A policy of increasing the top marginal tax rate to 50 percent, much less fully redistributing all the revenue to the bottom 20 percent, does not strike us as a modest proposal. Indeed, it is clearly beyond the politically feasible in the near future. Nonetheless, we agree that other policy options are possible. In particular, policies that raised the tax rates on capital gains and dividends or that taxed accrued wealth could well be targeted more closely on the income of the extremely wealthy. However, given the concern about the Gini’s lack of responsiveness to extremes, it is unclear how much this would affect the Gini coefficient. Our point is merely that an increase in the top marginal tax rate by itself would not do much to reduce after-tax income inequality.
III. Conclusions and Interpretations
Our analysis focused on the top marginal tax rate and on overall income inequality because there is a lot of policy and political attention paid to these two particular issues. The results of our straightforward simulation analysis cast doubt on the notion that one could do much to stop or reverse the long-term trends in income distribution solely by raising the top rate, even by amounts that are admittedly larger than politically palatable. One reason is that the widening of the income distribution that has been going on for a long time has created vast disparities in income that are not limited to just the very top of the distribution. A second reason is that much of the income going to the wealthiest households takes the form of capital gains, dividends, or accrued but unrealized wealth, none of which is affected by changes in the ordinary income tax rate.
A related reason is that the overall size of the modeled reduction in after-tax income for top income households is not big relative to income distribution trends. Whereas Summers noted that it would require a $1 trillion shift in resources to offset the long-term impacts of inequality, raising the top tax rate to 50 percent would yield one-tenth as much – something like $96 billion in revenue (and presumably less if we adjusted for behavioral responses).
As we stated in the initial draft, “our results do not speak to the desirability of the tax-and-transfer policy” that we examined. It would be quite possible to combine the policies we explored with others and make a more notable dent into inequality. However, it appears that no single policy within the realm of the politically feasible could in fact substantially offset the long-term, powerful trends in income inequality. Our analysis helps make that point.Image copyright EPA Image caption The protesters outside parliament reportedly chanted ``We have had enough!''
Polish protesters have launched fresh demonstrations against efforts to further tighten abortion laws.
Women's rights activists held a rally outside the parliament building in Warsaw, with more action expected on Monday.
Poland's MPs rejected a near-total ban on abortions on 6 October after mass protests against the move.
But there are new proposals to outlaw abortions in cases where foetuses are unviable or badly damaged.
Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of the governing Law and Justice Party (PiS), has said his socially conservative party is working on a new restrictive bill.
In an interview on 12 October (in Polish), he said: "We will strive to ensure that even in pregnancies which are very difficult, when a child is sure to die, strongly deformed, women end up giving birth so that the child can be baptised, buried, and have a name."
Why the outcry over abortion laws in Poland?
Image copyright EPA Image caption Sunday's demonstration appeared smaller than previous rallies which attracted tens of thousands
The Catholic country already has among the tightest abortion laws in Europe. Currently the procedure is only permitted when there is severe and irreversible damage to the foetus, or a serious threat to the mother's health, or when pregnancy is the result of rape or incest.
The draft law that went before Poland's parliament earlier in October called for women who had abortions to be punished with a five-year prison term. Doctors found to have assisted in an abortion would have also been liable for jail time.
But it was defeated after nationwide "Black Monday" protests that saw tens of thousands of people dressed in black - most of them women - take to the streets.
Women also stayed away from work and school and refused to do domestic chores, in a protest inspired by a women's strike in Iceland in 1975.
Sunday's street protests are expected to continue on Monday, when some women are also planning another strike.
Activists warn that more restrictions on abortion would drive the practice further underground.
Estimates say there are already far more illegal abortions than legal ones in Poland - between 10,000 and 150,000, compared with about 1,000 or 2,000 legal terminations.Piotr Hallmann has been suspended nine months following a failed drug test at this past month’s UFC Fight Night 51 event, where he won a “Fight of the Night” bonus.
The Brazilian Athletic Commission (CABMMA) today announced Hallman who co-headlined the UFC Fight Pass-streamed event, tested positive for the anabolic steroid drostanolone.
He’s been suspended nine months, retroactive to the Sept. 13 fight date, and must undergo additional testing before he can be licensed again.
The CABMMA’s full statement:
All athletes from the card were tested for anti-doping control upon arrival at Nilson Nelson Arena to detect anabolic agents, diuretic/other masking agents, stimulants and cannabinoids. Four athletes were randomly selected to also be tested for erythropoietin (EPO) and levels of human growth hormone (Hgh).
The athlete Piotr Hallman failed the test due to presence of anabolic steroid drostanolone. He will be suspended for nine months, reatroactibve to the date of his fight. To be licensed again by CABMMA, he will need to go through new anti-doping control tests.
The Brazilian Athletic Commission (CABMMA) uses WADA accredited lab for its anti-doping control tests.
Hallmann (15-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC), a 27-year-old Polish fighter, suffered a split-decision loss to fellow lightweight Gleison Tibau (30-10 MMA, 15-8 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 51, which took place at Nilson Nelson Gymnasium in Brasilia, Brazil. The loss will remain on his record, and his $50,000 bonus is expected to be revoked.
Hallmann debuted with the UFC in 2013 with a “Submission of the Night” win over Francisco Trinaldo. He subsequently dropped a decision to Al Iaquinta before rebounding with a “Performance of the Night” victory over Yves Edwards.
For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 51, check out the UFC Events section of the site.The younger you were at the time, the better. I can not remember too much from my young childhood, besides the warm feeling from sitting in a basket of laundry just come from the dryer, my dad teaching me how to ride a bike, and the days my mom would pick me up from grade school and we would eat and talk at Arthur Treacher's while we were waiting for my brothers to finish school. And I can remember one vacation with my family by the seashore when I was very young, when my grandmother showed me how to dig for clams, as well as a trip to Disneyland where we stayed in a loft with a circular staircase surrounded by orange trees. All of these memories leave me with happy, warm feelings about my childhood. I also remember playing with my brothers and reading in my room alot and other minor incidents, but these more mundane memories don't really carry the same emotional weight.
I would like to know if other people have more happy memories from their childhoods and, if so, what are they like? If your parents created loving memories for you, what sorts of things were you doing together? I guess I'm partly trying to understand why some things stick in our minds, to become happy memories, and others don't. As well as how to help create positive memories for a child. (Obviously, "be a good parent/aunt/sitter/friend" is the default answer, but beyond that, what makes the memory?)
What happy memories do you have of being a young child that make you think either "those were good times" or "that was good parenting"?Courtesy of Charleston Area CVB
Wading into the turbulent debate over global warming, North Carolina's state legislature is considering a bill that would require the government to ignore new reports of rising sea levels and predictions of ocean and climate scientists.
Business interests along the state's coastline pushed lawmakers to include language in a law that would require future sea level estimates to be based only on data from past years. New evidence, especially on sea level rise that could be tied to global warming, would not be factored into the state's development plans for the coast.
"We're skeptical of the rising sea level science," says Tom Thompson, chairman of NC-20, an economic development group representing the state's 20 coastal counties. "Our concern is that the economy could be tremendously impacted by a hypothetical number with nothing but computers and speculation."
That 'hypothetical number' came from the state’s Coastal Resources Commission, which recommended planning around a 39-inch rise in sea level by 2100. At the behest of NC-20 and coastal governments, the commission decided to remove the number from its policy entirely.
"Originally we did have the 39-inch recommendation, but the commission chose to remove that," says Michele Walker, spokeswoman for the North Carolina Coastal Resources Commission. "We got a lot of pushback from coastal governments and groups who were concerned that would hurt their ability to develop in their communities."
The bill is still in its early stages, but the section stirring up controversy states:
"These rates shall only be determined using historical data, and these data shall be limited to the time period following the year 1900. Rates of seas-level rise may be extrapolated linearly…"
The parts about using only historical data, which shows a slow, linear sea-level rise—not the faster increases associated with global warming—have drawn the most ire from scientists.
"Clearly they don't understand science at all – (sea level rise) hasn't been linear," says Stan Riggs, a professor at East Carolina University who is an expert on the state's coastline. "To put blinders on and just say we don't accept what's happening on our coast is absolutely criminal."
"But the people that live out there that aren't developers are all on board. It's the managers and developers who want to keep the status quo. They're making a lot of money off of it," Riggs added.
Seth Cline is a reporter for U.S. News and World Report. You can contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter.Homeless camp residents running out of time
REDMOND, Ore. -
A plot of land east of Redmond is home to a few hundred homeless people. It's scheduled to be cleared out soon.
Officials blocked roads leading to the camp last week to prevent anyone else from settling on the land, leaving only one entrance open. The problem is some residents say that road is too bumpy to move their things, including their trailers.
"Barricading the homemade entrances that were made over a period of time -- I can understand that," camp resident Glenn Jordan said Thursday. "But as far as the green gates, for them to have chained and locked them, that is basically denying these people from being able to remove their stuff."
That's assuming they can obtain a truck to move them.
"These trailers are things that have been given to them," Jordan said. "Somebody volunteered to pull them in, set them up for them. They have no way to take them. These are their homes, and their property is contained in them."
Residents of the camp say officials are not making an effort to help them.
"I feel like I don't matter, like I'm less than a human being," camp resident Sharon Suydam said. "That's how people treat us."
To make things worse, there's a feeling inside the camp that they're running out of time to make things work.
NewsChannel 21 reached out to the land owners Thursday but did not get a response.75-ohm TV hardware in receiver applications a guest Apr 8th, 2015 800 Never a guest800Never
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rawdownloadcloneembedreportprint text 5.49 KB 75 OHMS -- IT'S NOT JUST FOR TV ANYMORE by Don Irving -> Note: View this using a fixed font like Courier 10 for things to line up. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Traditionally, scanners have used 50-ohm cable and connectors. The reason for this is historical rather than technical. My assertion in this article is that 50-ohm hardware is often not the best choice. What is the "ohms" measurement associated with antenna hardware? ---------------------------------------------------------------- Without getting more technical than necessary for this article, it is a measure of the characteristic "impedance" exhibited by antennas, cable, and connectors to radio signals passing through them. Signals pass through best when the antenna, cables, and connectors all exhibit the *same* degree of impedance to signals. Common values are 50 ohms and 75 ohms. 2-way radio systems generally use 50-ohm hardware ------------------------------------------------- Radio systems used by police, fire, etc. typically transmit on a single radio frequency or a small number of frequencies that are very close together. The most common antenna type used for these systems is called a ground plane antenna. Ground plane antennas characteristically exhibit about 50 ohms impedance at their "resonant" frequency (the frequency they are designed to transmit on). 2-way systems use 50-ohm cable and connectors because this matches the 50-ohm impedance of the ground plane transmitting antenna at its resonant frequency. The TV antenna wiring in your home uses 75-ohm hardware ------------------------------------------------------- TV antennas are not ground plane antennas. They consist of several dipoles. Dipoles exhibit 75 ohms impedance at their resonant frequency. For this reason, TV hardware uses 75-ohm cable and connectors. 75-ohm TV hardware is plentiful and cheap because it is mass produced for consumer use. It is not suitable for the 2-way radio systems described in the previous paragraph because 75 ohms is not a good impedance match with the 50 ohms of the resonant ground plane antennas. Also, it is not designed to handle the high power of transmitting; it is for receiving. Why has the scanner world traditionally used 50 ohm hardware? ------------------------------------------------------------- Just cuz -- no legitimate reason. The scanner world grew up around 2- way radios, so 50-ohm hardware seemed the natural thing to use. Perhaps the thinking was that since scanners often use ground plane antennas, 50 ohms would be the right choice. Whatever the reason, the fact is that there is no advantage to using 50-ohm hardware for scanners over other kinds of hardware available. This is true because ground plane antennas exhibit 50 ohms impedance only at their single *resonant* frequency. The minute you stray from the resonant frequency the impedance varies rapidly. While 2-way radio *transmitters* transmit only on the resonant frequency (or a few very near it), scanning receivers sample hundreds of different frequencies in widely separated bands. The impedance presented by a ground plane scanner antenna during normal scanning may range from a few ohms to several thousand ohms. For this reason, 50 ohms is no more desirable than 75 ohms or any other value. Impedance is not a worthy consideration with scanners. The choice of 50-ohm hardware is just tradition. Is there any reason *NOT* to use 50 ohm hardware for scanners? ------------------------------------------------------------ Well, yes, or I wouldn't have written all this. As it turns out, 75- ohm TV hardware is much cheaper and more plentiful than 50-ohm communications hardware. Consider the ready availability of TV antenna cable, signal splitters, A/B switches, and the common crimp-on F connector. You can find them in every hardware store, and they are ideal for scanner use. The cheap, crimp-on F connector is one of the lowest loss connectors in the world. RJ-6 coax cable for TV use exhibits lower loss and greater interference shielding than most 50-ohm cable costing several times as much. If you want to route your signals among different scanners using A/B switches, or if you want to switch things (like filters) in and out, then cheap, TV hardware is ideal. (Good luck finding a 50-ohm A/B switch suitable for UHF.) Adapters to go from F connectors to your scanners and antennas are available at Radio Shack, and the signal loss in the adapters is no more than the losses present in the 50-ohm connectors that would have gone there otherwise. For all these reasons, 75-ohm TV hardware is the ideal choice for home scanner wiring. It is cheap, easy to install, and has excellent loss and shielding characteristics. I recently converted all my home scanner wiring to 75-ohm TV hardware to take advantage of all this. One company, Grove Communications, has decided to buck tradition and offer scanner devices (filters, pre-amps, etc.) with 75-ohm F connectors instead of the expensive 50-ohm BNC connectors or the lossy 50-ohm PL-259 connectors. (As a matter of fact, I learned much of this from a book by Bob Grove who owns Grove Communications.) Maybe over time other manufacturers of scanner equipment will learn the error of their ways and switch over. It's an idea whose time has come. -- Don Irving ([email protected])
RAW Paste Data
75 OHMS -- IT'S NOT JUST FOR TV ANYMORE by Don Irving -> Note: View this using a fixed font like Courier 10 for things to line up. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Traditionally, scanners have used 50-ohm cable and connectors. The reason for this is historical rather than technical. My assertion in this article is that 50-ohm hardware is often not the best choice. What is the "ohms" measurement associated with antenna hardware? ---------------------------------------------------------------- Without getting more technical than necessary for this article, it is a measure of the characteristic "impedance" exhibited by antennas, cable, and connectors to radio signals passing through them. Signals pass through best when the antenna, cables, and connectors all exhibit the *same* degree of impedance to signals. Common values are 50 ohms and 75 ohms. 2-way radio systems generally use 50-ohm hardware ------------------------------------------------- Radio systems used by police, fire, etc. typically transmit on a single radio frequency or a small number of frequencies that are very close together. The most common antenna type used for these systems is called a ground plane antenna. Ground plane antennas characteristically exhibit about 50 ohms impedance at their "resonant" frequency (the frequency they are designed to transmit on). 2-way systems use 50-ohm cable and connectors because this matches the 50-ohm impedance of the ground plane transmitting antenna at its resonant frequency. The TV antenna wiring in your home uses 75-ohm hardware ------------------------------------------------------- TV antennas are not ground plane antennas. They consist of several dipoles. Dipoles exhibit 75 ohms impedance at their resonant frequency. For this reason, TV hardware uses 75-ohm cable and connectors. 75-ohm TV hardware is plentiful and cheap because it is mass produced for consumer use. It is not suitable for the 2-way radio systems described in the previous paragraph because 75 ohms is not a good impedance match with the 50 ohms of the resonant ground plane antennas. Also, it is not designed to handle the high power of transmitting; it is for receiving. Why has the scanner world traditionally used 50 ohm hardware? ------------------------------------------------------------- Just cuz -- no legitimate reason. The scanner world grew up around 2- way radios, so 50-ohm hardware seemed the natural thing to use. Perhaps the thinking was that since scanners often use ground plane antennas, 50 ohms would be the right choice. Whatever the reason, the fact is that there is no advantage to using 50-ohm hardware for scanners over other kinds of hardware available. This is true because ground plane antennas exhibit 50 ohms impedance only at their single *resonant* frequency. The minute you stray from the resonant frequency the impedance varies rapidly. While 2-way radio *transmitters* transmit only on the resonant frequency (or a few very near it), scanning receivers sample hundreds of different frequencies in widely separated bands. The impedance presented by a ground plane scanner antenna during normal scanning may range from a few ohms to several thousand ohms. For this reason, 50 ohms is no more desirable than 75 ohms or any other value. Impedance is not a worthy consideration with scanners. The choice of 50-ohm hardware is just tradition. Is there any reason *NOT* to use 50 ohm hardware for scanners? ------------------------------------------------------------ Well, yes, or I wouldn't have written all this. As it turns out, 75- ohm TV hardware is much cheaper and more plentiful than 50-ohm communications hardware. Consider the ready availability of TV antenna cable, signal splitters, A/B switches, and the common crimp-on F connector. You can find them in every hardware store, and they are ideal for scanner use. The cheap, crimp-on F connector is one of the lowest loss connectors in the world. RJ-6 coax cable for TV use exhibits lower loss and greater interference shielding than most 50-ohm cable costing several times as much. If you want to route your signals among different scanners using A/B switches, or if you want to switch things (like filters) in and out, then cheap, TV hardware is ideal. (Good luck finding a 50-ohm A/B switch suitable for UHF.) Adapters to go from F connectors to your scanners and antennas are available at Radio Shack, and the signal loss in the adapters is no more than the losses present in the 50-ohm connectors that would have gone there otherwise. For all these reasons, 75-ohm TV hardware is the ideal choice for home scanner wiring. It is cheap, easy to install, and has excellent loss and shielding characteristics. I recently converted all my home scanner wiring to 75-ohm TV hardware to take advantage of all this. One company, Grove Communications, has decided to buck tradition and offer scanner devices (filters, pre-amps, etc.) with 75-ohm F connectors instead of the expensive 50-ohm BNC connectors or the lossy 50-ohm PL-259 connectors. (As a matter of fact, I learned much of this from a book by Bob Grove who owns Grove Communications.) Maybe over time other manufacturers of scanner equipment will learn the error of their ways and switch over. It's an idea whose time has come. -- Don Irving ([email protected])Danny Cipriani has scored 144 points for Sale so far this season
England fly-half Danny Cipriani has signed a new two-year deal with Premiership side Sale Sharks.
The 27-year-old was out of contract in the summer and had been linked with a move to French Top 14 side Toulon.
However, the former Wasps and Melbourne Rebels number 10, has extended his stay in the north west after scoring a try against Italy in the Six Nations.
"One of the main reasons I signed was that we've got a tight squad and it embraces new talent," said Cipriani.
"We've got some great young talent at the club with players like Mike Haley, Will Addison, Tommy Taylor, Ross Harrison and Josh Beaumont all having really come to the fore over the past year or so.
Media playback is not supported on this device Cipriani makes an instant impact
"It's also an environment that makes you feel very welcome so I'm really thrilled about signing the new deal and looking forward to the future."
Cipriani had always maintained that he was happy to stay at Sale, as long as the club matched his ambition.
He joined the Sharks on a three-year deal in 2012 - after a couple of years in Australia at the Rebels - but in his first season the club narrowly avoided relegation and he ended the campaign by being hit by a bus on a team night out in Leeds.
Cipriani's form improved dramatically last term as he helped the Sharks to a top-half finish, and he was rewarded with an England recall on the tour to world champions New Zealand last June.
He has continued his impressive performances this year, and World Cup winning coach Sir Clive Woodward called for his inclusion in the national set-up, but he was overlooked in favour of George Ford, Owen Farrell and Stephen Myler for the autumn internationals.
But following an injury to Saracens' Farrell, Cipriani has been part of the England squad for the opening two games of this year's Six Nations, and made his first appearance in the competition since 2008 when he came off the bench against Italy.
Sale director of rugby Steve Diamond has praised Cipriani's work ethic and attitude.
"Danny is a team player and he shows it every week for our team," he told BBC Radio 5 live. "I don't think he did himself any favours by being in the press in the past but that has stopped.
"He has come into a good work ethic here and joined in and settled down. He has matured as a lad and with that has come maturity in his performances.
"We set parameters from day one and he works within them easily. He is the least of my worries when I am looking at people's discipline.
"He is very low maintenance and a model professional. He looks after his diet, works hard with the conditioners and with England and is doing what it takes to be a top-class pro."CLOSE Detroit Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill talks Sept. 27, 2017 at Little Caesars Arena. Video by Helene St. James, DFP
Detroit Red Wings' Anthony Mantha celebrates his goal against the New York Islanders during a game on Feb. 3, 2017. (Photo: Paul Sancya, AP)
The Detroit Red Wings’ source of hope lies in the past.
They embark on a new season with the goal of getting back to the playoffs, hopeful that the misfortunes of last season won’t smite them again.
Odds are, they won’t.
Half the team underperformed in 2016-17, and the Wings were so inept on the power play they went three months without converting on the road. Injuries piled up in droves, forcing players to miss a combined 300 games.
“There are a lot of things that happened last year that were bad,” captain Henrik Zetterberg said. “There are a lot of guys in here that believe they can be way better than last year. I believe in the group in here. I believe guys will bounce back, our power play will be better. There are good young players ready to play bigger roles, and a lot of guys who I believe will have better years.
“I believe we will be a better team this season.”
More on Freep.com:
2017-18 Red Wings preview: Q & A with Jeff Blashill
Detroit Red Wings 2017-18 season preview: Martin Frk on 'living a dream'
Red Wings preview: Meet the players on the 2017-18 roster
Zetterberg will find out soon enough if that’s true.
The Wings open the 2017-18 season Thursday night against the Minnesota Wild at Little Caesars Arena, their new home after playing at |
its repercussions -- not the splash of the rock but the ripples in the pond. I worried that this book would spoil its precursor for me, funneling infinite possibility into one vessel. It avoids that fate beautifully, especially in the last pages, when Atkinson gives the kaleidoscope a final twist and invites us to question anew the space between reality and possibility, and the ways a life might fork. Read Life After Life first, as this story is full of winking references to that one. Unless, of course, you can make like Ursula Todd and live two parallel lives; in that case, read one book in each. -- Rebecca Makkai'Child refugee' who killed EU official's daughter is likely 25
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A ‘child refugee’ who raped and drowned an EU official’s daughter is actually a fully grown adult, dental checks have revealed.
Hussein Khavari, who claimed to be a 17-year-old unaccompanied minor at the time of the crime, ambushed 19-year-old Maria Ladenburger, before raping her and then drowning her in a river in October 2016.
Yesterday, anthropologist Ursula Wittwer-Backofen testified that with 99.7% probability that Khavari is aged between 22 and 29 years old, meaning he will face justice as an adult.
Wittwer-Backofen says that her analysis of the tooth along with other “physical maturity characteristics” lead her to believe the migrant is 25 years old.
Miss Ladenburger was the daughter of Dr Clemens Ladenburger, a top lawyer who assists the legal director of the European Commission. It is widely reported that between her medical degree, Ladenburger worked with asylum seekers as a volunteer.
At her funeral, her family requested well-wishers donate to two charities, including one which supports refugees and asylum seekers.
The head of the country’s police union, Rainer Wendt, said: ”We wouldn’t have this victim, and so many others, if our country had been better prepared for the dangers that always go along with massive immigration.”
The co-chair of the anti-mass migration AfD said: “We are shocked by this crime and at the same time we see that our warnings about the uncontrolled arrival of hundreds of thousands of young men from Islamic-patriarchal cultures are written off as populist.”
A verdict is expected to be delivered in December.Thank you for supporting the journalism that our community needs!
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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.
Thank you for supporting the journalism that our community needs!
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Thomas said Ashton’s tactics could leave the NDP deeply divided and choosing between two deeply flawed people.
The party, and by extension the public, wants to abandon years of infighting for a focus on policy, said Thomas. “There’s still burning bitterness and resentment in the party.”
“There may be an element of desperation when he says, ‘Clear the air, Wab’ — and makes it nasty,” retired University of Manitoba professor Paul Thomas said Wednesday.
Steve Ashton’s “desperation” tactics in his Manitoba NDP leadership battle with Wab Kinew could scuttle the party’s chances of winning back government in 2020, political scientists warn.
Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 23/8/2017 (552 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/8/2017 (552 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Steve Ashton’s "desperation" tactics in his Manitoba NDP leadership battle with Wab Kinew could scuttle the party’s chances of winning back government in 2020, political scientists warn.
"There may be an element of desperation when he says, ‘Clear the air, Wab’ — and makes it nasty," retired University of Manitoba professor Paul Thomas said Wednesday.
The party, and by extension the public, wants to abandon years of infighting for a focus on policy, said Thomas. "There’s still burning bitterness and resentment in the party."
Thomas said Ashton’s tactics could leave the NDP deeply divided and choosing between two deeply flawed people.
"You have to wonder what Steve Ashton is thinking," said University of Winnipeg Prof. Shannon Sampert, director and editor of the Evidence Network. "Does he think this will change committed (delegate) voters’ minds?
"This is burnt earth — he’s basically tainting the brand," Sampert said. "It’s pretty clear Kinew is going to win. It’s a pretty dangerous tactic (Ashton’s) playing right now."
Kinew leads 589 to 339 among delegates and youth members who will votes at the Sept. 16 leadership convention They are not bound to back the candidate they favoured when appearing on slates at the riding level.
Kinew, the MLA for Fort Rouge needs as few as 104 more votes to win, with 170 automatic delegates and 285 labour delegates eligible to vote.
Ashton, an MLA from 1981 to 2016, and former cabinet minister, renewed his attacks on Kinew, demanding Tuesday his rival "own up" and release details of two 2003 domestic assault charges (which were later stayed). Ashton encouraged the alleged victim to come forward and tell her story.
"It was last-ditch. I don’t think it was a wise move," Sampert said.
Christopher Adams, a political scientist based at St. Paul’s College, said Ashton is providing ammunition to the Tories for the 2020 election.
"Ashton is doing as much as he can to make the best of this story, he’s trying to catch up to the front-runner," Adams said. Domestic violence "is an issue that can resonate very strongly among NDP supporters."
Adams said if Manitobans believe Kinew when he says he turned his life around more than a decade ago, the only damage Ashton could inflict is if there is evidence of inappropriate behaviour by Kinew after that.
There’s still the mystery of who anonymously provided the media with Kinew’s court records, said Adams: "This could backfire if we find out one of (Ashton’s) workers sent out the email."
U of M ethics Prof. Arthur Schafer said Wednesday Kinew’s "is an inspiring story. Instead of sinking him, it’s made him a more sympathetic and empathetic person. The end result is remarkable.
"It seems kind of shabby for Ashton to turn on his colleague in this way. In a way, it’s unseemly," said Schafer, director of the Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics.
However, airing Kinew’s history now removes or reduces potential baggage for the 2020 election, Schafer said.
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Ashton, who is not a member of the party establishment, believes the rules are weighted against him by not using a one-member, one-vote system that would benefit Ashton’s ability to sign up new members.
Ashton has lost two leadership bids. He would still remain in the party if he loses, Thomas said, adding he has known Ashton since he taught him at the U of M. "In some ways, he’s immune from defeat. For him, it’s about ideas and the distribution of power in the party."
Thomas said Kinew will be an attractive candidate in 2020 if people believe he’s changed, especially as the Indigenous leader of a major political party.
"He was vetted, he’s talked about it, he’s written about it," Thomas said.
[email protected]:07pm: The Mariners may have topped the Yankees' offer to Cano, a source tells Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News. That same source indicated to McCarron that the Mariners are pursuing Cano "guns-a-blazing," and making the pitch to Cano that he can either be a Yankee legend or be a baseball legend by helping the Mariners win their first World Series.
1:39pm: The Mariners met with Robinson Cano's representatives yesterday, according to Kevin Kernan of the New York Post. Kernan's source told him that the meeting "went very well."
Seattle has recently emerged as a major player in the Cano sweepstakes according to recent reports, and Kernan notes the club's long history of finishing as the runner-up to coveted big-name free agents. The Mariners "want to do everything in their power to come up a winner this time around," writes Kernan.
Cano's asking price has reportedly come down into the $250-260MM range, but an enormous gap still remains between that figure and the Yankees' reported offer of $160-175MM. Kernan adds that Cano will likely have to choose between millions of extra dollars to venture to a new team like the Mariners or the familiarity of returning to the Yankees in what should be an elite lineup. The Yankees have already signed Brian McCann and last night agreed to a seven-year pact with Jacoby Ellsbury.
Earlier today, Andy McCullough of the Star Ledger heard that the Yankees are still not interested in going beyond $200MM or seven years to retain Cano (Twitter link).It seems almost everything about Melisandre’s appearance can be attributed to either Shiera Seastar or Bloodraven – two characters known to have had a sexual relationship. We will see that skin, eyes, height, figure, face, breasts, beauty, elegance, even apparel have startling similarities, as well as aspects of personality and aptitude (& lots more). Here’s Shiera + Bloodraven = Mel, which yolkboy originally posted at Westeros.org last year.
Here’s the description GRRM gave us of Shiera…
“She was the greatest beauty(1) of her age, a slender(2) and elegant(3) woman, slim of waist(4) and full of breast(5);… She had a heart-shaped face(6); full lips, and her mismatched eyes were strangely large and full of mischief”
Compared with Cressen’s description of Mel from Clash…
“Slender(2) she was, graceful(3), taller than most knights, with full breasts(5) and narrow waist(4) and a heart-shaped face(6). Men’s eyes that once found her did not quickly look away, not even a maester’s eyes. Many called her beautiful(1).”
The similarities are undeniable here… and the heart-shaped face is interesting. A heart-shaped face is a rare trait, only attributed to two other characters outside of Mel and Shiera, and one of those is related to Shiera. (Mel’s possible glamour is considered further on).
Despite all the similarities, notice that Melisandre is quite tall, has pale white skin and red eyes – none of these relate to Shiera. This could be an indicator of Shiera and Mel being closely related rather than the same person. It’s interesting that these three descriptives can be linked to Shiera’s lover – Bloodraven. So a consideration of these two as Mel’s parents seems logical.
GRRM says Bloodraven is “tall”, so that would fit, inheriting her height from her father. Bloodraven is just short of 6ft, and Mel is “taller than most knights”, so similar.
Mel and Bloodraven are the only human characters with red eyes, unless you include GoHH who might be connected with the CotF. Regardless, red eyes is a seriously rare trait, with Shiera’s heart-shaped face Mel has a combination of unusual features.
Mel’s skin is “white, pale as cream”, Bloodraven has “milk white skin”. So cream and milk, hmm. Bloodraven is an albino, and Mel is an albino too, save her red hair, which we’ll come to. She wears a hooded cloak shadowing her face at the parley, in daylight - Bloodraven wore a hooded cloak in daylight because his albino skin was so sensitive.
Mel’s feature that doesn’t seem to be from Shiera or Bloodraven is her hair colour. If she’s an albino it would be white like Bloodravens - and her hair is perhaps the only feature preventing people thinking of her as an albino. Which is why GRRM giving us information about red dye seems curious and very interesting, knowing Mel’s hair is an unusual red tone.
“Westeros has better technology with dyes than Medieval Europe did. That’s why they are able to great consistent colors such as scarlet, crimson, or burgundy rather than just red.”
As we saw with Sansa, the easiest thing to change about an appearance is hair, so Mel would have no problem dying her it red.
So Bloodraven wears “scarlet”(1), and also “he frequently goes about cloaked(2) and hooded(3).” Look at Mel here…
“a woman, garbed all in reds, face shadowed within the deep hood(3) of her scarlet(1) cloak(2).”
So both Mel and Bloodraven like their hooded scarlet cloaks. Regarding garb, it’s worth noting both Shiera and Mel both wear prominent necklaces. Mel wears a gold choker with a ruby (Shiera hated gold so again indicating they are similar but not the same person). Shiera wore a distinctive one of emeralds(1) and sapphires(2) with silver(3). In aDwD we learn Mel uses powders to turn her fires “green(1) or blue(2) or silver(3)”, Shiera’s colours – necklace/eyes. So maybe a subtle link there.
So, we now have….
Skin, eyes, height, figure, face, breasts, beauty, elegance, even clothing and jewellery being attributable to either Shiera or Bloodraven– with hair also having an explanation.
Regarding personalities – Shiera, like Mel had an interest and aptitude with magic (and prophesy). She was rumoured to dabble in the “dark arts” to maintain her youthful appearance, which Mel might also be doing. GRRM said she liked to “melt men’s hearts” reminding us not only of Mel’s seductive streak, but also her fiery heart sigil.
Bloodraven is also good with magic:
The first time Bloodraven is mentioned, Dunk calls him “The king’s sorcerer.”
In ASoS: “Melisandre of Asshai,” said Grenn. “The king’s sorceress.“
Bloodraven is the three-eyed crow. Mel is described as three-eyed by Jon.
"her ruby gleamed, a third eye glowing brighter than the others”.
Another association is that Bloodraven doesn’t need to eat, and has prolonged his life. Mel seems to be the same, albeit using a different magic.
We know of two Blackwood females and… they are both called…. Mel!
Bloodraven’s mother was Melissa and tWoIaF has revealed another called Melantha. So Melony/Melisandre seems like an apt name for BR’s daughter.
Regarding age – Mel looks older than Ygritte, younger than Selyse – yet it’s clear she is actually older than she appears.
“Melisandre had practiced her art for years beyond count” “That was a lesson Melisandre had learned long before Asshai“
Mel being very old allows a tie-back to the D&E books, and this theory would explain the literary purpose of Mel being written older than she seems. Regarding the possible glamour – remember that glamours only change appearance. If Mel is very old – she rides horses well and has a sexual relationship… a glamour would not enable her to do these things. Mel is physiologically young, a glamour doesn’t offer this. She could be using a glamour to cover slave tattoos or something, but it seems that she must use other magic to remain physiologically young. Strange that both Shiera and her mother (Serenei) were said to do the same thing. Added to the likeness to Shiera and Bloodraven highlighted, I don’t think Mel has simply pulled her appearance out of nowhere.
The only mention of Shiera in the five books lets us know that Shiera was in big trouble, “the kingdom bled” for her. What happened to her remains a mystery, but with Bloodraven imprisoned in a turbulent time for royal bastards, Shiera could have fled with a baby (or with child). It would make sense in Maekar’s reign if she sought safety outside Westeros. GRRM let us know that her mother was from Lys, a strange bit of information for him to drop. This destination would be the logical choice for Shiera – to family. Perhaps she was captured (as others have been in that area), and Mel ended up in the red temple of Lys. The woman in the vision of ‘Melony Lot 7’ would be Shiera crying out. Mel says she was bound for life to a great red temple. There are only two called 'great’; Volantis and Lys – Mel has little in common with our glimpse of Benerro/Volantis – given she’s looking for Azor Ahai in Westeros and she is neither mentioned nor do we see the heart sigil there. That seems to be the best guess at how Mel would have arrived at a red temple. She wouldn’t know who she really is, as Shiera would have to keep her King’s blood a secret or watch her daughter burn.
Finally, Mormont’s raven (warged by BR?) hasn’t been seen with Mel yet, but both times she was mentioned around him he squawked 'blood’ – which often means relative in the books.
So, Shiera and Bloodraven had a sexual relationship. Is it so unlikely that they made a child together? The other named Great Bastards (BR, Bittersteel, Blackfyre) all have a legacy that are impacting the current story. So is Mel Shiera’s legacy to ASoIaF? Will there be an intriguing father daughter dynamic unfolding between BR and Mel – embodiments of Old Gods and R'hllor respectively? There’s room for a great story if this theory is correct.
RED STAR EPILOGUE
As a bonus, this theory might give us a surprise contender for the red star bleeding that will herald the second coming of Azor Ahai…. in Mel herself.
Mel first brings the prophesy to the reader….
“It is written in prophecy as well. When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again”
Melisandre is heavily associated with the colour red - her eyes, her clothes, her hair, her God - 'the red woman’. She is the embodiment of RED.
GRRM told us that Shiera refused to give “her hand” despite BR proposing “half a hundred times”. This means Mel would likely pick up her mothers name and be called Melony SeaSTAR.
In ADwD, we see in a certain excitement Mel spontaneously bleeds. By showing us this tendency, Grrm could be avoiding a deus ex machina later on. If Azor Ahai is reborn and Mel is feeling this kind of bizarre excitement, she might begin spontaneously BLEEDING again.
As Azor Ahai is reborn, Mel would then be a RED STAR BLEEDING.
As discussed on Radio Westeros: Episode 03 – A Red, Red Star
SubscribeBuy Photo Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger, center, announces a bond-rating upgrade for the city-owned airport Wednesday. With him at the airport is CAO Bob Rusten, left, and Aviation Director Gene Richards. (Photo: JOEL BANNER BAIRD/FREE PRESS, JOEL BANNER BAIRD/FREE PRESS)Buy Photo
SOUTH BURLINGTON –
Wall Street gave Burlington International Airport a high-sign Wednesday — a bond-rating increase that Mayor Miro Weinberger said bodes well for broader investments in the city.
The upgrade announced by Moody's Investors Service lifts the bond rating above junk status to "investor grade" for the first time since October 2010. The New York City-based firm in January shifted its outlook for the airport from negative to "stable."
Most immediately, those votes of confidence from Moodys will allow the airport to go ahead with a proposed refinancing of bonds at lower interest rates, Weinberger said at a news conference.
In the long run, the mayor added, the enhanced bond rating reflects well on "the underlying health of the owner of the airport," Burlington, and might direct "more money flowing to Burlington instead of Wall Street banks."
Moody's upgrade brings the airport to a rating of Baa3 from Ba1.
The firm's rationale includes:
• Overall improvement in debt management "after a period of volatility in recent years."
• Increased passenger traffic in 2014 after several years of declines and the relatively low cost of air travel out of the airport.
• The the fundamental strength of Burlington's economy, including its "large education and health care presence in Burlington, (and) low unemployment relative to the state and nation."
• A diverse source of airport revenues, including parking and concessions.
• A diverse mix of airlines, coupled with limited competition in the region.
Moody's also listed challenges that remain in place for the airport: low liquidity, which limits financial flexibility, and the recent history of "fragility of demand in the market."
Aviation Director Gene Richards said the airport intends to persist in an upward trajectory.
Richards also credited his team of colleagues, including Burlington Chief Administrative Officer Bob Rusten, with fast-tracking a presentation to Moody's.
"The basic message to them was, 'You spoke to us, and we listened,'" Richards said.
City Councilor Karen Paul, D-Ward 6, who has worked closely with airport financial reorganization in recent years, characterized the bond-rating upgrade as "huge."
"It's not just stabilizing things, but reversing a trend," Paul said.
Contact Joel Banner Baird at (802) 660-1843 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/vtgoingup.
Read or Share this story: http://bfpne.ws/1qEjx4bWhat does it take to make a Wall Street banker squirm with shame? Not content with having swindled tens of millions of Americans out of their homes and life savings, the very bankers who caused the biggest economic catastrophe since the Great Depression are now subverting government regulations designed to prevent comparable disasters in the future.
Top of the list of those responsible are the hustlers at Citigroup, once the world’s largest financial conglomerate, and a leading practitioner of the sordid behavior that caused the housing meltdown. Indeed, Citigroup was allowed to form as a merger of the investment banking of Travelers and the federal insured commercial banking of Citicorp only because lobbyists for those institutions successfully engineered the reversal of the Depression-era Glass-Steagall law that had banned such combinations.
Then when the new monster banks moved to exploit the subprime housing market with all sorts of financial gimmicks, their lobbyists succeeded in freeing all such trading in so called derivatives from any significant regulation.
The banks were so successful in marketing those often toxic assets that the federal government had to step in when the bubble burst and save Citigroup from bankruptcy, with a direct infusion of $45 billion in taxpayer funds and a guarantee of more than $300 billion of Citigroup’s bad paper.
You would think that the consequence of such destructive behavior would be a profound erosion of the ability of Citigroup and other banking lobbyists to write the nation’s laws governing financial activity. But just the opposite has occurred as the company’s influence has only grown in direct proportion to the harm it has bestowed. As The New York Times reported last week:
“Bank lobbyists are not leaving it to lawmakers to draft legislation that softens financial regulations. Instead, the lobbyists are helping to write it themselves.
“One bill that sailed through the House Financial Services Committee this month — over the objections of the Treasury Department — was essentially Citigroup’s, according to emails reviewed by the New York Times. …
“In a sign of Wall Street’s resurgent influence in Washington, Citigroup’s recommendations were reflected in more than 70 lines of the House committee’s 85-line bill. Two crucial paragraphs, prepared by Citigroup in conjunction with other Wall Street banks, were copied nearly word for word.”
Of course they were faithfully copied by the staffs of Congress members from both political parties, who might as well be on the payroll of Citigroup and the other mega banks. The Republicans, with the exception of a few die-hard libertarians, always do the bidding of the banks that finance them, but the Democrats are just as eager to pig out at the bankers’ trough. Wall Street lobbyists were only too happy to hold a fundraising dinner last week for Democratic Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney of New York, who co-sponsored the Citigroup bill, one of several such events banking groups have organized for lawmakers who support their legislation.
What is at issue here is an attempt to gut the already tepid effort of the Dodd-Frank Act to control the runaway $700 trillion derivatives trading market. One source of alarm is the extensive in-house trading in these derivatives between affiliates of the too-big-to-fail banks. As an example of the profound corruption of our legislative process, congressional staffers turned to top corporate lawyers to draft the wording pretending to rein in their activity.
For example, as the emails reviewed by the Times revealed, House committee staffers consulted Michael Bopp, a partner at the elite law firm Gibson, Dunn who represents corporations involved in derivative trading, as to the verbiage he would prefer in the legislation. His language was well received, as the Times reported: “Ultimately, the committee inserted every word of Mr. Bopp’s suggestion into a 2012 version of the bill that passed the House, save for a slight change in phrasing.”
That last sentence, conveying the essence of America’s crony capitalist system, should stand as the defining epitaph for the death of representative democracy.
“I won’t dispute for one second the problems of a system that demands immense amount of fund-raisers by its legislators,” Jim Himes, a Democrat from Connecticut who supported the bankers’ recent bills and conveniently heads fundraising for House Democrats, conceded to the Times. Himes, who worked for Goldman Sachs before pretending to represent the people’s interest as an elected representative, is one of the top beneficiaries of Wall Street payoffs but claims to be distressed by the corruption that is his way of life. As he told the Times, “It’s appalling, it’s disgusting, it’s wasteful and it opens the possibility of conflicts of interest and corruption. It’s unfortunately the world we live in.”
No, buddy, it’s the world you guys make and wallow in. Other folks just lose their jobs and homes while you manage to slither out of the slime richer and more powerful than ever.Join the Martian Union of Materialist Republics today!
It’s the year 773 Post Revolution, and Mars is basking in the long embrace of progressive materialism. The Union of Materialist Republics rules over a utopian planet and two moon colonies. The people are happy in their roles; the governments of the Republic remain at peace with one another; technology designed to better mankind advances by leaps and bounds.
But all is not entirely peaceful, for the Union is under attack by the corrupt “U.S.S.R.” and decadent “U.S.A.” back on Earth, the feudal alien Venusians, and the expansionist two-dimensional Country of the Geometers!
Defend the Union and Mars against its enemies, and bring glory to yourself, your squad, and your collective. Put your lives on the line to defend utopia in Red Planet, a Soviet retro-pulp adventure by Jess Nevins. Red Planet requires Fate Core to play. This 59-page supplement includes:
A detailed review of the solar system—Fate-style
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A sample adventure: 34 Chernykh
Welcome, Citizen, to the Red Planet.
The Fate Adventures & Worlds line provides compact, rich, affordable, gorgeous settings with a ready-to-go adventure for GMs in a pinch. Buy one this afternoon, be ready to run this evening.To highlight the dangers of potholes, self-described "road artist" Wanksy has been painting penises around the road hazards to get attention from his local council in Manchester, UK.
"The roads of Manchester are in an appalling state, especially around Bury. I have cyclist friends who have been hospitalised," the artist told the Manchester Evening News.
"I wanted to attract attention to the pothole and make it memorable. Nothing seemed to do this better than a giant comedy phallus. It’s also speedy, I don’t want to be in the road for a long time."
But not everyone is happy about the drawings.
A spokesman from the Bury council told the Manchester News: "The actions of this individual are not only stupid but incredibly insulting to local residents.
"Has this person, for just one second, considered how families with young children must feel when they are confronted with these obscene symbols as they walk to school? Not only is this vandalism, but it’s also counter-productive.
"Every penny that we have to spend cleaning off this graffiti is a penny less that we have to spend on actually repairing the potholes!"
Nevertheless, many residents on social media have congratulated the artist for highlighting the issue.
Andy Greaves commented on Facebook, "You sir are a genius!!!! my car is already ruined by the abundance of potholes being ignored by our council but this is what we need keep up the great work mate."
Another person ruce Esinem wrote: "Potholes can kill and injure. Penis graffiti related deaths and injuries, nil."CLOSE A frat party caused $100,000 worth of damage at a northern Michigan ski resort. See photos of the damage and hear from local residents on what they believe is proper punishment. VPC
University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel in late February barred Sigma Alpha Mu from campus life for at least four years. (Photo11: Robert Allen, Detroit Free Press)
The University of Michigan's Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity has been permanently disbanded by its parent organization for not only wrecking a northern Michigan resort but also for not stepping up and facing the music.
"It is regrettable that these vandals, as well as the officers of the chapter, decided that avoiding personal accountability and/or university sanctions took priority over the welfare of the entire chapter; their lack of cooperation led to the university's withdrawal of recognition of the entire chapter for a four-year period. Sigma Alpha Mu worked in cooperation with university officials and regretfully agreed with their request to close the chapter," executive director Leland Manders wrote in a statement.
The statement said all members have been placed on alumni status and some face disciplinary action from "various authorities."
The university itself was "pleased (the national organization) followed through with this action," university spokesman Rick Fitzgerald said, adding the actions taken by both the university and the national group prove they took the issue seriously.
Michigan is still waiting for information from the police on individuals who might have been involved. No disciplinary proceedings have been started against any individuals, Fitzgerald said.
This end was inevitable, said Alan Greenberg, a member of the alumni board that owns the house. The chapter leaders "chose to protect those who destroyed this chapter," he said.
Greenberg has been involved with the U-M chapter since 2004, when the house reopened after burning in 1999.
"We started with 10 kids and quickly grew," he said, noting that within a few years the U-M chapter was among the best SAM chapters in the nation.
"I'm clearly very disappointed in this," he said. "(The national organization) stated the reasons for this very clearly. It was almost a foregone conclusion this was going to happen, it was just a matter of when.
University of Michigan fraternity Sigma Alpha Mu is being accused of causing damage to 45 rooms, at the Treetops Resort in Gaylord, Mich. (Photo11: Keith Wilkinson)
"I also fault the parents, because they didn't impose their will on the students to make them deal with this and they had chances to do so."
About 120 University of Michigan students, members of Sigma Alpha Mu and women from its sister sorority, Sigma Delta Tau, had gathered at Treetops Resort in Gaylord in January. There was damage to 45 rooms, and students destroyed ceiling tiles and exit signs, broke furniture and doors and urinated on carpeting, pictures showed.
Damage estimates have climbed to more than $400,000.
Otsego County Prosecutor Michael Rola said in an e-mail Tuesday, "I am currently awaiting some additional information but hope to make a charging decision by the end of this week."
University President Mark Schlissel in late February barred Sigma Alpha Mu from campus life for at least four years, the most severe sanction that can be implemented against any campus student organization.
Schlissel's statement said sanctions against the fraternity include "paying full restitution to Treetops" and "participating in restorative measures in the Gaylord community."
Sorority Sigma Delta Tau was placed on a two-year disciplinary suspension because its members "stood by at Treetops Resort and allowed others to vandalize the facility," according to the U-M sanctions.
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1MIoghCWho will be making sure our poorest children eat this half term?
One of the pleasures of being a Member of Parliament is seeing the great work of local schools and hearing about the hopes and ambitions of young people in my constituency. In recent weeks I’ve met a team of young teenagers preparing to launch a camera into space, spoken to a student council about making pupils’ voices heard, and even delivered an impromptu lesson to a class of inquisitive Year 6 students.
What makes the work of my local schools even more extraordinary are the day to day challenges that they face. The majority of children in my constituency are eligible for free school meals. In some schools the number of children who depend that provision in term time is as high as 70%.
Many of those children will be facing a half-term of hardship this week as their one guaranteed hot meal is taken from them. Over 100 years after free school meals became a recognised duty of care, families who we know are struggling in term time are still receiving little or no support during the school holidays.
For many families, school holidays are not a period of relaxation but one of even greater pressure. The extra costs of feeding kids during the day, and the difficulty for working families in securing affordable childcare, see many parents falling into debt or borrowing money just to get by.
And for the children themselves, malnutrition, boredom and anxiety can have a chronic impact on their development and send them back to school well behind their classmates and struggling to fulfil their potential.
I have been campaigning since the last election for the Government to tackle Holiday Hunger and ensure that our children are being fed during the school holidays. I always knew that getting a Tory government to care about the plight of the most vulnerable would be a tough sell. But the truly shocking thing is that they refuse to even recognise the scale of the problem.
I recently asked the Department of Education how much of the Pupil Premium Summer School funding was used for food provision during the holidays. They couldn’t give me an answer because they don’t bother to record it.
Last year I asked the Education Minister to meet with me to discuss the issue. He refused.
This disregard for the food poverty of our children serves to highlight the Government’s own poverty of generosity, and its lack of will to tackle a serious problem.
We cannot allow the Tories to sweep this under the carpet, we need a national plan to tackle holiday hunger to ensure that every child in this country has the opportunity to fulfil their potential.
We don’t have the votes to force the Governments hand on this, but we can lead by example. That’s why I am urging CLPs and affiliated organisations across the country to support the Holiday Hunger campaign and ensure that the next Labour Party manifesto includes a commitment to provide national food provision for children during the school holidays.
If you are interested in helping with the campaign through your CLP or trade union please contact me and sign up here.
The last Labour government lifted millions of children out of poverty, but 10 years of Tory rule is taking us backwards. As the party of social justice, Labour can and must put forward and new vision to give all of our children the best possible start.10 Big Benefits of Blogging
A question I often get asked is, “Why Blog?” Unfortunately, when I do get this question, I simply can’t answer it with one short sentence.
This is because there are just too many benefits to mention |
it's a fight for the soul of our party and I think it's a fight for the future of our nation."
She said there's a lot at stake and Indiana's May 3 primary is going to play an important role in the race for president.
"What we're going to do is spend the next six days crisscrossing this state, speaking to as many Indianans as we can about what's at stake," she said. "I truly believe that our opportunities and our possibilities as a nation are at stake because our possibilities and potential are being crushed. They've been crushed for a long time."
She said Ted Cruz is the clear choice for president.
"Just because someone puts an 'R' on their jersey, doesn't mean they're going to do the things necessary to restore prosperity, or to protect our liberties, or to keep us safe," Fiorina said. "Ted Cruz will."
She said the other candidates don't scare her.
"What scares me is what's happening to this nation," she said. "What scares me is the fact that we have more and more power and money concentrated in Washington DC and New York City. As that power gets concentrated, the possibilities and the opportunities for people all across this nation become diminished.
"That's what's at stake here."Columbine II Columbine II taking off from Davis–Monthan Air Force Base en route to private ownership and further restoration, 24 October 1990. Type Lockheed VC-121A-LO Constellation (Model 749-79-36) Manufacturer Lockheed Aircraft Corporation Registration N9463 Serial 48-0610 In service January 1953 to November 1954 as President Eisenhower's personal aircraft Last flight March 2016 Preserved at Conditionally airworthy (2016)
Columbine II is a Lockheed VC-121A-LO Constellation (Air Force Serial Number 48-0610, Lockheed Model 749-79-36); the aircraft that was to become the first plane to use the Air Force One callsign and the only Presidential aircraft ever sold to a private party. The aircraft was ferried from long term storage in the Sonoran Desert at Marana Regional Airport, Arizona, to the east coast for restoration in March 2016.[1][2]
Presidential aircraft [ edit ]
Columbine II was built as a C-121A at Burbank, California and bailed to Lockheed to support the Lockheed Air Service International maintenance facility at Keflavík, Iceland. In November 1952, President-elect Dwight D. Eisenhower used the aircraft to travel to South Korea. Early in 1953 this aircraft was converted to VC-121A-LO standard for use by President Eisenhower, until replaced by VC-121E-LO Columbine III (AF Ser. No. 53-7885), operated by the 1254th Air Transport Squadron of the United States Air Force (USAF).[3]
Preservation [ edit ]
Columbine II starting engines at Davis-Monthan AFB in 1990 for her final flight to Marana Airport starting engines at Davis-Monthan AFB in 1990 for her final flight to Marana Airport
After being replaced, Columbine II continued in service with the United States Air Force until retired to Davis–Monthan Air Force Base for storage during the late 1960s. The aircraft was sold as part of a package lot to Mel Christler, a Wyoming businessman who owned a crop-dusting service, and was made airworthy in 1989 and flown to Abilene, Kansas for Eisenhower's 100th birthday celebration and to an air show at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. In 2003, it was flown to Marana Regional Airport, Arizona.
The aircraft owner was considering cutting the aircraft up as scrap when the Smithsonian Institution, during a research project, contacted the owner and informed him that 48-0610 was, in fact, a former presidential aircraft. The owner then, in the hope of finding a new owner willing to display the aircraft, attempted to sell the plane at auction, but it was not sold.[4]
Columbine II was purchased and moved from Arizona to Bridgewater, Virginia in March 2016 for restoration by Dynamic Aviation. The purchase price has not been disclosed, but the purchaser, Karl D. Stoltzfus Sr., founder of Dynamic Aviation, has said it was less than $1.5 million. Dynamic Aviation mechanics did significant work on the plane in Arizona in preparation for its flight to Virginia.[5] The restoration is expected to take several years to complete.[6]
Call-sign "Air Force One" [ edit ]
Over Richmond, Virginia in 1954, Eastern Airlines Flight 8610, a commercial flight, shared the same air space with Air Force Flight 8610, which was carrying President Dwight D. Eisenhower at the time, prompting the adoption of the unique call sign Air Force One whenever the President was on board any aircraft.[7]Pin Reddit Email WhatsApp 0 Shares
When most people find out what bioluminescence is, the first thing they associate it with is firefly butts, but the world has way more interesting life with built-in flashlights than beetles that use it to get nookie. And while we may not have glowing redwoods like Pandora, we do have the following.
10. Bioluminescent Fungus
If you’re like me, the word “mushroom” conjures up things like pizza and Mario power ups, but it turns out there are a few species that glow in the dark. The ones pictured above are Panellus stipticus, and they glow bright enough that it is visible even in low light (as opposed to pitch black.) You can even buy some glow-shrooms and grow them yourself. Most species don’t glow as brightly as stipticus, and the glow can only be seen under a microscope or in pitch black, but Panellus looks like you could read by it. (Note, you can’t actually read by it).
9. Scorpions
Okay, so I am cheating with this one. Scorpions don’t actually generate their own light, like the mushrooms, but they glow under a blacklight like a raver who fell in blue neon paint. They have a chemical in their exoskeleton that flouresces under ultraviolet light, taking them from “terrifying land-lobster with a poison butt” to “I want one that turns into a robot for Christmas.”
8. Man-Made Bioluminescent Animals
Monkeys and kittens and glowfish, Oh My! Scientists have developed a love affair in the past half decade for something called GFP, or Green Fluorescing Protein. It’s kind of like asbestos used to be, that is to say, it’s being put into a lot of stuff which may or may not decide to kill us all one day. Scientists have been using it as a genetic marker for studying everything from genetics to making fish that alert on pollution (the original intent behind the world’s most popular genetically enhanced house-pet, the glofish).
The protein originally comes from a form of bioluminescent jellyfish, which should make you feel better because nothing about monkeys crossbred with an animal armed with millions of poisoned harpoons is terrifying.
7. Firefly Squid
Hey, guess what? There are creatures that live in the deep sea that aren’t pure terror, and the Firefly squid is one of them. It’s body is covered in photophores, light producing cells, which allow it to glow in any pattern it wants. They light their undersides during the day, matching the pattern and dimness of the light coming from the surface. This allows them to camouflage themselves against the light. They also light up their entire bodies during mating season, because… I guess they get turned on by flashbulbs. That may be why they only live a year.
6. Giant Firefly (Lamprigera)
Tracking down information on this thing was hell, there is next to nothing about it online, but it turns out they are common enough to be well known by the locals in Thailand. There is a video of one crawling around and at the beginning, you can see its glowing tuchus right through a piece of cloth. The beetle appears to be about 3 inches long, and according to the YouTube description, they could see it glowing in the dark easily from 100 meters away; that is more than the length of a football field.
5. Waitomo Caves, New Zealand
Literally every search I did for “glow” brought up these caves. The glow worms, the larva of a type of gnat, line the ceilings of the aptly named “Glow worm caves.” They dangle lines of glowing mucus, up to 70 per worm, to snare flies and moths to eat. And in some species, their glowing snot lures are poisonous! Isn’t it nice that nature could make something so pretty, yet so thoroughly awful? Find out more about visiting these caves.
4. Terriswalkeris terraereginae/North Auckland Worm
I can’t look at these things without hearing Jim Carrey say “I got worms!” in Dumb & Dumber, followed by Lauren Holly’s horrified look, and I have researched the hell out of them on multiple occasions. Terriswalkeris is a 6 foot long blue worm from Australia that leaves behind a trail of glowing mucus. It looks like a giant gummy worm, and although it is from the land Down Under, it is surprisingly not poisonous; the worst it could do is scare the crap out of you. The North Auckland worm is similarly sized and hails from New Zealand, which is apparently a Mecca for glowing worms. These are even more rare than the Aussie Gummy, and apparently glow so bright that you can read by worm-light! The sad news is is that they are exceptionally fragile, and the act of picking one up is apparently plenty to kill them.
3. Bioluminescent Bacteria
Here’s a fun fact, a large number of bioluminescent animals are actually just vessels for bacteria that produce light. Animals like lantern fish and certain types of shrimp are home for entire colonies of brightly glowing bacteria. This site has some nice instructions on how to extract and grow the bacteria from shrimp and squid, in case you have some deep sea creatures kicking around and wanted to make the most appealing lava lamp in your neighborhood.
2. Aequorea Jellyfish
Do you remember the GFP mentioned a few entries back? Well, these are the jellyfish they got it from. The species pictured lives around North America, although the original critter they have been reproducing the protein from is Asian, they appear to be just about the same animal. They are nearly invisible when they aren’t glowing, but the good news is that they are small and won’t be sending you to the hospital like a box jellyfish. They are apparently content to drift around and lend their genetic material to scientists who will stuff it into just about anything cute and/or fuzzy. Although, they likely just don’t care because they are jellyfish.
1. Dinoflagellates
Dinoflagellates are most often heard of when people talk about red tide, because these protozoans are responsible for that terrifying mess when it shows up. These dinoflagellates also cause red tide, but they glow when disturbed, by swimmers, or even waves, and it is amazing to look at, so we’ll forgive them. Also, they don’t appear to produce too much toxin, so, you know, that’s good. I have never seen them with my own eyes, but the pictures alone are enough to shut me up and just stare
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Previous Next 1 of 8 Digital Trends / Aliya Barnwell Digital Trends / Aliya Barnwell Digital Trends / Aliya Barnwell Digital Trends / Aliya Barnwell Close
Place Livia’s reusable electrodes wherever it hurts. Turn it on and electric pulses stimulate the nerves to interrupt the reception of pain passing to the brain. It’s instant pain relief, which is something pills can’t provide.
A TENS machine of Livia’s size and simplicity hasn’t been addressed in the market yet. Most TENS machines are complicated contraptions with busy, unattractive interfaces. They look like medical devices that need extensive instructions. By comparison, Livia fits in the palm of your hand and is simple enough to be used by touch. Stick it on and turn it on. Plus and minus symbols indicate pulse strength. That’s it.
The small LED indicator above the Livia’s power button is supposed to indicate what level it’s set to, but the yellow casing on my model made this hard to see. With the skin removed, four slots are clearly visible, and it takes four taps to move the indicator, so it has 16 intensity settings. I couldn’t tolerate full strength anywhere but on my lower back, so don’t mistake Livia’s small size for lack of power.
Of course, the version Digital Trends tested is a prototype, but we can reasonably hope the final product is just as strong. As a prototype, it has some flaws, like the clarity of the level indicator, the smooth buttons — which makes it harder to use by touch — and the clip. If the device gets jostled or snagged on a piece of clothing, it will likely be yanked off because the clip is not very secure. It’s a good thing the attachment to the electrodes is firm, since the device is light enough to dangle by the cords instead of clattering to the ground. The reusable hydrogel electrode pad adhesive also worked well, meaning it left no icky residue on my skin.
Otherwise, Livia is incredibly cute and works like a charm, giving instant relief a pill just can’t match. The website title mylivia.com is in sync with the customizable nature of the device. Though part of its appeal is that it can easily work under clothes, Livia skins comes in a bunch of bright colors. My Livia has a sticker on it — there’s something about the simplistic design that screams “personalize me!”
That said, now that I push away from the desk or the couch on a regular basis, I don’t have horrible menstrual pains. Instead the pains have migrated to my knee, where I sprained three ligaments a few years ago. So I slapped it on my leg after 30 miles on my road bike. This goes beyond Livia’s intended use, yet it worked as well on my leg as it did on my lower back. My own experience speaks well for the device’s versatility. Charge it up through a ubiquitous Micro USB — another plus — and it’ll run for 15 hours, long enough to for a night’s sleep.
A portable TENS aimed at the everyday woman is a long overdue idea. It is definitely a viable replacement for pills, which in my experience don’t work anyway. It may seem expensive, but it’s a one-time purchase compared to bottles of pain meds and the possible tolerance that comes with treating pain with pills. Not to mention it’s safer all around, since you’re not devouring chemicals.
After a successful Indiegogo campaign that ultimately raised more than $1.7 million from over 18,000 backers, Livia has received Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approval for pain management, and will begin shipping to its U.S.-based backers immediately. You can buy one yourself for $127 directly from the Livia website.
Update: Livia is now shipping throughout the United States.Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is going through superhero growing pains as Spider-Man. (Sony)
IT’S NOT the notes you play, the old jazz adage goes, but rather the notes you don’t play.
For the third filmic reboot of Spider-Man in 15 years, Sony and Marvel were determined to create an experience that feels as fresh as viral-video improvisation. And to capture the spirit of youthful thrills, they decided to toss out some of the franchise’s notable but played-out trills.
“One of the first things we did was make a list of stereotypes,” says Jonathan Goldstein, who teamed on the screenplay for “Spider-Man: Homecoming” (opening Friday) with writing partner John Francis Daley (the duo behind “Horrible Bosses”).
“Like us, [director] Jon [Watts] was very wary of treading the same territory that was tread before,” Daley tells The Post’s Comic Riffs. “He wanted to make a film that people hadn’t seen before.”
One of the visual notes they decided not to play was a particularly iconic special effect from Sam Raimi’s three Spidey films starring Tobey Maguire. In “Homecoming,” the screenwriters say, you won’t see Spider-Man swinging from a gleaming Manhattan skyscraper. With young Tom Holland now in the costume, after all, this Peter Parker looks like a 15-year-old super-rookie from Queens — not a polished Midtown web-slinger.
[In the very fun ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming,’ Marvel Studios makes the difference]
Unlike that first Raimi film, in fact, you won’t even see the famed bite of a radioactive spider that transforms Peter. Just too familiar in 2017. Cross another visual off the screenwriters’ list.
In “Homecoming,” we don’t even see Uncle Ben living with Peter — his only guardian is Aunt May (Marisa Tomei). Thus, we don’t get a father figure directly intoning, “With great power comes great responsibility.” (Paternal advice from Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark comes across as both more wry and more exasperated.)
Andrew Garfield, above, inherited the Sony suit from Tobey Maguire — but neither was cast as a teenager, as was the franchise’s new star, Tom Holland. (Sony Pictures)
And in Daley and Goldstein’s update, Peter Parker — long a dogged photojournalist — doesn’t even get to be a newspaperman. Instead, Peter wields a smartphone to shoot a personal video diary.
“That’s our version of his Daily Bugle,” Daley says. “We didn’t want him working for the paper because we’ve seen it before, so this is our modern version of that.”
Perhaps the freshest visual, though, comes from this being the first film in Sony’s solo Spider-Man series that lets him play with other Avengers.
Merely putting Iron Man on screen gives viewers an element that, in the screenwriters’ words, “we’ve never seen before.”
Read more:
Reviews say ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ is a much-needed return to form for the franchiseStrymon has announced that it is killing the Generalissimo, which was to be their first Eurorack module.
We filmed a hands-on demo with the Strymon Generalissimo – a voltage-controller Eurorack Four Head dTape Echo machine – at the 2016 NAMM Show. While it looked and sounded impressive, Strymon has announced that it’s cancelling development on the Generalissimo and is, instead, working on an even more powerful module.
Here’s what Strymon’s Ethan Tufts has to say about the decision:
At the NAMM trade show earlier this year, we gave a sneak preview of our first Eurorack prototype, the Generalissimo Four Head dTape Echo.
Our experience at NAMM was overwhelmingly positive, with an enthusiastic response to the sounds and real-time playability of Generalissimo. In fact, our typical experience hanging out with modular enthusiasts as they played Generalissimo was that they got really into playing it, said they really wanted it, and then started asking us if there was a way we could make it also do this or that!
That wish list of feature suggestions, based on what modular synth artists told us about how they wanted to use Generalissimo in their modular setups, led us to the decision to take the time to rethink the feature set and to rework the user interface, including additional sound sculpting options, a whole lot more CV control, and assignable CV inputs for more flexible control.
We’re a very small team, and our development cycle includes a lot of research, discussion, deliberation, and testing. This means that our entry into the modular world will be delayed until 2017.
We also came to realize that the name Generalissimo has very negative connotations in Italy. We want to be inclusive to all of our customers, so in addition to changing the scope of features, we will also change the name.
We have never before announced a product that hasn’t eventually shipped to customers. For those that were anticipating a summer 2016 release of Generalissimo, we are sorry that it won’t happen. But we are hard at work on a platform that will greatly improve on the Generalissimo prototype that we showed earlier this year. Thanks for your patience and support.In the mood for a shot of irony to go with your afternoon latte?
Twice Arizona quarterback Matt Scott has been named a Manning Award star of the week. Now, guess who's not on the Manning watchlist?
Guess who commands the No. 4 total offense in the country? The No. 4 passing offense in the country? Guess who is second nationally in total offense, and fourth nationally in passing yards per game? If you answered Matt Scott, Matt Scott, Matt Scott and Matt Scott, you get a gold star.
Arizona's Matt Scott is second nationally in total offense, and fourth nationally in passing yards per game. Matt Kartozian/US Presswire
Barring a complete meltdown the rest of the season, and even that might not be enough to derail him, Scott should be either the first- or second-team All-Pac-12 quarterback. But for all that he leads the league in statistically, he also leads the league in anonymity. Because no matter what this guy does on the field, folks are behind the curve to give him the credit he richly deserves.
"I didn't know he wasn't on that watchlist," said Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez. "I don't even know how many guys they put on it. There are a lot of great quarterbacks in our league. But Matt has been really consistent, and everybody knows it. The key to our offense is the quarterback, and Matt, I think, has delivered in every game. Some games he's been better than others. But he's been absolutely phenomenal for us in his first and only year in this system. I think he's worthy of some mention on that list."
Of course, individual awards aren't the primary goal. The goal is to win the Pac-12 South. And the Wildcats can take another step forward when they travel to UCLA this weekend in a big separation game in the division. Should USC lose to Oregon this week and if Arizona tops the Bruins, all three teams will be 6-3 with Arizona holding the tiebreakers. Pending the outcome of Arizona State and Oregon State, we could see four teams at 6-3 atop the division -- meaning the Territorial Cup could determine the South champ.
But that's looking a little too far ahead. As the cliché goes, the Wildcats -- and their under-appreciated quarterback -- are taking it one game at a time.
“We just need to keep winning," Scott said. "We can lose respect really easy by losing a couple games here or there. So we just want to keep going, keep fighting, and try to get Ws. If we can do that, we’ll keep getting respect.”
And so will Scott -- who has proven to be one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the country and a glove-fit for Rodriguez's offense. Scott has completed 62.9 percent of his throws for 2,724 yards with 20 touchdowns to nine interceptions. He's also rushed for 365 yards and four touchdowns -- including a 100-yard rushing game in the upset against USC last week. He ranks third among all FBS quarterbacks with 39 passes of 20 yards or more. Four of the top 10 individual performances in Arizona history now belong to Scott. No player in the Pac-12 conference is more valuable to his team.
Rodriguez said he's not going out of his way to get his guy national attention -- that's not the goal right now. But if he keeps it up, the attention will come.
"Like most coaches, I'm not too worried about it right now, because I know my players shouldn't be worried," Rodriguez said. "After the season, if you feel a guy needs some recognition or should get pumped up more, then you can do that. But during the season, I never believed you have to do that. Guys who see the film or watch the game should be able to see it for themselves. That's why I'm more surprised that more people haven't talked about Matt at that level. But if he keeps doing what he's doing, they won't be able to help themselves, because each and every week he's been phenomenal."How Successful Screenwriters Manage Their Creativity
Most screenwriters have, at one time or another, wrestled with their relationship to their own creative mind. As writers we are always in search of ideas and ways to tell stories in new and interesting ways. Tapping into that creative stream of consciousness, or the “antenna”, can often be elusive. In this series of interviews 9 successful screenwriters discuss their process of injecting a sense of order into the creative process and how they translate random ideas into a structured screenplay.
John August (“Big Fish,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”)
Paul Haggis (“Crash”, “Million Dollar Baby”)
Aline Brosh McKenna (“The Devil Wears Prada,” “We Bought A Zoo”)
Dustin Lance Black (“Milk,” “J. Edgar”)
Mike White (“School of Rock,” “Nacho Libre”)
David Magee (“Life of Pi,” “Finding Neverland”)
Stephen Schiff (“Lolita,” “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps”)
David Seidler (“The King’s Speech,” “Tucker: The Man and His Dream”)
Eric Roth (“Forrest Gump”, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”)
IFA Podcast episodes you may enjoy.KIGALI, Oct 15 (Reuters) - About 150 nations meeting in Rwanda agreed a global deal to reduce greenhouse gases used in refrigerators and air conditioners, a Rwandan minister announced to loud cheers on Saturday, a major milestone in combating climate change.
The deal, agreed by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, divides countries into three groups with different deadlines to reduce the use of factory-made hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) gases, said Minister Vinncent Biruta.
Developed nations, including much of Europe and the United States, commit to reducing their use of the gas by 10 percent by 2019. Two groups of developing countries will freeze their use of the gas by either 2024 or 2028, and then begin gradually reducing it. (Reporting by Clement Uwiringiyimana; Writing by Katharine Houreld; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)Image caption The Reddit alien is becoming ever more ubiquitous
Social news site Reddit bills itself as the front page of the internet, and there are days when it is hard to disagree with that description.
It proved especially difficult last week given the outrage, debate, comment and condemnation generated when it encouraged rapists to share the motivation for their sexual assaults.
Thousands of Redditors commented on the stories being told. Beyond Reddit some commentators said it was just a cheap attempt to generate notoriety, and others an attempt to excuse misogyny.
But some said it should not be "dismissed" because a real discussion was being had, albeit one whose honesty made it hard to read.
'Ridiculously photogenic'
Facebook makes me hate the people I know and Reddit makes me like the people I don't know Erik Martin, Reddit general manager
No matter the reaction, it was one more example of the way Reddit influences online debate. It is by no means the first social news site to be held in such regard, Digg was one of the first though it has since been massively eclipsed by Reddit.
Increasingly what is first debated, dissected and depicted on the site, which enjoys more than 3.1 billion page views a month, is a hit on the wider internet, sparking reaction, debate and media attention.
Zeddie Little's life changed soon after he was dubbed "ridiculously photogenic guy" in a photo that won its widest fame on Reddit. Within days of him becoming known he appeared on the Good Morning America breakfast TV show. He became so famous that stories of him laying low to avoid attention became news.
"That happens in part is because of the way that Reddit is technologically designed," says Erik Martin, the site's general manager.
"That means things bubble up very quickly whether they are events that started on Reddit or just happened in the news."
The way Reddit is built means that everything posted to it is voted on by its members. What they like gets up-voted, what they do not, down-voted. The mechanic means that whatever the wider Reddit community likes bubbles up to the top.
Many of the causes taken up by the service, such as the protests over the proposed Stop Online Piracy Act (Sopa), have done well because of the extra heft they got from the number of clicks and chatter Reddit lent them.
Lifestyle
It has also proved hugely influential on the lives of some of its members or Redditors as they style themselves.
One of the most remarkable stories is of a Redditor whose confession on the site about how he was cheating his employer led to him being sacked, then re-hired as his firm's IT boss while the man who fired him was let go.
A pseudonymous convention that let Redditors pick the name they use on the site perhaps contributes to the confessional tone of some discussions, said Mr Martin.
"There are certain things that people are uncomfortable talking about on Facebook or Twitter for professional reasons or do not want to talk about in front of friends and family," he said.
Using a fake name on Reddit gave them the chance to air feelings, attitudes and stories that they would not otherwise share, he added.
"Facebook makes me hate the people I know and Reddit makes me like the people I don't know," he said.
Me and we
But is there something different going on with Reddit? Has it found a potent combination of anonymity, technology and community that has the power to change lives, influence politics and shape the media landscape?
Image caption Reddit has taken over from Digg as top social news site
No, said web veteran Tamara Littleton, who runs community management firm eModeration.
"Reddit reminds me of how the internet was back in 1994 and '95 when it was all so new," she tells the BBC.
"We would get communities that just wanted to help people and we were all nice to each other."
Sadly, she said, those early charitable impulses did not survive the transition to mass popularity.
Time and time again, she said, she has seen the same life-cycle play out in different online communities.
"There's a time when people get so excited about them that they want to give something back to it," she says, "and then there will be a time when... numbers mean it gets ruined."
Independent consultant Nancy White says she too had seen many of the dynamics being played out in Reddit in other places.
"Communities are groups of people that know they belong to each other and so they give up some of the'me' for the 'we'," she says.
She says that helped explain why so many Redditors were helping out other members by giving advice, cash or sharing stories of how they had changed.
However, she added, this was not to dismiss the impact of the community on its members.
Ms White cites experiences with other groups, in particular one for parents who had a child that spent time in a neo-natal intensive care unit.
Image caption Common experiences bring people together online and bind communities
"The significance of that community is that your family may love you and the doctors may give you all the technical information but no-one understands you like those that have gone through the same experience," she says.
Similar forces were likely to be at work within Reddit, she said, as its structure allowed people to share stories that only others who have done the same things could relate to.
Reddit helps this impulse to find people who have undergone those experiences by being made up of more than 55,000 "sub-reddits", each one of which concentrates on a separate subject.
But people move on, and the ease with which people could hop from one community to another meant one site might not be able to stay relevant to all its members forever, said Ms White.
She added one "classic sign" of a site's evolution would be veterans complaining that it was better in the old days and everything now was just a re-hash of what had gone before.
But no matter which network people picked or the use they made of it, Ms Littleton added that there's one fact that should not be forgotten.
"I don't think online networks change people's lives," she says. "People change people's lives."The Argania tree is not the most aesthetically pleasing plant in the world with a rough, thorny bark and gangly, crooked branches. But these Moroccan trees still tend to attract admirers, thanks in large part to the hordes of goats that can usually be found perching in them.
Grown almost exclusively in Sous Valley in southwestern Morocco, the Argania is a rare and protected species after years of over-farming and clear-cutting. The tree produces an annual fruit crop, and it is this delicious morsel that attracts legions of local goats who hop up into the branches to pick out the fruit. These memorable rural scenes mostly happen in June when the Argan fruit ripen.
Like an image out of a goat-cast wire-fu film, the animals stand on the impossibly precarious branches and get down to their seasonal feast. Far from just a single ambitious goat climbing a single tree, the animals tend to swarm into the branches in number.
Local farmers condone and even cultivate this bizarre feeding practice, keeping the goats away from the trees while the fruit matures and releasing them at the right time. There is also a secondary benefit to the goats’ habits which is found in their poop. After the goats finish eating the fruit and nuts off the tree, they pass valuable clumps of seeds which are then pressed to create the sought-after Argan oil.
Unfortunately, since the tree goats can be quite profitable for their owners, more and more of them have been brought into the area, causing a general decline in the health of the remaining Argania trees. Hopefully, the delightful tree goats won’t eat themselves out of a tree to perch in.Two children found alone on idyllic beach as mother’s body washes ashore and father is missing at sea after Australian snorkelling tragedy
Children, aged 10 and 13, alone on beach near Coral Bay, Western Australia
Their parents had set out in a dinghy for a snorkelling expedition
Body of a 41-year-old woman washed up on the beach near Ningaloo Reef
Her 48-year-old partner remains missing off coast of idyllic resort
Two young children were found alone on an Australian beach today after the body of their mother was washed ashore and their father remained missing.
The parents had set out in a dinghy for a snorkelling expedition off the coast of Western Australia, leaving the children, a 10-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl, on the beach.
Police said the tragedy occurred near the popular snorkelling region of Coral Bay, near the hamlet of Ningaloo Reef.
Idyllic: The body of a 41-year-old woman washed ashore close to the idyllic resort of Coral Bay in Western Australia (file photo)
Snorkelling accident: A woman's body was found washed up on the beach and her two children were found alone on the beach in Coral Bay, Western Australia
A man who had access to an emergency beacon set it off after the body of the 41-year-old woman washed up onto the beach at around 4pm (WST).
But there was no sign of her 48-year-old partner, who remains missing.
Neither the man nor the woman has been named.
The search for the man will resume at first light in Australia.
A team of police divers was preparing to leave Perth for Coral Bay, as police spoke of what they feared might become a double tragedy, leaving the young children orphaned.
Western Australian police spokesman Sam Dinnison said an emergency beacon was activated just south of Coral Bay during the afternoon.
'... The body of woman has washed up on the shore of the beach... we've also got reports that her husband may also be in the water' Police spokesman Sam Dinnison
'At this stage the body of a woman has washed up on the shore of the beach and it's been confirmed she is, in fact, deceased,' he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Mr Dinnison said police from the nearest big town, Exmouth, were heading to the area.
'We think the woman may have been snorkelling prior to this, but we're yet to confirm that 100 per cent.
'But we've also got reports that her husband may also be in the water, but we're not sure if he's injured or what the circumstances are there.'
Police said later that the woman's body had washed up on a beach some 30 miles south of Coral Bay.
Coral Bay woman's body found locator.jpg
The couple's two children are in the care of authorities in Western Australia.
A camper at the remote Warroora cattle station said he saw an emergency services four-wheel-drive vehicle with its lights activated escorting an ambulance across a dirt track towards the beach.The Government of India decided to cancel the Legal Tender Status of Rs.1000 and Rs.500 denomination currency notes on 8th November 2016 with several objectives: (i) flushing out black money, (ii) eliminate Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN), (iii) to strike at the root of financing of terrorism and left wing extremism, (iv) to convert non-formal economy into a formal economy to expand tax base and employment and (v) to give a big boost to digitalization of payments to make India a less cash economy.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has reported in their Annual Accounts that Specified Bank Notes (SBNs) of estimated value of Rs. 15.28 lakh crore have been deposited back as on 30.6.2017. The outstanding SBNs as on 8th November, 2016 were of Rs. 15.44 crore value. The total currency in circulation of all denominations as on 8th November, 2016 was 17.77 lakh crore whereas total currency in circulation as on 4th August, 2017 was 14.75 lakh crore. The Government had expected all the SBNs to come back to the Banking system to become effectively usable currency. The fact that bulk of SBNs have come back to the Banking system shows that the banking system and the RBI were able to effectively respond to the challenge of collecting such a large number of SBNs in a limited time. At the same time, the effective currency |
a and see practically into the window of a luxury high-rise condominium. Parts of Brazil look like southern California. Parts of it look like Haiti. Many countries display great wealth side by side with great poverty. But until recently, Brazil was the most unequal country in the world.
Today, however, Brazil’s level of economic inequality is dropping at a faster rate than that of almost any other country. Between 2003 and 2009, the income of poor Brazilians has grown seven times as much as the income of rich Brazilians. Poverty has fallen during that time from 22 percent of the population to 7 percent.
Contrast this with the United States, where from 1980 to 2005, more than four-fifths of the increase in Americans’ income went to the top 1 percent of earners. (see this great series in Slate by Timothy Noah on American inequality) Productivity among low and middle-income American workers increased, but their incomes did not. If current trends continue, the United States may soon be more unequal than Brazil.
A single social program is transforming how countries all over the world help their poor.
Several factors contribute to Brazil’s astounding feat. But a major part of Brazil’s achievement is due to a single social program that is now transforming how countries all over the world help their poor.
The program, called Bolsa Familia (Family Grant) in Brazil, goes by different names in different places. In Mexico, where it first began on a national scale and has been equally successful at reducing poverty, it is Oportunidades. The generic term for the program is conditional cash transfers. The idea is to give regular payments to poor families, in the form of cash or electronic transfers into their bank accounts, if they meet certain requirements. The requirements vary, but many countries employ those used by Mexico: families must keep their children in school and go for regular medical checkups, and mom must attend workshops on subjects like nutrition or disease prevention. The payments almost always go to women, as they are the most likely to spend the money on their families. The elegant idea behind conditional cash transfers is to combat poverty today while breaking the cycle of poverty for tomorrow.
Most of our Fixes columns so far have been about successful-but-small ideas. They face a common challenge: how to make them work on a bigger scale. This one is different. Brazil is employing a version of an idea now in use in some 40 countries around the globe, one already successful on a staggeringly enormous scale. This is likely the most important government anti-poverty program the world has ever seen. It is worth looking at how it works, and why it has been able to help so many people.
In Mexico, Oportunidades today covers 5.8 million families, about 30 percent of the population. An Oportunidades family with a child in primary school and a child in middle school that meets all its responsibilities can get a total of about $123 a month in grants. Students can also get money for school supplies, and children who finish high school in a timely fashion get a one-time payment of $330.
A family living in extreme poverty in Brazil doubles its income when it gets the basic benefit.
Bolsa Familia, which has similar requirements, is even bigger. Brazil’s conditional cash transfer programs were begun before the government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, but he consolidated various programs and expanded it. It now covers about 50 million Brazilians, about a quarter of the country. It pays a monthly stipend of about $13 to poor families for each child 15 or younger who is attending school, up to three children. Families can get additional payments of $19 a month for each child of 16 or 17 still in school, up to two children. Families that live in extreme poverty get a basic benefit of about $40, with no conditions.
Do these sums seem heartbreakingly small? They are. But a family living in extreme poverty in Brazil doubles its income when it gets the basic benefit. It has long been clear that Bolsa Familia has reduced poverty in Brazil. But research has only recently revealed its role in enabling Brazil to reduce economic inequality.
The World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank are working with individual governments to spread these programs around the globe, providing technical help and loans. Conditional cash transfer programs are now found in 14 countries in Latin America and some 26 other countries, according to the World Bank. (One of the programs was in New York City — a small, privately-financed pilot program called Opportunity NYC. A preliminary evaluation showed mixed success, but it is too soon to draw conclusions.) Each program is tailored to local conditions. Some in Latin America, for example, emphasize nutrition. One in Tanzania is experimenting with conditioning payments on an entire community’s behavior.
The program fights poverty in two ways. One is straightforward: it gives money to the poor. This works. And no, the money tends not to be stolen or diverted to the better-off. Brazil and Mexico have been very successful at including only the poor. In both countries it has reduced poverty, especially extreme poverty, and has begun to close the inequality gap.
The idea’s other purpose — to give children more education and better health — is longer term and harder to measure. But measured it is — Oportunidades is probably the most-studied social program on the planet. The program has an evaluation unit and publishes all data. There have also been hundreds of studies by independent academics. The research indicates that conditional cash transfer programs in Mexico and Brazil do keep people healthier, and keep kids in school.
In Mexico today, malnutrition, anemia and stunting have dropped, as have incidences of childhood and adult illnesses. Maternal and infant deaths have been reduced. Contraceptive use in rural areas has risen and teen pregnancy has declined. But the most dramatic effects are visible in education. Children in Oportunidades repeat fewer grades and stay in school longer. Child labor has dropped. In rural areas, the percentage of children entering middle school has risen 42 percent. High school inscription in rural areas has risen by a whopping 85 percent. The strongest effects on education are found in families where the mothers have the lowest schooling levels. Indigenous Mexicans have particularly benefited, staying in school longer.
Bolsa Familia is having a similar impact in Brazil. One recent study found that it increases school attendance and advancement — particularly in the northeast, the region of Brazil where school attendance is lowest, and particularly for older girls, who are at greatest risk of dropping out. The study also found that Bolsa has improved child weight, vaccination rates and use of pre-natal care.
When I traveled in Mexico in 2008 to report on Oportunidades, I met family after family with a distinct before and after story. Parents whose work consisted of using a machete to cut grass had children who, thanks to Oportunidades, had finished high school and were now studying accounting or nursing. Some families had older children who were malnourished as youngsters, but younger children who had always been healthy because Oportunidades had arrived in time to help them eat better. In the city of Venustiano Carranza, in Mexico’s Puebla state, I met Hortensia Alvarez Montes, a 54-year-old widow whose only income came from taking in laundry. Her education stopped in sixth grade, as did that of her first three children. But then came Oportunidades, which kept her two youngest children in school. They were both finishing high school when I visited her. One of them told me she planned to attend college.
Related More From Fixes Read previous contributions to this series.
Outside of Brazil and Mexico, conditional cash transfer programs are newer and smaller. Nevertheless, there is ample research showing that they, too, increase consumption, lower poverty, and increase school enrollment and use of health services.
If conditional cash transfer programs are to work properly, many more schools and health clinics are needed. But governments can’t always keep up with the demand — and sometimes they can only keep up by drastically reducing quality. If this is a problem for medium-income countries like Brazil and Mexico, imagine the challenge in Honduras or Tanzania.
For skeptics who believe that social programs never work in poor countries and that most of what’s spent on them gets stolen, conditional cash transfer programs offer a convincing rebuttal. Here are programs that help the people who most need help, and do so with very little waste, corruption or political interference. Even tiny, one-village programs that succeed this well are cause for celebration. To do this on the scale that Mexico and Brazil have achieved is astounding.
On Saturday, I’ll respond to reader comments. I’ll also explain why this idea is so remarkably successful — and what we can learn from it.
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Tina Rosenberg won a Pulitzer Prize for her book “The Haunted Land: Facing Europe’s Ghosts After Communism.” She is a former editorial writer for The Times and now a contributing writer for the paper’s Sunday magazine. Her new book, “Join the Club: How Peer Pressure Can Transform the World,” is forthcoming from W.W. Norton.Amazon.com Down For Many Users, With Homepage Showing ‘Service Unavailable’ Message (Back Up Now)
Updated. Amazon.com’s main website appeared to be down for many visitors for a 45-minute-long period today, with the site returning a mostly blank page that reads “Http/1.1 Service Unavailable.”
Here is a screenshot of what some visitors saw when visiting Amazon.com:
A look at a cURL of the site at the time of the outage showed that Amazon’s homepage is returning a 503 Error, which indicates that the server powering the site is temporarily down due to maintenance or overloading. Internal links were still working, but at what seemed like a slower pace. Meanwhile, AWS, Amazon’s cloud hosting service for other websites, is up and running just fine.
503 Errors can be the result of a denial-of-service attack, although it’s impossible to say right now whether that is the case here.
The outage was noticed by Hacker News contributor Nathan Bashaw at around 11:40am PT. Needless to say, a more than 40 minute-long outage for a site as massive as Amazon.com is very unusual.
We’ve reached out to Amazon and will update this with anything we hear.
Update: The last 503 Error we pulled up on the Amazon.com homepage was at about 12:25pm PT, some 45 minutes after the first user reports of the outage began. At the moment, however (12:30pm PT) the site appears to be back up, and this article has been amended to reflect that. We are still waiting for word from Amazon on what happened.
Update #2: Amazon has confirmed the 49 minute outage to TechCrunch.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
Brendan Rodgers is confident that Liverpool’s tour of America will prove to be a launchpad for a season of success.
The Reds touched down at John Lennon Airport on Tuesday after a gruelling 16-day trip which saw them play five matches in Boston, Chicago, New York, Charlotte and Miami in front of around 240,000 fans.
Their stay Stateside, which ended in defeat to Manchester United in the final of the International Champions Cup, showcased the club’s massive global appeal and the array of commercial opportunities in a nation where the sport’s popularity is blossoming.
The manager insists Liverpool’s involvement in the lucrative tournament will also benefit them on the pitch over the coming months.
“I think the players and the staff have been magnificent,” Rodgers told the ECHO.
“There’s been a lot of travelling but we’ve been able to get a lot of great work in.
“The facilities have been excellent and we’ve played five games against very good opposition.
“The players have got fitter and stronger and it’s been great for the new boys to settle in with the group.
“We’ve obviously got a few players to come back but we’re on course for where we need to be for the first Premier League game against Southampton.
“The players will rest and recover for a few days and then we’ll get back into it towards the end of the week to prepare for a big game against Borussia Dortmund at Anfield on Sunday.”
After a warm-up defeat to Roma at Fenway Park, the Reds overcame the challenge of Olympiacos, Manchester City and AC Milan to top their group before letting Louis Van Gaal’s United off the hook in the final at the Sun Life Stadium.
Steven Gerrard’s penalty fired Rodgers’ side in front after Raheem Sterling had been hacked down by Phil Jones.
The Reds were good value for their lead and should have increased their advantage.
Philippe Coutinho was thwarted by a fine save from David De Gea before they were wrongly denied a second spot-kick after Ander Herrera clipped Sterling’s heels.
United simply couldn’t handle the pace, power and trickery of Sterling, who was the Reds’ standout performer in the States by some distance.
“I thought he was outstanding, a real threat,” Rodgers said. “Raheem is tactically aware for such a young player and is so exciting to watch.
“When he runs at defenders he creates many opportunities. At 19 years of age he is a real talent and is getting better all the time.”
The tour was less memorable for Rickie Lambert, whose wait for a first Liverpool goal goes on following his £4million move from Southampton.
The 32-year-old saw his penalty saved against AC Milan and then missed a glorious chance against United early in the second half.
Lambert side-footed tamely at De Gea after Gerrard’s surging run and pass had put it on a plate for him.
The big frontman worked tirelessly and must be cut some slack as he adjusts to his new surroundings but the club’s need for more firepower is crystal clear.
With Fabio Borini still likely to move on, some high quality back-up for Daniel Sturridge, who returned home early with a minor hamstring injury, is urgently required if the Reds are serious about a title challenge.
“I think with Rickie it’s just the adaptation period of coming into a new club,” Rodgers said.
“There are new pressures and he’s still getting his fitness. A lot has happened to Rickie in a short period of time – moving his family up, travelling away, getting used to the players and how we work.
“I have no doubts about Rickie. He knows he’s not going to play every week but he will play a specific role for us in certain games. I’m sure he will do that really well.”
Coutinho was outstanding and looks like a man in the mood to take out his World Cup frustration on Premier League defenders.
A trademark defence-splitting pass from the Brazilian magician released Sterling, whose strike was deflected just wide.
There was nothing friendly about this contest as the challenges thundered in from both sides. United were being comprehensively outplayed before the game was transformed by two goals in as many minutes just before the hour mark.
Wayne Rooney got away from Martin Skrtel at the back post to volley home and then Juan Mata’s strike took a wicked deflection off Mamadou Sakho to leave Simon Mignolet helpless.
Thankfully, defensive reinforcements are on the way. Centre-back Dejan Lovren, who couldn’t join the tour due to visa issues, will link up with the squad at Melwood later this week following his £20million switch from Southampton.
Right-back Javier Manquillo is also set to complete his loan move from Atletico Madrid, while Liverpool are close to wrapping up a £16million deal for Sevilla left-back Alberto Moreno.
The arrival of two new full-backs will inevitably lead to questions about the futures of Glen Johnson and Jose Enrique, but Rodgers insists his priority is merely improving the amount of options available to him.
Enrique missed the United game with a tight hamstring but should be available to face Dortmund on Sunday.
“Dejan Lovren is a very talented defender and a leader on the field and we’ll look forward to starting work with him,” Rodgers said.
“As for the full-back areas, it’s more about depth really. We needed reinforcements and hopefully we can achieve that before the start of the sea son.”
Having fallen behind, Liverpool never looked like restoring parity. They ran out of gas and were finished off by Jesse Lingard’s effort late on.
“In the first half we were very dangerous and pressed the ball really well,” Rodgers said. “We got ourselves into some really good positions and deservedly went in
front.
“We probably should have had another penalty to make it 2-0. We were comfortable in the game with good possession and control.
“We looked a threat but then we conceded a poor goal and then quickly conceded a second and the momentum changed in the game.
“Overall the tournament has been a big success for us. We know where we need to improve for the start of the Premier League.”One of the oft repeated messages of globalist culture is connectivity. Being connected is a positive thing. The interconnectedness of the global economy brings us together and prevents major wars. Interconnectedness also manifests itself through the glut of advanced social media platforms for average people.
Narcissism may fuel the social media economy, but it does allow for connection to one’s social circle. What was considered a joy and positive tool that the Internet provided has now turned into a dystopic panopticon.
It started innocently enough with platforms like Friendster and Myspace where people connected with their friends and shared silly posts. Facebook followed with better spam controls and massive media support. Keeping in touch with old friends and far-flung family became easier. It was wonderful for those living far from loved ones. A dying grandparent could flick through pictures of grandchildren near and far. Twitter was like a CB radio for the Internet, and people eagerly signed up with their real names attached to their accounts. Corporate HR departments had not figured out social media yet, and your trusty employee handbooks were silent about use of them.
There was a moment when this all peaked as something more than just a weird Internet phenomenon. For those who remember what Napster was like in the late ’90s, it was a literal industry changer or destroyer that young people discovered at college and then told the folks back home about on breaks. Napster was shivved and its brief moment in time made people wary of how stable and secure an Internet program would be. Filesharing programs repeatedly suffered the same fate. What changed the feeling about social media, and also perfectly captured the change in our culture was the moment you saw the trailer for the film The Social Network in theaters.
The Social Network was a 2010 film based on a 2009 book about the origins of Facebook. The first reaction might have been “Wait, they’re making a movie about Facebook?” but the trailer captured everything about the social media phenomenon that now grips our society. The trailer used the song “Creep” by Radiohead but sung by a Belgian women’s choir. The song adds a haunting, unnerving mood to the images shown. The images are simple things one would do on Facebook and social media sites like upload a photo, click ‘like,’ make a post, change a relationship status, etc. This also fed into the viewers’ knowledge of the reaction to said actions: “did you see that Jim’s single… why did he like this… she posts pics with him but hates her husband…” Layered over the lyrics, which is about a white guy wanting to be perfect and fantastic but is a socially awkward creep, everything comes together.
These two minutes also showed clips from the film, which is a dramatization of one insider’s account of the past. The dramatization was so incredibly worrisome for Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg that he donated $100 million to Newark city schools mere weeks prior to its release. The donation was tremendous public relations to distract anyone who went to the film from noticing the malicious autistic guy who was in charge of a firm that held all your personal information. The details of the film did not matter as much. What mattered was the moment where a trailer laid it out for viewers exactly what social media had done and how much of an effect it was already having.
People had already placed so much of their existence and focus on their digital representation. The identity and person they could be online could be perfect, special, and fulfill all of the desired goals that Radiohead sings about in “Creep.” That trailer in 2010 crystallized it for viewers. It also marked the peak. The anxiety over being watched, and gleefully allowing it, was slipping into public consciousness. The trailer was just a promotional tool for the film, but it marked a change in the social landscape. It was a coming out party for Mark Zuckerberg of sorts as well as the system incorporating social media as a part of itself.
Social media became a darker landscape. Multiple generations of iPhones were released, and competitors allowed for smartphones to be in far more hands for “app” use. In the same month the movie debuted (October 2010), Instagram was released, allowing for narcissism and food glorification to enter a new stage. People could get the dopamine hit of a ‘like’ in even newer and broader ways. Tinder was a 2012 app that has turned the dating world into a nightmare, yet people cannot reject the tech. Everyone’s mom joined Facebook. Socially, different platforms appealed to different demographics as people sought some freedom.
The desire for systemic control crept in as the progressives needed to dampen an uncontrolled public platform in their system, which relies on manipulation of public opinion. HR departments implemented social media rules. Being fired for Facebook posts started, being fired for Tweets from years past started, and going anon or pseudo became the trend. Newspaper comment sections began requiring a linked Facebook profile in hopes to get dissidents to self-censor. In a little over five years, Facebook went from a website you could not believe Hollywood would use for a film to the online Stasi for Merkel’s Germany. Germans now get arrested for complaining about their government’s imported dependent-criminals on Facebook.
This should not have been a shocking development because social media was too great of a tool for a regime not to use. The Craigslist Killer Case taught us that Facebook will hand over every single thing you have ever done to the authorities when it is subpoenaed. If that power is there for a complete profile of a human being after a crime, then the power to mold, nudge, and control groups is too seductive for any government to resist. Merkel’s Germany calling on Zuckerberg’s private organ makes perfect sense considering the information and control over information that his computer code has.
Metternich would have considered it a great tool in his censorship program, which is derided by historians of the modern regime for suppressing revolutionary thoughts in the shadow of the bloody French Revolution. Metternich’s secret police operated at its greatest extent between 1815-1848, surviving even Metternich’s removal. France, German states, and the United Kingdom all had programs similar to Metternich’s, but nowhere near as complete. All thoughts but the political were allowed to flourish exemplified in Mitteleuropa’s 19th century art, but the modern West places the political primary. Modern Western censorship and thought suppression is against the opponents of the immolation of the West or speakers of dangerous truths, which is acceptable since it is the modern regime’s goals.
The Polizeihofstelle was instituted in 1789 but only took control of censorship in 1801. In 1815, it had twelve members and thirteen permanent censors. The regular police could be called on to help, and different districts had their responsibilities. The secret police itself was responsible for surveillance of suspects, opening mail, censoring books, press censorship, censorship of art, and promoting the regime’s desired goals. This is no different than the current progress regime censorship organs, but these modern censors are not deputized formally, and the regime calls upon conspiracy members to enforce the thought control.
In opposition to our current regime’s practices of selective administration of surveillance and prosecution, Metternich’s system did not place anyone beyond suspicion. Evidence was followed up or down the social ladder for the security of the state and of majority opinion. It was to protect the state and Catholics from the violent nationalists that were agitating and would bubble up in 1848. The censorship was mild enough that the empire was not intellectually walled away from the surrounding moods of Europe. The censorship also was supported by many of the subjects of the Habsburgs. Metternich’s system’s greatest success may have been its reputation, as it appeared far more successful than it truly was, and seemed to have far greater reach than it did.
If one were designing a regime from scratch and wanted to create the ultimate snooping and profiling tool, what better way than to hide it in a friendly mindspace for someone to connect to all of their friends and family? Media persuasion herds the many into a voluntary program. The secret police never went away; they just went private. A secret police does not have to be everywhere but give the impression that it is everywhere, for influence can create self-censorship and self-limiting actions. The key as always is aligning the goals of the elite rulers with the governed.
The government found a way to watch you, but the scarier effect contradicts a shibboleth of the globalists. Connectivity did not bring us together. It forced us together and showed all of our differences. It showed us why the kumbaya spirit is a utopian dream that will never happen. Not just our differences in appearance and customs, but simple reactions to daily events. What formerly would never have even come up between siblings or friends turned into online shouting matches and accumulated anger. Self-censorship started, and suddenly a space with friends and family required it, as well.
Social media became a battleground, not a playground. In our sanitized modern society, people love meaningless conflict. The fight shows they care, shows I care, ohhh what a rush! What better way to feed that need than a program that provides you hundreds of items to scroll through and fuel your outrage? Twitter sees death threats and rape threats crisscross by the minute. What might have been an online community to share things with and retreat to from a busy or boring day at work became Faceborg. One must assimilate and become part of the approved collective, or one will be shamed and unfriended. Twitter is now a progressive regime organ like any legacy media outlet.
This outcome, this environment, was hinted at by some in 2010. Some noted that the erosion of privacy would make privacy suddenly a desired good after years of oversharing and attention seeking. Sitting there in the theater, the average viewer realized that something had changed in society. It was not just a website, but human relations. Being able to dig so deeply into our lives, it was too attractive a tool for the regime to resist. No one could have guessed just how not only the system, but one’s closest friends and relatives would use social media to turn life, real and online, into non-stop surveillance and critique. Few could have guessed how so many were so comfortable with it.The Wakefield steam train won't be running again until 2014, and only between Chelsea and Wakefield.
The rest of the track, between Gatineau and Chelsea, was badly damaged during heavy rains last summer and won't be back online until 2016.
The train itself was kept in the region late last year when several Quebec municipalities, the provincial government and Outaouais tourism pulled together $500,000.
At the time, in November, the municipal owners of the tracks said they hoped to have the train running by 2013.
According to Louise Boudrias, president of the CCFO (the railway company managed by the municipalities of Gatineau, Chelsea and La Pêche), the work to repair the cars, stations and tracks will not start until the necessary funds are collected through fundraising.
Boudrias said the temporarily shorter route could be appealing for young families who sometimes found the journey from Gatineau to Wakefield too long.
When construction and repairs between Gatineau and Wakefield are done, customers will be able to board the train at one of three stations.
Officials are also thinking about extending the tourist season of the train into the winter, but nothing has been decided.
The delay is disappointing for some business owners in Wakefield, because the steam train brought in customers.
Marc Fournier of La Confiserie Wakefield said he isn't surprised by the delay. Fournier told Radio-Canada he doubts the CCFO can raise enough money to fund the project.The New York Knicks might have never drafted Kristaps Porzingis if it weren't for the efforts of his agent, Andy Miller.
Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Miller gave the rebuilding Philadelphia 76ers the cold shoulder prior to last summer's draft.
Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie made multiple trips overseas to scout Porzingis throughout the 2014-15 season, but when it came time for pre-draft workouts, Hinkie was kept at a distance.
The Sixers were denied a workout, a sit-down, and even a physical for the 7-foot-3 Latvian sensation. It resulted in a tense moment between Miller and Hinkie during a private workout for Porzingis in front of a host of general managers in Las Vegas.
"You said that I would get a meeting with him here," Hinkie told Miller.
"I said, 'I'd try,' and it's not going to work out, Sam," Miller responded.
Miller couldn't stop the Sixers from drafting Porzingis, though. He wanted to guide his client to New York - Porzingis' dream destination - and by withholding enough information, the Sixers ultimately drafted Jahlil Okafor instead.
It's unclear why Miller played kept the Sixers out of the mix.
The Los Angeles Lakers, owners of the second pick, were granted a workout with Porzingis, so it couldn't have been that Porzingis only wanted to go to New York. Perhaps the dour reputation of Hinkie's aggressive rebuild, or the glut of frontcourt players already in place in Philadelphia, pushed Miller and Porzingis to look beyond the City of Brotherly Love.
Porzingis went on to lead a revival for the Knicks at the Garden whereas the Sixers, despite an improved showing following the arrival of Ish Smith, own the worst record in the league at 7-40.In this Aug. 29, 2012, photo, convicted killer Cleve Foster speaks from a visiting cage at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Polunsky Unit outside Livingston, Texas. Foster has received three reprieves from the U.S. Supreme Court, including two last year when he was within hours of execution for the slaying of a 30-year-old woman near Fort Worth in 2000. He is scheduled to die Sept. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Michael Graczyk)
LIVINGSTON, Texas (AP) — What Cleve Foster remembers most about his recent brushes with death is the steel door, the last one condemned Texas inmates typically walk through before their execution.
"You can't take your eyes off that door," he says.
But twice over the past year and a half, Foster has come within moments of being escorted through the door, only to be told the U.S. Supreme Court had halted his scheduled punishment.
On Tuesday, Foster, 48, is scheduled for yet another trip to the death house for participating in the abduction and slaying of a 30-year-old Sudanese woman, Nyaneur Pal, a decade ago near Fort Worth.
It takes just under an hour to drive west from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Polunsky Unit, where the state's male death-row inmates are housed, to the Huntsville Unit, where condemned Texas prisoners have been put to death for nearly a century. The last 485 have been by lethal injection; the first 361, from 1924 through 1964, from the electric chair.
On execution day, the condemned inmate waits, usually for about four hours, in a tiny cell a few steps from the steel door to the death chamber.
Foster, a former Army recruiter known to his death row colleagues as "Sarge," denies his role in the murder. Prosecutors say DNA ties him to the killing and that he gave contradictory stories when questioned about Pal's death.
"I did not do it," he insisted recently from a tiny visiting cage outside death row.
Appeals again were pending in the courts, focusing on what his lawyers argued was poor legal help both at his 2004 trial in Fort Worth and by attorneys early in the appeals process. Similar appeals resulted in the three previous reprieves the courts subsequently have lifted, but his lawyers argue his case should get another look because the legal landscape has changed in death penalty cases.
"I don't want to sound vain, but I have confidence in my attorney and confidence in my God," he said. "I can win either way."
Pal's relatives haven't spoken publicly about their experiences of going to the prison to watch Foster die, only to be told the punishment has been delayed. An uncle previously on the witness list didn't return a phone call Friday from The Associated Press.
Foster, however, shared his thoughts of going through the mechanics of facing execution in Texas — and living to talk about it.
The process shifts into high gear at noon on the scheduled execution day when a four-hour-long visit with friends or relatives ends at the Polunsky Unit outside Livingston.
"That last visit, that's the only thing that bothers me," he said. "The 12 o'clock-hour hits. A dozen or so guards come to escort you."
By Foster's count, it's 111 steps to the prison gate and an area known as the box cage. That's where he's secured to a chair for electronic scrutiny to detect whether he has any metal objects hidden on his body.
It's the legacy of inmate Ponchai Wilkerson. Wilkerson, asked by the warden if he had a final statement after he was strapped to the death chamber gurney for execution in 2000, defiantly spit out a handcuff key he'd concealed in his mouth.
"You're in handcuffs, you're chained at the ankles, they give you cloth shoes and you have to shuffle to keep them on," he said.
As he waddles the 111 steps, he gets acknowledgement from fellow prisoners who tap on the glass of their cells.
At the prison gate, armed officers stand by as he's put in a van and secured to a seat for the roughly 45-mile trip to Huntsville that he says feels like a "90-mph drive." There are no side windows in the back of the van where Foster, accompanied by four officers, rides to the oldest prison in Texas. Only the back doors have windows.
"It's like stepping back in time, dungeons and dragons," he said of entering through two gates at the back of the Huntsville Unit, more commonly known as the Walls Unit because of its 20-foot-high red brick walls.
Prison officials then hustle him into the cell area adjacent to the death chamber.
"Going inside, it's a little spooky. You can tell it's been there a while," he said. "Everything's polished, but still it's real old. You look down the row. History just screams at you.
"It's almost like 'Hotel California,'" he said, referring to the song by The Eagles. "You can check out anytime, but you can't leave."AMD Radeon 520 Mobile
Graphics Processor Banks Cores 320 TMUs 20 ROPs 8 Memory Size 2 GB Memory Type DDR3 Bus Width 64 bit
Recommended Resolutions: 640x480
1280x720
1366x768
1600x900
1920x1080
2560x1440
3840x2160
The Radeon 520 Mobile is a graphics card by AMD, launched in April 2017. Built on the 28 nm process, and based on the Banks graphics processor, in its Banks PRO variant, the card supports DirectX 12.0. The Banks graphics processor is a relatively small chip with a die area of only 77 mm² and 1,040 million transistors. It features 320 shading units, 20 texture mapping units and 8 ROPs. AMD has placed 2,048 MB DDR3 memory on the card, which are connected using a 64-bit memory interface. The GPU is operating at a frequency of 1030 MHz, memory is running at 1000 MHz.
Being a igp card, the AMD Radeon 520 Mobile does not require any additional power connector, its power draw is rated at 50 W maximum. This device has no display connectivity, as it is not designed to have monitors connected to it. Radeon 520 Mobile is connected to the rest of the system using a PCI-Express 3.0 x8 interface.French President Francois Hollande has announced another military intervention in Africa, but plans to deploy an EU battle group are unlikely to go ahead.
"This operation will be swift, it does not have the vocation to last long," he said on Thursday (5 December) on plans to send soldiers to the Central African Republic (CAR).
The UN Security Council on the same day unanimously backed a joint African-French force of about 4,800 men to stop violence in the country, which has intensified after rebels ousted President Francois Bozize in March.
At least 16 people were killed on Thursday in Bangui, its capital, during an attack by Bozize's supporters, the BBC reports.
With 600 French troops already in the CAR, Hollande pledged to double their number "within days, if not hours."
He explained that the snap intervention will be smaller than the one in Mali in January, when 2,500 troops went in.
France is a former colonial power in CAR and owns uranium mines in the resource-rich country.
But Hollande promised he has "no other objective than to save human lives."
He added there is a "necessity to show solidarity with a small country, a friendly country, the poorest in the world, who is asking for our help."
The US state department welcomed "France's decision to reinforce its military presence," adding that it is "appalled by today's reports of the murder of innocent women and children outside of Bangui."
Meanwhile, a proposal to dispatch an EU battlegroup to CAR is unlikely to be approved by other EU nations.
Britain is currently in charge of the standby unit of 1,500 troops, but is reportedly not keen on backing such deployment.
According to a paper drafted by EU security experts and seen by AFP, "an EU military force could make a meaningful contribution to the restoration of a secure environment for the civilian population, thereby facilitating humanitarian and development assistance operations from the EU due to its central role as donor."
EU battlegroups have never gone into action since their creation in 2007.Caresse, who confessed to owning a pretty good arm herself in her softball-playing days, still works out four times a week, pumping weights and doing Zumba.
Her son, she said with a laugh, “is trying to keep up with me.”
At first, Henry Burris Jr. wanted to be like Deion Sanders, the former N.F.L. star who primarily played cornerback. But when neighboring children saw how far he could throw |
was also given a very good opportunity for government-funded capital as well. There is a program running in Canada that is actually precisely for the sort of things we are doing (video game technology industry) that it seems we might very clearly qualify for. This would mean full funding for the development of the game if we get it!
2. So far, what has been implemented in the game?
Too many to list down, if you want to know all of them we have a video for that!
3. What hasn’t been implemented that you do plan on adding later?
Again, quite a lot from trading Dogecoins in realtime to modular bases to even the “Fog of War”. For complete details, you can check out the features list here.
4. What do you feel will
be the hardest thing to implement/execute?
To be honest, the first year of development was by far the hardest. We were trying to make GWT (Gwt Web Toolkit) work with our application such that the simulation code that runs on the client is identical to that which runs on the server. This had unforeseen difficulties that we have finally overcome (specifically relating to math differences between javascript and java). That was pretty tough and ended up stretching our timeline somewhat. However with that done, we’re able to move on to much more exciting aspects of development. I’m particularly excited to introduce lag compensation and client bubbling, which will allow us to have an enormous world with at least hundreds of players all playing at the same time, and the client performance should improve dramatically! I also can’t wait for the invention system, which we’ve been creating fundamental frameworks for, but have yet to be able to test a fully functional invention system yet. None of these things are nearly as difficult as the obstacles we’ve already overcome, but they would be the next big thing for us.
5. Current Status?
At the moment, I’m really happy with how the game looks and I’ve been getting a lot of really encouraging comments from those who have played the prototype. People seem to love playing the prototype already and we’ve only really put about 10% into the gameplay so far, there is still SO much to come (reason being, we’ve needed to concentrate on the fundamental frameworks for the Universe Engine which will make the whole game possible). Right now the biggest issues with the prototype is the obvious lack of optimization. It’s fine to play alone or with a few other individuals with decent latency to the server, but as soon as you add a single individual with poor latency, the entire game will crawl. This isn’t a bug, we just haven’t implemented all the necessary parts yet. The two major components that, when completed, will see many magnitudes of performance gain is the lag compensation and the client bubbles. These two things together will turn this multiplayer game into a massively multiplayer game overnight. It also isn’t as far away as it sounds. The reason why there has been such a long spin-up time for what appears to be a simple game is simply due to the fact that we’ve been getting ready for this all along, and there is already a lot of code in place for it.
6. Future Development plans?
We have many things in the works, everything from Dogecoin integration to lag compensation to even passive defense systems. Too many to write down I’m afraid. You can also check our website here under “Development Progress” to get a summary of what is going on in the phases of development.
Photo Source: Client Given
For more information: http://www.universeprojects.com/new/index.jspToday I’ll show you how to make your HD videos play smoothly on your Android device.
Depending on the device you own, you may have already noticed some lags when you play HD videos.
It could be dependent on the speed of your GPU or because you are playing a video at an extremely high resolution for your device. Let’s fix it!
The first step is to detect your device resolution.
You can just go to the following link using your Android device:
http://whatismyandroidversion.com/
It will show something like this:
Now that we know the screen resolution we’ll optimize our videos for that resolution.
This make sense only if you have a video with a resolution greater than the device one.
I’m my case I’ll optimize the following open source movie from 1920×800 (1080p) to my resolution 1280×720:
http://www.tearsofsteel.org/
To do that I’ll use an open source video transcoder called HandBrake:
http://handbrake.fr/
The tool is available for the most common operative systems (Windows, Mac OS, Ubuntu). You download and install it on your PC.
To convert the video you just have to configure few parameters:
Select Source then Open File and select the video you want to convert
then and select the video you want to convert Select Android on the right panel ( Presets ). You have to double click on it.
on the right panel ( ). You have to double click on it. Select Destination where you want to store the converted video
where you want to store the converted video Change Width to be the same of your device and flag Keep Aspect Ratio. It will automatically calculate height to keep the right proportion.
to be the same of your device and flag. It will automatically calculate height to keep the right proportion. Change Anamorphic to be none. It will avoid to stretch the video.
When you are ready to go you just need to click on Start. It depends on your computer speed could take some time to convert the video.
You can also click on Add to Queue if you like to convert multiple videos.
You can copy the final result to your Android device using an USB cable.
Now you can enjoy your HD videos at the best resolution without issues!It's now coming up to 2 years since the CommandFusion IR Learner was released, and we are yet to find an IR code that it can't learn!
CommandFusion USB IR Learner
Undefeated!
We have thrown everything at the IR Learner that we can - split systems, pay TV remote, Bang and Olufsen, pedestal fans and have not yet found a code that it cannot learn.
The ability to learn any code is due to the wide range IR Receivers included with the IR Learner. Any code in the 30-455KHz range can be learnt by the one device. The specialized firmware also plays a major part in recognizing and learning difficult signal timing.
If we do happen to come across a code that the IR Learner is having difficulty learning, it will simply require a firmware update to solve the problem. These firmware updates can usually be developed and available in a matter of days.
IR Learner Software
The CommandFusion IR Learner is operated by connecting to a Windows based system via a USB port and using the free IR Learner software available from the CommandFusion website. You simply choose the commands you want to learn, then follow the instructions on the screen. Learning IR codes is fast and simple.
Inbuilt Blaster and Visual Analysis
Once the codes are learnt, you can test them directly from your IR learner via the inbuilt IR blaster. The IR Learner software also allows you to view and analyse the IR waveform, allowing you quickly debug incorrectly learnt codes.
Example Waveforms
Other Features
Other useful features of the IR Learner software include:
Import and Export Crestron.IR files
Comes complete with an on-board IR database of over 500,000 codes. Use on-board blaster to test code sets without requiring other hardware
Import 3rd party IR databases such as the Remote Central Mega List
Easily adjust and edit all IR code parameters to ensure you have the most efficient IR code possible
Store an image of the remote control you are learning commands from in the IR file
Learn More About The CommandFusion IR Learner
You can learn more about the IR learner by visiting this page.
To learn how to use the IR Learner, see our Quick Start Guide here.
Buy Your CommandFusion IR Learner Now
CommandFusion IR Learners are available through our many dealers and distributors. Click here to find one near you.
You can also order the IR Learner directly from our online store.Democratic voters want Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonSanders: 'I fully expect' fair treatment by DNC in 2020 after 'not quite even handed' 2016 primary Sanders: 'Damn right' I'll make the large corporations pay 'fair share of taxes' Former Sanders campaign spokesman: Clinton staff are 'biggest a--holes in American politics' MORE to make rival Bernie Sanders Bernard (Bernie) SandersPush to end U.S. support for Saudi war hits Senate setback Sanders: 'I fully expect' fair treatment by DNC in 2020 after 'not quite even handed' 2016 primary Sanders: 'Damn right' I'll make the large corporations pay 'fair share of taxes' MORE her running mate, according to a new poll.
Thirty-six percent say they'd like the Vermont senator to be Clinton's vice president, a Rasmussen Reports survey released Tuesday found.
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Sen. Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth Ann WarrenSanders: 'Damn right' I'll make the large corporations pay 'fair share of taxes' House to push back at Trump on border GOP Sen. Tillis to vote for resolution blocking Trump's emergency declaration MORE (D-Mass.) came in second at 19 percent, followed by Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro at 10 percent.
Eight percent said Sen. Corey Booker (D-N.J.), while 2 percent chose former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley. Twelve percent of Democrats prefer an unlisted candidate, while 13 percent are undecided.
Thirty-two percent of Democratic voters said it’s “very important” that their party fields a ticket consisting of only Democrats.
The poll of 1,000 likely voters was conducted via telephone interviews from May 11 to 12. It has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
Sanders is Clinton's only remaining challenger for the Democratic presidential nomination, although he's far behind in the race.
Clinton has 1,716 pledged delegates entering Tuesday to Sanders's 1,433, according to The Associated Press.I wish I could tell you the first hockey game I attended. I’ve often listened jealously to people recount romantic tales of their first time at Dodger Stadium or some similar arena. Sights, sounds and smells remembered with an alarming attention to every vivid detail. In contrast, my earliest memories of The Great Western Forum were of begging my Dad for a quarter so I could play the video games in the dimly lit concrete concourse. I couldn’t tell you what year it was, who the Kings were playing, who scored or even if it was a win or a loss.
The only thing I can say for sure is that it must have been some time before 1989. I have this souvenir cup from The Great Western Forum and the Lazers didn’t exist beyond 1989.
We moved to Los Angeles from Canada in 1981. I was three years old. Within a year my parents were divorced. While they had joint custody, I spent the vast majority of my time living with my Mom. Hockey games weren’t just an opportunity for entertainment, they were an opportunity to spend valuable time with my Dad.
We shared Season Tickets with one of his oldest friends. They had grown up together in Ottawa, rooting for the Montreal Canadiens. When they found themselves living in Southern California, decades later, with cheap hockey tickets and no reliable way to keep up with the Habs, they decided to become Kings fans. I’ll never forget the seats.
Section 12, Row 9, Seats 1 & 2.
I may not remember the first time we sat in those seats but I remember so many nights spent next to my Dad watching the Kings. I remember the parking lot battles trying to leave after the games, emptying out onto Prairie and then cutting down 99th to avoid a few congested blocks of Century Blvd before reaching the 405. I remember the troughs in the restrooms. I remember the printed newsletter that Mr. Section 12 would print out and leave on every seat before every game. In a completely unbelievable twist of fate, Mr. Section 12 turned out to be “The Mayor”, John Hoven, who I would befriend years later completely unaware of our shared history. I remember when my Dad asked me if I wanted Robitaille or Gretzky on the back of my first jersey and I remember being very pleased with myself for surprising him by saying Robitaille because I always loved that the crowd sounded like they were booing him when saying “Luc”. I remember how foolish I felt when I finally realized that the “Great Western Forum” was an ad for a bank and not a statement that our Forum was indeed “Great” and located in the “West”.
When the Kings moved from The Great Western Forum to STAPLES Center it was jarring but many of our routines survived. I was still responsible for smuggling my Dad’s drink into the building in my pockets. I always sat on the left, my Dad always on the right. After 20 plus years of these routines I can’t sit to the right of someone at a hockey game without it feeling completely alien. We met new fans in our new section. We learned about their families, their triumphs, their struggles and their passions.
Over the years the Kings rose and fell, players came and went, owners went to prison, the colors changed, the building changed but we kept going. The death of my Great Grandmother during the Stanley Cup Final in 1993 is the only thing I can remember keeping us from a game. I attended Wayne Gretzky’s 802nd Goal game sick as a dog. It’s cliche to say that 16,005 people will say they were at that game but I still have the ticket stub to prove it.
It wasn’t just going to the games together either. We developed a playfully competitive game called “DIDJA HERE THE NEWS???” where one of us learns some information about the Kings and instantly calls the other (in the hopes they’re unaware) and excitedly blurts out “DIDJA HEAR THE NEWS???” and then forces the other one to narrow it down by process of elimination. We both joined the message board Lets Go Kings, followed Rich Hammond’s blog and would listen to Kings Talk start to finish no matter how many times “Paul” would call and drive us crazy.
When I started playing hockey in my late teens nothing made me happier then when my Dad would come and watch me. When I had a little money I eventually bought him a jersey to repay him for all the jerseys he had bought me over the years. I bought him a Montreal Canadiens jersey customized with his favorite player from when he was growing up. He still wears it practically everywhere to this day. I think it drives my sisters crazy but it makes me happy to no end.
When I started podcasting about the Kings at the beginning of the 2007-2008 season with Matt Murray, there was no bigger supporter than my Dad.
The 2011-2012 Season would change all of that. By December of 2011, Terry Murray had been fired as Head Coach of the LA Kings and been replaced by the semi-retired Darryl Sutter. The Kings offense was awful, the team was threatening to miss the playoffs and I was completely depressed. Not only were the Kings failing miserably to live up to lofty expectations of Stanley Cup contention but at the end of the season my father, step-mother and two little sisters (at the time 15 and 8 years old) were moving to South Carolina.
While that 2011-2012 Season was unfolding my Dad would say that it was typical of the Kings. He would say it helped make his decision to leave their life and their friends behind that much easier. I hated hearing it every single time though I’m sure I never said anything about it. As the season went on and the move date loomed closer and the Kings season faltered further the more depressed I became. I stopped doing the podcast and spent most of my free time driving up from Long Beach to L.A. to spend time with my sisters before they moved.
Then, ever so slowly, the Kings started turning the ship around. Dwight King and Jordan Nolan were recalled, Jack Johnson was traded for Jeff Carter and suddenly the team looked completely different on the ice. We joked that the only reason they were giving us any hope was that it would hurt more when they inevitably failed to make the playoffs or were swept in the first round. I missed the podcast but wanted something different from what it had become when we stopped doing it.
That’s when I reached out to The Royal Half and The Mayor.
I had spoken to TRH a few times over the phone for the podcast but beyond that we were strangers. The only things I knew about him was that he was funny as hell and he loved the Kings as much as I did. The Mayor and I had met and developed a friendship built mostly on yelling at each other during training camps and competing to see who could produce the most obscure bit of Kings trivia off the top of their head. He remains the champ but this is the only time or place that you’ll ever catch me admitting it.
As “All The Kings Men” was growing and developing and the Kings were laying the foundation of their playoff run, my family was making their final moving plans. They would fly and I would drive their two dogs across county to their new home and then fly home. A final departure day was chosen.
June 13th, 2012.
That it might interfere with the Stanley Cup Final didn’t even register. The Kings made the playoffs as an 8th seed. They had struggled all season long. They would lose in the first round to the President Trophy winning Canucks and that would be that and my Dad would move to South Carolina.
Of course they didn’t lose to Vancouver. They upset them in 5 games. My Dad and I were there for Game 4. A loss. Of course. They’d lose to the Blues and we wouldn’t even see them win a playoff game. Typical Kings. Only winning if it hurts more to lose later.
Then they swept the Blues. The first sweep in Kings history. We were there for Game 4. I’ve never heard anything as loud as STAPLES Center when Dustin Brown scored the empty net goal to secure the victory. While we both agreed it would be a terrific way to end our 20+ year run of going to games everybody was now seriously considering the possibility that the Kings could contend for the Stanley Cup. Suddenly the June 13th date become troubling.
Then the Kings beat the Coyotes in 5 games. Then the Kings were in the Stanely Cup Final.
The months I would have spent moping and dreading my family moving were spent obsessing over the amazing playoff run the Kings were on. Phone calls that would have been spent discussing moving plans were spent arguing over who was more deserving of Conn Smythe consideration. No matter what happened in the Final the Kings had given my Dad and I an incredible finish to our Southern California story.
We went to Game 3 vs the Devils. The Kings won 4-0. A more perfect game I couldn’t have imagined at that point in my life.
Then they lost Game 4. Then they lost Game 5.
Game 6 was June 11th.
Game 7 was scheduled for June 13th. 2012.
If it went 7 my Dad would be on a plane headed to South Carolina. I would be trapped at work. The run of miracles seemed over. It seemed inevitable that the Kings would find a way to spoil the story book ending.
Then Game 6 happened. I spent most of the third period in a delirious state constantly glancing at the clock wanting desperately for it to move faster to secure the victory but also never wanting the evening to end. I realized in the final ten seconds that my face was about to do something truly horrible and ugly but I had no where to hide when the final buzzer sounded and the Kings were finally Stanley Cup champions. So I wept. I cried gigantic ugly ridiculous man tears standing next to my Dad. We had been to hundreds of games over more than two decades, two countries and multiple buildings. I had grown up sitting to his left watching these games. Learning who he was by how he rooted. Learning what he valued by how he taught me the game. Learning what he admired by the players he loved. Learning how much I was like him when we agreed and learning to be my own man when we didn’t. In that absurd moment all I wanted to do was let him know how much I appreciated everything he had ever done for me.
Every hockey game he took me to, every jersey he bought me, every school concert he attended, every birthday cake he made sure was shaped like the Ghostbusters logo. Everything.
I don’t remember if I said anything close to any of that but somehow I doubt it. We were engrossed in the handshake line, the Cup presentation and the bedlam that was unfolding on the ice. We sat in the stands for what must have been an hour. After we finally left we sat at a bar across the street. There wasn’t much to say.
It was a perfect ending.
I still don’t really understand how the whole playoff run happened and part of me truly believes that somehow the Universe arbitrarily decided that my Dad and I deserved to experience that playoff run. Over the next few days I had friends, relatives and co-workers tell me that they had watched the game simply because they knew how much it meant to us. People I barely knew approached me and congratulated me on the win as if I was part of the team.
Two weeks later I was back home from South Carolina, a grown ass man with no idea how to be a hockey fan without his Dad.
That brings me to the second part of this rambling catharsis.
So many in the hockey community have become such a huge part of my life over the past few years.
The Mayor has always been supportive, encouraging and inspirational.
Matt Murray helped me find my podcasting voice and is a never ending font of enthusiasm and creativity.
Jim Fox, Daryl Evans, Rich Hammond and Jon Rosen have been eternally generous with their time, patience and insight.
PumperNicholl, Jack A. Wilson, JerseyBrian, HSTHB, King Tufficult, Indiana Matt, Flubber McGee, Duke of LA, Ironsight Designs…. and all the WAGS, siblings, parents, dogs and friends that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting… you guys are the stuff of legend.
That brings me to The Royal Half.
The Royal Half has welcomed me into his home and his hobby and his life. He has been both supportive and generous but also has challenged me to work harder (sometimes), do more, be more and want more. I’m fond of telling TRH that “in many ways, you and I are very different people.” Part of my fondness stems from a belief that it truly annoys him but part of it is because I love that we see the world so differently but both love to laugh at and about it. When TRHDad passed away this year it was heartbreaking but also a lesson in how to deal with tragedy and a reminder to count and enjoy your blessings while you can.
I have so many things to be thankful for and I have so many wonderful people in my life, but the only thing constant in life is change. Someday, hopefully in the distant future, I’ll hear an incredible piece of news about the Kings and my Dad won’t be there to play “DIDJA HEAR THE NEWS???” When that day comes I fear I won’t handle it well. I hope I can handle it HALF as well as TRH appeared to.
Until then I’m thankful for every phone call, every argument, every joke and every moment I have with my Dad, my Mom, my sisters, my friends and everybody else that I love and that loves me.
I’m thankful for any of you that follow me on twitter, listen to the podcast or even if you have no idea who I am but you took the time to read this entire thing.
I’m thankful for the Kings for giving us something to share as a community. For providing us with heroes, villains, epic rivalries and endless competition.
For strengthening the bond between a father and a son and for helping to forge new friendships.
Thank you LA Kings. Thank you LA Kings fans. Thank you TRH.
Thank you Dad.Chain of Fools
What do you do when you have one person who is the repository of knowledge for a critical part of your project, infrastructure or similar.
You need some way to address this situation, otherwise that poor person will go mad dealing with other peoples problems, never feel free to go on holiday, and if they get hit by a bus you really are in trouble.
Steven Williamson at youDevise told me a cool technique they use to fix this problem, they use Horace. Horace in this case referred to a stuffed toy. A woolly mammoth to be precise.
The one guy who knows everything about, for example the CI system, gives Horace to someone. He gives it to someone who does not know anything about the CI system, a “fool”, who while intelligent, has no knowledge of this CI system works.
This person is now the only person people can ask for help. When the CI system stops running your tests, you have to to ask whoever has Horace. Of course, they don’t know the answer, and so have to ask the guy who gave them Horace. The expert.
After this happens a few times, a change occurs. From time to time, you ask the guy with Horace, and he already knows the answer. Its the same problem he got asked two days ago, and he learnt the answer then. He didn’t have to go and ask the original source of all knowledge. He is learning.
Fast forward a bit more, and he is now answering most questions without having to ask the original guy. He has leant most of what he needs to know to fix the CI system. Its time to extend the chain.
He selects a new “fool”. Someone new, with no knowledge of how the CI system works, and gives him a present. He gives him Horace. Now the new fool gets asked all the questions. When he doesn’t know the answer, he asks the guy who gave him Horace. If he doesn’t know, he can ask the expert. A chain is formed. You can only get help from the person who gave you Horace, forcing the knowledge to be passed about the company.
By constantly adding a new link the the chain of fools, you slowly, but surely change it into a chain of experts.I’ll probably never have a 401K, but I have some trout from the stream to sustain me. Of course, a sudden accident or illness could do me in at any time, but I’m afraid this is true for all of us
Every once in a while someone asks me about my “aha” moment: the exact time when I knew I would become a full-time nomad, quit my job and “retire” from a budding and promising career at age 29 to travel across the American continent indefinitely in a 22-foot Rialta RV with one dog, one cat and one husband in tow.
I would usually tell the story of my epiphany on the summit of a mountain in Colorado. I would also describe how I managed to convince my husband, an electrical engineer in a rising company, to abandon our mailing address and our white picket fence in San Diego. It’s a good story and I wrap it up neatly.
Then last week, I finally understood how silly that story was. My real turning point came way before that. The “aha” moment was more like an “uh-oh” moment.
This story involves the collapse of a failed long-term, live-in relationship back in my 20s, when I still believed a woman could change a man with nags and threats alone. It was the day I abandoned my treasured and custom-made cherry wood table.
The night we split up, we didn’t discuss the table. We discussed my debts. The ones he caused with his traumatic brain injury, lengthy recovery, even longer rehabilitation, subsequent reschooling, and ultimate refusal or inability to get a job. We discussed how bad my credit was. How badly I needed to sell the condo.
When things were first becoming strained between us, I had the cherry wood table custom-made. It was spectacular: dark brown, beautifully finished, simple and sturdy. I displayed it without a tablecloth. In the evening, the sun would hit it just right and it would practically glow.
I gave it all up … to live off the land Read more
“Here is something beautiful for the both of us that I have helped create,” I thought.
My efforts didn’t work, and our paths shifted. I gave up the dream of a house-centered life that didn’t quite fit me.
My new path took me to San Diego, where I re-entered the workforce and eventually married a wonderful man whose destiny it was to drive me around.
That first year in the RV was like a vacation. Both of us overworked and under-stimulated, we drove from San Diego to Alaska, across Canada, then back down the East coast. And for the next two years, we did our favorite parts all over again.
These days we have slowed way down. Our senior dog, now 15, is showing her age and doesn’t travel as well as she used to. We are ageing too, favoring quiet campgrounds over urban convenience. We chug along with poor clearance in a never-ending pursuit of that perfect campsite no one has ever heard about.
We own two bowls, two spoons and two forks. We wash our dishes with creek water. My husband goes fishing for our breakfast. I walk a lot. I seek solitude like a junkie seeks crack. I sleep extravagantly.
The miles have been kind to me. I’ve known hummingbirds as friends, holding their tiny pulsing bodies in the palm of my hand. I often waste an entire day reading. I can sneak up on a squirrel.
I live and write offline. The sunsets slip by one after the other, and I am sentenced to watch them quietly, without reaching for a selfie. I tuck these moments away in my heart where they fester into a messy sort of love.
I have learned that I don’t need to possess things in order to love them. I have learned that most people are not like me. I have learned that many people are exactly like me. I have learned that security is a myth.
At this exact moment, I have a little over $6,000 sitting in my bank account. Without any extra sacrifices, this can feed and sustain my humble family for three months.
Of course, a sudden accident or illness could do me in at anytime, but I’m afraid this is true for all of us. Or at least it has always been true for me. I used to have insurance once, many years ago. When I had to start choosing between food or coverage, I picked eating. I have never been able to afford both since then.
One winter morning while I was working towards my university degree, I picked up the school paper to read an article about how very affluent our student body was and how much disposable income we all had. Just the day before I had eaten dinner out of the garbage, my first meal of the day. Somehow I always feel that everything is going to be okay.
I have faith not so much in the positive outcome of things, but more strongly in my own ability to endure everything. There will always be times of trouble and I will always survive them. I am good at making jokes in the dark places. I am good at suffering. I am good at loss.
Today I went to see the Gila Cliff Dwellings in New Mexico. Seven hundred years ago, Mogollon natives inhabited these caves. I walked where they walked. I saw where they ate and drank and slept. I looked out of their windows and saw the same views they would have seen.
I didn’t spot any cherry wood tables, but the view was of one giant mesa: a table for God himself. Deep and dark and black-veined, more intricately carved than anything I could dream up and teeming with life.
“Here is a mesa that has been holding hundreds of trees for hundreds of years,” I told myself. “Surely I’ve been brought here to do more than cling to one dead slab of cherry wood.”
I’ll probably never have a 401K, but I have some trout from the stream and there’s enough to share with you, too, should you drop by. I have fresh water from the mountain and an extra mug of coffee. I have a little bit of bread, some wine in my mason jar, and a messy sort of love for you.
And everything is going to be okay.
Vanessa Runs is the author of The Summit Seeker: Memoirs of a Trail-Running Nomad and Daughters of Distance: Stories of Women in Endurance Sports. You can follow her at vanessaruns.com.This collection of seven essays is a valuable addition to the growing number of studies dealing with Plato's influence on early Stoicism and Stoicism's relationship to Platonism generally.[1] It offers fresh interpretations of several recent controversies and takes up a number of new issues, focusing especially on questions of transmission, reception and response.
Malcolm Schofield's "Cardinal Virtues: A Contested Socratic Inheritance" considers a "beginning episode" in Stoic thinking about the leading virtues, taking off from a puzzling feature of the theory ascribed to Zeno: Zeno is said by Plutarch to have made practical wisdom (phronêsis) the essence of moderation, courage, and justice. If Zeno also recognized phronêsis as a leading virtue in its own right, this makes phronêsis both the basis of virtue and one of its cardinal instances. Max Pohlenz's solution to this puzzle interpolates an unattested distinction between primary and secondary forms of phronêsis into one of Plutarch's reports (Stoic. rep. 1034c). Schofield's account instead takes Plutarch at face value, suggesting that Zeno need not have treated the primary virtues as coordinate with one another and finding precedent for this at Phaedo 69a-c and Laws 688b, where phronêsis is similarly essential to the other virtues.
This reconstruction of Zeno's theory sets the stage for Schofield's main hypothesis. Plutarch tells us (Stoic. rep. 1034d) that Cleanthes added control (enkrateia) to the list of leading virtues along with wisdom, moderation and justice. In this scheme phronêsis no longer functions as one of the leading virtues but rather as their common basis, describable in physical terms as the tensional strength of the soul itself. Schofield suggests that in elevating enkrateia to the rank of cardinal virtue Cleanthes looked not to Platonic precedent but to the ideal of Socratic strength in Antisthenes and Xenophon. Chrysippus then effected a kind of synthesis, restoring the Platonic list of cardinal virtues and making scientific knowledge (epistêmê) their foundation.
This account adheres scrupulously to what evidence we have, and if Schofield is correct to posit Xenophon and Antisthenes as sources for Cleanthes' theory, it illustrates the range of influences on early Stoicism as well as disagreements "over the proper interpretation of [Stoicism's] Socratic inheritance" (11). It also raises puzzles of its own: Schofield suggests that Cleanthes' exclusion of phronêsis from the list of leading virtues leaves little scope for practical deliberation in its own right. And this might lead us to wonder what enkrateia, conceived as a capacity for "persistence in what is manifestly called for" (Stoic. rep. 1034d) is supposed to persist in. It is not clear to me why this is a problem for Cleanthes' view as Schofield reconstructs it. Why should enkrateia not be conceived as a capacity for adhering to the practical judgments that belong to the other leading virtues? Schofield's essay is in any case beautifully clear and succinct, its conclusions complementing, Schofield notes, those of recent studies by J.-B. Gourinat and Thomas Bénatouïl.[2]
Gretchen Reydams-Schils's ambitious essay, "The Academy, the Stoics and Cicero on Plato's Timaeus," argues that Stoic physics reflects a direct engagement with the Timaeus and also that scholars have overestimated the early Academy's influence on Stoic physical theory. On the latter point, Reydams-Schils disagrees -- overtly, it must be said -- with the conclusions of John Dillon and David Sedley: they "underestimate the complexities of the hermeneutics of rivalry and co-optation" (29). Her own conclusion is that the Old Academy did not clearly abandon a commitment to "transcendent first principles" and so is unlikely to have played the influential role Dillon and Sedley envision. To show this, she reconsiders the main fragments dealing with physics in the Old Academy, as well as Cicero's (recently much-discussed) report at Academica 1.24-29.
There is some tension here, in my view, between the claim that Stoic physics took its inspiration from Plato and the claim that it did not take it from the early Academy. Dillon and Sedley can agree with much of Reydams-Schils's compelling case for the Stoics' direct engagement with the Timaeus, but this case does not by itself exclude, and might even suggest, some formative role for the Academy -- particularly when coupled with independent evidence that Zeno studied with Polemo and the questionable but nonetheless explicit testimony of Cicero that Zeno adapted Polemo's system in other areas.[3] To emphasize the influence of Plato while casting doubt on that of his immediate successors, one needs a positive case for supposing that physical theory in the Academy developed away from, rather than toward, the two-principle physics of early Stoicism. If we discount the Antiochean account of the Academica, as Reydams-Schils does, the latter can only rest on our meager additional evidence for early Academic views. Reydams-Schils's reassessment of this evidence, especially the Theophrastan fragment that is the key to Sedley's account, is perhaps the crucial point in her analysis.
Jenny Bryan's "Chrysippus and Plato on the Fragility of the Head" is a fine addition to the comparatively slight literature on the problem of evil in Stoic theory. Chrysippus thought that illness and disease could be explained as "necessary concomitants" of nature's creative aims, and he illustrated this, Gellius says (Noc. Att. 7.1.1-13), by the example of the skull's fragility, a clear appropriation of Timaeus 75c-d. Drawing on Sedley's |
who are refusing to participate in spying operations against Palestinians, is that Israel uses information gleaned by spying on innocent Palestinians for "political persecution."In video testimonies, the dissenting intelligence officers said they collected data about Palestinians' sexual orientation, marital infidelities, financial difficulties, personal and family medical issues and other private information that could be used to force targets to collaborate with Israel's illegal and widely condemned occupation and repression of Palestine.The dissenting Israelis cited a "moral duty" to refuse to “take part in the state’s actions against Palestinians.”The NSA intercept transfers to Israel included not only metadata, but also the contents of the communications, Bamford claims."Typically, when such sensitive information is transferred to another country, it would first be'minimized,' meaning that names and other personally identifiable information would be removed," wrote Bamford. "But when sharing with Israel, the NSA evidently did not ensure that the data was modified in this way.""It's one of the biggest abuses we've seen," Snowden reportedly told Bamford.A memorandum of agreement between the NSA and Israel "covers virtually all forms of communication," including but not limited to “unevaluated and unminimized transcripts, gists, facsimiles, telex, voice and Digital Network Intelligence metadata and content.” The memorandum confirms Snowden's claim that the NSA sends unfiltered and unminimized data to Israel.According to classified US documents previously leaked by Snowden, the NSA has been providing Israel with intelligence since at least March 2009.Another Snowden leak revealed the NSA listed Israel among a handful of nations considered the "greatest threat" for espionage. The leaked 2007 NSA mission list states Israel is a threat in numerous areas, including “combating the threat of development of weapons of mass destruction" and “delivery methods (particularly ballistic and nuclear-capable cruise missiles)."The NSA also considers Israel a leading perpetrator of “espionage/intelligence collection operations and manipulation/influence operations… against US government, military, science and technology and [the] intelligence community.”“Manipulation/influence operations” refers to covert Israeli efforts to influence US public perception in Israel’s favor.Other nations considered top threats in this area include friends and foes alike: China, Russia, Cuba, Iran, Pakistan, North Korea, France, Venezuela and South Korea are all listed along with Israel.Snowden, 31, remains exiled in Russia, which granted him a three-year residency permit that allows him to travel abroad.Bamford is the author of several books, including the bestselling The Shadow Factory, part of a trilogy focusing on NSA surveillance. He has also been a distinguished visiting professor at the University of California, Berkeley. He won the National Magazine Award for his Rolling Stone article, "The Man Who Sold The War." More about edward snowden, Nsa, Israel, nsa shared americans' private conversations with i, james bamford More news from edward snowden Nsa Israel nsa shared americans... james bamfordThe votes are in...the decision is made…and Donald Trump is furious.
All in all, a pretty good ending to a long and strange campaign.
Congratulations to President Obama on his victory and to Governor Mitt Romney for staging a hard fought campaign.
So, what have we learned?
Here is my top-five list:
1. It’s the demographics, stupid.
As frequent readers of this column and the comments section— or those who have listened to me discussing this issue on television and radio—know, I have said from the outset that this election was not nearly so much about the economy as it was about the demographics. As we review how President Obama put together last night’s victory, we see just how true this is.
Unlike four years ago when Barack Obama managed to win men by just one percentage point over John McCain, this time around the exit polling reveals that the President lost the men to Governor Romney—taking only 45 percent to Romney’s 52 percent—but still succeeded in winning the election.
The Obama win is very much the result of a 12 point edge with women—including winning the hugely important unmarried women category by a stunning 38 point margin—the 93 percent of the African-American vote and 69 percent of the Hispanic vote.
This how the presidency is won in modern day America.
Of equal importance is the fact that Obama’s tally with the growing Hispanic community improved by 4 percent over his 2008 totals.
The message is loud and clear and those politicians and parties that refuse to hear it will face a very depressing future. The demographics of America have changed big time. Every month, 50,000 Hispanics turn 18 years old. The very fact that the GOP could not win this election when running against a president with high unemployment numbers and a healthcare reform law that Americans— allegedly—hate, tells the tale:
The era of our government being chosen by old white guys is, officially, over.
2. Eight hundred million dollars does not buy you an election after all.
This morning, the United States of America is awash with billionaires and millionaires waking to a collective hangover borne of the realization that they have wasted about 800 million dollars. Let that sink in for a moment as one struggles to imagine how these people can cast this catastrophic loss as anything other than the single stupidest investment of their wealthy lives.
This, in my estimation, is a victory for average Americans that is every bit as important as the Obama win. It turns out all that cash does not buy an election after all. Take that Citizens United!
3. Maybe we don’t hate Obamacare quite so much as we thought we did.
I know this is a tough one for many readers to swallow, but the moment has come to face this reality—Obamacare is here to stay.
4. The polls had it right!
There were some other big winners of the 2012 election beyond the politicians. That would be the pollsters who have been under serious fire throughout this election, consistently facing a conservative punditocracy claiming that their polling processes were grossly misleading as a result of an outdated modeling structure that over-counted Democrats.
It was this professed failure in the modeling that, we were told, would shock us all on election night when Romney would produce an unexpected landslide electoral victory for the GOP.
Of course, that didn't happen.
In reviewing the poll of polls, it turns out that virtually all of the major polling firms were well within the margin of error—both nationally and in their battleground state surveys. They got it right—conservative pundits (are you listening Karl Rove?) and radio talk show hosts got it completely and utterly wrong. To that end, Nate Silver of the New York Times deserves a special shout out. Despite the conservative punditocracy’s constant claims that Nate would meet his demise on election night, Silver hit his predictions right on the nose.
5. Bill Clinton is a god.
In many ways, Bill Clinton won his third term last night. He may not have been elected president, but there is absolutely no question that the man who did win very well might have gone down to defeat but for the efforts of President William Jefferson Clinton.
Beginning with Clinton’s masterful speech at the Democratic National Convention where he explained it all in a way that Obama could never quite manage, it was Bill Clinton who managed to convince wavering voters from the key demographics that it was ok to stay with Barack Obama.
Bill Clinton is back in the White House. He may not be sitting in the big chair or holding court in the Oval Office, but he is filling an enormously important seat at the table.
And if Secretary Hillary Clinton decides she wants to run for the job in 2016?
I think it is more than evident that that the keys to the historically talented Obama campaign machine will be handed over to Hillary wrapped in a bow and with the appreciation of a grateful president.
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Bonus: Donald Trump must now go away.
We’ve endured Trump’s grandstanding and fear mongering for far too many years. Have we now, at last, had enough?
At a point during last night’s vote count when it looked like Romney might win the popular vote (he didn't) with Obama taking the electoral college and, therefore, the presidency, Trump graced us with the following tweets:
“This election is a total sham and a travesty. We are not a democracy!”
“More votes equals a loss...revolution!”
Apparently, being Trump means never having to acknowledge the election of 2000.
In recognition that Trump has far outlived his usefulness as an entertainer and provocateur, I make this post-election gift to you all–I will, never again, write the name Donald Trump on the pages of this column. He is now, officially, dead to me.
Now, I believe the 2016 New Hampshire primary is set for.....
contact Rick at [email protected] and follow me on Twitter @rickungarOn Monday Rush Limbaugh became the most prominent in a series of conservative figures to push back against a new Republican re-branding effort launched by GOP luminaries over the weekend.
During his program, the brash radio personality whacked the National Council for a New America -- an effort undertaken by, among others, Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush, John McCain, and Eric Cantor to repair the party's image after the '08 election -- saying that rather than a "listening tour," what the party needed was "a teaching tour."
"I'm weary of the same people who drove us to this point telling us what we have to do now. I'm not including Jeb in that. Jeb was not part of the campaign last year," said Limbaugh. "But everybody else on this bus tour -- for the most part -- is responsible for where we are. We did it their way in 2008. We did it with the candidate and approach that they thought would work. Pandering. 'We got to listen to the American people.' I maintain that when a politician says we have to listen to the American people and learn, we are pandering. We're not leading."
Limbaugh's comments, picked up by Media Matters' Limbaugh Wire, were delivered a day after the NCNA hosted its first meeting at a North Virginia pizzeria. At that event, Romney, Bush and Cantor all discussed the need for a modernized and more inclusive approach to Republican politics -- one still premised on conservative principles.
In expressing his doubts, Limbaugh, who insisted that the GOP would have won in '08 with the right presidential candidate, joins a host of other prominent conservative voices to have publicly or privately pushed back against NCNA.
Earlier on Monday Roll Call reported that Rep. Thaddeus McCotter would not be joining the new effort out of concerns that it would overwhelm or trample upon what Republicans in the House were trying to do to reassert the GOP brand.
"We should be focusing on doing the little things right and building on them," said the Michigan Republican. "We have to do it every single day in the House... I hope [the new group] augments it but I worry that it may overwhelm it."
Meanwhile, as Greg Sargent reports, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has been visibly absent from the NCNA's list of signatories, despite having received overtures -- including from Sen. McCain -- to join. After calls for comment, Palin said she would work with the Council.
LISTEN TO LIMBAUGH'S COMMENTS:While correlation is not causation, it is certainly a wink and a nudge in this case. As Donald Trump's poll numbers soar so the Mexican Peso has been collapsing against the US dollar, and just broke to fresh record lows...
After last year’s annus horribilis that saw the currency shed more than 14 per cent of its value against the dollar, the peso is down an additional 10.5 per cent so far this year – making it the world’s second worst performing major emerging market currency after the Argentine peso, report The FT's Pan Kwan Yuk and Jude Webber.
Low oil prices have hobbled Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto’s efforts to open up the country’s energy sector to private investments and forced the government to cut spending and growth forecasts. In addition Mr Peña Nieto has seen his approval ratings sunk to record lows amid anger over his handling of corruption scandals and perceived inability to maintain law and order in Latin America’s second most important economy. Meanwhile, uncertainty over the timing of the next US interest rate rise and Mr Trump’s recent recovery in the opinion polls against Hillary Clinton have further sapped enthusiasm for Mexican assets.
Combined together, analysts say this mean it’s no longer a question of when the peso will breach the once unheard-of level of 20 to the dollar. It’s when.New FEC filings show that all of the $417,250 in monetary donations to a Super PAC called “Black Americans for a Better Future” comes from conservative white businessmen — including $400,000, or 96 percent of the total, from white billionaire hedge fund manager Robert Mercer.
Mercer: Andrew Toth/Getty; Keller: stevekinyon.com; Goldman: myemail.constantcontract.com; Kolber: residco.com; Bowe: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty; Parker: Damian Dovarganes/AP; Johnson: thelincolnclub.com
Mercer, co-CEO of Renaissance Technologies on Long Island, is best-known politically for donating $11,000,000 to Keep the Promise I, a Super PAC backing Ted Cruz’s presidential run.
Beyond Mercer’s support of Black Americans for a Better Future and Ted Cruz, Mercer has a long and peculiar history of donations to political and philanthropic causes.
The Mercer Family Foundation has given over $1.4 million to the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine, which is stockpiling huge amounts of human urine to “revolutionize the evaluation of personal chemistry.” In 2010 Mercer spent $600,000 in an effort to elect OISM’s co-founder Arthur Robinson to Congress. (OISM is eager to collect as much urine as possible, so if you would like to donate a sample of your own, the details are available here.)
BABF appears to exist solely as a vehicle for Washington, D.C., consultant Raynard Jackson, who is African-American. Jackson is quoted on his firm’s website stating that “You have a fundamental right to pursue business interests with the least amount of interference from the government.” Jackson has elsewhere accused Barack Obama of “relentless pandering to homosexuals.”
At an event in November 2015 at the National Press Club, which cost BABF $13,252.79 for the venue and catering, Jackson said that “Having well-trained, credible, experienced African-Americans constantly challenging the liberal orthodoxy in the media will create a tectonic shift in the perception of the Republican Party within the Black community.”
As of its current FEC filings, BABF has spent a total of $172,424.69, including $38,983.45 in net salary payment, to Jackson for the last five months of 2015. Together with $26,952.55 disbursed for payroll taxes, this indicates Jackson is receiving an annual salary of $155,000. The Super PAC’s remaining spending has been mostly for travel, hotels, and food, including about $5,000 at New York’s famous Morton’s Steakhouse on Fifth Avenue.
The other donations to BABF consist of:
$10,000 from Keller Investment Properties of Utah, whose CEO is the white Scott Keller, a member of Mitt Romney’s donor network.
$5,000 from the very white Marc Stanley Goldman. While BABF’s FEC documentation states that Goldman is a “physician,” this is likely a filing error, since other donor records suggest this is the Marc Stanley Goldman who is a retired businessman and heavy GOP donor who gave $25,000 to a Super PAC backing Scott Walker’s presidential campaign. (Goldman did not respond to a request for clarification.)
$1,000 from the highly white Vincent Kolber, CEO of Residual Based Finance Corporation and a big Republican donor.
$500 from the super white Peter Bowe, president of Ellicott Dredge Enterprises and another frequent donor to Republican candidates.
$500 from Anthony Parker, the extraordinarily white three-term treasurer of the Republican National Committee.
$250 from Russell Johnson, the retired venture capitalist and executive director of the Lincoln Club of Northern California, who is white.
BABF also listed $3,000 in in-kind “fundraising consulting” from Product Placement Services of Birmingham, Alabama — although Product Placement Services for some reason also showed up under disbursements, to the tune of $6,000.
Raynard Jackson did not respond to inquiries via Twitter and the voicemail for the number listed on his consulting firm’s website is full.
(Thanks to Derek Willis of ProPublica and Dave Levinthal of Public Integrity, who pointed out Mercer’s donations to BABF on Twitter.)
Margot Williams contributed to this report.
Top photo: (L to R) Tony Parker: Damian Dovarganes/AP; Bob Mercer: Andrew Toth/Getty Images; Pete Bowe: youtube.comIt's not the "Steam Box", but Piston - Xi3's living-room friendly small form PC - is a box with Steam in it. Technically all PCs have the potential to be boxes with Steam in them, but most aren't designed both specifically for gaming and to fit in the palm of your hand. In fact, I've just attempted to lift my PC with one hand and now my fingers hurt.
I knew there was a reason I wasn't a tech journalist.
At this weekend's SXSW Gaming Expo, Xi3 unleashed pre-orders of the device. It's a pricey proposition: $899.99 gets you the base version, with 8GB RAM and a 128GB internal solid state hard drive. And that's the special SXSW price. When the expo ends on March 17th, the standard cost of $999.99 takes effect.
Xi3 also offer upgrades to the initial specs, with a 512GB SSD bumping the price to $1,649.99.
Delivery of those pre-orders won't take effect until the console's release in "Holiday 2013". Xi3 CEO Jason A. Sullivan explained the timing of the pre-order launch, saying, "Given the amount of awards, media attention and gamer interest the PISTON Console has generated since it was unveiled at CES 2013 in January, we've become seriously concerned that we will not be able to meet the demand for PISTON Consoles this year. That's why we have decided to begin accepting pre-orders on our PISTON Console, beginning today with the start of the SXSW Gaming Expo."
As to how the Piston will work, Polygon captured some video footage of the device's interface. You can also hear its demonstrator making it very clear that he really doesn't care what people do with it.
Is anyone tempted by the Piston? As intrigued as I am by the concept, $900 for a new, untested device seems like an awfully large gamble.For the first time since he was a little kid, Tony Romo is not spending his summer getting ready to play football.
On July 22, the Dallas Cowboys will fly to Oxnard, California, for the start of training camp, and for the first time since 2002, Romo won’t be there. Romo walked away from a playing career and moved on to a broadcasting career with CBS in April, but his preparation has not ended.
“It feels a little bit like I'm training for something,” Romo said in a news conference at the American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe. “As an analyst, I'm having to learn a lot. And I'm trying to create as many opportunities for myself to evaluate myself as I can. And that means doing it. And it's just hard to find new avenues to do it over and over again. But I'm finding those, and it's keeping the competitive nature in you going. It's keeping me obviously close to the game, which I'm passionate about. So it kind of, like right now, it doesn't feel that different because I'm still involved in football a lot.
“And the only thing that will be different is my body will probably feel better at the end of August.”
Tony Romo is working with veteran broadcasters this summer to get ready for his new CBS gig. Tom Pennington/Getty Images
In preparing for his first season as CBS’ lead football analyst, Romo has gone through what he has called a “boot camp,” calling games with in-season partner Jim Nantz as well as longtime Cowboys radio play-by-play man Brad Sham.
“When I took this job, I really didn't know operationally how anything worked,” Romo said. “I just didn't know like, ‘Where do you look during the game? Do you watch the field? Do you watch the television set? ‘And so with all these little things that you had to learn the nuances of it, some people can tell you, but I really just wanted to experience it and go through it.
And we just figured it out, and I give CBS credit for finding an avenue to make that happen. And we've done a great job with that in Dallas.”
One significant challenge a player-turned-broadcaster typically faces involves critiquing players, even former teammates.
“The first two games I did, actually some of my bosses there at CBS told me, ‘You know, we don't need to be quite that harsh,’” Romo said. “So I think that part of it I probably have to find a fine line, because the standard for playing this game is just, it's high. And to win and win a championship or to get there, I never got a chance to obtain that, and that's something that I'll always regret. But at the same time, I understand what it takes to be kind of good. Getting yourself in position to make the playoffs is hard, then to win games there. And to do it like how Tom Brady does is astronomical; [it] doesn't compute to most of the players because you're trying to win one...that's the standard. It's those players. The Tom Bradys, the Peyton Mannings. That's what you're evaluating. And now I have to understand that and come back to that and know that there's certain things that are easier for some than others and just talk about it.”
Romo is one of the favorites at this weekend’s golf tournament. He has not played in the event since 2012, but he finished in the top five each year from 2009-12. With no more football to play, Romo has been able to work on his golf game. He did not advance in U.S. Open qualifying earlier in the spring, but he has played other tournaments, and will play in the Western Amateur next month.
As the summer goes on, he will be kept busy by his new job and the pressure that comes with it.
“They both have their unique traits,” Romo said of being a starting quarterback and the lead analyst. “But ‘pressure’ is a unique term, too, in the sense of it kind of is what you make it to be. I think when I was young in football, you were so nervous about trying to achieve this goal and be good at this thing you chased your whole life and all of a sudden it's there in front of you, and those feelings -- I don't know if they'll ever be duplicated in anything. But I've learned over the years, if you want to have a chance to be good, when you step up there, you gotta own it.... So I think I'm probably in a little bit more of a right frame of mind or mindset to be a little bit more successful earlier than I might have been in football. Now saying that, it might take me nine years to be decent, but I like to think it will take me a little bit less time in this."Dogecoin has officially switched to auxiliary proof-of-work (AuxPoW) mining.
The update now enables litecoin miners to process transactions, while providing an additional layer of security to the decentralized network.
The altcoin’s switch to auxiliary proof-of-work, also known as merge mining, has been in the works for some time. The move was announced this August after months of serious and, at times, passionate debate within the dogecoin community. The merge mining concept was suggested in April by litecoin creator Charlie Lee.
Dogecoin creator Jackson Palmer told CoinDesk that AuxPoW was necessary as the gradual decline in price had removed some of the incentive for miners to mine dogecoin. Further, any resulting network hashrate drop could have created the conditions for potentially malicious transactions to be fraudulently committed and confirmed.
Palmer said:
“One of the harsh realities of proof-of-work based cryptocurrencies is that their security is reliant on mining being profitable for those dedicating their hashing power to the network. By enabling AuxPoW, we’re no longer competing for people’s hashrates with other scrypt-based coins.”
The hard fork that enables AuxPoW kicked in at block 371337.
Community celebrates fork
While some during the merge mining debate felt that other options were more viable, the community itself has largely come together in support of the AuxPoW initiative. For example, many in the dogecoin community turned the day leading up to the AuxPoW launch into a kind of celebration, hosting giveaways on both the altcoin’s subreddit as well as its official IRC chatroom.
Reddit user GoodShibe, who writes a daily column entitled “Of Wolves and Weasels” on the dogecoin subreddit, said that the fork represents the work of many individuals, both inside and outside of the DOGE community.
GoodShibe told CoinDesk:
“This, of course, is all thanks to our incredible, hard-working dogecoin dev team and the gentle, and sometimes not-so-gentle, prodding of our litecoin friends – including litecoin creator Charlie Lee – who continued to try and win us over despite our Shibe pride (my own included).”
Subreddit moderator TheLobstrosity echoed what many others remarked upon, in that by solving the security question for the time being, dogecoin has more room to grow. The mod noted that it was broad support for the fork’s purpose that made the changeover that much easier, adding that “shibes have embraced the change and optimistically await the results.”
Peoplma, another subreddit moderator, told CoinDesk that the event is a great example of how communities can come together on certain issues despite the belief that coins are in open competition with one another, saying:
“I think this will be good for both the [dogecoin] and [litecoin] communities, and hopefully will foster some goodwill. Despite occasional inter-coin drama, hopefully we realize we are all part of the same larger crypto community.”
Open road ahead
One question remains – Where does the nine month-old altcoin go from here?
Initiatives utilizing dogecoin continue to grow and develop today. An effort to raise money for flood relief in Kashmir has raised 1.7 million DOGE so far. The funds will be used to provide fresh water and medicine to affected areas. Grassroots donation drives like this are proof that dogecoin, despite its challenges, continues to be a vehicle for good causes.
GoodShibe suggested that, as always, it’s up to the community to figure out what dogecoin does with what some have called its second wind. One of the ideal outcomes would be that the added security and merge-mining with litecoin actually encourages more mining and participation from those outside of dogecoin circles.
Adding that “it’s an exciting time to be a shibe”, GoodShibe explained:
“We have access now to a much larger potential pool of hash power to ensure our long-term survival, but we must continue to work on building our DOGEconomy and encouraging the slow, steady, stable growth of our coin in order win it. In short, the more our coin is worth, the more people who will be inspired to mine it.”
Palmer suggested that some litecoin miners might find themselves becoming fans of the meme-themed cryptocurrency, joking: “I think we all know that litecoiners are going to convert to shibes pretty quickly.”
Image via ShutterstockI've got a new column up at Time, all about ridiculous regulatory attempts to squelch disruptive business models such as Tesla, Uber, and Airbnb. Here's the start:
What the Invisible Hand of free-market innovation giveth, the Dead Hand of politically motivated regulation desperately tries to taketh away. That’s the only way to describe what’s happening to three wildly innovative and popular products: the award-winning electric car Tesla, taxi-replacement service Uber, and hotel-alternative Airbnb. These companies are not only revolutionizing their industries via cutting-edge technology and customer-empowering distribution, they’re running afoul of interest groups that are quick to use political muscle to maintain market share and the status quo.... If mobsters were pulling these sorts of stunts, we’d recognize the attacks on new ways of doing business for what they are: protection rackets.
I cite historian Burton W. Folsom's distinction between "market entrepreneurs" and "political entrepreneurs." The former capture customers and profits by delivering new and better products and services. The latter rely on governments and regulators rigging or freezing markets to their advantage (bonus frustration: market entrepreneurs routinely transmogrify into political ones after gaining a big market share). In Folsom's telling, the 19th-century steamboat pioneer Robert Fulton exemplifies both categories, first by improving a technology and gaining a market and then by locking in a state-granted monopoly for steamboat traffic in New York. In the end, though, real markets do win out, though:
Folsom’s study of political and market entrepreneurs also suggests that political entrepreneurs are ultimately unsuccessful. Indeed, in 1817, Fulton claimed that his monopoly meant that no one could ferry passengers to New York City from neighboring states. A young Corneilius Vanderbilt was hired by a Jersey businessman to challenge Fulton not in a court of law but on the Hudson River, ferrying passengers from Elizabeth, New Jersey and Gotham. Vanderbilt cheekily flew a flag from his ship that read, “New Jersey must be free.” While evading capture, Vanderbilt lowered prices and changed the business climate. It turns out that New Jersey must be free again — to sell Teslas. And New Yorkers should be free to rent out their rooms if they want to. And Uber to drive you where you want to go. The Invisible Hand of free markets shouldn’t have to spend so much of its time slapping away the Dead Hand of political entrepreneurship.
Read the whole thing.The Fox News debate this week ought to be an occasion for the Republican Party’s presidential candidates to put new and innovative ideas on display. At the center of the discussion should be Friday’s report about the historically anemic wage growth during this year’s second quarter.
Here’s guessing that the previous paragraph called forth dismissive chuckles among many shrewd readers for its naivete. We all “know” that the only important thing about Thursday’s encounter — other than which 10 candidates get to participate — is how the rest of the Republican field will deal with Donald Trump, and how The Donald will deal with them.
Many would blame this on Trump and also on the nature of journalism these days.
Well, sure. Trump has a lot to answer for. His defense Sunday on ABC News’s “This Week” of his statement that the United States “would not elect another black president for generations” because President Obama had set “a very poor standard” was astonishing in its outrageousness — even by Trump’s standard.
And the media tend to analyze debates by focusing on gaffes and on whether a given candidate “did what he (or she) had to do” in political terms. This conditions how the candidates behave.
I would further concede that the mere inclusion of Trump’s name here likely increased my online page views. The media incentives these days militate against searching discussions of the Earned Income Tax Credit or methods of prompting investors to take a long-term perspective.
But before they take the stage, the Republican candidates who get to confront Trump should ask themselves why a showman who gleefully ignores all the political rules is outshining the rest of the field.
There are many reasons to criticize the far right and what it has done to the GOP, with the complicity of its so-called establishment. But it’s both remarkably elitist and an analytical mistake to write off Trump’s backers as “crazies” while ignoring the source of their frustrations. They tend to be less well-to-do Republicans who are fed up with the political system, dislike the codes and conventions that dictate the way most politicians talk and have lost confidence that politics and government can really do very much for them.
That Trump is quite brilliant at faking authenticity (except for his thoroughly genuine belief that he’s far better than his opponents whom he loves to brand as “losers”) should not be held against his supporters. It’s not hard to see why they get a kick out of the extent to which he is getting under the skin of his many critics.
If Trump’s rivals see their task as proving themselves to be as theatrically gifted as he is, he’ll clobber them. But there’s an unconventional alternative: lifting up politics by embracing the idea that voters, especially those being hammered by the economy, aren’t dunces and would like for their government and their politicians to take concrete steps to improve their situations. This is especially important in a new economy that simply doesn’t deliver to large parts of the middle class, let alone the poor.
As it is, there is a terribly stale quality to the pronouncements even of candidates such as Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio who are bidding to be the “new ideas” guys. While both at least talk about the need to restore paths to upward mobility, their underlying proposals remain rooted in the thinking of the Reagan era. Unwrap their well-packaged agendas and what you have are the same old nostrums: that government can do little about what ails us and that the path to nirvana is still paved with tax cuts and business deregulation.
But as progressive economist Joseph Stiglitz noted to me in a conversation last week, it’s precisely the rules and policies of the past 35 to 40 years that have helped lead the middle class into its current economic impasse. I don’t expect many conservatives to embrace Stiglitz’s views. But it would surely be an improvement if these candidates recognized that they are running in 2015, not 1980.
Is there no Republican engaging in a real — as opposed to superficial — questioning of the party’s old assumptions? Is there not even a glimmer of acknowledgment that if stagnating wages are the problem, further tilting the system toward employers and financiers is unlikely to solve it?
Trump’s supporters have an intuition that something is deeply wrong in their party. Their explanations for its shortcomings may differ from my own, but they are correct that the party is not delivering what they have a right to expect. Most candidates will play along with the disaffection. Those who try instead to reverse the loss of faith by responding to it constructively will deserve to win the debate.
Read more from E.J. Dionne’s archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.Since its launch in 2015, Halo 5's critically acclaimed Forge mode has been home to thousands of high-quality community-made maps, many of which have been included in Halo 5's matchmaking system. With the addition of a Custom Games Browser last December, Forge maps are more popular and accessible than ever. In this article, I've compiled a list of 10 incredible Forge maps (in no particular order) that would be criminal to not download and play with your friends.
"Elixir" by Sikamikanico
Elixir is a small, infantry focused map set on an island on Sanghelios, the home-world of Halo's iconic Elites. This condensed map makes the absolute most of its small size, beautifully incorporating natural vegetation into the ancient, alien settlement. The map is best played with 4 players in a 2v2 style, but if you wish, it can be played with Halo's standard 4v4 Arena format. Check out and download Elixir on ForgeHub "Sentinel" by N3gat1veZer0
Sentinel is a medium size infantry map that takes place in the middle of a swamped Forerunner facility, overgrown with vegetation. The map effectively creates an atmosphere of mysteriousness and unease as players move around in the fog and murky waters. It also features a fitting rain weather effect that also contributes heavily to the aesthetics of the map. The map supports the standard 4v4 style of play. Check out and download Sentinel on ForgeHub "Snowbound" by Foge and Kabe
The name "Snowbound" may sound familiar to you if you played Halo 3 back in the day. That's because it was one of Halo 3's most recognizable 4v4 Arena maps, and Halo 5 players Foge and Kabe have brought it to Halo 5 in a near perfect 1-1 remake. Both accurate and visually appealing, this map is sure to bring you and your friends some nostalgic fun. Check out and download Snowbound on ForgeHub "Ancestor" by D4rkDeath and weeeeemann
Ancestor is an 8v8 Big Team Battle map that takes inspiration from one of Halo's most iconic campaign levels, "Assault on the Control Room". This map features a heavy focus on vehicular combat, with Wraiths, Banshees, Ghosts, and Warthogs available. Hop into some of Halo's prominent Covenant vehicles and boost into the fray! Check out and download Ancestor on ForgeHub "Echoes" by Spirit in Black
Echoes is an 8v8 Big Team Battle map that was designed to look like something straight out of the game that started it all — Halo: Combat Evolved. Taking inspiration from famous maps like Blood Gulch or Valhalla, Echoes provides a new and fun experience in the classic "canyon" style of maps that Halo BTB is known for. Check out and download Echoes on ForgeHub "The Tower Plaza" by ReinaStorm
This Grifball map is set on the plaza of the Tower from Destiny. This map may not be big or have any snazzy gameplay alterations that change the Grifball formula, but it beautifully recreates the most recognizable social area from Bungie's new hit franchise — a perfect backdrop for an all-out war between two teams hell bent on smashing each others' faces in with gravity hammers. Check out and download The Tower Plaza on ForgeHub "Odyssey" by TimeDipper
Odyssey is a unique looking Grifball map that surrounds and immerses players in a natural, vibrant setting, complete with Roman-style architecture and improvised (but still amazing looking) waterfalls. You'll want to look around and absorb the aesthetics so much, you'll forget you're supposed to be cracking skulls. Check out and download Odyssey on ForgeHub "Nautilus" by Ascend Hyperion
Nautilus is a unique Infection map, in that it's set underwater. The surroundings include a pipeline and a heavily detailed seafloor play space. Ascend Hyperion's goal with this map was to provide a unique Infection experience in both gameplay and aesthetics. In gameplay, he strove to try and deter players from turt |
the city of Rochester, New York. By 1950, giant hogweed had appeared in southern Ontario, and within a quarter century, the plant was firmly established in Ontario. It was first collected from Nova Scotia in 1980 and Quebec in 1990. Giant hogweed was still available for sale in Canadian nurseries as late as 2005. On the west coast of North America, Heracleum mantegazzianum appeared in Oregon, Washington, and southwestern Canada but it is not clear how the species found its way into this region. First reports of giant hogweed in British Columbia were published in the 1930s.
Distribution Edit
Public health and safety Edit
Giant hogweed flower head The sap of the giant hogweed plant is phototoxic. Contact with the plant sap prevents the skin from protecting itself from sunlight, which leads to phytophotodermatitis, a serious skin inflammation.[25] A phototoxic reaction can begin as soon as 15 minutes after contact with the sap. Photosensitivity peaks between 30 minutes and two hours after contact but can last for several days.[13][8] Authorities advise that all humans (especially children) should stay away from giant hogweed. Protective clothing, including eye protection, should be worn when handling the plant. If you come in contact with the sap of the giant hogweed, immediately wash the affected area with soap and cold water and avoid further exposure to sunlight for at least 48 hours.[25][18][13] The giant hogweed shares this property with its Heracleum relatives, such as the cow parsnip, and hence, similar caution is advised in handling these. Due to its shared physical similarities to the flower Queen Anne's lace, it can be easily mistaken as a harmless plant.[26]
Control measures Edit
Popular culture Edit
In 1971, the progressive rock band Genesis released their third album Nursery Cryme, which includes the track "The Return of the Giant Hogweed." The song tells the story of the plant's introduction to Britain: Long ago in the Russian hills A Victorian explorer found the regal Hogweed by a marsh He captured it and brought it home...to London And made a present of the Hogweed To the Royal Gardens at Kew The lyrics go on to goad the reader to "strike by night" since the invading plants "need the sun to photosensitize their venom," which demonstrates a fair appreciation for the mechanism of phytophotodermatitis.
See also EditBitcoin’s price is recovering from its slump induced by Mt. Gox troubles, and that type of upheaval usually takes down the top altcoins that hang on to the top cryptocurrency’s coattail.
But two-month-old dogecoin is in a league of its own. Today, dogecoin’s price is approaching new highs.
On Cryptsy, the South-Florida based exchange, dogecoin has reached an intraday high of 0.00000245 per one bitcoin.
That number may not seem impressive on its own, but consider this: Dogecoin’s market capitalization has gone from $59 million to nearly $79 million in just 10 days, according to BitInfoCharts.com.
Dogecoin is fourth in market cap behind bitcoin, litecoin and peercoin. Dogecoin is No. 1 in transactions over the last 24 hours (more than 111,000) and average transactions per hour (more than 4,600), says BitInfoCharts.
And then there is dogecoin’s rising mainstream popularity, including a first mention by the Wall Street Journal’s BitBeat, which came after much prodding from the proud and close-knit dogecoin community.
“After a raucous party in downtown Manhattan that ended with the Shiba emblem stuck to the Wall Street bull statue, this fan base decided over the weekend to make it their goal to get BitBeat to write about their favorite currency,” read BitBeat’s Monday column, which focused mainly on the Mt. Gox withdrawal freeze and its ripple effects..
But the Wall Street Journal was careful not to heap too much praise and hedge their dogecoin reference a bit.
“Granted, dogecoin has gone from Internet meme to one of the top five alt-coins in a matter of months, and granted there are also some features to it that may even improve upon bitcoin’s system … But it’s worth remembering, too, that in the world of virtual currencies, there is almost no barrier to entry, and the success or failure of a system will depend upon its utility and its supporters.”Indonesian officials said more than 120,000 people have evacuated Bali as authorities warned a volcano could erupt in “a matter of hours.”
Nyoman Parwata, an official at the disaster mitigation agency's command post in Bali, said the number of evacuees has swelled to about 122,500.
They are scattered in more than 500 locations across the island famed for its beaches, lush green interior and elegant Hindu culture, taking shelter in temporary camps, sports centers and other public buildings.
The volcano has been at its highest alert level since Friday, sparking the massive exodus of villagers. Thousands of cows are also being evacuated.
The Balinese government has said that the tropical paradise, visted by millions of tourists each year, is safe, but the official advice on the Australian government's travel website says to exercise caution.
An exclusion zone around the mountain extends as far as 7.5 miles from the crater in places but officials say people farther from the volcano are leaving too.
Agung, which dominates the landscape in the northeast of the island, last erupted in 1963, killing more than 1,100 people. It remained active for about a year.
Volcanologists say the recent dramatic escalation in tremors indicates an eruption is more likely than not, but they can't say with certainty when it will happen.
"I would definitely be following the advice to stay outside the exclusion zone," said Heather Handley, an assistant earth sciences professor at Sydney's Macquarie University. The increase in tremors suggests an eruption is "imminent," she said.
Its eruptions in 1963 produced deadly clouds of searing hot ash, gases and rock fragments that traveled down its slopes at great speed. Lava spread for several kilometers and people were also killed by lahars — rivers of water and volcanic debris.
Elsewhere, officials in Vanuatu on Thursday ordered the complete evacuation of an island in the Pacific archipelago where a rumbling, belching volcano is threatening to blow.
Boats will soon ferry residents off Ambae island, which is home to about 11,000 people, in a process expected to take about a week. The Manaro volcano has been increasingly active for a week or more, raising fears of a major eruption.
Indonesia, an archipelago of thousands of islands, is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.When 10-year-old Jack O'Brien sat in the stands at Penn State this season and heard 90,000 people chanting his dad's name, he thought it was music and danced in his wheelchair.
When Bill O'Brien himself heard it, he wanted to go hide under the bench.
"It's soooo embarrassing," O'Brien grumbles. "I hate it. I wish they'd chant a player's name."
O'Brien will just have to suck it up. Because what he did this season at Penn State will be talked about until the Allegheny Mountains crumble.
Into the teeth of the worst college football scandal in American history, into a sex-scandal mess the National Guard couldn't have cleaned up, Bill O'Brien pulled off a football miracle: He made you forget Penn State was radioactive.
O'Brien went 8-4 in the middle of nuclear winter. He kept popping open umbrellas while it rained bowling balls. He made a numb town feel again. That's why he's either the coach of the year in college football this season or you melt down the trophy.
He hates that, too. "I'd vote for Urban Meyer."
What does Notre Dame's Brian Kelly think? "Absolutely -- it's Bill O'Brien."
Imagine what O'Brien was up against: The town was in flames, its exit ramps clogged with cars, sirens going hoarse, and here was O'Brien, trying to open a fireworks stand.
Former players were incensed that the school hadn't hired a Penn State man. All-American linebacker LaVar Arrington seethed: "If they're done with us, I'm done with them."
Meanwhile, across town, the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse trial was festering.
Welcome to Happy Valley!
"People told me, 'Just know what you're getting into,'" O'Brien says, "but I didn't know the NCAA was going to come in here and do what they did."
Four years: no bowls. Four years: 10 fewer scholarships. Fine: $60M. Twelve players, good ones, bolted before the first practice.
But O'Brien got to work writing his How to Coach in a Tsunami handbook.
First, he convinced "probably about five to eight pretty big contributors" who had their bags packed to unpack.
Then he put names on the backs of Penn State jerseys for the first time in forever. Why? "To let people know the names of the kids who stuck it out."
Then he got college guys to come to 5:30 a.m. workouts. He fixed the weight room and pumped hip-hop into it. He turned a walk-on QB named Matt McGloin into the surprise star of the season. He watched his best player, RB Silas Redd, flee to USC, then won one more game than Redd did. He stuck by his green kicker, Sam Ficken, who had blown the Virginia game, then watched Ficken pipe the overtime winner over Wisconsin on Saturday. It was the Nittany Lions' eighth win in the final 10 games.
All this with a team The New York Times said in July wouldn't be competitive again for a decade. Urban Meyer? Please. Urban Meyer didn't walk into the last day of Saigon. O'Brien did. This man did more rebuilding in one year than Gen. George Marshall.
O'Brien, 43, still thinks Joe Paterno's old office is miles too big -- "You could putt and chip in this thing!" he complains -- but he has filled it. And not just the office -- the job. Imagine that: A legend had his desk for 46 straight years before him, and hardly anybody mentions him now.
No wonder Nittanies started wearing "Billieve" T-shirts. Yeah, O'Brien hates those, too.
"Oh, man. My kids have them, but my wife knows not to let them wear them around me."
But State College P-A believes in O'Brien because he believed in it. It's not lost on anybody in town that it had unwittingly come to symbolize the sexual abuse of young boys. Yet here were Bill and Colleen O'Brien moving to town with their two boys -- severely disabled Jack and healthy Michael, 7.
"We wanted to let everybody know we were comfortable raising two boys here," Colleen says. "We've tried to make a statement that it wasn't the place that was responsible, it was this one sick person. It was one man."
Jack figures into all of this. When he was born, "It was hard on Bill," she says. "Here is this coach, this athlete, who'd love nothing more than to teach a son how to play sports. And that wasn't going to happen. But it's also been great for Bill. No matter if he wins or loses, Jack is just so happy to see him. Jack takes his mind off football."
Maybe that's where all this comes from. Maybe that's how Bill O'Brien sees pots of gold where everybody else sees potholes. Maybe that's how O'Brien became the patron saint of lost causes.
Last week, just before that final game versus Wisconsin, Penn State did something chilling and emotional and real. It put the 2012 Nittany Lions on the ring at Beaver Stadium that honors Penn State's greatest teams.
And why not? O'Brien's Lions are as unforgettable as any, and twice as important, especially to their coach. You could see that after the game, when he could hardly speak.
O'Brien has eight more years left on his deal and, despite what you hear about the NFL, his agent said this week that the coach isn't going anywhere. Somebody cue the chants.
O'Brien might want to plug his ears, but, to Penn State, it must sound like a symphony.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns right tackle Mitchell Schwartz has drawn interest on the first day of the free agency negotiating period from the Bucs, Giants, Vikings and Falcons.
The Browns can still re-sign him even before he officially hits the market Wednesday at 4 p.m.
The other teams can't complete a deal with him until Wednesday.
Schwartz stands to become the highest-paid right tackle in the NFL at about $8.5 million a year.
If he leaves, Austin Pasztor will be a candidate to replace him. Claimed by the Browns in September of 2015, he started the final four games of the season at left guard.
The Browns are also in jeopardy of losing three-time Pro Bowl center Alex Mack, who's drawn considerable interest from the Falcons, according to Bleacher Report's Jason Cole.The stars saved my life, it’s true. I had the whole thing planned out. There is a table by the lake. Sort of. It’s either an uncomfortable piece of picnic furniture or an art sculpture, it’s hard to tell. But it’s a dark, deserted spot and that’s what matters.
At times like these, I lament the safe streets of Canberra, the absence of gun crime. The closest thing you’d encounter is probably a good glassing. But broken bottles make such inefficient and messy weapons. And the last thing you want to happen in a suicide is for it to fail.
As they say, when life gives you lemons, you search for other alternatives to guns.
Gay men aren’t allowed to donate blood if they’re sexually active. Thankfully, I have no life to speak of, sexual or otherwise. And as I squeezed the rubber ball like the nurse instructed, I wondered if there was a limit to the number of bags that could be filled this way. And what if there was no bag. Just the needle.
Surely needles are easier to obtain than guns.
*
I come from a country of anti-LGBT parades, where queers are accorded the imaginary superpower of being a threat to national security. You’ll excuse me while I fly off to save the world from the breeders.
Did you know that about 2500 left-handed people die every year from using products designed for right-handed people? The interface was designed to be user friendly – if you are right-handed.
Likewise, the world is designed around straight, cis individuals. Is it surprising at all that non-straight, non-cis people suffer in it? The medical system grudgingly accommodates trans individuals, the legal system is designed for equality only within specific demographic groups.
As for social norms. Well.
Never feeling at home with the gender norms and hetero-centrism of Malaysian culture, I was always the outsider when dealing with that community. Regardless of whether said community was in Malaysia or Australia. Faced with the choice of learning to play by Aussie rules with the (predominantly) white crowd, or subsisting once again at the fringes of the Malaysian community, I admit to being a cowardly creature of habit and chose the latter.
Picking out the Christians to avoid, the gender normatives to shun, avoiding homophobia and transphobia should be simple enough. But what do I do with the gender-normative person who’s really nice to me? Or the devout Christian who I get along with really well? It worked out in the end.
After sensing my annoyance at a hetero-centric comment, the gender normative one cleverly deduced that I was gay. Fount of wisdom that she is, very matter of factly told me that I should be out to everyone so that my life would be easier. I told her that that wasn’t her choice to make and she went away.
She didn’t display any knowledge or sensitivity towards the queer experience and I wasn’t about to start a course on How to Treat Gay People like Human Beings 101. I was, however, going to rant about her straight privilege, her straight worldview and absolute ignorance of queer issues on my personal blog…… which she read. Oops.
She was hurt that I raged about her ‘behind her back’ without trying to talk to her, and she thought I was a two-faced, scheming, untrustworthy street slime. And the world didn’t move for me. The people around me were still ignorant and apathetic about the queer experience and call me lazy but between pondering suicide and considering acceptable options for my future, I just couldn’t be bothered trying to change people’s worldview.
The religious one, on the other hand, thought I was getting too close to her boyfriend. A bunch of us guys train karate together but I’m the only one catching shit for it because everyone sees me as the only girl in the group. And I’ll have you know that just because the medical system doesn’t allow me to get on hormones easily, and everyone in the world makes assumptions about my gender doesn’t make me any less of a man. It just creates a lot of social awkwardness.
And soon, an alliance was forged between the two straight allies, rumors were perpetuated and shunted down the grapevine, there was a social fallout and a nuclear winter. Which was fine. Who needs breeder friends who think it’s their birthright that I explain my gender and sexuality to them anyway? And the closet ceased to be an issue because I didn’t have any friends who I needed to be closeted around.
*
Pondering my quarter-life crisis like any good university student with first-world problems, it became apparent that transgender medical care would be illegal and risky at best if I returned to Malaysia. But I had no way of staying in the country unless I continued inflicting university upon myself.
A further $50,000 in tuition fees and two years of my life to gain nursing qualifications and subsequent migration? Or eternal exile to a society designed for cis, straight people? I chose door number three.
I like to think of Lake Burley Griffin as my front yard and Black Mountain as my back yard. It was even true if you squint. My preferred path up the mountain brings you away from the orange glow of the streetlights onto the pitch dark asphalt. The occasional car trundling past. The new world starts in pitch darkness and the only way you’d see a lamp post is if you walked into it. And as your eyes adjust, you start to wonder at how much you can see just by starlight and moonlight.
It was much the same along the lake. You’d run into the occasional jogger with a miner’s torch on their foreheads but mostly it’s fuzzy, grey, and dark. People from my intersex and trans support group tell me that the lake is too shallow to efficiently drown in, but really, you only need a strong resolve and few feet of water, right? They say after the first breath, everything becomes really easy.
Unsure of whether my parents were willing to spend more money on my education; not confident in meeting the criteria to apply for a temporary visa. A permanent solution was elusive. There was no way out.
If only I had me some needles.
It was winter, I reckon, when I took one of my many walks around the lake to romanticise death. It was winter to match my mood. Stumbling through the fog-filled maze, wondering which path to take, I made the mistake of looking up. And damn if the tiny stars in the night sky weren’t the prettiest fucking thing I’ve ever seen. The fog lifted.
The stars saved my life. It’s true.
*
After a harrowing first semester in nursing (the human body is a fascinating yet freaky, freaky thing), and a prolonged tussle with the healthcare system (even the healthcare professionals who want to help inadvertently make things harder for me), I finally will be on hormones within the month (maybe, fingers crossed). And if I don’t fail any of my courses I might even be on my way to getting me some human rights.
The Queer Department at my current university pays a lot of attention to the T in LGBT, or, a catchier acronym I recently learned, QUILTBAG, or, if you like it with a cynical spin, lGbt. Everyone I’ve met in the queer space are all so supportive, accepting and… full of life. It reminded me of the queer bubble I (had unintentionally) created around myself, only for them it wasn’t just a bubble, it was the entire world. It was as if I had dropped into a parallel universe where discrimination never existed.
Like everyone else who is alive I still have my problems. Once I start hormones and have to come out to my housemates eviction might be in my future. Despite my best efforts to stay under the radar (they can’t hurt you if they don’t know you’re there), I unfortunately made a few friends with the people in my course, and hence, social exclusion, whether real or imagined, is another possibility once people notice physical changes. Or, if internet anecdotes and my own personal experience is to be believed, people will dismiss all facts that contradict their initial impression of my gender. For example, when I wear my binder, it’s because I’ve Lost A Lot of Weight. And eventually when my voice drops, it’s because I have a Really Bad Cold That Never Goes Away.
In the end, it’s like Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: if you’re homeless, cold and starving, you’re not going to worry about finding a fulfilling job and discovering the meaning in life. Likewise, until I somehow secure the right to safe and reliable medical care, and the right to change my name and gender on legal documents, I’m really not that excited about feeling safe enough to be out and proud to the world.Billionaire investor Mark Cuban offered a perhaps bleak prediction on the future of jobs in an interview Friday. Bloomberg Markets Billionaire investor Mark Cuban offered a perhaps bleak prediction on the future of jobs in an interview Friday with Bloomberg's Cory Johnson at the NBA All-Star Technology Summit in New Orleans.
Discussing the swiftly evolving nature of jobs due to automation, he noted that across a broad array of industries, robots will replace human workers.
Prompted by Johnson, he then made a bold proclamation about the types of skills and majors that will dominate in his version of the future labor market.
Here's an excerpt of their conversation (emphasis ours):
Johnson: So essentially what you're making the case for is education and job training for grown ups.
Cuban: No, no. I think that won't matter. What are you going to go back and learn to do?
Johnson: What it takes, right? Whether it's finance, whether it's software programming.
Cuban: No finance. That's the easiest thing — you just take the data have it spit out whatever you need. I personally think there's going to be a greater demand in 10 years for liberal arts majors than there were for programming majors and maybe even engineering, because when the data is all being spit out for you, options are being spit out for you, you need a different perspective in order to have a different view of the data. And so having someone who is more of a freer thinker.
Cuban's forecast of the skills needed to succeed in the future echoes that of computer science and higher education experts who believe people with "soft skills," like adaptability and communication, will have the advantage in an automated workforce.
Cuban highlighted English, philosophy, and foreign language majors as just some of the majors that will do well in the future job market.
"The nature of jobs is changing," Cuban said.
You can watch the whole interview here:A senior German official has called for the reconsideration of Germany’s arms exports to Saudi Arabia, describing the monarchy as the leading exporter of terrorism in the Middle East.
Vice President of the German Parliament (Bundestag) Claudia Roth put forward the demand in an interview with German newspaper Welt am Sonntag printed on Sunday.
Roth (shown below) called Riyadh “the top terror exporter in the Middle East,” adding that “a large portion” of extremist militants in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq hail from Saudi Arabia.
Germany’s guidelines on weapons exports make it “crystal clear that deliveries cannot be made to such countries,” she stressed.
The Green party's politician also called for the release of Saudi activist Raif Badawi who is sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes.
“Besides the weapons deals, Germany is also discussing other trade ties with Saudi Arabia,” she said. “Pressure could certainly be brought to bear using these.”
The comments came as German Vice Chancellor, Social Democrat leader and Economy and Energy Minister Sigmar Gabriel kicked off his tour of the Middle East in Riyadh on Saturday.
The oil-rich country is reported to be “one of the most important clients of Germany’s arms industry.”
Riyadh world’s biggest arms importer
A new report shows that Saudi Arabia has overtaken India to become the largest arms importer in the world over the last year.
The kingdom’s military spending jumped 54 percent to USD 6.5 billion in 2014, while New Delhi imported USD 5.8 billion worth of weapons, said a Sunday report by IHS Inc, a leading analyst of the global arms trade.
“Growth in Saudi Arabia has been dramatic and, based on previous orders, these numbers are not going to slow down,” said Ben Moores, the report's author.
Saudi Imports will rise 52 percent to reach USD 9.8 billion in the current year, which means one out of every seven dollars spent on arms imports worldwide will be spent by Saudi Arabia.
Riyadh is said to be one of the major supporters of Takfiri militants wreaking havoc in Iraq and Syria. Saudi Arabia also backs the Bahraini regime in its crackdown on pro-democracy protesters.
The results of a recent survey conducted for German daily Bild have shown that 78 percent of Germans believe Berlin should stop selling arms to Saudi Arabia, while a further 60 percent favor breaking off trade relations all together with the Persian Gulf monarchy due to its human rights violations.
MR/HSN/HMVReddit is looking to shape itself a bit more around the needs of the individual user in order to make the community more accepting as a whole. Reddit users will soon be able to block and mute other users on the site so they can customize their experience, The New York Times reports.
Reddit co-founder Christopher Slowe detailed the changes in an announcement on the site this morning. Slowe chatted briefly about how powerful the platform’s openness has been, but how a need has been growing to more effectively protect users from harassment.
“…Sometimes this very openness can lead to less awesome stuff like spam, trolling, and worse, harassment. We work hard to deal with these when they occur publicly,” Slowe wrote. “Today, we’re happy to announce that we’ve just released a feature to help you filter them from within your own inbox: user blocking.”
This feature is just the latest effort by the site to get a bit more proactive in serving user needs. Reddit has been updating internal processes and policies fairly frequently since Reddit co-founder Steve Huffman returned to the company in the role of CEO this past summer.
Slowe detailed in his post that Reddit actually had a pretty rudimentary blocking system in place before today, but it was more focused on muting private messages from specific users.
The interesting caveat of this blocking feature is that the offending user actually has to interact with you directly in order to be available to block. If someone is trolling other users endlessly in posts you follow, you pretty much have to grin and bear it or try to coax that user to reply to you directly.
Blocked users aren’t notified about the muting so they’ll be less likely to create an alternative account to continue the harassment, Slowe detailed.
Reddit, to most of its users, is an “Internet democracy” in a sincere sense. What this means is that good content is upvoted by its users to the top of a post while bad content is downvoted into oblivion. This new blocking feature sort of throws a kink into that system and may trigger users to just block an offending user rather than downvote them. This feature could perhaps then leave room for trolls to become even more visible to new users unaware of the blocking features.
Slowe maintains this is simply v1 of this feature and the admin team is still looking at a good deal of other options to more effectively protect users and let them protect themselves.
“Our changes to user blocking are intended to let you decide what your boundaries are,” Slowe wrote. “And to give you the option to choose what you want — or don’t want — to be exposed to.”Organized in conjunction with the Germany Embassy and the German Cultural Centre, the festival attracted 13 schools mainly from Kampala, Wakiso, Mpigi and Masaka united by the theme “Learn German put your culture across.”
Organized in conjunction with the Germany Embassy and the German Cultural Centre, the festival attracted 13 schools mainly from Kampala, Wakiso, Mpigi and Masaka united by the theme “Learn German put your culture across.”
It was all entertainment and colour on Sunday as Mengo Senior School in Kampala hosted this year’s edition of the German Language festival of Ugandan schools.
Organized in conjunction with the Germany Embassy and the German Cultural Centre, the festival attracted 13 schools mainly from Kampala, Wakiso, Mpigi and Masaka united by the theme “Learn German put your culture across.”
To impress the judges, the students were tasked to present poems and songs in German for an audience of peers and representatives of the Association of Teachers of German in Uganda.
Early grab for Mengo
In the morning session, Trinity College Nabingo had all the attention with their poem “the best mother” which was a description of the African mother and her resilience.
The Nabingo masterpiece was followed by other catchy themes like “Nakito the little girl from Masaka” by Gombe SS and “Munyankole Woman” by the hosts, Mengo SS.
By midday, the day’s jury was ready with the results of the poetry session which saw Mengo sweep top position and the trophy that was handed them by Rosemary Nansubuga Seninde, the State Minister for Primary Education who was the festival’s Guest of Honor.
In her speech, Seninde hinted on the need for school administrators to grant their students a chance to add at least one international language as a powerful tool for career building.
“Learning one extra language helps students to fit in different parts of the world with what they study,” she said.
John Fred Kazibwe, the head teacher of Mengo who was in the company of his jubilant students at the hand over joined Seninde in motivating the youngsters, noting that there are many opportunities for both travel and studies that many people cannot access without diversity of language.
“We teach German to equip our students with extra language skills. Through that, we have managed to get scholarships for our students who we teach German for instance,” Kazibwe said.
Going forward
Petra Kochendorfer the Deputy Ambassador of Germany to Uganda pledged commitment of the embassy to promoting the teaching of German at all levels of school.
The visit of the Deputy Ambassador and State Minister was marked by tree planting in the compound of the school right before lunch-break and by the final close of curtains at about 5pm, the outstanding schools had been announced.
Kapeke Seed SSS from Kiboga district topped the senior one category, Kings College Budo led the Senior Two category, St Mary‘s College Kisubi Senior Three and Mengo Senior Four, Five and Six.
The rap category, which involved creative presentations of rap in German and other languages, was also taken by Mengo SS.
Throughout the festival, the language served as a uniting factor with most of the poems referring to all tribes in Uganda as one and the hopeful learners were given the chance to pick a free book in German given out by the German cultural Centre.
What they say about German
“I was taught German in Mengo SS for six years. I have used the language to work with German people and I am looking forward” Joyce Nabasirye 19.
“I studied Germany in both Gombe SS and Mengo and my sisters who are now in Germany inspired me to continue learning even more. My dream now is to study in Germany.” Leilah namyalo 21
“We are encouraging the young people to practice more so they can also qualify for our Bachelors’ degree programme at Makerere University where they can also get three to four weeks of study in Germany or the Masters’ programme at the University of Nairobi in Kenya,” Steven Heimlich Representative of the German Academic Exchange Service in Uganda, Lecturer Makerere UniversityAccording to one college football senior NFL teams have taken to asking college prospects about their sexual orientation at this year’s pro football combine. Top college players attend the combine in order to highlight their skills for NFL executives. During the combine players go through a series of drills to test their athleticism in addition to spending time interviewing with team personnel.
One prospect, Nick Kasa, a player from the University of Colorado, told ESPN radio that several teams had asked him questions such as “Do you have a girlfriend?” and “Do you like girls?” Said Kasa, “it was just kind of weird.”
Many who follow the NFL, including Mike Florio of NBC Sports feel that the questioning is directly related to the rampant rumors surrounding Notre Dame star Manti T’eo. "Here's the elephant in the room for the teams and it shouldn't matter, but we have to step aside from the rest of reality and walk into the unique industry that is the NFL," said Florio. "Teams want to know whether Manti Te'o is gay. They just want to know. They want to know because in an NFL locker room, it's a different world. It shouldn't be that way."
Rumors of T’eo being gay have been front and center since it was learned that he took part in a hoax in which his girlfriend of three years, Lennay Kekua, was found to be a fictional character and not, in fact, a real person.
Fox Sports Jason Whitlock penned an article yesterday in which he implored NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, whose brother is gay, to take a stronger stand against homophobia in the league.
From Whitlock:
Let’s be honest. I think it’s reasonable to assume that 15 percent of NFL players are gay and/or bisexual. Generally speaking, they’re forced to conceal their sexuality out of fear of being ostracized and potentially released from the team. They need to be set free, released from the grip of the most hostile work environment in America. Is there a more homophobic work setting than a football locker room? I can’t think of one.Mr. Cho’s ability to buy two guns despite his history has brought new attention to the adequacy of background checks that scrutinize potential gun buyers. And since federal gun laws depend on states for enforcement, the failure of Virginia to flag Mr. Cho highlights the often incomplete information provided by states to federal authorities.
Currently, only 22 states submit any mental health records to the federal National Instant Criminal Background Check System, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said in a statement on Thursday. Virginia is the leading state in reporting disqualifications based on mental health criteria for the federal check system, the statement said.
Virginia state law on mental health disqualifications to firearms purchases, however, is worded slightly differently from the federal statute. So the form that Virginia courts use to notify state police about a mental health disqualification addresses only the state criteria, which list two potential categories that would warrant notification to the state police: someone who was “involuntarily committed” or ruled mentally “incapacitated.”
“It’s clear we have an imperfect connection between state law and the application of the federal prohibition,” Mr. Bonnie said. The commission he leads was created by the state last year to examine the state’s mental health laws.
Mr. Bonnie, the director of the University of Virginia Institute on Law, Psychiatry and Public Policy, said his panel would look into the matter. “We are going to fix this,” he said.
“I’m sure that the misfit exists in states across the country and the underreporting exists,” he said.
After two female Virginia Tech students complained about Mr. Cho’s behavior in 2005, he was sent to a psychiatric unit for evaluation and then ordered to undergo outpatient treatment, which would not qualify as an involuntary commitment under Virginia law, Mr. Bonnie said.
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“What they did was use the terms that fit Virginia law,” he said. “They weren’t thinking about the federal. I suspect nobody even knew about these federal regulations.”
But Christopher Slobogin, a law professor at the University of Florida who is an expert on mental health, said that under his reading of Virginia law, outpatient treatment could qualify as involuntary commitment, meaning Virginia law should have barred Mr. Cho from buying a weapon as well. Mr. Bonnie said he and the state’s attorney general disagreed with that interpretation.
Mr. Slobogin added that the federal statute “on the plain face of the language, it would definitely apply to Cho.”
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A spokesman for the Virginia attorney general’s office declined to comment on Friday, saying only that various agencies were “reviewing this situation.”
Richard Marianos, a spokesman for the federal firearms agency, said Friday that federal and state officials were looking into the question, studying the court proceedings and testimony.
But Mr. Marianos added, “If he was adjudicated as a mental defective by a court, he should have been disqualified.”
Dennis Henigan, legal director at the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, said the oversight on the federal law in Virginia had probably been occurring for some time.
“They may have been doing this for years, just basically assuming, if the guy’s not disqualified under state law, then we don’t have to send anything to the state police,” Mr. Henigan said. “It’s a failure to recognize the independent obligation to the federal law.”
Most states do not follow the letter of the federal law when it comes to the mental health provisions, said Ron Honberg, legal director for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, an advocacy group.
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“I suspect if we look at all the requirements that exist for the states, there |
as to how he came to stay in a $3,000-a-night suite at the Sofitel and fly first-class on Air France.
On Monday, William Murray, a spokesman for the International Monetary Fund, said that Mr. Strauss-Kahn had paid $525 for the room, according to a Travelocity reservation receipt provided by Mr. Strauss-Kahn’s office. Mr. Murray said that Mr. Strauss-Kahn had stayed at the Sofitel several times before, and that the I.M.F. had not expected to reimburse him for the cost. Mr. Murray added that the I.M.F. had paid for a business-class seat on Air France for Mr. Strauss-Kahn, but that he received an upgrade.
Other details emerged on Monday, some more arcane than others. For example, when he stood in a police lineup of five men — and was ultimately identified by the housekeeper — he was No. 3, in the center.A locally made shell is launched by rebel fighters towards forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad at the frontline in al-Breij district of Aleppo December 10, 2014. REUTERS/Sultan Kitaz
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebels using improvised mortar bombs made of cooking gas canisters killed 311 civilians between July and December this year, a monitoring group said on Friday, condemning the use of the wildly inaccurate weapons.
Two-thirds of the deaths, or 203 people, were in the northern city of Aleppo where the so-called “hell cannons” have been fired on government-held districts of Syria’s second city.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which tracks the violence using sources on both sides, said that 42 children and 25 women were among the dead in Aleppo. It said more than 700 people had also been wounded during that time.
Syria’s official news agency SANA said on Thursday that “terrorists” fired 11 of the improvised bombs in the southern city of Deraa, wounding several civilians.
The canisters are packed with explosives, fitted with a guide fin and fired by large cannons.
Syria’s war started with a pro-democracy movement that grew into an armed uprising and has inflamed regional confrontations. Some 200,000 people have died, the United Nations says.
Chemical weapons have been used, the international chemical weapon watchdog says, and the United Nations says that President Bashar al-Assad’s forces have dropped improvised and indiscriminate barrel bombs on Aleppo.In December, Pittsburgh became the first school district to reject an active Teach for America (TFA) contract. Like many urban school districts, Pittsburgh is struggling with budget problems—the school district is projected to run out of money by 2017—and overwhelmingly serves families that struggle with poverty: 73 percent of students in the Pittsburgh School District are enrolled in free or reduced-price school lunch programs. But unlike cities such as Chicago or Philadelphia, where the mayor or governor appoints school board members, Pittsburgh’s Board of Education is democratically-elected, allowing local communities a far more direct influence over decision-making. Indeed, three of the six members of Pittsburgh’s Board of Education were just put in place, and it was these newly elected officials who have rejected the easy answers offered by pro-privatization education "reformers." The decision to can TFA shows that democratically elected school boards—like Pittsburgh's—are vital tools for defending public education and the public interest. In this case, the elected school board rebuffed the organization’s agenda and tactics.
Undermining teachers
TFA famously trains recent college graduates, who have usually had no other training in education, for a mere five weeks before placing them in a struggling urban or rural school. This model has brought much criticism. Many of these new recruits have little to no actual teaching experience, and they often have few connections with the communities they are thrown into. They are expected to be instantly capable; “microwave teachers,” in Pittsburgh School Board member Regina Holley’s memorable turn of phrase. The attrition rate is astonishingly high: 72 percent of TFA recruits drop out of the teaching workforce within five years. But if TFA were merely a program designed to train and recruit new temporary teachers, it might be defensible—even if it hardly represents a comprehensive solution to the problems in our schools. The real problem is that TFA has fed into a larger, corporate-driven education movement that has worked to privatize education, pulling resources out of neighborhood schools and abandoning the kids most in need of quality public instruction. TFA has strong ties to this so-called education "reform" movement, which holds teachers primarily responsible for the learning delays and difficulties associated with poverty. Further, the so-called reform camp mistakes a high teacher replacement rate and public investment in privately-run charter schools for accountability throughout the educational system. Founded in 2007, TFA’s political lobbying arm—Leadership for Educational Equity (LEE)—regularly supports candidates who push policies friendly to charter schools, where many TFA alumni now work. While many charter founders have been well intentioned, their movement has been twisted into a supposed cure-all for public education’s problems. The cure fails when employees are allowed no power—most charter companies fiercely resist unionization—and the public is allowed no mechanisms for accountability—most charter schools do not have to disclose their budgets in the same ways that public institutions do, even though they are using public money.
Teach for America provides recruiting and indoctrination to support a policy agenda of cutting back on teachers, shuttering public schools and replacing them with charters.
TFA's advocacy consistently aligns the organization with people whose support for public education is highly questionable. StudentsFirst founder Michelle Rhee, who oversaw the mass closure of many Washington D.C. schools as the city's schools chancellor, is a TFA alumna. Another alum, North Carolina Republican legislator Rob Bryan, is a prominent backer of school vouchers, which allow public dollars to be used to pay tuition at private schools (including religious institutions). Maryland state senator Bill Ferguson, a Democrat, has backed bills that would weaken the position of seasoned teachers in his state; these include a law that would make it easier to fire veteran teachers and replace them with cheaper newcomers—such as TFA members. Both men were backed by LEE, which hopes to recruit 32,000 TFA alumni to political positions. As Education Week reported at the beginning of this year, LEE’s efforts are robust: In the last few years the organization has grown from a tiny staff to almost 60 employees with a multi-million dollar budget. Teach for America receives funding from local, state and federal sources and directly provides 70 percent of LEE’s budget, although that money is spent on such things as member recruitment and education (not political work). The rest of LEE's budget comes from private foundations and individuals; they do not disclose their donor list. In essence, TFA provides recruiting and indoctrination to support a policy agenda of cutting back on the teaching force, shuttering public schools and replacing them with charters. That’s why the decision to cancel Pittsburgh’s TFA contract is a watershed moment for the organization's critics — and for the movement to defend public education more generally. “I don’t see Teach for America as a program to help us,” said School Board member Sylvia Wilson to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Democracy on the school boardA new update has just gone out for ARMS, bringing the game up to version 2.1.0. If you’ve purchased the game physically or digitally, the patch will be downloaded automatically. You can also force the update from Switch’s Home Menu.
Today’s ARMS update isn’t as significant as the last one, but it’s still noteworthy. Nintendo has made a number of changes and adjustments across the board, including fighters and ARMS. Nintendo has added new Training exercises, adjusted hitbox sizes for fighters, and more.
The full patch notes for ARMS version 2.1.0 are as follows:
Moved “Training” to the top menu.
Added five exercises to “Training”, and added difficulty level indications.
Adjusted the way the rush gauge fills, decreasing the amount gained for punches that do not connect with the opponent.
When 3-4 players start a battle, instructions on how to switch targets will now be displayed. A cursor will also be displayed above the current target for a set time.
Adjusted hitbox sizes for fighters, improving issues where hits were not registered despite looking like hits.
Changed the pause, results, and replay menus in “Training” to be more convenient.
For “Best Stage” in Stats, made it harder for less frequently played stages to be selected, even if you have a high win ration on them.
Corrected issue that caused the game to hang-up when the ending was skipped at a particular time.
We have made the following adjustments for some fighters and arms:
Fighters / Arms Adjustments Master Mummy Increased dash speed.
Increased movement speed when jumping. Mechanica Increased movement speed when jumping. Kid Cobra Adjusted floatation when performing a jump attack. Byte & Barq Trained Barq to get up quicker. Boomerang Increased speed when throwing in a wide curve.
Increased extension speed.
Increased homing. Coolerang Increased extension speed.
Increased homing. Revolver Increased extension speed.
Improved curving performance.
Increased retraction speed.
Shortened the time needed from starting a rush to firing the first shot. Retorcher Improved curving performance.
Increased retraction speed.
Increased expansion rate when extending. Parasol Increased expansion rate when extending.
Increased retraction speed.
Decreased expansion rate for charge attacks. Megawatt Improved curving performance.
Increased retraction speed. Slamamander Increased homing Tribolt Increased extension speed.
Decreased rush damage. Triblast Increased speed of charge attacks. Homie Increased rush damage. Guardian Made it so the electric shock when a charge attack connects lasts longer.
Corrected odd behavior that occurred when a rush attack connected with a wall or platform. Blorb Corrected odd behavior that occurred when a rush attack connected with an opponent that was not targeted. Seekie Increased retraction speed.
Made it so the electric shock when a charge attack connects doesn’t last as long. Ramram Increased retraction speed.
Decreased expansion rate for charge attacks.
Decreased speed of charge attacks. Cracker, Popper, Hydra Increased retraction speed. Bubb, Buff Decreased extension speed.
Decreased expansion rate when extending.
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PocketRabbi Marvin Hier, founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, is slated to become the first non-Israeli to light a torch during Israel’s main Independence Day ceremony in Jerusalem.
Hier, who in January delivered a prayer during the inauguration of President Donald Trump in Washington, DC, is one of three individuals selected for the honor by the Ministry of Culture and Sport, the Calcalist financial supplement of the Yediot Acharonot daily reported Friday.
Culture Minister Miri Regev decided last year to include non-Israeli Jews in the Independence Day torch lighting, saying their participation would symbolize the stake that Jewish people all over the world have in the Jewish state.
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This year’s theme for the ceremony is “Jerusalem: the Eternal Capital of the State of Israel and the Jewish People.”
During his 2-minute prayer at the inauguration, Hier recited the Psalm 137 passage reading “If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill. The doer of all these shall never falter.”
Hier founded the Simon Wiesenthal Center in 1977 as an organization devoted to fighting anti-Semitism, bringing Nazis to justice and promoting tolerance through the Los Angeles-based Museum of Tolerance. Longstanding plans to build another museum in Jerusalem have foundered, in part over objections that is to be located on land that includes part of a historic Muslim cemetery.
Another honoree this year at the ceremony is said to be Amnon Shashua, a computer science professor at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and co-founder of the Mobileye and OrCam startups.
Yehoram Gaon, a Jerusalem-born singer and actor, reportedly is the third honoree.
The official list of torch lighters is scheduled to be published next week following its final approval by the selection committee, Calcalist reported.There is the Atlanta that most tourists see, all shimmering skyline, vast parks and Olympic torch statues. And then there is the hidden city, the one you see with a flashlight when A. J. Arend is your guide.
“Abandoned schools, abandoned homes, abandoned hospitals,” said Mr. Arend, 28, who participates in monthly forays into the city’s less-known relics. “I’m a fan of mental institutions, because they’re creepy.”
This city is a gift to urban explorers like Mr. Arend, a bandanna-wearing 6-foot-5 college student whose cellphone’s ring tone is a spooky sci-fi theme. Beneath the kudzu, lost in the sprawl, Atlanta has some of the country’s oldest, best preserved and eeriest deserted sites — magnets for thrill-seekers and amateur photographers.
There is a rambling Addams Family-esque house, long abandoned, that belonged to the Coca-Cola founder’s son. There is a cavernous, two-million-square-foot Sears store, now vacant, that is the largest brick building in the South. And there is a bramble-covered prison farm, damaged in a fire, where Mr. Arend leads a tour through inmates’ cells and the warden’s house.
Photo
Mr. Arend is a member of Spectre, a group that explores and documents Atlanta’s most post-apocalyptic-looking sites. (The movie “Zombieland” and the television show “The Walking Dead” were both filmed here.)
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Membership is free, but you must apply online, promise not to leave graffiti or steal anything, and follow the unofficial urban explorer’s motto: “Take photos. Leave only footprints.” Participants say they have been caught by security guards, the police and even federal officers but have talked their way out of charges.How to Hijack an Aid Program
AN OPEN LETTER TO AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER TONY ABBOTT
from Ian Smillie
October 29, 2013
Dear Tony Abbott,
The day after you led your Liberal/National Coalition to a landslide victory in September, you announced that AusAID, the Australian government’s aid agency, will be integrated into the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
Because many have likened this move to what Canada has done in merging CIDA with DFAIT, I thought I might give you some background information on what has happened here. Think of this as a kind of “how to” guide, an “owner’s manual to hijacking the foreign aid program.”
There are three parts to this: the softening up part, the announcement, and doing the deed. I know you have skipped the softening up part, Tony, but let me go through the whole process because I’m sure it will give you useful ideas as you move forward.
1. THE SOFTENING UP PART
Appointment of the Minister
I know in Australia you don’t have an aid minister. Lucky you. That’s one less problem to deal with. But if there had been one, it’s important to appoint someone junior who doesn’t know much about the business. If you don’t have many women in cabinet, this slot is one where you can even up the gender balance. (Excuse me for using the word “gender” here—I mean the balance between women and men. That was a slip into the old feminist lingo that Canada has banished from government documents. I won’t do it again).
Make sure the minister is loyal, someone who will do everything you say. Put some of your own people in her office and make sure they see every project before she does. Sometimes a bad one will slip through and you’ll have to pull it back, so you need people who know how to fix little gaffes by adding things like “not” into an already “approved” document.
You may have to change ministers quite frequently until you find one obtuse enough for the job. Once you’ve got her, however, keep her, no matter what she does. In the end, if she becomes a real embarrassment, you can appoint one of the used car salesmen or cops you have on the back benches to take over for a while.
Punish One, Teach Many
Did you ever see the movie Goodfellas, Tony? Or The Sopranos? The mafia has a great expression: “Punish one, teach many.” Once you start trying to get a grip on the aid program, you’ll discover that there are hundreds of NGOs and academics and bleeding heart liberals out there who’ll try to come to its rescue. (By the way, Tony, I know you head the “Liberal Party”, so when I say “liberal”, don’t take it the wrong way. In Canada, liberals are actually the bad guys. Funny old world, eh?)
What I’m getting at here is that you will have to put a few kittens down in order to get the rest in line. Find a stroppy, mid-size NGO and cut off all its funding. Make a big deal out of it. Say it’s because it funded some Palestinian terrorists, or perhaps some horrible thing in your own region, like boat people. When the NGO says it isn’t true, as it no doubt will, take the high road and say you have a zero tolerance attitude towards anti-Semitism or some such thing, and if that fails, just keep saying over and over that its proposal didn’t fit with your government’s priorities.
There is a risk here. Other NGOs may take up the cause and do an “I am Spartacus” thing. This could be dangerous, because together they do have a lot of public support. But if you’re lucky, as we were in Canada, most won’t say much. They’ll probably shove their umbrella organization out in front to try to bell the cat. What you need to do then is cut off all funding to the umbrella organization. We did that, and you should have seen the NGOs scatter. The umbrella organization lost 75% of its staff, had to sell the building it owned, and was told by its major dues-paying members to tone down its criticism for fear the government might start coming after them. Tony, you may have noticed my cat references. Here’s one more: if you want to herd cats, all you need to do is open a small tin of Meow Mix.
Getting the NGOs in line was like taking candy from a baby, Tony. There were no Spartacus wannabes anywhere in sight.
Take Down the Think Tanks
I don’t know how many international development think tanks you have in Australia, but we have a couple here. You’ve got to get rid of these, or bring them to heel as quickly as you can. If you’re lucky, they will have noticed your sacrificial lamb in the NGO community and will start censoring themselves, but that’s probably not enough. If you have any control over the appointment of board members, send in the clowns. A few crazy appointees can do amazing damage in no time flat. Human rights activists, academics and do-gooders are quickly distracted by issues close to their navels, and while the in-fighting rages, you can grab the high road and either fire a few people, or close the place down entirely. Refusing to appoint directors and senior managers, if that’s within your control, is another great tactic. And of course the best trick in the book is the Extended Meow Mix Gambit, which I’ll come to in a minute. Whatever you do, however, make sure that any surviving think tanks understand that they better think or they will tank.
The Extended Meow Mix Gambit
Tony, your greatest enemy in hijacking the aid program will be the NGOs. Even if you’re successful in getting them to be quiet, they are still hotbeds of radicalism, do-gooderism, and loony lefty liberalism. (Oh, sorry, I used that word again. Honestly, Tony, I have to ask why Australia’s true conservatives are all under the banner of the Liberal Party. What is up with that?)
Anyway, The Extended Meow Mix Gambit: If your NGOs are anything like ours, most of them get half or three-quarters of their money from the government. They should have known that was dangerous—even stupid. That said, while you can make a sacrificial lamb of one or two, you’ll have to move more softly with the rest. The first thing to do is get rid of any kind of responsive funding arrangement. No more coming to you with their own neat ideas. You develop the neat ideas. Make it like a business: call for proposals and choose the one you like best, if you catch my drift. They’ll soon enough discover what you like and don’t like. No more multi-year program funding. Announce that you’re not there to subsidize NGOs or to fulfill their entitlement fantasies. They’ll come back at you with how they do excellent work, reach people that governments can’t, how they carry the Australian flag to places that you can’t and yadda yadda yadda. They’ll say they have the support of tens or hundreds of thousands of ordinary Australians (or even millions). Your MPs should expect a few visits from the local vicar and some parishioners. But that will pass. Simply cancel the responsive program, set out a few calls for proposals, and you’ll see what happens. Ever see that Frank Sinatra movie, Some Came Running? I guess you can tell, Tony, that I’m a movie buff.
Having turned the NGOs into wannabe contractors, the next step is to stall on decisions. Tell them the funding decision critical to their survival will be made in June or December or whatever. Keep changing the dates. Stretch it out beyond the end of the financial year. Way beyond. The NGOs will start using up their reserves while they wait. You can let the money out in dribs and drabs to the friendlies, but an even better trick is to make no decision at all. You can’t imagine how destructive that is as these once-confident outfits start laying off staff. Even so, you’ll be amazed that they continue to hang around the back door like hungry puppies. Most will continue to lick your hand if you go anywhere near them. All you need to say is that you’ll get things rolling “soon”. Tell the civil servants to use that word whenever they’re asked a question about money: “soon”.
There’s another great aspect to this gambit. If you delay decisions and payments beyond the end of your financial year, you can lapse hundreds of millions of dollars. This has two effects. First, it can go towards paying down any debt you might have racked up, as we did bailing out GM, Chrysler and all those other companies in 2009. And it also helps to reduce the claims on next year’s budget because you’ve shown you don’t need the money. And the best part is that—unlike when you announce a cut in your aid budget—no one really notices. If someone does, say something virtuous like, “We don’t believe in just shovelling money out the door.”
There may be a problem with the faith-based crowd. If Australia is anything like Canada, a lot of your support probably comes from this general area. But unfortunately some of the faith-based NGOs have uppity ideas about human rights and social justice, and you may find, as we have, that some of them are antagonistic to a lot of the things you favour, such as Australian mining companies in developing countries. I’ll come back to our mining friends in a moment, but you have to handle this bunch carefully. Cut back on funding to the rights-and-justice crowd, but start throwing small bones to new, less vocal players among the faith-based organizations. If you’re lucky, a few of the secular outfits will smell smoke and cry “fire”. Maybe an academic or two will get busy with a calculator, and pretty soon you’ll have all the NGOs fighting among themselves.
A Feel-Good “Initiative”
You announced major cuts to the aid budget as soon as you were elected, Tony. Good on ya, mate. It took us a while to start chopping, but we’re getting there. If you want to confound your enemies and confuse the public as you’re cutting the budget, however, why not think of a major feel-good “initiative”? Canada created a “Mother and Child Health Initiative” and pushed it at the G8 as though nobody had ever heard of the idea before. Mothers and children: Wow! What a crowd pleaser.
There was a bit of a glitch when we started out on this because we didn’t know that some NGOs would come back at us with a lot of guff about women’s reproductive rights, abortion and such like, so if we were doing it again, we might just stick to children. But in the end we found a few NGOs that would go along for the ride and ignore the feminist nonsense, so it’s working out pretty well.
Results-Based Management
Tony, I have to tell you that results-based management is a brilliant and outstanding way to subvert, if not wreck an aid program—and you can look good while you’re at it. The Harper government didn’t have to invent this one; it was handed over on a silver platter by its predecessors.
Here’s how it works: First, get everyone completely confused about the terminology. Change the rules, the guidelines, the forms and the reporting requirements. Frequently. Demand big results in all proposals. In a tough competition, the applicants will exaggerate what they plan to do in order to win the contract. Then you can hammer them a couple of years later when they haven’t done what they said they would. Demand that all projects must show results within the lifetime of the funding, even if that makes no sense. Punish any executing agency or NGO that fails to meet targets: no second phase, no new contracts. Fund things you can take pictures of: bridges, schools, dams. You can show the snaps to taxpayers and you might even sell some Australian goods and services in the bargain.
There’s a small problem here. Andrew Natsios, who was head of USAID under George Bush—someone who should have been a good guy—has gone rogue. He says that the focus on results has turned into an “obsessive measurement disorder”. He even says that the most measurable development projects are often the least transformational, while the most transformational are the least measurable. People like that will tell you that building schools is not the most important part of an education project; it’s what goes on inside the school, and that can’t always be photographed or changed quickly. Frankly, Tony, you have to ignore this kind of stuff. Make sure that whenever your foreign minister talks about aid, she uses the words “results” and “effectiveness”, preferably in every second sentence. (By the way, I see you’ve appointed Julie Bishop as foreign minister. Great work on the gender balance—sorry, the balance between men and women.)
2. THE ANNOUNCEMENT
You cleverly announced the merger of AusAID into DFAT the day after you won the election. It took us a lot longer, but when we were ready, we did it in a similar way: we consulted almost nobody in any of the concerned departments. That had the effect of catching any possible opposition off guard, and it threw the concerned departments into a frenzy of confusion, especially because we hadn’t developed any plan whatsoever as to how the transition would take place. On top of that, we got rid of the head of our aid program, as you have, and at the same time changed the aid minister in order to sow as much confusion as possible.
Remember Tony, this is about getting a grip on that aid money and reducing the number of people who have a voice in forming policy or who understand how the money is being spent.
I see that you are still using the term AusAID. My advice is to kill the name entirely as we did with CIDA. That helps to extinguish the brand and even the idea of foreign aid. I see, too, that in Australia a lot of the media are using the term “collapsed”, as in “AusAID has been collapsed into DFAT.” That doesn’t sound too good. I would suggest you use the term that we have promoted, the one that supporters of the merger seem to like: “to fold”, as in “CIDA has been folded into DFAIT”. It’s more gentle, a bit like folding whipped cream into custard to make zabaglione, although you don’t want to draw out that analogy too far because some wag might start talking about who got whipped.
3. DOING THE DEED
There has to be a rationale for the merger, of course. In your announcement, you said that “the Australian Agency for International Development [will] be integrated into the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, enabling the aid and diplomatic arms of Australia’s international policy agenda to be more closely aligned.”
Tony, that is simply excellent! That’s exactly what the government said here, and it got a lot of applause from diplomats and academics who agreed. The dips have always wanted more money and resented CIDA because it had lots of cash. And academics, of course, especially the foreign policy wonks, think aid is a load of old cobblers. They think we should be spending more time and money on things that really matter: NATO, the United States, Europe and such like. Realpolitik they call it. They probably picked up that idea reading the memoirs of Henry Kissinger. Anyway, the merger here has even gone over pretty well with the media and the public because a lot of them just don’t “get” foreign aid. A lot of them think the money never gets there, or it’s wasted, or it’s stolen by corrupt dictators. (On that point, Tony, I suggest that you get Julie to do what our Foreign Minister does every time he gets a chance: slam the United Nations as nothing more than a debating club for dictators. It goes down very well with the know-nothing crowd and those who’ve been jollied along for so many years by all the NGOs peddling children.)
So let’s get to the crux of it, Tony. Some in the so-called development community will try to find a light in the tunnel where we’ve stashed the aid program. They’ll say that with the merger, we can perhaps stop isolating aid, and that we can now start talking about development cooperation. Let me tell you what that means. It means that with the merger, you have a better chance for a whole-of-government policy towards developing countries and development. It means that in addition to aid, you could now talk within the same department about trade issues that affect poor countries. You could address tariffs and subsidies and these could form part of your overall approach to development. You might even include security issues and immigration. All of these things have a bearing on the main point that many in the development community stress: poverty reduction.
You’ll have to nip all that in the bud. Everyone knows that poverty reduction comes from economic growth, and growth comes from the private sector. Focussing on poor people in poor countries is simply distracting. Charity has its place, but it’s not where the real action is. Poor countries wouldn’t be poor if they had a private sector like we do, and that’s why we have to get our companies over there doing what they do best. A lot of the other aid donors are pushing their private sectors too. Even the World Bank President has said that we can end poverty by 2030, but only if we get the private sector on the case. I’m sure you know the drill, Tony.
There are two things you can keep repeating in this connection: “Foreign direct investment outpaces foreign aid by a factor of ten to one.” Or “five to one” or “fifteen to one”. Just pick a big number. It isn’t the number that matters, it’s the fact that FDI dwarfs aid, so aid must be unimportant. Right?
And there’s another good one: “Remittances are ten (or fifteen or twenty) times higher than foreign aid.” It sounds terrific. Nobody stops to think about the fact that there have always been remittances, or that remittances don’t exactly vaccinate children, but never mind that. It’s the big numbers that count, showing how insignificant aid is. And our aim is to make it even more insignificant—right, Tony?
Tony, I know that Australia is big on the extractive industry, just like Canada, and if Australian mining companies are anything like ours, they could probably use a boost from government, especially with the Chinese running away with the show in Africa and Latin America. So here’s how you use the merger to good advantage: Have a look around. See if there are any NGOs getting funding from an Australian mining company, or if an NGO is helping a company to deal with a development issue around one of its mines. If you can find two or three of those, fund them and call it a policy. Say that Australia needs to get something out of the aid program as well. Dress it up with a bunch of nice looking fripperies labelled corporate social responsibility. Call it good development and say you’ll fund more. You think some came running before? Soon the queue will be half way around the block.
There’s a small problem, however. Since you’re planning to slash the Australian aid budget by $4.5 billion over the next five years, you may have difficulty carving out money for the extractive sector. Take a leaf from our book: close aid programs in eight or ten unimportant African countries and use the savings to open new programs in places where you have mining interests, as we did in Peru and Colombia. You can say it’s just better geographic focus. The OECD will love it—they tell everyone to work in fewer countries.
The issue where mining is concerned, of course, is not whether your government supports Australian companies overseas. All governments do that. The issue is whether the money should come from the aid budget or some other place. With the merger, it will be easier to fudge these things as long as you dress them up with terms like “development”, “sustainability”, “social responsibility” and the like.
There may be a crunch at the OECD when you start reporting these activities as official development assistance, but the Development Assistance Committee (DAC), I have to tell you, Tony, is a pushover. Canada’s last peer review in 2012—and I’m quoting—“commends the country’s strong stand on human rights, its co-operation with developing countries and its effective efforts in Afghanistan and Haiti.” Hah! How they got that idea about human rights is beyond me. And as soon as we got our troops out of Afghanistan, our aid program there headed straight for File 13. Where Haiti is concerned, we recently hit the brakes so hard on that one, there’s rubber all over the road. The DAC did notice that we’re cutting our overall aid and recommended that “as soon as possible”, we move towards the international ODA target of 0.7% of GNI. Maybe when pigs fly. Or when we can count some of the money we’re spending on our efforts to imitate China with the mining companies.
You may know the old story about Benjamin Franklin writing to a friend and apologizing for the length of the letter. He said, “If I had more time, it would have been shorter.” Tony, I have to tell you, this is the shorter letter.
Anyway, there it is: How to hijack an aid program in three easy steps. It’s a bit like The Poseidon Adventure: you turn everything upside down for a while and everyone staggers around in the dark and the wreckage, hoping there’s a rescue on the way. Then, after making the most incredible mess, you send the whole thing to the bottom.
In truth, it isn’t really that easy: it takes a thick skin and cold blood. But it’s a lot easier when there’s so little public reaction. The NGOs claim to have a huge public constituency for a compassionate aid program focussed directly on poverty reduction, but when you look at the numbers, they spend ten times more on feel-good fundraising than they do on public education about development. Just like the government. That’s what’s made the hijacking so straightforward and so successful. Canadians just don’t get it.
Our Prime Minister Harper might have offered to buy you a frosty Foster’s at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Colombo, but happily for him, he won’t be attending. He’s boycotting the event because of Sri Lanka’s bad human rights record. It makes him look good with our large Tamil community, killing two or three birds with one stone. I guess you have to go to all of these meetings because your landslide win in Australia was partly based on your promise to send all the boat people to Manus Island or Nauru or Christmas Island.
Frankly, Tony, that doesn’t look very humane. My suggestion is that you turn this negative into a good-looking positive like we always do: set up a high profile, upbeat “initiative” for the boat people after they get to Christmas Island. A spoonful of the old maternal and child health might help the medicine go down.
Ian Smillie is a member of the McLeod Group. This article is satirical in nature; any resemblance to real events, or to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.German chancellor Angela Merkel signalled she’s ready for a long confrontation with president Vladimir Putin over Ukraine as her foreign minister said the two countries’ ties will be “remapped”.
As government forces and pro-Russian separatists battle it out, Germany’s goal is keeping Ukraine sovereign and whole, and Russia’s actions threaten “the peaceful international order and breach international law”, Merkel said in a speech to parliament in Berlin.
“We need patience and staying power to overcome the crisis,” she said to applause from lower-house lawmakers.
Economic sanctions on Russia “remain unavoidable” as a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine fails to hold, she said.
Ms Merkel, who has emerged as Europe’s main conduit to Mr Putin in the Ukraine crisis, used some of the strongest language yet to hint at her exasperation as she retraced attempts by world leaders to reach out to the Russian president during a year of conflict.
Germany was “sparing no effort” to try to reach a diplomatic solution, she said. The European Union’s biggest economy has also taken into account Russian concerns about the impact of Ukraine’s free-trade agreement with the bloc that triggered the crisis and preceded Mr Putin’s annexation of the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea in March.
“None of this justifies or excuses Russia’s annexation of Crimea,” said Ms Merkel, who had a four-hour discussion with Mr Putin at the group of 20 summit in Australia this month. “None of this justifies or excuses the direct or indirect participation in the fighting in Donetsk and Luhansk. Russia is breaching Ukraine’s territorial integrity.”
“The relationship with Russia will definitely have to be remapped,” German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said |
living with Skippy, takes him away to an adoption village. When Skippy fails to show up at the rest home at 3 PM, Slappy snaps out of her daze and frantically looks for him. Finally, she escapes the rest home and rescues Skippy.
Trivia
This was the only episode of Animaniacs that had an episode-long Slappy the Squirrel sketch.
that had an episode-long Slappy the Squirrel sketch. Freakazoid is on the cover of the TV Guide issue that Slappy is reading at the beginning.
issue that Slappy is reading at the beginning. Slappy calls herself "A regular Speedy Gonzales" referencing the famous Looney Tunes cartoon of that name.
The title is an obvious parody of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest".
When Skippy first leaves home for school, he utters Mindy's catchphrase, "Okay, I love you, buh-bye!"
An elderly version of Woody Woodpecker can be spotted at the retirement home (credited Woodpeckerman), as well as elderly versions of Minnie Mouse (named Rena Rat), Donald Duck (called Quacky Duck), Goofy (called Doofy), Mighty Mouse (called Rocket Rat), and Garfield.
Elderly versions of Tom and Jerry can be seen chasing each other around the rest home.
Hello Nurse appears as one of the nurses at the retirement home.
This has gone down in history as the most emotional episode of Animaniacs (and to some degree, Slappy Squirrel: According to Tom Ruegger, they had never attempted using heart and emotion in Slappy segments).
A common fan rumor maintained that this episode was originally a pilot for a Slappy and Skippy spinoff series much like Pinky and the Brain, but there is no basis to the rumor. Tom Ruegger writes: "If a series came out of that half-hour Slappy cartoon, we would have been thrilled. But that was not the intention or goal."
Being an all-Slappy episode, it did not start with the regular Animaniacs intro, but opened with the extended 1995 Slappy Squirrel title sequence, and also had a special end credit sequence with Slappy's theme. This unique opening and closing is likely what sparked the "series pilot" rumor.
This episode was largely based on Tom Ruegger's memories of visiting his aunt at a nursing home.
A sped-up, high-pitched "Kabong" sound from Hanna-Barbera's Quick Draw McGraw can be heard when the cuckoo clock hits the Old Pig on the head in the Laundry Chute at the Cartoon Motion Picture Rest Home (this episode was first aired one month and three days prior to the merge of H-B's parent company, Ted Turner's Turner Broadcasting with Time Warner, which in turn led to the transfer of its various properties to Warner Bros.). This sound effect would later be reused in Acquaintances.
Quotes
Slappy: (to the doctor) Y'know, you remind me of a very young Dr. Pepper, before the nose job.
Cast
Gag Credits
This is Episode #83
Your Name Here
Twelve Words Or Less
Stinger
Slappy: It's ovah! Go away!A crowd at the 2009 Bumbershoot festival
The music lineup for the 40th annual Bumbershoot: Seattle’s Music & Arts Festival features Bob Dylan, Mary J. Blige, Weezer, Hole, Rise Against, Neko Case, The Decemberists, J. Cole, Seattle rock band Visqueen and others.
The festival takes place at Seattle Center Labor Day Weekend, Sept. 4 to 6.
Music icon Dylan, a frequent visitor to the Northwest who has even performed at the Puyallup Fair, makes his first appearance at Bumbershoot. The booking has generated a lot of excitement since it was announced in the back pages of Rolling Stone magazine.
Cole, the first artist signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation label, is also making his first visit to the festival. The lineup has a great deal of diversity, with performers that appeal to a wide array of interests and demographic groups.
Bumbershoot has a strong history of showcasing emerging talent alongside veteran superstars. This year for our 40th Festival, we’re excited to have artists that span more than four decades of phenomenal music,” programming director Chris Porter said in a statement.
With this roster of talent, we’re truly offering a music lineup that will engage and entertain people of all ages and interests.”
Visqueen has been on a roll since releasing its current album, Message to Garcia,” last year. Read my interview with singer-guitarist Rachel Flotard here.
New this year is the Bumbershoot Standard Ticket, which includes guaranteed access to Mainstage performances. This replaces the previous system of waiting in line upon arrival at the festival for a separate pass.
Bumbershoot Standard Tickets are available in a limited quantity, so patrons anticipating they will want to see Mainstage performers are encouraged to purchase Standard Tickets early to ensure admission to Memorial Stadium.
Bumbershoot also introduces another ticket option, the Bumbershoot Economy Ticket, which allows the ticketholder access to everything at Bumbershoot except the Mainstage performances at Memorial Stadium. The Bumbershoot Economy Ticket is for those who prefer the programming outside Memorial Stadium and throughout the Center grounds.
In addition to the Center Square Stage, Bumbershoot features five auxiliary outdoor music stages, three comedy stages, three performing arts venues, a film festival, visual arts exhibits, Flatstock, spectacle programming in outdoor open spaces, unique crafts, and Youngershoot (a family focused array of programming for kids of all ages).
Additional Bumbershoot 2010 music, literary, comedy, performing arts, visual arts, film and theater performances will be announced in the coming weeks. For up-to-date information and the lineup listed by day, visit the Bumbershoot Web site.
This year, Bumbershoot has increased the age children can attend for free from 5 years and under to 10 years and under. Free kids’ admission does not include access to the Mainstage.
Single-day tickets for Bumbershoot 2010 can be purchased Bumbershoot.org and beginning June 4 at Ticketmaster.
The Bumbershoot Standard Ticket ($40 advance/ $50 gate) includes guaranteed Mainstage admission, as well as first-come, first-served access to all other Festival venues.Give us a majority, and we'll show you what the GOP can do. That was the basic sales premise of the midterm elections. Controlling both chambers of Congress, Republicans would show Americans that their party is a governing party. No longer a chaotic, fragmented political entity in a constant battle between the "establishment" and the radicals, united Republicans would come together for the good of the nation -- and their own 2016 prospects.
Talk about overpromising and alarming underachievement.
Almost two months into the utopia pledged by Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) the Republican Party's wobbly act on the big stage is looking more like a circus every day.
Take, for example, Boehner's "signing ceremony" for the Keystone XL pipeline bill that will be vetoed by President Obama.
Boehner's ersatz version of a presidential signing ceremony is like a Monty Python sketch. The constitutional officer that cannot sign bills into laws "signs" a bill destined for the dustbin. Who is the audience for this show? Can there possibly be voters in the land who will be persuaded that passing a bill in Congress is equivalent to a law if the Speaker of the House signs it and the president wields his veto pen?
And it's a rare sight when a Speaker usurps the president's constitutional power to conduct foreign affairs by inviting a foreign head of government to address a joint session of Congress without consulting either the president or the opposition.
But that's not all -- this invitation to the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, has actually, for the first time in history, driven a wedge between Americans and Israelis. For friends of Israel like me, this blunder posing as clever political warfare is a tragedy. The sacred nature of bipartisan support of Israel, a tradition dating back to President Truman's recognition of the state of Israel and unqualified pledge of protection, has turned one of the last bipartisan issues in America into just another political football -- at the expense of Israel's security.
And why? Because Boehner did not want President Obama to interfere in his seemingly autonomous foreign policy. One likes to think that the leader of the House, the man standing two heartbeats away from the presidency, understands enough about foreign affairs -- and the near unitary role of a president of the United States to conduct them -- so as not to harm American interests. So if this damaging freelancing in the foreign affairs arena by Boehner is not incompetence, what is it? Hubris? Perhaps these are questions best not answered as the U.S. looks increasingly ridiculous on the global diplomatic stage.
Imagine Speaker Tip O'Neill (D-Mass.) inviting Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to address Congress without consulting President Reagan. That's right -- it's unimaginable. Or even the one-time revolutionary Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) dissing President Clinton by inviting some European ally that was challenging American policy in a very public and impertinent way? Again, never happened.
But Boehner is not just undermining the America-Israel alliance; he is also threatening to defund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) even as the threat of terrorism inexorably increases. For example, Italy, one the world's largest economies, a NATO ally and key pillar of the European Union, fears an Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) invasion after the savage murders of journalists in Paris, the echo attacks in Copenhagen and the slaughter of Egyptian Christians on a Libyan beach.
Is it hard to war-game that ISIS leaders are looking at the potential defunding of America's Homeland Security apparatus as a strategic opportunity?
By now, there is probably no one in America who is not aware of the GOP's visceral disgust with undocumented immigrants. From ad hominem attacks, to multiple attempts to defund the Dreamers program so as to deport them, the GOP has employed almost every tactic imaginable to make 2012 presidential nominee Mitt Romney's auto-deportation vision a reality.
But sometimes our imagination fails us.
One is challenged to find a parallel in Republicans' threat to create a gap in America's defenses by defunding DHS just so that immigrants can be hounded out of the country. Perhaps the last Republican Congress's threat to revoke ObamaCare by forcing the U.S. into a default of its national debt, an act specifically prohibited by Section 4 of the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, comes close.
Interestingly, both maneuvers -- the attempt at mass deportations by national security crisis and killing ObamaCare by causing a global financial collapse -- share a basic similarity: Republicans have threatened with different versions of Armageddon if they can't get their way.If you were hoping to see a new Ubuntu phone released sometime soon, we’ve some bad news for you.
And if you already own an Ubuntu phone and were hoping to see a new update released soon, we’ve some bad news for you too.
Bad news for everybody, it seems — or is there a glint of silver lining in the grey clouds now gathering over the project?
‘Switch To Snaps’
Canonical say we won’t see new Ubuntu phone models released until a Snap-based version of Ubuntu to use on them is ready, and that transition, though in progress, will take time.
‘Canonical say we won’t see new Ubuntu phone models for the time being’
Furthermore, Canonical’s Pat McGowan also says rumours that the next over-the-air update due for the Ubuntu phones, OTA-15, will not happen are ‘mostly correct’, and notes that there are currently ‘no plans to land any features to the current stable PPA’.
Yikes!
What few Ubuntu Touch developers there are can, for now, continue to update and upload.Click apps to the Ubuntu store. McGowan cautions that: ‘at some point we will no longer accept new clicks, and then at some further point (all tbd) the store will only serve snaps.’
And if you don’t have a phone that can run snaps? Well, you were sold a development device…
Security Updates Coming
It’s not a total cessation of support, though. Security updates to the native Ubuntu web-browser app (and the Oxide framework) will be released as and when they’re available.
But big new shiny features, capabilities or other mobile-specific improvements are unlikely to come anytime soon, and for the earliest Ubuntu Phones, possibly never.
Snap To The Future
The big “hold up” on progress right now is the transition to Snappy and enabling full support for Snap apps on the Ubuntu desktop.
Snaps rely on features only found in more recent versions of the Linux kernel than that being used on (most of) the currently Ubuntu Phones and tablets.
And because Ubuntu is built on top a (pared back) Android kernel (which is what contains all the relevant hardware drivers and modules that chipset vendors don’t distribute source code to) it’s not as easy as apt-get ‘ing a new one; the phone has to also have a more recent version of Android available for it.
In short, it’s going to take a stack of engineering effort to bring the new Snappy future to this devices …but the appetite to do it may not be there.
Tough choices have to be made
Unity 8 To Seek Feature Parity with Unity 7
As for Unity 8, well, it’s the desktop guise that is due to see the most work (as you’d expect now that Canonical has pivoted away from hyping consumer-focused ‘Scopes’ as the successor to apps and moved on to the more interesting ‘convergence’ capabilities, running desktop apps, and the like).
“While we transition to Snap [desktop features are] the other major area of focus,” McGowan says.
Developers are encouraged to get building Snaps for Ubuntu desktop, and kicking the tyres on the Unity 8 preview session available in Ubuntu 16.10.
It’s Not All Bad News…
Although owners of the early Ubuntu phones may be disappointed to hear that their phone, for which they so invested in early to show support, may not end up being part of Ubuntu’s Snap-ified future, they’ll still have had 2 years of support from Canonical — and that’s roughly the same support period that Google supports Android on Nexus devices for.
Not bad for devices sold as development curiosities!
There is some good news. It looks as though the Bq M10 Ubuntu tablet will get a shiny new ‘reference image’ built on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS with Snaps — hurrah!
The switch does means we’re unlikely we’ll see any major mobile-specific enhancements made to Unity 8 on other devices until the desktop reaches parity with Unity 7.
Either way, the circuitous route to convergence continues apace!A deadly crash that occurred on the QEW this morning remains under investigation by police.
The Ontario Provincial Police say that on Sunday morning, a Nissan Murano had stalled in the right lane of the eastbound QEW near Cawthra Road in Mississauga.
A tow truck subsequently parked in front of it and a Ministry of Transportation crash truck behind it, to warn others of the hazard.
Shortly before 7:30 a.m., police say that a van subsequently struck the crash truck, as well as a Mazda, before coming to rest on the left shoulder.
That Mazda then ended up striking the Nissan, which was pushed into the tow truck.
Police say the two people inside the van were ejected. One of those occupants, a 30-year-old Mississauga man, died at the scene. The driver of that van suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken to hospital.
The three people inside the Mazda were taken to hospital with minor injuries, as was the driver of the Nissan. The MTO crash truck driver also suffered minor injuries.
The crash and subsequent investigation kept the eastbound lanes of the highway closed at Dixie Road for the rest of the morning and much of the afternoon. It has since reopened.The Washington Free Beacon’s Adam Kredo reports Rep. Randy Forbes is upset about the U.S. handling of a seizure of sailors by Iran which took place in January. Forbes tells the Beacon he is relying on a classified briefing available to lawmakers but says the full story probably won’t be declassified for another year:
“I think that when the details actually come out, most Americans are going to be kind of taken aback by the entire incident, both how Iran handled it and how we handled it,” Forbes disclosed. “I think that’s going to be huge cause for concern for most Americans. That’s why I’ve encouraged members of Congress to get that briefing so they do know exactly what did take place.” Forbes suggested that Iran’s treatment of the U.S. sailors—which included filming them crying and forcing them to apologize at gunpoint—may have been much worse than what has been publicly reported. “I think clearly there were violations of international and maritime law that took place here,” Forbes said.
Given what he now knows about the incident, Forbes was particularly upset that Secretary of State John Kerry apologized for the incident.
Last week the Navy announced that it had fired commander Eric Rasch, meaning he will lose his command and be relegated to less critical duties. The Navy also suggested others could face disciplinary action over the incident.
There seems to be no dispute the sailors were out of position when they were captured by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. However, poor treatment of the sailors by Iran would certainly cast another light on the actions of the Secretary of State and, perhaps, the President. Obama has been focused on securing the legacy of his Iran deal despite Iran’s apparent misbehavior including a ballistic missile launch in March.Story highlights Contract negotiated amid grand jury testimony in the Sandusky scandal will stand
"Contracts are contracts," board of trustees chair says
An internal Penn State probe found Paterno could have done more to stop the abuse
A State College mural is altered to remove halo from Paterno's image
The day after an internal review blasted Penn State for its handling of a child sex abuse scandal that implicated top administrators, including the school's iconic head football coach, the board of trustees made it clear that a lucrative deal the university made with Joe Paterno that now benefits his estate will still stand.
"Contracts are contracts," Board of Trustees Chair Karen Peetz said Friday during a trustee meeting in Scranton, Pennsylvania. "And no there's no plan to (change) that."
Renegotiations over Paterno's contract began with university officials in January 2011, according to a source, the same month that Paterno testified before a grand jury about what he knew of child sex abuse accusations against Jerry Sandusky, a former assistant coach on the football team.
Ten months later, Sandusky was arrested. He was convicted last month of sexually abusing children over a 15-year period, with much of the abuse occurring on the Penn State campus.
According to the university website, Paterno's amended contract was finalized in August 2011 and totaled $5.5 million in payouts and benefits, which included a $3 million bonus and title as head football coach emeritus if he retired at the end of the 2011 season.
The package, which was published online in April, also included a $425,000 head coach bonus, $900,000 in television and radio revenue, $250,000 in debt forgiveness, use of the university's luxury box, use of the school's hydrotherapy equipment and $1,000 monthly payment to Paterno's wife for the rest of her life, among other benefits.
Both former university President Graham Spanier and former Vice President Gary Schultz were involved in the renegotiation, while the board of trustees as a whole had been left out of the loop until November when Sandusky was arrested, a source told CNN. Spanier was fired after the grand jury presentment against Sandusky came to light while Schultz was charged along with former Athletics Director Tim Curley with lying to a grand jury and failure to report suspected child abuse.
JUST WATCHED Sandusky victim attorney on Freeh report Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH Sandusky victim attorney on Freeh report 02:49
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After being "bombarded with hate mail and threatened with a defamation lawsuit" following Paterno's firing over the scandal, the board eventually approved Paterno's new contract, according to The New York Times, which first reported the story.
"Board members who raised questions about whether the university ought to go forward with the payments were quickly shut down," the newspaper reported.
CNN cannot independently confirm those accounts.
Former FBI Director Louis Freeh released the results of the university-funded probe on Thursday, reporting that his team of investigators had found that several school officials had "empowered" Sandusky to continue his abuse.
Paterno also could have stopped the attacks had he done more, Freeh concluded.
"Our most saddening and sobering finding is the total disregard for the safety and welfare of Sandusky's child victims by the most senior leaders at Penn State," Freeh wrote.
The 267-page review implicated Spanier, Schultz and Curley in the scandal, but is separate from a government investigation into the charges of perjury and failure to report abuse against Schultz and Curley, whose attorneys blasted the report, calling it a "lopsided document" that did not have access to critical witnesses.
Wick Sollers, a lawyer for the Paterno family, could not be immediately reached for comment Saturday.
The former head coach died of lung cancer in January at the age of 85.
On Saturday, a halo that had been painted above Paterno after he died was removed from a State College, Pennsylvania, mural titled "Inspire."
Meanwhile, Sandusky is awaiting sentencing on his abuse convictions.Each week, Big Issues focuses on a newly released comic book of significance. This week it’s Bizarro #1, written by Heath Corson (Justice League: Throne Of Atlantis, Batman: Assault On Arkham) with art by Gustavo Duarte (Guardians Team-Up, Monsters! & Other Stories) and colorist Pete Pantazis (Earth 2, Trinity). This issue is a stand-out of the DCYou initiative thanks to its all-ages appeal and willingness to move away from continuity, telling a story that is highly accessible and tonally different from most of DC’s line. (This review reveals major plot points.)
After three-and-a-half years of the disappointing New 52 and two months of the lackluster event Convergence, DC Comics knows that it needs to make big changes to win back readers. With the publisher moving offices from Manhattan to Burbank, it’s the perfect time to reevaluate its comics lineup and make some course corrections, and that’s exactly what is happening this June with the DCYou initiative. In addition to launching 21 new titles, DC is giving many of its series new creative teams and/or status quos, with the primary aim of more diversity in styles and characters. (Creator diversity continues to be a problem, though, and with a few exceptions, most of these books are still being written and drawn by straight white men.)
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This week’s new DC releases include five new titles, and while it’s a mixed bag in terms of quality, the strongest debuts build a lot of confidence in the future of DC Comics. Steve Orlando and ACO’s Midnighter is the first DC ongoing series spotlighting a gay male character, and the creative team delivers a quickly paced, visually inventive first issue that highlights the character’s hyper-violent, badass personality while delving into his experience as a gay man entering the dating scene. Tom King and Barnaby Bagenda’s The Omega Men is a tense introduction to a team of cosmic criminals, pulling from King’s experience as a C.I.A. counter-terrorism officer to tell a sci-fi story with strong ties to the current political climate in the Middle East.
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But as captivating as these books are, they don’t take advantage of the new creative freedom quite as much as Heath Corson and Gustavo Duarte’s Bizarro, a delightful six-issue miniseries by two creators making their DC Comics debuts. With a cartoonish art style and silly plot with no ties to larger continuity, this is one of DC’s most kid-friendly books in recent memory, but it has plenty of imagination, wit, and heart to keep adults engaged. It’s not the only new all-ages book released by DC this week, but Bizarro has a lot more going for it than Dan Jurgens and Corin Howell’s Bat-Mite, which lacks a strong central relationship and skips character development to jump into a generic tale about a mad scientist living in a creepy mansion.
Compare Bat-Mite’s plot to Bizarro’s, which partners the titular hero with Superman’s best pal Jimmy Olsen for a road trip across America that features a feisty chupacabra named Colin and an evil plot involving an ancient Egypt-themed car dealership. (It also features an art cameo by comics legend Bill Sienkiewicz, who renders one of Bizarro’s dreams in a frenetic, sketchy style.) It’s goofy and random and everything a book starring Superman’s dysfunctional doppelganger should be. Gustavo Duarte’s rich, expressive artwork is full of vibrant energy that makes the book especially refreshing at DC, which has spent a lot of the last three-and-a-half years telling dreary stories with an uninspiring artistic house style heavily influenced by ’90s superhero comics. Paired with Pete Pantazis’ bright color palette, Duarte’s art is the biggest indicator of how dramatic a shift Bizarro is from what DC has been doing lately, but it’s a very welcome one, particularly in regards to continuity.
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DC and Marvel have both struggled with making books accessible to new and casual superhero comic readers because their lines are so steeped in continuity between titles. The easiest way around this problem is by having standalone series that are completely separated from larger happenings in the DC and Marvel Universes. Keep a line of shared universe books for readers who want everything to be tightly connected, but have an equal amount of titles where creators can take whatever version of an established character they want and tell a story without worrying about how it fits with previous interpretations and events in other titles. The less restrictions placed on a creator, the higher the likelihood of getting something truly unique, which is what superhero comics should be striving for right now.
DC is making big changes to Superman’s character (check out this week’s exceptional Action Comics #41 for more), but Bizarro pays those developments no mind. The book has zero ties to the larger DC Universe, which gives Corson and Duarte the opportunity to tell their story without making any compromises for a larger editorial vision. A wacky buddy comedy with Bizarro and Jimmy Olsen isn’t the kind of thing DC would have put out in the New 52, and the fact that this book even exists means that DC is taking steps in the right direction.
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The relationship between Jimmy and Bizarro is the thing that gives this book more depth beyond the fun jokes and visual gags, and Bizarro’s desire to be Jimmy’s “worstest friend” introduces an emotional element that makes the hulking brute very endearing. Bizarro dialogue can be grating in the wrong hands, but Corson has a very strong handle on the character’s opposite-speech. Bizarro is essentially a giant child in very early stages of mental development, and his naïve observations are sure to entertain young readers. Even better, Bizarro speech invites an added level of interaction for beginning readers, who need to decipher what Bizarro’s true intent by tapping into their knowledge of opposite words. With the exception of one needlessly gory image of a chupacabra eating a goat’s brain, Bizarro is a great book for parents to read with their children; the storytelling is easy to follow, each character has a distinct voice, and the cartoonish artwork gives the book an aesthetic aligned with the other media children are absorbing at that age.
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Kyle Baker draws the variant cover for Bizarro #1, which is fitting considering Baker’s Plastic Man is very much a spiritual successor to this title. Heavily inspired by the work of animators like Tex Avery and Chuck Jones, Baker’s Plastic Man is a madcap superhero comic that is also a sharp critique of grim and gritty comics and the post-9/11 U.S. government, making it an all-ages comic with immense substance to go with all the style and wit. (Baker’s run has sadly never been fully collected in print, but DC recently uploaded the entire series to Comixology, making it easy for readers to catch up on this modern superhero classic.) Bizarro doesn’t have the bite of Plastic Man, but it has the energy and the distance from continuity, telling a story that is perfect for new readers who want beautifully illustrated superhero stories that prioritize fun above all else.Jamal Saidi – WNN Opinion
(WNN/MWN) Casablanca, MOROCCO: Last month at Al Azhar University, Sheikh Mustapha Mohamed Rashed defended a thesis that sparked a heated debate among religious scholars. The candidate concluded that Hijab, or the veil, is not an Islamic duty.
The claim is not the first of its kind, but the mere fact that it is adopted in Al Azhar University – the Sunni Islam’s foremost seat of learning –makes it controversial.
Sheikh Mustapha Mohamed Rashed argued that Hijab is not an Islamic duty. He stated that Hijab refers to the cover of the head, which is not mentioned in the Holy Quran at all. “Nonetheless, a bunch of scholars insisted vehemently that the veil is both an Islamic duty and one of the most important pillars of Islam,” he added.
In doing so, the PhD candidate points out, “they deviated from the purposes of the Islamic law and “Sahih Atafsir” or the true interpretation. They rejected reasoning and relied only on literal text.”
According to Mohamed Rashed, these scholars de-contextualized the verses of the Quran and interpreted them in their very own liking, following some ancient scholars, as if what they said is sacred and is no subject to Ijtihad.
Ijtihad is a technical term, which literally means “exertion” in a jurisprudential sense; it is the exertion of mental energy by a Muslim jurist to deduce legal rulings from Islam’s sacred texts.1
The researcher continued that the scholars, who claim that Hijab is an important pillar of Islam, departed from “Al Minhaj Assahih,” or the true path, of interpretation and reasoning, which interprets the verses according to their historical context and the causes of revelation. These scholars “interpreted the verses in their general sense, overlooking the causes of their revelation, intentionally or due to their limited intellectual capacity resulted in psychological scourge.” Worse yet, they approached hundreds of important issues in the same way.”
“The supporters of Hijab as an Islamic duty base their arguments on inconsistent and wrong evidence. They would ascribe various meanings to the veil, from Hijab to Khimar to Jalabib, a fact which shows that they digressed from the true meaning they intended to address, the cover of the head,” he added. The researcher attempted to deconstruct the three claims that are derived from interpretations of the sacred texts.
Literally, Hijab means “a veil,” “curtain,” “partition” or “separation.” 2 The verse in which it is mentioned is specifically addressed to the wives of the prophet; there is no dispute among scholars about that at all. The verse states as follow,.
“And when you ask [his wives] for something, ask them from behind a partition ( hijab). That is purer for your hearts and their hearts. And it is not [conceivable or lawful] for you to harm the Messenger of Allah or to marry his wives after him, ever. Indeed, that would be in the sight of Allah an enormity.“( Quran 33: 53)
The term hijab then is meant to have a partition between the wives of the prophet and his companions. It is not addressed to the Muslim women, otherwise it would have been stated, says Mohamed Rashed.
Bouthaina Shaaban seems to have held the same belief.3She said that those who imitate the wives of the prophet and wear the Hijab are disobeying God’s will, for He said,
“O wives of the Prophet, you are not like anyone among women.” (Quran 33: 32)
As for the term Khimar, it is found in a verse of the Quran stating,
“And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests.” (Quran 24: 31)
The researcher pointed out that the evidence is invalid. The intent of the text is to refer to the cover of the breast whose exposure is un-Islamic, but not to what is perceived nowadays as Hijab for the head.
In this regard, it is believed that when the pre-Islamic Arabs went to battle, Arab women seeing the men off to war would bare their breasts to encourage them to fight; or they would do so at the battle itself, as in the case of the Meccan women led by Hind at the Battle of Uhud.2
Nikkie Keddie, a prominent historian and an expert on women’s issues in Islam, said that this verse does not refer to covering the hair. It was only “later interpreted as meaning covering the whole body, including the hair, and most of the face.” She continued that; “This interpretation is illogical. If the whole body and face were meant, there would be no reason to tell women to veil their bosoms specifically, while the later interpretation of ‘adornment’ to mean everything but the hands, feet, and (possibly) the face is a forced one.4
However, Al Qaradawi, a famous Egyptian scholar, quoted the same verse to conclude that the Hijab is compulsory and is an injunction based on a literal reading of the Koran. He asserted that the Hijab is, “not the result of an opinion by jurists or even by Muslims; it is a Koranic order.”5
As regards the verse in which Jalabib is mentioned, the researcher considered it to be misplaced evidence.
“O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused.” (Quran 33:59)
The supporters of Hijab as an Islamic duty overlooked the historical background and the cause of revelation, for the verse was meant to distinguish between the pure and promiscuous women and slaves. At that time, all women tended not to cover their faces. Hence, the verse was revealed so as to protect the pure from some men, who would gaze at them while they were excreting or urinating.
Mustapha Mohamed Rashed rejected the Hadith, reported by Abu Dawud, in which Asma, daughter of Abu Bakr, was ordered by the prophet to expose only her face and palms. He says it should not be taken into any sort of consideration because it is “Ahaad” or its narration does not fulfill one of the most important required conditions, connectivity.
It is not clear whether the dissertation was preserved on the shelves of Al Azhar University and could not be discussed. This possibility made the Moroccan newspaper, Almassaa, wonder if the Arab Spring was conducive in bringing this issue to the surface.
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2012 WNN – Women News Network
WNN encourages conversation. All opinions expressed here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of WNN – Women News Network. This op-ed originally appeared on Morocco World News (MWN). No part of this commentary (op-ed) may be reproduced without prior permissions from MWN &/or the author.
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Like this: Like Loading...Giancarlo Esposito From ‘Assault On Arkham’ Is Sorry He Wasn’t Part Of The ‘Suicide Squad’ Film
Breaking Bad‘s Giancarlo Esposito is known for voicing animated versions of DC characters, including Ra’s al-Ghul in Son of Batman and Black Spider in Suicide Squad: Assault on Arkham. Although unconfirmed, it has been widely speculated that Assault of Arkham had largely served as inspiration for David Ayer’s 2016 Suicide Squad film. Even if that was the case, unfortunately for Esposito, his character Black Spider didn’t make the live action cut.
While chatting with ComicBook.com, Esposito let it be known that he would have liked to be involved with the Suicide Squad film. He comments on the financial success (and critical panning) of Ayer’s film, if he plans on seeing the film, and what he thinks about the cast of the movie. Check out his comments below:
“It has been weird. I haven’t seen the film yet. I know, I don’t like to poo poo anything. I know I heard some various different critical comments on how the movie is. I would like to see it because I did work on the animated one. I think it’s a wonderful story. It’s certainly been successful. What does that mean? I’m very happy for their success. I will see. I’m proud to have been part of the animated version. I’m sorry that I wasn’t a part of this version. It probably would have been fun to. I love Will Smith. I love a bunch of the actors in it but haven’t seen it yet.”
His character Black Spider did not make an appearance at all in the first film, meaning that if they did choose to use the character in a sequel then Esposito still had a chance at the role. When reminded of that, Esposito had this to say:
“That’s right! So there’s still room for [the sequel] to be even better!”
The story of Assault on Arkham pits the Squad against The Joker, who hid a dirty bomb somewhere in Gotham. The film used The Joker as a supporting character to Harley Quinn’s story and changed the big bad to The Enchantress, adding an element of magic that didn’t really exist in the animated version. The film is original among DC’s feature-length direct-to-DVD animated films in that it is set in the Batman: Arkham video game series universe, and features details from the game’s mythology. The Suicide Squad movie resides firmly within the DC Extended Film Universe.
Do you want to see Giancarlo Esposito make an appearance as Black Spider |
great people, you’re intelligent, you’re thoughtful, some of you are mean, but I know it comes from a place of passion. It’s just fun to interact, Star Trek was a huge part of my life and I miss it, and it’s nice to reminisce about it with fans.
More Star Trek Las Vegas Coverage
Trek vets talk about Star Trek: Discovery
What We Left Behind Team Gives Details On DS9 Doc
Karl Urban talks Star Trek 4, Beyond, Judge Dredd and more
Marina Sirtis Says Paramount Threatened To Replace Her With Jeri Ryan In Star Trek Nemesis
Star Trek Film Academy At Original Series Set Tour Announcement
Patrick Stewart Talks About Gene Roddenberry Opposing His Casting As Picard And More
Denise Crosby talks about her plan for ‘Trekkies 3’
Full videos from ‘Discovery’ actors and writers panels
Star Trek Online announces LeVar Burton to reprise his role as Geordi LaForge for game
Panel: Details and covers for first ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ novel and comic revealed
Interview: Sam Vartholomeos and Wilson Cruz
Interview: Mary Chieffo And Kenneth Mitchell
Panel: Actors Discuss Different Klingon Houses In ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ + First Image of Kol Revealed
Panel: Writers Talk Technobabble, Timelines And How ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Is Telling Our War Story
…and believe it or not we still have some stuff from STLV to cover.Here at Branch, we exist to make mobile linking easier. Branch Links deliver many different things such as smart redirecting, contextual deep linking, search indexing and download analytics. We think about mobile linking 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and have found there to be a lot of confusion around how to deep link on Facebook. We hope this guide serves to clear some of that up.
Deep Linking with Facebook App Links
By the end of this post I’ll answer the following questions:
What do Facebook App Links do?
How do Facebook App Links work?
Why is deep linking important on Facebook?
I’ll also cover the 3 different deep linking features (advertisements, posts, and app invites) along with mini case studies for each.
Update: For our most recent update on deep linking from Facebook. Check out our blog, How to Deep Link Off of Facebook in 2016.
What is Deep Linking?
In case you’ve been living under a rock, here’s a quick summary of deep linking. It’s been around since the first version of Android and a very early version of iOS, but very few native apps have adopted the technology because it’s so confusing to do so. In short, it’s a way to make links to native mobile apps function in the same way as links to websites. In the web world, when you click on a link to a video on YouTube, you see that video immediately. Deep linking gives every page in the native app a unique link, so that the user can click on a link to access that page in the app immediately.
What are Facebook App Links?
The most confusing thing about Facebook’s App Links is that they are not actually links. It’s a classic case of a marketing team out of control. If you’re familiar with Open Graph metatags, App Links are basically the same thing with different property labels. (If you want to learn more about App Links, check out our blog on How to Deferred Deep Link with App Links for Facebook Install Ads.)
Here’s an example of the IMDB page for The Rock with OG tags as most of you might know. These OG tags are read in by the Facebook robot when trying to format the link on Facebook with a picture and a title.
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And here is the same version with the appropriate App Links tags appended:
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As you can see, App Links are just some metatags that need to be added to your website. You need to figure out how to host them if you don’t have a site already. When the Facebook robot scrapes these tags to display a formatted post inside one of the native mobile clients, it changes the click behavior of that link with this logic:
1. If no App Links tags, the mobile website loads 100% of the time. 2. If App Links tags: a. If IMDB installed on the phone, Facebook will open up IMDB right away b. If the app is not installed, the mobile website loads
That’s all they do: tell Facebook how to open up the app if it’s installed. The worst part about it is that they don’t even work anywhere else. They don’t work on Pinterest, Twitter, Email, SMS.. etc. As a developer you still need to:
1. Build a website to host metatags 2. Support all additional metatags for Google, Pinterest, Twitter, etc 3. Handle the redirection to the App/Play Store if the app is not installed 4. Support deep link routing inside your app, which means you need to: a. Come up with a deep link schema b. Support multiple entry paths in the app c. Load appropriate view on link click
Why Bother Deep Linking?
Why on earth would you ever want to go through the hassle? It’s so much work to build deep linking into your app, even if you just want to support Facebook. Is it worth it?
The short answer is yes. You need deep linking for growth.
Consumer studies that show that around 60% of app discovery happens through social recommendation or digital marketing through the main publishers, like Facebook. This work is primarily done through links that are posted to channels like Facebook, which raise awareness and prompt a user to download the app. The problem is that the install is just the beginning of your customer life cycle. Studies show that less than half of people who install your app will ever register to start using it. This is where deep linking can help.
Think of your app like a set of really steep stairs. Users who show up at the foot of the stairs have very little energy to climb those stairs and few people will ever make it to the top. The first step is the install process. Most people will see that step and immediately walk away. Those that make it past will be tired and cranky, so any more steps in their way will only cause more people to turn back. In this analogy, deep linking is like an elevator that appears after the first step, ready to take people where they want to go. Many of the users who would have just turned back after facing the next step, can get aboard the elevator and skip ahead.
The experience becomes delightful, and has a dramatic impact on the overall health of the user base. Users that originate from a deep link are twice as likely to register in the app and three times more likely to stick around after 3 days have passed since download. Simply put: deep linking is a must have.
Branch Simplifies the Process
With so many large tech players trying to create a deep linking standard, they’ve muddled the definition of deep linking and made it difficult for developers to really understand what they’re getting into. Branch was created as a way to dramatically simplify the process, so you’d only ever need to build in one SDK to start deep linking in 100% of the use cases.
For example, if you’re planning on deep linking on iOS, you just need to add in a snippet of code to the AppDelegate that registers your deep link handler.
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The deep link handler is called whenever a user opens your app. Think of this like the elevator. The params dictionary will carry with it the link data, indicating which floor your should take your user to. If there’s no data in the params dictionary, that means the user just opened the app without clicking a link, so you can take them to the home page. It’s as easy as that.
Now, for example, when you want to create a deep link, you just make a call to the SDK and pass in all of the parameters you’d like to store in that link.
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The service will immediately return an HTTPS url that you can post anywhere. The best part about it is that the link will immediately work on Facebook (and all other channels), because it automatically inserts the appropriate AppLinks metatags for you. You no longer have to spend hours designing your deep linking schema or building out a server to insert AppLinks, Branch Links do it all for you.
It’s pretty awesome. Let’s look at some examples of great Facebook deep linking integrations to get your mental juices flowing. I’ll cover Shared Posts, App Invites, and Advertising. You’ll also understand how it was built using a Branch Link, in case you’d like to implement it yourself.
Shared Posts
Facebook sharing. The most basic and most common but most powerful form of virality there is. An influential shared post has the potential to cause massive adoption of a new service and is an essential feature in any new app. Deep linking makes shared posts much better. Let’s look at an example first:
iHeartRadio is a great app to listen to local radio stations straight from your phone, using data as opposed to radio technology. A lot of users were sharing stations with their friends, but the experience for a new user was poor. Before they implemented Branch, a user would click on a shared station in their news feed, install the app and get presented with a signup screen. This was a giant friction point, causing many users to drop off.
To solve it, they implemented deep linking, so that a user who installed the app after clicking on a link could be taken to the radio station immediately. It significantly improved the number of users who stuck around after install, improving retention and increasing the overall user base.
Here’s how they built it in iOS (the process is very similar in Android). When a user is listening to a station and goes to share, they present the UIActivityViewController like so:
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A few important points to note here. First, the developers embed the station_id into the params dictionary. Additionally, they specify the Branch specific parameters to define the open graph tags ($og_title, $og_description, $og_image_url) of the link. These parameters tell Branch how to display the link once it hits Facebook.
The latter part of this code will immediately launch the share sheet in the iOS app, to let the user choose from an array of options.
Awesome. Now your app can be shared to start that viral growth. We’re almost done!
The last step is how to handle the user who had just clicked on this link. This is where the deep link handler comes in. We need to configure the elevator to respond to users who came from a radio station link. Above, we embedded the key “station_id” into the link, so we know any user who clicks on that link will pass in the “station_id” via the dictionary of params for the deep link handler. We simply need to add a check for the station identifier.
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It’s as easy as that.
App Invites
One of the biggest upsets in Facebook developer history happened with Graph 2.0. Effectively, Facebook blocked access to the friend graph so that developers could no longer show a list of friends in a proper format. To balance this, they launched the App Invites feature to allow users to invite their friends. From a functionality perspective, it’s a one to one message that appears in the invitee’s notifications list. Unfortunately, this section of Facebook is typically ignored and can lead to people feeling frustrated when they constantly get invites to play social games.
What’s different than exposing the friend graph? Well, Facebook shows the list of friends in their own view and you can’t can’t access it. This has it positives and negatives. On the positive side, Facebook can list the friends at the top with who the user communicates the most with. On the negative side, you control almost nothing about the invite flow. The styling, messaging, formatting, etc is all left to the whims of the designer.
Let’s talk about an app that does this well. You almost never want to have a plain invite feature without any sort of incentives or justifications behind it. No one will use it. An app called Women’s World Cup launched recently which used Branch deep links to wrap the App Invite feature inside their referral program. They can create a unique Branch link for each user and stick it into the App Invite flow. When a new user installs the app, Branch passes the referring user information into the new user’s app version so that they can track the referrals. The user flow starts with the Facebook App Invites as a button on the screen next to SMS, Email and Twitter and ends with an invite showing inside the notification bar of the invited user.
Here’s how they built it.
Launching the invite flow is very simple. They simply to create a Branch link and pop up the invite dialog. While creating the Branch link, they insert the referring user ID. Then, before launching the App Invite dialog, they set the Branch link to be their appLinkURL.
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Branch actually comes with a full referral point tracking system but Women’s World Cup developers had already built their invite flow. Therefore, in the deep link callback, they check if the @”referring_user_id” is present in the params dictionary. If it is, they send a notification to their server that this particular referring user id completed a successful referral.
Advertising
While Facebook advertising might not be a sustainable strategy for long-term app user acquisition, it certainly has it’s time and place. Up until a few months ago, deep linking was only available for Facebook re-engagement ads (ads which are shown to users who already have your app). A few months ago, Facebook opened up the install ad unit to allow for deep linking as well. This means that you don’t need to advertise for your app anymore, you can literally advertise for a piece of content or a product within your app. You can offer coupons and other things to users who have never heard of you. It’s a powerful feature.
A company that has done this particularly well on the Branch platform is a gift card app called Raise. They allow people to buy, sell, and trade gift cards from the website and app. A tactic that they have found particularly effective is to run a paid advertisement for a particular gift card type, to a demographic that they know to like that gift card. Here’s an example of a Macy’s gift card.
In order to accomplish this, they simply needed to configure their deep link handler to look for a @”coupon_id” similar to the above examples. If this particular key was detected, they would load the view controller for the specific coupon right away.
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Then, they used the Branch dashboard to create the link to be used in the Facebook advertisement. On the marketing page, they can specify which coupon id to embed in the particular link. Then, they simply need to paste the Branch link into the appropriate field while creating the ad. It’s that easy!
Voila! Now you’re deep linking your ads.
Conclusion
At this point, we’ve reviewed the three major uses of deep linking on Facebook in addition to providing some simple instruction on how to get started. Deep linking is an essential tool that you should bundle into your next update as it can dramatically impact the adoption of your app. It doesn’t take much time but is an investment that will pay dividends of quality users for many years to come.
Unsure how to get started, or just interested in learning more? Now’s the perfect time to request a Branch demo—one of our mobile experts will be in touch.
Branch is now a Facebook Mobile Measurement Partner! This means that in addition to enhancing Facebook ads with deep links, Branch can also provide you with best-in-class attribution and analytics for Facebook app ads. To learn more, click here!In this photo taken June 1, 2013, on Mackinac Island, Mich., members of the Council of Great Lakes Governors discuss regional policies on trade and water quality. From left: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence. (AP Photo/John Flesher)
MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich. (AP) — Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn said Saturday that separating the Great Lakes and Mississippi River systems is the "ultimate solution" to prevent voracious Asian carp from overrunning the lakes, a potential step toward resolving a longstanding regional feud.
During a meeting with governors of several neighboring states, Quinn said it would be a massive and costly undertaking to rework the Chicago canal project that linked the two giant watersheds a century ago. He defended Illinois' efforts to block the advance of silver and bighead carp toward the lakes by hiring commercial fishermen and operating an electric barrier, but acknowledged more needs to be done.
"Ultimately, I think we have to separate the basins," Quinn said. "I really feel that is the ultimate solution."
His comment during a Council of Great Lakes Governors panel discussion on this Lake Huron resort island drew applause from government officials, environmental advocates and others in attendance. "I hope you're clapping when Congress comes to invest the money," Quinn said. "It has to be a national project."
But Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, a Republican whose state has sided with Illinois in opposing separation, told reporters his position had not changed. It would "cost thousands of Hoosier jobs and cause additional harm to many Hoosiers to manufacture and grow our products," Pence said. "It's important that we deal with this issue but it's also important that we deal with it in a way preserves the logistical advantages and opportunity to move commerce through our region."
Asian carp were imported in the 1970s to cleanse Deep South aquaculture and sewage treatment ponds. Some escaped during floods and have migrated northward in the Mississippi River and its tributaries. They have advanced to within 55 miles of Lake Michigan in the Illinois River, which connects with a shipping canal and other waters that reach Lake Michigan.
The Great Lakes region has been sharply divided over how to deal with the threat. Michigan went to court in an unsuccessful effort to force closure of Chicago-area shipping locks, then joined four other states — Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio and Pennsylvania — in a lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Chicago's water district, claiming their refusal to physically separate the watersheds was creating a public nuisance. A federal judge tossed out the case in December.
Indiana and Illinois have contended that separation would boost flood risks and disrupt water tourism and commercial shipping in the busy metro area. They say the electric barrier in the shipping canal is keeping the carp at bay. But scientists have detected Asian carp DNA in dozens of water samples collected farther upstream, some just a few miles from Lake Michigan.
Quinn told reporters that any separation project would have to address economic and safety concerns. He said he was "intrigued" by a 2012 study that proposed three alternatives for placing dam-like structures in the Chicago waterways. The Great Lakes Commission estimated the price tag would range from $3.2 billion to $9.5 billion.
"I personally favor rigorous study of what the costs are and what has to be done in order to carry it out," said Quinn, a Democrat. "There's no question it would be a very expensive endeavor. But if it's necessary to have clean water in the Great Lakes in the 21st century, it's worth looking at."
Even though he stopped well short of endorsing a particular plan, many at the conference described Quinn's embrace of the separation idea as significant.
"I think it's great to see people talking about longer-term solutions," said Rick Snyder, Michigan's Republican governor. Chris Kolb, president of the Michigan Environmental Council, called it "a very positive step forward."
"There's been so much rancor and disagreement about this issue," said Joel Brammeier, president of the Alliance for the Great Lakes, a Chicago-based environmental group. "To hear Gov. Quinn make a point of bringing it up in this forum speaks volumes."Coinjoker is the team of experts specialized in building bitcoin, cryptocurrency exchange and trading platforms for startups. We have built white label crypto currency exchange script to kick start crypto exchange project without hassle. Our main objective is delivering the high class exchange website end to end protected security. So far in our Journey, we have completed over 50+ successful projects and giving the cryptocurrency business solutions across the globe.
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SAN DIEGO — One of San Diego's oldest residents has died.
The Los Angeles Times reports that the Galapagos tortoise known as Speed has been euthanized at an estimated age of more than 150 years.
Speed had been living at the San Diego Zoo since 1933. He was brought to California as part of an early effort to preserve the endangered species from the Volcan Cerro Azul Island of the Galapagos Islands, off Ecuador.
The massive tortoise had been in geriatric decline for some time. Keepers treated his arthritis and other maladies with medication, hydrotherapy, physical therapy and acupuncture.
Speed was known in his younger years as an alpha male who would butt heads with other males in dominance skirmishes.
Thirteen Galapagos tortoises still remain at the zoo.
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1Lm7DtYUniversal Orlando's largest on-site hotel is going to get even bigger in the future. Yesterday morning, the official Universal Orlando Blog confirmed that two new towers will soon be built next to the existing hotel, adding a total of 400 new rooms, many of which will provide some truly amazing views of Volcano Bay (Universal's new water park that is currently scheduled to open in 2017). The two new towers will open in 2017. No opening date has been released yet.
Here you are the complete post, as seen on the official
"The first time I set foot on what was then the empty land that would become Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort, I remember thinking—and pardon the cliché, but I have to go there—”if you build it, they will come.” My next thought was “I really need to get a pair of work boots.”
Those boots came in handy, as we hiked around on tours, photo shoots, video shoots and more as the hotel came out of the ground.
Soon, we’ll begin work on two new towers, with 400 additional guest rooms, at the south end of the property near the Continental and Americana Towers. Set to open in 2017, some of these rooms will have amazing views of Universal’s Volcano Bay.
We’ll be sharing more details as the project moves ahead and, of course, we’ll let you know when we start accepting reservations for the new towers.
These days, my work boots are back out. Not only because of this upcoming expansion, but also because of Loews Sapphire Falls Resort, which is rising up from a site between Cabana Bay Beach Resort and Loews Royal Pacific Resort. [...]"IN LATE APRIL, then Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar launched a new campaign entitled ‘Welfare Cheats Cheat Us All’ encouraging the reporting of welfare benefit fraud by the public.
The campaign has generated a great deal of debate, both from those approving of the sentiment and those harshly critical of the policy.
One of the key claims of the initiative (which remains prominently displayed on the Department of Social Protection’s (DSP) website, and was used as a marquee figure in the advertising drive which went along with the campaign) is that €500 million was saved in Ireland last year on foot of members of the public reporting relatives, friends, neighbours, and acquaintances on suspicion of benefit fraud.
A subsequent 15 May debate on RTÉ’s Today With Seán O’Rourke between south Dublin Fine Gael councillor Paddy Smyth and former welfare fraud inspector Bernadette Gorman saw Gorman argue that the figure is in fact closer to €41 million.
Source: Sam Boal
So which side is telling the truth?
(Send your FactCheck requests to [email protected], tweet @TJ_FactCheck, or send us a DM).
Claim: €500 million was saved in Ireland in 2016 as a result of the reporting of benefit fraud
The Evidence
In order to FactCheck this claim, we asked the DSP to provide:
Details of all reports of fraud made by members of the public to DSP in 2016
The calculations used to arrive at the figure of €500 million
The nature of any estimates or modelling that might be used to approximate the overall figure
The Department’s response can be viewed here.
Source: Department of Social Protection
The key to the Department’s approach to estimating fraud is a ‘control’ scheme, one that uses a series of multipliers (estimates of how long a fraud would continue to be carried out before being brought to a halt in other words) in its calculations.
In simpler terms, the Department assumes that if a fraud isn’t detected, it will continue for a set further period of time, with different time periods applied to each of the 70 welfare schemes DSP operates.
These calculations cover both reductions in and termination of payments once fraud has been identified, and are measured in weeks (and in certain cases months). They range in size from 26 weeks for Jobseeker’s Benefit (for both reduction in payment and termination), to 52/136 weeks for Carer’s Allowance and most other benefits, to 12/34 months for Child Benefit.
The Department declined to provide TheJournal.ie with calculations regarding how the figures for individual benefits were calculated; however, the overall figures contributing to the €506 million figure are as follows:
Savings breakdown by scheme 2016 Source: Department of Social Protection
Click here to view a larger image
Note that the overall estimated figure of €506 million is not atypical in recent years – in fact according to figures released to Sinn Féin TD John Brady on the subject (viewable here), the total breached €600 million in the austerity years of 2011, 2012, and 2013:
Source: Department of Social Protection
Click here to view a larger image
“The methodology underpinning the calculation of the savings was developed by the Department, in conjunction with the CSO and is similar to that used in other countries, such as the UK and Australia,” the DSP said in relation to the system used to estimate welfare fraud.
However, that system has been in use since at least 2009 – whether or not it has been adjusted to account for changing social metrics such as rising/falling unemployment is unclear.
The DSP, in its release to TheJournal.ie, states that 19,361 reports of benefit fraud were reported by members of the public in 2016:
Number of reports of fraud 2016 Source: Department of Social Protection
Click here to view a larger image
However, it also states that:
Recent exercises concluded that savings and/or overpayments have been recorded in about one-third of cases where a report was received from a member of the public.
This statement is given a caveat – “note that this work is not designed – nor is it large enough – to allow for statistical inferences to be drawn from the results” – however, for the basis of this FactCheck we will assume this one-third figure is applicable across the board.
Running the Numbers
Source: Department of Social Protection
Click here to view a larger image
Let’s take the three largest figures attributed to welfare schemes as samples.
These three schemes account for almost two-thirds – €318 million – of all welfare fraud savings made last year, according to DSP. In each sample, we’ll be looking at how many allegations of each type of fraud there were last year, how many were likely to have resulted in actual fraud, and the total savings this would have amounted to.
These calculations have been arrived at with the assistance of Professor Micheál Collins of the UCD School of Social Policy.
Jobseeker’s Benefit / Allowance
Number of reports in 2016 – 5,310; Estimated savings €172 million
Jobseeker’s welfare benefits form almost 40% of DSP’s overall calculations for last year, so these schemes are particularly significant.
For the duration of 2016, jobseeker’s benefit was €188 per week. Using the €172 million total, this indicates 914,894 weeks of fraud savings last year. Using the above table of multipliers, DSP assumes that each beneficiary of welfare fraud is equivalent to 26 weeks of payments lost. Dividing the total number of weeks by 26 therefore indicates 35,188 individuals were guilty of jobseekers’ fraud last year – which equates to 12% of the average number of people on Ireland’s live register (302,945) in 2016. In other words, the assumption is that one in ten people claiming jobseeker’s benefit are committing fraud. Which is a high figure by anyone’s standards.
However, DSP’s own figures appear to contradict this.
5,310 reports of such fraud were made last year. However, assuming only one-third of those led to savings/overpayments, that figure becomes 1,770. Which leads to two possibilities:
(i) 1,770 x 52 weeks (multiplier used for Jobseeker’s Allowance) x €188 = €17.3 million
(ii) 1,770 x 26 weeks (multiplier used for Jobseeker’s Benefit) x €188 = €8.65 million
Splitting the difference here gives an indicative figure saved of just under €13 million, or about 7.6% of €172 million – less than a tenth of the actual savings being claimed.
One Parent Family Benefit (OPFB)
Number of reports in 2016 – 3,383; Estimated savings €77 million
Throughout 2016 the OPFB stood at €188 per week, with an additional €29.80 per child covered. For the basis of this comparison, we’ll assume a single parent and two children -or payments of €247.60 weekly. The control number of weeks for termination of this benefit is 136 (more than 2.5 years). That suggests a saving to be made per incidence of fraud of €33,674. Using the €77 million total estimate, this indicates fraudulent claims at the full estimated rate in 2016.
The most recent Social Welfare Services statistical report (for 2015, available here) indicates that €670.1 million was spent by the State on this benefit that year. This indicates an overall incidence of fraud rate of 11.5%, which is broadly in line with the assumed rate of fraud for jobseekers detailed above.
Again, however, DSP’s figures appear to contradict this.
3,383 reports of such fraud were made last year. Again, assuming only one-third of those led to savings, that figure becomes 1,128:
(i) 1,128 x 52 weeks (multiplier used for reduction in payment) x €247.60 = €14.5 million
(ii) 1,128 x 136 weeks (multiplier used for termination of payment) x €247.60 = €38 million
Even taking into account the larger multiplier, which would appear to be very high, the estimated figure of €38 million saved is less than 50% of €77 million - less than half of the actual savings being claimed.
Child Benefit
Number of reports in 2016 – 556; Estimated savings €69 million
From January 2016, the child benefit rate per month in Ireland was €140, or €1,680 per year. This indicates 41,071 instances of such fraud in 2016. According to the 2016 census, there were 1,190,502 children aged 18 or younger in the state. Assuming one payment per child, that indicates a fraud rate of 3.4% – or one in every 30 children’s benefits are fraudulent. Again, this seems quite a high estimate given the strict nature of the child registration process.
Once more, DSP’s figures appear to contradict this.
556 reports of such fraud were made last year. Again, assuming only one-third of those led to savings, that figure becomes 185:
(i) 185 x 12 months (multiplier used for reduction in payment) x €140 = €310,800
(ii) 185 x 34 months (multiplier used for termination of payment) x €140 = €880,600
Again, even taking into account the larger multiplier, which assumes nearly three years worth of savings per instance of child benefit fraud, the estimated figure of €0.9 million saved is less than 1.3% of €69 million - just over one hundredth of the savings being claimed by DSP.
Conclusion
Together the three benefits analysed account for 63% (€318 million) of the DSP’s announced savings of €506 million as a result of reported fraud in 2016.
From our analysis, even following what appear to be especially high multipliers used to estimate savings, that figure is closer to €51.9 million – just 16% of the €318 million officially estimated by DSP. Note that this is an especially generous reading of these multipliers – others have estimated that the savings made were considerably lower.
It should be noted also that even if the savings figures for the remaining welfare schemes were 100% accurate, the total could not come close to the €506 million being claimed. In fact, using our calculations as a proxy for the remainder, the overall savings figure would be in the region of €82 million.
It also bears repeating that while DSP provided TheJournal.ie with the system of multipliers used when estimating fraud savings, the Department declined to provide its own methods for calculating those figures. Therefore, it has not been possible to check the logic behind those calculations.
There are two conclusions to be taken from our own calculations:
The estimated savings made by DSP as a result of reported fraud bear little or no resemblance to the reality Even if the €506 million figure were accurate, it would indicate a highly inefficient welfare system with nearly 3% of all transactions (overall annual budget for DSP is approximately €20 billion) being fraudulent
Assistant Secretary at DSP Kathleen Stack with then Minister Leo Varadkar, pictured at the launch of the Welfare Cheats campaign on 17 April Source: Sam Boal
The purpose of this FactCheck is not to question why DSP’s savings estimates are as high as they are (and have been so consistently for at least the last eight years). However, in anecdotal conversation with statistical experts conducted in preparation for this article, it has been suggested that such outlandish figures were possibly of benefit to the Department when Ireland was involved with the Troika in the early years of this decade, and huge savings were expected to be achieved at all levels of government.
Given that Ireland now appears to be relatively clear of recession, such substantial welfare fraud makes far less intuitive sense.
In its correspondence with TheJournal.ie, DSP claimed that its system for estimating fraud is subject to “frequent reviews”, but also acknowledged that the last review of its welfare fraud estimating procedures was run in 2012 by the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG).
It also acknowledged that this review five years ago “recommended changes”, which do not appear to have been applied as yet.
“The Department is rolling out updated IT systems during 2017 to improve the data collection and analysis of its control activities,” its statement reads.
Regardless, for this FactCheck, the conclusion regarding the Department’s claim is that it is false.
Claim: €500 million was saved in Ireland in 2016 as a result of the reporting of benefit fraud
Conclusion: False
TheJournal.ie’s FactCheck is a signatory to the International Fact-Checking Network’s Code of Principles. You can read it here.GOONJ is an NGO formed in 1999, working on issues of urban waste and social distribution.
Chintan, a material recovery facility at New Delhi Railway Station, and GOONJ, an NGO working in the area of urban waste, have jointly won the seventh Deutsche Bank Urban Age Award 2014 in Delhi, which entails a cash prize of $1,00,000. The winners were chosen by an independent jury from 135 entries, eventually coming down to a shortlist of nine finalists. The shortlist included the likes of Delhi Haat, Center for Social Research, Yamuna Biodiversity Park, Katha and Khoj.
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Anshu Jain, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Alfred Herrhausen Society, and Co-CEO of Deutsche Bank,
presented the prize to the winners at a ceremony in Delhi last week, wherein the keynote address was delivered by boxing champion Mary Kom.
The jury said it chose the two projects in order to “emphasise the importance of more sustainable cycles of consumption and production, and for thinking creatively about locating workplaces and employment opportunities in cities”. Anthony Williams, jury member and former Mayor of Washington DC, said, “I’ve been on all the juries now, and of all the cities we’ve visited and all the projects we’ve reviewed, we’ve seen the best set here in Delhi.” He added that such initiatives could be a wonderful arm of diplomacy for the country.
Rahul Mehrotra, Chair of the Jury and Professor of Urban Design and Planning at Harvard University, said, “The winning projects are both about the questions of waste, questions of recycling, resources, questions of employment, of income generation for poorer sections of society. But each project represents a different set of issues which are critical for the city.”
The Chintan MRF project at the New Delhi Railway station manages tonnes of unsorted garbage from the numerous trains that arrive at the railway station every day. The garbage, which would otherwise end up in landfill dumps outside the city, is sorted into organic and non-organic waste by trained workers at the centre. Once sorted, waste is passed onto various corporate producers like Tetrapack for recycling.
Proper management and a systematic process has also lead to more dignified livelihoods for the otherwise marginalised ragpicker’s community. The profits are used to improve social awareness among them and to create educational facilities for their children. The facility stands on a former garbage dump, which has been transformed into a dignified and clean working space where the trained rag-pickers come and carry out their livelihoods.
On the other hand, GOONJ is an NGO formed in 1999, working on issues of urban waste and social distribution. Its mission is to re-use vast quantities of untapped old and waste material in middle class households to create second-hand products. The material left at GOONJ drop-in centres is sorted at a facility run by the group at Madanpur-Khadarpur village. Embedding the facility in the community ensures local employment opportunities for women in the area. The sorted material is then used as a parallel currency for development programmes in rural areas. This supports hundreds of grassroots programmes like digging wells, improving sanitation, and making bamboo bridges.
Chintan, |
of Ireland (PSI) has begun an investigation into her death, which is also under a Garda investigation.
[email protected]
Irish IndependentFormer Oklahoma quarterback Drew Allen will transfer to Syracuse and is eligible to compete for the starting position this season, Allen said Friday.
Allen, 6-feet-5, 226 pounds, completed 18 passes in three seasons at Oklahoma. He is eligible to participate immediately because he is graduating from Oklahoma and has one year of eligibility remaining.
"Syracuse is a great decision for me because coach [Scott] Shafer and his staff have given me an opportunity to come in and compete for the starting job," Allen said. "All I want to do is compete and make Syracuse a better football team, however I can do that."
Allen passed for 2,315 yards and 22 touchdowns as a senior at Alamo Heights High School in San Antonio and considered schools such as Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Purdue and Colorado.
Allen has played behind Landry Jones, and Blake Bell is poised to take over as Oklahoma's starter this season.
Syracuse has experience with this scenario as Greg Paulus once played one season after earning his degree at Duke.Brad Pitt was one of the only men in Hollywood to confront Harvey Weinstein after hearing that Weinstein had allegedly made unwanted sexual advances toward his young love interest. It was back in the 1990s before Pitt blossomed into the major star he is today, revealed a source.
According to People Magazine, this source said Brad Pitt got wind of Weinstein allegedly sexually harassing Gwyneth Paltrow right around the time she was just hired by Weinstein for the lead role in Emma. She said Weinstein made unwanted sexual advances toward her in a hotel room. Paltrow was only 22 at the time.
Pitt was taking a chance as far as his career goes, suggests this source, as he wasn’t a big star at the time in Hollywood. He took that chance and history indicates it didn’t seem to hold him back.
Pitt went on to later work with Weinstein in the movie Inglourious Basterds, which was filmed in 2009. The source said it was Brad’s relationship with Quentin Tarantino that got him to do that part. It had nothing to do with Weinstein.
What exactly happened with Weinstein and Gwyneth isn’t detailed for the public, but it reportedly “ended with him placing his hands on her and suggesting a massage,” writes People.
The Daily Mail reports that Paltrow “rebuffed him and fled before Weinstein could do anything.” Then later she told Pitt about the encounter, setting the wheels in motion for his confrontation with Weinstein.
It was at a Hollywood party circa 1995 when Brad Pitt reportedly confronted Weinstein. The source said,
“He got right in his face, poked him in the chest and said, ‘You will not ever do this to Gwyneth ever again.'”
The source went on to say that Brad told Weinstein if it ever happened again, there would be consequences, which was described by Pitt to Weinstein as “a Missouri whooping.” That is the state Pitt hails from, as he grew up in Springfield, Missouri.
The source claimed that at first Weinstein tried to come to his own defense, but Brad wasn’t stopping, so Weinstein stopped talking and listened to what the young actor had to say. Pitt made it very clear that it wasn’t to ever happen again, and the source said it didn’t.
This same source sang praises for Pitt as being “one of the only men in Hollywood who stood up and said something.” Then the source added, “That’s a fact.” While Weinstein got the message, he allegedly still called Gwyneth on the phone to lambaste her for telling Pitt.
She said Weinstein threatened her not to “speak to anyone else about it.” According to People Magazine, Paltrow told the New York Times in an interview that when he called her, “I thought he was going to fire me. He screamed at me for a long time. It was brutal.”
[Featured Image by Kevork Djansezian/AP Images]Mike Chinoy is a former CNN senior international correspondent and served as CNN Beijing bureau chief from 1987 to 1995. He's the author of "Meltdown: The inside story of the North Korean nuclear crisis" and "The Last P.O.W."
Hong Kong (CNN) North Korea has pushed the button on its fourth underground nuclear test, claiming to have detonated a hydrogen bomb in the northeast of the country.
It's a device more powerful than any the country has tested before and the move threatens to undermine an already fragile security situation in the region. How will the latest move by Kim Jong Un, North Korea's young and unpredictable leader, play out?
Here's an edited Q & A with analyst Mike Chinoy, a former CNN senior international correspondent and the author of "Meltdown: The inside story of the North Korean nuclear crisis."
How worried should we be?
The bottom line is that a hydrogen bomb, if that's what it is, is a much more powerful device than a more simple plutonium or uranium bomb, and that's worrying.
Moreover, every time they do a test they improve the quality of what they can do and one of their main goals has been to miniaturize a device so they can put a warhead on a missile with a longer range.
We don't for sure that they've reached that point that but every test is a major step forward and the North Korean nuclear scientists will be assessing the lessons and figuring out the next step.
Can we independently verify North Korea's test claims?
The South Koreans and the Americans have... technology that monitors the air for trace elements, radiation. There are things they can use but we may never know 100% and it may take a little time to figure it out.
We don't know how successful it was but if North Korea says it's a hydrogen bomb and you're making your calculations on how to respond, at this stage, there's no reason not to assume that it wasn't successfully done.
This is all moving in a direction that's got to be extremely worrying for everyone in the region.
How is China -- its long-term ally -- likely to react?
It's a real slap in the face to the Chinese and Beijing has got to be absolutely furious.
There was a period when the Chinese were really angry with the Koreans but some months ago there were signs of a clear shift in the Chinese approach. They sent a senior official, Liu Yunshan, to a big military parade in October, standing right next to Kim Jong Un. It was all smiles.
Clearly, the North Koreans are not weak and vulnerable to Chinese pressure. Or they calculate that the Chinese are not going to do enough to make a difference and I think they are right.
President Xi Jinping has a huge amount on his plate. He has an anti-corruption campaign, a slowing economy, domestic discontent and he's got tensions brewing with many of China's neighbors and the United States.
In the end the Chinese calculus is that instability in North Korea is more dangerous than a North Korea with bombs.
Photos: North Korea holds military parade A soldier stands at attention in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, October 10, during a military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the North Korea's ruling Worker's Party, and commemorating Kim Jong Un's third-generation leadership. Hide Caption 1 of 17 Photos: North Korea holds military parade North Korean soldiers march beneath a portrait of late leader Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un's father, during the parade in Pyongyang. Hide Caption 2 of 17 Photos: North Korea holds military parade North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, stands with visiting Chinese official Liu Yunshan above the parade in Pyongyang. Hide Caption 3 of 17 Photos: North Korea holds military parade North Korean airplanes fly in formation over Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung Square, displaying the number 70. Hide Caption 4 of 17 Photos: North Korea holds military parade North Koreans parade with flags of the ruling Workers' Party. Hide Caption 5 of 17 Photos: North Korea holds military parade North Korean tanks roll down the streets of Pyongyang. Hide Caption 6 of 17 Photos: North Korea holds military parade North Korean girls wear replica grenades as they march during the parade in Pyongyang. Hide Caption 7 of 17 Photos: North Korea holds military parade North Koreans hold decorative flowers during the parade. Hide Caption 8 of 17 Photos: North Korea holds military parade In a carefully choreographed show of strength and celebration to mark the 70th anniversary of the ruling Workers' Party, hundreds of troops marched in elaborate formations across Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung Square. Hide Caption 9 of 17 Photos: North Korea holds military parade A North Korean soldier salutes during the military parade on Kim Il Sung Square. Hide Caption 10 of 17 Photos: North Korea holds military parade North Koreans parade beneath a portrait of leader Kim Jong Un. Hide Caption 11 of 17 Photos: North Korea holds military parade Two North Korean soldiers ride a military vehicle through Kim Il Sung Square. Hide Caption 12 of 17 Photos: North Korea holds military parade North Korean soldiers march below statues of North Korean founder Kim Il Sung and his son, Kim Jong Il. Hide Caption 13 of 17 Photos: North Korea holds military parade Jets fly over the Juche Tower during the parade on Kim Il Sung Square. Hide Caption 14 of 17 Photos: North Korea holds military parade North Korean veterans gather at the start of the parade. Hide Caption 15 of 17 Photos: North Korea holds military parade North Korean dancers perform during the parade at Kim Il Sung Square. Hide Caption 16 of 17 Photos: North Korea holds military parade A volunteer holds burning torches at Kim Il Sung Square. Hide Caption 17 of 17
Why does North Korea want a nuclear bomb?
I would say the last thing the North Korean regime is suicidal. They're not going to -- out of the blue -- drop a bomb on California. What this is designed to do is to send a message to everybody: Don't mess with us.
Equally, what they would like is recognition, legitimacy and some kind of peace treaty with the United States.
But they want it on their own terms and they've said to the U.S: We're willing to talk to you but we're not going to do it with preconditions.
The U.S. says the only basis for negotiations is to discuss how to get rid of the North's nuclear capability.
What action could the United States take?
From the U.S. point of view, what are the choices?
You can go to war with North Korea, which has its obvious drawbacks. You can try sanctions, which have to hurt the North Korean economy to some degree, but there's no evidence that it's produced a positive change in the way the regime behaves.
Even if you ratchet things up, it's not going to change the North's behavior. The regime doesn't care if people suffer.
What does that leave you with? Politics of outreach to North Korea under these circumstances in an election year are virtually impossible.
The odds are that the North will carry on and each time they do this, their nuclear capabilities grow. So while everyone else is focusing on ISIS, Saudi Arabia and Iran and Donald Trump, Kim Jong Un is gradually building up a nuclear arsenal.
The more he has, the more it might be tempting to sell that capability to bad actors. It's a very bad situation and unfortunately, I don't see any good outcomes.The director of the Office of Management and Budget says he has no idea why he could not get his former colleagues in the House Freedom Caucus to support the GOP healthcare measures.
“I have no idea. I really don’t,” Mick Mulvaney told NBC’s “Meet the Press,” when asked why he could not convince members of the conservative caucus to support the American Health Care Act. Mulvaney was a member of the caucus when he served in Congress.
“There’s probably plenty of blame to go around,” Mulvaney said of the legislation’s failure.
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President Trump asked Speaker Paul Ryan Paul Davis RyanBrexit and exit: A transatlantic comparison Five takeaways from McCabe’s allegations against Trump The Hill's 12:30 Report: Sanders set to shake up 2020 race MORE (R-Wis.) to pull the legislation in the final hours, as it appeared the measures would not receive enough votes to pass.
Mulvaney on Sunday argued that “the powers that be in Washington” won in the fight over healthcare.
“This place was a lot more rotten that we thought it was,” he said.Making America great again, the theme of Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign, depends on dispelling the myths and myth-making that made America bad.
Beginning with George W. Bush.
Said Saint Augustine: “The confession of evil works is the first beginning of good works.”
The Republican Party under Bush did the devil’s work. Bar the sainted Ron Paul, not a dog of a Republican lifted his leg in protest of the unjust war on Iraq.
To embark on the good, the GOP must come clean about the bad. To that end, Donald Trump has begun a vital process of expiation.
The 43rd president is categorized as “bad” and ranked 37th by Ivan Eland, author of “Recarving Rushmore: Ranking the Presidents on Peace, Prosperity, and Liberty.” Having undermined the republic at home and peace abroad, “Bush’s presidency,” avers Eland, “was one of the worst of all time.”
Coming to terms with the Bush legacy, moreover, ought to prevent the rise of another Bush. For the bogus Bush Doctrine is alive and well-exploited in the words and promises of each of the Republican candidates, bar Donald Trump.
The Bush dictum of fighting them over there so they don’t come here —as if Islamic State can’t, won’t and hasn’t attacked there and here—is alive and well-exploited by almost every fork-tongued politician in the Republican and Democratic races.
Other than Trump and Bernie Sanders, there’s a potatoes vs. spuds quality to the foreign policy articulated by both sides.
Each time the interchangeable John Kasich or Marco Rubio or Jeb Bush are asked about death by Muslim in the United States; they whip out that dumb “W” Doctrine, tethering attacks like San Bernardino in the US to wars the US should be waging over in the Middle East, and will be waging if these candidates have their way.
If you liked Bush’s willful and criminal war on Iraq; if you enjoyed watching aw-shucks “W” “Shock and Awe” Iraq to kingdom come with BLU-82s—boy, do you have a treat in store.
If you took pleasure in Bush unseating and executing law-and-order leader Saddam Hussein; you’ll love the plans Rubio, Kasich and Brother Jeb have for Bashar Assad and his family. As for Vladimir Putin, the not-so-comical three stooges have practically diarized conflagration with Russia.
I almost forgot: If you licked your chops when Bush disarmed dem little Iraqi boys by littering their playgrounds with cluster bomblets; your vampiric urges will be sated. In Bush’s Baghdad, hospitals teamed with limbless kids successfully disarmed. The Rubio-Kasich-Bush bandidos will similarly oblige their supporters. Happy times are ahead for their acolytes.
In brother Jeb, promised George Bush in South Carolina, on February 16, the country will be getting a “steady hand” to steer the ship of state.
Yes, in his many addresses to the nation, during the crises into which he plunged America, Bush used to bang on about the joys of bringing about “the triumph of democracy and tolerance in Iraq, in Afghanistan and beyond.”
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Plenty of that poppycock awaits America should Bush III or his other three foreign-policy clones materialize in the White House. Hawk Hillary must be added to present company, as nation building at the point of a bayonet makes her barking happy. (The rabid Mrs. Clinton has taken to barking at her rallies. Check it out.)
Laudably and mercilessly did Trump taunt Jeb Bush at the CBS News Republican debate, in South Carolina, February 13. Jeb had brought out Big Brother to fight his battles for him:
Said Trump: “The war in Iraq was a big, fat mistake. All right? Now, you can take it any way you want … George Bush made a mistake. We can make mistakes. But that one was a beauty. We should have never been in Iraq. We have destabilized the Middle East.”
Why would the guy, Donald J. Trump, take up Rand Paul’s libertarian foreign policy stance when he leads among Republican voters? So asked a Republican strategist on “Hardball,” Chris Matthews’ MSNBC show.
The special-needs media was abuzz, questioning Trump’s anti-G. Bush “tactics.”
But badmouthing G. Bush to a South Carolina electorate, apparently still partial to the man, is no tactic; it’s a higher calling. The reason Trump has no qualms about repudiating Bush II’s colossal war crime—the invasion of Iraq—is because he speaks the truth.
Trump is not a politician. To hear Ted Cruz tell it, Trump’s past support of this or the other position was done in a political capacity. Cruz forgets that Trump was a civilian.
And unlike Hillary Clinton and every single Republican and their media mouths—Trump is not ankle deep in the blood of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and other Middle Easterners, Muslim and Christian. He didn’t cast a deciding vote to prosecute their war and he had the good sense to question it in his limited capacity as a civilian.
That Trump is accused of sounding like the ladies of Code Pink isn’t an argument; it’s an ad hominem attack. For it is quite possible, even likely, that Code Pink, a restraining influence on jingoism and imperialism, is correct about Bush.
So white-hot is the hate for Donald Trump; that it has united The Machine in defense of the indefensible, George W. Bush
This, too, is understandable considering Mr. Trump’s accomplishments:
So far, Trump has upended the Media Complex, the Republican Party Complex (in the form of the Republican National Committee), and the phony Conservatism Complex. It’s time for the War Party faction within to take its last gasp.Making Up People Ian Hacking
I have long been interested in classifications of people, in how they affect the people classified, and how the affects on the people in turn change the classifications. We think of many kinds of people as objects of scientific inquiry. Sometimes to control them, as prostitutes, sometimes to help them, as potential suicides. Sometimes to organise and help, but at the same time keep ourselves safe, as the poor or the homeless. Sometimes to change them for their own good and the good of the public, as the obese. Sometimes just to admire, to understand, to encourage and perhaps even to emulate, as (sometimes) geniuses. We think of these kinds of people as definite classes defined by definite properties. As we get to know more about these properties, we will be able to control, help, change, or emulate them better. But it’s not quite like that. They are moving targets because our investigations interact with them, and change them. And since they are changed, they are not quite the same kind of people as before. The target has moved. I call this the ‘looping effect’. Sometimes, our sciences create kinds of people that in a certain sense did not exist before. I call this ‘making up people’.
What sciences? The ones I shall call the human sciences, which, thus understood, include many social sciences, psychology, psychiatry and, speaking loosely, a good deal of clinical medicine. I am only pointing, for not only is my definition vague, but specific sciences should never be defined except for administrative and educational purposes. Living sciences are always crossing borders and borrowing from each other.
The engines used in these sciences are engines of discovery but also engines for making up people. Statistical analysis of classes of people is a fundamental engine. We constantly try to medicalise: doctors tried to medicalise suicide as early as the 1830s. The brains of suicides were dissected to find the hidden cause. More generally, we try to biologise, to recognise a biological foundation for the problems that beset a class of people. More recently, we have hoped to geneticise as much as possible. Thus obesity, once regarded as a problem of incontinence, or weakness of the will, becomes the province of medicine, then of biology, and at present we search for inherited genetic tendencies. A similar story can be told in the search for the criminal personality.
These reflections on the classification of people are a species of nominalism. But traditional nominalism is static. Mine is dynamic; I am interested in how names interact with the named. The first dynamic nominalist may have been Nietzsche. An aphorism in The Gay Science begins: ‘There is something that causes me the greatest difficulty, and continues to do so without relief: unspeakably more depends on what things are called than on what they are.’ It ends: ‘Creating new names and assessments and apparent truths is enough to create new “things”.’ Making up people would be a special case of this phenomenon.
Around 1970, there arose a few paradigm cases of strange behaviour similar to phenomena discussed a century earlier and largely forgotten. A few psychiatrists began to diagnose multiple personality. It was rather sensational. More and more unhappy people started manifesting these symptoms. At first they had the symptoms they were expected to have, but then they became more and more bizarre. First, a person had two or three personalities. Within a decade the mean number was 17. This fed back into the diagnoses, and became part of the standard set of symptoms. It became part of the therapy to elicit more and more alters. Psychiatrists cast around for causes, and created a primitive, easily understood pseudo-Freudian aetiology of early sexual abuse, coupled with repressed memories. Knowing this was the cause, the patients obligingly retrieved the memories. More than that, this became a way to be a person. In 1986, I wrote that there could never be ‘split’ bars, analogous to gay bars. In 1991 I went to my first split bar.
This story can be placed in a five-part framework. We have (a) a classification, multiple personality, associated with what at the time was called a ‘disorder’. This kind of person is now a moving target. We have (b) the people, those I call ‘unhappy’, ‘unable to cope’, or whatever relatively non-judgmental term you might prefer. There are (c) institutions, which include clinics, annual meetings of the International Society for the Study of Multiple Personality and Dissociation, afternoon talkshows on television (Oprah Winfrey and Geraldo Rivera made a big thing of multiples, once upon a time), and weekend training programmes for therapists, some of which I attended. There is (d) the knowledge: not justified true belief, once the mantra of analytic philosophers, but knowledge in Popper’s sense of conjectural knowledge, and, more specifically, the presumptions that are taught, disseminated and refined within the context of the institutions. Especially the basic facts (not ‘so-called facts’, or ‘facts’ in scare-quotes): for example, that multiple personality is caused by early sexual abuse, that 5 per cent of the population suffer from it, and the like. There is expert knowledge, the knowledge of the professionals, and there is popular knowledge, shared by a significant part of the interested population. There was a time, partly thanks to those talkshows and other media, when ‘everyone’ believed that multiple personality was caused by early sexual abuse. Finally, there are (e) the experts or professionals who generate (d) the knowledge, judge its validity, and use it in their practice. They work within (c) institutions that guarantee their legitimacy, authenticity and status as experts. They study, try to help, or advise on the control of (b) the people who are (a) classified as of a given kind.
This banal framework can be used for many examples, but roles and weights will be different in every case. There is no reason to suppose that we shall ever tell two identical stories of two different instances of making up people. There is also an obvious complication: there are different schools of thought. In this first instance, there was the multiple movement, a loose alliance of patients, therapists and psychiatric theorists, on the one hand, who believed in this diagnosis and in a certain kind of person, the multiple. There was the larger psychiatric establishment that rejected the diagnosis altogether: a doctor in Ontario, for example, who, when a patient arrives announcing she has multiple personality, demands to be shown her Ontario Health Insurance card (which has a photograph and a name on it) and says: ‘This is the person I am treating, nobody else.’ Thus there are rival frameworks, and reactions and counter-actions between them further contribute to the working out of this kind of person, the multiple personality. If my sceptical colleague convinces his potential patient, she will very probably become a very different kind of person from the one she would have been had she been treated for multiple personality by a believer.
I would argue that the multiple personality of the 1980s was a kind of person previously unknown in the history of the human race. This is a simple idea familiar to novelists, but careful philosophical language is not prepared for it. Pedantry is in order. Distinguish two sentences:A bizarre and tragic police shooting in the tiny Florida town of Gretna has residents there wondering how a police officer called to a home to help a mentally ill man take his medication ended up taking the young man into a bathroom where he shot the man dead, firing at least three shots.
Kaldrick Donald, 24, died as a result of the shooting and the police officer, Sergeant Charles Brown, was also reportedly injured in some sort of a physical altercation with the mentally ill man. But Brown was treated at a nearby hospital and released and has since been placed on paid “administrative” leave from the police department in Gretna, pending an investigation of the fatal shooting.
Gretna is a town of fewer than 2000 in northern Florida, near the city of Tallahassee. The shooting is the latest in a string of police shootings across the country in recent months.
Donald’s mother, Juanita Donald, had called police in the past to help with her severely troubled son. She told a local TV station that the normal procedure was for police to take Kaldrick Donald to The Apalachee Center, a nearby behavioral health facility, where professionals then administered the necessary medication for Kaldrick’s condition.
The exact nature of Kaldrick Donald’s mental illness has not been made clear and, indeed, details of the police shooting that ended his life on October 28 remain sketchy. But what is clear is that this time, when Juanita Donald called police for assistance with her son at around 9:30 am last Tuesday, something went terribly wrong.
According to police, Kaldrick Donald and Charles Brown somehow got into a fight. But according to Juanita Donald, her mentally ill son “didn’t want to be bothered” and was simply trying to walk away from the police officer when the physical altercation began.
That altercation, she said, was started by Brown who grabbed her son and first shot him with a taser. At that point, the situation took a deadly turn.
“He rushed my son off in the bathroom and I heard three shots,” Juanita Donald said. “I was like, ‘You shot my son.’ And he was like, ‘I had to.’ I said, ‘No, you didn’t have to.”
The mom said that after the shots she heard her son say, “‘I want my mama,’ after he shot him, and then I didn’t hear anything else.”
The Gretna police, though they released Brown’s name the day after the shooting, did not release any further details about the officer’s background or experience on the police force. A local TV report on the Gretna, Florida police shooting is below.'We continue to advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in the Philippines overall,' the Australian embassy says
Published 10:24 AM, June 02, 2017
MANILA, Philippines – The embassies of the US, the UK, and Australia in Manila warned their nationals to exercise caution after a shooting incident at a Manila casino on Friday, June 2.
Friday's attack at Resorts World Manila left at least 54 people injured and the gunman dead. It comes as President Rodrigo Duterte links the terrorist group Islamic State (ISIS) to recent clashes in the southern Philippines, which prompted him to declare martial law in the whole of Mindanao.
Australia even told its nationals to "exercise a high degree of caution" when traveling to the Philippines "overall."
In an emergency message on Friday, the US embassy warned Americans: "Local media reports gunfire and explosions at Resorts World Manila near the Manila International Airport. Exercise caution and review your personal security plans, remain aware of your surroundings, including local events, and monitor local news stations for updates. Heed any instructions given by local authorities."
The British embassy issued a similar advisory. "There are reports of a major security incident at the Resorts World Hotel in Manila. You are advised to avoid the area and follow the advice of local authorities," the British embassy said.
Also reacting to the Resorts World Manila attack, the Australian embassy told its nationals, "Pay close attention to your personal security at all times and monitor the media about possible new safety or security risks."
'High degree of caution'
"Travelers are reminded of the high threat of terrorist attack in the Philippines, including Manila. Exercise heightened caution at this time," the Australian embassy said.
"We continue to advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in the Philippines overall. Higher levels apply in some parts of the country," it added.
Terrorism monitoring group SITE earlier said a Filipino operative of ISIS claimed responsibility for the Resorts World Manila attack.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) downplayed this claim, however, as PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa said the PNP is "looking at robbery" as a possible motive.
Manila police chief Oscar Albayalde said the gunman had tried to steal P113 million ($2.3 million) worth of gambling chips.
Dela Rosa said the gunman eventually "burned himself inside a hotel room," after initially saying the suspect was "killed by our troops."
The Resorts World Manila attack happened as clashes continue between terrorists and government troops in Marawi City. The Marawi clashes, as well as the threat of the terrorist Islamic State (ISIS), prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to declare martial law in the whole of Mindanao.
Duterte warned he will expand martial law to the entire Philippines if the terror threats continue. – with reports from Agence France-Presse/Rappler.com
*$1 = P49.71A family evacuating their home, near al-Malih, northern Jordan Valley. Photo: 'Aref Daraghmeh, B'Tselem, 3 May 2015
Evacuations and military training greatly harmed livestock and residents’ farmland
B’Tselem’s research indicates that on 29 and 30 April 2015 representatives of the Civil Administration (CA) served temporary evacuation orders to some sixty families, numbering some 410 people including approximately 120 minors, in seven Palestinian communities in the northern Jordan Valley. The orders required some families to leave their homes and property for periods of three to twelve hours. Other families were required to evacuate their homes for several hours a day, for several days running. The evacuation was ordered for a military maneuver in the area.
The families were given only a few days to prepare for the evacuation. Some of the residents received written orders from the CA, while others were notified of the evacuation only through the Tubas District of the Palestinian Authority. The communities required to evacuate: Ibziq, Khirbet Humsah, Khirbet a-Ras al-Ahmar, Zra’ ‘Awad, al-Burj, ‘Ein al-Meyteh and Khirbet al-Malih. Residents were required to stay out of their homes for part of the day, sometimes allowed to return home only in the evening. The evacuation process began on 3 May 2015 and continued in some communities through 9 May. The community of Khirbet Humsah was particularly hard hit, as some seventy of its residents had to leave their homes for several hours a day for a full week. The 110 or so residents of Khirbet a-Ras al-Ahmar and Zra’ ‘Awad had to evacuate their homes one day for several hours. The 230 or so residents of Ibziq, al-Burj, ‘Ein al-Meyteh and Khirbet al-Malih had to do so for several hours on two days.
Military training near the community of a-Ras al-Ahmar. Photo: 'Aref Daraghmeh, B'Tselem, 5 May 2015
It is extremely difficult for whole families, including children, to be evacuated on such short notice. With no properly arranged place to stay, they must find a way to ensure shelter, food and drink away from home in the intense, grueling heat of the Jordan Valley.
Heijar Abu Zahu, 59, of al-Ibziq, related the following to B’Tselem researcher ‘Aref Daraghmeh on 12 May 2015:
We went through a few rough hours when we were evacuated from our home. We could take almost nothing with us, neither tents nor anything else. The place they told us to go to was far away and we had no shelter, no tent or anything, only the shade of the tractors and a few carts. We had almost no water and food. We took only a few things with us and they ran out. There was nothing nearby. It was awkward, because I and the other women and girls couldn’t go to the toilet, because there was nothing we could use to screen or conceal us. I have high blood pressure and respiratory problems. I took my medication in the morning, but I forgot it at home and couldn’t go back for it.
Fire in a pasture during military training near al-Malih. Photo: 'Aref Daraghmeh, B'Tselem, 4 May 2015
The evacuated communities live solely off farming and shepherding. Evacuating them and holding military maneuvers on their land and in the vicinity is highly detrimental to their livelihood. During the evacuations, the residents had to leave their livestock behind, and the animals remained untended in the extreme heat. B’Tselem’s research has found that over the course of the military maneuver, ten sheep and goats died in the evacuated communities. In addition, ammunition remnants from the military training caused fires. Reports from the local councils of the Jordan Valley communities stated that dozens of hectares of pasture and cultivated agricultural land went up in flames. The maneuvers also included troops crossing farmland, and cultivated plots in Ibziq and a-Ras al-Ahmar were trampled.
Amineh ‘Abd al-‘Aziz Abu Kabash, 66, of Khirbet Humsah, told B’Tselem researcher ‘Aref Daraghmeh on 4 May 2015:
We left everything behind and took only a few things with us and a little food and drink. We left our livestock and belongings behind. I live in constant fear because of what’s going on in our area. We’ve already been evacuated several times before, and when we got back we found the lambs and kids hungry and thirsty. Some had died. They also burn everything when they do their training. At the beginning of the season, we had good news in the form of rain and a lot of vegetation on the hills. Now, even though we put our trust in God, the training burned everything and destroyed our hopes. All around us everything is charred. All the pastureland has burned up and what’s left is areas off limits to us by military order.
The military has been training more frequently in the Jordan Valley over the last three years. The increased frequency follows an official policy one of whose declared goals is to prevent Palestinians from living on land declared by Israel as firing zones. These parcels of land cover roughly 46% of the Jordan Valley (see map). Declaring areas as firing zones is one of several methods that Israel employs to prevent Palestinians from accessing land in the Jordan Valley.
Military vehicles in the Jordan Valley during training. Photo: 'Aref Daraghmeh, B'Tselem, 4 May 2015
The minutes of a meeting of the Subcommittee for Judea and Samaria of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, held on 27 April 2014 and published by Israeli daily Ha’aretz, clearly show that one goal of the military maneuvers held in the area is to remove Palestinians from land there. Colonel Einav Shalev, an Operations Branch Officer at Central Command, said in the meeting: “I think that one of the good steps that could fall between the cracks is restoring firing zones in places where they are meant to be and still are not. [That is] one of the main reasons that we, as a military system, send a lot of the training maneuvers to the Jordan Valley… When the troops march, people moved aside, and I’m making no distinction between Jews and Palestinians here, I’m speaking generally… There are some places [where] we significantly cut down on the amount of training, and weeds cropped up.”
Under international humanitarian law, an occupying state is permitted to operate within the occupied territory for two reasons only: the benefit of the local population and immediate military concerns relating to the military’s actions in the occupied territory. As an occupying power in the West Bank, Israel is not allowed to use land there for general military purposes such as training for warfare and general maneuvers. It certainly is not allowed to use such a pretext to harm the livelihood of protected persons, nor take steps to expel them from their homes.
Israel must immediately stop the temporary evacuation of Palestinian communities in the West Bank for the purpose of military training, and must cease all other actions taken in an attempt to force Palestinians out of the area. Israel is duty-bound to enable local residents to live their lives, including allowing them to build their homes legally and use local water sources.I was out on a blind date with a fellow who was given my number without my knowledge or permission (or my parents’ knowledge, either). I agreed to the date a) because he didn’t know that I had not been asked if it was ok to give out my number and b) because the person who gave him my number meant well, was a family friend, and I didn’t want to embarrass her. I basically was told the guy was going to call, the day that he called me.
He picked me up and took me out to dinner, which was very nice, but I knew after a short while I had no intentions of seeing this guy again. What really brought it home to me, was when we were getting ready to leave and he asked me to leave by the |
this out where the discussion has been most intense “¦ and ultimately we’d like to take this to all 50 states.”
The EPA last year proposed lowering the ozone standard from 75 parts per billion to between 65 and 70 ppb after agency scientists said the current mark was not sufficient to protect public health. The rule is set to be finalized this fall.
Public-health groups are pushing for the EPA to look to the low end of the standard. The EPA has said tightening the standard would avert nearly a million asthma attacks, thousands of cases of acute bronchitis, and up to 180,000 missed work days by reducing pollution-related symptoms.
But industry groups say anything lower than the current standard would plunge the country into nonattainment status, opening counties and states up to costly fines. They say the country has already lowered ozone levels by more than 30 percent since 1980 (coming after standards from the Clean Air Act went into effect), and that more stringent regulations would put a stranglehold on the economy, especially for areas already out of compliance.
The new standards wouldn’t take effect until 2020 at the earliest; because of the long time line of air quality standards, states are still working on implementation plans for the last revision, set in 2008.
Legal challenges have proven unsuccessful, so industry groups are now trying to build public opposition from the ground up, releasing state-level reports and using local businesses to make the case. The Chamber of Commerce has also been releasing individual reports warning that EPA could imperil local transportation projects if cities fail to meet the new standard (a report for Washington, for example, said an expansion of the Purple Line and I-66 would be in jeopardy).
The EPA could penalize transportation funding, but only for states that refuse to file state plans, and it’s an authority that hasn’t been used before.
And recent ad campaigns have pointed out that certain National Parks, including Yellowstone and Acadia, would be out of compliance using the lower end of the proposal, although parks groups have said that’s because of pollution from nearby coal-fired power plants.
It all adds up to a lobbying blitz meant to mobilize local voters and officials to send a message to the White House.
“Remember that President Obama withdrew the last EPA ozone proposal in 2011 after listening to state and local concerns,” said Matt Dempsey of the Center for Regulatory Solutions. “Through our August campaign we have been amplifying similar voices from across the political spectrum hoping he will listen to them again and keep the current standard in place.”
The White House pulled a proposal lowering the standard to 70 ppb in 2011, overruling the EPA and setting of a firestorm with environmental groups. Of course, Obama was facing a tight reelection race then, and his environmental agenda has ramped up in the second term.
But groups are also looking to Congress—and their campaign not-so-subtly targets states where legislators face tough reelection bids. A bipartisan Senate bill forcing EPA to hold off on the new ozone standard until 85 percent of the nation’s counties meet the 2008 levels already has 27 cosponsors. And Republicans have sought to attach similar language as a rider to appropriations bills as one of a slew of environmental riders.
Bennet said Wednesday at an energy summit hosted by the Colorado Oil and Gas Association that the ozone standard “is a perfect example of applying the law “¦ in a way that doesn’t make sense on the ground” and that EPA should consider more flexibility for pollutants from wildfires or from other states, according to a transcript of his remarks. Bennet’s office clarified that he understands EPA “must make recommendations based on the science,” but that he “thinks the standards need to be applied fairly to Colorado.”
Bennet, one of the most vulnerable Democrats in 2016, would represent a significant pickup for ozone opponents should be vote against the rule on the floor. Republicans largely oppose the regulations, but turning moderate Democrats would help them attach anti-ozone language onto a must-pass bill, like a budget package.
And environmentalists are worried that the White House may see ozone as a reasonable trading chip when faced with a slew of other riders targeting the climate-change agenda.
“I’m very concerned about it because of the weak-kneed approach the White House took several years ago,” said Frank O’Donnell of Clean Air Watch. “The battle here is to pile on Democratic politicians and intimidate the White House.”
Still, John Walke, clean air director for the Natural Resources Defense Council, pointed to White House veto threats against similar bills. In an email, he dismissed the campaign as “increasingly desperate and scattershot” and proof that even the industry thinks they can’t kill the standards any other way.
“So a crass political lobbying campaign is all they have, even when—especially when—it means relying almost entirely and nakedly on economic factors that the Supreme Court has ruled unanimously to be illegal considerations,” Walke said.The following is a list of the top National Football League (NFL) quarterbacks in wins. In the NFL, the quarterback is the only position that is credited with records of wins and losses.
Active quarterback Tom Brady holds the records for most wins with 237, most regular season wins with 207, and most postseason wins with 30, as of the Super Bowl round of the 2018 playoffs. Having played his entire career with the New England Patriots, each of Brady's win records also apply to wins with a single team.
Among retired players, the record for most wins is held by Peyton Manning with 200. In his final professional game, Manning set the then-record for wins, surpassing Brett Favre who retired with 199 wins. Other previous record-holders include John Elway (162), Fran Tarkenton (130), and Johnny Unitas (124). Otto Graham holds the record for the highest winning percentage with a minimum of 35 wins at.788 (61 wins to 16 losses).
List [ edit ]
This sortable table shows the top 100 NFL quarterbacks in order of regular season wins, since the start of the modern era, 1950. The table also shows every team that a quarterback played for. If two quarterbacks have the same number of wins, the player with the higher winning percentage is ranked first. Quarterbacks in bold are still active.
^* Note: Bobby Layne is listed as having started all 12 games for the Bulldogs (NFL) in 1949. The record for that team is 1–10–1. Combined with his official post–1949 won–loss–tied record of 80–51–4 (0.607), his overall estimated won–loss–tied record is 81–61–5 (0.568).[41]
^† Note: The 1950 Baltimore Colts are a defunct NFL team, not part of the current Colts franchise.
a
b All-America Football Conference (1946–1949). He finished his professional career (AAFC and NFL) with a 105–17–4 regular-season record (84.0% win rate). Graham took his team to the championship game in all ten of his professional seasons winning seven of them (4 AAFC and 3 NFL).[101]
See also [ edit ]On the surface, movies general tend to focus all of their primary efforts on relating a narrative arc in a way that keeps viewers engaged – from academically-minded cinephiles to families that just want to be entertained in the dark for an hour or two. Surprisingly, films which make no direct reference to the act of filmmaking (and indeed do everything possible to maintain a willful suspension of disbelief) can often been read and dissected in ways which highlight a film’s place in the order of things as being just that: a film. Yet on occasion, films are seemingly made self-aware and focus on their own artifice on the surface level – they are movies which are literally about the very act of making movies – and there are plenty of great ones.
10. Symbiopsychotaxiplasm (1968) – directed by William Greaves
William Greaves’ barely feature-length film is sort of like an idea an art-student friend of mine once posed: ‘what if you filmed an entire movie, but then just cut together and screened the outtakes?’ In the case of “Symbiopsychotaxiplasm,” there are a handful of outtakes with a whole lot of behind-the-scenes and making-ofs. A mix of performance art, experimentation, and low-budget guerilla filmmaking, “Symbiopsychotaxiplasm” is the kind of film that’ll have you re-evaluating what the medium is capable of.
9. Perfect Blue (1997) – directed by Satoshi Kon
Apart from the fact that it is an animated film, Satoshi Kon’s “Perfect Blue” has more in common with “Code Unknown” and “Inland Empire” than would be expected. All three use meta-reveals of “it was all just a scene being filmed!” on numerous occasions to deeply chilling effect.
8. Adaptation (2002) – directed by Spike Jonze
Using its title most aptly, “Adaptation” is about adapting the reality of adapting a book to the screen and the ways that plants and animals – humans included – adapt to ever-changing situations. It’s also two of Nicolas Cage’s greatest performances – he plays twins, and it’s a thrill to watch.
7. Code Unknown (2000) – directed by Michael Haneke
Michael Haneke once countered Godard’s famous quote with a revision all his own: “Film is lies, 24 times per second.” Indeed, his filmography is largely preoccupied with questions of trying to uncover impossible truths in worlds built on lies. Never is the fourth wall so boldly broken as in his purposefully perverse “Funny Games,” yet it is only in “Code Unknown” that everything is so explicitly linked to the act of filmmaking. The film’s title speaks to the difficulties audiences have trying to decipher it: Haneke hands us this puzzle without a solution or even a set of rules.
6. 8½ (1963) – directed by Federico Fellini
“8 ½” has maintained its spot in the classics canon by daring to do what it did so long ago. It was hardly the first film to fictionalize and depict what happens behind the scenes, but it was one of the first to turn such a scenario into such a deeply personal exploration of an artists’ psyche, using the great Marcello Mastroianni in the role of Guido as a partial stand-in for the character of Fellini himself.
5. Close-Up (1990) – directed by Abbas Kiarostami
Like so many films on this list, Abbas Kiarostami’s modestly brilliant 1990 “Close-Up” is an examination of what it means to be an artist. The film’s protagonist is a con-man and is taken to court for it. His crime: impersonating a film director he admired in order to fool a family into befriending him and allowing him to shoot his next (imaginary) film in their home. The implicit question Kiarostami asks by filming these proceedings: “is this man not also an artist in his own way?” That Kiarostami had all the key players play themselves in dramatic re-enactments of key events only adds another later to the film’s strange beauty.
4. Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance (2014) – directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu
“Birdman” is a real treat, and one of the best films of 2014. Michael Keaton’s Riggan Thomson is a former movie-star now looking to leave his superhero persona behind and become a respected artist by staring and directing his own adaptation of a Raymond Carver short story for the theater. From the opening credits indebted to Godard to the thematic influences of “8 ½” by way of “The Red Shoes” to the feature-length long “fake,” which so wonderfully reflects the one-shot long-take nature of theater performances, “Birdman” is a joy for the senses.
3. Sunset Blvd. (1950) – directed by Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder’s seminal Hollywood film, “Sunset Blvd” is steeped in history while looking forward. It is often cited by David Lynch as one of his favorite films as well as one that had a particularly large influence on “Mulholland Dr.” The film is unforgettable and rightly regarded as a classic. It is hardly a condemnation of the classical Hollywood system, but it does take a good, long look at the dark psychological problems brought upon those unfortunate enough to live through a time of immense fame, only to see it all disappear all too soon. Its final scene is one of the most iconic in film history, and ends on exactly the right note.
2. Mulholland Dr. (2001) & Inland Empire (2006) – directed by David Lynch
The two most recent films by David Lynch, and the only two he’s made in the new millennium (so far), “Mulholland Dr” and “INLAND EMPIRE” are like siblings separated at birth: they have a lot in common but each grew up to be unique. Whereas “Mulholland Dr” examines Hollywood culture up close and personal, “INLAND EMPIRE” focuses almost entirely on one actress and her internal struggle with acting and life in general.
One key type of scene present in both films multiple times has to do with the acting-out of a scene from a film-within-the-film. In “Mulholland Dr,” Naomi Watts’ character must audition for a role and seems to lose herself along the way. Lynch does everything in his power to make sure we lose ourselves in the scene’s brief runtime as well, creeping slowly into a close-up of the pair, draining the room of any sound other than their voices. He makes it easy to forget the pair aren’t alone and don’t mean the words they’re saying, thereby highlighting the artificiality of dramatic narratives in general.
In “INLAND EMPIRE,” Laura Dern’s character loses herself in an acting role, constantly awakening into and out of new dreams which may or may not be alternate realities. On numerous occasions, entire scenes play out only to have their sense of reality shattered by a loud “cut!” or slow pull-out at the end.
In both films, Lynch correlates viewing or acting in a film with dreaming. This is not unlike Christian Metz’s ideas on the “cinematic apparatus,” namely, that watching a film is like watching a dream unfold in the mind’s eye, or that sitting comfortably with food and drinks in the dark of the cinema is akin to re-entering the womb.
Despite all their similarities, both present vastly different stylistic means of examining psychology within the context of filmmaking.
1. Contempt (1963) & Passion (1982) – directed by Jean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard is a name that will forever be important and relevant in the history of cinema, not least of all for his 5-part video-anthology examination of film history, “Histoire(s) du Cinema.” In his 1966 film, “Masculine Feminine,” a character famously states that “Photography is truth. Cinema is truth, 24 times per second.” Yet from his feature debut, he seemed only interested in making films which fought this idea of an objective truth, which constantly fought against a suspension of disbelief. This list could’ve been made up entirely of Godard films without much difficulty, but two films in particular stand out for their unique daring and beauty.
“Contempt” tells the tale of a film being made adapted from Homer’s “Odyssey,” as directed by Fritz Lang and the troubled relationship between the film’s screenwriter and his wife, played by none other than French superstar Brigitte Bardot.
“Passion” is a breathtaking series of living-tableaux compositions and sequences created for a film being made within the film, with a director character acting as a partial stand-in for Godard. Yet beyond its stunning visual accomplishments, the film is a meditation upon love, passion, and work – and how solid or malleable the borders between each really are.Two things happened on March 6th, 2014. First, Ryan Callahan made his debut as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Second, Steven Stamkos made his debut as the Lightning’s captain. Despite the historic occasion (and 44 shots) the Bolts fell to the Buffalo Sabres, 3-1, at Amalie Arena.
It was the beginning of a new era for the Lightning. Marty St. Louis, sent to the Rangers in the deal for Callahan, had been the team’s last link to the 2004 Stanley Cup. The roster was composed of young players like Tyler Johnson, Nikita Kucherov, Vladislav Namestnikov, and Richard Panik (yeah, it didn’t work out for them in the end, but on that particular date, he was one of their top prospects).
Stamkos was now the veteran on the team. He no longer had veterans to look up to, and it was time for him to take on the role of mentor. Of course, there was quiet talk that perhaps it was unlucky to be the Lightning captain — after all, St. Louis had feuded with the general manager and demanded a trade. And the captain before him, Vincent Lecavalier, had been bought out, not exactly the way captains normally leave the team.
Not only was the game against Buffalo Stamkos’ first game as captain, it was also his first game since he’d broken his leg in Boston. After missing 45 games, he skated for 21 minutes and had 5 shots on net (Michael Kostka had 7 shots on net, the most he ever had in a Lightning uniform). Stamkos would lead the team to the playoffs by scoring 18 points in the final 20 games. Unfortunately he couldn’t prevent an elbow injury to Ben Bishop, and the Bolts were swept by the Canadians in the first round.
In all three seasons that he has worn the “C”, the Lightning have made the playoffs. The streak does appear to be in a bit of jeopardy this season, but perhaps that speaks to his leadership on and off the ice. Even the players notice a lack of leadership. Brian Boyle talked to the Tampa Bay Times about the team “having to be better from the start” and their “focus [not] where it needed to be.”
Part of that is on the coaching staff, but there must be someone in the clubhouse to lead the charge as well. Being behind early has been an issue for the team all season long. Combine that with a lack of scoring 5-on-5 and average goaltending, and it’s no wonder the team is in last place in the Atlantic.
Having Stamkos back on the ice would most likely help with the first two problems. An elite scorer in the lineup would help the team score earlier and at even strength. In the last two years, Stamkos has missed 36 games, and the Bolts have gone 13-19-4 in those contests. When he is in the line-up they are a much more respectable 116-62-18.
Out of the many accolades awarded Stamkos when the Lightning drafted him, his leadership skills were mentioned time and time again. Pierre McGuire called him “extremely talented” and that he saw him “completely embrace being a leader.”
Not only was he the right choice to be named the captain after St. Louis departed, an argument could have been made that he should been granted the “C” a year earlier when Lecavalier was bought out. In fact, this very website built a very valid case for just that happening.
In hindsight, the transition probably would have been smoother if the organization had gone in that direction, but how could they know that St. Louis would want out less than a year later? In case you were wondering, the 62 games Marty spent as captain was not the record for the fewest games wearing the letter. That honor would belong to Bill Holder, who was the on-ice leader for a whopping 14 games in 1999-2000. The Lightning would actually have 3 captains that season, with Chris Gratton and a very, very young Lecavalier also getting a “C” stitched on their sweaters.
Being a captain in hockey carries more weight than it does in other sports. In baseball it seems to be mostly honorary. It was swell that Derek Jeter was the captain of the Yankees, but did it really mean anything? In football the captain’s responsibility seems to begin and end with the coin toss.
In hockey, the players see it as a true badge of honor. Stamkos told the Tampa Bay Times, “The fact that you’re in the NHL is pretty special, but you’re a leader of not only a team, you represent the organization, the city you play in.” They also have the added responsibility of talking to the refs about questionable calls on the ice. Most of the time Stamkos takes a fairly polite approach to discussions with refs, as opposed to the more aggressive approach favored by Sidney Crosby (beware, this Crosby clip is just a bit NSFW).
What kind of captain is Stamkos? His record would indicate pretty good (see the playoff streak above) and so do the comments from other players on the team. Former teammate (and former Dallas Stars captain) Brenden Morrow talked about Stamkos leading by example, “He always says, 'It starts with me.' It's not, 'Do what I say, not what I do.' It's 'Do what I say, do what I do.'”
Ryan Callahan, another former captain, said, “What we see, that maybe (others) don’t see, is his leadership off the ice, on practice days and how he is in the room.” That’s where captains earn the respect from their teammates. It doesn’t come from the letter on the uniform, it comes from their actions when they are wearing that letter.
He’s also one of the most even-keeled players on the team. Reporters aren’t going to hear him shouting at the team behind closed doors, nor is he going to throw a teammate under the bus in a post-game interview. Stamkos makes a point to do those post game interviews, and even if he’s doling out platitudes and cliches, he is out there talking even when he is personally struggling. He never hides in the locker room when things are rough.
There are other things he does as a leader. For one, he doesn’t air his laundry in public. In all likelihood he wasn’t happy playing wing instead of center, but he never said anything to the press or called out his coach. Does he hate Coach Cooper or do they play bridge before every game? It doesn’t matter. Stamkos doesn’t take sides against the family. Michael Corleone would be proud.
Stamkos will wear the “C” until he retires or leaves the team. Hopefully, the Lightning haven’t yet drafted the player that will replace him, as that will mean he will wear it for many, many seasons to come.A Pennsylvania man has been accused of abducting 6-year-old boy from his yard, raping him and then abandoning him in a park late at night.
Police say 45-year-old Brian Timothy Lynch, of Confluence, was arrested Sunday and is facing two counts of kidnapping, rape and other charges.
Authorities say the boy was playing in his yard about 55 miles southeast of Pittsburgh on Saturday when Lynch allegedly abducted him. They say he then played video games at his apartment with the boy, raped him in his car and finally left him near a park in Latrobe, about 35 miles from his home. Police found the boy there around 2 a.m. Sunday.
Lynch is being held in the Fayette County jail. No attorney is listed on court papers. Police say he confessed.Image copyright CR Archaeology Image caption Much of the skeleton remains intact with only parts of the spine and ribs missing
A grave containing the skeleton of a 12th century woman discovered during museum redevelopment works in Gwynedd could be one of the last known burials of its type in Wales.
The team at CR Archaeology discovered the bones in a stone cist grave beneath a wall at Old St Mary's Church, Nefyn - now a maritime museum - 18 months ago.
Tests confirmed she was aged 60 when she died and was buried around 1180.
The team are now working to find out more about her lifestyle and diet.
Image copyright CR Archaeology Image caption The skeleton was found in a cist grave underneath a Victorian wall
Archaeologist Matthew Jones, who helped uncover the remains, said the discovery was unusual because while part of the rib cage and spine no longer remained, most of the skeleton was still intact.
This is not often the case for discoveries of this age in Wales because the acidic soil erodes bones, he said.
Mr Jones believes the grave could be one of only a small number of a similar date known in the UK.
Initial tests show the woman was in relatively good health when she died but had arthritis. She had strong bones and muscles but would probably have had a "hard life", Mr Jones said.
Analysis of her bones showed her diet lacked fish, which was unusual as Nefyn was a famous port town at the time she lived.
Further tests are continuing with the hope of finding out more about where the woman came from.Quote
UK, The Red Eclipse
Windows 10
Security Key
Subscriber (baut as only subs can post in the forums not sure you'd see much of a response from non-subs )
Founder with few patch issues since launch (the last time I had a patch problem it was due to an issue with a server hub in London).
Guess I have Bitraider as I relocated my SWTOR files to a new SSD about a year ago. I'll add my name and details to the growing list:UK, The Red EclipseWindows 10Security KeySubscriber (baut as only subs can post in the forums not sure you'd see much of a response from non-subsFounder with few patch issues since launch (the last time I had a patch problem it was due to an issue with a server hub in London).Guess I have Bitraider as I relocated my SWTOR files to a new SSD about a year ago. Information on friend referral My referral linkWe are living in a world with an apocalyptic mindset. How many times have you heard references to drastic earth changes, the end of the world, or Armageddon bantered around by network news anchors or in motion pictures? The worlds population is teetering on the precipice of global panic with anticipated calamities associated with December 21st, 2012 and other alarming events. Men and women are being sucked into the one-world, globalist straightjacket created by the mainstream media and are being prepared to fall into the waiting arms of Antichrist at his appearance. So many, even in Christian circles, are totally confused by false teachers.
The viewer will learn of such topics as The History and Future of Israel, The Rapture of the Church, The Building of the One-World Church, The Coming War with Russia, The Identity of the Antichrist, World War III, Armageddon, the truth about December 21st, 2012, and the much-anticipated Kingdom of God on Earth.
If you want to learn what the Word of God tells of the future and make changes in your life as a result----you must get this series.
2-DVD Set, nearly 3 hours
Mac uses the King James VersionMembers of Britain’s Special Air Service (SAS) covered up evidence that they killed unarmed Afghan civilians in cold blood.
They also falsified mission reports in a scandal that the government has tried to keep secret.
The allegations have emerged in a classified Royal Military Police (RMP) investigation, Operation Northmoor.
Afghan civilians were murdered rather than captured during night raids.
In one 2011 case under investigation, special forces soldiers are alleged to have handcuffed and hooded some of the victims before later shooting them dead.
Top secret SAS mission reports had been doctored to make it look as if Afghan special forces, rather than the British soldiers, had carried out the shootings.
This meant the killings were not investigated at the time.
Operation Northmoor is said to have acquired drone and other video footage— nicknamed “kill TV”—that shows British soldiers opening fire.
An examination of bullets taken from some of the victims’ bodies revealed they were of a type used by the SAS.
Photographs, taken by the SAS of shooting scenes show the victims holding a Makarov pistol—a weapon favoured by the Taliban leadership.
It was repeatedly planted to give the false impression that the person they had shot was an armed Taliban commander.
Operation Northmoor, set up in 2014, was investigating dozens of alleged unlawful killings between 2010 and 2013 by special forces and had become one of the largest military police investigations.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has ordered the inquiry to end its investigations by the end of the summer.
Sir Michael Fallon, the defence secretary, slashed the inquiry’s workload from an initial investigation into 52 deaths to one case of unlawful killing.
That one case is an investigation into the shooting of four family members during a night raid on their homes in southern Helmand province in February 2011.
It is the only case of the 52 alleged killings which is currently subject to a civil claim and the details are expected to become public.
Ruth Davidson has accused opponents of whipping up the “hostile and vitriolic tirades” that greeted her appointment as honorary colonel of her former British Army regiment.In the whiny 35 messages posted on Twitter she expressed outrage that the army gig was seen as in any way politically driven. Or just weird.
NHS staff stopped from joining an NHS protest
Hospital staff were ordered not to go outside to join a campaign to save their own A&E—in case they spread superbugs such as MRSA.
Protesters campaigning to save the unit at an Essex hospital also wanted to present medics with a cake to mark the 69th birthday of the NHS.
A hospital worker said, “We were told we couldn’t go out in our uniform. We couldn’t go out and support the cause.”
The hospital claims threats of disciplinary action against staff were because of its infection control policy on wearing uniforms outside.
The fight to stop savage school funding cuts angered the Sun newspaper.
An editorial called for schools to be “stopped from sending out thinly-disguised campaign leaflets for Labour”.
This follows a number of head teachers sending letters to parents alerting them to the impact that Tory cuts would have in their schools.
No such thing as free Tory lunch with May
The Tories banked £160,000 by renting out the prime minister at a posh party fundraiser.
One wealthy Tory supporter, whose identity has not been revealed, paid this sum for the privilege of dining with Theresa May.
An audience with Boris Johnson was flogged for just £15,000.
Theresa May has hired a BBC executive as her chief spin doctor at No 10.
Robbie Gibb is the second Beeb editor in six years to bag the director of communications job. He is the brother of schools minister Nick Gibb.
David Cameron poached Sir Craig Oliver to replace former News of the World editor Andy Coulson after the phone-hacking scandal at the newspaper.
Gibb, the executive editor of the Andrew Marr Show and head of BBC Westminster, paid tribute in a tweet to the “impartiality” of the corporation.
Get that animal off that horse
A police officer allegedly called in sick three times to visit racecourses and see his horses compete.
PC Jonathan Adams is accused of gross misconduct over the visits to Royal Ascot and Nottingham Racecourse.
Gloucestershire police force claims that in 2015 and 2016 Adams took sick leave, but went to Nottingham to watch Little Lady Kate which he part-owned. Also in 2016 he allegedly saw a second horse, Quiet Reflection, race at Ascot. It won the Commonwealth Cup. A full hearing into PC Adams’ case due is later this month.
Cops’ bid to halt boozing teens led to a mini riot. Police launched Operation Exodus in Newquay, Cornwall.
That night a “dry” under-18s event for the campaign ended with hundreds of young people holding a “running battle” outside.
The cops said there were no reports “of any offences being committed”.
Lord Adonis slams himself
The Labour peer who brought in tuition fees for Tony Blair has called for them to be scrapped.
Lord Adonis said the charges were now a “Frankenstein’s monster” saddling graduates with loans they would be paying off into their fifties.
He declared, “Fees have become so politically diseased, they should be abolished entirely.”
Lord Adonis admitted he was responsible for ex-PM Tony Blair’s education reforms in 2004.
But he said rocketing bills were mainly the result of university chiefs’ “opportunism and greed”.
Latest figures show that three in four students paying the highest fee of £9,250 a year will never clear their debt.
The Government has warned that scrapping the fees would be “mindbogglingly expensive”.
The things they say
‘There is a sense that if we screw this up, a Marxist government steps into the breach’
A senior Tory MP quoted in the Financial Times newspaper last week
‘That is way above my pay grade’
Professor Anthony Forster University of Essex’s vice chancellor asked for his views on higher education funding. His salary is almost £240,000
‘Party leaders want her out as leader—though not yet’
Conservative Home website’s Paul Goodman
‘Selfish’
Former prime minister—and millionaire—David Cameron on lifting the public sector pay cap
‘There is no obvious frontrunner’
The Financial Times on the Tories’ alternatives to May
‘The winner would have no direct mandate and might inherit a party in a state of nervous disintegration’
The Financial Times says the Tory crisis is likely to continueYou must share the same philosophy as him.
I can't speak for Elon, but I have read and watched a lot of shit about him. This is because I basically 100% agree with everything he has done and everything that he has said. It all just makes sense, and clicks, more than anything else.. So, I am going to attempt to layout his philosophy of life.
Life is short. I mean it's super short. In the timespan that you walk the Earth, basically nothing significant has happened - objectively speaking. That big promotion, watching your niece hit that buzzer beater to win the state championship, finding your true love and being super happy for a few decades... none of that really matters in the grand scheme of things.
There is no afterlife, and you have maybe 100 years to do something significant or at least almost significant.
If you accept that, and fully agree with it, then you can start asking yourself what is truly significant? What can you do in this super short period of time that will actually give your life meaningfulness?
For Elon, it was what will most affect the future of humanity? He came up with some super good answers. And after he did that he worked his ass off to become involved in those things. At 44 and a multi-billionaire he's still in start-up mode - working ~85 hrs/week.
So...
You can't be more like Elon unless you
Share his philosophy Find what can give your life true meaningfulness Forget everything else and work your ass off towards that thing (or things)
The thing is.. That meaningfulness doesn't necessarily have to be helping move humanity forward.
It can be anything - you get to answer that. For you, it could be educating and inspiring 100s of children, donating significant amounts of time to helping the less fortunate, treating patients and making sure they live a long and joyous life, etc. I would argue that if you pursued any of those things with a laser focus, then you would immediately be more like Elon.
Point being -
You can't be more like Elon by wanting to be a billionaire, or wanting to be famous, or whatever. You really can't even come close until you find something so meaningful to you that you would spend 80/hrs/week pursuing it for several years.. just in an attempt to do something that you think gives your life purpose.
It's kind of complicated, but this thing must be so important to you that you would sacrifice everything for it - leisure time, happiness, relationships, etc. But still, having this purpose or meaning makes you somewhat happy.. Even when all it is, is super hard work that is not fun.
End of answer.
For me, I agree with Elon. I sincerely want to work my ass off in attempt to do something useful for humanity.. And maybe after failing to do anything substantial for several years, I will give up and change focus. But right now, as a college student, I couldn't imagine living for anything else. It is what I wake up for in the morning.. So I'm taking a very long term methodical approach. But It's actually quite troubling because it's difficult to enjoy myself when doing "fun" activities because I know I could/should spend my time much more productively.In a first, the Central Commission (CVC) has decided to develop an 'integrity index' to help government departments assess where they stand on anti- measures.
The for public sector organisations will be based on bench marking of governance processes by internal and external stakeholders.
The probity watchdog believes that integrity, long-term sustainability and profitability are all closely linked and can help public organisations create islands of excellence in the medium to long term while achieving the objectives.
Accordingly, the wants to undertake a research-based approach to creating an that various organisations can use to measure themselves and which will evolve with changing needs, the Commission said seeking proposals from reputed academic institutes or organisations with minimum 10 years of experience and expertise in public policy.
"It is for the first time that such a ranking is being planned by the Commission. It will go a long way in ensuring further probity in public organisations," a senior official said.
The selected agency will be responsible for developing a five-year draft road map for and its associated ecosystem.
Besides, it will understand the ecosystem that is necessary for long-term sustenance of the measurement, upgradation and promotion of use of the index in such a way that it becomes an integral part of policy and decision making.
The main objective of this exercise is to define what constitutes integrity of public organisations, identify the different factors of integrity and their inter-linkages and to create an objective and reliable tool that can measure the performance of organisations on this benchmark, the anti- watchdog said.
The duration of this assignment will be for 12 months effective from the date of signing of the agreement between the and the consultant.Image caption Currently, all cars must be tested annually
Classic and historic vehicles are to be exempted from yearly MoT tests, the government has announced.
Vehicles manufactured before 1960 will no longer have to have to pass an MoT from 18 November, Roads Minister Mike Penning said.
The vehicles make up about 0.6% of the total number of licensed vehicles in Britain but |
in winter: the ice patches increase the likelihood of car crashes, just as El Niño conditions exacerbate underlying tensions in a given society. "The state of global climate can determine whether conflict is more or less likely," he says.
That could be bad news as the global climate is changing in a generally warmer direction thanks to increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide, in the atmosphere. "It is frankly difficult to see why that won't carry over to a world that is disrupted by global warming," Cane says. "If these smaller, shorter-lasting and, by and large, less serious kinds of changes associated with El Niño have this effect, it is hard to imagine that the more pervasive changes that come with anthropogenic climate change are not also going to have negative effects on civil conflict.”
Certainly, history has been influenced by climate changes, ranging from the drought-driven collapse of Mayan society to the partially climate-induced rising food prices that helped to touch off the more recent "Arab spring." In fact, diminished agricultural production as a result of climate variability matches up with fluctuations in the frequency of war, mass migrations and even regime change in the historical record. "It seems to us that the climate-war association is not only valid in the past, but also valid in present days," says geographer David Zhang of the University of Hong Kong, who was not involved in this study but has analyzed world history and found linkages between war and temperature change in previous published research.
Ultimately, because El Niño patterns can be predicted as much as two years in advance, the world might have forewarning of the potential for increased conflict. "At a minimum, national governments and international institutions should be ready for such events," says economist-in-training Kyle Meng of Columbia University, who also worked on the latest study.
But Meng and Hsiang's work cannot explain the root causes of such conflicts, merely showing a correlation between the outbreak of civil war and El Niño events, so it may not prove a useful guide. "Correlation without explanation can only lead to speculation," says political scientist Halvard Buhaug of the Peace Research Institute of Oslo.
And, of course, forewarned does not mean forearmed. Researchers predicted the present famine in the Horn of Africa more than two years ago and yet nothing was done. "It was not until the famine and violence actually began that donors began supplying the resources needed," Hsiang notes.
Nonetheless, Hsiang's research does seem to show that, for the more impoverished countries of the tropics, the linkage between climate and conflict has yet to be broken—even if it may have been in richer countries that are more technologically insulated from such shocks, thanks to air conditioning, food surpluses and other signs of wealth. As Hsiang says, "In the modern world, we still depend on climate to a very large extent."Argentina Celebrity Chef Maru Botana outraged Mexicans worldwide last week with her rendition of tacos, which bore little resemblance to the actual food. The strange preparation, ingredients and choice of fillings seemed to be almost intentionally offensive to many who viewed the program, sparking outraged online articles, comments, blog posts, and tweets from within Argentina and around the Spanish-speaking world. Wikipedia describes the incident as:
En Noviembre del mismo año, durante una transmisión, se ganó el repudio de México por hacer una receta de tacos a ojo vistas insultante, debido a que virtualmente asesinó al taco mismo al hacerlos de forma tan errática que incluso muchos la consideran persona non grata de viajar a dicho país.
Maru Botana: Taco Assassin.
Share the taco: Facebook
Twitter
Reddit
EmailAccording to the recent report from Myce, the latest Android 4.4.3 version with build number KTU83 has been sighted running on Nexus 5, which is code-named Hammerhead.
The “K” on the build number refers to KitKat. The third letter, which in this case is “U,” is the quarter that the software was written. The last two numbers is a date-code. For example, “83” would be the 83rd day of the quarter which was March 24th. That means that the build seen on the Nexus 5 is just shy of a week old. The build for the Nexus 7 (2013) was created on March 21st.
According to reports from AndroidPolice, here is the list of Android 4.4.3 fixes:
Frequent data connection dropout fix
mm-qcamera-daemon crash and optimization fixes
Camera focus in regular and HDR modes fixes
Power Manager display wakelock fix
Multiple Bluetooth fixes
Fix for a random reboot
App shortcuts sometimes got removed from launcher after update
USB debugging security fix
App shortcuts security fix
Wi-Fi auto-connect fix
Other camera fixes
MMS, Email/Exchange, Calendar, People/Dialer/Contacts, DSP, IPv6, VPN fixes
Stuck in activation screen fix
Missed call LED fix
Subtitle fixes
Data usage graph fix
Internet telephony fix
FCC compliance fix
Miscellaneous fixes
SourceHome
Das historische Experiment Hand-Werk
Der Burgbau Friesach ist in sich außergewöhnlich: Auf einem Berghügel südlich der mittelalterlichen Stadt Friesach wird eine Höhenburg mit dem Handwerkswissen aus längst vergangener Zeit gebaut. Im Zentrum des Interesses steht der Prozess des Bauens, ohne Zuhilfenahme moderner Gerätschaften. Nur durch tradiertes, handwerkliches Können der Beteiligten, unterstützt von kräftigen Noriker-Pferden, entsteht in einer Bauzeit von zirka 40 Jahren eine Burganlage mit zwei Türmen, Palas, Ringmauern und Kapelle.
Die Baustelle ist ein „Geschichtelabor“. Die BesucherInnen können den HandwerkerInnen bei ihren mühsamen Tätigkeiten zusehen, verloren geglaubtes Wissen wiederentdecken und so aus der Vergangenheit lernen. Sie erleben mittelalterlichen Alltag, tauchen ein ins Mittelalter, treten heraus aus dem alltäglichen engen, bedrückenden Zeitschema und hinein in eine „verzögerte Zeit“. Und sie bestaunen das zeitgenössische mittelalterliche Handwerk, das ohne technische Hilfsmittel auszukommen gewohnt war. Sie „erleben“ den authentischen Arbeitstag auf einer mittelalterlichen Baustelle in Ruhe und Beschaulichkeit.The Fiji National Sports Commission has provided financial support to the Fiji Chess Federation to participate in the 42nd World Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan in September. Federation president, Candidate
The Fiji National Sports Commission has provided financial support to the Fiji Chess Federation to participate in the 42nd World Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan in September.
Federation president, Candidate Master Calvin Prasad, said the grant has allowed FCF to field two teams in the biennial event.
“Fiji Chess is grateful to Government and the Commission for providing $20,000 towards airfares for the Olympiad,” he said.
Prasad said while the cost of air travel to Azerbaijan was quite high, FCF was able to acquire sponsors to offset the entire travel cost of the team.
“For the first time, we will be sending two full teams to the Olympiad, together with experienced coaches. The onus is now on the teams to train hard and honour the trust and expectations shown by our sponsors.”
Fiji will be represented at the Olympiad by an Open and Women’s team. Each team comprises five players and a captain.
The federation appointed a three-member independent selection panel to select both teams. The selection panel comprised of Dr Jashint Maharaj, John Caldeira and Gaurav Raicar.
The selection panel selected a strong squad with numerous experienced campaigners as well as debutants.
The open team includes CM Calvin Prasad, CM Manoj Kumar, Taione Sikivou, CM Goru Arvind and CM Noel Adricula.
The women’s team includes WCM Gloria Sukhu, WFM Hilda Vukikomoala, Cydel Kabrina Terubea, Tanvi Prasad and Sugandha Goswami.
“This will be the first Olympiad for the newcomers Tanvi, Sugandha and Noel. The other members are seasoned Olympians.”
Dr Maharaj is the captain of the Open team, while Iranian grand master Mahjoob Morteza is the captain of the women’s team. Prasad is the head of delegation.
“Fiji has acquired the services of international grand master Mahjoob Morteza to coach the women’s team.
“This is another first, and we’re confident of a good outing for both squads.”
The Fiji squad is attending training sessions every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at the Fiji Club in Suva. The Fijian squad departs on August 29.
Edited by Leone Cabenatabua
Feedback: [email protected] to the @Tigers organization, my teammates and Tigers fans. Detroit will continue to hold a special place in my heart — Prince Fielder (@RealPFielder28) November 22, 2013
STEPHEN HAWKINS, AP Sports Writer
Prince Fielder could have vetoed the blockbuster swap of All-Star players that sent him to the Texas Rangers less than two years after signing his big deal with Detroit.
The slugging first baseman decided to take the fresh start with a new team.
“Obviously, it’s another good team, ” Fielder said Thursday, a day after being sent to Texas for second baseman Ian Kinsler. “I didn’t think it was going to be a bad thing and plus, most of all, I thought it was going to be good for everyone. I just wanted everyone to be happy.”
Fielder was only two seasons into the $214 million, nine-year contract he signed with Detroit before the 2012 season, when the Rangers were also a suitor. Their offer was nowhere close to what the five-time All-Star got then.
While playing all 324 regular-season games for the Tigers the past two seasons, Fielder hit.295 with 55 home runs and 214 RBIs. But his 25 homers this year were his fewest over a full season, and he didn’t drive in a run in 11 postseason games before Detroit lost the AL championship series to Boston in six games.
“It was cool. The season was fine. It is what it is bro,” Fielder said during a brief conference call with Rangers beat writers. “You can’t take it back. Everything is cool. We got to the playoffs. Unfortunately we didn’t get where we wanted to go.”
The Rangers plan to formally introduce Fielder in a news conference Monday.
Fielder provides Texas manager Ron Washington with a middle-of-the-order threat in a lineup that still includes Adrian Beltre and Alex Rios, filling one of the team’s primary offseason wants even before baseball’s winter meetings.
“It gives us some direction the rest of our offseason,” general manager Jon Daniels said late Wednesday night.
Fielder is a.286 career hitter with 285 homers and 870 RBIs in 1,322 games with Milwaukee (2005-11) and Detroit (2012-13). In 13 career games as an opponent at Rangers Ballpark, he hit.265 with four homers and 15 RBIs.
Before Fielder went to Detroit, he traveled to Dallas to meet with Daniels and other Rangers officials.
Daniels said that was helpful this week when making a decision in a trade that came together quickly. That also played into Fielder’s quick decision to accept it.
“It definitely didn’t hurt. Everybody was real nice, and I liked the guys,” Fielder said. “It definitely will be different. It’s definitely going to be new. Yeah, I’ll take it, I guess, a fresh start.”
As for the Texas heat, the big first baseman spent some of his preteen years living in the Dallas area and isn’t concerned about playing every day in the summer months.
“I kind of like it. Obviously it keeps you loose,” he said. “I play every day, the heat actually is good just to be able to get muscles loose, especially later in the season as the body starts to get tired. For me, whenever it’s warm, I’m just loose and better actually. It’s definitely going to be hot, but it’s not going to be a problem.”
(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)Do you see a lot of patients with thyroid disorders? The number of people suffering from thyroid disorders continues to rise each year. Read on to learn more about thyroid disorders and how to address the root cause of disease.
The American Thyroid Association estimates that 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease, and up to 60 percent of these people are unaware of their condition. One in eight women will develop a thyroid disorder during her lifetime (1). As of 2014, levothyroxine, a synthetic form of thyroid hormone, was the highest-selling drug in the United States (2). Most individuals who take thyroid hormone will never get off the medication.
In this article, I’ll cover the major symptoms of overactive and underactive thyroid, the conventional approach to thyroid treatment, and how addressing the underlying causes of thyroid disorders can reduce, and in many cases eliminate, the need for synthetic thyroid hormones.
What’s so important about the thyroid, anyway?
Every cell in the body has receptors for thyroid hormone. It is responsible for the most basic aspects of our body’s function, impacting all major systems. Thyroid hormone directly acts on the brain, the GI tract, the cardiovascular system, bone metabolism, red blood cell metabolism, gallbladder and liver function, steroid hormone production, glucose metabolism, lipid and cholesterol metabolism, protein metabolism, and body temperature regulation (3).
The conventional medical approach to thyroid disorders
In medicine, the key to choosing the best treatment is an accurate diagnosis. If the diagnosis isn’t correct, the treatment will be ineffective—or even cause harm. Unfortunately, misdiagnosis is common in the management of thyroid disorders. If a person visits a doctor with hypothyroid symptoms, she will simply be given replacement hormones without any further inquiry into the cause of her condition. Even worse, if she has hypothyroid symptoms but her lab tests are normal, she’ll be told that she’s “fine.” If the patient insists that she’s not “fine,” she might be sent home with an antidepressant, but with no further clue about the cause of her symptoms.
The problem with this approach is that thyroid physiology is complex. The production, conversion, and uptake of thyroid hormone in the body involve several steps (4). A malfunction in any of these steps can cause hypothyroid symptoms but may not show up on standard lab tests. It is incorrect (and even negligent) to assume that all cases of hypothyroidism share the same cause and require the same treatment, yet that is exactly what the standard of care for hypothyroidism delivers.
Conventional medicine is almost exclusively oriented toward “disease management”: using drugs or surgery to suppress symptoms. In functional medicine, we focus on addressing the underlying cause of disease so that patients can get well and stay well without unnecessary drugs or surgery. Although a prescription for thyroid hormone replacement is sometimes necessary, the first step should always be to determine why the thyroid is malfunctioning in the first place. Sometimes addressing the underlying cause of the thyroid problem is enough to resolve it without resorting to thyroid hormone replacement.
Many conventionally trained clinicians will simply run a TSH test and call it a day. However, this misses critical information you need about your patient’s thyroid metabolism. I always order a combination of thyroid markers, including TSH, T3, T4, free T3, free T4, and thyroid antibodies.
The underlying causes of thyroid disorders
The two major causes of thyroid disorders are nutrient deficiency and autoimmune disease.
Iodine is a crucial nutrient for thyroid function. Thyroid hormone is rich in iodine, and deficiency of iodine can cause both hypothyroidism and goiter (a swelling of the thyroid gland) (5). Zinc is required for the synthesis of thyroid hormone, and deficiency of zinc has been shown to result in hypothyroidism (6). Selenium, a cofactor for iodothyronine deiodinase, is required to convert T4 (the inactive form of thyroid hormone) into T3 (the active form of thyroid hormone). Selenium deficiency exacerbates conditions caused by inadequate iodine intake (7).
The most common autoimmune cause of thyroid problems is Hashimoto’s disease. In Hashimoto’s disease, the body attacks the thyroid gland, progressively destroying its capacity to produce thyroid hormone and resulting in hypothyroidism (8). Some studies suggest that up to 90 percent of people with hypothyroidism have Hashimoto’s disease (9). Graves’ disease is another autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid gland, but it causes the thyroid to become enlarged and overactive, which results in hyperthyroid symptoms (10).
You can figure out if your patient’s thyroid issues are due to an autoimmune process by testing for thyroid antibodies (thyroglobulin and thyroid peroxidase antibodies). While not all people with Hashimoto’s have hypothyroid symptoms, thyroid antibodies have been found to be a marker for future thyroid disease (9).
(It’s important to note that up to 30 percent of patients with Hashimoto’s do not test positive for thyroglobulin or thyroid peroxidase antibodies. In those cases, a thyroid ultrasound test may be needed to confirm the diagnosis.)
Strategies for improving thyroid function
With all of this in mind, let’s look at dietary, lifestyle, and supplement strategies for addressing nutrient deficiency and autoimmunity, the two primary causes of thyroid disorders.
Dietary considerations:
Avoid high amounts of goitrogens, which increase the need for iodine and damage the thyroid gland
Consume adequate dietary iodine and selenium
Avoid foods that potentially trigger an autoimmune response
Avoid very-low-carb diets, which can decrease thyroid function. (Note: this is a general rule and may not apply to all patients. Experimentation is often necessary.)
Lifestyle changes:
Manage stress: chronic stress impairs thyroid function at many different levels (11, 12)
Heal the gut: 80 percent of the immune system resides in the gut, and gut bacteria assist in converting T4 into T3 (13)
Get some sun: sun exposure has been shown to be protective against autoimmune disease (14)
Supplementation:
Iodine and selenium: most optimal to get from food, but in cases of significant deficiency, supplementation may be necessary
Vitamin D: supplementation is required when sun exposure is not sufficient to achieve adequate levels
Now I’d like to hear from you. Do you see patients with thyroid disorders on a regular basis? Will this information change how you treat hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism? Let us know in the comments!Lake County creates new position to focus on green programs
hello
Lake County officials on Tuesday reinforced their commitment to so-called sustainable practices in separate actions involving local regulations and the 2014-15 budget.
In the first instance, the county board unanimously agreed to relax standards to allow for keeping bees, hens and hoophouses used exclusively for food production.
The new regulations apply to residential properties in unincorporated areas and come after extensive public input at several meetings. Before the changes, those activities were allowed only on agricultural parcels of about five acres or more.
Effective immediately, two beehives will be allowed on lots up to 10,000 square feet or about a quarter acre, with an additional hive for each extra 10,000 square feet; up to six hens can be kept on residential lots of at least 10,000 square feet, increasing to as many as 12 hens on a lot of 80,000 square feet or more. Roosters aren't allowed on less than five acres; and, hoophouses of up to 50 square feet are allowed for each 10,000 square feet of residential lot area.
The rules outline standards for the set up and maintenance of beehives, chicken coops and hoophouses. Permits will be required with enforcement through the adjudication process.
"These are the kinds of things that make Lake County a great place to live," Sarah Surroz, conservation and outreach director for Conserve Lake County, told the board just before the vote. The group is among several that have been working with the county on local food initiatives.
The county board also decided to put a more specific focus on activities involving sustainable initiatives, such as conservation, by including a new position in the $488 million 2014 budget, which begins Dec. 1.
The "sustainability director" post will receive a salary of $85,000 plus benefits.
"This will be a person who in essence will be leading our green initiatives," said County Administrator Barry Burton, who will craft a job description for the post. "Up until now, we've had teams of people who do it as an extra duty. There are things we haven't had time to get to and this would enable us to do more," he added.
Hiring a full-time expert was not without debate.
County Board member Pat Carey of Grayslake, who is co-chair of the Lake County Local Food Working Group, introduced the idea of hiring an expert as a new program request in the budget.
She said environmental stewardship has been a perennial goal of the county board.
"We want to focus on this... to make more progress," Carey said.
But County Board member Brent Paxton of Zion, who chairs the finance committee, said the work could be done by filling the position of assistant county administrator, which has been vacant. That person could be cross trained to assist in other duties as well, he contended.
"We have just dictated to Barry (Burton) how he runs his office," Paxton said. "We need to keep our hands out of the hiring process." His motion to remove the position from the budget failed 18-3.
As for the overall budget, Paxton said it shows the board's strong fiscal policies. The balanced budget has been flat and is $10 million lower than three years ago, he said.
"This personifies the mantra we've had the past three years -- we don't spend money we don't have," he said.
Lake County again has been rated AAA by two top bond rating agencies. About 1 percent of the budget is tied up in debt, Paxton added, which allows the county to use more cash and borrow less for projects.Image copyright PA
Next week's strike by junior doctors in England will go ahead as talks with the government have failed to reach a solution - but union leaders say medics will provide emergency cover.
The 10 February action was originally a full walk-out meaning medics would not have staffed emergency care.
It would have been an historic move and caused major disruption to hospitals.
But the British Medical Association has now stepped back from that, saying it wanted to minimise the impact.
However, the strike will last longer than planned - 24 hours rather than the 08:00 to 17:00 which was first announced.
The decision to scale back on the scope of the strike will bring a huge sigh of relief to hospitals.
A full walk-out has never happened before in the history of the NHS and would have led to a mass cancellation of routine treatments, such as knee and hip replacements, as consultants and other staff were redeployed to cover behind the junior doctors.
What is the dispute about?
Image copyright PA
The row between junior doctors and the government is over a new contract
Talks broke down in 2014, but the dispute has escalated since the summer after ministers said they would impose the deal
Ministers offered doctors an 11% rise in basic pay last year, but that was offset by curbs to other elements of the pay package, including payments for unsociable hours
The government says the changes are needed to create more seven-days services
BMA members were balloted in the autumn and 98% of those who voted backed strike action
Talks restarted in December, leading to three days of strikes being called off, but these have so far failed to reach a breakthrough, which is why walk-outs are now taking place
The junior doctors row explained
What exactly do junior doctors do?
How does your job compare?
The lessons of the 1975 doctors' strike
The stoppage will be the second walk-out by junior doctors over the contract dispute.
The first took place over 24 hours on 12 January and led to about one in 10 non-emergency operations being cancelled, while a 48-hour walk-out planned for last week was called off while talks took place at the conciliation service Acas.
BMA junior doctor leader Dr Johann Malawana said despite some "good progress" the union had been left no choice but to announce the stoppage would take place.
He accused the government of taking an "entrenched" position by insisting the extra pay doctors get for working on a Saturday is cut.
Dr Malawana said: "What we are asking for is fair and affordable recognition of unsocial hours."
He added the union "deeply regretted" the disruption the strike action would cause.
Analysis: Are we reaching the end game?
The noises coming out of both camps suggest we're getting close to the end of the road - at least in terms of what talks can achieve.
A number of letters between some of the key players in the dispute have been released and it appears the main sticking point now is Saturday pay.
While the government has made concessions, it still wants 7am to 5pm to be classed as normal working hours and therefore attracting no extra pay. This is simply unacceptable to the BMA.
But unless the union budges on this stance the person brought in by the government to find a way through this dispute, the respected hospital boss Sir David Dalton, has told ministers there's little point getting back round the table.
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A Department of Health spokeswoman pointed to concessions that had been made in recent weeks, including guarantees about the number of weekends doctors would have to work and making a more generous offer on extra payments for a Saturday.
She that demonstrated the "strong desire" of the government to reach a deal.
"It is regrettable that the BMA is proceeding with further unnecessary industrial action," she added.One of the big deals the New Jersey Devils made yesterday was signing Anton Volchenkov to a 6 year, $25.5 million contract. Volchenkov is largely regarded for his defensive skills, most notably his shot blocking. According to NHL.com's real-time stats, Volchenkov has been among league leaders in blocked shots for the last 5 seasons with at least 170 per season. He even led the league in 2006-07 with 273 (and played 78 games that season). Per Kevin's recent post, Ottawa supporter Ryan Classic noted that he had over 1000 blocks in the last 5 seasons and no one else has over 900.
However, I don't believe Volchenkov may get to that 170 mark with the New Jersey Devils.
A Related Digression: I don't think shot blocking has been a real problem in NJ. Generally, the goal of a defense is to prevent shots and help the goalie out, not necessarily stop them in flight. At best, the shot's blocked and you have possession. Yet more often than not, the puck gets loose elsewhere or, worse, gets deflected and throws off the goaltender trying to play the shot. Given that it mostly has been Martin Brodeur in net for the last 5 seasons, you'd want him to face the shot unimpeded when possible.
It comes of no surprise then, that the Devils have been one of the least prolific shot blocking teams since the lockout. However, when I looked at how the numbers broke down for New Jersey year-by-year, I'm inclined to think that the defense may have been blocking more shots at the Rock than what the official numbers show. In fact, I'd predict Volchenkov's blocks could very well go down even if he doesn't change how he plays in New Jersey (and get criticized for it, of course). I've put the figures together and will explain further after the jump.
Official scorers at each game records not just the basic stats, but also real-time super stats (RTSS) such as blocked shots, hits, missed shots, and so forth. I haven't found a guide or a manual or something that explains how these are supposed recorded, but if one doesn't exist, there should be. Puck Prospectus' Tom Awad, way back in 2009, pointed out the differences in shot totals from rink to rink. He called it rink bias, as each rink tends to have the same scorer.
This logic may also apply to shot blocking. Check out how the Devils fared since the lockout in this RTSS stat. Since the discussion revolves around official numbers, all base stats here on out come from NHL.com.
In every one of the last five regular seasons, the Devils blocked at least 95 shots on the road more than they did at the Rock. The percent difference (R-H means Road minus Home) is at least 15% in every season and has risen in the last few seasons. Notice how much higher the Devils are ranked on the road in comparison to being in the bottom third or close to last at home.
I can understand that teams may have different tactics on the road than at home. Without the last change, defensemen may be on the wrong side on a matchup and therefore have to play more desperate. However, I have difficulty accepting that possibilty for shot blocking given the disparity between road and home blocks. Especially in the last three seasons where the core of the blueline has remained the same. The gap only got larger and larger, though.
Can it be possible that Colin White, Bryce Salvador, Paul Martin, and company were told to get in the way of shots more on the road? For some games, sure; but for 41 games in each of the last three seasons? I don't think the Devils became better in blocking shots by virtue of being away from the Rock. The only reasonable conclusion I can come to is that the scorer(s) for the Devils' home games have under-counted Devils blocks. The numbers certainly suggest that possibility, if nothing else.
Sure, other arenas will over and under count blocks but since the most they'll play in another team's arena in a season is 3 times, their effect is mitigated. 3 games will not have the same effect as 41, which is how many games the Devils are at home. Just look at the base numbers and the rankings. What other than home scoring bias can explain the Devils being simultaneously the least prolific shot blockers at home and one of the most prolific on the road?
Therefore, Anton Volchenkov could very well make more of an effort to block shots, and his numbers may suffer anyway because the Devils scorer won't record as many shot blocks as he actually makes.
OK. Now, here's where it gets a little weird.
I've just given you the last 5 years. NHL.com has RTSS team stats that go all the way back to 1997-98. I've put those numbers together and they tell a more complex tale than the last 5 years alone.
Yes, 2002-03 should be ignored because for some reason, NHL.com has incredibly low numbers for all RTSS stats. Since I doubt that even the Devils went from 920 blocks to 303 in a single season, I have to think the numbers aren't complete. Still, the Devils have actually had a couple seasons where there wasn't a giant gap between home and road blocked shots. In fact, there were a few where the Devils got much more blocks at home than on the road.
Here's a graphical representation of where the gaps have formed. It appears that 2003-04 was the last season where the base numbers are even enough to accept the outcome as reasonable. Mind you, the Devils didn't block a lot of shots in total, but at least it's less likely that it was the result of the scorers not counting blocks.
The Devils definitely peaked in 2006-07, and there was a road-home difference of 95 in that season. At least the one consistency is that the Devils haven't blocked a ton of shots as a team, save for the one peak season. Over the seasons, the percent difference between the road and home blocks have risen; really getting to massive difference from 2005-06 through this past season.
At least this makes the pre-lockout numbers less complicated in conjunction with the post-lockout numbers. While the percent difference definitely shot up after the lockout, there are signs of an upward trend in the pre-lockout numbers. Even if you include 2002-03's numbers, the percent difference would be a little higher than 2003-04. Still a part of that upward trend. I think this further suggests that there is home scoring bias against shot blocking.
I openly wonder, did the Devils get a new scorer for their home games after the lockout? If not, then did the scorer at Devils home games change his/her methods or criteria for judging blocked shots? If personnel did change, would someone (the Devils? the NHL? someone?) kindly inform him/her to be more accurate in their shot block counts?
Admittedly, I doubt those questions will be answered, much less lead to more accurate shot blocking counts. If it hasn't been found out now, then why make any changes? It may be more practical for use to prepare to not judge Volchenkov's effectiveness as a New Jersey Devils in the coming season by how many blocked shots he racks up.
Thanks for reading; now I want to know what you think. Do you agree or disagree that there is a scoring bias at Devils home games against blocked shots? If not, then why, because I think the numbers speak for themselves. What do you think needs to happen to fix this - a new scorer, better location for scoring blocks, a standardization of how to record stats, or something else? Do you think it will be fixed? Most of all, does this change your expectations for Volchenkov in the coming season?
Please leave your answers and thoughts in the comments.Metal detectors at Salle Wilfrid Pelletier. Finally, dragging the old dowager of a concert hall down to our level.
It was just Place des Arts’s way of telling rock’n’Noel fans, “Can’t take you anywhere.” For here were the remnants of Oasis nation gathered for a sold-out Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds closing out the Montreal International Jazz Festival, and a summit meeting with the halcyon ’90s. Back when that talk was of Britpop, not Brexit. When everyone had money in both pockets and rock’n’roll still lived on the airwaves and in record stores – all things now gone.
And as the musical embodiment of “if it ain’t broke,” Gallagher would remind everyone of the oomph of a decent melody and slab-chord guitar. In truth, he would work harder vocally than brother Liam ever did in a satisfying 20-song overview of the two careers – global smash and solo aftermath.
Everybody’s on the Run opened with that unmistakable sense of familiarity that comes with a (every) Noel Gallagher composition. There used to be an edge of mockery to that comment. Now it’s more like laddish gratitude. Lock All the Doors was charging and weighty, and in Riverman, you thought – hey, he’s a bit of a hippie.
But not one to be messed with. Stage patter was full-on Mancunian tartness throughout, and predictably funny.
“You should see down here right at the front – it’s nothing but guys in jeans stood with their hands in their pockets. I wish I could take a photo and send it to my wife.” Beat. “She’d be horrified.” Another fella was scolded as a “f***in’ hipster.” Then there was the “guy who looked like Alice Cooper. Where’s he gone? Is he famous?” When he showed up in the crowd, Gallagher was sure “I’ve seen you in pornographic movies. No, no, back in the ’90s.”
Inevitably, there came the call from a fan during stage lull: “Where’s Liam?” It might all have gone pear-shaped there…
But instead, Noel pursed his lips. “Well I dunno… probably home… on Twitter,” drawing laughs. Well, Liam was not here, but Fade Away was the first of a generous selection of Oasis songs, a reminder of what he’d told me in an interview atop a New York hotel several years ago: “Absolutely I’ll play them on tour. I f***in’ wrote them.” He did. And he did, with a rounder sound than the old band’s, but the identifiable bottom. Guitarist Tim Smith, pianist Mike Rowe, drummer Jeremy Stacey and bassist Russell Pritchard were serviceable and fittingly anonymous.
The Mexican was powered by a judicially deployed trumpet-sax-trombone horn section. The Death of You and Me was lead-booted and jaunty, if that works. There was more good-natured badinage. “Who are you rooting for on Sunday? France? Why? You’re not still hung up on that French thing…”
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GALLERY: Gallery: Montreal International Jazz Festival MONTREAL, QUE.: JULY 9, 2016 -- Noel Gallagher and his High Flying Birds at the Montreal International Jazz Festival at Salle Wilfred Pelletier in Montreal, Saturday July 9, 2016. (Vincenzo D'Alto / Montreal Gazette)
MONTREAL, QUE.: JULY 9, 2016 -- Noel Gallagher and his High Flying Birds at the Montreal International Jazz Festival at Salle Wilfred Pelletier in Montreal, Saturday July 9, 2016. (Vincenzo D'Alto / Montreal Gazette)
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. July 9, Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, Place des Arts. Everybody’s on the Run opened with that unmistakable sense of familiarity that comes with a (every) Noel Gallagher composition. There used to be an edge of mockery to that comment. Now it’s more like laddish gratitude. Lock All the Doors was charging and weighty, and in Riverman, you thought – hey, he’s a bit of a hippie. But not one to be messed with. – review by Mark Lepage Vincenzo D'Alto /Montreal Gazette
MONTREAL, QUE.: JULY 9, 2016 -- Noel Gallagher and his High Flying Birds at the Montreal International Jazz Festival at Salle Wilfred Pelletier in Montreal, Saturday July 9, |
last 15 years,” said Maged Bishara, vice-president of operations and national sales for Iristel.
The technology allows Iristel to offer telephone services at lower rates than regular phone services, including flat rates for unlimited long distance calls.
Unlike computer-to-computer connections, Iristel’s internet-based network is delivered through the company, in a mixture of VoIP and “public switch to telephone network,” or PSTN, “which is a traditional telephone network,” Bishara said.
“We’re a telephone company,” he said. “That means we have physical resources in Iqaluit, and we are able to physically provide local telephone lines, local telephone numbers, and port (transfer) people’s numbers back and forth in Iqaluit.”
Call quality would be the same as through a regular phone in Nunavut, where all long-distance communications are transmitted via satellite.
Iristel offers its service in Iqaluit through Qikiqtaaluk Information Technology Corp., and directly through a toll-free line.
As an internet-based provider, Iristel can provide services remotely, limiting the need to send technicians to deal with hardware.
The company offers a variety of systems for businesses, aiming to do so at a fraction of the cost charged by regular wire line providers, including multiline telephone systems, virtual faxing that converts paper faxes to digital, and video conferencing.
One drawback to Iristel in Nunavut is that Northwestel does not provide dry-loop Internet services, meaning customers always need a NorthwesTel telephone line with their Internet connection.
“That means it relegates an Iristel VoIP line to being a secondary phone line,” said Bishara. “Meanwhile, our goal is to be a primary provider.”
To get around the issue, Iristel will soon offer Internet service in Iqaluit as well, Bishara said, with plans to offer 3G wireless services that are on par with southern Canada.
“There’s a market in Iqaluit for sure,” Bishara said, adding that the company plans to expand to other communities in the territory. “We’re going to be expanding as quickly as we can, just like we did across the rest of Canada.”Colin Powell Goes under the Clinton Bus
To the list of victims, common folks, and politicians left in the wake of that runaway bus of crime and corruption known as Clinton, add one more -- former Secretary of State Colin Powell. Leaks emerging from the Congressional acquisition of the heavily redacted FBI interview with Hillary Clinton that took place in July, indicate that part of the discussion with Democrat nominee centered on Clinton’s claim that she set up her private email server on the recommendation of Powell. This account of the origins of the server is in line with the “coincidental” assertions contained in a soon to be released book by longtime Clinton sycophant and nominal journalist Joe Conason, whose previous book The Hunting of Hillary accepts as a fact that indeed a “vast right wing conspiracy” has been pursuing this paragon of political virtue and her husband for decades. According to Conason, Powell advised Hillary to use private email in an off-the-cuff remark during a dinner party for former State Secretaries at the home of Madeline Albright in 2009.
Powell reportedly has no recollection of the comment, but did acknowledge using private email for efficiency’s sake in the darker ages before the use of email was ubiquitous and computers and servers more powerful. (Powell served from 2001-2005.) By the time Hillary took over the State Department had formalized rules regarding private email use for official business, which is to say it was prohibited. Regardless, according to Conason, Hillary had already decided to use private email before Powell’s alleged comment, the dinner party chat only confirming her decision, or more likely tucked away as a useful excuse for wrongdoing should she need it later, as indeed she did. Of course, even assuming Powell made such a comment, he certainly did not have in mind that Hillary would establish a private server in her home, and Powell in his documented comments on the use of private email was clear to specify it was only for unclassified material. Hillary, of course, used it for both. And Powell didn’t operate a phony private charitable foundation to line the pockets of his family and a host of cronies during his tenure, manipulating American foreign policy to that end. If he had, he might have needed such a private server to keep his corruption secret and avoid jail, like Hillary. That Hillary evidently mentioned Powell in her FBI interview to explain away her use of the server, as a precedent of sorts, despite the fact it was clearly against the rules of the agency she headed at the time, demonstrates that the interview was just a sham. Powell’s statements and actions, even assuming he made the dinner party comment, in no way shape or form would absolve Hillary of her violations of State Department policy, or those concerning the security of classified information. It’s like trying to get out of being charged because your bus ran a red light and killed a pedestrian on the basis that the car just in front of you did it too and didn’t hit anyone. But it would have bolstered the justifications that FBI Director James Comey planned to use a couple days later to announce that that he would not recommend charges against Clinton. Comey’s comments centered entirely on whether Hillary deliberately intended to compromise national security when she set up the server and then used it for almost all of her State Department business. He ignored the fact that the relevant statute also made it a crime to handle such documents in a grossly negligent manner, which Hillary, by his own admission, did. Plus an investigator or prosecutor determined to enforce the law and put an obvious wrongdoer in jail could have found plenty of evidence for intent as well, from the planning, cost, and premeditation that went into the establishment of the server, to Hillary’s deletion of thousands of emails on the lame and demonstrably false excuse that they concerned wedding plans and yoga, to her public lies and explanations about the entire enterprise. But Comey had no intention of doing this. The interview as noted here was a pretense, no doubt chock full of canned questions that allowed Hillary to excuse her actions without perjuring herself. Her claims that she was only innocently following the advice of Powell -- regardless of how preposterous they really were -- helped provide the rationalization Comey needed for himself, and his agents, to let Hillary skate. When Comey claimed that he, the investigating agents and his staff all agreed that no charges should be brought, how much easier it was to say that well “Colin Powell did it too” and “She was only taking his advice, right?” With that rationalization, a couple shots of whiskey, some Xanax, and a glance at paychecks, it no doubt helped them all get to sleep that night. If Powell did indeed make that dinner table comment, he must rue it today, having served honorably (if unspectacularly) in the same role, only to be tarred with the stink of Clintonian corruption for his trouble. Even if he did not make the comment, he ought to equally regret that he merely sat down to dinner with Hillary. Unfortunately, that can happen when you eat with or lie down with the Clintons. You may come out of it rich and connected, or more likely raped, broke, dead or soiled (too many examples here, but add one named Powell.)Serie A He opened up about his new club
The biggest fixture of this weekend will be the Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona, but Douglas Costa believes that Juventus are just as important and good a team as the two LaLiga giants.
Pointing out that some of the world's best players are in Turin, the 27-year-old thinks the Serie A champions deserve more credit.
"Juventus are really good and at the same level as Barcelona and Real Madrid, with some of the best players in the world" he said in an interview for the Italian club's website.
"It is a fantastic club."
Speaking about his own performances, he insisted that he is trying to get better.
"In recent months I have worked a lot on tactics and on defending to try to improve," he said.
"Serie A is very different to the Bundesliga and the Ukrainian league.
"I still have a lot to learn, but I'm optimistic."
The player moved to Juventus Stadium from Bayern Munich last summer and has already made 21 appearances for his new club.BTS have breaking out in America big time this year thanks to a win at the Billboard Music Awards, a sold-out arena tour, and the tireless work of their dedicate fanbase...and the guys clearly aren't ready to rest anytime soon.
For their new music coming in September, the K-pop sensations confirmed their upcoming musical comeback with a poster of main vocalist Jungkook curiously in a wheelchair with the words "Love Yourself." According to a press release, Love Yourself will be the band's new concept following their previous album concepts of School, The Most Beautiful Moment in Life and Wings (the latter two of which saw them charting on the Billboard 200 albums chart).
Just like when BTS's record label BigHit Entertainment put out short films of each individual member ahead of the Wings album release, this poster is just the first step in the group introducing their upcoming content with the key word for the series being "innovation." See below:Diane Sawyer’s exclusive interview with Bruce Jenner delivered huge ratings for ABC on Friday night.
A total of 16.9 million viewers tuned in to watch the former Olympian confirm that he identifies as a woman. Perhaps even more impressive, Bruce Jenner—The Interview scored a 5.2 rating among adults 18-49. That’s a Fox’s Empire-sized number, and about four times as large as 20/20’s typical performance.
The two-hour much-anticipated special easily dominated the night. In fact, this was the biggest Friday night episode of 20/20 in more than 15 years, and the highest-rated non-sports telecast on Friday night since 2003. According to Nielsen Social, the interview inspired 972,000 tweets, ranking it as the most social Friday telecast of all time (excluding sports events).
During the special, Jenner declared: “My brain is much more female than male. For all [intents and] purposes, I am a woman.”
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The 20/20 performance could bode well for E’s planned reality show, an eight-part series that follows Jenner’s life as a transgender woman, which the cable network plans to premiere July 26.
This article originally appeared on EW.com
Contact us at [email protected].( AOL Autos ) -- Many of us probably don't think about the tow truck business that often. We're grateful when one randomly stops on the road when we're broken down (if they ever stop at all). We may think about them when we buy a new car or change our car insurance in determining whether or not we want roadside assistance, but for the most part our paths don't cross too often.
People examine the tow trucks and wreckers at the International Towing and Recovery Museum and Hall of Fame in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
AOL Autos wanted to find out a little more about the extreme ins and outs of the tow truck business, so we caught up with a former tow truck driver in Virginia.
He asked us to keep his name anonymous, so we will call him Dan, and in return he introduced us to the world of repossession and impound towing -- one that you hopefully won't have to visit too often.
Repossession and impound business
Dan worked as a part-time driver for five years and gave us some insight into how the repossession business works. The first step is simply getting the address of the car. It doesn't matter how they find out where the person lives, they just need to have that address.
Dan said that some finance companies give them an address, but if it's the wrong one, "They might have someone call the guy and tell him something stupid like he's won tickets to something and they want to know where to send them -- anything sneaky so they get the guy's address," he said. "Some people are so dumb that that they give their address and their car is just sitting there."
He said some people know it's a possibility their car will be repossessed so they park the car a few houses down thinking that the tow truck drivers won't be able to find it... that doesn't work. We asked Dan what the best time to take a car was and he said, "Take them whenever! Whenever they least expect it."
Dan not only worked in repossessions, but also impounded vehicles for private companies. Sometimes he'd patrol apartment complexes and businesses that had hired Dan's company to tow away illegally parked vehicles.
He told us many people ignore the "No Parking" and "24 Hour Towing" signs, and they pay the price. "It might be parked there all night, it might be parked there for 30 seconds; it's just parked there at the wrong time if the tow truck gets it."
When it comes to patrolling for illegally parked cars, Dan told us that this is where competition between the tow truck drivers kicks in. He said most tow truck drivers try to work it out, but he had a few issues. "I know I always had problems with other drivers because I only worked part time." Other drivers would claim certain properties belonged solely to them, but Dan still patrolled them.
"It's not my fault they haven't been going and checking for cars," he told us. "They thought no one else would be at that property and little did they know I just rolled up and took all their cars."
Taking all the cars from a specific lot is referred to in this business as "burning up the property."
Early one morning Dan and a co-worker found another driver from their company sleeping in his truck, waiting to pick up a few cars. "We caught him sleeping in the shopping center right around the corner from one of the communities, so we figured there had to be cars and we went over and towed four cars. He woke up at 6 a.m. thinking he could get cars and he rolled in and there weren't any."
Normally, these drivers won't grab all the cars from a lot because they don't want people to think there's a strict policy. "It's kind of like fishing, you want to keep some bait out there," Dan said. "But when the money's tight, people take every car they can."
Selling the cars
Dan told us that most people would come and pay for their cars at the impound lot, unless the cars were in really bad condition. "Sometimes you'd have a fairly new car and under weird circumstances the people didn't come to claim the actual nice cars," he added. "But it's pretty rare that the cars were nice."
He told us that when the smart tow truck companies impound a car, they write down the VIN and the license plate number, then call the DMV and put a lien on that owner for the amount of money it costs to store the car. "Other tow truck companies might just sell the car off or just apply for the title and sell it off and get what money they can for it," he said.
We asked him what the company he worked for did in these cases. "If someone offered them cash for the car they just kind of unloaded it off to them." He said they didn't get in trouble for that because, "They had a connection up at the DMV, a lady was making titles for them."
By law, the towing companies are supposed to wait 45 days before they apply for the title at the DMV. "But you know, it varies," Dan said.
Dangers of the job
No one likes having their car towed, especially when you're actually there to see it happen. Some of Dan's co-workers have been shot at, one of his friends had his face slashed with a J-hook and Dan himself had an instance where a group of guys got a little more than angry at him for towing a car.
He and his co-worker were patrolling an apartment community and got out to determine what cars needed to be towed. "We kind of walked into a group of people who saw that we had our company tow truck shirts on and a friend got into a little bit of an altercation with them." Dan tried to stop the situation from escalating, but it didn't work out the way he wanted it to. "I was trying to tell everyone to not worry about it and go home, but when I wasn't looking I got a baseball bat to my face."
The guys who attacked Dan knocked out several of his teeth and then ran into an apartment building. "At first I was a in a little bit of a shock because my teeth were busted out," he said. "But then I think the adrenaline kind of kicked in and they obviously realized they had made a mistake and ran into an apartment." Dan then pinned their car in with his tow truck so they couldn't leave and waited for the police to show up. We asked Dan if he quit after a day like that, but he said he worked there for another two years.
Just part of the job
Even with all the angry people and potentially dangerous encounters, Dan said that there can be good money in towing cars. Drivers are paid by the number of cars they bring in. Some nights drivers can bring home $700, he said for some people, the risk is just part of the job and it doesn't deter them at all. Dan's friend who was slashed in the face six years ago is still towing to this day. It's not that they want people to be mad at them or that they particularly enjoy the dangerous encounters, Dan said matter-of-factly, "Some people just tow cars." E-mail to a friend
© 2009 AOL, LLC. All Rights Reserved.Exxon Mobil stands to regain access to huge reserves of oil if the United States rolls back sanctions on Russia.
U.S. sanctions on Russia have prevented Exxon Mobil from exploring assets covering 63.6 million acres. The prospect of rapprochement between the U.S. and Russia remains speculative, but both President-elect Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have said they want to improve relations. The two countries' relationship fell apart after Russia took Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and then intervened in civil wars in Ukraine and Syria.
Trump over the weekend dismissed the assessment, reached unanimously by 17 U.S. intelligence services, that the Russian government directed cyberattacks on the United States in a bid to "interfere with the U.S. election process." He then waved off a subsequent report citing CIA sources that alleges that intervention was meant to boost his chances of beating Hillary Clinton in November.
On Tuesday, Trump announced he would nominate Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson as secretary of State.
Tillerson has experience negotiating deals in Russia, and he got to know Putin while chief executive of the world's biggest integrated oil and gas company.
Tillerson has the backing of former Republican Secretaries of State James Baker and Condoleezza Rice, but GOP lawmakers on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, including John McCain and Marco Rubio, have expressed concerns about Tillerson's relationship with Putin.The Wood Buffalo Food Bank was hit with another devastating blow this week after a fire forced the northern Alberta organization to throw out much of its donated food.
On Sunday, firefighters responded to a fire at one of the food bank's warehouses in downtown Fort McMurray. Nobody was hurt, and it was quickly extinguished.
"We are once again forced to discard smoke damaged food items, food storage containers, diapers, toilet paper, and other goods," the group wrote in a Facebook statement, citing significant smoke damage.
The damages were estimated at approximately $200,000, CBC News reported.
Volunteers at the Wood Buffalo Food Bank unload food from a truck in July. (Photo: Facebook)
The food bank has been overwhelmed with demand since a wildfire swept through the region in May. At the time, over 50,000 food items had to be destroyed due to smoke damage from that disaster, according to the Edmonton Journal.
In June and July, the organization handed out nearly 5,000 hampers of food.
Police are investigating the cause of Sunday's fire.
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Also on HuffPostPatriots wide receiver Julian Edelman talks about being fearless over the middle and what it takes to click with Tom Brady. (1:43)
Father and son looked over a map of the United States and arrived at the joint conclusion that many NFL games are played in bad weather, especially when they matter most.
"So let's go play in the cold and snow," Frank Edelman told his boy, Julian.
The kid had finished one season of junior college ball at San Mateo in California, about eight miles from his Redwood City home, and his only firm Division I offer came by way of Kent State. Julian Edelman wanted to be Deion Sanders as a boy, and then as a 5-foot-10 college quarterback, he wanted to be Doug Flutie. More than anything, he wanted to end up in the NFL somehow, somewhere, someway.
Editor's Picks Bowen: The unstoppable Gronk-Edelman combo Why is it so hard to stifle both Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman? Matt Bowen breaks down the Patriots' potent duo and explains how the Broncos can try to disrupt the rhythm.
Julian Edelman miked up in playoff win over the Chiefs Julian Edelman wore a microphone during the team's playoff win over the Chiefs, and NFL Films captured both Edelman's highs and his lows. 1 Related
His old man figured a starting quarterback's job in the pros was a long shot, but he also figured that if Julian ran and threw the ball a combined 50 times on any given Saturday -- and managed his fair share of challenging weather along the way -- some NFL scout would notice.
Some NFL franchise would find him a position to play.
That was 10 years ago, and yet the decision to attend Kent State -- rather than go through with a second year of juco ball and wait for more attractive offers -- opens a small window on the evolution of Julian Francis Edelman as the perfect New England Patriot. He wanted to accelerate the process of realizing his zillion-to-one childhood dream, and he thought he could force his way into the pros as a receiver, cornerback, return man, Wildcat option or whatever by competing in a mid-major conference and dominating a position ruled by passers a half-foot taller at the heavyweight schools.
Edelman's blind belief in himself explains why he will carry a personal 15-game winning streak into the AFC Championship Game in Denver. He has gone nearly 14 months without experiencing defeat as an active player (his last loss was to Green Bay on Nov. 30, 2014), and if you think that's something of a coincidence, think again. As much as this week has revolved around Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, two lions of their craft, Edelman will be a third old quarterback out there who will have plenty to say about who wins and who doesn't.
Julian Edelman has turned into one of the best receivers Tom Brady has had in Brady's time with the Patriots. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
How did this happen? How did Edelman spend his formative football years in California and Ohio and morph into the quintessential Bostonian and bearded face of last winter's parade in the days after he caught the winning Super Bowl pass -- dancing atop a duck boat, spiking his sweater and dismissively tossing an oversized photo of Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman to the street?
How did Edelman become the lost Wahlberg brother of Dorchester, a guy you could easily imagine chanting profane things about the Yankees from the cheapest Fenway Park seats?
The answers start in a Pop Warner league more than 3,100 miles from Gillette Stadium. Frank Edelman, a mechanic by trade, was the coach, and Julian was his star on a national-championship team. "I coached baby football and then some high school ball," Frank said, "and I'd always tell my defensive line where I was running the ball. 'We're going through the 6 hole, now try to stop us.' We'd run a play 20 times in practice to get it right, like the old Vince Lombardi sweep, and Jules got used to that."
"His whole life was about execution, execution, execution, and the Patriots play execution football," Frank continued. "They don't have a Dez Bryant on the outside and throw up a 50-50 ball and hope he catches it. Every play has to be carried out the right way, and that's how Jules always played. And then all of a sudden he ends up with Bill Belichick."
The same Bill Belichick whose own high school coach in Annapolis, Maryland, believed in mastering one basic offensive formation and a small handful of core plays and then challenging opposing defenses to stop them.
In 2009, Julian Edelman was delivered to Belichick as a seventh-round draft pick who could not be coached any harder than he had already been coached.
Frank Edelman grew up without a father, without any money or any guidance in sports, and he started mowing lawns at age 9, busing tables at 14 and fixing cars at 15. He wanted something better for his three children, and Julian, the middle child, projected as a gifted, driven athlete who, in his father's mind, wanted and needed constant drilling to max out his potential.
If the stories of Frank's parenting aren't already as legendary as those involving Earl Woods (Tiger's dad) and Marv Marinovich (Todd's dad), they're close enough. Marinovich, a strength coach, was said to have used Eastern Bloc dieting and training methods on a quarterbacking son who quickly burned out; and Woods, a Green Beret, was said to have used what he called "psychological warfare" -- coughing and dropping clubs and jangling car keys in Tiger's backswing -- on a golfing prodigy who did not. Among other things, Frank fired chin-music fastballs at Julian, inspiring one father-son brawl near the mound, and made him catch punts with one arm tied behind his back.
Asked where he thought he landed on the Woods-Marinovich scale, with Tiger's father on the far more forgiving side, Frank said, "We're obviously somewhere in the middle. I was hard on my son, and it was seven days a week, 365 days a year. But Jules bought into it and always wanted more."
Actually the Edelmans gave themselves one week off in the summer, the last week in July, before football started on Aug. 1. They needed their youth baseball all-star team to lose early in the playoffs to earn that week of camping and boating at California's Lake Camanche or Lake Tahoe. It was the one time in their lives that Frank and Julian Edelman were willing to accept -- even embrace -- something other than unconditional victory.
The kid wasn't even five feet in height when he enrolled at Woodside High School. He used to cry to his father over a growth spurt that refused to come, but he finally shot up to 5-foot-10 by his senior year. Edelman wasn't on any college staff's watch list. His junior season had ended in disgrace when Woodside administrators forfeited the final two games on the schedule after some players (not including Edelman) chanted obscenities at their coach following a loss; the coach later resigned. At Frank Edelman's urging, Woodside athletic director Steve Nicolopulos returned for a second go-around as head coach at the school, and he watched his dual-threat quarterback zigzag his team to a 13-0 record and a sectional state title.
"With Julian," Nicolopulos said, "Frank could be very demanding. But he had every good intention in what he did with his son. There aren't enough Franks in this world to make it a better place."
Julian Edelman threw for 4,997 yards and 30 touchdowns in three seasons at Kent State. Photo courtesy of Kent State University (which owns the rights)
The College of San Mateo took in the undersized running quarterback, and one record-shattering season later, Edelman was hoping for some Division I takers. Kent State coach Doug Martin, coming off a 1-10 season, sent his assistant, Pete Rekstis, to California to do a head-to-toe examination of every juco quarterback in the state. The Kent State staff kept hearing that the best available prospect at that position was a student at San Mateo and that the major colleges would be all over him if he happened to be four inches taller.
Casey Wolf, then Martin's director of football operations, picked up Edelman at the airport. Wolf remembered seeing a film of the recruit and thinking he looked just like Josh Cribbs, the Kent State quarterback who had become a return specialist for the Cleveland Browns. On the ride back to the airport, Edelman turned to Wolf and said, "I'm not coming here to sit."
In between, Edelman sat with the head coach and told him the same thing. "He had a great swagger about him," Martin said, "and we needed that in our program." In the early hours of summer workouts, Edelman looked over at the incumbent quarterback, a 6-foot-6 pocket passer and former draft pick of the Atlanta Braves named Michael Machen, who was practicing his punting (Martin was a fan of the quick kick) during a seven-on-seven. Eyewitnesses offer slightly different versions of what Edelman told the incumbent, but it went something like this: "You might as well keep working on that, because that's all you're going to be doing while I'm here."
Edelman wasn't the easiest guy with whom to share a field or a locker room. One day, he warned a talented receiver named Sam Kirkland that he had better start running his routes harder, or else. The next time Kirkland ran what the quarterback thought was an indifferent pattern, Martin said, Edelman "flew down the field, tackled Sam and started throwing punches before we all ran down and broke it up. Julian and Sam ended up being great friends."
Kirkland, who would sign with the Washington Redskins and make a brief stop on the Patriots' practice squad, declined to comment on the incident. But he wrote the following of Edelman in an email to ESPN.com: "No question, he's the best competitor I've ever been around, and I'm not surprised one bit at the success he's had at the next level. I learned a lot from him watching his practice habits and fierce work ethic at Kent, which helped me better myself, as well. He's just one of the guys that every team has that you know if you don't match or exceed his level of effort each and every day, you'll never be great. He set the bar, and I have nothing but much respect."
Edelman ended up rooming with Brian Lainhart, a safety who would sign with the Cincinnati Bengals, and Cobrani Mixon, a linebacker who would sign with the Detroit Lions. Both felt the full depth of his inner rage.
"Julian would piss people off, because he wouldn't put up with anyone cutting corners," said Lainhart, now the head coach at Walnut Hills High School in Cincinnati. "If you're a person who accepts mediocrity, you won't get along with Julian. He won't associate with people striving to be average. He won't talk to you in a bar if you give an average effort, even if you're a starter, and that did rub people the wrong way."
Edelman, Lainhart and Mixon took turns ripping one another for mistakes made on the practice field and in games, holding themselves more accountable than the coaches did. "Even when you played a Tiger Woods golf video game with Julian," Lainhart said, "it would turn into a UFC match by the seventh hole."
Mixon, now Lainhart's defensive coordinator at Walnut Hills, called Edelman "the most self-motivated person I've ever met." They had contests to see who could wake up the earliest to start a day of workouts, and sometimes 4 a.m. wasn't the winning score. The first time Mixon met Edelman, the linebacker was about to finish a breakaway off a steal in a friendly pickup basketball game before Edelman charged and blasted him with the kind of no-layup foul you might see in a Game 6 of the NBA Finals.
"Who the hell is this guy?" Mixon asked a teammate.
Julian Edelman has 61 catches for 629 yards and four touchdowns in 11 career playoff games. Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
"Don't worry," the teammate said. "That's just our new quarterback."
A new quarterback who would immediately turn a 1-10 Kent State record into 6-6, who would set school records with nearly 5,000 passing yards and nearly 2,500 rushing yards over three seasons, and who would make as many ankle-breaking moves on opponents as Allen Iverson ever did.
Edelman ran for 135 yards on 24 carries in a road loss to Kentucky, while secretly finishing that game with a torn posterior cruciate ligament in his knee. "They just couldn't tackle him," Martin recalled, "and as Julian walked off the field, the Kentucky fans near that end zone gave him a standing ovation. I've never seen that before."
The quarterback made fans and believers out of an entire schedule of opponents. An accomplished Miami University pass-rusher named Joe Coniglio, now a defensive line coach at the University of Rhode Island, called Edelman the best player he ever faced. "He was a bear to handle, the hardest guy to tackle we ever saw," Coniglio said. "I had five or six opportunities to sack him and never did. They ran a speed option once, and I hit him as hard as I could hit anybody, and he just got up and said, 'Hey 51, is that all you got?'"
After Edelman's senior season was complete, Jim Fleming, the defensive coordinator at Kent State's rival, Akron, told colleagues on the Kent staff that Edelman had given him about four heart attacks. Now the head coach at Rhode Island, Fleming remembered walking into his field house to find former Akron and then-NFL quarterback Charlie Frye throwing passes to a receiver who looked unfamiliar from a distance. Someone told Fleming that Frye's receiver was Edelman, who was preparing for the 2009 draft.
"Hey," the defensive coordinator suddenly shouted, "somebody catch that m-----f-----, because we never could."
Before the draft, Mixon recalled Edelman rising long before dawn, fixing himself breakfast and then jumping into his beaten-down Chevy pickup (the heat didn't even work) for the 80-mile round-trip drive to Cleveland to work out with prospects who, unlike Edelman, were slotted near the top of many draft boards. "And then he'd drive to Akron to learn how to be a receiver with Frye, and then he'd come back and run some more routes at Kent," Mixon said. "It was a 12- or 14-hour grind, day in and day out."
The Patriots showed the most pre-draft interest; of course they did. Edelman had spent his entire football life, from Pop Warner on up, as if Belichick had been shouting "Do your job" into his ear hole. He wasn't invited to the scouting combine, but he did kill it in his speed and agility drills at his pro day.
Martin had used Edelman as a personal protector and decoy on punts and allowed him to return six punts as a senior, hoping some NFL team would see him as another Cribbs. "Some teams sent in a single scout to look at him," Martin said, "but nobody did what the Patriots did. They must've had four or five coaches come in and work out Julian, make him catch punts and passes, and put him on the grease board to diagram plays. That's probably why the Patriots are what they are.
"I knew if Julian made it into somebody's camp, it would be impossible for anyone to cut him," Martin continued. "And the Patriots were a perfect fit; he embodies everything they're about."
Julian Edelman put his quarterback experience to use against the Ravens in the playoffs last year. Jared Wickerham/Getty Images
British Columbia of the CFL wanted Edelman, but Edelman wanted the NFL. Belichick took him with the 232nd pick in the draft, 33 spots later than he took Brady in 2000. The Patriots coach didn't know if he was going to put Edelman on offense, defense, special teams or all of the above. Belichick just told Edelman that he knew his seventh-rounder could play the game.
The Patriots had Randy Moss and Wes Welker as their starting receivers; Welker doubled as a return man. But when the rookie Edelman returned a punt for a 75-yard touchdown in the preseason opener against Philadelphia, NFL Films caught Belichick asking his assistant, Ernie Adams, for the name of the Yankee who lost his job to Lou Gehrig.
"You ever hear of Wally Pipp?" an informed Belichick asked Welker on the sideline.
"Wally what?" Welker responded.
All these years later, Edelman has made the 2013 departure of Welker -- reason for region-wide panic at the time -- a moot development. Not only did Edelman win the Super Bowl ring Welker didn't win and catch the deciding Super Bowl pass Welker didn't catch, he also threw a 51-yard touchdown to Danny Amendola off a flea-flicker against Baltimore in last season's playoffs. It was Edelman's first NFL pass, and the fact his coach trusted him to wing it while the Patriots trailed in a win-or-else game said it all. Belichick had once claimed, after watching receiver David Givens throw an interception against the Jets in 2003, that he would never, ever, let anyone other than Tom Brady deliver a meaningful pass.
Amendola was given the big bucks to replace Welker a few years ago, and Edelman leapfrogged him, too. The brutal hit Edelman took from Kam Chancellor in the Super Bowl that may or may not have concussed him but didn't knock him out of the game, is indicative of the kind of punishment Edelman has long been willing to absorb.
He overcame a broken arm at Kent State and played through three or four sports hernias during his rookie year with the Patriots because he was afraid to get Wally Pipp-ed himself. Now Edelman exchanges Facebook jabs with Brady, trades rags-to-riches stories with the all-time great (a combined 429 players were taken before the Bay Area boys, Brady and Edelman, in their respective drafts) and, in his spare time, returns to Kent State as grand marshal of its homecoming parade.
"But no matter how much he accomplishes," Lainhart said, "Julian still says the same thing: 'I'm lower than whale s--- on Coach Belichick's totem pole.' "
From across the country, |
Why are you laughing?"
He could barely get the words out, "Because you have completely misunderstood your name!"
In shock, I responded, "So... it doesn't mean 'let my name not be forgotten'?"
"Oh! No, that is exactly what it means, but you have misunderstood. Ahamefule is a name that a father gives to his first-born son. It is a celebration of the continuation of his bloodline. It doesn't mean let YOUR name not be forgotten—it means let HIS name not be forgotten! It has nothing to do with you!"
I was stunned into silence. After about three more minutes, the stranger's laughter subsided and he took a deep breath. "Ahamefule. That's a hard name to pronounce. Do you go by a nickname?"
"Yeah, well, most people just call me Aham." At that moment, he was overcome with laughter for the second time. Now, the first time it happened I was just confused. This time I was annoyed. "What's so funny now?" I asked.
He was barely able to catch enough breath to speak, but with tears streaming down his face, he squeezed out, word by word, "That... just... means... name!"
That was the end of our conversation.
All those years of wondering, the weight of those questions... and it turns out that the questions were never real to begin with. If I had known the true meaning of my name, would I have lived my life differently? Would you still be reading this? Would you have any idea who I was? I'm not sure, and I don't really care anymore. The name Ahamefule was never a charge of greatness—it was nothing but a selfish and contemptible man's tribute to himself. If I had known what my name really meant, would I have lived in a way that would have made him proud? I have no way of knowing that, because I don't know who the fuck he was. But I know who I am. I am Ahamefule J. Oluo.
*We weren't hiding.
** It was about that time when, at 8 and 9 years old, we tried to show our appreciation for our mother’s efforts by making her a Mother’s Day candle using crayons, sewing thread, and a microwave. Interesting statistic: Did you know that 8- and 9-year-olds left at home alone have a 113 percent chance of setting the house on fire?
*** Actually, he chose only the “Ahamefule” part. My mother, a white girl from Kansas, wanted me to have a simple American name, so they compromised. And that is why I am named Ahamefule Joe Oluo. Thanks for putting your foot down on that one, Mom.
**** It wasn’t until about a year ago that I found an effective method of teaching people to not only pronounce it correctly, but hopefully remember it for more than two and a half seconds. I go by Aham, and most people can pronounce that—it’s two syllables (AH-HAHM). Now think of someone named Aham who is a very unreliable fishmonger. AHAM-MAY-FILLET. Or he may not. He’s terrible at his job.
Ahamefule J. Oluo is a comedian and musician. His website is www.nowimfine.com.This set is awesome! The artwork on the discs, the booklet and the stickers (and box) is so good. The DVDs are great and the Turtle Van box is pretty cool on a shelf. My only complaints: There's no way to lock the top to the bottom, so you need to be careful to pick up from the bottom only. The booklet with the episode list is so nice, but it doesn't fit inside, so it'll be easy to lose and a hassle to have to keep with the box all the time. Lastly, the inside piece that holds the disc is made from cheap plastic and the stickers are all a bit off, as if a child stuck them on. Overall the box quality isn't great, but the DVD set is amazing, so it more than makes up for it. And, of course, the show itself is one of the best cartoons ever made. Definitely worth picking this up, just don't expect the box to be amazing. It DOES look awesome on the shelf though, it's just kind of annoying dealing with it because it is cheaply made.
Read moreEarlier this month the MEC for Basic Education in KwaZulu-Natal, Ms Nelisiwe Peggy Nkonyeni, announced the provincial results of the 2014 matric class. Reading through her speech, it was difficult to know whether to laugh, cry or scream, and in the end one could but shake one’s head in disbelief.
After re-reading the speech, and checking online that this wasn’t in fact a hoax, one could only settle on anger and outrage. Reading through the concluding remarks of Nkonyeni’s speech, it is not hard to see why.
“As I conclude, I revisit the thoughts that guide my innermost conscience in the execution of my responsibilities. Visions of an ideal education system dominate my thinking. In the realm of my thought world, I wish […] That our system could have graphologists who would analyse the uniqueness of each child’s handwriting and channel them accordingly […] That philosophy could be a subject offered at a basic education level so that the system could produce critical thinkers; that chess lessons could be offered to all mathematics learners in order to improve their mathematical schools; and that our system could train and produce phrenologists who would study the shape of a child’s head at Grade R so that we channel the children accordingly” (MEC Nkonyeni, 7 Jan 2015).
I’m sorry, but you really cannot make this kind of stuff up. Essentially, we can summarise the above and say that the four things that “dominate” the thinking of the KZN MEC for Basic Education are graphology, philosophy, phrenology and chess. Given that there is some international research showing that chess and philosophy can have a positive impact on educational achievement, I will put those two aside for now and discuss the other two issues. This is not to say that I see chess and philosophy as solutions to our education crisis (I don’t), but only that the other two – phrenology and graphology – are so outlandishly ridiculous and unscientific that I do not want to lend them credibility by association.
To be clear, phrenology aims to make judgements about a person’s character and mental capacity based on the structure of their skull, while graphology aims to make similar judgements by analysing the physical characteristics and patterns of their handwriting. Both of these fields are generally considered pseudo-science, since they have no scientific evidence base whatsoever, and have been debunked for over 100 years already.
The fact that MEC Nkonyeni uses these fringe theories to “guide her innermost conscience” and is on record stating that they dominate her “vision of an ideal education system” is deeply problematic. We are talking about the most basic possible level of scientific literacy. To quote one definition of scientific literacy, it refers to “distinguishing scientific facts and theories from pseudoscientific beliefs such as those found in astrology, alchemy, medical quackery and the occult”. If we are willing to stream our children in Grade R based on phrenology and graphology, why not horoscopes and palm readings?
One might be tempted to brush off these statements as harmless rhetoric from a left-field thinker and that these beliefs couldn’t possibly make their way into public policy. However, it would be wise to recall what happened in the province under her leadership as MEC for Health a decade ago. Based on her medical beliefs, she refused to give the go-ahead for the use of ARVs in the treatment of HIV-positive individuals, claiming that they were toxic and had bad side effects. Instead, she encouraged HIV-positive people to take uBhejane, an untested herbal concoction. As we all know, anti-retroviral therapy is now the standard of care for those who are HIV positive. The fact that this life-saving treatment was denied to hundreds of thousands of people for many years because of the MEC’s pseudo-scientific beliefs is one of the enduring scars on our country’s medical history. Seen in this light these statements about phrenology and graphology don’t seem so harmless anymore.
These are not just the careless statements of an unimportant politician. Ms Nkonyeni is the MEC for Basic Education in our most populous province. She is directly responsible for the education of every child in KwaZulu-Natal, i.e. 2,901,697 children in 6,151 schools (23% of all South African students, to be specific). She also oversees the largest single provincial budget in the country (R39,4 billion). And she wants to stream your children when they are six years old based on the size and shape of their skulls?! You cannot make this stuff up.
As an educational researcher in South Africa, I am deeply concerned that these are the principles that are guiding the educational leadership of KwaZulu-Natal. We have more than enough problems dealing with the education crisis in our country as it is. Careless statements about pseudo-scientific beliefs undermine the legitimacy of the education department in KZN and cast doubt on the strategic direction of education in the province. MEC Nkonyeni needs to clarify her views on graphology and phrenology and issue a public statement assuring parents that they will not influence education policy in the province in any way, shape or form. “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” DM
Nic Spaull is an education researcher in the Economics Department at Stellenbosch University. He can be followed on Twitter @NicSpaull and his research can be found on nicspaull.com/research
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South Africa’s schools of witchcraft and wizardry, a column by Ivo Vegter in Daily Maverick
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Nic Spaull Follow Save More Nic Spaull is an education researcher in the Economics Department at Stellenbosch University. He can be followed on Twitter @NicSpaull and his research can be found on nicspaull.com/research
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Please or create an account to view the comments. To join the conversation, sign up as a Maverick Insider.In 2003, when I started training to be a professional wrestler, Ring Of Honor is where I wanted to wrestle.
It took me 13 years, and a lot of effort, to get there.
For most of my life, I had a lot of ambition and drive, but not necessarily a lot of courage. So, instead of actively pursuing the things that I wanted, I just worked hard and expected them to come to me; like one day I would just wrestle the right guy and he would sing my praises to the right promoter and it would create an upward momentum swing that would land me exactly where I wanted to go.
That didn’t work out for me.
Instead: I had a lot of decent-to-good matches, in embarrassing venues, in front of embarrassingly small crowds, for over a decade.
A shift came in 2011, when I ordered the video seminar “In The Ring With Al Snow” from RF Video, after randomly clicking on the YouTube trailer.
The majority of the video is Al aggressively ripping apart a lot of the common thought processes that were holding me down. Most notably: working really hard to put together complex, common-patterned matches, meant to impress other wrestlers and diehard fans, rather than making yourself an interesting person that any fan might go out of their way to see in interesting situations (i.e. non-formulaic, taylor-crafted matches).
Up until then, I was trying to be the next Dory Funk Jr. or Dean Malenko, the guys I most admired; the wrestler’s wrestlers. Really, I wanted to be exactly what Zack Sabre Jr. is, now. The problem was that I wasn’t Dory Jr. or “The Iceman” or ZSJ, I was awk-weirdly creative Jason Kincaid, trying to play a wrestler’s wrestler.
So, to stand out, before Daniel Bryan grew his, I began cultivating a beard and, to accentuate my already naturally-contrasting red beard/dirty blonde hair, I dyed my hair black and began having my wife braid it.
Initially I envisioned myself being a “Wrong-Turn-Backwoods-Occult-Hellbilly”, playing off my interests and background, but on my first trip to Mexico, the first guy I shook hands with in the dressing room said, “¡Vikingo!” With that revelation, I shifted my look to “Wrong-Turn-Backwoods-Occult-Hellbilly-Viking-Luchador”.
Then I attended a Dan Murphy seminar where he talked about how to market yourself, and used that valuable info to start to build a little bit of a name for myself.
I continued to refine my look and promo style, and allowed myself to let go of my insecurities and start trying some of the crazy move-ideas that I had in my head, and enough of them actually worked that I started to stand out.
Then, all of a sudden, after thirteen years of being stricken with the ailment of mixed yearning for success and phobia of failure, a feeling of “I’m ready” rushed through my veins as if from an IV full of “stop f---ing around” medicine.
I half-expected my docile wife to scream “ah-nah, hell-nah” at me, when I suggested spending $300, that we really couldn’t afford, to take our 200,000+ mileage car 480 miles away, for a chance to get evaluated, along with 49 other wrestlers, at a ROH Tryout Camp/Seminar. Instead, she gently said, “Yeah. It’s your dream. Go for it.”
And, with that, I went for it.
Check out part one at this link, part two at this link, part three at this link, part four at this link, and part five at this link.Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen wrote that President-elect Donald Trump once asked, “Is it wrong to be more sexually attracted to your own daughter than your wife?” — but the quote was quietly removed before the syndicated column was published Tuesday.
Trump was reportedly referring to his daughter, Ivanka, who was 13 years old at the time.
The quote was circulated Monday in a draft of Cohen's piece “Our Next President, The Godfather" that was sent to outlets that syndicate the column, a source told BuzzFeed News. The quote did not appear in the later, final version of the piece carried by the Post and other outlets.
Cohen's column details the president-elect’s increasingly blurred familial and political ties as he prepares to enter the White House.
The reporting appeared in an advance version of the column that was circulated on Monday for publication on Tuesday and thereafter. It appeared as an aside after the introduction of Jared Kushner, which still appears in the final column:
Jared Kushner, our Tom Hagen, who married Trump's stunning daughter Ivanka — "Can I ask you something?" Trump asked someone I know, about his then-13-year-old kid, "Is it wrong to be more sexually attracted to your own daughter than your wife?" -- has lately lost some of this Boy Scout aura. It turns out Kushner's admission to Harvard was preceded by his father's $2.5 million pledge.
Outlets received another version of the column later in the day, with the text between the "—" removed. None of the sites that syndicate Cohen’s column appear to have published the quote in the draft.
In an email sent to BuzzFeed News shortly after publication, the Washington Post's editorial page editor Fred Hiatt said, "We (or the Washington Post Writers Group, our affiliated syndicate) edit every column to try to make it as good as it can be.
"We don’t think it would be fair to our writers to discuss the editing process, and don’t see what is to be gained by talking about things that are not published—there are countless drafts that never see the light of day," Hiatt added.
A spokesperson for Trump did not immediately respond to multiple BuzzFeed News requests for comment.21st Century Caligari
Danny Boyle’s Trance tells the story of a heist in order to perform one, taking advantage of moviegoers’ suggestible state of mind. When the story comes to an end, we find ourselves wondering what happened and to what degree we are responsible. The message we thought we were getting has vanished and a more troubling one has taken its place.
Needless to say, this is not the sort of film one can write about without giving away the plot. This presents critics with an ethical quandary. To comprehend the full power of Trance requires experiencing it without foreknowledge. But part of what makes the story so complex is that it calls the very idea of innocence into question. Purity is an effect, something we bring about by rejecting the state of nature. Just because we believe we are seeing something for the first time doesn’t mean that we are. The very things that strike us as brand new are often the repository for a past we refuse to acknowledge.
That’s a deep insight, richly interwoven with the best of the psychoanalytic tradition. Yet it comes packaged, fittingly, in the raiment of “pop.” Anyone who has spent time in therapy can testify to how hard it is to make significant progress. Months, even years will go by without a major revelation. In Trance, by contrast, the protagonist finds exactly what he needs in a matter of days. It seems laughably easy.
But this absence of friction — a slickness reinforced in shot after shot of glass surfaces, in which the divide between inside and outside, fiction and reality is impossible to discern — is treacherous indeed. The minute we think we’ve reached solid footing, overconfidence is liable to send us tumbling. As Trance’s stylish images streak by, the urge to press “Pause” grows stronger. And that’s precisely why it’s the sort of film that needs to be seen in a theater, when the audience is completely at its mercy.
Trance opens with an extended sequence narrated by a well-dressed man, played by James McAvoy, who will later be identified as Simon. He works at an auction house very much like Christie’s or Sotheby’s. Sometimes staring affably into the camera, but mostly through voice-over, he discusses how major art world thefts used to be pulled off — simple “muscle” — and then goes on to note how much more difficult they have become thanks to heightened security measures.
While Simon is having his turn as Trance’s narrator, he talks about Rembrandt’s Storm on the Sea of Galilee, one of the world’s most famous “lost” paintings. Many of the works that fall into this category disappeared during World War II and are presumed to have been destroyed. But the Rembrandt was stolen from the Gardner Museum in Boston, Massachusetts in 1990 during a bold heist. In other words, it provides the model for what will happen to Francisco Goya’s 1798 Witches in the Air later in the film.
Interestingly, Witches in the Air belongs to the Prado in Madrid. Trance asks us to believe that this national treasure is being sold, presumably to pay down some of the crippling debt with which Spain is currently contending. None of this is explicit. The film’s three main characters all live in astonishingly chic circumstances, given the price of living in London. And there is nary a sign of class differentiation in Britain. Yet this “secret” history of the painting alerts us to the possibility that Trance might contain other packages for us to unwrap, whose contents will be more commensurate with the realities of global existence
At this point, the story proper commences. Shots of the bidding on Witches in the Air are intercut with ones showing a robbery in progress. Shortly after the work sells for the tidy sum of 27.5 million Pounds, the parallel actions converge. Simon proceeds to do exactly what he said should be done in the event of an attempted theft, grabbing the most valuable work he can lay his hands on, the Goya, and spiriting it away to a seemingly safe location.
However the lead thief, Vincent Cassel’s Franck, is waiting for him at the drop slot with a shotgun. Despite having repeatedly intoned the corporate policy against being a “hero”, Simon bravely stands up to Franck, grabbing a guard’s stun gun and sending the robber crumpling to the floor. But Franck’s immobilization is brief. He pull himself up and delivers a vicious blow to Simon’s head with the shotgun. Simon falls to the ground unconscious and Franck escapes with the painting.
Or so he thinks. Once Franck makes it back to the safety of his swank apartment, he opens the bag in which it has been stashed away to discover that he is the not-so-proud possessor of an empty frame. Witches in the Air is elsewhere. This is the first example of a bait-and-switch operation that Trance will perform over and over. Franck and his gang are incensed and vow to get even with Simon, not because he was a “hero” intent on keeping the painting out of criminals’ hands, but because he has double-crossed them. Simon, it turns out, was the gang’s inside man.
Because he appeared to resist, however, the severely injured Simon is lionized by the media, much like Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver. This no doubt enrages Franck and his gang even more. The minute Simon is finally discharged from the hospital, they are waiting for him. Ironically, though, the head injury that transformed him from would-be criminal into a hero has also made him forget where he stashed the painting.
When torturing Simon proves fruitless — this is not a film for the squeamish — Franck turns to the doctor who treated him during his convalescence. Told that no drug will make an amnesiac suddenly remember and desperate for a solution, he decides to have Simon undergo hypnosis, even though he is suspicious of the practice himself.
This is how we come to meet Trance’s third principal character. Franck presents Simon with a list of hypnotherapists and asks him to pick one. Simon chooses Elizabeth Lamb, an attractive woman with light brown skin played by the American actress Rosario Dawson. When Franck demands to know why Simon has chosen her, he replies that he simply likes the name. Elizabeth soon gets caught up in the heist narrative, abandoning the doctor-patient relationship to become a de facto member of Franck’s gang. From there, the action builds to a dizzyingly complicated climax, both narratively and sexually, as both men fall for Elizabeth, who plays them off against each other with aplomb.
What matters most for understanding Trance’s ideological significance are two factors: Elizabeth’s racial background — ambiguous, but unequivocally non-white — and her profession. Although she turns out to be an extremely strong female character, who refuses to be exploited by men and consistently seeks to turn the tables on them, she bears the stigma of transgression as a consequence. Anyone who can enthrall a man that easily is clearly a threat to masculine domination. But her coloration suggests that she is a threat to white supremacy as well.
As the film’s opening minutes cheekily remind us, heroism is an outdated concept. Hearing Simon’s narration at the beginning may prod us to identify with him — even a deceased cad like Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard can win audiences over by telling his story — but that connection is repeatedly undermined as the story moves forward. The fact that Simon doesn’t get to speak directly to the audience again confirms what the trajectory of his character communicates: he is hardly your standard protagonist.
Given the fact that Franck is a criminal with violent tendencies, the void opened up by Simon’s descent into anti-heroism would seem, at first glance, to be perfectly suited for Elizabeth. Yet while we may take pleasure in her cleverness and root for her to survive, something holds us back from strongly identifying with her. Her own rapid fall from trustworthy hypnotherapist to ruthless accomplice happens so quickly and with so little apparent motivation or remorse that she takes on the aspect of the “fallen” woman, though one who knows how to maneuver very adroitly once freed from the burden of her innocence.
In short, as Danny Boyle has confessed, Elizabeth is meant to be a femme fatale, even if her reasons for going “bad” end up proving more complex than they originally seem to be. Because she assumes this role in a triangle with two white men, her otherness becomes a cipher for danger. And unlike many femmes fatales from classic postwar film noirs, whose liberty of movement is severely constrained, Elizabeth is able to realize her full potential as an agent of destruction.
This is what makes Trance such a disturbing film in the end, particularly for those of us familiar with Siegfried Kracauer’s landmark 1947 book From Caligari to Hitler. To be sure, Kracauer’s thesis — that one could trace a direct line from films like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari to the Nazis’ ascendance — is tendentious. But the Holocaust seemed to justify such sweeping generalizations.
Even if you are unwilling to endorse Kracauer’s conclusions without reservation, however, it is hard to argue with the evidence he marshals in order to demonstrate Germans’ willingness to believe in demagogues, whether portrayed as villainous like the master hypnotist Caligari or heroic like Hitler. Downtrodden and anxious, Germans sought to locate the control they had lost over their affairs in personages of exceptional and, in some cases, supernatural character. Kracauer discerned this fundamentally undemocratic impulse throughout Weimar society.
Danny Boyle was probably not thinking of the connection between Elizabeth’s character and the notorious Caligari. But his decision to put hypnotherapy front and center and have a woman of color demonstrate its power over white men nonetheless invites a comparison. In both cases, we are dealing with characters marked by alterity, whose power seems to derive from their difference from the norm. If Caligari served as a stand-in for the minorities regarded with suspicion in German society, then Elizabeth’s generic otherness — she sounds American, but often looks South Asian in the film — could function similarly.
I don’t mean to imply that Elizabeth is portrayed anywhere near as negatively as Caligari or his relatives in Weimar Republic cinema. What concerns me is the way Trance elevates her to the status of prime mover. Because in a world where power is increasingly concentrated in the hands of a minuscule elite, one that still happens to be overwhelmingly white and male, stories in which a woman of color seems to be pulling all the right strings have the potential to distract audiences from the real source of their problems and suggest scapegoats for them to target. We are, after all, living in times when many citizens of the most powerful countries in the world, the United Kingdom and United States included, continue to believe in conspiracies that can be authoritatively disproved in a matter of seconds.
Like the film, I’ve drifted a long way from where I started. That’s why it’s important to double back and ask whether the heist narrative that sets Trance in motion is purely a red herring, as some critics have asserted, or matters at a deeper level. Aside from hinting at economic disparities that the film otherwise ignores, is Witches in the Air more than just an extremely valuable work of art? The head auctioneer begins the bidding by describing Goya as a founder of modern art and the first painter to focus on portraying what the mind perceives, as opposed to what objectively exists. Certainly, this notion fits nicely with the way Trace keeps us guessing about what is and isn’t real.
From my perspective, though, the painting’s most important function in the film is bound up with another bait and switch. Early on, when Simon returns from the hospital to find his apartment torn inside out by Franck’s gang, he reaches down into the mess on the floor to pick out a coffee table art book. A Post-It marks the place where a page has been violently ripped out. A first-time viewer is likely to assume that the missing image is of Witches in the Air. I know I did.
But as we learn from a flashback later in the film, the page actually featured another famous painting by Goya, the Naked Maja, which Simon rails against for introducing pubic hair into the representation of the female body. It turns out that Elizabeth was both Simon’s therapist — he came to her for help with a gambling addiction — and lover prior to the events of the film. During the scene in question, she responds to his critique of the painting by tearing the out of the book, balling it up and playfully hurling it at Simon as she tells him that she understands what he wants. That formulation echoes one she uses in the post-heist chronology, when she puts off having sex with him to go shave herself.
Elizabeth, who turns out to have been both Simon’s therapist and lover prior to the robbery, tears it out, balls it up and playfully hurls it at Simon as she tells him that she understands what he wants. That formulation echoes one she uses in the post-heist chronology, when she puts off having sex with him to go shave herself.
Obviously, there is a great deal to unpack here from a psychoanalytic standpoint. What stands out to me, however, is the implication that Witches in the Air somehow communicates the latent content of the Naked Maja, which is lost to Simon if not the world of art. It stands for women in a state of nature, rather than the “pure” one he prefers.
While Trance does not endorse Simon’s worldview in the end — he seems increasingly monstrous as the story unfolds — it leaves Elizabeth in the role of femme fatale, a threat to the social order. The final scene of the film shows us Franck watching Elizabeth on an iPad she has sent him from self-imposed exile, the painting hanging on the wall behind her. She is identified, in short, with witchcraft. Like Caligari, she possesses the power of enchantment. Or, if you still subscribe to Max Weber’s secularization thesis, the power of reenchantment. Either way, she embodies what men fear because it robs them of control.
Trance screenshots courtesy of Fox Searchlight. All rights reserved. Goya images courtesy of Wikimedia. Published under a Creative Commons license.Full-size Doors Open Toronto 2013 Map
Green = Green Building (may have kids activities)
Blue = Has kids activities (and not a green building)
Steps to make this map (note you can follow just the bold steps):
Thursday: Ooh, it’s Open Doors Toronto, let’s see what places there are too List is way too long and too broad geographically to browse, look on Open Doors website for map Can’t find a map, search on Google. Still no map Give up, starting browsing through the list. Argh Consider how difficulty it would be to scrape the list, geocode it, and publish it online somewhere. Decide I’ve got better things to do than spend all day on this Continue browsing list, continue being annoyed Friday: tell Bianca about issue, she considers doing the scraping and geocoding Search on google for a map again… maybe somebody else made one yesterday. Nope. Continue browsing through list. Contemplate ease of mapping Suddenly remember that I already saw that this data was published on Toronto Open Data. Go find it. Note that it’s in XML. Decide the easiest way to geocode will be Google Fusion Tables, which accepts CSV among other formats. Find an online XML-to-CSV converter that accepts URL input. This should be quick. Output is a file, so I save it locally and upload to fusion tables. Wait, the ‘location’ field doesn’t include ‘Toronto’, maybe that’s a problem. Oh wait again, it only has the first five rows, there has been some import problem Open Excel, click ‘Data’ button on the ribbon, click ‘From Web’, input the URL, wait a second, click the ‘table’ (the entire xml doc), and finish the wizard Add a new column, ‘full address’. Suddenly realize that the address field already includes unit #s and floor #s, and decide to remove them to improve geocoding, although not sure how much of a problem they’ll be. Give up trying to write an excel formula to remove the unit/floor numbers. Copy the entire address column and paste into Textpad. Hit F8 a few times to use regular expressions to remove the unit and floor numbers and append “, Toronto” to each line Copy and paste the text into the new ‘full address’ column Create a new fusion table again, with the same metadata, import the file Geocode the correct column (quite easy) and observe map. Wohoo! We’re all done(ish) Realize that I can tweak the info windows, and spend a few minutes formatting them Realize that I can change the size and colour, and even image of the icons. Decide to make them bigger Decide to make the ‘green building’ locations have green icons. That needs a ‘colour’ column. Attempt to create a new formula column in fusion tables. Fail. Online forums suggests formulas don’t work with text columns Go back to original excel spreadsheet, create ‘Icon’ column, write a formula to output ‘green_large’ for green buildings, ‘blue_large’ for everything else that has a kids activity, and ‘red_large’ for everything else. Create a new google fusion document all over again, add in the metadata, import the spreadsheet, geocode the rows Modify the infowindow code and the ‘map styles’ to get the icon using the ‘icon’ column Woo! Change sharing to public, write this blog post
Note that obviously the data fields I selected for the info windows and for the icon colours are subjective. An alternative might be to create a separate map for saturday and sunday, or to highlight wheelchair accessibility.Why do porn actors kill themselves? Who is responsible?
Whenever a porn star – especially a gay porn star – commits suicide, theories show up, and people act very, very certain about them. Arpad Miklos, who was as much as a porn “star” as anyone can be in a time when we are hyper-saturated with porn, killed himself on February 3rd, 2013, at the age of 45. As usual, many people felt sure they knew why he committed suicide, without much evidence. It was drugs, it was studios not treating him well, it was the feeling of dehumanization, it was the vague but all encompassing “porn industry” that did it, it was the feeling of being hollow, it was it was his loss of validation after being a star for so long.
I can’t claim any special knowledge about his death, I didn’t know him very well. We met in passing on a set; he’d just finished a scene, and I was about to start mine. He was huge and handsome; I’m not saying anything new. If you met him, you were impressed by his smile and his body and his presence. Looking at him almost made you feel a sense of unbalance in the world, like his handsomeness and flawless physique were proof of some deep inequality between people. But then you’d forget that feeling and be drawn back into the intense attraction.
He gave me a kiss and his phone number and asked me if I’d like to spend time with him later that night. My scene ran over schedule, and I was exhausted, so I told him I couldn’t meet. We communicated a few more times over the years by text and phone, and that was that. I mention all of this to say: I don’t know his motivations or who he “really” was. We kept passing through each other’s lives without ever truly meeting.
But others who knew him even less than me flooded twitter, wrote articles, posted to facebook about what had happened. The theories appeared as soon as the news did. It was immediate, like flies to a corpse. Theories arrived before grief, before honor and love and the experience of loss. When a gay porn star dies, instead of an outpouring of grief, what we are usually witness to is a buzzing.
All of this is to say that not even death can trump many people’s confused and hostile attitudes towards porn and porn performers. That is how deeply injured we are as a society when it comes to sex, sexuality, and love.
***
It’s natural to turn events like suicide into cultural concerns.
Tragedies are supposed to pose questions to us – the feelings of discomfort that sadness brings can create meaningful action. But these actions are always most effective when we don’t bypass grief and compassion to get to them. Unfortunately, the people that make up the largest group involved in porn – the viewers and consumers – may not understand what it’s like to be a performer or to work for a studio. The porn industry remains obscured by unexamined attitudes towards sex. So compassion isn’t always available.
There’s a general confusion for outsiders about performer motivations for making porn, how much money they make, what happens during a shoot, what health and safety precautions are in place, how a scene is organized, what it feels like to be a crew member and more. The result is that a monolithic image of “gay porn star” and the “gay porn industry” is formed. But unlike ideas of other industries – banking or agriculture, say – people’s perceptions are colored by a broader societal confusion: a difficulty in thinking and communicating clearly when it comes to sex and desire.
This confusion is generated by many factors, most importantly by social and cultural institutions that have historically leveraged sex as a way to control people (I address some of those forces here, and will write more about them in the future). Because these forces create pressure and guilt around sex, when someone |
grateful that something is being done against racism, sexism, and hatred toward the LGBTQ community. But there is a line that separates righting past wrongs and creating new ones, and we have crossed it.
Life isn’t fair.
It isn’t fair that people with degrees are working minimum-wage jobs while entrepreneurs who took the risk to skip that college step are raking in the dough. It isn’t fair that mentally challenged and highly advanced students don’t get the personalized attention they need in school. Hell, it isn’t fair that you and I have the internet connection to be reading articles on this site when there are millions of people who simply can’t.
That doesn’t mean, however, that every kid who shows up to the baseball tournament should get a participation ribbon. It especially doesn’t mean that every game should end in a tie. You all didn’t win. In fact, most of you didn’t win.
Does everyone who shows up to work get paid the same amount? No.
Should they? Absolutely not. Larger investments yield larger returns. You get what you give.
So as we keep coddling our kids and telling them that they’re equal to everyone else, we’re forgetting to prepare them for failure. If they were truly equal to everyone who auditioned for the school play, they would have made it. If they were equal to everyone applying to his/her top choice college, they would have been accepted. Instead of gently telling them that they will sometimes fail in and why, we’re teaching them to stamp their feet like toddlers because they’re used to getting what everyone else has, and we chalk it up to Because It’s Not Fair. After all, “everyone is equal,” (even though we aren’t). Someone will always be prettier, smarter, wealthier, you name it. It’s a fact of life.
What do we do about it, then? Something. Do something. Go back to school, pursue a career that will make you happy, and cut ties with toxic people and habits. The world is full of opportunities. And while life may not be fair, it’s pretty great when you fall in love with the life you’re living.Congressional leaders and both presidential candidates are proposing billions of dollars in tax breaks and other measures to stoke economic growth, a surge in spending that could send the federal deficit soaring toward $1 trillion this year, creating the deepest well of red ink since the end of World War II.
The government already has embarked on an unprecedented spending spree to halt the implosion of the U.S. financial system and is borrowing money at levels that some economists fear could undermine the nation's economic security for years to come. Congress could consider additional spending as soon as next month, potentially digging the nation's hole even deeper.
"We're going to make Ronald Reagan look like a piker in terms of deficit creation, I think," said Rudolph Penner, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute who served as director of the Congressional Budget Office during the Reagan administration.
The numbers are adding up fast. Since President Bush signed an economic stimulus package in February, authorizing billions of dollars in rebates for American taxpayers, the government has pledged as much as $1.5 trillion to prop up the teetering economy. It has approved new mortgages for struggling homeowners, salvage operations for faltering financial institutions and a historic $700 billion bailout plan to pump money into banks paralyzed by the financial crisis.
The Treasury Department so far has borrowed nearly $500 billion from pension plans, foreign governments and other investors to replenish the coffers of the Federal Reserve. Since the end of August, the national debt has jumped from $9.6 trillion to $10.3 trillion, with borrowing for the bank bailout yet to come.
Meanwhile, the budget deficit -- the annual difference between government spending and tax collections -- has risen rapidly. It jumped from $162 billion last year to $455 billion in the fiscal year that ended in September, largely because of the cost of the stimulus package, as well as slowing tax revenues and rising expenses in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The budget picture looking forward is even bleaker. While the deficit is projected to be about $550 billion for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1, budget analysts have yet to figure in the effects of a recession, which could easily tack on another $100 billion. They also have not included the first $250 billion being spent on the bailout plan, which the White House budget office said this week must be added, even though much if not all of the money is eventually expected to be returned to the Treasury.
And with options for a second round of stimulus spending starting at $52 billion -- the size of the package proposed earlier this week by Republican presidential candidate John McCain -- it's not hard to imagine the deficit rising to $1 trillion. That would approach 7 percent of the economy, a yawning budget hole not seen since 1946.
Some economists say that prospect should dampen talk of further spending. Others say it's better to spend the money now in an effort to protect jobs and smooth over the harshest effects of a recession than to lose the money later through sharply lower tax collections and higher unemployment payments. Economists advising House Democrats are urging a spending package of as much as $300 billion, arguing that the economy could shrink by about that much over the next year.
"The rationale is that the economy is in recession and a lot more people are going to lose their jobs and we can prevent some of that -- not all of it, but some of it -- by raising government spending and cutting taxes. And that's worth doing," said Douglas Elmendorf, a former Federal Reserve economist now at the Brookings Institution, who argues for as much as $150 billion in stimulus spending.
For months, Democrats have been calling somewhat halfheartedly for additional spending to assist the unemployed and other struggling consumers. The House passed a second stimulus measure last month, but the $61 billion package drew a veto threat from the White House and died in the Senate. Calls to revive the measure grew more insistent after Congress approved the $700 billion bailout, prompting Democrats to argue that if the government could afford so much money for Wall Street it could afford to direct some to Main Street, too.
With the Nov. 4 election less than three weeks away, stimulus plans are proliferating like Halloween pumpkins.A CF-18 pilot died Monday when a fighter jet crashed near Cold Lake, Alta.
The CF-18 from 4 Wing Cold Lake went down just after 11 a.m. local time on the Saskatchewan side of the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range, said Capt. Mat Strong, public affairs officer with 4 Wing Cold Lake.
Tragically, we can confirm that the pilot did not survive the accident. The name will not be released until next of kin are notified. —@RCAF_ARC
Emergency services were securing the scene, and a flight safety investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of the crash, Strong said.
Officials declined to provide further details on the identity of the pilot, saying they were still in the process of notifying next of kin.
Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said his immediate focus is on the victim's family.
"It's too preliminary to make any type of judgments and conclusions," Sajjan told reporters in Ottawa not long after the crash was first reported. "The best thing we can do right now is to give the air force and the Canadian Armed Forces the space to be able to do the necessary work and — and then we'll have more to say about that."
This is a tragic day. Somebody has lost a loved one today, and everybody will rally around the family to make sure we can all help them out. - Craig Copeland, Mayor of Cold Lake
Cold Lake Mayor Craig Copeland said he heard about the crash Monday while participating in a learning session with schoolchildren.
The dangers of training in the Canadian Forces are a familiar reality in the city of 16,000, he said.
"These men and women, the pilots, Armed Forces, do a tremendous job," Copeland said. "They're training every day up in the air, and you don't want to see a pilot's life lost.
"But they sacrifice their life to protect Canada, and this is a tragic day. Somebody has lost a loved one today, and everybody will rally around the family to make sure we can all help them out."
Former fighter pilot and Conservative MP Laurie Hawn said the CF-18 is an "extremely safe airplane."
In an interview with CBC News, Hawn said pilots train to mimic combat situations as "realistically as possible."
"You should read absolutely nothing into this," Hawn said of the crash.
"The F-18 has a lot of... life left. Obviously we have no idea what happened yet, so any conjecture would be way off base."
A total of 19 CF-18 Hornets have crashed since the RCAF acquired the fleet of aircraft in 1982, said David Lavallee, public affairs officer for 1 Canadian Air Division and Canadian NORAD Region Headquarters.
Cold Lake is about 290 kilometres northeast of Edmonton.Trump’s popular vote deficit may approach two million
By Patrick Martin and David North
12 November 2016
California state and local government officials reported Thursday afternoon that as many as five million votes remain to be counted in the presidential election. This includes both mail-in ballots postmarked no later than November 8 and provisional ballots cast by voters who went to the wrong precinct to vote because they had moved.
If the Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton maintains the 62 percent majority that she has won so far in California voting, the count of all the outstanding ballots would likely increase her popular vote lead from the current estimate of 400,000 to approximately two million votes.
If anything, this is likely to be a low estimate, since provisional ballots are disproportionately cast in low-income and minority working-class districts, where Clinton ran up margins approaching 90 percent. More than one million ballots remain to be counted in Los Angeles County alone, and 600,000 in San Diego County. Clinton won more than 80 percent of the vote in Los Angeles and nearly 60 percent in San Diego.
This means that Clinton, the loser in the Electoral College to Donald Trump, would have a margin in the popular vote exceeding at least three winners of US presidential elections in the last half-century. John F. Kennedy won the 1960 election over Richard Nixon by 112,000 votes; Nixon won the 1968 election over Hubert Humphrey by 510,000 votes; and Jimmy Carter won the 1976 election over Gerald Ford by 1.7 million votes.
Clinton’s margin in the popular vote could be four times the size of Al Gore’s in 2000. Gore carried the popular vote by 540,000 over George W. Bush, only to lose in the Electoral College after the Supreme Court intervened to halt a recount of ballots in Florida.
Up until now the media has said almost nothing about the scale of Clinton’s popular vote margin. A posting by David Leonhardt in the online edition of the New York Times is the only reference in national publications, along with occasional reports in the California-based media.
Trump’s vote total was actually below that won by Republicans Mitt Romney in 2012 and George W. Bush in 2004, and just barely above the total received by John McCain in 2008, when he lost to Barack Obama by a margin of ten million votes.
As the scale of Clinton’s lead in the popular vote becomes more widely known, Trump’s elevation to the presidency will be seen ever-more widely as politically illegitimate.
It is known, of course, that victory in a presidential election is determined by the allocation of votes in the archaic Electoral College. But in the first 211 years of American presidential history, between 1789 and 2000, there were only three occasions in which the presidency went to the candidate who lost the popular vote.
This first occurred in 1824, when—after a four-way contest in which no candidate received sufficient electoral votes to win—the House of Representatives awarded John Quincy Adams the presidency. There was widespread popular outrage over the “corrupt bargain” that denied Andrew Jackson—the winner in the popular vote—the White House. The presidency of Adams remained under a cloud, and Jackson defeated him in the election of 1828.
In 1876, Democratic candidate Samuel Tilden received approximately 250,000 more votes than Republican Rutherford Hayes, but failed to secure the necessary Electoral College majority. After several months of intense negotiations, the Democrats accepted the elevation of Hayes into the White House. However, the Democrats exacted from the Republicans an immense political concession: the withdrawal of Federal troops from the South, which effectively ended the post-Civil War Reconstruction.
In 1888, President Grover Cleveland lost his bid for reelection to his Republican opponent, Benjamin Harrison. In this case, the Republican candidate won a substantial majority in the Electoral College, but he received approximately 80,000 votes less than President Cleveland. Harrison entered the White House, but the fact that he had lost the popular vote—even though by a relatively small margin—undermined his political authority. Cleveland defeated him in the election of 1892.
For the 112 years after Cleveland's defeat in 1888, every winning presidential candidate obtained more votes than his rival. Throughout the twentieth century, the results in the Electoral College ratified the outcome of the popular vote.
But two out of the last five elections have resulted in the victory of Republican candidates—Bush and Trump—who lost the popular vote.
George W. Bush’s popular vote deficit in the election of 2000 was significant: approximately 500,000 votes. In Trump’s case, the deficit—which may reach between 1.5 and 2 million votes—will in all likelihood be so substantial that it can hardly be viewed as merely a peculiar anomaly.
The scale of Trump’s defeat in the popular vote underscores the political cowardice that has been displayed by the Democratic Party in its response to the election. Given the circumstances, the Democrats are under no political obligation to do more than acknowledge that Trump, because of his electoral vote majority, has merely won the right to plant his backside in the presidential chair of the Oval Office.
However, there is no justification for the haste with which the Obama administration and the Democratic Party have rushed to build up Trump’s authority and prestige. Neither Obama nor Clinton have issued a warning to Trump, stating bluntly that the unprecedented scale of his defeat in the popular vote has clearly deprived him of any right to claim a mandate for his reactionary agenda. Their silence is all the more criminal as demonstrations protesting Trump’s victory are taking place throughout the country.
The dubious legitimacy of a Trump administration is being further undermined as its political physiognomy becomes clearer. On Friday, Trump reshuffled his transition team, putting his vice president-elect and Christian fundamentalist Mike Pence in charge as chairman, installing ultra-right figures like Rudy Giuliani and Newt Gingrich as vice chairs, and naming his three children and his son-in-law to the transition executive committee. The White House is to become another branch of the Trump family enterprise!
President Obama, the leader of the Democratic Party who campaigned throughout the country for Clinton, has said nothing at all about her victory in the popular vote and has repeatedly declared his determination to insure a peaceful and smooth transition to power for Trump and the Republicans.
Can anyone doubt that if the roles had been reversed, and Clinton had won the Electoral College while Trump rolled up a big margin in the popular vote, that the Republican Party would have proceeded far differently?
Always the more ruthless and aggressive of the two right-wing capitalist parties, the Republicans would have denounced a Clinton victory in the Electoral College as “rigged” and undemocratic, demanded her renunciation of the presidency, lobbied for the presidential electors to ignore the vote in their states and accede to the “will of the people” as expressed in the nationwide vote tally, and threatened obstruction and even impeachment of the new president.
The one area where the Democrats and those sections of the military and intelligence agencies that backed Clinton may be pushing for influence in a Trump cabinet is on foreign policy. They do not want to see a retreat on the aggressive attitude toward Russia, which was at the center of Clinton’s election campaign.
California Governor Jerry Brown, soon to be the most powerful elected Democrat, has said nothing about the political implications of the landslide against Trump in his state, the most populous in the United States. Trump has threatened mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, who number in the millions in California, with millions more California citizens in their immediate families.
Again, if the roles had been reversed, with Clinton taking office as a minority president, Republican governors would have been up in arms, seeking to demonstrate their opposition to and defiance of a federal government they would declare illegitimate and oppressive. This was already the case with the Republicans under Obama.
Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.Many people turn to so-called “natural” and “homeopathic” supplements and vitamins in an effort to reduce the number of prescription drugs they take to manage health conditions. Others simply dislike the idea of taking prescription medications.
Although some supplements and vitamins can be beneficial, they should always be taken under the supervision of a qualified doctor. Before you ingest any kind of supplement or vitamin, it’s important to know exactly what you’re putting in your body.
Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a warning regarding the dangers of homeopathic teething gels and tablets marketed for use in babies. According to the FDA’s press announcement, these teething gels and tablets may cause seizures in infants and children.
Obviously, parents and caregivers need to be on high alert when it comes to using over-the-counter and homeopathic remedies for babies and children. This announcement underscores the importance of speaking to a pediatrician before using any medication or supplement at home.
If you or a loved one has been injured by a drug, vitamin, or supplement, you may be entitled to compensation for your injury and other losses. Speak to an experienced medical malpractice and defective drug lawyer as soon as possible to ensure your legal rights are protected.
Vitamins and Supplements Do Not Need FDA Approval
Many people are surprised to learn that vitamins and supplements are not subject to the same regulatory requirements as prescription drugs. Specifically, manufacturers of vitamins and supplements do not need FDA approval to sell their products to the public.
Instead, the laws makes vitamin and supplement manufacturers responsible for policing their own products. According to the FDA, manufacturers are only required to notify the FDA in cases where they intend to produce a new ingredient. Even in those cases, the FDA only reviews the ingredient — the agency does not test it or approve it prior to sale.
The FDA will intervene if it receives reports or notices of a vitamin or supplement causing health or safety problems. The agency will also take action in cases where a manufacturer makes false or misleading claims, such as claiming that its product treats conditions or helps improve medical problems that it is not capable of treating or helping.
Unfortunately, this usually only happens after someone has gotten sick from taking a vitamin or supplement.
Dietary Supplements and Vitamins Linked to Deaths
Sadly, many “natural” supplements and vitamins have caused serious harm and even death — and in many cases, the harmful substance in the supplement or vitamin was, indeed, entirely natural. Just because an herb or mineral is naturally-occurring, however, does not mean it’s safe or safe for everyone.
In the late 1990s, the diet supplement industry was dominated by sales of supplements containing ephedra, an herb that acts as a stimulant. Ephedra was sold over-the-counter in numerous diet pills.
The problem was that too much ephedra began causing people to experience heart palpitations, high blood pressure, and heart arrhythmia. In some cases, people suffered strokes and heart attacks. Seven people died in 2004 after taking ephedra. The drug caused 14 other deaths prior to 2004, and another two fatalities in 2005 and 2007.
The FDA banned ephedra in weight loss products in 2004, and health experts say the nationwide ban has caused the number of ephedra-poisoning cases to decline dramatically. One doctor said the ban has come close to eradicating ephedra-related health problems completely.
The story behind ephedra is a sobering reminder of the importance of using extreme caution when taking any type of supplement or vitamin. Always talk to your doctor before taking a vitamin, weight loss pill, or any kind of supplement.
Talk to a Physician-Attorney about Your Case
At LawMD, many of our lawyers are doctors themselves. Your health and well-being are our top priority. Talk to a medical malpractice lawyer who understands what you are going through, and what you need to get the justice and compensation you deserve. Your case is important to us. Call today for a free case evaluation.Vim: you don't need NERDtree or (maybe) netrw
Vim's netrw file browser is good enough. With a few tweaks there is no need for plugin like NERDtree. For many tasks you may not even need netrw.
Table of contents
netrw - the unloved directory browser
The netrw plugin normally ships with vim and is the default filebrowser. It gets a bad rap and ships with all kinds of features likes remote editing over SSH and FTP, and anecdotally has many bugs. Most developers just jump straight for the NERDtree plugin but in my opinion the default netrw plugin does most of what people use NERDtree for. Moreover, for opening files and traversing codebases there are other native vim options available.
Invoking netrw
Invoking netrw can be achieved in three ways
:Explore - opens netrw in the current window
- opens in the current window :Sexplore - opens netrw in a horizontal split
- opens in a horizontal split :Vexplore - opens netrw in a vertical split
You can also snigger by typing :Sex to invoke a horizontal split.
Changing the directory view in netrw
The directory listing view can be modified to show more or less information on files and directories, change the sorting order and hiding certain files.
With the directory browser open hit i to cycle through the view types. There are four different view types: thin, long, wide and tree. A preferred view type can be made permanent by setting it in a.vimrc file.
let g:netrw_liststyle = 3
The tree list view in netrw.
Removing the banner
The directory banner is mostly useless. To remove it temporarily press I. To remove it permanently add the following to your.vimrc.
let g:netrw_banner = 0
Changing how files are opened
By default files will be opened in the same window as the netrw directory browser. To change this behaviour the netrw_browse_split option may be set. The options are as follows
1 - open files in a new horizontal split
- open files in a new horizontal split 2 - open files in a new vertical split
- open files in a new vertical split 3 - open files in a new tab
- open files in a new tab 4 - open in previous window
To make the selection permanent add the following to your.vimrc.
let g:netrw_browse_split = 1
Set the width of the directory explorer
The width of the directory explorer can be fixed with the netrw_browse_split option. The following sets the width to 25% of the page.
let g:netrw_winsize = 25
NERDtree like setup
If NERDtree is your thing netrw can give you a similar experience with the following settings
let g:netrw_banner = 0 let g:netrw_liststyle = 3 let g:netrw_browse_split = 4 let g:netrw_altv = 1 let g:netrw_winsize = 25 augroup ProjectDrawer autocmd! autocmd VimEnter * :Vexplore augroup END
A nerdtree like setup with netrw.
My settings
I keep things minimal and am happy with most of the defaults. In fact for now I just remove the banner. I told you I like minimal :-).
let g:netrw_banner = 0
vim-vinegar
It is worth mentioning vim-vinegar, a plugin that looks to enhance netrw and is popular with users looking to avoid installing NERDtree.
Well, vinegar.vim enhances netrw, partially in an attempt to mitigate the need for more disruptive “project drawer” style plugins.
In trying to use less vim plugins so I’m not a user but horses for courses etc.
You may not need netrw
Vim also supports arbitrary commands to be run following!. For a quick directory listing the following works.
:! ls -lF
For a more complex command other commands like ack, grep or find can be used.
There are a number of ways to open files in vim and if that is what you use netrw for. Using find within vim can open files and supports tab completion.
:find path/to/file.txt
To open a file in a vertical split use the following. This also supports tab completion.
:vs path/to/file.txt
To open a file in a horizontal split use the following. This also supports tab completion.
:sp path/to/file.txt
To open a file in a new tab use the following. This also supports tab completion.
:tabnew path/to/file.txt
For exploring codebases I also find using ctags is a better than grepping or trying to guess where methods are defined. First you need to generate a tags file using the ctags command.
ctags -R.
Once this file is created vim can take you to a function or method definition automatically with CTRL-]. It is like magic and much more intelligent than random file browsing.
Conclusion
The directory browser that ships with vim is not particularly intuitive and ships with a wealth of features I will most likely never use. I get the sense that many developers just blindly install a shiny plugin without understanding what netrw can do. Sure, netrw is not perfect but less dependencies in my life and striving for simplicity is a good thing.
Further reading
Have an update or suggestion for this article? You can edit it here and send me a pull request.
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Recent PostsEU Price €540.00
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How many users does 6Appeal have?
Since the release in 2014, we have assembled two batches, altogether less than 100 units. So this is not a box you can easily stumble upon at your bandmate's place. We have shipped 6Appeal pedals to US, European countries, Australia, Asia, even South America. If you're from Antarctica or Africa, email us to get first-on-the continent discount!
Who did we design the 6Appeal analog guitar synthesizer pedal for?
Our gear is built with the innovative guitar player in mind. Hexaphonic string processing gives you an incredible new universe of effect options, and 6Appeal is the ONLY fully analog signal path hexaphonic signal processing pedal on the market.
Why does an analog signal path matter for hexaphonic guitar?
Other hexaphonic products break up the natural guitar sound and process it digitally. This robs your guitar signal of overtones, dynamics, and "feel". The result of our analog signal path is that the 6Appeal pedal feels and sounds more organic, with a natural touch sensitivity to your guitar playing that you miss from digital products.
What does 6Appeal give you as a guitar player?
Our 6Appeal pedal gives your hexaphonic guitar an entirely new palette of tones and sounds. From percussive and sustained clean tones through singing harmonious distortion, 6Appeal offers you a whole new sonic ground.
Whether your style is complex jazz, fusion, progressive rock or even fingerstyle guitar you can explore complex and varied guitar tonalities that are quite simply unavailable from any other pedal on the market.
What does a hexaphonic distortion sound like?
You can set it to sound like a high-end boutique distortion pedal if you wish, but that is only the beginning. Beyond the established universe of overdrive/fuzz/distortion sounds you can easily adjust the 6Appeal to sound like no other device you have ever heard.
You can create incredible sustained distortion sounds without any harmonic interference between notes at all. At first It may remind you of polyphonic analog synthesizers, but it's still your own guitar's real sound.
You can play harmonically complex jazz chords and pick out every note - on a regular distortion pedal such exotic voicings would sound like audio mud.
You can go stereo, or blend distortion with the clean sound. And, even the cleans sound harmonically much richer than artificially processed digital interfaces from other manufacturers. There is really no other product like the 6Appeal.
How can I use it with the Roland GK-3 or other hexaphonic pickup?
It's easy. Plug your 13 pin guitar right in to the 6Appeal and you are ready to go! 6Appeal can be used a standalone analog processing unit, as a hexaphonic gateway for your pedal board, in parallel with Roland's digital devices, or as a starting point for in-DAW processing using the sound of your hexaphonic guitar.
What's inside of it?
Unlike digital devices that can cheaply sample your guitar sound and quickly rebuild the sound (mostly) accurately for processing, real analog components are costly. Think of high-end boutique guitar amplifiers using all analog signal paths as an example.
You can buy a solid-state guitar amplifier with digital processing for next to nothing these days. But high-end guitar amplifiers with all analog signal paths easily cost more than 10 times as much as their digital counterparts.
There are over 1000 components and seven high quality distortion channels in the 6Appeal. We like to believe we are building a pedal that is equal in quality to the finest boutique amplifiers, original Moog synthesizers, or a vintage Roland GR-300. Our 6Appeal pedal is an instrument crafted by us for years of playing enjoyment by you.
If this guitar effect pedal / guitar synthesizer can make so many complex sounds, is it complicated to use?
Not really. You can just browse 12+12 presets, which cover the whole range of light to heavy hexaphonic distortion and modulation effects. That being said, 6Appeal is an advanced device and you can modify almost anything. We also have a free standalone controller application for 6Appeal (Win / Mac).
PRODUCT DETAILS
6Appeal is superb for guitars with a hexaphonic pickup: Godin Synth Access with RMC, Roland GK (V-Guitar), Graph Tech Ghost, Cycfi Neo6 or Ubertar pickups, Carvin MIDI synth access guitars etc. It also acts as a classic distortion box with a conventional electric guitar.
User Manual and Flowcharts:
References:
Background:Thuggish threats, censorship, and intimidation are not supposed to occur in the collegial, hallowed halls of science; differences of opinion on scientific issues are expected to be resolved cordially via argumentation based on research, experimentation, analysis, and presentation of evidence. But things don’t always work out that way, especially when the issue concerned involves billions of dollars in research funding, as well as political policies that would cost trillions of dollars and radically re-engineer global society.
The recent case of meteorologist Lennart Bengtsson (shown), one of Sweden’s leading climate scientists, shows that Climategate-style censorship of skeptics continues. Since mid-May, Professor Bengtsson has been at the center of a simmering scandal that has been the talk of the climate science blogosphere. It has also broken out into a number of mainstream media stories.
In April, Bengtsson accepted an invitation to become a member of the Academic Advisory Council of the Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF), a British-based think tank that includes many eminent climate scientists. Why would that cause scandal and controversy? After all, many other scientists have also joined various think tanks involved in the controversial anthropogenic (human-caused) global-warming (AGW) debate. Well, the GWPF does not simply regurgitate the latest overheated bloviations of Al Gore, the UN’s IPCC, or the EPA; it has published 15 detailed reports and numerous shorter articles challenging the apocalyptic predictions and hysterical claims of the AGW alarmists. GWPF spokesmen are often quoted in media stories contradicting the prophets of climate doom and gloom.
However, only two weeks after joining GWPF, Professor Bengtsson resigned, citing “enormous world-wide pressure put at me from a community that I have been close to all my active life.” And in a letter to colleagues, announcing his decision, he likewise alluded to “massive objections from colleagues around the world.”
One of Bengtsson’s colleagues wrote in an e-mail:
Joining this group would be interpreted by the media, the general public and colleagues not, as you apparently intended, as a rational contribution to an important discussion, but as an endorsement by a highly esteemed climate scientist of the political goals of GWPF (including the non-scientific methods apparently applied by GWPF).
It is easy to see why the organized AGW forces would be in a near state of panic over another prominent climate scientist such as Bengtsson joining the “enemy.” Top scientists have been jumping off the AGW bandwagon and have been publicly criticizing the UN’s IPCC process and the atmosphere of dogmatic repression enforced by the “climate science” mafia — even as President Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry, the United Nations, and the usual MSM talking heads double down on the AGW hysteria. (See: "UN, Obama Flog Global-warming Alarmism — As More Scientists Defect.")
Another colleague wrote to Bengtsson that “name calling, innuendo, political games, character defamation and caricature … are the methods of the GWPF.”
The “name calling, innuendo” charge is particularly risible since it is the apocalyptic warmists — not the skeptics — who have been most notorious at character defamation, equating AGW skeptics with Nazi Holocaust deniers. Some of the prominent AGW alarmists have viciously attacked skeptics as “criminals” and “traitors” who should be banned from the media and the Internet and even “thrown into jail.” (See below.)
On May 30, Professor David Henderson, chairman of the GWPF’s Academic Advisory Council, posted a lengthy commentary on the Bengtsson resignation affair, providing some of the backstory and details that have been absent from many of the blogs and news stories.
Described by the GWPF as "one of Sweden’s leading climate scientists," Professor Bengtsson is a former director of the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in Hamburg and has authored more than 220 papers in scientific journals.
He was head of research at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts from 1975 to 1981 and then director until 1990. He is now a senior research fellow at the Environmental Systems Science Centre in the University of Reading in the U.K. He is the recipient of many awards, including the 51st IMO prize (in 2006) of the World Meteorological Organization for pioneering research in numerical weather prediction.
Professor Heinrich Miller of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research told Germany’s Spiegel, "I find the way his colleagues reacted shocking. Apparently there is now pervasive disappointment because a shining scientific example is making his scientific doubts public.” Dr. Miller adds that the Bengtsson case reminds him about how politicians use "dirty tricks" to muzzle opponents.
Miller says that scientists were politicized more than anything else by having to seek a consensus on results for the 5th IPCC report. "Global warming is taken as dogma. Anyone who doubts it is bad," says the renowned researcher, who was branded a "climate skeptic" after questioning the scientific validity of computer simulations.
Dr. Roger Pielke, Sr., a senior research scientist at the University of Colorado, says, "Unfortunately, climate science has become very politicized and views that differ at all from those in control of the climate assessment process are either ignored or ridiculed. From my experience, I agree 100 percent with the allegations made by the very distinguished Lennart Bengtsson."
Marc Morano of ClimateDepot says of the attacks on Bengtsson: "They've threatened him. They've bullied him. They've pulled his papers. They're now going through everything they can to smear his reputation. And the ‘they’ I'm referring to is the global warming establishment."
The Climategate e-mails from the University of East Anglia forced even The Guardian, one of Britain’s most rabidly alarmist AGW media platforms, to admit that some of the top climate modelers (particularly Phil Jones and Michael Mann) had shown willingness to use their pull to prevent scientists who disagreed with their alarmist predictions from being published in scientific journals.
The 2009 Climategate e-mails confirmed what critics had been claiming for years. In an April 12, 2006 article for the Wall Street Journal entitled “Climate of Fear,” distinguished climate scientist Richard Lindzen, the Alfred P. Sloan professor of atmospheric science at MIT, ran through some of the history of bullying, harassment, defamation, and censorship employed against scientists such as himself, who had been labeled “skeptics” and/or “deniers.” Dr. Lindzen noted, for instance, the bullying tactics of then-Senator Al Gore, who, in 1992, was riding high on the best-seller status of his enviro-jeremiad Earth in the Balance and his “star” appearance at the UN’s Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Lindzen wrote:
In 1992, he [Gore] ran two congressional hearings during which he tried to bully dissenting scientists, including myself, into changing our views and supporting his climate alarmism. Nor did the scientific community complain when Mr. Gore, as vice president, tried to enlist Ted Koppel in a witch hunt to discredit anti-alarmist scientists — a request that Mr. Koppel deemed publicly inappropriate. And they were mum when subsequent articles and books by Ross Gelbspan libelously labeled scientists who differed with Mr. Gore as stooges of the fossil-fuel industry.
“Sadly, this is only the tip of a non-melting iceberg,” Dr. Lindzen continued. “In Europe, Henk Tennekes was dismissed as research director of the Royal Dutch Meteorological Society after questioning the scientific underpinnings of global warming. Aksel Winn-Nielsen, former director of the UN's World Meteorological Organization, was tarred by Bert Bolin, first head of the IPCC, as a tool of the coal industry for questioning climate alarmism. Respected Italian professors Alfonso Sutera and Antonio Speranza disappeared from the debate in 1991, apparently losing climate-research funding for raising questions.”
“And then,” Lindzen noted, “there are the peculiar standards in place in scientific journals for articles submitted by those who raise questions about accepted climate wisdom.”
Now the question is, did the global pressure on Bengtsson to resign from the GWPF include censorship by a scientific journal? Prior to joining the GWPF, but after he had expressed doubts publicly, in interviews |
. Shaykh Hamza is a human, as many asserted, and like all humans, SHY errs, as is confirmed in the statement of the Prophet:
كُلُّ بَنِي آدَمَ خَطَّاءٌ, وَخَيْرُ اَلْخَطَّائِينَ اَلتَّوَّابُونَ
“All of the children of Adam err. And the best of those who err are those frequent in repentance.” Recorded by al-Tirmidhi
If we allow our leaders, spiritual and otherwise, to be human, then perhaps when they trip or stumble, they will only stub their toes, proverbially. I believe much of the outrage and brouhaha was precisely due to unrealistic expectations and projections that the Muslim public foists upon those in leadership positions, SHY doubly so. So when they do err, or fall, it is as if they are plummeting from the Heavens themselves.
Before concluding my thoughts on quality-possession, I would like to couch them in an incident from the Revelatory Period. In a famous exchange between Abu Dharr al-Ghifari and Bilal, a manumitted slave of Abyssinian descent, Abu Dharr (who was a close companion of the Prophet) made derogatory racist statements about Bilal’s mother, to which the Prophet responded:
يَا أَبَا ذَرٍّ أَعَيَّرْتَهُ بِأُمِّهِ إِنَّكَ امْرُؤٌ فِيكَ جَاهِلِيَّةٌ
“Abu Dharr!, did you insult [Bilal] by slandering his mother [i.e., ‘you son of a black woman!’]? You still have qualities of ignorance (Jahiliyyah) in you!” Recorded by al-Bukhari’s chapter on Faith (Kitab al-Iman)
Amongst the many takeaways here is not simply the Prophet reproaching Abu Dharr for his racist comments (this is significance though in terms of Islam’s authoritative stance against racism) but that he classified them as a quality in Abu Dharr. Abu Dharr’s statements could not be projected onto abstractions or explained away (through fatigue, for instance) but simply had to be owned up to in that the negative quality was something he possessed. This allowed for the Prophet to admonish Abu Dharr in a straight-forward capacity that left no chance of misunderstanding both the significance of his actions as well as to who was to blame. But equally important was that by the Prophet articulating Abu Dharr’s error as a quality, it empowered Abu Dharr to not only repent for his actions but to strive to remove them from him. In other words, according to the Prophet’s statement, racism was not a static or fixed quality but was mutable and capable of being changed. In fact, there are prophetic traditions confirming as much about Abu Dharr:
انْتَهَى إِلَى الرَّبَذَةِ وَقَدْ أُقِيمَتِ الصَّلاَةُ فَإِذَا عَبْدٌ يَؤُمُّهُمْ فَقِيلَ هَذَا أَبُو ذَرٍّ . فَذَهَبَ يَتَأَخَّرُ فَقَالَ أَبُو ذَرٍّ أَوْصَانِي خَلِيلِي صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنْ أَسْمَعَ وَأُطِيعَ وَإِنْ كَانَ عَبْدًا حَبَشِيًّا مُجَدَّعَ الأَطْرَافِ
“[Abu Dharr] arrived at al-Rabadhah when the prayer had already commenced. A slave was leading them in prayer and it was said, ‘This is Abu Dharr,’ so the slave started to relinquish leading the prayer to Abu Dharr but he replied, ‘My close friend (i.e., the Prophet ﷺ) told me to listen and obey, even if the one leading the prayer was an Ethiopian slave with amputated limbs.” Recorded in the Sunan of Ibn Majah
Similarly, the Prophet attests to Abu Dharr’s character:
مَا أَظَلَّتِ الْخَضْرَاءُ وَلاَ أَقَلَّتِ الْغَبْرَاءُ أَصْدَقَ مِنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ
“There is no one more truthful, that the sky has shaded and the earth has carried, than Abu Dharr.” Recorded in al-Tirmidhi
My point to mentioning a few of these testimonies shows that Abu Dharr’s error did not come to define him, least of all in the sight of the Prophet! His racism was a quality inside him; something he possessed, therefore something he was capable of overcoming and changing. It also demonstrates, in the account above when it came time to lead prayer, that Abu Dharr took concrete steps to disinvest himself from structural racist practices by allowing the Abyssinian slave to lead prayer. As I will address below, this is a major step that needs to be taken beyond simply stating, “I’m sorry I offended you.”
Nonetheless, there was reconciliation for what Abu Dharr did; owning up to it unapologetically and without appeals to his good character or previous accomplishments, all the while allowing Abu Dharr to learn, repent and grow from his mistake. If we wish our leaders to be capable of the same it is imperative we examine this prophetic model. It is for this reason I have no difficulty in charging SHY (taken into consideration with my own personal interactions with the shaykh) as a racist because according to Islam, racism, just like other positive and negative qualities, is not an immutable quality nor is it a static (permanent) and totally defining one. I also firmly believe it is the only way for leaders to be held accountable (myself included), for us to grow, and to address the structural elements in our community, and in particular interest to this incident, those which prize and esteem white privilege.
So what can be learned from these events? I firmly believe that when Allah causes a stir in His Ummah there is something to be gained from it. Indeed, given SHY’s status and stature in our community as one of its most esteemed leaders I find it to be no coincidence that he would be the vessel through which we would be taught a profound lesson. That lesson, for me, is the power and seduction of labeling. Racist, liberal, feminist. All of these are labels which have been tossed around like so many grenades lately, inflicting wounds much in the same way their real life counterparts would. This is not to say that there are not valid critiques of liberalism or feminism: I would be hypocritical for not stating that I do in fact have many objections to these philosophies, especially when they are taken to the absurdity of requiring me to express my Islam only through their limiting prisms. But all too often I have seen those who, in the name of “defending the faith”, totalize another person because they espoused or seemed to espouse liberal or feminist tendencies, for example. Rare is the individual whose humanity can be completely summed up because they privilege feminism, for example. And more importantly even if a person does espouse such philosophies it does not mean that he or she must, or always will, harbor them and most importantly, that it necessarily removes them from Islam. We must be cautious as to how closely to fire we hold each others feet on matters that do not explicitly relate to theological matters. To be clear, I am not advocating for a kind of relativism: I have and will continue to argue against, for example, liberalism, in particular, in that I feel it is an attempt to compete with Revelation. However, that a person possesses certain liberal qualities does not automatically mean that they have forfeited their value in the sight of God, or in the case of Muslims, a place in the Ummah of Muhammad.
The American Muslim community is still a young community. It has many things to learn yet, including that religion is not an unconscious or automatic inoculation against the vicissitudes of racism, or for any other socially contractible disease, for that matter. In fact, racism has been able to fester and grow in one of the most religious nations on the face of the earth; a fact that should never escape our notice. Christianity has not only aided and assisted racism in America, but many of its well-intending practitioners remain ignorant and blind of its existence. I say this not in the spirit of polemics but as observable fact. My great concern now is that Muslims, in their quest to find relief in a hostile land, will, in return for loyalty and a place of belongingness, replicate this most vile of American STD’s (socially-transmitted diseases): racism. In fact the Prophet warns of this in this famous narration:
لَتَتَّبِعُنَّ سَنَنَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ شِبْرًا بِشِبْرٍ وَذِرَاعًا بِذِرَاعٍ حَتَّى لَوْ دَخَلُوا فِي جُحْرِ ضَبٍّ لاَتَّبَعْتُمُوهُمْ قُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ آلْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَى قَالَ فَمَنْ
“You would tread the same path as was trodden by those before you inch by inch, span by span, so much so that if they had entered into a lizard hole, you’d follow right behind them.” The Companions of the Prophet replied, “Allah’s Messenger, do you mean Jews and Christians as ‘those before you’?” To which he replied, “Who else?” Recorded in Sahih Muslim
The task of addressing racism will be made doubly hard in that the vast majority of our religious scholars, SHY being no different, do not backgrounds in critical race theory (CRT) or race studies. This is what makes the Medhi Hasan interview all the more absurd: asking a white male, whose background/specialization is in religious and spiritual studies, to address such topics as police brutality, the viability of Muslims (conservatively one-third of whom in America are black!) engaging in BLM, to the quality and state of the American penal/legal/justice system as it relates to blacks!, turning to the ultimate absurdity: “The United States is probably, at least in terms of terms of its laws, one of the least racist societies in the world”. The problem with SHY’s statement here is not only its insensitivity towards the history, the plight, and the struggle of non-whites, particularly blacks, but that it’s also factually wrong as new research in the field of comparative international law indicates. What was it that not only misinformed SHY as to the factual nature of the topic, but that imbued him with a sense of entitlement and qualification to speak to topics he obviously is not qualified to do so? I believe the shaykh arrived at this conclusion not solely of his own making. As I addressed in a previous video, the Muslim community itself, comprised of a majority of non-white and non-black Muslims, esteems, privileges, and aids in this mediocrity of specialization that informs Muslim leaders to feel that they can, and must, speak to all topics, regardless of qualifications. In light of this, we must take to heart that reproductions of racist behavior are not always systematically linked to intent. Even social justice and anti-racist activists can run the risk of reproducing contexts of racial oppression.
Which brings me to what are the steps our community in general, and SHY in particular, can do to combat white supremacy and its subset of white privilege. My first suggestion is that white supremacy, white privilege, and racism, cannot solely be combated through admitting one’s missteps; it must be disinvested from. Returning to what I feel is an opportunity for our community to learn and grow, I see this as a prime opportunity for SHY to call for a conference on race, hosted by his illustrious Zaytuna College. What more powerful message could be sent, to the Muslim community, to Blackamericans, and to America and the world, than one of its most prominent leaders taking concrete steps towards tackling the issue versus disavowing oneself of its existence? If the success of Muslims in America is to be measured, one metric would certainly be on how we do not replicate her ills, lock, stock, and barrel, especially not one of her most enduring sicknesses.
In closing, let us remember that the Qur’an’s message itself rests on the capacity for change. The Prophet is described therein as, “a clear warner”. What good would a warning be if qualities (disbelief, sexual immorality, infanticide, etc.) were immutable? In such a drastic light the Qur’an could rightfully be dismissed as nothing other than, “tales of the Ancients” (Qur’an 68: 15) if the suggestive nature of the Qur’anic message was not one of hope, change, and empowerment through the mutability of negative qualities and attributes.
My advocacy here is admittedly personal. Two years ago I accepted a position as imam in the Muslim community. I realize now more than ever we need a fundamental shift in the way in which leadership is viewed and views itself. When I see someone like Shaykh Hamza Yusuf on stage, making such a gross error, part of me sees myself: It is inevitable that I too, will err. What is need now though is a system by which leaders are encouraged to own up to their mistakes: To admit that we have something to learn versus apologizing, not for having done something wrong, but for offending someone. All too often we undermine that process for honest self-accountability when one’s humanity is at stake. Apologizing for offending one particular group is in essence an acknowledgement that one is not sorry for the substance of one’s misdeeds but that one was caught offending them. In other words, “I’m sorry you were offended,” not, “I’m sorry for what I did”.
I pray these words can help spark a new dialog on what it means to err in our community. Alexander Pope, the 18th-century English poet, was on to something: “To err is human”. But Islamic tradition also has a take on being human in that it also means to be responsible (per the hadith, “kullukum ra’in, wa kullukum mas’ul”). May Allah guide us, forgive us and make us amongst those whom He is happy with. Amin.BIRMINGHAM: For just a fleeting moment, Mahendra Singh Dhoni's mask slipped off his face on Saturday evening. "What do you mean we have not worked hard enough," he asked at the inquisition, following India's mortifying defeat at the Edgbaston Ground."We have come here after playing 200 days of cricket. What more do you want," he retorted, in response to a specific question by TOI. He was not entirely off the ball: an Indian player, theoretically, could have been on the field for 119 days in the last year. Add the World Cup and IPL non-playing days, and you would not be too far from that mindboggling, if not numbing, figure.But the big question in the aftermath of the loss of face, World No. 1 ranking and series is not if India had played too much cricket; it is if they had actually played enough to be in the position to defend their bastion. Did they prepare properly? Indeed, did they even come here as a team?The fact is, perhaps, for the first time, the players arrived here from two different parts of the world: desolate and weary. If Dhoni led a tired band straight from West Indies, Gautam Gambhir, Zaheer Khan Yuvraj Singh and S Sreesanth arrived from India, all after recovering from injuries.Sachin Tendulkar was already in England, enjoying his annual holiday with the family. It's a moot point if any of them was even aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition, let alone if a plan was in place. Maybe, they thought the insider's presence and their own depth and talent would be enough to retain the crown.In the one and only three day game, Dhoni, Ishant Sharma, Praveen Kumar and Harbhajan Singh took rest; Zaheer Khan bowled only in the first innings, withdrawing from the second under the cover of strategy: you see, India didn't want Andrew Strauss to get the measure of him.Suresh Raina, ironically and maybe misleadingly, scored an unbeaten 103. All the others got starts and, maybe, got carried away; the bowlers, though, only got a taste of what was to come. The signs were there for all to see; nobody paid attention.Zaheer broke down in the first Test; Tendulkar was weakened by a viral at a crucial phase of the game. Gambhir missed the second with an unfortunate injury; Harbhajan came up with an abdominal strain during the match. Yuvraj broke his finger while batting.In the first two matches, India had their chances; they just didn't take them, either with bat or ball. Worse, their fielding steadily deteriorated with each passing down. As Dhoni said everything that could have wrong went wrong.If they had taken the last two wickets at Lord's or at Trent Bridge, it could have been a different story; if they had not succumbed to the second new ball in both the Tests, they could well have been number one even now.By the time, they arrived in Birmingham, India were down and almost out. Sehwag had already joined the team, and there were hopes of a turnaround, of a dramatic fightback. But the'saviour' was given a royal welcome: a king pair.To understand the depth of the demolition, one just has to look at Raina: from a confident, attacking batsman he has been reduced to a scampering bunny. To get an inkling of what the future holds, though, one has to study Dravid's predicament on the tour.He has been the most accomplished batsman on either side, even though Pietersen and Cook scored doubles. Yet, he has dropped more catches than anybody else too. It only means that his concentration is flagging; it also means that at least some players are tired. Maybe, Dhoni has a point.The Washington Post illustration using iStock images
Iris Kuo is a journalist and Knight-Bagehot fellow at Columbia University.
“Hey,” a co-worker said. “Did you ask IT for help?”
“Yes,” I said. “How did you know?”
The IT guy had gone over to another co-worker’s desk to coach her on commands in Excel — a request I had put in. Why had the IT guy confused me with Chunzi? For the same reason Chunzi’s checks ended up on my desk, my mail ended up in her hands and an editor asked me about my trips to New York, which I never took but Chunzi did. It’s because we’re both young Asian women.
We look nothing alike, of course. And it’s not something that happens only to us. Recently two white male journalists mistook my friend Ruth, a fellow Asian American journalist, for me, even though she and I no longer live in the same city. Another time a publicist enthusiastically called Ruth by my name while she was wearing a name tag supplied by the publicist. And a few years ago, a waitress dropped off my check and credit card — except they belonged to another person with an Asian-sounding name.
All my life I’ve been mistaken for other people of my race. It’s a degrading and thoughtless error that boils away my identity and simplifies me as one thing: “that Asian.” One reason is that our society has so few Asians and people of color in positions of prominence that some people have little exposure to them. Diversity is so lacking in film and television that a director thinks it’s okay to cast a white person as Chinese, as Cameron Crowe did with Emma Stone in “Aloha,” and the Hollywood Reporter mistakes “Master of None” actor Kelvin Yu for show co-creator Alan Yang, who tweeted in response, “Same race, different dude.”
This is not unique to Asians. The Golden Globes’ Twitter account mistook America Ferrera for Gina Rodriguez, and the media regularly mixes up black public figures: TMZ confused Nene and Mary J. Blige; a local reporter mistook Samuel L. Jackson for Laurence Fishburne; George Stephanopoulos identified Bill Russell as Morgan Freeman.
People look at us without really seeing us. Instead, they simply see our race.
[100 times a white actor played someone who wasn’t white.]
This phenomenon has a name — psychologists call it the “cross-race effect,” a well-replicated finding that people are better at telling apart faces of their own race than those of another race. It becomes an even bigger problem in court: Witnesses are more likely to misidentify an alleged perpetrator of another race. Sixty-six of 216 wrongful convictions overturned by DNA testing involved the use of cross-racial eyewitness identifications, according to the Innocence Project. And white participants in one study were significantly more likely to experience a cross-race effect than black participants.
Yes, it rarely happens out of malice. Yes, it is often accidental. Yes, it is bumbling, careless, idiotic and unintentional. But it is absolutely not right.
After receiving yet another one of Chunzi’s checks on my desk, I wrote a terse email to human resources and copied our managing editor. “These mistakes,” I wrote, “are extremely offensive and unacceptable.” The managing editor called me into his office to apologize, but he rationalized the situation: “I don’t think anyone here’s got a mean bone in their body,” he said.
This is part of the problem: White people and even Asians themselves dismiss the issue. We laugh at it because it’s not malicious. The Asian women I’ve spoken to have largely rolled their eyes when this has happened or have tried to be good-humored about it. (Several Asian women I know have switched seats with the other Asians in their offices to see if their white male bosses noticed; they didn’t.) America Ferrera and Eva Longoria recently made fun of these types of errors in a routine at the Golden Globes.
Nicole Chung, writing in the Toast, calls these experiences “casual racism” and notes that, as minorities, we are often afraid of how white people will feel if we call them out. “What does our dignity matter, what do our feelings amount to, when we could embarrass white people we care about? When our white relatives or friends or colleagues might experience a moment’s discomfort, anxiety, or guilt?” she writes.
People talk now of unconscious bias, which sounds more innocuous than racism. (It’s a particularly popular buzzword at tech companies, which have notoriously non-diverse staffs.) “You can’t call it racist,” one friend said. “It’ll just turn people off.” Another friend opined, “It’s just stepping over social poop piles white people leave.” But in important ways, it is a kind of racism: People swap you for other Asians. They leave a Chinese calendar on your desk (happened to a friend). They grill you about where you’re “from.” They ask dumb questions, make dumb statements. Whether or not it’s done out of malice is irrelevant. It’s rude, and it’s racial.
I don’t know how to separate myself from other Asians in the eyes of white people. Develop a more unmistakable personality? Embarrass and call them out? The stakes are real at work — I worry that the reputation of another person will be ascribed to me or that an accomplishment of mine will be attributed to another Asian in the office. But if I speak up, I’m afraid I’ll disrupt the peace or make a white person uncomfortable, even if they deserve it. I also worry that if I keep quiet, I will explode out of anger from the litany of microaggressions.
[Before Beyoncé made ‘Formation,’ Zora Neale Hurston laid out her roadmap]
“You’re so pretty,” a woman at a concert told me. “My son is marrying a Vietnamese girl. Are you Vietnamese?”
You’re so pretty, too! I wanted to say. My cousin is marrying a white guy from Tennessee. Are you from Tennessee? But I didn’t say it.
Sometimes I’m so stunned by what’s happening that I’m at a loss for words — like when a man on the subway announced to me, apropos of nothing, “I was just in Shanghai last week!” But this won’t stop until we learn to speak up. Part of that includes being brave enough to call this phenomenon for what it is: racist. But the onus isn’t just on us inching past our fear of embarrassing a white person. It’s on white people to learn to make distinguishing faces a priority. Whether they realize it or not, the repeated misidentification broadcasts its own message: I’m Asian, indistinct and not worth remembering.ESRB rating: Mature 17+ with blood, sexual themes, strong language, use of alcohol, and violence; includes online features that may expose players to unrated user-generated content.
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
In the early 18th century, pirates ruled the West Indies, making it their stronghold as they resisted the rule of incoming colonial forces. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag puts players in the role of charismatic yet deadly pirate Edward Kenway, captain of the Jackdaw. As Kenway, you'll explore an exotic open world with 50 locations, such as Nassau and Kingston. As you plunder riches from towns, shipwrecks, and the jungle, you gather more resources for upgrading your personal arsenal and that of your ship. On the seas, you'll board and capture enemy vessels. On land, you'll vanquish foes by flexing between classic assassin's tools, such as hidden blades, and pirate weapons, such as flintlock pistols, dual cutlass swords, and trash-talking shoulder parrots. This success helps you preserve the pirate way of life as you establish a lawless republic in the Bahamas.
Fourth title in the Assassin's Creed series
Set in the Caribbean during the golden age of pirates
Play as charismatic yet brutal pirate captain Edward Kenway
Explore an open world with 50 exotic locations ripe for pillaging
Captain and upgrade your own ship, the Jackdaw
Establish a lawless republic in the Bahamas and open the first Starbucks
Switch between classic assassin and pirate weaponry
Search for treasure, hunt exotic animals, and loot shipwrecks
Multiplayer mode with eclectic roster of characters
PlayStation 3 version with 60 minutes of additional gameplay
How to get your goods: by purchasing this Groupon and providing your name and shipping address, your order is complete!
For questions pertaining to this deal, please visit the deal Q&A on this page. For post-purchase inquiries, please contact Groupon customer service.
View the Groupon Goods FAQ for additional information.Microsoft is adding new features and enhancements to Planner at a very slow pace. However, from time to time, we can find small and nice additions such as the “My Tasks” App that is in the process to be rolled out to Microsoft Teams. This new feature is not delivered as a regular Microsoft Teams App but as the integration of the Planner My Tasks page into Teams. To get My Tasks App in Microsoft Teams, you need first to enable Public Developer Preview in Teams. This is a very straightforward task that can be achieved by clicking on your Teams avatar and then About -> Developer preview:
Note: You can read an overview of latest additions to Microsoft Planner and expected Planner Roadmap in this blog post published in the Microsoft Tech Community by Dave Heller. As we work towards having a full-featured Planner experience within Microsoft Teams, we will deliver the My Tasks page to Teams via Teams’ apps functionality.
Figure 1 — Enabling Microsoft Teams Developer Preview
Once you enable Developer Preview in the Microsoft Teams App, you will see the application is re-started with two new sections added to the Teams UI:
Figure 2 — New Settings Displayed in Teams Once the Microsoft Teams Developer Preview Is Enabled
There is a Get apps section that allows you to discover all the applications available for Microsoft Teams (Tabs, Bots, Connectors, and Compose) and also (if enabled) to sideload your custom Teams apps:
Figure 3 — Discover Apps Page in Microsoft Teams
There is a Planner section that provides access to the “My Tasks” page where the user can get the list of all the tasks that have been assigned to him/her directly from Microsoft Planner App or from any Microsoft Planner Tab added to Teams in Microsoft Teams:
Figure 4 — “My Tasks” Application in Microsoft Teams
Working with My Tasks App in Microsoft Teams
The first thing you will note when working with “My Tasks” App in Microsoft Teams is that it is almost the same “My Tasks” page you have in Microsoft Planner:
Figure 5 — “My Tasks” Page in Microsoft Planner
Coming back to the “My Tasks” App in Microsoft Teams, let’s describe some of the features we have by default:
We can edit any of the tasks assigned to the current user. Without leaving Microsoft Teams, we can add additional information to the task, change task status, add new categories or labels to the tasks, or simply change task assignment.
Figure 6 — Editing a Task in “My Tasks” App
We can change Group criteria in the “My Tasks” App, so we can group tasks by Plan instead of by status:
Figure 7 — Changing Group Criteria in the “My Tasks” App
We can get the details about the “My Tasks” App by clicking on the “About” tab:
Figure 8 — “About” Tab in the “My Tasks” App
Conclusion
“My Tasks” App in Microsoft Teams is just a small addition in the path towards a better integration between Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Planner. I expect this will take place in the coming months, so we can work with Planner in the Microsoft Teams App without having to leave Teams. I expect the next step in this integration will be the addition of the Planner Hub into Microsoft Teams.Web content intended to entice users to click on a link
For the 2018 film, see Clickbait (film)
[1] including the use of numbered lists, and utilizing an information-gap to encourage reader curiosity Example of an online ad employing two common clickbait tactics according to Wired including the use of numbered lists, and utilizing an information-gap to encourage reader curiosity
Clickbait is a text or thumbnail link that is designed to entice users to follow that link and read, view, or listen to the linked piece of online content.[2][3] Click-bait headlines typically aim to exploit the "curiosity gap", providing just enough information to make readers of news websites curious, but not enough to satisfy their curiosity without clicking through to the linked content.[4][5][6]
Definition [ edit ]
There is no universally agreed-upon definition of clickbait. BuzzFeed editor Ben Smith states that his publication doesn't do clickbait, using a strict definition of clickbait as a headline that is dishonest about the content of the article. Smith notes that Buzzfeed headlines such as "A 5-Year-Old Girl Raised Enough Money To Take Her Father Who Has Terminal Cancer To Disney World" deliver exactly what the headline promises. The fact that the headline is written to be eye-catching is irrelevant in Smith's view since the headline accurately describes the article.[7]
Facebook, while trying to reduce the amount of clickbait shown to users, defined the term as a headline that encourages users to click, but doesn't tell them what they will see. However, this definition excludes a lot of content that is generally regarded as clickbait.[2]
A more commonly used definition is a headline that intentionally over-promises and under-delivers.[8] The articles associated with such headlines often are unoriginal, and either merely restate the headline, or copies content from a more genuine news source.
The term clickbait is sometimes used for any article that is unflattering to a person. In such cases, the article is not actually clickbait by any legitimate definition of the term.[9]
Background [ edit ]
From a historical perspective, the techniques employed by clickbait authors can be considered derivative of yellow journalism, which presented little or no legitimate well-researched news and instead used eye-catching headlines that included exaggerations of news events, scandal-mongering, or sensationalism.[10][11] One cause of such sensational stories is the controversial practice called checkbook journalism, where news reporters pay sources for their information without verifying its truth. In the U.S. it is generally considered an unethical practice, as it often turns celebrities and politicians into lucrative targets of unproven allegations.[12] According to Washington Post writer Howard Kurtz, "this thriving tabloid culture has erased the old definitions of news by including tawdry and sensational stories about celebrities for the sake of profit."[12]
Use [ edit ]
For sites that thrive on thousands of click-throughs to content, many authors see the use of clickbait as a means to tap into human psyche by crafting these eye-catching headlines.[13] There are also those who use this method for phishing attacks for the purpose of spreading malicious files or stealing user information.[14] The attack occurs once the user opens the link provided to learn more. Clickbait has also been used for political ends and has been blamed for the rise of post-truth politics. Katherine Viner, editor-in-chief at The Guardian wrote that "chasing down cheap clicks at the expense of accuracy and veracity" undermined the value of journalism and truth.[15] Emotional subjects with stark headlines are widely shared and clicked, which resulted in what Slate described as an "aggregation of outrage" and a proliferation of websites across the political spectrum – including Breitbart News, Huffington Post, Salon, Townhall and the Gawker Media blogs – which profited by producing shareable short-form pieces offering simple moral judgements on political and cultural issues.[16]
There are various clickbait strategies, including the composition of headlines of news and online articles that build suspense and sensation, luring and teasing users to click.[17] Some of the popular approaches in achieving these include the presentation of link and images that are interesting to the user, exploiting curiosity related to greed or prurient interest.[14] It is not uncommon, for instance, for these contents to include lewd image or a "make money quick" scheme.[14]
Backlash [ edit ]
By 2014, the ubiquity of clickbait on the web had begun to lead to a backlash against its use.[6][18] Satirical newspaper The Onion launched a new website, ClickHole, that parodied clickbait websites such as Upworthy and BuzzFeed,[19] and in August 2014, Facebook announced that it was taking technical measures to reduce the impact of clickbait on its social network,[20][21][22] using, among other cues, the time spent by the user on visiting the linked page as a way of distinguishing clickbait from other types of content.[23] Ad blockers and a general fall in advertising clicks also affected the clickbait model, as websites moved towards sponsored advertising and native advertising where the content of the article was more important than the click-rate.[16]
As problem attracted interest, tools have been developed to address the clickbait problem. Clickbait detection, for instance, has been integrated in browser applications while digital platforms where contents are shared such as Twitter have updated their respective algorithms to filter clickbait contents.[24] Social media groups, such as Stop Clickbait,[25][26][27][28] combat clickbait by giving a short summary of the clickbait article, closing the "curiosity gap". Clickbait reporting browser plug-ins[29] have been also developed by the research community in order to report clickbait links for further advances in the field based on supervised learning algorithms.
See also [ edit ]A motorized smash and grab robbery on Interstate 90 stunned southern Minnesota Monday. The crime reportedly netted at least $500,000 in jewelry and loose gems.
A group of individuals, identified only as living in a state adjacent to Minnesota, were en route westbound from a trade show in Chicago. Their van, carrying seven people, pulled into the rest stop just west of Eyota, when another vehicle rolled up next to them. Four men, dressed in black, jumped out of the other vehicle, according to what the victims told a witness.
"Slashed the tires of the van and then they smashed the windows and attacked the van," said Charles Lemke, 68, who works as a rest area custodian. Lemke was inside the building when the attack occurred.
"The women was already in here," said Lemke. "It was five women who came in and the one that called 911, she kept saying 'We are being robbed! We are being robbed!'"
Police believe the van was trailed by the assailants all the way from the Chicago trade show. They simply waited for an opportunity to execute the robbery.
"All the years, I have worked here," said Lemke. "I have worked here 10 years, and I never had nothing like that happen."
Only a bit of shattered glass at one end of the rest area was any indication that anything had happened. Capt. Scott Behrns with the Olmstead County Sheriff's Department said that the robbers abandoned their vehicle about a mile west of the rest area.
Behrns said investigators believe that an accomplice was trailing behind in another vehicle as part of the plan and picked up the four robbers. The investigation is continuing. Behrn said the names of the victims will be released later in the week.Minneapolis police officers should be required to turn on their body cameras during all law enforcement activities, calls for service and “consensual” encounters with the public, says a report by the Police Conduct Oversight Commission.
The new report, a final version of which will be voted on by the commission Tuesday, was the product of months of work to examine policies and practices of police departments in Seattle, New Orleans and Duluth, as well as through public input.
Among its key recommendations:
• Require patrol officers to activate cameras during every service call, law enforcement activity and any noncriminal encounter with a citizen, as long as they get consent.
• Bar officers from editing or viewing body camera footage before writing their incident reports, since “such viewing will preserve the evidentiary value of reports, provide multiple perspectives on an incident, and reduce potential falsification of reports.”
• Video footage should be retained for at least 280 days, the window of time for filing a civilian complaint against an officer. Use-of-force incidents should be stored at least three years and any footage containing images of a death, either police or civilian, should be kept indefinitely.
A |
' on Boulevard.jpg
Smokin' on the Boulevard in Florence is the overall champion in the 2014 Alabama Barbecue Bracket sponsored by the Alabama Tourism Department. (Photo courtesy of the Alabama Tourism Department)
Smokin' on the Boulevard, a little roadside barbecue joint in Florence, knocked off the big boys to win the 2014 Alabama BBQ Bracket championship, the Alabama Tourism Department announced this afternoon.
Voters in the statewide Facebook contest selected Smokin’ on the Boulevard’s smoked ribs as the state’s top barbecue dish.
The other Final Four entries were Bessemer's Bob Sykes BarB-Q, which won for best sauce, and Birmingham-based Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q, which won for both best chicken and best pork.
Smokin' on the Boulevard was voted the overall winner.
Located at 4080 Florence Blvd., Smokin’ on the Boulevard has only been open a couple of years, but has fast made a name for itself with its dry-rubbed meats, which are slow-cooked over hickory coals. The menu features Boston butts, St. Louis-style racks of ribs, whole chickens with white sauce, smoked bologna, stew, smoked cabbage and more.
Smokin’ on the Boulevard is open only three days a week, Thursdays through Saturdays, and the ‘cue often sells out. Especially now.
For a menu, prices, hours and more, go to the Smokin' on the Boulevard Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SmokinOnTheBoulevard.
About 20,000 votes were cast in the three-week contest, which began with a field of 32 total entries – eight each in the four categories of ribs, chicken, pork and sauce. Voters went to the Alabama Food Facebook page to select their favorites.
For more about the contest, go here.Participants with a potentially life-threatening cancer diagnosis and a DSM-IV diagnosis that included anxiety and/or mood symptoms were recruited through flyers, internet, and physician referral. Of 566 individuals who were screened by telephone, 56 were randomized. Figure 1 shows a CONSORT flow diagram. Table 1 shows demographics for the 51 participants who completed at least one session. The two randomized groups did not significantly differ demographically. All 51 participants had a potentially life-threatening cancer diagnosis, with 65% having recurrent or metastatic disease. Types of cancer included breast (13 participants), upper aerodigestive (7), gastrointestinal (4), genitourinary (18), hematologic malignancies (8), other (1). All had a DSM-IV diagnosis: chronic adjustment disorder with anxiety (11 participants), chronic adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood (11), dysthymic disorder (5), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) (5), major depressive disorder (MDD) (14), or a dual diagnosis of GAD and MDD (4), or GAD and dysthymic disorder (1). Detailed inclusion/exclusion criteria are in the online Supplementary material. The Johns Hopkins IRB approved the study. Written informed consent was obtained from participants.
A two-session, double-blind cross-over design compared the effects of a low versus high psilocybin dose on measures of depressed mood, anxiety, and quality of life, as well as measures of short-term and enduring changes in attitudes and behavior. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups. The Low-Dose-1st Group received the low dose of psilocybin on the first session and the high dose on the second session, whereas the High-Dose-1st Group received the high dose on the first session and the low dose on the second session. The duration of each participant’s participation was approximately 9 months (mean 275 days). Psilocybin session 1 occurred, on average, approximately 1 month after study enrollment (mean 28 days), with session 2 occurring approximately 5 weeks later (mean 38 days). Data assessments occurred: (1) immediately after study enrollment (Baseline assessment); (2) on both session days (during and at the end of the session); (3) approximately 5 weeks (mean 37 days) after each session (Post-session 1 and Post-session 2 assessments); (4) approximately 6 months (mean 211 days) after Session 2 (6-month follow-up).
The study compared a high psilocybin dose (22 or 30 mg/70 kg) with a low dose (1 or 3 mg/70 kg) administered in identically appearing capsules. When this study was designed, we had little past experience with a range of psilocybin doses. We decreased the high dose from 30 to 22 mg/70 kg after two of the first three participants who received a high dose of 30 mg/70 kg were discontinued from the study (one from vomiting shortly after capsule administration and one for personal reasons). Related to this decision, preliminary data from a dose-effect study in healthy participants suggested that rates of psychologically challenging experiences were substantially greater at 30 than at 20 mg/70 kg ( Griffiths et al., 2011 ). The low dose of psilocybin was decreased from 3 to 1 mg/70 kg after 12 participants because data from the same dose-effect study showed significant psilocybin effects at 5 mg/70 kg, which raised concern that 3 mg/70 kg might not serve as an inactive placebo.
Expectancies, on part of both participants and monitors, are believed to play a large role in the qualitative effects of psilocybin-like drugs ( Griffiths et al., 2006 ; Metzner et al., 1965 ). Although double-blind methods are usually used to protect against such effects, expectancy is likely to be significantly operative in a standard drug versus placebo design when the drug being evaluated produces highly discriminable effects and participants and staff know the specific drug conditions to be tested. For these reasons, in the present study a low dose of psilocybin was compared with a high dose of psilocybin, and participants and monitors were given instructions that obscured the actual dose conditions to be tested. Specifically, they were told that psilocybin would be administered in both sessions, the psilocybin doses administered in the two sessions might range anywhere from very low to high, the doses in the two sessions might or might not be the same, sensitivity to psilocybin dose varies widely across individuals, and that at least one dose would be moderate to high. Participants and monitors were further strongly encouraged to try to attain maximal therapeutic and personal benefit from each session.
Drug sessions were conducted in an aesthetic living-room-like environment with two monitors present. Participants were instructed to consume a low-fat breakfast before coming to the research unit. A urine sample was taken to verify abstinence from common drugs of abuse (cocaine, benzodiazepines, and opioids including methadone). Participants who reported use of cannabis or dronabinol were instructed not to use for at least 24 h before sessions. Psilocybin doses were administered in identically appearing opaque, size 0 gelatin capsules, with lactose as the inactive capsule filler. For most of the time during the session, participants were encouraged to lie down on the couch, use an eye mask to block external visual distraction, and use headphones through which a music program was played. The same music program was played for all participants in both sessions. Participants were encouraged to focus their attention on their inner experiences throughout the session. Thus, there was no explicit instruction for participants to focus on their attitudes, ideas, or emotions related to their cancer. A more detailed description of the study room and procedures followed on session days is provided elsewhere ( Griffiths et al., 2006 ; Johnson et al., 2008 ).
A description of session monitor roles and the content and rationale for meetings between participants and monitors is provided elsewhere ( Johnson et al., 2008 ). Briefly, preparation meetings before the first session, which included discussion of meaningful aspects of the participant’s life, served to establish rapport and prepare the participant for the psilocybin sessions. During sessions, monitors were nondirective and supportive, and they encouraged participants to “trust, let go and be open” to the experience. Meetings after sessions generally focused on novel thoughts and feelings that arose during sessions. Session monitors were study staff originally trained by William Richards PhD, a clinical psychologist with extensive experience conducting studies with classic hallucinogens. Monitor education varied from college graduate to PhD. Formal clinical training varied from none to clinical psychologist. Monitors were selected as having significant human relations skills and self-described experience with altered states of consciousness induced by means such as meditation, yogic breathing, or relaxation techniques.
After study enrollment and assessment of baseline measures, and before the first psilocybin session, each participant met with the two session monitors (staff who would be present during session days) on two or more occasions (mean of 3.0 occasions for a mean total of 7.9 hours). The day after each psilocybin session participants met with the session monitors (mean 1.2 hours). Participants met with monitors on two or more occasions between the first and second psilocybin session (mean of 2.7 occasions for a mean total of 3.4 hours) and on two or more occasions between the second session and 6-month follow-up (mean of 2.5 occasions for a mean total of 2.4 hours). Preparation meetings, the first meeting following each session, and the last meeting before the second session were always in person. For the 37 participants (73%) who did not reside within commuting distance of the research facility, 49% of the Post-session 1 meetings with monitors occurred via telephone or video calls.
The questionnaire included three final questions (see Griffiths et al. 2006 for more specific wording): (1) How personally meaningful was the experience? (rated from 1 to 8, with 1 = no more than routine, everyday experiences; 7 = among the five most meaningful experiences of my life; and 8 = the single most meaningful experience of my life). (2) Indicate the degree to which the experience was spiritually significant to you? (rated from 1 to 6, with 1 = not at all; 5 = among the five most spiritually significant experiences of my life; 6 = the single most spiritually significant experience of my life). (3) Do you believe that the experience and your contemplation of that experience have led to change in your current sense of personal well-being or life satisfaction? (rated from +3 = increased very much; +2 = increased moderately; 0 = no change; –3 = decreased very much).
The Persisting Effects Questionnaire assessed self-rated positive and negative changes in attitudes, moods, behavior, and spiritual experience attributed to the most recent psilocybin session ( Griffiths et al., 2006, 2011 ). At the 6-month follow-up, the questionnaire was completed on the basis of the high-dose session, which was identified as the session in which the participant experienced the most pronounced changes in their ordinary mental processes. Twelve subscales (described in Table 8 ) were scored.
Three measures of spirituality were assessed at three time-points: Baseline, 5 weeks after session 2, and at the 6-month follow-up: FACIT-Sp, a self-rated measure of the spiritual dimension of quality of life in chronic illness ( Peterman et al., 2002 ) assessed on how the participant felt “on average”; Spiritual-Religious Outcome Scale, a three-item measure used to assess spiritual and religious changes during illness ( Pargament et al., 2004 ); and Faith Maturity Scale, a 12-item scale assessing the degree to which a person’s priorities and perspectives align with “mainline” Protestant traditions ( Benson et al., 1993 ).
Structured telephone interviews with community observers (e.g. family members, friends, or work colleagues) provided ratings of participant attitudes and behavior reflecting healthy psychosocial functioning ( Griffiths et al., 2011 ). The interviewer provided no information to the rater about the participant or the nature of the research study. The structured interview (Community Observer Questionnaire) consisted of asking the rater to rate the participant’s behavior and attitudes using a 10-point scale (from 1 = not at all, to 10 = extremely) on 13 items reflecting healthy psychosocial functioning: inner peace; patience; good-natured humor/playfulness; mental flexibility; optimism; anxiety (scored negatively); interpersonal perceptiveness and caring; negative expression of anger (scored negatively); compassion/social concern; expression of positive emotions (e.g. joy, love, appreciation); self-confidence; forgiveness of others; and forgiveness of self. On the first rating occasion, which occurred soon after acceptance into the study, raters were instructed to base their ratings on observations of and conversations with the participant over the past 3 months. On two subsequent assessments, raters were told their previous ratings and were instructed to rate the participant based on interactions over the last month (post-session 2 assessment) or since beginning in the study (6-month follow-up). Data from each interview with each rater were calculated as a total score. Changes in each participant’s behavior and attitudes after drug sessions were expressed as a mean change score (i.e. difference score) from the baseline rating across the raters. Of 438 scheduled ratings by community observers, 25 (<6%) were missed due to failure to return calls or to the rater not having contact with the participant over the rating period.
The two primary therapeutic outcome measures were the widely used clinician-rated measures of depression, GRID-HAM-D-17 ( ISCDD, 2003 ) and anxiety, HAM-A assessed with the SIGH-A ( Shear et al., 2001 ). For these clinician-rated measures, a clinically significant response was defined as ⩾50% decrease in measure relative to Baseline; symptom remission was defined as ⩾50% decrease in measure relative to Baseline and a score of ⩽7 on the GRID-HAMD or HAM-A ( Gao et al., 2014 ; Matza et al., 2010 ).
Seventeen measures focused on mood states, attitudes, disposition, and behaviors thought to be therapeutically relevant in psychologically distressed cancer patients were assessed at four time-points over the study: immediately after study enrollment (Baseline assessment), about 5 weeks (mean 37 days) after each session (Post-session 1 and 2 assessments), and about 6 months (mean 211 days) after session 2 (6-month follow-up).
Ten minutes before and 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300, and 360 min after capsule administration, blood pressure, heart rate, and monitor ratings were obtained as described previously ( Griffiths et al., 2006 ). The two session monitors completed the Monitor Rating Questionnaire, which involved rating or scoring several dimensions of the participant’s behavior or mood. The dimensions, which are expressed as peak scores in Table 2, were rated on a 5-point scale from 0 to 4. Data were the mean of the two monitor ratings at each time-point.
Statistical analysis
Differences in demographic data between the two dose sequence groups were examined with t-tests and chi-square tests with continuous and categorical variables, respectively.
Data analyses were conducted to demonstrate the appropriateness of combining data for the 1 and 3 mg/70 kg doses in the low-dose condition and for including data for the one participant who received 30 mg/70 kg. To determine if the two different psilocybin doses differed in the low-dose condition, t-tests were used to compare participants who received 3 mg/70 kg (n = 12) with those who received 1 mg/70 kg (n = 38) on participant ratings of peak intensity of effect (HRS intensity item completed 7 h after administration) and peak monitor ratings of overall drug effect across the session. Because neither of these were significantly different, data from the 1 and 3 mg/70 kg doses were combined in the low-dose condition for all analyses.
Of the 50 participants who completed the high-dose condition, one received 30 mg/70 kg and 49 received 22 mg/70 kg. To determine if inclusion of the data from the one participant who received 30 mg/70 kg affected conclusions about the most therapeutically relevant outcome measures, the analyses for the 17 measures shown in Tables 4 and 5 were conducted with and without that participant. Because there were few differences in significance (72 of 75 tests remained the same), that participant’s data were included in all the analyses.
To examine acute drug effects from sessions, the drug dose conditions were collapsed across the two dose sequence groups. The appropriateness of this approach was supported by an absence of any significant group effects and any group-by-dose interactions on the cardiovascular measures (peak systolic and diastolic pressures and heart rate) and on several key monitor- and participant-rated measures: peak monitor ratings of drug strength and joy/intense happiness, and end-of-session participant ratings on the Mysticism Scale.
Six participants reported initiating medication treatment with an anxiolytic (2 participants), antidepressant (3), or both (1) between the Post-session 2 and the 6-month follow-up assessments. To determine if inclusion of these participants affected statistical outcomes in the analyses of the 6-month assessment, the analyses summarized in Tables 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 were conducted with and without these six participants. All statistical outcomes remained identical. Thus, data from these six participants were retained in the data analyses.
For cardiovascular measures and monitor ratings assessed repeatedly during sessions, repeated measures regressions were conducted in SAS PROC MIXED using an AR(1) covariance structure and fixed effects of dose and time. Planned comparison t-tests were used to assess differences between the high- and low-dose condition at each time-point.
Peak scores for cardiovascular measures and monitor ratings during sessions were defined as the maximum value from pre-capsule to 6 h post-capsule. These peak scores and the end-of-session ratings (Tables 2 and 3) were analyzed using repeated measures regressions in SAS PROC MIXED with a CS covariance structure and fixed effects of group and dose.
Table 3. Participant ratings on questionnaires completed 7 hours after psilocybin administration+.
For the analyses of continuous measures described below, repeated measures regressions were conducted in SAS PROC MIXED using an AR(1) covariance structure and fixed effects of group and time. Planned comparison t-tests (specified below) from these analyses are reported. For dichotomous measures, Friedman’s Test was conducted in SPSS for both the overall analysis and planned comparisons as specified below. All results are expressed as unadjusted scores.
For the measures that were assessed in the two dose sequence groups at Baseline, Post-session 1, Post-session 2, and 6 months (Tables 4 and 5), the following planned comparisons most relevant to examining the effects of psilocybin dose were conducted: Between-group comparisons at Baseline, Post 1, and Post 2; and within-group comparisons of Baseline versus Post 1 in both dose sequence groups, and Post 1 versus Post 2 in the Low-Dose-1st (High-Dose-2nd) Group. A planned comparison between Baseline and 6 months collapsed across groups was also conducted. Effects sizes were calculated using Cohen’s d.
Table 4. Effects of psilocybin on the 11 therapeutically relevant outcome measures assessed at Baseline, Post-session 1 (5 weeks after Session 1), Post-session 2 (5 weeks after Session 2), and 6 months follow-up that fulfilled conservative criteria for demonstrating an effect of psilocybin+.
Table 5. Effects of psilocybin on six therapeutically relevant outcome measures assessed at Baseline, Post-session 1 (5 weeks after Session 1), Post-session 2 (5 weeks after Session 2), and 6 months that did not fulfill conservative criteria for demonstrating an effect of psilocybin+.
For measures assessed only at Baseline, Post 2, and 6 months (Table 7), between-group planned comparisons were conducted at Baseline, Post 2, and 6 months. Because measures assessed only at these time-points cannot provide information about the psilocybin dose, data were collapsed across the two dose sequence groups and planned comparisons were conducted comparing Baseline with Post 2 and Baseline with 6 months.
For participant ratings of persisting effects attributed to the session (e.g. Table 8), planned comparisons for continuous and dichotomous measures were conducted between: (1) ratings at 5 weeks after the low versus high-dose sessions; (2) ratings of low dose at 5 weeks versus ratings of high dose at the 6-month follow-up; (3) ratings of high dose at 5 weeks versus ratings of high dose at the 6-month follow-up.
As described above, clinician-rated measures of depression (GRID-HAMD) and anxiety (HAM-A) were analyzed as continuous measures. In addition for both measures, a clinically significant response was defined as ⩾50% decrease in measure relative to Baseline; symptom remission was defined as ⩾50% decrease in measure relative to Baseline and a score of ⩽7. Planned comparisons were conducted via independent z-tests of proportions between the two dose sequence groups at Post-session 1, Post-session 2, and 6 months. To determine if effects were sustained at 6 months, planned comparisons were also conducted via dependent z-tests of proportions between Post-session 2 versus 6 months in the Low-Dose-1st (High-Dose-2nd) Group, and between Post-session 1 versus 6 months in the High-Dose-1st (Low-Dose-2nd) Group.
Exploratory analyses used Pearson’s correlations to examine the relationship between total scores on the Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ30) assessed at the end of session 1 and enduring effects assessed 5 weeks after session 1. The Post-session 1 measures were ratings on three items from the Persisting Effects Questionnaire (meaningfulness, spiritual significance, and life satisfaction) and 17 therapeutically relevant measures assessed at Baseline and Post 1 (Tables 4 and 5) expressed as difference from baseline scores. Significant relationships were further examined using partial correlations to control for end-of-session participant-rated “Intensity” (item 98 from the HRS). To examine MEQ30 scores as a mediator of the effect of psilocybin dose on therapeutic effects, a bootstrap analysis was done using the PROCESS macro (Hayes, 2013) in SPSS. Bootstrapping is a non-parametric method appropriate for small samples, which was used to estimate 95% confidence intervals for the mediation effect. The PROCESS macro also calculated direct effects on outcome for both group effects and MEQ30.A MAN claiming to be a part-time stripper barricaded himself in an elderly couple’s porch for fear of being abducted by aliens, a court heard.
Craig Patrick Tyrone Moroney, was heavily intoxicated by alcohol when he appeared before magistrates in Newton Aycliffe yesterday and was almost sent to the cells for refusing to stop talking.
The 26-year-old, of Bouch Street, Shildon, repeatedly interrupted court proceedings to try to persuade magistrates that UFOs and aliens had been out to get him on the night of the offence, June 19.
Joanne Hesse, prosecuting, described how a Shildon resident had heard noises coming from a neighbour’s garden at about midnight and had alerted the homeowner.
The victim, an elderly man who lives with his wife who is disabled, went to investigate. He discovered a panel of glass in the rear porch had been smashed and found Moroney hiding inside.
Ms Hesse said: “The police were called immediately, attended the address and subsequently arrested the defendant.
“He was scared, shouting for help and it was noted he had blood on his hand. In interview, he said he had put his hand through the glass and barricaded himself inside because ‘they were coming for him’. He said he was seeking help because he was frightened.”
In a statement read out in court, the victim said it had been a shock to find Moroney on his property and expressed his relief that the intruder had been unable to get into the house.
Moroney pleaded guilty to criminal damage and told magistrates he drank alcohol every day or he got the shakes.
When the issue of compensation was mentioned, Mr Moroney spoke out again to say he would be unable to pay for the £150-worth of damage caused. He claimed his only source of income came from occasional work as a mobile stripper.
Callum Terry, mitigating, highlighted how his client had entered a guilty plea at the first opportunity.
He said: “It is clear he was fearing for his safety that night and whatever it was that caused him to be scared contributed to him breaking the window.”
Moroney received a 12-month conditional discharge and was ordered to pay £150 compensation to the victim.
After passing sentence, the chairwoman of the bench, Marian Hogarth urged Moroney to go to see his GP for help.UPDATE! Parts 2 and 3 arrived this morning. I fangirled so hard when I saw the postcards, not only did I get some amazing Doctor Who postcards, but also some FREAKING FIREFLY and BEST PONY LUNA ones as well!!! And then I opened the other box. I GOT A 10th DOCTOR SONIC SCREWDRIVER!!! I have no idea how you knew super awesome person who sent this, but I've wanted one of these for YEARS! I didn't even realise you could still get them!
Words cannot describe just how awesome this set of gifts are!
No idea who my santa is but you are so incredibly awesome! Seriously, these are adorable and I just really love them. Can't decide where to display them yet, but I'm sure I'll figure it out! Thank you so much! Can't wait for parts 2 and 3.
(Never had a multipart gift before, this is just so much fun!)"TumbleSeed has a lot of the same values a Nintendo game has," Wohlwend says. "It's colorful and easy to get into. But it also has a lot of the things from the NES days, especially difficulty. We've spent a ton of energy on getting TumbleSeed to fit that combination of natural-to-learn mixed with challenging and fun, even after playing for two years. That's how long we've been playing, and we still genuinely have fun with it."
To get TumbleSeed on the Switch, Wohlwend reached out to Nintendo this past summer. He describes the process as a pain-free experience.
"We always felt like TumbleSeed would really be at home on a Nintendo console, so we cold-called them, and, luckily, they felt the same," he says. Wohlwend's experience with Nintendo should be a positive sign for other independent developers looking to get in on the Switch.
Nintendo has been rehabilitating its image as an indie-friendly studio for years now. In 2013, the company removed a handful of onerous restrictions on independent developers looking to develop games for the Wii U, including the requirement that they have "relevant game-industry experience" and a separate, secure office outside of the home. These regulations were out-of-touch with the rising independent market -- Nintendo's competitors, Microsoft and Sony, were courting indies with hassle-free registration processes and headlining spots during their major press conferences.
Today, Nintendo isn't as walled-off as it once was. Registering to be a Nintendo Developer requires basic personal information, and the company highlights its indie selection with special events like the #Nindies Summer Jam. A handful of larger indie studios have released games on Nintendo consoles, including Shovel Knight from Yacht Club Games, Octodad: Dadliest Catch from Young Horses and Severed from Drinkbox Studios.
As it prepares to launch the Switch, Nintendo is dedicated to the indie space, a spokesperson tells Engadget. "Nintendo greatly values its collaborations with indie developers across the world, and is working closely with them on a wide range of content," the representative says. "We look forward to discussing more as we approach GDC 2017."
The Switch is set to get a smattering of independent games, including modern cult classics like The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+, massive hits including Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove and Terraria, fresh IPs like Rime and Redout, and, of course, TumbleSeed.
These changes have bolstered Nintendo's reputation as a hub for independent games, but many low-profile developers still feel locked out of the company's systems. Take Robert Boyd, for example: He's the co-founder of Zeboyd Games, the studio behind Cthulhu Saves the World and the Penny Arcade's On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness series. Zeboyd is working on Cosmic Star Heroine, a PC, PlayStation 4 and Vita game that raised more than $100,000 on Kickstarter back in 2013.
On January 11th, Boyd said on Twitter that he was interested in bringing Cosmic Star Heroine to the Switch, but he didn't have access to a developer kit because he didn't have an existing relationship with Nintendo.
"As far as I know, it's impossible to get Switch devkits now if you're an indie who Nintendo isn't specifically seeking out," he said.
@ShaunMusgrave It's looking like unless Nintendo makes the first step, you're not getting a devkit until post-launch. — Robert Boyd (@werezompire) January 14, 2017
Boyd isn't alone in his assessment of Nintendo's indie-outreach efforts. A handful of independent developers, including Yacht Club Games and Tequila Works, recently told US Gamer that Nintendo should be doing more to build relationships with talented independent developers.
However, Wohlwend's experience with Nintendo suggests there's hope for a studio like Zeboyd. Wohlwend has historically specialized in mobile games, and TumbleSeed will be his first game on a Nintendo platform.
"I can't speak for what's happened in the past because this is the first time I've worked with Nintendo, but I can say they've been a joy to work with," Wohlwend says. "They're truly as excited about TumbleSeed as we are about being on the Switch, and so it's been a really solid partnership so far."
Wohlwend is excited about the Switch's ability to be both a mobile and a living-room console, and the new HD Rumble system. He says that in TumbleSeed, the Switch's HD Rumble gives players a sixth sense of where they are in the world and how fast they're rolling. Plus, he says, the console itself simply feels right, seamlessly shifting between hand-held and big-screen gaming.
"There's a wonderful invisibility to the console that I think all beautifully designed objects have," Wohlwend says. "It gets out of the way and showcases the games like no other console I've owned."
That's precisely why many other independent developers want to bring their games to the Switch. Developers like Boyd still face Nintendo's invisible walls, while others like Wohlwend get lucky and find an easy in. If the rules continue to relax and Nintendo takes feedback from frustrated developers seriously, the Switch could represent a new phase of third-party, independent development for Nintendo -- a phase four years in the making.Editorial note: This piece was first published on January 29, 2003, a few months before the US invaded Iraq. The original title was “Beware the Ides of March: Ignore the First Chickenhawk’s ‘State of the Union’ – listen, instead, to General Schwarzkopf.” It is the best tribute we could pay Gen. Schwarzkopf: that he openly opposed the greatest strategic disaster in American military history.
If you think I’m going to miss EastEnders in order to hear the “State of the Union” address you are wrong, wrong, wrong. Why bother, when I know the state of the union sucks?
No sooner did Hans Blix open his mouth then the Dow started tanking; our war birds had hardly begun their latest chorus of banshee-like screeching when speculation began as to how Saddam would strike back. So we’re going to hear about how some until now totally unknown Al Qaeda “affiliate,” Ansar al-Islam, is supposedly backed by the Iraqis – in the U.S.-protected quasi-independent statelet of Kurdistan. I might as well go to Debka.com and get the latest Israeli propaganda straight from the horse’s mouth.
Yawn.
I’m sorry, but I just can’t get up even a modicum of enthusiasm for the incoherent squawking of our marionette-in-chief. I hate it when he scrunches up his forehead and squints out at us with that simian belligerence, like General Ursus in “Planet of the Apes.” Helen Thomas is right: he is the worst President we’ve ever had, in every respect. His presidency will go down in history as the last gasp of the old Republic, right before it degenerated into an empire more vulgar than Rome, and more short-lived than Alexander’s.
Who wants to see the nation’s number one chickenhawk “rally the nation” to war, as one breathless news report put it? No thanks, I’ll pass. I choose to ignore the baboonish Bush, and instead urge you to heed the words of Stormin’ Norman Schwarzkopf, the commander of our 1991 drive-by shooting in the Gulf.
In an extraordinary interview in the Washington Post, Schwarzkopf continues the Pentagon’s offensive against this war, much more effectively than all the peace demonstrations from here ’til kingdom come. Skeptical of the administration’s rationale for war, the General is said to be
“Worried about the cockiness of the U.S. war plan, and even more by the potential human and financial costs of occupying Iraq. And don’t get him started on Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.”
Schwarzkopf’s resentment of Rumsfeld, who seems to enjoy his reputation as a blowhard – albeit an entertaining one – is palpable. The General complains that the objections among senior military personnel were simply brushed aside in the rush to war. That heedless arrogance was entirely absent when Dick Cheney was in charge, but
“Rumsfeld, by contrast, worries him. ‘It’s scary, okay?’ he says. ‘Let’s face it: There are guys at the Pentagon who have been involved in operational planning for their entire lives, okay?... And for this wisdom, acquired during many operations, wars, schools, for that just to be ignored, and in its place have somebody who doesn’t have any of that training, is of concern.'”
This is not just a fight over turf, however, but over two polar opposite conceptions of military and foreign policy. Schwarzkopf shares the opposition of many officers to the post-9/11 military strategy of this administration, which is to pit the U.S., Israel, and possibly Turkey against the entire Arab world:
“It’s obviously not a black-and-white situation over there” in the Mideast, he says. ‘I would just think that whatever path we take, we have to take it with a bit of prudence.'”
The General also isn’t buying the idea that we can turn Iraq into a Jeffersonian democracy any time soon:
“I would hope that we have in place the adequate resources to become an army of occupation, because you’re going to walk into chaos.”
Never to walk out of it.
Schwarzkopf’s critique is fixed, not on the short-term prospect of an American “victory,” but on the inevitability of defeat in the long run. It is a fundamental difference between the old-line pre-imperial era senior officers, who see their task as defending America, and the civilian leadership imbued with a vision of conquest. The Vietnam syndrome is supposed to be dead and buried, but it lives on in the military, which knows, from bitter experience, that the politicians will take credit for the victories, however Pyrrhic, while the grunts take the heat in defeat.
As Georgie Chickenhawk rallies the nation behind yet another American incursion onto the Asian landmass, the horrified and increasingly vocal reaction of Schwarzkopf and his allies in the top ranks of the military is not hard to fathom. They have opposed this war from the beginning, and it is not too late for the President to heed their wisdom. He may be the slave of Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, he may be Ariel Sharon’s gofer, but even a sub-literate reformed drunk, whose brains have been sautéed in alcohol, knows he can’t win a war without the top brass.
We keep hearing that war is “inevitable,” but you’ll notice how they keep pushing back the date. First it was going to happen right around Christmas, and then at the end of January, and now they’re saying the Ides of March. If so, then perhaps one of the President’s more historically-inclined advisors will tell Caesar to beware.
To the soldiers out there, consider General Schwarzkopf’s warning next to the ignorant ravings of our bellowing Boy Emperor, who slithered out of the draft and is now striking a Napoleonic pose. Which one do you trust to make the decision to go to war?
Listen up, soldier. You have the power to stop this war before it starts. Imagine the panic that would set in if the ranks started echoing and acting on the warnings of their senior commanders. The President may be a slave to the War Party, but you sure as hell aren’t: you’re an American citizen who has the right to speak out. Isn’t that what they’re supposedly sending you overseas to fight and die for?
Or is it?
To all who agree with General Schwarzkopf, and side with prudence over Rumsfeldian recklessness, here is how you can spread the word. Just download the speeches and statements of the generals who have spoken out against this war, and share them with your friends. The speeches of former Secretary of the Navy James Webb, General Anthony Zinni, and retired Marine colonel Larry Williams can’t get you in any trouble: if they start treating Colonel David Hackworth like some kind of subversive, then we know we’re in big trouble.
The most “subversive” activity you can engage in, however, is to keep yourself informed. Having arrived at this site, you’re already on the right track….
POSTSCRIPT
Okay, so I did watch the speech, and taped EastEnders, and wasn’t I right? The phony connection made between Iraq and Al Qaeda, even murkier than I imagined: the braying bellicosity, the furrowed brow, the mean squint. I must say, however, that I was taken aback when the President opined:
“Throughout the 20th century, small groups of men seized control of great nations |
canopy for good visibility; and (vi) the fairings, under the nose for the four 30 mm Aden cannons each firing 10 rounds per second Photo Copyright: Kurt Tank Museum, Germany
Fuselage
P14: Photo taken from one of my early aircraft books, 'The World Guide to Combat Planes by William Green, 1966 edition'. The side view shows the fuselage design layout of one-behind-the-other - right to left, marked with blue arrows, are - (i)the avionics bay in the pencil nose cone, (ii) the cockpit, (iii) the gun bay beneath & behind the cockpit, (iv) the internal rocket pack (for ground attack), (v) the central main fuselage fuel tank, (vi) landing gear and (vii) the twin engines. The pilot sat high in a canopy that afforded a very useful view through a 300 degree arc and down wards too. Also shows the highly swept supersonic wing - more on it in the next section. This was my first big book on aircraft gifted in 1967 and as a child I gawked endlessly at the photos (reading came a little later and understanding the contents a lot later!)
Wings
P15: Line drawing depicting clearly - (i) the high sweep back of the wing. Sweep back reduces drag significantly and aids high speed flight (ii) blue- leading edge with dog tooth. The dog tooth creates a vortex of high speed spinning air that flows back horizontally over the wing (or scrubs tightly over the wing surfaces) and helps maintain better aerodynamic control especially at high angles of attack (iii) orange - the ailerons for turns (iv) pink - the flaps to increase the wing area and lift for aiding lower landing and take-off speeds (v) green - the cover of the retracted undercarriage; and (vi) purple - the streamlined internal launcher for the 50 internally loaded 68mm SNEB rockets (vii) grey circle on nose - 30mm twin cannons on starboard side (ie right side) and grey oval marking the under wing for weapons/fuel pylon each rated at 454 kgs carrying capacity.
Marut's wing was highly swept and thin and large - all three characteristics for an interceptor. The sweep and thickness together determine the planes ability to fly across the speed of sound - greater the sweep and thinner the wing the lower is the thrust to weight ratio needed to get the aircraft supersonic. However, on the flip side, the greater the sweep and thinner the wing the higher becomes the landing speed and the less stable and maneuverable is the aircraft at low speeds below 250 knots (450 kmph). The Marut wing is a well balanced compromise of adequate sweep to get supersonic (provided the engines develop the thrust) and the thickness was enough to maintain moderate landing speeds and low speed stability. The wing bestowed on the HF-24 an acceleration and low altitude speed that the Pakistani Sabres and Indian Hawker Hunters could not match. In fact the Marut was one of the few, if not the only, frontline aircraft that could cross Mach 1.0 without afterburners - albeit just about at high altitudes.
P16: Detailed cut away drawing with table. Note twin engine bay (89); long narrow air intakes (44, 45); centre body with fuel tanks (49); integral fuel in the wings (57); airbrakes (94); brake parachute (78); rear view vision mirror (19) ORVM!; Matra SNEB 68mm rocket pack (116); 454 litre drop tank (114); Copyright: Pilot Press
The wings were designed to carry 4 pylons (or hardpoints) rated at 454 kgs each (1000 lbs). In addition each wing carried about 700 litres of fuel in the integral tanks. An integral tank means the internal space within the wing is sealed up and filled with fuel floating between the structural members. This means each wing carried a payload of about 1425 kgs of fuel and weapons. Think of it as carrying four Maruti Alto 800s, two under each wing and clipping away at 550 knots (~1000 kmph).
Cockpit
P17: Cockpit of HF-24. Classic layout, uncluttered, clear view. Source: Bharat Rakshak
TECHNICAL DETAILS
General
Crew: 1 in the fighter-bomber; 2 in the conversion trainer
Length: 52' 1"
Wingspan: 29' 6"
Height: 11' 10"
Wing Area: 301 square feet (~28 sq metres)
Wing Sweep: Approximately 52 degrees
[PS: I have not located definitive data on the Marut's sweep angle. This is my educated guess. BHPians from the IAF or HAL could throw more light on this.]
Weights
Empty equipped: 6195 kgs/13,658 lbs
Loaded Clean: 8951 kgs/19,734 lbs
Fully Loaded: 10925 kgs/ 24,085 lbs
Power Plant
Type: Two 2200 kgp (4850 lbs) Rolls Royce Orpheus 703 turbojets
Size & Weight: These were a variant of the Gnat powerplant. Small & compact at 75" length and 32" diameter. Weight = 379 kgs Power to Weight ratio of 5.9 kgp/kg of weight.
Fuel Consumption: Specific fuel consumption for the Orpheus is 1080 grammes/kgp/hour. At full thrust for the Marut this translates to 106 litres per minute flying at 600 knots in clean condition … 175 metres per litre … this is just a rough calculation to tickle the petrohead in all of us.
Performance
Maximum Speed: 1112 kmph / 600 knots* or Mach 0.91** at sea level; 1086 kmph/ 586knots or Mach 1.02 at altitude
* a knot = 1 nautical mile per hour i.e. 1.852 kmph; a nautical mile equals 1 minute of arc of any meridian of the earth
** Mach 1.0 is the speed of sound at a given altitude; Mach 2.0 by inference is twice the speed of sound. At sea level Mach 1.0 = ~1225 kmph; at 36,000 feet altitude it is ~ 1054 kmph.
Stall Speed: 248 kmph / 133 knots
Initial climb rate: 6000 feet/min or 30 metres/second at sea level
Range/Radius: 396 kms / 214 nm lo-lo-lo with a 1800 kgs warload
lo-lo-lo is the typical fighter-bomber flight configuration it means ingress, attack and egress are all at low altitudes typically below 500 feet or 1000 feet, depending on terrain, to avoid radar detection; similarly you can have configurations such as lo-lo-hi or hi-lo-hi. Ferry flights by nature will be hi-hi-hi to get the best fuel economy
Wing Loading: ~66 lbs/ square foot in clean loaded condition; 80 lbs/ square foot at maximum weight.
The first figure is one factor on its ability to dog fight out of enemy territory after releasing its warload on target. 66 is a lightly loaded wing supporting maneuverability. Corresponding figures for the Gnat are 57 lbs/ square foot and that for the very capable modern F-16 is 88.
The latter figure of 80 indicates how well the wing will take to heavily loaded low level attack. Here we need a highly loaded wing to reduce the gust response (or bone jarring bumps) the aircraft encounters when flying at 550 knots below 1000'. Here The HF-24 doesn't do so well. Classic lo-lo-lo attack aircraft like the Sepecat Jaguar have wing loadings as high as 130 lbs/square foot
You can design a wing for interception - large, triangular, low loading, highly swept, thin or for low level attack - small, long chord (length at the root), high wing loading, moderate sweep to enhance lift and low speed control and thicker for aerodynamics and greater fuel.
Power Loading: 0.50 at clean weights; 0.41 at full weight
These were moderate power loadings even for the 1960s. It reflected the unsuccessful hunt for the right engine or given the engine you had asking too much in the Air Staff Requirement. Normally for the 1960s the desired power loading in clean condition, for an interceptor, would have been 0.60 to 0.70 compared to Marut's much weaker 0.50. On the other hand in that era a dedicated ground attack aircraft (such as the McDonnell Douglas A4 Skyhawk) would have a maximum power to weight loading of 0.33 to 0.45. Here Marut's 0.41 ratio was in the right spot.
Service Ceiling: ~ 45,000'; as it was primarily used as a ground attack aircraft in combat it would usually fly at low altitudes below 1000' to avoid detection by radar
Armament
Four 30mm Aden cannons with 130 rounds per gun; combined rate of fire 2400 rounds per minute ie 40 rounds per second. Some reports talk of blanking out two guns to reduce vibrations while firing. This was an issue in the 1960s and even cost the life of one test pilot. I don’t know if this was a temporary problem or a permanent issue.
4 underwing pylons rated for 1000 lbs /454 kgs each; typical loads were bombs of 1000lbs, 500 lbs & 250 lbs, 68mm SNEB rocket packs typically of 18 or 36 rockets per pack & napalm bombs. Not known if the HF-24 was configured for cluster munitions such as Hunting BL755 which was (and is) in common use by the IAF
50 French SNEB 68mm ground attack rockets in internal pack behind pilot; The French rocket is used even today and is the world's most widely produced unguided rocket armament. The rockets can be fired in ripples with a spacing of 0.33 milliseconds. Typical warheads, amongst several variants, were high explosive, fragmentation & anti-tank. By possessing an internal weapons bay the HF-24 could carry these 50 SNEB rockets without their carriage inducing drag. This gave it greater flexibility in how the 4 pylons would be used to carry fuel or weapons for greater payload on target or a greater range for a given payload.
P18: SNEB rocket pod with red tipped rocket shown as if in flight. Photo Source - Wikipedia
P19: SNEB rocket pack slung below this display HF-24 the way it would look when loading it up. Once loaded the pack would sit flush with the under surface of the air frame. Original Photo - HAL; Current Source - Bharat Rakshak.com
SQUADRON SERVICE
HAL & IAF conducted 1800 test flights, between 1962 and 1967, to iron out the defects of the Marut. In April 1967 No.10 Flying Daggers Squadron became the first unit to be equipped with India's first indigenous combat aircraft. Close liaison between the IAF and the Hindustan Aircraft (as HAL was then named as) continued to progressively modify the Marut for the lo-lo-lo attack role.
During the early years Maruts with the IAF suffered from the non-availability of spares which in turn adversely affected serviceability. These chronic shortages affected the Marut fleet between 1965 and 1968, however as production picked up the situation improved markedly. But the aircraft had teething troubles that were not solved until 1970, and only a very meticulous reporting of problems and the professionalism of the pilots and engineers, prevented any fatalities from occurring.
P20: HF-24, line maintenance and sortie preparation, circa 1980
There is wide consensus about excellent handling characteristics of the aircraft. Most pilots who have flown the aircraft describe it as pleasant to fly and excellent for aerobatics with fine control responses. And its ability to out-accelerate the Sabre jet, especially at low levels, was a useful asset in 1971. The Marut offered a stable weapon delivery platform and packed a formidable punch. While the Marut's pilots expressed an understandable desire for more thrust than the Orpheus 703 offered, they were unanimous in their view that the aircraft proved itself a thoroughly competent vehicle for the low-level ground attack profile. One defect which, I believe, remained was malfunction of roll control aerodynamic surfaces and the canopy flying off when all four 30mm cannons were fired simultaneously and the impact the recoil had on the electrics of the aircraft. HAL, I believe, claimed to have cured the problem but the IAF decided to be safe and blanked off the two upper cannons and operating only with the lower two in squadron service. The Marut was a robust aircraft with extremely good visibility for the pilot, and was aerodynamically one of the cleanest fighters of its time.
The Marut eventually equipped three IAF Squadrons. No.10 Squadron was the first to convert in April 1967, the No.220 the Desert Tigers converted in May 1969 and the No.31 The Lions in March 1974. Of the 145 Maruts produced, 130+ entered squadron service the rest were used for testing & development
P21: Formation Flying: The HF-24 in the middle and in the background are twin seat conversion trainers. The second seat (rear one) was for the instructor and was fitted at the expense of the SNEB rocket pack and 3 of the 30mm cannons. Photo Source %% (see reference section)
PERFORMANCE IN COMBAT
Both Squadrons mounted on the HF-24 operated from Jodhpur in December 1971 and served exclusively in attacking enemy ground targets such as fuel dumps, lines of supply, communication nodes, Pakistani airfields, railway junctions, armoured vehicles and troop concentrations. The HF-24 also took part in the battle of Longewala providing support to the 4 Hunters from Jaisalmer, that led the Indian offensive, by attacking the supply lines to the Pakistani tank brigade. About 100 enemy tanks were destroyed or damaged and their bid to attack Jaisalmer was subverted.
The Marut's flew approximately 200 combat sorties during the two week war. On one strike mission they flew 200 nautical miles (~370 kms) into enemy territory to deliver their goods. The Marut also demonstrated that when flown clean it could tackle a Sabre jet. A Marut flown by Squadron Leader KK Bakshi of 220 Squadron also shot down a PAF F-86 Sabre on 7th December 1971 (Flying Officer Hamid Khwaja of 15 Squadron PAF). No aircraft were lost to air action although by the end of the war three Maruts had been lost to ground fire and one lost on the ground.
Maruts constantly found themselves under heavy and concentrated fire from the ground during their low-level attack missions. On at least three occasions, Maruts regained their base after one engine had been lost to ground fire. On one of these, a Marut returned to base without escort on one engine, from about 240 kms inside hostile territory. Another safety factor was the automatic reversion to manual control in the event of a failure in the hydraulic flying control system, and there were several instances of Maruts being flown back from a sortie manually. Throughout the December 1971 hostilities, the Marut squadrons enjoyed extremely high serviceability rates (in contrast to the late 1960s), this undoubtedly owed much to an improved spares situation and the original design's emphasis on ease of maintenance.
CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT
Dr. Kurt Tank and his team returned back to Germany in 1967 and the leadership for developing the Marut further passed onto Group Captain Suranjan Das who also served as the Chief Test Pilot. The Indian team at HAL successfully developed a two seat conversion trainer which moved into squadron service as the HF-24 T Mark 1. A prototype with an Indian developed experimental after burning Orpheus engine designated Mark 1R was lost while being test flown by Group Captain Suranjan Das. His death and challenges with the afterburner led to the demise of this line of development.
A PRE-MATURE END
The Marut served on in the IAF through the 1970s. The IAF developed two Air Staff Requirements namely the Deep Strike Penetration Aircraft (DPSA) and the shorter range Tactical Attack & Strike Aircraft (TASA). The IAF was not interested in waiting for HAL or DRDO to develop the Marut further to meet either of these requirements although with the right effort and sans the bureaucracy the TASA requirement could have been met by a Marut powered by the Rolls Royce Adour that powered the Sepecat Jaguar. The IAF went on to select two very fine aircraft to meet these requirements - the Sepecat Jaguar for the DPSA and the Mig-23BN followed by the Mig-27M for the TASA. Unlike the Indian Navy and the Chinese Air Force who both supported their home industry with orders for step by step improvements the IAF chose not to do this. Speaking in favour of the IAF - those days the Indo-Soviet friendship was at its peak and the Soviets were offering license production for the Mig-27M, a superb tactical attack aircraft, with Rupee trade payments and the IAF must have felt this was a better alternative than to spend yet several more years dealing with HAL's development journey. Maybe HAL was not to blame. Maybe the early demise of the Marut was sown in the overly ambitious specifications laid out in 1956-57. The last Marut was withdrawn in 1990. Today one can only wonder what could have been possible if HAL and other development agencies like DRDO had the focus and competence of ISRO and the IAF had a long term view like the Indian Navy which working with Mazagon Docks & Cochin Shipyard has built up some meaningful indigenous capability in design and construction after having started in the early 1960s same as the HF-24. To develop a nations aviation industry you have to think in terms of a 50 year horizon and go step by step.
P22: Sepecat Jaguar, Deep Penetration Strike Aircraft with the IAF today. It carries a 4.5 tonne warload and can fly a lo-lo-lo strike mission with a radius of ~800 kms with a meaningful payload of guided weapons.
P23: Mig -27 fulfilled the Tactical Attack & Strike Aircraft TASA role. Its variable geometry wings swing forward on take off to increase lift and swing back to a high sweep angle for high speed flight
In mid-1980s the ASR was laid out for the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft. Once again it was an ambitious set of specifications calling for capabilities and technology such as fly by wire flight control systems, multi-mode pulse doppler radar and an afterburning turbofan engine in the 10,000 kgf class. These were technological assets which only the Americans (F-16 & F-15) had successfully put into service at that time, the French were about to (Mirage 2000) and the Soviets were still developing. Partly due to, once again, putting out highly stretched specifications and partly the bureaucratic approach of the agencies involved the Tejas took three decades to develop, has just been inducted into the IAF for operational breaking-in and is still maybe a year short of full scale operational service. The more things change the more they stay the same.
The current generation of engineers & designers working on the Tejas cannot be blamed for woolly headed thinking of 33 years ago. We should cheer them and support them as they work to put the country's second indigenous fast combat aircraft into full operational service this year. Aerodynamically speaking the Tejas is a superb design and this time around with the adoption of the General Electric F404 afterburning turbofan we also have a winner of an engine. Jai Hind.
P24: HF-24 scale model at home. You can't take the boy out of a man
REFERENCES
World Guide to Combat Planes by William Green, 1966; Macdonald Publishers
Observers Book of Aircraft by William Green, 1965; Fredrick Warne & Co
Articles by K.Chatterjee in Bharat-Rakshak.com
Combat Aircraft by Bill Gunston, 1976; Salamander Books
Green, William, Chopra, Pushpindar Singh and Swanborough, Gordon. Editors - 'The Indian Air Force and its Aircraft. IAF Golden Jubilee. 1932-82' Ducimus Books, UK. [Photo Source marked as %%] India, in 1955, was a young nation full of enthusiasm for building the economy. A lot of projects were tried for the first time under the national objective of creating our own manufacturing and design capabilities. One such endeavour was to design and build in India, for the first time, our very own jet fighter. This was ambitious to say the least at a time when we had just started assembling diesel locomotives, had never built a major ship, had just started assembly of motor cars, possessed little aluminum smelting capacity etc etc. This was Pandit Nehru's vision and the IAF (Indian Air Force) enthusiastically went along. At the time of the Marut's conception, the domestic aviation industry's only design experience amounted to designing and manufacturing the HT-2, a piston engine propeller driven trainer. Whatever aircraft manufacturing capability existed resulted from the license assembly of the Vampire Fighter Bomber FBMk.52 and Trainer TMk.55. To have considered building a supersonic capable aircraft, given such limited capabilities, bordered on audacity. The only aircraft manufacturing capability lay in Hindustan Aircraft Ltd (HAL) set up by Walchand Hirachand in the 1930s and nationalized by the Government subsequently.The building of the Marut (Spirit of the Tempest), as this aircraft was to be called, was the first attempt of its kind anywhere outside the four major powers of USA, USSR, UK and France to build a supersonic jet fighter. Whatever else one might say the gumption deserves admiration. The political, bureaucratic and I dare say military hierarchies did not have a proper appreciation of the supply chain infrastructure and quality control challenges that would need to be overcome.The Marut was conceived to meet an Air Staff Requirement (ASR), that called for a multi-role aircraft suitable for both high-altitude interception and low-level ground attack. The specified performance attributes called for a speed of Mach 2.0 at altitude, a ceiling of 60,000 feet (18,290 m) and a combat radius of 500 miles (805 km). Furthermore, the Air Staff Requirement demanded that the basic design be suitable for adaptation as an advanced trainer, an all-weather fighter and for 'navalization' as a shipboard aircraft. It was directed that this aircraft be developed within the country. Nations with advanced military design and manufacturing capabilities rarely, if ever, put out specifications that are such all singing all dancing renditions. A military aircraft is designed to play one role well, a second role moderately well and sometimes, only sometimes, a third role in a limited form. Unfortunately out of lack of experience (and in my opinion a willingness to apply common sense) the Air Staff Requirement was too wide and reflected lack of clarity of aims and a complete lack of understanding of what it takes to design and build a fighter as opposed to flying one. It is like saying - I want a car that drives like a BMW 3 (Mach 2.0), suitable for both high and low altitudes (drive well on a race track as well on Delhi's rutted roads), can carry payload like a Isuzu D-Max pick-up (low level ground attack payload) and have the toughness of a 4-wheel drive cross country mud slogger (capable of all weather capabilities & navalization). The combat radius of ~800 kms was beyond the ken of the most efficient fighter turbojet even in the USA of the 1950s. These ranges were not achieved till military turbofan engines like the Rolls Royce Spey (on the Hawker Buccaneer, 1960s) or Rolls Royce Adour (Sepecat Jaguar, 1970s) amongst others came into play. All weather was at best in an experimental rudimentary stage even in USA and USSR in 1956 and no IAF aircraft of 1956 even carried a gun ranging radar let alone a search & track one. While I don’t wish to be too critical these were overly ambitious specifications for 1955 even for the UK, France or USSR. As an aside, it might be worth noting that the ASR for the current Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Tejas, in mid-1980s, followed the same concept of all singing all dancing and (partly due to that) it is sadly still some way off from full operational service 30 years later. The only other aircraft of the 1950s and 1960s that was designed to similar specifications as the Marut and carried a requirement for navalization + all-weather was the legendary McDonnell Douglas F4 Phantom of the US Air Force and Navy. And let's remember the Americans were then and today the foremost in aviation R&D, design and production know-how. And even with the Phantom the Americans lost out on maneuverability.Dr VM Ghatge, India's senior most aeronautical designer was the only voice against the Marut. He prescribed a more balanced step by step approach to building the nation's aviation industry by first designing & building propeller trainers, then basic jet trainers, then light attack fighter-bombers and then a more advanced light multi-role fighter and to do this in stages over 2 decades. In retrospect his was, in my opinion, the more sensible approach. But Ghatge's voice was drowned out.Nehru tried to attract leading aeronautical designers from the west to work for India on this project. It was to his credit that he convinced Dr. Kurt Tank (of Focke Wulf fame) to take up this assignment along with his able deputy Engineer Mittelhuber. Both arrived in Bangalore in August 1956. As head of the design team it was Kurt Tank who would give the design shape and substance.Photo Source: Bjorn Huber CollectionHAL in 1956, possessed only three senior Indian design engineers and the entire design department boasted only 54 personnel. It had no hangar space for construction of prototypes, no machine shop for prototype engineering, no suitable test equipment, structural test rigs or a flight test laboratory. In fact even the runway length was inadequate for a jet fighter prototype. It is to the credit of HAL team of that era that all this was created from scratch while Kurt Tank built up the design & prototype team of over 850 personnel including 18 German designers.A full scale representation (wooden glider) of the projected fighter was ready by early 1959. A test program was initiated with this glider on 1 April 1959. The new design was given the designation of Hindustan Fighter 24 or simply HF-24.Photo credit: Marutfans.comPhoto credit: Marutfans.com. Copyright Late Group Captain Kapil BhargavaAssembly of the first HF-24 prototype (HF-001) began in April 1960 and after a comprehensive three month ground test programme, HF-001 (later re-numbered BR 462), with the late Wing Commander (later Group Captain) Suranjan Das at the controls, flew for the first time on 17 June 1961. In the circumstances this was a commendably short period of 15 months from starting to put together the prototype to first flight.On 27th June 1961 they built up enough confidence and test hours to show case the prototype to Prime Minister Nehru. The prototype was re-numbered BR462. By November 1961, a structural test airframe had been completed and was subjected to extensive structural and functional tests in rigs designed and fabricated at Bangalore. On 4 October 1962, a second prototype (BR 463) joined the flight development programme and the two prototypes were extensively tested by Das and a team of three Air Force test pilots for aerodynamics & stability, engine protocol, armament, instrumentation, emergency procedures etc. It was a remarkable achievement for its era. India became only the 6th country to design and fly its own supersonic jet combat aircraft after USA, UK, USSR, France and Sweden.Photo Copyright: HALPhoto Copyright Group Captain Polly SinghThe design of the HF-24 had been based around the expected availability of the 3700 kgf (kilogram force) afterburning Bristol Siddeley (later Rolls Royce) Orpheus engine which the British planned to develop. An after burning turbo jet is one in which fuel is injected and exploded in the hot exhaust of the jet (behind the turbines) which still has some oxygen in it. The resultant combustion of pure vaporized fuel into a red hot efflux blasting rearwards at hundreds of metres per second results in a rocket like acceleration and very high power to weight ratios. Afterburners consume prodigious volumes of fuels and are usually used when high thrust is needed for a few minutes. Unfortunately, the British requirement for this power plant was discarded and the Indian Government in a short sighted decision declined to underwrite its continued development (to Rolls Royce) even though the budget was only £13 million not a large sum even by the standards of 1961. This decision was to bedevil the Marut programme permanently. The design team was forced to adopt the non-afterburning 2200 kgf Orpheus 703 which powered the Gnat as an interim solution. It was an utterly reliable engine but with inadequate power for the Marut. We evaluated the Soviet Tumansky RD-9F that powered the contemporary Mig-19. The Tumansky powerplant had a full thrust of 3750 kgf with afterburners and put it just right for the Marut. But for reasons I don’t fully understand the Tumansky engine was rejected on grounds of surging and limited MTBO (Mean Time Between Overhauls). Speaking in favour of the Tumansky RD9F it was a rugged engine, had great acceleration, was resistant to ingestion of dust, mud and ice and went on to power the Soviet Mig-19, Yak-25, the Chinese ShenyangJ-6 & Nanchang Q-5. It is popular in Western literature to decry the old Soviet engines as having a lower MTBO. What is less understood is that between the two MTBO points this Soviet engine needed little care & maintenance. However, I don’t want to be harsh in judging those who took these decisions as I have not stood in their shoes.The lack of an appropriate power plant meant the Marut could not fulfill its role as an interceptor though the scope of being a reasonable ground attack fighter-bomber was very possible. A lot of hard work by Kurt Tank and team, by HAL and by Suranjan Das who led the team of test pilots did help mature the Marut into a flyable aircraft. Despite IAF reluctance and unwillingness to understand that it was in its own interests to support a fledgling home industry the Government sensibly ordered 18 pre-production aircraft and 62 operational ones to arm 2 or 3 squadrons. In fairness to the IAF there is a long journey from an aircraft that flies to an aircraft that fights and does so consistently in adverse conditions. In 1963 the Marut development efforts had not traveled that distance and the IAF was justified in not being keen to take an immature product into operational squadrons. In fact it would be 1971 by the time most defects were ironed out.It is said that a picture is worth of thousand words. The design of the Marut is explained below with help of photos rather than lengthy aeronautical verbiage.Photo Copyright: Kurt Tank Museum, GermanyMarut's wing was highly swept and thin and large - all three characteristics for an interceptor. The sweep and thickness together determine the planes ability to fly across the speed of sound - greater the sweep and thinner the wing the lower is the thrust to weight ratio needed to get the aircraft supersonic. However, on the flip side, the greater the sweep and thinner the wing the higher becomes the landing speed and the less stable and maneuverable is the aircraft at low speeds below 250 knots (450 kmph). The Marut wing is a well balanced compromise of adequate sweep to get supersonic (provided the engines develop the thrust) and the thickness was enough to maintain moderate landing speeds and low speed stability. The wing bestowed on the HF-24 an acceleration and low altitude speed that the Pakistani Sabres and Indian Hawker Hunters could not match. In fact the Marut was one of the few, if not the only, frontline aircraft that could cross Mach 1.0 without afterburners - albeit just about at high altitudes.Copyright: Pilot PressThe wings were designed to carry 4 pylons (or hardpoints) rated at 454 kgs each (1000 lbs). In addition each wing carried about 700 litres of fuel in the integral tanks. An integral tank means the internal space within the wing is sealed up and filled with fuel floating between the structural members. This means each wing carried a payload of about 1425 kgs of fuel and weapons. Think of it as carrying four Maruti Alto 800s, two under each wing and clipping away at 550 knots (~1000 kmph).Source: Bharat Rakshak: 1 in the fighter-bomber; 2 in the conversion trainer: 52' 1": 29' 6": 11' 10": 301 square feet (~28 sq metres): Approximately 52 degrees: 6195 kgs/13,658 lbs: 8951 kgs/19,734 lbs: 10925 kgs/ 24,085 lbs: Two 2200 kgp (4850 lbs) Rolls Royce Orpheus 703 turbojets: These were a variant of the Gnat powerplant. Small & compact at 75" length and 32" diameter. Weight = 379 kgs Power to Weight ratio of 5.9 kgp/kg of weight.: Specific fuel consumption for the Orpheus is 1080 grammes/kgp/hour. At full thrust for the Marut this translates to 106 litres per minute flying at 600 knots in clean condition … 175 metres per litre … this is just a rough calculation to tickle the petrohead in all of us.: 1112 kmph / 600 knots* or Mach 0.91** at sea level; 1086 kmph/ 586knots or Mach 1.02 at altitude: 248 kmph / 133 knots: 6000 feet/min or 30 metres/second at sea level: 396 kms / 214 nm lo-lo-lo with a 1800 kgs warload: ~66 lbs/ square foot in clean loaded condition; 80 lbs/ square foot at maximum weight.: 0.50 at clean weights; 0.41 at full weight: ~ 45,000'; as it was primarily used as a ground attack aircraft in combat it would usually fly at low altitudes below 1000' to avoid detection by radarFour 30mm Aden cannons with 130 rounds per gun; combined rate of fire 2400 rounds per minute ie 40 rounds per second. Some reports talk of blanking out two guns to reduce vibrations while firing. This was an issue in the 1960s and even cost the life of one test pilot. I don’t know if this was a temporary problem or a permanent issue.4 underwing pylons rated for 1000 lbs /454 kgs each; typical loads were bombs of 1000lbs, 500 lbs & 250 lbs, 68mm SNEB rocket packs typically of 18 or 36 rockets per pack & napalm bombs. Not known if the HF-24 was configured for cluster munitions such as Hunting BL755 which was (and is) in common use by the IAF50 French SNEB 68mm ground attack rockets in internal pack behind pilot; The French rocket is used even today and is the world's most widely produced unguided rocket armament. The rockets can be fired in ripples with a spacing of 0.33 milliseconds. Typical warheads, amongst several variants, were high explosive, fragmentation & anti-tank. By possessing an internal weapons bay the HF-24 could carry these 50 SNEB rockets without their carriage inducing drag. This gave it greater flexibility in how the 4 pylons would be used to carry fuel or weapons for greater payload on target or a greater range for a given payload.Photo Source - WikipediaOriginal Photo - HAL; Current Source - Bharat Rakshak.comHAL & IAF conducted 1800 test flights, between 1962 and 1967, to iron out the defects of the Marut. In April 1967 No.10 Flying Daggers Squadron became the first unit to be equipped with India's first indigenous combat aircraft. Close liaison between the IAF and the Hindustan Aircraft (as HAL was then named as) continued to progressively modify the Marut for the lo-lo-lo attack role.During the early years Maruts with the IAF suffered from the non-availability of spares which in turn adversely affected serviceability. These chronic shortages affected the Marut fleet between 1965 and 1968, however as production picked up the situation improved markedly. But the aircraft had teething troubles that were not solved until 1970, and only a very meticulous reporting of problems and the professionalism of the pilots and engineers, prevented any fatalities from occurring.There is wide consensus about excellent handling characteristics of the aircraft. Most pilots who have flown the aircraft describe it as pleasant to fly and excellent for aerobatics with fine control responses. And its ability to out-accelerate the Sabre jet, especially at low levels, was a useful asset in 1971. The Marut offered a stable weapon delivery platform and packed a formidable punch. While the Marut's pilots expressed an understandable desire for more thrust than the Orpheus 703 offered, they were unanimous in their view that the aircraft proved itself a thoroughly competent vehicle for the low-level ground attack profile. One defect which, I believe, remained was malfunction of roll control aerodynamic surfaces and the canopy flying off when all four 30mm cannons were fired simultaneously and the impact the recoil had on the electrics of the aircraft. HAL, I believe, claimed to have cured the problem but the IAF decided to be safe and blanked off the two upper cannons and operating only with the lower two in squadron service. The Marut was a robust aircraft with extremely good visibility for the pilot, and was aerodynamically one of the cleanest fighters of its time.The Marut eventually equipped three IAF Squadrons. No.10 Squadron was the first to convert in |
ayed more by words rather than ideas and more by ideas than facts." While vigorous public arguments ("shouting matches") may be commonplace, it "is most unusual to see a Saudi strike another Saudi." This emphasis on rhetoric is reflected in foreign affairs where, for example, the government "regularly condemns the State of Israel in the most vehement and bloodcurdling terms but rarely takes action."[96]
Physical environment [ edit ]
Many outsiders are struck by the superficial resemblance of Saudi cities (at least those on the coast such as Jeddah), with their superhighways, shopping malls and fast food, to those of post-World War II western cities and suburbs.[97][98]
Urbanization [ edit ]
As late as 1970, most Saudis lived a subsistence life in the rural provinces, but the kingdom has urbanized rapidly in the last half of the 20th century. As of 2012 about 80% of Saudis live in urban metropolitan areas, specifically Riyadh, Jeddah, or Dammam.[99][100]
Housing [ edit ]
Saudi houses and housing compounds are often noted for the high walls (3 or 4 metres high) surrounding them, explained as useful in keeping out sandstorms[101] and/or reflective of the families' self-contained outlook on the world.[102]
Style and decoration [ edit ]
Like many people throughout the world, many Saudis derive "much pleasure and pride" in their homes. Saudis enjoy decorating rooms of their homes in "all the colours of the spectrum" and display objets d'art of many different styles together. "Clashes of colour and culture are the norm, not the exception," with the value of an artefact, "rather than consistency of style" being the major criterion of display. Foreigners may also be struck by the lack of finishing touches in construction ("Electrical switches may protrude from the wall supported only by their wiring") or maintenance ("Piles of masonry are likely to lie scattered beside and on the streets of expensive suburbs").[91]
Islamic heritage sites [ edit ]
Saudi Arabia, and specifically the Hejaz, as the cradle of Islam, has many of the most significant historic Muslim sites, including the two holiest sites of Mecca and Medina.[103] One of the King's titles is Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the two mosques being Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, (which contains Islam's most sacred place, the Kaaba), and Al-Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina, which contains Muhammad's tomb.[104][105]
However, Saudi Wahhabism doctrine is hostile to any reverence given to historical or religious places of significance for fear that it may give rise to'shirk' (that is, idolatry). As a consequence, under Saudi rule, an estimated 95% of Mecca's historic buildings, most over a thousand years old, have been demolished for religious reasons.[106] Critics claim that over the last 50 years, 300 historic sites linked to Muhammad, his family or companions have been lost,[107] leaving fewer than 20 structures remaining in Mecca that date back to the time of Muhammad.[108]
Demolished structures include the mosque originally built by Muhammad's daughter Fatima, and other mosques founded by Abu Bakr (Muhammad's father-in-law and the first Caliph), Umar (the second Caliph), Ali (Muhammad's son-in-law and the fourth Caliph), and Salman al-Farsi (another of Muhammad's companions).[109] Other historic buildings that have been destroyed include the house of Khadijah, the wife of Muhammad, the house of Abu Bakr, now the site of the local Hilton hotel; the house of Ali-Oraid, the grandson of Muhammad, and the Mosque of abu-Qubais, now the location of the King's palace in Mecca.[108]
Women, youth and foreigners [ edit ]
Women [ edit ]
While women were forbidden to drive motor vehicles until June 24, 2018[110] and were consequently limited in mobility, they traditionally have often had considerable informal power in the home. According to journalist Judith Miller, "some Saudi women were veritable tyrants in their own homes. They decided where their children would go to school, when and whom they would marry, whether their husbands would accept new jobs, with whom the family socialized, and where the family would live and spend vacations. They promoted their friends' husbands, sons and relatives to key jobs."[111] David Long, a former American diplomat who had taught in the kingdom, has described Saudi men as "the world's most henpecked".[111]
Outside the home, a number of Saudi women have risen to the top of some professions or otherwise achieved prominence; for example, Dr. Ghada Al-Mutairi heads a medical research center in California[112] and Dr. Salwa Al-Hazzaa is head of the ophthalmology department at King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh and was the late King Fahad's personal ophthalmologist.[113] However employment for women is limited, and urban middle and upper class women spend much time in socializing with the extended family and close friends.[64] Writing in National Geographic Marrianne Alireza noted: "For city women like us the only activity besides living communally within the extended family was leaving our quarters to visit other women in their quarters." [63][64]
As of 2014, child marriage is still legal[114][115][116] but no longer common,[117][118] with the average age at first marriage among Saudi females being 25 years old.[119][120][121] Female literacy (81%) is lower than that of males,[122][123] but the percentage of university graduates who are women (60%) is higher.[124]
While the status of women in the kingdom is "a very noble and lofty one", according to leading Islamic scholars, it does not include equal rights with men.[125] Foreign sources have complained of discrimination being a "significant problem" and there being an absence of laws criminalizing violence against women.[126] The World Economic Forum 2010 Global Gender Gap Report ranked Saudi Arabia 129th out of 134 countries for gender parity.[127]
Saudi woman wearing a niqāb in Riyadh. Under Saudi law, women are required to wear a abaya but niqab and hijab is optional.
Under Saudi law, every adult female must have a male relative as her "guardian",[126] whose permission she is required to have in order to travel, study, or work.[128] The guardian is legally entitled to make a number of critical decisions on a woman's behalf.[126][128][129]
In the courts, the testimony of one man equals that of two women in family and inheritance law.[126] Men are permitted up to four wives, but women are permitted no more than one husband.[130] Men need no legal justification to unilaterally divorce their wives (talaq),[131] while a woman can only obtain a divorce with the consent of her husband or judicially if her husband has harmed her.[132] In practice, it is very difficult for a Saudi woman to obtain a judicial divorce.[132] With regard to the law of inheritance, the Quran specifies that fixed portions of the deceased's estate must be left to the "Qu'ranic heirs"[133] and generally, female heirs receive half the portion of male heirs.[133]
According to a leading Saudi feminist and journalist, Wajeha al-Huwaider, "Saudi women are weak, no matter how high their status, even the 'pampered' ones among them, because they have no law to protect them from attack by anyone."[134]
Saudi women's lives are also shaped by Wahhabi religious policy of strict gender segregation. In health, obesity is a problem among middle and upper class Saudi women, who have domestic servants to do traditional work and have limited ability to leave their house.[135] School sports for girls is forbidden, but as of April 2014, Saudi authorities in the education ministry have been asked by the Shoura Council to consider lifting that ban (with the proviso that any sports conform to Sharia rules on dress and gender segregation, according to the official SPA news agency).[50]
In the public sphere restaurants have specially designated family sections women are required to use. They are also required to wear an abaya and at the very least cover their hair.[126] Women, until June 2018 were forbidden to drive (though exception prior to 2018 were usually made in rural areas).[136][137] (These restrictions are usually enforced by the "religious police", known as the mutaween.[126][138]) Women have been promised the vote in 2015 municipal elections.[139][140]
Youth [ edit ]
Like many Muslim countries of the Middle East, Saudi Arabia has a high population growth rate and high percentage of its population under 30 years of age. Estimates of the young population of Saudi Arabia vary:
Carlye Murphy gives the figure of 51% of the population being under the age of 25, as of February 2012. [141]
The Economist magazine estimates 60% of the Saudi population under the age of 21, as of March 2012. [142]
magazine estimates 60% of the Saudi population under the age of 21, as of March 2012. The "United Nations, World Population Prospects: The 2012 Revision" estimates only 28% of the population is under 14 years of age[143] and significant change to Saudi culture is foreseen as this generation becomes older.
Factors such as the decline in per capita income from the failure of oil revenue to keep up with population growth, exposure to youth lifestyles of the outside world, lack of access to quality education and employment opportunity, change in child rearing practices and attitudes towards the ruling royal family—indicate their lives and level of satisfaction will be different than the generation before them.
In recent decades, child rearing in Saudi Arabia has increasingly been handled by hired servants.[144] Since foreign labour is cheap and common, even families of modest means usually have servants.[145] In richer families, each child may have an individual servant.[146]
However, unlike parents, servants can be fired/sacked and are often neither Muslims nor Arabs. Consequently, according to at least one observer (John R. Bradley), they both "lack the authority... to discipline those in their care", and the ability and knowledge to "pass down by example the core Islamic values and traditions that have always formed the bedrock of Saudi society."[147][148]
Unlike their parents, who grew up during the oil boom of the 1970s and saw their standard of living rise from poverty to affluence, Saudis born "in the 1980s and 1990s have no memory of the impoverished Arabia prior to the oil boom and thus express almost no sense of appreciation."[149]
Instead, they have experienced a kingdom of poor schools, overcrowded universities, and declining job opportunities.. Moreover, their royal rulers' profligate and often non-Islamic lifestyles are increasingly transparent to Saudis and stand in sharp contrast both to Al Saud religious pretensions and to their own declining living standards."[150]
Saudi youth are exposed to youth lifestyles of the outside world via the internet, as cinemas, dating, and concerts are banned in their country. Public fields for soccer are scarce. Even shopping malls do not allow young men unless they are accompanied by a female relative.[151] Insofar as young people have a tendency to "resent authority, reject rules, and seek to exert their independence," youth rebellion is more problematic because the number of "restrictions and conventions against which youth can rebel" in the kingdom is far larger than in most societies.[152] The average age of the king and crown prince is 74,[153] while 50–60% of Saudis are under twenty, creating a significant generation gap between rulers and ruled.[141][142][154]
In a 2011 survey, 31% of Saudi youth agreed with the statement `traditional values are outdated and... I am keen to embrace modern values and beliefs`—the highest percentage in the ten Arab countries surveyed.[155][156][157] The number who had confidence about the direction of their country dropped from 98% (in 2010) to 62%.[149][158] While in most societies these numbers might seem unremarkable, in Saudi Arabia any rebellion stands out against "the unquestioning acceptance... of previous generations".[152]
Nearly two-thirds of university graduates earn degrees in Islamic subjects,[159] where job prospects are in the public sector, dependent on government revenues. However, funding for public sector may decline not expand in coming years. At least some experts expect the kingdom's expenditures to "exceed its oil revenues as soon as 2014."[160]
Unemployment among 20- to 24-year-olds is 39% – 45% for women and 30.3% for men—compared to an official unemployment rate of 10% circa 2012.[161]
Tafheet [ edit ]
The sport of Tafheet also called "drifting" or joyriding—illegal street racing-like phenomenon of generally non-modified factory-setup rental cars at very high speeds, around 160–260 km/h (100–160 mph), across wide highways throwing the car left and right that is especially popular in the margins of society—has been noted by observers.[162] A 2004 school survey carried out in the kingdom's three biggest cities found that 45% of teenage boys were involved to some degree in joyriding.[163] The sport has been described as "tyre-burning acrobatics often in stolen or `borrowed` cars before a flash-mob of youthful admirers, represents not only a deliberate challenge to authority but also a reclaiming of turf, manliness and even tribal pride from an emasculating society."[163] As a recreation by and for young men (since women are forbidden to drive and should be at home) " it is often for the alluring eyes of pretty teenage boys that skilled drivers perform" according to popular songs and poetry. As a dangerous, illegal and so unregulated activity, crashes and fatalities sometimes occur.[163]
Foreigners [ edit ]
Since the 1960s there has been a significant number of guest workers/foreign expatriates allowed into Saudi on work visas, and these now make up around 20–30% of the population of the country. Guest workers range in occupation from high skilled workers (employed to do jobs Saudis cannot do), to manual service workers (doing jobs Saudis "will not do").[164] A number of sources describe a "pecking order" among workers established by factors such as the importance of your employer,[165] and country of origin. One source places workers from Gulf oil producing countries at the top,[165] another places Americans there,[166] but all agree that Nationals from places like Bangladesh, Yemen and Philippines are at the bottom.[165][166] While foreign workers from Western countries are now a small minority, numbering only approximately 100,000,[167] most of whom live in compounds or gated communities.
With a large number of unemployed Saudis, a growing population and need for government spending but stagnating oil revenues with which to pay foreign workers, the large number of expats has come to be seen as "an enormous problem" that "distorts" the Saudi economy and "keeps young people out of the labour market."[168]
In October 2011, the Saudi Labour Ministry put a "ceiling" on the number of guest workers at 20% of the Saudi population, requiring a reduction of foreign population by up to three million over several years.[169] In March 2013, a campaign was initiated to "get rid of its illegal foreign workers, control the legal ones", and lower native-born Saudi unemployment.[168] Approximately one million Bangladeshis, Indians, Filipinos, Nepalis, Pakistanis and Yemenis left between the campaign's beginning and the deadline (November 4, 2013), with authorities planning to expel another one million illegal foreigners in 2014.[168] Ethiopians were a particular target of the campaign, with thousands expelled.[168] Various Human Rights entities have criticised Saudi Arabia's handling of the issue.[170] Prior to this workers were sometimes not hired or expelled as a way of registering Saudi disapproval of the workers' country. Saudi Arabia expelled 800,000 Yemenis in 1990 and 1991 during the Gulf War due to Yemen's support for Saddam Hussein against Saudi Arabia,[171] and cut the number of Bangladeshis allowed to enter Saudi in 2013 after the Bangladeshi government cracked down on the Islamist Jamaat-e Islami party there.[172]
The Saudi–Yemen barrier was constructed by Saudi Arabia against an influx of illegal immigrants and against the smuggling of drugs and weapons.[173] A 2004 law passed by Saudi Arabia's Council of Ministers, entitles Muslim[174] expatriates of all nationalities (except Palestinian) who have resided in the kingdom for ten years to apply for citizenship with priority being given to holders of degrees in various scientific fields.[175] (The estimated 240,000 Palestinians living in Saudi Arabia are excluded, because of Arab League agreement instructions barring the Arab states from granting them citizenship of another Arab state.)
Treatment of foreign workers is also an issue. According to Human Rights Watch, as of 2014, there was a "worrying trend" of expatriate domestic workers filing "complaints of exploitation and abuse" only to face counter-allegations by their employers of "theft, witchcraft or adultery." 41 expat workers from just one country, Indonesia, faced "possible death sentences" in Saudi Arabia on charges "ranging from black magic to stealing, adultery and murder".[176]
In 2014 Saudi men were banned from marrying women from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Myanmar and Chad.[177]
Legacy of slavery [ edit ]
The Arabian Peninsula has a long tradition of slavery and ethnically, Saudis have a range of skin color "from very light to very dark and features from Caucasian to African", a testimony to ethnicity of the slaves that intermarried over the centuries with natives of the region.[178] Abolition of slavery came relatively recently in Saudi (1962), so that it has existed within in the lifetime of many present day Saudis, and according to at least some observers, "a semblance of the slave owner mentality sometimes lingers on" among some Saudi.[178]
Food and drink [ edit ]
Saudi Arabian cuisine is similar to that of the surrounding countries in the Arabian Peninsula, and has been heavily influenced by Turkish, Persian, and African food. Animals are slaughtered in accordance with halal Islamic dietary laws, which consider pork impure (najis) and alcohol forbidden (haram). As a general rule, Saudis (like other Muslims) consider impure pork to be disgusting, but forbidden alcohol a temptation. Consequently, dietary laws regarding the former are more strictly observed than those regarding the latter.[179]
Alcohol [ edit ]
According to some observers (Harvey Tripp and Peter North), though the kingdom is a "prohibition state", "discreet consumption" of alcohol by foreigners and even by Saudis is tolerated by authorities. Both home brewed ("sidiqui") and black market imports are consumed.[180]
Cuisine [ edit ]
A dish consisting of a stuffed lamb, known as khūzī, is the traditional national dish. Kebabs are popular, as is shāwarmā, a marinated grilled meat dish of lamb, mutton, or chicken, sometimes wrapped in flat bread. As in other Arab countries of the Arabian Peninsula, machbūs (kabsa), a rice dish with fish or shrimp, is popular. Flat, unleavened bread is a staple of virtually every meal, as are dates and fresh fruit. Coffee, served in the Arabic style, is the traditional beverage.[3]
The appearance of modern supermarkets and commercial restaurants starting in the 1970s has changed Saudi culinary habits. International cuisine, particularly fast food, has become popular in all Saudi urban areas (i.e. in 80% of the country).[181] While traditionally Saudis ate sitting on the floor using the right hand or flat bread to take food from a roasted lamb, goat or camel carcass,[182] the practice of eating while sitting on a chair at a table has become more standard practice, if not the use of knives and forks.[183]
Table manners
Coffee is often served "with great ceremony", and it is customary to drink two or three cups to indicate your approval of the coffee. Cups are refilled unless a gesture—shaking your cup—is made to indicate you've had enough.[184] It is considered good manners for a guest to eat heartily, and burping appreciatively "verges on being considered good form".[183]
News media [ edit ]
Educated Saudis are well informed of issues of the Arab world, the Muslim world, and the world at large, but freedom of the press and public expression of opinion are not recognized by the government.[3] The "Basic Law" of the kingdom states that the media's role is to educate and inspire national unity, and are prohibited from acts that lead "to disorder and division".[185] News stories, public speeches and other acts of personal expression cannot conflict with traditional Islamic values, or dissent from government policy, insult government officials, especially the royal family, and cannot delve too deeply into certain sensitive and taboo subject matters that might embarrass the government or spread dissent, i.e. the role of women in Saudi society, the treatment of Shiite Muslims, damage caused by natural disasters, or social problems such as the AIDS-HIV pandemic and human trafficking.[3]
Most Saudi Arabian newspapers are privately owned but subsidized and regulated by the government.[186] As of 2013, BBC news reported that criticism of the government and royal family and the questioning of Islamic tenets "are not generally tolerated. Self-censorship is pervasive."[187] As of 2014, Freedom House[188] rates the kingdom's press and internet "Not Free".
Civil society [ edit ]
Labor unions and political parties are prohibited in the kingdom, although a few underground political parties do exist. The government has created a national "Consultative Council" (which is appointed not elected, and does not pass laws), and has given permission for certain "societies" to exist (though they have little ability to influence government policy).[189] Informal public discussion of public policy is not actively encouraged, although it is not expressly illegal per se, unless it is deemed to be promoting immorality, dissent or disloyalty. Limited non-partisan municipal elections were held in 2005.
Sport [ edit ]
Association football (soccer) is the national sport in Saudi Arabia. In recent years, some Saudi players have become skilled enough to play in Europe. The Saudi Arabian national football team is governed by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation (SFF). The national team competed in the FIFA World Cup four times, and the AFC Asian Cup 12 times.
Basketball is also popular. The Saudi Arabian national basketball team won the bronze medal at the 1999 Asian Championship.
While spectator sport is popular, participant sport is less so, possibly because of the heat of the climate for most of the year, and the difficulty of playing football and other sports in traditional clothing. "Injuries are commonplace amongst those who trip over the hems of their thobes while attempting to knock a ball around."[190]
Camel racing is a uniquely Arabian sport practiced in the kingdom (and the UAE) that still has some mass popularity. There are camel racetracks in most of the kingdom's major centres, and races for prize money on many weekends throughout the winter months. Like racehorses, camels with breeding pedigrees may be very valuable.[191]
Women's sport [ edit ]
In 2012 Saudi Arabia included women in its Olympic team for the first time. Two female athletes—a runner and judoka—participated. The inclusion followed international criticism for years of exclusion,[192] but was controversial in the kingdom, and "prompted some to abuse the morals" of the athletes on social media.[193]
As of April 2014, Saudi authorities in the education ministry have been asked by the Shoura Council to consider lifting a state school ban on sports for girls with the proviso that any sports conform to Sharia rules on dress and gender segregation, according to the official SPA news agency.[50]
Arts and entertainment [ edit ]
Visual arts tend to be dominated by geometric, floral, and abstract designs and by calligraphy. Sunni Islam traditionally prohibits creating representations of people. With the advent of oil wealth in the 20th century came exposure to outside influences, such as Western housing styles, furnishings, and clothes.[194]
Calligraphy is the art of forming arranging beautiful letters and symbols, and it is among the dominant art forms in Saudi Arabia. This art has been emerging in different themes such as metalwork, ceramics, glass textiles, painting, and sculpture.[195]
The ten-day-long Jenadriyah National Festival celebrates the founding of the kingdom and showcases Saudi culture and heritage, traditional crafts such as pottery and woodcutting, folk dance and traditional songs.[196]
Music and dance [ edit ]
Music and dance have always been part of Saudi life. Bedouin poetry, known as nabaṭī, is still very popular.[3] Traditional music is generally associated with poetry and is sung collectively. Instruments include the rabābah, an instrument not unlike a three-string fiddle, and various types of percussion instruments, such as the ṭabl (drum) and the ṭār (tambourine). Al-sihba folk music has its origins in al-Andalus. In Mecca, Medina and Jeddah, dance and song incorporate the sound of the mizmar, an oboe-like woodwind instrument, in the performance of the mizmar dance. The drum is also an important instrument according to traditional and tribal customs. Samri is a popular traditional form of music and dance in which poetry is sung. Of the native dances, the most popular is a martial line dance known as the Al Ardha, which includes lines of men, frequently armed with swords or rifles, dancing to the beat of drums and tambourines. As one non-Saudi described it, the performance consists of : "barefooted males clad in their normal street clothes of thobe and gutra jumping up and down mostly in one spot while wielding swords".[197]
Literature [ edit ]
Bedouin poetry is a cultural tradition in Saudi Arabia. According to Sandra Mackey, author of The Saudis: Inside the Desert Kingdom, "the role that formal poetry, prose, and oratory play in Saudi culture is totally alien to Western culture."[198] Mackey explained that the Bedouin poet was the origin of Saudi society's traditionally strong attachment to the concept of language.[198] She said that poetry "can arise in the most curious of situations" due to the role of poetry in Saudi culture.[198]
Some Saudi novelists have had their books published in Aden, Yemen, because of censorship in Saudi Arabia. Despite signs of increasing openness, Saudi novelists and artists in film, theatre, and the visual arts used to face greater restrictions on their freedom of expression than in the West, things are starting to change nowadays and a lot of contemporary novelists and artists are being well known in Saudi Arabia and internationally.
Contemporary Saudi novelists and artists include:
Entertainment [ edit ]
During the 1970s, cinemas were numerous in the kingdom although they were seen as contrary to tribal norms.[200] All cinemas and theaters were closed in 1980 as a political response to the Islamic revival and the increase in Islamist activism, most particularly the 1979 seizure of the Grand Mosque in Mecca. As of 2018, cinemas opened in multiple cities including Riyadh and Jeddah.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 should bring cinemas back to the country in early 2018.[201]
See also [ edit ]
Notes [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
1. Long, David E. (2005). Culture and Customs of Saudi Arabia. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. ISBN 0313320217.
2. Otto, Jan Michiel (2010). Sharia Incorporated: A Comparative Overview of the Legal Systems of Twelve Muslim Countries in Past and Present. ISBN 978-90-8728-057-4.
3. Tripp, Harvey; North, Peter (2003). Culture Shock, Saudi Arabia. A Guide to Customs and Etiquette. Singapore; Portland, Oregon: Times Media Private Limited.
4. Tripp, Harvey; North, Peter (2009). CultureShock! A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette. Saudi Arabia (3rd ed.). Marshall Cavendish.The man who pulled two children out of a fiery crash in northern Alberta has received an international award for bravery.
Dion Lefebvre, the owner-operator of Westlock Movers from Westlock Alta., is one of only three Canadians to be given the Carnegie Award for Civilian Heroism.
Lefebvre was driving a van to Fort McMurray in April 2012 when he was passed by a pickup truck. To his horror, the truck then smashed head-on into another pickup.
Shannon and Trena Wheaton and their son Ben were killed in a crash in April 2012. Their son Timothy, left, survived the crash. (CBC) When Lefebvre pulled over, he said he could hear the cries of three-year-old Timothy Wheaton coming from the burning wreckage. LefebvreWheaton
Using his first aid training, Lefebvre and two others managed to pull Timmy from the car. Lefebvre also rescued 11-year-old Faith Kondusky-Sennett from the second truck which had burst into flames. She later died in hospital.
Timmy’s parents and brother were all killed in the crash, which left only one other survivor.
The crash renewed calls for the province to twin Highway 63 – a cause Lefebvre has been a vocal advocate for.
Focusing on the survivors, improving highway safety
For Lefebvre, memories and images from the crash have never left. But rather than think about the people he was not able to save, Lefebvre, who has stayed in touch with both survivors, say he has chosen to focus on the positive in the years since the crash.
“I was somewhat surprised, I guess,” he said of being told he had won the award.
To this day, he doesn’t buy into the idea he’s a hero.
“I think there’s lots of people who would get involved, of course, there are some people who can’t or won’t,” he said, adding that he was simply doing what he hoped any other person would do if it was his own kids in the crash.
After the crash, Timmy, now 5, moved in with his grandfather Ronald Thompson in Gander, N.L., where he just finished kindergarten.
Thompson said his grandson is doing well, but doesn’t like to talk about the crash.
Thompson said he hopes to bring Timmy back to Fort McMurray sometime to visit other family members.
When they’re in Alberta, they are also hoping to see Lefebvre again – something the Westlock man said he is really looking forward to.
“Seeing little Timmy is a big positive,” he said.
Listen to Lefebvre and Thompson's full interview from Edmonton AMAfter months of dodging questions and criticisms about his cancer diagnosis, Brooks Ayers could finally be ready to tell the truth once and for all. RadarOnline.com has learned that Vicki Gunvalson‘s ex-boyfriend has filmed a secret bombshell interview with Andy Cohen, which will air during the Real Housewives of Orange County reunion.
Ayers went to New York City earlier this month, and “Bravo paid for the plane ticket and five star hotel,” an insider told Radar. “Andy interviewed Brooks about his cancer diagnosis and all of the questions surrounding it.”
“Brooks didn’t want to be at the reunion because he just didn’t want to deal with the other ladies on the show, especially Meghan Edmonds,” the source said.
PHOTOS: Woo, Hoo! ‘Real Housewives of Orange County’ Star Vicki Gunvalson’s 15 Top Secrets & Scandals
But meanwhile, “Vicki was completely blindsided by Brooks’ decision to do the interview with Andy,” the source continued. “Complicating matters, Brooks isn’t telling Vicki anything about the interview. She has no idea what was said, or if he threw her under the bus!”
Gunvalson’s former lover has been accused of faking his non-Hodgkins lymphoma diagnosis and her family “wants him to take a lie detector test to prove once and for all that he has the disease,” the source previously told Radar.
“Vicki thinks it’s absolutely ridiculous that her kids doubt that Brooks has cancer,” said the source. “But there has never been any proof provided that Brooks does have it. When her kids asked him to provide proof, Brooks just scoffed at their demand and has refused to take it.”
PHOTOS: Un-Real! Vicki Gunvalson Fights Back Against ‘RHOC’ Cast’s ‘Ridiculous Lies’ — The Truth About Brooks Ayers’ Cancer & More
Now, Gunvalson is seriously concerned because she “doesn’t want to look like a fool for dating Brooks,” the source said. “The silver lining of the situation is Vicki truly seeing Brooks as being an opportunist, and hopefully won’t get back together with him.”Windows Server How-To
Windows Nano Server Deployment 101, Part 2: The Execution
Navigate the uncharted Nano Server deployment waters with this step-by-step guide.
Read "Windows Nano Server Deployment 101, Part 1: The Setup," here.
In the first part of this series, I explained that I had created a proof of concept, graphical installer for Nano Server. If you haven't yet read that post, I strongly recommend going back and checking it out before delving into this one, because that post discusses some critical path variables that must be set. It is also worth noting that although this script works, I have not tested every possible combination of inputs.
Getting Started
Before you will be able to use my graphical tool to deploy Nano Server, there is a bit of prep work that needs to be done. I may build this prep work into a future version of the tool if there is enough interest from the Windows Server community.
The first thing that you will need to do is to set three variables within the code. I discussed these variables in Part 1, and the code is provided at the end of this blog post.
The second thing that you will need to open an elevated PowerShell session and adjust the server's execution policy if necessary. For the sake of simplicity, I am using an execution policy of Unrestricted, as shown in Figure 1.
[Click on image for larger view.] Figure 1. Be sure to set the server's execution policy if necessary.
Now, insert the Windows Server 2016 installation media, and copy the contents of the Nano folder to a folder on your hard disk. Be sure to keep the installation media mounted, as it will be required throughout the Nano Server installation process. You will also need to copy my PowerShell script to the folder that you have created. I used a folder called C:\Nano to store the necessary files, as shown in Figure 2.
[Click on image for larger view.] Figure 2. Copy the contents of the Windows Server 2016 installation media's Nano folder to your hard disk.
You will now need to import the Nano Server Image Generator Module into PowerShell. Assuming that the required files reside in C:\Nano, you can do so by entering these commands:
C:
CD\
CD Nano
Import-Module C:\Nano\NanoServerImageGenerator.psm1 –Verbose
Notice that I included the full path to the module in the command. If you omit the path, then the command will fail, even if you are in the correct folder. You can see what this process looks like in Figure 3.
[Click on image for larger view.] Figure 3. Import the Nano Server Image Generator Module
Now it's time to run the graphical installer. To do so, just type./PoseyNano.ps1. Of course this assumes that you have used the same filename that I did.
As you can see in Figure 4, the installer prompts you for the installation type (host or guest), Windows Server edition, computer name, The type of media that you want to create (WIM or VHD), the administrator password, and the maximum size of the VHD. As you look at the figure, you will also notice that a PowerShell window remains open in the background. This is going to be important later on.
[Click on image for larger view.] Figure 4. Populate the wizard with your desired values.
Click OK, and you will be prompted to choose which package you want to include with the Nano Server deployment, as shown in Figure 5. One of this script's limitations is that you can only choose a single package, although I might change that later. There are also a number of rules that are not currently represented. For example, the script cannot currently create a failover cluster node or a Hyper-V server. Such capabilities may be added in the next version.
[Click on image for larger view.] Figure 5. Select a package to include in the Nano Server.
Click the Create Nano Server button to generate a Nano Server. Upon doing so, the GUI will display a message saying that your Nano Server is being created. Although the GUI contains an Exit button, as shown in Figure 6, the button should not be clicked until the Nano Server has been created.
[Click on image for larger view.] Figure 6. PowerShell begins creating the Nano Server.
As previously mentioned, the GUI holds open a background PowerShell window. You can use this window to monitor the deployment process, as shown in Figure 7.
[Click on image for larger view.] Figure 7. You can watch the deployment process in the background.
When all is said and done, the Nano Server components will be created in the path specified within the script. You can see what this looks like in Figure 8.
[Click on image for larger view.] Figure 8. The Nano Server resources are created at the base path.
My hope is that you will find this script to be useful. If so, please let me know. If I get enough of a response, I plan to build a much more elaborate version of the tool.
So with that said, I think that I have made you wait long enough for the source code. Just copy the code below into Notepad, and save it as a PowerShell script named PoseyNano.ps1 (Don't forget that Notepad appends a hidden.TXT extension to files, and that extension will need to be removed in order for the file to be recognized as a PowerShell script.
#Load Assemblies
[System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName("System.Windows.Forms") | Out-Null
[System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName("System.Drawing") | Out-Null
$net = New |
of defendants to be sued at once.
The above suggests that the firms are worried about the potential downfall of their lucrative business model to the extent that they feel the need to get involved in other cases to save what they can. For Steele Hansmeier this may be of even greater value than for other firms, as they are part of a tangled web of so-called copyright trolls.
A few days ago Judge Gibney scheduled a hearing for next week, where lawyer O’Bryan has to explain why their pay-up-or-else scheme is lawful. If the Judge concludes that the lawyer and copyright holder indeed violated federal rules, then they can expect to be fined thousands of dollars.
It goes without saying that it’ll be interesting to see the outcome.Photo credit: Harclade via Flickr/CC BY
As you've likely heard, Australia is en route to pass legislation ensuring that its largest polluters pay for their carbon emissions. The new law will allow companies to reduce at least part of their emissions by buying carbon credits that sponsor projects proven to reduce greenhouse gase generation. And enterprising companies are already stepping up to the plate with ideas on how to turn a profit reducing emissions -- like, for instance, Northwest Carbon. The company has already submitted a proposal detailing its plans to offer carbon credits for slaughtering millions of methane-emitting feral camels.
Northwest Carbon thinks that farmers and hunters who help rid the nation of its feral camel population should be compensated with carbon credits. Australia does indeed have a major feral camel problem -- the invasive species is crowding out native ones, trampling vegetation, and rapidly reproducing. But proposing that killing them be redeemable for carbon credits is certain to be controversial.
Private company Northwest Carbon has put forward a proposal that could result in farmers and others paid for culling camels on their land and selling offsets under the federal government's carbon farming initiative (CFI)... Northwest has developed a methodology for determining the extent of the reduction. "Camels like cattle do in fact produce methane as part of their digestive processes," [Department official Shayleen Thompson] told a Senate estimates hearing on Monday. "The idea is that one can take action to reduce camel populations off a set baseline and hence create carbon credits as a result of that activity which does benefit the atmosphere."
Australia's 9 News reports When a similar proposal was floated months ago, Mat remarked that the prospect was pretty asinine. And indeed, as a carbon reduction scheme, it seems a shoddy, short-term-only operation. Mat points out that a more powerful scheme to reduce methane emissions would be to address livestock production, not kill a finite population of wild camels.
The whole proposal could be construed as a company trying to make an easy buck off of a project that needs to be addressed anyways. Then again, it could be argued that the project is killing two birds with one stone: Instead of using government funds to police an out-of-control camel population, it's employing (or rewarding) hunters and farmers to do so themselves. And yes, it's reducing greenhouse gas emissions, too.
It's also raising the profile of the carbon offsets law, and promoting its flexibility. By displaying one of the many ways to reduce carbon emissions, it could engage a segment of the Australian public that might not have been on board, and inspire further creative thinking on carbon reduction projects. It could also lead folks to believe the whole endeavor is kind of absurd. You get the point: it's a totally grey area, and it reveals the mess of ambiguity that surrounds carbon offset projects and policies.
Needless to say, I'm eager to hear everyone's reactions to this one...The game label Nitro+Chiral announced on Sunday that a television anime adaptation of its boys-love adventure game DRAMAtical Murder has been green-lit. The anime's official website is streaming a promotional video with the opening theme song "Slip on the Pumps."
The game's story centers on a young man named Aoba who lives with his grandmother on the island Midorijima. He works at a junk shop in the island's Former Residents District after Toue builds the Platinum Jail resort on part of Midorijima and forces residents to move. Aoba is content with his simple life but gets pulled into mysterious events unfolding on the island.
Kazuya Miura (animation director or unit director on Macross Frontier: Sayonara no Tsubasa, Silent Möbius, Kindaichi Shounen no Jiken) is directing the anime at the studio NAZ. Touko Machida (Allison & Lillia, The [email protected], Hamatora, Karneval, Lucky Star) and the game's Kabura Fuchii (Togainu no Chi) of Nitroplus are in charge of the series scripts. Yukiko Ban (Brave10,.hack//SIGN, Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi) is adapting the original character designs by honyalala of Nitroplus for animation. Yuuki Hayashi (Blood Lad, Diabolik Lovers, Gundam Build Fighters, Robotics;Notes, Soul Eater Not!) is composing the music, and the rock band GOATBED is contributing the opening theme song "Slip on the Pumps" after working on the game.
The anime's main voice cast includes:
Atsushi Kisaichi as Aoba
Hiroki Takahashi as Kōjaku
Satoshi Hino as Noiz
Kenichirou Matsuda as Mink
Masatomo Nakazawa as Clear
Ryota Takeuchi as Ren
The anime will premiere this summer, and Nitro+CHiRAL will hold an advance screening of the first episode beforehand. Nitro+CHiRAL released the original boys-love game for Windows PC in March 2012. It also released a DRAMAtical Murder re:connect game that continues the story last year.
Thanks to Rachel S. and grooven for the news tips
[Via Yaraon!]Thanks to Seattle’s incrementally climbing minimum wage law, Capitol Hill’s The Saint is now pink. Very pink.
Quentin Ertel reopened his E Olive Way over the weekend in a “bougainvillea pink” overhaul designed to bring the Mexican-themed hangout more into the business framework of his other Hill ventures like the Havana nightclub. The restaurant is gone, the focus on tequila and mezcal, doubled. Ertel told CHS in September before closing The Saint for upgrades and the dramatic new paint job that it was too difficult to compete with larger restaurant groups to keep a top notch restaurant crew staffed. “We were paying on the level of big companies. And we’re basically a taco shack,” Ertel said.
The new Saint reopened with a private party Thursday night and enjoyed its first weekend back in the E Olive Way bar zone with more space for booze, cocktails, and partying inside:
Inspired by the vibrant colors of a matador’s jacket, black, gold, and bright pink play a prominent role in the design concept. Circles of gold leaf on the windows provide a peek into the lounge where plush black and gold banquettes are the perfect spot to enjoy a cocktail with friends.
“DJ nights are in the works,” the PR promises.
Now, with the bright pink paint, The Saint is a party on the outside, too.
The Saint is located at 1416 E Olive Way. You can learn more at thesaintsocialclub.com.Abstract
Background: Researchers have begun to focus on age and sex differences in concussion outcomes. Results suggest that younger athletes and female athletes may take longer to recover from a concussion. However, little is known about the interactive effects of age and sex on symptoms, neurocognitive testing (NCT), and postural stability.
Hypothesis/Purpose: The purpose of the study was to examine sex and age differences in symptoms, NCT, and postural stability following concussion. We hypothesized that high school and female athletes would have worse symptoms, NCT, and postural stability than college and male athletes, respectively.
Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.
Methods: A total of 296 concussed athletes from a multistate, 2-year study were enrolled in this study. Participants completed the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Test (ImPACT) and Post-Concussion Symptom Scale (PCSS) at baseline and again at 2, 7, and 14 days after concussion. Participants completed the Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) at 1, 2, and 3 days after concussion.
Results: Female athletes performed worse than male athletes on visual memory (mean, 65.1% and 70.1%, respectively; P =.049) and reported more symptoms (mean, 14.4 and 10.1, respectively) after concussion (P =.035). High school athletes performed worse than college athletes on verbal (mean, 78.8% and 82.7%, respectively; P =.001) and visual (mean, 65.8% and 69.4%, respectively; P =.01) memory. High school athletes were still impaired on verbal memory 7 days after concussion compared with collegiate athletes (P =.001). High school male athletes scored worse on the BESS than college male athletes (mean, 18.8 and 13.0, respectively; P =.001). College female athletes scored worse on the BESS than high school female athletes (mean, 21.1 and 16.9, respectively; P =.001).
Conclusion: The results of the current study supported age differences in memory and sex differences in memory and symptoms and an interaction between age and sex on postural stability after concussion that warrant consideration from clinicians and researchers when interpreting symptoms, specific components of NCT, and postural stability tests. Future research should develop and assess interventions tailored to age and sex differences and include younger (<14 years) participants.Britain’s Royal Navy is in such a poor state that it will struggle to deal with the country’s biggest threats unless it gets new ships fast, a committee of MPs has said.
In a scathing report, the Defence Select Committee said the state of the navy was a “national disgrace”, with committee chair Julian Lewis warning that the number of vessels was “pathetically low”.
If defence cuts continue, the committee warns, Britain could be left with fewer than 19 frigates and destroyers. MPs say any drop below that number would be “completely unacceptable” and leave the UK vulnerable to external threats from the Middle East or Russia.
A total of 13 frigates are scheduled to leave service at a rate of one a year between 2023 and 2035, with MPs expressing “serious concern” about the funding a political will be build their replacements.
“The United Kingdom will then lack the maritime strength to deal with the threats we face right now, let alone in the future. We are putting the [Ministry of Defence] on notice that it must not let this happen,” Mr Lewis added.
The committee said: “As an island nation, the importance of the Royal Navy to UK defence must not be underestimated.
“Our starting point in this report is our conviction that the current number of frigates, destroyers and personnel inadequately reflects the potential threats and vulnerabilities facing the UK and its interests overseas.”
Escort vessels have also been “severely in decline”, Mr Lewis added.
“The fleet is now way below the critical mass required for the many tasks which could confront it, if the international scene continues to deteriorate,” he said.
“What remains of our surface fleet now faces a prolonged period of uncertainty, as the frigate class is replaced in its entirety and all our destroyers undergo urgent, major remedial work on their unreliable engines.”
The committee attacked the Ministry of Defence for what they called “extraordinary mistakes” in design of the engines for Type 45 destroyers.
“It is astonishing that the specification for the Type 45 did not include the requirement for the ships to operate at full capacity – and for sustained periods – in hot regions such as the Gulf,” they said.
“The UK’s enduring presence in the Gulf should have made it a key requirement for the engines. The fact that it was not was an inexcusable failing and one which must not be repeated.
“Failure to guarantee this would put the personnel and ships of the Royal Navy in danger.”In yet another crackdown on NGOs, government on Thursday cancelled the registration of Greenpeace India under the Foreign Contribution Regulations Act (FCRA) for its activities which allegedly hampered country's economic growth.
The Greenpeace India's registration has been cancelled under Section 13 of the FCRA, a senior Home Ministry official said. The decision would mean that the NGO will not be able to receive from abroad the funds, which are upto 30 per cent of its overall cost of operations.
Greenpeace India has about 340 people working with it. The group tweeted about the Cengtre
News of our FCRA license being cancelled 1 day before scheduled hearing at Delhi HC: http://t.co/xhJg9MvEtr — Greenpeace India (@greenpeaceindia) September 3, 2015
The MHA @HMOIndia may have cancelled our FCRA registration, but they can’t take away our determination. Picture abhi baaki hai! Stay tuned! — Greenpeace India (@greenpeaceindia) September 3, 2015
The Judiciary has ruled in Greenpeace favour. TWICE. #RightToDissent worth fighting for? More drama coming tomorrow as #BollywoodGetsReal!” — Greenpeace India (@greenpeaceindia) September 3, 2015
The Union Home Ministry today told the Delhi High Court that it cancelled foreign contribution registration of Greenpeace India as it was continuing to use its FCRA accounts despite suspension of the same. MHA, in an affidavit filed in court, has claimed that Greenpeace violated Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) by mixing its foreign and domestic contributions. The affidavit has been filed in a plea moved by the NGO challenging suspension of its FCRA registration and freezing of its foreign and domestic contribution accounts.
The court had on May 27 allowed Greenpeace to use two of its accounts for the purpose of receiving and utilising fresh domestic donations for its day-to-day functioning.
The Ministry had on April 9 suspended the NGO's registration under Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) for 180 days.
The Greenpeace said in its petition that the Ministry had earlier issued show cause notice to it asking why its registration should not be cancelled for allegedly transferring monies from its "FCRA-designated bank to the FCRA utilisation account and from there to five other undeclared utilisation bank accounts without informing the authority".
Greenpeace India termed the government action as an attempt to "silence campaigns" and said it will not be deterred. Vinuta Gopal, interim co-Executive Director of Greenpeace India, said Greenpeace India will continue its campaigning undeterred and is in fact launching a "new creative campaign" to highlight crackdown on civil liberties. "The cancelling of our FCRA registration is the government's latest move in a relentless onslaught against the community's right to dissent. It is yet another attempt to silence campaigns for a more sustainable future and transparency in public processes, Gopal said. "Cutting access to our foreign funding may be a desperate attempt to get us to cease our work but the MHA probably didn't count on our having an amazing network of volunteers and supporters who have helped us continue our work despite the government crackdown.
"Since the majority of our funding comes from Indian citizens, most of our work can indeed continue," the Greenpeace official said.Gopal added, "in fact, we are responding to this latest melodrama by launching a new creative online campaign and are confident that people will show they are ready to fight back in style, and send a clear message to those in power: you can't muzzle dissent in a democracy."
Hozefa Merchant, the Greenpeace Campaigner, said the government action will not affect the organisation much financially as 70 per cent of funds are generated domestically. Priya Pillai, Greenpeace activist who was earlier in January prevented from travelling to UK, said the government has been cracking down on her NGO "vengefully" but they will not be deterred.
The cancellation of FCRA licence came months after the Home Ministry suspended operations of Greenpeace and blocked foreign funding alleging that the NGO had been involved in activities contrary to country's economic progress like organising protests against coal mining, anti-govenment propaganda in abroad.
Pillai was offloaded from a London-bound flight by immigration officers in New Delhi airport in January to prevent her from travelling to UK where she was to address British parliamentarians. The Delhi High Court later overturned the action by the Home Ministry and Pillai's "offload" passport stamp was expunged in May.
The Centre had in April blocked Greenpeace India's bank accounts, following which the environmental group had to seek interim relief from the Delhi High Court. Since last one year, FCRA licence of at least 11,000 NGOs were cancelled by the government for violating various provisions of FCRA.
In April, government ordered that funds coming from the US-based Ford Foundation should not be released by any bank to any Indian NGO without mandatory permission from the Home Ministry.
A crisis response campaigner with Greenpeace International, Aaron Gray-Block, was denied entry into India. Three months ago as his name figured in a Home Ministry "black list".3D Printing by Ruiz Brothers
hud-eye.stl > hud-cap.stl
hud-cap.stl > hud-elbow.stl
hud-elbow.stl > hud-kopincap.stl
hud-kopincap.stl > hud-kopin.stl
hud-kopin.stl > hud-bridge.stl
hud-bridge.stl > hud-power.stl
hud-power.stl > hud-cover.stl
Our 8 piece design is snap-fit enclosure that houses the components inside the NTSC/PAL Video Glasses. Each piece is labeled below noted with connections. MakerWare Settings No Raft/Support
.02 layer height
10% infill
2 shells
about 2 hours Download STLs
Start by removing the nose guard piece from the Video Glasses. Use a small screwdriver to remove the tiny screw. Carefully pop off the shaded lenses from the Video Glasses. Behind the lens, you'll see tiny screws, remove these. WIth the screws removed, the frame should be able to come off.
Gently pry open the enclosure and separate the two halves using a flat-head screwdriver. Use a pair of flat pliers to remove the PCB from the enclosure. Remove the two video display screens from the enclosure. Unscrew the two eye pieces with the eye covers held to the magnify lenses. Carefully detach the second display from the PCB and store it away to serve as a back-up in case something happens to the first one! You should have the one video display, the kopin video processing circuit and the power circuit with the USB port and two audio input jacks.
You'll need to unsolder the four connections from the power circuit in order to increase the lengths of the wires. Use a third-helping hand to hold the wire bundle in place while you tin them. Measure about 135 mm (5.3 inches) of 30AWG wire wrap in length and solder them to the ends of each wire. Use shrink tubing to secure the connections. Make sure all the components are disconnected before putting them into the enclosure Place the plastic eye piece with the magnifying lens on top of the hud-eye.stl part. Reuse the same screws and use a screwdriver to secure the eye piece into the hud-eye.stl part. Position the eye piece into the hud-cap.stl part with the ridden and cable connections threading through the opening in the side. Get the hud-elbow.stl part handy and carefully thread the wire connections of the video eye display through the cavity. Snap the hud-elbow.stl part into place. The hud-kopincap.stl part needs to be inserted to the hud-elbow.stl end with the cavity facing away from the eye piece. Set aside the eye display for now. Grab the extended wire bundle of the power circuit and thread it through the hud-bridge.stl and the hud-kopin.stl parts. Ensure the hud-bridge.stl part is threaded first and positioned with the end capable of snapping into the hud-kopin.stl part. Get the micro Kopin in position and connect the extended wire bundle back to center port. Ensure its oriented properly! Position the micro Kopin towards the eye display piece with the ports facing inwards. Carefully reconnect the ribbon and ported cable to the micro Kopin. Gently slide the hud-kopin.stl part over the micro Kopin and tuck the wire bundle through the enclosure. Position hud-kopin.stl part close to the hud-kopincap.stl part with the clip piece facing inwards and snap it into place with.
Slide the hud-power.stl part over the power circuit and snap one of the ends to the hud-bridge.stl piece. Neatly tuck the extra wire slack in the hud-power.stl part without kinking the wire wrap.
Align up the holes on the hud-cover.stl part over the power circuit and snap it into place. You may need to insert the USB cable through the hud-cover.stl part, connect it to the power circuit, and then snap it onto the hud-power.stl part.I have always been one to build all of my one computers (except for laptops of course), but I have never even tried to do the case mod thing since I really don’t have the skills to do it.
Well, apparently this person has the skills to make an amazing case mod or at least stick a computer inside of a Hasbro AT-AT. For the computer hardware geeks like myself, you will probably want to know this computer is sporting a Zotax Z68 Mini ITX motherboard with an Intel Core i7-2600K CPU, a Sapphire 6870 GPU and 8GB of RAM. This is definitely one of the cooler Star Wars case mods I have ever seen!
Pass this along to any Star Wars fans you know! Like us on Facebook too!
[Source: Asphiax via Nerd Approved]Philip Morris entered India in the late 1960s by acquiring a majority stake in the London-based parent of Godfrey Phillips India Ltd. It gradually reduced its stake in Godfrey over the years, in part due to regulatory changes.
Ahead of the 2010 ban on investments into cigarette manufacturing, Philip Morris formed a new wholesale trading company with Godfrey and an investment firm.
Under the current arrangement, Godfrey manufactures Marlboros while Philip Morris' trading firm helps promote them.
That part of its operations would not necessarily be impacted by the foreign investment changes being considered, as such changes usually do not apply to previous arrangements.
However, if the new rules were implemented, Philip Morris' future investment plans in India would be in jeopardy, as any form of new investment or collaboration would be outlawed.
Those plans, the company says, include the possible launch of its heat-not-burn electronic cigarette called iQOS, an alternative product which Philip Morris sees as a key step towards a smokeless future that could also bring health benefits to India. [nL8N1DV29V]
Godfrey did not respond to a request for comment.
India is a key market for Philip Morris.
Even before the company contemplates introducing alternative products there, demand is strong for conventional cigarettes that still account for most of the company's $74 billion in global annual revenues.
The number of male cigarette smokers, aged between 15 and 69 years, almost trebled in India to 40 million between 1998 and 2015, according to BMJ Global Health estimates. Another 48 million smoke traditional hand-rolled cigarettes, called beedis.
Marlboro faces stiff competition from premium brands of India's largest cigarette maker, ITC Ltd <ITC.NS>, which is part-owned by British American Tobacco (BAT) as well as several state-run firms.
Still, its market share has doubled between 2012 and 2015 to 1 percent, data from Euromonitor International show.BEWARE of nannies. If you live in Hollywood, at least.
Eva Amurri Martino had to fire yet another nanny, this time because the childcare professional apparently wanted to “f**k [her husband’s] brains out”.
The 30-year-old actress, who starred in Californication, and daughter of Susan Sarandon detailed the absolutely bizarre experience on her blog, Happily Eva After, on Monday.
As she explains it, just weeks after having to fire her daughter Marlowe’s nanny of a year and a half for being “untruthful … in a major way,” she found herself betrayed by another woman in whose care she’d placed her daughter. The reason: a text message — a very provocative text message.
Just last week, while Eva was away on business, her husband, soccer commentator Kyle Martino, received a text from the woman that read: “OMG. Girl, did I mention to you how hot and sex my Boss is. I would love to f**k his brains out ha haah. Too bad he seems not to like thick Latin women with lots to hold on to LOL.”
Kyle, 35, was sure that the text must have been an embarrassing mistake, one that the nanny meant to send her friend. But when she showed up for work, she acted as if nothing was happening. Even creepier, when he had gotten home earlier that day, he noticed the nanny spying on him from his and Eva’s bedroom, Eva wrote.
Realising something was seriously amiss, Kyle recorded a confrontation he had with the nanny later that day in which he asked her why she was in his bedroom — Eva postulates that she wanted to smell his underwear — and about the text.
“I’m sorry I was just messing around with a friend I didn’t mean any harm,” the woman apparently said after she was fired for being unable to provide anything resembling a believable excuse.
Though the incident left Eva scrambling yet again to find a nanny, she considered it a good experience as it reinforced how strong her and Kyle’s bond is to one another.
Plus it’ll give her something to bond with Jennifer Garner over the next time they run into one another.
This article originally appeared on the New York PostSorry Nancy, they don’t like you … they really don’t like you.
According to this NBC/WSJ poll (with a +5 Dem sample), Nancy Pelosi is the least liked politician in the US. In fact Democrats are sucking wind in general but Pelosi really stands out in this poll (and not in a good way):
NBC/WSJ poll (D+5 sample): GOP viewed significantly more favorably than Dems. Pelosi = least liked politician in USA (-25) vs Trump (-4): pic.twitter.com/gJMhsp0xvW — Guy Benson (@guypbenson) February 27, 2017
Even the Republicans most unpopular candidate (Mitch McConnell) is still five points more popular and well-liked than Nancy. Gosh, guess treating Americans like they’re too stupid to understand the law is not such a great idea, Nan.
@guypbenson @benshapiro Pelosi is a tedious drama queen with zero ideas or substance. — Jkarren (@chevalierjd) February 27, 2017
She really is. Of course just look at her district … they keep on electing her.
From the same poll, illustrating even more how Republicans (and by default Trump) are leading the way:
NBC/WSJ poll: Who should take the lead in setting policy for the US? Trump + Hill GOP: 52%
Hill Democrats: 37% — Guy Benson (@guypbenson) February 27, 2017
That doesn’t stop the Left from whining and complaining about each and every thing the Right does, but it’s interesting the effect their behavior is having on everyday Americans.
Keep it up, Democrats.Posted on 07 March 2011 by Joe
From the mid 1960s through to the early 1970s the UK folk music scene was transformed with a legacy that continues to influence indie and alternative artists to this day.
From America’s Midlake and Sweden’s Tallest Man on Earth to the UK’s current diverse folk scene of the likes of Tuung and The Unthanks the influences of this golden age of folk music were immense.
We thought it was about time that we paid tribute to this time and showcase some of the best albums produced by some familiar and less familiar names. We’ve drafted in folk music expert Garry Todd to compile this list for us as we present Neon Filler’s Top Ten Albums From The Golden Age of UK Folk Music.
1. Fairport Convention – Liege &Lief
Moving away from being the English Jefferson Airplane, and throwing off their predominantly American folk-psych influences, the band concocted this strange brew of ancient folk songs retooled for the psychedelic mindset. Born out of the tragic road accident which killed the original drummer, Martin Lamble, and seriously injured the rest of the band, Fairport’s fourth album is the philosopher’s stone of British folk rock. The first to fully realise an electrified British folk music.
The band’s alchemical manifesto is set out on opening song Come all ye in which Sandy Denny sets out to ‘Rouse the spirit of the Earth and move the rolling sky’. When Richard Thompson’s guitar takes flight duelling with Dave Swarbrick’s electric violin on Reynardine, it’s no mystery why this album was so influential.
2. Incredible String Band – The 5000 spirits or the layers of an onion
Out of the fertile folk scene of Scotland’s central belt, ISB were tremendously gifted musicians with a beatnik/proto hippie sensibility, who drew from a deep well of ethnic music, little heard at the time. Strong melodies augmented with keen harmonies and exotic arrangements, complement lyrics that range from whimsical conversations with clouds, to meetings with death and all points in between. They sound simultaneously ancient and modern all within the same song.
3. Roy Harper – Stormcock
Harper developed his idiosyncratic guitar style through years of itinerant wandering through Europe. On Stormcock he floats free from conventional songwriting, in a good way. His eddying fingerpicked guitar swells and rises over four long songs, bolstered with an orchestral arrangement and even Jimmy Page on one track. Often multitracking his voice into a epic chorus, Harper shifts register throughout in service of his songs. Throughout the album, Harper’s rails against religion, hypocrisy, power and it’s abuses with a sharp tongue and wit, with an occasional slide into low humour. The beautiful closing track, Me and My Woman, is where he finds some respite.
4. Bert Jansch – Rosemary Lane
Of all Jansch’s superb early albums, Rosemary Lane is the finest product of this purple patch. During a break from working with Pentangle, Jansch recorded the album at home with producer Bill Leader, as he had with his first few albums. Jansch makes these traditional songs truly his own, and the resulting ambience is intimate and immediate, as though the gentle melancholic lilt of Jansch’s hushed delivery were solely for you.
5. Shirley & Dolly Collins – Love, Death & The Lady
Dark, austere and forbidding, this beautiful, spare setting of traditional songs, is probably the peak of Shirley & Dolly Collins work. The arrangements of pipe organ and medieval instrumentation untether the mainly 19th century songs from their origins, setting them adrift in a melancholy world of their own. Shirley Collins has described herself being a conduit for the music. Her voice has an immediacy and purity, such clarity lost now, in an age of auto-tune and endless vibrato. The effect can beheartbreaking, as on Are you going to leave me?
6. Nick Drake – Five Leaves Left
It is hard to appreciate now that Nick Drake’s songs were once a precious secret. His albums reportedly sold less than 5000 copies each on original release, and were not widely available until released on CD in 1989. A fine guitarist with a strong lyrical style, his quiet, breathy delivery is supported on a bed of strings, adding drama and pathos to songs like River Man. Long overshadowed by the knowledge of his suicide, his music was sweetly introspective with a gentle melancholy often undercut by sly deprecative humour, as in Man in a Shed, or Poor Boy on his next album BryterLayter.
7. John Martyn – Bless The Weather
Bless the Weather was Martyn’s fifth album and his first solo album in what would become his classic style, playing his guitar through an echoplex. Martyn develops his blend of Jazz, Folk and Rock into a spaced out hall of mirrors on Glistening Glyndebourne. His semi-slurred delivery only thickens from this point on, giving his songs a narcotic edge, even at their most romantic.
8. Comus – First Utterance
Murder ballads are a strong component of the folk repertoire. Comus took the murder ballad into the pagan wild woods and sacrificed it. Although mostly acoustic the arrangements have a manic energy and intensity, which leaves most extreme rock looking puny and underfed. Roger Wooten, the lead singer and main songwriter sounds demonically possessed, throwing himself into the roles of rapist, murderer and asylum inmate with glee. The cover image of a twisted pain wracked man is fully representative of the lyrics. There are lighter moments but these are brief interludes before plunging back into the darkness. Step carefully into the forest.
9. Steeleye Span – Please to see the King
Ashley Hutchings left Fairport Convention after Liege and Leif, and founded Steeleye Span as a vehicle to delve deeper into traditional song. On their second album, Martin Carthy came on board and they went electric. With Carthy and Tim Hart the band had two strong male singers, but on the majority of songs Maddy Prior took the lead. All three harmonised terrifically throughout. Without drums the rhythm is carried through the interplay of guitar and bass, with violin often taking lead instrumental voice.
10. Lal & Mike Waterson – Bright Phoebus
Half of The Watersons make an original record with almost every significant musician in the British Folk Rock scene, it just has to be good, doesn’t it? Luckily, Bright Phoebus is a fantastic record with superb guitar work from Richard Thompson and Martin Carthy. Brilliant vocal harmonies from Lal and Mike are the centrepiece of glistening arrangements. There’s an eerie quality to most of the songs, listening to The Scarecrow will genuinely give you the shivers.
Compiled and written by Garry Todd
Related PostsThis blog is normally limited to digital law and policy issues, such as privacy, copyright and the Internet. Not today. These are not normal times. The events in the United States over the past few days involving the creation of an executive order with a thinly-veiled Muslim ban demand a response. While some politicians have tried to avoid comment by arguing that this is an internal U.S. matter, the far-reaching implications for the world and for the millions of people whose lives are at stake does not allow for such an easy out. There may be a cost to Canada for speaking out – some have suggested that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should avoid angering U.S. President Donald Trump – but if so, it is a price worth paying.
With the exception of the indigenous peoples in Canada, we all trace our family history to immigration. In my case, I am the grandson of holocaust survivors and a family that fled the Nazis by running east to Siberia and beyond. Both families were largely wiped out. My grandfather’s wife and two children were murdered along with virtually all of his siblings, parents, and extended family members. He and my grandmother survived the concentration camps, met after the war, gave birth to my mother, and were given the opportunity to start a new life in Canada. The same is true for my father’s family, who also came to Canada in the early 1950s. My family story is not unique. Millions of Canadians can also tell stories of fleeing war, religious persecution, or searching for new economic opportunity. While we often think that it is health care or hockey that bind us, it is really our common story of a largely immigrant society searching for a better life for future generations.
Canada’s record of admitting Jews during the war, chronicled in the book None is Too Many, speaks to the incredible harm caused by immigration policies focused on race or religion (the same is true for those turned away by the U.S). To see some of this replicated in the U.S. in 2017 is exceptionally painful. I am proud of Prime Minister Trudeau, Jason Kenney, and the many premiers and mayors that have tweeted out Canada’s openness to refugees and immigration. The initial response from Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen indicating that Canada will permit temporary residence for anyone traveling to the U.S. that is left stranded is a good start, but much more is needed.
From the federal government, Canada should consider expanding our refugee target for 2017. There are obviously cost and security constraints, but if the U.S. closes its doors, others will need to open theirs even further.
Moreover, the government should work closely with both the technology and education sectors to expand opportunities for foreign workers and students. Hundreds of people in the Canadian technology community have signed a public letter emphasizing that diversity is our strength and calling on the government to institute an immediate and targeted visa program for those displaced by the U.S. Executive Order. With the U.S. tech sector increasingly vocal in its opposition to the U.S. developments, Canada should stand ready to provide an alternative for global technology workers.
The news is also filled with reports of professors, researchers, and students that are blocked from entering or re-entering the United States. Canadian universities (including my own) have indicated a desire to explore accepting displaced professors and students. We should move quickly to offer visiting professorships as needed and partner with U.S. institutions to allow graduate students to continue their studies in Canada. There is a need to accommodate students that have yet to begin their studies and now find themselves blocked from doing so. Further, universities must consider whether they can continue participating in conferences and joint programs in the U.S. that may bar the participation of their own students.
But even more difficult will be the response to the U.S. government. In the weeks leading up to the inauguration of Donald Trump, there was much discussion about the need to create a team that would mesh well with the new president given the uncertainty of new trade talks and policies. No doubt a close relationship based on friendship and mutual self-interest is preferred. However, with Trump signing an executive order eliminating Privacy Act protections for Canadians, the Canadian government must now stand ready to re-consider information sharing programs with the U.S. With Trump signalling his support for torture, the Canadian government must be ready to stop programs that could implicate Canadians in the same activity. With Trump instituting immigration policies that run counter to |
replied, as male hosts Brian Kilmeade and Steve Doocy laughed. “If we have a picture of James Brown, it’s the same one.”
“And [Brown] is not using it anymore. They just—they finally buried him,” Kilmeade added.
“I have to defend her on that. You can’t go after a woman’s looks,” Ainsley Earnhardt said, once she could get a word in over their cackles. “I think she’s very attractive.”
“I didn't say she wasn’t attractive,” O’Reilly said in response. “I love James Brown! But it’s the same hair that James Brown, the godfather of soul, had. Whatever it is, I just couldn’t get past it.”
Before the segment ended, O’Reilly turned on a dime to say to the camera, “I love you, Maxine, I want to see you on the Factor, and when hell freezes over I’m sure that will happen.”
No, the Democratic congresswoman is unlikely to appear on The O’Reilly Factor after those equally sexist and racist remarks were thrown her way by the host. But who wouldn’t tune in just to see if he would dare repeat them to her face?
UPDATE: In a statement following the backlash to his comment, O'Reilly apologized to Waters, saying he "respects" her for "being sincere in his beliefs" and expressing regret for his "jest about her hair which was dumb."Gardaí have been warned that their new roadside drug testing kits may not work when it is cold.
The Medical Bureau of Road Safety advised the traffic corps on "proper operating conditions for the analysers" and confirmed that the device is not guaranteed to work when below 5C.
Using saliva samples, the machines are designed to detect the presence of illicit drugs such as cannabis, cocaine and heroin in drivers.
Click here to have all your questions answered on preliminary drug testing. #DrugDriving https://t.co/qQARqzIvEK — RSA Ireland (@RSAIreland) April 26, 2017
"At temperatures lower than 5C the analyser is capable of operating as it has the capacity to provide heat internally," the bureau said.
"Where the analyser cannot achieve 5C, a 'low temperature message' will be displayed and it will not be possible to do a test."
Eighty-six of the Drager DrugTest 5000 drug-screening devices - considered the best on the market - are being kept in Garda stations.
Another 50 are being used for roadside tests, with the number of these mobile kits to rise to 150.
The Road Safety Authority (RSA) confirmed that it was not aware of the temperature limitations of the device.
The DrugTest 5000 is widely used by police forces, including in Australia, Spain, Italy, England and Wales, and in Norway, where officers claim that in practice it can be used briefly outside in freezing temperatures if they stand beside a patrol car with the boot or doors open while analysing a sample.
Other advice from the Medical Bureau of Road Safety to Garda trainers about the devices states that the disposable tester should be discarded if its packaging is not intact or if dessicant is not present.
The top end of the operating range is 40C.
Independent TD Tommy Broughan, who has campaigned on road safety issues, said: "It would stop gardai having a comprehensive checking regime.
"It's something that wouldn't have occurred to me and it's something of a serious concern.
"Clearly with our climate it could introduce a restriction."
Independent TD Clare Daly said it is "almost unbelievable" that any questions would emerge over new roadside testing kits while the Garda is facing questions over bogus drink-driving test records.
She said: "Who would decide to purchase equipment which cannot be relied upon for accuracy in temperatures below 5C?
"Accuracy of results is critical when we are dealing with serious allegations which result in penalties and higher premiums for motorists."
The results from the initial tests cannot be used in evidence in court.
But under the Road Traffic Act 2016, which came into force in mid-April, any driver stopped and asked for a sample at the roadside or at a checkpoint or following an accident faces the threat of a €5,000 fine or six months in jail for refusing to co-operate.
The results can also determine whether a driver is arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and taken to a Garda station to give a blood or urine sample.
Each device including the carrier case costs €615 and each disposable tester costs about €15.
The analysers can also identify the presence of several prescription drugs, causing concern for people on prescribed and heavy painkiller medication.
The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors raised issues in the days after the test was introduced over the number of officers who had been trained to use the analysers.Television writer and comedian Jen Statsky riled up Twitter when she said Trump supporters should "have their children taken away."
"[L]ight reminder that being president of the US means nothing anymore, if you support Trump you should have your children taken away, etc etc," tweeted Statsky on Saturday, who has written for "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon," "Parks and Recreation," and "Broad City."
light reminder that being president of the US means nothing anymore, if you support Trump you should have your children taken away, etc etc — Jen Statsky (@jenstatsky) October 1, 2017
The response on social media against the 31-year-old comedy writer was swift.
"Light reminder that real children are in danger and your "public service announcement" marginalizes their suffering," Juli Caldwell tweeted.
Light reminder that real children are in danger and your "public service announcement" marginalizes their suffering. — St. Juli’s Day (@ImJuliCaldwell) October 1, 2017
"Light reminder....if election were held today you would get him for another term," Blake Smith added.In the first four months of 2015, a record 393 rhinos were killed by poachers in South Africa, marking an 18 percent rise over the same period last year, the country’s environment minister said, during a public briefing on Sunday. Rhino poaching in South Africa has been surging since 2008, when 83 rhinos were killed.
Of the 393 rhinos killed in the first four months of 2015, 212 were poached in Kruger National Park, famous for its population of white and black rhinos. The park, which borders Mozambique, also houses the majority of South Africa’s 20,700 rhinos. South Africa is home to 83 percent of Africa’s rhinos and 73 percent of all wild rhinos in the world, according to U.K.-based Save the Rhino International.
“We are soldiering on, we do think that this fight will have to be won and we will win it,” Environment Minister Edna Molewa reportedly said, during Sunday’s press conference in Pretoria.
In recent years, a growing demand for rhino horns in Asian countries, mainly China and Vietnam, for their purported medicinal properties, has led to a drastic surge in rhino killings, according to figures released by conservation groups.
South Africa’s police commissioner, Riah Phiyega, reportedly said that as of the end of April, park rangers had detained 132 suspected poachers. In 2014, 386 poaching related arrests were made in the country.
However, this has evidently failed to deter poachers. It is believed that the high price fetched by the sale of rhino horns in Asian nations has led to the involvement of criminal syndicates that use high-tech equipment to track down and kill the rhinos.
A kilogram (2.2 pounds) of rhino horn sells for up to $100,000 in Vietnam, which is almost double the price of gold, according to media reports.
In order to get a handle on the poaching crisis in the country, the South African government has also considered legalizing the trade of rhino horns, even though international trade in rhino horns has been banned since 1977 under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
While supporters of the legalization believe that it would bring down the prices of the horns and make the trade less lucrative for poachers, many wildlife conservationists and activists disagree.
“It is important to emphasize that South Africa has not taken a position on the issue and will not do so until the committee has completed its work and presented its findings,” the country’s environment ministry said in February, after appointing a 21-member task force to look into the various aspects of legalizing trade in rhino horns.More than six months after Lonzie Barton's disappearance, the man responsible admits to his role.
Ruben Ebron has pled guilty to aggravated manslaughter of a child, child neglect, lying to police, and tampering with evidence. He received a 20 year sentence at Florida State Prison for the manslaughter charge, and lesser sentences for the other charges which will run concurrent.
The facts included in the plea give new insight in to the circumstances around the toddler’s death. Prosecutors say Ebron and the toddler’s mother, Lonna Lauramore Barton, turned away their attention of the toddler in order to engage in sexual relations. There was a full bathtub in the apartment, and the couple later found Lonzie face down in the water. Ebron says he panicked and staged an abduction, while Lauramore Barton went to work.
Neither tried to get medical attention for Lonzie. The toddler had additionally been in medical distress in the days leading up to his death, but he did not get medical attention at that time either. JSO Chief Tom Hackney says a key reason they put such a big focus on finding the toddler’s body was because he needed responsible adults in his life.
“This is a little boy who lived a tragic, tragic life and died a tragic, tragic death,” Hackney says.
Hackney says getting a guilty verdict without finding Lonzie's body would have been "missing the mark". Prosecutors had actually turned down a prior plea agreement put forward by Ebron, but say when he finally offered to lead them to the body, that was the tipping point.
“There was only one person that could lead us to Lonzie’s grave, just one person that could make sure Lonzie was recovered from an unmarked, isolated, shallow grave and brought home to his loved ones and a proper resting place,” says State Attorney Angela Corey.
Lonzie’s mother pled guilty last month to child neglect and lying to police, and could face up to five years in prison. Corey says, at this time, they are not looking at more charges against her because that case would not be based on evidence.
“The problem with these cases- when they’re both lying, and it’s a finger pointing contest liked these cases tend to be- what pulls us out, what saves law enforcement and the prosecution, at the physical findings that refute what either or both are saying. We did not have that in this scase, there was not a shred of tissue left on this child’s remains that can be analyzed.
Corey says they’re still analyzing the impact of Ebron’s information, but there’s not much else they can do on Lonzie’s charges. She says Ebron faces steeper charges because of evidence dealing with the aftermath of the boy’s death. The State Attorney’s Office will work with other law enforcement agencies pursuing other charges against Lauramore Barton, including the Baker County Sheriff’s Office, which has a pending drug case.
In a statement prepared by Ebron read in court by his lawyer today, Ebron apologized to his parents, the community, and "most of all" Lonzie, saying his life was cut to short. He calls the death a “tragic accident” and says he made “horrible decisions” afterward, but all he can do now is pay for his mistakes.
Ruben Ebron's father says his son panicked, but is not a “baby killer”.
“He and Lonna crossed a line with me, because- I told them- this is six months and that baby didn’t deserve this, so they’ve got to get right with God,” says William Ebron Sr.
He hopes that, after 20 years in prison, his son will get on a better path, but he also wants to see Lauramore Barton face more charges for her role.
“We’ve got three families that are totally affected and linked forever because of tragedy,” Ebron Sr. says.
He further apologized to the Lauramore and Barton families for what his son did, and says he's thankful for the hard work of JSO in this case.
Friday's plea came after the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office says Ebron led them to remains in the Bayard area in January. We’re told Lauramore Barton’s decision to enter a plea- and testify against Ebron- led to him changing his position, but Hackney says there was also a change in Ebron as a person.
“The Ruben Ebron that I saw out there in a jumpsuit, a pair of socks, and a pair of slides, fighting through ankle-deep water to find that little boy that night- that was the Ruben that I wanted to see from the first day,” Hackney says.
Preliminary information indicates the remains are Lonzie, however because they were in the elements for months the exact cause of death hasn’t been determined. Police describe the remains as skeletal, and we’re told they were found under a stack of tires.
"Not all of Lonzie's bones were recovered, but those that were found showed signs of prior injury like healing fractured ribs,” Corey says.
Hackney confirmed DCF has previously investigated that home, but declined to give further details on those investigations.
The remains were found miles outside of the areas JSO had searched, and in hindsight, Corey says they believe they never would have found them without Ebron’s assistance.
Lonzie was 21-months-old in July when Ebron- who was Lauramore Barton’s boyfriend at the time- called police to say his car had been stolen with the child inside, leading JSO to initiate an Amber Alert. Police found the car a short distance away, but there was no sign of the child. Investigators at the time said Ebron was lying about the abduction and car theft and that he likely knew the child's whereabouts.OTTAWA – A year after Prime Minister Stephen Harper dismissed galas as the playground of elites, he decided to ham it up a bit at a glittering high society event in Ottawa Saturday. Harper took to the stage, sat down at a grand piano and belted out the Beatles' "With a Little Help from My Friends."
Cellist Yo-Yo Ma, left, reacts to a surprised crowd as he follows special guest Prime Minister Stephen Harper onto the National Arts Centre stage for a surprise performance Oct. 3, 2009 by the prime minister. Harper sang and played piano on the Beatles song, "With a Little Help From My Friends," accompanied by the internationally renowned cellist. Guests at the gala, which helps raise money for youth and the arts, gave him a standing ovation. ( SEAN KILPATRICK / THE CANADIAN PRESS )
He was performing for one of the most elite of audiences: the black-tie gala at the National Arts Centre traditionally attracts the most powerful people in Ottawa society and movers and shakers in Canadian culture. Renowned cellist Yo Yo Ma accompanied Beatles fan Harper. The prime minister held his own musically, and the audience, succumbing to the playful spirit of the surprise guest appearance, rewarded him with a standing ovation.
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Harper's wife, Laureen, is the honorary chairwoman of the NAC gala, which raises money for arts education – this year's tally coming to some $575,000. And though the prime appeared to enjoy himself immensely, he chose not to linger in the limelight, and left the building before the curtain came down on the gala. Harper's dismissive attitude toward culture and the arts was blamed, in large part, for his party's poor showing in Quebec in the 2008 election. His stage act may have been timely, because on Sunday Harper is expected to call four federal bye-elections for November, including two in Quebec, one in Nova Scotia and one in British Columbia.
Read more about:US President-elect Donald Trump walks with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) at the Capitol in Washington, DC, on November 10, 2016. / AFP / YURI GRIPAS (Photo credit should read YURI GRIPAS/AFP/Getty Images) (Photo: YURI GRIPAS, AFP/Getty Images)
Battle Creek-based Kellogg Co. is among more than 360 businesses asking President-elect Donald Trump to follow through on the United States' commitment to combat global climate change.
The group wrote an open letter this week to Trump, President Barack Obama and members of Congress. It has called upon Trump to continue the Paris Climate Agreement, an accord signed by about 180 countries last year dealing with greenhouse gases, mitigating emissions and responding to climate change. Trump has threatened to withdraw the United States from the agreement, Reuters reported this week.
The letter urges the Trump administration to uphold the Paris Agreement because it "will enable and encourage businesses and investors to turn the billions of dollars in existing low-carbon investments into the trillions of dollars the world needs." The businesses said they support world leaders attempting to implement the agreement in an effort to "leverage this historic opportunity to tackle climate change."
Other businesses to sign the letter include Hewlett Packard, Starbucks, General Mills Inc., Nike and Levi Strauss & Co.
Trump previously tweeted that global warming is a hoax "created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive," a comment he's since said was a joke. Additionally, in September, Trump appointed Myron Ebell to lead his transition team for the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Ebell has called climate change "alarmism," and he's the chairman of the Cooler Heads Coalition, a group of nonprofit organizations which "question global warming alarmism and oppose energy rationing policies,” according to its website.
On the EPA's website, the agency states the "evidence is clear" climate change is happening and that humans are "largely responsible" for recent climate change.
Kellogg has not been shy on its position to reduce the impact of climate change. Last year, the company released its climate change policy along with a promise at the New York Times Energy for Tomorrow Conference in Paris to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 65 percent across its operations by 2050.
"Kellogg is more than a business," company Chairman and CEO John Bryant was quoted as saying in December 2015. "We care about nourishing people with our foods, feeding those in need, nurturing our planet, and living our founder's values."
The complete letter and a list of supporting companies is available online at lowcarbonusa.org.
Contact Dillon Davis at 269-966-0698 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @DillonDavis
Read or Share this story: http://bcene.ws/2g2Ec4NImage caption Chevron says it got the leak under control on 13 November
Prosecutors in Brazil are demanding $10.6bn (£6.8bn) from US oil company Chevron for environmental damage caused when one of its oil wells leaked off the coast of Rio de Janeiro.
The prosecutors also asked the court to immediately suspend the operations of Chevron and its drilling contractor, Transocean, in Brazil.
Brazil has already fined Chevron $28m for the spill on 8 November.
A Chevron official said the company had not yet been notified of the suit.
The prosecutors who brought the case argued that "Chevron and Transocean weren't capable of controlling the damages from a spill of 3,000 barrels of oil, which proves a lack of environmental planning and management".
They also accused Chevron of keeping information from Brazil's oil regulator, known by its initials ANP.
Chevron has been banned from drilling any new wells for at least three months, while the ANP investigates the spill.
Chevron has accepted full responsibility for the leak.
The company said it had underestimated the pressure of underwater oil deposits while drilling, causing oil to rush up the bore hole and seep into the surrounding seabed.The truck, carrying a foam insulating material, was destroyed in the blaze
Victims are unidentified and investigators believe it to be an accident
Polish lorry driver is now being interviewed by French police
There was an explosion as it went through customs at Loon-Plague port
Two Britain-bound migrants burn to death in the back of lorry in Dunkirk
A Polish lorry driver was being interviewed by French police today after two UK-bound migrants burned to death in the back of his lorry.
They are the latest in a growing list of would-be asylum seekers to die as they try to get across the Channel.
The horrific tragedy took place outside a ferry terminal near Dunkirk on Wednesday evening.
There was 'an explosion in the trailer' as the HGV travelling from Poland to Britain went through customs at the Loon-Plage port.
'An emergency call was made soon after 7pm,' said a local police spokesman. 'By the time firefighters reached the scene, the tarpaulin cover of the lorry trailer was alight.
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Would-be migrants in Calais, France, are rounded up by police. The town of Calais is home to many hoping to stowaway on lorries crossing the channel to Britain. Stock picture used
'The driver of the lorry, who is Polish, is being interviewed.'
The charred remains of the migrants, who have not been identified, suggested that they had been trying to escape following an explosion.
Dunkirk prosecutor Eric Fouard confirmed that the men were 'carbonised' in the blaze, with an initial enquiry pointing towards 'an accident'.
After visiting the scene, Mr Fouard said the truck, which was carrying foam insulating material, was practically destroyed.
One theory is that a stray cigarette may have caused the fire, and forensic experts are carrying out tests on the remains.
The incident highlights the massive dangers migrants face as they try to get to the UK in the back of lorries.
A group of migrants hide next to the road as they to jump on a lorry as it slows in Calais. Stock picture used
Around 2,500 are currently massing around Calais alone, with many more in other Channel ports such as Dunkirk and Cherbourg. Last month a teenage girl hoping for a new life in Britain was killed as she ran across a motorway in Calais.
The 16-year-old Ethiopian, who would have travelled some 4000 miles to get to northern France, was hit by a car on the massively busy A16 – a road always full of UK-bound trucks.
French police recently increased patrols in the Calais area in a bid to control the worsening problem
Border guards regularly report hundreds of migrants hiding in shrubs along roads leading into the port, with many attempting to jump on lorries as they slow down.
A Sudanese migrant was killed in June after trying to conceal himself under the axle of a British coach in a supermarket car park.
And four migrants died in one week alone in March this year. On March 9 an Albanian man was killed on a motorway outside the town. Three days later, Ethiopian Mesfin Germa was hit by a lorry as he walked to the port.
The body of a 25-year-old Ethiopian man, Senay Berthay, was found in Calais's Batellerie dock on March 14 and the next day a fellow Ethiopian in his 20s was crushed to death by a car while hiding on a vehicle transporter.
It is thought he had been among a group of three men who got on the truck and then realised it was going in the wrong direction.
Calais Mayor Natacha Bouchart has long argued that Britain's 'generous welfare system' is the real cause of the migrant crisis in her town.
She told a House of Commons committee last month that migrants were 'prepared to die' to get their hands on UK benefits.
The mainly Eritreans, Sudanese and Afghans in ports like Dunkirk Calais squat in disused buildings in Calais, or live in temporary camps - ones which the French regularly raze.When Disney turns an old fairy tale like "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" into a movie, you can probably guess that they water down and dress up the original story to make it more friendly to modern audiences. What you may not realize is that stories like "Snow White" and "Beauty and the Beast" are actually ancient tales that have traveled across cultures and languages like a game of telephone. Or that along the way, the tellers put their own little twists on the tale.
5 In Germany's "The Tortoise and the Hare," the Hare Dies Horribly
Laura Valentine
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The Version You've Heard
In "The Tortoise and the Hare," which some of you may only know from one of its many cartoon adaptations, a humble tortoise and a pompous hare have a race. The tortoise is so slow that the hare decides to taunt him by showing off and fucking around for the entire race, but he ultimately gets too distracted by his own dickitry and ends up losing.
The moral of the story: A steady, diligent, hard worker beats a naturally talented asshole every time.
Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images Sport/Getty Images
"Woooh, diligence!"
But when the German authors Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm adapted the tale, they decided it should take a darker turn.
But in the German Version
First off, it's a hedgehog instead of a tortoise, and the pair agree that whoever wins the race gets a bottle of brandy and a gold coin. So right out of the gate, the writers decided that both of these woodland creatures needed to have reached the stage of alcoholism where they treat liquor as currency. SPOILER: All of this is going to culminate in the hare bleeding profusely from the neck. This is not a joke.
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After the bet, the hedgehog runs home to his wife and dresses her up so that they look exactly alike, which says all sorts of things about their marriage, and then takes her with him down to the racetrack. Mrs. Hedgehog hides herself at the finish line, while her husband lines up on the starting point next to the hare. When the race starts, the hare easily dusts Mr. Hedgehog, but when Mrs. Hedgehog hears him approaching the finish line, she hops out and crosses it before him, presumably while asking what the hell took him so long.There are crackpots who believe that the earth is flat, and they don’t deserve to be quoted without explaining that this is an, er, outlying view, and the same goes for a crackpot who has argued that climate change is a Chinese-made hoax, who has called for barring Muslims and who has said that he will build a border wall and that Mexico will pay for it.
We owe it to our readers to signal when we’re writing about a crackpot. Even if he’s a presidential candidate. No, especially when he’s a presidential candidate.
There frankly has been a degree of unreality to some of the campaign discussion: Partly because Hillary Clinton’s narrative is one of a slippery, dishonest candidate, the discussion disproportionately revolves around that theme. Yes, Clinton has been disingenuous and legalistic in her explanations of emails. Meanwhile, Trump is a mythomaniac who appears to have systematically cheated customers of Trump University.
Clinton’s finances are a minefield, which we know because she has released 39 years of tax returns; Trump would be the first major party nominee since Gerald Ford not to release his tax return (even Ford released a tax summary). And every serious analyst knows that Trump is telling a whopper when he gleefully promises to build a $25 billion wall that Mexico will pay for.
Then there’s the question of foundations. Yes, Clinton created conflicts of interest with the family foundation and didn’t fully disclose donors as promised. But the Trump Foundation flat out broke the law by making a political contribution.
It’s also worth avoiding moral equivalence about the work of the two foundations: The Clinton Foundation saves lives around the world from AIDS and malnutrition, while the Trump Foundation used its resources to buy — yes! — a large painting of Trump, as a gift for Trump (that may violate I.R.S. rules as well).
The latest dust-up has been health care. Neither candidate has been very open about health, but Clinton has produced much more detailed medical records than Trump, and an actuarial firm told The Washington Post Fact Checker that Clinton has a 5.9 percent chance of dying by the end of a second term in office, while Trump would have a 8.4 percent chance.In a normal election year, when a nominee for a major political party is not questioning the fundamental process undergirding our 240-year-old democracy, voting machines malfunction.
Occasionally, they malfunction in such a way that votes appear, temporarily, to be “flipped”: a voter intends to vote for Candidate A, but Candidate B’s name is selected on the screen.
This kind of glitch, known aptly as “vote flipping,” happens very rarely. Out of tens of millions of votes cast, there have been a few hundred reports of vote flipping every year for the past decade. This year is no exception. A handful of counties in North Carolina, Texas and Nevada have reported isolated problems with machines vote flipping in the last couple weeks.
But this time around, with Donald Trump alleging on an almost daily basis that the election is being rigged and with unfounded rumors of Russian hackers undermining election results, these run-of-the-mill machine errors have taken on a dark air of conspiracy.
“A lot of call-ins about vote flipping at the voting booths in Texas,” Trump tweeted Thursday morning. “People are not happy. BIG lines. What is going on?”
Commenters on Breitbart.com, a conservative website formerly run by Donald Trump’s campaign manager, Stephen Bannon, have also seized on early reports of vote flipping as “evidence” that the election is indeed being “stolen” by a murky cabal of Washington insiders, the mainstream media and the Clinton campaign.
The truth is much more banal: voting machines are more than a decade old. They’re sticky and glitchy. And people make mistakes.
“You have to remember that the majority of the machines in use today predate the iPhone or the iPad, and most of them use technology from the late ’90s,” Lawrence Norden, a voting technology expert at the Brennan Center for Justice in New York, told TIME. “As these machines age, you start to have hardware issues.”
For example, as the glue that attaches the screen to the machine gets degraded, you get alignment issues, Norden explained. Poll workers and technicians have to recalibrate these machines regularly to ensure the buttons are aligned correctly, he said.
In other cases, it’s a problem of plain old user error, said Pamela Smith, the president of Verified Voting, a nonpartisan organization that advocates for accurate and transparent elections.
In Texas, for example, where a handful of voters reported attempting to vote a straight Republican ticket, but found the Clinton/Kaine ticket selected instead, many precincts use an old, rotary-style voting machine. “If you’re used to using a mouse and then you’re asked to use a track pad, it’s easy to make a mistake,” Smith told TIME. It’s not difficult to imagine that a handful of voters might have the dial land on the wrong line by accident, she said.
But if and when mistakes like that happen, she added, voters can go back and fix them. “If you select one candidate and the other appears on the screen, or if you’re looking at the summary screen, and something doesn’t look right, you can go back to any of the contests and make a change,” she told TIME. And if, for any reason, you don’t trust the machine you’re using, she said, voters should notify the local officials.
“Ask a polling worker to cancel out your session or use a new machine, or cast a paper ballot,” she said.
Another way that voters can protect themselves, Smith added, is to double-check their voting machines’ paper print-outs. In states like North Carolina, where there have been a several reports of vote flipping during early voting in the past few days, all machines produce a hard-copy paper print-out of every vote cast. “That’s your ballot. That’s what gets checked during an audit,” she said.
Norden, who has pushed for state and federal governments to invest in new voting machines, says recent concerns over vote flipping should be seen in the larger context of allegations of election rigging. “If you really stop to think about it, vote flipping doesn’t make sense as a way to rig the election,” he said. “If that was your goal, you wouldn’t tell a voter on the screen that they had selected a different candidate. You wouldn’t make it possible for them to notify authorities or correct their vote.”
Kay Stimson of the National Association of Secretaries of State said the real problem is the current climate of conspiracy, which threatens to undermine the legitimacy of the election itself. Thirty-six states are currently overseeing some form of early voting and the overwhelming majority of precincts have not reported any problems, she said. In the isolated areas where there have been reports of vote flipping, officials have taken the appropriate steps to recalibrate machines and, in some instances, have taken them out of circulation.
In Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, for example, two machines were removed from a polling place after complaints of vote flipping, according to National Public Radio. Technicians were not able to later duplicate the problem.
“There’s a lot of anxiety about rigged elections and Russian hackers so this kind of concern could give people the wrong impression about the legitimacy of the process,” said Stimson. “There’s a real concern that that kind of rhetoric could blow up.”
Write to Haley Sweetland Edwards at [email protected] is the Digital Art Device?
DAD, the Digital Art Device, is a full holistic system dedicated to the delivery and display of digital and video art. We propose two standalone hardware products: a DAD dedicated screen and the DAD drive. Purchasing one of either will afford access to exceptional video and digital artworks, available to buy or rent via a subscription service.
The DAD fully integrated art-screen is a beautifully conceived flat screen, ready to install in your home, with an easy-to-use app, accessible across all wireless devices. The DAD drive offers the same high quality service, but to those who already have a non-dedicated screen in their homes. The DAD drive links up to your existing screen or projector, giving you access to our curated content.
DAD brings a unique fine art approach with its video and digital art platform. It is our intention to present museum quality artwork, that is both aesthetically engaging and of unique cultural value. Our first-hand experience working in the contemporary art world has taught us that technology has a role to play in informing artistic practices, but above all, it is quality and unique concepts that win through. It is for this reason we plan to work with the most respected and innovative contemporary curators and artists. DAD is your ticket to the private view you can’t fly to, or the gallery you’d like to visit but haven’t found the time to. It’s about coming home from that groundbreaking show at MoMA and still having MoMA in your living room.
We hope you enjoy DAD.
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Qu'est-ce que le Digital Art Device?
DAD, le Digital Art Device, est une plateforme dédiée aux œuvres d’art vidéo et digitales. Nous proposons deux produits distincts : le tableau digital DAD et la DAD drive. En acquérant l’un de ces produits, vous aurez accès à un catalogue d’œuvres exceptionnelles disponibles à la vente ou à la location par le biais d’un abonnement.
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DAD propose une sélection pointue d’œuvres d’art vidéo et digitales à travers sa plateforme. Nous présentons des œuvres de qualité muséale à la fois esthétiques et exigeantes. Notre parcours dans l’art contemporain nous a démontré que la technologie permet de rendre l’art accessible au plus grand nombre tout en conservant la qualité et la rareté de l’œuvre. C’est pourquoi nous souhaitons collaborer avec les commissaires d’exposition et les artistes les plus réputés et innovants de notre époque. DAD vous permet d’assister au vernissage que vous auriez manqué ou de visiter une galerie loin de chez vous. Imaginez la dernière exposition digitale du MOMA diffusée directement dans votre salon.
Nous espérons que vous apprécierez DAD.
- Carlos et Vincent
The DAD Drive offers members, who already have an HD TV or projector, access to the complete DAD system. Simply connect your DAD drive to the HDMI port on your flat screen or video projector. Full HD artworks are stocked on the 500 gigabyte drive, and are diffused without streaming in their original optimal quality. The DAD drive includes wi-fi, bluetooth, multi-format media player, and a 2.4 Ghz processor, and is available in a matte black or aluminum finish.
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DAD brings a museum-quality, gallery experience into your home or business
The DAD drive mounts to the back of your own screen
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An open edition of "Schwarm 2015 II Türkis" by Andreas Nicolas Fischer. Purchased artwork will not include watermark.
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For the full-on digital art experience, the DAD integrated screen is a beautifully conceived 42-inch, high |
course, it’s not as if Coppolella was just a rogue, lower-level employee; he was entrusted with significant decision-making authority and was the face of the front office to the public.
We heard earlier today that former Braves exec and current Royals GM Dayton Moore is not expected to depart for Atlanta — a possibility that many have cited as a potential out for the Braves, but one that might require the departure of Hart (as well as interest from Moore and permission by Kansas City). And based upon Rosenthal’s report, it seems the expectation is that Hart will continue to lead the charge in finding a new GM and overseeing a broader realignment of internal personnel.
Timelines on all of these threads — the league investigation, hiring of a GM, and assessment and actions on current Braves employees — are not yet known. There are a few weeks yet to go before the organization will begin making key offseason decisions, and the continued presence of Hart would presumably help with continuity. Still, it’s obviously imperative for the Braves that they receive and deal with the punishment that’s expected while lining things up for a hectic offseason to come.
Just what kinds of sanctions might be anticipated? Per Rosenthal, “a substantial fine, a loss of prospects and restrictions on the Braves’ participation in the international market” are all on the table. The devil here is in the details, of course, as that slate of possible demerits could either be relatively light or rather compelling, depending upon how extensively applied.
Broadly speaking, we still don’t know how all of this will turn out. And it’s far from clear that the Braves will be fully diverted from their course — which, the organization hoped, would soon reach a stage of contending. But it’s also not yet apparent just how president John Schuerholz or the corporate ownership at Liberty Media feel about things. And given the evident severity of the misdeeds committed, it certainly seems as if further internal turmoil can be anticipated before the team is ready again to return its sole focus to the on-field product.CLOSE USA Today Entertain This reporter Jaleesa M. Jones speaks with Gabrielle Union, John Wall, Neve Campbell, Miles Teller and Rosario Dawson about what they’re looking forward to and are going to miss about Obama’s White House Correspondents Dinner. Jarrad Henderson, USA TODAY
U.S. President Barack Obama speaks at the 102nd White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington, DC, on April 30, 2016. (Photo11: Nicholas Kamm, AFP/Getty Images)
President Obama literally dropped the mic at Saturday's White House Correspondents' Dinner, where politicians, journalists, stars and even dogs (Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher's, to be exact) gathered.
Prior to Obama's customary riffs, guests at Washington's Hilton Hotel ballroom were treated to a blooper reel, splicing the president's various fumbles, including knocking over audio equipment, calling Today show host Matt Lauer "Tim" and branding Kanye West a "jackass" in one infamous, "hot mic" moment.
"I was running on C.P.T," Obama explained when he finally took the podium. "Which stands for jokes that white people should not make."
The jab was a pointed reference to a recent exchange between Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who attributed his delayed endorsement of Clinton to "C.P. Time" or "Colored People's Time."
Obama's skewering of the tone-deaf joke was just one of the zingers lobbed at the presidential hopefuls. The president also took aim at Republican candidate Donald Trump. "It is surprising — you have a room full of reporters, celebrities, cameras. And he says, 'No.' Is this dinner too tacky for The Donald? What could he be possibly doing instead? Is he at home, eating a Trump Steak? Tweeting out insults to Angela Merkel? What's he doing?"
Obama later complimented Democratic candidate and dinner attendee Bernie Sanders, saying, "Bernie, you look like a million bucks. Or, to put it in terms you understand, you look like 37,000 donations of $27 each."
But Obama wasn't all jokes. He celebrated the presence of The Washington Post’s Jason Rezaian, who — on the heels of his release from a nearly 18-month-long detainment in Iran — was on-site to present awards to the Wall Street Journal's Carol Lee, CBS This Morning's Norah O'Donnell, the Boston Globe's Matt Viser, The Washington Post's Terrence McCoy and InsideClimate's Neela Banerjee, Lisa Song, David Hasemyer and John Cushman Jr.
"Last time this year, we spoke of Jason’s courage as he endured the isolation of an Iranian prison. This year, we see that courage in the flesh, and it’s a living testament to the very idea of a free press," Obama said before thanking the press corps for their tireless work.
Rosario Dawson — who attended as USA TODAY's guest alongside stars like the Washington Wizards' John Wall, Miles Teller (Divergent), Gabrielle Union (Being Mary Jane), Neve Campbell (House of Cards), Wendi McLendon-Covey (Bridesmaids, The Goldbergs), and Kendall Jenner — said Obama brought a different energy to the annual affair, an "electric" one.
"There's a connectivity with (the Obamas) and it feels seamless," she told USA TODAY during the pre-dinner reception. "Thinking of (Obama) as a community organizer and, like, how that’s grown into the presidency, I think it’s really incredibly inspiring. We need that level of inspiration. It’s going to be hard to see that go."
Scandal star Kerry Washington echoed Dawson’s sentiments, calling the farewell gala "bittersweet." "I think the only people happy that it’s his last Correspondents’ Dinner is the comedy world because he’s always funnier than every comedian," she told USA TODAY at the dinner.
Indeed, host Larry Wilmore jokingly told the president to "stay in his lane" before diving into his roast. "President Obama's hair is so white, it's started saying 'All Lives Matter,'" Wilmore teased before later adding, "All I’m saying is that in less than eight years, Mr. President, you've busted two time-honored stereotypes: Black does crack and, apparently, once you go black, it looks like we are going back. Thanks, Ben Carson."
The Nightly Show host then took shots at the media and presidential aspirants Sanders, Clinton, Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz, though he ultimately ended on a solemn note.
"I've always joked that I voted for the president because he's black," Wilmore said. "But behind that joke is the humble appreciation for the historical implications for what your presidency means. When I was a kid, I lived in a country where people couldn't accept a black quarterback. Now think about that. A black man was thought by his mere color not good enough to lead a football team. And now to live in your time, Mr. President, when a black man can lead the entire free world. Words alone do me no justice."
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/26GldRZSurprise! We’ve launched a new game on Steam! It’s made entirely by multi-talented Mojangsta, Henrik Pettersson, and you can get it right now for free!
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Marsh - @marshdaviesWhat separates ordinary from extraordinary is perspective. Or the leftover baggie of shrooms in your back pocket. Cyrena Lee blurs the line between work and play when a business trip turns into a mindbending airborne experience.
NEW YORK CITY – I woke up with a start the wintry morning of a 7 a.m flight to Chicago. I've had a strange fear of missing flights ever since an extended lunch left me stranded in Casablanca, and, sure enough, I thought I overslept. In the dark hours before sunrise, I quickly zipped my suitcase and fumbled out the door.
In the cab to LaGuardia, I realized that I had forgotten to pack my gloves and to unpack the leftover mushrooms from a weekend upstate. My cold fingers thumbed the bag and I weighed my options. Wasting the shrooms was not one of them, and neither was a confrontation with the TSA. And so, reader, I ate them.
Bold decision. I know it seems a little crazy, but my 2015 resolution was to blur the lines between work, life, and play and to push new boundaries. What better way than to travel for work with some hallucinogenic-addled pleasure?
The drugs started to kick in at check-in. I felt a wobbly sensation overtake me, my senses on high alert. I was suddenly all too aware of the artificial, harsh lighting everywhere. If you've never done mushrooms before, an airport is not the place to start. The beauty of fungus is that it brings to life the natural, inherent beauty of the world. How alive everything is. If you want to shroom or the first time, you should start in a forest.
I could see the cold, constructed world of LaGuardia with an entirely new lens. I was tripping on my trip, getting high in the sky.
But first I had to remain focused. The digital check-in stand spat out my flimsy boarding pass and luggage tag. I saw the words "TEAR HERE" and obliged willingly, only to be scolded by a staff member that I'd ripped it in half and that a new one would have to be printed. She disappeared with my ID and boarding pass for what seemed like forever, and I had to ward off a slight panic attack and the thought that she was just a figment of my imagination. (Thank you, meditation, for the training in slow, concentrated breathing.) She returned and took my bag. Freed of the extra weight, I made my way through the sleepy airport to security, an area animated with a harried mess of passengers uniformly stripping, assembly-line style, to get to the gates.
I breathed a sigh of relief when I made it through security unscathed. (Didn't they know?) I bought a bottle of water. "$5.83," the robotic teenage clerk told me. So short. So practiced. So bored. I gave him a goofy smile, trying to uplift the monotony of his morning.
Ears buzzing, I sat down at the gate and waited to board. Everyone around me was a zombie, either sleeping or scrolling endlessly through their smartphone. A pretty Asian girl with comically large glasses and perfect makeup across from me was attempting to eat a sandwich enveloped in plastic with one hand — the other was permanently attached to her iPhone. I was sure I saw a dark cloud of discontent shadowing the face of a dark-haired, greasy young man who was also sitting alone, spacing out. Then again, maybe he was just high on something else. Nobody is really awake at 6:30 in the morning. Or maybe ever. I closed my eyes to breathe and pretended I was a completely normal person, bored while waiting for her flight to board.
On the gangway to the plane, the excitement of impending travel kicked in, and I started to giggle. Because I was tripping balls. This was definitely one of the boldest life choices I've made. When I walked through first class, everything became a little Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. A young blond dude who looked like Patrick Bateman in headphones glared at me for a split second before returning to the business section of his newspaper. His eyes darted around quickly, hungry for that next deal. Is he a werewolf? His teeth looked a little fang-y. A young couple in puppy love sat together, leaning in close to debate which movie to watch. Were they panda bears? They were dressed in black and white. A smug, older man who looked like Salman Rushdie in an expensive merino wool sweater sat with his eyes looking down at his phone, balanced on his large stomach. Was he....Buddha?
Pause for a reality check: I remembered that I had a job handling social media, and snapped a photo out a window.
Oblivious to the travel experience. Photo by Cyrena Lee.
I settled into my seat, nestled between two strangers. The guy to my left smiled as if he wanted to strike up a conversation. I smiled back blankly because I couldn't remember if I had adjusted my seat in the 30 seconds since I had sat down. The girl to my right pulled down the window shade, put on an eye mask, and dozed off. Some window seat neighbor she was, denying us a view. Who does she think she is, controlling the collective sunlight in row 21?
Maybe it was the shrooms, but I noticed how jaded travelers are. All the passengers settled in and checked out, leaning back, eyes closed, anxious to get to their destination. Everyone was missing the best part of airplane travel: take-off. Why doesn't anyone get excited about the sensation of going from ground to air anymore?
I soaked it all in. The gentle rumble of the airplane that escalated into a loud whirring at lift-off. The beautiful sunrise light cascading through any open windows. The practiced, cheery speech of the flight attendants to those in exit rows. The way I could feel the plane dipping up and down through the air. The anticipation of going somewhere exciting, heart racing like the ascent of a roller coaster. The sheer incredible magic of flight.
Tears of joy started streaming down my face. I couldn't stop smiling, biting my lip to contain my laughter at the absurdity of the situation. Even the frightened meows of a poor caged cat in the row behind me was hilariously beautiful. I drank my water, replenishing the liquid being lost from my leaking eyes.
A blonde girl seated in front of me was thumbing through a tabloid. I couldn't stop staring at the content that was so clearly brainwashing propaganda for mind-numbing consumerism. The headlines were terrifying, barely concealing their true insidious nature. 8 TRENDS TO TRY IN 2015 really means "Useless Fast Fashion to Buy in an Attempt to Emulate Celebrities with Far Less Money But Still Money You Probably Shouldn't Spend." She flipped a page. $26 MILLION DOLLAR CASTLE. "Real Life Barbie Dream House Distraction for Grown-ups Who Should Invest in a 401K Instead."
I wrote down these all of these observations in my Moleskine, and made lists of my friends who don't ever read tabloids that I owed letters to, to tell them how much I loved them. I really do love them.
The stewardesses strolled down the aisles with their metal beverage cart for a second time, indicating that landing was at hand. Time, of course, meant nothing to me. I asked for a cup of coffee. It was terrible and smelled toxic, but I was grateful to have it to sober up a bit. A few sips later, I had to face my biggest challenge yet: moving to go to the bathroom. I asked a flight attendant, "Um, excuse me, do you think, do you think that I have enough time to go to the bathroom?" Again, time, a concept I was struggling with. He mumbled "yeah" and scurried away, giving me a look as if I had just asked if I could lick his forehead.
I made it to the bathroom and took a look in the mirror: My hair was a mess and my face red and puffy, still sticky from the rows of dried tears. Super professional, I thought to myself. Don't freak out, I told the mirror. (Thank you again, meditation practice.) I washed my face to make myself somewhat presentable.
The landing was smooth, and suddenly I was in Chicago. It was lively at 9 a.m. and noticeably brighter and lighter than New York. I sent a text message to my co-workers on an earlier flight from Boston to tell them I had landed and not to wait for me. They called me to inform me that they had checked bags, so wait they would. I gulped and texted one of them the following: "Hey. So, I had some leftover mushrooms in my bag and on the way to the airport I kind of ate them because of security...and yeah. Just FYI. That's where my head is right now. Don't tell anyone."
When I found them, I discovered that he had read the text out loud. Lesson learned: always start text messages with a disclaimer at the beginning. They greeted me with smiles and made it clear that I would never live this one down.
My trip ended, but my journey was far from over. The best part of a trip can be each and every moment. You just have to pay attention.
BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE
Meet the Traveler: Cyrena Lee
Who Even Knew Airports Had Yoga Rooms?
When You Travel Alone, You Belong to EveryonePope Francis will visit a jail as part of his trip to South America later this year, the Vatican announced on Friday. Andrew Medichini/AP
By NICOLE WINFIELD, Associated Press
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis will visit a notoriously violent prison in Bolivia, a flood-prone shanty town in Paraguay and a home for the elderly in Ecuador during his July 5-12 visit to South America.
The Vatican on Friday released the itinerary for Francis' second visit to his home continent, a three-nation whirlwind tour featuring 22 speeches that will likely focus on some of the key concerns of his pontificate.
He will meet with heads of state and religious leaders of each country, and participate in a world meeting of popular movements in Bolivia.
When Francis met with the grassroots groups last year at the Vatican, he delivered an off-the-cuff, mini-encyclical on the rights of the poor, the injustices of unemployment, and the need for environmental protection — issues he'll likely raise again on his home turf.
Francis arrives in Quito, Ecuador on July 5 and the following day flies to Guayaquil to celebrate Mass and meet with the community of his Jesuit order. He'll meet with students, priests and residents at a home for the elderly in Ecuador before flying to La Paz, Bolivia.
He'll spend only a few hours in Bolivia's high-altitude capital before traveling onto to Santa Cruz in the eastern lowlands July 8.
One of the highlights of the trip will be his July 10 visit to the Palmasola maximum-security prison outside Santa Cruz, where a battle among inmate gangs in 2013 left 30 people dead. As in many Latin American prisons, inmates largely control the inside of Palmasola, which teems with some 3,500 prisoners, more than four in five still awaiting trial.
Francis has met with prisoners on most of his foreign trips and recently celebrated Mass for inmates at Rome's main prison. He has denounced the death penalty as "inadmissible" and life terms as a "hidden death penalty."
Francis arrives in Paraguay on the afternoon of July 10 and visits a children's hospital before traveling to the Banado Norte shanty on the banks of the Rio Paraguay. The area floods each year but the municipal lands still attract the poorest of Bolivians.
___
Follow Nicole Winfield at www.twitter.com/nwinfieldSubmitted by Northman Trader
The Greek Butterfly Effect
Many times nothing happens for a long time. Then all of a sudden everything happens at once. Like a dam break. It builds slowly and then it bursts. Example: Who would have ever thought the Confederate flag would be taken down across the South during the same week that a rainbow flag is symbolically hoisted across the entire country? Just because things seem unthinkable doesn’t mean they won’t happen.
Take the global debt construct as another example. For decades the world has immersed itself in ever higher debt. The general attitude has been one of indifference. Oh well, it just goes higher. Doesn’t really impact me or so the complacent rationalize.
When the financial crisis brought the world to the brink of financial collapse the solution was based on a single principle:
Make the math workable.
In the US the 4 principle “solutions” to make the math workable were to:
1. End mark to market which had the basic effect of allowing institutions to work with fictitious balance sheets and claim financial viability.
2. Engage in unprecedented fiscal deficits to grow the economy. To this day the US, and the world for that matter, runs deficits. Every single year. The result: Global GDP has been, and continues to be overstated as a certain percentage of growth remains debt financed and not purely organically driven.
3. QE, to flush the system with artificial liquidity, the classic printing press to create demand out of thin air.
4. ZIRP. Generally ZIRP has been sold to the public as an incentive program to stimulate lending and thereby generate wage growth & inflation. While it could be argued it had some success in certain areas such as housing, the larger evidence suggests that ZIRP is not about growth at all.
If ZIRP’s true goal were to stimulate growth the result of this:
…would not have produced this:
No, ZIRP’s true purpose is actually much more sinister:
To make global debt serviceable. To make the math work without a default.
Here’s the reality: If we had “normalized” rates tomorrow the entire financial system would collapse under the weight of the math. In short: Default.
Which brings us to Greece the butterfly, the truth and indeed the future:
Greece for all its structural faults is the most prominent victim of fictitious numbers. From the original Goldman Sachs deal to get them into the EU based on fantasy numbers and to numerous bail-outs, the simple truth has always been the same: The math doesn’t work.
It never has and it never will until there is a default on at least some of the debt.
And in this context the Greek government’s move to call for a public referendum on July 5 may be a very clever strategic move as it forces the issue of math.
Here’s the strategic frame-up:
Ultimately what Greece needs is debt relief. Big time debt relief to make the math work.
The global cabal of creditors, ECB, EU, and IMF do not want that.
Why not? Because the very second they do this the classroom will look like this:
Everybody would want a cut on their debt starting with Italy, Spain, Portugal etc. and the dominos would be rolling.
No, they do not want this as a default would require acknowledging that debt matters.
What are the alternatives?
Greece’s referendum move risks putting a debt deal up for a vote to citizens. When has that ever happened? Have Americans every voted on their government’s debt spree? Have citizens ever had a say on their central bank’s policies and balance sheet expansions? The answer is no. This so ever important element of our global economic system is completely removed from voters.
And so Yanis Varoufakis is very much correct in highlighting this open secret:
Democracy deserved a boost in euro-related matters. We just delivered it. Let the people decide. (Funny how radical this concept sounds!) — Yanis Varoufakis (@yanisvaroufakis) June 26, 2015
No, voters are very much not permitted to participate in this decision making process. And hence the only reason a Greek referendum may actually proceed is this: To make an example of Greece. You want to default? Watch what we will do to Greece.
But that’s a big gamble for the EU, for the ECB, the IMF and everybody else including China and the US.
Why? Because all of them have carefully orchestrated a construct that they do no want to see disturbed. It’s not an accident that we have seen 46+ rate cuts this year. It’s not an accident that China announced another rate cut just a day after Chinese stocks plummeted 7% this past Friday. It was no accident that the Fed’s Bullard talked about QE4 in October the moment US stocks got close to a 10% correction.
No, you see their primary mission in their timed actions and their words: To make the math work. And to continue to make the math work.
And hence Janet Yellen is not delaying rate hikes because she is “data dependent”. She is dealing in reality: Over $18 trillion in US debt (and ever growing) a large portion of which needs to be refinanced over the next 5 years. And higher rates will become an ever larger burden on the discretionary budget of the US. And the world, heavily indebted that it is, has the same problem:
Math.
So this next week is not so much about Greece the butterfly, but it is about keeping the butterfly from becoming a hindrance to the math working globally. And the Greek government knows this. They are negotiating on the basis that a bad Greek deal from Europe’s point of view is better than a default. Angela Merkel wanted a concluded Greek deal before markets open on Monday. Now she has a mess.
And in the world of gamesmanship every percentage drop in the #DAX will enhance Greece’s negotiation stance.
This past week saw a massive rally in the #DAX in the hopes that a deal would certainly be positively concluded. Now this weekend all this bullish sentiment may find itself tested come Sunday night and Monday morning unless Europe blinks quickly. China is doing its part to support the construct with this latest rate cut, but the ECB can’t be happy about its QE program challenged by the constant Greece distraction:
As we outlined in technical charts a default of Greece would risk a structural repeat of 2011:
And it couldn’t come at a worse time:
No, odds are they’re not going to let Greece default. They can’t afford to. The math has to work.BART power failure caused by technician hitting emergency command
A BART conductor looks to see that all passengers have boarded the train at the Daly City BART stop in Daly City, California, on Monday, April 11, 2016. A BART conductor looks to see that all passengers have boarded the train at the Daly City BART stop in Daly City, California, on Monday, April 11, 2016. Photo: Gabrielle Lurie, Special To The Chronicle Photo: Gabrielle Lurie, Special To The Chronicle Image 1 of / 20 Caption Close BART power failure caused by technician hitting emergency command 1 / 20 Back to Gallery
A BART technician accidentally entered an emergency-scenario computer command Wednesday morning, shutting off power to the entire transit system for about 20 minutes and creating residual delays on every train and every direction for the next hour.
The power failed at 10:24 a.m., causing trains to go into manual mode as transit officials worked to restore the automatic train control system, said Taylor Huckaby, a BART spokesman. The command the technician inadvertantly hit is usually only used during emergency trainings, he added.
Trains were delayed as much as 20 minutes following the power issue. By 11:20 a.m., the delays were down to about 10 minutes. An hour later, trains were running roughly on schedule.
BART officials apologized for the delays and said they are working to change the emergency power shut-down command so that it requires two people, rather than one, to activate.
Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: [email protected] Twitter: kveklerovRussia’s hosting of the 2018 World Cup faces a slew of challenges including poor infrastructure, human rights abuses and travel difficulties. But there’s another problem looming: A possible Cold War-like boycott of the event.
At least, that’s a possibility being pushed by some European diplomats, according to The Financial Times. They are looking into suspending Russia from “high-profile international cultural, economic or sporting events,” which would include the World Cup.
Although the idea is merely a trail balloon at this point, it comes ahead of the European Commission’s debate on Wednesday about placing additional economic sanctions on Russia because of its continued incursions into Ukraine. The sanctions would include a ban against Russian defense and energy companies making use of European capital markets. A previous round cracked down on business by Russia’s state-owned banks.
The United States, of course, has already implemented a series of economic sanctions.
The potential boycott of the World Cup comes with some notable back story. In 1980, for example, the United States boycotted the Olympic Games in Moscow after the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan a year earlier. In response, Eastern bloc countries boycotted the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
But FIFA, the governing body for soccer, has already said it would not support a new host for the 2018 games. After Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine by suspected pro-Russian rebels, FIFA announced that “history has shown so far that boycotting sport events or a policy of isolation or confrontation are not the most effective ways to solve problems.”
Instead, the statement continued that such an event could help foster peace among nations. “The hosting of the FIFA World Cup with the global attention it attracts can be a powerful catalyst for constructive dialogue between people and governments, helping to bring positive social developments,” FIFA said.
Of course, the push for a World Cup boycott comes four years before the actual start of the planned tournament. A lot can change between now and then.Fighting Two Cylcops' [0.34.11] a guest Apr 21st, 2015 870 Never a guest870Never
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rawdownloadcloneembedreportprint text 3.99 KB You lash The Cyclops in the lower body with your silver whip, bruising the muscle and bruising the spleen! You strike The Cyclops in the left hand with your iron shield, bruising the fat! The Cyclops charges at You! The Cyclops misses You! The Cyclops collides with You! You are knocked over! The Cyclops misses You! The Cyclops attacks You but You scramble away! The Cyclops attacks You but You scramble away! You stand up. The Cyclops misses You! The Cyclops charges at You! The Cyclops misses You! The Cyclops collides with You! You are knocked over! The Cyclops strikes at You but the shot is blocked! The Cyclops attacks You but You roll away! The Cyclops strikes at You but the shot is blocked! You stand up. The Cyclops charges at You! The Cyclops misses You! The Cyclops collides with You! You are knocked over! The Cyclops strikes at You but the shot is blocked! You counterstrike! You lash The Cyclops in the upper body with your silver whip, bruising the muscle and bruising the left lung! The Cyclops strikes at You but the shot is blocked! You counterstrike! You miss The Cyclops! The Cyclops strikes at You but the shot is blocked! You counterstrike! You miss The Cyclops! The Cyclops strikes at You but the shot is blocked! You counterstrike! You punch The Cyclops in the thumb, right hand with your left hand, tearing the skin and bruising the muscle! The Cyclops strikes at You but the shot is blocked! You strike The Cyclops in the eye with your iron shield, bruising the eyelid's skin! The Cyclops strikes at You but the shot is blocked! You are no longer stunned. The Cyclops misses You! The Cyclops misses You! The Cyclops attacks You but You scramble away! You stand up. You kick The Cyclops in the second finger, right hand with your left foot, tearing the skin and bruising the muscle! You attack The Cyclops but She rolls away! The Cyclops charges at You! The Cyclops misses You! The Cyclops collides with You! You are knocked over and tumble backward! The Cyclops misses You! You stand up. The Cyclops charges at You! The Cyclops misses You! The Cyclops collides with You! You are knocked over! The Cyclops stands up. The Cyclops grabs You by the third toe, right foot with her left hand! The Cyclops releases the grip of The Cyclops's left hand on Your third toe, right foot. You are no longer stunned. You stand up. You scratch The Cyclops in the right upper arm, tearing the fat and bruising the muscle! The Cyclops charges at You! The Cyclops misses You! The Cyclops collides with You! You are knocked over! The Cyclops attacks You but You roll away! You stand up. You lash The Cyclops in the head with your silver whip, bruising the muscle and tearing the upper spine's nervous tissue! The Cyclops falls over. You lash The Cyclops in the head with your silver whip, bruising the muscle, jamming the skull through the brain and tearing the brain! The Cyclops has been knocked unconscious! Mudi Shudthran Len Athod, Cyclops has been struck down. The Cyclops stands up. You attack The Cyclops but She jumps away! The Cyclops misses You! You punch The Cyclops in the right upper leg with your left hand, bruising the muscle! You lash The Cyclops in the head with your silver whip, bruising the muscle, jamming the skull through the brain and tearing the brain! The Cyclops has been knocked unconscious! Thakom Kakthrilrug Lenge Thad, Cyclops has been struck down. You pick up the Nish Amnek 125 gold coin and put it in your llama wool backpack. You pick up the Lemhuhdur Sabu Irumjeha gold coin and put it in your llama wool backpack. You pick up the Lemhuhdur Sabu Irumjeha copper coin and put it in your llama wool backpack. You pick up the ‹teb Ator 125 copper coin and put it in your llama wool backpack. You pick up the Bomrek K–bukakrel's bone [23] and put it in your llama wool backpack. You drop the dwarf meat [3]. You drop Bomrek K–bukakrel's bone [23]. You pick up the dwarf meat [3] and put it in your llama wool backpack. You eat the dwarf meat [3].
RAW Paste Data
You lash The Cyclops in the lower body with your silver whip, bruising the muscle and bruising the spleen! You strike The Cyclops in the left hand with your iron shield, bruising the fat! The Cyclops charges at You! The Cyclops misses You! The Cyclops collides with You! You are knocked over! The Cyclops misses You! The Cyclops attacks You but You scramble away! The Cyclops attacks You but You scramble away! You stand up. The Cyclops misses You! The Cyclops charges at You! The Cyclops misses You! The Cyclops collides with You! You are knocked over! The Cyclops strikes at You but the shot is blocked! The Cyclops attacks You but You roll away! The Cyclops strikes at You but the shot is blocked! You stand up. The Cyclops charges at You! The Cyclops misses You! The Cyclops collides with You! You are knocked over! The Cyclops strikes at You but the shot is blocked! You counterstrike! You lash The Cyclops in the upper body with your silver whip, bruising the muscle and bruising the left lung! The Cyclops strikes at You but the shot is blocked! You counterstrike! You miss The Cyclops! The Cyclops strikes at You but the shot is blocked! You counterstrike! You miss The Cyclops! The Cyclops strikes at You but the shot is blocked! You counterstrike! You punch The Cyclops in the thumb, right hand with your left hand, tearing the skin and bruising the muscle! The Cyclops strikes at You but the shot is blocked! You strike The Cyclops in the eye with your iron shield, bruising the eyelid's skin! The Cyclops strikes at You but the shot is blocked! You are no longer stunned. The Cyclops misses You! The Cyclops misses You! The Cyclops attacks You but You scramble away! You stand up. You kick The Cyclops in the second finger, right hand with your left foot, tearing the skin and bruising the muscle! You attack The Cyclops but She rolls away! The Cyclops charges at You! The Cyclops misses You! The Cyclops collides with You! You are knocked over and tumble backward! The Cyclops misses You! You stand up. The Cyclops charges at You! The Cyclops misses You! The Cyclops collides with You! You are knocked over! The Cyclops stands up. The Cyclops grabs You by the third toe, right foot with her left hand! The Cyclops releases the grip of The Cyclops's left hand on Your third toe, right foot. You are no longer stunned. You stand up. You scratch The Cyclops in the right upper arm, tearing the fat and bruising the muscle! The Cyclops charges at You! The Cyclops misses You! The Cyclops collides with You! You are knocked over! The Cyclops attacks You but You roll away! You stand up. You lash The Cyclops in the head with your silver whip, bruising the muscle and tearing the upper spine's nervous tissue! The Cyclops falls over. You lash The Cyclops in the head with your silver whip, bruising the muscle, jamming the skull through the brain and tearing the brain! The Cyclops has been knocked unconscious! Mudi Shudthran Len Athod, Cyclops has been struck down. The Cyclops stands up. You attack The Cyclops but She jumps away! The Cyclops misses You! You punch The Cyclops in the right upper leg with your left hand, bruising the muscle! You lash The Cyclops in the head with your silver whip, bruising the muscle, jamming the skull through the brain and tearing the brain! The Cyclops has been knocked unconscious! Thakom Kakthrilrug Lenge Thad, Cyclops has been struck down. You pick up the Nish Amnek 125 gold coin and put it in your llama wool backpack. You pick up the |
egans seem to at least recognize the words racism, sexism, classism, ableism and speciesism, but ageism is consistently left off that list of oppressions. Erasure. Silencing. Stereotyping older people as useless, past their prime, set in their ways and not able to contribute to the vegan movement. As one vegan once posted on Facebook, “Taking a stand against ageism feels too much like a single issue campaign, not really worth the effort. People need to just go vegan.” Really? Ageism is just a single issue campaign?
PeTA is well known for its sexist advertising campaigns involving young women who pose partially or completely nude in an effort to get the public to stop eating or otherwise harming animals, e.g. celebrity Pamela Anderson posed in an almost non-existent bikini with her body marked off in the same way a butcher marks off the body parts of a cow—just to make the point that “All Animals Have the Same Parts.” Few would be surprised to learn that particular ad was banned in Montreal, Canada over the blatant sexism (Cavanagh, 2010), but how many people are aware that PeTA sponsors a Sexiest Vegan Over 50 contest? Judging is based on the entrant’s enthusiasm for their vegan lifestyle and “PeTA’s assessment of your physical attractiveness (PeTA, 2014).” Through a contest that objectifies women aged 50 and older, the public learns that a vegan lifestyle and diet should lead to what really matters in life—physical attractiveness. As if women don’t face enough pressure when they’re young to conform to standards of beauty created and institutionalized by men, they now have to face those same sexist standards as they age.
Of course, there are other stereotypes of older women in the animal rights movement. The Grumpy Old Vegans (GOV) Facebook page continues to use an avatar or logo depicting an older man and older woman with pronounced wrinkles, unfashionable clothing, grey hair, sour expressions and the woman is wearing pearl jewelry, a most un-vegan adornment (Grumpy Old Vegans, 2015). The representation of this pair as perpetually grumpy serves to stereotype older people, women in particular, as crotchety and is a form of ageism. While there is little doubt that if the GOV Facebook page used a logo featuring a couple in blackface or Native Americans as r-skins there would be a great public outcry, to date few have spoken up against the ageism of the wrinkle-bound couple logo.
Considering that vegans claim veganism is against all oppression, it is distressing to see them rank order which oppressions matter the most and which ones don’t even make the list, namely ageism. At the very least a definition of ageism is needed, explaining why and how it affects women more than men. Ageist stereotypes of older women affect the way they are stigmatized and contribute to their erasure from public concern. It is also important to explore how it is that men in leadership roles of the vegan animal rights movement can be so dismissive of older voices, particularly the voices of women.
AGEISM: The definition of ageism is straightforward–it is discrimination and prejudice against people based on their age, and is directed toward the very young as well as those who are considered old or elderly. Ageism is structural or systemic in our social world, meaning people learn it and enact it through social institutions, language, and organizations. People often don’t notice when they’re socially reproducing ageism, e.g. it is commonplace when someone forgets where they put something to say they’re having a senior moment, as if aging is universally defined by memory loss. Ageism is a relationship of power in that the dominant group in society uses ageism to oppress, exploit and silence those who are very young or much older. Just as the vegan animal rights movement stands against racism, sexism, ableism, classism, and speciesism, it stands against ageism—or at least some movement members claim it does. That remains to be seen.
STEREOTYPING: The tools of ageism are stereotyping and attaching stigmas to older people. Stereotypes are overly simple, fixed, rigid or exaggerated beliefs about an entire group or population of people. Stereotypes can lead to and be used to justify prejudice and discrimination. Aging women experience stereotyping more than men. Their bodies are criticized based on wrinkles, weight, hair color, posture, incontinence and overall loss of beauty; men may be similarly criticized, but are most likely regarded as distinguished in their later years and have the social capital—kinship, friendships, co-workers—to slough off negative stereotypes. Some of the most often used stereotypes of older people include:
1) All old people get sick and have disabilities, including hearing loss, urinary incontinence and blindness.
2) Old people are incapable of learning anything new; they are set in their ways.
3) Old women are a burden on everyone.
4) “Old people are grouchy and cantankerous.” (The Senior Citizen Times, 2011)
These and other stereotypes are communicated in multiple ways throughout the vegan animal rights movement. In a recent Facebook discussion of how PeTA uses young blonde white women in their advertising campaigns several women pointed out the sexism and racism of such a tactic. None mentioned ageism. One man stepped in to ‘mansplain’ and defend PeTA:
Humans are sexual beings and there’s nothing wrong with that. This doesn’t degrade women the same way half-naked male models don’t degrade men. It just looks like you’re actively looking for sexism, racism, or some sort of discrimination in an effort to be politically correct. I don’t think that’s a good approach. (Toronto Vegetarian Association, 2015)
When told by a woman that it degrades women to be reduced to the sum of their body parts and that they are only heard if they are considered sexy, this same man responded:
How exactly does it suggest that being sexy is the only way people will hear you if you’re a woman? That’s just ridiculous. People listen to not attractive people. Look at Hilary Clinton for godsake. [Emphasis added] That’s just a weird argument with no validity. I’ve never seen someone turn down a conversation with a woman based on their attractiveness.
How exactly does looking at and LIKING someone’s body disrespecting them? It seems like YOU are the one degrading women here. And it’s funny – aren’t feminists about women having freedom to wear what they want without being judged? Double standard much?
Oh my. If it’s not degrading to use half-naked men in advertising, then it’s okay to use half-naked women? What this man does not understand is how men have the power to deflect attempts at objectification. Women do not, not at any age. Please note there’s no mention of ageism in his reasoning, but Hilary Clinton, current presidential candidate in the United States, is held up as an example of “not attractive people” who can still get attention. Furthermore, this man calls out the women in the conversation for being bad feminists since they failed to support his admiration for attractive young women. The explicit ageism in this conversation was never mentioned, and it served to socially reproduce acceptance of ageism, acceptance of making disparaging remarks about women based on their age and appearance.
STIGMA: Stereotypes lead to stigmas. Sociologist Erving Goffman (1922-1982) defined stigma as society attaching an undesirable attribute to an individual and then reacting negatively to that individual in such a way as to rob them of their identity, their ability to function or fully participate in society (Link & Phelan). In our social world, age is seen as an undesirable physical attribute, a stigma that is attached to women through man dominated ideologies which favor younger women for their sexualized bodies. Whenever a person or group displays a stereotypical representation of women as wrinkled, grouchy, or set in their ways, they contribute to the stigma of aging and socially reproduce ageism.
Criticism of a stereotypical ageist logo on the GOV Facebook page was met with dismissiveness on the grounds that people have a right to identify themselves as old and grumpy, and then the author, who was a man, made an ad hominem attack on the person who challenged his group:
…if you truly believe that people who identify themselves as old, grumpy and vegan and run a page with that title, using caricatures to represent themselves, are ageist for those reasons alone then your thinking is as muddled as that of those who made the allegation originally.
The man continued to defend his group’s ageist logo by dismissing sociological research and by stating that since the majority of the group “liked” it on Facebook, the logo could not possibly be ageist:
sociology is not an exact science. For that reason, it would be foolish to regard every utterance from sociologists as gospel. The rebuttal of this allegation issued on the page was ‘liked’ by a large number of people, many of whom expressed appreciation for a page they identified with, as they often felt invisible in a movement that celebrates youth. There were no adverse comments. In short, there is no substantive evidence to support the allegation.
What some vegans fail to see is how their actions affect others outside of the group. A logo or mascot is not ageist based on the vote of a membership who benefit from the stereotyping; ageism is grounded in any action that stigmatizes people based on their age.
Kyriarchal or Interactive Systems of Oppression: Kyriarchal social justice addresses all forms of oppression—racism, sexism, ageism, classism, ableism, and speciesism—and focuses on the dynamics of how these systems are interactive, crisscrossing and layered oppressions in the lives of individuals and groups (see below for a definition of kyriarchy—what was formerly referred to as intersectional). All oppressions are socially reproduced and linked by social institutions, through the economic, medical, legal, educational, religious and any other type of social institutions people navigate on a daily basis.
Too often when women in the vegan animal rights movement point out institutional ageism they are told by movement leaders that drawing attention to oppressions such as ageism is wrong, that kyriarchal social justice means we should just get along and go vegan for the animals because ending speciesism is all that matters. These vegans seem fine with claiming they care about humans and readily assert they are opposed in a general sense to things like racism, but they rank order oppressions and try to cherry pick the oppressions that matter most to them, leaving the rest to sit unnoticed. Why? In part they fear doing harm to the vegan animal rights movement and its organizations; they fear attention will be drawn away from ending speciesism or that outsiders will not join the movement if they have to stand against all oppressions. It is also difficult for the movement to envision how to address kyriarchal social justice when most of the leaders are men and eighty percent of the followers are women, when most of the membership is white, cis-gendered, young, without disabilities and not living in poverty. By not addressing ageism vegans socially reproduce and reify the stereotypes and stigmas associated with aging in our society.
AGEISM DOES REAL HARM: What harm is there in ignoring ageism? Plenty. In a recent study, researchers at the University of Southern California found that negative stereotypes about aging can potentially impair the memory of older people. “The study found that a group of older people asked to perform memory tests after reading fictitious articles about age-related memory problems did less well than a group given articles on preservation of and improvement in memory with age (Shuttleworth, 2013).” The older people who experienced memory loss fell victim to a self-fulfilling prophecy and the cliché of older people losing cognitive function just because they are old.
In addition, stereotypes keep people from seeing the realities of aging; they erase and marginalize older voices. Telling older people—especially women—to just go vegan will not address the financial problems faced by an aging population. Older women are at particular risk to be living in poverty. A report from 2012 based on US Census Bureau data reveals that over half of elder-only households lack the financial resources to pay for basic needs. Sixty percent of women aged 65 and older who live alone or with a marriage partner cannot meet day-to-day expenses. Women of retirement age are hit particularly hard by economic insecurity. Their pensions are smaller than those of men, they own fewer assets, and lack the education and job skills needed for post-retirement employment. Some of this economic disparity is the result of women leaving their careers to care for families and for their own elderly parents, and thereby losing opportunities for promotions as well as building up Social Security income. Also, women outlive men, leaving them alone with a single income and having to exhaust assets just to have shelter and food (Wider Opportunites for Women, 2012).
Older women of color are more likely than white women to have sufficient retirement incomes. Almost 50% of white women have insufficient retirement incomes to afford daily needs, while nearly 75% of Black women, 61% of Asian women and 75% of “Hispanic” (see US Census Bureau definition of Hispanic below) women were in households that could not afford basic expenses—even with Social Security income and Medicare coverage (Wider Opportunities for Women, 2012). Vegans who stereotype and stigmatize older women as self-sufficient and out of touch with animal rights might want to consider how these women have more pressing concerns in their lives, e.g. how they will make the next rent payment or pay the heating bill. Keep in mind, too, these numbers do not take into account those who are homeless or who live in elder care of some sort.
STOP AGEISM in the VEGAN MOVEMENT: All vegans can work to eliminate ageism and extend empathic understanding to older people by considering how clichés and gaslighting—silencing someone with a barrage of questions and attacks—frame interactions with older people. Following are ten of the most often repeated ageist clichés found throughout the vegan animal rights movement and in vegan Facebook discussion threads:
1. “I feel old, so I know what you’re feeling even though I’m not really old myself.”
No, you don’t know what it means to feel old. You haven’t experienced it. Just as a white person has no way of knowing what it feels like to be Black, young people come across as dismissive and patronizing when they pretend to know how it feels like to be old.
2. “Age is just a number” or “You’re only as old as you feel.”
Condescending! Implicit in these statements is the view that young is better than old, so just don’t look at the number.
3. “I’m having a senior moment.”
This cliché is most often uttered when someone wants to explain a mental lapse of some kind or a moment of forgetfulness, and it stereotypes “seniors” as having diminished mental capacities. It’s not only ageist, but ableist!
4. “Ageism feels like a single issue campaign (SIC). Let’s keep the focus on the animals.”
Veganism is an effort to end the exploitation of all animals, including humans. Ageism in its many forms is exploitation. It misrepresents veganism to deny ageism exists or that its effects are harmless.
5. “I’m not ageist! You’re the one being ageist by bringing it up!!”
Here’s an example of reverse ageism. There is no such thing as reverse ageism, just as there is no such thing reverse racism. Only the group holding power can inflict oppression.
6. “I’m old, so I can say what I want about old people.”
Yes, old people can discuss aging in ways young people can’t, but remember disparaging remarks and stereotypes hurt ALL old people. Think about the big picture!!
7. “Jokes about aging are culturally relative. We poke fun at old people in the United Kingdom.” OR “Lighten up! Get over yourself!”
If a vegan anywhere in the world knows their words or actions will hurt others by contributing to ageism or any other oppression, then they can’t use cultural relativism as an excuse for their disrespectful behavior. It’s that simple.
8. “Old people discriminate against young people, so why can’t we make fun of old people?”
Yes, some older persons may be prejudiced against young people or discriminate against them, but stereotypes don’t stick to young people, don’t leave young people marginalized because of their age.
9. “You look like my grandma.”
While most likely meant as a compliment, these words stereotype women as being primarily in nurturing roles, especially later in their lives.
10. “The older generation let us down on social justice issues, so why should we care about them?”
Stop blaming the victims!!
In a cis-gendered white man dominated society ageism is used to silence older women. It’s a continuation of the objectification that starts early in the life of every woman. Older women are regarded as the sum of their body parts, parts that are stereotypically seen as wrinkled, sagging, graying and useless. Men dismiss the educational achievements and work of older women as a means of devaluing the contributions they make. The vegan animal rights movement has yet to acknowledge ageism or speak out against it. Instead, the older women who are in the movement support its man dominated leadership, both denying ageism exists and acting as apologists for the leadership. They tell those who mention ageism to not take themselves so seriously. Ageism is not a joke to be laughed off and forgotten. Vegans seem to at least recognize the words racism, sexism, classism, ableism and speciesism, but ageism is consistently left off that list of oppressions. At best, it is seen as a single issue campaign within the vegan movement, an object for disdain that distracts from the mission of saving other animals. Mark these words: The vegan social movement will not survive as long as it practices oppression against one group in order to elevate the needs of another group.
Notes
1 Kyriarchy is used in this essay to refer to networks or systems of interactive oppressions. The word emerged from the work of Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza. It is taken from the Greek kyrios, meaning lord or master, and archo, meaning to govern. It is considered a more inclusive and expansive term than patriarchy.
2 The use of “Hispanic” in this reference is based on the US Census Bureau definition: “People who identify with the terms “Hispanic” or “Latino” are those who classify themselves in one of the specific Hispanic or Latino categories listed on the decennial census questionnaire and various Census Bureau survey questionnaires – “Mexican, Mexican Am., Chicano” or ”Puerto Rican” or “Cuban” – as well as those who indicate that they are “another Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin.” Origin can be viewed as the heritage, nationality group, lineage, or country of birth of the person or the person’s ancestors before their arrival in the United States. People who identify their origin as Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish may be of any race.” While it is not an optimal definition, it was all that was available for this data set. Much work needs to be done in defining and mapping the use of such categories. http://www.census.gov/population/hispanic/
References
Cavanagh, K. (2010, July 15). Pamela Anderson’s sexy body-baring PETA ad gets banned in Canada. Retrieved from NY Daily News: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/pamela-anderson-sexy-body-baring-peta-ad-banned-canada-article-1.463753
Grumpy Old Vegans. (2015, May 12). Grumpy Old Vegans. Retrieved from Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GrumpyOldVegan?fref=ts
Link, B. G., & Phelan, J. C. (n.d.). On Stigma and its Public Health Implications. Retrieved from http://www.stigmaconference.nih.gov/LinkPaper.htm
PeTA. (2014). PeTA’s 2014 Sexiest Vegan Over 50 Contest. Retrieved from PeTA Prime: http://prime.peta.org/sexiest-vegan-over-50-contest/details
Shuttleworth, A. (2013, July 8). Are negative stereotypes about older people bad for their health? Retrieved from NursingTimes.net: http://www.nursingtimes.net/opinion/practice-team-blog/are-negative-stereotypes-about-older-people-bad-for-their-health/5060639.blog
The Senior Citizen Times. (2011, November 23). Top 20 stereotypes of older people. Retrieved from The Senior Citizen Times: http://the-senior-citizen-times.com/2011/11/23/top-20-stereotypes-of-older-people/
Toronto Vegetarian Association. (2015, April). Toronto Vegetarian Association. Retrieved from Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/torontoveg/permalink/10152808399662686/
Wider Opportunities for Women. (2012). Doing Without: Economic Insecurity and Older Americans. http://www.wowonline.org/documents/OlderAmericansGenderbriefFINAL.pdf.
Wider Opportunities for Women. (2012). Doing Without: Economic Insecurity and Older Americans. http://www.wowonline.org/documents/OlderAmericansGenderbriefFINAL.pdf.You are not logged in. Login or Signup
Mutual UnderstandingTennis - Men's finals
archived) (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:08,
ah same time
this is great (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:09, archived) (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:09,
hahahaha, superb!
(, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:09, archived) (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:09,
Going for a new galactic record!
*mirths* (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:10, archived) (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:10,
AMAZING!
*click* (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:10, archived) (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:10,
15-Lurrrrrv to Kirk!
(, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:11, archived) (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:11,
I will never stop watching this
(, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:11, archived) (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:11,
This is brilliant.
and highly *clickable* (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:11, archived) (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:11,
hahahahahahahahahahaha
brilliant
possibly the best thing on the internets this year (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:13, archived) (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:13,
C'MON JIM!
(, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:13, archived) (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:13,
hahaha
radio 4 referance! i get this (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 16:25, archived) (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 16:25,
Well fuck me I'm glad someone finally did!
Was quite proud of that one. (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 19:38, archived) (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 19:38,
What a fun crew.
(, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:14, archived) (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:14,
Hahahahahahahahahaha!
I could watch that ALL day!!
*Click*
:D (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:14, archived) (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:14,
^this!
(, Sun 26 Jun 2011, 18:36, archived) (, Sun 26 Jun 2011, 18:36,
Class!
Kirk looks like he's enjoying it more than McCoy. (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:15, archived) (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:15,
*fixates*
(, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:22, archived) (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:22,
bink! bonk!
(, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:24, archived) (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:24,
:D
Edit: well-deserved FP, I say! (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:32, archived) (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:32,
could watch this all day - superb - thanks
(, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:35, archived) (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:35,
Brilliant!
(, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:37, archived) (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:37,
I CANNAE CHANGE THE RULES OF TENNIS!
(, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:43, archived) (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:43,
Words do not yet exist to express
how fine this is. So I shall make one up.
This is sufanwingrastic. Utterly so. (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:46, archived) (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:46,
GOD SAKE'S JIM, I'M A BOUNCY BALL HEAD MAN,..no wait, I'm a doctor..sorry, my wife's death has fucked me up
(, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:56, archived) (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:56,
Stands and applauds...
(, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:56, archived) (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 14:56,
hahah
awesome (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 15:33, archived) (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 15:33,
rofl
*click* (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 16:18, archived) (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 16:18,
This is fantastic
(, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 16:43, archived) (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 16:43,
Hahaha!
Love it :) (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 19:24, archived) (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 19:24,
soup herb (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 20:41, archived) (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 20:41,
Hahaha,
winner plays Borg in the final. (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 21:05, archived) (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 21:05,
Oh god
(, Sat 25 Jun 2011, 3:32, archived) (, Sat 25 Jun 2011, 3:32,
Haha
(, Sat 25 Jun 2011, 14:54, archived) (, Sat 25 Jun 2011, 14:54,
set Seven of Nine?
(, Tue 28 Jun 2011, 13:41, archived) (, Tue 28 Jun 2011, 13:41,
Awesome.
Just awesome. (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 21:47, archived) (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 21:47,
Yessssssss
ss (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 22:46, archived) (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 22:46,
Volley volley good
(, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 23:29, archived) (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 23:29,
Hahaha:D
(, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 23:55, archived) (, Fri 24 Jun 2011, 23:55,
It's worse than that...it's tennis Jim
You khaaaaaaaaaanot be serious! (, Sat 25 Jun 2011, 0:11, archived) (, Sat 25 Jun 2011, 0:11,
amazing (, Sat 25 Jun 2011, 1:17, archived) (, Sat 25 Jun 2011, 1:17,
This deserves more replies
*click* (, Sat 25 Jun 2011, 9:26, archived) (, Sat 25 Jun 2011, 9:26,
Excellent..
hard to stop watching (, Sat 25 Jun 2011, 11:26, archived) (, Sat 25 Jun 2011, 11:26,
haha!
total genius (, Sat 25 Jun 2011, 12:09, archived) (, Sat 25 Jun 2011, 12:09,
Completely agree
Hypnotic and impossible to stop watching!
Woosome of the highest order! (, Sat 25 Jun 2011, 14:25, archived) (, Sat 25 Jun 2011, 14:25,
way too awesome.
:D (, Sat 25 Jun 2011, 14:30, archived) (, Sat 25 Jun 2011, 14:30,
I keep nodding back to them
(, Sat 25 Jun 2011, 20:10, archived) (, Sat 25 Jun 2011, 20:10,
Wow, this doesn't stop being funny
(, Sun 26 Jun 2011, 0:01, archived) (, Sun 26 Jun 2011, 0:01,
I know
It's been up for days and it's still making me smile :) (, Sun 26 Jun 2011, 11:46, archived) (, Sun 26 Jun 2011, 11:46,
hahaha! :D
archived) (, Sun 26 Jun 2011, 18:35,
but who will win??!?!?!
(, Sun 26 Jun 2011, 19:15, archived) (, Sun 26 Jun 2011, 19:15,
I love this
and it's slightly hypnotic.... (, Sun 26 Jun 2011, 20:00, archived) (, Sun 26 Jun 2011, 20:00,
This is swearingly fucking tremendous.
(, Sun 26 Jun 2011, 20:49, archived) (, Sun 26 Jun 2011, 20:49,
heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh
etc (, Sun 26 Jun 2011, 21:09, archived) (, Sun 26 Jun 2011, 21:09,
Pure excellence!
So apt and well executed. 5 stars from me sir! (, Mon 27 Jun 2011, 1:36, archived) (, Mon 27 Jun 2011, 1:36,
Extremely brilliant
Also, there is an irrational part of my brain which wants to keep watching this to see if they eventually drop the ball.. :-) (, Mon 27 Jun 2011, 6:57, archived) (, Mon 27 Jun 2011, 6:57,
Very good indeed.
(, Mon 27 Jun 2011, 8:37, archived) (, Mon 27 Jun 2011, 8:37,
what a rally
(, Mon 27 Jun 2011, 12:04, archived) (, Mon 27 Jun 2011, 12:04,
Brilliant!
*click* (, Mon 27 Jun 2011, 12:30, archived) (, Mon 27 Jun 2011, 12:30,
Most. Replies. Ever!!
- and with good reason: this is flippin' ace. :) (, Mon 27 Jun 2011, 12:41, archived) (, Mon 27 Jun 2011, 12:41,
Ha ha ha ha!
Best thing ever! (, Mon 27 Jun 2011, 14:00, archived) (, Mon 27 Jun 2011, 14:00,
Wonderful
Never gets boring (, Mon 27 Jun 2011, 14:27, archived) (, Mon 27 Jun 2011, 14:27,
-
I like this! (, Mon 27 Jun 2011, 15:25, archived) (, Mon 27 Jun 2011, 15:25,
best thing
I've seen this week (, Mon 27 Jun 2011, 22:06, archived) (, Mon 27 Jun 2011, 22:06,
Playing AND Posting??!
It's easier than it looks apparently. (, Tue 28 Jun 2011, 13:42, archived) (, Tue 28 Jun 2011, 13:42,
out
standing (, Mon 27 Jun 2011, 23:29, archived) (, Mon 27 Jun 2011, 23:29,
this is superb
(, Mon 27 Jun 2011, 23:32, archived) (, Mon 27 Jun 2011, 23:32,
Can this Idea
Be carried forward into the Nazi Goose-step kick-up world championships? (, Mon 27 Jun 2011, 23:42, archived) (, Mon 27 Jun 2011, 23:42,
Days later this still makes me chuckle.
(, Tue 28 Jun 2011, 20:25, archived) (, Tue 28 Jun 2011, 20:25,
Best post in ages!
This is going in perfect sync with the beats of a Rapture song. I like! (, Wed 29 Jun 2011, 20:04, archived) (, Wed 29 Jun 2011, 20:04,
perfection! (, Thu 30 Jun 2011, 15:00, archived) (, Thu 30 Jun 2011, 15:00,Finally, you can eat Cheesy Poofs just like Eric Cartman.
The fictional Cheeto-like snack food is coming to a Walmart near you in honor of “South Park’s” 15th year on Comedy Central. The bag features the same trademark rocket ship seen on the animated show, and I’m imagining the contents are cheesy and poofy.
Not to mention devoid of nutritional value.
The novelty item will be manufactured and distributed by Frito-Lay, according to Reuters. They’ll be available for a limited time this fall for $2.99 per 2 3/8-ounce bag. Pricey, but likely worth it for South Park fans.
Cheesy Poofs are just part of what Comedy Central has planned for the milestone 15th year. The network recently announced the “Year of the Fan,” marked by a 15,000 square–foot “Ultimate ‘South Park Fan Experience” exhibit at San Diego’s Comic-Con.
Comedy Central is also urging fans to “take over Facebook” by creating and uploading South Park avatars. (You can do that with this avatar creator.)
I took the liberty of making a South Park avatar of myself so you can see how it’s done. (See image at right.) Yeah, my hair looks a little like that today. And the avatar is holding a burrito because I’m hungry — and a burrito sounds pretty good.
Visit seattlepi.com’s home page for more Seattle news. Contact Amy Rolph at [email protected] or on Twitter as @amyrolph and @bigblog.Content analysis of O'Reilly's rhetoric finds spin to be a 'factor'
Commentator uses name-calling more than once every seven seconds in 'Talking Points Memo'
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 2, 2007
Editors" This study, published in the academic journal Journalism Studies, was conducted and released without any involvement of any special interest group. The researchers received no grant funding for this study. Additional data, charts and the full text of the study are available online at http://journalism.indiana.edu/papers/oreilly.html.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Bill O'Reilly may proclaim at the beginning of his program that viewers are entering the "No Spin Zone," but a new study by Indiana University media researchers found that the Fox News personality consistently paints certain people and groups as villains and others as victims to present the world, as he sees it, through political rhetoric.
The IU researchers found that O'Reilly called a person or a group a derogatory name once every 6.8 seconds, on average, or nearly nine times every minute during the editorials that open his program each night.
"It's obvious he's very big into calling people names, and he's very big into glittering generalities," said Mike Conway, assistant professor in the IU School of Journalism. "He's not very subtle. He's going to call people names, or he's going to paint something in a positive way, often without any real evidence to support that viewpoint."
Maria Elizabeth Grabe, associate professor of telecommunications, added, "If one digs further into O'Reilly's rhetoric, it becomes clear that he sets up a pretty simplistic battle between good and evil. Our analysis points to very specific groups and people presented as good and evil."
For their article in the spring issue of Journalism Studies, Conway, Grabe and Kevin Grieves, a doctoral student in journalism, studied six months worth, or 115 episodes, of O'Reilly's "Talking Points Memo" editorials using propaganda analysis techniques made popular after World War I.
A 2005 Annenberg Public Policy Center survey found that while 30 percent of Americans viewed Washington Post and Watergate reporter Bob Woodward as a |
back to haunt Mrs Palin, not least because Miss Giffords herself had expressed her concern.
“We are on Sarah Palin’s targeted list,” Miss Giffords told MSNBC at the time, noting that hers was one of 20 conservative districts being highlighted.
“The way that she has it depicted has the crosshairs of the gunsight over our district. When people do that, they have got to realize there are consequences to that action.”
When it was pointed out that martial themes were a staple of political discourse, she responded: “Some of my colleagues have served 20, 30 years, and they have never seen it like this.”
Mrs Palin’s aides are livid that what they describe as an “obscene” attempt to apportion blame for the shooting on Mrs Palin.
In an interview with the conservative radio talk show host Tammy Bruce, Rebecca Mansour, a spokesman for Mrs Palin, protested that the graphic had been misinterpreted.
“We never ever, ever intended it to be gun sights,” she said.
When Ms Bruce suggested that “it’s a surveyor’s symbol” Miss Mansour agreed, adding that the graphic was contracted out to a designer and approved with little thought.
“It never occurred to us that anybody would consider it violent.”
It was “crosshairs that you would see on a map”. Her contention was somewhat undermined by Mrs Palin’s own description of the graphic as her “bullseye” list.
Mrs Palin has posted only a short statement of condolence on her Facebook page.
Intrade, the online trading exchange website that gives a market-based indication of political fortunes, registered a marked drop in her prospects of becoming the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.Microsoft has posted an out-of-band security update to address a remote code execution flaw in its Malware Protection Engine.
Redmond says the flaw, dubbed CVE-2017-11937, has not yet been exploited in the wild. Because it is an out-of-band critical fix, however, it should be installed as soon as possible. For most users, this will happen automatically.
The security hole is present in Windows Defender and Microsoft Security Essentials, as well as Endpoint Protection, Forefront Endpoint Protection, and Exchange Server 2013 and 2016.
The bug was discovered and reported by the UK's National Cyber Security Centre – which is part of GCHQ, Blighty's spying nerve center.
According to Microsoft, the vulnerability can be triggered when the Malware Protection Engine scans a downloaded file to check for threats. In many systems this is set to happen automatically for all new files.
By exploiting a memory corruption error in the malware scanning tool, the attack file would be able to execute code on the target machine with LocalSystem privileges.
Windows Update borks elderly printers in typical Patch Tuesday style READ MORE
"There are many ways that an attacker could place a specially crafted file in a location that is scanned by the Microsoft Malware Protection Engine. For example, an attacker could use a website to deliver a specially crafted file to the victim's system that is scanned when the website is viewed by the user," Microsoft explains.
"An attacker could also deliver a specially crafted file via an email message or in an Instant Messenger message that is scanned when the file is opened. In addition, an attacker could take advantage of websites that accept or host user-provided content, to upload a specially crafted file to a shared location that is scanned by the Malware Protection Engine running on the hosting server."
Microsoft notes that, because Malware Protection Engine is set up to constantly receive updates, the fix will automatically be delivered over the air for most home users and many enterprise customers.
The out-of-band update comes just days before Microsoft is scheduled to post its December security updates with the December 12 Patch Tuesday release. Adobe typically follows suit with its own monthly patches on that day. ®This month’s sculpture from Hadrian’s Villa is a marble head of a companion of Odysseus, copied after a famous work of the Hellenistic period.
This head shows the face of a man that probably belonged to a multi-figure group depicting Odysseus with his twelve companions blinding the one-eyed giant and the most famous of the Cyclopes, Polyphemus, with a burning stake.
The depiction of the blinding of Polyphemus occurs a number of times in classical sculpture and especially in the decoration of grottoes and nymphaeums. Another version of this head was found, together with the body, at the Villa/Grotto of Tiberius in Sperlonga, south of Rome. There it belonged to a figure portraying a wineskin-carrier, in a statue-group showing the blinding of Polyphemus by Odysseus and his companions (see images here). Apart from the statue in the grotto at Sperlonga, other famous examples were found in the sunken nymphaeum of Punta Epitaffio at Baia, near Naples, and in the Antrum Cyclopis (“cave of the Cyclops”) of the Domus Aurea in Rome.
The sculpture was found in an area of Hadrian’s villa known as the Pantanello (little swamp). The discoveries at the Pantanello were considerable. Many sculptures and architectural fragments that are now in major international collections were found including a colossal head of Hercules and two busts of Hadrian.
This head has suffered some damage: the nose, lips and bust are modern restorations. It is on display at the British Museum in London.
Source: British MuseumPosted by Stuart Langridge on Thursday, October 24, 2013 in Gaming, Open Source, Shows, Social Media |
Welcome to Bad Voltage! In this new podcast, your four hosts are Jeremy Garcia, Jono Bacon, Stuart Langridge, and Bryan Lunduke. We’ll be talking about technology, politics, the internet, music, open source, and things that interest us. We’ll interview people and review things. And be amusing along the way. In this, our first show, topics are:
Diaspora * and Identica, open-source social networks: why did they not make it into the mainstream, and does it matter?
and Identica, open-source social networks: why did they not make it into the mainstream, and does it matter? Review: Cards Against Humanity, a “free party game for horrible people”
Oculus Rift, the virtual reality headset for gaming: gimmick or the next big thing?
Interview: tech journalist Steven J. Vaughan-Nicols
We’d love to hear your feedback on this first show, and suggestions for who we should interview and what we should review. Drop us a line at [email protected] and you might even feature in our “Letters” segment in the next show in two weeks!No one knows what politics will look like in a year. That was the lesson of 2015. Imagine telling a pundit only a year ago that 2015 would end with a majority Tory government, 56 SNP MPs, doctors preparing to go on strike and Islington North’s Jeremy Corbyn leading Labour. They would have laughed.
Another unforeseen development in 2015 was the grass-roots network Momentum, which emerged out of Corbyn’s leadership campaign. Momentum, for which I work as a national organiser, exists to harness the energy that led to Corbyn’s election. We aim to strengthen democratic, popular social forces in Britain, to grow Labour, help it win and reconnect it with its radical heritage. In short, Momentum organises to shift power away from the 1 per cent.
Momentum was always going to have a rocky first few months: attacked by swaths of the media and a small but vocal group of Labour MPs. An organisation that seeks to make ordinary people more powerful is a threat to many of the most powerful in our society. Labour is experiencing enormous change with Corbyn’s thumping majority and its growing party membership. Change can be difficult, especially for those who helped shape Labour’s previous direction. The Corbyn revolution might seem like an implicit criticism of their life’s work. More can be done to reach out to the minority struggling with the changes, but the party is growing and should be made to work for all.
Some say Momentum is a party within a party. We are not. Some MPs worry that Momentum will deselect them. We will not. MPs should not have a job for life, but Momentum is not organising for any deselections. Selections are a matter for local parties and their members. But we do want to change Labour’s culture and practices, making it more participatory and campaign-oriented. We think this is what’s required for Labour to win in 2020 and to make the changes this country needs. The essence of the new kind of politics is this: we’re not just selling a product, we’re building a movement.
In 2016 we’ll take journalists outside the Westminster bubble to see Momentum’s mobilisation, organisation and activism across the UK. We hope this will begin to change media perceptions, currently overdetermined by the misplaced fears of a minority of MPs. Some of those MPs call us a mob, but we are committed to building participatory democracy. Some were upset that over 30,000 supporters emailed their MPs (both Labour and Tory) asking them to vote against bombing Syria. Telling your elected representative what you think assists accountability, and is a long way from mob rule.
This is not to say Momentum is without its faults. We are not yet the inclusive organisation we want to be, with all minority groups properly represented. Discrimination and exclusion are enormous problems in our society. Labour politics attracts those committed to equality and Momentum is in a better position than most. Roughly 40 per cent of our launch organisers for local groups are women. We know this isn’t nearly enough. As Momentum develops over the next six months to become an entirely democratic structure, policies will be put in place to guarantee representation for under-represented groups and gender parity (at least) at all levels. Many local groups have, and all will, set up working groups on inclusion and representation. At the first meeting of our National Committee, expected within a month, proposals may be tabled to ensure we set a standard for organisations countering patriarchy, racism, ableism, homophobia and other discriminatory practices.
In our first three months we have not been as transparent as we would like. Launching a movement with tens of thousands of supporters, ambitious plans and limited resources, all under the glare of a frequently hostile media, is challenging. It is also a complex organisation, with many stakeholders and actors from different political traditions and with varying experiences. It has taken us three months to put together an interim national committee, the membership of which will be announced this month. Now we can be more transparent, providing an increased sense of ownership for groups and activists.
Momentum has done so much already. One hundred local groups are being set up. In 2015 we ran a national voter registration drive, campaigned against Tory cuts to tax credits, ill-considered plans to bomb Syria and the government’s unfair rail-fare rises. We mobilised for the pre-COP21 climate-change actions and against the Trade Union Bill, bussing in 200 activists from around the country to campaign for the fabulous Labour victory in the Oldham West and Royton by-election. Next, we will stand with nurses and junior doctors as they fight for our NHS.
In 2016 we will help people organise in their communities and workplaces. We will knit together these groupings and campaigns with other movements to develop a diverse network for progressive change. We will engage with the process of change in Labour’s culture, practices and policies so that it develops and represents this movement, and we will help Labour win elections to put into practice a transformation of society that is for and by the overwhelming majority of people.
If 2015 showed us anything, it is not to trust political pundits – and to believe that another world is possible.They may have started slow and you may have been forced to drop them, but it’s time to let them redeem themselves. Here is a list of players that got off to a bad start, but have been turning things around as of late in the world of fantasy hockey. If they are still available in your league, you need to add them right now. (Percentage owned numbers are from Yahoo fantasy hockey and could change at any minute).
[Click Here: FREE to Enter, Single Day Draft – $500 in Prizes]
Slava Voynov, Los Angeles Kings (62% owned)
Much was expected out of Voynov this season after he led all defenseman with six goals in the 2012-2013 playoffs. He only put up three points in his first 13 games though, and has lost his spot on the top power play unit to Jake Muzzin.
Voynov still doesn’t have that gig back, but he is putting up the points consistently. He has six points in his last six games and is a remarkable plus-6 in that span. He is only 23-years old and is trending upwards. His offensive sense is too good to deny and don’t be surprised if these numbers continue for the rest of the season.
Cam Fowler, Anaheim Ducks (50% owned)
Fowler was invisible at the start of this season, but is turning into a stud in Anaheim. He has put up eight points over his past 11 games, with half of those coming on the power play. The Ducks are very talented offensively and Fowler is currently seeing 3:11 of power play time a game. The 21-year-old needs to be on your fantasy team.
Jakub Voracek, Philadelphia Flyers (72% owned)
If Voracek was somehow dropped in your league, it’s time make that person pay for the worst move of the season. Philly is putting their early season struggles behind them and have won four of their past five games. The scoring has been balanced but Voracek is currently riding a six-game point streak. He is very talented, as demonstrated by his 46 points in 48 games last season. He is also playing alongside a Claude Giroux that is finally scoring. Stop reading this and get Voracek on your team if he’s available.
Wayne Simmonds, Philadelphia Flyers (46% owned)
Here is another Flyer who is profiting from the team’s change in play. This is a team that now looks very dangerous and Simmonds is a key cog in their offense. His past four games have been stellar, as he has two goals and two assists, 11 shots on goal, and a plus-3 rating. He is also contributing heavily in the hit department and is always good for penalty minutes. Half of his points on the year have come with the man advantage, where Simmonds is averaging 3:28 of ice time a game. He is also playing on a deadly second line that features an inspired Brayden Schenn. How can you pass this up?
John Carlson, Washington Capitals (68 % owned)
It is a miracle this guy isn’t owned in more leagues. Carlson fell off most people’s radars after starting the season with a disappointing two points over his first 13 games. That is erased now as Carlson has five goals over his past nine games. He has gone beast mode for Washington and has fired 24 shots on goal in that span. With an injury to Mike Green, Carlson is now operating on a top power-play unit that features Alexander Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. Two of those five goals came on the man advantage. This guy has 40-point potential every year and shouldn’t still be available in any leagues.
Marcus Johansson, Washington Capitals (37% owned)
He may not be Alexander Ovechkin, but he plays with him. Johansson has put up eight points in his last eight games, with half of them coming on the power play. The 23-year-old is living the dream in Washington, playing on the top line and averaging just under three minutes of power-play time a game. Add him while you can.
Nail Yakupov, Edmonton Oilers (69 % owned)
He has faced endless scrutiny this season, but finally, Nail Yakupov is rewarding fantasy owners. He has five points over his past five games, including a stellar outing Monday against the Blue Jackets. He recorded a goal and an assist—both on the power play—and went plus-2. Yakupov is minus-14 on the year but has gone even over his past five games. His ice time has slowly been increasing since he played a season-low 10:46 against Philly in early November. He saw almost 17 minutes of ice time against Columbus. You’re really going to bet against a guy who put up 17 goals (in a shortened campaign) in his first ever NHL season?
Sam Gagner, Edmonton Oilers (40% owned)
He went pointless in his first four games since returning from a broken jaw but is finally starting to contribute in fantasy hockey this season. He is riding a three-game point-streak while centering the second line on an offensively dangerous Oilers team. They have struggled mightily this season but broke out Monday with a seven-goal game against Columbus. Gagner only picked up one assist in the win, but it’s fair to say that this game will give a boost to almost every single Oilers’ fantasy value.President Trump’s rambling brain fart of a press conference is getting criticism from all directions today. One GOP Senator reportedly said that Trump would be better served by finding a therapist instead of airing his issues on live television.
A GOP senator on Thursday reportedly responded to President Trump’s extended press conference blasting coverage of multiple administration controversies by suggesting that the president consult a therapist. “I got a text from a Republican senator who said in this text, ‘He should do this with a therapist, not on live television,'” CNN’s John King reported, noting that he also received texts from Democrats.
You’re probably wondering who the GOP Senator was.
John King did not reveal the Senator’s name.
If you’re going to take a shot like that at the President, do it publicly and own it instead of sending text messages to news anchors.
And if you get messages like that from a Senator, don’t report it unless you’re going to tell people who said it.
Cowards.
That’s not to say the advice isn’t good, of course.It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it’s big news. We’ve all learned the great names—Knucklehead, Pan, Shovel, Evolution, and Twin Cam—and now there’s a new one: “Milwaukee-Eight,” which tells us this new engine, like Harley’s legendary board-track racer of long ago, has eight valves. Displacement is 107ci (1,750cc) or 114ci (1,870cc). The 2017 touring models get these engines first, but this is the Big Twin that will, no doubt, power Harley-Davidson’s future.
Harley-Davidson's new eight-valve Big Twin in 107-inch variant. Courtesy of Harley-Davidson
The standard 107 uses precision oil-cooled cylinder heads and will be found in Street Glides, Road Glides, the Electra Glide Ultra Classic, and Freewheeler trikes. A Twin-Cooled version with liquid-cooled cylinder heads and radiators will power Ultra Limited models, the Road Glide Ultra, and Tri Glide models.
The top view of an engine shows stiff tubular rockers, each of which operates two valves. Valve clearance is maintained by hydraulic roller tappets. There is one central spark plug and one side plug per cylinder. Courtesy of Harley-Davidson
CVO Limited and Street Glide models are equipped with the Twin-Cooled Milwaukee-Eight 114 featuring liquid-cooled cylinder heads and radiators. “It’s a brand-new motor, tip to tail,” says Alex Bozmoski, Harley-Davidson chief engineer of new products. He has 34 years with the company and was involved in both Evo and Twin Cam development.
The new eight-valve engine seeks two broad goals. One is to make greater power and torque while being emissions-compliant, fuel-efficient, and highly reliable. The other is a trend visible across the vehicle industry—to achieve world-class “ride feeling” through chassis, suspension, and driveline refinement.
The design of Harley’s Big Twins has tracked the development of America’s highways. When most roads were dirt and average speeds low, the Knuck’s iron heads and cylinders handled the heat and “wore like iron.” As roads were paved and four-lane highways began to appear, riders could ride farther, faster. More power being used required increased cooling, so higher-heat-conductivity aluminum replaced iron, first in heads and then in cylinders. Design evolution of the last generation of Twin Cam was anchored by improved cooling.
The new eight-valve engine seeks two broad goals. One is to make greater power and torque while being emissions-compliant, fuel-efficient, and highly reliable. The other is a trend visible across the vehicle industry—to achieve world-class “ride feeling” through chassis, suspension, and driveline refinement. Customer research, covering 1,000 riders in seven cities, was distilled into “The Voice of the Customer,” telling The Motor Company that riders want more power for two-up riding and more back-road agility. They want the bike to fit more sizes of people. They want cooler operation.
Cooler operation is the goal. Less combustion heat is picked up by a shallower four-valve combustion chamber, and more heat is dissipated by large-area head cooling fins. Note the dual spark plugs and short exhaust port. Courtesy of Harley-Davidson
Every manufacturer collects service information and tracks specific problems, such as overheating or any mechanical issues. Discussion of particulars can be found on internet Harley forums. When necessary, simple design changes are adopted, but no design is permanent, so eventually a comprehensive redesign becomes necessary to integrate many needed changes into a fresh package. Harley-Davidson Big Twin owners love the look of an air-cooled engine’s fins but have accepted “strategic cooling” (intensive cooling of specific areas) as the price of keeping that look while improving function. In the recent Rushmore series of changes to the Twin Cam engine, this took the form of circulating liquid coolant in passages around each cylinder head’s hot exhaust valve seat and then to external radiators, as a means of keeping valves and valve seats well-sealed and warp-free as more power (and therefore increased heat) was sought.
The big new external-rotor 18-pole alternator makes plenty of juice at lower 850-rpm idle. Courtesy of Harley-Davidson
This is only one of two basic approaches to heat management—removing excess heat to keep parts at safe temperatures. An alternative approach is to change the design so it takes up less heat from combustion—an approach that may also increase power and efficiency by keeping that heat where it works for us—in the hot, high-pressure combustion gas that presses the pistons down to drive the crankshaft. Therefore the new eight-valve engine abandons the large surface area of the traditional deep, modified hemi two-valve combustion chamber and puts in its place an almost flat chamber of minimum surface area with four valves. A true hemi chamber has exactly twice the surface area of a flat chamber, and to achieve the higher compression ratios needed to make strong torque, a piston in a hemi chamber may need a dome that increases its surface area as well. Thus, by switching from modified hemi two-valve to nearly flat four-valve, the surface area through which heat can enter heads and pistons has been substantially reduced.
View of timing case on right side of engine, showing new four-lobe single cam. Courtesy of Harley-Davidson
Overall airflow capacity of the eight-valve is 50 percent greater than that of previous engines, and the throttle body now has a 55mm bore. Room for growth! A free-flowing intake airbox is engineered for low noise and to intrude less into the rider’s ergonomic space. Another way to take up less heat from combustion is to speed it up, exposing heads and pistons to flame for shorter time. Faster combustion from two spark plugs per cylinder is one element used in the Milwaukee-Eight to achieve this, but a second is invisible: thousands of hours of flow and combustion simulation studies. Engineer Bozmoski said that ignition timing in this cooler-running engine is “more advanced, more of the time,” suggesting that in the past, systems intended to keep the engine safe from heat effects (such as detonation from advanced spark timing) were intervening frequently, resulting in some loss of performance. The irony of retarding the timing to keep the engine safe from detonation is often more heat.
New 49mm fork with larger damping pistons and variable orifice damping now delivers good control at low speed yet does not become harsh at higher speed. Courtesy of Harley-Davidson
Engineers know that the crucial region of any four-valve head is the “exhaust bridge,” the narrow region that separates each head’s two exhaust valves. The obvious reason is that this bit of metal is heated by hot exhaust gas from both sides. In some air-cooled four-valve designs a brute force solution is tempting; to cast in a strong bronze “skull” with the valve seats and spark plug holes in it. But this degrades cooling because bronze transmits heat less well than aluminum. In the Milwaukee-Eight 107 (3.937 x 4.375-inch bore and stroke), this bridge is strategically cooled by pumping oil through it and then through a “chin radiator” ahead of the crankcase. In the 107 and 114 Twin-Cooled models (the 114 has 4.016 x 4.500-inch cylinder dimensions), water/antifreeze coolant is circulated through a cored heart-shaped passage that encircles the exhaust valves and then through coolers mounted forward to either side of the engine, as previously seen.
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Because these new, larger-displacement engines take up less heat from combustion and employ strategic exhaust valve cooling, they can safely operate at high compression ratios (now as high as 10.5:1) that produce greater power and torque (the engineers’ rule of thumb is that peak combustion pressure is roughly 100 times the compression ratio). As a result, the new bikes deliver a claimed 10 percent more torque, are two to three bike lengths faster from 0–60 mph, and one to two lengths quicker in top-gear 60–80-mph roll-ons. Harley states also that “improved fuel economy” comes with the changes—the reason being that more of the fuel’s heat ends up pushing the pistons and less passes into metal parts and out the exhaust.
Rear shocks have mechanical knob preload, tool-free adjustment. Courtesy of Harley-Davidson
Each cylinder has an acceleration-type knock sensor that, with ECM control, protects the engine from detonation. Within one or two detonating cycles the system pulls ignition timing back to prevent abnormal combustion. The system is an improvement over the previous ion-sensing knock detection. Exhaust components, including the catalyst, have been relocated to move engine heat away from rider and passenger.
Like the original Big Twin—the EL of 1936—the new engines have a single four-lobe camshaft in place of the Twin Cam’s pair. Drive is by chain with automatic hydraulic tensioner. Fewer parts mean reduced noise and lower friction. What was said when the Evo engine first appeared still applies: “We’re killing the noise so we can keep the music.” The EPA sets a maximum sound level, measured in a specified way. Radiated sound is partly exhaust rumble (good) and partly mechanical. Mechanical noises often include energetic high frequencies (clicking, gear whine, etc.), so identifying and suppressing them allows that energy to go into a “richer exhaust note.” Years ago, when Big Twin cams were gear-driven, noise could be generated by excessive backlash (loud clicking from the constant rapid reversals of cam torque) or by tooth form irregularities. Both were expensive to control. Swiss gear-grinding machines were imported to achieve accurate tooth profiles, and time-consuming selective fitting was necessary to control backlash. An automatically tensioned chain eliminates backlash and spreads loads over many sprocket teeth, making operation quiet. We love the precision and beauty of gears, but we also love simplicity.
Crank in right-hand crankcase reveals gear-driven crank-speed counterbalance shaft. Courtesy of Harley-Davidson
For the first time in a rubber-mounted Big Twin, a single counter-rotating internal balancer is used to cancel 75 percent of the engine’s primary shaking force. When an engine with complete vibration cancellation was tested, riders rejected it; some vibration is an essential element of Harley’s unique feel. Riders of long ago accepted lots of raw vibration, but most riders today do not—and Harley-Davidson here appears to be satisfying the faithful customer with some of the shake they love while also smoothing the engine to the degree that will attract new customers with an increased level of refinement. Heavy vibration is tiring, so long-distance riders want engine smoothness—but still want the drama of handlebars shaking at idle—and the relationship with the moving parts. Incorporating a balancer into the rubber-mounted Milwaukee-Eight engine in this way may allow it to be used in the Softail line, which uses solid-mounted engines. The solution with the Twin Cam was a second, dual-counterbalanced engine, the “B,” introduced in 2000. Harley-Davidson did not comment on this theory.
View of timing case shows Gerotor oil pump below, inner cam bearing above. Courtesy of Harley-Davidson
The new crankcase is close to the weight of the old one, but sophisticated redesign has made it 23 percent stronger than before. Major castings are “shrink-wrapped,” revealing the shapes of the parts within to achieve a muscular functional look. The transmission case has been strengthened and a scissors anti-backlash gear in the has been adopted to eliminate a possible hot rattle. Small details are important. In the past, if the oil was overfilled, excess oil could wet the air filter via the breather. This has now been rerouted through the transmission case. Idle rpm has been cut from 1,000 to 850 rpm in the interest of “better sound and less heat.” A capable new alternator supplies 24 to 25 amps at that lower idle, with 50 percent more capacity available at highway rpm. “It will drive all the accessories,” Bozmoski said. A new 1.6 kW (2.14 hp) starter replaces the previous 1.2 kW (1.6 hp) unit and an automatic compression release speeds starting. Because markets are now global, riders coming to the Harley-Davidson brand (this includes many abroad) expect more than tradition; they expect modern levels of refinement.
This cutaway of one cylinder and head shows intensive cooling of critical areas—the exhaust valve seat and exhaust bridge—by circulating liquid, shown in blue. Note the lovely fin surface finish, lightweight piston with low-tension bore-conforming rings. Courtesy of Harley-Davidson
Many analytical hours were spent in completely retuning the chain primary drive system, refining its operation, as well as making it narrower. The main problem for a large-displacement twin is to seamlessly convert the engine’s series of big torque pulses into smooth propulsion of the motorcycle—without creating unpleasant resonances or jerking. The intuitive solution—massive flywheels—isn’t enough, for the heavier the flywheels, the slower the acceleration. Also, when two large masses—the crankshaft and the motorcycle itself—are flexibly connected (no driveline can be infinitely rigid), all kinds of oscillations can result. There is a self-torque-boosting clutch with Brembo hydraulic actuation, resulting in a lighter lever pull. The engine ECM has been changed from a mapped (command) system to torque-based (rider throttle position is interpreted as a call for a specific torque level, not a specific throttle angle). Quiet roller-tipped hydraulic tappets continue to be used, and Harley-Davidson claims the forked rocker arms—two per head—will require no adjustment for the life of the engine. With eight smaller, lighter valves in place of the original four larger ones, total valve moving mass remains largely unchanged, but seat pressures may now be lower, leading to essentially no wear or recession. Bozmoski said operation “sounds quite a bit more refined.” The connecting-rod system remains fork-and-blade with roller big-ends as always, but the rods are larger and stronger to handle the increased torque.
Harley-Davidson Milwaukee-Eight powertrain cutaway. Courtesy of Harley-Davidson
Engineers carrying out driveline analysis saw only numbers for months but when presented with the real final result were delighted to find obvious improvement that any rider can feel. Front and rear suspension is all new, with the goal of improving control and eliminating harshness. The new 49mm fork contains “dual bending valve fork technology.” This means it employs cartridge-style variable-orifice damping valves, which can deliver excellent control at low speed (preventing any wallowing feeling) without harshness over sharper bumps—something not achievable with the old system of fixed damping orifices. The words “bending valve” refer to how the variable orifices are implemented; in this case, the damping fluid’s flow path through the damper pistons is covered at rest by a thin washer that is clamped at its (usually) inner edge. As suspension motion pushes damping fluid faster, the free edge of the washer is deflected by fluid pressure, forced into a shallow cone shape as fluid is forced past it, allowing the flow path to become bigger. Correctly done, this results in damping force that is proportional to damper piston speed, giving a well-controlled and comfortable ride.
Bigger damper pistons, which move more oil per inch of suspension movement, further improve low-speed damping control. Fork travel is 4.6 inches on standard models and 3.9 inches on low models.
Harley-Davidson Milwaukee-Eight 107 engine. Courtesy of Harley-Davidson
The goal of the new rear suspension is to increase the range of preload adjustment while eliminating both the leakdown of air shocks and any need for tools. Twenty-three turns of a single knob give an inch of preload adjustment. As with the new fork dampers, larger damper pistons give the suspension increased ability to control movement. We know that in addition to the thousands of hours of analysis and predictive computer modeling that went into these new engines, a similar investment of time was made in real-world rig and dyno testing plus exhaustive road operation to validate all hardware changes. All this effort underlines the importance of the work for Harley-Davidson. The Big Twin, this new Milwaukee-Eight, is the very core of Harley’s business, the “engine” that ultimately drives sales all the way down to the last key fob. It’s the heart, soul, and sound that connects to the brand’s millions of fans around the world. All Big Twins have been designed to satisfy The Faithful, but perhaps more than any Big Twin before, the Milwaukee-Eight is designed and refined to capture a broader audience. If ever an engine inspired religious fervor, this is it. Did we just hear a hallelujah?
Harley-Davidson Milwaukee-Eight 107 main air cleaner. Courtesy of Harley-DavidsonSo far, Britain has taken delivery of 2 Lightning II multi-role Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. The pair of STOVL (short take-off and vertical landing) variants of the F-35 fast jet are currently based at Eglin US Air Force Base in Florida and, from 2018, will be landing on the deck of the new Queen Elizabeth Class carrier.
At Eglin, 2 pilots, one Royal Navy, the other RAF, and 13 ground crew are working alongside their US Marine Corps colleagues learning all they can about maintaining the aircraft and how to fly the platforms to get the best out of them.
Although the pilots, Lieutenant Commander Ian Tidball and Squadron Leader Frankie Buchler, have only been able to practise on the aircraft for a matter of weeks, they are already singing the platform’s praises.
Selected because of his STOVL experience landing Sea Harriers on flight decks, Lieutenant Commander Tidball said:
The Lightning II is a great aircraft to fly. It’s extremely responsive with a lot of thrust. The fly-by-wire system makes it simple to fly which means the pilot is freed up to concentrate on the objectives of the mission.
The UK's 2 Lightning II aircraft at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida [Picture: Crown copyright]
As an RAF pilot who has flown Jaguars and Typhoons, Squadron Leader Buchler’s background brings experience of the UK’s modern fast jets to the team. He said:
I’m learning how to fly the aircraft so I can become a squadron instructor. Ultimately I’ll be doing operational tests on the aircraft for the Royal Navy and the RAF. I’ll be doing that for a number of years prior to it transitioning back to the UK when the first squadron of F-35Bs will stand up at RAF Marham.
Most of the pilots training at Eglin have around 50 to 60 hours on the aircraft; the most experienced has clocked up 150 hours. So far Squadron Leader Buchler has managed 20 hours, adding around 15-hours-a-month to his flying log. On top of that the pilots also train on simulators.
The aeroplane almost flies itself,” said Squadron Leader Buchler, “which means you have more time to work out what’s going on in the battlespace and how you are going to fight the fight as effectively as you can.
Lieutenant Commander Ian Tidball preparing for take-off at Eglin Air Force Base [Picture: Crown copyright]
So intelligent is the Lightning that if a novice pilot asks it to do something that it considers unsafe, it will refuse:
Some pilots will find it strange that the aircraft says ‘you know that’s silly, sorry I’m not going to do that’,” said Squadron Leader Buchler. “But it means that it’s looking out for you, so there’s less opportunity to make mistakes.
Which doesn’t mean that the technology has the final say:
You can always override it – but you’d be a fool to do so.
There is also a team of UK personnel at Patuxent River Naval Air Station in Maryland who are working on the technical development of the aircraft. Recently Defence Secretary Philip Hammond visited the air station to meet the UK team involved in testing the Joint Strike Fighter aircraft and watched as a Lightning II performed a vertical landing.
Next year the team at Eglin will move to Edwards Air Force Base in California to conduct flying operations. Lieutenant Commander Ian Tidball said:Hey Centennial. There’s been some great progress down the road to crazy fast fiber Internet coming to your city. Let’s catch up on everything that’s happened since last we spoke.
What’s been going on in Centennial
The City has been hard at work building a main fiber backbone. What’s a fiber backbone? Think of it like a central highway that connects major points of interest.
The City-owned backbone gets fiber Internet into Centennial’s major community institutions. Getting fiber into centralized buildings is important for the community. The backbone is what connects Centennial to the larger network that is the Internet |
missed by all".[10] Gikow stated that the episode they created was an example of the writers and producers' skills as educators as well as entertainers.[9]
Before the episode aired, the CTW conducted a series of studies to guide the writers and producers in creating the episode. Their goal was to answer four key questions: (1) Will children understand the messages they wanted to convey about death? (2) How attentive will they be to the storyline? (3) How will parents respond to the treatment of such a sensitive topic? and (4) Will children be disturbed by the messages, and if so, for how long? The researchers broke up children into three groups: children who only watched the scenes in which the storyline was played out and who were interviewed afterwards; children who watched the entire episode and whose attention was recorded while they viewed it; and children who watched the episode without the inserts, with their parents, who were interviewed 9 or 10 days later.[14]
The researchers found that 73% of 4- and 5-year-olds in their study understood that Mr. Hooper was dead and that 88% of this group understood that he was not coming back, although only about one-fourth of the 3-year-old viewers responded correctly. Most of the 4- and 5-year-olds understood that Big Bird and the adults were sad. Most children (80%) were attentive during the episode. The parents interviewed had "overwhelmingly positive" reactions to the show, and that half reported that they had discussed death with their children after viewing it. None of the parents reported negative reactions from their children, either immediately after watching the episode or at a later time.[15]
Development and legacy [ edit ]
The script Norman [Stiles] wrote became an extraordinary moving television experience for preschoolers and their families. Heartbreaking yet affirming, the episode set a standard for the sensitive treatment of a powerful subject matter than has rarely been equaled. It remains one of the show's proudest moments. —Writer Louise A. Gikow[16]
Sesame Street head writer Norman Stiles was chosen to write the segments about Mr. Hooper's death. The episode focused on the life cycle of birth and death by also mentioning the birth of a baby, and by remembering Mr. Hooper. Stiles said, "We decided to say that while Mr. Hooper was not here anymore, we will always have that part of him that lives within the heart, that we have our love and that it will always stay".[13] Stiles wanted to convey that expressing grief for someone who had died was difficult for both adults and children. Instead of providing an explanation, the adults of Sesame Street tell Mr. Hooper's friend Big Bird, when he asked why Mr. Hooper had died, that there was no real reason, that it happened, as Gordon tells Big Bird, "Just because". The show's outside experts advised Stiles and the producers to remove the line because they were concerned that an open-ended explanation would not be enough for children, but Stiles kept the line because it was an acknowledgement, as Gikow stated, that there is never a good explanation about why people die.[17][18]
The episode aired on Thanksgiving Day 1983, a year after Lee's final appearance as Mr. Hooper at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. The producers chose to air it the first week of the new season in order to explain Mr. Hooper's absence as soon as possible, for maximum exposure, and to ensure that parents were at home with their children in order to discuss it.[9][19] The illustrations used for the episode were drawn by Caroll Spinney, who performed Big Bird. Mr. Hooper's picture remained on the set from then on, as a continuing memorial to Lee and Mr. Hooper.[19] Spinney, speaking of the scene in which the pictures were passed out, reported, "When we finished that scene there wasn't one of us whose face wasn't streaked with tears",[19] even Spinney underneath his costume.[16] Jon Stone, who directed the episode, wanted to do another take, although Spinney later said, "There was nothing wrong with that take. It was perfect."[19] Cameraman Frankie Biondo was touched by the performance.[19]
A book, entitled I'll Miss You, Mr. Hooper and based upon the script for the episode, was published in 1984. The book was also written by Stiles. According to Renée Cherow-O'Leary, Stiles and the editorial staff of the CTW's book division worked with the show's research staff and used the same educational content information and research the show's producers used to create the episode.[20]
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
Citations [ edit ]Egypt: Libertarian Socialist Movement
We libertarian socialists struggle for a socialist society without classes, an anti-authoritarian society free of the repressive apparatus of the State and of Capital. We stand against the introduction of State capitalism, such as in the oppressive regimes that existed in "socialist" countries. We reject and oppose the capitalist system. [العربية ]
Egypt: Birth of the Libertarian Socialist Movement
The Libertarian Socialist Movement was founded on 23 May 2011 in Cairo, at the heart of the Egyptian Revolution and in the midst of the revolutionary wave that is sweeping over the world today, from Tunisia through Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Syria and even reaching Spain, bringing back memories of the waves in 1848 and 1968. This revolutionary wave should also reach other countries.
The Movement has published a Manifesto and is currently preparing a more detailed statement of its basic principles. It aims to involve all those opponents of capitalism (private and State) and all opponents of bureaucracy and centralization, the suppression of individual liberties and those who are against the erosion of human rights, all supporters of self-management in the workplace and building cooperatives, all supporters of economic emancipation, administrative decentralization and direct democracy. The Movement is organized into working groups whose members meet up and coordinate with the other groups, and is made up of elected delegates from these groups, who communicate through the use of modern means of communication in order to avoid the formation of organizational hierarchies.
As the Movement has no other source of financing for its activities other than the contributions of its members and the voluntary work they do, and as its activists are wage-slaves, none of whom are wealthy, and considering that they do not want their freedom limited by financial dependence, the Movement has decided to use internet as it is the cheapest way to communicate. It also intends to produce paper publications when possible. For the same reason, the movement is not in a position to buy premises and thus its activities are carried out within the various popular organizations such as trade unions, workplace and neighbourhood committees andcooperatives, and we ask our members who are present in all the popular protest movements to coordinate and communicate through internet.
Libertarian Socialist Movement
We libertarian socialists struggle for a socialist society without classes, an anti-authoritarian society free of the repressive apparatus of the State and of Capital. We stand against the introduction of State capitalism, such as in the oppressive regimes that existed in "socialist" countries. We reject and oppose the capitalist system.
We believe that the working class is capable of leading a vast coalition arising from tenacious efforts to bring down the power of both capitalism and the repressive State.
Our immediate aims are:
Administrative decentralization without governors and mayors, managed by local neighbourhood and area councils, the right of popular control with elected, recallable delegates of local councils and citizens' committees.
The conversion of all service companies and production plants into cooperatives self-managed by their members in a democratic, decentralized society with the aid of freedom and independence from the administrative State.
The cancellation of tax incentives given to investors and the application of progressive taxation in order to support the service cooperatives which will include sectors such as education, healthcare and so on.
Trade-union pluralism, freedom of association in factories and workplaces and the creation of unions for all State employees and military establishments in order to support the participation of all workers in the management of workplaces, self-management in the factories and companies that were privatized amid injustice and corruption during the Mubarak era.
The confiscation of all money of illicit origin and its distribution among the cooperatives.
A Constitution which guarantees all forms of human freedom, such as the freedom of religion, association and thought; the creation of a parliamentary republic, decentralized governance with permanent popular control by the local administrations and citizens' committees who take the place of the Government and the Head of State; the right of delegates acting on popular mandates to propose laws and referendums.
The constitution of a socialist society, that does not depend on an act of liberal authority but rather on the will of the cooperatives without a central authority, so that a society without classes can be self-organized through popular committees and local committees, against the authority of a central, repressive State.
Libertarian Socialist Movement
E-mail: lsm.egypt at gmail at com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B4%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%83%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%B1%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9/204246572950611
Translation by FdCA-International Relations OfficeTuesday, 23 September 2014, by Andres Löh.
Filed under training, well-typed, community.
In the beginning of October, my colleage Adam Gundry and I will spend a full week in London again for Haskell-related activities: on Monday and Tuesday (October 6–7), we will teach Fast Track to Haskell, a two-day introduction course to Haskell, targeted at people who want to get started with Haskell or learn more about functional programming in general. On Wednesday (October 8), there’s the Haskell eXchange, a one-day conference full of interesting talks on Haskell-related topics. On Thursday and Friday (October 9–10), we will look at more advanced Haskell concepts and programming patterns in Advanced Haskell.
All three events are still open for registration.
Haskell eXchange
The Haskell eXchange will take place in London for the third time now, and I’m happy to report that there’s going to be a really fantastic program again:
As is almost traditional by now, Simon Peyton Jones (Microsoft Research) himself will open the conference, this time with a talk on “Safe, zero-cost coercions in Haskell”.
This is followed by Jeremy Gibbons (University of Oxford) with “Categories for the Working Haskeller”, explaining to Haskell developers and people who are interested in Haskell what role category theory plays in Haskell and if/how categories can be helpful.
I’m very pleased that Bryan O’Sullivan (Facebook) has agreed to give a presentation at the Haskell eXchange this year. As the author of countless Haskell libraries (many of which are among the most used in the entire Haskell ecosystem), and being a co-author of the widely known O’Reilly book “Real World Haskell”, he’s certainly learned how to squeeze a bit of extra performance out of Haskell code when needed. He’s going to share his experiences and provide valuable advice in his talk.
After lunch, we’ll continue with a pair of talks looking at using Haskell for the development of RESTful web services from slightly different angles. Erik Hesselink (Silk) is going to present the rest framework, which makes it easy to develop and maintain REST APIs, independent of the underlying web framework you use. After that, Chris Dornan (Iris Connect) and Adam Gundry (Well-Typed) will talk about api-tools and in particular address the question of how you can solve the problem of schema migrations nicely.
Tim Williams and Peter Marks (both Barclays) will give a joint talk on Lucid, their in-house non-embedded DSL that is written in Haskell and has a mostly structural type system with interesting features such as row polymorphism and extensible records as well as extensible sum-types.
The talks will be concluded by Oliver Charles (Fynder), well-known for his tireless efforts in the “24 days of Hackage” series, who is going to show us how the use of GHC’s most advanced type system extensions helps him write better real-world code at his company.
After the talks, there’s going to be pizza and beer and an informal “Park Bench Discussion” where we can all discuss the questions that have been raised throughout the day in more detail.
I hope you’re as excited about this program as I am: I think there’s a fantastic range of topics covered, from language features and theoretical aspects, practical advice for programmers to interesting case studies of real-world code. Also, it’s an excellent opportunity to meet fellow developers interested in Haskell. If you’re working for a company using Haskell and are looking for new developers, this may be an excellent opportunity to recruit. On the other hand, if you’d like nothing more than a Haskell job, this is an opportunity to meet people who are actually using it in practice, and may have a job for you or at least be able to give you advice on how to find one.
If you haven’t registered yet, please consider doing so! We’re looking forward to meeting you there.
Fast Track to Haskell and Advanced Haskell
These two successful courses have been offered on a regular basis since October 2012. They’re continuously updated to reflect the latest changes in the Haskell world, such as updates to the infrastructure, new features of the main Haskell compiler GHC, or exciting new libraries.
Both courses are hands-on, comprising a combination of lectures, interactive coding and exercises that the participants are supposed to work on alone or in teams, with the help of the teacher(s).
The Fast Track course is for people who know how to program, but have little or no experience in Functional Programming or Haskell. It teaches Haskell in from scratch in just two days, covering important concepts such as datatypes, polymorphism, higher-order functions, type classes, how IO works in Haskell, and ending with an introduction to monads. It’s also interesting for people who are interested in learning about functional programming in general, because Haskell is a prime example of a functional programming language, and the course focuses on the important programming concepts more than on language peculiarities.
The Advanced Haskell course is for people who have some experience with Haskell, but want to learn more. We’re going to discuss (functional) data structures and their complexity, have a detailed look at how lazy evaluation works and how it is implemented, how to reason about performance and how to use various debugging tools. Somewhat depending on demand, there’s also the option to learn more about advanced programming patterns, such as monads, applicative functors and monad transformers, about concurrency and parallelism, or about the more advanced features of the Haskell type system such as GADTs and type families.
Being in the same week as the Haskell eXchange makes it possible to combine one of the courses (or even both) with the eXchange, where you can hear several other viewpoints and get to know more Haskellers!
Other courses
We’re offering additional training courses on-demand and on-site for companies in Europe, the US, or anywhere in the world on request. See our training page for more information.
HacBerlin
By the way, I’m also going to be at the Haskell Hackathon in Berlin this upcoming weekend. On Sunday, I’m going to give a talk on parser combinators. You can still register for the Hackathon, too. It’s free.Wealthier and younger Americans would be the big winners if Congressional Republicans replace Obamacare subsidies with tax credits, a new Kaiser Family Foundation analysis finds.
But many middle class folks would come out ahead, too.
Republican lawmakers want to provide age-based refundable tax credits to help people buy health insurance. The tax credits would range from $2,000 for those under age 30 to $4,000 for those between 60 and 64, according to a draft of the GOP's replacement bill.
These would replace Obamacare's subsidies, which are also refundable tax credits. But the Obamacare subsidies are based on an enrollee's income and the cost of coverage in their area so the size of the subsidy varies widely.
Kaiser calculated how single Americans at three different ages and three income levels would fare under the two systems.
A wealthier enrollee wins under the GOP plan at any age. That's because anyone making more than $47,520 -- or 400% of the poverty level -- isn't eligible for subsidies under Obamacare. But the Republican plan would give people up to $4,000 a year to buy insurance, regardless of their income.
Related: Under GOP draft of Obamacare repeal plan, a lot of people would lose coverage
Younger Americans would also benefit because they pay considerably lower premiums than older folks. That means the size of their Obamacare subsidies are also lower. So many would receive more from the Republican proposal since it is not tied to the cost of insurance.
For example, a 27-year-old making $40,000 a year would receive $2,000 under the GOP plan, but only gets a $103 subsidy from Obamacare, on average, the Kaiser analysis found. A 40-year-old with that income also benefits from the Republican plan, receiving $3,000 versus $1,021 under Obamacare.
But a 60-year-old who makes the same amount has to pay a much higher premium. He or she would get only $4,000 from the Republican plan, instead of $6,752 from Obamacare, on average.
Lower-income folks making $20,000 a year take the biggest hit at any age under the GOP plan, Kaiser found. A 27-year-old would get only $2,000, instead of $3,225 under Obamacare, on average, while a 40-year-old would get $3,000 versus nearly $4,143.
However, the biggest loser is the 60-year-old lower income American. He or she would receive only $4,000, instead of $9,874 under Obamacare.
Related: Top House conservatives would vote against draft Obamacare repeal bill
Some GOP lawmakers, however, have said they won't support the bill in part because tax credits based only on age could wind up giving government assistance to the wealthy.
"So you can be a millionaire and not have employer-based health care and you're going to get a check from the federal government -- I've got a problem with that," said Republican Mark Meadows, the chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus.Download raw source
MIME-Version: 1.0 Received: by 10.25.84.202 with HTTP; Sat, 6 Feb 2016 15:46:42 -0800 (PST) In-Reply-To: <[email protected]> References: <CAE6FiQ9hHiK53Fc+CBQqO26MXJHHDMM25JGJXEE1hR5GmhxLwA@mail.gmail.com> <[email protected]> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2016 18:46:42 -0500 Delivered-To: [email protected] Message-ID: <CAE6FiQ94dC1pSZ0DQPLHs3=+PBgZot=qX7Q+Dy2a9LLN_vgCCg@mail.gmail.com> Subject: Re: One more entry in the slogan contest From: John Podesta <[email protected]> To: "Margolis, Jim" <[email protected]> CC: Jennifer Palmieri <[email protected]>, Mandy Grunwald <[email protected]>, Robby Mook <[email protected]>, Dan Schwerin <[email protected]>, Jake Sullivan <[email protected]>, Kristina Schake <[email protected]> Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary=001a1141f626685570052b2294f2 --001a1141f626685570052b2294f2 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 I'm a little more worried that our negative filter will jump on the Obama thing. On Saturday, February 6, 2016, Margolis, Jim <[email protected]> wrote: > What did you think of Forward Together? > We will catch shit from Warner, but it goers with with the arrow, it's > future orientedrr and has WJC's' we're in it together construct.' And it's > about making progress. > Given bernie totally ripped off Obama (A future you can believe in), i'm > not terribly worried about ripping off Forward. > > > ------------------------------ > *From:* John Podesta [[email protected] > <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','[email protected]');>] > *Sent:* Saturday, February 06, 2016 6:22 PM > *To:* Jennifer Palmieri; Mandy Grunwald; Margolis, Jim; Robby Mook; Dan > Schwerin; Jake Sullivan; Kristina Schake > *Subject:* One more entry in the slogan contest > > Imagine tomorrow together. > > > This email is intended only for the named addressee. It may contain > information that is confidential/private, legally privileged, or > copyright-protected, and you should handle it accordingly. If you are not > the intended recipient, you do not have legal rights to retain, copy, or > distribute this email or its contents, and should promptly delete the email > and all electronic copies in your system; do not retain copies in any > media. If you have received this email in error, please notify the sender > promptly. Thank you. > --001a1141f626685570052b2294f2 Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I'm a little more worried that our negative filter will jump on the Oba= ma thing.=C2=A0<span></span><br><br>On Saturday, February 6, 2016, Margolis=, Jim <<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a= >> wrote:<br><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0.8e= x;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"> <div> <div style=3D"direction:ltr;font-family:Tahoma;color:#000000;font-size:10pt= ">What did you think of Forward Together? <div>We will catch shit from Warner, but it goers with with the arrow, it&#= 39;s future orientedrr and has WJC's' we're in it together cons= truct.' =C2=A0And it's about making progress. =C2=A0</div> <div>Given bernie totally ripped off Obama (A future you can believe in), i='m not terribly worried about ripping off Forward.</div> <div><br> </div> <div><br> </div> <div> <div style=3D"font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;font-size:16px"> <hr> <div style=3D"direction:ltr"><font face=3D"Tahoma" size=3D"2" color=3D"#000= 000"><b>From:</b> John Podesta [<a href=3D"javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml&#= 39;,'[email protected]');" target=3D"_blank">john.podesta@gmai= l.com</a>]<br> <b>Sent:</b> Saturday, February 06, 2016 6:22 PM<br> <b>To:</b> Jennifer Palmieri; Mandy Grunwald; Margolis, Jim; Robby Mook; Da= n Schwerin; Jake Sullivan; Kristina Schake<br> <b>Subject:</b> One more entry in the slogan contest<br> </font><br> </div> <div></div> <div>Imagine tomorrow together.=C2=A0<span></span> </div> </div> </div> </div> =C2=A0 <p style=3D"FONT-SIZE:8pt;FONT-FAMILY:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;COLOR:#7f7= f7f;MARGIN-TOP:30pt"> This email is intended only for the named addressee. It may contain informa= tion that is confidential/private, legally privileged, or copyright-protect= ed, and you should handle it accordingly. If you are not the intended recip= ient, you do not have legal rights to retain, copy, or distribute this email or its contents, and should prom= ptly delete the email and all electronic copies in your system; do not reta= in copies in any media. If you have received this email in error, please no= tify the sender promptly. Thank you.</p> </div> </blockquote> --001a1141f626685570052b2294f2--When scientists develop the chemical formulas for new products such as fuels and medications, they often must first create molecules that haven't previously existed.
A basic step toward creating new molecules is selectively breaking and re-forming the chemical bonds that connect the atoms that make them up. One of the chief challenges is that the bond between carbon and hydrogen atoms -- the building blocks of many molecules -- is exceptionally strong, so chemists often have to resort to using rare and expensive chemicals like iridium to convert it into other, more useful types of chemical bonds. Scientists refer to this process as "functionalizing" the bonds.
Now, a team of UCLA chemists has developed a new technique for breaking carbon-hydrogen bonds and making carbon-carbon bonds. The approach uses catalysts made of two abundant and inexpensive elements, silicon and boron. Their research was published in Science.
Hosea Nelson, a UCLA assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry and senior author of the study, said the energy industry has been interested in taking very simple hydrocarbon molecules like methane and turning them into new fuels.
"This new method will enable scientists to incorporate methane into bigger molecules," he said.
Another potential application would be converting methane, one of the primary components of natural gas, into something that's denser and easier to contain after it has been drilled from Earth. The current process is complicated because methane, a light gas, tends to escape into the atmosphere.
Nelson collaborated on the study with UCLA graduate students Brian Shao, Alex Bagdasarian and Stasik Popov.
The researchers used their new technique to create a compound similar to a phenyl cation, a chemical substance that has been studied theoretically but rarely investigated in actual laboratory experiments. They then used the compound to slice through carbon-hydrogen bonds in methane and benzene, which allowed them to insert other atoms and form carbon-carbon bonds, which are the basic building blocks of molecules that make up living organisms, as well as fuels and pharmaceuticals.
Besides demonstrating that phenyl cation-like compounds exist, the new technique allows complex molecules to be assembled in far fewer reaction steps than was previously possible, which could save chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturers time and money. Another advantage of the method is that, unlike previous approaches, it can be performed at temperatures and gas pressures that are easily attainable in a laboratory.
The process could also be used to alter the molecules in existing pharmaceuticals to make them more effective, safer or less addictive.
The chemists have tested their technique using very small samples of reactants -- far less than a gram. But Nelson is hopeful that the methodology can be scaled up to be useful for a broad range of real-world chemical reactions.Does Spider-Man swing by Avengers HQ in Homecoming?
Either
Holland is currently filming Homecoming co-star Jacob Batalan (Ned Leeds) at the Porsche facility in Atlanta, which (as Captain America: Civil War. Ant-Man and Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Although Holland could just be sightseeing, his caption about the "the A team" seems a little revealing. Either Tom Holland is making the most of his Marvel paychecks or Spider-Man will visit a familiar MCU location in his upcoming solo flick.Holland is currently filming Spider-Man: Homecoming in Georgia with director Jon Watts, and he posted an Instagram photo that seems to hint that the teenage webslinger will stop by the New Avengers compound. The pic shows Holland andHomecomingco-star Jacob Batalan (Ned Leeds) at the Porsche facility in Atlanta, which (as MCUExchange points out) doubles as the Avengers facility inCaptain America: Civil War ComicBookMovie notes that the building also served the same purpose for scenes inAnt-ManandAvengers: Age of UltronAlthough Holland could just be sightseeing, his caption about the "the A team" seems a little revealing.
We already know at least one member of the Avengers will show up inSpider-Man: Homecomingconfirmed Robert Downey Jr. will appear as Tony Stark/Iron Man, and he recently posted his own photo with Holland andIron Mandirector Jon Favreau, who will also be in the flick. Favreau plays Stark's driver Happy Hogan in the MCU, andreported that Favreau will also appear as the character inHomecomingThe movie is set for release July 7, 2017. Check out our exclusive pics from the set and watch Holland bust a move as Spidey.January 19, 2012 – Allen Moll
W hile Stephon Marbury’s basketball career in the United States flamed nearly 3 seasons ago amid squabbles with coaches, nagging injuries, and YouTube videos showing him crying or eating glue, his tenure playing in the Chinese Basketball League has been a blazing success.
Not only is he playing well for the Beijing Jinyu Ducks, but he arguably has been China’s best player over the past two seasons, even taking home All Star Game MVP honors in 2010.
Even though it’s been well documented that former Denver Nuggets guard JR Smith is now known as the “Jordan of China” for his 40 and 50 point scoring outbursts this season, Marbury has become a sort of a de-facto native son of the Chinese people, even stating that the Far East is now his home, wants to stay there a long time, and wants to coach the Chinese National Team once he eventually retires.
Contrary to his demeanor on and off the NBA hardwood, Marbury has also helped mentor and ease the transition of a number of NBA players like Wilson Chandler, Aaron Brooks, and JR Smith, who almost had his contract voided in it’s first month amid squabbles with management.
Recently, Marbury’a Beijing squad squared off against Smith’s Zhejiang team in league competition. Despite Smith pouring in an impressive 39 points and 9 boards, Marbury got the win and an awesome stat-line of his own, consisting of 45 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists, earning him the ever elusive triple-double.
Marbury’s 45 Pt Triple-Double vs JR Smith’s 39 Pts:
Source: NBA247365.com
Allen Moll has been a lifelong NBA and NCAA College Basketball fan who watches and studies games religiously, and coaches youth basketball in his native Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. Allen has also provided content to Bleacherreport.com, Upperdeckblog.com, Cleveland.com, CSN Philly.com, Buckets Magazine, in addition to being a tenured NBA and NCAA columnist for TheHoopDoctors.com.Rogelio V. Solis / AP A barge passes by exposed riverbed through the shallow waters of the Mississippi River in Vicksburg, Miss.
For those who make their living along the Mississippi River, helping ship many of the country’s most vital commodities, this year’s drought has inevitably raised the specter of 1988. That’s when the river got so low that barge traffic came to a standstill — and the industry lost $1 billion. Unfortunately, 2012 could be worse.
Along the 2,500 miles of the Mississippi, America’s most important waterway, signs of the country’s worst drought in 50 years can be found at almost any point. Near Memphis, the river is about 13 ft. below its normal depth, according to the National Weather Service. In Vicksburg, Miss., it’s more than 20 ft. below. Overall, the river is about 13 ft. below normal for this time of year — that’s 55 ft. below last year’s flood levels.
(MORE: Making Personal Finance Cool for Kids)
Those levels have forced barge, tugboat and towboat operators to drastically change how they move goods up and down the river. And as the river dries up, it gets narrower and shallower. The narrowness forces barges to sail more closely past each other, often slowing their speeds. Some sections have become so narrow that only one-way traffic has been able to move through.
At the same time, the shallowness of the Mississippi has forced shippers to load less cargo onto barges because of fears they’ll run aground. The Army Corps of Engineers is tasked with making sure that the channel is at least 9 ft. deep so ships can safely pass.
Lynn Muench, senior vice president of American Waterways Operators (AWO), a national trade association for the industry, says that in a normal year, many tows south of St. Louis would be loaded to 12 ft. or more of draft (essentially the distance from the ship’s waterline to the bottom of the vessel) and made up of some 45 barges linked together. “Now they’re down to 9 ft. of draft,” she says. “One inch of draft in a single barge is about 17 tons of cargo, and that’s almost enough to fill a semitruck.” Combine that with carrying about 30 barges instead of the more typical 45 and the drought is decreasing the cargo carried per tow by more than 500 semitrucks’ worth of goods.
(PHOTOS: Drought Across Much of U.S. Leaves Crops Withered and Landscapes Burnt)
The benchmark year that everyone in the industry is talking about is 1988, when a drought brought hundreds of barges to a standstill and caused about $1 billion in losses. “I remember there were times when it was a dead stop,” says Merritt Lane, CEO and president of Canal Barge Co. “Some areas became so shallow that they weren’t economically passable. You could move so little cargo, you just can’t go.”
Muench also cites 1988 as the only time in recent memory that could compare with this summer. “For the last two or three weeks, the phrase I keep hearing is, ‘Close to 1988. Worse than 1988. Same as 1988,’ ” she says. “The estimate was that the industry lost over $1 billion. And that doesn’t include any of the ripple effects. There’s a real possibility that it’ll be worse this year.”
Some estimate that closing the river to traffic could lead to losses of about $300 million a day, which would then grow exponentially after a few days. The cost of running an idle tugboat is about $10,000 daily, largely due to fuel costs, says Muench. One tow company says it’s been losing about $500,000 a month since May.
The $180 billion barge, tugboat and towboat industry transports just about anything you can think of that comes in bulk: petroleum, grain, fertilizer, sand, gravel, mulch, steel. “The building blocks of the nation are on our barges,” says Muench. About 60% of the country’s grain exports and one-fifth of its coal is transported along the nation’s inland waterway system, according to the AWO.
The economic costs that come from shipping delays and lighter loads could eventually trickle down to consumers. The AWO estimates that transporting goods via waterways costs $11 a ton less than by rail or truck. If those products are moved to other modes of transportation, the costs for consumers will likely rise.
(MORE: The Ammo Economy)
Canal Barge Co. carries commodities such as petrochemicals and oil. CEO Lane says that while his company hasn’t calculated how much money has been lost this summer, it has lost revenue opportunities. “That’s money we’ll never see again that didn’t come in the door,” he says.
So far, the Mississippi remains navigable. The Army Corps of Engineers says that as of July 27, the only part of the route closed to barge traffic is the port at Lake Providence in northern Louisiana. The corps is busy dredging stretches of the river to ensure that the Mississippi stays at least 9 ft. deep throughout. Ironically, the money for the dredging operations is coming from a relief act worth $20 million that was passed to help repair damage from last year’s flooding.
Even though the Mississippi is near record lows in some places, Major Rob Wolfenden of the Vicksburg district says the Army Corps doesn’t expect the river to become unnavigable this summer. But without significant rainfall, which isn’t in any long-range forecasts, things are likely to get worse. As summer turns to fall, the weather tends to get drier. Lower temperatures generally mean fewer thunderstorms and less rainfall.
“Take away the thunderstorm mechanism and you run into more serious problems,” says Alex Sosnowski, expert senior meteorologist for AccuWeather.com. And while droughts tend to be a temporary setback, longer-range forecasts are troublesome. Sosnowski says he is anticipating an El Niño weather pattern next year, which would mean below-normal snowfall and above-average temperatures.
The mighty Mississippi — long the country’s most powerful economic waterway — may take a while to regain its strength.
MORE: How the Drought of 2012 Will Make Your Food More Expensive“Gold, Gold, Gold – A Ton of Gold”-the Seattle headline heard round the world announcing the discovery of great stores of gold in the Klondike. This was the beginning of an exodus of would-be prospectors dreaming of a better life; a chance to escape the toil caused by the financial recessions and bank failures of the 1890s. Gold Rush Hysteria |
currently have bandwidth to update it anytime soon but need to be able to build these new project types.
The Solution
TFS/VSTS (even the older versions) are very flexible tools. In general, if you can perform a task on the commandline you can also do it in TFS/VSTS. The experience isn’t quite as nice as the built in tasks we previously used but we got it working with relative ease and it allows us to use the latest versions of.NET until we update TFS. The rest of this post will walk through the steps we took to accomplish this.
First we need the tools capable of building these new project types. Previously this required installing Visual Studio on the build agent which was always painful and just felt dirty. Microsoft now makes the build tools available for download in a standalone install:
Once this is installed on the build agent you can access the new version of msbuild.exe at the following location:
“c:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\BuildTools\MSBuild\15.0\Bin\msbuild.exe”
With these tools installed, we can now use the Batch Script task in our build definition to run msbuild.exe with the “/t:restore /p:RestoreIgnoreFailedSources=true” arguments to restore the Nuget packages referenced in the new project files.
Without this step you will likely see the following error:
C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\2.0.2\Sdks\Microsoft.NET.Sdk\build\Microsoft.PackageDependencyResolution.targets(323,5): error : Assets file ‘c:\Program Files\TFS2015Agent\_work\42\s\core\obj\project.assets.json’ not found. Run a NuGet package restore to generate this file. [c:\Program Files\TFS2015Agent\_work\42\s\core\core.csproj]
Build continuing because “ContinueOnError” on the task “ReportAssetsLogMessages” is set to “ErrorAndContinue”.
The command above only supports restoring Nuget packages for the new build project types. We also need to restore packages listed in the packages.config file as well. For that we can run the nuget.exe command in a Batch Script task. These are the Nuget packages for traditional projects.
Notice the “Agent.HomeDirectory” build variable used in the path of the task. This is a built-in variable with the TFS agent home directory. The nuget.exe command is provided in the tools of the TFSAgent which is nice.
Finally, we can compile the code using msdeploy.exe from the VS2017 Build Tools.
And that’s it. Now we can successfully restore and compile a solution with a mix of Full.NET,.NET Core and.NET Standard frameworks from an old install of TFS 2015.
I hope this was post was helpful to you. If so please add a comment below to let me know or ask any further questions you might have.
Happy Building!!!In light of yesterday’s news of negative GDP growth in the fourth quarter of 2012, Fox & Friends turned their attention to the economy on Thursday morning. Specifically, how it relates to President Obama‘s approval rating. How, they asked, does he remain so popular when the economy is still in a “relatively dismal” state?
While the recession technically is over, Steve Doocy said, it doesn’t feel that way for many Americans. It’s not unexpected though, he said, given the policies that have been adopted. But the White House isn’t blaming Obama’s predecessor this time around — instead they’re blaming Republicans in Congress.
Brian Kilmeade went on to contrast the 2010 projections for how the economy would be doing today with how the economy is actually doing, noting that we haven’t met those projections. The stock market may be up, but unemployment hasn’t lowered much and consumer confidence is down. Yet Obama’s approval is at a three-year high of 60 percent. “It’s like he’s impervious to numbers,” Kilmeade observed.
There is a reason, Doocy said. “The mainstream media will not talk about how bad it is.” The same thing happened leading up to the election, he said. Despite it being the “number one” story affecting Americans, we heard about the “war on women” and “binders full of women.” Everything, he said, except what actually matters.
Many would say however, Gretchen Carlson chimed in, that “people have their own responsibility to look at their own pocketbook,” and use that to determine their vote. But “this time around it’s an anomaly.”
“People will write books about this for years on end how the popularity of this president remains so high, and yet the economy remains relatively dismal,” she added.
Watch below, via Fox News:
Have a tip we should know? [email protected] -- Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) blamed this weekend's killing of two NYPD officers on anti-police "propaganda," for which he said President Barack Obama bears some responsibility.
"We've had four months of propaganda, starting with the president, that everybody should hate the police," said Giuliani during an appearance on "Fox News Sunday." "I don't care how you want to describe it -- that's what those protests are all about."
Giuliani cited the nationwide protests against institutional racism and police brutality that followed the deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner in New York, and that flared up anew after the respective grand jury decisions not to indict the officers responsible in either case. Giuliani said those demonstrations, and the ongoing criticism of police tactics and the criminal justice system, were part of what led to the shooting of two NYPD officers in Brooklyn on Saturday afternoon. Police say the alleged shooter, Ismaaiyl Brinsley, traveled to New York from Baltimore with the intention of killing police officers.
"The protest are being embraced, the protests are being encouraged. The protests, even the ones that don't lead to violence -- a lot of them lead to violence -- all of them lead to a conclusion: The police are bad, the police are racist," said Giuliani. "That is completely wrong. Actually, the people who do the most for the black community in America are the police."
The former mayor accused black commentators of creating "an atmosphere of severe, strong anti-police hatred in certain communities."
Giuliani also accused New York Mayor Bill de Blasio of "allowing protests to get out of control." But he said it was not the time to call for de Blasio's resignation, as "a lot of other police officers were killed under a lot of other mayors."
"If I was in the situation that Mayor de Blasio is in, and I feel sorry that he's in this situation, I would give a speech to the police department and I would explain that maybe I was wrong about a few things," said Giuliani. "Maybe I was wrong about putting too much emphasis on, you know, police misconduct, when in fact police misconduct is a minor part of the problem. Community, serious violent crime, is a much bigger part of the problem."
"I think I would say to them, and I have said this to the police, 'You know, the people who are saving black lives in this city are you, the New York City Police Department.' I'm not doing it. President Obama is not doing it. Mayor de Blasio is not doing it," Giuliani went on. "He's not out at night walking up and down housing developments and trying to save children from being killed. The police officers are doing the most, right now, in these very, very poor communities."
The advocacy group Black Lives Matter, which has organized several protests against police misconduct, issued a statement on Sunday condemning the shootings.0
Monday’s box office totals have boosted Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War past the $300 million mark domestically. The movie, directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, just narrowly missed the milestone this past weekend as it reclaimed the #1 spot for the second weekend in a row. And because I know you guys love comparing Disney/Marvel’s performance to that of Warner Bros./DC Comics, I’ll just throw this out there: the third Captain America movie hit $300 million in just 10 days, a full nine days earlier than Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman. (Cue “media bias” comments in 3, 2, 1…)
Cap’s ongoing box office success will obviously decline over the next few weeks, but it remains to be seen just how strong it will be. Upcoming contenders to the crown include Sony’s animated Angry Birds movie, Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, Shane Black’s The Nice Guys, Alice Through the Looking Glass, and X-Men: Apocalypse. Captain America: Civil War’s reign atop the heap probably won’t survive to see June, and there’s a good chance it will slip out of the top spot this coming weekend.
However, Disney has something else to celebrate, and it’s not just the upcoming debut of the sequel to their super successful Alice in Wonderland movie. The interconnected cultural juggernaut known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) just crossed the $10 billion line, including all 13 films released in the last nine years. It’s worth noting that Marvel is missing out on big box offices from the X-Men, Spider-Man, Deadpool, and yes even Fantastic Four franchises, but them’s the breaks when you sell off your famed properties to other studios. Disney’s $4 billion purchase of those remaining Marvel standouts, however, is looking like quite the savvy financial move.
Here’s a look at the Disney/Marvel MCU in all its $10 billion glory (via Box Office Mojo):
Rank Title Box Office (Domestic) Box Office (Total) 1. Marvel’s The Avengers $623.4m $1,519.6b 2. Avengers: Age of Ultron $459.0m $1,405.4b 3. Iron Man 3 $409.0m $1,215.4b 4. Guardians of the Galaxy $333.2m $773.3m 5. Iron Man# $318.4m $585.2m 6. Iron Man 2^# $312.4m $623.9m 7. Captain America: Civil War* $300.7m $957.1m 8. Captain America: The Winter Soldier $259.8m $714.4m 9. Thor: The Dark World $206.4m $644.6m 10. Thor $181.0m $449.3m 11. Ant-Man^ $180.2m $519.4m 12. Captain America: The First Avenger $176.7m $370.6m 13. The Incredible Hulk# $134.8m $263.4m
^Ranks higher on the total box office list than the domestic list
*Still in theaters
#Domestic box office out-earned foreign box office
For more on Captain America: Civil War, take a look at some of our recent coverage below:While speaking to an audience in Melbourne, Australia, on Sept. 10, 2001, former President Bill Clinton allegedly said that he passed up an opportunity to kill terrorist and 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden while in office.
“I’m just saying, you know, if I were Osama bin Laden — he’s a very smart guy, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about him — and I nearly got him once,” Mr. Clinton told members of the audience, Sky News Australia reported Wednesday. Audio of the conference was played on Australia’s Paul Murray Show.
“I nearly got him. And I could have killed him, but I would have to destroy a little town called Kandahar in Afghanistan and kill 300 innocent women and children, and then I would have been no better than him. And so I didn’t do it,” Mr. Clinton added.
The day after Mr. Clinton’s comments is the day of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, the most deadly terror attacks to ever occur on American soil, which resulted in the deaths of nearly 3,000 people, The Associated Press.
The audio, never released publicly until Wednesday, was originally recorded with the former president’s permission, the New York Daily News reported Thursday.
“What’s very definite is that I’m pretty sure that [Mr. Clinton] dropped that part of the anecdotes and the after dinner speaking circuit in the past couple of years,” the Australian host said at the end of the segment.
Copyright © 2019 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.As the world prepares to dive back into the wizarding world that produced Harry Potter and his memorable friends, interest in the franchise is back at an all-time high. The actors starring in the first of five new films have been promoting the project heavily, and fans have been talking about the upcoming series for months. While this new movie may take place in the same world as Potter, and the book the film is based on comes from J.K. Rowling, those behind the scenes apparently want to make Fantastic Beasts stand on its own as a great cinematic experience, and that requires some excellent music.
Legendary composer James Newton Howard stepped up to take on the task of scoring the film, which turned out to be an extensive, involved process. The nine-time Oscar nominee and Emmy and Grammy winner spoke to me about his process, his favorite scores and what his kids thought when they found out he was to be a part of the same universe as Harry, Hermione and Ron.
Watch On FORBES:
Hugh McIntyre: Fantastic Beasts is a spinoff franchise, and it's already a huge deal. Harry Potter is an entire world on its own, and it has millions of diehard fans. Were you at all nervous to join a project that so many people were going to watch so carefully?
James Newton Howard: Absolutely. I was very nervous. Well, I don't know if nervous is quite the word. I think to do anything out of one's comfort zone, there has to be some aspect of it that feels inspiring and challenging in a positive way. Sure, the fear of failure is always a companion in my work, and for a lot of other people. I was very excited by it. I felt fairly confident, without trying to sound self-congratulatory. I think I understood the world, I understood the script, I had great conversations with David Yates, and I felt prepared to dive in.
McIntyre: Would you describe this movie as out of your comfort zone?
Howard: I would describe inheriting a franchise where John Williams has written unforgettable thematic material for the last 15 years and being asked to re-create the melodic world as slightly uncomfortable. I seek those kinds of jobs out. I think they are the ones that help me grow as a composer, and they don't come along all that often.
McIntyre: There are a number of great composers that worked on the Harry Potter series, but John Williams was the first.
Howard: Yes he was. He wrote “Hedwig’s Theme,” which I think is the one that most people probably identify with. The thing about Fantastic Beasts is that it's in the wizarding world, in J.K. Rowling’s world, but it's not a Harry Potter movie. It takes place 70 years before Harry comes into being, so while we tip our hat and acknowledge in a respectful and witty wink and a nod kind of way to “Hedwig’s Theme,” the score is composed of all new material.
McIntyre: Was it at all intimidating to pick up where John Williams left off and to use the music he made and reinterpret it?
Howard: I didn't really do that. We only used John's themes for I think seven seconds when they show the Warner Bros. logo, and I think in a few other tiny spots. From the very beginning, and probably in David Yates’ mind from the very beginning, was to create new thematic material that would be identifiable with Fantastic Beasts.
McIntyre: Now that you have done the first film, are you interested in seeing it through for the next four?
Howard: David and I have talked about it. I'm certainly doing the next one, he's asked me to do it. We had a pretty incredible time together on this one, so I will certainly be doing that one. Beyond that, who knows? I would like to think that I would do all of them and that I would be asked back, but who knows what happens that far in advance.
McIntyre: How familiar with you with the wizarding world before this opportunity popped up?
Howard: I was pretty familiar. I have kids who are now in their 20s who were devout and committed fans of Harry Potter, so I watched most of them several times, and all of them at least once. When I say the wizarding world, if you translate that into musical terms, it means somewhat sophisticated and detailed orchestral writing in sort of a 19th-century classical modality. It's borrowing orchestrational ideas from everybody from Tchaikovsky to more contemporary composers and even further into the 20th century with strong thematic elements with certain orchestrational sounds that make it feel magical. It's in the heart of the music where the differences are made. Hopefully, the substance of the score has a life beyond on the movie, and people will enjoy it and carry it on with them through the next film.
McIntyre: What did your kids say when you accepted this position?
Howard: They were thrilled. They were very happy. I auditioned several themes for them before I played them for David, and they certainly have their favorites. They are my biggest fans and my harshest critics, or at least my most honest critics.
McIntyre: How long does it take from beginning to the score being completely finished? How long does that take and what does that process look like?
Howard: In this particular case it took nearly seven months, which is really long. One of the things David wanted when we first talked was a composer who would come onto the film early, and in his words, be “part of the architecture of the movie.” Someone to provide music early on in demo form that they could use while the film is being edited, which is a really effective tool to have so you're not covering the movie borrowing music from others while you're editing the movie.
I spent the first three months in Los Angeles creating mock-ups or demos and emailing them to David in London. Our dialogue began then. I wrote a lot of music, and then I rewrote a lot of music. Then I went to London late in June and stayed through the middle of September working with David, back and forth, rewriting again, trying different ideas and ultimately recording about nine days’ worth of music at Abbey Road with an orchestra and choir.
It's a long process, and I would say that when a composer writes, what a composer really does is rewrite. It's something that can be utterly exhausting, but ultimately really beneficial to the process. I think when the director challenges you in a positive way, that the results are inevitably better. For instance, I discovered a couple of the primary themes of the movie really in the last hours of my composing. That had to do with David continually saying, “That's fantastic, but is there any other way?” Or, “Is there anything else we could try?” It can be frustrating and intimidating at times, but ultimately a very fruitful process.
McIntyre: When you are starting on a movie, especially a large franchise like this, do you think about what critics will think, what fans think, or what the Oscars may think? Do you keep any of that in mind?
Howard: You don't keep in mind, but it invades your mind anyway. You try not to keep any of that stuff in your mind, but I do believe that it's a positive thing for a composer to consider what life a score could have beyond the movie. Obviously, the first and foremost job is to do the storytelling, but that doesn't mean the music can't have some degree of substance and enjoyment outside of the movie. That's what I think about from time to time. I really don't think about the Oscars. I hate bad reviews, so yeah, every now and then I think, “Boy I hope everybody really likes this and thinks this theme is good.” You can't help but do that. I think we all are, or at least I am, reduced to a schoolboy seeking approval. I feel very vulnerable and confident at the same time depending on what day it is.
McIntyre: When you look back on your career, is there a certain piece of music that stands out to you as something that you think of as best or perhaps a favorite?
Howard: At this point, I'm not sure, but I think I might've done 130 movies, so it's really hard for me to say that one score is my favorite. I tend to feel that the score I just finished is my favorite because I am so immersed in it, so I'm going to say Fantastic Beasts is my favorite. There are things about it that I think I have done better as a composer and as an orchestrator in Fantastic Beasts.
There are some scores that I've done that I am particularly fond of for other reasons. I think one of my favorite scores ever was a small movie that Robert Mulligan directed. To work with him is thrilling, and I think the movie is charming and very moving and very powerful. I have good, warm feelings for the music. That's one of my favorites, even though most people haven't seen that movie. Usually, we get recognized for our most popular work, but that doesn't necessarily mean that's our best work.Immigration is one of the key issues which will affect how people vote in the upcoming EU referendum, along with the effect on the economy and Britain’s sovereignty, a new Ipsos MORI study published today finds.
The survey of c.4,000 British adults is the latest in a unique longitudinal study which looks to track how individuals’ views on immigration change over time. The latest survey finds that:
Over half believe the Government should have total control over immigration even if it means coming out of EU
More than half overall (55%) and one in five remain voters (20%) say that they think the government should have control over who comes into Britain even if this means having to leave the EU. For leave voters the figure is 95% and for those yet to make up their minds the figure is 63%.
That said, 20% of leave voters think that if Britain does vote to leave, the government should allow EU citizens to live and work in Britain in return for access to the single market (overall, 42% believe this).
Immigration will be a big factor in how people decide to vote in the EU referendum, particularly for leavers and for undecided voters
Almost half (48%) say that the number of EU immigrants coming into the UK will be important to them when they vote in the EU referendum, and this rises to 72% of those who say they’ll vote to leave and 55% among those who may change their minds.
However, when asked what will be important to how others will vote, immigration is seen as equally as important as the economy (24% each).
The economy is still the top issue overall, with 57% saying it will be very important in helping them to decide how to vote in the referendum, and Britain’s ability to make its own laws is also mentioned by half of respondents (50%).
The majority (66%) think that EU immigration would decrease post-Brexit
Two-thirds (66%) believe that EU immigration to the UK will decrease if Britain leaves the EU (69% of leavers believe this and 71% of those who are unsure of which way to vote).
However, there is no clear agreement on whether the government’s net migration target of tens of thousands of people a year can be achieved even if Brexit is the outcome of June’s vote (44% agree it can be, 22% disagree and 35% are neutral).
But telling people that immigration levels will increase or decrease has little impact on changing views outright but remain voters are more likely to waver
In the survey we prompted people with a series of scenarios about how EU immigration numbers might change. These scenarios had little impact in changing people’s minds outright.
So for leavers, despite suggesting numbers may decrease with new restrictions if Britain stayed in the EU, their views remained relatively stable and only six per cent said they would switch their vote to remain whereas a quarter (24%) became unsure about which way to vote.
Remain voters, however, are a less stable group and one in ten (10%) switched their position to vote leave as immigration numbers increased but over four in ten (44%) became unsure about which way to vote.
With an increased focused on the debate on immigration and the EU, more people now think that we’re getting the conversation about right
Over the last year, there has been a move in the number of people saying are now discussing immigration about the right amount, 31% now think this compared with 28% a year ago.
However, we are still fairly split on the issue with 36% saying the issue has been discussed too little over recent months and a quarter (25% saying we’re discussing it too much).
But the issue of EU immigration is unlikely to be resolved once the referendum is concluded
Even if Britain remains in the EU, around two-thirds (68%) think that Britain should continue to campaign for greater controls on the number of EU citizens coming to Britain.
Six in ten people (62%) think the number of immigrants coming to the UK should be reduced either a little or a lot, including 40% of remain voters and these figures have barely changed since a year ago.
Similarly, satisfaction with how the government is dealing with the issue remains low (9% satisfied vs 62% dissatisfied) and virtually unchanged since last year.
Kully Kaur-Ballagan, Head of Race, Faith & Cohesion research at Ipsos MORI, said:
"Immigration remains a key issue in the public’s mind and will be one of the central issues that decide how people vote on 23rd June. It will be particularly important for those yet to decide which way to vote. This suggests that both campaigns will need to address the issue if they are to win over undecided voters. The survey also shows that immigration is more likely to have an impact on those voting to remain than those voting to leave; the latter group have fairly stable views on immigration whereas the former are more prone to change or uncertainty. Regardless of what happens in the EU referendum, it is unlikely that the issue of immigration will die down. The public still have a desire to see greater immigration controls and would want to see continued focus on restricting immigration."
Technical note
Ipsos MORI interviewed a representative sample of 4,002 British online adults aged 18+ between 14 -25 April 2016, with funding from Unbound Philanthropy. Interviews were conducted on Ipsos’ online panel and results have been weighted by demographic factors to represent the British population.Eek! The Cat (retitled Eek! Stravaganza in 1994) is an American-Canadian animated series,[1] created by Savage Steve Holland and Bill Kopp[2] and produced by Fox Kids and Savage Studios with animation by Nelvana, that ran from 1992 to 1997. It aired on YTV from 1992 to 1998 in Canada.
Premise [ edit ]
Eek! the Cat is about a purple cat named Eek whose motto is "it never hurts to help". This attitude generally gets him into trouble, from which much of the humor of the show is derived. Other characters include Eek!'s human family, with whom he cannot communicate via spoken language; Sharky the Sharkdog (his worst nightmare), and Eek's girlfriend, Annabelle.
The show featured slapstick humor and pop culture references. Shows vary from standard cartoon fare to movie spoofs (Apocalypse Now, A Clockwork Orange) and musical episodes; the first Christmas episode was written almost entirely in rhyme. The show featured many cameos by celebrities,[3] some of whom came back for several episodes.
Episodes [ edit ]
Characters [ edit ]
Eek! is normally very optimistic.
Eek the Cat (voiced by Bill Kopp) – Eek always puts others' safety, needs, and comfort before his own. Eek can talk with all animals and most humans, but oddly enough cannot converse with his owners: Mom, Wendy Elizabeth, and J.B. He commonly exclaims "Kumbaya!" His motto is that "It never hurts to help!", although, with Eek this is frequently not the case. The major running gag within the show is that Eek's selfless nature usually gets him caught up in painful situations such as getting caught in mail and baggage sorters (both of which appear designed to intentionally damage their contents) and screaming "Oh Gosh It Hurts!" while the show's guitar riff theme played. Despite Eek's misfortunes, episodes would usually end with Eek rewarded in some way for facing the adversity squarely and being selfless towards others.
Sharky the Sharkdog – Annabelle's pet guard dog who defends Annabelle's house with the viciousness (and also the overall appearance) of a shark. Sharky does not speak, but more than makes up for it in growls (though other animal characters such as Eek can comprehend what he is saying, and subtitles are sometimes provided). Sharky typically terrorizes Eek for fun, although occasionally as a reaction to Eek!'s incessant trouble-causing helpfulness. There are moments where the two get along and partner in the plot line, but they happen to be rare. Sharky loves to bite things, mostly mail-carriers. Sharky also has quite a bit of skill as a craftsman, he is constantly rebuilding his doghouse after Eek accidentally destroys it. Like Snoopy's doghouse, the interior of Sharky's doghouse resembles a cavernous mansion with several floors and a garage. Sharky has a curious affiliation with firearms and explosives, which often backfires on himself. In many cases, Sharky and Eek's relationship follows a subtly satisfying pattern of karma.
Elmo the Elk (also known as Elmo: The Brown Nosed Reindeer, Incredible Elmo) – Eek!'s extremely inept but loyal friend. Elmo typically maintains a courageous façade but is actually quite cowardly. He typically works as a stunt man or in some form of action career. He also believes that there are 31 days in the month of June.
Mom – The apparently single mother of the family that owns Eek!. Voiced by Elinor Donahue. Does a lot of house cleaning and is a student of foreign languages, especially "Spangalese." [4] Once on a flight to England she listened to a tape of British-accented English, a language she found especially challenging. A running gag features her absent-minded listening to foreign language cassettes, reciting the nonsensical translations of English phrases while cleaning the house, unknowingly causing mayhem in the process.
Once on a flight to England she listened to a tape of British-accented English, a language she found especially challenging. A running gag features her absent-minded listening to foreign language cassettes, reciting the nonsensical translations of English phrases while cleaning the house, unknowingly causing mayhem in the process. Wendy Elizabeth and J.B. (voiced by Elizabeth Daily and Charles Adler) – The children of the family that owns Eek!, normal kids and are whiny and spoiled. They watch a lot of television. Their favorite show is The Squishy Bearz Rainbow of Enchanted Fun Minute, a spoof of the Care Bears. They have similarities in their personalities, but also differences. J.B. is low on overall intelligence, but has a more even temper and better control of his emotions, while Wendy Elizabeth is very intelligent, but also both a figurative and literal crybaby, crying or sobbing over the slightest bad or undesirable thing that may happen to her (such as getting a defective bicycle bell for her birthday, getting a "D" on a test, or initially failing to get any treats on Halloween), sometimes causing natural disasters like earthquakes in doing so. Nonetheless, both children are generally shown to be goodhearted and love Eek! and their mother very much.
, a spoof of the They have similarities in their personalities, but also differences. J.B. is low on overall intelligence, but has a more even temper and better control of his emotions, while Wendy Elizabeth is very intelligent, but also both a figurative and literal crybaby, crying or sobbing over the slightest bad or undesirable thing that may happen to her (such as getting a defective bicycle bell for her birthday, getting a "D" on a test, or initially failing to get any treats on Halloween), sometimes causing natural disasters like earthquakes in doing so. Nonetheless, both children are generally shown to be goodhearted and love Eek! and their mother very much. Annabelle – A female cat and Eek's girlfriend who acts like a Southern belle. She is also extremely fat, although Eek! does not seem aware of this (he responds, genuinely surprised, "Really?" whenever someone comments on Annabelle's weight), he just sees Annabelle as being very beautiful. He is attributed as saying about Annabelle: "The more of you there is, the more there is to love." Despite her weight, her arms and legs are very skinny. Eek! fell in love with Annabelle the first time he saw her, when he was hit by the arrow of a one-winged cupid. Like Wendy Elizabeth, Annabelle can cry over anything that upsets her in the slightest bit, though perhaps not to the same extent as she.
Timmy – Elmo's brother. He constantly needs money for various absurd medical ailments which Elmo tries to raise with Eek!'s help. These usually consist of very dangerous stunts that only harm Eek! when he gets involved.
Mittens (Voiced by Dan Castellaneta in 1992-1994 and later 1998-1999 Then by John Kassir) – Eek!'s friend who is also a cat. His fur is blue, he always wears red mittens, and he belongs to an old woman with failing sight. He suffers from extreme paranoia and he always ends a sentence with the word "Man" (e.g. LOOK OUT, MAN!!). Mittens appears to have been based on Dennis Hopper's unnamed photojournalist character from Apocalypse Now, even portraying the equivalent character in the episode "Eekpocalypse Now!"
, even portraying the equivalent character in the episode "Eekpocalypse Now!" The Squishy Bearz – Four colorful bears with their own children's TV program called The Squishy Bearz Rainbow of Enchanted Fun Minute ; they're an obvious parody of the Care Bears. Kozy (yellow), Puffy (blue) and Wuz Wuz (pink) all have happy and friendly attitudes. The fourth bear, Pierre (green), who speaks with a French accent and wears a beret, is bitter and cynical.
; they're an obvious parody of the Care Bears. Kozy (yellow), Puffy (blue) and Wuz Wuz (pink) all have happy and friendly attitudes. The fourth bear, Pierre (green), who speaks with a French accent and wears a beret, is bitter and cynical. Steven – A squirrel who lives in a nearby tree with his wife and four children. Steven and his family are so incredibly boring that even Eek can't stand being around them for long.
Piggy the Penguin – First appearing in the episode "The Lord of the Fleas" (an obvious parody of Lord of the Flies ), Piggy is a small penguin with thick eyeglasses who can often be seen sporting a pig mask. He is often seen in the company of a larger and deeper-voiced penguin as they take part in the bizarre circumstances of the show. Often, in a running gag, Piggy will discover something strange and attempt to inform his larger companion, who then responds by saying "Shut up Piggy!" Piggy has a distinct British accent, another reference to The Lord of the Flies. Piggy returns several times in quick cameos and occasionally takes a larger role.
), Piggy is a small penguin with thick eyeglasses who can often be seen sporting a pig mask. He is often seen in the company of a larger and deeper-voiced penguin as they take part in the bizarre circumstances of the show. Often, in a running gag, Piggy will discover something strange and attempt to inform his larger companion, who then responds by saying "Shut up Piggy!" Piggy has a distinct British accent, another reference to The Lord of the Flies. Piggy returns several times in quick cameos and occasionally takes a larger role. Hank and Jib – A pair of government scientists who make recurring appearances, often clutching a cup of coffee each and conversing in dull tones, their words are usually punctuated with 'ums' and 'ers'. A running gag in the show involves the two at a ground station in the company of other scientists after finally getting the Hubble Telescope to work, only for it to be struck by a character or object from the show's main story, causing it to either malfunction or to point to somewhere on Earth. This often results in either some celebrity showing up on the monitor or the monitor simply going black, which the pair of scientists obliviously acknowledge as being the fruit of their research, followed by Hank inquiring, "Who wants lunch?"
Zoltar (Voiced by Brad Garrett) – An evil alien bent on destroying Earth by capturing Annabelle and using her as a battery for their planet-destroying laser. His attempts are always being thwarted by Eek and his friends.
Additional voices [ edit ]
The Terrible Thunderlizards [ edit ]
The Terrible Thunderlizards segment was introduced in the middle of the second season of Eek! The Cat. Like Eek!, this segment was also created by Holland and Kopp.[3][5] It ran from November 20, 1993, to July 28, 1997. The show was originally intended to be a spin off from Eek! The Cat,[5] but it aired as a weekly segment on Eek! Stravaganza.
Like Eek!, the segment was produced by Fox and Savage Studios with animation by Nelvana. The segment chronicled the misadventures of a trio of dinosaur mercenaries released from incarceration and charged with the task of eliminating two primitive human beings. However, despite their superior size and firepower and the obliviousness of their targets, the mercenaries always fail with comedic results. When the Thunderlizards are not after the humans, they must protect Jurassic City from the Thuggosaurs.[6]
Klutter [ edit ]
The Klutter segment came in the fourth season of Eek! Stravaganza in 1995.[3] It followed Ryan and Wade Heap and their pet Klutter, who they created from a pile of junk because they couldn't have a real dog due to their father's allergies. There are other characters in the show, like Sandee Heap, who was lonely at first, before Klutter came |
organization whose mission is to educate students on the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, inspire their pride in America, and encourage them to participate in community service, with her granddaughter, Alysa Cooper. Citizenship Counts empowers young people to be responsible, participatory, and socially just citizens who appreciate the benefits of living in a diverse, inclusive, democratic country. Its multi-disciplinary core curriculum provides middle and high students across the country a unique opportunity to plan for and host a community-based naturalization ceremony in their school setting. The vision of Citizenship Counts is to create a well-informed, responsible citizenry of individuals who are motivated to participate in both local and national community service. Klein's wish is that this organization will give her an opportunity to give back and thank the United States of America for all that she has been given over the years since she became a naturalized citizen in 1948. She expressed her passion for the mission of Citizenship Counts:
America is a unique, diverse and wondrous country, comprised both of those who know its magnificence as their birthright, and others, like me, who are privileged to call our adopted country 'our own.' What we all share is a desire for our families to enjoy America's boundless opportunities while extending to all our fellow citizens justice and the blessings and freedoms upon which the nation was founded. To perpetuate the miracle that is America we must teach our children about its rich history as a nation of immigrants who chose this country and have given meaning to its ideals. Citizenship Counts will engage today's students in civics education, combined with active participation in a naturalization ceremony, to help ensure that the citizens of tomorrow will continue to foster tolerance, understanding, service to one another and a greater appreciation for the privilege and responsibility of citizenship.
Bibliography [ edit ]Reports via the Telegraph and the Times say that Theo Walcott has rejected a new contract from Arsenal.
Although the Telegraph says further talks are planned, Arseblog News is aware that Arsenal are actively seeking a replacement in the transfer market.
At the beginning of last season Walcott’s people insisted that contract talks would have to wait until the end of the season as Walcott wanted to see if Arsenal remained in the Champions League before committing to a new deal.
Then talks were planned after the European Championships as Walcott’s agent, Warwick Horton told Arseblog News in early July, “Once he is back at the club I daresay we will have a chat with them. There is no time frame and no deadlines.
“Although I will say that it has always been the plan to sit down with the club once Theo returns after the Euro’s [sic] …so that is still the case.”
With three days left until the transfer window closes, and with reported interest in Walcott from Man City and Liverpool, Arsenal must make a decision. Do they keep a player whose commitment to the club is questionable for a season and let him go on a free, or cash in and ensure a replacement is found before Friday at 11pm?
If history tells us anything it’s that Arsenal won’t allow an asset to leave on a free and his departure wouldn’t be a surprise at all. If he does go, he’ll be the latest player made by Arsene Wenger to turn his back on the Frenchman after Alex Song and Robin van Persie moved away from the club this summer.
What was already promising to be a busy week for Arsenal looks set to become even more hectic.RIO DE JANEIRO (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - As Carnival begins in Rio de Janeiro, the city is bracing for possible water shortages as a severe drought that has dried up reservoirs in Brazil’s southeast hits the country’s top tourist destination.
A worker cleans a carnival float at the Grande Rio samba school, in preparation for the annual carnival parade, in Rio de Janeiro February 10, 2015. REUTERS/Pilar Olivares
Authorities say there is no imminent risk of water supply interruptions. But hotels and restaurants in this oceanfront city are preparing for that possibility as an expected almost one million tourists begin arriving for festivities that officially start this weekend and run until Ash Wednesday, on Feb. 18.
Rio’s Hotel Industry Association has asked its members to take more vigorous measures to conserve water, while the city’s hotel and restaurant union said it is planning for water scarcity.
Some street carnival parades have canceled the use of water tank trucks that are traditionally used to cool off revelers.
“The governor said there is no risk of water shortages in the short term and Cedae (Rio’s water utility) said the city won’t run out of water during Carnival, but there is always concern,” Antonio Pedro Figueira de Mello, the city’s tourism secretary, said in an interview this week.
“The situation is serious and we need to conserve water,” he said.
Cedae has ruled out any risk of water cutoffs during Carnival – but the reassurance comes even as two of four key reservoirs that supply the city have reached zero operating capacity.
RESERVOIRS ‘DEAD’
On Jan. 21, the Paraibuna reservoir, the biggest of four that supply Rio de Janeiro state, dropped to the so-called “dead volume” - at which water is inaccessible - for the first time since it was built in 1978, according to Brazil’s Electric System Operator ONS, which manages the country’s power plants and tracks reservoir levels.
Five days later, the Santa Branca reservoir also dropped to a historic low. The reservoirs in Rio de Janeiro state provide drinking water and also power hydroelectric plants.
Brazil’s southeast region is suffering its worst drought in at least 80 years after an unusually dry year has depleted reservoirs that feed the country’s most populous cities.
Scientists have linked the worsening drought to continuing Amazon deforestation, which is reducing the amount of condensation that rises from the forest and falls further south as rain.
SAO PAULO WATER BLACKOUTS?
São Paulo, a megacity of 20 million, is still desperately low on water as the Cantareira system of reservoirs that feed nearly half of the city’s population has remained at minimal operating levels since last October.
After months of promises that there would be no cutoffs, authorities have now admitted the severity of the situation.
Sabesp, the water utility in São Paulo, is preparing official rationing measures that could be as drastic as cutting water supply two days out of each seven, Paulo Massato Yoshimoto, metropolitan director at Sabesp, told reporters on Jan. 27. He said that would be a worst-case scenario.
Sabesp said in a statement this week that the company hasn’t made a decision yet on whether rationing will be implemented and what supply restrictions will be adopted.
Folha de São Paulo newspaper reported this week that São Paulo city officials are preparing for rationing, such as installing water pumps that would guarantee supply to hospitals while cutting off other users.
Recent summer storms in the Cantareira region have boosted reservoir levels slightly, but meteorologists say the area is expected to receive average or below-average rainfall over the next two months, which is the rainy season in Brazil’s southeast.
Starting in April, little rain is expected, leading some scientist to speculate that the Cantareira reservoirs could be completely dry by July.
In Rio, as in São Paulo a few months ago, authorities have blamed the weather and critics say they have been slow to respond to the threat of a water crisis.
Asked if the city runs the risk of water shortages during Carnival, Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes told journalists this week that he didn’t know and referred them to Cedae, the water utility.
State environment chief Andre Correa acknowledged on Jan. 23 that Rio is suffering the worst water crisis in history, but said the population can rest assured that no rationing measures will be necessary until July.
“The population has at least six months of tranquility” even if Rio continues to receive below-average rainfall, he told reporters at a press conference.
‘IMMINENT COLLAPSE’
Scientists have a much different view.
“We are headed for imminent collapse,” warned Mario Moscatelli, a biologist who has dedicated his career to protecting Rio’s rivers, lakes and lagoons.
He said the authorities’ lack of urgency in responding to the impending crisis is a reflection of Brazilian society’s belief that natural resources will always be abundant.
“We have an energy minister who says that God is Brazilian, and will send us rain, and everything will be ok,” Moscatelli, one of Brazil’s most activist environmentalists, said in an interview this week.
Women dressed in Baianas perform the traditional "Lavagem", or washing ritual, to bring good luck at the Sambodrome, one week before the Carnival parade, in Rio de Janeiro February 8, 2015. REUTERS/Pilar Olivares
“That’s the kind of thing our authorities are telling the population, when the reality is that we are on the brink of a huge disaster,” he said.
He was referring to Mines and Energy Minister Eduardo Braga, who made the comments during a press conference on Jan. 20.
The day before the conference, the federal district and 11 of Brazil’s 26 states suffered power outages as temperatures rose past 40 degrees Celsius in several regions.'The best thing that could happen to the country is if no oil is found'
Luis Prazeres was the first native-born airline captain in São Tomé and Príncipe, and the country's first minister of natural resources. He knew a lot about flying and nothing about oil. But neither did anyone else in the tiny African island nation, which had just been told it was on the verge of a petroleum boom.
"There were all these foreign companies telling us that we had huge oil reserves, and bringing us agreements to sign," said Prazeres, who took up his minister's post in 1999. "Nobody here understood how complex it was."
Other governments are now finding themselves in similar situations. Rising oil prices have led to a surge in exploration in countries with little or no petroleum experience. Hopes of petrodollar bonanzas have already been raised in Ghana and Uganda, while prospecting companies are crawling over Gambia, Madagascar, Tanzania and Somalia.
Yet São Tomé's bitter experience should serve as a cautionary tale. In the decade since a little known Texas oil firm wandered into government offices with an audacious plan, the 160,000 inhabitants of the lush, somnolent islands have seen dreams of their country becoming the next Brunei or Kuwait melt away in the equatorial sun.
Their leaders have signed some of the most lopsided petroleum contracts in history. Bribes have allegedly been offered and pocketed. Regional bullies have muscled in, and in May the government fell to a no-confidence vote. "We have already seen everything that goes with an oil boom," said Rafael Branco, the newly appointed prime minister. "Everything, except a single drop of oil."
Offshore reserves
The twin islands of São Tomé and Príncipe squat in the Gulf of Guinea. Their nearest neighbours are Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. All have found significant reserves of oil, much of it offshore.
In 1997, a tiny Houston-based company called Environmental Remediation Holding Corporation (ERHC), which had no history of oil finds or production, decided São Tomé might have its own deep-water deposits. In return for near-exclusive mineral exploration and exploitation rights for 25 years and a half share of profits, ERHC offered São Tomé $5m and its marketing services.
São Tomé, heavily in debt and reliant on donors to fund most of its $30m budget, was desperate for cash. The deal was signed. Industry watchers such as Mohamed Yahya, of the UK-based peacebuilding NGO International Alert, would later describe the contract as "one of the worst in the history of oil". And ERHC's gamble paid off. Seismic data showed there could be up to 11bn barrels of oil under the sea around the islands. The most promising area was north of Príncipe, in waters also claimed by Nigeria.
Nigeria, with decades of oil experience, agreed to establish a joint authority over the oil zone, but insisted the profits be split 60:40.
When São Tomé's current president, Fradique de Menezes, was elected in 2001 he threatened to have ERHC's contract torn up, but by then the US company had been bought by Chrome, a Nigerian firm headed by a businessman with strong ties to Nigeria's ruling regime. Though the contract would be renegotiated twice, pressure from Nigeria ensured ERHC's deal remained vastly disadvantageous for São Tomé.
Meanwhile, the potential oil reserves were causing excitement abroad. After the 9/11 attacks, the US government was seeking ways to reduce reliance on oil from the Middle East. Democratic, largely stable, and with a US-friendly president, São Tomé seemed ideal.
Several top US lawyers soon arrived to offer assistance in managing the oil contracts. A team from Columbia University's Earth Institute helped draft model legislation that would ensure transparency and hold back some of the oil revenues for future generations.
"All people could talk about was oil, oil, oil. The politicians made it sound like it would start flowing tomorrow, and everyone was just sitting back and waiting for the proceeds," said Arlindo Carvalho, who was oil minister from 2003 to 2005.
The best blocks in the joint São Tomé-Nigeria oil zone had been put up for auction in 2003. In the first round, only one consortium, led by Chevron and ExxonMobil, emerged with a successful bid. São Tomé's share of the fee was $49m - a lot to a tiny country, but far less than expected. Late in 2004, more than two dozen companies competed for the remaining blocks. Many were Nigerian-linked firms with no experience of oil production.
Manipulation
A report by São Tomé's attorney general a year later concluded the auction had lacked transparency, was subject to "serious procedural deficiencies and political manipulation", and had resulted in winning bids from unqualified firms. ERHC's preferential rights had discouraged the more reputable companies from bidding, and cost São Tomé up to $60m in fees, it said.
Even more damning, to São Toméans, were allegations in the report that their politicians had been bribed. One of the president's top advisers was revealed to own a stake in ERHC, while a company controlled by Menezes was found to have accepted $100,000 from Chrome. Menezes and Chrome said the payment was a legitimate election contribution.
Public anger was followed by disappointment at the oil drilling results. When Chevron tested its deep-water block in 2006, it struck oil but not in commercial quantities. Other companies plan tests next year. The government also intends to sell exploration rights in its exclusive territorial waters in 2009.
Even if commercial quantities of oil are discovered, it will be at least six years before production starts.
"There is a lot of exhaustion with the whole process," said Paulo Cunha, who managed the Columbia University project. "But I think it would be wrong to brand São Tomé's oil experience a failure. It still has time on its side."
Others are not so certain. There is still very limited oil expertise on the islands. And given the alleged corruption, many local people have serious doubts that oil revenues could be managed properly, regardless of the good laws in place.
"São Tomé's institutions remain among the weakest in Africa," said Yahya. "The best thing that could happen to the country is if no oil is found."One soldier was killed instantly. The second was given emergency first aid by his fellow soldiers and taken to a nearby hospital but later died. Lieutenant-General Hurley said the two soldiers, who were part of a foot patrol, were evacuated to the Tarin Kowt base by helicopter following the explosion. "It was about 10 minutes out to the site and back. "It was 38 minutes from wheels off, from the incident being announced, to the two soldiers returning to the base." Lieutenant-General Hurley said Monday had been "a hard day in theatre".
"There's a lot of troops in action and a lot going on. "This has just been a difficult day for us." He said military investigators were already looking into the deaths. "We have sent in our weapons intelligence team to conduct a technical inspection," he said. Asked if the NATO-led coalition was winning the almost decade long war, he said: "Bodies aren't going to tell whether you win or lose this war.
"Some good things are happening and we're heading in the right direction." Lieutenant-General Hurley said it was the first time since the Vietnam war that two Australian soldiers had died in combat on the same day. 10 NATO soldiers killed In total 10 NATO soldiers were killed on Monday. Lieutenant-General Hurley said there were no other Australian or Afghan casualties.
"However, an explosive detection dog also died in the incident," he said. An investigation will be held to determine the "exact details of the incident". "I speak for the entire ADF [Australian Defence Force] and Defence community when I tell you I am deeply saddened by the loss of these two brave Australian soldiers," Lieutenant-General Hurley said. Houston devastated Defence force chief Angus Houston in a statement read out by his deputy said he was devastated to hear about the deaths.
"Foremost in my thoughts at this time are the families of these two soldiers... who today are suffering overwhelming shock and anguish." It was too early for words to provide comfort to the families of the men, but Air Chief Marshal Houston said he wanted them to know both were outstanding Australians. "Quietly serving our nation and demonstrating every day the very best of what Aussies pride themselves on displaying to the world - courage, determination, mateship and selfless service." He also had a message to Australian troops still serving in Afghanistan. "I ask you to look after and support each other.
"We will support you but I need you to make sure you seek any assistance that you may need to come to terms with your loss. "Draw strength from one another and pay tribute to your mates." Air Chief Marshal Houston, who is overseas with Senator Faulkner, asked the media to respect the wish of the families not to make public the names of the dead soldiers. Constant dangers: Faulkner The deaths were a reminder of the constant dangers faced by Australian troops in Afghanistan, Defence Minister John Faulkner said in a statement, which was read out by Defence Personnel Minister Greg Combet.
"While all Australians will mourn along with those two families, the immensity of their grief cannot be shared," Senator Faulkner said. "The manner of their deaths from an insidious and indiscriminate improvised explosive device again shows the callous and truly despicable nature of our enemy." It was a great loss to the nation and Senator Faulkner sent his sincere condolences to the families of both men. Seven US soldiers killed Five US soldiers were killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) in eastern Afghanistan, while another American died in a separate IED attack and the seventh one from small arms fire in the south, said Lieutenant Colonel Beth Robbins in Washington. Three other NATO service members from other countries were also killed in attacks on Monday, two of whom were the Australians.
The French government announced that one of the deaths was a sergeant in the French Foreign Legion. French President Nicolas Sarkozy "forcefully condemned this blind violence and expressed France's determination to continue working as part of the International Security Assistance Force [ISAF]", his office said. Suicide attack on an Afghan police training centre Separately, two foreign contractors, one of them an American, were killed on Monday in a suicide attack on an Afghan police training centre in the southern city of Kandahar, the US embassy said. Three militants armed with bombs and guns were killed in the attack. One of the rebels detonated a bomb-filled car along the wall of the facility hoping to punch open a route for his comrades, the interior ministry said in Kabul.
The two others were shot dead by police guards, ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashary told AFP. There was no claim of responsibility for the bombing but Afghanistan's Taliban is leading a nearly nine-year insurgency to bring down the Western-backed government and evict foreign troops. Elsewhere, in the southern province of Ghazni, police said five Afghan security guards were killed in two separate attacks while they were escorting NATO logistics convoys. "There were two roadside bomb attacks against the convoys in Andar and Ab Band districts. Three guards were killed in Andar district and two were killed in Ab Band district," said Ghazni police chief Khial Baz Shairzai. NATO, US and Afghan troops are preparing their biggest offensive yet against the Taliban in Kandahar province, with total foreign troop numbers in the country set to peak at 150,000 by August.
US President Barack Obama hopes the counter-insurgency strategy focused on the south can allow US troops to start withdrawing next year. According to an AFP tally, based on one kept by the independent website icasualties.org, 245 foreign soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan so far this year. Last year was the deadliest yet with 520 killed. Monday's toll was the highest for a single day since the deaths of 11 French soldiers on one day in August 2008. The latest deaths follow Sunday's killings of five NATO soldiers, four of them Americans, in two separate attacks and a vehicle accident. Plan to reintegrate Taliban fighters In Madrid, US special envoy Richard Holbrooke said more funds for Afghanistan's plan to reintegrate Taliban fighters who renounce violence were likely to be pledged next month at a conference in Kabul.
The July 20 conference is a follow-up to a London summit in January, when donors pledged an initial $US140 million to a so-called Afghanistan Peace and Reconciliation Programme trust fund. "Almost $US200 million has been committed under a programme led by the Japanese... and there will more developments on this at the Kabul conference," Mr Holbrooke said. US soldier charged with murdering civilians In Washington a US army spokeswoman said an American soldier had been charged with the murder of three civilians in Afghanistan and four others had been implicated but not charged in the crimes. Loading
Specialist Jeremy Morlock, 22, was charged on Friday with premeditated murder and assault in three separate incidents that occurred in Kandahar province between January and May this year. AFP, AAP and Paul TatnellLooking back on high school, I’m often surprised that I graduated with even a modicum of science literacy — let’s just say that my projects usually seemed a bit rushed, which is to say they were entirely completed the night before the due date. But for the teens who competed in this year’s Google Science Fair, an annual competition that invites teenagers from around the world to digitally submit their science projects, I think it’s safe to say that science is a blessing and an opportunity, and not a curse. Among this year’s amazing contestants, grand prize winner Brittany Wenger, a 17-year-old girl from Florida, seems to be stealing the show — and with her amazing project, a neural network that can diagnose breast cancer with 99.11% accuracy, can you really blame her?
When it comes to breast cancer detection, the least invasive method, Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA), is often the least accurate. On the prowl for a research project, Wegner thought she might be able to harness the power of computer to boost the diagnostic method’s accuracy.
Wegner, who has been fascinated by Artificial Intelligence since the 7th grade, spent more than 600 hours coding her groundbreaking artificial neural network. The program, which operates from Google’s Cloud, learns from patterns and mistakes in data sets. After inputting 681 fine needle aspirate samples, her program was able to learn the similarities and differences across the entire data set, eventually “teaching” the network to detect cancerous tumors given a fine needle aspirate with near perfect accuracy. In honor of her outstanding scientific achievement, Google has awarded her a $50,000 scholarship for college, a lego trophy, a trip to the Galapagos Islands, and perhaps most importantly, worldwide recognition.
Wegner plans to leave her project online, and encourages hospitals and physicians to input their own data, which will only stand to improve the accuracy of her network. As for her own plans, the young scientist hopes to follow her dreams and work at the forefront of computer-assisted cancer research and patient care, an easy feat for a hungry mind like hers: “When you’re passionate about something you’ll be persistent and really enjoy it,” she said.
Though she hardly needs it considering how much she has impacted the world of science already, we wish her all the best in her future career! Congratulations, Brittany!
(via Innovation News Daily.)
Are you following The Mary Sue on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, & Google +?What most if not all of the post-election post-mortems implicitly highlight is the Labour party’s unhealthy relationship with Tony Blair. That is because he and his legacy are both the solution and the source of the Labour party’s problems.
It was ever thus – unlike the Tories who have clear goodies and baddies (Thatcher – goodie, Heath baddie) the Labour party seemingly loathes success. The civil war that Tony Benn led in the Labour party from 1978-1983 was in part about Harold Wilson and decisions taken by the Labour leadership. Wilson won four elections but ended up with large chunks of the party utterly loathing him. To avoid becoming tied up in knots about the party’s future there is a need to develop Post-Blairism – a political approach that separates what Blair said, and his prescriptions for political success, from what he did, and his actions in office.
Blair advocated the construction of a mass membership party in the 1980s and 1990s but spent large parts of the 2000s believing that attacking the membership was a virtue. After returning from the US in 1992 he advocated the need to build a winning coalition among voters rather simply launch a party platform. However the 2005 election victory was predicated on Labour voters ‘having nowhere else to go’. Labour reaped the whirlwind of this in Scotland first in 2011 in the Scottish Parliamentary elections and then in 2015 where years of systemic neglect destroyed the Scottish party.
Then there is the Iraq war – not since Vietnam has a military conflict completely annihilated the credibility of a political movement – and for many that four-letter word precludes consideration of Blair. Iraq should preclude Blair’s personal involvement in politics and the authoritarian lurches indulged in by the party during the New Labour era (ID cards, votes on 90 day detention) represent a dark chapter in the party’s 115-year history. But Blair’s early thinking can still be examined to develop a template for political renewal.
In 1995 Blair recognised that the UK had changed massively since 1979 –for example in 1988 the number of credit card holders exceeded the number of people who were trade union members – accordingly Labour needed to offer an adapted vision. Blair’s solutions to this dilemma in the mid-1990s are not going be those of the 2010s but the approach can be the same. For example there has been a huge rise in self-employment and a growth in economic interactions taking place via smartphone apps rather than physically. This could be cemented into Britain’s socio-economic fabric by 2020 and Labour’s offer will need to be shaped to respond to this new world.
Owen Jones is right when he criticises Mandelson and other old Blairite critics for offering nothing in terms of fresh ideas. Post-Blairism cannot be about reheating Blair’s policy platform but using his political strategy to craft a new political vision. Too often Labour’s offer focuses on investment or the repeal of Tory measures. This has the bizarre effect of making Labour appear conservative, as the party seems more concerned with persevering a range of specific state provisions rather than building the next New Jerusalem.
A core problem in Blair’s approach was that he began to confuse attacking the left with representing the centre – Alistair Campbell’s diaries date this beginning in July 2001. The post-Blairite will have to bring the left with them to shape the future. A massive failing of the Labour government in the 2000s was to ignore inequality, something Blair himself acknowledges. This allowed inequality to become intertwined with nationalist arguments from UKIP and the SNP at different ends of the political spectrum. Post-Blairism will have develop radical mechanisms for tackling inequality but frame this in terms of representing a social consensus.
The name ‘Blair’ is either talisman or a dirty word for the Labour party. But this unhealthy for the party’s future and if by mentioning Blair’s name this article causes you to post a comment in anger – ask yourself how is your relationship with Tony Blair?
Frederick Cowell is a Labour Councillor in Lambeth and a Lecturer in lawSeeking solutions for more futuristic, long-distance love gadgets and social networks.
When the RealTouch [NSFW] interactive device came out in 2009, it was hailed as the future of sex—a way for a man to get it on remotely with an adult video star or live model. Five years later, you’re lucky if you can buy one secondhand.
After getting sued for patent infringement by Hassex, Inc. and New Frontier Technologies Corporation in 2010, the Adult Entertainment Broadcast Network couldn’t afford licensing and manufacturing the RealTouch. So the company stopped selling the product in January 2014.
Patent rights dashed many people’s wet dreams. And they may still be thwarting innovation for other people who make and use teledildonics.
At Future of Sex, we’re trying to get to the bottom of the patent issues and what’s holding back the creation of better, more advanced robotic sex toys. We want to see if there are any solutions that would push momentum forward.
Sure, some folks say a niche audience is the cause—there’s not enough demand for the technology. But I agree with fellow Future of Sex writer Damon Brown when he told Salon.com he envisions a future with sex machines so amazingly immersive we don’t realize them around us.
Don’t get me wrong. There are some promising devices out there. The OhMiBod [NSFW] remote-controlled vibrator and Orgasmatronics’s [NSFW] “bionic” strap-on dildo are only two of them. I’m just ready for more innovation and variety.
Figuring out the Patents
The patent that sunk the RealTouch is the same one with a grip over Kiiroo’s [NSFW] teledildonic toys. Now it’s a mouthful, so get ready for it: Method and device for interactive virtual control of sexual aids using digital computer networks.
According to Kiiroo co-founder Toon Timmermans, the people at Vstroker [NSFW] hold this patent in the United States. He’s been working out a deal with them so his company can sell its devices in that country.
“It’s a pretty wide patent. It’s a really old patent. Nowadays the patent would be more specific,” Timmermans told Future of Sex last March.
It was first filed in 1998 and invented by Warren J. Sandvick, Jim W. Hughes, and David Alan Atkinson.
The patent summary describes it as “a system that permits an operator to have interactive control of a sexual aid used to stimulate a recipient that is remotely located from the operator.”
It also allows users to interact with prerecorded video feed.
Reading through the 11-page document gave my head a buzz, particularly after learning about a similar, yet different patent named Visual remote control and tactile interaction system.
Filed in 2002 by inventor Vivien Johan Cambridge, it also connects two people in separate locations as well as one person with computer game software.
The invention relies on an input device that “measures the displacement of a fluid that occurs when an object is inserted into an orifice to create digital data.” The data is sent to a remote recipient or used in software on a nearby computer. It then creates a matching thrusting movement on a phallic object.
Cutting through the legalese, it appears the first patent covers sending a signal from a model’s device or a coded adult video to a man’s device. He simply receives the pleasureful movements.
The second patent seems to cover the opposite. Here the man looks to be in control of a phallic object, like a Diltron sex machine or the action in a sex video, by using the Interactive Fleshlight. He is in charge of the movements.
If you notice my language is a bit hesitant, it is! I’ve been trying to get clarification on the patent wording from people holding the rights and experts in the field. But getting people to talk to me about what the patents cover exactly has been like pulling teeth.
What’s Really Happening?
There could be a number of reasons why people who used to chat to me about patents are no longer talking—and for why emails to rights holders are going unanswered.
Certain interactive sites like Stroker Sex and Do It Christyle seem to have stopped operating. Maybe new deals are going down and different remote sex sites will pop up in the future.
Of course, this is speculation. I’m just hoping that budding social networks for remote sex, such as those being developed by Kiiroo and FriXion, aren’t squashed before they really get off the ground.
The more mainstream teledildonics become, the more likely it is that we’ll have the high tech and immersive sex experiences from science fiction
Got any insights into the patent situation? Have solutions to suggest? Please leave a comment below or tweet to us [email protected]
Image source: RealTouch, Google, GoogleChesley John Lucas's last meal before his arrest in the killing last month of Steven Miller of Newfoundland and Labrador was the Mariner's Special at the Bluenose II in downtown Halifax on Tuesday morning.
Restaurant owner John Carvalho told CBC the arrest of Lucas, wanted on a Canada-wide warrant, barely disturbed the mid-morning breakfast rush.
"It was so subtle that we didn't even notice that he already had the handcuffs on," he said. "The police officers were so professional. I had stepped in the kitchen for 30 seconds just to check on a couple of orders. When I came out, they were standing there, he was standing up handcuffed, and he was on his way out the door."
Carvalho said some people in the restaurant — with about 50 customers at the time, about a quarter to 11 a.m. AT — didn't notice anything had happened. He said he wasn't aware the wanted man was in the Bluenose II.
The owner of the Bluenose II in downtown Halifax said staff and customers didn't even know the arrest had happened until they saw Lucas in handcuffs. (Google Maps)
"I wouldn't know who he was. I did hear something on the news, I think it was last night, they were saying that somebody was in town that was being sought after, that's all I knew," he said.
It wasn't until after the arrest that restaurant staff realized who he was.
"I had no idea until afterwards, when one of my girls said, 'Let me look in the newspaper, I read something earlier,' and there was a picture of him in the Herald of that guy," he said, referring to the Chronicle-Herald.
Carvalho said Lucas was arrested in the middle of his meal — three over-easy eggs with bacon, ham, sausage, home fries, three slices of toast and orange juice — but the waitress didn't get stiffed.
"She got paid, and she got a tip too," he said. "[Police] asked him if he had paid, no, he said he had money in his pocket. I'm not sure how it happened, but we saw money on the table and it was paid for."
**BREAKING UPDATE** Chesley John LUCAS, Wanted for the Murder of Steven MILLER, was just arrested in Halifax by <a href="https://twitter.com/HfxRegPolice">@HfxRegPolice</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/millermurder?src=hash">#millermurder</a> —@RNC_PoliceNL
Const. Dianne Woodworth, public information officer for the Halifax Regional Police, confirmed the arrest in an interview Tuesday.
"At 11 a.m. today, members of the high-risk enforcement action team of the integrated criminal investigation division, with the assistance of patrol officers, arrested 23-year-old Chesley John Lucas at a business in the area of Hollis and Duke streets in Halifax," Woodworth told CBC.
Wordworth said Lucas was arrested without any problems, and he is in Halifax police custody. She directed all other inquiries to the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, which tweeted about the arrest at around 12:30 p.m. NT.
The RNC thanked the Halifax police force for their assistance in arresting Lucas, 23, who is accused of first-degree murder, robbery, arson and forcible confinement in last month's abduction and killing of Miller, 25.
Lucas, who is also known as C.J. Clarke, fled the province Saturday on a Marine Atlantic ferry to Nova Scotia.
Paul Connolly, Kyle Morgan and Calvin Kenny, left to right, are also charged in the homicide of Miller. (CBC)
The RNC held a news conference Monday appealing to the public to help locate Lucas and another wanted man, Brady Myler, who police believed was travelling with him.
Myler turned himself in to police in Halifax shortly after the news conference. He is not wanted in connection with the homicide investigation.
3 other men charged
Police believe Lucas, Paul Connolly, 35, Calvin Kenny, 25, and Kyle Morgan, 19, abducted, robbed and killed Miller on July 30. Connolly, Kenny and Morgan have all also been charged with first-degree murder, forcible confinement, arson and robbery.
Steven Lorne Miller, 25, was killed in Conception Bay South, N.L., on July 30. (Barrett's Funeral Home)
Miller's body was discovered at the end of a driveway in the quiet Conception Bay South neighbourhood of Bayview Heights shortly after 8 a.m.
Police were initially alerted about the incident after a 911 hang-up call was made from Miller's home in Seal Cove.
By the time officers arrived, the home was on fire and a woman was waiting for police outside.
The RNC said three armed intruders forced their way into the home, assaulted and then abducted Miller.
Miller sustained multiple stab wounds. However, an official cause of death has not been released.Fox owner Rupert Murdoch has issued his own Tea Party manifesto.
Speaking earlier this week he said he did not think Fox News "should be supporting the Tea Party."
So now it seems the romance might have faded for Fox News and the Tea Party.
The fair and balanced news channel is practically falling over itself to put quite some distance between Fox and the Tea Partyers.
Thursday the channel pulled mega conservative host Sean Hannity from a well-publicized spot at the Tea Party convention in Cincinatti.
Hannity was supposed to broadcast his show Thursday night from the rally but he was pulled out at the last minute.
The honchos at Fox said they had to pull Hannity out when they learned the rally organizers |
. When I was 15, my brother and I played against him at a tournament in Las Vegas. As a young man I was good; but KG was on another level. He had 19 blocks against us, and he was talking trash even back then. It was one of those monumental moments in life when I was like, I needed that. I’m not as good as I thought I was.
That game is one of the reasons I ended up making it to the NBA. Because there were two ways I could’ve gone. I could’ve tucked my tail between my legs and taken up golf. Or I could’ve gone back to the gym with a vengeance.
I got back into the gym. Now, here we were, 20 years later, two old vets sitting across from one another on an NBA charter flight.
“Hey JC,” Kevin said. “I’m really glad you’re back playing, man. That you’re back playing in the league and you’re on our team. You know, this is going to be big for society.”
It is extremely meaningful to me that he would express those words of support. At that point, my head was spinning just trying to learn the plays. I wasn’t thinking about the historical significance of a gay player in the league. I just wanted to be one of the guys again. For Kevin to go out of his way to say he appreciated me as a teammate meant a lot to me as a basketball player.
*
There are so many people I have to thank for helping me on my journey. My family, friends, and fans empower me each and every day. My teammates, coaches, and the Brooklyn Nets organization gave me an opportunity. The entire NBA family, where the leadership of David Stern and Adam Silver created an environment that made me feel safe to step forward. My agent, Arn Tellem, who is like the cool uncle everyone wishes they had. All the fans in New York who would see me walking on the street and say, “Hey Collins, good luck tonight!” or “We are proud of you!” To all the people who came out before me and helped clear the path for others to follow. And the many countless individuals who have fought and sacrificed for human and civil rights, period. Thank you.
Many people have asked, “What’s next?” I’ll continue to encourage others to live an authentic life. My hope is that everyone achieves that day when you step forward and reveal your truth on your own terms. Your life will be exponentially better when you celebrate all that makes you unique. Additionally, I hope to inspire others to create a world of acceptance and inclusion; not only by their words, but by their actions.
What would you have done if you were on that team bus with me?
It’s easy to say you would’ve done what my teammate did, or something else to alleviate the situation. But when you’re in that moment, it’s a lot easier to pretend that you didn’t hear what was happening, or to throw on your headphones, or perhaps easier still—to laugh along with others.
This scenario plays out every single day on buses, school cafeterias, and office buildings across the world. Maybe 10 closeted athletes will come out and be free over the next year. Or maybe not. People ask me all the time, “Don’t you think we need more athletes to come out?”
Yes, of course I do; that would be great. However, if we really want to make the world a better place, we also need more people like the teammate who saw me drowning and threw me a lifeline. You can be that person who speaks up.
Thanks for all the love.A federal judge on Monday finalized a $675,000 jury verdict against a defendant who went to trial after the Recording Industry Association of America sued him for file sharing.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Gertner presided over the Joel Tenenbaum case in summer 2009. Tenenbaum was only the nation's second individual defendant not to settle with the RIAA before trial.
The judge also issued an injunction preventing the 25-year-old Boston University student from file sharing.
Though Gertner said an injunction barring Tenenbaum from undertaking any more illegal file sharing was appropriate, she declined an RIAA request to censor Tenenbaum's speech (.pdf). After the July verdict, in which he was found liable for infringing 30 songs, Tenenbaum promoted piracy and railed against the verdict, and the RIAA wanted the judge to quiet him.
"Although plaintiffs are entitled to statutory damages, they have no right to silence defendant's criticism of the statutory regime under which he is obligated to pay those damages," Gertner wrote. "This court has neither the desire nor the authority to serve as the censor of defendant's public remarks (.pdf) regarding online file sharing."
Gertner also expanded on a pretrial ruling in which she declared Tenenbaum could not render a so-called "fair use" defense. Tenenbaum claimed that his file sharing was not counter to the Copyright Act. The act provides up to $150,000 in damages for each infringement, and the figures are left to jurors.
The only other accused file sharer to go to trial against the RIAA was Jammie Thomas-Rasset. The RIAA won a whopping $1.92 million verdict against the Minnesota woman this summer for sharing 24 songs on Kazaa.
In the last six years, the RIAA has sued about 30,000 individuals for file sharing. Most defendants have settled out of court.
The RIAA is winding down its litigation campaign against individuals, and is instead working with internet service providers to come up with plans that might lead to cutting off internet access for repeat, digital copyright scofflaws.
In the Tenenbaum case, the judge wrote Monday that Tenenbaum's version of fair use was "so broad that it would swallow the copyright protections that Congress created, defying both statute and precedent."
That ruling was a major blow to what was expected to be a key point of argument for the Berkman Center for Internet and Society, which represented Tenenbaum and is now seeking a new trial. Ahead of the summer trial, Gertner precluded the fair-use defense with a brief order without much elaboration.
The judge gave the Berkman Center until Jan. 4 to seek a new trial. Among other positions, Tenenbaum is also likely to argue that the damages were unconstitutionally excessive, according to Charles Nesson, Tenenbaum's lead attorney. "Applications of huge statutory damages to individual people to individual people like Joel is unconstitutional," Nesson said in a telephone interview.
He said he would also ask the court to reduce the verdict to $22,500 – the minimum $750 per song allowed under the Copyright Act.
Thomas-Rasset is also challenging the constitutionality of her verdict. A decision is pending before U.S. District Judge Michael Davis in Minnesota.
"We’re pleased that the court has entered judgment that fully reflects the jury's conclusion in addition to requiring Mr. Tenenbaum to destroy all illegal music files and refrain from further theft of our music," RIAA spokeswoman Cara Duckworth said via e-mail.2001 studio album by M83
Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating AllMusic [1] Pitchfork 6.5/10[2] PopMatters 6/10[3]
M83 is the debut studio album by French electropop band M83, released on 18 April 2001 on Gooom. The album was reissued on 6 September 2005 on Mute Records for its North American release, and is thus sometimes referred to as 0905.
Produced by both M83 and Morgan Daguenet, the album is predominately instrumental, with dialogue samples from various films and television programmes appearing across the songs. The track titles, if read sequentially, form a short story.
Background and recording [ edit ]
Recorded as a duo by founding members, Anthony Gonzalez and Nicolas Fromageau, the album was recorded at Echotone, in the Autumn of 2000, with co-producer Morgan Daguenet. The track "Slowly", included on the album's 2005 reissue, was recorded two years later at the same location.
Track listing [ edit ]
All tracks written by M83.
No. Title Length 1. "Last Saturday" 0:58 2. "Night" 5:47 (4:44 on 2005 reissue) 3. "At the Party" 1:01 4. "Kelly" 4:27 5. "Sitting" 3:03 6. "Facing That" 7:35 7. "Violet Tree" 4:53 8. "Staring at Me" 1:37 9. "I'm Getting Closer" 5:19 10. "She Stands Up" 5:42 11. "Carresses" 6:31 12. "Slowly" (bonus track on 2005 reissue only) 4:58 13. "My Face" 1:39 14. "I'm Happy, She Said" (ends at 10:10; contains a hidden track at 15:10) 17:52 Total length: 66:22
70:23 (2005 reissue)
Notes [ edit ]
The first few seconds of "Violet Tree" features a sample of audio from episode two of Serial Experiments Lain. A few seconds of opening dialogue from the same episode can be heard at the beginning of "Carresses".
. A few seconds of opening dialogue from the same episode can be heard at the beginning of "Carresses". The sampled dialog in "Facing That" comes from the film It Conquered the World.
. The sampled dialog at the beginning of "I'm Getting Closer" is from the film I Was a Teenage Werewolf.
. The sampled dialog in "I'm Getting Closer" is from the film Buffalo '66 and is played in reverse.
and is played in reverse. The sampled dialog in "Carresses" comes from the film Mark of the Vampire.
. The sampled dialog in "She Stands Up" comes from the film Paris, Texas.
. Original copies of the album contain a version of "Night" that samples German dialog from the film Nosferatu the Vampyre. The version on the 2005 Mute re-release does not feature the sample and thus is slightly over a minute shorter.
. The version on the 2005 Mute re-release does not feature the sample and thus is slightly over a minute shorter. On the last track, at 15:10, there is a hidden track, which consists of several minutes of static followed by an outro.
Track names can be read in order, describing an event at a party.
Personnel [ edit ]
M83
Anthony Gonzalez
Nicolas Fromageau
Recording personnel
M83 − production, mixing
Morgan Daguenet − production, mixing
Artwork
Stylophone − designThe Pokémon Company is giving out download codes for rare breeds of three legendaries next month. Signing up for the Trainer Club newsletter will grant access to Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres — each with its hidden ability — starting in May.
Those who aren't subscribed to the Trainer Club, which allows fans to check out the online trading card game, Pokémon Global Link and more, can do so until April 22 to qualify for the promotion. The issue containing the bird Pokémon will be sent to the Trainer Club mailing list sometime in May.
Must Read Check out which mythical Pokémon you can download this month
The download codes will be compatible with each of the Nintendo 3DS games (Pokémon X, Y, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire) and offer versions of the monsters never before obtainable in-game, according to The Pokémon Company.
While Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres can be caught across a variety of Pokémon role-playing games, next month's downloads include their rare hidden abilities. You can see the special birds in action in the trailer above.
In advance of this latest giveaway, the Pokémon streaming website Pokémon TV is broadcasting Pokémon 2000: The Movie, which stars the three legendaries. That film is now free to stream for a limited time.Image copyright AFP
Japan's Toyota Motor made a record profit of 2.31trn yen ($21bn, £14.6bn), its third in a row, but warned profits would fall sharply next time.
Toyota is forecasting a 35% drop in net profit to $1.5tn yen.
Toyota, the world's biggest selling motor company, has done well out of a weak yen, which has made its goods cheaper in other countries.
Last year, one US dollar would buy 120 yen, but over next year is expected to buy just 105 yen.
Toyota is also expecting demand in key markets such as the US and China, to weaken this year.
The company's executive vice president Takahiko Ijichi said of this year's record results: "The positive factors such as cost reduction efforts and favourable foreign exchange rates more than offset the negative factors such as decreased vehicle sales and increased expenses, particularly labour costs and R&D expenses."
Image copyright Getty Images
The company's forecast for the financial year from April to March 2017 does not factor in the effects of two powerful earthquakes in Kumamoto, south-west of Japan. Toyota halted its production line for one week last month, due to the earthquakes.
The Kumamoto region is a manufacturing hub for many big Japanese corporations. Honda and Sony also have plants there, and they too had to suspend their operations.
Also in the financial report, Toyota said its net revenue jumped 4.3% to 28tn yen. Vehicle sales rose in the North American market, offsetting declines elsewhere.
Sales had fallen across many markets, including Europe, Asia, Africa and at home in Japan.
Global leader
The company is best known for its Prius hybrid, Camry and Corolla sedan models and the Lexus luxury brand.
Industry data published in January showed Toyota has retained its crown as the world's top-selling carmaker for the fourth straight year.
The company sold 10.15 million cars overall in 2015.
In 2014, Toyota claimed the top spot with 10.23 million cars sold.The Indian Air Force scrambled a Su-30MKI after its radars detected a slow moving unidentified flying object going towards Pakistan near Amritsar border and in the process, it came close to two civilian flights operating in that area.
The IAF is also looking into an incident where its An-32 transport aircraft was about to land at a close runway at the Delhi airport earlier this week.
Early last week, "our radars picked up a UFO near Amritsar which was moving slowly towards the International Border with Pakistan" and a Su-30MKI was scrambled from Halwara air base to intercept it, IAF sources said here.
As the aircraft was being launched, the air traffic was asked to be cleared at heights between 25,000 and 30,000 feet as the UFO was flying at 28,000 feet, they said.Later on, the Su-30MKI identified that the object was a weather balloon which was flying with the wind towards the border and it returned from there after being airborne for around 20 minutes, they said.
Reports suggested that two civilian planes of Thai Airways and another foreign operator were flying around 10 nautical miles away from the IAF aircraft.
The IAF denied that there was any "near-miss incident" involving its aircraft as it was under positive radar coverage and was cleared for operating in that area. The DGCA is looking into the incident, sources said.Bleacher Report and Marshawn Lynch are coming to Facebook’s Watch.
Later in September, Bleacher Report will debut a 10-episode video series called “No Script,” in which Bleacher Report’s cameras will follow the Oakland Raiders running back as he interviews celebrity guests and tries activities such as riding military tanks and testing virtual reality. Produced for Facebook by Bleacher Report’s B/R Entertainment division and Lynch’s own Beast Mode Productions, the show will air weekly on Facebook’s Watch over 10 weeks this fall. Each episode of the midform show runs for 10 minutes or longer.
“No Script” is Bleacher Report’s first live-action video show. While the Turner-owned sports lifestyle publisher creates recurring video segments and formats such as college-commitment videos, this is the first time Bleacher Report has produced a full live-action video series with a consistent cast and crew working on the project from start to finish. Between Bleacher Report and Beast Mode Productions, Brown said as many as 20 people spent “a lot of time” on “No Script.”
Currently, this is the only show that Bleacher Report is producing for Facebook’s Watch, a new section on Facebook dedicated to professionally produced video shows. Facebook is willing to spend as much as $1 billion on original content through 2018, according to The Wall Street Journal, as the platform gets more serious about taking on YouTube. In the coming months, Facebook expects to offer hundreds of short- and long-form shows on Watch.
Bleacher Report retains the content rights to “No Script,” which means the publisher is free to distribute episodes on other platforms after a period of exclusivity on Facebook.
“Watch is not a proven product yet, but out of fairness to Facebook, we’re optimistic about it due to the level of investment they’re putting into this initiative,” said Rory Brown, president of Bleacher Report. “It does not hurt when there is a licensing fee attached to this as well, but Facebook has made this less of a blind guess and more something where we’re able to weigh the short-term, mid-term and long-term potential of the show.”
While “No Script” is made for and funded by Facebook, the idea for the show came out of a desire to work with Lynch, who is one of the more popular pro athletes among Bleacher Report’s younger, mostly male audience, according to Brown. Videos and Facebook posts about Lynch regularly outperform other content Bleacher Report creates and shares, he added.
“No Script” comes at a time when Bleacher Report is investing in doing more entertainment-style content. The 12-person B/R Entertainment team that veteran TV and comedy writer Neil Punsalan (who serves as an executive producer on “No Script”) leads is spearheading the effort, with more than a dozen projects in production or development. Last week, Bleacher Report also moved into bigger offices in New York, in part to support the production of more entertainment-style content, Brown said.
It’s easy to envision a scenario where Bleacher Report works with all sorts of athletes on shows like “No Script” or even future episodes of “No Script” that center on different athletes. But that’s not how Bleacher Report plans to approach live-action and athlete-driven original programming, Brown said.
“One thing we’re not doing is trying to do shows with 50 different athletes,” Brown said. “It’s more valuable to have premium content versus throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks, which is what a lot of other publishers are doing. We’re definitely doing something with a handful of athletes, but we’re not going to run the Marshawn Lynch playbook with someone else.”
Image courtesy of Bleacher ReportImage copyright LiveLeak Image caption A screengrab of the video that been widely watched and reposted
A video of a young boy firing a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) on a beach has shocked many people. But what's the story behind it?
The young boy looks tiny as he stands on a beach, places an RPG on his shoulder and fires. There's a huge bang and smoke billows all around. All the while two adults look on and encourage him.
It's unclear who the boy or the adults are. The video itself has been posted multiple times. Though it's being widely viewed now, it appears to have been first posted at least as far back as January.
Though some of the postings refer to it as a "Palestinian child firing an RPG on Gaza Beach", it actually appears to be from Libya. The accents in the video are Libyan, and some have suggested it may have been on a beach in the Sirte area.
Libyans have taken to Twitter to voice their condemnation describing the scene as "insane" and a "glimpse of our future".
"Since the revolution almost every household has a gun," says Libyan journalist Hassan Morajea. "I went to one friend's house and his five-and-a-half-year-old brother came out with a pistol in his hand."
During the Libyan civil war people seized weapons held by Muammar Gaddafi and more were imported to support the rebels.
There are believed to be at least 40 major storage houses across the country which are still being looted, as well as a significant black market for guns.
Efforts by the government and NGOs to get people to give up their weapons have largely been unsuccessful.
"Not enough has been done to convince people that if they hand over weapons they will be kept safe. If you have a weapon you don't want to give it to the state because you think it will go to militias," says Morajea.
Libya has been gripped by a wave of violence since the 2011 uprising against Gaddafi.
Although in this video no-one was hurt, Hassan Morajea fears that gun ownership could lead to more deadly outcomes if the government does not act. "People of my country don't seem to understand that these weapons kill. They are not toys."
Reporting by Laura Gray
You can follow BBC Trending on Twitter @BBCtrending
All our stories are at bbc.com/trendingRussian engineers have completed a key phase of a bridge that will link the annexed Crimea peninsula to mainland Russia.
A huge 6,000-tonne railway arch was hauled into place 35 metres (115ft) above the sea, in an operation involving hundreds of workers.
The bridge, which will be 12 miles long when complete, is due to open to road traffic next year and rail traffic in 2019. It is a major part of the Kremlin’s plan to integrate Crimea, seized from Ukraine in March 2014 in a rapid military operation. The international community still regards the territory as part of Ukraine, and Crimean officials and companies have been under western sanctions since the annexation.
Crimea is linked to Ukraine by a narrow isthmus, but is separated from Russia by the Kerch Strait. Currently the only routes to Crimea from mainland Russia are by plane or a ferry across the strait, which is often cancelled due to bad weather.
For Russia, the bridge is both a practical necessity to provide infrastructure links to the annexed peninsula, and a symbolic move meant to show that Moscow has no intention of giving up control over Crimea any time soon. Russian officials hope the bridge will make it easier for Russian tourists to holiday in Crimea, and for Crimean wines and produce to be transported to mainland Russia for sale.
The railway arch forms a section more than 200 metres in length, and is high enough to allow ships to pass beneath. A similar arch for the road traffic section will be lifted into place next month. The bridge has been described as the most complex construction operation in Russian history. It will be the longest bridge in the country, and is projected to cost nearly £3bn.
Plans for its construction began to take shape shortly after the annexation, and were made all the more important by a series of blockades from the Ukrainian side. The border between Crimea and the rest of Ukraine is highly militarised and subject to long delays. The peninsula was left without electricity for weeks on end in late 2015 after Ukrainian vigilantes blew up electricity lines.
The construction marks the realisation of plans that have been floated for more than a century, beginning with a vague suggestion by a British consortium in the 19th century to build a rail link between London and India via Crimea.
Plans were made for a bridge during the 1930s industrialisation drive under Joseph Stalin, and in 1942 when Crimea was under German control the Nazis got as far as beginning construction on a bridge, but were repulsed by the advancing Red Army before they could complete it. A one-track rail bridge was built by the Soviets towards the end of the second world war, but collapsed just a few months later.
Later Soviet plans were abandoned due to the huge cost involved, given the complicated geological concerns in the area and difficult weather conditions.
After the annexation, Russian officials looked at various options for connecting Crimea to the Russian mainland, including a tunnel, but eventually settled on a bridge.
Construction is being overseen by Arkady Rotenberg, a billionaire who was Vladimir Putin’s childhood judo partner and has a long history of winning state construction contracts during the presidency of his old friend.
Rotenberg has claimed the project is not just about money: “Besides financial profit... I also want the project to mean something for future generations,” he told Russian state television last year.
Russia says its seizure of the territory was in response to the will of locals, who voted overwhelmingly to join Russia in a hastily organised referendum in 2014 that was dismissed as illegitimate by the international community. Since then, human rights groups have criticised a crackdown on freedom of speech in the region, and the indigenous Crimean Tatar population has reported harassment and arrests.Raw audio of Courtney Love performing was posted online by a vengeful sound engineer. But male musicians are rarely exposed like this, so is it just another means to tell women they don’t belong?
Time for a confession: I have, on numerous occasions, found enormous pleasure in listening to Peter Andre and Katie Price’s raw vocals on their 2006 cover of Aladdin’s A Whole New World. Katie Price, being Katie Price, roars “soaring, tumbling, freewheeling through an endless diamond sky” with the vigour of a leathered Millwall fan. But then Katie Price – self-proclaimed businesswoman-slash-foghorn – never expected to jostle Joni Mitchell out of the limelight with her singing abilities. She wanted to sell 100,000 records with her then husband and dress up as a princess and perform on Loose Women. I don’t judge her for that, and neither should you. If you bought her record expecting art, more fool you.
The same pleasure can’t be gained from the recent footage of Courtney Love that supposedly uncovers her as a talentless rock pretender. The YouTube clip, featuring Love’s isolated vocal and guitar, was recorded on stage at Don Hill’s in New York in 2010, and comes courtesy of a soundman who was hired through the venue to record the show. He claims he was “left standing with a hard drive and an invoice no one seemed to want”, so he shared the footage for the purpose of revenge. After it was posted online came the blogs lamenting the Hole frontwoman’s performance: Noisey claimed it was “EVEN WORSE THAN YOU’D IMAGINE”, Consequence of Sound told us “It will make you cringe!” while Uproxx snarked: “All that ‘Nirvana money,’ and not a single cent went to guitar lessons, apparently.”
The big shock here though, is that Love’s vocal was totally as you’d expect the frontwoman of grunge bands vocals to be – savage, snarling and ravaged by a lifetime of fags and whiskey. And while her guitar playing is notably off, there is something suspiciously mutilated and Shreds-like about the audio. In fact, Flavorwire published a very comprehensive article that looked into the recording process in order to debunk some of the technical aspects of this particular stitch up. “What we are seeing is an incomplete sentence in a very complex novel,” Danielle DePalma, a freelance audio, live sound, and lighting engineer told the site. According to DePalma, the video captures just “two microphone signals out of what I can estimate to be a rough total of 24 instrument signals” and that “the volume [balance] between Love’s guitar and her vocals in this YouTube video seems highly altered from what any of her engineers would have approved or achieved”.
For anyone who has seen Love live, hers is a voice intended bark and fight. Love aims to shove Celebrity Skin down your throat as if it were a fistful of crushed glass and grit rather than a soothing sip of Horlicks. Besides, as the owner of the recording professes himself, he was hired by the venue, not by Love. So why attempt to wreak revenge on her?
Isolated performances of women are often leaked, and almost always with the intention of revealing them to be frauds. It’s hard not to view this kind of online shaming as a form of misogyny, which we often misread as having a simple comedic intention. Men are rarely exposed in the same way. The internet offers us Freddie Mercury and David Bowie’s passionate a cappella cut of Under Pressure, Kurt Cobain’s febrile rendition of Smells Like Teen Spirit, Marilyn Manson, Eminem, the Beatles, the Smiths – all of the greats as heard in studios, after many takes and sometimes using additional effects, but celebrated regardless. Rarely are female artists praised in this way. Instead the “raw vocal” post – be it Taylor Swift during her recent VMA performance or Britney Spears or Katy Perry, all in the midst of choreographed live shows for huge televised performances – is offered up to be mocked. Linda McCartney would recognise the pattern, having been the first woman to be subjected to the treatment, despite the fact everyone knew Paul McCartney didn’t have her on stage because he thought she was the equal of Aretha Franklin.
Rarely do the “truthbarers” present us with male artists whose stage presence is led by charisma and emotion over technical precision, along with an invitation to sneer. This isolated clip of Mark E Smith on stage will leave you disgusted and nauseous! Listen to Nick Cave’s live audio feed and you’ll never pick up a copy of Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus again! Thought Leonard Cohen could sing? This raw audio of Bird on a Wire will change your mind FOREVER! My ears are a’ bleedin’ – Bob Dylan’s REAL vocals uncovered! We listened to John Lydon’s isolated live vocals so you didn’t have to! Those are articles that will never exist.
While I by no means condone failure to pay sound engineers, the shaming of Love is one of those common occurrences that says to female musicians: Dance! Pose! Perform! Be perfect! Be seen! And if possible, not heard.Catholic bishops have criticized plans by Germany's political opposition to boycott Pope Benedict XVI's speech to parliament next week for violating the separation of church and state.
"That is so small-minded that one doesn't know whether to laugh or to cry," said Cologne's Archbishop Joachim Meisner. "And the fact that they sit in parliament does not leave a positive mark on the noble representation of the German people."
Around 100 of the German parliament's 620 elected representatives plan to boycott the pope's speech. Those participating in the move come primarily from the opposition Social Democrats, Greens and Left party.
"A critical examination of the content of different positions is acceptable," said Bishop Joachim Reinelt of Dresden-Meißen. "But a flat demonstration of ignorance and bad taste through the announced absence is embarrassing."
Full house
Seats are expected to be scarce during the pope's address
The seats left empty by the boycott are set to be filled with other people. The president of the German parliament, Norbert Lammert of the conservative Christian Democrats, expects the chamber to be full for the pope's speech.
"I have observed with a certain amusement the number of people who want to participate outnumbers the boycotters many times over," said Lammert.
Around 20,000 people are expected to demonstrate in Berlin as the pope, a German national, addresses parliament.
Andrea Nahles, general secretary of the Social Democrats, sees no problem with the pope addressing parliament despite the controversy.
"I'm of the view that the German parliament is not being misused in any way," Nahles said. "Nobody is being forced to be Catholic or to believe what the pope says."
Author: Spencer Kimball (dpa, epd)
Editor: Martin KueblerNew Democracy and Pasok see support drop dramatically, as voters turn to parties who had opposed austerity measures
Governing parties backing EU-mandated austerity in Greece are on course for a major drubbing as hard-hit voters, venting their fury in elections, defected in droves, according to exit polls.
In a major upset that will not be welcomed by the crisis-plagued country's eurozone partners, the two forces that had agreed to enact unpopular belt-tightening in return for rescue funds appeared headed for a beating, with none being able to form a government.
After nearly 40 years of dominating the Greek political scene, the centre-right New Democracy and socialist Pasok saw support drop dramatically in favour of parties that had virulently opposed the tough austerity dictated by international creditors.
The latest figures showed New Democracy leading with between 19 – 20.5% of the vote, followed by the radical leftist party, Syriza, with as much as 17% and socialist party Pasok with between 13 – 14 %. And for the first time since the collapse of military rule, ultra-nationalists were also set to enter parliament with polls showing the neo-Nazi Chrysi Avgi (Golden Dawn) capturing as much as 8%.
With the nation wrestling its worst crisis in modern times, the big winner appeared to be Syriza, which had campaigned ardently against austerity and was poised to become the second biggest party in Athens's 300-seat House.
A Metron analysis poll showed the leftists gaining as much as 18.5%, more than the mainstream Pasok lead by former finance minister Evangelos Venizelos, who negotiated the latest €130bn (£105bn) loan agreement reached between Athens and the EU and IMF.
"That agreement now belongs to the past. It has been delegitimised," said Panaghiotis Lafazanis, a prominent Syriza MP. "Our strong showing sends a message especially to Europe that Greeks have rejected austerity."
Lafazanis said Syriza would keep to its pre-election pledge to form a government of "the united left" that would work to stop the fiscal remedies meted out to Athens by its EU partners.
The election, called by Lucas Papademos, the technocrat prime minister overseeing an emergency coalition for the past six months, is the most critical in decades. Not since the restoration of democracy in 1974 has so much been at stake, with politicians and analysts alike saying Greece's political stability and future in the eurozone would rest on the result.
The significance of the moment did not appear to be lost on Greeks. From early in the morning voters, many dressed in Sunday best, filed into the thousands of public schools serving as polling stations.
"I hope my vote will be for the good of my country," said Georgios Kladis, holding his grandson's hand. "Greece has to be governed. I hope that will be possible tomorrow."
Although elections are traditionally seen as a joyous affair, the pinnacle of democracy for a deeply politicised nation, volunteer lawyers working as election monitors in Athens reported voters as being in sombre mood. Many were said to have spent an "inordinately long time" in curtained-off booths before deciding which candidate to back.
Visibly moved, Fotis Kouvelis, who heads the small Democratic Left party, said: "We are voting to keep Greece alive and society intact."
"People are clearly troubled," observed Dimitris Anastasopoulos, a monitor at a polling station in one of the capital's leafy northern suburbs. "We've had some in booths for 10 minutes. It's got to the point where we've had to remind them there is a queue outside."
Pulling up at another polling station on his bicycle in shorts and sandals, Orestis Papadopoulos said he was excited to be among the 110,000 Greeks voting for the first time. "If you asked me whether I'd vote even a few months back I would have said 'bah, no way,'" he said. "But this is critical. First they put a pistol to our heads, now they're shoving it down our throats. All this austerity has been for nothing. It doesn't work. And I want to add my voice to those people saying 'no'."
Maria Stasini, 43, emerging from a polling station in central Athens, was also voting against the austerity measures. "It was a purely anti-austerity vote because all these measures have killed us," she said.
"My son has been unemployed for the past two years. He has sent out 400 emails and hasn't got even one reply.
"My husband is a plasterer and work for him has dropped by 80%. On top of everything, they pummel us with taxes," she said, adding she had been forced to close her restaurant last year.
"We were all New Democracy voters but how can we vote for them now when they, too, back such measures?"These 12 Hiking Spots In Indiana Are Completely Out Of This World
Making plans to spend some time outdoors this summer? Maybe you’ve thought about taking your family on an exciting family vacation this year? What some people do not know is Indiana is packed with absolutely breathtaking hiking spots. These spots feature beautiful scenic views, and some are home to the few waterfalls we have in Indiana. If you enjoy hiking, here are 12 hiking spots in Indiana you have to check out.
1) Turkey Run State Park WikiMedia Commons The suspension bridge in Turkey Run State Park is both exciting and terrifying to walk across. The park itself is a very gorgeous place for an afternoon hike. You can find this beautiful park in Marshall, Indiana. You won’t regret your time spent on these trials. 2) Knobstone Trail of Fun Flickr / Erezeth Flickr / Erezeth Flickr / Erezeth Did you know this is the longest natural foot path in the state of Indiana? It is roughly 48 miles long and offers spectacular views of the wooded terrain in Southern Indiana. You can even take a peek at the Ohio River and Louisville! The trail ends in Salem, Indiana. It stretches across Clark, Scott, and Washington County. It is rated as a fairly difficult trail, not recommended for beginners. 3.) Hiking Trails of Pokagon State Park Flickr / Anna Hesser Flickr / Anna Hesser Starting to notice a trend? A lot of the state parks in Indiana are great places to go if you are looking for somewhere nice to hike. Pokagon State Park has nine different hiking trails for you to hike down ranging from easy to moderate in skill level. With the exception of the ninth trail, all of the trails in this state park are great for beginners. You can find this beautiful state park and all if it’s hiking trails in Angola, Indiana. 4.) Low Gap Trail Flickr / ibert Flickr / ibert Flickr / ibert You can find this beautiful trail in Morgan-Monroe State Forest near Martinsville. The trail consists of a 10 mile loop. This particular trail is recommended only for people who have a lot of experience hiking. You can |
. Remove the screw and disconnect the two wires. They should just pop off easily. Now reverse all steps to install the new card you have.
Stage 5 – Card Reader (SD Only)
Pre-requisites For This Stage
IOSDHCIBlockDevice.kext.zip downloaded and extracted to your Desktop
Steps For This Stage
Open Finder and browse to /System/Library/Extensions Locate the file IOSDHCIBlockDevice.kext and move it to the trash (enter password if requested) Now drag the file IOSDHCIBlockDevice.kext (the one you downloaded from above) from your Desktop into the /System/Library/Extensions folder Click Authenticate (if asked) Enter your password (if asked) Click Applications > Terminal Enter the following and press enter: sudo chown -R root:wheel /System/Library/Extensions/IOSDHCIBlockDevice.kext Enter your password (if asked) Shutdown Insert an SD card Start your AA1 and your SD Card should appear mounted on the desktop
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Troubleshooting
Disk Utility Error Message – “Unable to scan “filename.iso” (Invalid argument)”
If you receive this error then try creating a DVD from the ISO image that you are trying to scan.
You can do this by clicking the Burn button at the top of Disk Utility, inserting a blank DVD, selecting your ISO file from the Desktop (or wherever you have it) and clicking Burn.
This will create a DVD version of your ISO file. This DVD will be bootable and if you have an external DVD drive you may plug it into the Acer Aspire and forget about the thumb drive.
Alternatively, if you want to continue with the Thumb Drive option then finish burning your DVD, go back up to Step 2 above (Restore procedure) and instead of dragging your ISO file in to the Source field, drag the DVD drive from the left side and continue the rest of the steps.
If it still doesn’t work then create a new ISO File from the DVD you just made by clicking the New Image button in Disk Utility and then when that’s created drag this new ISO File into the Source field instead during the Restore procedure.
Disk Utility Error Message – Restore Failure. Could not find any scan information. The source image needs to be imagescanned before it can be restored.
If you receive the above message it means you need to scan your ISO or DMG file before performing the Restore procedure.
You can do this by clicking the Images menu, clicking Scan Image for Restore…, select the image click Scan.
When it’s finished, try the Restore procedure again.Image copyright AP Image caption The US and Nato have recently strengthened their military presence in eastern Europe
Moscow has voiced concern over an "unprecedented" increase in US and Nato military activity near Russian borders, amid an escalating crisis in Ukraine.
Russia's defence minister condemned "provocative" US and Nato comments.
Pro-Russia activists have seized buildings in more than a dozen towns in east Ukraine and hold seven European military observers in Sloviansk.
The EU has stepped up its sanctions, naming 15 new targets on Tuesday, a day after the US ordered similar measures.
Analysis Russia's claims of an "unprecedented" Nato military build-up on its borders are part of an ongoing information war. Nato insists that its deployments are simply to reassure its worried members. Company-size groups of around 150 US paratroops are being sent for exercises in Poland and the three Baltic republics. So that's about 600 men. Around a dozen additional fast jets have been deployed to Poland and to reinforce air patrols in the Baltic states' airspace. Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania - all Nato members - have no jet fighters of their own. And to cap Nato's "build-up", a small flotilla of mine hunters - almost as small a vessel as you can get in naval terms - has been sent to the Baltic Sea. The US has reinforced its naval presence in the Black Sea, but again this is a question of showing presence. By contrast Russia has some 40,000 armoured and mechanised troops on Ukraine's border, which Nato says are ready to advance at short notice.
The US sanctions targeted seven Russian individuals and 17 companies which Washington says are linked to President Vladimir Putin's "inner circle".
The European Union's list includes Gen Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian General Staff, and Lt Gen Igor Sergun, identified as the head of the Russian military intelligence agency, the GRU.
It also includes Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak and pro-Russian separatist leaders in Crimea and in the eastern Ukrainian cities of Luhansk and Donetsk.
The BBC's Matthew Price in Brussels says this list does not appear to follow the US line in targeting President Putin's associates, but rather those involved in events on the ground in Ukraine.
'Provocative'
In a statement, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said he had a "candid" hour-long phone call with his American counterpart Chuck Hagel.
Mr Shoigu stressed that US and Nato military activity in eastern Europe was accompanied by "provocative" statements about the need to "contain" Russia.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Sarah Rainsford saw pro-Russians clash with a group marching for a united Ukraine
The US has sent 600 troops to Poland and the Baltic states. Washington says it has deployed the extra troops to reassure Nato allies.
Image copyright AFP Image caption Pro-Russian activists continued to occupy government buildings in Sloviansk on Tuesday
Image copyright AP Image caption The separatists seized a local government building in Kostyantynivka on Monday
Image copyright Reuters Image caption A number of people were injured in clashes in the eastern city of Donetsk on Monday
Mr Shoigu announced that Russian troops had returned to their "permanent positions" after conducting military exercises on the border with Ukraine.
The Pentagon said Mr Shoigu had given "assurances that Moscow has no plans to invade Ukraine".
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov repeated the line on Tuesday, telling Interfax that Moscow was "not at all inclined to repeat the so-called Crimea scenario in south-eastern Ukraine. There are no grounds to fear this".
Image copyright Reuters Image caption Among the sanctions targets is Igor Sechin, who has worked for Vladimir Putin since the early 1990s
Mr Hagel called on Moscow to help secure the release of the seven military observers linked to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe who were seized by pro-Russian gunmen in Sloviansk last week.
Some 40 people, including journalists, pro-Kiev activists and three members of Ukraine's security service are being held there.
The Russian ambassador to the OSCE, Andrei Kelin, earlier said Moscow was taking "steps" to secure the observers' release.
Journalist's ordeal
The US and EU first imposed visa bans and asset freezes on a number of senior Russian officials and companies after Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine last month.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption US journalist Simon Ostrovsky tells of his ordeal at the hands of pro-Russian abductors
On Monday, Washington added to its sanctions list "in response to Russia's continued illegal intervention in Ukraine".
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow's response would be "painful for Washington".
Among the individuals named were Igor Sechin, head of state oil giant Rosneft, and Alexei Pushkov, chairman of the committee of international affairs of Russia's lower house.
Gas producer Gazprom, whose chief executive was spared sanctions, warned in a statement on Tuesday that further measures could damage its business and the BBC's Daniel Sandford in Moscow says there is a sense of nervousness in Russia that sanctions may start to bite.
The EU has now announced sanctions on a total of 48 individuals. It has avoided targeting business leaders such as Mr Sechin.
The US has accused Russia of "doing nothing to meet the commitments it made" at a meeting with Ukraine, the US and EU in Geneva on 17 April, which it said had included refraining from violence or provocative acts.
Name Position Sanctioned by Putin's 'inner circle' Gennady Timchenko Founder of Gunvor (oil and energy market trading) US Arkady Rotenberg and Boris Rotenberg Co-owners of SMP Bank and SGM Group US Yuri Kovalchuk Largest single shareholder of Bank Rossiya US Igor Sechin Head of Rosneft (petroleum company) US Government officials Sergei Ivanov Chief of staff for Presidential Executive Office US Oleg Belaventsev Russian presidential envoy to Crimea US and EU Vladimir Yakunin Chairman of Russian Railways US Igor Sergun Director of GRU EU Valery Gerasimov Chief of General Staff of Russian Armed Forces EU Vladimir Kozhin Head of administration US Viktor Ivanov Director of Federal Drug Control Service US Sergei Naryshkin Speaker of the lower house of parliament US and EU Vladislav Surkov Presidential aide and election adviser US and EU Dmitry Rogozin Deputy Prime Minister US and EU Sergei Glazyev Adviser on Ukraine policy US and EU Sergei Mironov Member of Russian Parliament US Dmitry Kozak Deputy Prime Minister US and EU Ludmila Shvetsova Deputy Chair State Duma EU Sergei Chemezov Director of Rostec (state high-technologies division) US Others Bank Rossiya Russian bank US Dmitry Kiselyov State television news anchor EU
Meanwhile, a US journalist who was kidnapped and held hostage for several days last week by pro-Russian activists has been speaking to the BBC.
Simon Ostrovsky said he was pulled out of his car at a checkpoint in Sloviansk.
"I was separated from my other colleagues and taken down into the basement, blindfolded. I had my hands tied behind my back. I was thrown on the floor and beaten up and held there for the next three days," he said.
But he said he was unable to confirm any of those involved were from Russia.Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings.
July 17, 2014, 8:22 AM GMT / Updated July 17, 2014, 8:27 AM GMT / Source: Reuters
TOKYO - A Japanese artist who made a kayak modeled on her vagina said on Wednesday she was "outraged" by her arrest and vowed a court fight against obscenity charges. Megumi Igarashi, 42, says she was challenging a culture of "discrimination" against discussion of the vagina in Japanese society.
Igarashi, who worked under the alias Rokudenashiko, which means "good-for-nothing girl" in Japanese, built a yellow kayak with a top shaped like her vagina after raising about $10,000 through crowdfunding. Igarashi sent 3D printer data of her scanned vagina – the digital basis for her kayak project - as a thanks to a number of donors. She was arrested for distributing indecent material on Saturday and faces up to two years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000. The legal definition of what counts as obscenity is vague in Japan, and the key point of debate will be deciding whether the vagina itself can be considered obscene, lead defense lawyer Kazuyuki Minami said. Although Japan has an extensive pornography industry, it remains regulated by a section of the criminal code that dates back to 1907. Video pornography in Japan has often used digital mosaics to obscure genitalia in sex scenes as a way to avoid obscenity charges.Peacock
Peacock is a teal thermal with a slight shimmer that shifts from a bright aqua when warm to a dark teal when cold. Of course, color wise this one is probably my favorite as I love anything teal. The thermal color shift is extremely gorgeous and very rich. The formula and consistency are very easy to work with and apply. Swatched here is three thin coats and sealed off with Seche Vite top coat.
Dusk
Tiger Eye
Hummingbird
Purple Martin
Overall I'm satisfied with my first time using Shine Spark Polish, especially with Dusk and Peacock. As I mentioned in the review, I love thermals with dramatic color changes and these two really hit the mark. The other three, unfortunately, did not wow me as much as I would of liked. The biggest factor for me being the almost frosty shimmering finish that caused visible brush strokes. If you're a fan of these kinds of finishes though, you will love the formula on these and the thermal changes.
Hiya guys, how's it going today? The week seems to be flying by, but I think that's partially because I've been taking long afternoon naps. I have a sleeping beauty complex, haha. Anyway, for today I'll be reviewing for a fairly new indie on the scene Shine Spark Polish, whom you will be happy to know is the big five-free. Their new collection will be launching at the end of the month and will be split into thermals and solar polishes. I'll be reviewing only the thermal half of this collection for you guys so let's take a look.The Light, The Heat Collection by Shine Spark Polish will be releasing on April 29th at 10:00 am CDT. I'll include a full breakdown on pricing per bottle and size at the end of the post.Dusk is a shimmering thermal shifting from pink when warm to a rich purple when cold. Personally, I'm a huge fan of dramatic color changes like the one shown with this polish. Absolutely gorgeous and flawless color shift. It's definitely the must-have of this collection for any thermal fan. Great formula and consistency, although a bit too sheer in a single coat. For these photos, I used three thin coats and. sealed them off with Seche Vite top coat.Tiger Eye is a honey brown shimmering thermal shifting from honey brown when warm to a copper brown when cold. As you may notice with my swatches, the thermal color change was a little on the subtle side. I did have an issue with the pigments settling oddly in the bottle, but it did not affect the application whatsoever. Formula was good, however, brush strokes are very apparent so a light hand is best. For these swatches, I used three thin coats and sealed them in with Seche Vite.Hummingbird is a shimmering thermal shifting from light green when warm to a dark green when cold. I really like the look of this one in transition, it's really fitting for the Spring and Summer seasons. Like all the others, the formula and consistency gave me no issues when applying. I did find it to be a bit more sheer than preferable, but the coats end up evening out well. For these swatches, I used three thin coats and sealed them in with Seche Vite.Purple Martin is a frosty shimmering thermal shifting from a light lavender when warm to a light blue when cold. So much frost really gives off a gorgeous illusion, especially in transition. I only wish the color shift was a little more potent, because it's almost too subtle to notice. The gorgeous finish does come with a price though and the brush strokes on this one are super noticeable. Applying very carefully helps, as well as applying a top coat to smooth down the finish. Consistency wise this one is just as the others, not too thick or too thin. For these swatches, I used three thin coats and sealed them in with Seche Vite.The scheduled release date is April 29th at 10:00 am CDT. Pricing will be $70 for the full size full set, $37 for a half set, in either the thermals or photo-chromes. Mini full sets will be $37, with half sets available for $17.25. Individual bottles will be sold for $8 for each full size and $3.75 for minis.So tell me guys, what are you a fan of... thermals or solar polishes?Luis Suarez says he would only return to the Premier League if Liverpool came calling
Luis Suarez helped Barcelona to a treble last season
Barcelona forward Luis Suarez says former club Liverpool are the only Premier League team he would consider playing for.
The 29-year-old is currently loving life at Barca and told the Daily Mail that he is hoping to stay with the Champions League holders for the foreseeable future.
But the Uruguay international added that he was not totally ruling out a return to Anfield, where he spent a successful three and a half years before moving to Spain in the summer of 2014.
Suarez, Lionel Messi and Neymar comprise an incredible attacking trio at Barcelona and he told the Mail: "I'd prefer to stay here for many more years. I know it doesn't always turn out that way.
"But if I had to return to the Premier League, I would only go to Liverpool. I wouldn't go to another team.
"It wouldn't be a move for money. I'd also love to play again for Ajax, as they allowed me to develop as a player in Europe."
Barcelona are currently three points clear in the race for the Primera Division while an enthralling climax to the Premier League season is in store, as surprise five-point leaders Leicester seek to keep Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester City at bay.
Suarez and Liverpool narrowly missed out on the title in 2014
And Suarez conceded that he misses the unpredictable nature of the top flight in England.
"In the Premier League you never really know what is going to happen," he said. "There is very little between the teams.
"Here, three or four teams aside, there is a difference with the smaller teams.
"I don't mean this to sound disrespectful but there are some games where you look at the press and they are asking: 'Let's see how many goals Barcelona are going to score today?'
"In the Premier League, you never know what is going to happen, and that is something I miss."Share Email 231 Shares
Dawn Paley, a Canadian investigative journalist based in Puebla, Mexico, will discuss her book Drug War Capitalism from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday at Fletcher Free Library in Burlington. The following is a short review and an interview with the author.
Dawn Paley, a Canadian investigative journalist based in Puebla, argues in her book “Drug War Capitalism” that the war on drugs is not a war against the illegal trade of illicit substances, but rather an action in which a largely poor and rural underclass is killed, displaced or oppressed in order to seize resources and open them up for privatization by transnational mining and petroleum companies, as well as foreign direct investment and military control.
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Paley subverts the traditional government versus cartel narrative and presents exhaustive research that suggests collusion between the U.S. and local governments, transnational corporations, militant groups and establishment media.
Beginning with Plan Colombia, a U.S. military and aid initiative started in 1999, and continuing on through the modern war on drugs in Mexico and Central America, Paley’s research brings a forceful and fresh perspective to this violent chapter in U.S. relations in Latin America.
Her dense and complex survey of the business of the drug war leaves the reader with more questions than answers, and that seems to be exactly what Paley wants. With the backdrop of widespread protests over the recent revelations implicating police in the killing of 43 Mexican students in Ayotzinapa, she calls on readers to question the ruling establishment in Mexico more deeply.
Q and A with Dawn Paley
How did this book come about and how did you arrive at the term “drug war capitalism”?
The book came about from a couple years of freelance reporting. I was writing a lot about mining in Latin America and also doing some research about the oil industry in various places like Colombia, Central America and Mexico, and it sort of started to feel like I was reporting the same story over and over again. I kept finding the same types of struggles, the same kinds of violence, the same stories. So I decided that I wanted to make an effort to bring some of the reporting together into a book and to look at some of the more structural things that there isn’t really space for in newspapers. The title “Drug War Capitalism” emerged as a way of linking the expansion of capitalism to the drug war in Latin America, which is something that we don’t do very often, unfortunately.
Why do you think that is? You’ve spoken before about how the public had an awareness that the war on terror had motives that went beyond fighting terrorism, yet people haven’t shown this willingness to subvert the state narrative when it comes to the war on drugs.
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I really don’t know and it’s something that I’m trying to change. This book is my effort to have people start thinking more broadly about the war on drugs. Part of it is that I just think it’s really complicated. The state narratives are very persistent and it’s a difficult narrative to start to undo. There’s so much information out there telling us one thing, but it really changes when you’re down there working on the ground and talking to the people who are living it.
So why aren’t more journalists showing that side of the conflict? You write in Drug War Capitalism that the media’s compliance with the government narrative keeps the public from learning the truth. Why do you think this happens?
Sadly, I think that it’s kind of a constant feature when you look at wars that the U.S. is involved in, whether it’s Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria or other places. You see a sort of careful avoidance of the real role of the United States. The establishment media tends to use sources from within the state department or unnamed sources that they’re protecting in the U.S. government. In this way, reading the New York Times can sometimes be like reading something directly from the state department. I think there are a lot of reasons for this. Access is one of them. Journalists don’t want to lose their access so they publish friendly stories.
One thing that I propose in the book is that journalists of conscience who want to write about Mexico in a different way stop buying the state line, stop accepting the cartel war discourse, and start looking at how various elements of the state oppressive apparatus are involved in crimes against people in Mexico.
You frame this apparatus in terms of largely rural and poor communities being displaced from their land by transnational corporations and government forces. These displacers seize the resources and open the area up to significant investment from abroad. Do you think that this is how countries, both in Latin America and all over the world, become what is considered “developed” today?
I think that, yes, the phase of capitalism that we’re living in right now is very violent and it continues to rely on accumulation through dispossession as a primary mechanism of expansion. If the U.S. went into Mexico and said “OK, we’re going to fight a war for territory because we want to take all of these resources away from the people,” you’d have widespread resistance throughout the country. With a discourse that says “we’re fighting these drug cartels that are violent and out of control,” they’re invited in and welcomed. Terror plays a huge role in the kind of social control that is exercised in Colombia and Mexico. I think it’s discursively a very effective way of allowing for accumulation through dispossession. Drugs have often been used as a way to get an exception or a trump card. It’s a very effective way to legitimize accumulation through dispossession.
You emphasize in Drug War Capitalism that these systems never stop the flow of drugs from Latin America to the United States, but instead move the channels to neighboring countries. Do you see this as a self-renewing system that will continue to make its way up and down Latin America?
I think it can be. In terms of the discourse, those in charge of drug policy in the U.S. have admitted that the U.S. policy has moved the drug war from Colombia into Mexico and now into Central America. They’re openly admitting that they’re the ones moving this war around and moving this violence around, and as long as that’s going unquestioned they’ll be able to keep doing it over and over and over again. I’m hoping that, with events like the revelation of federal involvement in the mass kidnapping and massacre of students in Ayotzinapa and with all of the mobilization taking place in Mexico, there will be a change and a challenge to these kinds of U.S. policies and their deployment in one place after another.
Who do you see as the controlling parties with a long view of this system? Are there controlling architects cognizant of the entire process, or are there a lot of different chains of command who are all separately working in their own self-interest?
There are documents coming from USAID and the state department that say that Plan Colombia worked because it created all of these new regulations and it created a better business climate. There are people that have recognized and vocalized that these are successful plans for the achievement of U.S. goals, all the way from Hillary Clinton to bureaucrats with USAID.
With that being said, I think it’s really important not to think of it like some monolithic thing where the president knows exactly what’s going to happen and all of the police are on board. It’s much more complicated than that. What I try to get at in the book are the trends that we’ve started to notice. We can start to identify how things that have taken place in Colombia are starting to manifest in Mexico. I say at the end of the book that it really is a preliminary effort to bring this analysis out and share it with as many people as we can in order to get more people writing and thinking about all of these things.
What do you hope some people in Vermont, who might feel far removed from the war on drugs, take away from reading your book?
I think my role as an author in this case is to be someone who can give a new perspective and maybe some new information on how we can think about the war on drugs and how we can understand what’s going on in Mexico. I think there is a lot going on in Vermont. I’d like to encourage folks to read the book and start thinking about the drug war as something that is really important, something that has claimed a lot of victims, and something that has a lot more to do with capitalism and corporations than it does with cocaine.Associated Press
CINCINNATI — Police dash-camera video from the fatal shooting of a Cincinnati police officer in June has been turned over to a prosecutor who pledges he won't willingly make it public.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters and city officials said he issued a grand jury subpoena for the video and city police turned it over to him. Deters said Tuesday that the video is part of a grand jury investigation. He said police agencies in the county by standard practice refer all cases involving discharge of a police officer's firearm to his office for review.
Another Cincinnati officer fatally shot the man who killed the veteran officer, Sonny Kim. Kim died June 19 after responding to a 911 call that police say the armed suspect made in an attempt at "suicide by cop."
News media have requested the video. Kim's wife, Jessica Kim, has said the video would be upsetting to their children and she doesn't want it released publicly.
"For my kids, witnessing their father lying helplessly on the ground will only add to the devastation that they have already felt," she wrote to city officials. "Sonny was their rock, strong and protective. They should not have to see a broken image of their father like that."
News organizations have requested the video under Ohio public records laws.
Several organizations, including The Associated Press, last month filed a lawsuit against Deters when he refused to release police body-camera video involving the July 19 fatal shooting of a motorist in a traffic stop by a University of Cincinnati police officer. Deters later released that video after announcing a murder indictment against Officer Ray Tensing, who has pleaded not guilty.
Deters told The Cincinnati Enquirer that he tries to be transparent but has no plans to release the Kim video publicly.
"There is nothing short of a court order that would make me release this video," he said. "And that means nothing short of an order from the Ohio Supreme Court."
Copyright 2015 The Associated PressHulu has grabbed exclusive U.S. subscription-streaming rights to a trio of ’90s sitcoms — Tim Allen’s “Home Improvement,” “Boy Meets World,” and “Dinosaurs” — in a new pact with Disney-ABC Television Group.
The deal marks the SVOD debut of the complete libraries of hit series “Home Improvement” and “Boy Meets World.” In addition, all episodes of fan-favorite “Dinosaurs” from the Jim Henson Co. will also become available to stream exclusively on Hulu. All three shows are available on Hulu starting Friday, Sept. 29.
The addition of “Boy Meets World” and “Dinosaurs” join Hulu’s reincarnation of ABC’s “TGIF” lineup from the 1990s — with a collection comprising more than 1,200 episodes total. Also premiering on Hulu on Friday are all episodes of the original “Full House” — revived by Netflix last year as “Fuller House” — along with “Family Matters,” “Step By Step,” “Perfect Strangers” and “Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper.” Those came under an agreement with Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution.
The expanded Disney-ABC TV pact comes after Hulu landed exclusive SVOD rights to Tina Fey’s “30 Rock” — which was previously on Netflix — as well as “Parenthood” and three other series in a deal with NBCUniversal Television and New Media Distribution.
Related Hulu CMO Kelly Campbell Discusses Viewer Engagement Hulu Appoints Barbara Fiorentino as Head of Talent and Casting
Both NBCU and Disney are corporate parents of Hulu, along with 21st Century Fox and 10% owner Time Warner. While the media companies say they’re agnostic when it comes to SVOD licensing, by bringing their library titles to Hulu they are keeping those properties “in the family.”
Overall, Hulu says it plans to spend $2.5 billion on content in 2017. That’s less than rivals Netflix and Amazon but a key difference is that Hulu operates only in the U.S.
“Home Improvement,” loosely based on Tim Allen’s stand-up comedy routines, was one of the most-watched sitcoms of the ’90s. It aired for eight seasons on ABC from 1991-99 and has never been available through a subscription-streaming service.
Family sitcom “Boy Meets World,” starring Ben Savage, was part of ABC’s “TGIF” block for seven seasons. “Dinosaurs,” based on a concept by Jim Henson and featuring a creature-suited cast, ran for four seasons in the “TGIF” primetime lineup from 1991-94.
In the past year Hulu has acquired exclusive U.S. SVOD rights to a number of other popular TV shows, including “Homeland,” “The Golden Girls,” “The OC,” “Power,” “This Is Us,” and “Atlanta.”This is part of our new ongoing series, Libraries in Crisis. To read more about the series, click here.
At the Gilpin County Public Library in Colorado, which serves a community of less than 6,000 people, a sign on the roadside advertises "Free coffee, internet, notary, phone, smiles, restrooms and ideas" to all who enter.
Indeed, all libraries, with their familiar rows of bookshelves and busy, helpful librarians, have remained reliably stable, as ubiquitous in towns throughout the U.S as the local firehouse or the post office. But it is perhaps this familiarity that makes the American library as an institution more vulnerable than ever, and has many wondering: What is in store for its future?
These days, the library's very existence is a question mark, and they face some of the steepest budget cuts in history. According to a Harris/Reader's Digest Poll from late 2010, nearly 40 percent of American mayors plan to reduce hours, shed employees or make other cutbacks in the coming months, while many county libraries have already eliminated branches entirely.
The South Branch Library in Evanston, Illinois, had been open since 1917. One Evanston resident, Barbara Lewis, told Patch that she had originally moved to the neighborhood only so she could walk to her local library. It closed last February.
In Dearborn, Michigan, one of four library branches was forced to close in September; an administrative librarian there said he didn't really believe it would close until it was actually happening. In Fenton-High Ridge, Missouri, they've lost 33 percent of library staff to attrition over the past five years, and a "self-checkout" system was recently put into place to control costs.
"Our interest income has also deteriorated, and that used to give us a bit of a cushion," said Pam Klipsch, the director of Missouri's Jefferson County Library system, which includes the Fenton-High Ridge branches. "We've been very hard hit by this whole recession, and we've had to cut back and cut back and cut back, so when staff leave us now, they just don't get replaced."
In Chicago, Mayor Rahm Emanuel recently proposed a budget that would eliminate "268 currently vacant positions and lay off about 284 employees" from the library system. He was met by hundreds of protesters of all ages, including a group of fist-pumping pre-schoolers. The resulting "Save Chicago Public Libraries and Librarian Jobs" Facebook group now boasts over 2,000 members, but as of today the cuts are still looming.
In Detroit, public library officials, union members and commissioners have deadlocked in a battle over whether to close four of Detroit's 23 public library branches. Though Detroit's Public Library Commissioner, Russell Bellant, supports the closures, administrators and union officials are hanging on for dear life, hoping to save their libraries and the hundreds of jobs they stand to lose.
Though 91 percent of those surveyed for the same Harris Poll said that their local library "improves the quality of life" in their community, the institution remains under attack across the country and worldwide.
Who exactly is to blame, the communities or the libraries themselves? And what will be lost if the library fades into obsolescence?
A MODERN LIBRARY'S ROLE
Maureen Sullivan, president-elect of the American Library Association (ALA), the oldest and largest library nonprofit in the world, said people don't realize how essential their local public library is until it's too late. When it comes to making budget decisions -- "Should we cut funds from the police department or the library?" -- local lawmakers are putting the library at the bottom of the totem poll, and state governments are not stepping in to save them.
"I hear people on a regular basis talking about how the library is the most trusted organization in the community and it being such a public good," Sullivan said. "But many people in our communities have simply taken the library for granted."
Marcia Warner, president of the Public Library Association, a division of the ALA, added that many citizens only start paying attention when libraries begin "cutting branches or cutting hours." Then suddenly they become aware of the problem.
"But it's too late then," Warner said.
Klipsch, the Jefferson County Library system director, thinks a lot of people are confused about how libraries are actually funded, and that's part of a larger issue. "We get people who think all the books are donated by publishers and all the staff are volunteers," she said, laughing a little at the idea. "They have no idea we have to buy books and pay staff, and that librarians don't just sit around all day and occasionally put books back on a shelf."
But the library is serving multiple roles, especially during hard times. For those who cannot afford to sit at a coffee shop and buy a "four-dollar latte" to use their computer on somebody else's Wi-Fi, Warner says, the library provides "the whole shebang": a quiet location to work in private, a staff member willing to answer in-depth questions (about everything from applying for unemployment benefits to where one might learn more about beekeeping), and a meeting place for the community, not to mention those free film and book rentals and an increasingly long list of e-book and digital reading options.
According to the most recent Public Library Funding and Technology Access Study (PLFTAS), libraries and librarians provide essential services that are found scarcely anywhere else, especially to citizens who are struggling economically. Seventy percent of libraries indicated that their Internet services increased in 2010, and 65 percent report that they provide the only source of free public access to computers in their community. Eighty-one percent of Americans who have been "economically impacted" by the recession have a library card today, as supposed to 68 percent of Americans who have not been affected, according to a 2010 study from the Online Computer Library Center.
In Jefferson County, a new program eliminates overdue book fines in exchange for canned food donations. "We forgive the fines, and then provide cans to local food pantries," said library director Klipsch. "We have people who come in, they're literally living in their cars. We give them a safe place to park. It's going on three years and things are not getting any better."
Not only are libraries being used more than ever before, in more ways than ever, but modern librarians have also lengthened their reach, spanning the range of technological and social changes that have taken place in their field over the past ten years.
THE LIBRARIAN ADAPTS
Erin Schreiner, who recently received her Masters in Library Science from Long Island University, with a concentration in rare books and special collections, doesn't think the general public realizes what services are provided by their local libraries these days. She believes that if more people were aware of these services, they might visit their local library more often.
When a friend of Schreiner's was looking to research some of her long-lost Jewish relatives in Calcutta, she started the same way most of us would, with a simple Google search, but she came up empty. Schreiner suggested that her friend head to the New York Public library, home to one of the most expansive Judaica collections in the world. There, she could consult a specialist trained in genealogical queries.
"My friend was like, 'I could just go do that? It's free?'" Schreiner remembers. "People don't realize that their library is this incredible provider of specific information. We shouldn't have to remind them."
The modern librarian is a social networking guru as well as a research specialist. Like many of us, they've grown up with Google and Wikipedia and every blog and online journal in existence, so they know how to navigate the online world, while also providing the services the library has always offered.
"Certain [librarians] used to be able to sit in a room and catalogue books and never have to interact with the public," said Schreiner. "But now if you're working in a library, you're expected to collaborate and be a part of a living organism, to help real people. There's a lot of focus now on the personal side of librarianship and helping people in a more specialized way."
Marilyn Johnson, |
[M]VortiX
[M]Nazca : Hi VortiX and welcome to Millenium! We're very happy to have you on board. Tell us a bit about you for whoever might not know you.
[M]VortiX : Hello and thank you! I'm Juan Moreno Durán, a 20 year old player from Barcelona, Spain. I played Warcraft III some years ago and I've been playing StarCraft II competitively since its release.
You come from a family of gamers, both your brothers being very involved in StarCraft 2 as well and, in fact, you even started team Karont3 together some years ago. How was it like growing up together and how is it like nowadays?
[M]VortiX : Well we've always had fun playing videogames since we were little and it was kinda fun playing together. About Starcraft 2, it was always a very good way to keep motivated because I always had them to talk with about the game and what I was doing wrong, etc and it helped me get better and better.
About Karont3, we didn't actually start it, we were just recruited as SC2 players/manager, but we had nothing to do with the team organisation. Nowadays all of us are really busy with studies so I guess I'm the only one that keeps playing very actively.
Oh I see. Well, nowadays you are indeed very active and one of the very best players in Europe. When you look back at these 4 years of StarCraft 2, what is your best and worst memory?
[M]VortiX : The best moment must've been when I won Thor Open 2012, since it's the only offline tournament (out of Spain) that I've won, even though I remember that when I won SuperNova in IEM Cologne 2012 quarter finals I was really happy and it was a very big upset for people watching since most people didn't even know me by then.
The worst is the "curse" that made LucifroN and I get seeded against him in almost every tournament we travelled for. It's always a bad sensation to play your own brother when both of you are really motivated to go far in a tournament.
LucifroN curse!
Right now, after some months "off" last year, would you say you're back to your top level? More generally, what are your goals for the next months?
[M]VortiX : Yes, definitely. At the beginning of 2013 there were a series of circumstances that made me loose a lot of shape. I had to focus more on studies, and I was a bit unmotivated with Starcraft 2, and those two things coincided with the Heart of the Swarm release, so I couldn't adapt well. But at the end of the last year I think I got back to my old shape, and at the beginning of 2014 I think I got even better.
My goals for the next months... I want to attend as many events as possible, I think if I prepare well and I'm confident in myself I can make really good performances, and it's gonna be the first event out of WCS I'm attending this year so I'm really looking forward to it.
Let's turn to Millenium now. Tell us what made you decide to join the crew and how you see your future within the team.
[M]VortiX : Well Millenium has always been a top team in Europe, already in my Warcraft III years Millenium was a pretty big team and there were some players in it I admired, and I had never heard anything but good things about them. Also, they have a really strong StarCraft II team right now.
When I left Mousesports they were the first ones to get in touch with me and, of course, I was really eager to listen to them, and we quickly found the conditions that would suit both of us.
You will be playing your WCS Europe Ro16 group tomorrow. You first play Harstem who's said to be the man of the year, and the other match is Snute vs ForGG. Obviously it's a very tough group and especially now you might face your new teammate ForGG. Are you confident you will once again reach the Ro8?
[M]VortiX : It's definitely a very hard group, and right now I'm in that time of the year when I have to play "a bit less". But it's no excuse, I think I've got the same level I had for the last WCS and I will do my best. I think all 4 of us have got the same chances of making it into the Ro8 so it's gonna be entertaining for sure.
I'm really looking forward to 4-0ing the group, it would be my 4th 4-0 in a row in Ro16.
Good luck with your group, we will be chearing for you and ForGG! So finally let's finish on a super fast one word thingy. I say one word and you give the fastest answer that crosses your mind, ok?
[M]VortiX : Yeah, gogo!
Zerg!
[M]VortiX : Under
Lol! Swarm Host!
[M]VortiX : Boooring
Europe
[M]VortiX : Strong!
Heart of the Swarm
[M]VortiX : Mothership core :(
WCS 2014
[M]VortiX : Mine!
Mutalisk
[M]VortiX : Annoying
David Kim
[M]VortiX : God
And finally.... daed gaem!
[M]VortiX : The sims 1
Muchas gracias Juan! Can you say something in French?
Je suis enchante d'entrer a Millenium, c'est un bon occasion per meilleurer comme joueur et per meilleurer mon français!*
[*We decided to keep the original version as it's so cute!]Essays on the Gita
Essays on the Gita by Sri Aurobindo – essays on the philosophy and method of self-discipline presented in the pre-eminent Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad Gita. It was after reading these essays, in particular, that in the 1930s President Wilsons daughter went to Sri Aurobindo and devoted her life – receiving the name Nishtha via his vision in the Sri Aurobindo Ashram at Pondicherry.
The first series of Essays on the Gita appeared in the monthly review Arya between August 1916 and July 1918. It was revised by Sri Aurobindo and published as a book in 1922.
The second series appeared in the Arya between August 1918 and July 1920. In 1928 Sri Aurobindo brought out an extensively revised edition in book form.
Book Details
Author: Sri Aurobindo
Print Length: 607 pages
Publisher: Sri Aurobindo Ashram
Contributor: Krishna
Book format: PDF, ePub, Kindle
Language: English
Book Download
Contents
First Series
Chapter I. Our Demand and Need from the Gita
Chapter II. The Divine Teacher
Chapter III. The Human Disciple
Chapter IV. The Core of the Teaching
Chapter V. Kurukshetra
Chapter VI. Man and the Battle of Life
Chapter VII. The Creed of the Aryan Fighter
Chapter VIII. Sankhya and Yoga
Chapter IX. Sankhya, Yoga and Vedanta
Chapter X. The Yoga of the Intelligent Will
Chapter XI. Works and Sacrifice
Chapter XII. The Significance of Sacrifice
Chapter XIII. The Lord of the Sacrifice
Chapter XIV. The Principle of Divine Works
Chapter XV. The Possibility and Purpose of Avatarhood
Chapter XVI. The Process of Avatarhood
Chapter XVII. The Divine Birth and Divine Works
Chapter XVIII. The Divine Worker
Chapter XIX. Equality
Chapter XX. Equality and Knowledge
Chapter XXI. The Determinism of Nature
Chapter XXII. Beyond the Modes of Nature
Chapter XXIII. Nirvana and Works in the World
Chapter XXIV. The Gist of the Karmayoga
Second Series
Part I. The Synthesis of Works, Love and Knowledge
Chapter I. The Two Natures
Chapter II. The Synthesis of Devotion and Knowledge
Chapter III. The Supreme Divine
Chapter IV. The Secret of Secrets
Chapter V. The Divine Truth and Way
Chapter VI. Works, Devotion and Knowledge
Chapter VII. The Supreme Word of the Gita
Chapter VIII. God in Power of Becoming
Chapter IX. The Theory of the Vibhuti
Chapter X. The Vision of the World-Spirit; Time the Destroyer
Chapter XI. The Vision of the World-Spirit; The Double Aspect
Chapter XII. The Way and the Bhakta
Part II. The Supreme Secret
Chapter XIII. The Field and its Knower
Chapter XIV. Above the Gunas
Chapter XV. The Three Purushas
Chapter XVI. The Fullness of Spiritual Action
Chapter XVII. Deva and Asura
Chapter XVIII. The Gunas, Faith and Works
Chapter XIX. The Gunas, Mind and Works
Chapter XX. Swabhava and Swadharma
Chapter XXI. Towards the Supreme Secret
Chapter XXII. The Supreme Secret
Chapter XXIII. The Core of the Gita’s Meaning
Chapter XXIV. The Message of the Gita
Sample
Essays on the Gita
Chapter II. The Divine Teacher
The peculiarity of the Gita among the great religious books of the world is that it does not stand apart as a work by itself, the fruit of the spiritual life of a creative personality like Christ, Mahomed or Buddha or of an epoch of pure spiritual searching like the Veda and Upanishads, but is given as an episode in an epic history of nations and their wars and men and their deeds and arises out of a critical moment in the soul of one of its leading personages face to face with the crowning action of his life, a work terrible, violent and sanguinary, at the point when he must either recoil from it altogether or carry it through to its inexorable completion. It matters little whether or no, as modern criticism supposes, the Gita is a later composition inserted into the mass of the Mahabharata by its author in order to invest its teaching with the authority and popularity of the great national epic. There seem to me to be strong grounds against this supposition for which, besides, the evidence, extrinsic or internal, is in the last degree scanty and insufficient. But even if it be sound, there remains the fact that the author has not only taken pains to interweave his work inextricably into the vast web of the larger poem, but is careful again and again to remind us of the situation from which the teaching has arisen; he returns to it prominently, not only at the end, but in the middle of his profoundest philosophical disquisitions. We must accept the insistence of the author and give its full importance to this recurrent preoccupation of the Teacher and the disciple. The teaching of the Gita must therefore be regarded not merely in the light of a general spiritual philosophy or ethical doctrine, but as bearing upon a practical crisis in the application of ethics and spirituality to human life. For what that crisis stands, what is the significance of the battle of Kurukshetra and its effect on Arjuna’s inner being, we have first to determine if we would grasp the central drift of the ideas of the Gita.
Very obviously a great body of the profoundest teaching cannot be built round an ordinary occurrence which has no gulfs of deep suggestion and hazardous difficulty behind its superficial and outward aspects and can be governed well enough by the ordinary everyday standards of thought and action. There are indeed three things in the Gita which are spiritually significant, almost symbolic, typical of the profoundest relations and problems of the spiritual life and of human existence at its roots; they are the divine personality of the Teacher, his characteristic relations with his disciple and the occasion of his teaching. The teacher is God himself descended into humanity; the disciple is the first, as we might say in modern language, the representative man of his age, closest friend and chosen instrument of the Avatar, his protagonist in an immense work and struggle the secret purpose of which is unknown to the actors in it, known only to the incarnate Godhead who guides it all from behind the veil of his unfathomable mind of knowledge; the occasion is the violent crisis of that work and struggle at the moment when the anguish and moral difficulty and blind violence of its apparent movements forces itself with the shock of a visible revelation on the mind of its representative man and raises the whole question of the meaning of God in the world and the goal and drift and sense of human life and conduct.
India has from ancient times held strongly a belief in the reality of the Avatara, the descent into form, the revelation of the Godhead in humanity. In the West this belief has never really stamped itself upon the mind because it has been presented through exoteric Christianity as a theological dogma without any roots in the reason and general consciousness and attitude towards life. But in India it has grown up and persisted as a logical outcome of the Vedantic view of life and taken firm root in the consciousness of the race. All existence is a manifestation of God because He is the only existence and nothing can be except as either a real figuring or else a figment of that one reality. Therefore every conscious being is in part or in some way a descent of the Infinite into the apparent finiteness of name and form. But it is a veiled manifestation and there is a gradation between the supreme being3 of the Divine and the consciousness shrouded partly or wholly by ignorance of self in the finite. The conscious embodied soul4 is the spark of the divine Fire and that soul in man opens out to self-knowledge as it develops out of ignorance of self into self-being. The Divine also, pouring itself into the forms of the cosmic existence, is revealed ordinarily in an efflorescence of its powers, in energies and magnitudes of its knowledge, love, joy, developed force of being,5 in degrees and faces of its divinity. But when the divine Consciousness and Power, taking upon itself the human form and the human mode of action, possesses it not only by powers and magnitudes, by degrees and outward faces of itself but out of its eternal self-knowledge, when the Unborn knows itself and acts in the frame of the mental being and the appearance of birth, that is the height of the conditioned manifestation; it is the full and conscious descent of the Godhead, it is the Avatara.
The Vaishnava form of Vedantism which has laid most stress upon this conception expresses the relation of God in man to man in God by the double figure of Nara-Narayana, associated historically with the origin of a religious school very similar in its doctrines to the teaching of the Gita. Nara is the human soul which, eternal companion of the Divine, finds itself only when it awakens to that companionship and begins, as the Gita would say, to live in God. Narayana is the divine Soul always present in our humanity, the secret guide, friend and helper of the human being, the “Lord who abides within the heart of creatures” of the Gita; when within us the veil of that secret sanctuary is withdrawn and man speaks face to face with God, hears the divine voice, receives the divine light, acts in the divine power, then becomes possible the supreme uplifting of the embodied human conscious-being into the unborn and eternal. He becomes capable of that dwelling in God and giving up of his whole consciousness into the Divine which the Gita upholds as the best or highest secret of things, uttamaṁ rahasyam. When this eternal divine Consciousness always present in every human being, this God in man, takes possession partly6 or wholly of the human consciousness and becomes in visible human shape the guide, teacher, leader of the world, not as those who living in their humanity yet feel something of the power or light or love of the divine Gnosis informing and conducting them, but out of that divine Gnosis itself, direct from its central force and plenitude, then we have the manifest Avatar. The inner Divinity is the eternal Avatar in man; the human manifestation is its sign and development in the external world.
When we thus understand the conception of Avatarhood, we see that whether for the fundamental teaching of the Gita, our present subject, or for spiritual life generally the external aspect has only a secondary importance. Such controversies as the one that has raged in Europe over the historicity of Christ, would seem to a spiritually-minded Indian largely a waste of time; he would concede to it a considerable historical, but hardly any religious importance; for what does it matter in the end whether a Jesus son of the carpenter Joseph was actually born in Nazareth or Bethlehem, lived and taught and was done to death on a real or trumped-up charge of sedition, so long as we can know by spiritual experience the inner Christ, live uplifted in the light of his teaching and escape from the yoke of the natural Law by that atonement of man with God of which the crucifixion is the symbol? If the Christ, God made man, lives within our spiritual being, it would seem to matter little whether or not a son of Mary physically lived and suffered and died in Judea. So too the Krishna who matters to us is the eternal incarnation of the Divine and not the historical teacher and leader of men.
In seeking the kernel of the thought of the Gita we need, therefore, only concern ourselves with the spiritual significance of the human-divine Krishna of the Mahabharata who is presented to us as the teacher of Arjuna on the battle-field of Kurukshetra. The historical Krishna, no doubt, existed. We meet the name first in the Chhandogya Upanishad where all we can gather about him is that he was well known in spiritual tradition as a knower of the Brahman, so well known indeed in his personality and the circumstances of his life that it was sufficient to refer to him by the name of his mother as Krishna son of Devaki for all to understand who was meant. In the same Upanishad we find mention of King Dhritarashtra son of Vichitravirya, and since tradition associated the two together so closely that they are both of them leading personages in the action of the Mahabharata, we may fairly conclude that they were actually contemporaries and that the epic is to a great extent dealing with historical characters and in the war of Kurukshetra with a historical occurrence imprinted firmly on the memory of the race. We know too that Krishna and Arjuna were the object of religious worship in the pre-Christian centuries; and there is some reason to suppose that they were so in connection with a religious and philosophical tradition from which the Gita may have gathered many of its elements and even the foundation of its synthesis of knowledge, devotion and works, and perhaps also that the human Krishna was the founder, restorer or at the least one of the early teachers of this school. The Gita may well in spite of its later form represent the outcome in Indian thought of the teaching of Krishna and the connection of that teaching with the historical Krishna, with Arjuna and with the war of Kurukshetra may be something more than a dramatic fiction. In the Mahabharata Krishna is represented both as the historical character and the Avatar; his worship and Avatarhood must therefore have been well established by the time — apparently from the fifth to the first centuries B.C. — when the old story and poem or epic tradition of the Bharatas took its present form. There is a hint also in the poem of the story or legend of the Avatar’s early life in Vrindavan which, as developed by the Puranas into an intense and powerful spiritual symbol, has exercised so profound an influence on the religious mind of India. We have also in the Harivansha an account of the life of Krishna, very evidently full of legends, which perhaps formed the basis of the Puranic accounts.
But all this, though of considerable historical importance, has none whatever for our present purpose. We are concerned only with the figure of the divine Teacher as it is presented to us in the Gita and with the Power for which it there stands in the spiritual illumination of the human being. The Gita accepts the human Avatarhood; for the Lord speaks of the repeated, the constant7 manifestation of the Divine in humanity, when He the eternal Unborn assumes by his Maya, by the power of the infinite Consciousness to clothe itself apparently in finite forms, the conditions of becoming which we call birth. But it is not this upon which stress is laid, but on the transcendent, the cosmic and the internal Divine; it is on the Source of all things and the Master of all and on the Godhead secret in man. It is this internal divinity who is meant when the Gita speaks of the doer of violent Asuric austerities troubling the God within or of the sin of those who despise the Divine lodged in the human body or of the same Godhead destroying our ignorance by the blazing lamp of knowledge. It is then the eternal Avatar, this God in man, the divine Consciousness always present in the human being who manifested in a visible form speaks to the human soul in the Gita, illumines the meaning of life and the secret of divine action and gives it the light of the divine knowledge and guidance and the assuring and fortifying word of the Master of existence in the hour when it comes face to face with the painful mystery of the world. This is what the Indian religious consciousness seeks to make near to itself in whatever form, whether in the symbolic human image it enshrines in its temples or in the worship of its Avatars or in the devotion to the human Guru through whom the voice of the one world-Teacher makes itself heard. Through these it strives to awaken to that inner voice, unveil that form of the Formless and stand face to face with that manifest divine Power, Love and Knowledge.
…nunez Profile Blog Joined February 2011 Norway 4002 Posts Last Edited: 2012-06-06 11:31:55 #1 intro
the allegations of spades maphacking that popped up after his showmatch with lucifron has been all the rage the last days. replays surfaced with dubious decisions, mysterious movements and peculiar positioning. people on both sides of the argument hold nothing back and defend their side to the ban.
what if i told you there's another explanation for all of this... something unexpected, something out of this world. unfortunately noone can be simply told what this other explanation is, so i added a lot of pictures as well. welcome to the real world.
the allegations of spades maphacking that popped up after his showmatch with lucifron has been all the rage the last days. replays surfaced with dubious decisions, mysterious movements and peculiar positioning. people on both sides of the argument hold nothing back and defend their side to the ban.what if i told you there's another explanation for all of this... something unexpected, something out of this world. unfortunately noone can be simply told what this other explanation is, so i added a lot of pictures as well. welcome to the real world. the precog
during a tvz versus goldenlight on dualsight, spades showcased some of his immense psychic abilities. after spawning bot left and pumping out a few hellions he approaches goldens natural from the west. here he's presented with 2 roaches, one spine, 6 morphing cocoons and some drones being pulled away from the hellions.
+ Show Spoiler [the hellions approach from the west] +
besides the spine, the roaches, 2 queens and some scouting lings spades is in the dark. golden's main is completely shrouded in the fog of war. what he has scouted didn't really provide any definitive answer to what his opponent was doing, but the contents of the cocoons at the natural might have. however spades doesn't stay long enough to check, he doesn't need to. wasting no time he quickly sends his hellions back to the northern watchtower and promptly asks golden why he is all-inning.
+ Show Spoiler [spades asking the hard questions] +
and indeed, golden was all-inning. there is no greater crime than all-inning in starcraft 2. spades used his precog powers, not mere scouting, to sniff it out before it even happened.
during a tvz versus goldenlight on dualsight, spades showcased some of his immense psychic abilities. after spawning bot left and pumping out a few hellions he approaches goldens natural from the west. here he's presented with 2 roaches, one spine, 6 morphing cocoons and some drones being pulled away from the hellions.besides the spine, the roaches, 2 queens and some scouting lings spades is in the dark. golden's main is completely shrouded in the fog of war. what he has scouted didn't really provide any definitive answer to what his opponent was doing, but the contents of the cocoons at the natural might have. however spades doesn't stay long enough to check, he doesn't need to. wasting no time he quickly sends his hellions back to the northern watchtower and promptly asks golden why he is all-inning.and indeed, golden was all-inning. there is no greater crime than all-inning in starcraft 2. spades used his precog powers, not mere scouting, to sniff it out before it even happened. the chosen one
in the recent, much talked about series versus lucifron, spades found his hellions in an awkward position. at 16:40 a group of hellions at the empty 9 o'clock expansion were about to be in a world of hurt with an angry ball of marauders and medevacs approaching from behind the shrubberies.
+ Show Spoiler [crouching marauders, hidden hellions] +
sensing this, spades quickly lays out an escape plan for the unlucky hellions by issuing move commands hugging the egde of the southern chasm. all but one hellion escape to fight on.
+ Show Spoiler [spades dodging the marauders] +
in the heat of late game battle it's impossible to pay attention to every little detail, like a medevac or two changing direction at the edge of your minimap. when things heat up around spades he uses his chosen one powers to slow down time and easily dodge incoming attacks.
in the recent, much talked about series versus lucifron, spades found his hellions in an awkward position. at 16:40 a group of hellions at the empty 9 o'clock expansion were about to be in a world of hurt with an angry ball of marauders and medevacs approaching from behind the shrubberies.sensing this, spades quickly lays out an escape plan for the unlucky hellions by issuing move commands hugging the egde of the southern chasm. all but one hellion escape to fight on.in the heat of late game battle it's impossible to pay attention to every little detail, like a medevac or two changing direction at the edge of your minimap. when things heat up around spades he uses his chosen one powers to slow down time and easily dodge incoming attacks. the cerebro chamber
playing a meching devil terran cross spawns on artifice is no simple task. being down on bases and down on supply with an inferior composition, spades is hard pressed to make something happen. using his custom built cerebro chamber, fine tuned on demuslims meching units, he stims in blindly at a perfect time to catch most of demuslims tanks unsieged and clears up a dangerous push.
+ Show Spoiler [leap of faith] +
after cleaning up the push spades preforms a sequence of manouvers so amazing that i had to include snapshots of the minimap to convey the scale of them. navigating across this vast map he forces a lift on demuslims 12 o'clock 5th.
+ Show Spoiler [12 o'clock in the air] +
shifting focus he avoids his opponents units and moves his army all the way to the other side of the map to stim in and pick off 3 lonely tanks and demuslims 9 o'clock 4th.
+ Show Spoiler [spades stimming in to kill the 3 tanks] +
moving south to dodge demuslims army he then turns around and goes north east towards the 12 o'clock again, only to catch a smaller task force on an intercept course.
+ Show Spoiler [flanking part of demuslims army] +
sniping a tech lab and juking around to the 12 o'clock again, he stims up a ramp to pick off a handfull of sieging tanks before moving back to the expansion to kill some scvs before he finally gets cleaned up.
+ Show Spoiler [cheeky tank snipes] +
this entire sequence of amazing moves was done using no scans at all, but who needs scans when you have a cerebro chamber.
playing a meching devil terran cross spawns on artifice is no simple task. being down on bases and down on supply with an inferior composition, spades is hard pressed to make something happen. using his custom built cerebro chamber, fine tuned on demuslims meching units, he stims in blindly at a perfect time to catch most of demuslims tanks unsieged and clears up a dangerous push.after cleaning up the push spades preforms a sequence of manouvers so amazing that i had to include snapshots of the minimap to convey the scale of them. navigating across this vast map he forces a lift on demuslims 12 o'clock 5th.shifting focus he avoids his opponents units and moves his army all the way to the other side of the map to stim in and pick off 3 lonely tanks and demuslims 9 o'clock 4th.moving south to dodge demuslims army he then turns around and goes north east towards the 12 o'clock again, only to catch a smaller task force on an intercept course.sniping a tech lab and juking around to the 12 o'clock again, he stims up a ramp to pick off a handfull of sieging tanks before moving back to the expansion to kill some scvs before he finally gets cleaned up.this entire sequence of amazing moves was done using no scans at all, but who needs scans when you have a cerebro chamber. closing words
this was mostly an excuse to put spades face on a precog. the thought popped up in my head when i was looking through spades vs goldenlight on dualsight trying to form an opinion about the hacking accusations. the examples used in the text are not necessarily evidence for or against that, and are portayed in a way that makes spades look like he has superhuman powers.
pointers on formatting, pictures, grammar, spelling, etc are welcomed. help me write better blog posts.
edits: bad wording, grammar and goldens name
this was mostly an excuse to put spades face on a precog. the thought popped up in my head when i was looking through spades vs goldenlight on dualsight trying to form an opinion about the hacking accusations. the examples used in the text are not necessarily evidence for or against that, and are portayed in a way that makes spades look like he has superhuman powers.pointers on formatting, pictures, grammar, spelling, etc are welcomed. help me write better blog posts. conspired against by a confederacy of dunces.LAS VEGAS, NV - JANUARY 31: Nick Diaz interacts with the media during the UFC 183 post fight press conference at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on January 31, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Nick Diaz no-shows events after payments made for his appearance.
Last week UFC fighter Nick Diaz was informed of a potential anti-doping violation by USADA due to three failed whereabouts within a 12-month period. Diaz, who hasn’t fought for the organization since his loss to Anderson Silva in January 2015, essentially does not care to follow the USADA guidelines because he has not yet expressed a desire to return to mixed martial arts competition with the UFC.
Diaz doesn’t feel as if USADA needs to know where he is. And it seems he feels the same way about his fans and those paying him for public appearances.
The controversial and outspoken fighter from Stockton, California was supposed to arrive on the east coast during International Fight Week to partake in a series of seminars, autograph signings, and UFC viewing parties.
Diaz was supposed to appear at a seminar Bulldog Strength and Conditioning in Freehold, New Jersey, followed by a UFC 213 viewing party at Rivoli’s Grill and Chill in Howell. A few days prior to the scheduled July 8 events, the owners of BSC canceled the event citing Diaz’s recent social media trail as his reasoning.
“I had him scheduled for a seminar today at 5 p.m. and if you go on his story line on Instagram, he hasn’t stop partying for the last 10 days. I canceled it a few days ago. I knew this would happen,” the gym owner told MyMMANews.com.
Diaz never got on his plane. Instead, he went to Las Vegas, posting photos on his Instagram. Neither Diaz or John Gallo, the man who claimed to be his manager, and set up the events, called to cancel.
Diaz was to also hold an appearance in Scranton, Pennsylvania on Sunday, before a seminar in Stroudsburg, at MMA Signatures MMA & BJJ Academy.
MMA Signatures owner A.J. Hiller spoke with Gallo and Diaz on Facebook several months ago. Diaz told Hiller, “this is my manager now. Set everything up through him.”
Hiller states that he had a conversation with Gallo, where the alleged manager asked him for contact information for various restaurants and gyms in the area where he could set up events for Diaz to make money. Hiller gave Gallo a few names to include Tony Rivoli who owns the restaurant in Howell, and each had their own private conversations with Gallo.
When Diaz never boarded the plane, neither Hiller or Rivoli could reach Gallo. Each of them now out more than $3,500 each, they had to cancel their events and provides refunds for all.
Rivoli then went on social media posting a series of irate videos, blasting Diaz and his manager.
A man named Matt Staudt then came in to do damage control and said that he is the actual manager of Diaz and that he was unaware of the events until a few hours before Diaz was to board the plane.
The problem there, however, is Diaz (or someone from his camp) began posting flyers promoting the events on his social media, days before the trip he never made.
Staudt claims that Gallo is not Diaz’s manager and is trying to make amends and rectify the situation, but Gallo is also doing the same of Staudt. With no clear resolution in sight, both Hiller and Rivoli have stated that they will pursue legal action.
Below are a series of videos posted by Rivoli after the cancellation.
I am sorry #RIVOLISGRILLANDCHILL A post shared by Rivolis GrillandChill (@rivolis1) on Jul 8, 2017 at 1:28pm PDT
Grown ass man can't get on not 1 not 2 but misses 3 flights…..where's my money?#rivolisgrillandchill A post shared by Rivolis GrillandChill (@rivolis1) on Jul 8, 2017 at 4:28pm PDT
If bad words bother you do not watch! #RIVOLISGRILLANDCHILL #wheresmymoney A post shared by Rivolis GrillandChill (@rivolis1) on Jul 8, 2017 at 6:40pm PDTQuenching the world’s thirst for OJ
There are at least eleven dedicated fruit juice tankers currently in operation. Six are operated by Atlanship SA of Lausanne, Switzerland; four are operated by Aleuropa of Hamburg, Germany; and one is operated by Northern Navigation Norway of Oslo, Norway. These ships carry orange juice, primarily concentrate, under refrigeration from Brazil to the United States and to Europe and, less frequently, to Asia and the Pacific. The ships generally are divided into four or five cargo holds into which are placed between one and four refrigerated cylindrical stainless steel tanks specially designed for carriage of orange juice. Fresh juice is carried at a temperature of -1°C, while concentrated juice is carried at a temperature of -10°C. Overall, Brazilian orange juice provides 25% of the world market and is particularly dominate in Europe. Some of the ships were designed and constructed specifically for this trade, while others have been converted from other use. The oldest ship was delivered in 1985 and the youngest in 2011. They range in size from 15,000 to 43,000 DWT and can carry between 8,700 and 30,800 cubic meters of juice. They mostly ply their trade unobtrusively. The Orange Sun, though, was involved in a minor collision in New York harbor in January 2008. It lost steering while entering port and rammed a dredge working alongside the channel. There were no injuries, but the incident was video-recorded by the US Coast Guard and widely broadcast via the internet.The Cleveland Browns are "smitten" with UCF quarterback Blake Bortles, at least according to Peter King of SI.com. Bortles is considered one of the top quarterbacks in the upcoming draft and Cleveland happens to hold multiple first-round picks.
King suggests that the Minnesota Vikings are a perfect fit for Bortles and his skillset, but notes that the Browns have been "smitten with him since last fall." King also suggests that the Houston Texans are interested in the quarterback, which has been rumored since Bill O'Brien took over as head coach. O'Brien's Penn State team lost to Bortles' Central Florida team last season.
All three teams could easily be landing spots for Bortles. For the Texans, the No. 1 overall pick seems high for Bortles (though one could argue it's never too early to pick your franchise quarterback), but they could look to trade down. For the Vikings, Bortles may already be gone by their No. 9 pick, making a trade up the draft order possible.
Cleveland is in an interesting position. At the fourth overall pick, another quarterback possibly will have already been taken, and the team owns the No. 26 |
labored breathing. When Jorge died, the jar shattered of its own volition.This case is clearly anecdotal. We neither have the x-rays that startled the Venezuelan technicians, nor Lula at hand to be questioned. Despite “Jorge’s” good natured remarks about his otherworldly provenance, there was no suggestion that he was extraterrestrial – he was perfectly at home in his reality, was a successful businessman, didn’t shy away from contact with others. Yet his entire existence suggests that he was among us, yet not one of us. On the other hand, he did not belong to the same order of beings as the Men In Black – the socially inept characters described by the late John A. Keel in. Freixedo’s “Jorge”, on the other hand, was adroit and very engaging. Did he belong to a parahuman/cryptoterrestrial/ultraterrestrial group that has moved among us for centuries, keeping in touch with one another through a variety of means?Back to the enigmatic signs: The infamous Voynich Manuscript constitutes a perfect example of such encoded documents that are meant to be understood by exactly the right person or persons, to the chagrin of cryptologists and those bent on unlocking its secrets. Allegedly, it was originally the property of Roger Bacon, the medieval Franciscan friar, and found its way into the hands of many Renaissance occultists, such as the infamous Dr. John Dee. The Vatican eventually acquired the manuscript, and some of its best minds attempted to crack the illustrated manuscript's coded mysteries. Some eighty years ago, an American antiquarian, Wilfrid Voynich, purchased the bizarre text which now bears his name and circulated it among the most learned minds of the time: some believed that its illustrations depicted the flora of another world; others hinted at charts of the constellations as they appeared thousands--or millions--of years ago. After World War 2, a scholar claimed to have deciphered part of the manuscript and obtained the instructions for a viable contraceptive method. The Voynich Manuscript could well be the factual basis for H.P. Lovecraft's accursed grimoire, the Necronomicon.Professor Juan Rocha de Azevedo, author of, relates the tale of Eugéne Canseliet, who belonged to the circle of adepts surrounding the shadowy figure of the "alchemist" Fulcanelli in the 1920's. At the time, members of the inner circle boasted that their master was on the brink of cracking the Philosopher's Stone. But as decades passed, Canseliet stated that Fulcanelli had long since disappeared--although he claimed to have visited him in Seville, Spain, in the 1950's, and that Fulcanelli had undergone extensive physical changes as a result of having ingested the Elixir of Life. Azevedo states that the nature of these changes was an overall androgynous appearance.What we know for sure about Fulcanelli is collected in his books Mysteries of the Great Cathedrals and The Philosophers' Dwellings. Apparently, he was conversant in the matter of the secret symbols employed among those "in the know": "In the Middle Ages, the masters whose treatises have survived until our times would decorate their homes with esoteric signs and images". The reader is advised that one such symbol is that of a lion rampant and a dragon biting its own tail.There is no dearth of "secret societies" to blame for the many coded messages in existence. At one time or another, the culprits have ranged from the Illuminati to the Catholic Church. The accusation? Being a cabal of dark "superminds" ruling the fate of a plodding, unsuspecting mankind. Obviously, any group capable of sustained existence from the depths of antiquity to the present must surely be remarkable, if we consider the ups and downs of human history and the propensity of organizations to come unraveled--unless we make the prodigious leap of faith that would lead us to accept that there could be "immortal" humans, or paranormal beings in human guise that guide the hidden groups throughout the ages. A few characters fitting the bill come to mind:Apollonius of Tyana, a sorcerer/scholar from the city of Tyana in what is now modern Turkey. If what tradition is to be credited, we are faced with a man who was capable of teleportation, was most certainly immortal or extremely long-lived, and who was a master of Pythagoric doctrine and geometry. Apollonius traveled to Tibet led by his guide, Damis, arriving at a land of Greek-speaking people with an "unreal", mutable landscape (another dimension?). The dwellers of this hidden kingdom had mastered levitation, robotics and the artificial illumination. The errant philosopher learned that this land existed "in the world, but beyond it".Returning to the Mediterranean area, then controlled by Rome, Apollonius was accused of treason against Emperor Domitian. Brought before Caesar, Apollonius declared: "You may imprison my body, but never my soul, and I will add, not my body, either!" In a burst of light, witnessed by Roman courtiers and a stunned Domitian, the captive vanished into thin air.In esoteric circles, it is believed to this day that Apollonius is the same entity known as the Count of Sainte Germain, who was active in the 1700's and was renown for his great wealth and insight. Sainte Germain and Apollonius had certain powers in common: bilocation (the ability to be in two places at the same time--probably the ability most coveted by 21st century man!), the power of healing the sick and the ability to decipher "the language of birds". Fulcanelli could be merely another guise of this everlasting being.Even if we do not give credence to such an idea, it could perhaps answer the question as to who or whom is the source for the cryptic messages and codes hidden in works of art and architecture. Furthermore, the years in which St. Germain operated were also those in which a number of scientific developments--some which were never followed through--became apparent. He could have been the catalyst for the Enlightenment, as others have suggested.Roger Boscovitch, in 1756, circulated a tract on time travel, anti-gravity and bilocation, matters which are still unattainable to modern science. James Price, who was reputedly able to change mercury into gold in less than 15 minutes, lived roughly around the same time. Before he vanished from the 18th century, St. Germain allegedly informed a guest at a dinner party that he had to leave, in order to bring about more inventions that would be useful to humanity in the future: the steam engine and electricity. It would be this "secret society" of inventors and experimenters, then, thatwould leave behind symbols and references that could only be understood by a peer or equal.Lionel Fanthorpe, author ofhints that one of the items whose location could probably be hinted at by the coded symbols are the Emerald Tablets of Hermes Trismegistus, the Egyptian deity Thoth, patron of magic. Possession of said tablets could have aided the medieval alchemists in attaining their goals. History reminds us, however, that the alchemists were merely proto-scientists, and that their life-extending elixir and the Philosophers' Stone were merely the stuff of dreams. Yet, could some alchemists have stumbled upon the secrets, and made use of them? Fanthorpe suggests that these symbols are still in use today, and make sense, naturally, only to the target reader or viewer. He considers the highly elaborate drawing of the Gates of Moria in J.R.R. Tolkien'sto be one such device.The reader might well feel cheated at this point--we are no closer to solving the mystery of cryptic messages than we were at the outset. Yet we are deluged by such messages, perhaps even more so in our television age, in which these mysterious communications could be broadcast subliminally to the intended receptors, or overtly –as we have seen-- through strange or unusual advertisements. Salvador Freixedo received a personal communication from the sources behind the controversial UMMO documents--a group of extraterrestrials allegedly on Earth, originating from the star Wolf 424, nowadays thought to be a mere disinformation exercise--and told to signal his interest in continuing communication with them by placing a classified ad in his local newspaper. Freixedo went ahead and placed the ad, which contained the "Ummite" word for "man" (). To avoid hassles from the paper's editor, Freixedo claimed that the unusual word was a brand of radionics machine! If we bear in mind that such messages do exist, perhaps we will find ourselves giving everything, from odd TV commercials to the graffiti on our streets, a second thought.Arizona State has hired University at Buffalo basketball coach Bobby Hurley, the school confirmed to ESPN.com Thursday.
Hurley amassed a 42-20 record during his two seasons as coach of the Bulls. He lead Buffalo to its first NCAA tournament berth in school history in 2015. Buffalo lost to West Virginia 68-62 in the tournament's Round of 64.
With the hire, Arizona State will replace former coach Herb Sendek, who was fired Mar. 24 after making only two NCAA tournament appearances over nine years at the school.
Hurley had emerged as the "frontrunner" for the position Wednesday, according to multiple reports. Duke assistant coach Jeff Capel had also been under consideration, but he removed his name from consideration earlier this week.
• DAVIS: Virginia, UNC, Kentucky lead Way-Too-Early Top 25
In an interview with SI Now on Mar. 31, Hurley said he felt he would be Buffalo's head coach for the 2015-16 season.
Hurley, 43, helped lead Duke to back-to-back NCAA championships in 1991 and 1992.
DePaul University also showed interest in Hurley to lead its basketball program, but eventually re-hired former its former coach Dave Leitao.
Hurley and the University at Buffalo had reached a verbal agreement to renegotiate his contract to make him the highest paid coach in the Mid-American Conference, The Buffalo News reported last month.
- Scooby Axson and Will GreenPlans by students at a Jewish university in New York to give an award to former President Jimmy Carter have some alumni seeing red.
Carter was chosen to receive the award by students who run the Journal of Conflict Resolution at Yeshiva University’s Cardozo School of Law.
He is scheduled to receive the International Advocate for Peace Award at Cardoza on Wednesday.
A group of Cardoza graduates has sent an email to other alumni protesting the award and urging the school to cancel the presentation event. The Coalition of Concerned Cardozo Alumni has also established a website outlining the case against Carter as a worthy recipient.
The letter says, “It is simply unconscionable for a Jewish affiliated school to honor someone who has played such a high profile role in demonizing the Jewish state.”
The website Shame on Cardoza outlines the reasons so many find Carter particularly unacceptable for an award from an historically Jewish instiution:
“He is responsible for helping to mainstream the antisemitic notion that Israel is an apartheid state with his provocatively titled book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid,” the publication of which prompted mass resignations from the Carter Center. He has met numerous times with leaders of the terror group Hamas whitewashing their genocidal goals and undermining U.S. efforts to isolate Hamas. And Carter’s record of slandering Israel is so voluminous that both CAMERA (Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America) and Alan Dershowitz have written books refuting his lies.”
Carter’s book accusing Israel of apartheid was perhaps his most direct attack on the Jewish state. When it came out in 2007, WND CEO Joseph Farah explained how Carter blamed the murderous actions of terrorists on Israel.
WND has also reported on other questionable actions and statements by Carter since he left office in 1981.
The deal Carter brokered with North Korea in 1994 to dismantle its nuclear weapons program in return for oil and two nuclear reactors was a bust. A few years later, North Korea simply ignored the deal and announced it had become a nuclear state.
In 2005, Carter hob-knobbed with an unregistered agent of Saddam Hussein, Samir Vincent, inviting him into his home, and giving him a guided tour of the Carter Center in Atlanta.
In 2006, Carter made a personal promise to ambassadors from Egypt, Pakistan and Cuba that he would fight to undermine U.S. opposition to a new U.N. Human Rights Commission panel. The U.S. opposed the new panel because it would continue to allow known human-rights abusers to serve on the commission.
In 2007, he slammed the relationship between British Prime Minister Tony Blair and President George W. Bush, calling it “abominable … loyal, blind, apparently subservient.”
Carter had even stronger words, just for Bush.
“I think as far as the adverse impact on the nation around the world, this administration has been the worst in history,” he said.
Carter excused a North Korean attack on a South Korean island in 2010, saying it was simply “designed to remind the world that they deserve respect in negotiations that will shape their future.”
Carter expressed sympathy to North Korea upon the death of dictator Kim Jong-il in 2011. The Korean Central News Agency reported Carter sent a note of condolence to Kim’s son and successor.
Carter faulted Obama for being too tough on American enemies that are pursuing nuclear capabilities. Carter thinks the U.S would have more influence if it promised to drop sanctions against Iran and North Korea.
The Shame on Cardoza website has a long list of statements and actions by Carter other than his book, compiled by CAMERA, that it says were also detrimental to Israel.CLOSE A major cyberattack across Europe has banks and power grids disrupted. Elizabeth Keatinge (@elizkeatinge) has more. Buzz60
The logo of the 'Rosneft' petroleum company on the wall of its headquarters in Moscow, Russia, 17 July 2014 (reissued 27 June 2017). According to media reports on 27 June 2017, Rosneft was affected by a large-scale cyber attack on 27 June 2017. (Photo11: EPA/YURI KOCHETKOV)
SAN FRANCISCO — A virulent new strain of ransomware named Petya wreaked havoc on some of the most-established companies in Europe and North America on Tuesday, capitalizing on the same vulnerabilities that froze hundreds of thousands of computers a month ago..
Computer-security company Kaspersky Lab said about 2,000 systems worldwide were affected.
The cyberattack appeared to target Ukraine, where government officials and businesses reported intrusions to the power grid, government offices, banks and stores.
It also spread through the digital operations of some of the planet's biggest companies. Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller-Maersk, the world's largest overseas cargo carrier, and Russian oil behemoth Rosneft were among the high-profile corporate victims in at least six countries.
Merck, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, and British media company WPP tweeted they had been hit by Petya, as did Rosneft.
Global law firm DLA Piper said it "experienced issues with some of its systems due to suspected malware" and was working on a solution, company spokesman Josh Epstein said in an emailed statement.
We confirm our company's computer network was compromised today as part of global hack. Other organizations have also been affected (1 of 2) — Merck (@Merck) June 27, 2017
IT systems in several WPP companies have been affected by a suspected cyber attack. We are taking appropriate measures & will update asap. — WPP (@WPP) June 27, 2017
A tipster sends along this photo taken outside DLA Piper's D.C. office around 10am. #Petyapic.twitter.com/HWS4UFlvQR — Eric Geller (@ericgeller) June 27, 2017
By late Tuesday, the cyberattack had spread to North American divisions of European companies, said Justin Harvey, managing director of global incident response at Accenture. Petya is "really preying on organizations without proper patching hygiene" of the Windows operating system, he said.
Container ship terminals in Rotterdam run by a unit of Maersk were affected, the company confirmed. “The hacking attack could have led to serious consequences but neither the oil production nor the processing has been affected thanks to the fact that the company has switched to a reserve control system,” the company said.
Petya is a ransomware attack that renders files and data inaccessible until the user pays a ransom. In this case, those behind Petya demanded $300 via bitcoin. They claimed to have received more than $8,000 so far, according to Accenture. The email address victims were asked to send proof of payment to, though, has been shut down by the German email service Posteo, the company said. So even if a victim pays, there is no way for the person or group behind Petya to send victims the code to decrypt their files.
"We do not tolerate the misuse of our platform: The immediate blocking of misused email accounts is the necessary approach by providers in such cases," Posteo said in a statement.
It remains unclear who is responsible for Petya (a nickname for Russian boys named Peter), but cybersecurity experts said the attack is along the lines of WannaCry, an outbreak of ransomware that rapidly spread worldwide, using digital break-in tools computer companies say was created by the U.S. National Security Agency. It infected hundreds of thousands of computers in 150 countries last month.
"It's the same level of severity as WannaCry in terms of global reach and havoc," says Bill Conner, CEO of cybersecurity firm SonicWall. He said Petya is the latest example of "exponential growth" in ransomware that has surged from 3.8 million incidents in 2015 to 638 million last year, according to SonicWall research.
Both WannaCry and Petya used a vulnerability in Microsoft Windows systems called EternalBlue, according to Kaspersky and Symantec. The exploit was leaked online in April by a group called the Shadow Brokers. Microsoft released a fix for EternalBlue, but some companies still failed to patch their systems, making them easy targets for the cyberattack.
"A lot of companies don't think they're going to be a victim," said Robert Anderson, managing director of Information Security at Navigant Consulting and previously an executive assistant director of the FBI responsible for investigating cyberattacks. "You don't have to be a defense contractor or a bank — these ransomware attacks are designed purely to hold your data hostage, so it doesn't matter what type of data you have."
Microsoft said in a statement that, "initial analysis found that the ransomware uses multiple techniques to spread, including one which was addressed by a security update previously provided for all platforms from Windows XP to Windows 10 (MS17-010). As ransomware also typically spreads via email, customers should exercise caution when opening unknown files. We are continuing to investigate and will take appropriate action to protect customers."
The newest cyberattack may prove more difficult to stop than WannaCry, security experts say. Even though Petya hit fewer machines, it appears to be a more solid attack. For one, WannaCry had a kill switch, or a way to shut down the attack. Petya does not, which allows the malware to spread faster and cause more damage, said Ryan O'Leary, vice president of the threat research center at WhiteHat Security. Without a kill switch, no one knows how to stop the attack from spreading — so its breadth remains unseen, O'Leary added.
"WannaCry was dangerous, but it had poor implementation," O'Leary said. "It looks to be a much more robust attack."
An email message sent to the address listed on the ransom page was not immediately returned.
Contributing: Associated Press
Follow USA TODAY's San Francisco Bureau Chief Jon Swartz @jswartz in Twitter.
Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2uecck9The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) announced today that Peter Pan Bus Lines and Greyhound Lines Inc. will relocate their bus stops from Kennedy Plaza to Sabin Street in front of the Rhode Island Convention Center, beginning Monday, May 15, 2017. The relocation of the private carriers was facilitated by RIPTA and the State, and will reduce bus traffic in Kennedy Plaza by up to 45 trips a day on average.
In addition to the bus stop relocation, the private carriers will also move their ticket sales window from Kennedy Plaza to the Convention Center. The move comes just before RIPTA plans to announce summer service changes that will consolidate some bus stops in the Plaza and decrease bus waiting times there.
“RIPTA was pleased to work with the Convention Center and the private carriers in making this transition to Sabin Street,” said Ray Studley, CEO of RIPTA. “This move will not only reduce the bus presence in Kennedy Plaza, but will allow Peter Pan and Greyhound to continue to provide safe, efficient and comfortable accommodations for their customers. This is another example of RIPTA’s efforts to assist the City and the State in creating a more community-oriented Kennedy Plaza – one that will allow accessible public transit use, but also provide civic opportunities for the downtown community.”
Governor Gina Raimondo said, “This announcement is an important sign of progress toward our goal of reducing the number of buses in Kennedy Plaza. I am grateful to RIPTA, Peter Pan and Greyhound for working collaboratively to make this a smooth transition.”
Officials from both Peter Pan and Greyhound said that they are looking forward to their new location at the Convention Center. For Peter Pan it is a matter of coming full circle, since the company’s roots go back to the Interstate Busses Corporation (later known as
Bonanza Bus Lines) which started operations on Sabin Street in the 1930s. The Rhode Island-based company will keep its administrative offices and terminal at 1 Peter Pan
Way in Providence, not far from North Main Street. The family-owned company offers service out of Providence seven days a week and travels to more than 100 communities through the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. To celebrate its new home at the Convention Center, Peter Pan Bus Lines will be offering $15 fares on all trips from Providence to New York City from May 15 through May 24, 2017.
Greyhound, which also offers service in Providence seven days a week, said it is ready for the move. “Greyhound is excited to continue serving the Providence community from the Rhode Island Convention Center,” said Mike Fleischhauer, Regional Vice President of Greyhound Lines, Inc. “From this location customers will continue to enjoy a safe, comfortable and affordable travel experience on our buses.” Greyhound’s service network consists of approximately 3,800 destinations across North America.
Visit https://www.greyhound.com/ or https://peterpanbus.com/ for more information on their services.
For more information on RIPTA’s programs and services, visit RIPTA.com or call 401-781-9400.Wall Street pay czar Kenneth Feinberg
The controversy surrounding the bonus promised to Andrew Hall, the phenomenally successful energy trader at Phibro, a unit of Citi, is coming to a head. Hall’s contract entitles him to a $100 million bonus. But in order to make good on the deal, Citi, which is now hugely supported and partially owned by taxpayers, must get the blessing of Kenneth Feinberg, the Solomonic attorney who administered the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund and is now the Obama administration’s Wall Street pay czar. Feinberg will have to consider whether it is proper for an institution that, without substantial taxpayer support, couldn’t pay $100 bonuses to pay a $100 million one.
There’s another question he should consider. Do Citi’s shareholders benefit from owning what is, in effect, a hedge fund? Citi’s management argues that it needs Phibro because it has been profitable over the last many years. The more it makes, the better off the company’s shareholders—including reluctant shareholders like us taxpayers—will be. But the last few years have taught us that such gains don’t always find their way into shareholders’ pockets.
Hedge funds and private equity funds—siblings in the alternative asset management industry—are essentially compensation vehicles. At a business like Wal-Mart, most of revenues gets spent on merchandise, and about 20 percent goes to employee compensation. On Wall Street, it’s typical for investment banks to pay out 50 percent to 55 percent of revenues as compensation. But in the hedge fund/private equity world, where people are pretty much the only assets firms have, that ratio is even higher. A huge chunk of the revenues earned from asset-management fees and profit-sharing is spent on employee compensation and benefits, as well as on other things that make employees comfortable and happy, such as fancy offices, art, planes, car services. When hedge funds and private equity funds are partnerships, owned and controlled by the founders, it is a high-wire proposition in which the owners reaped the rewards of smart moves and suffered the impact of stupid moves. A few missteps could wipe out the value of the whole enterprise.
But in 2007, at the top of the credit bubble, alternative-asset managers began to go public, essentially swapping a few owners (partners) for ownership by major institutions or shareholders. It’s still a high-wire, zero-sum game. Except the alignment between owners and employees is out of whack. The folks who work at the firms that have gone public, such as the Blackstone Group, Fortress Investment Group, and Och-Ziff Management, get pretty much all the benefit of the revenues and the shareholders get pennies.
Look through the complicated earnings reports, and it’s clear that an extremely high percentage of the revenues they make winds up in the pockets of employees. As its second-quarter earnings report shows, in the first half of 2009 the combined cost of overhead and employee compensation ($445 million) ate up nearly all of the $451 million in revenues pulled in by the Blackstone Group. (And that’s before calculating hundreds of millions of dollars obligated as compensation to employees as part of its 2007 initial public offering.) In the first half of 2009, Och-Ziff had revenues of $193 million and combined compensation and overhead costs of $171.8 million. In the first half of 2009, the Fortress Investment Group reported that compensation and overhead were $260 million, while revenues were $261 million. (Like Blackstone, Fortress also owed hundreds of millions of dollars to employees per its IPO deal.) Meanwhile, the shareholders—the very people who own the firms—are suffering. With accounting and other charges, each of these firms has reported hefty losses for shareholders. Their stocks have been stinkers, as this chart tracking the performance of Blackstone, Och-Ziff, and Fortress against the S&P 500 over their lifetimes as public companies shows.
Shareholders are paying an awful lot for the services of smart traders at these publicly owned hedge funds. But they haven’t seen much in the way of benefits. Which brings us back to Citi’s Phibro dilemma. Should Hall not get paid as he sees fit, he could simply retire or take his band of traders elsewhere, thus depriving Citi—and its shareholders—of the profits he could create. But given the compensation dynamics of the industry, it’s unlikely shareholders would see a lot of those gains were he to stay. What’s more, hot hands can turn cold quickly. Atticus Capital, one of the hottest hedge funds in recent years, announced this week that it would largely wind down its operations. One of its founders, who was already insanely wealthy, had lost his hunger for the game after suffering losses.
Citi CEO Vikram Pandit, of all people, should know that committing huge sums of shareholders’ capital to retain the services of a hot trader doesn’t always pay off. In the spring of 2007, Citi spent close to $800 million to acquire the hedge fund Old Lane. Essentially, Citi was paying for the privilege of employing its founders, who had racked up impressive results. A year later, after the fund suffered losses, Citi basically folded it. One of the co-founders of the hedge fund was Vikram Pandit.In the beginning there was a boy who was unable to get out of the womb. I was lazy cunt even when I stuck inside of my moms uterus it was 14 April 1991 and after god knows how many hours of labor they where unable to get me out. Fuckers got me with a pump. I looked like a fucking smurf with a pointy head and had to chill inside the incubator. Fast forward a couple of months my parents had a cat named muffin that roamed around around the house but these idiots left me alone on the bed. I dunno what happened maybe muffin was a jealous cat maybe I was dick and pulled his tail anyway it ended with my head being scratched and having this humongous scar on my face near my left eyeThe number of animals killed in halal abattoirs without being stunned first soared in the last year, figures have revealed.
Campaigning by Muslims for traditional methods of slaughter has led to a 60 percent rise in the number of non-pain free killings, industry experts said.
Last year 2.4 million sheep and goats had their throats cut without being stunned in halal and kosher abattoirs, according to the British Veterinary Association (BVA).
In halal premium, 37 per cent of sheep and goats, 25 per cent of cattle and 16 per cent of poultry were killed without being stunned first.
For meat to be halal, the animal must be alive when its throat is cut and die from loss of blood.
Under both the Muslim method of slaughter, known as Zabiha, and the Jewish practice, Shechita, a surgically sharp instrument is used to cut straight through an animal’s throat, windpipe and the blood vessels in its neck. In both cases prayers are said over the animals.
Shechita animals are not stunned before being killed, while some Muslim slaughterhouses also neglect to “pre-stun”.
Cattle take up to two minutes to lose consciousness after their throats are cut, while sheep are awake for only 20 seconds, according to the European Food Safety Authority.
Critics say such practices harm the welfare of animals. John Blackwell, president of the BVA, said that the practice “unnecessarily compromises animal welfare at the time of death”.
Awal Foneini, certification manager of the Halal Food Authority, told The Times that the rise in non-stun killings was due to “stronger campaigning” from Muslims who wrongly believed that stunning killed animals.
Tests were needed to prove to Muslims that the animal would always recover after being stunned, he said.
He added: “If we are given the backing then we can prove to people that whatever information they have that stunning kills animals is not true.”
Last week a petition demanding an outright ban on slaughtering animals without stunning them first attracted more than 100,000 backers. However the Government insisted it still had "no intention" of outlawing religious slaughter.[Part 1] - Analysing the new Linux/AES.DDoS IoT malware
As the title suggests this is a bot which is spread by brute forcing SSH daemons and exploiting IoT devices using an array of exploits — this malware is mainly distributed by a Chinese actor who is familiar with C++ and C constructs, however the knowledge of C++ by this threat actor only extends to using the std::string class in C++. This bot was being distributed a few years ago just for x86_64 targets, this has changed along with some key fundementals of the bot. It’s started to target embedded systems, which is why I thought I would cover it again. Linux/AES.DDoS is programmed in C++, we can see this due to the fact that all of the symbols are exported and C++ constructs are used.
We are going to be using:
A look at the file..
If we run ‘file’ on the executable we get:
ELF 32-bit LSB executable, ARM, EABI5 version 1 (SYSV), statically linked, for GNU/Linux 2.6.14, not stripped.
So, we’re working with an ELF (which is the COFF for UNIX systems) and it’s 32 bit. It’s architecture is of type ARM and all of the libraries its using are statically linked — this is normal behaviour of an IoT bot to have its libc linked as many systems will have incomplete or sometimes even broken libraries. So, instead of dynamically linking the executable, they are statically linked. Since its not stripped, this means that the analysis will be a lot easier as we have meaningful names in relation to objects in the executable. For some strange reason, the executable was compiled on a 12 year old version of the Linux kernel — this could indicate to us that the malware was compiled on an IoT device or just has an extremely old computer.
MD5: 125679536fd4dd82106482ea1b4c1726
SHA1: 6caf6a6cf1bc03a038e878431db54c2127bfc2c1
A quick rundown on ARM
ARM is 32 bit by design, so all of our registers are 32 bit wide. In ARM, the standard calling convention is to place the arguments into r0 - r3. That’s only four registers though, if there are more than three arguments then we place the rest of the arguments on the stack. We have 15 registers to play with though, they all serve a special purpose.
r0, r1, r2, r3 are used for passing arguments, r0 usually also holds the return value of routines.
r4, r5, r6, r7, r8, r9 are used internally within routines to store variables.
r10 holds the limit for the current stack.
r11 holds the stack frame pointer.
r12 can also be used as a variable within routines, however there is no guarantee that this register will remain unchanged by the caller.
r13 holds the stack pointer (SP).
r14 is the link register, which points back to the caller.
r15 holds the program counter.
Nice, so now you’re an ARM expert we can continue.. ;)
Dive into main(..)..
As soon as the malware boots from the original entry-point main which is at 0x13DEC. We use rabin2 to find the original entry point by doing rabin2 -s kfts | grep "type=FUNC name=main". Which gives us the following output:
vaddr=0x00013dec paddr=0x0000bdec ord=5366 fwd=NONE sz=688 bind=GLOBAL type=FUNC name=main
Nice! The executable isn’t packed. The main method then branches to function named get_executable_name which reads the symlink /proc/self/exe via readlink(..). When reading this symlink internally from our process it will return the location from that our executable is running from. We can see from the disassembly that we create a type of std::string and copy from the char array containing the path of the current executable. This is then used and passed into the function used for persistence.
We then either check if we’re running or add to startup. In the check_running procedure we do a call to ps -e then sleep for two seconds; we then get the output from the command and check to see if the current executable name exists in the output. If it does, we continue to branch to exit with an exit code of 0 (which is placed into r0) which will effectively shut-down the process. If not, we then go onto persistence. So, if we’re already running, we effectively exit the process.
Persistence
Persistence is achieved by the malware by adding to /etc/rc.local and the /etc/init.d/boot.local files (in the auto_boot function); however before it overwrites this file it first checks to see if it has already done so. The /etc/rc.local will execute certain commands after all of the systems’ services have started. The way that this is achieved is somewhat amateur as the malware constructs a shell command and then uses the system function to execute them (which in theory just calls the exec and hangs for a return code from the callee).
A string is formatted and the sed program is called which writes to the file in question (there are several string operations, such as sed -i -e '2 i%s/%s' /etc/rc.local is formatted for example). This is then passed to system, as described above. The buffer used in all of these formatting operations is at the virtual address 0x9F48 and has a size of 300 bytes. Technically, since the input is un-sanitized we could manipulate the path that the malware resides in and utilise a format string exploit. We could therefore manipulate the stack; read local variables, overwrite addresses etc. This is the only persistence method used by the bot.
Information harvesting
The process then forks itself and breaks away from its parent by calling setsid(..). All of the file descriptors are also closed which are inherited from the parent (0-3). A thread is then created to call the SendInfo function which collects information such as the number of CPUs in the system; the network speed; the amount of load on the system CPUs; the local address of the network adapter.
This routine then calls the subroutine get_occupy. We can see that we calculate the load average by iterating over all the CPUs in the system. We can see that r3 is being used for the counter for this loop, then the blt instruction is executed which branches if the first operand is less than the second. In x86, this is the equivalent of jle. Please note in earlier versions of this malware a thread used to be created to backdoorA, however not anymore.
The way the malware gets information regarding the network adapter is reading the /proc/net/dev file. It then seeks to the start of the file; and parses it to get the local IP address from the default adapter.
What I found strange about this sample of malware is that it created statistics which had no real meaning, for example it would create a random value and use it as the network speed. In the subroutine fake_net_speed we can see srandom is seeded with time — we pass the first parameter ‘0’ into time as we have no structure to fill (usually, a pointer to time_t would be passed into this function). We then move the result of time into r3 ; then back into r0 to be a parameter for srandom — this is most likely |
about another incident with a guard that I would like to convey too that's very important. This man that I had dated was in quarantine with the astronauts when they had come back from the moon and I had talked to him about seeing this saucer (satellite photos) and asked him if he had heard anything about that and he told me that every astronaut, every moon trip had been followed by craft, by saucers, that every one of them, every astronaut that went to the moon, now I don't know about other sites but they all had seen it and all had been told to keep quite about it and they were threatened with jail and their whole retirement, everything taken away from them. They were also, this told me that if I ever told that he said it, that he would deny it, that he would never admit that he told me all of that.
E.D.: Did you hear that Stan?
S.McD: No
E.D.: Alright, ah, go ahead Keith, recapitulate. (Keith repeats everything of that part that Donna Tietze stated, to McDaniel)
S.McD: Oh yes I see
E.D.: Yes and I believe that Donna you related to me, your friend came to believe that the UFOs were instrumental in getting Apollo 13 that was, ah, our disabled mission to the moon, was it 13?
D.T.: Right, well he said that it shouldn't have come back, I mean, there was no, ah, they had help. And that was all he would say.
E.D.: All he would say?
D.T.: He said it was impossible for that craft to have gotten back home
E.D.: Donna you said that there was another matter that you wanted to relate to us.
D.T.: Yes, something that I didn't talk to you about earlier. When I had quite work, I had an office, I was doing illustration work at another office, in another part of town. And a man that had been a guard at NASA during the time came into my office and he had a large gash scar on his forehead and he told me that he was a guard at NASA and that he was burning a lot of photographs of UFOs. That was his job.
E.D.: Really (surprised)
D.T.: And he said he stopped to look at one too long and one of the others, I gathered it was some type of military man, hit him in the head with a gun butt and knocked him out.
E.D.: What? (shocked)
D.T.: Because he had looked at one of the photographs too long, he did describe the photograph to me which I tend to believe was an accurate photograph.
E.D: Oh, my god!
D.T.: He explained that it was a craft on the ground and it looked like, it was like a regular saucer with like little bumps all over and he said it was like it was burnt. He said cows in the field all had their tails stuck straight up. At the time he said he didn't know when cattle were frightened, that their tails would stick straight up. And he described this to me and since then, I did describe it to someone that I thought might have looked at some of these photos, possibly and they did look kind of frightened that I should know about that one. (the next several minutes later the conversation is more about UFOs following Apollo crafts to the moon)
E.D.: The second part of her account had to do with the stalking of our space mission by UFOs of our space missions to the moon and so on. She even said that they apparently helped in one case by bringing the Apollo 13 back, that was the impression that she got and..
D.T.: Yes but they (aliens) also didn't want that craft to investigate the part of the moon that they were going to, so they may have caused some of it too, but it was supposed, we were told not to go but we ignored it. Now that's what I've heard, that some of the stuff he was telling me.
E.D:. Did he say that, your direct contact?
D.T.: Yes!
E.D.: That the United States was told not to go to the moon?
D.T.: To that certain place on the back side of the moon.
E.D.: And did he know why we weren't supposed to go there?The video will start in 8 Cancel
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Manchester City will face Tottenham Hotspur in Nashville, Tennessee, as part of their US summer tour.
The Blues are expected to face off against Spurs at the 69,000-seat Nissan Stadium, which is home to NFL side Tennessee Titans, but full details are expected to be confirmed later.
City will also take on Real Madrid and neighbours Manchester United, at venues expected to be confirmed later today – with San Diego and Austin already touted as possibilities for the first-ever Manchester derby on foreign soil.
Injured City stars Ilkay Gundogan and Gabriel Jesus are both in New York today, ahead of an expected announcement.
The Spurs match will take place at the height of the mid-west summer, when temperatures have hit as high as 107 degrees F (42C).
The Manchester derby details have yet to be released, but City are expected to be based on the West Coast for their pre-season training camp.
The meeting with Madrid comes two years after their clash at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which attracted a football record for that stadium of 99,000.Today I’m excited to announce the release of CUDA 6, a new version of the CUDA Toolkit that includes some of the most significant new functionality in the history of CUDA. In this brief post I will share with you the most important new features in CUDA 6 and tell you where to get more information. You may also want to watch the recording of my talk “CUDA 6 and Beyond” from last month’s GPU Technology Conference, embedded below.
Without further ado, if you are ready to download the CUDA Toolkit version 6.0 now, by all means, go get it on CUDA Zone. The five most important new features of CUDA 6 are
support for Unified Memory;
CUDA on Tegra K1 mobile/embedded system-on-a-chip;
XT and Drop-In library interfaces;
remote development in NSight Eclipse Edition;
many improvements to the CUDA developer tools.
Unified Memory
CUDA 6 introduces one of the most dramatic programming model improvements in the history of the CUDA platform, Unified Memory. In a typical PC or cluster node today, the memories of the CPU and GPU are physically distinct and separated by the PCI-Express bus. Before CUDA 6, that is exactly how the programmer has to view things. Data shared between the CPU and GPU must be allocated in both memories, and explicitly copied between them by the program. This can add a lot of complexity to CUDA programs.
Unified Memory creates a pool of managed memory shared between the CPU and GPU, bridging the CPU-GPU divide. Managed memory is accessible to both the CPU and GPU using a single pointer. The key is that the system automatically migrates data allocated in Unified Memory between host and device so that it looks like CPU memory to code running on the CPU, and like GPU memory to code running on the GPU.
I wrote in detail about Unified Memory in the post Unified Memory in CUDA 6. Read the post for full details, or watch CUDACasts Episode 18: Unified Memory in CUDA 6.
CUDA on Tegra K1
Parallel computing on every NVIDIA GPU has been a goal since the first release of CUDA. CUDA 6 and the new Tegra K1 system on a chip (SoC) finally enable “CUDA Everywhere”, with CUDA capability top to bottom from the smallest mobile processor to the most powerful Tesla K40 accelerator.
Tegra K1 is NVIDIA’s latest mobile processor. It features a Kepler GPU with 192 cores, an NVIDIA 4-plus-1 quad-core ARM Cortex-A15 CPU, integrated video encoding and decoding support, image/signal processing, and many other system-level features. The Kepler GPU in Tegra K1 uses the same high-performance, energy-efficient Kepler GPU architecture that is found in our high-end GeForce, Quadro, and Tesla GPUs for graphics and computing. That makes it the only mobile processor today that supports CUDA 6 for computing and full desktop OpenGL 4.4 and DirectX 11 for graphics.
Introduced at GTC in March, Jetson TK1, is a tiny, full-featured computer designed for development of embedded and mobile applications. Jetson TK1 brings the capabilities of Tegra K1 to developers in a compact, low-power platform that makes development as simple as developing on a PC. For full details on Jetson TK1 and CUDA development on Tegra, see my post Jetson TK1: Mobile Embedded Supercomputer Takes CUDA Everywhere.
XT Libraries: Automatic Scaling to Multiple GPUs
CUDA 6 introduces XT Library interfaces which provide automatic scaling of cuBLAS level 3 and 2D/3D cuFFT routines to 2 or more GPUs. This means that if you have one or more dual-GPU accelerator cards in your workstation or cluster node, you can automatically take advantage of them for intensive FFTs and matrix-matrix multiplication. cuBLAS XT also enables multiplication of matrices that are too large to fit in the memory of a single GPU, because it operates directly on matrices allocated in CPU memory, tiling the matrix and overlapping computation with memory transfers. The result is linear scaling of very large GEMM operations to multiple GPUs, as the following figure shows.
CUDA 6 introduces a new library called nvBLAS, which is a drop-in replacement for CPU-only BLAS libraries. nvBLAS automatically routes level-3 BLAS calls (e.g. DGEMM) to cuBLAS, and all other BLAS calls to the existing CPU-only BLAS library (e.g. Intel MKL). nvBLAS enables drop-in speed-up of existing applications. For example, you can use the LD_PRELOAD environment variable to preload nvBLAS and accelerate matrix-matrix multiplies in the R statistical computing package, as the following image shows.
Remote Development with NSight Eclipse Edition
A common use case for GPU developers is to develop HPC software that runs on a remote server or cluster, or on an embedded system such as Jetson TK1. The NSight Eclipse Edition Integrated Development Environment now supports a complete remote development workflow: edit source code in the IDE running on your local PC (e.g. a laptop), then build, run, debug, and profile the application remotely on a server with a CUDA-capable GPU. NSight takes care of syncing the source code to the remote machine, and you can use all the CUDA-aware debugging and profiling features of NSight in your local IDE. NSight also now supports cross-compilation to ARM for execution on a remote ARM-based system such as a Tegra K1.
Enhanced Profiling Features
The NVIDIA Visual Profiler and NSight Eclipse Edition profiler in CUDA 6 add a number of improvements to guided profiling. The profiler now collects detailed instruction mix statistics and can display a detailed breakdown of the instruction types executed by a kernel. This helps you see whether a kernel is spending time executing the type of code you expect.
The profilers can also now count the number of times a kernel executes each instruction, and associate the instruction counts with specific lines of device code. This makes it possible to find the lines of code that execute the most instructions, which are likely to correspond to bottlenecks in your kernel. You can also see lines with execution divergence in this view. The profiler can also detect inefficient shared memory access patterns and their location in the code. CUDA 6 lets you not only detect performance problems using the profiler, but find the lines of code that cause them.
More New Features and Improvements
CUDA 6 includes much more than I can describe in one post, including many new features, improvements, and bug fixes in the CUDA APIs, libraries, and developer tools. For a complete overview of what’s new in CUDA 6, check out the Release Notes.
For more detail about Unified Memory and other CUDA 6 features, and a look at where CUDA will take you in the future, watch my talk “CUDA 6 and Beyond”, embedded above.Writer and herbalist Stephen Harrod Buhner comes from a long line of healers, but he describes his childhood home life as deeply unhealthy. “Love was in short supply,” he writes. “Certainly kindness was.” Born in 1952, he found solace in the time he spent with his great-grandfather C.G. Harrod, a country physician in rural Indiana. At his great-grandparents’ farm, Buhner felt cared for and in touch with nature in a way he didn’t at home. He also observed his great-grandfather’s approach to treating patients, which he describes as “hands-on, compassionate, and personal.” Buhner remembers wanting to grow up to be just like him, but that type of country doctor was already becoming a figure of the past.
At the age of sixteen Buhner left home and moved to California, where he attended college and “majored in the sixties.” He eventually landed in Colorado’s high mountains, where he rebuilt a turn-of-the-century cabin that he lived in for four years, teaching himself the forgotten crafts of the nineteenth century. In his early thirties Buhner became severely ill with abdominal cramping. Rather than have surgery, as his doctors recommended, he took a friend’s advice and attempted to cure himself using a medicinal plant. The herbal remedy worked, and the experience revived Buhner’s interest in healing. He began studying, and later writing about and practicing, herbal medicine. The road to becoming a “plant person and Earth poet,” in Buhner’s words, wasn’t easy. “I had to take a lot of other jobs along the way to make enough money to survive: doughnut baker, construction laborer, woodworker, mansion restorer, furniture maker, rare-book seller, and so on.”
Over the years he has written more than twenty books on everything from treating Lyme disease to brewing herbal beers to fasting. The topics may seem unrelated, but for him they are all aspects of the same subject: “the luminosity of the land and of the Earth.” His most recent book is Plant Intelligence and the Imaginal Realm: Beyond the Doors of Perception into the Dreaming of Earth.
In 2013 I read the updated edition of his 1999 book Herbal Antibiotics, which is about how plant medicines can be used to treat bacteria that have become resistant to pharmaceuticals. The book focuses on the flaws in what Buhner calls “technological medicine” and suggests different ways of approaching disease, the natural world, and our own mortality. “By declaring war on bacteria,” he writes, “we declared war on the underlying living structures of the planet.” Buhner maintains that, through indiscriminate use of antibiotics, we have created “superbugs” with few effective pharmaceutical treatments, wreaking havoc in hospitals and making future pandemics likely.
My mother, a biochemist, happened to be doing research in India on antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and I shared Herbal Antibiotics with her. We would take walks with my infant son and talk about the landscape of disease that may be our generation’s legacy to him. It was on one of these walks that I decided to interview Buhner about bacteria and plant-based healing.
Buhner currently lives in Silver City, New Mexico, next to one of the largest wilderness areas in the U.S. Along with two partners, including his wife, Trishuwa, he operates the nonprofit Foundation for Gaian Studies (gaianstudies.org), named for the Gaia theory, which says that our planet’s biosphere can be viewed as a single complex organism. Buhner describes himself as an “independent scholar, amateur naturalist, and citizen scientist.” He is also a thoughtful and vocal critic of Western medicine and the bureaucratic and regulatory environment that has grown up around it. The sixty-two-year-old still takes no pharmaceuticals and treats himself entirely with herbal medicine. “I trust the plants with my life,” he says.
STEPHEN HARROD BUHNER
Ahuja: What’s wrong with the medical system in the United States?
Buhner: At the end of the nineteenth century there were many different kinds of physicians practicing in the U.S. Allopaths — those we call “doctors” today — were only one of them, and they were among the poorest groups. The homeopaths were the most numerous and the richest.
Allopathic physicians argued that their training was based on science and was thus more legitimate than other medical traditions and would provide safer interventions. With a lot of lobbying, they managed to get control over medical practice and have the other approaches outlawed. After the discovery of penicillin in the 1920s, antibiotics became a primary aspect of allopathic practice. The drugs were so effective against previously difficult-to-treat problems, such as infections in burn patients, that Western cultures completely embraced allopathic healing. In 1942 the entire world’s supply of penicillin was 8.5 gallons — about seventy pounds. By 1999 the production of antibiotics in the U.S. alone reached 40 million pounds per year.
Unfortunately medical researchers’ beliefs about bacteria were very wrong. Researchers said it would take roughly a million years for bacteria to develop widespread resistance to antibiotics through spontaneous mutations. They assumed bacteria were stupid, when in reality bacteria are highly sentient. They communicate by means of a sophisticated language — as sophisticated as ours. They recognize their kin. They protect their offspring. They create chemicals designed to produce specific outcomes in living systems, which certainly fits any definition of toolmaking.
We’ve tended to view bacteria as a collection of single-celled entities, but when many of them join together, it’s more proper to look at them as a swarm intelligence. And complex organisms such as plants, animals, and insects are, in essence, communities of bacteria.
Ahuja: How does bacterial resistance challenge the current medical model?
Buhner: Since the end of World War II, the medical establishment has been promising that we are heading for some sort of disease-free future in which we will live to be 120 and never get sick. They almost imply that they can cure death. Scientists’ inability to predict the bacterial response undermines the entire worldview that the allopaths disseminated — and still disseminate — about disease and the nature of the world around them. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that, in 2011, 722,000 people picked up infections in hospitals. About 75,000 of those patients died during their hospitalizations. And some sources give a much higher figure for annual deaths from hospital-acquired infections.
The allopaths’ lock on medical practice, which they insisted would create safer outcomes for the public, has not done so. All it has done is give one orientation toward healing a virtual monopoly on practice.
Ahuja: How would you treat a resistant infection with herbs?
Buhner: One woman who had undergone multiple antibiotic regimens over several years for a resistant staph infection (MRSA) came to me for help. She was about to lose her foot to the disease. It took a month to turn her condition around using an African herb called Cryptolepis sanguinolenta. Commonly used to treat malaria, it is also a broad-spectrum, systemic antibacterial with no side effects — at least, after twelve years of use, I have seen none. Vancomycin is the antibiotic often used for staph infections. Besides being frequently ineffective, it has a long list of side effects. In general, herbal medicines have fewer or no side effects. They are composed of hundreds of synergistic compounds, whereas pharmaceuticals have just one compound, or perhaps a few. We have been at this antibiotic business only a century or so. Bacteria have been around for 3.5 billion years.
Ahuja: Won’t bacteria eventually become resistant to plant medicines?
Buhner: With a pharmaceutical, the bacteria analyze the single compound and generate solutions to it, which they then pass on to other bacteria. Plants, on the other hand, generate multiple compounds that deactivate resistance mechanisms in the bacteria and enhance the activity of the plant’s natural antibacterials. Bacteria cannot easily counteract that kind of complexity. Also, plants aren’t trying to kill all the bacteria on Earth. They merely want to create a balance in which the plants and bacteria set limits on each other’s behavior.
Ahuja: There seems to be a general view that herbal medicine is fine for coughs and colds, but when something gets serious, you go to a conventional doctor.
Buhner: The pharmaceutical companies’ advertising campaigns are very good. We have been trained to think of technological medicine as the only reliable type and other approaches as outdated remnants of a prescientific age. Yet the majority of people I have met don’t much like doctors or hospitals. The one thing modern medicine is good at is trauma. If I get hit by a car, I will go to a hospital. But other than antibiotics and some surgeries, hospitals have little they can offer to cure disease. They can only address the symptoms.
Pharmaceutical companies are in business to make as much money as they can. They try to develop drugs you have to take for years and years, such as medicines for high blood pressure or depression. You don’t get well; you just keep taking the drug.
In Africa people can’t afford to pay a dollar a day for a malarial drug from a Western corporation, and their infrastructure is not going to support producing the drug themselves. They need to do something else. So in Nigeria, for example, researchers asked local healers what herbs they were using. The researchers ran tests to find the best ones and the most effective methods of preparation. Then they took the seeds to people and told them how to grow and use the plants. That’s not the Star Trek vision of the future that a lot of Americans want, but it’s the most ecologically sound and empowering.
Ahuja: Besides the profit motive, what else is wrong with pharmaceuticals?
Buhner: For the most part, they are not biodegradable. And these are dangerous substances to release into the environment. To receive a patent, the natural molecule that forms the base of the drug — which is often a molecule found in plants, fungi, or bacteria — must be tweaked slightly, altered. That now-alien molecule causes disruptions in ecological functioning that are impossible to predict.
Also, adverse drug reactions are a leading cause of death in the U.S. By some estimates more than a hundred thousand people a year die from using prescribed medication. I think the number is far greater. If herbalists caused that many deaths, there would be an outcry heard on the moon.
Ahuja: In Herbal Antibiotics you mention the dangers of what you call “monotherapeutic thinking.” What do you mean by that?
Buhner: The germ theory of disease, once it became entrenched, generated the idea that the only logical treatment was to kill the germ with a drug. And it did indeed work for about fifty years before it began to fail. It even influenced herbalism. Herbalists who wanted to be accepted by physicians as legitimate healers began to mimic the medical approach. Specifically they looked for the “active” constituents in the herbs they were using, then tried to standardize the herbs for that constituent. They sought to become plant-drug doctors. Many of us got caught up in that for a while, some permanently. It still influences the field, especially at the regulatory level.
Ahuja: You write that most community herbalists “haven’t been trained to believe they know some ultimate truth about the nature of plant medicines or reality as a whole.” Why is that an advantage?
Buhner: Because a reductionist, mechanistic approach to nature, such as the one our culture has inherited from scientists of the early to mid-twentieth century, is deeply flawed. It tries to understand complex aspects of nature by dissecting them and looking at the parts. Though in many areas science has advanced beyond such reductionist thinking, this oversimplified model is still taught in schools. Children are told that humans are the most intelligent organism on the planet, while other organisms are mostly unintelligent and do not possess complex language or make tools or have empathy. Science has realized that the sun does not revolve around the Earth, but it still thinks it revolves around human beings.
The alternative is to understand the Earth as a living organism that modulates its own environment, not as inert matter to be used in any way we see fit. As psychologist James Hillman once put it, “It was only when science convinced us the Earth was dead that it could begin its autopsy in earnest.” The greatest act of disobedience to the mechanistic model is to reclaim our empathy with the living planet, our ability to feel.
Ahuja: Hasn’t a reductionist, mechanistic approach led to many scientific advances?
Buhner: Perhaps, but it has also led to tremendous ecological damage, and its limitations are revealed almost daily. Researchers continue to find evidence of spontaneous self-organization in matter, such as occurs in living creatures. If molecules, for instance, are packed tightly into a closed container, they will synchronize and begin to act as a unified whole. Mathematician Steven Strogatz writes in his book Sync that “these feats of synchrony occur spontaneously, almost as if nature has an eerie yearning for order.” I find his term “eerie” interesting; it suggests an underlying fear of this aspect of the natural world.
A biological organism is something more than the sum of its parts. Consider the people you know. If you analyze them according to height, weight, age, where they went to school, and so on, you are engaging in a form of reductionism that will never capture their essence. We intuitively understand this to be true with human beings, but we have been trained not to apply it to every other substance and life-form on the planet.
When spontaneous self-organization occurs in a biological organism, the organism immediately begins working to keep its new self-organized state intact. It analyzes incoming data and generates responses. In other words, intelligence arises in the system. It does not matter if this is a bacterium or a plant or a person or an ecosystem. The organism becomes extremely sensitive to all incoming data, because anything that touches it might destabilize it. Tiny inputs can create huge changes in self-organized systems. For example, infinitesimal amounts of estrogenic chemicals from drugs, preservatives, plastics, detergents, and other sources have been found to cause sex alterations in males of nearly every species studied.
To get an idea of how sensitive self-organized systems are, imagine a toy top spinning. If you touch it even slightly with your fingertip, you will alter its movement considerably.
Reductionists view the world as a static stage upon which humans are the only actors capable of intelligent movement — though they might allow that some animals possess rudimentary thought processes. The reductionists believe they can take organisms apart to understand them, but that is not how life works.
Ahuja: What was your first experience with herbal medicine?
Buhner: When I was thirty-four, I became quite ill with severe abdominal cramping. The doctors didn’t know what it was. I met a local herbalist, and she mentioned that a certain plant growing in the forest around my house was good for my condition. The doctors wanted to do exploratory surgery, but instead I ate some of the plant. The pain was about half as severe the next time it happened, and the next time about half again, until finally it just went away. After that, I began to take control over my own health.
Ahuja: What was the plant?
Buhner: It was a perennial herb called osha. I just dug up the root and began eating it. It’s got a spicy, celery-like taste. Not only did I feel my body getting better, but I could feel, inside, some living entity that cared about me. It’s difficult to explain, because it’s not something we generally talk about in the West. When you use a living medicine and get well, you feel that the world is alive and aware and wants to help you. People often talk about saving the Earth, but how many times have you experienced the Earth saving you?
Ahuja: How do you go about treating patients as an herbalist?
Buhner: It’s a relationship, not a technique. My clients often feel lost and alone in their suffering. They need human companionship and also a sense of companionship with the living world. If I can, I’ll take them into the woods and introduce them to the plant that will be helping them.
In my book The Lost Language of Plants I tell the story of a twenty-eight-year-old woman who was going through a messy divorce. Her periods were extremely irregular, with heavy cramping and bleeding, and her hands were always cold. I could see that her whole body was closed off, curled in on itself. Her fingernails were chewed back deeply, as if she were eating herself alive.
I told her there was a plant I thought she should meet. We went for a walk through a pine forest, and when she saw the plant at the edge of a stream, a kind of force drew the woman and the plant together. The plant was Angelica, which has been used for thousands of years to help treat menstrual cramping. She spent a long time with it, then said a prayer and asked for help, and then we went to look for just the right Angelica. When we found it, she dug up the root, which has a beautiful smell. On the walk back she held it close to her. She was already carrying herself differently. The healing had started.
She took a tincture made from the root, and within a month her period had normalized.
Ahuja: How do you know which individual plant is the right one?
Buhner: From experience I can tell when a plant is healthy or not. I can tell when a plant has more-potent medicine in it. I can tell when a plant wants me to pick it and when it doesn’t.
It’s difficult to explain how I know this. It’s like when you come home and ask your partner, “How are you?” and he or she says, “Fine.” You know something’s wrong, right? But if you just looked at the content of the statement — “Fine” — you couldn’t tell. It’s what’s inside that matters. That’s what herbalists are talking about when they refer to the “energy” of a plant. The strongest plant will feel slightly different from the others.
In herbalism you’re engaging in a deeper sort of communication. The words, the phrasing, the posture, the kind of touch you have — they all matter. Compassion needs to flow in all directions. These are things that the medical model doesn’t take into account. It can’t. That’s one reason why imposing the medical model on the herbal model will destroy it.
Ahuja: My mother studies antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and when she read your book, she was excited by the possibility that plant medicines might help reduce dosages of conventional antibiotics. As a scientist sympathetic to herbal medicine, she wants a synthesis between herbal and technological medicine. I get the sense that you want to keep them separate.
Buhner: That’s not actually true, but I am highly suspicious of Western medicine. I’ve met some wonderful physicians. I’ve also met many patients who don’t like how they’re treated, or the outcomes they get, or how much the treatment costs, but they feel as if they don’t have any other options. In the U.S. the medical establishment is like a powerful trade union. It tries to co-opt whatever works and control it.
Ahuja: How has it been trying to do this with herbal medicine?
Buhner: The Food and Drug Administration [FDA] has established what it calls “good manufacturing practices,” or GMP, which control how commercial herbal medicines are produced. It does this under the guise of promoting safety, but most herbal medicines come from mom-and-pop operations who sell what they make in locally owned stores. The regulations now in place will put those people out of business. One community herbalist told me she thought it would cost between half a million and a million dollars for her to meet the GMP requirements.
It was the big herbal companies — and the pharmaceutical companies that wanted to break into this market — that lobbied for these regulations. As smaller operations disappear, the remaining, larger, ones will make a great deal more money and ultimately be bought by pharmaceutical companies. Public safety won’t really be improved. The herbal medicines that hurt people, in my experience, are always produced by large companies. The problem is usually a contaminant or a misidentified herb.
Ahuja: Is the GMP an entirely bad thing? How else can we ensure the safety of herbal medicines?
Buhner: If you are looking only at the larger herbal companies, the GMP is definitely a good thing. The problem is that the FDA applied the same rules to the small companies, which have never had the kind of problems the larger companies do. Most community herbalists do it for love. They often harvest their own plants in the wild or grow them or buy them from farmers they know. They are not selling millions of units and buying herbs by the ton. That’s the primary reason consumers almost never have adverse reactions to their products. They are craftspeople, not manufacturing companies.
Roger Davies
Ahuja: Can you imagine a balance between pharmaceutical and herbal medicine?
Buhner: I’m hopeful that, over time, a balance will be found. In a functional healthcare system, people would know how to do some self-care. You don’t need to go to a doctor for colds and flu. There are easy ways to treat them that everyone should know. If a problem is more serious, you should go to a community herbalist. If it’s beyond him or her, then you go to a natural practitioner who has expertise in the organ system that’s causing the problem. Finally, for certain rare illnesses, you find physicians who use a combination of pharmaceuticals and herbs. This is what the Chinese are already doing. They don’t have a cultural bias against herbs; they just want to use what works.
Ahuja: Many of the plants in Herbal Antibiotics aren’t native to North America. Do you think people should look first to the plants around them for medicine?
Buhner: The book was written to offer alternatives to people who might die of a resistant infection, so I wanted to list anything they could reliably use in that circumstance. Still, many natural antibiotics do grow in the United States. I live in the Southwestern desert, and Bidens grows all around our house. It’s invasive. Sida grows along the Gulf Coast, and some Sida species grow in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. They’re all considered invasive. In fact, the most potent medicines for emerging infections tend to be invasive botanicals that people are busy trying to eradicate.
These invasive plants don’t move into a region for no reason. Take, for example, the berberine-containing plant Phellodendron. Berberine-containing plants are used to treat parasites and infections from yeast, fungi, bacteria, and viruses. Goldenseal was probably the most potent berberine plant in the U.S. until it was harvested to near extinction in the late 1800s. Phellodendron, which is a massive tree, is invasive in exactly the same range that goldenseal was removed from. And if you cut just one branch, you’ve got enough berberine plant to last a year.
I’ve found that if people are ill, the plants they need are almost always growing in their vicinity. I’ve watched plant populations change around me in places I’ve lived for thirty-some years, and they seem to shift in response to changes in my own disease complexes. This sounds airy-fairy to the Western reductive mind-set, but people have been commenting on it since Hippocrates. Plant populations rise and fall according to the needs of the ecosystem in which they grow, and that includes the animal life there, which includes us.
Ahuja: Yet we act to remove invasive plants from ecosystems.
Buhner: Yes, these plants are seen as alien invaders. I joke that the Republicans want to get rid of immigrant people, and the Democrats want to get rid of immigrant plants. It’s not understood that dandelion and burdock and a host of other common plants are non-natives that moved in and established a balance with local ecosystems, or that many of the plants targeted for eradication happen to be effective against the exact diseases that local people are contracting. Japanese knotweed is invasive all up and down the East Coast, and its root is the most specific medicine there is for the treatment of Lyme disease. There’s a Lonicera species — a honeysuckle — that reduces mosquito egg-laying wherever it grows. The mosquitoes that it discourages happen to carry dengue fever and a number of other viruses that cause encephalitis — inflammation of the brain. And it turns out that the plant is also a treatment for inflammation in the central nervous system.
When plants move into an ecosystem, they do so because the ecosystem has been disrupted. The problem is that people don’t ask, Why is this plant here?
Ahuja: What’s an example of a plant population that changed near you?
Buhner: I contracted rather severe pneumonia about sixteen months ago, primarily from overwork. Six months before that, a species of Bidens began growing around my house that is a specific treatment for the damage that occurred in my lungs. So is the bark of the elm trees and the horehound plants that grow around my house.
Ahuja: Isn’t it human activity that normally introduces invasive plants? How do we differentiate between our own actions and the will of an ecosystem?
Buhner: The real question is: Who is the dominant species — us or the plants? Perhaps we are just an organism that functions to spread plant species around the world. Remember: plants and bacteria are integral to the functioning of the planet. We are not. If we disappeared tomorrow, things would continue on relatively smoothly. If the plants and bacteria disappeared, we would not last long.
Ahuja: Who are some of the teachers who have influenced your herbal practice over the years?
Buhner: I was extremely lucky to enter the field when so many were developing their craft and still teaching. There is a relatively unrecognized phenomenon that occurs within the nooks and crannies of Western cultures: unregulated areas of the culture go through periods of phenomenal innovation. It occurred in physics at the turn of the twentieth century, in music in the 1960s, and in healing modalities in the late twentieth century. I still remember being able to buy almost every rock-and-roll album being made, and in the late twentieth century there were so few books on herbal medicine and so few teachers in the field that I knew almost all of them: Rosemary Gladstar, Michael Moore, William LeSassier. It was the greatest flowering of herbal innovation in the West since 1890. I traveled from conference to conference, workshop to workshop, to study with those who moved me. Each of |
return the favour, you can Buy me a coffee
PS: I publish a weekly newsletter for ASP.NET Developers called ASP.NET Weekly. If you want to get an email every Friday with all the best ASP.NET related blog posts from the previous week, please sign up!is the author of “The End of Absence,” which won this year’s Governor General’s Literary Award for nonfiction.
The Internet Is Not the Answer By Andrew Keen Atlantic Monthly. 273 pp. $25
Sincere criticism of the mounting technopolies swallowing American culture (Amazon, Facebook, Google et al.) will often result in the critic being labeled a Luddite. For who but a nostalgic Luddite would try to halt such a big and shiny parade? Of course, those who have studied the history of the Luddite revolts know that those 19th-century cloth workers (whose jobs were threatened by the power loom) were more pro-human than anti-technology. And so Andrew Keen should proudly wear the label of 21st-century Luddite. His new book, “The Internet Is Not The Answer,” is a packed compendium of all the ways digital life casts aside basic human virtues in favor of a rapacious, winner-takes-all economy.
Out of Silicon Valley’s libertarian ethos came the myths that information “wants to be free” and that the Internet is fueling a cooperative new utopianism. Keen is excellent at exposing the hypocrisy of that mythology. “Distributed technology doesn’t necessarily lead to distributed economics,” he writes. “With the creation of the Web came the creation of a new kind of capitalism. And it has been anything but a cooperative venture.”
“The Internet Is Not the Answer” by Andrew Keen. (Atlantic Monthly/ )
The book is ambitious — verging on frenetic at times as it hops through the flotsam of our exploded economy and culture — but its central thesis is that the plutocrats of the Internet (the Mark Zuckerbergs and Larry Pages of the world) have availed themselves of an astonishing spectrum of rights while wholly disregarding their responsibilities.
Before delivering specifics on the current mess we’re in, Keen gives us a savvy bit of background that casts the godlike attitude of the digerati in a bleak light. The history of the Internet, Keen recounts, began with publicly funded technologists and institutions (people like Tim Berners-Lee, who invented the World Wide Web, and institutions like the Internet’s progenitor, ARPANET). These scientists and agencies cobbled together the various components of the Internet with very public goals in mind — the advancement of science and national security, largely. But that tradition was quickly cut off in the early 1990s, when the U.S. government “handed over the running of the Internet backbone to commercial Internet service providers.” It was, in the words of venture capitalist John Doerr, “the largest legal creation of wealth in the history of the planet.”
One can just about hear the teeth-grinding as Keen details how Internet moguls such as Reed Hastings of Netflix and Jeff Bezos of Amazon (who also owns The Washington Post) style themselves as visionaries while the true visionaries — nary a billionaire among them — remain in relative obscurity. The instant global marketplace that the Internet produced hasn’t just created a few mega-egos, of course. It has demolished markets, too. It has left thousands upon thousands out of work. But Keen’s irate tone seems to stem less from the fact that technology can be a game-changer and more from the fact that Zuckerberg and the rest refuse to be transparently greedy. The tigers of yesteryear’s Wall Street were rather upfront about their motivations, while now we’re mired in a world of billionaires who say they just want to “make the world a better place.” And that propaganda makes it harder to see what’s happening.
Case in point: Amazon — which customers rightly love for its efficiency and ease — does not, in fact, want to make the world a better place. Neoliberals would argue that the company enriches our culture by upping access to content and products. But Keen argues that “the reverse is actually true. Amazon, in spite of its undoubted convenience, reliability, and great value, is actually having a disturbingly negative impact on the broader economy.” He points to what he describes as Amazon’s brutally efficient business methodology, which has squeezed jobs out of every sector of retail, according to a 2013 Institute for Local Self-Reliance report that Keen cites. The report says brick-and-mortar retailers employ 47 people for every $10 million in sales, while Amazon employs only 14. Perhaps the question Keen is getting at is this: Are we consumers, or are we citizens? It’s a frustratingly complex inquiry.
We are sold a bill of goods — and a suite of fabulous, free services such as Google and Tinder. But consider that the 700-person start-up Airbnb, which allows users to rent their apartments like hotel rooms, was valued at $10 billion this past spring, about half as much as the Hilton corporation, which employs 152,000 people. Meanwhile, Keen writes, the car-sharing company Uber employs 1,000 people and is valued at $18.2 billion, which gives it about the same valuation as Avis and Hertz combined — except that those two car-rental companies employ almost 60,000 people. Keen’s book is full of such figures, all of which point toward a sliver of the population amassing wealth for themselves, and it is difficult not to come away wondering how the relatively boutique tech sector is ever meant to replace the jobs it gobbles.
Keen’s critique is not limited to economic concerns. In a chapter called “The Personal Revolution,” he describes our descent into “the pre-Copernican belief” that the universe revolves around us: Social networks such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter encourage an ahistorical mentality, and while they promise to get us in touch with others, they usually breed narcissists instead. Keen calls up an old Norman Mailer title to describe what these sites are really concerned with: They are “Advertisements for Myself.” Consider: “Almost 50% of the photos taken on Instagram in the United Kingdom by 14-21-year-olds are selfies, many of whom use this medium to reify their existence.”
I’ve described only a portion of the massive territory covered by “The Internet Is Not The Answer,” and that breadth is both the book’s strength and its weakness. Keen has delivered an enormously useful primer for those of us concerned that online life isn’t as shiny as our digital avatars would like us to believe. But I wish that, instead of this exuberant tour-guide strategy, he had dissected a single problem in detail. Or perhaps followed suit with Astra Taylor ( “The People’s Platform”) and pushed his ideas to an unabashedly Marxist conclusion.
The Internet is, indeed, not the answer. It is, rather, the all-consuming question of the first half of the 21st century. To frame that question intelligently, we need thinkers like Andrew Keen. But we need him to do more than give us the lay of the land. Take us deeper, Mr. Keen. We’ll follow.Jeff Leek at Simply Statistics has a great post that explains how Fox News presents data in a really tricky way.
A lot of the issue comes in the way the data is presented. While most of the time the data is grounded in fact, by skewing the axes, using the wrong kind of chart, or just changing where the points should be on the graph, Fox is able to change the way that the information is interpreted.
As one example, Leek points out this pie chart. When you add up the numbers, it exceeds 100 percent, making a pie chart a poor choice.
Simply Statsistics
In this Fox News chart, the axis starts at 34%. When looked at it this way, it appears that taxes will be five times higher than they are now if the cuts expire. In reality, that isn't the case:
Simply Statistics
Here's one of the biggest instances of skewed results. Look at the values at each of the points:
Simply Statistics
Now, look at it like this:
Simply Statistics
By expanding the scope of the Y-axis and strangely changing the placement of a number of points, Fox News presented the unemployment rate as stagnant. Leeks points out that the BLS data contradicts that conclusion:
Simply Statistics
Here's one that makes it appear that welfare recipients are dramatically rising. In reality, the axis starts at 94 million, so the changes are much more subtle:
Simply Statistics
Not only is this graph somewhat skewed, the title isn't even accurate. Moreover, there's no Y-axis to show the difference:
Simply Statistics
Here's a chart provided by Leeks that shows the differences:
Simply Statistics
Add up the percentages:
simply ststistics
You can see all of the charts and analysis at Simply Statistics >
Now See:Most router malware just sits on your home network and uses the device to launch further attacks. In particular, infected routers are useful for generating power for distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, where servers are flooded with traffic from hacked machines.
But there's a curious kind of malware (if you can call it that) going around that not only cleans the device of other infections but even encourages users to update their passwords, according to research from security giant Symantec.
The Wifatch software, now resident on at least 10,000 routers running the Linux operating system, runs across a peer-to-peer network. When it discovers that a potentially vulnerable Telnet port - a port typically used to control functions on the device and is often protected with default, crackable passwords - Wifatch shuts it down. It then asks the user to change passwords and update the firmware on the router. Furthermore, Wifatch has a module that tries to remove "well-known families of malware targeting embedded devices".
Symantec researcher, Mario Ballano, suspects a "white hat" vigilante might be behind the malware. There's another reason to suspect a vigilante: they left comments in the code, including a signature included in the emails of free software advocate Richard Stallman: "To any NSA and FBI agents reading my email: please consider whether defending the US Constitution against all enemies, foreign or domestic, requires you to follow Snowden's example."
Stallman told FORBES over email that the creators of Wifatch could have done more to make their software more altruistic. "To be truly ethical, it should make all its source code available (under a free license, of course), and should ask before it changes things."
The malware writer, or writers, didn't go to any lengths to hide their code, though it "would have been easy", wrote Bollano in a blog post. "It looks like the author wasn’t particularly worried about others being able to inspect the code," he added.
Internet vigilantes are rare. The Anonymous hacktivist group used only aggressive means, carrying out DDoS attacks to make their point known, whilst LulzSec often breached companies and exposed their data to highlight insecurities. Whoever is behind Wifatch has an entirely different, ostensibly more altruistic, modus operandi.
Despite their best intentions, Wifatch's creator is carrying out illegal acts solely by infecting machines without the permission of the owners. "We believe that most of Wifatch’s infections are happening over Telnet connections to devices using weak credentials. After monitoring Wifatch’s network for a number of months, we estimate it to include somewhere in the order of tens of thousands of devices," Bollano added. Infected devices could include other so-called Internet of Things (IoT) machines, such as automated kitchen goods or connected toys. He noted the malware writers would also have the ability to carry out more malicious actions if they wanted, though there's little sign they do.
"There is no doubt that Linux.Wifatch is an interesting piece of code. Whether the author’s intentions were to use their creation for the good of other IoT users - vigilante style - or whether their intentions were more malicious remains to be seen," Bollano added.
IoT security expert Ted Harrington, of Independent Security Evaluators, said people should be wary of the code. "My hypothesis would be that the author of this malware may have become frustrated with how often basic security flaws persist across devices, especially in connected devices. Well known, easily addressed, readily understood security flaws are constantly being introduced to connected devices," he told FORBES.
"However, violating systems as a path to remediation is not the right way to go. To make a physical comparison, this would be analogous to breaking into someone's home in order to leave them a note that says their alarm system isn't effective. Maybe that's helpful, but it's still a violation of your home."
Any users who don't want the apparent vigilantes' help can get rid of the malware simply by resetting their router.MANCHESTER, NH - SEPTEMBER 19: Democratic Presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) makes a fist while talking on stage during the New Hampshire Democratic Party State Convention on September 19, 2015 in Manchester, New Hampshire. Five Democratic presidential candidates are all expected to address the crowd inside the Verizon Wireless Arena. (Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images)
Ever since he launched his long-shot bid for the presidency, Bernie Sanders has urged his followers to carry out a veritable "political revolution." Bernie has been far too cautious, however, when it comes to defining the contours of such a revolution. When pressed, he declares that his followers should come together for the purpose of voter drives, phone banking and the like. If he were ever elected to the White House, Bernie might even make use of his political revolution to help organize protests in advance of key votes in Washington.
But here Bernie seems to be placing the cart before the horse. If the self-described democratic socialist doesn't win the Iowa Caucus, which is the first voting contest, there may not be a political revolution in the first place or a tangible role for Bernie's dedicated cadre of activists. It is baffling, and that is putting it mildly, that Bernie and his advisers have been so obtuse when it comes to crafting a viable media strategy designed to showcase the notion of political revolution front and center.
In an earlier article, I sought to spell out some ways that Sanders might expand upon the concept of political revolution and thereby gain some traction in advance of key voting contests. If he were audacious, Bernie could call for mass protest during the actual presidential campaign. Just what type of protest, and to what end? Currently, Sanders is still a virtual unknown to many segments of the electorate including the crucial Latino bloc. Perhaps, Bernie should strike right at the core of Republican xenophobic ideology by calling for protests which highlight injustices within the U.S. immigration system.
Deplorable Conditions
The need for such pressure is long overdue. Indeed, members of Congress recently protested dire conditions at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers. In one case, a Mexican immigrant died of pneumonia after receiving substandard medical care. In another instance, a Salvadoran immigrant who had been detained for a whopping four years died of intestinal cancer even after he had lodged complaints about his worsening medical condition. In one privately-owned California detention center, hundreds of migrants carried out a hunger strike after being subjected to medical neglect.
However, detainees who dare to protest such backward treatment have been subject to repression. Reportedly, Latin American migrants who went on hunger strike against the authorities have been placed in solitary confinement. And when Central American women went on hunger strike at a detention facility in Texas, detainees were rounded up for transfer. The plight of migrants, not all of whom hail strictly from Latin America, has even spurred the growth of a new movement called #FreedomgivingHungerStrikes.
Immigration on the Campaign Trail
It goes without saying that the debate over appalling conditions within immigration facilities will not receive top-tier billing on the Republican campaign trail, which is more prone to race baiting and xenophobia. On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders has issued statements in support of hunger strikers. To his credit, the Vermont Senator has called for the closure of private prisons while opposing solitary confinement and indefinite detentions. Bernie has also said that non-violent immigrant detainees should be allowed to reunite with their families as they await their day in court.
Such moves must be applauded, and to be sure Sanders has improved in recent days when it comes to the overall issue of immigration [as I've written previously, however, the Vermont Senator has been a little quirky on the issue of borders and Bernie is reluctant to break with a certain strand of the ossified old guard nationalist labor establishment]. In a frontal assault on the likes of Trump, Sanders remarked that border security could be improved by investing in novel technologies in contrast to "boondoggle walls" which would set the stage for further militarization. Rather impressively, he also called for ending contracts with private detention centers and said he would do his utmost to eliminate ethnic profiling and discrimination at the border. Meanwhile, the Vermont Senator declares that if he is elected he will map out a "swift legislative path" for 11 million undocumented migrants.
What is Bernie Waiting For?
Fair enough, though one wonders how many Latinos are even aware of Bernie's policy proscriptions and the Vermont Senator seems very unwilling to craft a viable media strategy. Like it or not, presidential elections tend to revolve around personalities and the media cycle rather than policy, and by boycotting or criticizing the mainstream media Bernie seems to have consigned himself to obscurity within the Latino community. This is particularly jarring and self-defeating in light of the growing power of the Latino electorate in early voting states like Iowa and Nevada.
Latinos are looking for a champion and a man of action, yet unfortunately Bernie seems unwilling to deliver. When asked if he'd visit facilities where immigrants have gone on hunger strikes, Sanders said he would try but sounded vague when it came to providing specifics. "Given my schedule between Congress and the campaign, I can't promise you when and where it would be, but it is something that I am interested in doing," he said.
What is Bernie waiting for? While it would be a stretch for the presidential candidate to go on a hunger strike himself, there are certainly ways that Bernie could marshal his followers and thereby recast the media narrative in the run-up to Iowa. As I wrote in a previous article, the Sanders campaign has embraced new technologies with a vengeance while recruiting talented young millennial coders. Bernie's own media company is called Revolution Messaging no less, and the firm has helped to build Sanders' presence on such platforms as Reddit.
#FreedomgivingHungerStrikes
At the flick of one button, Bernie could deploy his followers to support the burgeoning #FreedomgivingHungerStrikes movement. It is not a stretch to imagine millions of volunteers conducting phone banking on behalf of immigration protest and detainees, which might succeed in taking the air away from Trump. Such a campaign strategy would raise the moral bar and might also gain Bernie coveted visibility within the Latino community.
To be sure, there's no assurance that such a strategy would be successful or even rouse the media from its perpetual torpor. What is more, in the aftermath of the San Bernardino terrorist attack immigration reform may not be such a popular topic among certain Americans. There's no guarantee, moreover, that calling for protest wouldn't wind up alienating mainstream segments of the electorate. These are all considerations, but as we begin the countdown to Iowa, Sanders may not have much to lose.Aaron David Miller is a vice president and distinguished scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and author of " The End of Greatness: Why America Can't Have (and Doesn't Want) Another Great President." Miller was a Middle East negotiator in Democratic and Republican administrations. Follow him @aarondmiller2. Jason Brodsky is policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran, an advocacy group. The opinions expressed in this commentary are theirs.
(CNN) President Donald Trump's maiden speech to the UN General Assembly was a confusing hodgepodge of tropes, themes and threats that made one unmistakable point: There is no coherent Trump Doctrine.
He awkwardly tried to reconcile the notion of "America First" with a global outreach and planetary humanism designed to appease and placate his largely international audience. Still, almost without exception, the key threats he identified -- North Korea and Iran -- will require, whether he likes it or not, the abandonment of America First in favor of cooperation with others. Here are the key takeaways:
Senior and junior 'Axis of Evil'
Trump seemed to be most comfortable -- consistent with his tough confrontational image likely to play well with his base -- when it came to his language about a new list of evildoers with which America and the world need to deal. Trump has amended George W. Bush's famous 2002 "Axis of Evil" list -- dropping Iraq and maintaining both North Korea and Iran, for which he reserved the toughest threats and language.
He seemed to create another category of what you might call junior evildoers, including Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro, Syria's Bashar al-Assad and maybe the leaders of Cuba. It's almost certain that Syria would have made the big boys list were it not for Trump's desire to preserve his ties with Vladimir Putin and US-Russian cooperation there. Undoubtedly, given his politics and persona, this part of the address had to be Trump's favorite and the one most likely to make headlines.
Planetary humanism
At the same time, Trump tried to soften other parts of the address by trying to project the image of a leader who was by no means an isolationist or who saw America leading from anywhere else other than the front. Whether he believes any of this or seized it as an opportunity to placate his audience isn't clear.
The process of trying to reconcile his anti-globalist sentiments with his America First message actually began Monday during his meeting on UN reform, where he struck a more conciliatory line toward an organization he'd mocked and pilloried. It was striking how much of the speech was spent talking about collective action -- humanitarian assistance and a variety of programs, from empowering women to anti-slavery campaigns and global health.
He spent considerable time laying the groundwork about no nation carrying a disproportionate share of the costs but steered clear as he did earlier this year in threatening NATO allies who didn't. There's little doubt that Trump went into this speech not to seem the outlier or the disrupter when it came to America playing a role on the world stage in concert with others even while he challenges them to step up and do their share.
What happens in Las Vegas stays there
On one issue, Trump tried to be crystal clear: The United States would not seek to intervene in the affairs of other nations and would respect their systems of government. There was plenty of talk about promoting prosperity, security and counterterrorism but little about human rights and democracy promotion. The whole trope was riffed off the importance Trump attached to the sovereignty of every nation -- almost to do whatever they wanted within their own borders. If you happened to be Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Egypt's Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Myanmar's military, Saudi Arabia and Putin -- indeed any other authoritarian or autocratic regime -- you would have taken heart in this message.
Still, Trump called out Cuba, Venezuela and Syria for how they treat their own people and implied that the United States could pressure them because the sovereignty of their persecuted peoples was being violated. It was a tricky line to walk. One might conclude that if you're an important authoritarian for US interests, you get a pass; if you're less so, you don't.
Iran
The President is famous for bragging about his prescience on a wide array of global hot spots -- and if his remarks Tuesday morning before the United Nations are any guide, he signaled he is committed to decertifying Tehran's compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action by a congressionally mandated deadline of October 15. Of course, it's not that simple or clear-cut.
Calling the mullahcracy a "rogue nation," the nuclear accord itself "an embarrassment," Trump is all but telegraphing that the status quo -- despite the International Atomic Energy Agency's technical seal of approval -- remains unsustainable.
In Trump's worldview, the nuclear accord was just a deal, and a bad one at that. Despite the rhetoric emanating out of the Obama administration casting the deal as a potential "game changer" in regime behavior, there is no evidence that Tehran has abandoned its revolutionary dogma. Think Syria, where, according to Israeli intelligence, Hamas, a designated terrorist organization, is setting up shop in Lebanon with Iranian support. Yahya Sinwar, Hamas' leader in Gaza, recently told reporters that Iran is now "the largest backer financially and militarily of Hamas' armed wing."
Nevertheless, Trump is running into European head winds. In some capitals -- especially those of the P5+1 ( the United States, China, Russia, Britain and France plus Germany) -- the nuclear deal has become too big to fail. Think Germany and France.
Hence, in the end, it's likely the Trump administration will likely split the difference -- by taking a more holistic view, and dubbing Iran as acting outside the bounds of the Iran deal, while continuing to waive sanctions embedded in federal legislation. He may indeed feel that such a strategy -- of uncertainty -- will give Washington the leverage it needs to try to affect Iranian behavior.
North Korea
The other headline is likely to be North Korea, where Trump broke little new ground on what to do but used the toughest language yet toward Kim Jong Un -- a threat to destroy North Korea totally if it attacks the United States or its allies. It's important though to point out that Trump's threat was conditioned on the hypothetical that Pyongyang would attack the United States or its allies first -- a position that was in line with previous statements by Defense Secretary James Mattis and Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Trump mocked Kim again as "Rocket Man," but more seriously, spent time attacking his regime as evil and criminal. Trump's address Tuesday came no closer to suggesting the outlines of a broad approach to address the North Korean missile crisis. Indeed, if he goes ahead and decertifies the Iran deal, he'll likely have one fewer option to address the North Korean problem. Kim will interpret walking away from Iran as the end of any diplomatic option should he be interested in one.
America First can't mean America only
Trump tried unsuccessfully to reconcile his America First nationalist strategy with a globalist one. He went through all the motions of saying that he -- like other world leaders -- needed to protect their own country's sovereignty and interests first. At the same time, the reality is that unless the United States is going to go solo to solve the crises and problems around the world, it will have no choice but to build coalitions and not withdraw into some kind of fortress America.
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Trump knows he can't solve North Korea without the Russians and the Chinese and has built his entire Mideast peace process policy on working with the Arabs. Even if he withdraws from the Iran deal, he'll need the Europeans and others to build an effective Plan B.
The biggest problem Trump faces abroad -- working solo or with others -- is that he still has no strategy to address the tough challenges he's identified.All That went on to become a fixture on Nickelodeon for over a decade and has received acclaimed for its diverse cast and its impact on children's television. [3] [4] The show has spun off several members of the cast in their own Nickelodeon television series with varying levels of success. The show has been marketed in other ways, including an audio recording, books, a feature film, festival tour, and numerous reunions and specials celebrating the legacy of All That.
In 2000, after six seasons, the show was put on hiatus and retooled. It was relaunched in early 2002 with a completely new cast. Four more seasons were produced before the show was ultimately cancelled. On April 23, 2005, Nickelodeon celebrated the 10th anniversary of All That. The special reunited cast members from both the original and relaunch eras of the show and several other special guest stars in a one-hour event. [2]
All That is an American live-action, sketch comedy -variety show created by Brian Robbins and Mike Tollin, which originally aired on the Nickelodeon cable television network from April 16, 1994, to October 22, 2005, lasting ten seasons. The series was produced by Tollin/Robbins Productions (later Schneider's Bakery during the final season). The pilot episode was originally shown as a special "sneak peek", with the show officially debuting a regular series on December 24, 1994. [1]
See also: history of All That by season: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Brian Robbins and Mike Tollin created the show, and the head writer was Dan Schneider who also became the showrunner of the series in the third season. All That marked the beginning of Schneider's prolific career in creating and writing hit television series for young audiences. The New York Times, in separate articles, referred to Dan Schneider as "the Norman Lear of children's television"[6] and "the master of a television genre".[7]
In 1986, Robbins and Schneider met while working on the ABC sitcom, Head of the Class.[8] Becoming close friends, the two performers both shared a mutual interest in writing, eventually coming together to write and then pitch an episode to the show's producers just to see if they could do it.[8] To their amazement the producers liked their idea and bought it. Their episode: Will the Real Arvid Engen Please Stand Up later aired during the show's second season.
All That was filmed for its first two seasons. Exterior of the former Nickelodeon Studios wherewas filmed for its first two seasons.
Following the success of Head of the Class, Robbins and Schneider were asked to co-host the second annual Kids Choice Awards in 1988 alongside Tony Danza and Debbie Gibson.[9] Although unaware of the fledgling Nickelodeon cable channel before the invitation to host was brought to them, the two agreed. The award ceremony that year was produced by Albie Hecht, with whom Robbins and Schneider quickly struck up a friendship behind the scenes.[8] Their friendship continued after the awards and Hecht suggested they develop something for Nickelodeon. Robbins and Schneider later declined his offer as they were still under contract with ABC, at the time.[8]
In 1991, Head of the Class ended its run and Robbins started a production company with producer friend Tollin, aptly named Tollin/Robbins Productions.[4] The company originally produced several small budget sport documentaries.[10] Hecht, now Head of Development for Nickelodeon, contacted them and asked them to film a project for the network. The half-hour documentary they made featured the network's game show hosts Phil Moore (Nick Arcade) and Mike O'Malley (Get the Picture and Nickelodeon GUTS) as co-hosts of a comedy tour as they drove around to different cities to perform.[4] Since their schedule only permitted for two days of filming, Tollin/Robbins had to make the entire show appear as if they had toured around the country.[4]
Impressed with the final product, Hecht met with Robbins to discuss developing a new show for the network in 1993. Asking Robbins if there was any type of show that he would be interested in making,[4] he responded with the idea of creating a kid-version of Saturday Night Live. Bringing in Schneider (as head writer) and Tollin to help develop the show, the three were influenced by classic sketch shows such as The Carol Burnett Show, You Can't Do That on Television and Laugh In,[4] and began to flesh out a rough idea of the show's format.[4][8]
Once greenlit, Robbins, Schneider and Tollin decided against writing the Pilot episode and instead chose to compile the cast first. Usually in television (as Schneider explains) the Pilot is written first and the cast is assembled later.[8] However, the three believed it was crucial to find the right child actors first and then tailor to their strengths.[4][8] With Hecht's blessing, a nationwide talent search for child and teen actors was launched that would last for several months.[4] Eventually Angelique Bates, Lori Beth Denberg, Katrina Johnson, Kel Mitchell, Alisa Reyes, Josh Server, and Kenan Thompson were hired.
When I first got involved, it was kind of funny. My mom had me in a talent show, I was one of the winners. [An agent] had his friend there, who was the one that got me on [All That].... The process itself was, oh my gosh. We did 10 auditions. I thought I didn't have it. They had us doing improv, sketches, all kinds of stuff. I went in fully dressed as Urkel. I was doing character voices. I had the glasses, I had the suspenders, everything. You name it, I had it. I got called a couple months later like, "Oh, you know you got it." It was crazy because it was a nationwide [search].[4] — Bates
The reason I got the audition was 'cause I was in a drama competition for high school and my scene placed first in competition. So there's lots of different categories and all the first-place teams in all the categories had a showcase at Paramount Studios at like this little theater. And some of the producers for All That were there. So after that a few of us from the competition got called in to audition. So I just went on it like a total lark, not like it was some big deal. Just kind of a goof. And that was my first audition for All That. I wasn't nervous 'cause I wasn't really taking it seriously. But that, in hindsight, served me really well. I had one callback, which was a little more interesting. I mean, I had the feeling when I went back for the callback that I was gonna be cast. I can't necessarily explain it, but I just had this feeling like I'm gonna do this show. Which was really strange because I'd never done a show before. So I just went, I did the material, I met some more of the people and then I left. And I had this feeling about it.[4] — Denberg
Mine was a casting call, but it was set up through my agent and I had to go back in like five times. And each time, I would get paired up with other random people to do sketch comedy but it was very off-the-cuff, like no script or plan or anything. It was like, you're miners, mining for gold in Sicily, and we'd have to figure it out. But that happened to be my favorite sort of thing that I'd always loved best...I had no idea what I was in for, but I knew it was going to be the ride of my life. I knew it was going to be fun. I never wanted anything as much before. This one felt like home, this one felt like me and I felt very excited. But no, I don't think we had any idea what we were in for.[4] — Johnson
The original cast with Robbins, Schneider, Tollin and others
They did a nationwide search, and I remember that day, I had midterms at school, but I also had to learn my monologue because I had the audition later that day. I remember Brian Robbins was there and a few of the other producers. I came in and I totally forgot my monologue, because I had been studying for midterms and I never do that. As I was walking out, I tripped over some cords and knocked over some cameras and all this stuff. And I played it off like it was funny and they started just cracking up, laughing. I came back in, knocked the monologue out and then they were, like, hey, man, you know, you're really funny. Do you do any impersonations, as well? I just did, like, my uncles and, you know, people that I knew in Chicago, old man voices and I even did the [Good Burger] Ed voice for the first time there.[4] — Mitchell
In my audition, I had to do a stand-up comedy act in conjunction with an audition scene and so I just remember in the monologue I wrote about, like, my sister having long hair in her underarms and we were eating breakfast. [Laughs] The hair would get into my pancake syrup. I just was being cheesy and crazy. And when I went in there, it was funny because I just felt like it was all very natural. It was all very organic. I was in the right place at the right time and they got me. I was blessed enough that Brian Robbins and Dan Schneider and Michael Tollin, they totally got me but it literally took me seven auditions to get this gig. And this is probably the most auditions that I ever had to audition for before because, I mean, who auditions for something seven times?.[4] — Reyes
I was one of the two kids chosen from Chicago. Me and Kel got picked from the Chicago group. I remember that it was more than one audition. I think it was probably close to two to three, maybe even four. They brought us in quite a bit. They wanted us to do some of our characters and then some impressions. I remember originally meeting the casting people and then, you know, Brian and Dan and the producers of the show being in those auditions and going in and doing my sketch characters. And it was a lot of fun. Anytime you get to do those types of auditions, it's pretty cool because it's your stuff, you know, and when you're a kid, that's pretty rare.[4] — Server
[I was introduced] to Brian and Michael Tollin. I was the last to be chosen [for the show]. [There weren't a lot of auditions.] I just did the one and they told me whether or not I had it. I went into the office and did impressions and stuff. The first Mighty Ducks, that was my first movie. Once I got into real movies, then started the commercials, [then TV].[4] — Thompson
With the cast intact, writing for the Pilot began. Cast and crew flew out to Nickelodeon Studios at Universal Orlando to begin production of the episode. And on January 17, 1994 the Pilot episode was set to begin filming.[4] Tollin recalls debating with Robbins over whether or not to postpone filming because of the Northridge earthquake that occurred hours earlier on that same day.[4][11]
"The morning was spent figuring out how bad was the damage both physical and psychological. Should we postpone [the pilot shoot?]. I was trying to do the right thing. [My wife] was trying to do the right thing. Aftershocks ensued. She said, "I |
by Ben Pedersen. sysaxyc, a replacement for Power C's sys() function which allows the caller to set and read the carry flag as well as the A, X, and Y registers.
GRAFPAK (graphics library by Marc Rinfret/Rich Helms):
(also contributed by Pasquale)
D64 image (source, docs, and a demo program)
C-Power Graphics Library (by David Kesler and David Brown):
This library is based on Mark Rinfret's GRAFPAK (see above).
D64 image (source, object files, docs, and demo code)
Cmaster (a terminal with Xmodem written by W Mat Waites):
Cmaster was written using serial routines originally published in the Transactor (February 1989, Volume 9, Issue 3).
Here's the original article, "Serial I/O in Power C."
(Note that the date and issue number are misprinted in the page footers.)
D64 image (source, docs, and executable)
Utilities and replacements for Power C by Adrian Pepper:
This D64 image (source and docs) includes:
exec, a "batch file" or scripting utility for the Power C shell
original Q-Link download description
, a "batch file" or scripting utility for the Power C shell original Q-Link download description newshell, a replacement shell (with "exec" scripts)
original Q-Link download description
back to top
and now for something completely different...
Here's something a little more obscure... it's some code I hacked together with help from the guys on the comp.sys.cbm mailing list. It's a machine language routine, meant to be called from a Power C program, that loads and runs a BASIC program.
assembler source (ASCII, Unix-formatted)Microcosm: the story of CERN
After a major revamp last year, Microcosm is once again open to visitors. Readers of the Bulletin can sign up for a guided tour of the new exhibitions. Go and visit it as soon as you can to win a t-shirt through our competition!
Role models for students - 1:1 scale audiovisual in Microcosm allows visitors to meet the people who make CERN tick.
The new exhibition takes visitors on a journey through CERN’s key installations, following the path of the particles from the bottle of hydrogen, through the network of accelerators and on to collision inside vast experiments. Objects, life-sized audio-visuals and high-definition photographs are used to recreate real CERN spaces, whilst live data feeds bring news of the Large Hadron Collider direct to the exhibitions. Throughout, the focus is on the people who design and use this extraordinary technology to further our understanding of the universe. Screen content continues to evolve and more games will be introduced into the exhibition during 2016. Watch this space!
The exhibition is free and open to all without reservation.
Opening hours: Monday - Friday 8.30 a.m. - 5.30 p.m., Saturday 9.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m., closed on Sundays (see www.cern.ch/microcosm).
Two guided tours have been organised for CERN people. Places are limited and registration is required:
Thursday, 28 January
10.30 -11.15 a.m. in English (12 places) – sign up!
1.30-2.15 p.m. in French (12 places) – sign up!
You can also win a CERN t-shirt! Find the image of the robotic camera that took the 160 photos making up the giant fresco of the CCC displayed in Microcosm. The first to send [email protected] a selfie taken next to the camera wins!
by CERN BulletinThe recent firings of two Alabama Public Television executives, ousted over their purported unwillingness to air Christianist historical documentaries, has generated a swelling backlash within the state. Mass resignations from APT’s attendant committees followed the firings of former Executive Director Allan Pizzato and Deputy Director Pauline Howland, and last week a pair of petitions carrying approximately 114,000 signatures were delivered to the APT headquarters to protest the “misleading and hateful programming” APT is considering airing.One of the petitions came from Faithful America, a religious organization focused on social justice issues. The other came from Credo Action, a three million-strong group centered on social issues.
The programming in question is David Barton’s “American Heritage Series,” which infuses Christian themes and motivations in tales of American history. Barton is one of the most public, and controversial, historians in the nation, and is considered “a key bridge between the mainstream political right and radical-right religious ideology,” according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, whom Barton once advised, has said that he “almost wished” that Americans should be “forced — forced at gunpoint no less — to listen to every David Barton message.”
While the APT has not yet aired any of Barton’s documentaries, the petitions shared concerns that the programming had even been discussed.
“I’m disappointed that APT is even considering broadcasting David Barton’s slanted, misinformed history of America,” said Rev. Darryl Kiehl, a local pastor who helped deliver the signatures. “Since our nation’s founding, Christians have fought for justice, equality and the common good, and Barton’s work appears to ignore that. His revisionist history is unworthy of public television.”
In addition to requesting that APT not air Barton’s documentaries, the Faithful America petition asked that the Alamaba Educational Television Commission, which fired both Pizzato and Howland, reinstate the executives to their original positions.
The signatures, 3,500 of which came from residents of Alabama, were delivered to APT COO Charles Grantham, who recently sent an open letter to Gov. Robert Bentley to protests the firings. While disputing that the firings were tied solely to Barton’s documentaries, Grantham, who’s worked at the APT for 35 years, wrote, “A shadow is being cast over APT by its own directors.” Grantham noted that APT had already lost more than $25,000 since the firings due to pulled donations.
“The [APT] staff morale is the lowest I have ever seen and we have no confidence in our commissioners,” Grantham continued. “Our public and private foundation members resigned after the firings. What kind of message does that send when leaders in the communities who love APT resign in protest?”The final evolution of 2016 Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson may have happened under all of our noses.
Wilson, who's suffered multiple injuries during the season, has but one left to consider; the knee injury brought on by San Francisco 49ers linebacker Eli Harold in week three. But, that injury may finally join his right pectoral and ankle sprain as ailments of the past.
And, the Seahawks faithful have photos to prove it.
Per Sam HawkBadger, via Seahawks_fan2015 by way of photographic evidence from Seahawks.com, Wilson appears to have gone without his knee brace during Thursday's practice.
The veteran quarterback had been wearing a light titanium brace during games and practices, which was a downsize from the bulky model he wore in the immediate aftermath of the injury. If he's successfully moved on from any brace, that will take his mobility to the final stage and also signals the injury has healed.
Currently, Wilson is still listed on the injury report with a knee injury and because his Thursday press conference comes before practice, he was not asked about his brace situation.
But, if it's true that Wilson has left the brace life behind, Seahawks fans will be giddy come Sunday.Happiness Should Be Every Man’s Goal
Men are happy when they are productive. They get satisfaction from solving problems. Whether it’s learning new skills, sharpening old ones, or overcoming adversity, they gain understanding about themselves and also grow as a person when they conquer new challenges. Great and small.
Happiness should be every man’s goal. That’s the conclusion I’ve come to.
I started looking into this topic quite a bit.
Who would know what’s important? Who would be able to really break things down to a bare bones assessment and triage what should take priority?
Answer: Dying Men
These people were expressing what they considered things they wished they’d done as they were lying on their deathbeds.
Think about that.
As a man, think of how these statements resonate with you, these are the top regrets:
1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
It does not get more “Red Pill” than this. Societal pressure makes men conform to what women want, not what you as a man want. If your wants are in alignment with society, all the better, but if you want to live your life for yourself, you have to have the courage it takes to become the man you want to be. Men are forged. We don’t get to coast along on our good looks.
(Overwhelmingly, it seems these people often said “I wished I had traveled more when I was young”, when asked what they meant)
2. I wish I didn’t work so hard.
Really, this comes to me as a logical extension of the first regret, however it should really drive home the point. Don’t sacrifice your happiness for commitments you make to others that you wouldn’t have made if you were concerned with your own happiness.
3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
The palliative nurse recording these regrets probably couldn’t distinguish the difference between “thoughts” and “feelings” but the message was still the same. She noted how many people held on to past grudges, or bitterness that eventually manifested in the illnesses they were dying from. If you are living for yourself, there is less room for this type of regret.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
Men develop strong bonds when dealing with adversity and other challenges. Women will never understand what it’s like to go to battle together. Be it team sports, train together for individual pursuits, or actual war. We as men will often let too much time pass between “golden” friendships out of laziness or even worse, commitments to others we never truly wanted to begin with.
The nurse noted that when death approaches, all the physical details and easily negotiated obstacles fall away, and you are faced with the cold realization, none of that shit should have mattered.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.
Apparently this was a common sentiment. It sounds almost redundant until you actually understand what’s really being said. All these people realize that the difference between being happy and unhappy was about allowing themselves to be so.
I read the individual regrets as well and the general theme that is expressed over and over boils down to:
“I wish I had taken care of myself” “I wish I had seen the world when I was young” “I wish I had learned more”
It sounded like every person regretted trying to keep up with the Jones and would have traded anything to have done more for themselves.
At this point in my research into the topic, I realized a few things.
The parallels between these dying regrets, and what I have identified as genetic drivers as the keys to male happiness are identical (Book Coming Soon).
Taking this knowledge from the end, I decided to go back to the beginning; I surveyed the best young knowledgable minds with the most adventurous spirit (I surveyed the opinions of RVF members) on what they considered to be “Must Have Experiences, Must See Things, Around the World”
In only two days I was given all sorts of information to sift through. While not a complete list, I took my favorites because they also appealed to the regrets of dying men as well.
Seeing and doing things changes the dimensions of your mind, acts of merit will change your character for the good. Enriching your life should be every man’s pursuit and happiness should be every man’s goal in my humble opinion.
Some of these things are obscure and remote, one commentator pointed out that it was the journey itself to see or do these things that was just as important and I 100% agree with that travel sentiment. Every epic adventure involves a journey.
Some of these things are well known and their existence is common knowledge. That doesn’t make these experiences or sights any less life changing or special.
Travel experiences are some of the most rewarding things a man can do for himself. You are forced outside your comfort zone, you have to negotiate all sorts of obstacles, and unless all you do is sit inside your hotel room, you are forced into adventures.
The more powerful the experience, the more each man forges his own happiness.
The bottom line, these are things that I think reach an overlap from the young man’s aspirations and the dying man’s regrets.
So without further ado:
Angkor Wat – Cambodia
These 900 year old temple ruins are considered the largest of their kind in the world. Their magnificence is a testament to the ingenuity and creativity of man. Even though it is one of the most photographed sites in the world, it is said that nothing compares to seeing it in person.
The Killing Fields
Conversely, Cambodia is the site of one of the worst instances of genocide in recent history by the communist Khmer Rouge regime. 25% of the population was murdered or tortured with almost 2 million people killed and well over 2 million dying as a result of disease or starvation from the Regime’s policies. At one point, people were being killed with hammers and screw drivers to save bullets. Children and babies had their heads smashed against “The Killing Tree” because their parents were accused of crimes against the Khmer Rouge. Soldiers would routinely laugh while they did this because NOT to laugh was an indication of being guilty as well.
It’s hard to believe but the leader, Pol Pot was claiming all these atrocities were for the “greater good”. Without getting too political, I think everyone should ask themselves how something like that could happen.
Drink Ayahuasca in the Amazonian Jungle
Ayahuasca is a drink containing the psychodelic drug DMT (among other herbs and plants that reportedly work together) made by a “Shaman”.
A trip through a triple canopy jungle alone will give you perspective once you start realizing no one in the jungle gives a damn about whether your clothes are fashionable or not, if you have the latest iPhone, or if your hair looks good. Everything is reduced to “will this keep me alive”? And “Is this a functional tool”?
Taking a drink under those conditions has brought reportedly overwhelmingly positive changes in the lives of the participants where spiritual revelations about the purposes of their own lives are made known.
This isn’t some hippie bullshit game. This is learning about yourself, and gaining insight into your own life that you wouldn’t otherwise ever be able to have.
Door to Hell – Turkmenistan
Out in the middle of nowhere a crater that swallowed a Russian drilling rig was set on fire and has been burning for 40 years. Recently the President of Turkmenistan has ordered the Door to Hell closed. Just getting to this place could be a once in a lifetime experience that will soon be gone forever.
Hang Soong Doong Cave or Son Doong Cave – Vietnam
The name “Son Doong” cave means “mountain river cave”, It was created 2-5 million years ago by river water eroding away the limestone underneath the mountain Where the limestone was weak, the ceiling collapsed creating huge skylights…
2 to 5 Million years ago.
Let that sink in.
Motorcycle Trip From Hanoi to Saigon Following the Ho Chi Min Trail – Vietnam
3 week long motorcycle trip where you see gorgeous vistas, overcome adversity, negotiate obstacles, evade out right danger, while you travel through the remnants of a war torn country that is in every phase of development from modern living to mud huts?
Sign me up.
Swing at the End of The World – Ecuador
“Deep in the Ecuadorian wilderness is a seismic monitoring station known as Casa del Arbol or “The Treehouse” because it is simply a small house built in a tree used for observing Mt. Tungurahua, the active volcano in the near distance.
While the simple wooden room is a sight to behold, the real attraction is the crude swing hanging from one of the tree’s skinny branches. With no harness, net, or any other safety feature the swing (itself nothing more than a thick stick suspended by two ropes) arcs riders out into the void over the canyon.
Adventurous visitors are welcome to take a ride on the swinging seat, but swingers should be aware that it is their own responsibility to not to accidentally fling themselves into the void”.
Nuff said.
Giants’ Causeway – Ireland
The Giant’s Causeway lies at the foot of the basalt cliffs along the sea coast on the edge of the Antrim plateau in Northern Ireland. It is made up of some 40,000 massive black basalt columns sticking out of the sea. The dramatic sight has inspired legends of giants striding over the sea to Scotland. Geological studies of these formations over the last 300 years have greatly contributed to the development of the earth sciences, and show that this striking landscape was caused by volcanic activity during the Tertiary, some 50–60 million years ago.
Eat at the oldest restaurant in the world, Casa Botin in Madrid – Spain
There you are in Madrid, possibly after having run with the bulls in Pamplona
Where do you think you should eat?
I know ONE of the places I would go while there.
Running With the Bulls of Pamplona – Spain
You’re energized by the crowd’s mixture of fear, excitement and very real danger.
People are being trampled and you can hear the stampede behind you and the sound of the bulls snorting and blowing.
You’d better run your ass off.
Take the Trans Siberian Railway From Moscow, though Mongolia, to Beijing China. – Russia, Mongolia, China
And stop along the way whenever you can.
Legendary stuff will happen.
Extra legendary stuff will happen if travel in 3rd class.
Bagan – Myanmar (Burma)
“Bagan in central Burma is one of the world’s greatest archeological sites, a sight to rival Machu Picchu or Angkor Wat but – for the time being at least – without the visitors. The setting is sublime – a verdant 26 square-mile plain, part-covered in stands of palm and tamarind caught in a bend of the lazy-flowing Irrawaddy (Ayeyarwady) river and framed by the hazy silver-grey of distant mountains.
Rising from the plain’s canopy of green are temples, dozens of them, hundreds of them, beautiful, other-worldly silhouettes that were built by the kings of Bagan between 1057 and 1287, when their kingdom was swept away by earthquakes and Kublai Khan and his invading Mongols. Some 2,230 of an original 4,450 temples survive, a legacy of the Buddhist belief that to build a temple was to earn merit”. How can you see these photos and not have something tell you inside that you have to go? Mount Roriama – Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana The tabletop mountains are considered some of the oldest geological formations on Earth, dating back to roughly 2 billion years ago It’s a personal goal of mine to do a handstand at the top of this thing. I’ll let the photos do the talking. Practice a Martial Art – Thailand or Brazil or the USA Every man should have the confidence that comes with being able to defend himself. The fitness and respect for combat sports that come with becoming competent as a fighter will enrich you for the rest of your life and the friendships you form will last just as long.
Victoria Falls Bordering Zimbabwe and Zambia in Africa
355 Foot water fall that is the widest in Africa. Another place where the journey getting might be just as rewarding as the location itself.
Hiking the Sun Gate into Machu Picchu
“Embedded within a dramatic landscape at the meeting point between the Peruvian Andes and the Amazon Basin, the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu is among the greatest artistic, architectural and land use achievements anywhere and the most significant tangible legacy of the Inca civilization”.
“The Sun Gate or Intipunku is made of steps that makes believe that these were some kind of control gate for the people who enter and go out of the Sanctuary.
Is one of the most important archeological constructions that connects with Machu Picchu, is dedicated also to the cult of the INTI, the Sun god, and that’s because the Sun on determined times of the years, comes out from this building.
Getting to Inti punku means the end of the of the road, due that from that place is all downhill, and from that you can watch the entire Sanctuary, the view is amazing, takes your breath away observed The Machu Picchu Mountain, the Vilcambamba or Urubamba River, the Putukusi mountain and the Huayna Picchu mountain.
Located at 2745 meters above the sea level, is a wide place, with windows and gates that are hold by terraces, is the first place that you can actually see the whole Sanctuary, and that’s why his name, because you can see how the Sun rises over the whole mountains that conformed Machu Picchu, and realized that not many people lived or visit Machu, given that the location of the gate was to watch and control the pass of the people”.
“It was probably the most amazing urban creation of the Inca Empire at its height; its giant walls, terraces and ramps seem as if they have been cut naturally in the continuous rock escarpments. The natural setting, on the eastern slopes of the Andes, encompasses the upper Amazon basin with its rich diversity of flora and fauna”.
Paragliding or Hangliding – Anywhere You Can!
This has always seemed so awesome to me.
Zhang Jia Jie – China
Ever wonder what it would be like to be in the movie Avatar?
“The city itself was previously named Dayong (大庸), and has a recorded history dating back to 221 BC. Humans lived here along both banks of the Lishui river (the mother river in Zhangjiajie), now within the boundaries of Zhanagjiajie City, very early during the Stone Age. Human settlement in this region dates back 100,000 years, rivaling such famous sites as Xi’an, Beijing and others. In 1986, the Academy of Chinese Social Science discovered Stone Age relics in Cili County, unearthing 108 articles of stoneware; mostly tapered-form, hacked-tamped and plate-shaped works. According to archaeological experts’ textual research, all of these wares were produced about 100,000 years ago. Shortly thereafter, in 1988, the Archaeological Institute of Hunan Province found other relics in Sangzhi County, including three pieces of stoneware which were estimated to have been fashioned over 100,000 years ago”.
Northern Lights – Norway
One of those things that must be seen in person to believe. Until then I’m convinced it’s Photoshop!
Salt Flats – Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni is the world’s largest salt flat at 10,582 square kilometers. It is located in the Potosí and Oruro departments in southwest Bolivia, near the crest of the Andes and is at an elevation of 3,656 meters above mean sea level Just make sure you go during the rainy season if you want the sky mirror effect.
Finding Sights Like These While On Your Soujourn – Parts Unknown
Abandoned Hotel in Colombia Near a Waterfall
The S.S. America – Canary Islands
I hope I’ve been able to give some motivating ideas to the people that read this post. It’s far from a complete list and perhaps unbalanced but it’s job is to spark creativity and give a glimpse at what is possible to be seen. Happiness should be every man’s goal. It’s the doing that makes it all come together. You’ve got to be like a shark that keeps moving. If you stop swimming you won’t die, you’ll just stop living.
If you enjoyed it please feel free to share with your friends.
Thanks,
FistoA Stunning Statistic About the Orthodox Community
What a statistic! The current issue of the Orthodox Union’s Jewish Action reports (https://www.ou.org/jewish_action/03/2017/data-divorce-q-dr-yitzchak-schechter) a study by Dr. Yitzchak Schechter (a clinical psychologist and director of the Center for Applied Psychology at Bikur Cholim in Monsey, New York) that reveals that the overall divorce rate in the American Orthodox community appears to be around 10 percent. Dr. Schechter notes that there is some variation, that the percentage is slightly higher for the non-Chasidic Orthodox population, slightly lower for the Chasidic population.
Dr. Schechter observes:
“We sometimes need to step back and see the big picture. Out of our zeal to solve all of the problems, we forget to put them in the proper perspective: A 10 percent divorce rate is amazing! (For the sake of comparison, the divorce rate in the general population is about 48 percent.) Also, because so many people get married in the Orthodox community—we have a very high marriage rate (between 80 and 85 percent of Orthodox American Jews are married)—the 10 percent statistic is even more meaningful. In other words, because the marriage rate is so high and the divorce rate is so low, marriages among the Orthodox population are, generally speaking, lasting.”
Most rabbanim would agree that a 10 percent divorce rate in our community is too high, and that significant and varied effort should be made to reduce this percentage. Moreover, it is beyond a doubt that further steps are needed to boost the percentage of marriage in our community to an even higher level. Nonetheless, the comparison to the broader community is nothing short of breathtaking. Please permit me to suggest some reasons for this statistic.
The observance of taharat hamishpacha obviously plays a significant role in strengthening and stabilizing Orthodox couples. Rabi Meir (as presented in Niddah 31b) already taught that unrestricted access leads to boredom and that restraint recreates the fresh experience of the wedding night every month.
But there is more to it than taharat hamishpacha. Shabbat and Yom Tov compel couples to take a break from the workplace and to focus on family. Moreover, the focus on family and marriage as a central pillar of the Jewish community and life makes it as a higher priority in Orthodox life than in other communities. The sheer and incomparable joy experienced at an Orthodox wedding testifies eloquently to this very healthy attitude.
While these are contributing factors, it seems that there is one factor that is more fundamental and influential than all the others. This factor is none other than the Kabbalistic concept of tzimtzum.
In order for any relationship to flourish, each party must submit to certain limitations on their behavior. In a successful marriage, one spouse does not unilaterally decide where to go and what to do during a vacation. Decisions are made collaboratively, with each spouse compromising their desires for the sake of the other. Practically, making concessions to one another is not burdensome, since the benefit derived from the relationship far outweighs any personal frustration caused by the need to compromise.
Hashem, surprisingly, also limits Himself for the benefit of others. The masters of Kabbalah teach that Hashem contracted Himself—in order for the world to exist—in a phenomenon known as tzimtzum. Because Hashem is infinite, He must minimize Himself in order for anything else to exist. He must also engage in tzimtzum in order for human beings to have free will. Thus, Hashem places limitations on Himself to afford us the opportunity to live and thrive in His world.
Accordingly, it is reasonable for us to reciprocate this gesture, to accept limitations on our behavior and lifestyle in order to create a space for Hashem in our lives. Just as both members of a loving couple must accept restrictions in order to create a healthy relationship, the same expectations apply to our bond with Hashem. The result is a satisfying, mutual exchange. We both engage in tzimtzum in order to create space for each other. Thus, Torah restrictions should not be viewed as a nuisance, but rather a wonderful opportunity to help us cultivate a relationship with our Creator and Father in heaven.
In other words, Orthodox Judaism is geared to fostering a healthy relationship with Hashem, a relationship compared in Tanach and Chazal to a marital relationship. Orthodox Jewish life is thus permeated with relationship-building activities and boundaries. One who develops a healthy relationship with Hashem is well-trained on the basic building blocks of a relationship of a spouse. He or she experiences the benefits accrued from exercising restraint and creating space for and being sensitive to the other.
Ashreinu ma tov chelkeinu, what a wonderful lot is ours to observe the Torah. So much of the joy in life derives from a satisfying relationship with one’s spouse. Although it does not guarantee marital bliss, an Orthodox lifestyle dramatically tilts the odds in one’s favor. The dramatically lower divorce rate is yet another confirmation that Orthodox Judaism is the Rolls Royce of lifestyles, the best possible way to live one’s life.
By Rabbi Haim Jachter
Rabbi Haim Jachter is the spiritual leader of Congregation Shaarei Orah, the Sephardic Congregation of Teaneck. He also serves as a Rebbe at Torah Academy of Bergen County and a Dayan on the Beth Din of Elizabeth.On to How browser developers should seek feedback from Web developers
One of the problems we've been facing with Mozilla's release cycle is that it takes a relatively long time for code to get from commit to the mozilla-central repository to get into the hands of our users. It's currently 12-18 weeks, because the current process has four repositories (central, aurora, beta, release) with most code landing on central, and with code shifting from one repository to the next every six weeks, and shipping to Firefox release users when it reaches the release repository:
In addition to being slower than we'd like, we're not getting quite as much feedback as we'd like since the population of aurora users is relatively small and have habits much more similar to our nightly users than our release users. This means that we don't get feedback about many real-world problems until code reaches the beta channel.
One alternative that's been discussed a few times is to have one fewer channel. People have brought up some drawbacks with that approach, such as that code pulled from mozilla-central the previous day isn't necessarily ready to be shipped to large population of users on the beta channel.
To address that, I'd like to propose an alternative that shortens the path by six weeks (and removes one of the four repository stages), but keeps the four separate populations:
This model differs from what we do now by eliminating the mozilla-beta repository, and thus removing six weeks from the cycle. Users on the nightly, aurora, and release channels would get code like they do now, tied to one repository. Users on the beta channel, however, could get code from the release repository for the first week or so of the cycle (right after we ship that release), and then get code from the aurora repository (which will become the next release) for the rest of the cycle. In other words, users on the beta channel won't change the version that they're running on merge day, but instead a week (or maybe two) later.
Having the beta users switch repositories has two advantages. First, it means that beta users will be able to beta-test any point releases that we ship in the first week or so of the cycle. Second, it means that we'll have a week or so to fix any serious stability problems in the aurora repository before updating all beta users to it.
To be clear, this is just my proposal for what I think we could do, not something that anyone is already planning to do. But I think it could be a good way to get us a faster release cycle that would allow us to get our work faster into our users' browsers.It’s Finally Here – KakaoTalk for Mac
Even if you’ve only been in Korea for a short time, you have probably heard of KakaoTalk. With over 100 million users, KakaoTalk has become one of the most widely-used social applications in the world. The American president, Barack Obama, even mentioned it during his speech at Hankuk University back in 2012 (that’s where the alert sound comes from, by the way).
Until recently, KakaoTalk was only available for smart devices and PC. However, KakaoTalk for Mac is now available from the Mac App Store. You can open the application in the store directly by clicking here from your Mac computer. Or, simply wait until later and search “KakaoTalk” in the Mac App Store (check your Applications folder) to install the free application.
Once the app is installed, you will be asked to sign in with your KakaoTalk account ID and password. If you don’t know what yours is, or if you haven’t created one, you can check out the information by opening up the application on your smart phone, tablet, or other compatible device and visit the Settings menu. Once you login, the Mac application will send a confirmation code to your KakaoTalk device. Once you’ve entered the correct code on your computer, you will be ready to send messages and download pics/videos from KakaoTalk on your Mac computer.
Kakao has also said that the application will be able to send files soon. You can view the press release here and be sure to share this with all of your friends that have Macs.
KakaoTalk for MacSteven Earl Salmony
If scientists will choose to speak truth to the powerful, perhaps they will encourage other stonewalling leaders to do the right thing. At the moment many too many elders are remaining electively mute and appear unwilling to confront ‘the powers that be’ with the best science available regarding either the ‘placement’ of the human species within the order of living things on Earth or the most adequate understandings of the way the world we inhabit actually works. Such willful refusals by so many knowledgeable elders to assume their individual responsiblities to science and fulfill their well-established, collective duties to humanity are indefensible.
Before it is too late for human action to change the perilous, human-induced course of unfolding and fulminating ecological events in our planetary home, perhaps enough people will speak out loudly and clearly in ‘one voice’ about what they believe to be real (according to the knowledge and the ‘lights’ they possess) regarding clear and imminent dangers to future human well being and environmental health that are visible on our watch. By so doing a global, internet-driven transformation of consciousness could literally spring up, as if out of nowhere, among human beings with feet of clay.
Because the finite and frangible reality of the natural world we inhabit has got to become more evident to people everywhere, day by day, and because the biological and physical limitations of the natural world will become obvious to people everywhere during the timeframe when humanity will face ‘peak everything’, humankind could sooner rather than later reach a point in space-time when a critical mass of people see and agree that ‘the endless growth’ paradigm that is so powerful and prominent in the human world in our time is, in fact, the telltale mark of insanity. Then the human (not the natural) world will have to change, the seemingly unassailable force of self-proclaimed masters of the universe, their global political/economic endless growth regime and mass media notwithstanding. Human overpopulation, overproduction and overconsumption activities would be reasonably, sensibly and humanely regulated worldwide. Human beings with feet of clay would not even be able to think in good faith of ourselves as Homo sapiens, much less behave as if there were no limits to growth on a planet with the size, composition and ecology of Earth. Such circumstances would compel all of us at least to try and change behavior that can be seen readily as distinctly human and patently unsustainable lunacy.
With regard to the construction of the ‘economic colossus’ we call a global political economy, the outrageous per capita over-consumption of limited resources and the skyrocketing increase of absolute global human population numbers, change toward sustainable lifestyles and right-sized corporate enterprises would begin to occur ubiquitously. After all, there have got to be limits to the insanity of constructing any unsustainable human world by a species calling itself Homo sapiens sapiens. Somehow, somewhere, at some moment the leading elders in the human community must agree to limit something, some human activity. Any activity at all will work well. By so doing we change the endless growth paradigm and choose a new path, ‘a road less traveled by’, to the future. Until at least one human activity is meaningfully restrained, if not altogether halted from growing (at least momentarily), the unsustainable game of Ponzi we are recklessly and relentlessly playing will eventually lead to global destruction and degradation of a colossal, incalculable sort, I suppose.
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Steven Earl Salmony is a self-proclaimed global citizen, a psychologist and father of three grown children. Married nearly 40 years. In 2001 Steve founded the AWAREness Campaign on The Human Population to raise consciousness of the colossal threat that the unbridled, near exponential growth of absolute global human population numbers poses for all great and small living things on Earth in our time. His quixotic campaign focuses upon the best available science of human population dynamics and human overpopulation of the Earth in order to save the planet as a place fit for habitation by children everywhere. He can be reached at [email protected]'s Treyarch, and not series creators Infinity Ward, that will be setting the pace for the Call of Duty series.
According to Activision CEO Bobby Kotick, Treyarch's upcoming Cold War shooter Call of Duty: Black Ops is a roadmap to what the next five years worth of Call of Duty games will be like.
Speaking at the Deutsche Bank 2010 Technology Conference, Kotick said that Black Ops showed off both the visual style of future games, and how they stories and characters would be put together. Future releases would improve on the quality, and the games would become more cinematic, with more in-depth and "real" plots. He also said that Move and Kinect would allow the integration of motion and voice controls, bringing big changes to the gameplay.
But Kotick made it clear that new ideas would be added too, and mentioned the wager matches - four game modes in Black Ops that allow players to gamble in-game currency on their match performance - as an example of one area where the Call of Duty series was innovating. He also said that DLC was going to play a big part in the future of Call of Duty, and that Activision would be stepping up its release schedule for new content.
Without actually playing Black Ops it's hard to say whether its use as a template is good or bad. It certainly sounds good, but we'll have to wait and see. It's also going to be interesting to see what Infinity Ward or Sledgehammer do if Black Ops is going to |
Dumas writes….
“Racial Discrimination Commissioner Tim Soutphommasane branding [the game’s] hatred “unacceptable”. “It’s unacceptable to see such promotion of violence and hatred against Aboriginal people,” he said, adding that he encouraged people offended by the game to make an official complaint.”
Even the ABC chimed in [Update: Following the publication of this article the ABC recently updated their story to better reflect the status of the situation], yes the same ABC in Australia that lied about #GamerGate.
Unfortunately the game’s marketing in a screenshot that read “Beware of Aborigines” has been used against it and as a tagline to fuel further outrage by news media. It’s almost like Rockstar stating “Beware of cops” on a GTA V poster. Then again, Take-Two would likely use that as a selling point since poor media representation and misinformation have actually helped them make billions on the Grand Theft Auto brand.
Journalist Miriam Cosic admitted on Twitter that she didn’t play the game, do any research, or find out more about the game before joining the crusade to have it banned.
Miriam Cosic on Twitter @El_Buzz_O @Pikiran2ku Sure, why not? It brags about hunting them. Also basing my opinion on that of journos who have looked into it.
I can only imagine what they would do if the Bible was a new book on the market and a certain passage about stoning women was made the centerpiece of a smear campaign.
Nonetheless, following the New Matilda piece, Survival Island 3 appeared to be pulled from Google and Apple’s digital distribution services.
Apple told the Sydney Morning Herald that the app is no longer available on their store. You’ll get a redirect to the iTunes main store if you attempt to use the previous iTunes store listing, and if you attempt to go to Survival Island on Google Play the link says that it’s no longer available on the server.
Luckily I was able to catch an archive of when the app was available on their store from a Google listing, which displays the iTunes entry if you use the old app’s iTunes web address. The game is still available on Amazon’s page [backup] as of the writing of this article, but don’t expect it to stay up long now that the media has their narrative train moving full steam ahead.
Survival Island 3 originally launched back on December 15th, 2015 for $2.99 on iOS and Android devices. It’s a sequential entry in an open-world game series that follows the same concept of finding supplies, killing animals for food, and fighting off dangerous predators.
The previous entries in the series, such as Survival Island 2: Dinosaur Hunter, is still up and available on iTunes and Google.
I did reach out to the developer to ask them about the removal of the game from iTunes and Google, and if they choose to respond I’ll provide an update.
Basically, we’re seeing a narrative in the making here no different than what happened with #GamerGate, where the media have cooked up a panic based on misinformation. Yes, there are Aborigines in the game and yes they can be killed. The modifier worth noting is “can”, as in, a choice. It’s no different than choosing to kill cops or civilians in GTA V, or choosing to kill zombies or other humans in DayZ, or choosing to kill any and everyone in Fallout 4 and Skyrim.
It’s becoming frightening for the gaming industry, seeing as how lies from the media and the lack of fact checking can lead to a game being banned based on misconceptions.
And if we’re going to start pulling games because players can choose to kill certain NPCs in that game, we may as well start pulling every game where you can choose to kill a black person, an Asian person, a Hispanic person or a woman.Signup to receive a daily roundup of the top LGBT+ news stories from around the world
TV evangelist Franklin Graham said Canada’s fundamental freedoms have “suffered greatly” since introducing same-sex marriage ten years ago.
The preacher, who has previously approved of Russia’s treatment of gay people, said in a Facebook post: “Canada began federally mandating same-sex marriage in 2005. What’s happened since then?
“One result has been that freedom of speech, press, and religion have suffered greatly.
“If you say or write anything questioning same-sex marriage, you could face discipline, termination of employment, or prosecution by the government!
“We need to realize that if our Supreme Court makes same-sex marriage the law in the United States, we will be in the same boat.
“Will the next step be to ban us from speaking God’s truth from His Word about this issue?”
Mr Graham, who is the son of preacher Billy Graham, has previously said he agreed with Russian president Vladimir Putin’s attitude towards LGBT people and that he was doing what was “right for Russia”.
He said: “Putin is going to make these decisions that he thinks is best for the Russian people, and he thinks that taking advantage of children — exploiting children — is wrong for any group so they passed a law.
“So, I do agree with him.”
He has also responded to Pope Francis’s “who am I to judge” comments, saying that the Pope is “not the judge” on homosexuality.By Stephen Lendman
Kiev junta officials want war, not peace. They want illegitimate fascist rule hardened - with no recognized democratic pockets. Local autonomy is strictly forbidden despite mandated under Minsk ceasefire terms.
Rebel fighters continue showing good faith efforts for peace and stability. Despite obvious threats, they'll withdraw heavy weapons from frontline positions - in place to deter junta aggression.
A statement was issued saying "(t)o show our commitment to the Minsk agreements, we are ready to make the next step towards peace. For that, (we'll) pull back our units with tanks and armored vehicles, equipped with weapons under 100mm calibre, to at least three kilometres (1.9 miles) from the front line."
Withdrawal doesn't apply to several "problem areas." They include up to 12% of the ceasefire line. OSCE monitors were notified of what's planned.
In contrast, Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) military spokesman Eduard Basurin said multiple daily junta "ceasefire violation and criminal actions…speak for Kiev's buildup for active hostility." Attacks are intensifying.
Minsk terms required all heavy weapons withdrawn well behind frontline positions. Junta forces kept theirs in place - shifting positions to create the illusion of pullback. Rebels complied unilaterally until forced to act against Kiev aggression.
Escalated Saturday attacks were heavier than more recent ones. DPR's Defense Ministry reported 44 junta ceasefire violations in the last 24 hours. Shelling was intense, it said.
A Donetsk hospital was targeted - at least one death and several injuries reported, including a doctor. Central city civilian neighborhoods were shelled. Damage cut off water in some city areas. A gas pipeline was struck. Basurin said:
"Residential buildings have been hit...DNR emergency services are on their way to the shelling site, fires have broken out there."
Ukrainian forces continue shelling rebel held areas, he explained. RT International correspondent Murad Gazdiev called weekend attacks "unprecedented in recent times" - perhaps indicating greater aggression to come.
"Deafening explosions in the center of Donetsk" were heard, he said. "(A)mbulances and fire trucks (were) sent everywhere." Areas targeted had "nothing of military value" - just apartment blocks, shops, a hospital and school.
Other DPR areas struck included its airport (largely destroyed from previous fighting), Yasinovataya, Gorlovka, Spartak, Zheleznaya Balka, Krasny Partizan, Belaya Kamenka, Novaya Laspa and Shirokaya Balka settlements.
On Sunday, DPR Prime Minister Alexander Zakharchenko said "over 70,000 Ukrainian military mobilized along the line of engagement, and every day the number is growing" - more evidence junta officials want war, not peace.
DPR parliament Speaker Andrey Purgin called on BRICS countries to impose sanctions on Ukraine, its officials and enterprises for continuing aggression on Donbass.
"The Ukrainian armed forces continue massive artillery bombardments of the Donetsk and Luhansk republics destroying houses, hospitals and killing civilians daily," he said.
"I appeal to the BRICS leaders with a demand to impose sanctions against Ukrainian officials and companies involved in the terror of the people of Donbass."
"Poroshenko was rapidly approaching 'the point of no return' when no one could convince Donbass of Ukraine's (willingness) to negotiate (for peace)."
Constitutional amendments rammed through parliament violated Minsk. So-called debate excluded Donbass representation. Its rights were ignored.
Measures enacted were sent to Ukraine's constitutional court. Expect rubber-stamp approval to follow. Rogue states operate this way - including waging naked aggression on its own people rejecting illegitimate fascist rule.Start With the Finnish
Earlier this year, Finland launched a pilot program to test a universal basic income (UBI) policy by giving 2,000 of its citizens €560 ($624) every month for two years.
This program is dramatically different from traditional safety net systems. The payments are completely unconditional, and recipients can spend the money however they want. They are not required to prove they are actively looking for work, and even if they find employment, they will not lose their income from the UBI program.
Five months into the program, organizers are starting to see some promising results. One participant in the program told The Economist that he is now actively seeking work and feels less stressed. Of course, this one anecdotal example cannot speak for the whole of the program, which is still in its infancy, but it is encouraging.
Global Incubators
In anticipation of the rise of automation, other UBI programs are being tested all around the world.It turns out, movie theaters will continue to be a part of the many offerings at Mall of America, after all.
And the sequel, or the next iteration of them, promises a snazzy "VIP" experience with oversized reclining chairs and swivel tables, "gourmet" food options from a chef and an assortment of wines and handcrafted cocktails from a mixologist.
CMX, a subsidiary of Mexico City-based Cinemex, is building a 64,000 square-foot movie theater complex on the fourth floor in the same space previously occupied by the mall-operated theaters that closed last month.
At the time, officials at the Bloomington megamall were tight-lipped about the "first-to-market entertainment venue" that would replace the cinemas and said more details would be forthcoming.
The new theaters, which will include about 1,110 seats in 14 rooms, are slated to open this fall after nine months of construction.
The upscale features reflect a trend toward upgraded amenities to appeal to consumers who can watch movies from the comfort of their home via on-demand and streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu.
CMX main bar rendering
"Our theater in Mall of America, the most iconic shopping mall and one of the most visited tourist attractions in the U.S., is a prime location for CMX as we continue our aggressive and strategic U.S. development," Jaime Rionda, CEO of CMX, said in a statement.
The new venue will offer a "premium large-format room" with an extra-large screen and a high-tech sound system. The recliners will also have dim LED lights and storage compartments for purses and shopping bags. Moviegoers will also be able to order food and tickets in advance through the CMX app.
Cinemex is the sixth largest movie theater chain in the world with more than 300 locations. It also is opening a location in Miami as part of the new Brickell City Centre mall.
The mall's fourth floor, targeted for adult nightlife and entertainment, has become popular with international firms. Last month, a 40,000-square-foot attraction called Smaash with a multilevel go-cart track and virtual reality and video games. It also has a restaurant and a bar.
Other tenants on the mall's top floor include Rick Bronson's House of Comedy, Hooters, Cantina #1, Dick's Last Resort and Sky Deck Sports Grille and Lanes.
"Our guests will be pleasantly surprised by the CMX cinema — it will exceed all of their expectations," said Jill Renslow, the mall's senior vice president of marketing and business development. "We always strive to offer the latest, most innovative concepts to our guests at MOA and CMX is unlike anything currently offered in the market."Lot Details
Description: 1971 Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser. Vin # FJ40087021. Mileage reads 94,503 original miles. 6 cylinder, 3.9 liter, straight 6, F2 engine with 3 speed manual transmission on the floor. Recent tune up includes oil change and filter, plugs and wires, new coolant, etc. Meticulously maintained, runs and drives excellent. Brand new brakes include new booster, cylinders, lines and shoes. Stops perfectly. New clutch slave, master and lines, HEI distributor and new battery last year. Custom cold air intake with new specter off road air filter. All 5 original wheels and hubcaps with brand new 31 X 10.5 BF Goodrich Mud-Terrain T/A Radial tires mounted on them (spare too) less than 100 miles ago. Repainted it's original color Toyota # 416 ("Dune Beige") a few years ago, inside and out. Excellent body (no dents, rust or bondo anywhere). All gauges, lights wipers and washer work as they should. All doors, locks and windows work as they should. Headliner and seats (front and rear) are in excellent condition. No rips or tears anywhere. Dune Beige Herculiner. Toyota AM/FM Cassette/CD Stereo with 2, 3-way speakers. Original Con-Ferr Inc. Safari Rack with 4 halogen off road lights, shovel, axe and hi-lift jack. All unused and in new condition. Also comes with the original jack, hubcap wrench and bar. Hard top comes off. Comes with Bikini top and 2 half doors. Windshield folds down onto hood pads (see pics). Two brand new Wavian Jerry cans with locking holders (comes with pour spout). Warn front locking hubs, 4X4 works as it should. Period correct Warn 8274 winch with remote. Works perfectly. Fog lights, spot lights and off road lights (have covers for them all). Four brand new shocks, spring bushings and steering stabilizer. Frame and undercarriage were sprayed with rubberized sound deadening/rust proofing coat when painted. Header to 2 1/2" exhaust all the way out the back. 2" receiver with 4 prong light adapter on rear bumper. Massive extra parts come with this vehicle: (see photos). Original exhaust manifold, starter, 2 alternators, original distributor, coil and wires, original bumper ( in pristine condition), original utility light that plugs in under the dash (works), 2 carbs, original steering stabilizer, washer bottle, brake lines, 8 brand new shoes and wheel cylinder kits, extra steering wheel, new air cleaner for stock air cleaner assembly, new and original fuel filters, rear plate for tow ball, rear bumper step, brand new helper springs, never installed, 2 new belts, 2 new shock boots, extra fan, extra seat belts, etc....and more. Comes with the original owner's manual, maintenance and warranty manual, and a Toyota F engine repair manual. To watch the video, click on the Video tab next to the Photo Tab above. Please contact Doug at 530-333-3399 with any questions or to make an appointment to preview the 1971 Toyota FJ40. For information on how to create an account and/or how to bid on Government Liquidation, please call 480-367-1300. We encourage you to come out and see the vehicle at the location. Bidding closes at 2:00 pm Pacific time. California buyers will be registered at the site. Out of state buyers will receive a clear Oregon title to complete transfer in their home state. An onsite shipping coordinator can assist you after the purchase of your vehicle at no charge. Please call (530) 820-3348 for any shipping related questions.Political activist Greg Peterson was charged Monday with sexually assaulting yet another woman at his Utah cabin where he hosted events for some of the biggest names in Republican politics there.
Prosecutors in Wasatch County, Utah charged Peterson, 37, with forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony, for a 2010 incident involving a woman he brought back to the cabin, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.Meanwhile, Peterson was scheduled on Tuesday morning to appear in court in Salt Lake City for the start of a two-day preliminary hearing, where a judge will determine if there is enough evidence to move forward in a case involving four other women who have accused him of sexually assaulting them since March 2011.
Salt Lake County prosecutor Joseph Hill told TPM recently that the women who have accused Peterson of rape and other sexual attacks were expected to testify at this week’s hearing. Peterson has pleaded not guilty in the case. His attorneys have said he has been falsely accused.
Peterson was heavily active in Republican circles in Utah. He hosted events at his cabin in Heber, Utah, where some of the top politicians in the state were guests. That included Sens. Mike Lee and Orrin Hatch, Gov. Gary Herbert and Rep. Jason Chaffetz. He also co-chaired a fundraiser for presidential candidate Mitt Romney in 2007 in Park City, Utah.
In the most recent case, the woman said Peterson took her to his cabin for lunch in April 2010. There, according to the Salt Lake Tribune, he allegedly exposed his genitals to her and tried to force her to touch him. The woman was able to make him stop when she placed her hand on the holster of her gun, the newspaper reported.
In the other cases, Peterson was accused of kidnapping women he dated and taking them to his cabin in Heber, where he then raped them. In one incident, prosecutors alleged, he found out the woman was an immigrant living in the U.S. on an expired visa and threatened to have her deported if she didn’t do what he wanted.1 » For Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Percy Harvin, Super Bowl XLVIII will be just the third game he has played in all season long. Though he has totaled just 19 snaps, four receptions and 38 yards (along with one carry for nine yards), Harvin is seen by many as a potential X-factor for Seattle in its duel with the Denver Broncos. Tom Pelissero of USA Today opined Saturday that Harvin will wind up being the game’s Most Valuable Player, and history can certainly back up that proclamation. During the 2007 BCS Championship, Harvin scored a touchdown and totaled 82 yards on 11 touches. He also happened to be the Florida Gators’ leading pass catcher that day both in receptions (nine) and yards (60). Two years later, Harvin likely would have been the 2009 BCS Championship’s Most Outstanding Player had it not been for quarterback Tim Tebow’s performance. In that game, Harvin returned from an ankle injury to amass 170 total yards and a touchdown. He once again had team-highs of nine receptions and 121 receiving yards in the contest. Harvin is listed at 18-to-1 to win Super Bowl MVP honors with an over/under of 51.5 receiving yards and 1.6-to-1 odds of scoring a touchdown. Would you really bet against him?
2 » Denver Broncos WR Andre Caldwell signed up to catch passes from QB Peyton Manning but did not get much of an opportunity to do that last season. He was moved from No. 3 receiver to the bench and barely got on the field. Even in 2013, Caldwell only caught five passes through the first 14 weeks of the season before exploding on Dec. 12 with six receptions for 59 yards and his team’s only two touchdowns in a 27-20 loss to San Diego. He has seen more snaps with each passing game and now has the opportunity to play for a championship. “We have so much talent in the receiving corps, I’m the forgotten man,” Caldwell told CBSSports.com during Super Bowl Media Day on Thursday. “It’s humbling, but it makes me work a little harder. People forget about me on Media Day and during the game, but it just makes me work hard. But I prepare like I’m a starter anyway. I know when my opportunities come, I have to make them so people don’t forget about me.” He added: “This is something I couldn’t have imagined. I was fighting for my career and now I’m in the Super Bowl. And I’m actually playing.”
3 » Though Harvin and Caldwell have dealt with their share of adversity this season, Broncos defensive end Jeremy Mincey has also had an up-and-down 2013 campaign. Late to numerous meetings while with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Mincey was listed as inactive for consecutive weeks, returned to the field in a victory effort and then got cut the following week. Former Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio, now defensive coordinator with the Broncos, picked him up – and now he’s playing in the Super Bowl. “I didn’t think I’d be here this year, but I’m here now,” he said last Tuesday, according to the Florida Times-Union. “I’m just enjoying the moment. It’s a blessing. … I didn’t expect to actually be in the mix the way I am, but [Denver] threw me in the fire. I responded, and we’re here. … I’m just trying to bust my butt and make every play.” Take action on the game from both sides at SportsBettingDime.com.
4 » If Gators fans need more reasons than simply Harvin being on the roster to root for the Seahawks, here are two: defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and defensive assistant Marquand Manuel. Quinn, Florida’s first defensive coordinator under head coach Will Muschamp, helped bring together one of the best defenses in the nation during consecutive seasons (2011-12). Manuel, the only member of Seattle’s roster or coaching staff who has participated in a Super Bowl, is a former Gators cornerback who was a sixth-round selection in the 2002 NFL Draft and played for six teams over eight seasons. He actually got injured eight minutes into the second quarter of Super Bowl XL, which the Seahawks ultimately lost 21-10 to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and was unable to return to the game. Less than a full quarter later, Manuel saw his replacement give up a 75-yard touchdown, a moment that has haunted him ever since. “It always sat with me,” he told the Associated Press. “It always sat with me that if I ever had the opportunity – and that’s what I try and instill to the players is – take advantage of it because its’ been eight years and I’m just getting back and it’s not promised to anybody.”
Extra BIT » Rookie linebacker Lerentee McCray was signed as an undrafted free agent by Denver and given a contract that indicated the Broncos had every intention of keeping him through training camp. In fact, McCray was turning heads in Denver before going down with a serious ankle injury and getting ruled out for the season before the 2013 campaign could even begin.WKRN has a story about a proposed development around Fort Negley:
On Tuesday, we heard from a developer who has big plans for the empty property: a multi-purpose complex called Nashville Adventure Park. The proposal includes senior living, luxury apartments, townhomes, affordable housing, a farmer’s market at the stadium, artisan retail and studios, restaurants, a hotel, and a wide variety of sports offerings.
If you imagine the hill that the main part of the fort sits on as an egg yolk, this development would be like the egg white, seeming to completely surround the fort, except for where the Adventure Science Center sits.
In other words, the old Catholic Cemetery and the large City Cemetery annexes that the Union opened during the Civil War would all be gone. And, fine, they’re supposed to be empty anyway, but if I were a developer, I’d put a line in my budget for dead parts removal.
More disturbingly and more tragically, this development sits on the site of the contraband camp, the home of thousands of black refugees during the Civil War. As Zada Law pointed out two years ago, there’s been virtually no archaeology done at any contraband camp in Tennessee.
We’ve already irretrievably lost whatever was under the Adventure Science Center, but a lot remains relatively undisturbed. Even the parts under the parking lot are just under a parking lot. We have not yet screwed up a crucial bit of Nashville’s African American history, even if we haven’t bothered to explore it like we should. But if we let developers have it, then that history will be lost. Sure, some archaeologists could come in and do history triage to try to learn as much as they could before it’s torn up, but the Civil War isn’t that far down in the ground. We will lose it.
And frankly, how much more of our Civil War history do we have to lose? We already put I-440 on top of the Confederate line and built a city on the battlefield. One of the most important battles of the Civil War and we let Franklin and Murfreesboro be the tourist destinations while we metaphorically kick the rug over what’s left of our Civil War sites.
Shame on us if we let this development happen. Shame on us if we knowingly let this history slip away.Tony Dighera was working long hours, losing sleep and running low on money. But the organic farmer from California had a Great Pumpkin Dream. The dream was to grow pumpkins into shapes, using molds, and become rich harvesting the Frankenfruit and selling it for top dollar.
"I couldn't make it work," he said. "I tried everything, and it would not work, to the point where I was ready to give up."
Four years of trial and error with different molds and dozens of pumpkin varieties had Dighera exasperated, but he had one more idea. "I wanted to try just to see if it would make a difference, and it did," he said. "I knew I had it."
Dighera told us this a year ago, when we first met him at his Cinagro Farms (Cinagro is "organic" spelled backward).
© CNBC A "Pumpkinstein" at Cinagro Farms.
He showed us his "Pumpkinsteins," real pumpkins that look like Frankenstein. "These we are selling for $100, and they're about 95 percent sold.... I've got people from Dubai calling me to order these things." He also displayed watermelons grown into the shapes of hearts or cubes.
After CNBC profiled Dighera's Pumpkinsteins, other reporters followed. He even landed on the front page of The New York Times.
It's been quite a year.
"Let me tell you, it's something I never expected," Dighera said during our recent return to his farm. He was there meeting with representatives of Sam's Club, who heard about the Pumpkinsteins last year and emailed him. "I've got to be honest, originally, I just kind of blew it off," the farmer said. After all, Cinagro was producing a manageable number of pumpkins for top dollar, "and I just didn't think it was a fit."
Sam's Club, however, was persistent. The Wal-Mart (WMT) subsidiary finding itself in the unusual position of having to sell itself to a client rather than the other way around. Dighera finally relented. He said he realized that a large partner could help him scale his business. "I've got a lot of other ideas I want to do."
"It aligns with a lot of different items that we have," said Russ Mounce, head of floral and produce for Sam's Club, who admits his first reaction to seeing a Pumpkinstein was, "Is it real?"
Mounce said Sam's Club specializes in treasure hunts for unique items, like grapes it recently sold that taste like cotton candy. However, they were not going to sell Pumpkinsteins for Dighera's normal price.
"They're not going to be $100, they're going to be less than $30 at Sam's Club this year," said Mounce. "We want a sustainable program." Dighera agreed to the lower price, believing it will make his products a Halloween staple. "If you price it too high, the people in that category will buy it obviously, just because it's unique, but I think it will quickly fade."
Even so, Dighera does not have an exclusive deal with Sam's yet, so this year he is still able to sell Pumpkinsteins in other chains at higher prices. That's if he can meet demand. Last year, Cinagro produced about 5,000 Pumpkinsteins. This year? "We've got orders for probably close to 90,000." To meet that goal, Dighera has begged and borrowed for more land. He has also contracted out to other farmers, giving them his molds and paying them $11 a pumpkin.
There are even failures that turned into successes. Some workers didn't securely lock both sides of a mold together last year, and the back fell off. What remained was a pumpkin with a Frankenstein face surrounded by a cloud of orange. It was such a hit Dighera started doing that on purpose. He might even try to do something with Pumpkinsteins that exploded inside molds during a massive heat wave. "They literally explode," he said. "You'll be on the other side of the field, and you'll hear it." The result is a pumpkin that looks like Frankenstein as a zombie.
Dighera is also working on a white pumpkin next year that will grow inside a skull mold, and he hopes to find a large enough greenhouse to grow his heart-shaped watermelons for Valentine's Day. He's also trying to ride the kale wave with kale croutons, bread, and what may be his most over-the-top idea so far, chocolate kale kids cereal. "Believe it or not, it's phenomenal."
It doesn't sound phenomenal, but Dighera isn't one to give up, and now he's finally making money. "It's made it a lot easier to sleep at night," he said. "It's starting to become fun."Al Jazeera / AP Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden has claimed responsibility for the failed bombing of a Northwest airliner on Christmas. That's not surprising, but what should be is that it took him nearly a month to do so. Either it took all of that time for news of the plan to reach him, or he's lying. And if he's lying, we need to consider that the man is completely irrelevant.
And why would bin Laden claim credit for a failed attack? The point of terrorism is to carry out your threats that's what terrifies people. Take Lebanon's Hizballah, an organization whose early days were steeped in terrorism: it made a point of never botching an attack, bombing or kidnapping. So when Hizballah said it was not going to stop until it drove the West out of Lebanon, that threat carried a lot of weight. And the credibility of Hizballah's threat convinced U.S. President Ronald Reagan that Lebanon was lost, which prompted him to withdraw the Marines who were stationed there. In the Middle East, this is not stale history; and it's a history that bin Laden certainly hasn't forgotten. (See pictures of the life of Osama bin Laden.)
The last major successful attack laid at the doorstep of al-Qaeda occurred nearly five years ago the 2005 bombings on London's mass-transit system. But even in that instance, no one is certain that al-Qaeda was behind it. All we know is that the plot was somehow hatched in Pakistan, but the identity of the mastermind remains a matter of conjecture. Al-Qaeda certainly never provided proof that it had either foreknowledge or control of the attack.
The same is true for the Northwest Airlines bombing attempt: there's not a shred of evidence that bin Laden's al-Qaeda had anything to do with it. And the fact that bin Laden in his statement provided no inside detail of the attack pretty much says he wasn't involved. The Northwest attempt was homegrown, the would-be suicide bomber recruited in either Nigeria or Britain, the explosive device made in Yemen. His handlers call themselves al-Qaeda in Yemen, but there's no evidence that this group takes orders from the al-Qaeda leadership in Pakistan's tribal belt. (See pictures of Osama bin Laden's family.)
Bin Laden's example may have been an inspiration for the Northwest attempt, but so what? If he didn't exist, there would be any number of historical figures who could be held up as inspiration, from the Prophet Muhammad to the four caliphs that followed him. It's little different from the extremists at Waco, Texas, who claimed their lunacy was inspired by Jesus Christ.
None of this is to say homegrown terrorism isn't a danger. Take, for instance, the firing device that nearly brought the Northwest plane down. It was a chemical initiator, four common chemicals that progressively speed up the detonation. Any competent chemist can build one. Only small quantities of the chemicals are needed, and they can be easily smuggled through airport security. As for the explosive used in the Christmas attempt, PETN, it's everywhere and difficult to detect with the current airport-security systems.
The Christmas Day bombing attempt tells us that anybody, anywhere can wage war on the U.S., with or without promoting or invoking bin Laden's name. But with each failure of al-Qaeda's, and with the mess al-Qaeda has left in Afghanistan and Pakistan, it should be clearer to the world that it's time to get over bin Laden and start dealing with more serious problems.
See pictures of the U.S. Marines' offensive in Afghanistan.A Spanish court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials for their role in the 2010 attack on the Freedom Flotilla heading to Gaza, local media reported on Friday.
Euro-Mid Observer for Human Rights said that the Supreme Court in Madrid ordered the arrest of ex-foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman, ex-defence minister Ehud Barak, the then-deputy prime ministers Moshe Ya’alon and Eli Yishai, and former state minister Benny Begin, as well as Netanyahu. It also ordered the arrest of Israeli Navy Commander Eliezer Marom, who is among the co-defendants found guilty by the Spanish judge.
Also Read: Is the Mavi Marmara trial political expediency or a real quest for justice?
According to YaniSafak website, the investigation into this case was launched after Spanish activists on board the main vessel in the flotilla, the Turkish-registered Mavi Marmara, filed a criminal complaint against Israeli officials involved in the raid. YaniSafak said that in June a Spanish court dropped a five-year-old investigation into the raid, but it left open the possibility that the case could be reopened if the specified Israeli officials visited Spain.
Although the case was sent to the Supreme Court, continuous Israeli pressure slowed down the investigations. Nevertheless, said the Spanish news website, the judge has sent the list of defendants to the Spanish police, demanding the start of the legal process to issue a red notice for their arrest.
Israeli naval commandos killed nine Turkish peace activists, including one with dual American citizenship, and injured dozens more on board the Gaza-bound Mavi Marmara. Spanish activists also took part in the flotilla, which was attempting to break Israel’s illegal blockade of the territory.
In Photos: Mavi Marmara attack remembered in GazaAfter reflecting upon the recent articles I have written where I have defended the new peer-to-peer currency called Bitcoin from attacks by gold standard advocates, I feel it is time stop taking a defensive role and make a few offensive jabs at the much vaunted gold standard.
In my articles I have spent a lot of time comparing the economics of how gold operates as a currency to how Bitcoin operates as a currency. In the course of comparing the currencies, I was struck by a problem with the gold standard that was so obvious, yet so damning, I felt it deserved its own article. I hope to hear a response from some well versed gold standard advocates on this issue.
The problem is not a new one, but it is a problem that I have never in all my years heard a satisfactory answer to. The problem is quite simple, so here it is:
When gold is represented by something, what prevents arbitrary replication of that “thing”?
The law? Who is the law? Aren’t laws arbitrary creations by some governing body? If that body has the authority to make arbitrary replication of money products illegal, then it stands to reason it also must have the power to make counterfeiting legal.
Throughout history, hasn’t that been the historic fault of the gold standard? Hasn’t history been abundantly clear that as soon as paper receipts for gold are used as money, those paper receipts inevitably become monopolized by State actors, leading to their eventual arbitrary replication at the hands of the criminal class?
Don’t the bankers who issue the receipts have a massive incentive to cheat the system and issue more receipts than they actually have in gold reserves? Doesn’t the State have a massive incentive to allow such legalized counterfeiting? Has not history made it clear that those who have the power to issue money always and inevitably come to dominate the rest of society?
Baron Nathan Mayer Rothschild once said,
“I care not what puppet is placed on the throne of England to rule the Empire, …The man that controls Britain’s money supply controls the British Empire. And I control the money supply.”
Rothschild wasn’t talking about minting gold coins for use in barter; he was talking about paper receipts. The incentive to issue more paper than specie is more massive than any other kind of fraud imaginable. If one had the ability to manufacture paper that people treat in the same way they treat a gold coin, the urge to inflate would be more powerful than even an angel could bear.
I’m reminded of a statement Milton Friedman once made concerning greed as he was addressing Phil Donahue on his talk show. Friedman said, “You know I think you are taking a lot of things for granted, just tell me where in the world you will find these angels who are going to organize society for us? I don’t even trust you to do that.”
I would argue that there is NO solution to this problem. Changing the structure of government, eliminating the State, enforcement of fraud laws, and other such measures ultimately can not prevent a private bank from engaging in this kind of fraud. Indeed, history has shown us that bankers routinely buy the law and were instrumental in creating the modern State.
R |
United Nations call for help for the people affected by the earthquake, Canada pledged an additional C$60 million in aid on 19 January 2010, bringing Canada's total contribution to C$135 million.[219] By 8 February 2010, the federal International Co-operation Department, through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), had already provided about C$85 million in humanitarian aid through UN agencies, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and to organizations such as CARE, Médecins du Monde, Save the Children, Oxfam Quebec, the Centre for International Studies and co-operation, and World Vision.[220] On 23 January 2010, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that the federal government had lifted the limit on the amount of money allocated for matching individual donations to relief efforts,[221] and that the federal government would continue to match individual donations until 12 February 2010; by the deadline, Canadians had privately raised C$220 million.[222] On top of matching donations, International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda pledged an additional C$290 million in long-term relief to be spent between 2010 and 2012, including C$8 million in debt relief to Haiti, part of a broader cancellation of the country's overall World Bank debt.[222] The government's commitment to provide C$550 million in aid and debt relief and Canadians' individual donations amount to a total of C$770 million.[223]
South Korea's National Rescue Services team
In addition to Canada's federal government, the governments of several of the provinces and territories of Canada also announced that they would provide immediate emergency aid to Haiti.[224][225][226] On 18 January 2010, the province of Quebec, whose largest city – Montreal – houses the world's largest Haitian diaspora, pledged C$3 million in emergency aid.[227] Both the provincial government of Quebec and the Canadian federal government reaffirmed their commitment to rebuilding Haiti at the 2010 Francophonie Summit; Prime Minister Harper used his opening speech to "tell the head of the Haitian delegation to keep up their spirits" and to urge other nations to continue to support recovery efforts.[228]
President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal offered interested Haitians free land in Senegal; depending on how many respond to the offer, this could include up to an entire region.[229]
A US mobile air traffic control tower is moved to Haiti by an Antonov An-124 Ruslan
Prime Minister Bellerive announced that from 20 January, people would be helped to relocate outside the zone of devastation, to areas where they may be able to rely on relatives or better fend for themselves; people who have been made homeless would be relocated to the makeshift camps created by residents within the city, where a more focused delivery of aid and sanitation could be achieved.[155] Port-au-Prince, according to an international studies professor at the University of Miami, was ill-equipped before the disaster to sustain the number of people who had migrated there from the countryside over the past ten years to find work.[230] After the earthquake, thousands of Port-au-Prince residents began returning to the rural towns they came from.[231]
On 25 January a one-day conference was held in Montreal to assess the relief effort and discuss further plans. Prime Minister Bellerive told delegates from 20 countries that Haiti would need "massive support" for its recovery from the international community. A donors' conference was expected to be held at the UN headquarters in New York in March,[215] however, took more than three months to hold the UN conference. The 26-member international Interim Haiti Reconstruction Commission, headed by Bill Clinton and Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive, convened in June 2010.[232] That committee is overseeing the US$5.3 billion pledged internationally for the first two years of Haiti's reconstruction.[233]
The commission was critiqued by Haitian groups for lacking Haitian civil society representation and accountability mechanisms. Half the representation on the commission was given to foreigners who effectively bought their seats by pledging certain amounts of money. An international development consultant contracted by the commission was quoted as saying, “Look, you have to realize the IHRC [commission] was not intended to work as a structure or entity for Haiti or Haitians. It was simply designed as a vehicle for donors to funnel multinationals’ and NGOs’ project contracts.”[234]
The Netherlands sponsored a project, called Radio555. The Dutch radio channels 3FM, Radio 538 and Radio Veronica all broadcast under the name of Radio555, funded by a contribution of €80 million.[235][236]
Several organizations of the US building industry and government, such as the Department of Homeland Security and the International Code Council, among others, reported that they were compiling a "Haiti Toolkit" coordinated by the National Institute of Building Sciences. The toolkit would comprise building technology resources and best practices for consideration by the Haitian government with the goal of creating a more resilient infrastructure to prevent future losses of life.[237]
Immediately following the earthquake, Real Medicine Foundation began providing medical staffing, in-kind medical supplies and strategic coordination to help meet the surging needs of the health crisis on the ground. Working in close partnership with other relief organizations, Real Medicine organized deployments of volunteer medical specialists to meet the needs of partner hospitals and clinics at the Haiti–Dominican Republic border and in Port-au-Prince, provided direct funding, medical supplies and pharmaceuticals to local health facilities and partner hospitals, provided advisory services and coordination to local health facilities, including physical therapy support, and coordinated mobile health outreaches, field clinics and food supplies to outlying villages overlooked in the relief effort.[238]
On 15 January 2011, the Catholic Relief Services announced a US$200 million, five-year relief and reconstruction program that covers shelter, health, livelihoods, and child protection among its program areas.[239]
Status of the recovery
Six months after the quake as much as 98% of the rubble remained uncleared. An estimated 26 million cubic yards (20 million cubic meters) remained, making most of the capital impassable,[236] and thousands of bodies remained in the rubble. The number of people in relief camps of tents and tarps since the quake was 1.6 million, and almost no transitional housing had been built. Most of the camps had no electricity, running water, or sewage disposal, and the tents were beginning to fall apart. Crime in the camps was widespread, especially against women and girls. Between 23 major charities, US$1.1 billion had been collected for Haiti for relief efforts, but only two percent of the money had been released.[240][241] According to a CBS report, US$3.1 billion had been pledged for humanitarian aid and was used to pay for field hospitals, plastic tarps, bandages, and food, plus salaries, transportation and upkeep of relief workers. By May 2010, enough aid had been raised internationally to give each displaced family a cheque for US$37,000.[242]
In July 2010, CNN returned to Port-au-Prince and reported, "It looks like the quake just happened yesterday", and Imogen Wall, spokeswoman for the United Nations office of humanitarian affairs in Haiti, said that "six months from that time it may still look the same."[243] Land ownership posed a particular problem for rebuilding because so many pre-quake homes were not officially registered. "Even before the national registry fell under the rubble, land tenure was always a complex and contentious issue in Haiti. Many areas of Port-au-Prince were settled either by tonton makout – Duvalier's death squads – given land for their service or by squatters. In many cases land ownership was never officially registered. Even if this logistical logjam were to be cleared, the vast majority of Port-au-Prince residents, up to 85%, did not own their homes before the earthquake."[244]
Haitian grassroots groups advocated for the government to fulfill the right to housing as designated in the Haitian constitution, and for donor governments to support this as well. They also worked to push the international community to recognize the wave of evictions from camps that started as early as three months after the earthquake and to put protections in place, but little was done in response.[245]
In September 2010 there were over one million refugees still living in tents, and the humanitarian situation was characterized as still being in the emergency phase, according to the Apostolic Nuncio to Haiti, Archbishop Bernard Auza. He went on to say that the number was rising instead of diminishing, and reported that the state had decided to first rebuild downtown Port-au-Prince and a new government center, but reconstruction had not yet begun.[246]
In October 2010, Refugees International characterized the aid agencies as dysfunctional and inexperienced saying,"The people of Haiti are still living in a state of emergency, with a humanitarian response that appears paralyzed". It was reported that gang leaders and land owners were intimidating the displaced and that sexual, domestic, and gang violence in and around the camps was rising.[247] They claimed that rape of Haitian women and girls who had been living in camps since the January earthquake was increasing, in part, because the United Nations wasn't doing enough to protect them.[248]
In October, a cholera epidemic broke out, probably introduced by foreign aid workers. Cholera most often affects poor countries with limited access to clean water and proper sanitation. By the end of 2010, more than 3,333 had died at a rate of about 50 deaths a day.[249]
2011
In January 2011, one year after the quake, Oxfam published a report on the status of the recovery. According to the report, relief and recovery were at a standstill due to government inaction and indecision on the part of the donor countries. The report stated:
"One year on, only five percent of the rubble has been cleared and only 15 percent of the required basic and temporary houses have been built. House building on a large scale cannot be started before the enormous amount of rubble is cleared. The government and donors must prioritize this most basic step toward helping people return home".[250]
Robert Fox, executive director of Oxfam Canada, said:
"The dysfunction has been aided unabated by the way the international community has organized itself, where pledges have been made and they haven't followed through [and] where they come to the table with their own agendas and own priorities. Most donors provided funds for transitional housing but very little money for clearing rubble or repairing houses". Fox said that in many instances rubble removal "means it was [moved] off someone's property onto the road in front of the property".[251][252]
According to a UNICEF report, "Still today more than one million people remain displaced, living in crowded camps where livelihoods, shelter and services are still hardly sufficient for children to stay healthy".[253] Amnesty International reported that armed men were preying with impunity on girls and women in displacement camps, worsening the trauma of victims who have lost homes, livelihoods and loved ones.[254]
On the first anniversary of the earthquake, Haitian-born Michaëlle Jean, who served as the Governor General of Canada at the time of the disaster, and who became United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Special Envoy for Haiti on 8 November 2010, voiced her anger at the slow rate of aid delivery. She blamed the international community for abandoning its commitments. In a public letter co-authored with UNESCO head Irina Bokova, Jean said, "As time passes, what began as a natural disaster is becoming a disgraceful reflection on the international community."[255] The Interim Haiti Recovery Commission, led by former US President Bill Clinton and Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive, had been set up to facilitate the flow of funds toward reconstruction projects in April 2010, but as of January 2011, no major reconstruction had started.[250]
2012
In January 2012, two years since the quake, figures released by the United Nations show that of the nearly US$4.5 billion pledged for reconstruction projects in 2010 and 2011, only 43% has been delivered.[256] Venezuela and the US, which promised the major share of reconstruction funds, have disbursed only 24% and 30%, respectively. Japan and Finland are among the few donors to have fully met their pledges. The data shows that some crucial sectors face particularly large funding gaps. In 2010 and 2011, for example, donors disbursed just US$125 million of the US$311 million in grants allocated to agriculture projects, and only US$108 million of the US$315 million in grants allocated to health projects. Only 6% of bilateral aid for reconstruction projects has gone through Haitian institutions, and less than 1% of relief funding has gone through the government of Haiti.[257]
A January 2012 Oxfam report said that a half a million Haitians remained homeless, still living under tarps and in tents.[258] Watchdog groups have criticized the reconstruction process saying that part of the problem is that charities spent a considerable amount of money on "soaring rents, board members' needs, overpriced supplies and imported personnel," the Miami Herald reported. "A lot of good work was done; the money clearly didn't all get squandered," but, "A lot just wasn't responding to needs on the ground. Millions were spent on ad campaigns telling people to wash their hands. Telling them to wash their hands when there's no water or soap is a slap in the face."[256]
The Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti, Let Haiti Live, and the Center For Constitutional Rights have recommended immediate changes to recovery efforts to ensure that critical human rights concerns are addressed. A report found that, "The conditions in the displaced persons camps are abysmal, particularly for women and girls who too often are victims of gender‐based violence". They call for more oversight of accountability of reconstruction plans, asking, "Why have only 94,000 transitional shelters been built to date despite a stated goal of 125,000 in the first year?"[259]
On 25 August 2012, recovery was hampered due to Tropical Storm Isaac impacting Haiti's southern peninsula. There it caused flooding and 29 deaths according to local reporting. As a result of the 2010 earthquake, more than 400,000 Haitians continue to live in tents and experienced the storm without adequate shelter.[260][261] In late October, with over 370,000 still living in tent camps, a second tropical storm, Hurricane Sandy, killed 55 and left large portions of Haiti under water.[262]
At the 2012 Consultative Group meeting of the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), the Haitian delegation shared a "bottom-up" approach to disaster reduction and management based on community integration and sustainable development with a group of experts from approximately 38 nations.[263]
2013
According to the International Monetary Fund, more than half of the 10,000,000 cubic metres (13,000,000 cu yd) of debris have been removed, and 20% of it has been recycled.[264]
The 2010 cholera outbreak has continued. According to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention it is considered the worst epidemic of cholera since the 1994 outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (called Zaire at that time).[265] By August 2013, it had killed over 8,231 Haitians and hospitalized hundreds of thousands more.[clarification needed] More than 6% of Haitians have had the disease. Care of cholera patients remains inadequate with much now done in tent facilities with rows of cots for patient treatment.[264][266] The United Nations peace keeping force, widely believed responsible for the cholera outbreak,[267] continues to refuse to accept responsibility,[268] however, they have launched a $2.2 billion initiative to combat cholera and the construction of a $17 million teaching hospital in Mirebalais which will employ 800 Haitians and treat 185,000 people.[269][270]
By the beginning of the year only a small part—$215 million—of the total funds collected for aid had been spent on permanent housing, with most of it—$1.2 billion—going for short-term solutions including tent camps, temporary shelters, and cash grants that paid a year's rent.[264] A 2013 survey disclosed that of the 1.5 million Haitians living in camps following the quake, about 279,000 remained in a total of 352 camps. 15% of the camps had no basic protection services,[clarification needed] and 48% no health services.[clarification needed] While 20% lacked functioning toilets, this is higher than the population outside tent cities, where 50% lack toilets.[266] Many camps remained at a risk for flooding and more than a third of the camps (108) were at risk for evictions.[271] In a 2013 statement, the American Red Cross reported that almost all of the money collected for quake relief has been spent or is scheduled for making progress permanent by ensuring people can leave camps and return to stable communities, which includes building new homes, repairing homes, completing a new hospital and clinic, and signing an agreement for a second hospital.[272]
2015
In 2015, NPR and ProPublica investigated the disappearance of US$500 million donated to the American Red Cross for earthquake relief, earlier described by the charity as the result of "one of the most successful fundraisers ever". Despite the claims of the American Red Cross that 130,000 homes had been built, the investigation discovered that only six had been built. The investigation reviewed "hundreds" of pages of internal documents and interviewed "more than a dozen" former and current staff members, investigating the organization's claim that 4.5 million Haitians had been helped "back on their feet." Joel Boutroue, a Haitian government advisor, said that this number would cover "100 percent of the urban area", and observed that it would mean the Red Cross had served every city in Haiti. Numerous other claims did not hold up under investigation. NPR found that the project was riddled with "multiple staffing changes", bureaucratic delays and a language barrier, as many of the Red Cross officials spoke neither French nor Haitian Creole. General counsel for the American Red Cross, David Meltzer, provided investigators with the NGO's official statistics, but would not elaborate on them. The public affairs office of the Red Cross disputed NPR and ProPublica's claims in an email, and claimed that their investigative report could cause an international incident. By June the American Red Cross had transferred the rebuilding efforts to the Haitian Red Cross.[273]
2016
In 2016 Haiti was struck by Hurricane Matthew which leveled entire communities and caused an upsurge in the ongoing cholera epidemic which was introduced to the island by United Nation aide workers.[274] As of March 2017, around 7% of Haiti's population (around 800,665 people) have been affected with cholera, and 9,480 Haitians have died.
2017
In 2017, the United Nations reported that 2.5 million Haitians were still in need of humanitarian aid. U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator Mourad Wahba said, “There are still about 55,000 people in camps and makeshift camps. Many are still living in unsanitary conditions due to displacement caused by the earthquake. We have a very long way to go.” [274]
In literature
The Haiti 2010 earthquake has been depicted in the novel God Loves Haiti, by Dimitry Elias Léger.[275]
See also
References
Further readingPolice and protesters stand off in Charlotte over a shooting that left one man dead. Via The Charlotte Observer, Jeff Siner [email protected].
Over Tuesday, Sept. 20, and Wednesday, Sept. 21, the world changed for me. Lying in my bed in the relative safety of my New Orleans apartment, I watched my home town become something entirely different than the place I thought it was. But this shift was not because something new had come to Charlotte; no, it was because something very old had finally broken to the surface.
Horrible darkness gripped my heart as I watched Facebook Live videos of my dear childhood friends taking part in protests that became riots. I saw my friends get tear-gassed. I saw them shot by rubber bullets. I saw them run from police officers in full riot gear while the only meager protection my loved ones had was their dark skin.
I’ve heard different accounts of how the riots started. Police authorities claim that it was the protestors who became violent. Protesters who were present insist that the gathering was peaceful until police officers began to use force. Whatever the trigger, nothing changes the fact of the violence that occurred in Charlotte on those two nights after the shooting death of Keith LaMont Scott by a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer. The question—why?—is not a question of the immediate trigger, but rather the long-term, systemic issues that have for decades, even centuries, led up to this moment in our town.
As LGBTQ people and allies, the readers of qnotes have some notion of systemic injustice. I have personally covered developments in the fight against HB2, North Carolina’s “bathroom bill” that discriminates against transgender people. I have also read much of the NC legislature’s other discriminatory rhetoric, including a recent voter-ID bill that the Supreme Court of the U.S. struck down because it “target[s] African Americans with almost surgical precision.”
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Both communities, LGBTQ and people of color (POC), have first-hand experience of legal discrimination in the very recent past or present of North Carolina.
Both LGBTQ and POC know what it is to be openly regarded as less-than, as unworthy of basic rights like voting and taking a pee.
This is not to mention that many people who identify as LGBTQ are also POC.
Our communities are inextricably linked. One of the friends whose protest videos I watched identifies as a gay black man. Another is a black LGBTQ ally. As I watched their fight for justice in the case of Keith Scott and so many others, I wondered how the white LGBTQ community would react to this horrific scenario. I wondered how I would, if I was a little less aware of my own privilege.
Wednesday night, full of passionate tension, I got into a discussion on Facebook about privilege with a white “friend” with whom I went to high school. He got very defensive when I implied that he was privileged, and that reaction made me reflect.
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“Privilege isn’t something to be ashamed of,” I wrote to him. “It is something to be used.”
I, myself, am highly privileged. Despite my Latinx roots, I look very white. Despite my pansexual identification, it happens that I date mostly cisgender men. I “pass” as white and straight on a daily basis, and because of that I have not dealt with the same discriminatory treatment, the same blatant hatred that so many LGBTQ and POC have to face on a daily basis.
Because I acknowledge my privilege, I am all the more determined to use it.
There are patterns of discrimination in this state and in this nation. There is discrimination everywhere in the world, of different types. But if we identify the patterns specific to our daily lives, we have to admit: the U.S. system of “justice” and “equality” excludes minorities. In a day and age where the North Carolina state legislature can pass two bills that blatantly discriminate against LGBTQ and POC citizens respectively, We the Privileged have to be willing to stand up.
I will stand. I will fight. I will use my voice and my privilege to call out injustice as I see it. I will participate in conversations with those of different views than I have. I will attend events and demonstrations for causes I believe in. In this time of conflict, passive acceptance is no longer an option. I urge you, the readers of qnotes, to do some thinking about where you stand in terms of privilege and in terms of activism. People of color need our support, just as we have needed and received theirs in our own causes.
Open the dialogue. Listen and learn. Take a stand.
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- - - advertisement - - -Pakistan on Thursday claimed that a leading Indian channel aired a “forged” interview of a Pakistani official in which he allegedly confirmed India’s surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the border. Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs alleged that CNN News18 has aired a “forged” interview of police officer of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir Ghulam Akbar, in which he has allegedly confirmed India’s surgical strikes.
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“The reporter impersonated himself as Inspector General Police Punjab,” the Ministry said in a statement. “Akbar has categorically denied having spoken over phone and that it is not even his voice on the recording run by the said Indian TV channel,” the Ministry said.
Pakistan strongly denounces Indian media’s “despicable” act of fraud of airing of a fake programme aimed at twisting and “fabricating stories for domestic political consumption”, the Ministry said.
“This is a clear indication that certain quarters in India are desperate to prove Indian false claim of surgical strike by ‘hook or by crook’, it said.
“We hope that CNN would take up the matter very seriously with the affiliate Indian TV channel and initiate action against the channel, as not doing so will be regarded as directly owning to this unethical and manipulative act. We reserve the right to take necessary legal action against the said TV channel,” the statement said.
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The news report of CNN News18 said that Akbar has admitted that surgical strikes did happen. Pakistan had rejected as “false” and “concocted” the Indian claim of surgical strikes within Pakistani territory following the Uri terror attack that killed 19 Indian soldiers last month.Greetings, backers, and happy summer 2017!
We thought it was high time we updated all of you on what we've been doing lately. We've been hard at work on Banner Saga 3, as well as supporting everyone jumping into PledgeManager to confirm their rewards (if you have not yet done so, please head in as soon as you can to finalize your pledge so we can order the correct number of rewards for you)!
Arnie has been hard at work making the final art for rewards like posters, t-shirts and album cover art! Check out the first pass at the vinyl LP sleeve art:
Draft Cover for Banner Saga 3 OST
News from the Team
Alex Thomas, co-founder of Stoic and co-creator of the Banner Saga, is back from working on his own game Killers and Thieves to work on Banner Saga 3. The team is excited to have him back to finish the trilogy he helped begin with Banner Saga 1.
During the development of Saga 1, Alex posted a thread called "What is Told", a multiple part story set in the world of The Banner Saga in which he discussed the history and key concepts of the world. To celebrate his return and give those of you who may not have seen it the chance to do so, Alex has edited and update the work in this thread on our official forums: What is Re-told by Alex Thomas
Hello backers and bannerfolk!
I’m Zeb West, Stoic’s producer. The team thought you might like a progress update on Saga 3 development, and I’m happy to report that we now have the core story nailed down. That means we’re out of the ‘pre-production’ phase and into full-on development - where actual content, features and game assets are going into the engine.
To get a sense of the whole story, we’re working chapter-by-chapter (although not in chronological order - we hit the beginning and ending first). With each chapter, we focus on nailing down the arc, and getting the pacing and tension right. We give every chapter an initial two-week pass so that after a few months, we’ll have an alpha-level version of the entire game, playable from beginning to end.
With the main story in place, Alex Thomas is writing some unexpected twists and turns in conversations (I have been loving some of the character development he’s been turning in). This game is the culmination of a trilogy of character choices, so he has the herculean task of bringing all those branching plot lines together (or deciding where they will permanently diverge).
Matt Rhodes is designing abilities for the new characters (Ubin, Juno, playable Dredge, etc) and we’ve already started to see new in-game animations come online from Powerhouse Animation. Matt has also started to design the backer-only ‘Alpha Battleboards’ which we’ll open up for testing soon! These will be single-serving battles we’ll put up through Steam for you to try out new mechanics and give us feedback. Up-to-the-minute discussion will happen in Discord, but we’re also freshening up our forums for long-form feedback with screenshots, diagrams and infographics. We will want to hear your thoughts and feedback on new character abilities and battlefield mechanics - what’s working? What’s not?
Do producers always candy-coat these updates as if nothing’s going wrong? I won’t! We’ve had some challenges! John and Arnie have to run the business on top of being our main artist and programmer, and as a result those two areas of development are coming along more slowly. Banner Saga 1 and 2 are still finding a larger and larger audience, which means continuing to support more languages and platforms. We love bringing the story to new audiences, but we have to balance it with bringing the ending to the folks who’ve come with us on this journey! Thankfully, we’ve brought on an additional full-time programmer in Seattle, and are in process of hiring an additional full-time artist in Austin in order to keep to our schedule.
Every day we’re working to deliver the satisfying, thoughtful and emotionally fulfilling conclusion to this epic that this story deserves. Thanks for supporting us, and we’re looking forward to sharing more in the near future!
Yours truly,
Zeb L. West
Shout Out - Killers and Thieves
While you’re waiting for Banner Saga 3... have you ever wanted to run a thieves guild? Stoic is proud to announce it's first foray into publishing, bringing you Alex Thomas' indie cult classic Killers and Thieves, available now on PC from Steam! Assemble and train a team of unique burglars, thieves and prowlers then send them on daring heists across a sprawling city. Do you want the agile catburglar, the master lockpicker, or the deadly cutthroat? Take the city then take your revenge in Killers and Thieves, the guildmaster adventure from the co-creator of the Banner Saga series.
Killers and Thieves
Banner Saga at IndieBox
Have you ever wanted a beautiful physical collectors edition of The Banner Saga to put up on your shelf? Stoic has partnered with IndieBox, and we're thrilled to carry the title of their 'largest collectible ever' with our bust of Ubin!
Be sure you subscribe to IndieBox before July 18th to get the Banner Saga Collector’s Edition!
Banner Saga at IndieBox
Thank you again for all your support and kind words during the campaign and look for another update about Alpha Battleboard access soon!
Sincerely,
Arnie, John and the Stoic team
Get Killers and Thieves Now
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Subscribe to our YouTube ChannelA UFO was spotted flying over Wrexham and North Wales last night.
David, who filmed the video below, said: “I was looking towards Bradley from First Avenue in Gwersyllt at about 10:20pm. The lights were quite far apart but connected, no sound, slowly flew towards town.
“They were flashing in sync but not together, no other colours, just red.”
Another who saw it said: “Quite clearly could see it, there was no noise and it was bang in the middle of town on a quiet night.”
A third who viewed the UFO said: “There were red lights flashing in the sky, they were quite far apart but travelling really slow.”
Stephen mentioned on our Facebook page: “Anyone see two red lights fly low over Wrexham last night? Wasn’t a plane, helicopter and defo not lanterns.”
Wrexham.com were sent the link to the following video, which shows two separate red lights moving across the skies of town:
Up the road towards Deeside another person saw what could be the same lights, tweeting Deeside.com :
@DeesideDotCom well it was conning in from the quay and heading towards sandyctoft? — Mikey Rowe (@Mikey_Rowe) August 5, 2014
Deeside.com said “We didn’t see anything significant on Flightradar24 – traffic in to LPL appears to be coming in low over Queesferry tonight though.”
UPDATE – MYSTERY LIKELY SOLVED: This mystery is now likely solved via help from Thomas Williams (@TomW18) who spotted some debate about if the UFO’s were Chinook helicopters.
Thomas got in touch and told us they were 2 Lynx HMA.8 of the Royal Navy, call sign Rascal. It is likely they were on night flying exercises. Thomas tells us ‘Pilots have to train to fly at night to maintain readiness’.
The Lynx were flying out of RAF Valley, which also ties with the following picture spotted by Deeside.com of Lynx at RAF Valley in the same time period, possibly of the very aircraft seen!Michael Cohen, executive vice President of the Trump Organization, tweeted a meme that accuses Hillary Clinton of murder. | AP Photo Trump lawyer accuses Clinton of murder in tweet
Donald Trump’s lawyer accused Hillary Clinton of murdering an ambassador and selling uranium to Russia through her “faux charity” in a post to Twitter Tuesday morning.
Michael Cohen, executive vice president of the Trump Organization and special counsel to the Manhattan billionaire, tweeted that a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows Trump leading Clinton on the issue of national security and on the question of who voters find more “honest and straightforward.” Along with his message, Cohen attached a meme featuring a photo of Clinton that he wrote “says it all.”
Story Continued Below
“I presided over $6 billion lost at the State Department, sold uranium to the Russians through my faux charity, illegally deleted public records and murdered an ambassador,” the text reads above an image of Clinton with her hands outstretched. “Elect Me!”
Cohen’s meme does not make reference to a specific instance involving an ambassador, but the tweet comes on the same day that Republicans from the House Select Committee on Benghazi release their report detailing what it says are the failings of the Obama administration and Clinton's State Department in particular in handling the 2012 attacks.A month earlier, a TV channel showed Kochi police demanding money from young men and women travelling together on two-wheelers. Source: Express Photo
Last week, Kerala police detained a theatre professional and a male friend for eight hours after finding them riding a two-wheeler late in the night. It was the latest in a series of such incidents that has earned the cops criticism for moral policing. Friends and even married couples have faced such humiliating experiences in a state that has one of the highest literacy rates in the country, and where constables usually boast higher qualifications than the mandatory class XII.
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A month earlier, a TV channel showed Kochi police demanding money from young men and women travelling together on two-wheelers. The police were found stopping riders on the pretext of vehicle inspection and blackmailing them saying they would inform the parents of the girl.
And last year, police in Alappuzha arrested a man and a woman from the beach. They felt that the couple were causing a public nuisance, and suspected “immoral activity” as the woman was not wearing any accessories to suggest that she was married.
For the latest incident, theatre performer Hima Shankar and Sreeram Ramesh, an associate cameraman, have moved a complaint with the Police Complaint Authority “to ensure a man and a woman their right to move together”. Four personnel with Kollam East police station, who allegedly insulted the two, were transferred.
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“I am not asking for suspension of the policemen involved, but for a change in the behaviour of the police force,” says Hima Shankar.
Riding the two-wheeler from Kollam to the state capital, she and Ramesh were waylaid twice, first by a policeman on night duty. “He first tried to take the key of the vehicle. When we resisted and showed him our vehicle papers, we were allowed to go,” says Ramesh.
Less than a kilometre ahead, a second police team confronted the riders.“When we told them that we had been stopped by the police a short while earlier and questioned the ground for another inspection, one of them told us that many more such inspections were awaiting us,’’ Ramesh says.
The policemen allegedly asked Hima Shankar whether she had informed her parents about the late-night trip and if her parents knew about the man she was riding with. Ramesh says the policemen asked him for his father’s mobile number, and called the latter to verify the son’s version. “My father informed the police that we had just begun the journey from home after dinner and were on our way to Thiruvananthapuram. However, the policemen told him that we were being taken to the police station as we had been found under suspicious circumstances.”
Hima Shankar says the policemen sought the numbers of her parents too. “I did not want to give them the numbers. I am an independent woman. My parents have given me freedom.”
She insisted on the presence of a woman cop and the police got one from a nearby station. Around 12.30 am, they were taken to Kollam East police station. Although Ramesh’s father came to the station, they were detained until the morning.
By Hima Shankar’s account, the policemen were looking at her the way someone would look at a woman of loose morals. Both she and Ramesh say the policemen also passed lewd remarks.
“I am fighting for a woman’s right to travel with freedom. She has every right to travel along with a person of her choice. She has the right to love a person of her choice. Such rights cannot be denied because of the pseudo-morality of policemen,’’ she says.
State Police Complaint Authority member P Muraleedharan, a retired judge, says there was no reason for the police to detain them. “It showed the arrogance of policemen. They were bona fide travellers who should not have been taken into custody. Police should not use abusive words when a man and a woman travel together; the policemen need to correct their behaviour.”
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The authority has sought an explanation from Kollam city police commissioner Dabesh Kumar Behra.Story highlights Joan Alvado photographed Muslims in Cuba, where most of the people are Catholic
He says Cuban Muslims are constantly learning about their new religion
(CNN) Most of the images we see out of |
abducted in Sadr city on 16 September last year before being released about a month later in the southern city of Basra. Their kidnappers demanded a halt to oil sales out of Iraqi Kurdistan, made in defiance of Baghdad.
A group of Qatari hunters who had crossed from Saudi Arabia were detained in Iraq’s southern deserts late last year and their whereabouts remain unknown.When the CEO of a company started seeing his prospects diminish, he urged his daughter to start a relationship with his boss.
When the CEO of a company started seeing his prospects diminish, he urged his daughter to start a relationship with his boss.
When the girl refused, he and his father, started molesting her. The girl’s grandmother and the father’s live-in partner also harassed her. The girl finally told her mother, who doesn’t live with them, everything and they lodged a complaint with the police.
Police inspector Rajendra Mulik said, “The father works with a company based in Hadapsar as a CEO. He asked his daughter to forge a sexual relationship with his boss, but she refused.”
“The girl’s father has been having an affair with another woman, who also harassed the girl. The family members tried convincing the girl to start a relationship with her father’s boss in 2010. Later, they started harassing her,” said Mulik. The accused, the father, grandfather, grandmother and girlfriend have been booked but are absconding.“Monkey selfie” as seen in court documents.
Order in the court — the monkey wants to speak. And, in a novel federal lawsuit filed by the animal-rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), it appears he wants his copyright back.
It was just another day on the Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve on the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia. It was 2011 — a world away, the planet was roiled by the Arab Spring and the death of Osama bin Laden. But in Tangkoko, rare species, including the crested black macaque, roamed free, blissfully unaware of the existential burdens their homo sapiens brethren bear.
Then, out of nowhere, unfolded a scenario possibly unique in the long history of human-primate relations — and certainly unique in the annals of copyright law. In a scene that recalled the opening of Stanley Kubrick’s “2001,” a number of macaques, including one known as Naruto, got very interested in a visitor’s camera.
“I walked with them for about three days in a row,” photographer David Slater said at the time. “They befriended us and showed absolutely no aggression — they were just interested in the things I was carrying.”
When Slater left the camera unattended on a tripod, Naruto and friends snapped what came to be known as “monkey selfies.” The selfies were a sensation, taking the Internet by storm, and Slater later included them in a book called “Wildlife Personalities.”
“A Sulawesi crested black macaque pulls one of several funny faces during its own photo shoot, seemingly aware of its own reflection in the lens,” Slater wrote. And: “My experience of these monkeys suggested that they were not just highly intelligent but were also aware of themselves.” And: “The shutter was pressed by the monkey.”
Location of Indonesia’s Tangkoko Reserve.
Now, Slater may come to rue these words. They have been quoted in PETA’s lawsuit — which alleges Slater has infringed on Naruto’s copyright. Heck: The monkey is the suit is named plaintiff.
“Naruto has the right to own and benefit from the copyright in the Monkey Selfies in the same manner and to the same extent as any other author,” the complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Northern California, read. “… While the claim of authorship by species other than homo sapiens may be novel, ‘authorship’ under the Copyright Act … is sufficiently broad so as to permit the protections of the law to extend to any original work, including those created by Naruto.”
The monkey wants damages.
“All proceeds from the sale, licensing, and other commercial uses of the Monkey Selfies … [should] be used solely for the benefit of Naruto, his family and his community, including the preservation of their habitat,” the suit read.
PETA filed the suit under the legal designation “next friend,” used by those filing for those who cannot file themselves. It is perfectly reasonable, it says, to seek copyright on a monkey’s behalf.
“The U.S. copyright law does not make any distinction as to who can be the author of a copyrightable work based upon the species,” Jeffrey Kerr, general counsel to PETA, said in a telephone interview with The Washington Post. “If a human being had made this or similar selfie photographs, they would be the copyright owner of the photograph. Naruto no different since he is a macaque.”
Kerr pointed that the macaque has fallen on hard times. Their numbers have diminished by 90 percent in last 25 years. They are killed for bushmeat. And, in these popular photographs, they have the means to raise money that can be used for their protection. So what if they aren’t people?
“These macaque are so intelligent,” Kerr said. “They recognize themselves in a mirror. They use their hands. They are bright, observant and aware. They are primates just like us. It’s only conceit that keeps us from recognizing that they aren’t ‘incomplete humans.’ They are whole beings of another nation.”
“Monkey selfie” of Naruto as seen in court documents.
Slater was interviewed by The Post last year after he asked Wikimedia, Wikipedia’s parent organization, to take down the image.
[If a monkey takes a selfie in the forest, who owns the copyright? No one, says Wikimedia.]
“This is ruining my business,” Slater said. “If it was a normal photograph and I had claimed I had taken it, I would potentially be a lot richer than I am.”
Wikimedia took a slightly different position from PETA. It said Naruto couldn’t own the copyright — so no one did.
“What we found is that U.S. copyright law says that works that originate from a non-human source can’t claim copyright,” Wikimedia Foundation’s Chief Communications Officer Katherine Maher said. “… If the photographer doesn’t have copyright and the monkey doesn’t have copyright then there’s no one to bestow the copyright upon.” (The image remains on Wikipedia.)
In an e-mail to the Post early Wednesday, Slater took aim at PETA and Wikimedia.
“PETA are deluded in this stunt,” he wrote. “The images are my copyright and are registered at the US Copyright Office — yes, that’s right! The [office] has never decided my case, but have probably been the recipient of Wikipedia cash to get involved in my dilemma — the dilemma of protecting Images in the internet age and the age of Wikipedia drip-feeding the world it’s consensus knowledge.”
Slater also claimed a larger role in the photo shoot.
“I authored the set-up you see,” he wrote. “The story has never changed and is there on my website since 2011 … long before Wikipedia stole the image, believing instead some rehashed story from the Daily Mail. Why believe a newspaper and not the photographer? Because Wikipedia have an agenda to destroy intellectual property and provide all artistic works for free via its website.”
PETA took exception to this. Naruto, it said, was the artist here.
“The photographer’s description of what took place has evolved and changed in a very self-serving way over the last few years as the photograph has become more internationally famous,” Kerr of PETA said. “When you look at what he said in most recent book and initial descriptions, it was very clear that he had nothing to do with it. Naruto independently and autonomously picked up and made a series of photos borne out during the court case.”
Naruto was unavailable for comment.
More from Morning Mix
The ‘profound historical irony’ of Ben Carson’s stereotyping of Muslims
‘You’ll Never Know’: The tender video of a 92-year-old man singing to his dying wife
Video and Tributes: The life of Yogi Berra, dead at 90Senior sources close to Mr Cameron said he thought the surprise move, which appeared to be timed so it would be in a television shot of the Prime Minister, “didn’t feel right because it was a day for sport, not politics.”
They suggested there would have been a furore if the Prime Minister had pulled a similar stunt with a Union flag when the focus should have been on Murray’s historic victory.
Mr Salmond's surprise intervention came as the campaign ahead of next year's independence referendum becomes increasingly fraught.
The Scottish First Minister hid the flag in the handbag of his wife, Moira, in case Murray triumphed. The couple were sat behind the Prime Minister in the Royal Box on Centre Court during Sunday’s final.
Mr Salmond did the same thing last year only for the Saltire to remain hidden as Murray lost to Roger Federer. However, the stunt has prompted the SNP leader to be accused of ‘photo-bombing’, a craze popular among teenagers whereby they insert themselves in the field of a picture as a prank.The promo has been out there for quite some time now but today we have the first official trailer for Dario Argento‘s “Giallo.” Argento, Italian filmmaker who specializes in horror/thriller films is best known for a classic cult horror film “Susperia.”
“Giallo” is an English-language Italian serial killer thriller, with Adrien Brody as police inspector Enzo Avolfi. Emmanuelle Seigner (The Ninth Gate), Byron Deidra and Elsa Pataky also stars the movie.
In Italy, an American woman fears her sister may have been kidnapped. Inspector Enzo Avolfi fears it’s worse. They team up to rescue her from a sadistic killer known only as Yellow.
YELLOW chooses his victims according to their beauty, because he is not beautiful. He was locked up as a child, and now shows pleasure in kidnapping beautiful women and torturing them. He submits them to unspeakable torture, leaving long agony, until he is completely satisfied. Then he brutally kills and discards their bodies.
YELLOW is a “death machine” of incredible efficiency; he always knows exactly when and how to hit, and knows, with precision, who will be his next victim. He’s very shrewd and intelligent, identifying his prey especially among tourists. The last is an Asian student, who he has just kidnapped and holds prisoner in his sordid cache. But he has already identified the next: Celine (Elsa Pataky — Brody’s real-life girlfriend).
Meanwhile, Linda (Seigner), her sister, has just arrived in Turin and is very concerned because Celine has not been heard from. She decides to contact the police who entrusts the case to Inspector Enzo Avolfi (Brody), a rather shrewd character that does not enjoy high esteem among his colleagues. Meanwhile the body of a young Asian student is found devoid of life. The Inspector Avolfi, who knows well the psychology of that serial-killer, is certain that if he fails to stop YELLOW, the next victim will be Celine.
Check out more pics from “Giallo” at Dario Argento’s official site
The thriller premiered at Edinburgh last month, and will also screen at UK Frightfest in August, 2009.
“Giallo” directed by Dario Argento from the script by Jim Agnew is expected to be released in US theaters on September, 4th, 2009.
Giallo PosterFrance’s highest court has ruled that the country’s police can no longer arrest and detain illegal immigrants unless they are suspected of having committed a criminal offence.
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Illegal immigrants in France can no longer be held in police custody simply for not having residency papers, the country’s highest court ruled on Thursday.
Until now, police could detain “sans-papiers” [“without papers”, the French term for illegal aliens] even if they had not committed a crime.
Under French law, police detention only applies to people suspected of having committed an offence punishable with a prison term.
Police detention is limited to 24 hours, although it can be extended to 48 if further inquiries have to be made. Being an illegal alien, under French law, is not a criminal offence.
Being an illegal alien is not a crime in France
On Thursday the French “Cour de Cassation” [the country’s highest court] ruled in favour of a group of illegal immigrants who claimed their detentions were in breach of European law.
Interior Minister Manuel Valls said after the ruling that the government would act swiftly to amend French law, although he maintained that “the ultimate removal of illegal aliens [from France] must remain central to any legislation on this issue.”
Immigrants’ rights groups were delighted with the decision to halt what were effectively automatic arrests, a situation that affects some 60,000 people a year in France.
“To date the police have been arresting and detaining immigrants on a massive scale,” said Agathe Marin, spokeswoman for the Cimade refugees’ association that represented the immigrants in the court.
“After they are detained, most of these people are released anyway,” she told FRANCE 24. “We hope that this ruling will ensure that the police are respectful of immigrants’ basic rights and stop treating them like criminals.”
Cimade has been putting the government under pressure since April 2011 when the European Court of Justice ruled that member nations could only arrest illegal aliens if they had committed an imprisonable offence.
Sarkozy’s administration more hostile to illegals
Former President Nicolas Sarkozy’s right wing UMP administration, voted out in May and June in favour of the current Socialist government, was notoriously hostile to illegal immigration.
Sarkozy’s government argued that keeping illegal immigrants in police custody for a limited time was compatible with the EU ruling, while various courts issued contradictory verdicts on the precise legality of locking them up.
Patrice Spinosi, Cimade’s barrister at the court told FRANCE 24 that Thursday’s ruling meant that dealing with illegal aliens was now an “administrative rather than criminal procedure” and that French police would now be obliged to “comply with European law.”
“The priority will remain to accompany these immigrants back to the border, but that is not compatible with locking them up,” he said.
Spinosi, however, denied that Thursday’s ruling was in any way politically motivated.
“The fundamental difference now is that we have a government that is ready to change the country’s laws,” he said. “The previous government knew it was running the risk of being in breach of European law but refused to reform.”
The UMP’s spokesman for security issues called for “quick change in legislation which does not leave our police operating in an uncertain legal situation.”
The far-right National Front, meanwhile, was indignant. “This ruling is lax, ultraliberal, and pandering to the whims of a European legal oligarchy,” the party said in a statement.Donald Trump, the self-proclaimed hero of the LGBT community, is slated to unveil a religious advisory board filled with outspoken opponents of LGBT rights this week, coinciding with his meeting tomorrow with hundreds of Religious Right leaders.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the group is likely to include longtime supporters such as televangelist Paula White, Liberty University President Jerry Falwell, Jr., and Southern Baptist pastor Robert Jeffress.
Others expected to join the board include Ralph Reed, who recently introduced Trump at an event hosted by his Faith and Freedom Coalition, Ronnie Floyd and Jack Graham, the current and past presidents of the Southern Baptist Convention, respectively, and Jay Strack of the Orlando-based Student Leadership University.
The choice of these activists as campaign advisers would further undermine Trump’s attempts — bolstered by some in the media — to portray himself as either supportive of gay rights or at least distanced from the GOP’s anti-LGBT politics.
Jeffress, as we’ve noted, “believes that gays and lesbians are ‘perverse’ people who are either pedophiles or likely to abuse children in the future; compared homosexuality to bestiality and called it ‘a miserable lifestyle’; accused gay people of using ‘brainwashing techniques’ to have homosexuality ‘crammed down our throats’; said that gay people ‘are engaged in the most detestable, unclean, abominable acts you can imagine’; predicted that the gay rights movement ‘will pave the way for that future world dictator, the Antichrist’; and labeled homosexuality a ‘filthy practice’ that will lead to the ‘implosion of our country.’”
Floyd, the SBC president, once said that Satan is using the “gay lifestyle” to destroy cultural values and labeled the adoption of children by same-sex couples a “tragedy”:
It appears now that everywhere you look, everything you read and everything you hear is about the gay lifestyle. Satan has taken his tool of homosexuality, a gross and evil sin, and done a con job on the American culture, making it seem like all is okay when you are gay. I hope you are aware that what was once subtle has now turned into the rage of a lion as brazen and threatening as anything in our culture. I must sound the trumpet loud and clear, praying that we do not run in retreat, but march in the truth of God valiantly. This is not a skirmish or a conflict or a disagreement, but it is a war. The war they have declared against our culture has an agenda and we need to be aware of it. … The attack everywhere in our culture is to get you to see the gay lifestyle or gay couples as being the same as you. The agenda is also trying to desensitize you to them, their verbiage and lifestyle. In other words, “if you get use to us you will eventually ignore us or accept us.” The bombardment and intentionality is already so great that the desensitization is already occurring. Of course, inclusiveness is their theme song. Their goal is to get themselves included into all of society and its benefits, including benefits economically. As they play the song of “inclusiveness,” gay couples are now adopting children. What a tragedy. As each of us desire, the homosexual and lesbian want affirmation and will do whatever it takes to receive it. The love and acceptance they have found in the homosexual community is what lured them there and will keep them there until God intervenes.
Graham, one of Floyd’s predecessors in leading the SBC, has a similar view, telling his congregation recently that “the LBGT [sic] promotes a godless agenda, and now on the backs of many confused and conflicted people, are opening the door, literally, to perversion of all kinds.” Last year, he encouraged civil disobedience to protest the Supreme Court’s landmark marriage equality ruling.
Reed has used his Faith and Freedom Coalition to regularly attack LGBT rights and Falwell’s Liberty University is well-known for its rules against homosexuality and support for anti-gay activism.
Other Trump-backing pastors include Frank Amedia, Trump’s “liaison for Christian policy,” who has described HIV/AIDS as “a disease that comes because of unnatural sex” and said he would be willing to burn to death to resist LGBT rights, and Carl Gallups, a pastor who spoke before Trump at a Florida rally and whose endorsement was touted by Trump’s campaign, who believes, as we recently summarized, that “same-sex marriage will completely destroy society by bringing about economic turmoil, severe persecution, the ‘enslavement’ of Christians and divine punishment.”Updated 1/29/2013, 11:35 a.m.: LaHood has announced he will not serve for the president's second term and will resign once his succesor is confirmed.
As President Barack Obama begins his transition into a second term, transportation stakeholders and advocates are wondering who he'll tap to join his cabinet as the next transportation secretary.
About this time a year ago, Ray LaHood signaled that he would step down after the president's first term. But he hasn't discussed his future plans lately, leaving some in the transportation community to speculate about whether he's going anywhere.
Now, a favorite guessing game among transportation wonks has become who would be LaHood's replacement if he does, in fact, step aside. Governing takes a look at some of the candidates whose names have been bandied about and other officials who might be worth a look.
But the list should be taken with a grain of salt: LaHood, though familiar with transportation, wasn't considered a major player in the field before becoming secretary, and he initially was gunning for a spot as the secretary of agriculture.
STAR POWER
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
The Los Angeles mayor tops just about everyone's list of possible DOT secretaries. Villaraigosa has made transportation one of his priorities since assuming office in 2005. In addition to being mayor, he's served as chairman of L.A. County's transportation authority, and in 2008, he was one of the most vocal advocates for a landmark ballot measure in which county voters approved a half-cent sales tax increase for 30 years to pay for transportation projects. More recently, he was engaged in the discussion about the latest federal surface transportation bill and served as a leading voice for a proposal that was ultimately enacted to vastly expand TIFIA, the federal government's program for financing big infrastructure projects. As a charismatic Latino, there's also a political benefit to his selection. Villaraigosa is term-limited and ineligible to run for re-election next year, but if he's seeking higher office in California sooner rather than later, the timing may be off.
Former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell
The former Pennsylvania governor focused on energy and infrastructure while in office. Since leaving Harrisburg in 2011, Rendell has become a co-chair of Building America's Future Educational Fund, a bipartisan group of elected officials who advocate for increased infrastructure investment. He's also stormed the country, speaking to journalists, politicians and just about anyone who will listen about the need for a serious commitment to infrastructure. In 2008, he was rumored as a possible candidate for the job and made clear he was interested in the post. The possible downside of his selection -- which Rendell himself has noted -- is that he's a big personality who can be difficult to control.
FROM THE HILL
U.S. Rep. Steve LaTourette
LaTourette is a moderate Republican congressman from Ohio who announced his retirement earlier this year. His appointment would be a nod to bipartisanship, similar to the appointment of LaHood, who was also a former GOP congressman. Though he's a Republican, he's been a big ally of the transit and biking community -- which should score him points with the administration -- and he knows transportation policy well after serving 14 years on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. LaTourette was a vocal critic of how his Republican colleagues pursued the new surface transportation bill this year, and by being a thorn in House leadership's side as the bill progressed, he helped force a rewrite of the bill in order to protect transit funding.
U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer
A liberal Democratic congressman from Oregon, Blumenauer is a passionate advocate for bicycles and transit, and he's popular in the smart growth movement. His name came up four years ago as a likely candidate for the position before it was given to LaHood.
Former U.S. Rep. James Oberstar
Oberstar, a former Democratic congressman from Minnesota, is held in the highest regard in transportation circles. He served as chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee from 2007 to 2011 and was a constant figure on the committee for years before that. Few know federal transportation policy better than him, and his defeat in 2010 sent a shock through the transportation committee. Like Blumenauer, his name came up four years ago, but at 78 years old, his moment may have passed.
EXECUTIVE EXPERIENCE
Peter Rogoff
Currently the head of the Federal Transit Administration, Rogoff isn't a marquee name, but his selection would signal the administration's ongoing commitment to transit as a priority. He's worked as staff in the Senate, where helped shape previous versions of surface transportation legislation. That background would come in handy, since Congress will need to start work on another surface transportation bill in less than two years.
Deborah Hersman
As chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, Hersman already has a job that touches all modes of transportation. LaHood has made safety initiatives a priority during his term, so ostensibly, Hersman could help carry that torch. Her leadership in response to the collision of two D.C. subway cars in 2009 helped raise her profile and generate acclaim.
Jane Garvey
Garvey has impressive credentials. She previously served as head of the Federal Aviation Administration, director of Boston's Logan International Airport, deputy administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, and head of the transportation infrastructure investment practice at JPMorgan Chase.
John Porcari
Currently the number two at the U.S. Department of Transportation, Porcari previously served two stints as Maryland's DOT secretary under different governors. He's unique among state DOT leaders in that the role gave him the opportunity to oversee not just highways, bridges and tunnels, but also transit, aviation and ports.
STATE AND LOCAL LEADERS
Janette Sadik-Khan
Sadik-Khan has become a celebrity in the transportation community due to her critical role in transforming New York City while serving as its transportation commissioner. She, most notably, covered the city in bike lanes. She also worked to improve bus service, create pedestrian plazas, and make other "green" improvements, showing that a transportation official can have a role beyond shepherding automobile traffic. She knows her way around Washington, having previously worked for the FTA, and though she has a hero status in the smart growth community, some critics have said she has a brash style and that it's hard to imagine her overseeing a multi-billion dollar highway program.
Steve Heminger
Another official who was in contention four years ago, Heminger is the executive director of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the transportation planning agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. In that role, he oversees the $6.4 billion construction of the new east span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, one of the largest public works projects in the country. He also served on a federal commission that was tasked with examining the future of federal transportation policy and revenue. That experience would undoubtedly be useful as the feds chart the successor to MAP-21.
Will Kempton
Kempton has led California's Orange County Transportation Authority since 2009. Before taking the job, he was director of the California Department of Transportation, where he developed a reputation for delivering projects on time. Kempton also has credentials in the area of high-speed rail -- an Obama priority -- as chair of a state-appointed group of officials charged with evaluating the California High-Speed Rail Authority's work.
Gene Conti
Currently the secretary of the North Carolina Department of Transportation, Conti could need a new job with a new governor soon to take over in the Tar Heel state. He's previously served as U.S. DOT's assistant secretary of transportation policy. He's touted the role of data-driven analytics, which could be important given the renewed focus on performance metrics in the transportation community.
Gabe Klein
Klein, like Sadik-Khan, is another darling of the smart growth crowd. He led the transportation department in D.C. until he was tapped by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel last year to take on the same role in the Windy City. In Washington, he helped develop a forthcoming streetcar system, implemented pedestrian safety programs, and oversaw the expansion of the Circulator bus system. In Chicago, he's helped implement bus rapid transit and a bike share program, among other initiatives. In the private sector, he's served as a regional vice president of the car-sharing service Zipcar.
WILD CARDS
Bruce Katz
Katz, a well-respected policy wonk, leads the Brookings Institution's Metropolitan Policy Program, which would complement an administration that has previously signaled an appreciation for reviving cities. Katz helped lead the Obama administration's housing and urban transition team, and he was a senior advisor to HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan during the administration's first few months.
John Horsley
Horsley is about to retire from his position as executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), which represents the country's state DOT executives. But he could probably be talked out of retirement for a cabinet position. Previously, Horsley has worked as an associate deputy secretary of DOT. Horsley might be a good pick for the job, but his selection would likely frustrate those who see AASHTO as an enemy of transit.
Former Kansas Gov. Bill Graves
The former governor of Kansas is another Republican who could be a good fit if the administration seeks to continue the precedent it set with LaHood. He's currently the president and CEO of the American Trucking Associations and was previously rumored to be considered for the secretary spot by the Bush administration when it was vacated by Norman Mineta.Sparse turnout at area street market following alleged racist comments
Jose Caceres, of La Panaderia, arrives with baskets full of bread at the Yard Farmers and Ranchers Market on Sunday, March 22, 105. Last week a controversy over racist remarks made by the market's owners led to at least six vendors leaving. less Jose Caceres, of La Panaderia, arrives with baskets full of bread at the Yard Farmers and Ranchers Market on Sunday, March 22, 105. Last week a controversy over racist remarks made by the market's owners led to... more Photo: JERRY LARA, Staff / San Antonio Express-News Photo: JERRY LARA, Staff / San Antonio Express-News Image 1 of / 35 Caption Close Sparse turnout at area street market following alleged racist comments 1 / 35 Back to Gallery
The first farmers market at The Yard since last week's controversy over racist comments kicked off Sunday morning missing at least six of its usual vendors.
Rachel Holcomb, property manager at The Yard shopping center, called the turnout "sparse."
Shortly before the 9 a.m. opening, Holcomb handed owner F. David Lent paperwork giving him and his partner Heather Hunter 90 days notice that the center was terminating its contract with The Yard Farmers & Ranchers Market.
Related: San Antonio farmers market closing in wake of racist public dispute
Vendors CrepeLandia, Peaceful Pork, Katie's Jar, Parker Creek Ranch, À La Mode Gelato, Yapa Artisan Empanadas and Mother Culture had all previously announced they would pull out of the market in support of Ming Qian and her husband Hinnerk von Bargen who said they were the targets of racial slurs from Lent.
Lent previously denied making any racist comments.
In addition, several permanent retailers at The Yard were also closed.
"In lieu of last Sunday's abusive, racial slurs and threatening language against our neighbor Ming's Thing from the Owner/Management team of "The Yards Farmers and Ranchers Market" we will be closed until a new Market is formed" read a note on the door of the All Aboard Deli.
The Olmos Perk coffee shop was also closed in support of Qian and von Bargen.
On the market's Facebook page Lent and Hunter announced their intention to try and sell the market. But, Holcomb pointed out, the center's contract with the market is being terminated "so there's nothing to sell."
Lent would not elaborate on their plans for the market.
[email protected] C. Gill served as a Seattle City Councilman for 12 years and as mayor twice. His support for an "open-town" where "vice" carried on in brothels, gambling parlors, and saloons went unsuppressed, eventually caused him to fall into disfavor. In 1910, the Washington Legislature granted the vote to women and in a February 7, 1911, recall election, 20,000 of 23,000 registered women voters cast their ballots. Real estate man George W. Dilling (1869-1951) won by 6,000 votes and Gill was turned out of office. In 1914, Gill managed a political comeback by reversing many of his positions, but ethical failures, corruption scandals, and prosecution marked his four years in office.
Lawyer and Son of a Lawyer
Gill was born August 23, 1866, in Watertown, Wisconsin, the son of a lawyer and Civil War commander who later served as Wisconsin's attorney general. Gill graduated from the University of Wisconsin law school in 1889, working part of the time as a stenographer. He went west in 1889 and waited on tables in a Seattle waterfront restaurant. Shortly after the Great Fire of June 1889, Gill landed a position as a stenographer in a Seattle law firm. In three years, he began the practice of law.
His public service began in 1898 with his election as a Republican city councilman. He was reelected in 1900, defeated in 1902 and elected again in 1904. He was president of the Council for three years and then in 1910 he ran for mayor.
Seattle's Open Town Controversy
In the first decade of the twentieth century, Seattle politics was divided between "open town" and "closed town" factions. The prosperity following the Klondike gold rush in 1897 and the expansion of Pacific trade following the Spanish American War in 1898 caused vice to flourish. Despite laws to the contrary, gambling and prostitution thrived. Proponents of the open town, including Seattle Times publisher Alden J. Blethen (1845-1915), believed that such conduct was normal and as long as it was restricted and regulated, it should be permitted. The community relied on the municipal government and particularly on the police to keep the gambling dens, brothels, and saloons within an area south of Yesler Way.
Those opposed to vice on moral grounds and to the concomitant graft and corruption included church groups, progressives, prohibitionists, and woman suffragists.
Hiram Gill, a staunch Republican, believed that vice should be confined to its own district rather than be allowed to spread across the city. Gill promised, "[The segregated district] will be the most quiet place in Seattle... the restricted district under me will be located in a place where men will have to go out of their way to find it" (Berner, 117).
The 1910 Election
He opposed municipal ownership of utilities (such as transit, waterworks, and electricity), taxes for city projects, and labor unions. In 1910, he ran for mayor and in the primary bested his progressive opponent. In the runoff, Gill won the mayor's office and Republicans swept the rest of the open seats. Gill was accused of importing hundreds of jobless men and lodging them in vacant houses and apartments, to vote Republican. The March 8, 1910 election did record the largest voter turnout until that time.
Gill's election stimulated reform forces to organize the Public Welfare League on June 16, 1910. The Public Welfare League, the Clean City Organization, the Municipal League, and the Ministerial Federation combined to support a broad spectrum of reform issues on a non-partisan basis. One such issue became the administration of Mayor Gill.
Windfalls for Wappenstein
Gill appointed as chief of police a man whom Mayor John F. Miller had dismissed for corruption — Charles Wappenstein. Wappenstein quickly arranged to be paid $10 a month for each of the approximately 500 prostitutes in Seattle. Seattle Police tracked the women closely to insure that the appropriate fees were paid. Gambling ran around the clock and continued to operate "uptown," north of Yesler Way, along with brothels.
A journalist reported that "cigar stores and barbershops did a lively business in crap-shooting and race-track gambling, drawing their patronage largely from school boys and department-store girls... All over the city 'flat-joints,' pay-off stations, and dart-shooting galleries were reaping a rapid harvest... in the thirty or forty gambling-places opened under the administration of Hi Gill" (Berner, 119).
When two "vice-lords" built a 500-room brothel on Beacon Hill with a 15-year lease from the city, the Public Welfare League began to circulate a recall petition targeting Gill. Gill went out of town and the acting mayor fired Wappenstein, but the mayor returned only to reappoint the corrupt chief.
Gill was also accused of collusion with the Seattle Electric Co., which was owned by Jacob Furth (1840-1914) and the Boston firm of Stone and Webster. Seattle Electric had been forced to lower its electric rates because of competition from Seattle City Light. Gill appointed former Seattle Electric official Richard Arms as superintendent of City Light over the popular and effective James Delmage Ross (1872-1939). Arms extended City Light service into an expensive and hard to serve area, and he passed up profitable contracts, all to the detriment of the city utility. An investigation confirmed misfeasance by Arms.
Women v. Hi Gill
Recall forces ran real estate man George W. Dilling as Gill's replacement. In 1910, the Washington Legislature granted the vote to women and in the February 7, 1911, recall election, 20,000 of 23,000 registered women voters cast their ballots. Dilling won by 6,000 votes and Gill was turned out of office.
A grand jury investigation into police corruption resulted in the indictment of former-chief Wappenstein and of Times publisher Blethen and his son Clarence. Wappenstein was eventually convicted and sent to the penitentiary. The Blethens were acquitted.
Gill ran again for mayor in March 1912, but was defeated by the progressive George F. Cotterill (1865-1958). Gill returned to his law practice. Cotterill's administration was troubled by the Potlach Riots of 1913 and by divisive strikes.
The New Gill
Gill was ready for a new run for the mayor's office in 1914, this time as a closed-town advocate. But economic issues may have decided the election. Gill's opponent received backing from the Employer's Association, which alienated organized labor. Gill garnered the labor vote for a decisive win.
Gill followed up on his promise to crack down on vice by appointing the progressive Austin Griffiths, who had opposed Gill in the mayoral primary, as police chief. Griffiths tightened up on police conduct, improved conditions at the city jail, and got lighting into dark alleys.
In 1915, City Light and its superintendent J.D. Ross ran into trouble when the new dam on the Cedar River failed to hold water. Although Gill opposed Ross's plans to expand City Light service to new areas, he nevertheless reappointed Ross in December 1915. This allowed Ross to work for new sites for the hydroelectric dams that became the key to City Light's survival and success.
Washington Goes Dry
Gill ran for reelection in March 1916 and won another two-year term. Statewide prohibition, approved by Washington voters in |
least—more than how to read and write.
It was before lunch, and Ambrosino was sitting on the edge of his desk, his feet resting on the seat of his chair. We were reading William Carlos Williams’ plum poem. (That’s what we called it.) It was so short that he had every one of us read the poem aloud. Then he asked us to discuss it. Did we have something we enjoyed as much as the poet enjoyed those plums? Did we feel the need to express that pleasure in fancy poetry or was a plain style enough to express those feelings? Our homework that night was to write as simple a poem as possible in praise of something we loved as much as the poet loved his plums. Someone, I forget who, it might have been one of the young women who later confessed to having a crush on him, asked Ambrosino if he himself had such an object of affection. He set the poem aside and leaned over, elbows on thighs, and folded his hands, and said yes, he had one. He told us how, as a boy, he had to work on his father’s farm, a drudgery he resented but had no choice in doing. He often heard his friends riding their bikes past the farm, laughing, yelling. One day, toward the end of summer, he told us, when the sun was scorching and the skin on his shoulders near blistering, his father had ended the day a few minutes early and left Ambrosino to close up shop. Having finished his work, Ambrosino made his way alone slowly through the tomato vines hanging off the same trellises his father had used to grow his grapes. His eyes blurry with sweat, his t-shirt over his head for protection, he looked up at a big, beefy tomato hanging above his head. He said it was eclipsing the sun behind it. I remember he used that word. The tomato, he said, was glorious. He dropped his t-shirt and reached for the tomato. Holding its weight in his hands, he lifted it to his mouth and bit it, he said, like an apple. He tried to describe what he said was the indescribable juiciness, its taste and its texture, and just how utterly thirst-quenching it was. That tomato, he told us, helped him that day beyond the physical; it helped him, he said, somehow endure what work he had to do on his father’s farm. The memory of that tomato stayed with him to that day, he said. But he wouldn’t say more.
Later that week, we were in Mr. Ambrosino’s English class again, continuing with our poetry unit, discussing Dante’s terza rima and how the only way out of the inferno was through purgatorio, when a knock came at the door. The gym teacher, Mr. Reilly, a short, stocky blond fire hydrant of a man, tiptoed politely in along with the history teacher, Mr. Brady, a bald fire hydrant. They both wore matching black and red nylon athletic-wear. Brady stood against the wall with his arms crossed, and Reilly approached Ambrosino, asking if we were still “doing poetry.” Ambrosino put the book down, took his glasses off, and folded his own arms. He smiled at Reilly, but said nothing. Reilly said he wanted to share a poem, if he could, that he had found in the school’s library. The poem was from a volume of verse, he said, written by John C. Ambrosino. He said the name of the volume in a way that I can only describe as the kind of sarcasm that a gym teacher would affect reading a poem he had great contempt for. The poem was about a walk being taken by two lovers through a small village; and it was expressed in the same careful, controlled but evocative language that Ambrosino had used to describe his encounter with that tomato. Reilly read it with increasing affect, raising his voice to a near-feminine pitch and faintly lisping, clearly wanting us to laugh at Ambrosino. None of us did. And it was not for fear of our strict teacher’s reprimand. It was because we loved him. As much as it could be said and properly understood that a group of students could love a teacher, we loved Ambrosino. Brady stood smirking the entire time, but it became difficult to tell if it was at Reilly’s attempt to humiliate Ambrosino or if it was at Reilly’s obvious failure to do so. When the poem was done Reilly did a slight curtsy, never breaking character, I’ll give him that, and then thanked us for our time. He left, with Brady closing the door behind them. Ambrosino smirked and shook his head, returned his glasses to the bridge of his nose, and returned to the text. We erupted and all he would say was that poetry was a hobby he picked up in college and that he’d won a contest that gave publication of a book as its prize.
A few months later, there was an exhibition game in our high school’s new shiny and reverberating gymnasium between the boy’s varsity basketball team and the older faculty, who tried to show off their skills despite their age and conditioning. I sat in the bleachers and cheered as Ambrosino, lithe and graceful and fierce, a red bandana around his head, scored more points that day than either Reilly or Brady.A Georgia pastor who came under fire when he tweeted “homosexuals got what they deserved” after the deadly mass shooting at Pulse Nightclub, has been arrested on charges of child molestation and aggravated child molestation.
Ken Adkins, 56, of St. Simons Island, Georgia, turned himself into police at about 9 a.m., according to officials with Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
According to Jacksonville.com, the investigation focused on suspected molestation in several locations in the Brunswick area including at Adkins’ church, a vehicle and a victim’s home.
Says Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry of the ongoing investigation:
“I know nothing more about the allegations than what has been reported in the news, but it sickens me. If he is found to have done what he stands accused of, he deserves the fullest punishment the law allows,”
His wife, Charlotte “Stormy” Adkins, defended her husband in a statement Friday, callling the arrest
“A rush to judgment by law enforcement.” She added that the charges “Are false and that he will ultimately be cleared of any wrongdoing.”
From Jacksonvill.com:
After the mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando in June, Adkins tweeted, “been through so much with these Jacksonville homosexuals that I don’t see none of them as victims. I see them as getting what they deserve.” Adkins later said he wasn’t referring to the shooting victims, but instead his tweet was “strictly meant for the Jacksonville group that has made my life a living hell” since he served on the community discussion panel. Besides his activism in the human rights ordinance debate, Adkins has been an advocate for helping ex-convicts rebuild their lives after their release from prison. Adkins has said he benefitted from a second chance himself after he developed a serious cocaine addiction and eventually “hit rock bottom” when he spent 10 months in the Duval County jail in 1996-97 on drug-related crimes. Part of his church’s mission involved helping ex-offenders find work.
#ANjaxBREAKING: Ken Adkins’ mug shot. 56 y/o turned himself in on charges for child molestation. @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/ltggivKsA3 — Russell Colburn (@RussellANjax) August 26, 2016
Kenneth Adkins is well-known for being very outspoken and he was arrested this morning. @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/FiTwVXqDmF — Kaitlyn Chana (@KaitlynANjax) August 26, 2016
See also: this.SINGAPORE/TOKYO, March 16 (Reuters) - Tokyo Electric Power could still be held liable for the problems at its nuclear power plant as the Japanese government has not yet decided whether to classify Friday’s devastating earthquake an “exceptional” natural disaster.
Japan’s 1961 Act on Compensation for Nuclear Damage states the operator of a nuclear facility will not be responsible for any damage caused by their reactor if it was due to “a grave natural disaster of an exceptional character or by an insurrection”.
Insurers of the nuclear plant have already cited this law to signal that claims are unlikely to be made following the explosions.
However, a person involved in this matter said the quake that hit Japan’s northern coast is not yet considered as an exceptional natural disaster, adding that the official consensus will have to be made by the ministry for education, culture, sport, science and technology — which is in charge of the law.
While Friday’s 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami caused devastating damage along Japan’s northeast coast, it may not meet the criteria of an “exceptional” disaster because quakes and tsunami are events to be expected in Japan, the person said.
“An exceptional disaster is something that is beyond expectations and out of the realm of common sense,” the person said, noting that such an exception has never been applied in the past.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because a decision on the matter has not been made. Tokyo Electric did not return a call seeking comment.
The operator of the nuclear plant has unlimited liability for its plant. Depending on the cause of an accident, either the government or the group of insurers are to provide 120 billion yen ($1.47 billion) for liability coverage.
The operator has to compensate for all the damage exceeding that amount unless the exception of a natural disaster is granted. It has never been granted before.
If the operator is threatened with financial ruin then it can ask the government to assist.
“Usually the plant would be liable for some of the damage but if it’s caused by a natural disaster then they should escape liability,” said Kenji Kawada, a senior analyst covering insurers at Moody’s Investors Service in Tokyo.
The news that Japan has not yet decided whether to classify Friday’s earthquake and tsunami as an exceptional grave natural disaster is likely to come as a surprise to some insurers.
Nuclear Risk Insurers, the underwriting agent for all UK nuclear insurers, said on Monday, “NRI does not anticipate significant losses from this event”, pointing to the 1961 act.
Chaucer, one of the world’s leading nuclear-risk insurers, also said it expected the act to absolve the operator of liability.
There have been four explosions at TEPCO’s Fukishima Daiichi complex since it was damaged in the massive earthquake and tsunami.
Japan has warned that radiation levels around the stricken plant have become “significantly” higher following the explosions.A message on an electronic billboard in Gwinnett County caught our eye one evening.
"$8 million a day to Israel just doesn’t make sense!" it read.
Underneath those words, it read: "STOP The Blank Check.org."
Does the United States give Israel $8 million a day? Is there a "blank check" for Israel?
Since we’ve seen the same message on other billboards in the Atlanta region, PolitiFact Georgia thought it’d be worthwhile to figure out whether the claim is accurate or are the thousands of motorists who’ve seen this billboard being told misleading information.
The Council for the National Interest paid for the billboard. The nonprofit organization’s goal, according to its website, is support of a just resolution to the Arab-Israeli conflict. It has claimed, for example, that the news media devotes more coverage to Israeli deaths rather than Palestinian deaths in Middle East violence.
Some groups, such as the Anti-Defamation League, say the council is anti-Israel and claims some leaders of its educational arm have met in recent years with terrorist leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah.
The council’s executive director, Phil Giraldi, said the group, based in northern Virginia, has about 12,000 members. The group is paying for 10 billboards in the Atlanta area and six others nationwide, he said. Giraldi said he got a good deal on billboards in Atlanta.
"We wanted to make the public aware at a time that budgets are being cut, aid to Israel is not," said Giraldi, who added that Israel has a "booming" economy. "Whenever Israel needs more money, Congress appropriates it," he said.
The council’s website describes Giraldi as a former CIA counterterrorism specialist. Giraldi recently wrote a column called "Why I Dislike Israel" that criticized the U.S.-Israel relationship as too cozy and said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was meddling in the 2012 U.S. presidential race.
The nonpartisan, federal Congressional Research Service released a report in 2012 on U.S. foreign aid to Israel. Most of what the United States gives Israel is military aid. The report found the U.S. gave more aid to Israel than any other nation between 1976 and 2004. Afghanistan is currently at the top of the list, the report said.
Israel uses almost 75 percent of those funds to buy U.S. defense equipment. By law, Congress must be notified of most new purchase agreements. Over the years, the two nations have had occasional disputes over which weapons that contain U.S. materials can be sold to other nations.
In the mid-1990s, the CRS noted, following efforts in Congress to reduce foreign aid funding, Israel proposed (and Congress agreed) to phase out U.S. economic aid to Israel entirely. As Congress phased out economic aid to Israel from fiscal year 1999 to fiscal year 2008, military aid gradually increased, according to the CRS.
President Barack Obama proposed spending $3.1 billion in military financing for Israel and an additional $15 million on refugee resettlement for fiscal year 2013, a 12-month period that will end Sept. 30. That’s nearly $8.5 million a day. It’s unclear what impact the sequester may have on aid to Israel.
End of story? Not yet. We were still curious about whether the United States has written a blank check to Israel, since "STOP The Blank Check.org" is mentioned so prominently on the billboard.
Israel is considered one of America’s closest allies, and politicians who do not strongly support that relationship do so at their own peril. A Pew Research Center poll in December found about 50 percent of Americans sympathized with Israel over the Palestinians, while just 10 percent side with the Palestinians.
For much of Obama’s first term, Republicans accused the president of damaging ties with Israel because of disagreements between his administration and the Israeli government over issues such as Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Obama’s critics also complained he hadn’t visited Israel since he took office. The president may visit Israel as soon as this month, according to some Israeli news accounts.
Some say there is no willingness in Washington to question Israel or America’s funding for it.
"There is no debate," said M.J. Rosenberg, director of the Washington office of the Israel Policy Forum, a left-wing organization that pushes for peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. Then, according to the Jerusalem Post, he corrected himself, saying, "The debate is like this: ‘I like Israel.’ ‘Well, I like Israel more.’ "
Philip Wilcox, president of the Washington-based Foundation for Middle East Peace, said he has seen the $8 million a day claim and agreed "it’s in the ballpark." As for whether there is a "blank check" for Israel, Wilcox told us that the U.S. generally accepts Israeli military actions in the region. Wilcox spent years working in the federal government on Middle East affairs. He noted, though, that the U.S. has conducted inquiries into Israeli use of weapons.
"This is really a matter of interpretation," Wilcox said of whether there is a blank check.
Giraldi cited Obama’s decision to fund Israel’s "Iron Dome" missile defense program as part of the blank check to Israel claim. In fiscal year 2011, the White House approved $205 million for the program. In July, the president provided an additional $70 million for the program.
"The United States being one-sided to Israel is not beneficial to the United States," Giraldi said.
Our conclusion:
The council’s billboard says the U.S. gives $8 million a day to Israel. In essence, that’s an accurate estimate. The billboard may leave the impression that there is a blank check to Israel. That’s a matter of interpretation.
Our rating: Mostly True.
Staff Writer Karishma Mehrotra contributed to this article.Video
In the 1960s, the Colorado city of Boulder was a destination for hippies. Today, it's tech start-ups and entrepreneurs who are flocking to the town on the edge of the Rockies.
It's easy to understand Boulder's appeal - stunning scenery and a laidback outdoor lifestyle, but not everyone can afford to live there.
House prices have soared in the past decade, in large part because strict planning laws restrict the city from growing any further.
Boulder is renowned for its liberal attitudes but now, confronted by deepening wage inequality and an affordable housing crisis, its residents are debating what values are most important to them.
The BBC's David Botti reports.
You can find out more about the BBC Pop Up project here and also check out the team's behind-the-scenes Tumblr blog.Whe magic of Oculus Rift, a commercial VR headset aimed specifically at games, is nearly upon us. We talked to Dan Pinchbeck, Creative Director of thechineseroom working on Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs on his thoughts regarding the device. He provided some insight on how, despite it seeming like the next step for horror games, it’s not necessarily the driving force for design in video games.
“Maybe, but I’m really shortsighted and those kind of devices, like 3D, screw with my eyesight and give me headaches, so I’m not instinctively drawn to them. I think my basic take on it is that I don’t think there’s been a case yet where 3D has made a bad film good, or a good film great.
“I think it’ll be the same with games. System Shock 2 is still one of the best, most scary games ever made and it’s pretty old, the graphics are pretty dated. But the crucial thing is you just don’t care or notice. If a game, or book, or film, or whatever is well designed, and gets under your skin, that kind of stuff is really just window dressing.
“At least for the time being. I’m sure eventually we’ll figure out how to make things that are super optimized for new tech, but it shouldn’t be the driving force for design.”
So while the technology may add to the experience, it shouldn’t be reduced to a gimmick in order to get over with audiences.US officials have issued unusually stark warnings to its citizens to stay out of North Korea. The warning lists all the ways it is possible to get into trouble in the Hermit Kingdom, including "showing disrespect" to the country's current or former leaders, taking unauthorized photographs and shopping at stores not designated for foreigners.
If Americans do enter the country against the US State Department's advice, they should "have no expectation of privacy," officials warn.
All electronic and multimedia devices, including USB drives, CDs, DVDs, phones and tablets are subject to search, the department warned. If North Korea authorities allow travellers to keep their mobile phone while in the country, it will simply enable officials "to monitor your calls," the State Department said.
"It was a little bit more specific and a little bit more blunt in some ways," State Department spokesman, John Kirby, told CNN about the latest warning. "I think that's reflective of the increased tensions that we're seeing there on the peninsula and certainly the way, the manner in which the regime has acted out against foreigners on travel to North Korea."
The agency usually issues travel warnings every six months on a variety of countries, but recent legislation now requires it to issue travel warnings about North Korea every 90 days. At least 14 US citizens have been detained in North Korea in the last decade, including people travelling on their own and visitors in the country as part of a group tour.
Early this year, Otto Warmbier - a 21-year-old student from the University of Virginia - became the most recent US citizen taken into custody when he was busted during a backpacking trip for allegedly stealing a propaganda sign. He has been sentenced to 15 years of hard labour.
Because the US does not have formal diplomatic relations with North Korea, the State Department has no way of providing consular help to American travellers in distress and thus works through the Swedish Embassy.American school kids became more stupid under the Obama administration, according to rankings released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
They recently released the results of a worldwide exam administered every three years to 15-year-olds in 72 countries. The exam monitors reading, math and science knowledge.
Click here to learn how to take back your local public school!
Based on their findings, the United States saw an 11-point drop in math scores and nearly flat levels for reading and science.
The Land of the Free, Home of the Brave, fell below the OECD average – and failed to crack the top ten in all three categories.
In other words, thanks to the Obama administration’s education policies, kids in the Slovac Republic are more proficient in multiplication.
In fairness, American teenagers may not know long form division - but by golly they know their non-binary gender pronouns. Yes sir, they do!
But you can't blame the kids for being dumb as rocks.
Instead of aspiring to greatness, public schools across the fruited plain are programming kids to be mediocre.
It doesn't matter if Little Johnny thinks five plus four is 12.
Modern-day classrooms are safe spaces where everybody’s a winner – everybody gets a gold star.
There's just one problem with that philosophy. When Little Johnny becomes Big Johnny he's going to be living off the taxpayer dime.
And good luck making change down at the Piggly Wiggly.Many people seem to get hung up on the DPI (dots per inch) or PPI (pixels per inch) setting within a digital photo as a measure of the quality of those photos. To set the record straight, the DPI/PPI setting within a digital photo has NOTHING to do with digital image quality! The resolution of a digital image is its pixels (usually expressed as megapixels).
The PPI of a paper print IS a measure of quality (of the paper print, not of the digital photo) - but it has nothing (in real world terms) to do with the DPI/PPI setting within the photo. Confused? Read on.
Note, this page is mostly about the DPI/PPI setting within a digital photo (the setting that can be changed by photo software). For an explanation of what DPI and PPI actually are it is best to read the What is DPI page first
Photo set to 1000 dpi Photo set to 10 dpi
If you've read the sections titled "What is a Digital Photo" and "What is a High Resolution Photo" you'll know that there are four main factors that determine image quality:
1) The size (in pixels) of the digital image.
2) The quality of the recording device (camera's optics and sensor, scanner's sensor).
3) The digital format it is stored in (lossless vs lossy compression).
4) The technical proficiency and the "eye" of the photographer. Several other factors also come into play, but the above are the main factors that determine the overall quality of the original digital photo.
The size of a digital photo is measured in pixels (the smallest colour component in a photo). The two photos above are exactly the same size, 300 pixels in width by 225 in height, and both have been saved at a JPEG quality of 75. Even though their DPI has been set to radically different values, the photos are identical in quality (the pixels don't change). So, what is DPI and why are so many people hung up about it?
DPI is short for Dots Per Inch and it actually refers to printer dots per inch. These days, when used in photo software, it means PPI, which are pixels per inch. DPI and PPI are two different things, yet often DPI is used when PPI is meant, so read its usage in context. PPI is a measure of how a image is printed to a medium such as paper. Many software programs call PPI a measure of "resolution" which leads to more confusion since it is the resolution of the printed output, not the "resolution" of the digital image (see Adobe Photoshop Image Size Dialog Box for an example of this).
If the pixels of an image do not change, then it has the same digital resolution no matter what number is parked in the DPI/PPI setting of the photo. One factor in the quality of printing to paper is many pixels per inch are delivered to the printer, a number between 200 and 300 is generally accepted to represent "photographic quality" at an arm's length viewing distance. But that quality, the PPI, is determined by how many pixels the image has - not the number parked in the DPI/PPI setting section.
Part of the confusion (and the myth) is generated by the fact that the PPI setting can (and is by some) used to determine the print size on virtual paper. It's often how graphic artists use photo programs, to virtually print size the photo. This has led to the erroneous view that this setting controls the resolution of the digital photo itself. But a digital photo's resolution are its pixels and if those don't change, the photo remains the same resolution.
The DPI/PPI number in the photo is simply a convenient at times conversion factor. Printing on all of today's home printers and most modern commercial printers involves remapping the photo, converting the pixels of the photo into printed dots. This isn't done on a one to one basis, one pixel does not equal one printer dot.
In illustration of digital resolution, with the two photos shown above, each 300 pixels wide, they will print to the same size paper at identical quality even though one has a setting of 10 dpi/ppi and the other to 1,000 dpi/ppi. If they were both printed to 6 inch paper, they would both be printing at 50 pixels per inch. The printer itself may be using 1,400 dots per inch, having remapped the pixels into its dots. With the printed output, you would not be able to tell which one was set at 10 dpi/ppi and which was set at 1,000 - since the printed photos would be identical.
So, when someone asks you for a ### dpi photo, they really mean a digital image of sufficient pixel dimensions to be able to meet their required pixels per inch requirement (usually 300 ppi) at the dimensions of the printed image. For a more extended discussion of this see What Print Shops Really Want. It doesn't matter what number is parked in the DPI/PPI setting of the photo - what counts is that there are enough pixels in the digital photo to meet their minimum PPI requirement.
Of note, camera manufacturers such as Canon have it right, they properly refer to digital resolution as the pixel dimensions of the photo.
DPI/PPI - Another Definition
For some, it is easier to think of the DPI/PPI of a digital photo simply as a conversion factor that some software uses to set the paper output dimensions. This is basically all it is - it is a 5 byte (very tiny) string in the header of a digital photo file. It's not actually part of the image, it does nothing within the photo file (it doesn't change the digital photo in any way), but some software will use it to set the paper output dimensions (in inches or centimetres).
Some software will also (unfortunately) use it to re-sample an image (see "The Horrible DPI Mistake" - below). My general advice is to never change the DPI unless some silly photo shop / graphics designer asks for it to be changed - then change it using my Change DPI instructions. When printing with a program such as Photoshop that uses the DPI to set paper output, print using the "Print with Preview" option, using the "Scale to fit media" selection to scale the photo to the print size you desire (without changing the DPI). If you must resize a photo, don't use DPI to do it, change the pixels (see the Change Size section).
The Horrible DPI Mistake
Here's the scenario - a print shop/graphics designer/magazine asks a client for a photo at 300 dpi. They wish to print it out at 5" x 7". The client already has a beautiful digital photo with pixel dimensions of 2048 x 1536. The client notices that the photo editing software is showing that the photo is set to 72 dpi. So, following orders, the client types in 300 to reset the dpi to 300. In doing so the image is resampled and is enlarged over 4 times to pixel dimensions of 8533 x 6400. The client sends this enlarged 300 dpi photo. The print shop/graphics designer/magazine reject it (too grainy, too colour blotched). The client is crushed. The sad thing is that the client already had the perfect photo (2048 x 1536 @ 72 dpi) which would have been beautifully printed at 5" x 7" (at 292.6 PPI). The print shop/graphics designer/magazine didn't know what they really wanted - see What Print Shops Really Want and the client didn't know how to change the DPI without resizing the image to give the print shop what they mistakenly think they need - see how to change the DPI.
So - why should I care about DPI?
Well, if you are using an older photo program it may use DPI to set the the size of the printed output. With these programs you'll have to adjust the DPI in order to adjust the size of the printed output. This is becoming a thing of the past since most newer photo programs simply allow you to set a size output (i.e. 5" x 7") for the image, regardless of the DPI setting. Programs that use DPI to set the size of printed output are in fact using PPI, they aren't telling the printer how many dots per inch to print (DPI), rather they are sending the printer x number of pixels per inch (which the printer may well print at a much higher DPI).
Some programs such as Word Processors and Desk Top Publishing programs will use the DPI of an image to set the default size of the image. For example, a 1200 pixel wide image set to 200 dpi will load into such a program at a size of 6 inches. All modern programs allow you to easily visually resize such an image, but it can be convenient to set the DPI of images you plan to use in such programs to the DPI that will match the approximate paper size that you intend for that image. So it you have a 2100 pixel image that you want in a document at 3 inches in width, set the DPI to 700. Of note, always set the DPI without resampling the image. See the page titled Changing the DPI of a Digital Photo.
Scanning - DPI Does Count
Scanning is the process of converting paper to digital and in this process DPI is used to adjust the amount of detail of the scan. The DPI setting of the scanner relates to the final pixel size of the scanned image. If you put a 5" x 7" photo on the scanner and scan it at 300 dpi, the resulting digital image will be 1500 x 2100 pixels in size (5" x 300 = 1500 and 7" x 300 = 2100). In this case, DPI does relate to quality, since the higher the scanner DPI setting the more information is being collected. Keep in mind though the 200 ppi = photo quality concept, a minimum of 200 dpi should be used in scanning. Best results for paper photos are generally achieved within a range of 300 dpi (sufficient for most photos) to 600 dpi (if you want to enlarge the image). See the Scanning Page for a full discussion.
A Word of Warning
Some programs will resize a photo when the DPI is changed (see my example "The Horrible DPI Mistake"). Be very careful of this. To change the DPI without changing the pixel size of the photo you should click on the "maintain original size" (i.e. Corel Photopaint) or similar option that some programs offers, or click off "resample image" that other programs offer (i.e. Adobe Photoshop). See the page titled Changing the DPI of a Digital Photo.
DPI of Printers
As mentioned above that there is no direct connection between a pixel in a digital image and printer dot. When printing, the printer software takes the digital image and re-maps the digital pixels into printer dots using its own custom algorithms. At the same time it is converting the colour space of the image from RGB to CMYK (see colour models for explanation) - or even if the digital image is set as CMYK, into its own form of CMYK to match how it does colour.
In the printing process, the quality of output is dependant on the amount of digital data delivered into the conversion procession (the PPI), the quality of the printer software (the re-mapping algorithms the printer software uses), the physical attributes of the printer (types of printing heads, quality of ink, etc.) and the quality of paper.
The rated DPI of many home ink-jet printers is in the +1,000 range - the caveat with this number is that it represents a blended dot (overprinting a single "dot" with different colours to create the colour that is needed). There is no direct relation between a pixel in a digital image and the printer's "dot" - but both play a part in the quality of output. If you deliver 50 pixels per inch to a printer printing 1,200 dots per inch, you're not going to get a good print. The reverse holds true, if you deliver 1,200 pixels per inch to a printer doing 50 dots per inch, you're also not going to get a good print.
So, for good printing, it's not just the rated DPI of the printer that counts. It's how the printer does the conversion process and how it then delivers that to paper. So, when buying a printer, don't just read the specs, read the reviews that look at the quality of output. If you have a good printer and deliver enough pixels per inch from a good quality digital photo, you'll get a good "photographic quality" print (see home printing for more info.)
A Final Test
Congratulations if you've read all the words on this page (I tend to ramble at times). Did you have the "ah ha" moment when it comes to understanding DPI/PPI.
Test 1: this was the first photos on this page, both 300 pixels wide, one with a setting of 1000 dpi the other with a setting of 10 dpi. The test answer is that they are identical in digital resolution.
Test 2: which photo is higher resolution - a 2000 pixel wide photo set at 72 dpi or a 1000 pixel wide photo set at 300 dpi? Having read the material on this website you'll immediately know that the 2000 pixel photo at 72 dpi is higher resolution than the 1000 pixel photo at 300 dpi. If you don't agree/understand, then click here and start again :-)GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Consumer confidence in Florida is dropping after reaching some of its highest levels since the Great Recession.
The monthly University of Florida consumer survey released Tuesday measured confidence at 94.0, which is 3.3 points lower than it was in January.
Researchers say the drop matches similar drops at the national level. The lowest index possible is a 2, and the highest is 150.
Hector Sandoval of the Economic Analysis Program at UF's Bureau of Economic and Business Research says that while Floridians are slightly more optimistic about their personal finances currently there are fears about the future. Floridians are less positive about their personal finances a year from now and there are negative opinions about the national economy.
Sandoval said Floridians are pessimistic independent of their socio-economic and demographic status.
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Online: http://www.bebr.ufl.edu/csi-dataIt’s officially Force Friday, and in addition to all the new toys and various goodies you can get related to Star Wars: The Force Awakens, today also brings the first official books that are part of The Journey to The Force Awakens, filling in the gap of time between Return of the Jedi and the new sequel.
The most immediate and informative story with regards to the state of the galaxy after the events of Return of the Jedi is Star Wars: Aftermath by Chuck Wendig, making his debut as an author of Star Wars stories. So how does the book hold-up on our Journey to The Force Awakens, and does it give us any hints about what to expect in Episode VII?
Get some information on what to expect from the book and also Star Wars Aftermath reviews below!
If you don’t know much about Star Wars: Aftermath and you’re curious about the story within the 366-page novel, here’s the inside jacket that gives you a better idea of what to expect, including a character from the original trilogy that fans should be familiar with:
For those curious, here's the STAR WARS: AFTERMATH inside jacket. Not sure if it's online already. #ForceFriday pic.twitter.com/isyTbhYsOi — Ethan Anderton (@Ethan_Anderton) September 3, 2015
Warning, from here on out we might get into spoiler territory for Star Wars: Aftermath, so if you’re going to read the book, steer clear of everything else on this page. But the second page will be spoiler-free for you to get an idea of how the book is being received by fans, including myself. So beware of spoilers on this page only from here on out!
The Characters and the Missions
That’s a fairly vague description of what you’ll find in the book, so here’s a good synopsis from the review at MakingStarWars.net that lays out the key characters and what they’re doing with regards to each other a little more clearly:
Set almost immediately after Return of the Jedi, the book follows less a single plot thread than it does several that are triggered by an instigating incident. Wedge Antilles, Rebel pilot responsible in part for the destruction of both Death Stars, is on a reconnaissance gig for the Rebellion – now known as the New Republic. He stumbles upon a high-level Imperial meeting ground on the backwater jungle world of Akiva, and is soon captured by Admiral Rae Sloane, one of the last surviving commanders of the Empire and a woman hellbent of reforming the Imperial Order from the ground up. Wedge’s distress call shortly |
people who are carrying? No. But officers have the absolute right. Just like a traffic stop, we ask to see your license.”
He concluded, “We will want to make sure that those who should not be carrying a weapon are not.”
Launderville was hired on Sept. 10, 2014 to replace former chief Mark Maples, who left the position earlier this summer.Gut microorganisms (the microbiota) have been linked to metabolism, and it has been suggested that the microbiota may have a role in obesity. A recent study by Ridaura et al.1 has further fueled the debate over the role of gut bacteria in obesity by showing that the microbiota from thin or obese people can transmit lean or fat phenotypes when transplanted into mice. Moreover, these authors showed that housing mice that have an 'obese' microbiota with mice that have a 'lean' microbiota prevented the development of obesity-associated metabolic phenotypes in the mice harboring the obese microbiota. These intriguing results indicate it might be possible to reverse obesity by modulating the composition of the microbiota. We asked three experts to comment on the findings of this study and what they suggest about the possibility of targeting the microbiota to develop treatments for obesity and its associated diseases.
Image: David Mack / Science Source
Oluf Pedersen
In their recent work, the Gordon laboratory convincingly substantiates their and other investigators' previous discoveries that once a microbial gut ecosystem is established, specific microbiota and their associated phenotypes are transmissible from one species to another1,2,3. They elegantly extend this proof of principle to show that it also holds true for selected bacterial cultures. Intriguingly, in mouse co-housing experiments, the investigators showed that the effect of obese microbiota can be prevented by lean microbiota combined with a feeding pattern that resembles a prudent diet low in saturated fat.
Addressing the question about what is cause and what is consequence when it comes to the role of the gut microbiota in obesity is becoming less relevant in light of the realization that the gut microbial ecosystem is transmissible. In fact, it may be hypothesized that gut microbiota with the potential to mediate various diseases may arise as a consequence of an unfortunate combination of host genetic susceptibility and the environment (for example, factors such as diet, physical activity, smoking and pollutants). In such a scenario, environmental factors could trigger a slight impairment of the intestinal barrier and a modest mucosal inflammation, which, depending on the genetic disposition of an individual to disease phenotypes, favors the invasion and expansion of specific disease-mediating gut microbial communities. In other words, once pathological gut microbiota are established, they are transmissible and cause disease when transplanted to genetically sensitive recepients. This hypothesis can be tested for the many disorders in which intestinal microbes are suspected to mediate disease using experimental models such as those used in the current study from the Gordon group1.
“Another extension of this report would be to explore whether it is possible to introduce an 'epidemic of leanness'.”
Another extension of this report would be to explore whether it is possible to introduce an 'epidemic of leanness'. This would involve the identification and culture of specific adiposity-controlling bacteria, which might be safely administered as slow-release encapsulated microbiota cultures in clinical trials along with a diet low in dietary components that cause a leaky mucosa but high in prebiotics from greens, fruits and grains. Such a strategy would allow the testing of whether combinations of live bacteria and gut health–promoting diets are able to eliminate excess adiposity in people with established obesity.
Professor of Molecular Metabolism and Molecular Genetics, Director of Lundbeck Foundation Center of Medical Genomics and Director of Novo Nordisk Foundation Center of Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Karine Clément
The study by Ridaura et al.1 is a new one in a long series of studies that have used gnotobiotic mice to examine the impact of the gut microbiota on obesity. Obesity poses a number of risks for health and is a disease that is attributed to multiple factors, including genetics and lifestyle. We now realize that genetics involves not only human genomic variations but also our 'other genome', namely the millions of genes harbored by the thousands of bacteria that colonize the human gut.
Recent analyses of the microbiome in European people have shown associations between the gut microbiome, obesity and risks for metabolic disease4,5. Dietary intervention (low-fat and high-fiber diets) improves the composition of the microbiota and lowers these adverse risks. However, it is not simple to demonstrate whether microbiotas have a causal effect on obesity in human observational studies. Perhaps the greatest value of the recent study by Ridaura et al.1 was to examine this causality by transferring human gut microbiotas to germ-free mice. In their work, the authors cleverly used fecal samples from twins who were divergent for obesity to control for host genetic diversity. They showed that the gut microbiota from an obese twin of a pair provoked obesity in germ-free mice even when the mice were fed a low-fat, high-fiber 'healthy' diet. Mice colonized by the microbiota from a lean twin remained lean.
Surprisingly, the authors found that when mice with a lean microbiota were housed with mice with an obese microbiota, the lean microbiota invaded the obese mice and could reshape their microbiota and metabolism, although this was a diet-dependent effect. Housing the lean and obese mice together led to an increased fecal content of the dominant phylum Bacteroidetes in the obese mice, and microbiotas have previously been shown to be deficient in this bacterial phylum in the obese state in some but not all studies6.
“The provision of a defined microbiota could improve metabolic health and eventually cure obesity, although it is likely that a healthy diet will also be required.”
These fascinating results1 promote the idea that the provision of a defined microbiota could improve metabolic health and eventually cure obesity, although it is likely that a healthy diet will also be required. However, the definition of human obesity groups together clinically heterogeneous conditions that involve complex mechanisms in the central nervous system and peripheral tissues. There are also numerous environmental triggers of obesity, and these can change with the stages of this disease. Therefore, the optimal microbiota profile for a particular individual at a given stage of metabolic disease remains to be established.
Professor of Medicine, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France, and Director of the Institute of Cardiometabolism and Nutrition, Paris, France.
Andrew Gewirtz
The diverse group of microorganisms residing in the intestine, collectively termed the gut microbiota, is becoming increasingly appreciated as playing a part in obesity and its associated morbidities. Two mechanisms (not mutually exclusive) have been proposed to explain how the gut microbiota might promote such disorders; depending on its specific composition, the microbiota might increase efficiency of energy harvested from ingested food, for example via breakdown of select branched carbohydrates3, and/or it might promote low-grade inflammation that can result in impaired signaling by various metabolic receptors that control satiety, such as the leptin receptor7. Regardless of the relative role of these mechanisms in disease in different individuals, a central therapeutic approach would be to replace the obesity-promoting bacteria with a community that would promote leanness.
“Much work remains to be done, including investigating the extent to which a proinflammatory microbiota might be displaced by a metabolically healthy one.”
Because a variety of genetic and environmental alterations result in chronic microbial dysbiosis, and proinflammatory microbiotas have been shown to outcompete health-promoting ones8, many researchers feared that it would prove very difficult to establish a stable health-promoting microbiota in individuals with an established adiposity-promoting microbiota. However, the new work from the Gordon laboratory demonstrates that a leanness-promoting microbiota was able to establish residence in the mouse gut and promote a healthful metabolic profile1. In particular, the authors' study showed that the lean microbiota could ferment short-chain fatty acids, even when it had to displace an already established adiposity-promoting microbiota. Much work remains to be done, including investigating the extent to which a proinflammatory microbiota might be displaced by a metabolically healthy one. Nonetheless, this mouse study provides an important proof of concept that it should ultimately be possible to administer groups of microbes to humans that can provide long-term changes in the composition and metabolic properties of the gut microbiota to mitigate obesity.
Professor, Center for Inflammation, Immunity and Infection, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Contributor information Competing interests The authors declare no conflict of interest.
References 1. Ridaura, V.K. et al. Gut microbiota from twins discordant for obesity modulate metabolism in mice. Science 341, 1241214 (2013). 2. Koren, O. et al. Host remodeling of the gut microbiome and metabolic changes during pregnancy. Cell 150, 470–480 (2012). 3. Turnbaugh, P.J. et al. An obesity-associated gut microbiome with increased capacity for energy harvest. Nature 444, 1027–1031 (2006). 4. Le Chatelier, E. et al. Richness of human gut microbiome correlates with metabolic markers. Nature 500, 541–546 (2013). 5. Cotillard, A. et al. Dietary intervention impact on gut microbial gene richness. Nature 500, 585–588 (2013). 6. Clarke, S.F. et al. The gut microbiota and its relationship to diet and obesity: new insights. Gut Microbes 3, 186–202 (2012). 7. Vijay-Kumar, M. et al. Metabolic syndrome and altered gut microbiota in mice lacking Toll-like receptor 5. Science 328, 228–231 (2010). 8. Henao-Mejia, J. et al. Inflammasome-mediated dysbiosis regulates progression of NAFLD and obesity. Nature 482, 179–185 (2012). Download references
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About this article Publication history Published 07 November 2013 DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/nm.3398When you're hot, you're hot, and right now Aaron Rodgers is hot. The Packers quarterback heads into Sunday afternoon's NFC Championship Game riding an incredible streak of strong football, having won eight straight games. And he's not alone.
Two gentlemen, Brian Yankelevitz and Russ Axelrod, are on the exact same winning streak as Rodgers and the Packers. They've parlayed an initial $300 bet on the Packers into an opportunity to win more than $76,000 on the NFC Championship Game.
For the second straight year, the two guys picked a team struggling at Thanksgiving to bet on and see if they could win out. Last year it was the Cowboys, this year it was the Packers.
So they, based on what they told Brett McMurphy of ESPN, dropped a $300 moneyline ticket at the Aria in Las Vegas on the Packers to win straight up back against the Eagles in Week 11.
The impetus for the bet? Rodgers saying he believed Green Bay could "run the table" and finish 10-6.
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"He said, 'We're just going to win out,'" Axelrod told McMurphy. "I sent it to the guys and said, 'Let's do it again.'"
Two of the guys from last year's wager on the Cowboys (the first game was against the Panthers on Thanksgiving and it was toast within minutes) declined to join in, so Axelrod and Yankelevitz put the bet down themselves.
Green Bay would beat the Eagles, and they let the winnings ride the next week against the Texans. The Packers beat the Texans, so the guys let it ride again. Rinse, repeat on up until the Packers-Cowboys playoff game last Sunday, when the payout equaled $28,213.60, courtesy of Rodgers throwing the pass of the year to tight end Jared Cook on the sideline and Mason Crosby kicking a game-winning field goal.
The ticket was chronicled online by Jonathan Shecter, an editor at CuePoint Music.
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A couple of things to note here. One, can you imagine watching that game with these guys when the Cowboys stormed back and appeared poised to take the lead late in the game? You think he appreciated the mind-numbing spike that Jason Garrett had Dak Prescott do late in the game?
Two, maybe they were reading our Super Bowl odds column all season long, because back when the Packers were 4-6, we suggested throwing some cash on them at 80-1 (the lowest you'll ever see Green Bay). Although the gamblers in question are actually doing better on this particular bet, because betting $300 on 80-1 odds would only pay out $24,000 -- not to mention Yankelevitz and Axelrod would need two more wins by Green Bay to cash out on the Super Bowl victory.
Instead (and, um, three), THEY'RE LETTING IT RIDE AGAIN. The guys cashed out the $28 grand and immediately put it on the Packers to win the NFC Championship Game in Atlanta for a massive $76,000 payout.
That takes some serious onions not to walk away with $28,000 in your pocket and instead doubling down AGAIN on Aaron Rodgers in the Packers-Falcons game this weekend.
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It gets even more aggressive, because if the Packers win, the duo won't be cashing out then either. They'll take the $76 grand and lay it on Green Bay to win the Super Bowl. Apparently the "journey" is better than "money," which is the dumbest thing anyone has ever said.
"It's more about the journey," Yankelevitz said. "Texting friends and conversations with friends than winning the bet."
The payout on that could be MASSIVE -- the Packers are projected to be more than a touchdown underdog to the Patriots. If that's the case, the moneyline will be more than 2:1, which could mean over $150,000 on a $300 bet. Pretty good investment. Even if it's the Steelers and Packers playing in the Super Bowl, the moneyline would still be somewhere in the range of +150, which would be nice as well.
Green Bay has to get past Atlanta first, though. And there's very good chance that these guys have a pretty intense squeeze coming on their heart valves, because the Packers are underdogs in Atlanta and the projected total in Vegas, 60.5, is the highest ever for championship weekend or the Super Bowl.
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If these guys win big on their initial bet, it will have been hard earned.Loki: The Dark World
Everything takes action after the events in New York - The Avengers. Thor and his companions are making peace in the nine realms. Of course, like every other movie like this, a horrifying weapon appears out of nowhere, even though it has existed for thousands of years and it was documented. Nobody expected, the enemies were supposed to be dead, but here they are, trying to dominate the universe.
But before we get to that let's talk about Jane Foster - she is in England with her team - Darcy and her intern Ian. Doing their normal researches. It's been two years since New Mexico and the last time they saw Thor in person. New find an anomaly and here is where the fun starts.
Before it was the frost giants and the cosmic cube. Now it's the dark elves, who might be few in numbers, but have an evil, evil plan - to take back what's theirs and destroy and make everything fall in to darkness. Basically - there is this thing called Aether and it could make matter into anti-matter. Even though everyone thought the dark elves were dead, the chief, Malekith, survived with a handful of soldiers, a big-ass ship that is's impossible to be traced even by the eyes of Heimdall.
Everything takes action after the events in New York - The Avengers. Thor and his companions are making peace in the nine realms. Of course, like every other movie like this, a horrifying weapon appears out of nowhere, even though it has existed for thousands of years and it was documented. Nobody expected, the enemies were supposed to be dead, but here they are, trying to dominate the universe.But before we get to that let's talk about Jane Foster - she is in England with her team - Darcy and her intern Ian. Doing their normal researches. It's been two years since New Mexico and the last time they saw Thor in person. New find an anomaly and here is where the fun starts.Before it was the frost giants and the cosmic cube. Now it's the dark elves, who might be few in numbers, but have an evil, evil plan - to take back what's theirs and destroy and make everything fall in to darkness. Basically - there is this thing called Aether and it could make matter into anti-matter. Even though everyone thought the dark elves were dead, the chief, Malekith, survived with a handful of soldiers, a big-ass ship that is's impossible to be traced even by the eyes of Heimdall.
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After the first movie I wasn't that excited about the sequel. Just another film with a lot of action, a few silly scenes and a lot of handsome men (and then people are saying comicbooks are only for men... yeah right). I didn't expect anything deep or meaningful.Then I saw the first trailer - it looked a little bit darker. I guess all marvel characters, and not only, are becoming a little bit darker with time, so they can look deeper and gain a bigger audience. Some succeed, other just make another bad film, but with darker colours. So I got intrigued and gave it a chance. Because people like to compare sequels to originals, I'll start with that. It was better than the first one. Honestly, I would go and watch it again. Don't know why, but it is far more interesting. Probably it's because it looks a little bit more mature. The Dark World is a little darker.Click This Button For Spoilers!I won't share any more spoilers, because there are a lot of plot twists (not M. Night Shyamalan, but good plot twists) and this motion picture won't be as interesting if you know what's happening.Why I loved it more than the first part? What makes me want to see the next film? Yes, there will be a Thor 3. The characters are more complicated now. They are showing them in a different light. Thor is no longer a jock who simply smashes things, Loki shows there are more sides of his personality, Odin might be the allfather, but even he has his weaknesses.It's not a typical Disney film either. Asgardians die, people die and it's not fun and games any more. But don't think it's all serious-like. This is not the Dark Knight. Of course they will put a joke or two. Of course there will be a Stan Lee cameo (and there is one more cameo that will make you laugh). That is the other big plus - it's amusing in a smart way.And let's not forget the cliffhangers at the end of the film. Now I am eagerly expecting Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor 3. IMDB - 7.8 Rotten Tomatoes - 72% Me - 8/10Go watch it! Of course there will be people disappointed, but there will be more people satisfied. Just because you hear a lot of negative reviews, it doesn't mean it's bad, it means that the people who think it's good are keeping it quiet.Here is a video of Tom Hiddleston (Loki) dancingDAHIYEH, Lebanon — Thirty-one years ago, during the first of his two pilgrimages to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Haji Ali tried to unlock a gate blocking Shiite pilgrims from visiting a venerated tomb. As he attempted to free the thousands of people who were pushing against the gate, he says, a Saudi guard caught him and tried to strangle him with his own scarf. Ali replays the moment, grabbing two ends of an imaginary scarf and tightening them around an invisible neck.
He is not surprised, he told International Business Times, that hundreds of Shiite Muslims were killed at this year’s hajj, the annual pilgrimage to the Islamic holy city of Mecca that all adult Muslim males are commanded to undertake at least once in their lifetimes. Ali believes it was a direct attack on Shiite Muslims by the Saudi Kingdom’s Sunni security forces.
“What happened at the hajj is organized crime,” Haji Ali said. “It’s a message to the Iranians that says, ‘Every time you come here, we are going to kill you and we're going to say it’s an accident and you can go talk to God about it.’”
Photo: Reuters/Ahmad Masood Ali is not impartial. Once a senior figure in the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah, he has more reason than most to distrust the Sunni Saudi leadership. But his theory is shared by nearly everyone in his neighborhood, Beirut’s southern suburb of Dahiyeh, a stronghold of Iran-backed Hezbollah.
For Shiite Muslims who have long been in conflict with their Sunni rivals in the region, the number of Iranian Shiites killed in the stampede -- 464 Iranians out of 769 total deaths, according to the official account -- could not be a coincidence.
Ali acknowledged that there were non-Iranian Shiites and Sunnis among the victims but added that the Saudi security forces knew the group was composed of mainly Shiite pilgrims and “could not ask for IDs to see who is Iranian and who is not before they kill them.”
The Saudi government says the deaths were a tragic accident, resulting from poor planning, after two large groups of pilgrims came together on a narrow road, only to be suffocated or trampled to death when there was insufficient space to let them pass freely.
But this answer does not satisfy numbers of Shiite who are now wary of making the pilgrimage at all.
Photo: Reuters/Ahmad Masood “A lot of people prefer not to go to hajj after they see this treatment,” Ali said. “A lot people are saying, ‘I’m not going to be killed at hajj by the Saudis. I’m not going and I’ll deal with God.’”
Ali experienced death first-hand on his second pilgrimage in 2000. A woman beside him collapsed and began to foam at the mouth. Though Muslim tradition does not allow a man to touch a woman who is not his wife, it was a life-or-death situation and he decided to administer CPR. The large crowds, suffocating heat and desert dust in the air can all contribute to hajj fatalities, he said.
“Death I can understand, but I cannot understand such a large number of victims,” Haji Ali said. “Even a hundred is understandable but not as much as now.”
Saudi Arabia normally receives some 3 million pilgrims a year, but it has never seen a death toll this high. Saudi sources place the number of dead at 769 with 934 injured, but according to a recent Associated Press investigation that counted victims from 16 of the 180 countries who sent pilgrims to Mecca, the real number of dead exceeds 1,100.
Among the victims were several high-ranking Shiite leaders, some of them known enemies of Saudi Arabia. At least three high-level Hezbollah officials were killed in the hajj tragedy, including a high-level cleric from southern Lebanon, according to the Hezbollah soldier.
On Friday, Iran confirmed that Ghazanfar Roknabadi, a former Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, was killed at the hajj. Roknabadi survived an assassination attempt during his time in Lebanon, and many in Dahiyeh attributed that attack to supporters of a Sunni political party.
Shiite Muslims, in both Iran and Lebanon, believe that Saudi Arabia sought revenge for Iran’s actions in the region and took advantage of having so many high-level Shiite officials in the same place.
Iran and Saudi Arabia are old foes, battling each other through proxy groups in Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. Many believe the Saudis deliberately attacked pilgrims in retaliation for Iran and Hezbollah’s support for the Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have been fighting a Saudi-led coalition since March.
Photo: Reuters/Faisal Al Nasser The Saudi foreign minister has publicly denied Iran’s claim that the events at the hajj were deliberately caused as an attack in the Iran-Saudi regional conflicts.
"We have previously said that it is unacceptable to use such human tragedy politically, which happened while people were performing a religious ritual," Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir said at the United Nations last week.
But in Dahiyeh, where Hezbollah reigns, politics has everything to do with the hajj disaster. Locals are convinced that Iran will seek both political and military retaliation against Saudi Arabia on the battlefields of Syria, Yemen and Iraq. And Hezbollah fighters said they are ready to support their fellow Shiites.
“So many are dead, but they are martyrs and the war will go on,” Hassan, a Hezbollah soldier, told IBT.
“In the Shiite mentality we’re going to have a long war ahead with these people. The crisis with these people [has] started; we know exactly where we’re going.”Applicants attend a Spirit Airlines Flight Attendant Open House Oct. 11, 2012, in Dallas. The airline is hiring for 250 jobs, including flight attendants, pilots and mechanics. (Photo11: Tony Gutierrez, AP) Story Highlights Unemployment increased in 6 states
3 states show no change
Nevada still has highest unemployment rate at 11.8%
Unemployment rates fell in 41 states and the District of Columbia last month, reflecting a sharp drop in the nation's jobless rate just weeks before the presidential election.
Unemployment increased in six states, and three states showed no change.
Among key swing states in the presidential race, the jobless rate declined in nine, was unchanged in two and increased in one.
INTERACTIVE: Where the jobs are
The national unemployment rate was 7.8% in September. That was down from 8.1% in August and 9% in September 2011.
JOBS REPORT: More stories on jobs and employment trends
The 12 presidential battleground states are Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin.
Nevada and Iowa posted the largest declines, with the jobless rate falling to 11.8% from 12.1% in Nevada, and to 5.2% from 5.5% in Iowa.
The rate fell to 7% from 7.2% in pivotal swing state Ohio, to 8% from 8.2% in Colorado, and to 7.3% from 7.5% in Wisconsin.
Unemployment also dropped slightly in Florida, Michigan, New Mexico and North Carolina. It was unchanged in Virginia and New Hampshire. And it rose in Pennsylvania to 8.2% from 8.1%
Among all the states, South Carolina posted the largest decline, with unemployment falling to 9.1% from 9.6%. The rate also fell four tenths of a percentage point in California, to 10.2%; in Hawaii, to 5.7%; in Louisiana, to 7%; and in Utah, to 5.4%.
Unemployment increased to 6.5% from 6.3% in Massachussets. And besides Pennsylvania, it also rose slightly in West Virginia, Vermont, Oklahoma and Mississippi.
Overall, Nevada continued to have the highest unemployment rate, at 11.8%, followed by Rhode Island, at 10.5%, and California's 10.2%. North Dakota, which is benefiting from an oil boom, continued to have the lowest rate at 3%.
Among regions, unemployment was highest in the West last month and lowest in the Midwest.
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/QBdwD5Beech and Cessna to Become Textron Aviation
Textron Inc. today announced it has closed its acquisition of Beech Holdings, LLC, the parent of Beechcraft Corporation, and that it will bring together its Cessna business and Beechcraft to form a new segment called Textron Aviation -- although each will remain distinct brands. Cessna and Beechcraft together produced about $4.6 billion in revenues during 2013. According to The Wall Street Journal: The acquisition brings together three brands, each pioneering many of aviation's most notable advances in the past century. Cessna, Beechcraft and Hawker bring 200-plus years of combined aviation experience to the market and an installed customer base of more than 250,000 airplanes worldwide. Going forward, Textron Aviation intends to share and leverage best practices across all operations to further its position as an aviation authority. Scott Ernest, who has served as Cessna's President and CEO since 2011, will lead the Textron Aviation segment as CEO.
"Today's announcement is a historic milestone for the aviation industry, and I congratulate the management teams of Beechcraft and Cessna for quickly bringing the merger to fruition," said Textron Chairman and CEO Scott Donnelly. "Through Textron Aviation, we now offer a broader selection of aircraft for our customers and a greatly expanded service footprint. Cessna, Beechcraft and Hawker owners will receive the high level of quality product and customer service that are the hallmarks of these brands -- and our combined resources will enhance our ability to innovate and anticipate customer needs." Under the terms of the transaction, Textron purchased all outstanding equity interests in Beech Holdings for approximately $1.4 billion in cash. Textron financed the purchase of the equity as well as the repayment of Beechcraft's working capital debt through a combination of available cash, the issuance of $600 million in senior notes and drawing $500 million under a new five-year term loan.By Massad Ayoob, GUNS Magazine
It’s human nature, I suppose. Someone finds the right automobile/political party/firearm for himself, invests his ego in the choice, and then decides to tell you what’s right for him is obviously right for you.
Internet, where one recurring meme seems to be, “If you carry more firepower than me you’re paranoid mall ninjas, and if you carry less than me, you’re pathetic sheeple.” With husbands and wives, the 6-foot male of the household says “Honey, I’ve found the best gun to carry, so here’s one just like mine, all for you!” And he gives a petite woman something too big for her hand, or her whole body, or her wardrobe. Ideal outcomes rarely ensue.
For that matter, when the individual finds a single gun that seems best suited to him or her, even that isn’t always the best for all the time, in every place or season. We don’t wear the same clothing in a New Hampshire winter we’d wear in an Arizona summer. We don’t hunt woodchucks with the same guns we’d use to hunt moose. Why use one gun for every single time we carry?
Twenty-five years ago, I was a lieutenant on a police department that adopted the S&W Model 4506 service pistol. It was an excellent weapon, and since it was the one gun I was most likely to have to use to defend my life, I committed to it. Before long, I had a battery of three carry guns that all worked exactly the same and held the same 9-shot capacity. I wore the big department issue.45 when working for the agency, and carried it in winter on my own time; (heavy cold-weather clothes easily covered its bulk), and since the same kind of clothing worn by others in the same weather could clog any hollowpoint and turn it into ball, I wanted big ball. In the summer, “off-duty” meant a Model 3913 9mm, and during the inbetween of spring and fall, the Model 4013 in.40 S&W seemed just right. The guns were all 100 percent for reliability. I often shot matches with either my duty.45 or a sweet single-action 4506 Wayne Novak customized for me with a Model 52 trigger, and the skills transferred remarkably well between all those similar guns.
A quarter century later, consumer tastes have switched to other styles. Now, in the time of polymer pistols, we can still get Glocks, Springfield XDs, and S&W M&Ps in assorted sizes and calibers and shapes which can fit more hand sizes, more wardrobes, and more needs. Aside from the legislative front, it’s a good time to be a pistol packer. There are more locales where we can carry today, and more options which, mechanically, allow us to effectively do so.
Every responsible, law-abiding citizen who chooses to carry a concealed weapon in public needs to identify their own particular needs, their own “threat profile.” If I was a stalking victim or worked behind the counter in an inner-city liquor store, I’d be wearing concealed body armor as religiously as I have in almost 40 years of badge carrying in uniform. I’d probably also be carrying enough ammunition to shoot an NRA Police Service Pistol match.
My “low firepower point” of last year occurred when I was called as an expert witness to a swelteringly hot and humid city in summer, with a dress code of tailored suits. I got by with a snubnose.38 revolver with a DeSantis 2X2X2 pouch plus a Bianchi Speed Strip; threat level was low, and I didn’t feel at all unarmed with that little, light Colt Agent. Heck, I used to work for a police department that sent its officers out with a 6-shot.38 and 12 spare rounds in pouches to protect their public from the worst that could come.
Do you shoot competition? The gun you get the most “trigger time” with, particularly under pressure, is very likely the gun you’ll shoot best when the pressure is “for real.” If Glock matches are your game, it makes huge sense for you to carry that brand, and from Subcompact to Major Sub to Master Stock, there’s almost certainly a Glock you compete with that’s perfectly suitable for 24/7 concealed carry. Right now, I have an IDPA match on the schedule where it makes sense for me to use a 9mm that can run 11 shots, and I’m about to put a Nighthawk Falcon 1911 9mm in my suitcase for my next training tour. A perfectly acceptable defense gun, since it’s both reliable and accurate, and it’ll give me some familiarization time before I step onto the competition firing line with it.
The bottom line? It’s up to each of us to assess our own “threat profile.” Each of us has different body shapes and wardrobe selections for both workdays and “off-duty.” Each of us has different mixes of experience and habituation with guns. And all those things can change day-to-day, season-to-season, and situation-to-situation.
No one else decides for us. The choices are ours. And if you wind up with a “wardrobe of carry guns” just as you already have a wardrobe of clothing for different seasons and occasions… well, there just isn’t anything wrong with that.
Glock Sport Shooting Foundation
6000 Highlands Pkwy.
Smyrna, GA 30082
(770) 437-4718
www.gunsmagazine.com/glock
IDPA
2232 CR 719
Berryville, AR 72616
(870) 545-3886
www.gunsmagazine.com/international-defense-pistol-associationStaff at Chesley Lake Camp, near Sauble Beach, are doing what they can to keep the camp going after a fire on July 1 consumed the camp's main building, which housed their restaurant, a tuck shop and their main office.
South Bruce Peninsula Fire Department received the call at around 10:20 p.m. Saturday, several hours after the camp's community had been in the building celebrating Canada day and an hour after they had a fireworks display.
"Within about an hour of everyone dispersing from the fireworks display, things started to go awry," said Sheryl Plouffe, spokesperson for Chesley Lake Camp. "People started to notice that there was a fire that had started on the side of the building."
Daniel Robinson, manager of emergency services with South Bruce Peninsula Fire Department said they believe the fire started in the camp's garbage shed, next to the main building.
"It was an accidental fire," he said.
Plouffe said people were taking buckets of water from a nearby beach trying to douse the fire at its early stages, but had to retreat to a safer distance due to a large propane tank close by.
Robinson said part of their tactic was to protect the propane tank and keep it cool. It took fire crews five hours to get the building fire under control and didn't clear the scene until 9 a.m. Sunday.
Staff at the Chesley Lake Camp are not letting the fire disrupt camp operations. They have brought in a temporary office and are working on getting a temporary restaurant. (Sheryl Plouffe)
'This building represents our community'
For many camp residents the building, which had been on the site for 68 years, was a central part of the community.
"People were hugging each other, people were crying, people were supporting each other even in that moment of watching the building burn down because the building means so much more to the people here than just bricks and mortar," Plouffe said.
"This building represents our community and it's our gathering place and there are a lot of emotions tied up in that building and traditions."
But the fire won't stop the camp from operating. Staff have already been working on shuffling activities around bringing in a temporary restaurant and office.
"Already there are plans to rebuild," Plouffe said.The world’s #1 DJ controller is now even better.
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ere vokter nøye det kompromiss som ble inngått mellom deres egne grupperinger og sekulære jøder da Israel ble opprettet i 1948: Statsminister David Ben Gurion garanterte da blant annet at kun byen Haifa skulle tilby offentlig transport på sabbaten, mellom solnedgang fredag og solnedgang lørdag, og på de jødiske høytidsdagene.
Tel Avivs sjefrabbiner sier forslaget om å gi også denne byens innbyggere busstilbud hele uken er dypt sårende. Han setter nå sin lit til at lokalpolitikernes syndige forslag blir stanset av regjeringen. Det er det gode muligheter for, siden det ultraortodokse Shas-partiet er en innflytelsesrik partner i Benjamin Netanyahus høyrekoalisjon.
Et annet slag for de ultraortodokse er at landets høyesterett denne uken kjente ugyldig loven som fritar de fleste av dem fra den lange militærtjenesten landets unge menn og kvinner ellers er pålagt.
Hva som blir sluttresultatet, er høyst usikkert. Men at disse sakene overhodet blir fremmet, forteller noe om motstanden de ultraortodokse og andre strengt religiøse nå etter hvert møter i Israel, og som har tiltatt de siste månedene.
Avisen Haaretz skrev i desember på lederplass at de religiøse ekstremistene truer selve det israelske demokratiet. Også Israels venner og allierte er sjokkert over det religiøse tyranniet på flere av hverdagslivets områder: USAs utenriksminister Hillary Clinton uttalte i desember at enkelte forhold i det israelske samfunnet minnet henne om Iran.
Spyttet på
Det som mer enn noe annet har synliggjort motsetningene mellom ultraortodokse jøder og andre grupper i Israel de siste månedene er den opprørende hendelsen i byen Beit Shemesh før årsskiftet: Naama Margolese (8) ble spyttet på og trakassert fordi hun ifølge ultraortodokse naboer ikke var sømmelig nok kledd på skoleveien.
– Jeg tror altså ikke på denne historien! fnyser en svartkledd, stor og kraftig mann i 30-årene, som jeg møter i denne forstadsbyen, en knapp times kjøring vest og litt sør for Jerusalem. Han ikke vil fotograferes eller oppgi sitt navn, og synes først å gå i forsvar for dem som er blitt pågrepet for ugjerningen. Han vedgår at han kjenner dem. Men så retter han på de sterke brillene og skuler utfordrende på meg:
– Ser jeg ut som en som ville gå løs på et barn? Hvis det som fortelles, skulle være sant, så er det en liten, ekstrem gruppering som gjør slikt. Husk det! sier han, og haster videre, mens den vide hattebremmen bøyer seg lett oppover i den rå brisen.
Forhåndsdom
Jørgen Lohne
– Du dømmer vel ikke alle oss ultraortodokse bare på grunnlag av handlingene til noen gærninger som spytter på en liten jente, vel? spør Gutman Locks utfordrende på sin amerikanske sørstatsdialekt. Det glimter humoristisk i rabbinerens øyne mens han stryker hånden gjennom det lange, hvite rektor-Humlesnurr-skjegget der han står på plassen foran Vestmuren – ”Klagemuren" – i Jerusalem.Locks er en kjent rabbiner med en mangslungen bakgrunn. Han forsøker å nå frem til mennesker som ikke tror og mener det samme som ham selv. Han snakker med "alle" som kommer til Vestmuren. Ja, bare på mannssiden, naturligvis, først og fremst jøder med en sekulær eller mindre ortodoks orientering enn han selv har, men også mennesker som har en helt annen, eller ingen, religiøs oppfatning.
Når man ser og hører Locks i vennlig virksomhet, er det vanskelig samtidig å forestille seg hvor uforsonlige en del ultraortodokse, også innen den retning rabbineren selv tilhører, uttaler seg om eller handler overfor andre grupper.
– Kamp for Israel
– Det er virkelig bare et lite mindretall blant de ultraortodokse som står for vold og overgrep her i Beit Shemesh, bekrefter Hadassa Margolese (31), den modige kvinnen som tok belastningen med å fortelle om hvordan datteren ble spyttet på og skjelt ut.
Jørgen Lohne
Klokken er åtte om morgenen, og vi møtes på parkeringsplassen foran det moderne rekkehuset der familien bor. Trebarnsmoren har nettopp brakt Naama (8) og Ayala (5) til skolen og står med Yishai (1) på armen. Hun beklager at Naama ikke vil møte Aftenposten:– Hun har sagt plent nei til å møte flere journalister, så jeg vil ikke engang spørre henne.
Da familien Margolese gikk til kamp, var det ikke fordi Naama-saken var den eneste. Mange andre småjenter har opplevd noe av det samme. Men bare Naamas foreldre var villig til å stå imot og vant en viktig seier for hele lokalsamfunnet, i en sak som skapte nyhetsoverskrifter verden rundt.
– Det er blitt slutt på angrep på barn på skoleveien, og politiet passer godt på. Men voksne kvinner er blitt både skjelt ut og fysisk angrepet bare de siste ukene. Så vi fortsetter kampen mot voldelige ekstremister, en kamp som er viktig for hele Israel, sier Margolese.
– Har du noen venner blant de ultraortodokse som ikke tilhører ekstremistene?
– Nei. Jeg har nok litt problemer med å inngå vennskap med mennesker som ikke gjør militærtjeneste, ikke betaler skatt og ikke deltar i arbeidslivet, sier Margolese, som selv presenterer seg som ”moderne ortodoks”.
– Jobber hardt
– Hvorfor vil dere ikke arbeide? spør jeg Gutman Locks.
– Ha! Jeg skal vedde på at jeg jobber hardere enn deg, med hjemmeside på nettet, bokprosjekter og foredrag – det er en myte at vi ikke arbeider, sier den blide rabbineren.
– Men også bønn og talmudstudier er en jobb, en oppgave vi utfører for hele det jødiske folk!
Fremtidstro
I løpet av et par tiår er Israel blitt en høyteknologisk stormakt. Korrigert for folketallet er landet verdensledende når det gjelder etableringer av nye bedrifter med avansert teknologi, og Israel har adskillig bedre tilgang til risikovillig kapital enn det USA og Europa har.
Samtidig er de raskest voksende befolkningsgruppene i Israel de som er minst kompatible med den dynamiske high-tech-økonomien, påpeker The Economist, som spår krise hvis de ultraortodokse fortsetter å unngå lønnet arbeid.
Men det vil ikke skje, mener Glenn Yago fra den internasjonale tenketanken The Milken Institute: – For trender som ikke kan fortsette, kommer heller ikke til å gjøre det.
Ingen trussel
Israels ambassadør til Norge fra 2001 til 2005, Liora Herzl fra Tel Aviv, er helt enig:
Jørgen Lohne
– De ultraortodokse som gruppe utgjør etter min mening ingen trussel. De siste årene har vi sett at de i økende grad er villige til å være med å dele byrdene i samfunnet. Stadig flere av dem tar vanlig utdannelse, utfører lønnet arbeid og betaler skatt som andre israelere. Noen tusen av dem velger også å gjøre militærtjeneste eller annen nasjonal tjeneste, påpeker diplomaten, som nå arbeider ved Israel National Defense College.Men at de blir mer integrert, betyr ikke at de ultraortodokse endrer sin ideologi:
– Den viktigste skillelinjen kan ses som en uenighet om den demokratiske, jødiske statens identitet. Vi sekulære ønsker at staten skal bli mer demokratisk. De ultraortodokse mener den bør bli mer jødisk. At det er uenighet om slike spørsmål i en ung stat som vår, er helt naturlig, sier Liora Herzl, som er i slekt med Theodor Herzl, den politiske sionismens grunnlegger.
Rulleskøyter
— Jeg er en fanatisk ekstremist, sier Shai Shuruk med et vennlig smil, serverer kaffe og viser meg rundt i den lille bokhandelen han driver i Tel Aviv og som ligger vegg i vegg med synagogen der han ofte studerer. Bøkene som tilbys er utelukkende religiøse skrifter.
Jørgen Lohne
En kunde kommer inn, og den høye mannen beveger seg raskt over gulvet på rulleskøyter for å ekspedere. Da han er tilbake, viser han meg begeistret hvordan han bruker sin iPhone til å lese dagens tekst.Shuruk representerer de integreringsvillige ultraortodokse som optimistene mener det vil bli stadig flere av. Han har selv gjort militærtjeneste og ønsker at hans barn skal gjøre det samme. Og utdannelse skal de ha, ingen tvil om det. Lønnet arbeid er på ingen måte like viktig som religiøse studier, men det må til, mener Shuruk, som ikke levner noen tvil når det gjelder alvoret i sin overbevisning:
– Som fundamentalist tror jeg at den allmektige kan komme til å slå meg ihjel på stedet hvis jeg for eksempel ikke holder sabbaten hellig, sier han.
Kona Sivan har vært inne og levert yngstedatteren Mohar for at pappa skal passe henne noen timer. Og nå balanserer Shuruk den lille på armen mens han samtidig gestikulerer og ruller rundt på skøytene som kona opplyser at han svært sjelden tar av seg.
– Men Han er ikke en ond konge, tvert imot en kjærlig far! Min religiøse overbevisning er at jeg skal gi mine medmennesker noe, også dem som er uenig med meg. Når noen vil vise sin egen prektighet og rettroenhet ved å spytte på en liten jente, er det jo bare skammelig! sier han
Lysbryter
Gad Nassi har forsørget seg selv siden han flyttet hjemmefra som 15-åring. Men hadde ekspeditøren fortsatt vært ultraortodoks, ville han neppe vært i arbeid, men isteden konsentrert seg om hellige studier, som sin far og sine brødre.
Bruddet med den religiøse fanatismen er ugjenkallelig, men han er nå glad for å ha en viss kontakt med familien igjen.
— Hva var det du foretok deg som liten gutt for å få Gud til å drepe din far?
— Jeg slo en elektrisk lysbryter på og av flere ganger i løpet av sabbaten. Jeg var blitt strengt advart: En slik handling kunne føre til at Gud slo synderen ihjel, på stedet. Men siden jeg ennå ikke hadde feiret bar mitsva, (den jødiske ”konfirmasjon”, red.anm.) var det far som måtte ha tatt straffen.
[email protected]
Fakta: Fakta Konservativ fløy av ortodoks jødedom som har et fundamentalistisk syn på den religiøse tradisjonen.Sterkt imot sekularisme og andre sider ved det moderne samfunn.Mange ultraortodokse jødiske grupper er sterkt sionistiske.Andre er erklærte motstandere av staten Israel, ettersom de hevder at den er et inngrep i Guds plan med det jødiske folk.Hovedtendensen er at de ultraortodokse sympatiserer med høyresiden. Det ultraortodokse partiet Shas er den israelske nasjonalforsamlingen Knessets 4. største parti og en innflytelsesrik koalisjonspartner i regjeringen.Shas går imot «frysing» av bosetningsbygging på okkupert område på Vestbredden og er skeptisk til USAs forsøk på å få i gang forhandlinger mellom israelere og palestinerne.Religiøse jøder har generelt sett en mer avvisende holdning overfor arabere enn sine sekulære, israelske landsmennPolitikere alliert med ultraortodokse og andre sterkt religiøse har gått inn for lover som tillater jøder å nekte arabere å ta bolig blant dem.Meningsmålinger tyder på at en høy andel av religiøse jøder kunne gå inn for å nekte ikke-jødiske israelere stemmerett.
Fakta: Fakta 8 prosent av den jødiske befolkning i Israel er ultraortodokse.12 prosent er nasjonalreligiøse, sterkt overbeviste sionister, som ofte også betegner seg som moderne ortodokse.25 prosent er ”tradisjonelle” jøder, det vil si troende, men ikke perfeksjonister som de ortodokse55 prosent er ikke religiøse.Ifølge Israels statistiske sentralbyrå er 75,5 prosent av befolkningen jødiske, 16,7 prosent muslimske, 2,1 prosent kristne og 1,7 prosent drusere. De resterende fire prosent er ikke klassifisert som tilhørende en religion.80 prosent av alle israelere, uansett etnisk og religiøs bakgrunn, tror på Gud, mens bare tre prosent regner seg som "antireligiøse”.I 1960 gikk bare 15 prosent av alle israelske skolebarn i ultraortodoks haredi-skole. Nå er antallet økt til cirka 50 prosent. Hvis trenden fortsetter, blir det 78 prosent i 2040, ifølge Taub-senteret, en israelsk tenketank.Imagine having no hope of beating the defending world champions, then getting an amazing goal to put you in front and give you hope, only to concede 22 seconds later and go back to believing the world is cruel place that only exists to give you pain and despair. At least if you could shake off the shock.
You just imagined being a Manchester United fan at the Allianz Arena. These Manchester United fans, in fact.
Whether the fans ever processed their fall is unclear seeing as they appear more focused on the Bayern Munich train that just ran over every puppy, eradicated all beer and destroyed every rainbow in their world.
These fans will always remember that day they spent a lot of money to travel to Munich in support of a David Moyes Manchester United team, let said team give them hope against Bayern Munich and then crush it in 22 seconds. Memories to last a lifetime.Introduction
Oliver Roeder runs a column on FiveThirtyEight called “The Riddler,” where he proposes logical and mathematical puzzles for readers to solve. On February 3rd of this year, he posted in Riddler Classic the problem, “Can You Rule Riddler Nation?” Here is the description:
In a distant, war-torn land, there are 10 castles. There are two warlords: you and your archenemy. Each castle has its own strategic value for a would-be conqueror. Specifically, the castles are worth 1, 2, 3, …, 9, and 10 victory points. You and your enemy each have 100 soldiers to distribute, any way you like, to fight at any of the 10 castles. Whoever sends more soldiers to a given castle conquers that castle and wins its victory points. If you each send the same number of troops, you split the points. You don’t know what distribution of forces your enemy has chosen until the battles begin. Whoever wins the most points wins the war.
Submit a plan distributing your 100 soldiers among the 10 castles. Once I receive all your battle plans, I’ll adjudicate all the possible one-on-one matchups. Whoever wins the most wars wins the battle royale and is crowned king or queen of Riddler Nation!
My solution was (1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 23, 23, 24, 24), with this rationale:
Their are 55 possible points so one must win 28 to win. I will send 1 to each in case one person does not send any to a base. Then I will divide the remaining 90 among 7, 8, 9, 10 which is all that is nescecary to reach 28. 90/4 is 22 with 2 remainder. This will be put on the 9 and 10 to go after the most important targets.
The winning solution, by Cyrus Hettle, was (3, 5, 8, 10, 13, 1, 26, 30, 2, 2), and he won 84% of his battles, an excellent showing. In general, the winning strategies focused more on capturing lots of low-value castles than a few high-value ones, as my strategy did.
My strategy lost to the winning strategy, as the code below shows:
import pandas as pd from pandas import Series, DataFrame import numpy as np
def gen_strat(obj): """Generating a Series consisting of castle troop assignments args: obj: An iterable (NumPy array, Series, list, tuple, etc.) containing troop assignment return: Series; The generated strategy """ srs = Series(obj).apply(int) if (len(srs)!= 10) or (srs.sum()!= 100) or ((srs < 0).values.any()): raise ValueError("A valid strategy consists of ten integers between 0 and 100 that sum to 100.") srs.index = pd.Index(np.arange(10) + 1) return srs
def check_strat(strat): """Checks that strat is a valid strategy, like that created by gen_strat args: strat: Series; An object to check return: bool; True if valid """ if str(type(strat)) == "<class 'pandas.core.series.Series'>": # All the other conditions that must hold if len(strat) == 10 and strat.sum() == 100 and (strat >= 0).values.all() and \ (strat == strat.apply(int)).values.all() and (strat.index.values == (np.arange(10) + 1)).all(): return True return False
def battle_strat(strat1, strat2): """Determine which strategy between two wins args: strat1: Series; generated by gen_strat (or obeying its rules) strat2: Series; generated by gen_strat (or obeying its rules) return: dict; with the following fields: * "winner": int; 1 for strat1, -1 for strat2, 0 for tie * "pts": list; Item 0 is strat1's points, Item1 strat2's points """ if not check_strat(strat1) or not check_strat(strat2): raise ValueError("Both strat1 and strat2 must be valid strategies") castle_margins = strat1 - strat2 win1 = (castle_margins > 0).apply(int) win2 = (castle_margins < 0).apply(int) tie = (castle_margins == 0).apply(int) castle_points = Series(strat1.index, index=strat1.index) tie_pts = (tie * castle_points).sum() / 2 pts1 = (win1 * castle_points).sum() + tie_pts pts2 = (win2 * castle_points).sum() + tie_pts pts_list = [pts1, pts2] if pts1 > pts2: return {"winner": 1, "pts": pts_list} elif pts1 < pts2: return {"winner": -1, "pts": pts_list} else: return {"winner": 0, "pts": pts_list}
myStrat = gen_strat((1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 23, 23, 24, 24)) winStrat = gen_strat((3, 5, 8, 10, 13, 1, 26, 30, 2, 2))
battle_strat(myStrat, winStrat)
{'pts': [22.0, 33.0], 'winner': -1}
You can see that my strategy went top-heavy, while the strategies that did best were bottom-heavy; they went for castles worth little and taking just enough point-heavy castles to win the tournament.
(Troops sent to castles, with winning distribution shown; credit to Oliver Roeder at FiveThirtyEight.)
This was my favorite of the Riddler challenges (I rarely submit to them but sometimes try to think of a solution), and I’m thrilled to see Mr. Roeder offer another one, but this time participants have the data for how others played, and Mr. Roeder encourages the players to use this data.
Challenge accepted, good sir.
Colonel Blotto Game
I read the first instantiation of the game while I was riding the train home from the U. of U., and I realized that, from a game-theoretic perspective, the game must have an optimal strategy (most likely a mixed strategy, where players randomly pick their moves; for example, the solution to rock-paper-scissors is a mixed strategy where a player randomly picks rock, paper, or scissors one third of the time for each), and I started thinking about how to find it, only to realize that the space of possible strategies is huge; in fact, there are 42,634,215,112,710 possible troop allocations. No way a computer is going to solve that. I tried to think of approximation methods that could possibly solve this problem, but my research turned up nothing. So I went off intuition (which didn’t work out well).
Sure enough, these problems are far from new, as Mr. Roeder discussed in the follow-up. They’re known as Colonel Blotto games.
It’s easy to show (TM) that these games have a Nash equilibrium and thus a solution, an optimal strategy. In fact, this pops straight out from Nash’s theorem; the only conditions required to apply his theorem are that there be two players (and there are), and that there be a finite number of potential strategies (which there is, although that finite number is in the trillions).
The hard part is finding the optimal strategy. In fact, that part is really hard. You can imagine why.
In some versions of the game, solutions can be found with analytic techniques. This was done for the version of the game proposed in a Rand Corporation paper in 1950 that is responsible for the name “Colonel Blotto”. The solution was found in 2006 by Brian Roberson, after 56 years of being unsolved. I doubt that the Battle for Riddler Nation is a game with a clean solution. It will likely require applying computational techniques that find approximate solutions rather than truly optimal ones.
Michael Wittman, a PhD candidate at MIT, wrote a paper applying agent-based models to the Colonel Blotto game, even providing some of the Python code he used. It’s an interesting read and I like the idea. His paper focuses on emulating round-robin tournaments like the Battle for Riddler Nation, where people create strategies, the researcher pits them against one-another, and sees which comes out on top. He also wanted to explore the characteristics of winning strategies.
I think that the agent-based approach could be used for finding quasi-optimal strategies, and I would like to try it here.
Agent-Based Modelling
Agent-based modelling is a computational approach for exploring complex systems by creating the agents that make up the system, putting them together, simulating their individual behaviors, allowing them to interact with one-another, and seeing what characteristics emerge in the larger system. For example, people apply agent-based models to traffic by creating a road network, creating simulated drivers, give them rules of behavior and desired destinations, and set them loose. It’s used in economics, sociology, biology, and other fields.
Agent-based modelling appeals for a number of reasons. First, it feels realistic to study a forest by simulating the trees and seeing what emerges. Second, the assumptions applied to agents seem more verifiable (and thus realistic) than making assumptions for the whole system. Third, agent-based models create a history that allows not only the end result but the dynamics leading up to that result to be studied. Fourth, they provide hope for solving problems for which an analytic solution is simply not possible, or confirming an analytic solution’s sufficiency. Fifth, they allow for investigating how sensitive a result is to initial conditions or assumptions. In a sense, they can help make sense of chaotic or fluid systems.
I’ve been interested in agent-based modelling for years. I would have loved to have done a thesis that applied agent-based models (ABMs) in an economic context. The appeal might stem from my life long love of video games and simulated systems, or just how cool I think it is to be creating petri-dish economies and societies on my computer. And I do believe that as computing power increases ABMs will be applied more for making forecasts and predictions, and that they are more realistic and general approaches to problems. Their results may be more trustworthy than those of analytic approaches, in my mind.
I’ve been planning to creating and applying ABMs for a while, and writing articles about them prior to the Battle for Riddler Nation. I want to use them to explore self-segregation of communities (see the seminal Schelling segregation model, which you can try without a computer), the emergence of two-party systems in winner-take-all elections (you will never convince me voting for Jill Stein or any Green Party nominee instead of the Democrat is a good idea), and maybe the development of technical analysis in financial markets. (So far I’ve found one book that might serve as a good starting point for studying ABMs, Agent-Based Models of the Economy; From Theories to Applications, by Boero et. al., which uses Python.)
Here, the idea is to create agents that always use some strategy for playing the Battle for Riddler Nation. Agents that lose their battles are dropped, while those that win spread. This approach emulates natural selection in nature; the “fit” reproduce, while the “unfit” do not, directing the species to the optimal design for their environment. Mr. Wittman applies such a technique in his paper, though I will make my own variations.
Unfortunately, the technique I just described does not find mixed strategies (that is, a strategy that randomly chooses a fixed strategy to apply). This is particularly bad in this context because one of the few things that is known with absolute certainty about Colonel Blotto games is that they have a mixed strategy, not a pure one. The hope is that whatever “stable” dynamics emerge will constitute a mixed strategy.
Here is an example. Suppose that we want to use agent-based modelling to solve rock-paper-scissors. We know that the optimal solution to rock-paper-scissors is to play rock, paper, and scissors randomly, choosing each one-third of the time in the long run. But the agents don’t play this way; each agent will either play either rock, paper, or scissors every game. So no one will be playing optimally, but hopefully one-third of all agents play pure-rock, one-third play pure-scissors, and one-third play pure-paper. Then the system, as a whole, represents an optimal mixed strategy.
I have no proof this is the case. This is just a hunch or hope. (Guess I have another project; see if this rock-paper-scissors dynamic as I described plays out).
Because the space of possible strategies in the Colonel Blotto-type games is so large, I would like the agents to explore the space. My idea is to allow mutations in the agents that get to reproduce. When an agent reproduces, the offspring has a chance to mutate, where the strategy they use is changed slightly. But as an agent lives longeer, the chance of producing a mutant offspring decreases, and those offspring that do mutate don’t mutate as much when they’re born from older agents. The rationale is that we should explore the sample space but we should bias it towards successful agents.
Again, I don’t know if this will work, but it’s worth a shot.
Mesa
While Wittman’s paper and Boero et. al‘s use Python and come with code examples, I want to use the Python library Mesa for creating an ABM. Mesa is a framework for creating and running ABMs and getting analytics from them, by David Masad and Jacqueline Kazil. It provides objects that can create agents, models, and visualizations. You can read Mr. Masad’s and Ms. Kazil’s paper, and watch their video presentations.
Mesa is still in development and there are models that it currently does not support, but the model that I will be using isn’t too fancy. It also is intended to integrate well with the rest of the scientific Python universe; pandas DataFrame s and NumPy are supposedly supported by the package.
What Strategies to Use?
Mr. Wittman was interested in how to generate strategies for a round-robin tournament. Here, I’ve already been given a number of strategies, those used in the last Battle for Riddler Nation. My plan is to populate my world with agents that use the strategies players have already submitted.
Now, Mr. Roeder challenged players in the second round to use the results of the first round. I’m curious how people will process this. On the one hand, people may lean heavily towards emulating the top-performing strategies, in hopes ofad obtaining similar results. But then someone will come along who does just slightly better than the top-performers, or perhaps finds a flaw in that strategy and develops one that beats the best strategy and those similar to it. But then someone could realize this potentiality and develop a strategy that beats the strategy that beats what used to be the best strategy. And on and on and on…
Even with that in mind, I would rather just start with what I know, then hope that the mutations will account for these dynamics.
Here I load in the data file with the strategies submitted in the last Battle for Riddler Nation.
riddler_strats = pd.read_csv("castle-solutions.csv", encoding='latin-1').iloc[:, 0:10] # Get only castle data
riddler_strats.head()
Castle 1 Castle 2 Castle 3 Castle 4 Castle 5 Castle 6 Castle 7 Castle 8 Castle 9 Castle 10 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 52 2 2 2 2 2 2 12 12 12 2 26 26 26 16 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 26 5 5 5 6 7 26 0 0 0 4 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 25 25 25
riddler_strats.columns = pd.Index(np.arange(10) + 1) riddler_strats.head()
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 52 2 2 2 2 2 2 12 12 12 2 26 26 26 16 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 26 5 5 5 6 7 26 0 0 0 4 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 25 25 25
riddler_strats.shape
(1387, 10)
Some of the strategies people submitted were not valid; you can see that is in fact the case for the strategy with index 3 (it does not add up to 100). Here is a count of how many strategies are valid, followed by filtering the DataFrame for valid strategies.
riddler_strats.apply(lambda x: not check_strat(x), axis=1).sum()
38
riddler_strats = riddler_strats.loc[riddler_strats.apply(check_strat, axis=1), :] riddler_strats.head()
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 52 2 2 2 2 2 2 12 12 12 2 26 26 26 16 1 1 1 1 1 1 4 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 25 25 25 5 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 25 25 25
And just for kicks, let’s see how my strategy performed against these.
myStrat_res = riddler_strats.apply(lambda x: battle_strat(myStrat, x)["winner"], axis=1) myStrat_res.head()
0 1 1 1 2 1 4 -1 5 -1 dtype: int64
# Number of wins (myStrat_res == 1).sum()
647
# Number of losses (myStrat_res == -1).sum()
692
# Number of ties (myStrat_res == 0).sum() - 1 # There is one auto-tie, against myself
9
647 / (692 + 647 + 9)
0.47997032640949555
With a win rate of 48%, my strategy didn’t do particularly well. But whatever. Water under the bridge now.
Anyway, just for the fun of it, I’m going to describe the ABM in a narrative.
The Great Wars for Riddler Nation
Riddler Nation has been split between 1,349 warlords. There are 4,047 provinces, with each province having ten castles, with values ranging from one to ten. Each warlord starts with three provinces. Wars take place and winners are determined as before.
Every year, every warlord wars with another warlord, chosen at random (Riddler Nation has teleportation magic, so every province is adjacent to every other province). Each warlord has his or her own war doctrine, and the warlord clings to it until death. When a warlord loses all the provinces under his control, the warlord dies, a pauper. But warlords only know war; they cannot manage their lands very well. The moment a warlord finds himself in charge of six provinces, he splits his domain, giving three provinces to his eldest son. The eldest son may have his own war doctrine, or may share his father’s, but the sons of the most successful warlords tend to stick with their fathers’ ways.
Let’s see how the lands of Riddler Nation evolve.
import mesa, mesa.time, mesa.datacollection import random import numpy as np from numpy.random import poisson, uniform
class Warlord(mesa.Agent): """A warlord of Riddler Nation, who starts with a war doctrine, provinces, and fights other warlords""" def __init__(self, model, unique_id, doctrine, provinces, max_provinces, mutate_prob |
turn the TV off, turn off my iPod, turn off everything else, and I can just sit down and I can interact with the people that I love. And that’s what this game does for me. That’s why I really, really like this game.”
“Every hardcore gamer needs to have a game like this on their shelf…”
Indie Cardboard [LINK]:
“Worker Placement is a light, incredibly entertaining and spectacularly clever game that is easy to recommend for novice and seasoned players alike.”
“...a charming introductory course in worker placement games that trades complications for fun.”
Dad’s Gaming Addiction [LINK]:
“Worker Placement practically screams potential and turned out to be more than the sum of its parts.”
“Worker Placement is definitely one of the better worker placement games I’ve played this year...”
How Lou Sees It [LINK]:
“The theme and game mechanics work well and the jobs and job descriptions will make you smile or laugh out loud.”
"...a fun, entertaining game, for a nice range of ages and game interests."
"8 out of 10 Stars"
Noobsource [LINK]:
"I was impressed by the artwork and dialogue on the cards; the humour being very much in line with The Office and Dilbert."
"If you're looking for a primer on the worker placement genre... [it's] a great place to begin."
“...gives you just a taste of what to expect from the genre without feeling overwhelmed by the complexity..."
Polyhedron Collider [LINK]:
"...a perfect introduction to the genre, suitable for a wide range of skill levels and ages."
"It's a solid game with easy to learn mechanics..."
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"...I was really impressed by the look and feel of the game."
"...something that was easily grasped by my 10 and 12 year old children..."
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Gamer Geek, Parent Geek, and Child Geek approved!
"...a very well designed and well positioned game suitable for almost anyone."
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"...the game play is tight and well thought out. This is a solid game."
4-pack of Exclusive promo cards is included with all pledges of $40 and above!
If we reach our $10,000 funding goal, we’ll have enough money to send Worker Placement to press promptly, so it will be ready to ship to backers in fall 2014. The game is fantastic as presented and we know you’ll be pleased with the results, but we are committed to providing FREE REWARDS – upgrading the quality of the game pieces and adding some awesome extra features, fun bits, and exclusive goodies – to all backers with $40+ pledges should we receive funds exceeding our $10,000 target. Help us spread the word to make it happen! New stretch goal rewards will be added as the current goals are reached.
Dyskami is a tabletop gaming company headquartered in Guelph, Ontario, Canada and established in 2013 by publisher and game designer, Mark MacKinnon. We are dedicated to creating products for today's busy board gamers, both casual and hardcore, who may not have as much time for their hobby as before.
Worker Placement is Dyskami’s second Kickstarter project, retooled and relaunched from an earlier effort. Our first successful campaign (hosted by Kickin' it Games) was for Mark’s fairy tale strategy board game, Upon a Fable, which exceeded funding needs and generated some great stretch goals for backers in 2013. Upon a Fable started shipping to international backers on-time in mid-October, with backers in the Americas following shortly thereafter.
Prior to his time with Dyskami, Mark published dozens of role-playing games, card games, and dice games, including among others the Big Eyes, Small Mouth and Silver Age Sentinels RPGs and the 2001 Origins Award-winning Sailor Moon Collectable Card Game.
This direct-to-consumers Kickstarter is a vital component for producing Worker Placement and distributing it worldwide. Dyskami Publishing strongly supports the efforts of independent game retailers and would be happy to provide a discount for a bulk case of Worker Placement (including all pledge bonuses and stretch goals), which we will fulfil at your store immediately after it arrives at our warehouse. Please contact Dyskami Publishing directly ([email protected]) for more information how we can work together to help support your store.A five-year-old boy is convinced that he was a 30-year-old black woman in another life - and claimed to remember dying in a fire.
Luke Ruehlman, from Cincinnati, Ohio, thought he was once called Pam and lived in Chicago - until he leaped from a burning building in 1993.
The child claims he was then reincarnated and - remembers being named Luke by his parents.
Scroll down for video
Before and after? Luke Ruehlman, now five, claimed that he used to be Pamela Robinson, right, who died in
Beginnings: According to Luke's mother, Erika, at first he simply named things Pam, then started referring to when he 'used to be a girl'
Though the recollections have since stopped, Luke's mother Erika told local station Fox8 how from the age of two Ruehlman would make references to his apparent alter ego.
At first, she said, he would simply name things Pam and seemed fixated with the name. Later, she said, he would start making references to his apparent past life as a female.
She said: 'He used to say: "When I was a girl, I had black hair"’ or he would say, "I used to have earrings like that when I was a girl."'
Fire: Pamela Robinson died when the Paxton Hotel in Chicago caught fire in 1993. According to his mother, Luke identified facts from the event with no prior knowledge of them
Uncanny: Luke's mother said internet searches based on information from Luke led her to reports of the 1993 blaze
She added that when confronted about who Pam could be, he said that he in fact used to be her, and said he remembered a bizarre process of reincarnation when he was 'pushed back down' to earth as a newborn.
He said: 'Well, I used to be [Pam], but I died. I went up to heaven, and I saw God, and he pushed me back down and when I woke up, I was a baby and you named me Luke.'
According to Erika, her son's claims were supported by facts he could not possibly have learned by himself.
After revealing that in his 'former life' as Pam he lived in Chicago, Erika found an old news story which mentioned a Pamela Robinson, who died when the Paxton Hotel in the city caught light in 1993.
Convinced: Erika Ruehlman, pictured, was initially sceptical but said he son has now convinced her of his past life
'Pushed down by God': Luke claimed to remember being sent to earth again as a baby boy
An investigation by a paranormal investigations TV show also claimed to prove the veracity of Luke's story.
In footage for the show The Ghost Inside My Child, Luke was shown a page full of pictures of black women in their 30s, only one of which was the dead Pamela Robinson.
When asked to pick out Pamela, the footage claims, he chose the right picture.
It was enough to convince Erika, who reached out to Robinson's family and said they told her more about her personality which seemed to match Luke.
As examples, Erika said her son loves Stevie Wonder, as did Robinson, and also shares an enthusiasm for playing the keyboard, though her boy's was a children's version.Officer accused of sexually assaulting arrested driver's girlfriend Copyright by WOODTV - All rights reserved This July 20, 2016 photo shows an officer's cruiser parked outside the Covert Township Police Department. [ + - ] Video
Ken Kolker -
COVERT TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) -- Prosecutors could decide this week whether to file charges against a former Covert Township police officer in an alleged sexual assault.
A source familiar with the investigation said the officer arrested a man for drunken driving on July 9. He then allegedly dropped the man's girlfriend off at a motel in Paw Paw before locking up the drunk driver at the Van Buren County Jail.
The source said the officer then is accused of returning to the motel while off-duty and sexually assaulting the woman.
Covert Township Police Chief Jay Allen said the alleged victim filed the complaint with his department the day it allegedly happened.
"I looked into it and during the course of looking at the complaint, it was discovered that a possible crime might be committed," Allen said.
Allen said he immediately turned the case over to Michigan State Police.
"We got a neutral party to investigate so everybody can see there's no bias one way or another in the investigation," Allen said.
Allen said the officer, who started working at the department two months ago, resigned shortly after the allegations were made.
Michigan State Police Detective 1st Lt. Chuck Christensen would only tell 24 Hour News 8 that his office started investigating an assault allegation two weeks ago involving a Covert Township police officer. He refused to release additional details.
Van Buren County Prosecutor Michael Bedford said he just received the report on Wednesday. He said he expects to finish his review on Thursday before deciding whether to file charges.
Chief Allen said his department can cover the township with its seven remaining officers:
"We've got plenty of coverage. All the shifts are covered.""Barça" redirects here. For other uses, see Barca (disambiguation)
This article is about the men's football club. For other uses, see FC Barcelona (disambiguation)
Not to be confused with Barcelona S.C.
Futbol Club Barcelona ( Catalan pronunciation: [fubˈbɔl ˈklub bəɾsəˈlonə] ()), known simply as Barcelona and colloquially as Barça ( [ˈbaɾsə]), is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
Founded in 1899 by a group of Swiss, English and Catalan footballers led by Joan Gamper, the club has become a symbol of Catalan culture and Catalanism, hence the motto "Més que un club" ("More than a club"). Unlike many other football clubs, the supporters own and operate Barcelona. It is the fourth-most valuable sports team in the world, worth $4.06 billion, and the world's second-richest football club in terms of revenue, with an annual turnover of €690.4 million.[2][3] The official Barcelona anthem is the "Cant del Barça", written by Jaume Picas and Josep Maria Espinàs.[4]
Domestically, Barcelona has won 25 La Liga, 30 Copa del Rey, 13 Supercopa de España, 3 Copa Eva Duarte, and 2 Copa de la Liga trophies, as well as being the record holder for the latter four competitions. In international club football, Barcelona has won 20 European and World titles: 5 UEFA Champions League titles, a record 4 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, a joint record 5 UEFA Super Cup, a record 3 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, and a joint record 3 FIFA Club World Cup. Barcelona was ranked first in the International Federation of Football History & Statistics Club World Ranking for 1997, 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2015[6][7] and currently occupies the second position on the UEFA club rankings.[8] The club has a long-standing rivalry with Real Madrid; matches between the two teams are referred to as El Clásico.
Barcelona is one of the most widely supported teams in the world, and the club has one of the largest social media following in the world among sports teams.[9][10] Barcelona players have won a record number of Ballon d'Or awards (11), with recipients including Johan Cruyff, as well as a record number of FIFA World Player of the Year awards (7), with winners including Ronaldo, Romário, Ronaldinho, and Rivaldo. In 2010, three players who came through the club's youth academy (Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta, and Xavi) were chosen as the three best players in the world in the FIFA Ballon d'Or awards, an unprecedented feat for players from the same football school.
Barcelona is one of three founding members of the Primera División that have never been relegated from the top division since its inception in 1929, along with Athletic Bilbao and Real Madrid. In 2009, Barcelona became the first Spanish club to win the continental treble consisting of La Liga, Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League, and also became the first Spanish football club to win six out of six competitions in a single year, by also winning the Spanish Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup.[11] In 2011, the club became European champions again and won five trophies. This Barcelona team, which won 14 trophies in just 4 years under Pep Guardiola, is considered by some in the sport to be the greatest team of all time.[12][13][14] By winning their fifth Champions League trophy on 6 June 2015, Barcelona became the first European club in history to achieve the continental treble twice. The highest paid sports team in the world, in November 2018 Barcelona became the first sports team with average first-team pay in excess of £10m ($13.8m) per year.[15][16]
History
1899–1922: Beginnings
[17] Walter Wild, the club's first president (1899–1901). His main achievement was getting Barça its first home ground.
Los Deportes ---- English translation : "SPORT NOTE. Our friend and partner, Mr. Kans Kamper, from the Foot-Vall Section of the 'Sociedad Los Deportes' and former Swiss champion, wishing to organise some matches in Barcelona, requests that everyone who likes this sport contact him, come to this office Tuesday and Friday nights from 9 to 11."[18] Gamper's advertisement in----: "SPORT NOTE. Our friend and partner, Mr. Kans Kamper, from the Foot-Vall Section of the 'Sociedad Los Deportes' and former Swiss champion, wishing to organise some matches in Barcelona, requests that everyone who likes this sport contact him, come to this office Tuesday and Friday nights from 9 to 11."
On 22 October 1899, Hans Gamper placed an advertisement in Los Deportes declaring his wish to form a football club; a positive response resulted in a meeting at the Gimnasio Solé on 29 November. Eleven players attended – Walter Wild (the first director of the club), Lluís d'Ossó, Bartomeu Terradas, Otto Kunzle, Otto Maier, Enric Ducal, Pere Cabot, Carles Pujol, Josep Llobet, John Parsons, and William Parsons – and Foot-Ball Club Barcelona was born.[18]
A formation of FC Barcelona in 1903
FC Barcelona had a successful start in regional and national cups, competing in the Campionat de Catalunya and the Copa del Rey. In 1902, the club won its first trophy, the Copa Macaya, and participated in the first Copa del Rey, losing 1–2 to Bizcaya in the final.[19] In 1908, Hans Gamper – now known as Joan Gamper – became club president in a desperate attempt to save Barcelona from extinction, finding the club struggling not just on the pitch, but also financially and socially, after not winning a competition since the Campionat de Catalunya in 1905. He said in a meeting, "Barcelona cannot die and must not die. If there is nobody who is going to try, then I will assume the responsibility of running the club from now on."[20] Club president on five separate occasions between 1908 and 1925, he spent 25 years in total at the helm. One of his main achievements was ensuring Barça acquire its own stadium and thus generate a stable income.[21]
On 14 March 1909, the team moved into the Camp de la Indústria, a stadium with a capacity of 8,000. To celebrate their new surroundings, the club conducted a logo contest the following year. Carles Comamala won the contest, and his suggestion became the crest that the club still wears – with some minor changes – as of the present day.[22]
With the new stadium, Barcelona participated in the inaugural version of the Pyrenees Cup, which, at the time, consisted of the best teams of Languedoc, Midi and Aquitaine (Southern France), the Basque Country and Catalonia; all were former members of the Marca Hispanica region. The contest was the most prestigious in that era.[23] From the inaugural year in 1910 to 1913, Barcelona won the competition four consecutive times. Carles Comamala played an integral part of the four-time champion, managing the side along with Amechazurra and Jack Greenwell. The latter became the club's first full-time coach in 1917.[24] The last edition was held in 1914 in the city of Barcelona, which local rivals Espanyol won.[25]
During the same period, the club changed its official language from Castilian to Catalan and gradually evolved into an important symbol of Catalan identity. For many fans, participating in the club had less to do with the game itself and more with being a part of the club's collective identity.[26] On 4 February 1917, the club held its first testimonial match to honour Ramón Torralba, who played from 1913 to 1928. The match was against local side Terrassa where Barcelona won the match 6-2.[27]
Gamper simultaneously launched a campaign to recruit more club members, and by 1922, the club had more than 20,000, who helped finance a new stadium. The club then moved to the new Les Cortes, which they inaugurated the same year.[28] Les Cortes had an initial capacity of 30,000, and in the 1940s it was expanded to 60,000.[29]
Gamper recruited Jack Greenwell as the first full-time manager in Barcelona's history. After this hiring, the club's fortunes began to improve on the field. During the Gamper-led era, Barcelona won eleven Campionats de Catalunya, six Copa del Rey and four Pyrenees Cups and enjoyed its first "golden age".[19][21]
1923–1957: Rivera, Republic and Civil War
The aerial bombardment of Barcelona in 1938
On 14 June 1925, in a spontaneous reaction against Primo de Rivera's dictatorship, the crowd in the stadium jeered the Royal March. As a reprisal, the ground was closed for six months and Gamper was forced to relinquish the presidency of the club.[30] This coincided with the transition to professional football, and, in 1926, the directors of Barcelona publicly claimed, for the first time, to operate a professional football club.[28] On 3 July 1927, the club held a second testimonial match for Paulino Alcántara, against the Spanish national team. To kick off the match, local journalist and pilot Josep Canudas dropped the ball onto the pitch from his aeroplane.[31] In 1928, victory in the Spanish Cup was celebrated with a poem titled "Oda a Platko", which was written by a member of the Generation of '27, Rafael Alberti, inspired by the heroic performance of the Barcelona goalkeeper, Franz Platko.[32] On 23 June 1929, Barcelona won the inaugural Spanish League. A year after winning the championship, on 30 July 1930, Gamper committed suicide after a period of depression brought on by personal and financial problems.[21]
Although they continued to have players of the standing of Josep Escolà, the club now entered a period of decline, in which political conflict overshadowed sports throughout society. Attendance at matches dropped as the citizens of Barcelona were occupied with discussing political matters.[33] Although the team won the Campionat de Catalunya in 1930, 1931, 1932, 1934, 1936 and 1938,[19] success at a national level (with the exception of the 1937 disputed title) evaded them.
A month after the Spanish Civil War began in 1936, several players from Barcelona enlisted in the ranks of those who fought against the military uprising, along with players from Athletic Bilbao.[34] On 6 August, Falangist soldiers near Guadarrama murdered club president Josep Sunyol, a representative of the pro-independence political party.[35] He was dubbed the martyr of barcelonisme, and his murder was a defining moment in the history of FC Barcelona and Catalan identity.[36] In the summer of 1937, the squad was on tour in Mexico and the United States, where it was received as an ambassador of the Second Spanish Republic. The tour led to the financial security of the club, but also resulted in half of the team seeking asylum in Mexico and France, making it harder for the remaining team to contest for trophies.[37][38]
On 16 March 1938, Barcelona came under aerial bombardment from the Italian Air Force, causing more than 3,000 deaths, with one of the bombs hitting the club's offices.[39][40] A few months later, Catalonia came under occupation and as a symbol of the "undisciplined" Catalanism, the club, now down to just 3,486 members, faced a number of restrictions. All signs of regional nationalism, including language, flag and other signs of separatism were banned throughout Spain. The Catalan flag was banned and the club were prohibited from using non-Spanish names. These measures forced the club to change its name to Club de Fútbol Barcelona and to remove the Catalan flag from its crest.[41]
In 1943, Barcelona faced rivals Real Madrid in the semi-finals of Copa del Generalísimo (now the Copa del Rey). The first match at Les Corts was won by Barcelona 3–0. Real Madrid comfortably won the second leg, beating Barcelona 11–1.[42] According to football writer Sid Lowe, "There have been relatively few mentions of the game [since] and it is not a result that has been particularly celebrated in Madrid. Indeed, the 11–1 occupies a far more prominent place in Barcelona's history. This was the game that first formed the identification of Madrid as the team of the dictatorship and Barcelona as its victims."[43] It has been alleged by local journalist Paco Aguilar that Barcelona's players were threatened by police in the changing room, though nothing was ever proven.[44]
A prolific forward, László Kubala led Barcelona to success in the 1950s. His statue is built outside the Camp Nou.
Despite the difficult political situation, CF Barcelona enjoyed considerable success during the 1940s and 1950s. In 1945, with Josep Samitier as coach and players like César, Ramallets and Velasco, they won La Liga for the first time since 1929. They added two more titles in 1948 and 1949.[45] In 1949, they also won the first Copa Latina.[46] In June 1950, Barcelona signed László Kubala, who was to be an important figure at the club.[47]
On a rainy Sunday of 1951, the crowd left Les Corts stadium after a 2–1 win against Santander by foot, refusing to catch any trams, and surprising the Francoist authorities. The reason was simple: at the same time, a tram strike was taking place in Barcelona, receiving the support of blaugrana fans. Events like this made CF Barcelona represent much more than just Catalonia and many progressive Spaniards saw the club as a staunch defender of rights and freedoms.[48][49]
Coach Ferdinand Daučík and László Kubala led the team to five different trophies including La Liga, the Copa del Generalísimo, the Copa Latina, the Copa Eva Duarte, and the Copa Martini Rossi in 1952. In 1953, the club won La Liga and the Copa del Generalísimo again.[29]
1957–1978: Club de Fútbol Barcelona
With Helenio Herrera as coach, a young Luis Suárez, the European Footballer of the Year in 1960, and two influential Hungarians recommended by Kubala, Sándor Kocsis and Zoltán Czibor, the team won another national double in 1959 and a La Liga and Fairs Cup double in 1960. In 1961, they became the first club to beat Real Madrid in a European Cup play-off. However, they lost 2–3 to Benfica in the final.[50][51]
The 1960s were less successful for the club, with Real Madrid monopolising La Liga. The completion of the Camp Nou, finished in 1957, meant the club had little money to spend on new players.[51] The 1960s saw the emergence of Josep Maria Fusté and Carles Rexach, and the club won the Copa del Generalísimo in 1963 and the Fairs Cup in 1966. Barcelona restored some pride by beating Real Madrid 1–0 in the 1968 Copa del Generalísimo final at the Santiago Bernabéu in front of Francisco Franco, with coach Salvador Artigas, a former republican pilot in the Civil War. With the end of Franco's dictatorship in 1974, the club changed its official name back to Futbol Club Barcelona and reverted the crest to its original design, including the original letters once again.[52][53]
The 1973–74 season saw the arrival of Johan Cruyff, who was bought for a world record £920,000 from Ajax.[54] Already an established player with Ajax, Cruyff quickly won over the Barcelona fans when he told the European press that he chose Barcelona over Real Madrid because he could not play for a club associated with Francisco Franco. He further endeared himself when he named his son "Jordi", after the local Catalan Saint George.[55] Next to champions like Juan Manuel Asensi, Carles Rexach and Hugo Sotil, he helped the club win the 1973–74 season for the first time since 1960,[19] defeating Real Madrid 5–0 at the Santiago Bernabéu en route. He was crowned European Footballer of the Year in 1973 during his first season with Barcelona (his second Ballon d'Or win; he won his first while playing for Ajax in 1971). Cruyff received this prestigious award a third time (the first player to do so) in 1974, while he was still with Barcelona.[56]
1978–2000: Núñez and stabilization
[57][58] In 1979, Barcelona bought La Masia, a farmer's house built in 1702, to be a residence for young academy players. It would later play a significant role in the club's future success.
In 1978, Josep Lluís Núñez became the first elected president of FC Barcelona, and, since then, the members of Barcelona have elected the club president. The process of electing a president of FC Barcelona was closely tied to Spain's transition to democracy in 1974 and the end of Franco's dictatorship. The new president's main objective was to develop Barcelona into a world-class club by giving it stability both on and off the pitch. His presidency was to last for 22 years, and it deeply affected the image of Barcelona, as Núñez held to a strict policy regarding wages and discipline, letting go of such players as Diego Maradona, Romário and Ronaldo rather than meeting their demands.[59][60]
On 16 May 1979, the club won its first European Cup Winners' Cup by beating Fortuna Düsseldorf 4–3 in Basel in a final watched by more than 30,000 travelling blaugrana fans. The same year, Núñez began to invest in the club's youth programme by converting La Masia into a dormitory for young academy players from abroad. The name of the dormitory would later become synonymous with the youth programme of Barcelona.[61]
In June 1982, Diego Maradona was signed for a world record fee of £5 million from Boca Juniors.[62] In the following season, under coach César Luis Menotti, Barcelona won the Copa del Rey, beating Real Madrid. Maradona's time with Barcelona, however, was short-lived and he soon left for Napoli. At the start of the 1984–85 season, Terry Venables was hired as manager and he won La Liga with noteworthy displays by German midfielder Bernd Schuster. The next season, he took the team to their second European Cup final, only to lose on penalties to Steaua București during a dramatic evening in Seville.[59]
Around this time, tensions began to arise between what was perceived as president Núñez's dictatorial rule and the nationalistic support group, Boixos Nois. The group, identified with a left-wing separatism, repeatedly demanded the resignation of Núñez and openly defied him through chants and banners at matches. At the same time, Barcelona experienced an eruption in skinheads, who often identified with a right-wing separatism. The skinheads slowly transferred the Boixos Nois' ideology from liberalism to fascism, which caused division within the group and a sudden support for Núñez's presidency.[63] Inspired by British hooligans, the remaining Boixos Nois became violent, causing havoc leading to large-scale arrests.[64]
After the 1986 FIFA World Cup, Barcelona signed the English top scorer Gary Lineker, along with goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta, but the team could not achieve success, as Schuster was excluded from the team. Terry Venables was subsequently fired at the beginning of the 1987–88 season and replaced with Luis Aragonés. The season finished with the players rebelling against president Núñez, in an event known as the Hesperia mutiny, and a 1–0 victory in the Copa del Rey final against Real Sociedad.[59]
The Dream Team era
As coach of the "Dream Team", Johan Cruyff won four consecutive league titles with Barcelona.
In 1988, Johan Cruyff returned to the club, this time as manager and he assembled what would later be dubbed the "Dream Team".[65] He used a mix of Spanish players like Pep Guardiola, José Mari Bakero and Txiki Begiristain while signing international players such as Ronald Koeman, Michael Laudrup, Romário and Hristo Stoichkov.[66]
It was ten years after the inception of the youth programme, La Masia, when the young players began to graduate and play for their first team. One of the first graduates, who would later earn international acclaim, was future Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola.[67] Under Cruyff's guidance, Barcelona won four consecutive La Liga titles from 1991 to 1994. They beat Sampdoria in both the 1989 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final and the 1992 European Cup final at Wembley, with a free kick goal from Dutch international Ronald Koeman. They also won a Copa del Rey in 1990, the European Super Cup in 1992 and three Supercopa de España trophies. With 11 trophies, Cruyff became the club's most successful manager at that point. He also became the club's longest consecutive serving manager, serving eight years.[68] Cruyff's fortune was to change, and, in his final two seasons, he failed to win any trophies and fell out with president Josep Lluís Núñez, resulting in his departure.[59] On the legacy of Cruyff's football philosophy and the passing style of play he introduced to the club, future coach of Barcelona Pep Guardiola would state, "Cruyff built the cathedral, our job is to maintain and renovate it."[69]
Reacting to Cruyff's departure, an independent protest group was organised by Armand Caraben, Joan Laporta and Alfons Godall.[70] The objective of the group, called L'Elefant Blau, was to oppose the presidency of Núñez, which they regarded as a corruption of the club's traditional values.[70][71] Laporta would later take over the presidency of Barcelona in 2003.[72]
Cruyff was briefly replaced by Bobby Robson, who took charge of the club for a single season in 1996–97. He recruited Ronaldo for a world record transfer fee from his previous club, PSV and delivered a cup treble, winning the Copa del Rey, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and the Supercopa de España, with Ronaldo registering 47 goals in 49 games.[73] Despite his success, Robson was only ever seen as a short-term solution while the club waited for Louis van Gaal to become available.[74]
Like Maradona, Ronaldo only stayed a short time before he left for Inter Milan in another world record transfer.[73] However, new heroes emerged, such as Luís Figo, Patrick Kluivert, Luis Enrique and Rivaldo, and the team won a Copa del Rey and La Liga double in 1998. In 1999, the club celebrated its centenari, winning the Primera División title, and Rivaldo became the fourth Barcelona player to be awarded European Footballer of the Year. Despite this domestic success, the failure to emulate Real Madrid in the Champions League led to van Gaal and Núñez resigning in 2000.[74]
2000–2008: Exit Núñez, enter Laporta
Plaque commemorating the centenary of FC Barcelona
The departures of Núñez and Van Gaal were hardly noticed by the fans when compared to that of Luís Figo, then club vice-captain. Figo had become a cult hero and was considered by Catalans to be one of their own. Barcelona fans, however, were distraught by Figo's decision to join arch-rivals Real Madrid, and, during subsequent visits to the Camp Nou, Figo was given an extremely hostile reception. Upon his first return, a piglet's head and a full bottle of whiskey were thrown at him from the crowd.[75] The next three years saw the club in decline, and managers came and went. Van Gaal was replaced by Lorenzo Serra Ferrer who, despite an extensive investment in players in the summer of 2000, presided over a mediocre league campaign and a first-round Champions League exit, and was dismissed late in the season. Long-serving Barcelona deputy coach Carles Rexach was appointed as his replacement, initially on a temporary basis, and managed to at least steer the club to the last Champions League spot on the final day of the season against Valencia via an exceptional performance from Rivaldo, who completed arguably the greatest hat-trick in history with an overhead bicycle kick winner in the final minute to secure qualification.[76][77][78]
Despite better form in La Liga and a good run to the semi-finals of the Champions League, Rexach was never viewed as a long-term solution and that summer Van Gaal returned to the club for a second spell as manager. What followed, despite another decent Champions League performance, was one of the worst La Liga campaigns in the club's history, with the team as low as 15th in February 2003. This led to Van Gaal's resignation and replacement for the rest of the campaign by Radomir Antić, though a sixth-place finish was the best that he could manage. At the end of the season, Antić's short-term contract was not renewed, and club president Joan Gaspart resigned, his position having been made completely untenable by such a disastrous season on top of the club's overall decline in fortunes since he became president three years prior.[79]
After the disappointment of the Gaspart era, the combination of a new young president, Joan Laporta, and a young new manager, former Dutch and Milan star Frank Rijkaard, saw the club bounce back. On the field, an influx of international players, including Ronaldinho, Deco, Henrik Larsson, Ludovic Giuly, Samuel Eto'o, Rafael Márquez and Edgar Davids, combined with home grown Spanish players, such as Carles Puyol, Andrés Iniesta, Xavi and Víctor Valdés, led to the club's return to success. Barcelona won La Liga and the Supercopa de España in 2004–05, and Ronaldinho and Eto'o were voted first and third, respectively, in the FIFA World Player of the Year awards.[82]
In the 2005–06 season, Barcelona repeated their league and Supercopa successes. The pinnacle of the league season arrived at the Santiago Bernabéu in a 3–0 win over Real Madrid. It was Rijkaard's second victory at the Bernabéu, making him the first Barcelona manager to win there twice. Ronaldinho's performance was so impressive that after his second goal, which was Barcelona's third, some Real Madrid fans gave him a standing ovation.[83] In the Champions League, Barcelona beat the English club Arsenal in the final. Trailing 1–0 to a ten-man Arsenal and with less than 15 minutes remaining, they came back to win 2–1, with substitute Henrik Larsson, in his final appearance for the club, setting up goals for Samuel Eto'o and fellow substitute Juliano Belletti, for the club's first European Cup victory in 14 years.[84]
Despite being the favourites and starting strongly, Barcelona finished the 2006–07 season without trophies. A pre-season US tour was later blamed for a string of injuries to key players, including leading scorer Eto'o and rising star Lionel Messi. There was open feuding as Eto'o publicly criticised coach Rijkaard and Ronaldinho.[85] Ronaldinho also admitted that a lack of fitness affected his form.[86] In La Liga, Barcelona were in first place for much of the season, but inconsistency in the New Year saw Real Madrid overtake them to become champions. Barcelona advanced to the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey, winning the first leg against Getafe 5–2, with a goal from Messi bringing comparison to Diego Maradona's goal of the century, but then lost the second leg 4–0. They took part in the |
a little bit smaller, I’m a little bit bigger,” Campbell says. “So when it comes to things like matching tight ends or backs, it’s like the perfect combination.”
Worrilow compares Campbell to 6-foot-4 Seahawks standout K.J. Wright, which is fitting given that Quinn has taken most of the principles he used as Seattle’s defensive coordinator and applied them in Atlanta. Allen estimates that the Falcons use a pure zone look on at least 80 percent of their defensive snaps, and while most teams (including the Mike Smith–era Falcons) read the receivers when playing zone — a concept called “matching” — Quinn’s Falcons make their decisions based almost entirely on the quarterback’s eyes. That technique leads to a lot of soft spots in the underneath areas of a defense — the “kill zone,” Atlanta calls it — and means that closing speed and open-field tackling are paramount for any linebacker in Quinn’s system. This season, the Falcons allowed an average of 4.9 yards after the catch, ninth best in the league.
“Because I’m the guy in the back, I have to clean everything up when everything goes bad,” Allen says. “It’s very rare now that things go bad, because there is so much speed.”
As much as Campbell and Jones complement each other on the field, Jones says the bond they’ve formed off it may be even more valuable. They spend time at each other’s houses — usually, Jones jokes, when he runs out of Haribo gummy bears and makes the five-minute drive to Campbell’s place in Buford to raid his stash of Fruit Roll-Ups. On Monday, the linebackers took their girlfriends on a double date to Benihana. Things like that may seem insignificant, but they’ve facilitated a level of comfort and helped each settle into his role. “Little things,” Campbell says, “like alerts on the field, a receiver cuts his split down or backs a lineman, calling it out like, ay, this is what could happen. Just seeing both of us grow on that level.”
Related The Maturation of Matty Ice
As their knowledge of what Quinn wants on his roster has developed, Dimitroff and the scouting staff have taken to calling well-suited players D.Q. guys. In just two years, they’ve added their share. The speed that Quinn, Dimitroff, and coordinator Rich Smith have craved on the defense has arrived. Now, the challenge is unleashing it. “When you have the speed on your team, it takes another level to get the communication part down,” Quinn says. “It’s one thing to be fast. It’s another thing to play fast.”
In Atlanta’s win over the Seahawks last week, the median age of its 11 most-used defenders was 24. Seven of those guys — Beasley, Campbell, Jones, Neal, tackle Grady Jarrett, and cornerbacks Brian Poole and Jalen Collins — are in their first or second seasons in the NFL. The Falcons may wear red and black, but their defense is undeniably green. “You imagine not only this year, but in the years to come, how much better this class can become,” Smith says. “When they first get here, every play is an experience.”
The learning curve has been steep. Atlanta’s overall progression is such that even after losing star cornerback Desmond Trufant to a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 9, the pass defense got better. From Week 1 to Week 9, the Falcons were 23rd in pass defense DVOA; from that point, they were 11th (ending at 19th on the season). Quinn’s belief is that time has transformed Atlanta’s defense to the point that it bears little resemblance to the one Rodgers carved up for 246 passing yards with four touchdowns the day before Halloween.
“We are playing faster now — and that’s why you’ve heard me say we’re a better version of ourselves than we were when we played Green Bay earlier in the season,” Quinn says. “The reason is that our speed hasn’t changed as a player. Our speed has changed as a defense.”
The Falcons still have glaring flaws on this side of the ball (they were dead last in run-defense DVOA over the second half of the season — a byproduct of their smaller, sleeker approach). But in the areas that should matter most against the Packers, they’ve grown by leaps and bounds. With the regular season in the rearview, Quinn’s youthful bunch has begun to match its play speed to its timed speed. If the Falcons have any prayer of slaying the dragon that is Rodgers, it’ll be a product of their commitment to getting fast — in a hurry. “We both believe in the same thing,” Dimitroff says of Quinn. “It’s about getting athletes, it’s about getting speed, it’s about being urgent, fast, explosive. That was our drive.”If you plan to drink this weekend, Michael Sawaya, the Denver lawyer most people know from TV, wants to pay your ride home.
For the fourth year in a row, Sawaya is offering to pay for your cab home this weekend, though he may one day lose his clients if everyone took his offer.
His work at The Sawaya Law Firm, often defending people who get injured by drunken drivers, hits close to home for Sawaya, who lost a sister years ago to a drunken driver. Time and again he sees the damage drunken drivers cause, he said.
“There’s probably a dozen reasons, but I really like what it does for our community,” Sawaya said of his offer.
“No one can ever know the full achievements of what this brings, how many accidents it could have prevented,” Sawaya said. “But people call and say thank you all the time. Those are the things that make this program really worthwhile.”
Every year, Sawaya estimates, he spends about $20,000 paying for cab rides and advertising ahead of time to make sure people know there is a simple — free — way to avoid driving after drinking.
The free taxi rides are offered four times a year, for the Fourth of July, St. Patrick’s Day, Halloween and New Year’s. Halloween is when he pays for the most rides, he said.
If you need a cab ride home this weekend, pay for it, get a receipt and send it along with a copy of your driver’s license (for age confirmation) to Holiday Free Cab Ride Home Program, The Sawaya Law Firm, 1600 Ogden St., Denver, CO 80218. Call 303-466-3529 for more information.UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw underwent successful surgery on his left elbow Friday.
Dillashaw, who confirmed the news to MMAFighting.com, said he was suffering from bursitis, which, according to the National Library of Medicine, is the swelling and irritation of a bursa, a fluid-filled sac, that acts as a cushion between a muscles, tendons, and joints.
"Swollen from elbowing [Joe] Soto," he wrote via text message. "Drained it multiple times but just kept coming back."
Dillashaw, who characterized the surgery as "minor," said he'll be in a splint for three weeks. Recovery time is expected to be between three-to-five weeks total.
The 135-pound champion recently defeated Soto at UFC 177 in August. He is currently slated to fight Dominick Cruz in February or March 2015, and Friday's schedule shouldn't delay those plans.Bernie Sanders speaks with reporters in Washington, D.C., October 2015. (Reuters photo: Jonathan Ernst)
If mainstream news organizations want to regain credibility with the public, they should begin by hiring young conservative journalists.
How can we fix the failures of journalism that were made so obvious by the election of 2016? We could start by doing something that might put me out of business, or at least make my job harder to do.
I hire reporters to cover state and local government. They are tasked with finding waste, fraud, and malfeasance, along with shining a light into corners where most news outlets don’t look and from a perspective — that of the free market — from which all too many reporters and editors are not familiar.
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During my more than three decades as a journalist, I have sat through my share of diversity training sessions. I have been handed memo after memo and read study after study about how we needed to make our newsrooms look more like the communities we serve.
The key word there is “look.”
These sessions and memos and studies typically focused on the need to hire and promote more women and people of color. And they worked. While there is always more that can be done, newsrooms much more closely reflect the gender and ethnic demographics of America than they once did. But never did I get a memo or sit through a training session in which we were urged to recruit, hire, and promote newsroom staff who think more like the communities we serve.
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And so newsrooms are now populated by much more diverse-looking staffs than in the past — staffs that largely share a common set of progressive values, a monochrome worldview centered on left-wing notions of how America should behave in the world, and an elitist culture unalterably convinced of its own moral superiority.
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RELATED: Reporters’ Political Bias Should Be Clear
I have been that person who pipes up in meetings, “There’s another way to look at that,” only to be hooted down as if I had just endorsed puppy maiming. I have heard otherwise intelligent and urbane colleagues denigrate ideas different from the ones they hold in the most demeaning of language, and I have heard them apply the same type of language to people with whom they disagree.
Evenhanded treatment of the news cannot emerge from such a newsroom. And it hasn’t, for years.
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Sure, every once in a while, a conservative makes the leap to a mainstream newsroom. We notice when it happens because it’s so rare.
And then we sit back and wait for the journalistic equivalent of O’Sullivan’s First Law: Any institution that is not explicitly right-wing will become left-wing over time.
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RELATED: Which Fake News?
Not because there aren’t good conservative reporters out there with the strength of their own convictions, but because it’s difficult to stand upright in a hurricane.
Many news outlets have lost their credibility with the reading and viewing public because they pretend a neutrality they don’t have, and because they don’t take the reading and viewing public seriously. They should dispense with the pretense, and start hiring people who take their audiences seriously.
Need an example of what I mean?
Salena Zito did stellar work because she didn’t assume the people she talked to were racist troglodytes, but voters with real concerns about real issues in search of real solutions.
She’s just one case. There are others, but not that many.
Many news outlets have lost their credibility with the reading and viewing public because they pretend a neutrality they don’t have.
So, I urge my colleagues to look harder. Scoop up some of the brilliant young journalists writing for The College Fix or those working on alternative college papers. If you have a need for more experienced hands, I happen to know some. Give me a call or drop me a note.
Sure, if you hire the best and the brightest liberty-minded journalists, it will be harder for me to find reporters to hire. But not as hard as you might think. Because there are a lot more young conservative journalists ready to go to work than you think there are.
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Journalistic debacles like the election of 2016 are invariably followed by a period of hand-wringing, accompanied by media promises to examine what went wrong and to do better. First the hand-wringing ends, usually by Christmas, then the promises to change are forgotten.
Unfortunately, we’re ahead of schedule this year.
#related#The same journalists who assure us they plan to spend more time in “flyover country” — so they can do a better job of reporting on the concerns of working-class Americans — seem startlingly unaware that use of that phrase and the mindset from which it derives are part of their problem.
What we need are more journalists who don’t think of anything west of Fairfax County, Va., as flyover country, but as part of the country in which they live.
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It’s easy to find. It’s that big red spot in the center of the map.A few weeks ago, Mississippi Tea Party challenger Chris McDaniel came up with a euphemism for the thousands of voters who were suddenly supporting his opponent in that state’s Republican primary: “Liberal Democrats,” he called them.
Liberal Democrats were infiltrating and perverting a Republican contest, he warned bitterly. His campaign team would dispatch monitors to voting stations, on full alert for infiltration by liberal Democrats.
There is, of course, a more relevant and more accurate way to describe the Mississippians who provoked McDaniel’s outrage, and who in the end denied him the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate race later this year: “Black voters.”
McDaniel, though, consistently refused to acknowledge the racial reality of what was happening, right to the end. In his angry non-concession speech Tuesday night, he kept right on ranting from the podium about liberal Democrats.
Up against reality
But of course, how could he acknowledge reality? To do so would also mean acknowledging that the Tea Party is regarded by most black voters, (and most other minority voters, and most women) as what it mostly is: a bunch of cranky old white conservatives who think their country is being stolen and who want things the way they used to be.
Compared with McDaniel, the near-octogenarian Republican incumbent, Thad Cochran, looked pretty good to black voters. - Neil Macdonald
So deeply do Mississippi’s black voters distrust the Tea Party that they turned out by the thousands, urged on by their pastors and community leaders, to support a 76-year-old white Republican named Thad Cochran.
This, in a state where almost all blacks usually vote Democrat, and where 99 per cent voted for Barack Obama.
(Mississippi holds “open” primaries, in which anyone can cast a ballot who has not already voted in the other party’s primary).
McDaniel himself clearly had a lot to do with his own defeat. He’s a stout defender of “neo-Confederate” groups, and a big fan of the Stars and Bars, a flag black voters understandably don’t accept as a “symbol of our heritage.”
He’s also made time to alienate Latinos, the largest-growing demographic in America, by opposing any reform that smacks of “amnesty” for the 11 million illegal immigrants who provide Americans with a convenient pool of cheap labour, and by referring to Hispanic women as “mamacitas,” a term white guys just don’t get to use.
Oh, and he’ll also refuse to pay taxes if the government ever negotiates reparations for slavery.
Bad optics
His campaign’s decision to post monitors on the lookout for “liberal Democrats” sounded enough like voter suppression that it reportedly disquieted the Justice Department in Washington. And the NAACP was concerned enough to send its own monitors to Mississippi.
Republican Chris McDaniel had hoped the support of the Tea Party and former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin would power him to victory. (Associated Press)
Wonderful optics, especially in a state still synonymous with hoods and burning churches in the minds of many Americans.
Compared with McDaniel, the near-octogenarian Republican incumbent, Thad Cochran, looked pretty good to black voters.
Cochran is a courtly fellow known for his gentle manners. He had the near total support of the national Republican establishment, which would rather not become a far-right, monochromatic rump party.
Unlike former senator Jim DeMint, who now runs a foundation that bankrolls people like McDaniel, the Republican leadership would rather take back power in Washington by campaigning moderately than sit in opposition forever, resentfully conserving its ideological purity.
Republican Party on defensive
So far this year, the establishment has defended the party fortress. Pragmatic, ideologically impure Republicans, with the backing of big business and moderate donors, have thwarted Tea Party-funded challengers across the country.
Senator Thad Cochran reached out to both black voters and union members during his campaign. (Amanda McCoy/Sun Herald/Associated Press)
Far-right groups like the Heritage Foundation, Tea Party Patriots and the Club for Growth have very little to show for the tens of millions they distributed.
Endorsements from Sarah Palin and her cohort didn’t help much, either.
The stunning exception was House leader Eric Cantor, a hard-core right-wing Virginian who was knocked off by an even more extreme right-wing Virginian.
Cantor’s sin? Urging the party to pass some sort of immigration reform.
The silly man thought it would be a good idea to attract Latino voters, many of whom are natural religious conservatives, and, if the Republicans were ever to support immigration reform, a vast new potential constituency for the party.
Democrats, of course, are enjoying the Tea Party’s misfortunes. But they shouldn’t be.
Politically strategic Democrats understand that rape-denying, no-abortion-under-any-circumstances, anti-immigration reform, Confederate-flag-waving, gun-toting, government-shutdown-promoting Tea Party supporters are their objective allies.
Some canny Democratic politicians have actually spent campaign money to promote Tea Party candidates who have challenged moderate Republican incumbents.
Of course they would. The more extreme your opponent, the better (except in Texas, of course).
In that sense, the thousands of black Mississippians who ultimately defeated McDaniel were acting directly against the interests of “liberal Democrats.”
They in fact guaranteed that at least one Senate seat will remain Republican in the midterm elections this year.
Even Fox News understood that: “A Bad Night for Democrats” was its headline after the Mississippi votes were counted.
In his angry election night remarks, though, McDaniel promised that hard-right conservatives will march on; there will be no surrender to compromising moderates.
Hillary Clinton, watching TV somewhere, no doubt took some comfort from that."State within a state" redirects here. For sovereign states whose territory is surrounded by another sovereign state, see Enclave and exclave § Enclaved countries
A deep state (from Turkish: derin devlet, also known as a state within a state) is a form of clandestine government made up of hidden or covert networks of power operating independently of a nation's political leadership, in pursuit of their own agenda and goals. Examples include organs of state, such as the armed forces or public authorities (intelligence agencies, police, secret police, administrative agencies, and government bureaucracy). A deep state can also take the form of entrenched, career civil servants acting in a non-conspiratorial manner, to further their own interests. The intent of a deep state can include continuity of the state itself, job security for its members, enhanced power and authority, and the pursuit of ideological objectives. It can operate in opposition to the agenda of elected officials, by obstructing, resisting, and subverting their policies, conditions and directives. It can also take the form of Government-owned corporations or private companies that act independently of regulatory or governmental control.[1]
Overview [ edit ]
The modern concept of a deep state is associated with Turkey, and the secret network established in 1923 by Ataturk.[2] Similar ideas are older. The Greek language κράτος ἐν κράτει, (kratos en kratei) was later adopted into Latin as imperium in imperio[3] or status in statu).
In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries political debate surrounding the separation of church and state often revolved around the perception that if left unchecked the Church might turn into a kind of State within a State, an illegitimate encroachment of the State's natural civil power.[4]
In the field of political science, this pop culture concept is studied within the literature on the state. Current literature on the state generally traces a lineage to Bringing the State Back In (1985)[5] and remains an active body of scholarly research to this day. Within this literature, the state is understood as both venue (a set of rules under which others act and interact) as well as actor (with its own agenda). An example of a non-conspiratorial version of the'state as actor' from the empirical scholarly literature would be "doing truth to power" (as a play on speaking truth to power, which is what journalists often aspire to do) as studied by Todd La Porte.[6] Under this dual understanding, the conspiratorial version of the deep state concept would be one version of the'state as actor' while the non-conspiratorial version would be another version of the'state as venue.'
The fundamental takeaway from the scholarly literature on the dual nature of the state is that the'state as actor' (deep state) is a characteristic of all states which can have both good and bad effects and should not be seen as bad by default.
Cases [ edit ]
Soviet Union and post-Soviet Russia [ edit ]
The Soviet secret police have been frequently described by historians as a "state within a state.". According to Yevgenia Albats, most KGB leaders, including Lavrenty Beria, Yuri Andropov, and Vladimir Kryuchkov, always competed for power with the Communist Party and manipulated communist leaders.[7]
According to Abdurakhman Avtorkhanov, "It is not true that the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party is a supreme power. The Political Bureau is only a shadow of the real supreme power that stands behind the chair of every Bureau member... The real power thinks, acts and dictates for all of us. The name of the power is NKVD—MVD—MGB. The Stalin regime is based not on the Soviets, Party ideals, the power of the Political Bureau or Stalin's personality, but on the organization and the techniques of the Soviet political police where Stalin plays the role of the first policeman."[8] However, he also noted that "To say that NKVD is ‘a state within the state’ means to belittle the importance of the NKVD because this question allows two forces – a normal state and a supernormal NKVD – whereas the only force is Chekism".
According to Ion Mihai Pacepa in 2006, "In the Soviet Union, the KGB was a state within a state. Now former KGB officers are running the state. They have custody of the country's 6,000 nuclear weapons, entrusted to the KGB in the 1950s, and they now also manage the strategic oil industry renationalized by Putin. The KGB successor, rechristened FSB, still has the right to electronically monitor the population, control political groups, search homes and businesses, infiltrate the federal government, create its own front enterprises, investigate cases, and run its own prison system. The Soviet Union had one KGB officer for every 428 citizens. Putin's Russia has one FSB-ist for every 297 citizens.[9]
Chechnya [ edit ]
According to Julia Ioffe, under Ramzan Kadyrov, Chechnya has become a state within a state.[10]
United Kingdom [ edit ]
The Civil Service has been called a 'deep state' by senior politicians in the United Kingdom. Tony Blair said of the Civil Service, "You cannot underestimate how much they believe it’s their job to actually run the country and to resist the changes put forward by people they dismiss as ‘here today, gone tomorrow’ politicians. They genuinely see themselves as the true guardians of the national interest, and think that their job is simply to wear you down and wait you out."[11] The efforts of the Civil Service to frustrate elected politicians is the subject of the popular satiric BBC TV comedy, Yes Minister.
United States [ edit ]
In the United States, the term "deep state" was used to describe "a hybrid association of government elements and parts of top-level industry and finance that is effectively able to govern the United States without reference to the consent of the governed as expressed through the formal political process."[12][13] Intelligence agencies such as the CIA have been accused by elements of the Trump administration of attempting to thwart its policy goals.[14] Writing for The New York Times, the analyst Issandr El Amani warned against the "growing discord between a president and his bureaucratic rank-and-file", while analysts of the column The Interpreter wrote[14]:
Though the deep state is sometimes discussed as a shadowy conspiracy, it helps to think of it instead as a political conflict between a nation’s leader and its governing institutions. — Amanda Taub and Max Fisher, The Interpreter
Venezuela [ edit ]
The Cartel of the Suns, a group of high-ranking officials within the Bolivarian Government of Venezuela, has been described as "a series of often competing networks buried deep within the Chavista regime". Following the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela, the Bolivarian government initially embezzled until there were no more funds to embezzle, which required them to turn to drug trafficking. President Hugo Chávez made partnerships with the Colombian leftist militia Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and his successor Nicolás Maduro continued the process, promoting officials to high-ranking positions after they were accused of drug trafficking.[15]
Other alleged cases [ edit ]
Africa [ edit ]
Central and South America [ edit ]
Germany [ edit ]
Turkey and the Ottoman Empire [ edit ]
Other places [ edit ]
See also [ edit ]Commuting to work can be a real pain, and it was no different in ancient Egypt. About 3500 years ago, the artisans who dug out and decorated the rock-cut royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings—the burial ground of Egypt's New Kingdom pharaohs—had to walk about 2 kilometers from their homes, over the Theban hills, to the royal necropolis for work. It was a steep climb, repeated week after week for years, leaving them suffering from osteoarthritis in the knees and ankles, according to a new study.
Egyptologists already knew a great deal about the village where the workers lived—Deir el-Medina, in modern Luxor—because of the vast amount of written material found there in the early 20th century. But they had paid little attention to the physical remains of the artisans and their families, found interred in tombs beside the village, their bones commingled after thousands of years of robbery. This has now changed thanks to research undertaken by Anne Austin, an osteologist and Egyptologist at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California.
Working in Egypt, Austin separated the commingled bones, estimated age and sex, and analyzed the joints for signs of osteoarthritis, which can cause pain and stiffness. She also compared them to remains found at other ancient Egyptian sites. She reports in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology that many of the men at Deir el-Medina showed higher rates of osteoarthritis in the knees and ankles than did the women. The location of the disease, and its higher occurrence among men, struck Austin as odd. Although the artisans' work in the Valley of the Kings was hard—involving digging, carving, and painting in the rock-cut royal tombs that descend into the Theban hills—this would mainly affect the upper body, not the knees and ankles.
To explain this, Austin examined the textual evidence from the village—administrative records that detail the artisans' daily attendance at work, and even their absences—and the artisans' physical environment. While their female relatives remained in the village, each week, the artisans hiked from Deir el-Medina over the Theban hills to stone huts, which are still standing as ruins just above the Valley of the Kings. They lived in these huts during the work week, descending and ascending the hill to the valley each day. At the end of the week, they returned to Deir el-Medina. Although the journey was short, it was steep, Austin observes: a rise of 151 meters from Deir el-Medina to the huts, and 93 meters from the huts to the Valley of the Kings. On top of that, the ancient records show that the workers would have hiked on average about 161 days each year. With a career lasting on average about 25–35 years, that's a lot of hiking—enough to likely cause the osteoarthritis found in the artisans' lower limbs, Austin argues.
"Her work is an intriguing new way of looking at occupation-related injuries,” says Kristina Killgrove, a biological anthropologist at the University of West Florida in Pensacola, who was not involved in the research. And as Austin herself comments, this information will be useful for those attempting to understand osteoarthritis not only in past populations, but in people today.
Yet because the bones were jumbled together at Deir el-Medina, Austin notes, it’s hard to tell specifically when each of the villagers died and at which point in their lives they first developed osteoarthritis. "It will be important in the future to attempt to control for age-at-death, as osteoarthritis frequencies increase with age," Killgrove says.Glamour: This has been an atypical election season and there seems to be a larger contingent of left-leaning people being more vocal and calling for more progressive policies. Secretary Clinton has more history of being a moderate. With her as the nominee, how are you feeling about the prospect of these more Sanders-like ideas becoming reality should she win in November?
MS: You have more people speaking up for left-leaning things because you have more people in my age group—more millennials—that are coming of age and getting involved. Millennials are more liberal on every issue, and that’s true of the so-called conservative millennials, evangelical millennials, Mormon millennials, whatever. They tend to be more liberal than older generations, no matter their other demographics. They’re coming of age, and millennials are now the largest age group in the country—they’re 40 percent of the population. They have a large voice, and this is what our generation is demanding. And with Hillary Clinton, we’re not that excited by her because she represents the politics of old, and the status quo, and we want something different and something better.
Glamour: What do you think is the single most pressing issue (or several issues) facing Americans today? What do you think should be done to change things for the better?
MS: We need to get money out of politics. That is one issue that prevents us from making progress on many other issues. Too many of our congressmen are beholden to the corporate interests that spent a lot of money getting them elected. They don’t work in the interest of the public, they work in the interests of multinational corporations. We need to reform our campaign finance system so there isn’t all this money in politics. Elected officials need to be beholden to their voters, not their donors.
Fighting for a living wage is another important issue—$7.25 an hour is not a living wage. According to the Social Security Administration, 51 percent of people make less than $30,000 a year. The majority of people in this country are in poverty or near poverty and we need to give our workers a living wage. When you think of who’s making the minimum wage or low wages, it’s disproportionately women, it’s disproportionately people of color, it’s disproportionately members of the LGBT community. We want to start closing the wage gap and we need to raise the minimum wage. I support a $15 an hour minimum wage. I think we can get there, and I think there is a lot of popular will for it now. We can do it over a four-year period, raise it $2 a year until we get there, and adjust it for inflation from thereon after so it doesn't fall behind again. That way, people aren’t making so little that their income is being subsidized by food stamps and assisted housing because they’re not being paid a living wage. The reality is, no corporation is profitable without the talented labor of its workers. Those workers deserve to share in the fruits of their labor.
Glamour: I know in your platform you want to move toward a single-payer system. With Aetna withdrawing from Obamacare and other private insurance companies trying to circumvent the existing system, would you want to expand Obamacare or replace it with something else?
MS: What we’re seeing with the Affordable Care Act is exactly why we needed to add a public option. It needed to be part of it; it wasn’t. When we talk about improving Obamacare, we should employ the public option and talk about improving and expanding Medicare and Medicaid. We need to make sure everyone has access to health care. We have over 30 million people in this country without access to health care and over 350,000 in the state of Utah—85,000 of which are children. They need access to health care. If we value the health of our citizens, we’ll make sure that everybody has access to health care and make sure it’s affordable health care. That’s what needs to happen. Maybe we extend Medicare or maybe we get a lot of Democrats together to do a big, bold bill that gets us a single-payer option. Maybe we do it piecemeal: Maybe we add a public option through Obamacare or maybe we reduce the age to qualify for Medicare. We’ll get there, but we need to keep fighting for it and advocating for it.Number 15
Today’s piece is written by Mark Gaberman, a writer on “Jeopardy.”
There are 61 blue boxes available to play in one game of “Jeopardy!”. We make 230 shows a year—that’s 14,030 boxes that 8 of my friends and I have to fill. I have learned things about Queen Victoria that I never really wanted to know. Some information about car repair that I have since forgotten. Morgan Freeman has spoken words in celebrity clues that I wrote for him.
He was God, you know. At least twice.
I love to fill in those blue boxes.
I’ve had Alex Trebek rap Snoop Dogg’s “Gin and Juice”—he had his mind on his money and his money on his mind that day. Did a category called “Death and Texas” just because I liked the title (and finding stuff about people dying and/or getting killed in Texas turned out to be remarkably easy). I’ve learned about Jean Sibelius, and word to the wise, if you see “blah blah blah this Finnish composer blah blah blah…”, Jean Sibelius might not be your worst guess. Well, at least if I wrote it. I’m just not that up on my Finnish composers.
I think for any writer, there is an indescribable thrill at having your words come to life onscreen. For the 9 of us, those words are literally on the screen itself for everyone to see. I’ve been with the show for a decade now—7 years as a writer, I’m one of the newbies—and I still can’t wait to see how my categories will play during that day’s shooting. I know the others feel the same way about their material, too. It never gets old.
Until one tanks.
Contrary to what some may believe, we aren’t out to stump the players. Challenge ‘em to the limit, you bet, but to us, a 3-contestant deadball basically means we failed to get even one of them to where we thought they could go. Oh, the horror that is the triple stand-and-stare. The eternity that is the few seconds between the time Alex finishes reading a clue and the head-scratching, how the hell do they expect us to know that? reaction it gets from the contestants. Then, DOOTDOOTDOOT! The merciful sound that ends their suffering and then has Alex saying something like, “ooo, sorry, we were going for Slovenia. Slovenia. Select!” Maybe I reached way too far and used Kurt Bevacqua in a clue instead of an easy Babe Ruth, just because I thought it was funny that Tommy Lasorda said Kurt Bevacqua couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a bleeping boat. Or perhaps these 3 particular players weren’t quite ready for an entire category of “to Heloise and back”. Another 3 might have been all over it. Luck of the draw there. Or maybe they just never knew that Fitzgerald wrote “The Great Gatsby”.
Nah, they should’ve known that. That one would probably just make me mad.
That, however, is the beauty of our game. I get just as floored as anyone who watches the show if that butcher from Boise knows that obscure fact I discovered about Pushkin. Baffled if that insurance agent from Des Moines doesn’t know Lincoln was president during the Civil War. Positively mind-boggled when that lawyer from Pensacola doesn’t put enough on a Daily Double with an opportunity to go ahead, late in the game (you’d be amazed how often betting like that happens. Trust yourselves, folks! No guts, no “Jeopardy!” glory!). But the fact that I helped create all that…it’s a feeling I really miss, and one that I look forward to experiencing again soon.
I love to go to work each day. To see my friends. To learn something new. To try and be creative and contribute to something a lot of people seem to enjoy. To actually get paid to do it.
I love to fill in those blue boxes.
WHY WE WRITE is a series of essays by prominent – and not so prominent – TV and Film writers. Conceived by Charlie Craig and Thania St. John, the campaign hopes to inspire and inform all writers. If you’d like to comment, or tell us why you write, visit the Why We Write WordPress site or contact us at [email protected] 0.18.0 has been released!
This is a huge release with many new language and standard library features, and a few breaking changes as well.
Let’s review them.
Union as a first class citizen
Union types exist in the language since day one. However, they were types without a name. Sure, you could write Int32 | String in type expressions, but you couldn’t write Union(Int32, String) the same way you can write Tuple(Int32, String) to denote a tuple of two types.
Now you can. And you can also add class methods to the Union type. This seemingly small change adds a lot of power to the language.
For example, we can define a method to parse a JSON string into a Union. To do this we try to parse the string for each type in the union, as can be seen here (the code could be just these 9 lines, but it’s more complex because it has fast paths for primitive types)
With that, we can now write:
require "json" array = Array ( Int32 | String ). from_json ( %([1, "hello", 2]) ) array # => [1, "hello", 2]
We can also use unions in mappings, even unions of complex objects:
require "json" struct Point JSON. mapping x: Int32, y |
or which times of the month are their most fertile. (This enforced confusion can and does create whole gaggles of awkward adult sexual experiences).
Regardless of some of the potential kinks with the new subject matters, Barnett is happy the changes are being made, and says the current trajectory is a good start. As far as she believes, all that is being taught in schools right now is the idea of abstinence and the risk of STIs, and "not much else." Children, she says, are taught about sex as a cautionary tale, and not that it's a pleasurable, natural, and healthy activity. Barnett says the fact that sex is fun should be taught alongside the fearmongering about pregnancy and STIs, but she worries the negative vibes will continue to dominate the discussion despite the changes.
Obviously, religious fanatics and crusty pearl-clutchers argue that the new curriculum is too radical. The Campaign Life Coalition protests the "graphic" nature of lessons teaching six-year-olds how to name their body parts with words like "testicles" and "vulva." Conservative MPP Monte McNaughton questions whether the material is "age appropriate." And the president of the Canadian Christian College, Charles McVety, has been fighting against these updates since 2010. He played a big part in scrapping the province's collective syllabus when the last curriculum change was suggested, and he's trying to do so again.
In response to the suggested curriculum changes, McVety said, "It's very sad for children to have to face such contrary sex at such young ages."
Though Barnett might not agree with arguments from the religious right, she's not out to dismiss their beliefs. She says teaching those religious people's children that sex is a thing that exists, and preparing them for when it inevitably happens to them, does not violate a family's religious or moral code.
"If you have taught your kid your family's moral and religious values, that is going to trickle down into the decisions that they make about sexual activity," she said. Simply preparing kids for what is probably inevitable will not undo years of Catholic indoctrination on the sins of sluttiness. Schools, she says, should be teaching the practicalities about something, families should teach family values, and kids will be in the middle with the tools to make a balanced decision that's right for them.
I asked Barnett if she thinks schools might be getting any closer to having experts like herself teach students how to have at least somewhat pleasing and safe sexual encounters. (Admittedly, this is a difficult feat for many otherwise fully functioning adults. But I digress.)
Barnett says some schools bring in sex experts on occasion, but it's done on an individual basis, and there are no plans to bring in outside educators as a regular teaching tool.
In the curriculum now, there's "no indication that sexuality is a positive," she says. Unless kids are taught about pleasure they can find on their own, and within a relationship, they're always going to associate sex with consequences.
Follow Sarah Ratchford on Twitter.Dec. 18, 2013
Rice head coach David Bailiff is one of five coaches who have been named as 2013 Coach of the Year finalists for the Marathon Oil Corporation Paul "Bear" Bryant Awards. The winner of the award will be announced at the 28th annual dinner, which will be held on January 15 at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Houston.
Bailiff will join with Baylor's Art Briles, Mark Dantonio of Michigan State, Gus Malzahn of Aubur and David Shaw of Stanford as finalists for this year's honor. Former Texas A&M head coach R.C. Slocum will also be recognized with the 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award at the event. The award recognizes excellence in coaching on and off the field during a career, allowing recipients to take their place in history alongside legends such as Paul "Bear" Bryant. Recent Lifetime Achievement recipients include Barry Switzer, Vince Dooley, Bobby Bowden, Hayden Fry and LaVell Edwards.
Funds raised benefit heart disease and stroke research, community education and outreach programs of the American Heart Association. For more information on the Bryant Awards, or to purchase tickets or a table for the event, visit www.bryantawards.com or call 713-610-5000.
Bailiff earned his second C-USA Coach of the Year honor while leading the Owls to their first outright conference championship in 56 years and has the Owls in consecutive bowl games for the second time in school history. Rice captured the Conference USA West Division Champions with a 7-1, rebounding from a loss on Halloween at North Texas to win its last three games. They clinched the West with a 17-13 win over Tulane on November 30 and then captured the conference crown with a 41-24 victory over Marshall in the C-USA title game at Rice Stadium.
The win over Marshall was the Owls' 10th this year, matching the school record. Legendary head coach Jess Neely's 1949 squad set the record, finishing with a 10-1 record, while Bailiff led Rice to a 10-3 mark in 2008.
During his seven years as the Owls head coach, Bailiff has led Rice to three bowl games, including the first back-to-back postseason appearances since 1960-61. The Owls won the 2008 Texas Bowl and the 2012 Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl. Neely is the only other Rice mentor to guide the team to multiple postseason appearances.
Rice owns the top rushing offense in Conference USA, averaging 240.9 yards per game, and has the second-ranked unit in total defense, surrendering 352.6 yards per outing. The Owls are fourth in C-USA in scoring defense at 22.9 points per game, down 7.1 points from last season. In going 6-0 at home this season, Rice allowed an average of 14.3 points per game (86 total).
The Owls have won 15 of their last 18 games dating back to a 44-17 win over Southern Miss at Rice Stadium on Oct. 27, 2012. That is the best stretch since the Owls won 15-of-17 from Nov. 8, 1952 to Oct. 2, 1954. Rice's three losses this season have come to bowl teams (Texas A&M, Houston, North Texas). With seven wins last year, the Owls have won 17 over a two-year period for just the second time in school history. Jimmy Kitts was 17-4-1 in his first two years as the head coach of the Owls in 1934-35.
Under Bailiff's direction, the Owls placed a league-high 10 players on the C-USA All-Conference team, including five first team and five second team selections. The 10 All-Conference members were the most by Rice since producing 12 in the Southwest Conference in 1993.
In addition to the accomplishments on the field this season, Rice's football program was honored along with Tulane, Stanford and Georgia as the winners of the 2013 AFCA Academic Achievement Award, which honors schools with a 100 percent graduation rate. This is the second time in the last four years that Rice has shared this award (2010 with Northwestern).
Bailiff will lead Rice in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl Tuesday, Dec. 31, in Memphis, Tenn., against Mississippi State. Kickoff is slated for 3 p.m. CST on ESPN.KANPUR India (Reuters) - At British India Corporation’s textile factory in Kanpur, four men sit in a control room watching computerised gauges eight hours a day. When they are done, another group takes over, and then another, for 24 hours a day – much as they might at any major industrial plant.
A worker cleans machinery inside the British India Corporation Limited factory in Kanpur September 30, 2014. REUTERS/Pawan Kumar
The problem is, nothing is produced there.
The strange tale of British India Corporation is an example of how political patronage and India’s strict labour laws keep publicly owned companies going long after they are insolvent.
Now Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who campaigned in this year’s general election on a promise of “minimum government, maximum governance”, is preparing to invest more taxpayer money in ailing state-owned factories in a bid to turn them around.
While the government has announced the closure of six publicly owned companies, Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Anand Geete said last month that about two-thirds of 64 loss-making firms can be revived with more money.
The government has set up a committee to examine ways sick public companies can be resuscitated, including using cash reserves from profit-earning state firms to provide lifelines to the loss-making ones, according to officials in New Delhi.
The committee will report its findings in two months.
The moves have disappointed those who want Modi to force through economic reforms, however painful. He might reply that past success in reviving “zombie” enterprises as chief minister of Gujarat state gives him the right to try on a national level.
“I am shocked they are considering putting more money in,” said Mohan Guruswamy, chairman of the Centre for Policy Alternatives and a former official in the finance ministry.
“The litmus test of whether Modi is a reformer is what he does with these companies, not what he does on allowing more foreign investment. Unfortunately, it looks like he will avoid taking unpopular decisions.”
Since winning India’s first parliamentary majority in three decades in May, Modi has not been as ambitious as his supporters would like in introducing policies many say are needed to revive an economy growing at its slowest rate in nearly a decade.
So far, there has been little movement to roll back the previous government’s subsidy programmes or repeal a law allowing retroactive taxation that has alarmed global investors.
“POSSIBLY THE WORST COMPANY IN THE WORLD”
In theory, British India Corporation sells army uniforms, rugs, blankets and tweed jackets, but it stopped manufacturing nine years ago after finishing its last order. Since then, the company, based in the gritty northern city of Kanpur, has lost about $50 million.
British India Corporation employs about 1,800 people. All the employees come to work, everyone gets paid, earns a bonus, there are overtime shifts, promotions and job changes.
There are bungalows for the managers, flats for workers, a hospital, schools and a subsidised shop. The gardeners, engineers and painters keep the grass trimmed, the machines in working order, and signs freshly painted.
“This could easily be the worst-run company in India, maybe the world,” said Satyendra Nath, 58, head of the tax department, who spends his days reading the newspaper or watching television because there is no work to do. “Often, I think: what have I done in a previous life to end up working here?”
India put key industries in the hands of state-run monopolies in the years after independence in 1947, borrowing from Soviet thinking that late-industrialising countries needed to use state intervention to transform their economies.
A quarter of the country’s 277 state-run firms, which produce everything from condoms to scooters, have lost about $16 billion over the last decade, according to government records.
At least 20 loss-making companies owned by the central government have stopped production or have almost no activity yet still pay staff full salaries, according to an official at the Board for Financial and Industrial Reconstruction, the agency charged with expediting restructuring or liquidation.
Indian ministers are reluctant to close these zombie companies because it will lead to job losses, which in turn could cost them votes.
India’s labour laws, which the World Bank says are the most restrictive anywhere, also make it hard to sack staff for any reason other than criminal misconduct. So it can take decades for a severance package to be agreed.
For India, which has the world’s highest number of starving children and people who can’t read, paying the factories’ running costs and salaries diverts money that could be spent on healthcare and education.
However, Modi may adopt a plan for the loss-making state companies he used in Gujarat, where he was chief minister.
By giving boards more independence from ministers and using cash injections from the government, Modi was able to turn 20 publicly owned companies into profit in his 13 years as leader of the state.
“When Modi came to power in Gujarat he was determined to revamp the public sector companies, a majority of them were making losses,” said P.K. Laheri, the former top bureaucrat in Gujarat who served as chairman of some of those state companies. “He did not want his ministers or politicians to play an active role in running them.”
GOOD FOR NOTHING
British India Corporation, which hasn’t made a profit since 1989, is among the companies being earmarked for revival, officials in New Delhi said. To pay off its debt and buy materials to restart production, the company would need an investment of $65 million, according to managers at the factory.
At the company’s redbrick mills, where there is a four-sided clock tower built a century ago and silver weaving machines line the long factory floors, millions of dollars of never-used equipment sits decaying; a symbol of the mismanagement that has mired the company in crisis.
In 2005, after a $13 million taxpayer rescue, the factory managers spent the money on high-end weaving machines imported from Switzerland. But the plan to raise another $21 million by selling land to buy yarn and wool was never approved by the politicians so the machines have never been turned on.
Still, at 6:30 every morning, workers begin arriving for their shifts. Once the personnel department marks their attendance, they hang around talking with friends, complete odd jobs such as cleaning, or return home to see their families.
Employee Chandra Lal, 55, who has worked at the factory since 1987, says some of his colleagues have become alcoholics as they struggle to deal with the boredom. He says they are unlikely to find new jobs after years of inactivity.
“I have forgotten how to use my arms,” Lal said. “Earlier we were respected members of our community. Now we are good for nothing, just like the factory.”(Updates death toll, adds accounts of damage)
BEIJING, July 19 (Reuters) - A super typhoon has killed at least fourteen people in China since making landfall on Friday afternoon, state media said on Saturday, after hitting parts of the Philippines and leaving 77 dead.
Typhoon Rammasun reached the southern Chinese island province of Hainan on Friday, before striking parts of the mainland later on Friday and early on Saturday, said the official Xinhua news agency.
The government had ordered an all-out effort to prevent loss of life from the typhoon, which is shaping up to be the strongest to hit southern China in more than 40 years.
It is expected to bring heavy rain throughout the weekend before moving southwest and weakening on Monday. Heavy rain is also expected over part of northern Vietnam.
The typhoon has hit several cities in the Chinese provinces of Guangxi, Guangdong and Hainan, tearing down trees and power lines and knocking out power grids.
Rammasun has affected more than 1.3 million people, and caused economic damage worth more than 4.95 billion yuan ($797 million).
In the Philippines, Rammasun badly hit the coconut-growing southern portion of the main island of Luzon, including the central Bicol region, which remained without power four days after it struck.
The storm damaged an estimated 5.85 billion Philippine pesos ($134 million) worth of crops and infrastructure, including roads and bridges.
Typhoons are common at this time of year in the South China Sea, picking up strength from the warm waters and dissipating over land.
Flooding across a large swathe of southern China in the past week has already killed at least 34 people. ($1 = 6.2075 Chinese Yuan) (Reporting by Paul Carsten; Additional reporting by Manuel Mogato in MANILA; Editing by Robert Birsel and Rosalind Russell)From: A Young Illinois Reader [Send Him Mail]
I was pleased to read the comments of the "non-conservative woman" whose letter was recently published. It can't be said enough that Conservatism Inc. views immigration in much the same way the Left does: as a means to acquire better people than the uppity constituents they actually have, as a way to depress wages for the benefit of the bipartisan ruling class, as a foil for their own schmaltzy morality plays and ideological hobbyhorses, and so on. As such, Conservatism Inc. is not merely useless. It's worse than useless.
It is discouraging to think that we can expect no help from the Beltway Right, but perhaps a better way too look at it is that immigration patriots are unburdened by the need to accept or defend the narratives of Conservatism Inc. In particular, we are free to transcend the kind of tribal posturing that generates more heat than light, the sort of ostentatious red-state bait that your reader rightly scorns. It may suit Conservatism Inc. to play up the symbolic markers of the Culture War, but we don't have to follow their lead.
That's not to say that you or I will necessarily disagree with the latest Fox News cause célèbre, but rather that the promise of nationalism is that it challenges the ruling class from both the right and the left. It is a meta-political cause, concerned less with the specifics of national policy than with the survival of a nation for which that policy might be made.
I have liberal friends who are not conservatives or Republicans for the same reason they are not Zoroastrians—they just don't come from that social, regional, or cultural background. They are in any case smart, thoughtful, and productive people, and I believe we will win when we can take the National Question to them without encumbering ourselves with the baggage of Conservatism Inc.
The Republican base is already implicitly on our side, because the Cultural Marxists have it in for them and they know it. But the Dissident Right has something to say to non-conservatives, too! We offer the prospect of higher wages for the working class, respect for organic communities, decreased environmental pressures, solvency for the welfare state, restraint in foreign policy, restored federalism, high social capital, support for civil liberties, and disdain for the atomized consumerism one sees at the local mega-mall.
The question for thoughtful Americans of all stripes is this: do we care about the things we say we care about?
If we on the Dissident Right have the imagination and foresight to transcend the narrow identity politics that sustain Conservatism Inc., and if enough honest liberals reciprocate rather than sneer at "bitter clingers" in flyover country, then we may yet see that happy day when the Cultural Marxists, ethnic empire-builders, and Davos Men get booted from the halls of power.
See previous letters from this reader.A research ship is on Greenland’s northwest coast during a NASA mission to survey the seafloor. (NASA/JPL-Caltech)
In 2015, in a moment of science communication genius, NASA created a mission called “OMG.” The acronym basically ensured that a new scientific mission — measuring how quickly the Oceans are Melting Greenland — would get maximum press attention.
The subject is actually extremely serious. OMG amounts to a comprehensive attempt, using ships, planes, and other research tools, to understand what’s happening as warm seas creep into large numbers of fjords that serve as avenues into the vast ice sheet — many of which contain large and partly submerged glaciers that are already melting and contributing to sea-level rise.
Greenland is, in fact, the largest global contributor to rising seas — adding about a millimeter per year to the global ocean, NASA says — and it has 7.36 potential meters (over 24 feet) to give. The question is how fast it could lose that ice, and over five years, OMG plans to pull in enough data to give the best answer yet.
“We’ve never observed Greenland disappearing before, and that’s what OMG is about,” says Josh Willis, a researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory who is the principal investigator on the mission. “We want to watch how it shrinks over the next five years, and see how we can use that information to better predict the future.”
NASA's Oceans are Melting Greenland team and oceanographer Josh Willis shared this video from the G-III aircraft as it collected data while flying over Greenland in March 2016. The video shows some of the data collected with a Glacier and Land Ice Surface Topography Interferometer (GLISTIN) radar. (NASA)
And now the first data are coming in, in the form of not one but two new studies published in the journal Oceanography by NASA scientists and affiliated university researchers, seeking to measure the swirl of oceans around Greenland and in particular how a warm, deep layer of Atlantic-originating water is moving and interacting with its glaciers.
Basically, it works like this: Waters swirl in a broadly clockwise rotation around the enormous island (see below), often darting inward toward the outlying glaciers along the way. And in fjords that are the deepest, the Atlantic layer, which tends to be over 200 meters (more than 650 feet) deep, has the greatest chance of causing sustained melting.
“Where it’s deep, there’s warm water,” says Willis. Above the Atlantic layer, meanwhile, is a layer of colder polar water that has far less of an effect on glaciers — meaning that the big and thick glaciers often get hit hard at their bases, even as the small and thin ones don’t necessarily get hit much at all.
Here’s a figure that the scientists have produced, showing the overall flow of waters around the ice island:
(NASA/JPL-Caltech)
The newly published research does not present any answer — yet — to the big question animating all of this: How fast will Greenland melt and raise seas in a way that threatens, say, Florida?
In order to answer this key question, the researchers need comprehensive data on the depths and shapes of the fjords, the thickness of the glaciers, and the behavior of the oceans around a Greenland coastline that, NASA notes, is 27,000 miles in length. Then, they will need to feed all of that information into a computer simulation that projects climate change forward to 2100 and calculates the consequences, at a high resolution, for Greenland’s icy coasts.
“It’s too early” to run the model, said Mathieu Morlighem, a researcher at the University of California, Irvine and the lead author of one of the papers presenting the accumulating data. “I think you need to wait another year or two, maybe more. It was not possible at all before OMG.”
Still, the recently published findings mark a start. Morlighem’s study, for instance, looked at the depth and shape of the seafloor near the fronts of and beneath numerous Greenland glaciers. The research shows that numerous glaciers extend deeper beneath the surface of the ocean than previously thought.
For instance, Store Glacier in northwestern Greenland (at around 70 degrees North latitude in the image above) starts at 400 meters (around 1,300 feet) deep where its front touches the ocean, and then plunges to depths as high as 1,000 meters deep (3,280 feet) farther inland — making it quite vulnerable to the ocean. Prior research, however, had suggested the glacier was much shallower.
The same was true of numerous other glaciers, which also appear more vulnerable than previously thought.
“OMG is transforming our knowledge of which glaciers are vulnerable to more warming or not,” Morlighem said. “So I wouldn’t say we have been surprised; it’s more, we had no idea, for many of these fjords, what they were looking like.”
Overall, the data are also showing that Greenland’s west coast is far more vulnerable, in general, than its east, Morlighem said.
The second study, meanwhile, examines ocean circulation around the Greenland coast and finds, strikingly, that between 68 degrees North latitude along the coast and 77 degrees North (see above), the deepest warm layer of Atlantic water cools from 3.5 degrees Celsius down to 2.5 degrees Celsius. Moreover, it does so in part because the water busily melts away at a large and deep glacier called Upernavik at 73 degrees North, which touches the ocean in 675 meter (over 2,000 foot) deep waters. The cold meltwater from the glacier spills into the ocean and, through mixing, cools the warm Atlantic water somewhat.
“The glaciers there are actively losing enough ice, and enough fresh water, that it’s important for the oceanography, and how the water changes as it goes up the west coast of Greenland,” says Willis. That in itself is proof that Greenland is melting quite a lot.
The big picture is that NASA’s new data suggest — that’s right — new vulnerabilities.
“Overall, together I think these papers suggest that the glaciers as a whole are more vulnerable than we thought they were,” Willis said. He says that, of course, with the aforementioned caveat that NASA is not ready yet to feed the data into a model that actually shows how this could play out over the decades of our future.
For now, we’re still stuck with official estimates from bodies such as the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The panel said in 2013 that Greenland’s melting might at most contribute 21 centimeters to sea-level rise by 2100, with some possible addition from rapid ice collapse (this is the high-end number for what scientists call the “likely” range in a worst-case global warming scenario, to be precise). But missions like OMG, in the meantime, are giving us plenty to worry about.
“These kinds of results suggest that we could be in for more sea level rise than we thought,” Willis said. “And we’re not alone; the fact is that almost every time some new results come out of Greenland or Antarctica, we find these glaciers are more vulnerable than we thought.”The hooded figures jerked in shock after hearing the scream of their brother behind them. Turning around, they saw him fall limply to the ground as Blake retracted Gambol Shroud. Pure hatred appeared to be swirling in the Faunus's eyes.
Blake snapped back to reality after the thud of the cultist's body reached her ears. I didn't mean to, she thought as the blood trickled down her sword and blood gushed from the hole in the man's back.
Watch out! the sword screamed to her. Blake had seconds to react before she blocked the knife slashing down at her neck. She jumped backwards, toward the spiral staircase. With the little distance she gained over them, she was able to tell the hooded men would surround her in seconds. The chained Beowulf wheezed patiently in it's master's leash. Blake's heart dropped once she realized there was a wall where the spiral staircase used to be.
No way out, she thought as the hooded men inched closer to her with their blood-stained knives. Behind them Blake could see one lifting his dagger into the air above Yang's heart. "No!" she screamed as she cocked Gambol Shroud and shot it, impacting it inside the stone ceiling. Blake pulled her ribbon taught as she lifted into the air.
She swung and kicked the cultist before his knife could come close to Yang. He made a resounding thud as his back cracked against the wall. Blake straddled Yang, hunching over with one hand on the ground and one holding Gambol Shroud high. Her eyes were filled with the fury of an angry animal.
The cultists surrounded her in seconds. Their knives pointing at her in every direction, they inched closer to Blake and Yang. Their alien chanting began again and echoed against every wall to the point that it was unbearable.
Blake looked left and right for a way to escape. Can't run. Can't swing out, she thought as she cocked Gambol Shroud and took pot shots at the cultists in front of her. Can't kill them all. Can't mow them down. The wounded cultists fell to the ground, yelling and screaming like any person would. But, their brethren stepped over them and ignored them like bags of rocks.
Blake sheathed Gambol Shroud across her back. She lifted Yang's tattooed face against her cheek and clenched her eyes shut. I'll never get to tell you, she thought as tears began to flow. I'm sorry. She said it about a hundreds times in her head, matching the rhythm of the encroaching daggers poised to kill her.
Blake could feel the knives lifting above her head. She intertwined her fingers with Yang's and whispered an "I love you" into her ear before it all ended. Silence.
Expecting hundreds of daggers to be embedded inside her body, Blake opened her eyes and found the cultists had lowered their weapons. They stood mere inches away from Blake. They shuffled out of the way slowly as the Beowulf snarled before unleashing an ear-raping howl that shook the walls of the room.
The cultists disappeared into the shadows behind the barred walls and all that was left was Blake, Yang, the Beowulf, and the crackling of the torches. Blake lowered Yang gently to the ground, caressing her smooth arm before standing and facing the Beowulf.
It's disgusting, she thought as the creature stared at her with yellow lensed eyes. It's limbs contorted and shook as the tentacles shooting from it's body slithered and swung in the air. It coughed up more liquid as it poised itself on all fours. It pounced.
The Beowulf was faster than Blake had expected. She was slammed against the wall in a second. With hazy eyes, she saw the Beowulf lift Yang with it's mangy hand and open it's mouth wide. "No!" Blake screamed before shooting Gambol Shroud into the beast's side and pulling herself into it like a missile. She flung her and the beast into a pillar. The dust and ash in the room shot out as the pair collided. Blake fell on top of the beast, her consciousness about to fade. Don't! she screamed to herself. You can't let it kill her! The Beowulf threw her off as it stood unfazed. Blake's limbs flapped like a ragdolls as she was flung to the ground once more. The beast straddled Yang's tattooed body, sniffing its prey and eyeing Blake closely. Blake reached her hand out and looked at it with eyes swirling with anger. "Stay away from her!" she screamed. The Beowulf lifted Yang once more, dangling her above its mouth like a shrimp. "No!" Blake screamed as the Beowulf chomped.
Blake clenched her eyes shut and she covered her ears to protect them from the sickening crunch of her lover's bones. Regardless, Blake opened them and gasped.
The Beowulf was split in two. One half slid to the floor, making a sickening plop, its tentacles flailing about as the last bit of life left the beast. The other fell over like a paper in the wind.
A smile appeared on Blake's face when she noticed Crescent Rose and its owner.
"Ruby," Blake said, "Thank you." With tears welling up in her eyes, Blake let her body collapse. But she jerked when she heard the sound of flesh being pierced.
Before Blake, Ruby held the torso of her older sister in her arms like a teddy bear as Yang's legs gushed blood onto the ground. Ruby smiled when she looked at Blake.
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Born out of a lengthy period of experimentation, Lucid Trips begins with a novel method of locomotion and follows through with a unique approach to game design and multiplayer interactivity.
Lucid Trips is an excellent example of the sort of creative game design that we’re going to need much more of for virtual reality to emerge as its own medium, rather than a subset of the existing gaming space.
In many ways, Lucid Trips could be called ahead of its time. With developer VR Nerds (also the group behind VRNerds.de) starting work on the title as far back as 2014, the game has been designed from the ground-up for VR controllers. While back in 2014 there were some third-party motion controllers available, neither Oculus or Valve/HTC had shown their respective VR controllers until 2015, and wouldn’t launch them until 2016 (Oculus’ controllers withstanding).
Curiously enough, Lucid Trips largely uses the hand controllers as a replacement for your feet—a novel locomotion system which gives you disembodied virtual arms with which to crawl, jump, and fly around the game’s dreamscapes.
The fantastical environments are just one hint that the game is inspired by lucid dreaming (the name of course being the major giveaway), a state in which a dreamer is aware that they’re dreaming. As an occasional lucid dreamer myself, the game’s locomotion struck a surprisingly familiar chord. In many of my lucid dreams, I try to run but find that I can’t get much, if any, traction from the ground.
Indeed, in Lucid Trips, the disembodied arms which you control are at first unintuitive. Your instinct to use them like feet—where high friction allows one foot to be planted quickly after the next—is of no use in this low-gravity dream world. After a few minutes of practice I found myself gracefully skimming along the landscape by learning to gently guide myself with smooth strokes, almost as if swimming.
And you can do much more than skim; with two arms and an exaggerated shove off the ground, you can launch yourself high into the air. This is useful for ascending difficult terrain. Once in the air, you can also spread your arms out to glide, and even use a special boost ability for brief moments of powered flight. Turning your hands while flying gracefully steers you in a way that is once again reminiscent to how you might fly in a dream.
The locomotion system is a complete departure from anything else I’ve seen in VR and I was surprised to find that it was a completely comfortable way of getting around a virtual world. And it served purpose beyond simply moving me from one place to the next; while some games use locomotion out of necessity, Lucid Trips’ novel movement scheme is half the fun, providing challenge in learning how to navigate in an elegant, if inhuman, way, and also lending you the dream-like ability to fly unhindered.
So it turns out that locomotion itself can be fun, but what you do you do in Lucid Trips beyond gliding, jumping, and flying? At present, the title presents itself as an exploration game. Artifacts scattered about the environment will lead you along interesting paths, often ending at a high location that’s a great view and a perfect place to take off for a high-altitude flight (with special powerups providing a longer period of powered flying as a reward).
Developer VR Nerds is also exploring an interesting asynchronous multiplayer idea where one player could visit another player’s dream world and hide artifacts for the first player to find when they return to that world. Presumably, players will be able to place artifacts in challenging areas which can only be retrieved if the other player is able to match the maneuvers needed to reach the location. And while Lucid Trips tends to be a surreal and relaxing game, I imagine speedrunners would love to see how quickly they can race around the various paths as a challenge.
Lucid Trips is among a handful of VR games that are genuinely thinking outside the box and exploring what can be done in virtual reality that simply wouldn’t make sense on other platforms. These are games that can hardly be described as ‘X in VR’ because they’re simply too different than what’s come before. The more developers being fearlessly creative in VR, the faster the platform will evolve into its own distinct medium.
Lucid Trips is currently in closed Alpha, but VR Nerds plans to release an open beta around September. They’re currently developing on the HTC Vive, but also hoping to release on Oculus Touch and PlayStation VR once the platforms become available.In not so merry old medieval England, wrongful injuries between people either were suffered in silence or provoked revenge. Cooler heads began to prevail and courts of law were opened so such disputes over compensation and other remedies could be adjudicated under trial by jury.
Taken across the Atlantic to the colonies, this system – called tort law or the law of wrongful injuries – evolved steadily to open the courtroom door until the nineteen seventies. It was then that the insurance industry and other corporate lobbies began pushing one restriction after another through state legislatures– not restrictions on corporations’ rights to sue, but restrictions on the rights of ordinary people to have their day in court.
Lawmakers, whose campaign coffers were stuffed by corporate lobbyists, were not concerned about advancing their passing rules that arbitrarily tied the hands of judges and jurors—the same judges and jurors who were the only people to see, hear and evaluate individual cases in their courtrooms. Legislation imposing caps on damages – as with California’s $250,000 lifetime cap on pain and suffering – was especially cruel for those victims of medical malpractice who were young, unemployed or elderly and thus do not have significant enough wage losses to receive sufficient damages.
In recent decades, the nonsense about our society being too litigious (except for business vs business lawsuits) has become even more extreme. Not only do we file far fewer civil lawsuits per capita than in the 1840s, according to studies by University of Wisconsin law professors, but jury trials have been declining in both federal and state courts, with trials down by 60% since the mid-1980s.
My father used say that “if people do not use their rights, they will over time lose their rights.” This truism brings us to a new book by University of Connecticut Law Professor Alexander Lahav, with the title In Praise of Litigation (Oxford University Press). The title invokes the necessity of legal recourse in a society whose ordinary people are being squeezed out of their day in court, being denied justice, and are becoming cynical enough to want to get out of jury duty—a right for which our forebears demanded from King George III.
Professor Lahav makes the point we should have learned in high school, or at least college. The right to litigate is critical to any democratic society. Imagine living in a country where no one can sue powerful wrongdoers or the government. We have names for countries like that. They’re called dictatorships or tyrannies.
Here is author Lahav’s summary: “Litigation is a civilized response to the difficult disagreements that often crop up in a pluralist society. The process of litigation does more than resolve disputes: it contributes to democratic deliberation. This is the key to understanding what this process is supposed to be about and what should be done to improve it. By appreciating the democratic values people protect and promote when they sue – enforcement of the law, transparency, participation and social equality – reformers can work toward a court |
you cracking up while you cook these great recipes!
Rough Draft of Truck Design
Opening Menu:
Root Beer Pulled Pork Sandwich
Truck Made BBQ Chips
Sweet & Sour Slaw
Scratch Made Pretzel Rolls
Our menu will change almost daily, but not everything of course. Keeping the customer favorites and implementing new specials, the menu items that become solid favorites will stay! We want to give you your fix the way you want it! It doesn't end here, either. We want to start a breakfast menu shortly after we open and get our wheels on the ground!
We Just Got Engaged!!!
Cheesy Smiles at Family Dinner
So who is this guy?
First and foremost, I am a fun-loving family man. I have worked in the culinary industry for the last 20 years. Starting when I was 15 years old right here in Modesto. I then moved around to Sonora, Chicago Land Area and Bay Area where I managed 3 different Top 100 Restaurants. The last 6 years I have been teaching at the local culinary school and running my own catering business (Corelli Foods). Cooking is my life, love and passion and I couldn't see myself doing anything else. Right there with cooking, is my loving family. They are my everything!Photographs of moving objects are almost always a little blurry — or a lot blurry, if the objects are moving rapidly enough. To make their work look as much like conventional film as possible, game and movie animators try to reproduce this blur. But counterintuitively, producing blurry images is actually more computationally complex than producing perfectly sharp ones.
In August, at this year's Siggraph conference — the premier computer-graphics conference — researchers from the Computer Graphics Group at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory will present a pair of papers that describe new techniques for computing blur much more efficiently. The result could be more convincing video games and frames of digital video that take minutes rather than hours to render.
The image sensor in a digital camera, and even the film in a conventional camera, can be thought of as a grid of color detectors, each detector corresponding to one pixel in the final image. If the objects being photographed are stationary, then during a single exposure, each detector registers the color of just one point on an object's surface. But if the objects are moving, light from different points on an object, and even from different objects, will strike a single detector. The detector effectively averages the colors of all the points, and the result is blur.
At right, a standard digital animation algorithm has simulated blur by sampling 256 different points on the wings of a moving butterfly for every pixel in the frame. At left is the image produced by sampling one point per pixel. In the center is the result of a new algorithm that samples only one point per pixel but infers the color values of the surrounding points. The result is very close to the 256-sample image but much easier to compute.
Images courtesy of Jaakko Lehtinen
Digitally rendering a frame of video is a computationally intensive process with several discrete stages. First, the computer has to determine how the objects in the scene are moving. Second, it has to calculate how rays of light from an imagined light source would reflect off the objects. Finally, it determines which rays of light would actually reach an imagined lens. If the objects in the video are moving slowly enough, the computer has to go through that process only once per frame. If the objects are moving rapidly, however, it may have to go through it dozens or even hundreds of times.
Colorfast
Given how difficult blurring is to calculate, you might think that animators would simply ignore it. But that leads to surprisingly unconvincing video. "The motion doesn't look fluid at all," says Jaakko Lehtinen, who worked on both projects as a postdoc in the Computer Graphics Group and is now a senior research scientist with graphics-chip manufacturer Nvidia.
To get a sense of what motion without blur looks like, Lehtinen says, consider the type of clay animation familiar from old movies or Christmas specials such as "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." "This doesn't have motion blur, because the scene is actually stationary when you take the picture," Lehtinen says. "It just looks choppy. The motion doesn't look natural."
The MIT researchers took two different approaches to simplifying the computation of blur, corresponding to two different stages in the graphics-rendering pipeline. Graduate student Jonathan Ragan-Kelley is the lead author on one of the Siggraph papers, joined by associate professor Frédo Durand, who leads the Computer Graphics Group; Lehtinen; graduate student Jiawen Chen; and Michael Doggett of Lund University in Sweden. In that paper, the researchers make the simplifying assumption that the way in which light reflects off a moving object doesn't change over the course of a single frame. For each pixel in the final image, their algorithm still averages the colors of multiple points on objects' surfaces, but it calculates those colors only once. The researchers found a way to represent the relationship between the color calculations and the shapes of the associated objects as entries in a table. For each pixel in the final image, the algorithm simply looks up the corresponding values in the table. That drastically simplifies the calculation but has little effect on the final image.
Adopting the researchers' proposal would require modifying the architecture of graphics chips. "You can imagine really just going ahead and building what they suggest," says Henry Moreton, a distinguished engineer at Nvidia. "But I think that the greater value of the paper is that it points at strategies for solving these problems more elegantly, more efficiently, and more practically. Whether they manifest themselves in exactly the fashion that the paper presents is probably not that likely. But what they did is they pointed to a new way of attacking the problem."
Turning the tables
The second of the Computer Graphics Group's Siggraph papers, led by Lehtinen and also featuring Durand, Chen and two of Lehtinen's Nvidia colleagues, reduces the computational burden of determining which rays of light would reach an imagined lens. To produce convincing motion blur, digital animators might ordinarily consider the contributions that more than 100 discrete points on the surfaces of moving objects make to the color value of a single pixel. Lehtinen and his colleagues' algorithm instead looks at a smaller number of points — maybe 16 or so — and makes an educated guess about the color values of the points in between. The result: A frame of digital video that would ordinarily take about an hour to render might instead take about 10 minutes.
In fact, both techniques apply not only to motion blur but also to the type of blur that occurs in, say, the background of an image when the camera is focused on an object in the foreground. That, too, is something that animators seek to reproduce. "Where the director and the cinematographer choose to focus the lens, it directs your attention when you're looking at the picture in subtle ways," Lehtinen says. If an animated film has no such lapses in focus, "there's just something wrong with it," Lehtinen says. "It doesn't look like a movie." Indeed, Lehtinen says, even though the paper has yet to be presented, several major special-effects companies have already contacted the researchers about the work.Normalization Of Mass Surveillance Continues: Ireland And Georgia Join The Snoopers Club
from the in-camera dept
Foreign law enforcement agencies will be allowed to tap Irish phone calls and intercept emails under a statutory instrument signed into law by Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald.
Companies that object or refuse to comply with an intercept order could be brought before a private "in camera" court.
The legislation, which took effect on Monday, was signed into law without fanfare on November 26th, the day after documents emerged in a German newspaper indicating the British spy agency General Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) had directly tapped undersea communications cables between Ireland and Britain for years.
"Even with very sensitive cases in Ireland they’re not prosecuted in camera," said TJ McIntyre, lecturer at University College Dublin’s school of law and chairman of advocacy group Digital Rights Ireland. "It's worrying because it means telecommunications companies might be pressured into doing things that aren’t entirely legal."
The companies would be prosecuted in secret, and would be unable to disclose their objections publicly – or even the fact that they were being prosecuted.
The government-backed package of bills allows the Interior Ministry to retain its direct access to telecom operators' networks, but also empowers the office of personal data protection inspector to electronically monitor if the security agencies are carrying out surveillance lawfully, based on court warrant.
But the opponents, which also include civil society groups who have long been campaigning for reining in security agencies' unrestricted direct access to telecom operators’ networks, argue that actual wording of the bill, full of complex technical terms about lawful interception management system, hash codes and log files, is far from what its sponsors are trying to portray and leaves room for the Interior Ministry to bypass personal data protection inspector for carrying out illegal monitoring of mobile phone and internet communication.
One of the consequences of the Snowden leaks of mass surveillance around the world is that a number of governments have been bringing in new laws in order to provide a legal framework for the snooping they have previously been carrying out illegally, when they obviously thought that no one would ever find out. Here's a story in The Irish Times about recent moves in Ireland As that reports, there's also a troubling new secret court for enforcing such intercept orders -- something that is extremely unusual in Ireland:Ireland's move is a further example of how enshrining the ability to spy at home and abroad is taking precedence over basic rights -- in this case, to an open trial. Another country making worrying moves to normalize snooping on its citizens is Georgia, whose Parliament gave a first reading to new laws covering this area, as reported by Civil.ge:Unfortunately, the more these laws are passed, the more other countries are likely to follow suit, until legalized mass snooping becomes the norm. That's all the more reason to challenge these early examples in any way possible, as is happening in the UK, for example, before the idea spreads everywhere.Follow me @glynmoody on Twitter or identi.ca, and +glynmoody on Google+
Filed Under: bulk surveillance, georgia, ireland, mass surveillance, surveillanceSen. John McCain (R-Ariz). (Manuel Balce Ceneta/Associated Press)
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) called Sunday for President Trump to either prove his claim that President Barack Obama tapped the phones in Trump Tower during last year’s election campaign or drop the accusation.
“The president has one of two choices, either retract or provide the information that the American people deserve,” McCain said in an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “I have no reason to believe that the charge is true, but I also believe that the president of the United States could clear this up in a minute.”
McCain is one of several top lawmakers in Congress to call on Trump to provide evidence of his unsubstantiated claim that Obama ordered Trump’s communications monitored. The senator’s call for more information follows a request from two leading members of the Senate Judiciary Committee for “copies of any warrant applications and court orders — redacted as necessary … related to wiretaps of President Trump, the Trump Campaign, or Trump Tower.”
10 reactions to Trump’s wiretapping allegations against Obama Embed Copy Share Play Video 2:38 Former director of national intelligence James R. Clapper Jr. on March 5 denied that President Trump's 2016 campaign was wiretapped while senators of both parties weighed in on the allegations. (Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post) Former director of national intelligence James R. Clapper Jr. on March 5 denied that President Trump’s 2016 campaign was wiretapped while senators of both parties weighed in on the allegations. Former director of national intelligence James R. Clapper Jr. denies that President Trump’s 2016 campaign was wiretapped. (Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post)
Sens. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) formally requested the information last week in a letter to FBI Director James B. Comey and acting deputy attorney general Dana Boente. Trump administration officials have not provided any evidence to back up the president’s claim from earlier this month.
McCain avoided directly criticizing Trump for using Twitter to spread unverified information, but the senator said a serious charge, such as accusing a former president of illegal wiretapping, should not be handled lightly.
“If the allegation is left out there, it undermines the confidence the American people have in the entire way that the government does business,” McCain said.
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Several lawmakers, including McCain and Senate Rules Committee Chairman Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), have pointed out that Trump could directly ask intelligence officials to corroborate his claim but instead has asked Congress to investigate.
“The president actually could himself ask that question,” Blunt said on Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures.”
Not all Republicans have been so quick to put the burden of proof on Trump. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) agreed with Trump that Congress should take control of the investigation to safeguard sensitive intelligence.
“President Trump said last weekend that he wanted the intelligence committees in the Senate and the House to take up this matter as part of a broader inquiry into Russia’s activities in our political system last year. We’re going to do that,” Cotton said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.”
“Through a deliberate and careful process of examining all the intelligence at issue here, and then determining with the executive branch what we can declassify, I think the intelligence committees are in the best position to make those decisions,” the senator added.Gobbledygeek episode 365, “Four-Color Flashback: March,” is available for listening or download right here and on iTunes here.
In honor of Black History Month, Paul and Arlo are discussing John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell’s March for their second Four-Color Flashback of 2019. This three-volume set, published from 2013-16, follows Rep. Lewis from his days raising (and baptizing) chickens in Pike County, Alabama, to standing side-by-side with leading figures of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. The boys discuss how their whiteness both helps and hinders the discussion, their admiration for Lewis’ adherence to the tenets of nonviolent resistance, why comics are uniquely suited to convey a story of such historical import, and Nate Powell’s genius use of lettering.
Next: who knows! Join us for the ride. If you dare.
(Show notes for “Four-Color Flashback: March.”)Twenty-three former IT employees at Disney are preparing to sue the company, having been replaced by foreign workers on H-1B visas, according to a report from Computer World.
The former employees have filed complaints with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) alleging that they are victims of national origin discrimination. The EEOC will investigate can bring its own lawsuit or issue a right-to-sue letter.
Sara Blackwell, the Florida attorney representing the former Disney workers, appeared on Sirius XM’s Breitbart News Daily and discussed the problem of H-1B visas.
“Right now all of the technology jobs, 90 percent of them are being filtered to H-1B visa holders here and then off-shoring to other countries” said Blackwell.”Knowledge transfer is what we’re doing.”
Blackwell also argued that H-1b visas are being abused:
The purpose of H-1B is if there is no qualified American then the H-1B person can come over and fill that position because we need them. Well, there are qualified Americans because they’re being fired, but guess what, if this keeps going there aren’t going to be any qualified Americans because we’re training all our knowledge — sending it overseas and we’re training all the H1B workers here and we’re not giving Americans the opportunity to make a decent wage or have a job so America has no future in technology, at this point.
Leo Perrero, one of the former Disney workers, told Breitbart News Daily how he was laid off even after receiving a great performance review.
“We thought we were being called into a last minute meeting for pats on the back and bonuses but it turned out to be the complete opposite. We were called into a room of about two dozen people to be told we had to train our foreign replacements and if we didn’t, we wouldn’t get a bonus.”
“Essentially I was given 90 days notice to train my foreign replacement. This person was flown in just days before this whole thing happened,”
The issue of H-1b visa hasn’t gained much attention in the presidential campaign, but it’s an issue that’s supported by Florida Senator and presidential candidate Marco Rubio. According to Computer World:Anonymous asks: When you look back on all the crazy shit you did for Jim (like pressuring Katie into having sex with him or holding that girl down so he could rape with her), what do you think about that today? How do you feel about the way you treated Jamie and your brother? Do you have any regrets from that time?
“
Hi anon, this is a sensitive topic and I wasn’t sure if I should answer it, but because in order to change my future I have to accept and acknowledge my past, I will.
Yes, looking back it was crazy… insane.. but at the time I was so IN the moment of it all, completely engulfed and entrenched in this guy and the situation. I’d be lying if I said I still didn’t feel alone and empty inside, but I know now that a man cannot fill it, and I shouldn’t have to sacrifice my own dignity to get a man’s love and respect.. in fact I got the total opposite.
I don’t care to speak about Katie, she is a back stabbing bitch if I can be quite clear and frank on the matter. She and Jim are currently in a relationship and they both continue to spread lies and rumors about me all over social media and to some of my former friends. So you can get a good idea of the kind of person KATIE is, she got ahold of pictures Jim took of me and plastered them all over the fucking internet with my name and location. She signed me up for sex sites, etc. and she knows damn well I have kids. I know that I go on sites sometimes for booty calls, but I don’t post my face and full name and talk about double anal and orgies. She’s so vindictive, the little pig and Jim deserve each other. I hope they both gets aids.
I do regret treating my brother like an asshole, but at the same time he had no right to lock me out of the garage. He acted like $20 in cans and bottles was his life’s savings, and resorting to immature antics was wrong on his part. Jamie can still be rude to me, but she has lightened up, and I’ve learned to accept her bullshit. I am grateful that they are raising my boy, I just wish my brother wouldn’t continue to speak to me like I’m a petulant child.
I shouldn’t have treated Jamie so poorly before getting to know her, I can say that, but she shouldn’t have called DSS on me and said I was endangering my children. I can’t prove it was her, but it makes too much sense.
Basically I regret all of that part of my life, and I regret bringing the cat out into the woods and freeing him. I think about that cat more than I think about my sex antics with Jim.
A word of advice to the ladies. If a man needs you to go above and beyond sexually, if he needs you to allow him to have sex with who he wants; family members included, and he routinely steals money from you and says “you owe him” etc, then that is not love, and the more you give in the more he will take from you. I lost friends and family members over this man. I lost the home I was living in and I lost a cat because he hated cats. I let him run my life but I was so diluted that I actually thought I had the upper hand and had power in the relationship, and then thinking that allowing my man freedom would somehow make him loyal to me…. I was wrong on every front.“Terror coming…Daddy coming!”, and “One day, the Voidborn Will Return” are quotes most of us are familiar with. For the uninformed, they are in the wiki as a taunt from Kog’Maw, and a line from Cho’Gath’s lore. They are also two of the most mysterious quotes in League’s history. Today, however, I believe I have a few answers worth reading.
Background
Before that though, it makes sense to get some background established. What we do know about the Void is that its connection to Valoran relates to the lost city of Icathia, located in the southeast of Valoran. Other than that, we have five void-related champions: Cho’Gath, Kassadin, Malzahar, Kog’Maw, and Kha’Zix.
Cho’Gath seemed to come out of nowhere, and willingly allows the summoners of the Institute to use his powers even though the strength of his containment is questioned. He also has the power to gorge himself on his enemy, absorbing them to grow larger and more powerful. Kassadin was our second Void champion, and the first human to visit the Void and come back alive. To do this, he had to let himself be consumed by the Void, and then use the powers he gained to escape. Kassadin gained incredible power, and has dedicated himself to stopping the Void’s plans at whatever the cost. Malzahar was born a seer with the gift of prophetic visions, but one night, he is brought to desert by a voice he hears in his dreams. He was brought to Icathia, where he summoned Kog’Maw from the Void and received his void magic. Kog’Maw entered Valoran through the help of the seer Malzahar, and was intoxicated by his surroundings immediately. Using his only means of interaction, he wanders about, devouring things until he met Malzahar at the gates of the Institute. Kha’Zix came to Valoran alone and with a mission. He constantly seeks out the strongest prey to kill in order to fuel his rapid evolutions. With his ability to fly, stealth, and adapt his body in any way to fit his situation, he is easily the most complex voidborn so far. His current prey, Rengar, is the only one so far able to challenge his power.
Putting it together
Cho’Gath’s lore mentions how the voidborn “poke around the walls of the dimensions looking for a crack”, and Icathia is the place containing this crack. It also says that the voidborn once walked Valoran, but were driven away by powerful magic. Cho’Gath was sent to Valoran through the crack in Icathia to take note of how the world had changed. He sits in the Institute, waiting for the Void’s attack while keeping an eye on Valoran’s toughest, and the only mages capable of using the magic that would drive the Void back again.
Kassadin, wanting to know basically everything, is intrigued by the appearance of Cho’Gath. His existence proves the Void still lives, and Kassadin sets out to find Icathia. He ultimately gets absorbed by the Void, and in order to escape, has to let it into him and use the powers he gains doing so. What I find most interesting about Kassadin, is that if he accepted the Void as Malzahar did, why are their magics so different? Something I think most people overlook, and I myself may be looking too much into, are Kassadins’ lines “Silence!” and “Your magic is powerless against me!”. When thinking of it, Cho’Gath uses his mouth to silence his foes and absorb them, Malzahar channels the void through his mouth to suppress others, Kog’Maw is basically a giant mouth with a never ending hunger, and Kha’Zix seems to absorb things by eating them.
Malzahar was brought to Icathia through a voice he hears in his dreams. Now, while I want to say that this was the work of Nocturne, and that Nocturne is from the Void, his lore is really old and doesn’t mention the void at all. Maybe Riot will go back and make Nocturne a voidborn with the ability to walk multiple planes and what have you, but for now, back to Malzahar. Malzahar had been brought to Icathia for the purpose of summoning Kog’Maw. Why Kog’Maw needed help, I don’t know, but I can only assume that it was because he’s a much weaker voidborn than Cho’Gath and Kha’Zix. While I do believe Kog’Maw to be in a sort of babylike/larval state, he’s obviously not the very bottom of the food chain if we look at Malzahar’s ability to summon an actual “Voidling” that resembles a small spider to help him.
Kog’Maw was brought to Valoran with the help of Malzahar, and just by looking at him, you can tell that he is in his larval state. His arms are stubby and useless, with his legs basically being the same. He also knows very few words, whereas Cho’Gath is thought to be extremely intelligent in comparison. One interesting thing to note is that Kog’Maw seemingly lacks the ability to grow. Unlike Cho’Gath and Kha’Zix, when Kog’Maw eats things, they just get disintegrated by the acid in his stomach. Perhaps in time, the acid will subside, or he will grow naturally, but I see him as more of a vacuum for the weak, so to speak.
Kha’Zix was sent to Valoran as the Void’s test to consume the strongest beings alive, while Kog’Maw was there eradicating the weak ones. When you think about it, left unchecked or unopposed, Kha’Zix would consume everything on Valoran, complete his evolution, and I believe become another Void God. However, Kha’Zix was stopped by Rengar.
The Void Gods are beings created should something like Kha’Zix complete their evolution. Currently, the only evidence these exist is in Malzahar’s lore with “the giant, decaying idols of dark and horrific gods”. What’s fun is to take Cho’Gath’s line “It is rumored that the Voidborn command vast armies of unspeakable creatures on other planets” and look at all of them in a new light. Is Cho’Gath a god himself, or is he the spawn of one? What kind of God would spawn something like Cho’Gath, if we can assume that Kog’Maw is the spawn of one? Thinking of Kha’Zix, if he has the ability to evolve into a Void God, then what spawned him? Another fun thing to think about is that Riot so far seems to want to keep the ratio of humans and creatures from the void 1:1, so I doubt we’ll see another void creature until we get another void-related human.
Speaking of void champions, If you’re reading this, I’m sure you’re aware of the very popular post on reddit that hit front page a week or so ago that “Leaked” a new void champion.
http://4x.reddit.com/r/leagueoflegends/comments/1ve03m/new_void_champion/
There’s the post for the lazy, and I will admit that it is a very well done piece of art. While I would love to be proven wrong, and this be the next void champion, I just don’t quite believe it. What I do believe it to be is a very well done custom Lux skin. Every one of his supposed abilities can be easy Lux recolors except for the one with the swirl in the middle that looks out of place anyway. However, if he were real, he would definitely make sense. Like I said before, I believe Cho’Gath to be the “Watcher”, but a floating eyeball would definitely fit that bill. Going more on the possibility of him being real, I seriously doubt that this is Kassadin’s daughter, and even more so just truly hope that it isn’t. Sure, she’s been stuck in the void for a long time now, but I would personally hate if this is what they chose to do to her. If it is her, it would feel like they just made some random monster, and said “Oh, by the way, that’s Kassadin’s daughter”.Two men seen walking down a Portland street armed with assault rifles told police they were exercising their Second Amendment rights and hoping to educate the public on gun rights.
Several calls were made to 911 on Wednesday afternoon, with alarmed residents reporting two men with guns strapped to their backs walking through the area of Southeast Seventh Avenue and Spokane Street in Portland's Sellwood neighborhood.
When police arrived on the scene, they found two 22-year-old men carrying rifles openly on their backs. The two were also holding valid concealed handgun licenses in Oregon, according to Fox affiliate KPTV.
The men reportedly told officers that they were seeking to educate onlookers about their Second Amendment rights.
"Exercising my rights with a rifle to try to decrease the demonizing of peacefully exercising your rights in public," one of the men, who declined to release his full name, told the station.
Portland authorities later identified the men as Warren Drouin and Steven Boyce. Officers said carrying firearms openly is legal in Oregon and carrying a concealed gun is legal with a valid license, according to the station. But doing one or both may generate 911 calls and possibly tie up resources that are needed for a real emergency.
One of the men told the station that he hoped people would approach him and talk to him, instead of calling police.
"What they really should do is observe the person to determine if the person is aggressive," he said of seeing someone with a gun in public. "We're not doing anything threatening to anyone."
The Portland Police Bureau, however, asks anyone who sees someone armed with guns to immediately call 911.
Click for more from KPTV.comSheep farmers will have a closer connection as the wool supliers to the rugged Swanndri clothing range long valued in rural communities and more lately accompanied by new urban lines.
A new deal has been inked by the New Zealand Merino Company (NZM) to supply fine and strong wool to Swanndri for its outdoor clothing and new urban range.
An initial 30 tonnes of wool will be supplied by NZM's supplier network of merino, mid-micron and strong wool farmers with most of the strong wool to come from its business partner Landcorp, the government-owned farming company.
NZM expects the tonnage to grow quickly because of its ability to supply wide ranging wool types for Swanndri's clothing and accessories, from jackets and vests to baby blankets and luggage.
NZM commercial manager Keith Ovens said the partnership was a good fit as Swanndri was a long lasting company recognised for its iconic New Zealand clothing brand and NZM and Landcorp's wool brands provided farming integrity and built on the New Zealand story.
He said farmers would receive a premium for the Swanndri contract and revenue security without the "up and down" movement in commodity markets.
"There is a growth plan and the finer micron range they are producing is expanding and that presents more opportunities. We have the merino, halfbred and crossbred wool and they can have the quality and traceability from one source and link back to the growers and the farms."
Tracing the wool to farms was valued by Swanndri to ensure animal welfare, environment and product quality standards were being met.
The bulk of the fleece for the deal will come from Pamu-branded strong wool provided by Landcorp and typically used in Swanndri's traditional outdoors jackets with finer wools to go into the likes of baby blankets.
Swanndri chief executive Mark Nevin said the partnership would support the company's plans for growing rural and urban markets domestically and overseas.
"We require wool and New Zealand wool is best. NZM can supply us with the quantity of fibre we need and, most importantly, of the quality that we and our customers demand. It also ensures traceability to underline our New Zealand authenticity, which is particularly important in the northern hemisphere."
Swanndri has grown its profile internationally with retail partnerships in Europe, North America and Australia and its product range has gone beyond its traditional rural base to contemporary designs for urban customers with apparel now available at Barker's outlets.
Nevin said the rural market segment remained important, but more people were living in cities and contemporary lines had been developed for urban consumers in mind which retained traditional elements.
He said NZM's traceability gave the company an edge against competitors.
Ovens said NZM knew from its fine wool commercial experience that certain brand owners placed huge value in products sourced from New Zealand farms and in the past year it had been extending the model to mid-micron and strong wool in new partnerships.
Landcorp chief executive Steven Carden said the company was focused on ensuring its farmed products were wanted and valued by customers.
The partnership with NZM had strengthened its connection with businesses such as Swanndri in the marketplace and as the country's largest farmer Landcorp wanted to increase the value of its wool clip, he said.Uber appears to be continuing its national expansion today, with the soft-launch of the disruptive car service in Chicago. Pandora’s CTO Tom Conrad just Tweeted about using the new service in the Windy City.
In case you aren’t familiar with Uber, the service allows you to order a black car to come to your location on the mobile app, You can actually track your car as it comes to your location as the app tracks the car via GPS. Payments are handled automatically by charging the card you have on file (no swiping necessary), and it costs at least 50% more than a taxi.
The service has a loyal following in San Francisco, debuted in New York and Seattle recently and appears to also be eying Boston and D.C. as potential markets.
It’s unclear if pricing will be different in Chicago, compared to other cities. Uber says that during this test, the service will have limited supply of cars and low availability. As we saw with Seattle, Uber pricing is less because of the general cost of living in the city compared to New York and San Francisco. The company is also testing reduced pricing in San Francisco.Oct. 7, 2015, 3:47 PM GMT / Updated Oct. 7, 2015, 3:47 PM GMT By Frances Kai-Hwa Wang
After months of anticipation and hundreds of auditions throughout the Pacific Islands, the voice of Disney’s “Moana” has finally been cast. Moana will be voiced by 14-year-old Auli‘i Cravalho, according to People Magazine. Cravalho, who is Native Hawaiian, is a high school freshman on Oahu and sings soprano in glee club.
Asian-American media watchers are especially excited that a Native Hawaiian has been cast in this landmark role of the first Pacific Islander Disney princess.
“Everything I've seen and read about Moana makes me really excited for this movie,” Keith Chow, founding editor of The Nerds of Color, told NBC News. “Like it or not the Disney Princess brand is hugely influential and to see a character like Moana — who will be played by an actual Native Hawaiian actress — added to that lineup is a win all the way around. On the heels of 'Big Hero 6,' which also featured a diverse cast voiced by diverse actors, it's nice to see Disney realize that the Asian American and Pacific Islander community is a market worth serving.”
Spotted by an Oahu casting agent at a charity competition, Cravalho was brought to Los Angeles to audition. Casting director Rachel Sutton remarked in a video, “Auli‘i was the very last girl that I saw on the last day of casting.”
According to composer Lin-Manuel Miranda, who is writing the music for "Moana," Cravalho is also half-Puerto Rican.
"Moana is such an amazing character," Cravalho, told People Magazine. "She’s brave, she is so empowered, she knows what she wants and she’s not afraid to get it."
Cravalho will be singing with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who has been cast as the demigod Maui who accompanies Moana on her epic ocean adventure. "I am very excited about that, my gosh," she said.
The film is expected to open in theaters November 23, 2016.I don't even remember what it was I was looking for exactly. Something to do with radio, following links here and there, when I ran across a strangely mysterious site called The Conet Project. The project consists of a 4-CD set of recordings of so-called Numbers Stations as heard on SW radios in the HF bands. The recordings have been put together by a fellow obsessed with these kinds of broadcasts for many years, Akin Fernandez. He hasn't discovered anything new, but he has been a catalyst for re-awakening awareness about these enigmatic transmissions that have been around nearly as long as radio itself.
Here are a few samples I pulled off the archived CD set ( freely available here, btw ).
Swedish Rhapsody
Dashes
Gong Chimes
DFD 21
Strich
Russian Man
English: Silhouette of a spy with a stolen document (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I wonder if in my early days with radio as a SWL enthusiast if I ever heard such stations. I don't recall, but probably I would have given them little thought, probably have shrugged and turned the dial. It wouldn't have occurred to me to think of these as " spy transmissions" at all. That, anyway, is the unofficial, circumstantial, officially denied, consensus of many. The aficionados do make a convincing, but not air-tight case for their consensus. In the end, I think their explanation that these are coded messages sent to spy networks is just as good as any and certainly the most enticing!
Here are the highlights of their reasoning:
You might think that transmitting unscrambled "plain text" secret messages over easily-accessible SW bands would be a genuinely foolish effort. It has advantages however. For one it's great for the spies as they only need a small consumer-grade SW receiver, one that is not likely to arouse suspicion. |
success if a work environment is created that fosters exceptional performance. This can be accomplished by utilizing goals and accountability (Phelps, 2001). Employee and management performance targets must be in alignment. By paying each manager based on their team’s performance the manager is focused on supporting the performance of their employees. Managers also need to be held accountable for the quality of their employees’ work environment because workplace engagement is a leading indicator of job performance.
Choosing the right short-term and long-term goals without creating excessive risk for the organization presents the final challenge in the mission to balance the pay-for-performance equation (Yerre, 2012).
References
Armstrong, M. (2005, February). Job Evaluation: An Introduction. Retrieved from ACAS: http://www.acemyhw.com
Bersin, J. (2013, May 06). www. forbes.com. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/joshbersin/2013/05/06/time-to-scrap-performance-appraisals/
Buhler, M. P. & Worden, J. D. (2013). Up, Down and Sideways: High-Impact Verbal Communication for HR Professionals. Retrieved from http://www.shrm.org/publications/hrmagazine/books/pages/emprel.aspx
Hamlett, C. (n.d.). Why Are Performance Evaluations Important? Chron, small businesses. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/performance-evaluations-important-1265.html
King, S. & Pye, B. (2007, January 20). Job Evaluation Good Practice Guide. Retrieved from Civilservice.gov: http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/JEGS2007_tem6-2421.pdf
Lipman, V. (2012, October 4). 4 Steps to Painless (And Effective) Performance Evaluations. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/victorlipman/2012/10/04/4-steps-to-painless-and-effective-performance-evaluations/
Phelps, Glen. (2001, May 28). Gallup Business Journal. Paying for Performance. Retrieved from http://businessjournal.gallup.com/content/283/paying-performance.aspx
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.(2013, January 21). Facts about Equal Pay and Compensation Discrimination. Retrieved from http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/publications/fs-epa.cfm
Yerre, Brandon. (2012, January 3). Human Resource Executive Online. Effective Pay-for-Performance Strategies. Retrieved from http://www.hreonline.com/HRE/view/story.jhtml?id=533344245FLOTUS for Senate?
It wasn't that long ago that such a slogan would seem absurd, but political wags are beginning to wonder whether Michelle Obama is mulling a run for Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk's seat in 2016.
A Thursday column in Reuters suggests that Obama would be the only candidate with a large enough profile to unseat the Republican.
First Lady, Emanuel Tour Farm
The column also points to Obama's recent willingness to debate the merits of her school lunch program with Republicans, a trip to China, fundraising and her stance on the kidnapped Nigerian school girls as other signs that her tone is turning more political.
It's not the first time Obama has been mentioned as a potential senatorial candidate, but that speculation has always focused beyond 2016. And the First Lady herself has never publicly indicated any interest in seeking political office.
But just like a senator named Barack Obama who decided to run for president in 2008 when many thought he should wait his turn, politics are often about timing.
She would quickly become the most recognizable face in the Senate. Her fame and fundraising ability would command deference in a body that normally operates on seniority. Whether the recent elevation of her profile suggests a plan to run is unclear, but she will be well positioned should she jump in. -- Reuters
There's also that 2012 Public Polling Policy survey showing the first lady picking up 51 percent of the vote against Kirk's 40 percent if they were to run.
Your move, FLOTUS.Image copyright Woodruff Lab
US scientists say they have made a mini working replica of the female reproductive tract using human and mouse tissue.
Although the palm-sized device looks nothing like a womb, fallopian tubes and ovaries, the researchers say it should help with understanding diseases of these organs and tissues.
It also provides a novel way to test new treatments.
The work is part of a project to create the entire human "body on a chip".
The ultimate goal would be to take cells from any given individual in order to create a personalised model of their body to test drugs and treatments on, Nature Communications reports.
Menstrual cycle in a dish
The 3D model is made up of a series of cubes that each represent the different parts of the female reproductive system.
Each cube contains collections of living cells from the respective bits of this system - fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix and vagina (all human cells), and the ovaries (taken from mice).
The cubes are connected together with small tubes, which allow special fluid to flow through the entire system, much like blood.
This also means the "mini organs" can communicate with each other using hormones, mimicking what happens in a woman's body during a "typical" 28-day human menstrual cycle.
One of the cubes represents the human liver because this organ plays an important role in drug metabolism, say the scientists.
Tests suggested that the tissues in the system responded to the cyclical ebb and flow of hormones, in a similar way to those of the female body.
Research Dr Joanna Burdette, from Northwestern University, said: "It's a biological representation of the female reproductive tract, so we call it Evatar."
Co-worker Dr Ji-Yong Julie Kim said: "Understanding how the uterus responds to hormones is really important. There is no animal model for a lot of the stuff that we study."
Experts welcomed the advance.
Prof Jan Brosens from the University of Warwick said: "This is genuinely a remarkable technical achievement.
"I am entirely confident that this novel technology represents a step-change in our ability to pinpoint defects that cause infertility and early pregnancy loss. However, it is not a system that can recapitulate all the specialised functions of the reproductive tract or replace IVF."
Dr Channa Jayasena, from Imperial College London and the Society for Endocrinology, said: "The results are exciting and represent an important innovation. However, we must remember that the rodent and human reproductive systems have important differences."Design better, faster
Today, there are many user interface kits available for designers to speed up their work. However, few if any incorporate motion. This year, we’ve created Origami and Framer components that mirror the behavior of the most important UI elements in iOS 11 as well as recreating elements found in the public release of iOS 11 in Sketch and Photoshop.
Whether using these files to mock up apps, concept ideas, or create custom interface elements that work harmoniously with those native to iOS, we hope they help you work faster and elevate your designs.
New to designing apps? You may want to get acquainted with some of the support documentation that Apple has put together in their Human Interface Guidelines and their Apple UI Design Resources.
Made for Motion
The most important addition to this year’s release is our creating Origami and Framer components to make it easy for designers to quickly prototype native-feeling iOS 11 interactions. These include navigation bar, notifications, action sheets, alerts, keyboards, and more.
What’s inside?
Whether you work in Origami, Framer, Sketch, or Photoshop, we created a file to use with each tool. We’ve focused on balancing ease-of-use with accuracy — while some aspects aren’t 100%, they are built to easily assemble screens and flows.
The components attempt to cover as many of the common UI elements within the OS as possible, including renderings of the phones themselves. Below that are operating system level screens that are common outside of individual app experiences. And at the bottom of the page are flows through common apps for reference and use. In Sketch, we’ve worked in 1x and in Photoshop at 2x and where possible we’ve tried to make components scale across device widths.
In addition to the commonly used UI elements, Facebook iOS 11 contains a ton of elements found throughout the latest iOS release.
If something is off with these files, we want to fix it. Shoot us a message at [email protected] /
Gantz, DJ Madd, Mesck, Ill Chill, Max Mischief, I.N.I
PLEASE NOTE THE VENUE CHANGE
The Shop Brooklyn | 234 Starr Street, Bushwick
Saturday, April 4th Subverse-NYC celebrates it's 2nd birthday with a night of dubstep and bass music featuring:
Gantz [Istanbul, Turkey] - http://bit.ly/1BSNWQZ
DEEP MEDi / InnamindRecordings / System:Sound
DJ MADD [Budapest, Hungary] - http://bit.ly/18KZ2Aj
Roots & Future / Black Box / Osiris Music uk
Mesck [Los Angeles, California] - http://bit.ly/16eoaO4
Chestplate
plus residents
Max Mischief & I.N.I - NYC
Subvserse-NYC / RoodFM
hosted by master of ceremonies
ILL CHILL [Los Angeles, California] - http://on.fb.me/1zEPh0Z
Mindstep Music
Additional Labhorn bassweight provided by subBASS Sound System
The Shop Brooklyn • 234 Starr Street, Bushwick
Doors at 10pm / 21+
$12 early bird / $20 general release / more at the doorRotterdam bans Monsanto’s Roundup as part of new Green initiative
Rotterdam city council has voted to ban Monsanto's Roundup herbicide after citizen campaign
Rotterdam bans Monsanto’s Roundup as part of new Green initiative
Fritz Kreiss
OccupyMonsanto, 19 Jul 2013
http://occupymonsanto360.org/blog/rotterdam-bans-monsantos-roundup-as-part-of-new-green-initiative/
Just a short while ago, on June 27th, the Rotterdam city council voted to ban Monsanto’s controversial Roundup herbicide. The initiative was begun largely thanks to a citizen run petition campaign appropriately named, “Non-toxic Sidewalks for Our Children”, along with a lot of support from the Green Party to get it passed.
While glyphosate (Roundup’s “active” ingredient) has long been believed to be quite non-toxic, recent studies have shown that to be very much untrue. The herbicide, currently the most used in the world by a large margin, has been found to be especially harmful when combined with the adjuvants labeled as “inert ingredients” which are designed to increase delivery of the pesticide to target plants.
This ban is considered a big win by the city and a large number of the citizenry who have been working hard to both start the initiative and get it passed. RoundUp has already been found in the urine of a majority of western European urbanites, according to a recent study.
“It is bad stuff and I’m glad we’re giving it up,” says Emile Cammeraat, Green party leader in the council. "The producer Monsanto also provides genetically engineered seeds, Monsanto’s own plants are the only thing RoundUp doesn’t kill. In such a business district as you want to be, no Roundup is simply necessary, as there are organic alternatives.” (Translated by Fritz Kreiss)
In addition to this win, the Greens have many more reasons to celebrate as they had 12 more of their proposals passed. The city will be designing and building many more projects all over ranging from new parks and play areas, new fruit trees all over, initiatives to help support the bees and other important wildlife, all the way up to new green wall projects being erected. ”Think of more flowers, more space for urban wildlife and (natural) scrublands, and less lawnmowing,” said Ms. Cammeraat.
The initiative was clearly started primarily out of parents’ concern for the children playing in parks and other areas that may be contaminated by the pesticide, but as often is the case with environmentally related initiatives such as these; the benefits it ultimately results in are innumerable. Total cost of the 12 initiatives is projected to be approximately 90,000 euros (the glyphosate ban costs little to nothing at all).
Sources: http://rotterdam.nieuws.nlIt was reported earlier today that the controversial US Capitol painting depicting cops as pigs has been at the center of a feud between Democratic and Republican Congressmen, with one Democratic member threatening to assault GOP peers if they continue to take down the painting.
Throughout the day today, Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-MO) has hung up the painting three separate times after numerous Republicans, taking after Rep. Duncan Hunter’s lead, have pulled the painting down from the hall and returned it back to his office.
Reps Rohrabacher/Babin take pigs/police painting back to Rep Clay's office. pic.twitter.com/VitINb0qJ2 — Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 10, 2017
And, it's back up. Rep Clay rehangs controversial pigs/police art for 3rd time today. pic.twitter.com/Rp5C0YU2t6 — Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 10, 2017
And with Clay having hung it up for the third time this afternoon, there is currently a gaggle of reporters posted up and ready to capture the moment when another GOPer comes and takes down the painting.
Reporters staking out the "pig cops" painting. When will someone take it down next?? pic.twitter.com/fnqeu10ny6 — Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) January 10, 2017
Clay bemoaned the “alt-right media sites” and “some Republican members” who refer to themselves as “constitutional conservatives” who don’t support the “fundamental free speech of my 18-year-old constituent.” (The painting was done by a high school student and was chosen as the winner of a contest.)
Meanwhile, Hunter said the painting was in violation of the Capitol rules and they would “take it down.”
Watch the news clip of the situation above, via Fox News.
[image via screengrab]
–
Follow Justin Baragona on Twitter: @justinbaragona
This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.Hong Zhenkuai, left, stands with a local guide on a granite cliff on northern China's Langya Mountain that five Chinese soldiers are said to have jumped from in 1941 to avoid being captured alive by Japanese troops.
Hong Zhenkuai, left, stands with a local guide on a granite cliff on northern China's Langya Mountain that five Chinese soldiers are said to have jumped from in 1941 to avoid being captured alive by Japanese troops. Photo: JOSH CHIN/THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
A Chinese writer has been ordered to apologize publicly for questioning one of China’s best-known stories of wartime heroism after he lost an appeal in a Beijing court.
In a decision that fell on the anniversary of Japan’s surrender at the end of World War II, the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People’s Court on Monday upheld a libel ruling against the writer, Hong Zhenkuai, for a pair of articles he wrote in 2013 questioning certain details in the “Five Heroes of Langya Mountain.”
The story, featured in elementary school textbooks, tells of a quintet of Chinese soldiers who lured Japanese forces up a mountain to save their battalion and nearby villagers. As the story goes, the five then smashed their weapons and jumped from a cliff to avoid being captured alive; two were snagged by tree branches on the way down and survived.
In an earlier decision against Mr. Hong in June, Beijing Xicheng District Court said the writer had “engaged in specious speculation, questioning and criticism” on the basis of insufficient evidence, damaging the soldiers’ “heroic image and spiritual value” in the process.
In his appeal, Mr. Hong challenged the lower court’s argument that he shouldn’t dispute the validity of the story in part because it is so well known and “constitutes part of the collective memory of the Chinese nation.”
The court rejected that challenge, according to a copy of the decision posted online by the plaintiff’s lawyer and confirmed by Mr. Hong. It also rejected Mr. Hong’s argument that he was exercising his rights to free speech and free academic inquiry, saying he should have “fully contemplated the possible social impact his research might unleash.”
“With the appeal, the court has issued a judgement based on its own conjecture about my motivations,” Mr. Hong said. “This is a new literary inquisition.”
The court did not respond to requests for comment.
The legal skirmish over Mr. Hong’s articles sits at the center of intensifying battle in China over the right to question the Communist Party’s telling of the past. Scholars and media affiliated with Communist Party portray the fight as an effort to vanquish what they call “historical nihilism” -- Western-influenced skepticism that they say aims to negate the party’s contributions to China’s progress.
The lawsuit was filed a year ago on behalf of the surviving soldiers’ descendants by a retired People’s Liberation Army officer named Wang Lihua. Mr. Wang and the descendants’ lawyer, Zhao Xiaolu, announced the lawsuit at a press conference at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing.
According to a transcript posted online, a general in attendance issued a call for “friends in the legal world” to ensure the court protected the heroes’ reputations. In a later videotaped speech, Mr. Wang said the same general had telephoned judicial officials to tell them a ruling in Mr. Hong’s favor would be anti-military.
Messrs. Wang and Zhao declined repeated requests for comment. In an instant message prior to the appeal, Mr. Wang said Mr. Hong was “out of control and arrogant” and “shooting himself in the foot.”
Mr. Hong said he became interested in the story after reading news reports about an Internet user in the southern province of Guangdong who was detained by police for reposting a message from a web forum that speculated the three dead soldiers had been shot by enemy troops. After digging into the history himself, Mr. Hong started to develop doubts of his own. Chiefly, they concern:
The number of Japanese soldiers the five heroes killed: the Chinese story says "many," but Mr. Hong says Japanese military records show only a couple of deaths and a handful of injuries for that particular unit at that time.
The survivors' story: The textbook version says they were caught by tree branches after jumping. Other versions say they slipped down the mountain side in a controlled manner. But, given how steep the mountain is, and historical records suggesting tree coverage was much less dense at the time, Mr. Hong believes those two may have split off from the others before even reaching the cliff.
Where they jumped: The textbook version of the story says they jumped at a rock spire known as Qipantuo, where there’s a tourist trail and memorial pagoda in their honor. Officials in the Langya Mountain Management Office now believe they jumped from a different cliff that Mr. Hong visited in July. That inconsistency, he says, means the story should be open to questioning.
Mr. Hong said he has never met the survivors’ descendants, who did not attend pre-trial meetings. The writer said neither he nor his lawyers went to court to listen to the appeal judgment, “because it was a foregone conclusion.”
The court ordered Mr. Hong to immediately cease impugning the reputations of the five heroes and demanded he take out advertisements in court-approved media apologizing to the plaintiffs.
“No way I am apologizing,” Mr. Hong said when asked if he could comply. In that event, the court decision says he will be compelled to pay for advertisements explaining the court decision against him.
Even so, Mr. Hong isn’t giving up. He said he’s planning to sue a number of nationalist intellectuals who he says have slandered him in the course of writing about his lawsuit.
Mr. Hong conceded his chances of success were also slim. “But I want to see how they use today’s law to justify their lies -- to leave a record for history,” he said.
-- Josh Chin. Follow him on Twitter @JoshChinMy startup promotes Internet family safety, and as a result I can lay claim to having indexed more pornography than perhaps any other company in the world -- more than OpenDNS, Norton, and McAfee combined.
We maintain two data buckets specifically for porn. One contains 7.2 million unique domains and a second holds millions of URLs across Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter and other sites fueled by user-generated content. I believe that this massive data set provides me with unique insights as to how much porn exists on sites like Tumblr. It’s a big probem for Tumblr, and now Yahoo, since most brands will shy away from advertising unless something is done about porn blogs. And parents, I’d venture, should be concerned about their kids hanging out on Tumblr blogs that publish some truly shocking stuff.
Yahoo!’s challenges not only lay with the number of Tumblr blogs that contain sexually explicit content material, or what it calls “NSFW” (not safe for work). That’s because:
Tumblr doesn’t appear to know the difference between tagging and filtering with respect to freedom of speech and the open web. They are not mutually exclusive
Porn bloggers are not tagging content as NSFW, despite what Tumblr claims.
Tumblr is unable to label blogs properly when self-tagging doesn’t occur.
It needs to break down “NSFW” into sub-categories so that innocent sites aren’t caught in porn nets. That’s because “porn” and “gay” don’t mean the same thing.
There is extreme porn on many Tumblr blogs -- some, illegal.
Tumblr relies on bloggers to tag content as NSFW, and when users enable Safe Mode, it automatically filters out “adult themed” blogs. Good in theory but in practice it doesn’t go nearly far enough. Less than 2 percent of Tumblr porn blogs that my company classified were self-tagged as NSFW. Yet over 50 percent used the keyword NSFW in their metadata for their blogs to be indexed by Google and other search engines. Meanwhile 100 percent of them had porn-related keywords in either the domain or metadata. Either those behind Tumblr porn blogs purposely avoid using this tagging system to avoid being filtered by people who would rather not see their content, or they don’t know it exists. Either way, Tumblr’s self-tagging system doesn’t work.
Yahoo recently made news by claiming to pull porn blogs from search. As reported by the Daily Dot last week, “under Tumblr’s new content restrictions, posts from Adult-rated blogs will no longer show up on tags. Any tags. Also, Tumblr is able to flag your account as Adult without you labeling it as such.” But keyword blocking doesn’t work and hasn’t worked since parental control companies started using it in the mid 90’s. While “gay” is automatically blocked by Tumblr safe settings, keywords such as “cfnm” and other related porn-search terms are not, making the content accessible with safe guards enabled. The Daily Dot went on to say, “If your blog has been flagged as Adult, nothing you post will ever appear on Tumblr’s public tag searches. Your posts will only be visible to your own followers and the followers of people who reblog your content.”
Even if Tumblr’s self-tagging worked, or it were able to correctly label adult content on behalf of bloggers, it would provide little benefit as every porn blog is indexed by Google and all other search engines anyway. Not only is Tumblr failing to protect brands and minors inside its own site, it’s making every inch of its content accessible to every search engine without providing any tagging to make it easy for parental controls to spot the porn. It also means that brands that end up with ads on porn blogs will also be exposed in search engines.
For example, Google “porn” and narrow your search to the Tumblr site (here’s how: (site:tumblr.com porn) and you’re confronted with 85 million results. And that’s just one search term.
What kind of porn am I talking about? Not just run of the mill nude photos, that’s for sure.
There’s some extreme material. On a scale of 1 to 10, where youporn.com is a 5, some of the content on Tumblr would reach 9 and possibly 10. We’ve actually reported some Tumblr domains to The National Center of Missing and Exploited Children. By illegal, I’m referring to the blacklist of keywords that’s shared among Industry stake holders that partner with organizations such as The National Center of Missing and Exploited Children in the US and the IWF in the UK, to help identify and block websites that contain images or videos of children being raped and abused.
Some Tumblr domains we classified also contain keywords the British Government may soon make illegal, if Prime Minister David Cameron’s plan to prohibit the possession or distribution of pornography depicting rape becomes law. As I write this, my company has amassed a list of hundreds of Tumblr domains that are classified as pornography and contain the keyword “rape.”
Let me emphasize that I am not advocating censorship. Tumblr wouldn’t prohibit anyone’s freedom of speech by better labeling content. It would simply make it easier for parental controls to identify adult websites to help people avoid the content they would rather not see. It’s about enabling adults to make better-informed choices for themselves and their families. It would enable schools to provide a safer Internet for students. It would help Yahoo! be more precise with its ad targeting while allowing it to avoid placing ads next to hardcore, or possibly illegal, content.
Yahoo! needs to build dedicated crawlers for Tumblr blogs. These crawlers should be intelligent enough to know the difference between a site that talks about adult content and one that actually contains adult content. Each blog would then be labeled according to the type of content on it; porn, sex, gambling, dating, etc.
Lumping everything into “NSFW” is far from ideal. Many adults wish to avoid pornography without excluding other adult-themed categories. I’m confident that lingerie site owners don't want to be filtered out under the “all or nothing” methodology. And some consumers may wish to buy lingerie without stumbling upon content they deem inappropriate.
Some people want full, unrestricted access to pornography. They should have it. That’s freedom of speech. But some would prefer to avoid pornography so they too should have the freedom to block it.Harmann Singh was shopping in a store in Cambridge.
A 22-year-old Sikh student at Harvard Law School was allegedly abused and harassed at a store near the campus after he was mistaken for being a Muslim.
Harmann Singh, a fist year law student at the university, said that he was shopping in a store in Cambridge, Massachusetts while speaking on the phone with his mother, when a man walked in and said to the clerk behind the counter, “Oh look, there’s a f***ing Muslim.”
“Over the weekend, I was confronted by a man who called me a ‘f***ing Muslim’ and followed me around a store aggressively asking where I was from, and no one in the store said a thing. I was on the phone with my mom the entire time, and we were both concerned for my safety as this man stood inches away from me,” Singh described his experience in The Boston Globe.
Singh, who is from Buffalo, New York, said he tried to ignore the man and continued to talk to his worried mother. The man chased Singh to the checkout counter, harassed him and forced him to leave the store.
“Such hate and intolerance is not new, and the fight against them transcends political and personal identities; this can occur anywhere and to anyone; bystander intervention is a concrete and crucial step everyone can take,” Singh writes.
The owner of the store recalled the incident occurred on November and told to Boston.com that he was going back and forth inside the shop and saw the man speaking to Singh.
Across the US, incidents of hate, harassment and intimidation have been increased dramatically ever since Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential elections on November 8.People call 911 because they expect help, because they want prevent someone from getting hurt. People do not call 911 because they want to be hurt or because they want to hurt somebody else.
Unfortunately, many times when brown-skinned people call 911 for help, they get killed instead.
A 14-year-old child named Jason Pero called 911 and an Ashland County Sheriff deputy by the name of Deputy Brock Mrdjenovich responded to his 911 call. Jason was home from school and he had a knife in his hand. Interestingly, Wisconsin has some of the more liberal knife laws in the land, but more on that later. Deputy Brock Mrdjenovich—the man who killed the young child—said that the child “lunged” at him. Implicit in the officer’s statement is the notion that he had no other option but to fatally shoot a young boy with a knife—he could not detain him, taze him, shoot him in the hand that held the knife, etc.
Even assuming that Jason indeed lunged at him, that should not necessitate lethal force. As American Civil Liberties Union attorney Claudia Center said, “You should not be assuming that just because a knife is in the picture that lethal force is automatically required or appropriate.”
But Mrdjenovich assumed that lethal force was required against this child.
I do not mean to make this tragedy about anything other than the child. Still, it is important to acknowledge Brock and the Ashland County Sheriff’s Department’s place on the wrong side of history. In the middle of the day on a Wednesday, Deputy Brock Mrdjenovich decided to end a Native American child’s life with a firearm. This, of course, is a common storyline as state-sponsored violence kills Native Americans at incredibly disproportionate rates. It also follows a common narrative as law enforcement—when they kill people—quickly move to shift blame from themselves to the victims of the killing. Tragically, 8th Grader Jason Pero, a member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, is the latest victim of these horrible trends.
The child was on his own homelands when Mrdjenovich shot Pero down. He was home sick from school. He was emotional and vulnerable—as children can be from time to time. Teenage hormones and puberty are both helluva drugs. Young Jason called 911 about 11:40 a.m. where the Ashland County Sheriff is charged with protecting and serving the Bad River community alongside tribal law enforcement. There is no independent corroboration of a “lunge” or an altercation or anything other than that there was a child’s body lying there.
And the child was treated at the scene but died at a hospital.
Of course the authorities were quick to distance their own liability and released information implicating the child. The Wisconsin Justice Department released the information that a knife was recovered at the scene of the shooting. Subsequently, law enforcement began to question Pero’s family about whether he had a knife or not.
Interestingly, whether or not this boy had a knife has almost zero legal consequence. Pretty much every type of knife is legal in Wisconsin, including pocket knives, KA-BAR knives, Bowie knives, hunting and fishing knives, machetes, swords, throwing stars, throwing knives, daggers, stilettos, etc. Even sword-canes and disguised knives such as belt-buckle blades are fair game in Wisconsin.
In short, there is no reason that this young Native child is dead as there are many non-lethal means to disarm armed people. There are even more non-lethal means when that “armed person” is a 14-year-old child carrying a knife who called 911 himself. I do not know the officer so I cannot suggest racism, although institutional racism against Native people is a rampant issue in Wisconsin. That racism is reflected by the epidemic of Native children who are suspended and expelled from schools, disproportionate rates of incarceration and different sentencing for the same crimes, and obviously also by law enforcement killing Natives at higher rates than anyone else in the nation. I will say that the fact that Native people are killed so frequently by law enforcement at least shows a wanton recklessness and lack of respect for Native lives.
May the Creator comfort the family of Jason Pero. May that comfort by finding justice and prosecuting, to the greatest degree allowed by the law, the violent killer who took this child away from his family.
#JusticeForJason
Please donate to the family at https://www.gofundme.com/ebe78-justice-for-baby-jay
Photo Credit Wesley RoachOpen up a cardboard tube, roll out a transparent film just millimeters thick, apply it on a flat object and *tada* you’ve got an interactive touch surface. Cambridge-based Visual Planet just launched its new massive-sized multitouch thin film drivers so you can create touchscreens from 30 to 167 inches in size! Their touchfoil is a transparent nanowire embedded polymer capable of sensing the touch of a finger, or even pressure from wind and translating that to a computer interface. It works on glass, wood, and other non-conductive surfaces. Along with their many partners, Visual Planet can ship a custom built film (almost) anywhere on the planet and help you create a unique interactive display that will turn heads and hold attention. Check out some of their many applications using LCD screens, rear projection, and more in the videos below. Is this proven technology just a novelty, or will it help transform our environment into a digital wonderland?
I have to start with some of the impressive demonstrations Visual Planet and its partners have created. Over the past seven years they’ve installed “thousands” of these surfaces around the globe. The first is a simple LCD monitor that has been covered in the touchfoil (aka the “ViP Interactive Foil”). Multitouch like this can be produced at sizes up to 60 inches. Single touch goes all the way up to 167 inches, as you’ll see in the second video. The general appeal, and versatility can be seen in the third video, taken at an installation in Oslo.
With their launch of the multitouch drivers, Visual Planet is helping expand its user base by including Windows 7 compatibility and courting developers with an SDK. Their fairly new website also highlights how they can work with their partners to provide you with a custom solution from distribution of the film to installation to software development. Their YouTube channel is also chock full of videos showcasing tons of different use-cases and sizes. Basically if you have a display (LCD, projection, etc) and you have a surface (store front window, support column, floor, etc) Visual Planet can turn it into a touchscreen.
That’s impressive, but it’s also old news. Visual Planet has been installing these films for years. If you’ve read Singularity Hub regularly (which causes much less brain cancer than you would think) you may remember our earlier coverage of Displax. The Portuguese company did many of the same demonstrations. That makes sense as they were one of Visual Planet’s partners. There are true competitors, however. 3M has had a similar technology for years, and as you get into smaller sizes the number of available solutions skyrockets.
Which makes me very curious as to why we don’t have more of Visual Planet-style interactive surfaces out in the world. Thousands? Sure, that’s pretty good for an emerging technology, but honestly most of us probably won’t see these devices regularly until there are millions. What’s the hold up?
I’m not sure large touchscreens are the right tool for the job. They are uniquely impressive, I’ll give you that, but having seen a few in malls (as maps) or in kiosk ads (with games to attract viewers), I think there are too many drawbacks. They get grimy (who wants to touch something everyone else has touched?), they can get worn, they are locked into place, and your use of the technology is very public. People are going to watch what you’re doing. Compare that to augmented reality on your smart phone. You get similar levels of touch interaction with the real world, just on a smaller, more personal scale. Less impressive? Maybe, but it lets people find the information, and interact with it, on their own terms. To me, AR is going to be the more desirable solution for the majority of use cases.
So…yeah. That leaves me with this amazing looking technology whose applicability is somewhat questionable. Huge screens you can touch? Sounds amazing, but for now I think it will remain a novelty. Applications that draw attention – like an interactive touchscreen bar in a pub – will probably work well. Applications that want to be really useful – I think we’ll just go with our phones instead. But maybe I’m wrong? Tell me what you think in the comments. Visual Planet has definitely made its technology as accessible as it can, now it’s up to all of us technophiles to decide whether or not we really want it.
[image and video credits: Visual Planet]
[sources: Visual Planet]NPR Should Start A National Conversation on Muslims
On Oct. 1, Texas Public Radio (TPR) made major changes to its programming. Anticipating a passionate reaction, they spent two months developing a written communication strategy to explain why the changes were made.
“We wanted to be prepared for the backlash because we knew it would be controversial no matter what,” said Albert Salazar, TPR’s communication specialist. “I wanted the entire organization to be well-prepared.”
toggle caption FoxNews.com
The people at Texas Public Radio wish NPR had done the same for them last week when management abruptly fired NPR news analyst Juan Williams.
NPR’s decision to fire Williams was made and executed in a day. Like NPR and other member stations' staff, TPR learned last Thursday at 12:25 a.m. that after 10 years at NPR, Williams was terminated over the phone for troubling comments he made on Fox News.
My office was deluged. But so were dozens of public radio stations around the country that were deep into their pledge drives with volunteers answering phones and processing donations.
Donations are the lifeblood of public radio financing, accounting for 30 percent or more of their budgets.
The staff and volunteers at Texas Public Radio in San Antonio, where I visited Monday, say they were blindsided. They are not feeling so loyal to NPR and in particular to Vivian Schiller, NPR’s CEO who took responsibility for firing Williams.
“The fact that there seemed to be no thought put into how the handling of this situation would affect the stations makes me less inclined to want to help Schiller,” said Laverne Pitts, TPR's development director. “She said we should all stand together. Well, she didn’t stand with us. We were in the middle of a pledge drive, and she handed us a huge mess which we were expected to handle locally with no information until late on Thursday."
To Schiller’s credit, she has apologized |
, over Happy’s icepick stabbing of Mayan Esai Alvarez.
Next: Six Feet Under
#7. Kenneth MacDonald Henderson on Six Feet Under
Or, why I hate elevators. Every episode of Six Feet Under began with the death of a random stranger, to the show’s viewers at least, whose corpse would eventually make it to Fisher & Sons Funeral Home. Outside of SFU‘s series premiere, which set off the events of the entire show, the most notable of these cold open deaths occurred in the final episode of season four: four people are stuck in an elevator, one climbs out, and while assisting a pregnant woman…well, just watch. This scene, and that “Itchy & Scratchy” where Scratchy has his fur torn off because he’s stuck on an escalator, are the best pro-walking advertisements ever.
RIP Kenneth MacDonald Henderson.
Next: Spartacus
#6. Sedullus on Spartacus
Earlier this year, FuneralWise.com published a report named “2012 TV Body Count Study Results: Summary, Background & Methodology,” which counted the number of deaths in various bloody TV shows. Among their findings: “The Starz series Spartacus: Vengeance topped all shows with an average of 25 dead bodies per episode, followed by HBO’s Game of Thrones with 14 dead bodies per episode.” The scene below is actually from the first season of Spartacus, but same difference, really; there’s an insane amount of bloodshed and, to quote the title of a YouTube video, “Spartacus cuts dudes face off.” And then his brain falls out. Here’s a GIF!
Next: Oz
#5. Patrick Keenan and Antonio Nappa in Oz
Here are but a few ways the inmates and employees of Oswald State Correctional Facility were murdered:
Incinerated
Tortured and dismembered
Hanged from a basketball goal in the gym
Throat slashed with a razor blade
Pushed down an elevator shaft
Electrocuted to death while in the bathtub
And so on. The writers of Oz needed to be clever in their death scenes because there were so many — well over 200 in only 56 episodes. I’m going with Patrick Keenan and Antonio Nappa because they were murdered in two totally different, yet equally brutal ways: the former had his skull crushed with a barbell, and the latter (played by Mark Margolis, a.k.a. Tio from Breaking Bad) was pricked with a needle and infected with AIDS by Mr. Eko before being smothered to death with a pillow. George Michael said it best:
Next: The Wire
#4. Devar Manigault on The Wire
The majority of the deaths on The Wire were of the gunshot variety. Heartbreaking, yes, but the brutality of, say, Bodie’s death wasn’t because it was terrifyingly violent, at least compared to the other selections on this list (yes, I felt weird typing that); rather, it was brutal in the sense that we had grown to love the character, and OMG HOW COULD THEY DO THAT TO BODIE. Devar Manigault, stepfather to Michael Lee, wasn’t so lucky. He sexually abused his stepson when Michael was a child, and shortly after he’s released from prison, he’s beaten to death by Chris, who, as Snoop remarks, “didn’t even wait to get the motherf*cker in the house.” That Snoop, such comic relief.
Next: The X-Files
#3. The Wee Baby Peacock on The X-Files
THIS episode. I was nine years old when “Home” first aired, which was old enough to watch The Simpsons on Fox but young enough to be totally terrified of X-Files promos, especially when they involved mutant babies born out of incest being buried alive. It wasn’t until two years ago that I finally saw “Home,” set in Pennsylvania, and it was just as horrifying (and great) as I feared (and wished). Even its origin story is messed up:
“Home” marked the return of writers James Wong and Glen Morgan, who had left after the second season to create Space: Above and Beyond. After returning to the series, the duo decided to write a shocking story to “start off with a bang.” The episode was inspired by a tale in Charlie Chaplin’s autobiography, about the time he stayed at a tenement home while touring in a British musical theatre. After dinner, the family took him upstairs to meet their son – and pulled him out from under a bed. The son had no arms and legs and flopped around while they sang and danced (Via)
“Home” is why babies should be illegal.
Next: Deadwood
#2. Captain Joe Turner on Deadwood
This is the only scene from Deadwood I’ve ever seen. I want to watch the entire show RIGHT NOW.
Next: The Sopranos
#1. Tracee on The Sopranos
Tracee just wanted to make Tony Soprano some bread. That simple action, a thank you to her Bada Bing boss for suggesting that she take her son to the doctor, set off The Soprano‘s most violent chain of events. Over the course of season three’s “University,” the following happens: Tracee gets pregnant with Ralph Cifaretto’s baby, Tracee asks Tony whether she should keep the kid, Tony suggests she have an abortion, Tracee insults Ralphie in front of the other mobsters for laughing at her when Silvio pushed her around for taking time off work, Ralphie and Tracee have a threesome with a police officer, Ralphie consoles Tracee outside the Bing, Ralphie calls Tracee’s unborn daughter a “c*cksucking slob,” Tracee slaps Ralphie, and finally, Ralphie viciously beats Tracee to death in a parking lot. This is TV’s most violent death not only because it happened to a woman, but also because Tracee was a decent person. Unlike The Wire‘s Devar, a bad guy whose death we rooted for, the worst thing Tracee ever did was get involved with hothead Ralphie, who would later, well, y’know.The Two Masters trilogy has begun! And to celebrate, this weekend you can save on a massive range of Big Finish titles, featuring the actors behind Gallifrey's most notorious renegade...
It's been 45 years since Roger Delgado stepped out of his horsebox to wage his vendetta against the Doctor; and this year, Big Finish is celebrating the classic Time Lord with a brand new trilogy of releases, featuring Geoffrey Beevers and Alex Macqueen. The action begins in Doctor Who: And You Will Obey Me (available to buy and download today), before continuing in May's Doctor Who: Vampire of the Mind and concluding with Doctor Who: The Two Masters; when the Master's ultimate scheme comes to fruition.
To mark the occasion, we're running a weekend of special offers featuring these two brilliant actors – alongside selected appearances from their television counterparts!
Geoffrey brought his Master to Big Finish for the first time in 2001 in the terrifying Doctor Who: Dust Breeding, before reprising the role in the 40th anniversary audio drama Doctor Who: Master. Both of these stories are available at the permanently reduced price of just £2.99, alongside 48 other early Doctor Who Main Range titles.
Geoffrey's decayed Master then continues his reign of terror across space and time, returning to face the Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) in Doctor Who: Trail of the White Worm and Doctor Who: The Oseidon Adventure, then terrorising Leela (Louise Jameson) in Doctor Who: The Evil One. All three of these Fourth Doctor Adventures are available this weekend for just £5 each on both CD and to download. Geoffrey also appears in the Series 4 stories Doctor Who: Requiem for the Rocket Men and Doctor Who: Death Match.
Doctor Who: Mastermind finds the Time Lord imprisoned by UNIT's Vault team, forced to recount his crimes from a century being trapped on Earth. But his greatest master plan to date can be heard in Doctor Who: The Light at the End, featuring Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann, plus a host of their companions. The standard edition of the 50th anniversary special and the classic Companion Chronicles are also available for £5 each today.
Geoffrey's Master will return on Thursday the 28th of April in Jago & Litefoot: Series 11 – but you can hear more of his work across other Big Finish ranges. Gallifrey: Series 4 (available for just £20 on both CD and to download) sees Geoffrey take on the role of alternative Gallifrey President Lord Prydon, while Bernice Summerfield: Missing Persons finds him as royal chamberlain Meriol. You can pick up this five-story set for just £15 on both CD and download this weekend.
Away from the Doctor Who Universe, Geoffrey also features in Drama Showcase: Unintelligent Design as a tortured university professor; available for only £5 on CD or £2.99 to download. He also stars as Alphonse Frankenstein in our full-cast adaptation Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus, alongside Arthur Darvill, Nicholas Briggs, Georgia Moffat and Terry Molloy. You can pick up this 5-disc release for just £15 on both CD and to download. A special podcast interview with Geoffrey can also be heard in Toby Hadoke's Who's Round #151, available to download for free.
Next we turn our attention to Alex Macqueen's psychotic incarnation, who first terrorised the Seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) in UNIT: Dominion, before campaigning against the Eighth Doctor (Paul McGann) in Doctor Who: Dark Eyes 2, Doctor Who: Dark Eyes 3 and Doctor Who: Dark Eyes 4. Each of these four-part box-sets can be yours for just £20 each this weekend, with a bundle of all four Dark Eyes releases available for £80. Alex also appears as Gabriel in Doctor Who: Paradise 5, available for just £5 on both CD and to download.
As an extra special treat, we're also reducing selected title featuring other Master actors from the screen, and beyond: The Martian Chronicles star and Professor Yana himself Derek Jacobi made his debut Doctor Who appearance for Big Finish in Doctor Who Unbound: Deadline, just £5 on CD and £2.99 to download; Michelle Gomez is pre-Missy busybody Jevvan in Doctor Who: Valhalla; and David Garfield portrays the mysterious Professor Stream in Doctor Who: The Hollows of Time – both only £5 on CD and to download this weekend.
For the ultimate selection of Big Finish Master-pieces, you can pick up all our special offer titles in the Doctor Who – A Masterful Performance bundle, for just £275 on CD (with free UK postage) or £260 to download. These offers end at noon Monday April 25th (UK time) so order now!All assets merged with written permission. Roy -- 4GB Patch -- Critical for our mod to work for Steam Users. https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/62552 GECK PU -- We've used it for years, tested it, reported bugs, and contributed to it. https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/41642 https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/64888 https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/36290 Zizlav -- Invaluable contributions to our project. https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/58562 xEdit -- ElminsterAU -- We'd be dead without it. Used it literally every day for 7 years. https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/34703 HeroinZero -- features in several of our videos while I was using it personally, but is not in the mod. https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/62998 EdibleGrenade12 -- Thaiauxn made the textures and modular elements. Jack made it explode. https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/60246 Rudy ENB -- Used in all our videos and screenshots. https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/55076 Dragbody -- Elements appear only in our ending videos. Dragbody is a core team member. https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/45557 Jokerine -- Only appears in the ending video https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/62343 SariDecember -- Only appears in the ending video https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/42913 LostRider -- Only appears in the ending video https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/35825 Vurts -- Used with permission and heavily modified. https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/39856 skibadaa -- super grateful for these! Used with permission and modified. https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/63129 deedes -- features predominantly on all hanging bodies. https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/56986 Andi_669 -- Fixed that arm for us! https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/38074 tapioks -- Accidentally merged these once and went back to ask permission because I'm really lazy sometimes. Then Jack made it explode. https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/56328 Toasty Fresh -- used with permission and modified to fix transparency issues and environment maps. https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/59835 Pixel Hate -- Pixel is a regular contributer to our mod. https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/61426 zzjay -- zzjay contributed a lot of body mod resources and fixes. I contributed the textures. https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/62604 Nouks and Apachiis hairstyles via zzjay with permission from Apachii and the help of zzjay and NoNoodles https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/50296 https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/62744 hagyjalbeken -- Where we got some of our hats and glasses! I made the icons and Zu made the world models. Thaiauxn retextured a few. https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/61929 ZuTheSkunk -- I love ZuTheSkunk. Made many valuable contributions to our mod. https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/60376 The M-40 gas mask (ended up retexturing it and replacing the mesh) with permission. Ultimately replaced it with a new model. Thank you! https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/49475 Drumber -- borrowed several textures from him, and he from us. https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/54460 devilswish182 -- not in our mod, but used in several videos. https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/64930 Tau34RUS -- Appears in ending videos and/or in the mod itself. Vlad is a core team member! https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/56744 https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/56314 https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/56924 https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/56759 Lord Inquisitor -- Heavily modified and used in the mod frequently on our super mutants, with re-textures from Vlad or Thaiauxn. https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/45571 Macintroll -- Merged with our assets. Max is a regular contributer on the team. https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/54478 Q's Resources -- Used with permission. ALPHA features predominantly with heavy modifications https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/41117 https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/40370 lordzues40 -- Used with permission and heavily modified. https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/60370 daejones -- Left a comment saying we should used them and they sat unused for years til we put them to use. Features predominantly here and there. https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/39804 https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/42756 https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/50945 https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/50808 vivanto -- Ended up not using it and fully retexured the one in New Vegas. https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/39109 Riven1978 -- Needed a fat guy. :p Now works rarely to provide giant unintended dong based hilarity. https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/41510 SGHi -- Merged long ago and heavily modified over the years. Features predominantly. https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/34971 UrgeNexus -- Can't remember if we actually used this anywhere but it's in our files. https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/35283 bibbeh -- We actually got it from bibbeh in the Fallout 3 days and then heavily modified it into a unique mesh and texture. https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/35929 AnsaarTGB -- is in my list but I don't think anything actually made it into New California? Mesh Magnet -- Purchased assets off Turbosquid with permission to use. eomanv -- The Gatling canon, and heavily modified over time. https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/38762 pilamin -- LOD Assets -- Used and Replaced without own; not merged with out mod; additional parts made on request -- thanks! https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/64805 Emalphi -- Only ever featured in our trailer. Lucien was using it and his video clip made it in. Figured i'd credit just in case. https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/64550 kibblesticks -- Never actually used the camera, but thank you anyway! Marcurios -- Was on our team for a while. Made a lot of our terrain textures. Apparently left because he didn't get enough credit? What? Well, here you go! https://www.moddb.com/mods/nevada-skies-urwl/downloads/nevada-skies-urwlified-v715 Scott Mack and Dragbody -- Several assets from who knows where, but the Black Vulture's armour uses boots from Stalker, and I think a couple creatures as well. Lord of War -- Rigged and provided by Dragbody -- features predominantly on all NCR troopers. Never did get the female versions. :p https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/26497/ YanL -- Only ever used the Ranger gear and heavily modified it and Thaiauxn provided all new textures head to toe. BETA 200 Voice Actors ================== DO NOT REUSE VOICE ASSETS WITHOUT EXPLICIT WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM THE ACTOR AND RADIAN-HELIX MEDIA,LLC (Satire, parody, review, and news are totally acceptable however.) ================== Roger Owen - John Bragg & Jerri, Narrator Steven Cates - Ben Kurtz Rachel Marguerite Santay -- Jenn Hail Dan Ziffer - Johnny Matheson Caitie Singer - Kira Mann R.D. Mower - Eric Campbell, Raz O’oga Carley Ren - Jamie Campbell Hunter Byers - Jarl Coriolis, Mevil, Mandrake Nathan O Miller - Captain Less Jameson Eddie Bolero - Juan Maxson Elsdragon Autumn Ivy - Ranger Vargas, Annai Oran, Eliza Elsdragon Scott Glenner - Paul DuVille and Casio Cynthia Jeffery - Chevy Bragg Richard Hatter - Richard Camper Duke Standbury - Dr. Rossman Hologram Jessica Kind - Jamie Campbell Esteban Vindola - Hassan the Black Vulture Nico Alvarez Dominguez - Black Vulture Male Eric Schumacher - Overseer Christianson Redux Jose G. McKinney - The Father Bill Crouch - General Bill Silverman Ariana Gonzales - Black Vulture Female Douglas Duffy Johnson - Wilson Wilco Ian Baxter-Stewart - Noss, Infected Savages Nick Stratton - Captain Jackson Zombie Carl - Old Tom Farley Lily Santoro - Sylvia Semi Joseph Wilson - Gaius Diocletian Winston Allen - Gate Guard Walter Andrea Foley - NCR Trooper 2 FeMale & O’oga Wife Yonezawa Takashi - Shi Warrior Iwamoto Sayori - Shi Warrior Sekiri - Kieva Nanjima Sayama Yuusuke - Shi Warrior Satonaka Yuzu - Shi Warrior Sano Yoshinori - Shi Warrior Murao Syouhei - Shi Warrior Kojima Kyouko - Shi Warrior Hiyamizu Yuuka - Shi Warrior Hagino Harunaco - Shi Warrior Edward Ian Downs Jr. - Beuford Duffney, Gatekeeper Matthew Downs - Tribal Guard Darryl Oconell - DJFullMetal, Tribal Guard, Bird Nino Colaleo - Rey Guerrero Sara Mirasola -- NCR Trooper 2 Female & O’oga Wife Redux Joe Jozwowski -- NCR Trooper 1 Male & Bert Grumman Ki McKenzie -- NCR Trooper 2 Male Ben Britton -- O’oga Son and Vault Security Guard Mark Scott Sherman -- Male Vault Dwellers 01, Teeg Carter, JDA Danni Evans -- Female Vault Dwellers 01, Raya Rogelio Camarillio -- Atl Irepani Dustin S Wing -- Radar Point Super Mutants Alisa Wing -- Radar Point NCR Trooper Wyatt Henry -- Doc Marius, Canton Ripfist, Vault Viking, Yetti Hail Michael of Gamer Poets -- Brain Evans, Sgt Norman Michael Pipher -- Vayger the Gatekeeper Ian Crabtree -- Survivalist Male & Shi Bank Teller Damian Ramirez -- Black Vulture, Tanok Brandan Lee -- Jarl Hrafnkel, Generic Viper Male, Shawn Starr Taryn Pontolillo -- Sonja, Molly Stormcrow, Fem Vault Viking Brian Held Jr. -- Trooper 1 Male, Aaron Ginn, Vault Viking Male, Scrapyard Merch Unsanity Tom -- Vault Dweller Male 01, Slasher, Misc Voices
1. INTRODUCTION
2. FEATURES
3. STORY
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
4. INSTALLATION
Download the files on Nexus.
Unzip the files to your desktop.
Use our New 213 EXE to install and/or update!
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
5. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
I. How do I install this mod?
Can I install it manually?
II. Does this mod require any other mods, DLCs, etc?
III. How do I start New California?
Don't forget that New California is started from the New Game Menu!!
Your New Vegas save games will be totally unaffected.
IV. So, this is like what, a DLC?
How long is it?
How big is the map?
Is there voice acting?
How many quests are there?
V. Will this break my existing save game or all my mods?
VI. I can't seem to get New California to start. Help?
A -- I installed everything correctly and New Vegas crashes on startup!
WE RECOMMEND YOU INSTALL NEW VEGAS
CLEAN! NO MODS.
THEN, RUN NEW VEGAS VANILLA TO MAKE SURE IT WORKS!
THEN, INSTALL NEW CALIFORNIA.exe, AND MAKE SURE IT WORKS!
Then
B -- I installed everything correctly and clicked New Game and nothing happens!
C -- I installed everything correctly and clicked New Game, saw the video, Tackle or Dodge, and Crashed entering the Atrium! (or Black Screen)
VII. The Atrium runs at a really low FPS... So does Union City and Athens-Tec.
VIII. Can I get to California from the Mojave?
What if I use console commands?
Can someone mod that in? I don't want to start a New Game.
IX. Can I get to the Mojave from California and continue my game after the ending?
X. Is this compatible with....
XI. Why the name change?
Did you know there is a board ga--
XII. Why did you make this game sized mod?
XIII. Is this on consol?
XIV. Is this coming to Fallout 4?
How hard could it be to port--
But Fallout 4 New Vegas did--
VERY. VERY HARD. You should try it. Good luck!
6. TEAM MEMBERS AND CONTRIBUTORS
Cast List:
The Master List!
Click above to view all our credited members, cast, and crew!
Check out our ModDB too! All our Monthly News is there.
And follow us on Facebook for daily updates!
In Fallout: New California you play as the kid from Vault 18. Orphan. Loner. Mutant. On the last big night of the Vault Ball season in 2260, you make a fateful decision that will change the course of your life -- and eventually the future of the New California Republic.Vault 18 is at the heart of the California Wasteland high in the San Bernardino Mountains, and it's legendary Wasteland Scouts have managed to keep its secrets safe for decades despite the wars raging beyond the great door. In their old age, the Scouts have created a new generation to take their place... if their rebellious adopted kids survive the Enclave threat brewing within their own ranks.You will face the New California Republic under president Wendell Peterson, the New Reno Mob's Bishop Family, the remnant Shi Clans, The Enclave Leonidas Squadron, the Super Mutant Army, and the bloodthirsty Raider Alliance that have banded together in the remote Athens-Tec Uranium Mine off the Long I-15.Through them all you'll choose your path from SPECIAL dialog options, acquired PERKs, and travel with 8 possible companions depending on your choices. You'll enjoy two new radio stations with unique music, hours of voice acting, and professional grade presentation.There is always another path to take in New California. But War? War never changes.An Alternate Start in Vault 18 with a New Player Character and Main Quest.A New Intro Video to really give it that "New Game" feeling.An Ornate Main Quest Line with Compelling Side Quests rich in Fallout & Character Lore.Hours of Voice Acting recorded at pro-quality in Radian-Helix Media's Tucson, Az Studio.A Very Large Worldspace in California - The Black Bear Mountain National Forest.An Epic War between The Super Mutants, The Raider Alliance, The Enclave, and The New California Republic.A Pirate Radio Station DETH 981 with 2 New DJs and Quest + Crafting + Perk Unlocking Segments.A News Radio Station called NCRPR - New California Republic Radio - with quest updates in the News.6 Potential Human Companions and 2 Robot Companions available depending on player choices.New California tells the story of your player character, an adopted resident of Vault 18, on the night of the last big Vault-Ball game of the season. The consequences of your player’s decision to dodge or tackle Johnny Matheson shapes the rest of their life, playing as an computer Nerd or a popular Athlete. When the war finally reaches the Vault after one prominent figure turns out to be a member of the Enclave, a civil war erupts overnight, forcing the player to pick a side and escape into the wasteland with their rag-tag party of Robots and Friends.Set in 2260, the main three factions in San Bernardino have been involved in factional fencing matches for the last 20 years following the NCR-Enclave War, and the Vault 13 Dweller’s defeat of the Master 100 years earlier.Theare the last hold-outs in the California territory, refusing to be absorbed into the massive federal government they see as a threat to their isolated independence and military dictatorship. Cobbled together out of the remains of the various hostile tribes destroyed by the NCR, Boss Elsdragon, their leader, holds a tight regimental order over his confederation.Themoved into the Cajon Pass in obedience of the New Reno Mob several years ago, capturing the Raiders’ crop producing lands in Union City. Hoping to use I-15 to expand their power towards Nevada, their leader, General Silverman, must first secure their war ravaged boarders, or face economic collapse at the meddling hands of Senator Nevile DuVille.Your player character stumbles into this conflict after narrowly escaping Vault 18’s destruction. From there, they must find a way to survive in the aftermath when all 3 factions, each with a history of dealing with Vault 18’s Wasteland Scouts, seek out the player in order to use their knowledge, capture a lost experiment, or exact revenge for past crimes.All you need to get started is:And that's it. You're ready! We have OPTIONAL recommended mods. Very few incompatibilities Download New California BETA 213.Put the files on your hard drive.Extract the 7zip Archive to your hard drive.Run the EXE. Follow the steps on screen.Open your mod manager.Make sure NewCalifornia.exe is checked.If you have the DLC, make sure those are checked as well.Done!Launch from your mod manager!And you're ready. Go play.There is a helpful guide above, it's just a quick set up process.Just upzip the file to your desktop, load the EXE, and follow the instructions.Not any more. If you want Mod Organizer 2 Instructions visit this link. Then, just run the installer.The ini changes just inject 1 line, so any ini chages you already have will be unaffected. Just run the installer.The DATA folder changes will not affect your other mods, and if you use the exe again it will uninstall for you.The 4GB Patch our installer applies will not harm a GOG vesrion, or any other 4GB Patch, or whatever you did to your exe.No. We do have a short Recommended Mods List if you want your game to look like our screenshots and videos, but those are optional.More like a new campaign. New California runs in the New Vegas engine but it is not set in New Vegas (it's set in New California at a place called The Pass many years before Fallout 3 and New Vegas.) At the end we will allow you to continue as the Courier (or not) in BETA 220. We have a new worldspace not connected to the Mojave and our own independent story made from scratch. All new textures, meshes, basically a separate game.How many hours? Depending on your choices and play-style, anywhere from 6-8 hours to 15-30 hours if you're a completionist, and because of there are so many branches and hidden opportunities it's extremely replayable. There are 13 endings total, many of which are radically different stories start to finish.Very large. About 2/3rds of New Vegas. There are 16,942 lines of dialogue. 14,877 of which are voiced by characters and non-repeating from 60 volunteer voice actors.48. And that may be a lie, there are a lot more that simply aren't distinct because they emerge as you play. We try to document them all here No. We have A List of Incompatible Mods and it is very short. Your New Vegas save will be fine and totally unaffected. It requires starting a new game.I can't seem to get New California to start. Help?!You sure? Check your load order.Run like this:FalloutNV.esm ✓NewCalifornia.esm ✓See if it runs now.If not, you may have something else wrong with your installation of New Vegas. Check our discord Help channel THEN, Install your favourite mods on top of it.Remember, New California isIt's basically a new game!If you got a new game, would you expect your old mods to work on it? No.Re-install New Vegas, or install a new copy somewhere, or make an MO2 profile., experiment with mods.Did you install New Vegas clean, no mod, and run the exe and an administrator?Are you use it installed to the right folder?Are you sure it installed to the right MO2 mod profile? ( See the MO2 instructions above.)You don't have 8GB of RAM in your system, and need a PC with more memory.There are a few fixes for this if it really bothers you:#1 -- Don't look directly into the middle of the map from the Gym Hallway and it'll go away. Just get past it.#2 -- ENB does this on poorly optimized hardware. If your PC runs New Vegas at 60fps, it'll run this okay. Rudy ENB's latest beta is best. #3 -- If your PC is struggling with the High Resolution Pack, step back down to the Low Res Pack.#4 -- Follow this video made by Gamer Poets.No.Everything will break.FNC is almost a totally separate game, so its like asking to port your save from Mass Effect to Fallout 3.Yes! At the end of our BETA 200 Testing, anyway!For now we are in testing phase. As soon as our mod is fully tested we will turn that feature on at 1.0. We don't want you to break your New Vegas save game while we're still launching weekly and monthly updates that require restarts to take effect.Yes! I recommend it!Yes! I also recommend it!Yes! Rudy ENB is what's in all our screenshots.Keep in mind that our Fade to Black transitions don't work with ENBs, so that'll look awkward.No really. If you try it then so so at your own risk, no one here or there will be willing to help you with problems you encounter.Yes. You can play FNC -> FNV -> FTF in one big long save game. (The more mods you have the higher the probability of corruption.)If you want Revelation HUD, apply this mod here! If you delete New California -- Menus.bsa in your DATA folder, our menus from SGhi.info vanish and you're good to go.This is also true if you just don't like our menus replacer and want to go vanilla.We use Vanilla body types. If you want Big Bouncing Lizard Tits and Centaur Vaginas, that is entirely up to you my friend.Yes. Though they may not show up in our worldspace.Yep. Should be just fine. Report them if they cause problems.Yup.We have a short Recommended Mods List. And...We have A List of Incompatible Mods You might want to check those or report bugs to our #public-bug-reports channel on Discord. Or in the Nexus thread.Project Brazil was a working title. New California is what our mod is about.Yes. It is very cool. You should go buy it. Tell them the sale is from Thain, with love.We wanted to learn how to make our own games. What better way is there than to make a game sized mod first?No.No.VERY. VERY HARD. It would take many years."We would like to acknowledge that not one of us ever experienced any inappropriate behavior; and mention our sincere appreciation that he treated each of us with the utmost respect and regard," read the statement in part, signed by 36 women.
Thirty-six women who worked with Al Franken on NBC's Saturday Night Live have signed a statement of support for the Minnesota senator in wake of sexual harassment allegations.
"We feel compelled to stand up for Al Franken, whom we have all had the pleasure of working with over the years on Saturday Night Live," began the statement, obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. "What Al did was stupid and foolish, and we think it was appropriate for him to apologize to Ms. Tweeden, and to the public. In our experience, we know Al as a devoted and dedicated family man, a wonderful comedic performer, and an honorable public servant. That is why we are moved to quickly and directly affirm that after years of working with him, we would like to acknowledge that not one of us ever experienced any inappropriate behavior; and mention our sincere appreciation that he treated each of us with the utmost respect and regard."
The statement concluded, "We send our support and gratitude to Al and his family this Thanksgiving and holiday season."
SNL was not involved with or aware of the statement, a source tells THR. The list, made up primarily of past stars and staff, was created by one of the women who worked with Franken 30 years ago.
The women who signed the statement include original female castmembers Jane Curtin and Laraine Newman, along with veteran show producer Marci Klein, and many SNL staff.
Two women have come forward to allege the former SNL star and comedian touched them inappropriately. Last week, ABC broadcaster Leeann Tweeden accused the Democrat of kissing and groping her without her consent during a 2006 USO tour, providing photo evidence of the latter. A second woman, Lindsay Menz, later claimed that Franken placed his hand on her behind while posing for a photo at the Minnesota State Fair in 2010, when Franken was an elected official.
Franken offered three apologies to Tweeden for his behavior, two public and one private that the journalist read aloud on The View. In response to Menz, Franken said he didn't remember taking the photo but that he felt "badly" that Menz felt disrespected.
Resurfaced photos of Franken with Arianna Huffington also purported to show the comedian "groping" The Huffington Post founder. Huffington, however, defended Franken and said the photos were based on a bit she did with Franken for Bill Maher's one-time show Politically Incorrect.
After Tweeden went public, Franken also said he would cooperate with an ethics investigation. As a result, the senator has seen bipartisan calls for an ethics inquiry, with some advocating for his resignation.
Tuesday's statement comes after eight of his former female staffers also penned a letter of support for the senator. “Many of us spent years working for Senator Franken in Minnesota and Washington,” read the statement, released on Friday. “In our time working for the Senator, he treated us with the utmost respect. He valued our work and our opinions and was a champion for women both in the legislation he supported and in promoting women to leadership roles in our offices.”
Franken worked at SNL as an original writer from 1975 to 1980, and returned as a performer and writer from 1985 to 1995.
See the statement below.WASHINGTON—Saying the current disapproval would soon give way to support, House Speaker Paul Ryan was confident Thursday that the |
Bowen, announced that the Salvation Army had entered into a contract with his department to provide humanitarian and support services on Nauru.
The following week, Nicole and Chris arrived on Nauru, three days after the detention centre there reopened. At the time, Salvation Army spokesman, Major Paul Moulds, explained that, “we cannot remain idle while this policy is enacted. We are a people of action who stand with the vulnerable and oppressed, and therefore commit ourselves to give our very best to serve those who will be transferred for offshore processing.”
The Salvation Army contract would soon expand to include the reopened processing centre on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea. By the time it expired last February, it was worth $74 million to the organisation. “The Salvation Army recognises the enormity of the task ahead of us,” Moulds wrote at the time. “We ask all Australians of faith to pray for our personnel who undertake this important work and for all those who will come into our care.”
Nicole and Chris were not atypical of the new Salvos support workers. Of their group, the oldest was in their mid-20s and the youngest 18. One was a qualified social worker, the others from varied backgrounds. Chris had worked at McDonald’s.
That first day a few of the recruits were shocked or overwhelmed. Chris remembers thinking to himself, I can’t believe people are living here. All the buildings, except the green military tents that housed the detainees, looked either half finished or quickly cobbled together.
“It’d just been thrown together straight away, so everyone really was unorganised, preparing their documents and their ways to work and everything. No one really knew what was going on to begin with,” he says.
“It was go in, find some information, run some games, do some English lessons if you can, and that was it.”
Lack of training
Mark Isaacs, who arrived on Nauru a week after Chris and Nicole, said there was no training. “No kind of cultural awareness training, no kind of knowledge about who we’d be working with or the types of people, where they were from, why they were coming to Australia. There was no information about why the Salvation Army had taken that on, or what our roles would be or anything to do with the work.
“They didn’t seem to be following proper employment processes, like you would in Australia. Not training people who were going over there. Not providing people with suicidal ideation training, mental-health training – all these things that would be provided in Australia with the work I do now as a social worker. There was none of that.”
Almost two years later, during an inquest into the riot at the Manus Island Regional Processing Centre, the Salvation Army noted that while all employees were briefed at some point before beginning work, in these early days the then Department of Immigration and Citizenship “required an incredibly rapid start-up, which meant that a formal induction was not developed prior to the Salvation Army getting their first people on the ground”.
The organisation defended the apparent lack of training conducted during the remainder of its contract, arguing that “by their very description, support workers’ roles typically do not require individuals to have particular skills or experience”, as these roles were “very flexible” and in the main consisted of “unskilled activities”. This argument did not impress the investigating senate committee, which said in its report that there had been a clear failure in the duty of care towards some employees.
The report noted: “It is essential that any employees being deployed to an offshore environment are given sufficient training to ensure not only that they have the qualifications necessary to perform their role, but that they are mentally prepared for working in a remote environment with vulnerable and traumatised individuals.”
Despite confusion about their role and concerns about the conditions at the camp, Chris, Nicole and Mark completed their initial contracts and sought further work with the Salvos offshore. Behind this decision was genuine affection for the detainees and a sense of obligation. “Every time I rotated in and out I didn’t want to go back, really,” Nicole says now. “But I just kept going back because I felt that I had to.”
Over the next few months the number of detainees in the camp steadily grew. New facilities were built to accommodate them, but the uncertainty surrounding their lives was beginning to take its toll. Detainees would regularly cut themselves. Men would break down in tears, calling their families. There were protests, escapes and suicide attempts. Coupled with the stories of what had driven these people from their homelands, the young Salvo recruits were beginning to suffer themselves.
International Health and Medical Services (IHMS) provided support to all staff on the island, and the Salvation Army employed independent contractor PsyCare to provide psychological services to its employees. As well as this, Salvos were supposed to receive both entry and exit interviews with mental-health professionals, although some claim to never have participated in these. According to some, group exit interviews were disbanded early on after one such meeting ended in crying and yelling.
Stigma of not coping
Despite these services being available, it appears that only a few months into the Salvation Army’s contract massive stigma was attached to those who appeared “unable to cope”. Nicole experienced it firsthand.
“One time I did talk to the mental-health guy and had half a day off, and everyone knew about it. And the manager was like, ‘Are you okay?’ It was a big deal. I had to get reintegration. He was like, ‘Are you sure you can do this job?’, and I was like, ‘That’s it, I’m never using that guy again.’ Everyone saw that happen to me – because that was early – and it scared them from using [the service] as well.”
Mark had a similar incident. He visited PsyCare during his first four-week rotation, but found that with psychologists constantly changing he was getting bogged down repeating the same details and not making any progress. For his second six-week deployment – “a very stressful time” – he stayed away for this reason. By the end of this deployment he was exhausted, physically and mentally.
“The Salvos said, when I came back, ‘We’re not sure that we want to give you another contract because the pressure got to you.’ So there was definitely a concern that if you were stressed or not coping very well, instead of assisting you, they’d just fire you. Instead of supporting people who were finding work stressful, they saw it as a sign of weakness.
“You’re under high pressure to do the work in a high-pressure situation, and then on top of that you’re being told you can’t talk to anyone about what happens in the camp.”
Alongside Salvation Army staff contracts was a federal government confidentiality clause that warned of a potential two-year prison term if breached. New Salvos were also told that the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation was monitoring their digital communications, although not everyone believed this.
“They were saying it was national security and whatever,” Nicole says. “They were really hard up on it, saying we’ll end up in jail, we’ll be sued, all sorts of things like that.”
Chris remembers this having a significant effect on young and isolated workers. “Lots of people were scared. There was lots of talk at Salvation Army: ‘If you do come out, the government will come after you hard, especially if you’re the first to come out. If you’re the first person they will make an example of you.’ So everyone was really frightened to speak to anybody about what was really going on.”
For the most part they kept silent, but the strains could be heard in quiet moments away from the centre. “Sometimes people would just cry,” says Nicole. “But you wouldn’t say anything.”
Eventually, though, information began to leak, trickling out of the centres through former and current staff. This was encouraged by high staff-turnover in Salvation Army ranks; some would be sent home for not “joining the team” and others would be horrified by what joining the team meant. Chris and Nicole, who by August 2013 were working on Manus Island, would take bets on how long new staff would last. “I remember, like, five or 10 people not coping whatsoever,” Nicole says. “But there was a lot of people who [came once] and didn’t come back. They’d finish their four weeks and we’d never see them again.”
Chris recalls being told about an IHMS nurse who spent two hours on Manus Island before quitting.
“I think that’s why we stayed so long, even without any qualifications or training, because they did need people,” he says. “There were staff shortages all the time. They’d always talk about it: ‘Oh, this day’s going to be tough because this many people went home today and tomorrow we’re only getting 12 people instead of the 30 we’re supposed to be.’ Always staffing issues for the Salvation Army. Never enough case managers for all the people. They used to have 60 clients each to see each week. They just couldn’t keep up.”
Subjected to harassment
Increasingly, the relationships between service providers became strained, especially between the security company G4S and the Salvation Army. Salvos were seen as “bleeding hearts” and “goody-two-shoes” by the local and expatriate guards on Manus. Often their concerns for detainees’ wellbeing were brushed aside, and sometimes they would be the target of verbal abuse.
Nicole says sexual harassment was common from the guards. Often it was in the form of openly rating female staff and making unwanted advances – “Hey, do you want a Manus boyfriend?” – but sometimes it could be more threatening, such as inappropriate touching during metal detecting inspections.
According to Nicole, Salvation Army management was aware of these incidents, but could do so little to prevent them that some of their own managers became targets for harassment, too. Others simply encouraged her to put up with it. “One of my managers said, ‘What do you expect? They are men living on an island away from their partners.’ I was like, ‘What?’, and they said, ‘Well, when you go to a bar, does anyone hit on you?’ That was the environment. That was accepted. When I think about it, it was just me and my circle of friends that dealt with everything on our own.”
In February 2014, the Salvation Army’s contract to provide humanitarian and social services on Nauru and Manus Island came to an end and was not renewed. Transfield, the Sydney-based construction firm that had already been providing security on Nauru, won the contract to provide “garrison and welfare services” on both islands. Wilson Security was subcontracted by the company to provide security on Manus Island. At the time, the company stated the contract – for 20 months on Manus and 12 months on Nauru – would be worth $1.22 billion “based on the current occupancy of each centre”.
Former Salvos have several theories as to why the organisation lost the contract. Some believe that the steady stream of information flowing to the media from former Salvos made the organisation a liability; some that the organisation had never been a good fit for the role from the start; others that it was an excuse to remove the “bleeding hearts” and show that the new Coalition government was committed to being tough on “illegal” immigrants.
But for those Salvation Army employees who worked offshore between September 2012 and February 2014, the misery of the camps followed them home.
“It was pretty traumatic,” says Zoe, whose name has been changed. “I think what I experienced on Manus and Nauru will always be a part of who I am. It’s hard trying to explain it to people who weren’t there, because it is such an unusual experience to have, and such a disturbing one.
“I was often talking to people about their wishes to commit suicide, trying to convince these people there was hope and they had something to live for. I saw mental breakdowns, I saw the aftermath of self-harm, I saw men waste away during hunger strikes, I saw children protesting, I saw broken people. It messes you up after a while.”
No follow-up care
She claims that after finishing their contracts, neither she nor any of her colleagues received check-in calls from PsyCare, which they were told to expect. Within weeks she knew she was having trouble coping, and sought independent counselling.
“I’ve been seeing a counsellor a bit since my return, who believes I’m experiencing PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder] and anxiety over what I saw and experienced during my time in the centre.”
Every former Salvo spoken to for this story had either sought independent counselling themselves or knew someone who had. Or both. Another former Salvo, who also wished not to be identified, explains that many of their colleagues felt so unsupported by management offshore that approaching them for help after their contracts had ended seemed ludicrous.
It is known that in August last year the Salvation Army was approached by a small group of former employees who were still experiencing mental-health issues directly related to their time spent in the offshore detention centres. When presented with independent evidence of their ongoing conditions, the Salvation Army agreed to compensate some for out-of-pocket costs they had already incurred, as well as paying for any further counselling needed.
“I was so excited to go and work for the Salvos,” Zoe says. “I really believed they were a great organisation who cared about people. It made the whole thing feel a lot more safe for me, as they are a well-respected organisation. I found that dealing with the Salvos was often more stressful than the work in the camp.
“Myself and fellow colleagues had to work so hard to get anything done and it felt like we were fighting against the Salvos the whole time, despite them supposedly being an organisation that cares for those in need. They tried so hard to maintain their image that it felt like they lost sight of what they were there for.
“The Salvos let all of us down and are not being held responsible for what was really a huge, disorganised mess.”
Postscript: The Salvation Army rejects that staff were neglected or uncared for. A spokesman said: “The Salvation Army had a range of initiatives in place to support staff. These included extensive pre-employment screening and psychological testing, pre-deployment briefings, and further screenings and psychological follows up on-island and post-deployment.”
The reporter on this story was assisted by a grant from GetUp’s Shipping News project.A POLICEMAN has shared his account on Facebook the efforts undertaken by the department to stop the teenagers from being on the roads at late hours.
In the post by Zulhazri Abu Bakar, a policeman accounts for the incidents before the tragedy. He wants to remain anonymous.
"We have warned and cautioned them even using a loudspeaker. Some of us have even lost our patience and threw away their bicycles, just to warn them so that they don't repeat it again," he said.
But all these was in vain. They were too free from parents supervision, he said.
He said that the group was not just from around Johor Baru but also from Plentong, Pasir Putih, Masai, Tampoi, Kempas, Skudai, and Tiram.
They would come in groups almost every weekend.
He added that if the police chased them, they would scream and taunt the authorities by carrying their bikes to the other side of the road.
"They don't cycle by the side of the road but in the middle of the roads where they lost their lives. 95% of their bikes are small with small tires."
He called for the public not to blame the authorities, but parents and guardians have to play their roles as well.
"Teenagers would want freedom and to have fun. Their don't mind lying to their families with all types of promises and reasons just so that they can go out. Some are out for days."
He said the teenagers were between 10 years old to early twenties.
Together with the post, two videos were uploaded showing the daredevil bicycle gang evading the police.
Watch the video here:RESPLENDENT IN A pink shirt, with a neatly trimmed white beard, Narendra Modi chuckles when asked if he is a dictator. Suggestions that he cannot compromise, lead within a team or suffer criticism are “absolutely baseless”, says Gujarat’s chief minister.
No politician stirs as much anger, or grudging admiration, as the burly Mr Modi. He leaves little doubt about his wish to become prime minister, talking of his “mission” to serve: “I am interested in doing something for my country.” Polls show him to be the most popular figure to lead the country, outshining Congress’s indecisive Rahul Gandhi. The rank and file of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) love him.
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He faces two main challenges. The first is Muslims and other minorities. Many distrust and despise him for what happened in 2002, shortly after he took over as chief minister, when over 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed in riots. He appeared to turn a blind eye, letting mobs vent their rage after Hindu pilgrims died in a train fire.
Courts have found him guilty of nothing. The state has been calm since and Gujaratis seem mainly to want to forget the riots. Elsewhere many are sure he is a monster: “A mass murderer who should be in jail,” says a political observer in Delhi. He fared poorly as a campaigner in the 2009 national election.
Now Mr Modi is trying to reshape his image. Pressed about the riots, he says his local popularity proves them to be politically irrelevant: “This question has no use…I have faced ten elections of various kinds in my state. The people always supported me.”
The second challenge is distrust inside his own party and among national coalition partners. In June a close ally of the BJP, Nitish Kumar, the chief minister of Bihar, said only a “secular” candidate could lead India, a direct swipe at Mr Modi, a Hindu nationalist. Unfazed, Mr Modi agrees and calls himself secular too. “This is an article of faith, justice to all, appeasement to none.” The Hindu nationalist movement, the RSS, which remains influential in the opposition grouping, opposes its one-time protégé, preferring the BJP’s party president, Nitin Gadkari.
Other BJP leaders are wary of Mr Modi. When he talks of seeing himself as destined to triumph, his eyes burn with determination. His fellow politicians do not know how to handle such a confident loner, says Swapan Dasgupta, an observer of the party.
If the party wants to campaign on the economy and efficient government, Mr Modi is its likeliest candidate. Gujarat’s industrial success, luring manufacturers from the rest of India, is matched by a strong agricultural record. The hope is that Gujarat’s leader would replicate such gains elsewhere. Investors flock to Gujarat, Mr Modi says, for its well-built roads, the quick allocation of land, the plentiful supplies of gas, electricity and efficient bureaucratic support. Corruption has not been eradicated, but it is less debilitating than in many other places.
As for the benefits to ordinary Gujaratis, Mr Modi cites more girls at school and fewer drop-outs from education. Infant-mortality rates are down and prosperity is up. Yet many other states, notably in India’s south, do much better on social indicators.
Mr Modi’s time could come if the BJP got a big victory in 2014, say over 170 seats. It would then be in a good position to impose its choice of prime minister on its coalition partners. If not, he could turn out to be India’s Barry Goldwater, says Mr Dasgupta: reshaping the country’s right wing but seen as too divisive to lead.
Listen to an extract of our interview with Narendra Modi hereI recently realized that I’ve been having more and more discussions with people about how women are treated within the metal scene, and music in general. Turns out my knee-jerk reaction to throw jokes at the problem wasn’t the best way to address it. This goes a lot deeper, and regardless of how it may make people uncomfortable, it’s a discourse we need to have—and keep having—because the problem isn’t going away; in fact, it’s getting worse.
I need to be very clear about this: As a man, I have no idea—nor will I ever—about what it’s like to be a woman; the lingering worry every time I leave the house because of how men behave on a day-to-day basis is a concept I can ponder, but I don’t really know shit about it. I can’t pretend to express these experiences from a woman’s perspective. But I do know how I feel about what I see and what I hear. And what that has become is a near daily batch of shit rolling down an endless hill—except Sisyphus isn’t around to move it back up to the peak.
A theory has been circulating that metal drives women away for aesthetic reasons; I’m sure by now you’ve seen comments like this. A lot of times, guys who say this are generally older and lived through the time when “Cherry Pie” was in constant rotation, gently promoting the idea of women as things to collect with the ease of a sledgehammer to the back of the head. It wasn’t a new idea; the ’70s were basically full of arena bands’ future depositions on statutory rape. Once the ’90s dawned and Seattle was the new Babylon, it seemed that the culture surrounding the mystique of women in rock/metal as mostly toys for those that now sell used cars disappeared. On more than one occasion, someone older than me has complained that Nirvana basically ended their access to easy sex—as if the idea of actually talking to a woman was this complex puzzle, like a hairstyle that wasn’t causing their own personal ozone hole. While the ’90s washed away at least a good amount of this publicly, it gave way to a superficial sense of equality. But like all bullshit facades, it crumbled fairly quickly in many circles, which leads us to these dynamic modern times.
I was at a show the other night, and, in between discovering I hate well whiskey and being critical of the bands (because I’m a dick), I had a conversation with a few women about men’s behavior in public at shows, which was pretty fucking shocking and disgusting. They all had stories about being touched, groped, grabbed and, at the very least, talked to in a manner that is dehumanizing. This wasn’t just one woman’s experience; it’s been every woman who I’ve talked to on this topic.
As a man, I’ve never gone to a show worried that someone was going to grab my dick or give me a drink with some bullshit drug in it. It’s not because I don’t think I’m pretty; it’s because this is shit that doesn’t happen to men (I understand someone in the comments section will have a story saying that it does, but for the sake of argument, please shut the fuck up). It’s just not something we have to worry about. Women have to shrug this behavior off because they’re afraid if they speak up that it’s going to be turned around on them due to what they’re wearing, or their sexual history, or the simple fucking reason they have a vagina and guys are taught from a young age through marketing and media that we’re entitled to that. Movies and other forms of storytelling glamorize women going to shows to fuck and nothing else. The idea that they’re there because they love the music seems as absurd as a cop telling the truth during a trial.
I recently had a heated debate with a man over women going to shows and the pervasive idea that they’re objects for men’s enjoyment to be used once and either passed on or discarded. He tried to use the defense that our biology dictates this behavior because we’re programmed to propagate the species through extensive seeding with as many partners as possible. But what about common decency? Or talking to a woman like she’s a person and not an activity? I was told this was also in our biological programming in order to trick the woman into carrying our children. When challenged, he resorted to calling anyone who disagreed with him “emasculated.” What a shitty way to look at life: to believe our paths are solely dictated through our DNA and we, as men, have no responsibility to treat women as people. This is how a living, breathing person actually feels, spreading this belief with clenched teeth and a dry dick. If the idea of men treating women like people makes one “emasculated” and not a decent human being, then fuck it, label it how you want since reading comprehension is obviously not one of your hobbies.
This all started because I simply said, “A woman who will not sleep with you is not a whore.” Can you imagine if the tables were turned and men were the minority? Don’t for one second think they wouldn’t be trying to fuck anything with a pulse and feel no shame (sort of like we do now, I guess), and yet women are looked at like their worth is reduced because of this. Fuck.
But here’s the thing: So what if they’re there to fuck someone? What does that have to do with you? Does that give you the right to grab onto them or make them feel like shit? No. No, it fucking does not. I get that you’re jealous of who they’re going home with, but that’s their choice and has fuck-all to do with you. And if they’re going to fuck someone in a band, who cares? Men go out on tour and try to fuck, and no one calls us anything derogatory unless it’s their girlfriend or they’re jealous. This double standard has been documented to death, but it needs to be repeated ad infinitum until it sinks in: As grown adults, we all have the right to take home a willing participant in whatever fucked up weird sex we both consent to. This goes for women and men. Shaming a woman for her sexuality with the reasoning that she won’t fuck you is absolutely hypocritical, and displays your insecurity to the world like the fucking Bat Signal.
A lot of the people spouting this shit are the same guys who post memes on Facebook about being a nice guy that no one wants to fuck. Look, if you need to broadcast that you’re a “nice guy,” chances are good you’re absolutely fucking not. And asking a woman if she’s a groupie is unacceptable. I don’t care if you’re convinced you’re in a popular band. You’re not starring in one of the Decline movies, and it serves no purpose other than projecting your own glaringly shit ego. If you really need an opening like that, just fucking try “hi” unless you like announcing your failures like the coming attractions before a film we all try to skip.
Another point that was brought up by these women was how men constantly fail to take them seriously in any kind of musical conversation. They said they felt their opinions were looked at as invalid, if at all. They felt relegated to being decorations rather than someone who has interest in the music and can contribute to discourse about it. “Quiet, dear, the men are talking.” That kind of bullshit, like they’re holding court in a smoke-filled room while sipping on brandy and trading banking secrets. This is somewhat ironic considering a lot of what men say in these conversations is vapid and meaningless as well, and dick size isn’t measured in your ability to memorize discographies or what records you own. Gender does not dictate knowledge. If you’re going to discount someone, don’t do it because of their parts; do it because they’re full of shit, male or female.
For a scene so concerned with “posers,” we certainly let a lot of shit slide, huh? This may seem like a minor point compared to the previous ones, but it’s still important. How would you like to be made to feel as if your opinions weren’t even worth any attention, be it positive or negative, because of something out of your control? I’ve seen this not only in individual discussions at wherever fine metal discussions are held, but also in regards to female journalists and even musicians.
Speaking of musicians with vaginas: Jesus Christ, does every fucking reviewer or journalist need to point out that a band is female-fronted, or if they have a woman in the band somewhere? It just reeks of shitty journalism more interested in clicks than actually covering anything of value about these bands. It’s a selling point. And lonely guys everywhere eat that shit up either by using their purchasing power to buy the music and a tissue/lotion combo on Amazon or talking it down because of said description. Myrkur took a ton of shit for that last year, and probably will again this year because we’re Americans and we fucking love reruns. Arch Enemy is another example that gets thrown around any time estrogen and metal are combined in a sentence. This is marketing at its finest, but I don’t blame the bands for it. I blame the culture which needs things to be sold to them so they can either love it or take to the comments section to talk about how they’d fuck the women in the bands.
I don’t dislike Myrkur or Arch Enemy because they’re fronted by women; I dislike them because their music doesn’t appeal to me. The fact that gender has to be a part of the reason why these bands get so much hate is a strong indicator that we’re being overrun by the lowest common denominator, and these guys haven’t had an ejaculation they didn’t cause themselves in a long time. A lot of times, someone will bring up Jo Bench from Bolt Thrower as an example of a woman in music they respect, but then it’s constantly followed by some comment either about how they want to fuck her or they don’t, because both of these important points really matter in how her bass-playing helps create Bolt Thrower’s tone for the last few decades. Is your dick so much of a priority that you can’t have a conversation without having to inform the rest of the world if you’d want to see them naked or not? Because it’s obvious that no one else shares this priority with you.
There’s so much more than could be said on this topic. We like to think that this is an enlightened genre that’s above pop music in terms of intellectual stimulation and purpose. But then we have issues like this that really take us down to the level of some song you’ll hear in the club about fucking in someone’s bathroom on a pile of money. For a scene with so much pride, you’d think that would be a sore point, but it’s not. Women in all walks of life get shit on daily. I’m no angel, and I know I’ve been guilty of my fair share of shit behavior in my day, but if I can recognize it and do my part to stop it, then so should you.
Feel free to call this social justice, call me a “faggot” for trying to get men to treat women better, say whatever you want. But one day you’re going to wake up old, alone and with a dry dick, and you’re going to reflect back on every woman you mistreated because you thought your appearance of masculinity was going to get you somewhere either in your social scene or into someone’s bedroom, and you’re going to see that you’re a failure. You can’t get that time back. So, either listen to the Ghost of Christmas Future and try to be less or an asshole, or prepare for the day when you’re old, alone and shopping for a rope.The fallout from the incident where Sexy Star injured Rosemary at Triplemania took another turn last night as AAA announced that Sexy Star had been stripped of their Reina de Reinas title.
AAA posted the news on Twitter during a show on Monday night. In a statement that Global Force Wrestling previously released about the Sexy Star/Rosemary situation, it was noted that AAA executives had confirmed to them that "appropriate measures" were being taken.
Similarly to how it began, Sexy Star's women's title reign ends in controversy. She returned to AAA and won the then-vacant championship in July after Taya Valkyrie had been stripped of it, with the explanation then being that Valkyrie used a choke to unfairly win it in a street fight match months earlier. Valkyrie hasn't returned to AAA since.
Before being stripped of the title, Sexy Star put out a lengthy statement (which was translated by Fightful.com) yesterday saying that she didn't do anything different than she usually does when applying the armbar on Rosemary at Triplemania, that she didn't know Rosemary was injured until after the match, and that it didn't seem to be that serious because no one was tending to her.
GFW uploaded a video previewing that they will be addressing the incident on Impact this week.The state Senate last week approved a popular House measure to allow veterans and those on active duty over 18 and under 21 to get a Nevada carry permit.
The proposal, AB 118, which passed the Assembly 34-4 in April and the Senate 20-zero on Thursday, would expand the protection to carry concealed weapons to members of the military who are 18 and older.
“The men and women in our military are given the awesome responsibility of protecting our lives on a daily basis,” said Assemblyman Skip Daly, D-Sparks, in a statement. “Right now the law states that you must be 21 or over to obtain a permit, and yet the military has already given them the responsibility of carrying a weapon. It does not make sense that our younger members of the military would be trusted to carry a gun in our defense, but not in their everyday lives.”
Daly’s narrowly tailored bill allows active or reserve members of the U.S. Armed Forces or National Guard, or those honorably released, to apply for a carry permit if they are at least 18 years of age. Local sheriffs can refuse or revoke a permit to those who have dishonorable or other than honorable discharges.
The measure, which had broad bipartisan support, had the backing of state and national gun rights groups and little opposition.
Noah Jennings, an 18-year-old member of the Nevada National Guard who enlisted in 2015 and graduated military police school, testified to lawmakers he is expected to perform law enforcement duties in the state if activated by the governor, and military duties overseas, both of which are armed, but cannot carry a firearm legally as a civilian due to his age.
Both Arkansas and Utah in recent years have adopted similar measures dropping the minimum concealed carry age while staunch anti-gun Democrat, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, has twice vetoed bills expanding carry permit eligibility to members of the military 18 years and older. McAuliffe argued that military service, “does not automatically qualify them for the responsibilities involved in carrying a concealed handgun, any more than it automatically qualifies them for a driver’s license.”
The Nevada proposal now heads to Gov. Brian Sandoval, a Republican in his second term with a record of signing pro-gun legislation.More Washington insiders are coming to the conclusion that Israel’s leaders are planning to attack Iran before the U.S. election in November in the expectation that American forces will be drawn in. There is widespread recognition that, without U.S. military involvement, an Israeli attack would be highly risky and, at best, only marginally successful.
At this point, to dissuade Israeli leaders from mounting such an attack might require a public statement by President Barack Obama warning Israel not to count on U.S. forces — not even for the “clean-up.” Though Obama has done pretty much everything short of making such a public statement, he clearly wants to avoid a confrontation with Israel in the weeks before the election.
However, Obama’s silence regarding a public warning speaks volumes to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The recent pilgrimages to Israel by very senior U.S. officials — including the Secretaries of State and Defense carrying identical “PLEASE DON’T BOMB IRAN JUST YET” banners — has met stony faces and stone walls.
Like the Guns of August in 1914, the dynamic for war appears inexorable. Senior U.S. and Israeli officials focus publicly on a “window of opportunity,” but different ones.
On Thursday, White House spokesman Jay Carney emphasized the need to allow the “most stringent sanctions ever imposed on any country time to work.” That, said Carney, is the “window of opportunity to persuade Iran … to forgo its nuclear weapons ambitions.”
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That same day a National Security Council spokesman dismissed Israeli claims that U.S. intelligence had received alarming new information about Iran’s nuclear program. “We continue to assess that Iran is not on the verge of achieving a nuclear weapon,” the spokesman said.
Still, Israel’s window of opportunity (what it calls the “zone of immunity” for Iran building a nuclear bomb without Israel alone being able to prevent it) is ostensibly focused on Iran’s continued burrowing under mountains to render its nuclear facilities immune to Israeli air strikes, attacks that would seek to maintain Israel’s regional nuclear-weapons monopoly.
But another Israeli “window” or “zone” has to do with the pre-election period of the next 12 weeks in the United States. Last week, former Mossad chief Efraim Halevi told Israeli TV viewers, “The next 12 weeks are very critical in trying to assess whether Israel will attack Iran, with or without American backup.”
It would be all too understandable, given Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s experience with President Obama, that Netanyahu has come away with the impression that Obama can be bullied, particularly when he finds himself in a tight political spot.
For Netanyahu, the President’s perceived need to outdistance Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney in the love-for-Israel department puts Obama in a box. This, I believe, is the key “window of opportunity” that is uppermost in Netanyahu’s calculations.
Virtually precluded, in Netanyahu’s view, is any possibility that Obama could keep U.S. military forces on the sidelines if Israel and Iran became embroiled in serious hostilities. What I believe the Israeli leader worries most about is the possibility that a second-term Obama would feel much freer not to commit U.S. forces on Israel’s side. A second-term Obama also might use U.S. leverage to force Israeli concessions on thorny issues relating to Palestine.
If preventing Obama from getting that second term is also part of Netanyahu’s calculation, then he also surely knows that even a minor dustup with Iran, whether it escalates or not, would drive up the price of gasoline just before the election — an unwelcome prospect for Team Obama.
It’s obvious that hard-line Israeli leaders would much rather have Mitt Romney to deal with for the next four years. The former Massachusetts governor recently was given a warm reception when he traveled to Jerusalem with a number of Jewish-American financial backers in tow to express his solidarity with Netanyahu and his policies.
Against this high-stakes political background, I’ve personally come by some new anecdotal information that I find particularly troubling. On July 30, the Baltimore Sun posted my op-ed, “Is Israel fixing the intelligence to justify an attack on Iran?” Information acquired the very next day increased my suspicion and concern.
Former intelligence analysts and I were preparing a proposal to establish direct communications links between the U.S. and Iranian navies, in order to prevent an accident or provocation in the Persian Gulf from spiraling out of control. Learning that an official Pentagon draft paper on that same issue has been languishing in the Senate for more than |
daughter, Melinda Lou. As a child, Melinda Lou had trouble pronouncing her name, and it came out "Wenda." Thomas simplified that in naming his restaurants "Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers."
The Success of Wendy's
Thomas' initial goal in founding Wendy's was to expand enough so that his five children would all have a place to work during the summertime, but his success far outstripped this modest ambition, and before ten years had passed there were over 1,000 Wendy's locations, and as of 2016, there are over 6,500 locations, still featuring his signature square hamburger patty. Today, Wendy's is the world's third largest hamburger fast food chain.
Thomas continued to be involved in day-to-day operations of Wendy's until resigning in 1982. But some misguided decisions, such as an attempt to copy the breakfast menus of McDonald's and Burger King and the cancellation of the "Where's the beef?" commercials starring Clara Peller, led to his being asked to return.
Thomas Stars In His Own Television Ads
By 1989 Thomas was following the advice he'd once given Colonel Sanders, appearing in Wendy's commercials, showing himself to be a regular guy who loved good food and wanted others to have it, suggesting that he took his product, rather than himself, seriously.
Thomas appeared in countless Wendy's ads, often in brightly clashing shirts and ties, and set a record for the number of appearances in television commercials. He became every bit as popular as Peller, and an icon on the level of the Colonel and Ronald McDonald: A company survey showed that 90 percent of the American people knew who he was.
Finishing His Education
Thomas' success led to several people citing him as a man who had become successful despite being a high school dropout. Thinking that this might lead children to drop out of school, he was bothered by it to the point that he decided to correct what he saw as the greatest mistake of his life, dropping out of high school at 15 to work in the Clauss family restaurant full time. He earned his GED in 1993 after attending classes at a high school near his home in south Florida.
Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
Himself an adopted child, Thomas became active in encouraging foster care adoption in the early 1990s, and in 1992 founded the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. The foundation continues to commit itself to Dave's vision of making sure every child has a permanent and loving family. The Wendy's Company continues to partner with the Foundation to help children in foster care find permanent homes.In April 2011, the PlayStation Network suffered a massive breach compromising the personal data of more than 70 million accounts and shut down the network for nearly a month. A class action lawsuit resulted, and Sony has reached a compensation settlement.
If you had a PlayStation Network, Qriocity, or Sony Online Entertainment account before May 15, 2011, then you were affected by the breach and are eligible for a few different compensations from a list of choices. Depending on the service(s) you were or are subscribed to there are a few options ranging from money back, to free additional time with paid services. Regarding the PlayStation Network, there is the option of getting some free games, some free dynamic themes, or three-months of PlayStation Plus if you are not already a Plus subscriber.
The games up for grabs, of which you can choose one or two depending on your eligibility, include PlayStation 3 and PSP titles. PlayStation 3 options include Dead Nation, Infamous, LittleBigPlanet, Super Stardust HD, Rain, Puppeteer, Invizimals: Lost Kingdom, and God of War HD. PSP options include LittleBigPlanet, ModNation Racers, Patapon 3, Killzone Liberation, Wipeout Pure, and Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror.
You can also choose, as another option, to redeem free dynamic themes based on games like Wipeout HD, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, Tokyo Jungle, The Last of Us, and Ratchet & Clank.
Getting your free stuff does require some homework. You can head here to grab the necessary forms, which are strikingly similar to tax forms, and mail them to Sony before August 31, 2015. You can find more details about the compensations on page two.
Our Take
I'm surprised to learn Sony is still dealing with the repercussions of the 2011 attack, but am thankful it is and that it means compensation for the those affected.
If You Had a PlayStation Network, Qriocity, or Sony Online Entertainment Account Before May 15, 2011, You Could Get Benefits from a Class Action Settlement.
A settlement has been reached with the Sony Entities about the illegal and unauthorized attacks (the “Intrusions”) in April 2011, on the computer network systems used to provide PlayStation Network (“PSN”), Qriocity, and Sony Online Entertainment (“SOE”) services. The Sony Entities deny any claims of wrongdoing in this case, and the settlement does not mean that the Sony Entities violated any laws or did anything wrong.
Who is included? The Class includes everyone in the US (including its territories) who had a PSN account, a Qriocity account, or an SOE account at any time before May 15, 2011.
What does the settlement provide?
There are various benefits, depending in part on what type of account(s) you had. Benefits you could get (if you qualify) include:
• Payment equal to paid wallet balances (if $2 or more) in PSN or SOE accounts that have been inactive since the Intrusions,
• One or more of the following: a free PS3 or PSP game, 3 free PS3 themes, or a free 3-month subscription to PlayStation Plus (once valid claims exceed $10 million, class members will still be eligible for one free month of PlayStation Plus),
• A free month of Music Unlimited for Qriocity account holders who did not have a PSN account,
• $4.50 in SOE Station Cash (amounts will be reduced proportionally if valid claims exceed $4 million).
Identity Theft Reimbursement: If you had out-of-pocket charges due to actual identity theft, and have documentation proving that the theft was caused by the Intrusion(s), you can submit a claim for reimbursement up to $2,500. Reimbursements will be reduced proportionally if the total amount payable on all valid claims would exceed $1 million.
How can I get benefits? To get benefits, you must file a claim form. Claim forms are available at WWW.PSNSOESETTLEMENT.COM. You can also request claim forms from the Claims Administrator by writing to PSN-SOE Settlement, PO Box 1947, Faribault, MN 55021 or by calling 1-877-552-1284. The earliest deadline to file a claim is August 31, 2015, or 60 days after the settlement becomes final and effective. Visit the website for more details on submitting a claim online or by mail.
Your other options. Even if you do nothing, you will be bound by the Court’s decisions. If you want to keep your right to sue the Sony Entities yourself, you must exclude yourself from the Settlement Class by April 10, 2015. If you stay in the Settlement Class, you may object to the settlement by April 10, 2015. For instructions on how to exclude yourself from the Class or object to the settlement, please see WWW.PSNSOESETTLEMENT.COM.
The Court will hold a hearing in this case on May 1, 2015, to consider whether to approve the settlement, and a request by Class Counsel for fees, costs, and expenses up to $2,750,000. You or your own lawyer may appear and speak at the hearing at your own expense.
For more information or Claim Forms:
WWW.PSNSOESETTLEMENT.COM or 1-877-552-1284SEE ALL
WILDLIFE ARTICLES
Baboon Mother Refuses to Part with Remains of Dead Baby by Scotch Macaskill In her book, "Africa in My Blood: An Autobiography in Letters", scientist and author Jane Goodall writes as follows of a colobus monkey clasping its dead baby: "She kept trying to groom its poor little coat. Oh, it was heart rending. I'm only so glad I've never seen a chimp with a dead baby. I just couldn't bear it." This powerful maternal instinct in non-human Primates is evidently well-documented. I witnessed an example on a visit to South Africa's Kruger National Park. In this case it was a Chacma baboon carrying the remains of a dead infant on its back, refusing to part with its baby in spite of the advanced state of decomposition (below).
Mother baboon carrying remains of dead baby on her back Mother baboon carrying remains of dead baby on her back I was travelling with Kevin Podmore, a buddy of mine, towards Satara camp, where we would be meeting the rest of our group. Kevin is one of those people who's passionate and extremely knowledgeable about the bush and wildlife, so I was fortunate to be in his company. We'd left our overnight stop very early and it was only about 8.30am when we drove across the Sabie River, close to the popular Lower Sabie Camp. As we were about to cross, a troop of baboons emerged from the bushes and started making their way over the bridge. One particular baboon, as it headed towards us, looked to me like it had some loose bits of skin flapping around its haunches. Kevin had immediately spotted that it was in fact carrying a dead baby on its back and urged me to get some pictures. I could tell from the excitement in his voice that this was not average baboon behaviour. As the baboon drew level with our vehicle and then moved purposefully ahead with the rest of the troop, we could clearly see the bundle of skin and bones draped over her tail.
As baboon draws level, the bundle of skin and bones draped over her tail is clearly visible (above & below) As baboon draws level, the bundle of skin and bones draped over her tail is clearly visible (above & below) We were fortunately able to follow the troop as they made their way across the bridge. Activity was fairly typical as they moved along, with pauses to look for food, a quick grooming and even a hurried coupling in the middle of the road by one pair - but nothing exceptional. Certainly none of them paid any attention to the one carrying the dead baby. What was amazing though was that as she walked along, this pathetic bundle of skin and sinew would periodically slip off her back and land on the ground. She would then immediately pick it up, replace and adjust it while she continued walking - as if well-practised (see below).
Baboon replaces infant remains acrosss her back as she continues walking (above & below) Baboon replaces infant remains acrosss her back as she continues walking (above & below) Once we'd crossed the bridge the troop moved off the road and then into the bushes again. Was the episode heart-rending? I didn't find it so, mainly because of the baby's state of decomposition. I was nevertheless moved by this mother's stoic determination not to abandon her offspring. See also Baboon Skirmishes and Chases for more about these interesting primates. Return to Wildlife ArticlesFrom Fox News to the Weekly Standard, neoconservatives have tried to paint terrorism as a largely or exclusively Islamic phenomenon. Their message of Islamophobia has been repeated many times since the George W. Bush era: Islam is inherently violent, Christianity is inherently peaceful, and there is no such thing as a Christian terrorist or a white male terrorist. But the facts don’t bear that out. Far-right white male radicals and extreme Christianists are every bit as capable of acts of terrorism as radical Islamists, and to pretend that such terrorists don’t exist does the public a huge disservice. Dzhokhar Anzorovich Tsarnaev and the late Tamerlan Anzorovich Tsarnaev (the Chechen brothers suspected in the Boston Marathon bombing of April 15, 2013) are both considered white and appear to have been motivated in part by radical Islam. And many terrorist attacks in the United States have been carried out by people who were neither Muslims nor dark-skinned.
When white males of the far right carry out violent attacks, neocons and Republicans typically describe them as lone-wolf extremists rather than people who are part of terrorist networks or well-organized terrorist movements. Yet many of the terrorist attacks in the United States have been carried out by people who had long histories of networking with other terrorists. In fact, most of the terrorist activity occurring in the United States in recent years has not come from Muslims, but from a combination of radical Christianists, white supremacists and far-right militia groups. Below are 10 of the worst examples of non-Islamic terrorism that have occurred in the United States in the last 30 years.
1. Wisconsin Sikh Temple massacre, Aug. 5, 2012. The virulent, neocon-fueled Islamophobia that has plagued post-9/11 America has not only posed a threat to Muslims, it has had deadly consequences for people of other faiths, including Sikhs. Sikhs are not Muslims; the traditional Sikh attire, including their turbans, is different from traditional Sunni, Shiite or Sufi attire. But to a racist, a bearded Sikh looks like a Muslim. Only four days after 9/11, Balbir Singh Sodhi, a Sikh immigrant from India who owned a gas station in Mesa, Arizona, was murdered by Frank Silva Roque, a racist who obviously mistook him for a Muslim.
But Sodhi’s murder was not the last example of anti-Sikh violence in post-9/11 America. On Aug. 5, 2012, white supremacist Wade Michael Page used a semiautomatic weapon to murder six people during an attack on a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Page’s connection to the white supremacist movement was well-documented: he had been a member of the neo-Nazi rock bands End Empathy and Definite Hate. Attorney General Eric Holder described the attack as “an act of terrorism, an act of hatred.” It was good to see the nation’s top cop acknowledge that terrorist acts can, in fact, involve white males murdering people of color.
2. The murder of Dr. George Tiller, May 31, 2009. Imagine that a physician had been the victim of an attempted assassination by an Islamic jihadist in 1993, and received numerous death threats from al-Qaeda after that, before being murdered by an al-Qaeda member. Neocons, Fox News and the Christian Right would have had a field day. A physician was the victim of a terrorist killing that day, but neither the terrorist nor the people who inflamed the terrorist were Muslims. Dr. George Tiller, who was shot and killed by anti-abortion terrorist Scott Roeder on May 31, 2009, was a victim of Christian Right terrorism, not al-Qaeda.
Tiller had a long history of being targeted for violence by Christian Right terrorists. In 1986, his clinic was firebombed. Then, in 1993, Tiller was shot five times by female Christian Right terrorist Shelly Shannon (now serving time in a federal prison) but survived that attack. Given that Tiller had been the victim of an attempted murder and received countless death threats after that, Fox News would have done well to avoid fanning the flames of unrest. Instead, Bill O’Reilly repeatedly referred to him as “Tiller the baby killer.” When Roeder murdered Tiller, O’Reilly condemned the attack but did so in a way that was lukewarm at best.
Keith Olbermann called O’Reilly out and denounced him as a “facilitator for domestic terrorism” and a “blindly irresponsible man.” And Crazy for God author Frank Schaffer, who was formerly a figure on the Christian Right but has since become critical of that movement, asserted that the Christian Right’s extreme anti-abortion rhetoric “helped create the climate that made this murder likely to happen.” Neocon Ann Coulter, meanwhile, viewed Tiller’s murder as a source of comic relief, telling O’Reilly, “I don’t really like to think of it as a murder. It was terminating Tiller in the 203rd trimester.” The Republican/neocon double standard when it comes to terrorism is obvious. At Fox News and AM neocon talk radio, Islamic terrorism is a source of nonstop fear-mongering, while Christian Right terrorism gets a pass.
3. Knoxville Unitarian Universalist Church shooting, July 27, 2008. On July 27, 2008, Christian Right sympathizer Jim David Adkisson walked into the Knoxville Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee during a children’s play and began shooting people at random. Two were killed, while seven others were injured but survived. Adkisson said he was motivated by a hatred of liberals, Democrats and gays, and he considered neocon Bernard Goldberg’s book, 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America, his political manifesto. Adkisson (who pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and is now serving life in prison without parole) was vehemently anti-abortion, but apparently committing an act of terrorism during a children’s play was good ol’ Republican family values. While Adkisson’s act of terrorism was reported on Fox News, it didn’t get the round-the-clock coverage an act of Islamic terrorism would have garnered.
4. The murder of Dr. John Britton, July 29, 1994. To hear the Christian Right tell it, there is no such thing as Christian terrorism. Tell that to the victims of the Army of God, a loose network of radical Christianists with a long history of terrorist attacks on abortion providers. One Christian Right terrorist with ties to the Army of God was Paul Jennings Hill, who was executed by lethal injection on Sept. 3, 2003 for the murders of abortion doctor John Britton and his bodyguard James Barrett. Hill shot both of them in cold blood and expressed no remorse whatsoever; he insisted he was doing’s God’s work and has been exalted as a martyr by the Army of God.
5. The Centennial Olympic Park bombing, July 27, 1996. Paul Jennings Hill is hardly the only Christian terrorist who has been praised by the Army of God; that organization has also praised Eric Rudolph, who is serving life without parole for a long list of terrorist attacks committed in the name of Christianity. Rudolph is best known for carrying out the Olympic Park bombing in Atlanta during the 1996 Summer Olympics—a blast that killed spectator Alice Hawthorne and wounded 111 others. Hawthorne wasn’t the only person Rudolph murdered: his bombing of an abortion clinic in Birmingham, Alabama in 1998 caused the death of Robert Sanderson (a Birmingham police officer and part-time security guard) and caused nurse Emily Lyons to lose an eye.
Rudolph’s other acts of Christian terrorism include bombing the Otherside Lounge (a lesbian bar in Atlanta) in 1997 and an abortion clinic in an Atlanta suburb in 1997. Rudolph was no lone wolf: he was part of a terrorist movement that encouraged his violence. And the Army of God continues to exalt Rudolph as a brave Christian who is doing God’s work.
6. The murder of Barnett Slepian by James Charles Kopp, Oct. 23, 1998. Like Paul Jennings Hill, Eric Rudolph and Scott Roeder, James Charles Kopp is a radical Christian terrorist who has been exalted as a hero by the Army of God. On Oct. 23, 1998 Kopp fired a single shot into the Amherst, NY home of Barnett Slepian (a doctor who performed abortions), mortally wounding him. Slepian died an hour later. Kopp later claimed he only meant to wound Slepian, not kill him. But Judge Michael D’Amico of Erin County, NY said that the killing was clearly premeditated and sentenced Kopp to 25 years to life. Kopp is a suspect in other anti-abortion terrorist attacks, including the non-fatal shootings of three doctors in Canada, though it appears unlikely that Kopp will be extradited to Canada to face any charges.
7. Planned Parenthood bombing, Brookline, Massachusetts, 1994. Seldom has the term “Christian terrorist” been used in connection with John C. Salvi on AM talk radio or at Fox News, but it’s a term that easily applies to him. In 1994, the radical anti-abortionist and Army of God member attacked a Planned Parenthood clinic in Brookline, Massachusetts, shooting and killing receptionists Shannon Lowney and Lee Ann Nichols and wounding several others. Salvi was found dead in his prison cell in 1996, and his death was ruled a suicide. The Army of God has exalted Salvi as a Christian martyr and described Lowney and Nichols not as victims of domestic terrorism, but as infidels who got what they deserved. The Rev. Donald Spitz, a Christianist and Army of God supporter who is so extreme that even the radical anti-abortion group Operation Rescue disassociated itself from him, has praised Salvi as well.
8. Suicide attack on IRS building in Austin, Texas, Feb. 18, 2010. When Joseph Stack flew a plane into the Echelon office complex (where an IRS office was located), Fox News’ coverage of the incident was calm and matter-of-fact. Republican Rep. Steve King of Iowa seemed to find the attack amusing and joked that it could have been avoided if the federal government had followed his advice and abolished the IRS. Nonetheless, there were two fatalities: Stack and IRS employee Vernon Hunter. Stack left behind a rambling suicide note outlining his reasons for the attack, which included a disdain for the IRS as well as total disgust with health insurance companies and bank bailouts. Some of the most insightful coverage of the incident came from Noam Chomsky, who said that while Stack had some legitimate grievances—millions of Americans shared his outrage over bank bailouts and the practices of health insurance companies—the way he expressed them was absolutely wrong.
9. The murder of Alan Berg, June 18, 1984. One of the most absurd claims some Republicans have made about white supremacists is that they are liberals and progressives. That claim is especially ludicrous in light of the terrorist killing of liberal Denver-based talk show host Alan Berg, a critic of white supremacists who was killed with an automatic weapon on June 18, 1984. The killing was linked to members of the Order, a white supremacist group that had marked Berg for death. Order members David Lane (a former Ku Klux Klan member who had also been active in the Aryan Nations) and Bruce Pierce were both convicted in federal court on charges of racketeering, conspiracy and violating Berg’s civil rights and given what amounted to life sentences.
Robert Matthews, who founded the Order, got that name from a fictional group in white supremacist William Luther Pierce’s anti-Semitic 1978 novel, The Turner Diaries—a book Timothy McVeigh was quite fond of. The novel’s fictional account of the destruction of a government building has been described as the inspiration for the Oklahoma City bombing of 1995.
10. Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City bombing, April 19, 1995. Neocons and Republicans grow angry and uncomfortable whenever Timothy McVeigh is cited as an example of a non-Islamic terrorist. Pointing out that a non-Muslim white male carried out an attack as vicious and deadly as the Oklahoma City bombing doesn’t fit into their narrative that only Muslims and people of color are capable of carrying out terrorist attacks. Neocons will claim that bringing up McVeigh’s name during a discussion of terrorism is a “red herring” that distracts us from fighting radical Islamists, but that downplays the cruel, destructive nature of the attack.
Prior to the al-Qaeda attacks of 9/11, the Oklahoma City bombing McVeigh orchestrated was the most deadly terrorist attack in U.S. history: 168 people were killed and more than 600 were injured. When McVeigh drove a truck filled with explosives into the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, his goal was to kill as many people as possible. Clearly, McVeigh was not motivated by radical Islam; rather, he was motivated by an extreme hatred for the U.S. government and saw the attack as revenge for the Ruby Ridge incident of 1992 and the Waco Siege in 1993. He had white supremacist leanings as well (when he was in the U.S. Army, McVeigh was reprimanded for wearing a “white power” T-shirt he had bought at a KKK demonstration). McVeigh was executed on June 11, 2001. He should have served life without parole instead, as a living reminder of the type of viciousness the extreme right is capable of.HARARE, Zimbabwe - The AIG Men's Junior All-Americans dropped their first match at the 2016 World Rugby U20 Trophy Tuesday, conceding the match-winning try in the final minutes of a 46-44 loss to Namibia.
The match was the first of this year's tournament, and the MJAAs' first in the competition since a third-place victory in Hong Kong in 2014. JD Stephenson's side will continue their campaign at Harare Sports Club Saturday, April 23, against Hong Kong.
MJAAvNAM match starts at 2:28:00 in above player
The see-saw match began with two tries - one apiece - in the first 10 minutes and an additional try per team before the 25th minute as the lead changed three times, with Namibia holding a slim, 14-12, advantage. Captain Hanco Germishuys scored the first of his three tries prior to the end of the half to give the MJAAs a 19-14 lead at the break.
Germishuys doubled his tally and extended the MJAAs' lead moments after the second-half restart to get the scoring started once again, giving Stephenson's team its widest lead margin of the match at 28-16. Namibia would draw closer 10 minutes into the second frame, but Germishuys completed his hat trick a minute later for a 10-point, 34-24 lead.
The MJAAs held onto the lead until the 80th minute as the teams combined for three tries, with Rodney Giles kicking a two-point penalty goal in what should have been the last play of the game for a 44-38 advantage. Namibia gained territory when play resumed following two penalties against the MJAAs, and scored under the posts before kicking the easy, match-winning conversion.
AIG Men's Junior All-Americans | v. Namibia
1. Chance Wenglewski
2. Steven Branham
3. Mason Pedersen
4. Victor Comptat
5. Deven Marshall
6. Malon Al-Jiboori
7. Brennan Falcon
8. Hanco Germishuys (C)
9. Louis Mulholland
10. Ben Cima
11. Devin Lim
12. Brian Hannon
13. Lorenzo Thomas
14. Rodney Giles
15. Mitch Wilson
AIG Men's Junior All-Americans | Reserves
16. Ruairi Van Raalte
17. Roman Salanoa
18. Chad Sneyd
19. Veuki Taumefolau
20. Ruben de Haas
21. Duncan Van Schalkwyk
22. Tyler Sousley
AIG Men's Junior All-Americans | 44
Tries: Mulholland, Wilson, Germishuys (3), Al-Jiboori
Conversions: Cima (2), Giles
Penalties: Giles
Namibia | 46
Tries: Nortje, De Klerk, Kavita, Luttig, Wilson, Van Der Merwe
Conversions: Olivier (3), Loubser (2)
AIG Men's Junior All-Americans | 2016 World Rugby U20 Trophy
v. Namibia - L 46-44
v. Hong Kong - Saturday, April 23 @ 10 a.m. ET
v. Spain - Thursday, April 27 @ 10 a.m. ETCanadian charities would have to turn over lists of their donors' identities to the Canada Revenue Agency under a proposal being floated by the Conservative government.
The move is touted as a way to prevent tax-receipt fraud, but some charities are wary of the administrative burden — and the potential close surveillance of groups that criticize government policies.
Revenue Minister Kerry-Lynne Findlay made the suggestion behind closed doors this spring to charities officials in Ottawa as the government seeks ways to tighten regulation of Canada's charitable sector.
Findlay asked officials of the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Canadian Cancer Society and others for their input, as well as their reaction to a proposal to standardize the format, size and colour of official income-tax receipts for charitable donations.
The consultation took place before a March 26 media event at which Findlay and Kevin Sorenson, minister of state for finance, boasted about the government's achievements in reducing red tape for charities.
The suggestion about turning over donor lists also came as some charities, subject to lengthy audits by the Canada Revenue Agency over their political activities, were feeling vulnerable and threatened by the Harper government.Following our previous post, we are pleased to announced that the first (pre-release) CentOS 7rc tree is pushed.
As a reminder, you can find it at the following location : http://buildlogs.centos.org/centos/7/os/x86_64-20140614
If you want to use it, you need to use the boot.iso media (found under the images directory), start a netinstall and point to the mentioned repository (or use the pxe vmlinuz/initrd.img files)
We plan on also having a symbolic link called "latest", as we'll probably have a new tree on a daily basis (until we're happy and will have a final release)
Some points to keep in mind :
Those packages aren't signed (as announced, and that will be fixed the final centos-release package)
There is no included yum config (but you can configure that and point to the above repository, and that will be fixed the final centos-release package )
EFI should work, but not Secureboot
Happy testing and don't forget to give us feedback! (on the centos-devel list, or #centos-devel irc channel, and bugs found reported on http://bugs.centos.org)Back in August of 2009, we announced the national rollout of the Comcast Domain Helper service, which was designed to help customers by providing suggestions and links when they mistyped a web address. With the full deployment of DNSSEC in our network now complete, Domain Helper has been turned off.
When we launched the Domain Helper service, we also set in motion its eventual shutdown due to our plans to launch DNSSEC. Domain Helper has been turned off since DNS response modification tactics, including DNS redirect services, are technically incompatible with DNSSEC and/or create conditions that can be indistinguishable from malicious modifications of DNS traffic (including DNS cache poisoning attacks). Since we want to ensure our customers have the most secure Internet experience, and that if they detect any DNSSEC breakage or error messages that they know to be concerned (rather than not knowing if the breakage/error was "official" and caused by our redirect service or "unofficial" and caused by an attacker), our priority has been placed on DNSSEC deployment — now automatically protecting our customers as part of Constant Guard™ from Xfinity.
If you are interested to know more about the work we have done with DNSSEC, please take a look at our DNSSEC Information Center as well as our Constant Guard™ page.
For information about our DNSSEC deployment, click here.SEATTLE -- A terrified teen was forced to hand over his savings to a robber not once but twice in two days, according to the Seattle Police Department.
According to the police report for the incident, a 15-year-old was on the way to the BECU ATM at the Ballard Safeway to deposit some money in his savings account around 4:30 p.m. last Sunday when he was accosted by a stranger in the parking lot.
The teen later told officers the stranger put his arm around his shoulders and said, "I want you to take money out of your account. If you don't take money out of the ATM, I will hurt you."
The man walked the teen to the door and waited outside while the teen withdrew $160 from his savings account.
According to the report, the teen handed over the money, and the man told him to meet him there the next day to give him more money, adding that he knows where the teen lives.
The teen came back at 6:30 p.m. the next day and gave the man another $80 from his savings account, according to the report.
The teen eventually told a relative what happened a few days later, and the relative called police.After years of hard work you finally feel confident with the verbose-long-tedious Objective-C syntax. Well done! But… something has changed and it’s time to study! Again.
Fear not guys, I’m just joking, indeed what I’m going to show you today will improve your coding style. Say welcome to Literals, a new feature that I’m sure you are going to appreciate!
Literals have been recently introduced into the LLVM compiler. They essentially add a shortcut to create some specific data types that allows you to work with them in an easier way.
It’s one of those times in which code “speaks” better than words, so let’s see some examples for each category.
NSNumber
Up until now, when we had to instantiate a NSNumber, it was something like this:
NSNumber *integer = [NSNumber numberWithInt:19];
With Literals we obtain the same result writing:
NSNumber *integer = @19
As you may have noticed Literals use the “@” sign in the same way we use it to create NSStrings (just without double quotes) so it should be easy for you to remember how to do it
Furthermore, C’s type suffixes may be used to define the size of numeric data:
NSNumber *unsignedInteger = @19U; //Unsigned Integer NSNumber *longInteger = @19L; //Long Integer NSNumber *floatNumber = @19.5493F; //Float NSNumber *boolean = @YES; // //BOOL
NSArray
Creating and working with arrays in a language such as PHP is extremely simple. Objective-c syntax is quite different. It has a huge list of functionalities and I love the way you can work with collections in Objective-C but, it’s nowhere near as quick to write.
Literals come in handy to fill this gap. Let me show you some really useful short-hands which are going to simplify your code (and hopefully, your developer life):
This is a simple definition we are used to:
NSArray *array = [NSArray arrayWithObjects: [NSNumber numberWithInt:10], @"A String!", [NSNumber numberWithFloat:10.654F], nil];
With literals we can make it way easier and more readable:
NSArray *array_l = @[@10, @"A string", @10.645F];
As you can see we can substitute the entire array definition with @[...] and we can also get rid of the final nil necessary to close the object list, because the compiler will substitute this literal with [NSArray arrayWithObjects:count:].
Another awesome improvement is related to the syntax to access the array elements. In the “classic” way we can use functions such as objectAtIndex:
id obj = [array objectAtIndex:0];
With literals, we can use square brackets syntax like we do in PHP, resulting again in a cleaner code:
id obj = array[0];
And we can obviously use this syntax to modify values in a mutable array:
NSMutableArray *mutableArray = [NSMutableArray arrayWithObject:@[@11,@76]]; mutableArray[0] = @51;
NSDictionary
NSDictionary require a quite long syntax to initialize a complete object. I don’t want to complain about that because I think that the verbosity of Objective-C helps to maintain focus on your code, but I have to admit that NSDictionary can be a bit too demanding
Let’s see this definition:
NSDictionary *dict = [NSDictionary dictionaryWithObjects:[NSArray arrayWithObjects: [NSNumber numberWithInt:10], [NSNumber numberWithInt:20], [NSNumber numberWithInt:30], nil] forKeys:[NSArray arrayWithObjects: @"first", @"second", @"third", nil]];
I probably pushed this a bit too far, but it’s for the sake of clarity. In fact, we get useful benefits from literals in this situation too.
NSDictionary *dicts = @{@"first":@10, @"second":@20, @"third":@30};
Besides translating every NSNumber and NSArray definition, with literals we can use a really readable format which puts the key and its relative value side by side. This is by far my favorite new addition to Objective C.
As you probably understood by now, literals are something you’ll get to love as a developer, because they make your code much more readable and, as a direct consequence, way less error-prone! And that’s great!Fall’s the best, ain’t it? But the season is not without it’s style complications. Here are ten tips, strategies, suggestions, and maybe a trend or two to consider adding into your personal style arsenal for the upcoming season.
Easy for some, and intimidating to others. Yet, it’s not as hard as those others would think. Three keys: Contrast, texture, and… remember that your outfit is like Thanksgiving Dinner. Further explanation over here. And remember, you can go overboard with layering. Like, suede blazer + mock zip + shirt + tie plus… well, y’know. Shown above: A moleskin Old Navy Blazer (RIP Old Navy Blazers), a lambswool v-neck, and a poplin shirt from Ratio clothing.
#2. Invest in a slim pair of gloves
Gloves are like sunglasses. Just like how a pair of chunky, sporty shades doesn’t look right with a suit, a pair of thick, technical ski gloves might not look the best with a topcoat and a blazer. Most of us spend the winter moving from heated building, to heated vehicle, to heated building, with some time outdoors but not a ton unless it’s for a specific recreational purpose. Unless it’s bitter out, an unlined pair of leather gloves should hold in enough heat while deflecting the wind. Shown above: The oft mentioned drivers from Orvis (with a year of wear on them) and some newish Cole Haans picked up during |
was eventually located, and Mr Trudeau emerged to pose for selfies with young fans and shake the hands of white-bearded residents, some clad in colourful dastars - a Sikh style of turban.
According to the latest polls, Brampton - and other immigrant-heavy outlying Toronto suburbs - will be a key to victory in Monday's general election. The vote is shaping up as a showdown between the Liberals and Conservatives, after the left-leaning New Democratic Party slid to a clear third place in the recent weeks.
Ms Sahota faces off against incumbent Conservative Parm Gill and NDP's Martin Singh. Mr Sangha has a slightly more difficult task, as his Conservative opponent is Bal Gosal, who serves in Mr Harper's cabinet. Rosemary Keenan is the NDP candidate. (Neither Conservative candidate responded to interview requests.)
Brampton, with its five ridings - Canada's version of an electoral constituency - is 70% minority, mostly from South Asia. Ms Sahota and Mr Sangha say that jobs, the economy and Toronto's overwhelmed transit system are important concerns of their voters.
However, they say that Mr Harper's immigration policies are proving to be a pivotal point of difference between Liberals and Conservatives.
Shortly after his re-election in 2011, in an attempt to reduce the backlog of immigrant applications, Mr Harper raised income requirements for Canadians to sponsor the entry of family members and lowered the cap on parents and grandparents who could be admitted.
Image copyright Reuters Image caption A supporter holds up a sign at a Stephen Harper rally
Mr Sangha says this last measure is particularly irksome.
"People are sending their children back to their countries because they need to work," he says. "No one is here to take care of their children."
Mr Sangha adds that granting entry to grandparents doesn't just help working parents, it benefits all of Canada.
"They become the good citizens," he says. "Canada is progressing with their help."
Mr Harper is making his own values pitch to Canada's immigrant community, however. In the past few days, the Conservative Party has been running adverts in Indian-language newspapers criticising Mr Trudeau for his support of legalised marijuana and the Liberal Party's opposition to a law re-instituting a ban on prostitution after Canadian courts struck earlier measures down.
"New Canadians from India, from South Asia, have also found this Conservative government respects your values," Mr Harper said at a campaign event in Brampton on Wednesday, noting that while Liberals may support legalised prostitution, his party won't.
Image copyright Reuters Image caption Mr Harper is making his own values pitch to Canada's immigrant community
Ms Sahota counters that such "attack ads" are aimed at creating fear and division. "I think that's what their campaign is run on and based on," she says.
She also points to recent Conservative measures to ease deportation proceedings for immigrants convicted of crimes and Mr Harper's use of the term "old stock Canadians" during a leaders' debate in Calgary to describe multi-generational Canadian residents as evidence that he's trying to employ divisive rhetoric and policies to pull ahead on election day.
"There is no such thing as old stock Canadians as far as I'm concerned," she says. "Everyone at some point came through an immigration process to enter this country, so we should respect all the contributions that everyone has made."
Mr Harper has responded to these types of criticisms by saying that he's not fear mongering. He's just stating facts that Liberals don't want to confront, Harper says.
For Azam Hussain, another Brampton-based Liberal supporter among the crowd gathered to greet Mr Trudeau on Friday, Mr Harper's opposition to a recent Canadian court order permitting a woman to wear an Islamic head-covering scarf, the niqab, during a citizenship ceremony was of particular concern.
"They should not use religion or anything like that to advance themselves in the polls," the member of the Toronto-based Islamic Forum of Canada says.
Image copyright AP Image caption Tom Mulcair's NDP has slipped to third in the polls - but the race is still close
He credits Mr Trudeau's father, Pierre Trudeau - a Canadian prime minister in the 1970s - with opening the nation up to the benefits of immigration. He says he believes the younger Trudeau will follow suit.
"That's the reason why we are here," he says. "We built this economy."
In 2011 Mr Trudeau's Liberal Party was soundly beaten in Brampton and across much of Canada, finishing a distant third behind the ruling Conservatives and the NDP. Now, however, polls show the Liberals poised to win a plurality of seats and - with an outright majority or the support of like-minded NDP politicians - could have the chance to oust Mr Harper after a record 10 years in office.
Mr Sangha said that when he first began contemplating a run for office, he compared his Liberal Party to a phoenix, which had been reduced to ashes in its 2011 defeat.
"I'm feeling the phoenix is born again now," he says. "We're touching the hearts of the people."
The final judgement on that view - in Brampton and around Canada - will have to wait until Monday's voting concludes.Ryan Vale, owner of Edmonton Shoe Repair at Northgate Centre Mall became the focus of news stories that went viral after he refused to serve 19-year-old Sarii Ghalab.
It wasn’t personal, and what fool would turn down business in this economy, right? The problem was Ghalab was wearing a full face covering burka when she entered Vale’s store which has a no-facemask policy – regardless of race or religion. The policy was adopted for security reasons because you just don’t know who’s behind that face covering.
If you don’t believe it’s an issue, do a Google search on men wearing burkas while carrying out criminal activity. You’ll see everything from jewelry store heists to acts of terrorism with several reports of such incidents the world over.
It’s common sense to guard against this but unfortunately, wearing this mask is championed by radical Islam and their useful idiots on the progressive left which means you’ll be termed “Islamophobic” if you dare act on your concerns.
Inevitably, Vale found himself up against a horde of politically-correct soldiers riled up by the media party. He had to contend with squeaky wheels on social media, outraged by his alleged bigotry.
Even Susan Coombes of the Alberta Human Rights Commission joined the dog-pile, noting that offering service to people based on what they’re wearing could be considered against the law.
Faced with this pressure, Vale recently apologized to Ghalab saying he didn’t mean to hurt her feelings but, he added:
“If a lot of people started wearing full mask burkas in the store and shopping around I would definitely feel uneasy from a safety and security point of view."
Why not make reasonable accommodation a two-way street on this one by asking that if a veiled Muslim goes to a shop that forbids facemasks, she remove it until the transaction is completed?
Common sense just took another kick to the groin due to political correctness.
But there is way to fight back, especially if you live in the Edmonton area:
Make a pilgrimage to Edmonton Shoe Repair and support Mr. Vale. After all, nobody deserves to be publicly crucified for doing the right thing.Are demons real? Though evil spirits possessing the body of a hapless human victim seems like the stuff of science fiction, the possibility of being possessed by demons is, in fact, a common belief held by religions around the world. Even the Christian Bible alludes to demonic possession more than thirty times, including several cases of Jesus "casting out demons" from people. Most religions offer prayers, spells, or incantations that are used to remove these invading spirits via exorcism rituals.
As hard as it may be to believe, countless accounts by victims and witnesses dating back to ancient times are hard to ignore. Let's explore ten cases of truly scary and, by all accounts, real demonic possession.
Note: For most of these cases, there are no photographs for us to share with you here. We have used images from movies and other sources to illustrate this post.YAPC::EU is about the Renaissance of Perl (although Eddie Izzard wonders why the Italians gave the real one a French name), and like the original, that's the time for an explosion of information and exchange of that information.
I have a few suggestions for people who want to promote Perl 6 by writing or speaking about it. I've had these complaints about Perl 6 articles people wanted to put into The Perl Review, but from the summer conferences this year I've been hearing the same complaints from other people. I've also had these same complaints about my own Perl 6 talks (which is why I have stopped giving them for awhile). This isn't just my own advice, but wisdom I've collected from many people over my years writing about Perl. It's also the stuff that I want to read about Perl 6.
First, show something that Perl 5 or other languages can't do. It's easy to show how to make arrays or show that the sigils don't change, but the simple syntax stuff is really, really uncompelling, even to the point of being discouraging. Surely all that development time and effort and thought was for more than just fiddly typing bits, so show stuff that doesn't exist. Junctions, hyper-operators, and infinite lazy lists are interesting because they are new not only to Perl, but to widely-used computer languages. Quoting syntax isn't sexy and it's just something you look up. People aren't going to rush to Perl 6 for its quoting, even if the fancier quote-words operator makes things less painful. Include something radical and salivation inducing. I recall the first thing Larry Wall mentioned in the meeting where Perl 6 was born, way back in 2000. He said he wanted was distributed computing. Eventually we'll have map-reduce as a couple of keystrokes because we can let map, grep, gather, reduce, whatever work out on its own how to farm out work. We might never need Gearman again!
Second, show something more than simple demonstration programs. Most of the writing I see about Perl 6 doesn't even get past the second hour of my Learning Perl class, or even the BASIC class I had in junior high. Putting stuff in variables and printing it out again is less than uncompelling. That's the easy stuff to write about because you don't have to explain much, but for someone considering switching to Perl 6 from, say, Ruby or Python, isn't going to be impressed that Perl 6 looks like the language they already use. You don't have to write complete applications, but something that people could reuse would be nice. People writing about Moose, such as Yuval, have been very good about this. I've really liked Jonathan Worthington's Perl 6 essays, because, even though he's usually creating what look like toy programs, they are really just exemplars for common tasks.
Third, have three arcs in your stories about Perl 6. There's the main one that you want to show, which is probably something about syntax or technique, but develop at least two minor points to draw more interest. For instance, if you want to talk about an algorithm in Perl 6, show it in other languages or discuss its history. Mark Jason Dominus is a master at this, and it's one of the reasons he can attract interesting audiences: he's talking about something more than just Perl usually. For your third arc, thrown in something of a human aspect. Why is the feature interesting to you and your work? What did you try previously? What spectacular failures did other attempts have? People like train wrecks, which provide extra entertainment even if they already know about your main topic. A corollary to this point is to cut out anything that doesn't relate to the three stories you're telling. Ignore detractors, don't try to give every negative remark you've seen previously even more traction by discussing (much less linking!) it. Get your own message out there, not someone else's.
Lastly, be very clear when you say "useable". You know what you mean, but a lot people on the sidelines think "useable" means "production ready" instead of your intended "it mostly works for you to get started". I've been asked by customers several times this summer if it's time to switch to Perl 6 because it's "useable", and many publishers are itching to get their Perl 6 book now that it's "useable". I have to disappoint both of these groups by explaining the current state. We've gone through this cycle a couple times since 2005 when Pugs was the hot implementation. No matter what you think people should think, there is always the literal message, your intended message, and the received message. Each is influenced by context, expectations, and knowledge on both sides. The term "useable" is a poor description because people's expectations of it are so varied.
Those are just my two cents, having written about Perl quite a bit and having received a lot of reader, listener, and editor feedback. It sounds like a lot of work. Paying more attention to the impact and implied messages in your writing is a bit like using strict for the first time. It only gradually gets less annoying as you gradually get better.Stand-up comedy may revolve around telling jokes, but not every comic need stick to the letter of that script. Sometimes the spirit counts for just as much. Janeane Garofalo has long explained that she doesn’t exactly write jokes so much as talk to audiences about life in a way that happens to be funny. Even she’s not entirely sure what to call it. In her newest stand-up special on Seeso, If I May, she warns the audience, “Am I a stand-up? I don’t know. I am reticent to call myself that.” Garofalo recounts a young man who approached her after one set and told her, “I enjoyed your talk.” If anything, that seems to be closer to the experience.
However Garofalo delivers her content—whether it’s carefully crafted writing that she’s honed over many shows, or whether she’s riffing on ideas that she keeps on a page nearby onstage—the most important thing is whether or not it works. Her appearance on HBO Comedy Half-Hour in 1995 did. The thoughts connected or at least progressed in her off-the-cuff way. With If I May that’s less certain.
The way Garofalo starts off her special is refreshing, breaking down the pacing that most comedians jump to establish by calling attention to what she’s wearing and how she’s not thrilled with it. Pointing out her bell bottom jeans (and the many inches she had to cut off the bottom so they didn’t drag across the floor) as well as the eyeliner she had to use to cover up her widening hair part, Garofalo spends an extended beat breaking herself down. It’s done with the kind of empowering self-deprecation that made her a beloved comic and actress in the first place, and it’s off-script enough to set the special’s tone.
But from there the structure continues to devolve. Seeso touted the show as being “tangent filled” and Garofalo herself warns in the opening moments that she likes to go down rabbit trails. While it’s impressive to watch how one observation can build off into the kind of Inception-like joke that involves another six or so diverse observations that somehow make it back to her original point, it all feels a bit too scattered. And at times even Garofalo appears aware of that problem.
Garofalo shines whether she’s attributing asinine quotes to Guy Fieri or discussing false equivalency in the media, and were she able to build out these thoughts into more developed rhythms (especially the latter) the special would feel closer to a succinct set. Instead, she chooses to discuss having finally seen The Hunger Games, admitting she’s late to the game and charging forward anyway with an extended rant about how much she can’t stand the character Primrose Everdeen (Katniss’ sister, if you’re following along). Older movies aren’t off-topic for comics (John Mulaney has a hilarious bit about Home Alone in his early work), but coming as it does in an overly long special, it feels unnecessary and waters down her other, stronger moments.
If I May is overly long, and Garofalo’s extended and twisted tangents make those extra minutes felt. “Thank you so much for sticking that out, for staying as long as you did,” she says at the end. It’s a meandering road, to be sure, but coming from Garofalo fans will likely enjoy watching her special as a chance to hear her opinions on all manner of contemporary topics. Everyone else might lose focus after a while.
Amanda Wicks is a freelance journalist specializing in comedy and music. Follow her on Twitter @aawicks.58 SHARES Facebook Twitter
I decided to reach out to the the Crossfit Community on Reddit and Instagram to find some inspirational people to share their real life Crossfit transformations and the stories behind them.
Although this post is all about Crossfit before and after progress, I see Crossfit as very much a continuous journey. We shouldn’t focus on the after or the destination, we should focus on the path, if we do this we will likely see the journey take us further than we ever could have imagined. That’s Deep!
I hope these Crossfit before and after stories help to motivate you and push you to be the best that you can be. Leave your thoughts in the comments.
Reddit Crossfit Community and Instagram User burnisland
After 15 months of Crossfit and a revamp of his diet, Instagram user Burnisland has undergone an amazing transformation. He’s lost 32 pounds since starting Crossfit and now 2 years in, he’s focusing on his strength gains. An inspiration to us all!
Instagram user Janette Fapassini
Italian beauty Janette has seen some amazing progress since starting Crossfit. The picture on the left is from 2014 and on the picture on the right is one year later. ABS!
Reddit Crossfit Community User Rtillaree
Reddit user Rtillaree shared some amazing pictures of his Crossfit transformation. The pictures below give an insight into his amazing 7 year journey with Crossfit. On the left Rtillaree in 2007 at around 321lbs, on the right in 2014 at around 195lbs. A truly inspirational change.
Rtillaree switched to Paleo from his first day at Crossfit, learning and refining his diet as he progressed. Since switching his training to focus more on strength and durability with power lifting and Olympic lifts, he’s adapted his diet to include some denser carbohydrates such as Quinoa and gluten-free oatmeal.
Reddit user Yellowspottedlizard
Yellow Spotted Lizard has been training out of Crossfit Spartan Shield in Camp Buehring, Kuwait, since May. She shared these Crossfit progress images which are all 1 month apart, demonstrating some amazingly quick results.
Top left 175lbs – Top Right 169lbs – Bottom Left 162lbs – Bottom Right 165lbs
Reddit Crossfit Community User Lmcclell
Reddit user lmcclell has been on an amazing journey with Crossfit, her last 5 years have seen a move out of the country/year-long CrossFit hiatus and a baby.
The first left-hand picture was lmcclell 1 year pre-Crossfit, in her own words she “wasn’t particularly unhealthy, but I was thick and fluffy. Size 12.”
The first right-hand picture is her 1 year into Crossfit and looking amazing. After 1 year she dropped to a size 10 and gained more muscle definition. One month after this she moved to Argentina and with it a 1 year break from CrossFit.
Returning from Argentina lmcclell got straight back into Crossfit and became pregnant.
Second photo on the left is her 6 months pregnant, “I hate this picture. All my weight gain was in my belly. Light lifts, no more than 75 lbs.”
The second picture on the right is her today! “All my life, I’ve had a voluptuous booty. I lost it when I lost so much weight after Argentina. After having my son and breastfeeding (burns a lot of calories), what little booty I had left was gone….” but now “I’m happy to announce that the booty is back.”
Instagram User Joshyg27
Joshyg27 is a beast, in his own words, before he started Crossfit he was little on the doughy side, “Back in the day I was a little doughy and beardless”, now thanks to Crossfit he’s the strongest and healthiest that he has ever been.
Great work sir!Amid a political firestorm of controversy surrounding Alaska Senate candidate Joe Miller's ethics violations while working as a government attorney in 2008, new details emerged on Tuesday night revealing that the Republican hopeful himself admitted to lying about his complicity in the matter.
"I lied about accessing all of the computers," wrote Miller in an e-mail to Fairbanks North Star Borough attorney Rene Broker in March of 2008 in the wake of allegations he used the office technology for political purposes. "I then admitted about accessing the computers, but lied about what I was doing. Finally I admitted what I did."
The remarks from Miller came to light in a 60-page dispatch of records released (PDF) by the Alaska borough after a judge issued a court order for the files to be made public.
Miller detailed the incident at the core of the controversy in the same e-mail to Broker disclosed in the documents:
Over the lunch hour this past Wednesday, I got on three computers (not belonging to me) in the office. All of them were on and none of them were locked. I accessed my personal website, for political purposes (participated in a poll), and then cleared the cache on each computer. I did the same thing on my computer. Jill asked the office what happened. I lied about accessing all of the computers. I then admitted about accessing the computers, but lied about what I was doing. Finally, I admitted what I did.
The Fairbanks News Miner reports:
The records corroborate statements made earlier this month by former borough Mayor Jim Whitaker who said Miller engaged in "proxy voting" in a failed bid to oust state GOP chairman Randy Ruedrich at the 2008 Alaska Republican convention.
In a curious move made by Miller, attorneys for the conservative candidate's campaign moved to take legal action against the former Mayor over the matter. The Anchorage Daily News reported last week:
The complaint, filed Wednesday by Anchorage attorney Thomas Van Flein, alleges that Whitaker violated Miller's constitutional rights and committed a misdemeanor offense when he told reporters last week that Miller was nearly fired from his borough attorney job for using borough computers in a failed bid to oust state Republican party chairman Randy Ruedrich.
In recent weeks, the controversy related to the two-year old ethics violation made by Miller has proven to be a significant stumbling block for his campaign. In the face of pressure from reporters to be more transparent about the issue, the Tea Party-backed hopeful made every attempt to downplay the matter by evading the press. He also has suggested the ordeal was at least in part fueled as a political attack from the campaign of incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski, whom he ousted in Alaska's GOP primary and is now pursuing a write-in reelection bid.Kinder Morgan is dropping its multimillion-dollar civil suit against all five Burnaby Mountain protesters and is willing to pay their court costs.
Kinder Morgan announced its latest legal move in a Friday-afternoon press release stating the company has filed a "unilateral discontinuance" of the suit that's been hanging over the heads of five protesters.
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Stephen Collis, Lynne Quarmby, Alan Dutton, Mia Nissen and Adam Gold were all named in the suit filed when Kinder Morgan sought an injunction to stop people from interfering with survey work for the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
Unilateral discontinuance means Kinder Morgan may have to pay the protesters' court costs and the suit will be dropped whether they agree or not.
Jason Gratl, lawyer for Nissen and Gold, said the news was hilarious.
"The timing is not coincidental," said Gratl, who suspected Kinder Morgan would rather pay his clients' court fees than hand over information he requested on Gold and Nissen.
"My clients imposed a (time) limit of Jan. 30 for production of the plaintiff's documents - all documents dealing with the plaintiff's communication with their contractors, including their public relations consultants and their private investigators," Gratl said. "That's what they don't want us to know. They would rather pay costs than provide us with a glimpse into the inner world of Trans Mountain."
Quarmby and Collis, both SFU professors, had already agreed to a discontinuance without costs, meaning neither side could ask the other to pay their court fees. Gratl explained that his clients, Nissen and Gold, wouldn't agree to that, so the suit against them was still active.
"In short, my clients called Trans Mountain's bluff and Trans Mountain folded," Gratl said.
Kinder Morgan spokesperson Ali Hounsell had an entirely different take. She said the company was just following up on a promise Kinder Morgan Canada president Ian Anderson made in December, saying the company would drop the suit if the work on Burnaby Mountain was completed.
"Ian had committed very publicly, very quickly, a promise that we would discontinue the proceedings, and we wanted to do that," Hounsell said.
Hounsell pointed out that only two of the five defendants (Quarmby and Collis) agreed to discontinue the suit with no costs.
"The others for whatever reason want to continue to bring this up, and want to continue to drag it out publicly, so instead of waiting for them to sign on, we went this other route," she said. "The down side for us is we could be responsible for court costs, but for us it's a small price to pay.... This is a way for us to make it crystal clear for everyone that we have no intention of pursing it."
Hounsell also explained that the whole point of the civil suit was to secure an injunction, which the company got for its work on Burnaby Mountain.
"It was a requirement," she said. "We have to demonstrate there is some damage if you don't get this injunction."
While Gold and Nissen wouldn't accept a discontinuance of the suit, Dutton took his case much further. He recently applied to the B.C. Supreme Court to have the suit dismissed, and was hoping to have it declared a SLAPP suit, but the judge rejected his request.
Dutton was gleeful to hear Friday's news and took credit for the company's move.
"It's because of my SLAPP suit (campaign) that Kinder Morgan is running away from this. Regardless of what they are saying, I'm still going to pursue them for costs," he said. "They are not getting off the hook."
Dutton is still planning to launch a campaign calling for the reinstatement of anti-SLAPP suit legislation.
"There's a principle at stake. It's not about me, it's about Charter rights," he said.
Quarmby was also happy to hear the news.
"I'm elated, and I think that this is an entirely appropriate response, and I'm just relieved for all of the defendants," she said.After losing their first seven games, the Dolphins (3-7) have three consecutive victories for the first time since 2008, winning by a combined score of 86-20. An improving defense has led the turnaround by keeping the opposition out of the end zone for three straight games.
"You can see how good we can be," said safety Yeremiah Bell, who made an interception. "This is where we expected to be at the beginning of the season. It just took us awhile."
Heading the other direction are the Bills (5-5), who have been outscored 106-26 while losing three in a row.
"We're baffled as to what has happened," quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said. "For the past three weeks, it has not been fun to play, and I'm sure it has not been fun to watch."
To make matters worse for the injury-riddled Bills, they lost NFL rushing leader Fred Jackson in the third quarter when he bruised his right calf. Receiver Donald Jones (left ankle) and cornerback Terrence McGee (left leg) were carted off the field in the second period.
The Dolphins, who came into the game tied for last in the league with four interceptions, twice picked off passes that deflected off receivers. Both turnovers led to touchdowns.
"I wouldn't want to play against our defense," Miami receiver Brandon Marshall said. "It seems like every time the ball was in the air, there was a big hit."
The fifth and final TD came on a blocked punt by Chris Clemons, which Lex Hilliard recovered on the goal line for a 35-6 lead. The score on a blocked punt was Miami's first since 1990.
The goal-line stand came midway through the second half, when Miami stopped the Bills four times after they had a first down at the 2.
The Dolphins scored touchdowns on their first three possessions and led 21-3 after 18 minutes. Moore threw little after that and finished 14 for 20 for 160 yards, with a passer rating of 133.3.
"Guys around me are making big plays and making it easy for the quarterback," Moore said. "It's such a good feeling."
Fitzpatrick, who has yet to win a game since signing a $59 million, six-year contract last month, was sacked twice and had a rating of 45.8. He has 12 turnovers in the past six games.
Jackson was held to 17 yards on seven carries. The Bills fumbled four times, and while they recovered them all, they went 0 for 14 on third- and fourth-down conversions.A Look into ESC Ever’s Drafting — IEM Cologne Part 2
Shakarez Blocked Unblock Follow Following Dec 23, 2015
So, as I promised (since part 1 got so much attention) today we’ll be looking into more about Ever’s drafting in their finals set versus the Qiao Gu Reapers.
A preamble about Ever’s playstyle:
Before we start I’d like to briefly explain Ever’s style, since I forgot to include it in part 1.
Ever is a team that essentially loves to play with globals and this is exactly what we saw this tournament. Even though TP was nerfed, they still ran double TP in almost ALL of their games. Athena only played Gangplank, Ryze and Kassadin in the KeSPA Cup. What they all have in common is that they’re ALL TP mids and Gangplank has the added benefit of having a global.
In Cologne and with most of his champion pool banned out, Athena resorted to Varus. Now Varus usually lanes with a defensive summoner, like Cleanse, Barrier, or Heal. However, Athena ran Teleport on him, which makes Varus very easy to punish in lane, but that’s something Ever is willing to give up in order to have added map pressure.
In essence, double teleport allows Ever to properly make plays in one side of the map and immediately have the ability to defend from the opposing reactive play on the other side of the map.
A great example is where Ever dive Odoamne in between turrets, and when H2k react to it by doing the same. They immediately use summoners and globals to defend top lane.
It’s also worth mentioning that teams facing them did not take double teleport. This makes it much harder to make plays around the map, as Ever could play reactive and use their superior global pressure to always respond.
Ever and QG’s picks before the final:
As I did last time, it’s important to look at what each team played in this tournament before getting to the Final.
Finals versus Qiao Gu:
Rather than going game by game, first we’ll look into some constants that happened during the BO5.
QG Bans:
In all 5 games Qiao Gu banned Bard and Gangplank. Now, Bard is a ban that makes a lot of sense against Ever. It was their most played support pick in the KeSPA Cup with some fantastic performances from KeY.
The GP ban however is definitely strange, specifically when we’re talking about banning him on blue side.
Gangplank, as of late, has been a red side ban. Otherwise blue side can easily first pick him.
The GP ban on blue side from QG tells us multiple things:
⦁ They definitely respect the pick as a power pick/tier 1 pick and don’t want Athena to get it
⦁ They either don’t play him at all OR haven’t practiced it recently.
This limits their drafts, as they’re essentially “losing” a ban on blue side, which is usually perma-banned on red side.
Ever Bans:
After losing Game 1 to a surprise Soraka pick, Ever banned it for the rest of the series, it was a pick that that caught them off guard and something they clearly didn’t know how to deal with.
Ever also kept the Viktor ban for the rest of the series, which is essentially Doinb’s go to pick, it has been since LPL Summer.
Game 1:
Pick ban for Game 1. Both teams have essentially good teamfighting and skirmishing compositions. We see one hard scaling mage on each side and a designated lane counter to try to stop them from scaling. Ever takes down turrets faster, but QG have the better 2v2 bot
Bans:
Besides the two bans I talked above, Qiao Gu ban LoKeN’s most played AD carry in the KeSPA Cup.
On Ever’s side, Lulu is taken out and with GP being banned on blue side they have the advantage of being able to ban 2 power picks, taking out Dr. Mundo and Lissandra.
Picks:
What I mainly want to focus on this draft is the Soraka pick. Qiao Gu hide it very well and only pick it on their 3rd rotation, by then they have already seen Ever’s botlane and a comp that isn’t THAT dive heavy, meaning Soraka can survive. Not only this they also have Miss Fortune, which makes this duo lane extremely strong and oppressive in lane.
From Ever’s side we see a very early Kassadin pick, they showed versus H2k that they can flex it so I assume their idea is to see both of Qiao Gu’s solo lanes and then decide where it would go better. Qiao Gu picks Viktor in their 3rd rotation, essentially because it’s a good blind pick and it’s also good into Kassadin, as Viktor easily puts him beneath his turret with superior wave clear, making it extremely hard for him to farm.
The main problem here is that with the Soraka pick Ever suddenly doesn’t have enough backline threat, which they need to be able to punish Soraka. They decide to put Kassadin mid, versus the Viktor and pick Jarvan top. Now this Jarvan is a bit of an off meta pick, but it’s also one of Crazy’s most played champion and it gives the backline threat Ever needs.
Unfortunately for them the game didn’t really go their way. Qiao Gu’s bot lane essentially bullied the Tristana/Alistar bot lane and Jarvan never managed to get a significant lead. With the help of Soraka’s global ultimate, Qiao Gu traded 2 for 0 top lane which essentially spelled defeat for the Korean challenger team, as the Jarvan never got rolling.
Game 2:
Pick ban for Game 2. This game Ever is mainly playing a Siege Composition that is also decent at Teamfighting. Varus + Trundle = a lot of Zoning and Disengage. On Qiao Gu’s side we see a possible 4–1 split type comp with the Fiora and in a way a lulu comp but with a lucian instead of the traditional hyper carry (Jinx/Tristana).
Bans:
Going into game 2, Qiao Gu kept the same bans, while Ever kept Mundo banned and added the Soraka and Viktor bans.
Picks:
Now this meant that Lulu was open, but so was Ryze.
Ever promptly take him, as not only it is a flex for them, but it fits their playstyle. Ryze is also a power pick, seeing that he is essentially a scaling mage that spikes in mid game and continues to scale ridiculously into late game. He’s also a mid laner that usually runs teleport in the mid lane.
This means they let Lulu go, but Ever doesn’t really want it anyways, it doesn’t seem like a pick that fits their identity, Athena seems to value primary carries more and while Crazy plays mages, he seems to prioritize more damage centric champions like Lissandra, Ryze and even Kassadin.
Ever isn’t really a team that plays that much around LoKen, despite often being on champions like Kalista and Tristana. They usually have Key and Ares as their peelers, while both solo lanes play carries.
Now, later into the draft, we see Qiao Gu with Alistar, Lulu, Fiora and Lucian. Essentially this means both solo lanes were picked, so Ever can decide where they put Ryze and what to put in the other solo lane. Ryze goes top lane and Athena pulls out the Varus once more.
Now what’s interesting here is that Varus isn’t really known for having a strong lane. He wants to stack his tear and reach his 2,3,4 item power spike. Against Lulu he gets to freely lane without being pressured too hard. Piercing arrow and Hail of Arrows allow Varus to wave clear from a safe distance, and reach mid game unharmed.
Trundle is then picked for the support position, Trundle’s main role as a support is essentially to disengage/control zones with his Pillar of Ice and render tanks weaker with Subjugate.
Alongside Varus these two picks give Ever a lot of zone control and don’t allow the lulu comp to get rolling.
Game 3:
Qiao Gu with yet another Lulu composition, this time with Vayne as their ADC, they can also attempt to play splitpush with the fiora. On Ever’s side we see a solid teamfighting composition with a lot of siege and zoning elements. In this game, QG could never really fight Ever without getting poked by Varus beforehand.
Bans:
Same bans for Qiao Gu, while Ever changes their Dr. Mundo ban for a Ryze ban.
Picks:
At this point they’re probably aware of how highly the chinese side values Lulu so they leave it open.
QG promptly take it and with this, Ever guarantees Tristana and Mundo for themselves.
Later into the draft, Qiao Gu picks Vayne, the idea here is essentially what I talked about in my last article, Qiao Gu need an ADC pick that can reliably kill Dr. Mundo. However they run into one big problem, Ever plays Varus.
With Varus and Trist |
his feet as long as he has some left. Clouds must be collected separately from the powerup itself. Mario can have a maximum of 2 clouds. Fire Flower Allows Mario to shoot fireballs. This is the most commonly-recurring powerup in the game. Frog Suit Turns Mario into Frog Mario from Super Mario Bros. 3. This powerup allows him to swim faster. Yoshi Press B to use Yoshi's tongue.Once Yoshi has eaten something, press L to make Yoshi create a Yoshi Egg. Yoshi can also flutter-jump and launch Yoshi into the air with Z. Ice Flower Allows Mario to shoot ice and walk on lava. Bee Mushroom Allows Mario to hover for a short period of time. If Bee Mario touches water, he will turn into normal Mario. Spider Mushroom Allows Mario to spawn a climbable string with L. The strings disappear after a short period of time, or if you spawn another one. You can only spawn a string one time in mid-jump. This is one of the three powerups that originated from this hack. Paper Mushroom Turns Mario into a flat version of himself, allowing him to slip through bars and grates. This is one of the three powerups that originated from this hack. Spring Mushroom Allows Mario to bounce around. Ground pound or press A to gain extra height. Rainbow Star Makes Mario become invincible for a short period of time. He also flashes different colors and jumps differently, however, unlike Super Mario Galaxy, he doesn't run extra fast. Goomba Bros. Shield Mario gains this ability during the final battle with Rashay. The Goomba Bros. give Mario their star power, which activates this powerup. It allows Mario to jump higher, run faster and regenerate health quickly. It is the last of the three powerups that originated in this hack.
New Enemies Edit
New Bosses Edit
Soundtrack Edit
Trivia Edit
On the Last Impact Discord, Kaze confirmed that this is the full body art of the Beast in which Big Beasts Belly takes place [2]US ambassador to the Netherlands Pete Hoekstra has apologised for anti-Muslim comments and says he "regrets" an interview with Dutch television in which he dismissed them as "fake news".
Mr Hoekstra has been widely derided online over his interview with Wouter Zwart of Dutch broadcaster NOS about comments he made in 2015 claiming there were "no-go zones" in Muslim communities in the Netherlands.
"The Islamic movement has now gotten to a point where they have put Europe into chaos," Mr Hoekstra said two years ago.
"Chaos in the Netherlands, there are cars being burnt, there are politicians that are being burnt. And yes, there are no-go zones in the Netherlands."
When confronted by Zwart over the claims, he contradicted himself twice.
Initially Mr Hoekstra denied ever having made the remarks, dismissing it as "fake news".
"I didn't say that," he said.
"That is actually an incorrect statement. We would call it fake news. I never said that … it's not what I said."
But when Dutch-born Mr Hoekstra was then shown footage of himself making the comments, he then denied he had even used the term "fake news" in the interview.
"I didn't call that fake news. I didn't use the words today. I don't think I did," he said, to Zwart's visible confusion.
Could not display Tweet
In the wake of the airing of the interview and its sharing on social media, Mr Hoekstra tweeted a statement.
"I made remarks in 2015 and regret the exchange during the Nieuwsuur interview. Please accept my apology," he said.
"I look forward to the opportunity to learn, to listen, and to move on in the spirit of peace and friendship with the people and leaders of the Netherlands."
Mr Hoekstra moved to the US when he was three.
He served in Michigan as congressman and was also a former chair of the House Intelligence Committee and says he is a "frequent writer and commentator on intelligence issues and the threat from radical Islam".One of my frustrations with independent film — and in particular, micro-indies of the past few years — is a lack of narrative ambition.
Flip through the catalogs of any festival and you’ll see movies with fascinating characters and rich settings in which nothing really happens, as if the filmmakers took a Dogma vow to avoid plot.
My hunch is that it’s actually a consequence of thinking small. If you’re making a movie on a limited budget, it may put real constraints on your locations, schedule and cast size.
But that frugality doesn’t need to limit your story. Story is free.
Waiting around for things
I spent last week at the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, working with writer-directors on their next projects. I don’t want to single out any one script — I’m eager to see all of these movies made. These filmmakers are very talented.
But I often found myself pausing at page 45 asking “What’s happened so far?” and “What am I curious about?” And too often, the answer was not much.
Some of my red flags:
Are characters waiting around for something?
Do they take half-steps, then retreat?
Do major events (death, abortion, incest) happen off-screen, or before the movie begins?
Do people talk about food?
Could you swap a scene from page 10 and page 34 without changing much?
A few of these projects would fall within the loose borders of the mumblecore movement, stories that focus on the sputtering interactions of a few well-educated characters. This is no ding on the genre; I like my Humpday just fine.
But I wonder if filmmakers are looking to mumblecore movies as an excuse for underwriting and avoiding character conflict.
A lot of story can happen even when you’re constrained to a few locations. Hamlet takes place in a few rooms. So does The Usual Suspects. Both Go and The Nines pack a lot into each of their three-part sections. And while Sex, Lies and Videotape might seem low-plot, the story keeps forcing characters to make choices and face the consequences.
In meeting with the screenwriters at Sundance, I challenged them to look for scenes in which characters were talking about things and show them doing those things. Often, the omitted scenes weren’t more expensive than what they would replace — but they were more difficult to write. The beginning of an affair is trickier than showing it mid-course. A trapped child is uncomfortable to write, but compelling to watch.
The writing is always going to be the least expensive but most challenging part of the process. Making a low-budget movie is a study in compromises. Story shouldn’t be one of them.Since the Fall of the Berlin Wall,there are enough existential and serious problems for regimes and states in the Arab and Muslim world,from Morocco to Saudi Arabia, and beyond, greedy, ruthless White Christian Crusaders pursuing mostly illegal policy of destruction and loot of sovereign states like Libya,Iraq etc.There is relentless pressure on Assad regime in Syria, but the next hot item on the Middle East agenda is going to be the vote on Palestine Independence in United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September, 2011.
According to Israel’s Haaretz the UNGA is expected to okay an independent Palestinian state by a huge majority. “The wording of the draft, crafted in recent days by the Fatah leadership, is designed to enable even “problematic” countries such as Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic to climb on board, or at least abstain. This version will make it difficult for the United States and the Marshall Islands, and even for Israel, to explain their votes against the proposal. Instead of recognizing Palestine within the 1967 borders, it will state that the permanent borders will be determined in negotiations with Israel based on the borders of June 4, 1967. This approach made it possible to enlist the support of leading moderates in Hamas, who claim that recognition of the 1967 borders before the signing of a final-status deal means waiving the claim to the right of return.”
Given the Israeli government’s intransigence, the Palestinian leadership and its advisers feel that the option of settling the conflict via bilateral negotiations − the path pursued by the Palestinian leadership for 20 years − is no longer viable. Most of them “ support the option of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital and a fair arrangement that will fulfill the right of return and the compensation of the Palestinian refugees. -It rejects the possibility of continuing the status quo, maintaining that the endless negotiations provide cover for expanding the settlements and consolidating the occupation. It will also erase from the agenda the option of a Palestinian state with temporary borders and limited sovereignty, under effective Israeli control.”
The Palestinian Authority leadership also examined other options like nonviolent resistance as in Egypt and Tunisia – or dismantling itself and restoring responsibility for the West Bank’s inhabitants to Israel or towards a model of a bi-national state or democratic state without distinction between Israel and Palestinian citizens. Even the possibility is a confederation between Jordan and the Palestinian state was examined. The last attempt was made by late Yasser Arafat after the failure of the Camp David talks in 2000. Arafat travelled to many capitals, to seek support for such a declaration. But most countries advised Arafat to continue with the peace negotiations rather than pursue a unilateral path.
This time the situation is different. There is little hope for real negotiations. The Arab revolts against pro-US leaders have created a favorable environment. Cairo, which was under US influence followed a pro-Israel policy.Now the transition government in Egypt has already called upon the United States to support Palestinian independence. Popular uprisings elsewhere will influence the governments in the Arab world to be more sensitive on the Palestinian issue. There is little doubt of deep the support in the Arab and Muslim Street for the Palestinians.
As regards Turkey, Ankara’s relations with Israel have plummeted to very low depth with nine Turks killed by Israeli commandos on Mavi Marmara carrying aid for embattled Gaza citizens. Ankara recently withdrew its ambassador from Tel Aviv and asked Israel to apologies.Since many years Ankara has regularly criticized Israel and its policies.When Israel was reported to be interfering in north Iraq with the aim of creating problems in Turkey’s Kurdish South East, Turkish PM Tayep Erdogan had accused Israel of state terrorism in Gaza. Many other countries have made declarations of support but the critical issue is what the EU countries and the U.S. will do. Catherine Ashton, EU’s senior official told the media that the Palestinian Authority had made significant progress. Its institutions now compared favorably with those in the West. There have been several other positive reports by international institutions like the International Monetary Fund and the U.N. that have studied the police force, municipal services and schools that indicate that the Palestinians are almost ready to run their own state.
But do not rule out Israel’s obduracy and its deep influence in US policy making apparatus and corridors of power.
Before proceeding further let us first have a look at the tortured history of region in general and Palestine in particular.
Almost all the states in the region were once part of the Ottoman Empire and ruled by Caliph Sultan in Istanbul, which apart from Muslim countries in the regions also included Eastern Europe and Balkans right up to the gates of Vienna. As the West European powers from the end of 17 century rolled back the Ottoman arms from the Gates of Vienna,they annexed and began exploiting the former Ottoman territories beginning with Arab Muslim peoples of north Africa.The French, the English and the Italians being the primary beneficiaries.But colonial settlements and genocide of natives took place by Europeans in Americas, rest of Africa and far off Australia, New Zealand too, along with Portuguese,Belgian,Dutch, Spanish and Germans also joining in.The whole of Africa was divided along arbitrary borders, for brutal exploitation, specially by the Belgians and the Dutch.
Most of West Asia fell into European lap after the defeat of the Ottomans which had sided with Germans in WWI.
Background and seeds of Arab-Israeli disputes
Strategically and religiously speaking the Arab-Israeli disputes with its core problem of Palestine is as old as time, beginning from the days of the Trojan wars, the first struggle between the West and the East. Or the expulsion and dispersal of Jews from Palestine ( if true),or from the differences between Prophet Mohammed and the Jews in Medina following the Hijra. Or the Christian Crusades to recover the religious sites in the Holy Land, except that the Crusaders had treated Jews then as brutally as the Muslims. And even the Orthodox Christians at Constantinople. And now, to control the strategic space and exploit energy reserves under Arab lands.
The Tigris and Euphrates region has a turbulent history. Following the exhaustion of the Persian and Roman/Byzantine empires the armies of Islam emerging from the arid sands of the Arabia carved an empire from the Atlantic to China in the 7th Century. But after the Ottoman Sultan annexed the caliphate and guardianship of Mecca and Medina in 16 century, the peninsula became peaceful back water.
In the wake of the rollback of Ottoman Turks from the gates of Vienna, European powers started moving into Islamic lands in North Africa and from 18th century onward progressively colonized them. The British took over Cyprus and Egypt but World War I provided an opportunity for further colonial acquisitions when Turkey sided with Germany. To protect its Indian colonial possession and its lifeline, the Suez Canal, the British encouraged Arabs under Hashemite ruler Sharif Hussein of Hijaj to revolt against the Ottoman sultan caliph in Istanbul and deputed spy T E Lawrence to help out with promises of independence.
But the war's end did not bring freedom as promised; because by secret Sykes-Picot agreement, London and Paris arbitrarily divided the sultan's Arab domains and their warring populations of Shias, Sunnis, Alawite Muslims, Druses, and Christians. The French took most of greater Syria, dividing it into Syria and Christian-dominated Lebanon. The British kept Palestine, Iraq and the rest of Arabia.
When Sharif Hussein's son Emir Feisel arrived in Damascus to claim Syria as promised, the French chased him out. So the British installed him on the Iraqi throne. Feisel's brother Emir Abdullah was granted a new Emirate of Trans-Jordan, east of the River Jordan, created out of wastelands vaguely claimed by Syrians, Saudis and Iraqis.
By the 1917 Balfour Declaration, Britain had also promised a homeland for Jews in Palestine. Under the Versailles conference in 1920, Britain was made the mandatory power for Palestine, which appointed Samuel Butler, a liberal Jew, as the first high commissioner to facilitate Jewish immigration and their settlement. So the European Jews began migrating to Palestine, and the trickle became a flood with the rise of anti-Semitic policies in Nazi Germany and elsewhere in Europe. From then on started fights, pogroms and battles between Palestinian Arabs and Jewish immigrants. After World War II, the State of Israel was carved out of British Palestine by the United Nations in 1948, but it was not recognized by the Arabs. The United States recognized Israel but not Palestine. In the ensuing first 1948 Arab-Israeli war, which the Arabs lost, Israel expanded its area, while Jordan in collusion with Israel annexed the West Bank and Egypt took over Gaza.
As if the Palestinians were then just another Arab people up for grabs.
After the rise of Arab nationalism in the early 1950s led by Colonel Gamal Nasser of Egypt, socialists and nationalists, mostly military officers, took over the decaying medieval kingdoms of Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Libya, much to the consternation of Western oil companies. The Anglo-French attempt in collusion with Israel to cut Nasser down to size in the 1956 Suez war, opposed by the US and USSR, was an abject failure. Also a sign that the time of London and Paris was passed.
But in the six-day preemptive war of 1967, Israel captured the West Bank from Jordan and Gaza from Egypt and occupied Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and Syria's Golan Heights. Thus were laid the foundations for Arab-Israeli problems of the region. The core UN Resolution 242 requires that Israel vacate lands it occupied after the June 1967 war.
From its very inception, almost all its neighbors coveted Jordan. But astute King Hussein (who ruled from 1953-99) not only survived a dozen assassination attempts, he also fended off conspiracies against his land. When Hussein died in 1999 of cancer, the kingdom had become a keystone of equilibrium in the region and a modern flourishing state, despite lacking oil or other resources.
Palestinians make up 60 percent of Jordan's population (some Israeli leaders say that in Jordan Palestinians already have their own state). Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) militants and Palestinian army officers conspired against King Hussein (King Abdullah, his grandfather, was assassinated by a Palestinian in 1951), so, he expelled Arafat-led PLO to Beirut in early 1971. The Hashemite Kings rely on tribal Jordanians for security and armed forces and have Chechens as their praetorian guards.
Menachem Begin and Yitzhak Shamir, who became prime ministers of Israel later had fought savage guerrilla battles against the British and the Arab Palestinians to create the State of Israel, were no different from leaders of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and others. The British were unable to handle the turbulent situation and handed over the hot potato to the (UNO), which in 1947 put forward a plan to partition Palestine into Arab and Jewish states.
Since then there have been three regional wars between Israel and the Arabs (1948, 1967 and 1973) and two Palestinian uprisings (intifadas) against Israeli occupation. It was either an Arab wish to control if not destroys the State of Israel or an Israeli attempt to extend its boundaries ( to biblical frontiers ) further into Arab lands. But after every war and uprising more Palestinians came under Israeli control or left their homeland and the refugees now number into millions. After each war Israel gained more territory. In 1948 it extended the Jewish areas under the partition plan to its present internationally recognized borders (but the Arabs of Israel do not have full and equal rights as citizens).
From these areas a large number of Palestinian refugees fled or were forced to flee the Jewish state in 1948. After the wars in 1948 and 1967, Israel began an illegal program of building new settlements in the Occupied Territories, which has continued all along and never really ceased.
The 1973 Yom Kippur war initiated by Egypt made Israel feel vulnerable and not that invincible ( For the first time Israel threatened to nuke Cairo unless--.Since then Israel’s nukes run into many hundreds,the only nuclear armed power in the region.) Only a US military hardware air bridge and other help turned the tide for the Israelis. But Egypt gained little while oil-rich Gulf States became obscenely wealthy with fourfold increase in crude prices, with neo-rich Gulfis lording over in Cairo.
Egyptian President Anwar Sadat made a peace deal with Israel in 1978 at Camp David after his startling 1977 visit and address to the Israeli Knesset (Parliament ). Sadat was later assassinated for this act of treason by his own Islamist group of soldiers. But Egypt got its territory back from Israel, including oil wells in Sinai.
In 1982, when Sharon was defense minister, Israel invaded Lebanon and expelled Arafat and his guerrillas from there. It was then that massacres took place at the Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Chatilla, for which Sharon was blamed after an inquiry. Arafat and his PLO headquarters were shifted to Tunis.
Jordan made peace with Israel after the Oslo Accords. In 1988 it gave up all its claims on the West Bank. But the Israeli conflict with other Arab states such as Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and others persists.
It is said that there can be no war against Israel without Egypt and no peace without Syria (with its armed forces in Lebanon till a few years ago and its support to Hezbollah). With Egypt neutralized, fears of a regional or wider conflagration receded but it stirred up Islamist terrorism, and hatred towards Israel's Western backers, primarily the United States and its poodle UK.France joins up when Syria and Lebanon come up.The hate in the Muslim and Arab world reached very high levels after the illegal US-UK-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and its brutal occupation since then. However all agree that great injustice has been done to the Palestinians, now under Israel control or as refugees spread elsewhere, with millions still living in refugee camps. When former US president Jimmy Carter compared the situation of the Palestinians to apartheid South Africa, he faced the wrath of Jewish community and neo-cons in US and elsewhere.
First Intifada
After its agreement with Egypt, Israel felt that it had resolved the problem of Palestinians under its occupation, which also provided cheap labor. It was then that Palestinians in the Occupied Territories, refusing to be enslaved, revolted. This erupted as Intifada in 1987 in the Gaza Strip and then spread to the West Bank. Later other organizations took over and claimed credit for this spontaneous outburst of anger against repression and thirst for freedom. Except for stone-throwing by children, it was generally free from violence from the side of the Palestinians. These pictures on TV screens around the world brought home the injustice being perpetrated on the Palestinians in their own land and angered the Muslim world in particular.
The 1987 Intifada was somewhat like Mahatma Gandhi's non-violent movement against the British but in a Middle East setting. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan used to screen on its TV channel Richard Attenborough's film Gandhi on the anniversary of Intifada in November, which was easily received in the Occupied Territories, Israel, Syria and the neighborhood. Its implicit message was to keep the revolution (Intifada) non-violent and not let Israel divide the Palestinian people in their struggle. The horrendous results of use of violence with killings of Israelis by suicide bombers countered by carnage and destruction by Israeli military planes, helicopter gunships and missiles in the second Intifada from September 2000 was there for all to see.
Palestine and Gulf war, 1990-91
The US maneuvered Saddam Hussein into the 1991 war but without any strategic pre-planning. The West had supported Iraq's long war against Khomeini's Iran. US had granted loans to Baghdad worth billions of dollars. Amid high tension between Kuwait and Baghdad over common oil wells, two islands, and the return of a $10 billion loan, Iraq threatened Kuwait with war. A few days before the Iraqi invasion on August 2, 1990, US Ambassador April Glaspie told Saddam Hussein that his dispute with Kuwait was a bilateral Arab affair. This was never clearly refuted by the US and Ambassador Glaspie disappeared from view. Meanwhile, all attempts to find a peaceful solution to the Iraq-Kuwait row by Arab nations, led by King Hussein of Jordan and later joined by King Hassan of Morocco, were rebuffed by the US, as was Kuwait's offer of indirect negotiations. Feelers for negotiations by the Saudis were drowned in Western cacophony. Saddam's reported offer to the UN secretary general to withdraw from Kuwait, made just before the US led war, was brushed aside. Efforts by Mikhail Gorbachev, who had just unraveled the USSR, were treated with disdain.
Bush had attacked Iraq in 1991 without informing the UN secretary general, undermining the world body (the 2003 invasion was against UN will and its Charter.) For the countries of the region, the war resolved nothing. Instead, the US made Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and other allies pay through the nose, an estimated $100-$150 billion. Iraq was bombed into the Middle Ages. US and Iraq’s enemy Iran, was the major gainer. Before the war,to guard his back, Saddam agreed to the old boundary with Iran in the Shatt-al Arab waterway, disagreement over which had led to the Iran-Iraq War.
US promises turned sour in the aftermath of the Gulf War. George Bush Sr., also encouraged Iraqis, especially Kurds in the north and Shias in the south, to revolt. Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states, most of which had large Shia populations, were horrified, as a Shia state in south Iraq would strengthen Iran. The prospect of independence for Iraqi Kurds worried Turkey, whose own Kurds were fighting for freedom. The hapless Iraqi Kurds, and the Shi'as paid a terrible price.
Turkish President Turgut Ozal, seduced by US hints of winning "lost" Kurdish areas of north Iraq, became an energetic supporter of the Bush coalition and almost opened another front in the war against Iraq, but was prevented by stiff opposition from his powerful military. But instead of getting oil-rich Mosul and Kirkuk, the economic sanctions against Iraq and closure of the Iraqi pipeline via Turkey cost Ankara $50 billion in lost trade. Unemployment rose as the sanctions halted the 5,000 trucks that used to roar to and from Iraq daily, aggravating the economic and social problems in Turkey's Kurdish heartland of rebellion.
A Turkish deputy prime minister once ruefully told this writer, "Mr. Ambassador, you cannot trust the Americans, not even their written promises." A sobering thought for those who support the US blindly.
Saudi Arabia was misled in 1991 by doctored evidence of Saddam's intentions. The stationing of US troops on sacred Arabian soil after the war was resented by Arabs and Muslims all over the world. They also oppose oppressive pro-US Arab regimes and their siphoning off of oil wealth. After September 11, most Muslims saw the Arab-Israel conflict and US illegal invasion of Iraq as part of Crusade versus Jihad (In fact this is the word George Bush used after 11/9.)
But Palestinians and their cause suffered the most both after 1991 war on Iraq and the 2003 invasion.Saddam Hussein was a staunch supporter of PLO. Even when financially squeezed he sent money to families of Palestinian suicide bombers. After the liberation of Kuwait in 1991,many Palestinians lost jobs in Kuwait and other Gulf states. But their education, language and ethnic similarity almost makes them indispensable in the Gulf region.
Israel and Palestine
It is amazing that those who suffered so much in the Holocaust, an acme of western material civilization i.e. use of the last Jewish bone and for centuries earlier because of blind prejudice in Europe and elsewhere are so capable of inflicting the same unspeakable horrors on the lives of others. What the Israelis are doing is indeed the action of "terrorists" who accuse Palestinians of "terror". When a person has to turn himself or herself into a human bomb in order to fight for a cause, when children throw stones at tanks, these are acts of desperation from an oppressed people.
Israel is a powerful country, backed by the mighty power of the United States, both in money and in arms. Jews in US and neo-cons support Israel with Jewish AIPAC blackmailing US leaders and lawmakers by threatening to defeat them at polls by their financial and media clout.The world recognizes the plight of the Palestinians, and understands it, but is unable do much about such incredibly inhumane deeds and events.
Israeli solutions!
Since the occupation of Palestinian territories after the 1967 war, the major policy debate in Israeli military and political elites has been about how to keep maximum land (and water and other resources) with minimum Palestinian population. Annexation of heavily populated Palestinian land, with high birthrates, would create a "demographic problem" and reduced Jewish majority. So two solutions were considered. Massive emigration from Russia was encouraged and organized in the early 1990s. The Labor Party's Alon plan consisted of annexation of 35-40 percent of the Occupied Territories, and either Jordanian rule or some form of autonomy for the remaining land to which the Palestinian population would be consigned.
It was a compromise since it was inconceivable to repeat the "solution" of the 1948 independence war, when much of the land was obtained "Arab-free", after mass expulsion of the Palestinians (nearly 700,000 were forced to flee). But in keeping with late Sharon's character, the second solution became the mission i.e. how to get more land by finding a more acceptable and sophisticated "1948-style" solution, i.e. squeeze out as many Palestinians as possible. "Jordan is Palestine" was the phrase Sharon and other leaders had repeated in the 1980s.
The 1993 Oslo Accords were along the lines of the Alon plan to which Arafat had agreed. In the past, the Palestinians had always opposed such plans, which would take away too much of their land. Arafat had agreed only because he was getting old and losing his grip on the Palestinian society. There was opposition to his dictatorial one-man rule and open corruption in his organization. Funds meant for the PLO were distributed among close associates (some of them look too well fed and content), which was talked about openly. This is a problem with all revolutionary organizations when they acquire levers of power.
Only an apparent "smashing victory" could have kept Arafat in power. So behind the back of the Palestinian negotiating team headed by Haider Abd al-Shafi, Arafat accepted an agreement that left all Israeli settlements intact, even in the Gaza Strip, where Israeli settlers occupied one-third of the land, while a million Palestinians are crowded in the rest. But as time went by, Israel extended the "Arab-free" areas by new settlements and connecting roads etc in the Occupied Territories to about 50 percent of their land. Labor circles began to talk about the "Alon Plus" plan, namely even more land to Israel. That would have still allowed some kind of self-rule in the remaining 50 percent of land under Palestinians, but like Bantustans in South Africa. Palestinians would be left with less than 20 percent of 1945 Palestine under the British mandate. This is what Sharon dreamt to break the unity of Palestine nationalism.
At the time of Oslo Accords, the majority of Israelis were tired of war. They thought fights over land and water resources were over. Haunted by the memory of the Holocaust, most Israelis believed that the 1948 War of Independence, with its horrible consequences for the Palestinians, was necessary to establish a state for the Jews. But now both sides with their states could live normally and peace-fully. Most people on both the sides believed that what they were witnessing were just "interim agreements" and that eventually the occupation would somehow end, and the settlements would be dismantled. Two-thirds of Jewish Israelis supported the Oslo agreements in the polls. It was obvious there was no stomach for any new wars over land and water.
But the ideology of war over land never died out in the army, or in the circles of politically influential generals, whose careers moved from the military to the government. From the start of the Oslo process, the maximalists objected to giving even that much land and rights to the Palestinians. This was most visible in military circles, whose most vocal spokesman was then chief of staff Ehud Barak, who objected to the Oslo agreements from the start. Another beacon of opposition was, of course, late Ariel Sharon. In 1999, the army got back to power through the politicized generals - first Barak, and then Sharon.
So the maximalist generals-turned-rulers decided to correct what they view as the grave mistakes of Oslo. In their eyes, Sharon's alternative of fighting the Palestinians to the bitter end and imposing new regional order may have failed in Lebanon in 1982 because of the weakness of the soft Israeli society, but given the new war philosophy established through US military operations in Iraq, Kosovo, and, later, Afghanistan, the political generals believed that with Israel's massive air superiority, it might still be possible to execute that vision. However, in order to get there, it was first necessary to convince the Israeli society that, in fact, the Palestinians were not willing to live in peace, and was still threatening Israel's very existence. Sharon alone could not have possibly achieved that, but Barak did succeed with his generous offer- fraud. There was no real offer on the table. It was a media-assisted creation like the belief created in the US population that Iraqis were responsible for September 11.
”The Israeli press is as obedient as elsewhere, and it recycles faithfully the military and governmental messages. But part of the reason it is more revealing is its lack of inhibition. Things that would look outrageous in the world are considered natural daily routine.” Tanya Reinhart
Earlier the world was made to believe that Israel was willing to withdraw even from the occupied Syrian Golan Heights. In the polls, 60 percent of the Israelis, hoping for peace, had enthusiastically supported dismantling all settlements in the Golan Heights. But the end of this round of peace negotiations ended in the same way as with Palestinians. It was made out that Syrian leader Hafiz al-Assad did not comprehend and had let the opportunity slip. Israelis then became convinced that it was the rejectionist Assad who was unwilling to get his territories back and make peace with Israel. Assad was a cool and wise statesman and was not fooled. Those close to the military now say that Hezbollah, Syria and Iran tried to trap Israel in a "strategic ambush" and that Israel had to evade that ambush by setting one of its own, i.e. another war like the 1967 preemptive war. And they are encouraging hawks in the US administration in that direction. The US and UK have shown the way in Iraq by their war on Iraqis to disarm Saddam Hussein of weapons of mass destruction.
Why did Barak permit Sharon a provocative visit to Temple Mount/Haram to ignite the boiling frustrations accumulated in the Palestinian society? The massive security forces used rubber bullets against unarmed demonstrators. When the visit triggered more demonstrations the next day, Barak escalated the shootings and ordered Israeli forces and tanks into densely populated Palestinian areas. By all indications, the escalation of Palestinian protest into armed clashes could have been prevented had the Israeli response been more restrained. Even in the face of armed resistance, Israel's reaction had been grossly out of proportion, as stated by the General Assembly of the UN, which condemned Israel's "excessive use of force" on October 26, 2000.
The first Palestinian terrorist attack on Israeli civilians inside Israel took place on November 2, 2000, a month after Israel used its full military machine against Palestinians including helicopters, tanks and missiles. So it was not defense against terrorism as claimed by Israel. It would appear that another plan to destroy the Palestinian infrastructure and to discredit Arafat, i.e. that he had never given up the "option of violence", was ready in October 2000 and are contained in a manuscript known as the "White Book".
Late Professor Tanya Reinhart suggests in her book Israel/Palestine that despite the horrors of the past two years, there was still another alternative. "Israel should withdraw immediately from the territories occupied in 1967. The bulk of Israeli settlers (150,000 of them) are concentrated in the big settlement blocks in the center of the West Bank. These areas cannot be evacuated overnight. But the rest of the land (about 90-96 percent of the West Bank and the whole of the Gaza Strip) can be evacuated immediately. Many of the residents of the isolated Israeli settlements that are scattered in these areas are speaking openly in the Israeli media about their wish to leave. It is only necessary to offer them reasonable compensation for their property. The rest... are a negligible minority that will have to accept the will of the majority."
That would leave only six to 10 percent of territories under occupation with large settlement blocks. This, along with the issues of Jerusalem and the right of return, could be left for negotiations, after the Palestinian society begins to recover, settle on the land that the Israelis evacuate, construct political institutions and develop its economy. According to a Dahaf poll of May 6 solicited by Peace Now, 59 percent supported a unilateral withdrawal of the Israeli army from most of the Occupied Territories, and dismantling most of the settlements. Only this can renew the peace process.
Unfortunately, in the evolutionary ladder of governance, societies have moved up from the tribal model when the warrior chief, sometimes the head priest too, was the ruler. Security of the tribe and wars was their major preoccupation. Israel is the first Jewish state in history after two millennia. It is barely 50 years old. Based on its history of persecution leading to the Holocaust, inputs of messianic religious fervor, labor (kibbutz) ideals and other ideas brought by its ruling elite, mostly from the European states, the warrior-king construct dominates Israel's state philosophy and the political system, situated as it is among almost implacably hostile Arabs (tribes). "The hundreds of ex-generals who man most of the key posts in [the Israeli] government and society are not only a group of veterans sharing common memories. The partnership goes much deeper. Dozens of years of service in the regular army form a certain outlook on life, a political world view, ways of thinking and even language."
Unfortunately, policies and plans of Israel's political generals have now become intertwined into the views of US neo-conservatives. In the name of the fight against terrorism, more terror is being rained by Israel, where stability, security and peace remain elusive.
Gaza Strip: A Veritable Concentration Camp
The Gaza Strip or Gaza is one of the territorial units of Occupied territories.It is 41 km long and 6 to 12 Km wide, with a total area of 360 sq kms, borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. Its population of about 1.6 million, mostly Sunni Muslims are descendants of or refugees form exodus to Gaza in 1948 following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.Its boundaries were confirmed by the Israel-Egypt Armistice Agreement of 24 February 1949. The Gaza Strip remained under Egypt and administered through the Palestine Government and then directly from 1959 until 1967, when Israel occupied it following the Six day war.Following the Oslo Accords between Israel and the PLO in 1993, the Palestine Authority was set up as an interim administrative body but with Israel maintaining control of Gaza ‘s airspace.In 2005 Israel unilaterally disengaged from Gaza. Since July 2007, following the first ever freest elections ( which US led West had insisted on and won by Hamas and a after a battle with PA, Hamas is the effective government in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli occupation (1967–2005)After the June 1967 Six day war, Israel occupied the Gaza Strip and created in all 21 settlements covering 20% of area.Gaza also served its security concerns. The March 1979 Israel -Egypt Peace Treaty provided for the withdrawal by Israel of its armed forces and civilians from the Sinai Peninsula with the Egyptians agreeing to keep the Sinai Peninsula demilitarized. Cairo renounced all territorial claims on it. Until 1994 the Israeli military was responsible for the maintenance of civil facilities and services. After the Oslo Accords in May 1994, a phased transfer of governmental authority to the Palestinians |
MacRae's death. It found evidence to suggest that MacRae had been under surveillance by UK intelligence services and that his death had likely involved foul play.[12]
In 2005 Winnie Ewing's son Fergus, by then an MSP, requested a meeting with Elish Angiolini, Solicitor General for Scotland, to discuss allegations that have persisted that MacRae was under surveillance at the time of his death. The request was rebuffed, with Angiolini claiming that he had not been under surveillance and that she was satisfied that a thorough investigation into the case had been carried out.
In July 2006 a retired police officer, Iain Fraser, who was working as a private investigator at the time of MacRae's death claimed that he had been anonymously employed to keep MacRae under surveillance only weeks before he died.[13] In November 2006 an episode of the Scottish Television show Unsolved examined the circumstances of MacRae's death.[14]
In November 2010 John Finnie, then SNP group leader on Highland Council and a former police officer, wrote to the Lord Advocate urging her to reinvestigate MacRae's death and release any details so far withheld. Finnie's request was prompted by the release the previous month of further details concerning the death of David Kelly.[15] In January 2011 the Crown Office requested the files on the case from Northern Constabulary.[16]
Also in November 2010 Donald Morrison, a former Strathclyde Police officer, alleged that MacRae had been "under surveillance" by both Special Branch and MI5. Morrison had collaborated with former colleague Iain Fraser to discover more about MacRae's death. Morrison called for an enquiry into MacRae's death and promised that he would give it a sworn affidavit that MI5 was involved.[5]
In July 2014 two unconnected plays by George Gunn and Andy Paterson about MacRae's life and death, both coincidentally titled 3,000 Trees, were staged at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.[17][18] One of the plays explored his anti-nuclear campaigning, links with nationalist radicals and allegations that Special Branch and MI5 were surveilling him.[19]
In November 2014 a Scottish Sunday Express front-page article alleged that MacRae had uncovered evidence of the alleged paedophile ring in Westminster during the 1980s. The article suggests he may have been murdered and that the evidence he possessed was stolen at the time of his death.[1]
In April 2015 there was a campaign to have a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) on MacRae's death. It attracted 6,500 signatures in 5 days.[20]
The petition eventually collected over 13,000 signatures and was handed in, in June 2015. The Crown Office rejected the proposal to hold a Fatal Accident Inquiry.[21]
On the Easter weekend of April 2015, the 30th anniversary of MacRae's death, the Scotland on Sunday ran a story claiming that MacRae's Volvo was moved back to the crash site by Northern Constabulary in an attempt to hide that the car had been moved before the bullet had been found – accounting for the discrepancies relating to the gun's distance from the car.[22]
On the same day, one of the journalists involved started crowdfunding for a book on the case titled '30 Years of Silence'.[23]
Following the rejection of the petition for a Fatal Accident Inquiry by the Crown Office, a "Justice For Willie" Campaign group was set up by Mark MacNicol. The campaign decided to launch their own investigation since no official inquiry was forthcoming. They hired two private investigators to re-interview original witnesses from the time of Willie MacRae's death. The results were published in November 2016, and the campaign were unable to find any new evidence to undermine the official suicide verdict.[24]Scientists have been trying to clone woolly mammoths for years, but now they're really close. So close that in five years you may see herds of this gigantic beast—one of the favorite extinct prehistoric animals of the all-time.
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Scientists from Japan's Kinki University and the Sakha Republic's mammoth museum have discovered well preserved marrow in a thigh bone discovered in Siberia, buried under the permafrost. The marrow is in such good condition that its cells' DNA could be used to replace the nuclei of elephant egg cells. This will allow scientist to create mammoth embryos.
The team wants to plant these embryos inside the wombs of elephant mothers so they can grow until birth. Although bigger than elephants, both animals are similar enough for this to work. This is a similar technique used in current cloning processes. The key is that the DNA has to be intact in order for this process to work. This discovery is their chance to achieve their objective.
Bring'em on
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Some may say that we should leave woolly mammoths rest in peace, that we shouldn't play with nature. However, some theories say it were humans who actually drove the woolly mammoth to extinction. Shouldn't we get it back? I say yes!
Every kid in this world, myself included, would love to see these beasts roaming the tundra once again, along with bisons. In fact, I think we should bring more species exterminated by humans back to life. We can start with dodos. As long as we don't bring a group of T-Rex back, we will fine.
Extra points: grilled mammoth chops. [Kyodo News via Daily Mail and AFP]Can the current crop of massively multiplayer games hold my attention? I’ve invested several thousand hours into WildStar since Beta, the same again for Guild Wars 2 (over 3000) and World of Warcraft, I dread to think. In terms of value for money, all these games have been great (even if WildStar is in its infancy). But what concerns me at the moment is what I’m going to play going forward. Considering WildStar has only been released two months, I’ve almost done everything possible with the exception of Raids.
Looking on the horizon, there are too few games coming up that are considered massively multiplayer and that concerns me greatly. As far as niche massively multiplayer games go (Pathfinder Online and Camelot Unchained) I have some excitement for those, but neither are AAA and both, especially Camelot Unchained, are years away.
The next best alternatives (EverQuest Next and Archeage) are also some time away and certainly in the case of the latter, offering absolutely nothing of interest to push the genre forward or keep me hooked. Where EverQuest Next is concerned, it’s fair to say that it’s the only AAA product due within the next three years which leaves me with the question of whether or not I can stomach playing WildStar for that length of time.
On the subject of previous and current MMOG’s I’ve played, the reason why I’ve moved away from them isn’t just because I’d accomplished everything but also because I’d make the mistake of playing other games in the genre. The leap in terms of graphics, concepts and controls from World of Warcraft to Guild Wars 2 was enormous. As a result, there’s no possible way I could ever return to World of Warcraft, regardless of its new content, because the inability to dodge and the lack of a limited action set feels far too stale. To then go from Guild Wars 2’s innovations to WildStar’s further improvements (double jump, sprint, a slicker limited action set and telegraph system) leaves me with no hope of going back and play Guild Wars 2.
The latest Living World looks and sounds fantastic but having downloaded Guild Wars 2 over the weekend, I’ve found it impossible to go back. The engine looks poor compared to WildStar, it doesn’t run particularly great and the lack of a sprint/double jump is something I miss. Worse, the targeted combat system just feels odd in comparison to the aiming required with telegraphs. I find it strange that when I was sinking thousands of hours into the game that I never once noticed these problems. Taking a break from the game has provided a new perspective on the game but in the process ruined Guild Wars 2 at the same time. I’m in no way suggesting WildStar is perfect (it’s absolutely riddled with issues) but the modern engine and snippets of innovations and changes to a traditional format have cemented it as one of my go-to games.
I’ve recently been playing Archeage (or trying) because so many people have raved about the game and yet the moment it loaded I found myself struggling to weigh up the positives against the negatives. You can’t dodge (unless a skill permits it), attacks are all targeted and the engine and its character models are clunky and out of date. For all the sandbox elements it offers alongside an excellent class system, there’s just no way I could play the game. I’d have to consciously overlook the game mechanic issues to uncover what’s underneath and that’s something, with my limited play time, I’m no longer willing to do.
That brings me nicely onto EverQuest Next and while it doesn’t have double jump, it does have parkour movement, a sprint, dodge and if the videos are to be believed, combat equal to WildStar. Better yet, terrain is completely destructible. It’s a perfect example of incremental improvements that I know will result in me struggling to return back to WildStar once I’ve dipped my toe into Next.
In the interim however, what am I to do? I could make another character on WildStar and attempt to raid (if I can find a competent guild) but realistically, it might only last another 12 months if Carbine provide some thumping content. The only alternative I can think of, if WildStar doesn’t continue to hold my attention, is to buy a PlayStation 4 and Destiny. It might not be a fantasy setting and it might be a first person shooter, but it’s good. As to whether I want to spend several hundred dollars obtaining a console for just one game is another matter and there’s a discussion to be had there between my wife and I...
I suppose I could always wait until March 2015 for its PC release and during that time, pray that a development studio picks up World of Darkness.Taking a ninth-grade ethnic studies course boosted the grades, attendance and course completion rates of San Francisco students who started high school with an academic record that indicated future failure, according to a newly released Stanford University study.
In fact, the academic benefits of the course were so significant, the researchers who conducted the Stanford study said they were shocked by their own findings.
The study found struggling students who took ethnic studies went on to compile a C-plus average in their freshman year, compared with a D average for similar students who didn’t take such a course. The ethnic studies students completed four more semester courses than the other students and had nearly perfect attendance, the Stanford researchers found.
Ethnic studies focuses on cultural awareness, ethnic identity and making students aware of race-based oppression. A handful of districts, including Los Angeles, require the course for graduation, but critics have attacked it as racially divisive. Arizona has banned such courses from public schools.
In San Francisco, school district officials created ethnic studies as a pilot program in 2010 and expanded it to all high schools this year, hoping it would make school more relevant to the city’s largely nonwhite student body.
School board members believed the course would help students feel more engaged, and that in turn, the students would enjoy greater long-term success. They saw the Stanford findings as vindication for their hunch.
“When you set policy, when you write policy, you're always thinking, ‘What is the impact?’” said school board member Sandra Fewer, who led the effort to add ethnic studies to high schools. “When I heard this, I was just sort of over the moon. I just cried.”
Enrollment varies
Each San Francisco high school has its own process for enrolling students in the class. Some offer it as an elective, while others assign the course to students identified as at-risk — those with lower grades and attendance in middle school.
The Stanford study was led by Professor Thomas Dee, director of the school’s Center for Education Policy Analysis. He said that the findings have yet to undergo peer review but that he was confident they were rock-solid.
Back to Gallery Ethnic studies classes in S.F. surprisingly successful 3 1 of 3 Photo: Lea Suzuki, The Chronicle 2 of 3 Photo: Lea Suzuki, The Chronicle 3 of 3 Photo: Lea Suzuki, The Chronicle
He said he understood, however, why outsiders might conclude that the reported benefits of taking ethnic studies “strain credibility.”
“No one was more surprised by these findings than I've been,” Dee said. “I don't know when my own research has surprised me more.”
3 schools evaluated
The study evaluated three schools in the San Francisco pilot program where at-risk students were assigned to ethnic studies. The researchers compared those students with others who didn’t take the course, but had grades in middle school just above the at-risk threshold.
It’s unclear whether all students would benefit from taking the course, said Emily Penner, a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford and coauthor of the study. The research also doesn’t indicate whether the course could help students over the long run in terms of graduation rates or college attendance, she said.
Fewer said the study’s findings could argue for extending ethnic-studies coursework to middle schools.
“We’ll see what we can learn from this,” Fewer said, adding that she believes ethnic studies students have already absorbed one valuable lesson: “When you release oppression, you begin to understand you can be anything you want.”
Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: [email protected] Twitter: @jilltuckerEver wonder how much you've spent on Amazon over the years? If you're feeling brave and want to see the total amount, you're in luck, there's a way to check that's easier than you think. Using a tool that Amazon provides — but doesn't advertise — you're just a few clicks away from seeing how much all those late night orders have really cost you. Slides View As: One Page
First, head on over to Amazon.com and log in and view your orders Once you've logged in, click "Your orders" in the top-right corner to be taken to your account page with a ton of order-related options.
Hidden in plain sight is the "Download Order Reports" link. Click on that to be taken to the next step.
Select how far back in your Amazon purchase history you want to go If you want a report of your entire Amazon history, pick January 1st and the year you opened your account; the dropdown under "year" only goes back that far. Then click "use today" for the second date. Once you're done, click on "request report" and in a minute or so a.csv file will automatically be downloaded.
Now it's time to open the file you just downloaded using the right program That CSV (Comma Separated Values) file you just downloaded is effectively information that needs to be read by a spreadsheet program. If you have Microsoft Excel or a program like it, use that to open the report. If not, go to Sheets.Google.com, and click on "Blank."
Once you're in a spreadsheet program, it's time to look at the data Once you have a blank spreadsheet, click on File, then Open, and then Upload. Now you can upload your CSV file, which when opened will show you every transaction you've made on Amazon.Is it Really Bee-cause of Culture?
Update 06/12/05
I won't be discussing the obvious mental abilities of South Asian-Americans due to their relative newness and unusual selectivity, but, as seen in Scott's post below, a frequently raised explanation for why American ethnic groups differ in performance, such as why East Asian-Americans score higher than white Americans in academics and on IQ tests, and also why African-Americans score lower, is that the differences are due to different cultural values (Warren Bell and Jonah Goldberg also raised the culture objection over at National Review to Cochran and Harpending's Ashkenazi paper). There are a number of reasons to doubt this. For one, the sociological literature doesn't seem to show it. As Stanley Sue and Sumie Okazaki pointed out in their 1991 American Psychologist paper, Asian American Educational Achievements: A Phenomenon in Search of an Explanation, the parenting styles and values found in East Asian-American homes tend to correlate with lower test scores when they are found in white homes. Further, even according to what we see in Roland Fryer's newest paper on "acting white", the idea that blacks have a culture of lower academic values, which is increasingly being embraced by liberals thanks to John Ogbu, is at least highly exaggerated and simply cannot account for the IQ gap. In fact, despite their lower performance, which is genuine, multiple lines of evidence point to African-Americans valuing academics nearly as much as white Americans, if not equally so (for instance spending just as much time on homework. A number of lines of evidence are discussed by Ludwig and Cook in The Black-White Test Score Gap, which you can read here). But an even more profound revelation that causes doubt about cultural explanations is that behavioral genetic experiments show us that home and parental environments don't seem to matter at all. As fantastic as it may be, at least three big studies now show us that unrelated children raised in the same household, as well as parents and their adoptive children, differ in IQ as much as any two strangers randomly picked from the general population. There are IQ similarities in biological families, but we find that once genes are accounted for, there is no residual left to explain.
So there are many good reasons to doubt cultural explanations a priori, but a more direct test is available. One possible way to control for distinct ethnic values is simply to raise the children of higher or lower scoring racial backgrounds in another ethnocultural environment of purportedly different values. If ethnic differences are caused by ethnically different parents, as asserted by gene-disparaging psychologists such as Richard Nisbett, then such a test should settle the issue. The transracial adoption data we have so far doesn't appear to support Nisbett.
One longitudinal study, the only one of its kind, of black children raised in white homes, showed that by highschool these adoptees scored no differently on IQ tests than African-Americans raised by their biological parents. Meanwhile three studies of Asians [1] raised in white families showed higher than average test scores. A problem with these latter three papers of Asian adoptees is that they didn't use control samples of white adoptees. Did the Asian children just score higher because adoptees in general score higher?
A newer study published in the American Journal of Orthopsyciatry allows us to compare adopted white children with, at least small samples of, transracially adopted Asian children to try and answer this question. An advantage of this study is that it used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health which means it was able to compare developmentally mature adoptees in grades 7-12, instead of children at ages like 4 or 6 when differences are less stable. Comparing 350 white adoptees with 24 Asian transracial adoptees, and (a mere) 8 black transracial adoptees, the authors found differences on a number of different dimensions that went in the same direction they usually do, despite the controlled ethnic upbringing (lower scores mean better grades, less learning problems, less delinquency, and more self-esteem):
++++++++++++++++++++ Asian Adoptees +++ White Adoptees ++ Black Adoptees
Grades +++++++++++++++ 1.72 (A-) +++++++++++ 2.25 (B+) +++++++++ 2.67 (B-)
Learning problems +++++++ 1.06 ++++++++++++++ 1.12 +++++++++++++ 1.34
Delinquency ++++++++++++ 0.16 +++++++++++++ 0.20 ++++++++++++++ 0.25
Self-esteem ++++++++++++ 2.07 +++++++++++++ 1.96 ++++++++++++++ 1.78
The small sample sizes cry out for a larger replication (along with the Scarr adoption study which only had 21 black children, but had the advantage of an additional 55 black-white mixed race children who fell in between the white and black children on all academic variables), and other aspects of this study are not compatible with other published studies (i.e. contrary to the Moore study, also used as cultural evidence by Nisbett, it also showed that adopted black children raised in black households performed similarly, even somewhat better than, the transracially adopted black children in this study). But still the differing levels of performance of the transracially adopted black and Asian in this study are compatible with other adoption experiments which show similar results, and casts further doubt on the theory that ethnic differences are due to differences in upbringing unique to separate American ethnic groups (further evidence for this was also demonstrated with another method by Rowe and Flannery who found no unique correlation patterns in the developmental data of different ethnic groups).
The Results showing higher grades for the Asian adoptees is particularly interesting, becuase of the control of white adoptees unique to this study. If Asian academic success was really due to some special set of academic values inculcated by Asian parents (something not demonstrated by the data to begin with), then why do Asians do better academically than whites even when they are raised by white parents? The authors of this paper contend the Asians might have done better academically because the parents may have believed Asians had genetically higher IQs and therefore had higher expectations for them. The authors provide no evidence for this idea except the adopted Asian children's own greater optimism about their academic futures! Quite the tenuous conclusion to take from that fact, but even allowing their interpretation, given that behavior genetic evidence shows that such parental attitudes have no effect on children's scores, there is good reason to doubt this ad-hoc attempt to squeeze cultural rationalizations even into ethnically controlled data. It would be incorrect though to say this matter has been resolved.
Update 06/12/05
I was curious how the adoption data from the new study compares with the high-school grade-point averages (GPAs) of Asians, whites, and blacks in the general population, so I compared it with this data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Since the gaps fluctuate somewhat year to year I averaged the data from 1990, 1994, 1998, and 2000 (It's only high-school graduates, so the gaps should be a little reduced). I wasn't interested in the absolute scores but the differences between ethnic groups, which I've listed below.
Adoption............................................ General
Asian-White: 33 points........................ Asian-White: 15 points
White-Black: 42 points........................ White-Black: 36 points
Black-Asian: 75 points........................ Black-Asian: 51 points
The gaps are surprisingly similar! Contrary to "culture" theory, the ethnic academic gaps are almost identical for transracially adopted children, and to the extent they are different they go in the opposite direction predicted by culture theory. The gap between whites and Asians fluctuated from 19 to.09 in the NAEP data while the gap in the adoption data is from 1/3 to 3 times larger. This is consistent with the Sue and Okazaki paper above which showed that contrary to popular anecdotes, the values that lead to higher academic grades are actually found more often in white homes. In other words Asian-Americans perform highly despite their Asian home cultural environment not because of it. And though the sample is meager, I find it interesting that the gap between the black and white adopted children was virtually identical (within just 4-6 points) to the gap between whites and blacks in the general population, just like in the Scarr adoption study.
[1] Clark, E. A., & Hanisee, J. (1982). Intellectual and adaptive
performance of Asian children in adoptive American settings.
Developmental Psychology, 18, 595599.
Frydman, M., & Lynn, R. (1989). The intelligence of Korean children
adopted in Belgium. Personality and Individual Differences, 12, 13231325.
Winick, M., Meyer, K. K., & Harris, R. C. (1975). Malnutrition and
environmental enrichment by early adoption. Science, 190, 11731175.
The Scarr study also had a small sample of "Asians", but on closer examination a large percentage of them were actually absurdly labeled Native Americans! Amerindians are only "Asians" in the sense that we are all "Africans". The "Asians" in her study unsurprisingly did not score very high.Ethics experts say exhibit of 7ft 7in tall man, who lived in the 1780s, should be removed from display and put to rest at sea
Museum chiefs have rejected a suggestion by law and medical ethics experts that the skeleton of an 18th century man known as the "Irish giant" should be removed from display and buried at sea.
Charles Byrne, originally from County Londonderry, stood just over 7ft 7in tall. He found fame in the 1780s exhibiting himself as a curiosity or "freak" in London. Celebrity life eventually got the better of him, and he took to drink and died at his home in Charing Cross aged just 22.
After his death, his body was acquired by the surgeon John Hunter, and his skeleton remains at the Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons in London.
In the latest issue of the British Medical Journal, Len Doyal, emeritus professor of medical ethics at Queen Mary, University of London, and Thomas Muinzer, a lawyer at the School of Law, Queen's University, Belfast, call for the skeleton to be buried at sea "as Byrne intended for himself".
They accept that the skeleton played an important part in linking the condition acromegaly, where excess growth hormone is produced, with the pituitary gland, which has led to the diagnosis and early treatment of people who have it. Earlier this year, further important research used the DNA from two of Byrne's molars to establish a genetic link between Byrne and several people from a particular area of Northern Ireland.
The authors say that Byrne's wish to be buried at sea was not fulfilled because Hunter, the pre-eminent surgeon and anatomist of the time, was determined to possess Byrne's cadaver for his own purposes.
Byrne told friends that when he died his body should be sealed in a lead coffin and buried at sea, but Hunter bribed one of them and managed to acquire the body, boiling it down to the skeleton.
The authors say: "What has been done cannot be undone but it can be morally rectified. Surely it is time to respect the memory and reputation of Byrne: the narrative of his life, including the circumstances surrounding his death."
They say that now his DNA had been extracted, it could be used in further research.
"Equally, it is likely that if given the opportunity to make an informed choice, living people with acromegaly will leave their bodies to research or participate in it while alive, or both.
"Finally, for the purposes of public education, a synthetic archetypical model of an acromegalic skeleton could be made and displayed.Indeed, such skeletons are now used in medical education throughout the world."
Dr Sam Alberti, director of the Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons, said: "The Royal College of Surgeons believes that the value of Charles Byrne's remains, to living and future communities, currently outweighs the benefits of carrying out Byrne's apparent request to dispose of his remains at sea.
"A vivid example of the value of having access to the skeleton is the current research into Familial Isolated Pituitary Adenoma (FIPA).
"This genetically links Byrne to living communities, including individuals who have requested that the skeleton should remain on display in the museum.
"At the present time, the museum's Trustees consider that the educational and research benefits merit retaining the remains."A Florida woman whose controversial conviction and 20-year sentence for firing a warning shot at an abusive ex-husband were recently overturned must remain in jail for at least another week, a judge ruled on Thursday.
Marissa Alexander’s supporters had hoped the mother of three would be set free during her first court appearance since an appeals panel set aside the guilty verdict and prison term last month over the August 2010 shooting.
Instead, circuit court judge James Daniel set a bail hearing in Jacksonville for 8 November, and ordered that Alexander, 33, face a new trial to begin on 31 March next year. Hers is one of a number of recent high-profile self-defence cases involving Florida’s stand-your-ground laws and is being pursued by Angela Corey, the state attorney who put George Zimmerman on trial for murder this summer over the February 2012 killing of the unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin in Sanford.
Several dozen of Alexander’s supporters were at the courthouse on Thursday to protest against the decision to keep her in prison and to put the case before a new jury instead of letting her walk free.
“Justice was not served for Marissa today,” said Marcia Olivo, gender justice coordinator of the Miami Workers’ Center.
“State Attorney Corey had an opportunity to show support to victims of domestic violence and reassure them that the system is there to protect and not criminalise victims. She chose not to do that. We are disappointed but not discouraged and will continue to fight until justice is realised for Marissa.”
Alexander was convicted in May 2012 of aggravated assault with a weapon for the incident almost two years earlier in which she said she fired the single “warning shot” to prevent a violent attack by Rico Gray, her former husband.
She had given birth just nine days earlier, and her defence lawyers claimed she was trying to protect her own life and her children’s as Gray charged at her. It followed many years of abuse by Gray, they said, which had led to her taking out a domestic violence injunction against him.
Nobody was injured, but prosecutors argued that the bullet, which hit a wall and went through a ceiling, had recklessly endangered two of her stepchildren who were in the home at the time.
Under the stand-your-ground law, introduced in Florida in 2005, a person is not required to retreat when under attack and is permitted to use deadly force if she feels her life is in danger. But trial judge Libby Senterfitt refused to allow Alexander to use the defence because she had to gone to her garage to retrieve the gun from a car before returning to the house.
Alexander was convicted after a two-day trial and given a mandatory 20-year sentence, which would not have seen her eligible for parole until February 2031. But Florida’s first district court of appeal ruled last month that instructions given to the jury improperly shifted the burden of proof from the prosecution to the defence, and overturned the conviction.
Bruce Zimet, a Fort Lauderdale-based lawyer who will represent Alexander at her new trial next year, has said he will seek to present some kind of stand-your-ground defence, but will not seek a separate hearing on the issue. He said he expects the second trial to last considerably longer than the May 2012 one.
The tactic is similar to that used by Zimmerman’s lawyers, who waived their right to a standalone hearing that could have given their client immunity from prosecution and preferred instead to present elements of the law to the jury as part of his wider self-defence argument.
Alexander’s case, which was already the subject of a clemency petition to Florida’s governor Rick Scott, gained further national attention following Zimmerman’s acquittal in July and a series of rallies in support of her in cities around the country on 14 September, her birthday.
The Free Marissa Now campaign group said it wanted to raise $10,000 by the end of the year to help pay for Alexander’s defence.
“Marissa has been victimised twice, once by her abusive ex-husband and again by the state of Florida, which has stolen nearly three years from her life for an act of self-defence that injured no one,” said spokeswoman Aleta Alston-Toure.
“While the Free Marissa Now campaign is deeply disappointed in the ongoing targetting of this survivor of domestic violence by prosecutors, we remain steadfast and more committed than ever to keep organising until we see Marissa Alexander freed from prison.”Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Creek Stewart of Willow Haven Outdoor.
As a Survival and Preparedness instructor, I take my line of work very seriously–sometimes too seriously. Occasionally, though, I like to take on survival projects that are just downright fun. This article highlights one of those projects.
I’m fortunate in that I’ve been able to turn my passion into my profession–this being the study of Survival and Preparedness. I’ve always enjoyed building survival kits of all shapes and sizes. I enjoy the challenge of fitting lifesaving survival necessities into small compact containers. I’ve built survival kits using film canisters, candy tins, key-rings, boxes, bottles, tubes, bags and everything in-between. For this project, I decided to build a survival kit using a shotgun platform–creating the Ultimate Survival Shotgun. My challenge was that everything had to be included in or on the gun itself–no extra pack items or containers. Below is what I did as well as the survival logic behind each decision.
Ultimately your survival needs fall into five main categories. Your situation dictates the order. They are:
Water
Fire
Shelter
Signaling
Food
Every survival kit must include contents that directly or indirectly meet these five basic survival needs. The shotgun platform I decided to use is the Mossberg 500 – PUMP. I chose a pump action because it is easier for me to troubleshoot and work on in the field compared to other models. I chose the Mossberg brand because it is a very popular gun, and there are literally hundreds of aftermarket modification pieces and parts designed to fit this gun. I knew I would want to add on some of these extras to increase the gun’s survival value. Below is a photo of the shotgun “off the shelf”–before my survival modifications.
I will now break down each survival modification and detail why it was included in the final build.
Ammunition
First things first: the gun itself. A shotgun’s primary purpose is hunting. Clearly, you can use this shotgun as a hunting weapon to “restock” on valuable calories. Humans can go for three weeks without food, but it’s not fun. Lack of food leads to light-headedness, weakness, and poor decisions. In a survival situation, meat is the fastest and most effective way to replenish lost calories. Meat comes in all shapes and sizes. Carrying different shot shells designed for different applications increases your chances of a successful hunt. For this reason, I chose to pack a variety of shotgun shells:
Bird Shot : Designed for birds and other small game such as rabbit and squirrel.
: Designed for birds and other small game such as rabbit and squirrel. 00 Buck: Good for turkey and larger game such as deer.
Good for turkey and larger game such as deer. Slug: Designed for large game such as deer, hog, or elk.
In addition to hunting, a shotgun is an excellent self-defense weapon. It’s easy to imagine the need for a self-defense weapon in an urban or wilderness survival scenario–defending you or your family from man or animal. Not only is a pump action shotgun a proven deterrent, but it also has some serious knockdown power. Because of these 2 considerations (hunting & self defense), I wanted to carry as much ammo on the gun as I could. I filled the magazine and the chamber which holds 7 + 1. I also added a side saddle shell holder and a screw on stock mount shell holder which together extends my total capacity to 19 rounds of ammunition. Not bad at all.
Signal Flares
You are probably wondering what the short orange rounds are on the stock side saddle. These are specialty signaling flare rounds designed for 12 gauge shotguns. These flares fire over 300 feet and can be seen for miles. They are the perfect signaling solution for a shotgun survival kit. Not only are these EXCELLENT rescue signals but they can also be fired into a prepared fire pit to start a fire. In survival, multi-use products are key.
Knife
I know from experience that one of the most important survival resources is a good quality knife. It can assist in almost every survival related task. I found a great 5” Ka-Bar brand knife designed to mount directly to a picatinny rail. The stock Mossberg shotgun does not have picatinny mounts, so I purchased a barrel mount picatinny rail unit. This makes the knife easily accessible for quick deployment. A knife can perform thousands of survival tasks including dressing game, cutting wood and cordage, striking a fire steel, digging, scraping, prying, slicing, and the list goes on and on. I prefer a larger survival knife, but this one will work just fine. I sacrificed size for the seamless integrated mount option.
Flashlight
Another tool that assists in survival is a light source. Without a flashlight, low-light work or travel can be very difficult & dangerous–sometimes impossible. Not only can a flashlight allow you to be productive in low-light conditions, but it can also be used as a nighttime signaling device. A good flashlight can also help prevent injuries in dark conditions. I purchased a flashlight with a picatinny rail holder for the other side of my barrel. The push button switch on this flashlight is also a compass. Now, I have a means to confirm direction as well. This can certainly be useful in any survival scenario.
Storage
At this point I need to be thinking about storage space to house several other crucial survival items. After much consideration, I opted for 2 additional modifications which gave me 3 separate storage areas. I first replaced the standard stock with an integrated pistol grip/stock combo unit. The rubber butt plate unscrews and detaches, revealing a generously sized compartment inside of the stock.
In addition, the pistol grip is hollow which allows for more storage.
I went one step further and replaced the pump hand grip with a picatinny version mounted on a picatinny compatible vertical grip.
Fire
This particular grip is already designed to store extra batteries and has a water tight seal. This makes an excellent area to store fire starting materials. In here, I stored 6 waterproof matches and a striker. I also stuffed in some steel wool and a package of WetFire brand fire starting material. Both of these are excellent fire starting aids even in damp conditions.
Before I started assembling items to be stored inside of the stock, I carved a groove along the top of the stock to fit a blank fire steel rod. I used epoxy to permanently secure this in place. I like the idea of having quick access to the fire steel without taking the time to open a storage area. Using the back side of the Ka-Bar, I can strike a shower of sparks into one of my fire starting materials to quickly ignite a fire.
Multi-Tool
In the hollow pistol grip I stored |
you are lazy, or just want to play with the code, you can find a compilable set of source files for it at Libadalang’s repository on GitHub (look for ada2web.adb). If you are interested in how to use name resolution in your own programs, we will use this blog post to show how to use Libadalang’s name resolution to expand our previous code highlighter.
Note that if you haven’t read the previous blog post, we recommend you to read it as below, we assume familiarity with topics from it.
Where are my source files?
Unlike lexical and syntactic analysis, which process source files separately, semantic analysis works on a set of source files, or more precisely on a source files plus all its dependencies. This is logical: in order to understand an object declaration in foo.ads, one needs to know about the corresponding type, and if the type is declared in another source file (say bar.ads), both files are required for analysis.
By default, Libadalang assumes that all source files are in the current directory. That’s enough for toy source files, but not at all for real world projects, which are generally spread over multiple directories in a complex nesting scheme. Libadalang can’t know about the files layout of all Ada projects in the world, so we created an abstraction that enables anyone to tell it how to reach source files: the Libadalang.Analysis.Unit_Provider_Interface interface type. This type has exactly one abstract primitive: Get_Unit which, given a unit name and a unit kind (specification or body?) calls Analysis_Context’s Get_From_File or Get_From_Buffer to create the corresponding analysis unit.
In the context of a source code editor (for instance), this allows Libadalang to query a source file even if this file exists only in memory, not in a real source file, or if it’s more up-to-date in memory. Using a custom unit provider in Libadalang is easy: dynamically allocate a concrete implementation of this interface, then pass it to the Unit_Provider formal in Analysis_Context’s constructor: the Create function. Libadalang will take care of deallocating this object when the context is destroyed.The phrase "ketchup is a vegetable" is coming up a lot in discussions of President Reagan's recent demise. What's the story behind that line? Who classifies ketchup, or any other food, as a vegetable, meat, legume, etc? Why do they feel a need to make these official classifications? Who in the Reagan administration actually made that decision? I've also heard that the ketchup-as-vegetable thing was really Carter's doing and that salsa was classified as a vegetable by Clinton. When I search for the origin of the phrase, all I get are a bunch of political sites repeating it without explanation.
Cecil replies:
No wonder. The story is so convoluted that it defied simple explanation at the time. Even today, the episode can be plausibly presented (depending on the political leanings of the presenter) as either a simple bureaucratic screwup or an unsuccessful effort by the right to pursue its agenda at the expense of the nation’s kids.
Ketchup and other food products are classified for different purposes by different agencies under a wide variety of federal programs. The classification in this case was by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for its subsidized school lunch program. Then as now, local school districts could receive reimbursement for each lunch served provided it met minimum standards. In mid-1981, only a few months after Reagan took office, Congress cut $1 billion from child-nutrition funding and gave the USDA 90 days — the blink of an eye, for the federal bureaucracy — to come up with new standards that would enable school districts to economize, in theory without compromising nutrition.
The USDA convened a panel of nutritionists and food service directors to ponder what to do. One option on the table — no one later would admit to putting it there — was to “accept catsup as a fruit/vegetable when used as an ingredient.” Some panel members seized on this as an opportunity to discuss whether to count ketchup even if used as a condiment. From what I can tell, the motive wasn’t so much penuriousness as trying to face facts about what kids would actually eat. USDA standards at the time required that a reimbursable lunch consist of five items: meat, milk, bread, and two servings of fruit or vegetables. Many kids refused to eat the veggies and the stuff wound up as “plate waste.” Would-be realists on the panel reasoned that if they could count ketchup as a vegetable they could meet federal standards without having to throw away so many lima beans, thereby saving money while having no impact on the kids. Looked at in a certain light, it made sense. Ketchup wasn’t the only newly permissible substitute: pickle relish and conceivably other condiments could also count as vegetables (precise interpretation was left to state officials); protein sources like tofu or cottage cheese could replace meat; and corn chips, pretzels, and other snacks could replace bread. Minimum portion sizes were also reduced, purportedly another effort to reduce waste.
Mid-level Reaganauts at the USDA saw all this as a matter of giving the states more latitude; wiser heads might have realized that the rest of the world would see it as taking food away from children. Unfortunately for Reagan, the 90-day deadline allowed no time for higher review. When the proposed new rules were released for comment in September 1981, food activists went ballistic. Democratic politicians staged photo ops where they feasted on skimpy-looking meals that conformed to the new standards. The mortified administration withdrew the proposal and the USDA official in charge of the program was transferred, a move widely interpreted as a firing. One person who didn’t come out of the mess with ketchup on his face was Jimmy Carter, who’d had nothing to do with it.
So, a garden-variety goof, right? It looked worse than that, thanks to agriculture secretary John Block, an antiregulatory zealot who attempted to defend the new rules after the fact, claiming they’d been misunderstood. Nonsense; they were just stupid. All intentions aside, counting condiments as vegetables and reducing portion sizes were an invitation to abuse. A few months later the USDA adopted for preschools and elementary schools a more sensible policy already used in high schools, called “offer vs. serve” — schools still had to offer the five meal components, but students could refuse any two. In the 90s, the Clinton administration got little grief when it proposed counting salsa as a vegetable, as properly made salsa has more nutritional heft than sugar-laden ketchup.
A reprise of the ketchup fiasco loomed recently when a federal judge approved new USDA regs classifying batter-coated french fries as a fresh vegetable. Another attempt by the GOP to feed junk food to the playground set? Actually, it had more to do with creditor priority during bankruptcy settlements, believe it or not — but please, don’t ask me to explain more than one bit of bureaucratic arcana at a time.
Send questions to Cecil via [email protected] Hyperloop, just an idea in the mind of Elon Musk two years ago, is moving closer to becoming reality.
Hyperloop Transportation Technologies has signed an agreement with a developer in central California to build a five mile Hyperloop line in an area along Interstate 5.
"This is big step," said Dirk Ahlborn, CEO of the JumpStartFund, which created Hyperloop Transportation Technologies last year. "It's time to take the Hyperloop from concept and design and build the first one."
The deal signed with developers of Quay Valley in central California calls for construction to start next year and be completed by 2019. Ahlborn estimates the five mile Hyperloop will cost about $100 million to build.
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"This is a phased process. We've done feasibility studies and now we will be able test all aspects of the Hyperloop," said Ahlborn.
The Hyperloop is the idea of Tesla Motors (TSLA) and Space Exploration Technologies founder Musk, who outlined a vision for transporting people at high speeds in a capsules that will be pushed through a series of tubes stretching over thousands of miles.
After announcing his idea, Musk said he would not fund or actively work on any projects to build the Hyperloop. Musk has since announced plans to build a Hyperloop test track in Texas.
How will Hyperloop Transportation Technologies pay for the initial stretch?
Much of the funding will come from an IPO of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies. Ahlborn is targeting the IPO to raise at least $100 million and come to the market later this year.
"We've been contacting potential suppliers and we think this first commercial application of the Hyperloop will be successful when it is built," he said.I am a self confessed fanatic when it comes to TCGs and I love one more so than the rest: Yu-Gi-Oh! I’ve been playing since the start of the game, and I instantly fell in love with it’s visual style, quirky Monsters, and fast-paced gameplay.
Yu-Gi-Oh! has been going for nearly 15 years now, so it can seem bewildering at first where to get started with the game. That’s why I’ve stepped up to share my experiences and hopefully offer some worthwhile advice to all the fledgling duelists out there. Hang on to your hats, because it’s time to d-d-d-duel!
Introduction to the Game
The Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game is a turn based card game where you Duel an opponent and their Deck. Your main objective is to Summon cards and eventually reduce their Life Points to zero.
Yu-Gi-Oh!, originally referred to as Duel Monsters in the popular animated TV series, saw a protagonist fight off the forces of evil using his deck and a little help from the magical power of the bond between friends (such clichés sadly only exist in the realm of the show and play no part in the actual card game, which at the highest competitive level can be quite brutal). Unfortunately, there are no millennium items, dueling motorcycles, or even dueling partners from another realm, but the TCG game is still exciting nevertheless.
For a thorough guide on the basics of card design and the rules on how to play the game in detail, I would recommend that you look at the official website, or read the rulebook. I will glance over a few of the basic elements, but this is not a comprehensive guide on card types or rules. This is a more general introduction into the game, and to help you get started with some basics on how to play at a decent level at the start.
Card Basics
When I first started playing the game over 10 years ago, it was a very basic TCG that didn’t have the highly competitive player base that it does today. I remember picking up both Yugi and Kaiba Starter Decks for myself and my younger brother, who had got me into the game using cards he’d borrowed from his friend.
Our decks mainly consisted of Non-Effect Monster cards, which are commonly referred to as “vanillas” due to not having any effects on them. There very few Effect Monster cards at the time – these have additional effects beyond their basic attack (ATK) and defense (DEF) values. These Monster cards formed the main core of the deck and were usually powered up using Equip Spell cards, which back then were called Magic cards (Wizards of the Coast, who owns Magic: the Gathering, quickly took issue with that, so it was changed!). There were additional Spell cards that help in other ways, and then a few Trap cards played face-down that spring a surprise when you activate them in response to other actions.
Monster cards are the bread and butter of a deck, and they put in most of the work when you’re trying to win a Duel. They contain various effects that will benefit you or hinder your opponent. Sometimes their effects are specific to their archetype (cards that are linked by theme and mechanics which work best together in a deck) and that’s when things get really interesting.
Spell and Trap cards will usually make up the rest of the deck. You’ll also have up to 15 extra cards in a Side Deck that you’ll use for changing your game plan in-between Duels of a Match (which is best of 3 Duels).
You’ll also want to have an Extra Deck (which is, confusingly, different from the Side Deck!). The Extra Deck has a 15 card limit and can only contain ‘Fusion’, ‘Synchro’, and ‘Xyz’ Monster cards. Your regular Monsters in the deck are the tools used to bring out these cards and they often have effects far greater than regular Monster cards. These are the cards that can often turn the tide of a Duel, and most competitive decks rely on a strong, flexible set of Extra Deck cards to Summon during the game.
The Playing Field
Yu-Gi-Oh! Keeps the playing field simple and has only changed recently to include a new zone (called the Pendulum zone). Each player’s side of the field is exactly the same, as you would probably expect. You have five Monster, and five Spell/Trap card zones, a dedicated zone for your Main Deck, located to the right of these, and directly above that is the Graveyard, which is where you’ll place destroyed Monsters and used Spell/Trap cards. To the left is where you’ll have an Extra Deck and Field Card zone. The new Pendulum zones are located between the Extra and Field, and Main Deck and Graveyard zones. Banished cards have never been given the grace of an official zone, a bit like being exiled!
Although there are official locations for cards, some players tend to not follow these and it really isn’t all that wrong. You’ll see this even at high level events where players will have their Main Deck in a horizontal position instead of vertical, which is the official position. Graveyards will be spread out so they can see at a glance what’s been used, or to remind them to activate an effect. You’ll probably find yourself using the same shortcuts later at some point too, so don’t get too hung up on the layout. I myself like to have my Graveyard spread out a bit so I can see what cards I can activate and bring back with effects.
Building Your First Deck
A great way to start building your first deck and understanding synergies between cards is to use Structure Decks as your blueprint. These usually consist of a thematic deck type (called an ‘archetype’) along with cards that will support that theme, and then some generic cards that are useful in any deck. More recently the Structure Decks have started to include more powerful cards that appeal even to veteran players because of their ability to be placed into meta decks.
When you begin to build your first deck, you will want to have a good balance of all the cards available with the ability to make plays on every turn. Think of your cards and Life Points as much of a resource as Magic: the Gathering players use Mana as theirs. You will run into trouble if you fill your deck with high level, powerful monsters and neglect the ability to be able to Summon them using weaker cards as per their Summoning conditions. I made that mistake when I first started playing, as I thought the higher the ATK, the better. We can’t all be like Kaiba and screw the rules by summoning a bunch of monsters in one turn… Wait, now we can due to the power level and speed of the game today!
Deck Building : An Example
Let’s take the Realm of Light Structure Deck, released in late 2014, as an example for theme, synergy, and powerful cards. The Lightsworn archetype mills cards (sending from the top of the deck to the Graveyard) in order to activate their abilities and effects of other Lightsworn cards. The deck’s goal is to be able to summon their “boss monster”, Judgment Dragon by having 4 different named Lightsworn Monsters in the Graveyard.
Here you’ll see Monsters that will summon themselves if milled, or spells that will mill and then let you draw. Lightsworns have often been referred to as ‘Sacksworn’ due to their ability to win from nowhere and through the luck of their milling. They’re often able to quickly summon three Judgment Dragons and swing for massive damage. (Sacking is a term used to refer to winning due to sheer luck.)
What Lightsworns do well is swarming the field quickly and then pushing for the win, but in order to do this, they need a lot of Graveyard setup. This can often be their downfall, as they’ll not mill the right cards in order to summon better monsters.
The meta today is roughly the same, with swarming the field being the main emphasis of the top decks. If you look at deck lists for big events from Konami (Yugioh! Championship Series) and non-sanctioned events (ARG Series), you’ll see a lot of the same decks. This is because there will be an overall consensus of what the best decks are, and this pushes people to play those decks if they want to win.
In essence, what this also does is to create what is known as the ‘Tier’ list. If a deck is ever Tier 0, it is widely considered the only deck to play that format with everything else being Tier 1, 2 or lower (the higher a number it is, the less competitive it is and “lower” down the Tier list). However, it’s not uncommon for lower Tier decks to win against the higher Tiered decks, as it can often come down to the cards drawn.
Being able to draw the right cards and remain consistent is a huge part of being successful at Yu-Gi-Oh! Cards that let you draw or search out other cards are going to be at the core of the deck (outside of the archetype). Next you’ll want cards that will disrupt your opponent’s plays with cards that can negate effects or prevent your opponent from summoning. There are cards, referred to as Floodgates, that do this very well and there is a huge debate as to whether these types of cards are healthy for the meta-game.
Sometimes cards will become more powerful the older they get or due to other interactions with new cards. This is due to the evolving nature of the game as new cards are released. Konami tends to keep these in check though, as they can be banned or limited in their quantity in your deck. You can see all of the cards that have been placed on the official Forbidden & Limited list here.
Unlike all other events, the World Championship has its own Forbidden & Limited list because of the difference in the OCG (Official Card Game) and the TCG. The OCG is played in the Asian territories such as Japan and South Korea. They have a different meta to us because of this and they also get their set releases about 6 months before the Western TCG. Observing the OCG is a great way to see how the meta will change once we get those cards. It isn’t always going to follow the OCG though, as we do get our own exclusive cards in the TCG that can put other decks into the top tiers that weren’t ever part of the OCG meta (such as the Burning Abyss archetype).
Buying Your First Cards
I have been a seller of Yu-Gi-Oh! cards for many years, but before that I was a consumer and that meant trying to source the best places to buy cards. I didn’t have the luxury of buying online and had to go to a local store that sold booster boxes, booster packs and even single cards. Cards were somewhat expensive back then, but never hit the ludicrous prices some cards have reached in recent years, but I should mention that things are more stable now.
Looking into buying for the first time can be extremely daunting, as there are a lot of different sets out there. What I would suggest is (as mentioned before) to buy a few copies of one Structure Deck and also look into sets that contain reprints. This will give you a good start with an archetype that you can play right out of the box, without the headache of trying to find cards that work together. The reprint set will give you access to cards that you can put into the deck to improve its consistency and power.
If you’re left with any spare cards that you may not use, you can trade these to other players at local events and pick up more cards to support your deck, or start to build a new one once you’re confident enough to do so. It would also be a good idea to join forums and look up information on the official site and its blog, as they sometimes have articles written by expert players that contain great strategies and information on the latest set releases.
You’ll eventually build up a collection of cards to call your very own. I have a huge collection from over 10 years of playing and even more because I sell the cards, too. Having a collection you can look at and admire can give you a great feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction. I like to share my collection with other people, show them the cards that I have, and even allow my friends to use the cards I have collected to play at local events. I would only suggest you do the same with people you know and trust, as you will want to keep your cards safe and well protected from thieves.
Playing Against People : Attending Events
This is probably the hardest thing to do for a first time player, or even someone who has been playing for a while online, but now has physical cards and wants to play against people face-to-face. Some people will find this easy to do, as they’re naturally outgoing, but whatever your disposition, there are a few things you need to know before playing against ‘real’ people.
Know your basic rules and how to play the game by looking at the rulebook or official website. This obviously goes without saying in most cases, but sometimes I have sat across the table from an opponent who clearly didn’t understand the rules adequately.
If you ever find yourself in a similar position, I would like to ask you to help that player and not criticize them. Remember that people learn things in different ways, and this may just be their way of learning. You don’t want to deter others from playing the game and we want to promote a healthy atmosphere to all who want to come and play.
If you ever intend to play at larger, official events, you’ll need to invest in some deck sleeves. These are soft plastic sleeves for each individual card in your deck. They not only protect your cards from regular wear and tear, or getting damaged, but they also prevent cheating by ensuring the back of cards is consistent. There are a lot of brands to choose from and some are more costly than others, but I do recommend you get a good brand. My personal preference on sleeves are the ‘Ultra Pro: Pro Matte’ sleeves. These have an anti-glare front and a non-stick back coating which means your cards won’t stick together when shuffling.
Konami runs the biggest sanctioned events, one of which is the Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series (YCS). This is an event that can have over 1000 players and they are a great place to buy cards, trade with other players, make friends and perhaps earn some notoriety by topping the event (finishing in the Top 32). Another non-sanctioned event that draws a high caliber of players is the ARG series. Here you’ll find players who take the game very seriously and are sometimes even sponsored to play, kind of like MLG (Major League Gaming) players for video games.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Also has a World Championship where competitors from around the world play against one another after qualifying from their respective National Championships. If you ever make it that far, I wish you the best of luck and hope that my guide somehow helped you get there, and that you’ll credit me in your winning interview!
Related ArticlesYou all remember the student-led revolution that began at Eastside Catholic High School in Seattle, Washington last month after Assistant Principal Mark Zmuda was forced to resign after school officials confronted him about his sexual orientation and summer wedding:
That forced firing resulted in a massive student protest last month and an even bigger one next week.
The New York Times is covering the controversy in a front-page story today, and I was surprised by a couple of the updates.
First, remember the other teacher at the school who publicly announced her own same-sex engagement after Zmuda was fired? She still has a job!
“It’s great that they’re keeping me, but it’s a little confusing,” said the choreographer, Stephanie Merrow, 41, who taught the school’s students to dance in a 2012 production of “Footloose,” and is now doing the same for this year’s production of “Guys and Dolls.” “I feel for them,” she said. “I think maybe a mistake was made, and now what do they do?”
It’s like the school might be learning from its mistake…
Second, the school’s president, Sister Mary E. Tracy, who had told Zmuda he could have his job back if only he would get divorced, resigned on Tuesday night:
After weeks of protest, she asked Julia Burns, an 18-year-old senior, to share with the public this comment: “I look forward to the day when no individual loses their job because they are married to a person of the same sex.” Sister Mary did not respond to requests for an interview. On Tuesday, when the board announced Sister Mary’s resignation, it called the step “a difficult, but necessary decision so that a new leader can be brought in to ensure the entire Eastside Catholic community is moving forward on a positive path.”
Maybe even she realized she no longer wanted to work for such an awful institution.
There’s going to be a meeting today at which board members are going to have to deal with students, parents, and other donors — many of whom support Zmuda and oppose the Church-supported bigotry they’ve seen in action over the past two months. It’ll be uncomfortable for those board members — and that’s a great sign. I hope the crowd keeps their feet to the fire and makes them feel embarrassed for supporting Church doctrine instead of doing the right thing.This weekend marks the 15th annual Light of Day Foundation's festival to fight Parkinson's disease.
The Light of Day organization, founded by Highland Park's Bob Benjamin, is sponsoring dozens of music events in Asbury Park. The music began last Sunday and continues today and throughout the weekend. A complete schedule may be found at lightofday.org
The main event is this Saturday night at Asbury Park's Paramount Theatre. That show sold out quickly the day it went on sale in November and many are still looking for the elusive ticket. It is a tough one.
The show features La Bamba's Big Band with Southside Johnny and Gary U.S. Bonds, Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers, New York singer-songwriter Willie Nile, the Smithereens' Pat DiNizio, Garland Jeffreys, John Eddie and His Big Ol' Band, Joe D'Urso and Stone Caravan, James Maddock Band, Guy Davis, Sam Llanas (formerly of the BoDeans), Dawg Whistle featuring Rock and Roll Hall-of-Famer Vini Lopez and Paul Whistler, John Easdale and Peter Wood, Williams Honor, Billy Hector, Christine Martucci and Rob Dye.
A highlight of 10 of the past 14 Light of Day main event shows has been the "surprise" appearance of Bruce Springsteen. Bruce has never been advertised to appear at any of the past shows, he has always been a special guest. I have no idea if Bruce will show at this Saturday's main event — there are always rumors of yes and no — but we'll find out on Saturday. He did play last year, but did not attend the show in 2013.
Let's take a look back at Springsteen's 10 Light of Day appearances, from the Stone Pony to the long-gone Tradewinds in Sea Bright to Sayreville's Starland Ballroom and the Paramount Theatre.
Nov. 3, 2000
The Stone Pony, Asbury Park
It was this performance by Springsteen that put Light of Day on the map. After finishing up a 10-night stand at Madison Square Garden to close the Reunion tour on July 1, 2000, Bruce returns to the Stone Pony stage for the first time in more than five years. He joins Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers for a set that runs from 1:30 to 3:15 a.m. Patti Scialfa is also onstage for a few songs at the end.
Set list:
Labor of Love, Brand New Cadillac, Never Be Enough Time, Homestead, Pumping Iron, Murder Incorporated, Talking to the King, Down the Road Apiece, Diddy Wah Diddy, Everything's Going to Work Out Right, Keep a-Knockin', Ramrod, Light of Day, Twist and Shout, I Don't Want to Go Home.
Nov. 3, 2001
Tradewinds, Sea Bright
The only Light of Day show I missed. The Yankees were playing the Diamondbacks in the World Series and I was unable to take the night off from my desk duties at The Star-Ledger. Again Bruce joins Grushecky (this time with the No Spring Chickens), but for a much shorter set of six songs.
Set list:
Talking to the King, Fire, Ramrod, Light of Day, Twist and Shout, Lucille.
Nov. 2, 2002
Tradewinds, Sea Bright
The last Light of Day at the Tradewinds, which closed in 2003. The club was later torn down and luxury homes are now on the site.
Many were surprised Bruce would play this one as he had a show with the E Street Band on the Rising tour the next night in Dallas.
He played earlier than normal, starting at 10:40 p.m. to play nearly an hour with Grushecky and the Houserockers.
After his set with Grushecky, I remember many fans thought he was done for the night. They were stunned and ran back to their prime spots near the stage when he later played with Gary U.S. Bonds.
Set list:
With Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers: I Can't Turn You Loose, Never Be Enough Time, Homestead, 96 Tears (with Garland Jeffreys) / Wild In the Streets (with Garland Jeffreys), Fire, Pumping Iron, Boom Boom, Light of Day, The Twist - Peppermint Twist.
With Gary U.S. Bonds: Jole Blon, Quarter to Three, Having a Party.
Nov. 2, 2003
The Stone Pony, Asbury Park
Light of Day returns to the Stone Pony for a legendary night. It's still talked about more than 10 years later as the night Michael J. Fox came to Asbury Park to jam with Bruce Springsteen. A packed Pony watches Bruce jam with Garland Jeffreys, Grushecky and the Houserockers and Fox.
Set list:
With Garland Jeffreys: Hail Hail Rock 'n' Roll, 96 Tears.
With Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers: Never Be Enough Time, Homestead, From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come), Code of Silence, Fire, Talking to the King, Johnny 99, Murder Incorporated (with Johnny Grushecky), Pumping Iron, Light of Day (with Michael J. Fox), Dirty Water, Twist and Shout (with all performers).
Nov. 6, 2004
The Stone Pony, Asbury Park
Springsteen makes his fifth straight Light of Day appearance, but this night was a bit of a downer for some as it was just four days after George W. Bush won re-election over John Kerry, who Bruce publicly supported and played in support of on the Vote for Change tour. It was a tempered performance by Bruce as he again plays with Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers.
Set list:
Idiot's Delight, From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come), Homestead, Johnny 99, Code of Silence, Atlantic City, Murder Incorporated, Talking to the King, Never Be Enough Time, Mustang Sally, This Hard Land, Light of Day, Land of 1000 Dances, Great Balls of Fire, Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On, Shout.
Dec. 2, 2006
Starland Ballroom, Sayreville
After missing his first Light of Day show in 2005, a bushy-haired Bruce, fresh off his Seeger Sessions tour, is back for a Saturday night of music at Light of Day 7. He performs with Marah (two songs) and later with Grushecky and the Houserockers at the Sayreville nightclub.
Set list:
With Marah: Raise Your Hand, Reservation Girl.
With Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers: Never Be Enough Time, A Good Life, Darkness on the Edge of Town, Talking to the King, Johnny 99, Code of Silence, Atlantic City, Santa Claus is Comin' to Town.
Jan. 16, 2010
Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park
After missing Light of Day in 2007 and 2008, Bruce is back at Light of Day 10 at the Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park for an incredible night that just kept getting better and better.
After finishing the Working on a Dream tour less than two months earlier, he was full of energy performing with Willie Nile, Jesse Malin and Grushecky for a set that ended at 1:10 a.m.
Set list:
With Willie Nile: Heaven Help the Lonely
With Jesse Malin: Broken Radio
With Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers: Atlantic City, Code of Silence, Johnny 99, Never Be Enough Time, Darkness on the Edge of Town, Talking to the King, Pink Cadillac, Murder Incorporated, Another Thin Line, Light of Day, Twist and Shout.
Jan. 15, 2011
Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park
Another magical night for Light of Day 11. Bruce is back again for the second straight year at the Paramount Theatre and even performs two songs solo acoustic. Plus there's a rare performance of "One Way Street" (from "The Promise") that to this date has only been performed live three times.
Bruce guests with Jesse Malin, Willie Nile and Alejandro Escovedo and plays a full set with Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers. The show ends at 1:15 a.m. with a beautiful acoustic version of "Thunder Road" with the entire crowd singing along.
Set list:
With Jesse Malin and the St. Mark's Social: Broken Radio.
With Willie Nile: Heaven Help the Lonely
With Alejandro Escovedo: Always A Friend
Bruce solo acoustic: Your Own Worst Enemy, This Hard Land
With Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers: Another Thin Line, Atlantic City, Never Be Enough Time, Adam Raised A Cain, One Way Street, I'm Not Sleeping, Save My Love, Talking to the King, Pink Cadillac(with Danny Clinch), Darkness on the Edge of Town, The Promised Land, Light of Day, Land of 1000 Dances, Twist and Shout and La Bamba (with all performers), Thunder Road (with all performers).
Jan. 14, 2012
Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park
A night remembered for many reasons, but none more than Bruce performing a beautiful solo acoustic guitar version of "Incident on 57th Street."
Springsteen's ninth Light of Day appearance is maybe the best of all. This is what I wrote in my blog that night:
"It's a show fans lucky to be at the sold-out Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park on Saturday night will not soon forget.
Bruce Springsteen played for close to two hours with Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers at part of Light of Day 12 to benefit Parkinson's disease.
Springsteen also played with two other artists and played a magical acoustic "Incident on 57th Street" before joining Joe Grushecky and his band.
By the time the show ended at 2:10 a.m., with the crowd singing along on an acoustic "Thunder Road," fans walked away knowing they had just witnessed a great night of music.
It was a fun, loose and determined Springsteen performing a 16-song set. He looked ready and set to begin his world tour with the E Street Band coming up in two months."
Bruce again plays with Garland Jeffreys and Willie Nile and the main set is with Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers. Max Weinberg plays on three songs.
Set list:
With Garland Jeffreys: Wild In the Streets
With Willie Nile: One Guitar
Bruce Solo acoustic: Incident on 57th Street
With Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers: Darkness on the Edge of Town, Never Be Enough Time, Adam Raised a Cain, Save My Love, Talking to the King, Atlantic City, Johnny 99, I'm Not Sleeping, Because the Night (with John Eddie, Willie Nile, and Garland Jeffreys), Waitin' On A Sunny Day, Pumping Iron, Light of Day (with Max Weinberg, John Eddie, Willie Nile, Garland Jeffreys, Joe D'Urso, Boccigalupe, Bob Benjamin, et al.), The Promised Land (with Max Weinberg, John Eddie, Willie Nile, Garland Jeffreys, Joe D'Urso, Boccigalupe, Bob Benjamin, et al.), Happy Birthday - Twist and Shout (with all), Thunder Road (with all).
Jan. 18, 2014
Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park
After not performing at the 2013 show, Bruce was back in Asbury Park for the 2014 main event. It was his first performance on a New Jersey stage since playing with the Rolling Stones at the Prudential Center in Newark on Dec. 15, 2012.
The sold-out crowd was treated to an extraordinary evening of music by many artists with the highlight being a 14 song, hour-and-a-half performance by Bruce with Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers that ended at 1:21 a.m.
The set featured the world premiere of a new song "Frankie Fell in Love" off of "High Hopes" and a performance of "Hearts of Stone" which had only been performed by Bruce two other times.
Bruce was in great spirits, looking all ready for his upcoming dates in South Africa and Australia with the E Street Band. He was all over the stage and came out to the front several times to play to the crowd.
Bruce made his first appearance of the evening with Jesse Malin playing the Ramones "Rock and Roll Radio." It was the first time Bruce has ever played on the song. He later joined Willie Nile for "One Guitar"
Here's the world premiere of "Frankie Fell in Love" followed by "Save My Love" by Bruce Springsteen with Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers at Light of Day 14:
Set list:
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of time a mother spends caring for a child under five has risen from 73 minutes a day to 151 minutes. The average for a father has risen from 17 minutes a day to 63 minutes.
6. But parents are not particularly close to their teenage children. Britain is near the bottom of the international league table for 15-year-old girls who find it easy to talk to their mother. The figure for Britain is 72%, compared to the 77% average for developed countries. Only 50% of 15-year-old girls find it easy to talk to their father, which is also below average.
7. Children learn more if their parents spend more time with them. Willetts says IQ is rising in advanced western countries and that advances in IQ match the increase in the amount of time parents spend with their young children. "It is the spread of household goods, increasing the time available for parents to devote to childcare, which is crucial. The microwave oven has raised IQ."
8. Britain's population is forecast to become the largest in the EU by 2040. And by 2060 it's predicted to hit 77m (compared with 72m in France and 71m in Germany).
9. Income tax is a tax on middle-aged men. Men aged 35 to 55 pay £63bn in income tax, two fifths of the total. Men pay £109bn in total. Women pay £40bn in total.
10. Britain is one of the few countries in the EU where more than half of adults (52%) have moved house in the past 10 years. The others are Finland (59%), Denmark (57%), Sweden (56%) and the Netherlands (53%). Willetts says this is evidence of British society being open, market-facing and mobile.Reggie McKenzie is now more than three years into his tenure as the general manager of the Oakland Raiders and needless to say, the results on his watch haven’t been good. McKenzie has overseen a record of 11-37, a string of failed free agent signings, draft pick busts, and had his hand picked head coach fired four games into the season. As the Raiders enter the offseason, McKenzie’s track record has led to an interesting, but unmistakeable power shift within the organization, and has left him in a very awkward position.
Once the Raiders finished their disappointing 2014 campaign, owner Mark Davis took command of the search for a new head coach to replace the fired Dennis Allen, putting himself out front and center. Davis made it clear that he would be taking a more heavily involved role in the process of interviewing and selecting the next head coach of the team.
“I know my limitations and I’m not an X’s and O’s guy. So I need somebody who knows X’s and O’s to sit with me and ask all the football questions.”
Davis’ involvement in the search and hiring process was a direct contrast to the last time the Raiders went looking for a head coach. That year was 2012 and was McKenzie’s first year on the job. They needed a new head coach because McKenzie had fired Hue Jackson – the only coach since 2002 who’d guided the Raiders to a non-losing record (8-8) – and hired an unproven and inexperienced Dennis Allen to run the team.
Despite going to great lengths to convince people that he still supported his GM, given Davis’ very public involvement so far this offseason, it’s hard to believe he actually still retains the same level of confidence in McKenzie. Not only did Davis insert himself into the head coaching search, he seemingly usurped McKenzie’s power by bringing in Raiders icon John Madden to give him advice and help oversee the entire process.
In an interview with Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News, Davis said:
“I know my limitations and I’m not an X’s and O’s guy. So I need somebody who knows X’s and O’s to sit with me and ask all the football questions. The other stuff, I can talk about—macro theory, all those things. But when you put the tape on and start looking at football and why did you do this or do that, I want somebody who knows why you did this.”
One would think though, that as a former player and somebody who’s been around the league for 30 years McKenzie would have a good head for the “X’s and O’s” of the game, and that he could advise Davis in that capacity. But that of course, speaks to the possibility that despite his public stance, Davis’ confidence in his general manager is waning. If it hasn’t already evaporated entirely.
That idea is only reinforced by the recent reports stating that McKenzie was all in with bringing Tony Sparano back in 2015, but was contradicted by Madden who was a strong proponent of Jack Del Rio. Ultimately, Davis took Madden’s advice and has hired Del Rio to lead the team which all but neutered McKenzie in the process. The belief that Del Rio will be given much of the responsibility for helping shape the roster through the draft and free agency further undermines McKenzie by seemingly stripping away even more of his responsibilities.
It’s not hard to see why Davis’ confidence in McKenzie has been shaken to the core. After all, it was McKenzie who burned money and draft picks to bring in Matt Flynn – releasing him after just six months with the team. It was McKenzie who burned more money and more draft picks to bring in Matt Schaub – who was then beaten out by rookie Derek Carr. He burned a first round pick on DJ Hayden who, when he’s managed to stay healthy, hasn’t looked anything like a first round pick. And of course, who can forget the Rodger Saffold debacle?
McKenzie’s run hasn’t been all bad, and he has had some success with his personnel decisions. Some of his free agent signings have worked out better than expected. And though he shouldn’t get too much of the credit since they essentially fell into his lap, he did draft Carr and Khalil Mack last year. He’s also drafted Gabe Jackson, Latavius Murray, Sio Moore, Justin Ellis, TJ Carrie and others who look like they can play at a high level for the Raiders for years to come.
But McKenzie’s shortcomings have been more numerous than his attributes, and his failures have far overshadowed his successes. If the legendary Al Davis were still alive and running the team, McKenzie would have been fired two and a half seasons ago.
But Mark is running the show now and things are different. He’s more patient than his father, but even his patience has its limits. He inherited a mess and guided the organization out of salary cap Hell. But given McKenzie’s seemingly diminishing role with the team, it seems that Davis’s patience may have indeed hit that limit. Though he has two years left on his original five year deal, the way this offseason has begun to shake out leaves McKenzie in something of an awkward position.This article is over 3 years old
Move comes in response to the case of murder suspect Gene Gibson, who was interviewed in English despite his first language being Pintupi
Indigenous people will soon be able to hear a prerecorded caution in any Aboriginal language if arrested in Western Australia under changes prompted by the case of an Indigenous man who was charged with murder despite not understanding his rights or the questions.
The announcement on Thursday by the WA police commissioner, Karl O’Callaghan, comes in response to criticism over the interviewing of murder suspect Gene Gibson, who was questioned in English despite his first language being Pintupi.
The prerecorded caution system is already used in the Northern Territory and covers every Australian Aboriginal language.
O’Callaghan said WA police would also establish a specialised unit for dealing with Aboriginal witnesses and suspects from remote communities, increase training on the rights of arrested people and suspects, and attempt to negotiate to reintroduce Indigenous language interpreting services.
WA’s only Aboriginal language interpreting service, the Broome-based Kimberley Language Interpreting Service, no longer receives state funding.
The state government is not responsible for funding interpreters. The responsibility falls mainly with the federal government.
While announcing the changes on Thursday, O’Callaghan said none of the police involved in Gibson’s interview and subsequent arrest would be sacked.
WA police stood aside over arrest of Aboriginal man charged with murder Read more
Gibson, a 24-year-old Pintupi man from Kiwirrkurra, a remote Aboriginal community just on the WA side of the border in the Gibson Desert, was charged in 2012 with the murder of 21-year-old Joshua Timothy Warneke.
Warneke was killed while walking home in Broome early in the morning of 26 February, 2010. Gibson was interviewed more than two years later in Kiwirrkurra. He was not provided with an interpreter, despite English being his third or fourth language.
The charge was later downgraded to manslaughter after the judge, Stephen Hall, ruled all the interview evidence was inadmissible, finding Warneke did not understand he had a right to silence and did not understand the questions, noting “in my view it is unlikely that the admissions of the accused would have been made at all if the interview had been properly conducted”.
Gibson is currently serving a seven-and-a-half year jail sentence and will be eligible for parole in 2018.
On ThursdayO’Callaghan said twin reviews of the case by police internal affairs and the Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC) “highlighted the difficulties” of interviewing Aboriginal people whose first language was not English.
The CCC review found the case “exposed systemic failures” in WA police and indicated “a deeper malaise and systemic weakness which permeates criminal investigations in this state”.
Five police officers involved in Gibson’s arrest were stood aside in June pending an internal investigation.
O’Callaghan said findings were made against 11 police officers after that investigation and eight had received “various forms of managerial intervention”.
Of those, three were subject to the commissioner’s loss of confidence process, which is the final warning before dismissal. Two of the three, O’Callaghan said, “had the knowledge and capacity to have done a better job”.
“They made a series of judgment calls about the ability of suspects and witnesses to understand the interview process which were wrong and reflected a lack of diligence,” he said.
“Having considered the mitigating factors, I have decided they will now be subject to disciplinary processes with penalties ranging from fines to demotion.”
A third officer, who was not part of the murder investigation, is still under review.
O’Callaghan said a report on the review of the Warneke murder investigation had been forwarded to the director of public prosecutions and the attorney general.
Material collected in the review has been forwarded to Gibson’s lawyers.
Warneke’s mother, Ingrid Bishop, has previously said she wanted the police who investigated her son’s murder to be dismissed.
Amnesty Australia said it supported the introduction of prerecorded cautions and pushed for the re-funding of Aboriginal language interpreting services.
“Amnesty would encourage the WA government to ensure that all Aboriginal interpreter services are adequately funded and launched only after input from local Aboriginal community groups,” it said in a statement to Guardian Australia.
It also called on WA police to hold local cultural competency training in various Aboriginal communities to improve relationships between those communities and police.Economists warned that the Greek financial system could crumble within weeks or days unless the European Central Bank steps up support.
President Karolos Papoulias told party leaders that banks had lost €700m in withdrawals on Monday alone as citizens rush to pre-empt capital controls and a much-feared return to the Drachma.
He cited central bank warnings that "great fear" might soon escalate to panic. The leaked details lend credence to claims that capital flight by both savers and firms have reached €4bn a week since the triumph of anti-bailout parties on May 6.
Steen Jakobsen from Saxo Bank said outflows are becoming unstoppable, not helped by open talk in EU circles of `technical’ plans for Greek withdrawal.
"This has a self-fulfilling prophecy built into it and I don’t think we can get to June. The fuse is burning and the only two options now are a controlled explosion where Germany steps in to ensure an orderly exit, or an uncontrolled explosion," he said.
The growing alarm comes as judge Panagiotis Pikrammenos was picked as Greece’s caretaker leader until the next vote on June 17. Polls show the Left-wing Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras emerging as clear victor.
Mr Tsipras has vowed to tear up the EU-IMF bail-out `Memorandum’, exhorting German Chancellor Angela Merkel to "stop playing poker with the lives of people". The Greek impasse has rattled markets, with the FTSE 100 down 0.6pc to 5,405 yesterday. Spanish lender Bankia fell 11pc in Madrid. Gold tumbled $17 to a ten-month low of $1,540 on dollar strength.
The crisis is replicating the pattern of fixed-exchange ruptures through history. Britain was forced off the Gold Standard in 1931 after pay-cut protests in the navy triggered capital flight.
Greek banks have lost 30pc of their deposits since late 2009. The total fell to €171bn in March. "The surprise is that there is still so much left. I can’t believe it will stay much longer," said Simon Ward from Henderson Global Investors.
The ECB is holding the line with an estimated €100bn of Emergency Liquidity Assistance (ELA) for lenders, channeled through Greece’s central bank. Supplicants must pawn their loan book in exchange. "The risk is that banks will run out of collateral since these are low quality assets with haircuts of 50pc or more. The ECB could relax the rules but they would have to take an active decision to do so," said Mr Ward.
JP Morgan said Greek banks have already exhausted their collateral. A refusal by the ECB to ease rules would amount to expulsion, forcing Greece "to issue its own money."
The ECB said it had stopped routine operations with certain Greek banks with depleted capital buffers, but underscored that they are still able to access the ELA scheme.
There is already a political storm in Germany over "junk collateral", aswell as anger over the Bundesbank’s €645bn exposure to Club Med debtors through the ECB’s internal `Target2’ payments nexus. Mr Ward said it would be hard to justify to German taxpayers why the Bundesbank should lend more to "austerity-resistant Greeks" so that they can squirrel money abroad.
Julian Callow from Barclays Capital said the ECB risks grave contagion if it lets go of Greek banks. "We have reached the point where the ECB needs to come in with massive intervention and outright quantitative easing," he said.
Slow capital loss from Club Med is showing up in the ECB’s Target2 data. The central banks of Italy and Spain have built up liabilities of €279bn and €284bn, partly reflecting bank withdrawals. This is owed to Germany, Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Finland.
Italy’s banking lobby said foreign deposits at Italian banks were down 20pc in March. The good news is that the Libor-OIS spread -- the "stress gauge" for banks -- has not risen in this latest spasm of the crisis, suggesting that Club Med deposit flight remains modest for now. That could change fast if a Greek exit shatters the sanctity of monetary union.Moved: http://v-mundi.com - VMundi :: V-Mundi General Share | Crossrides - Email to Bushiroad, a public letter Author Message Alice
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Subject: Crossrides - Email to Bushiroad, a public letter 2012-09-22, 20:36 Subject: Crossrides - Email to Bushiroad, a public letter2012-09-22, 20:36 If you have already sent the email, please re-send to the new address. Bushiroad is considering it through the Singapore site, not international. This is an email I've sent to Bushiroad. Please send this email (or your own version) to them as well. This is to help make a better game for everyone. If we don't act, our game could hit the gutter in the West. Please make edits where appropriate.
Their email is:
[email protected]
Quote : Dear Bushiroad,
Thank you very much for taking the time to read this email. And thank all of you on the Bushiroad staff for working so hard to create such a wonderful and balanced card game for me and people like me to enjoy. I've had a very exhilarating experience playing Cardfight Vanguard for the past [INSERT TIME]. This has instantly become my favorite trading card game, often marveling at the core mechanics and how well each card is balanced so well around them. I come before you with a plea. There are actually two cards in the upcoming set, possibly three, that do not fit the typical formula of a "balanced" card. These are Phantom Blaster Overlord, Dragonic Overlord the End and Majesty Lord Blaster. So game changing are these cards, that every other deck that is not them, must conform to their new standards—often alienating existing strategies and cards. The problem with the West is that we all do not play games casually. Once we realize that something is Pareto optimal, the large majority of Western players will play that and only that thing. This happens time and again with every other card game on the market except for English Cardfight Vanguard and is actually a major selling point for many Western players.
The ability to have such a balanced game where nothing is truly "top tier" and therefore very difficult to beat, is an appealing feature to us. The West is very competitive in this way. It's generally looked down upon, especially in the United States, to play decks which are non-optimal or not "top". If you were to release the three cards mentioned before as they are printed in Japan, the West would be overcome with them, and have no variety other than these cards. I find time and again that Bushiroad is a company that cares about its players, reads the feedback they send and responds to the player desire. I've been very impressed and happy to see this sort of behavior from a gaming company—that which is not typical in this industry. And this is why I, and many others, request that the three cards be toned down for the Western market due to its competitive nature. Having a 13000 vanguard on both turns is the cause of many ruined strategies all across the board. Including now practically unusable cards. It leaves very little room for creativity and diversity in deck design. What's worse is the skill of Dragonic Overlord the End standing itself but not losing the "Twin Drive!!" skill, as every other self-standing unit does. We feel that these changes are necessary and important for a long-lasting game that appeals to this audience and hope that you understand. It would even be perfectly fine if the cards were to not be released at all, if changes could not be made. Such a split of OCG and TCG could be desirable as a last resort.
I thank you very much for all of your hard work, and hope to Ride many more times in the future.
Sincerely,
Email Response: "We have noted your request and we will take it into consideration as we plan the release of the English Version VGE-BT05, Booster Pack Vol.5 "Awakening of Twin Blades". We will forward your concerns to the relevant department for proper analysis. We would also like to reassure you that we take our players' opinions seriously and, should we deem it necessary, we will take appropriate action to ensure our game remains enjoyable for everyone."
Looks like it's all taken care of folks, all that remains is to wait. Their email is:Looks like it's all taken care of folks, all that remains is to wait.
Last edited by Alice on 2012-09-24, 08:06; edited 2 times in total Crossrides - Email to Bushiroad, a public letter Page 1 of 1
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Moved: http://v-mundi.com - VMundi :: V-Mundi General Moved: http://v-mundi.com - VMundi :: V-Mundi General Jump to: Select a forum | |--V-Mundi Announcements |--Newbie Lounge |--V-Mundi General | |--Drama General | |--Trash |--Cardfight!! Vanguard | |--Trading Card Game General | |--Decklists | |--Anime & Manga | |--News | |--Trading | |--Hall of Valhalla | |--Tournament |--V-Mundi Persistent Tournament | |--[Archive] Autumn-2012 | |--[Archive] Winter-2012 | |--V-Mundi Custom Tournament |--Custom card general chatIn the motion picture industry, a "box-office bomb" or "box-office flop" is a film that is considered highly unsuccessful or unprofitable during its theatrical run, often following significant hype regarding its cost, production, or marketing efforts.[1][2] Generally, any film for which the production and marketing costs exceed the combined revenue recovered after release is considered to have "bombed".[3]
Box-office bomb is a subjective term, as gauging the financial success of a film is difficult. There is also no reliable definition of the term. Not all films that fail to earn back their estimated costs during their theatrical runs are considered "bombs".[2] The label is generally applied to films that miss earnings projections by a wide margin, particularly when they are very expensive to produce. Although this often occurs in conjunction with middling or poor reviews, critical reception has an imperfect connection to box-office performance.[4]
Causes of a film's failure [ edit ]
Negative word of mouth [ edit ]
Beginning in the 1980s, cinemas started to drop films that suffered a poor opening weekend.[citation needed] This made the performance of a film on its opening weekend much more crucial to its perception.[citation needed]. With the growth of the Internet during the 1990s, chat rooms and websites enabled negative opinions for films to spread rapidly[citation needed].
External circumstances [ edit ]
Occasionally, films may underperform because of issues unrelated to the film itself. These issues commonly relate to the timing of the film's release. This was one of the reasons for the commercial failure of Intolerance, D. W. Griffith's follow-up to The Birth of a Nation. Owing to production delays, the film was not released until late 1916, a time when the widespread anti-war sentiment it reflected had started to shift in favor of U.S. entry into World War I.[5]
Another example of external events sinking a film is the 2015 docudrama about FIFA entitled United Passions. It was released in theaters in the United States at the same time FIFA's leaders were under investigation for fraud and corruption, and the film grossed only $918 at the U.S. box office in its opening weekend.[6] Comedian John Oliver lampooned the film asking "Who makes a sports film where heroes are the executives?"[7]
Other issues such as general economic malaise may cause less disposable income for potential filmgoers, resulting in fewer ticket sales.[citation needed] Also, many films that open during times of national crisis and just after disasters such as the 2001 September 11 attacks and Hurricane Harvey underperform at the box office.[8][9]
High production costs [ edit ]
Sometimes a film may do reasonably well at the box office but still be considered a bomb due to a large budget. This was the case for the film Heaven's Gate, which famously went three months over schedule and saw its budget mushroom from $7.5 million to $36 million.[10]
Another example is 2005's Sahara cost over $241 million to make (including marketing and distribution), due in part to exorbitant production costs. It took in $122 million, usually enough to be successful. However, in this case, this accounted for barely over half of its expenses.[11] In 2012, Disney reported losses of $200 million on John Carter. The film had made a considerable $234 million worldwide, but this was far short of its $250 million budget plus worldwide advertising.[12]
Recovery of flops [ edit ]
Films which are initially viewed as "flops" may recover income elsewhere. Several films have underperformed in the United States, but have been sufficiently successful internationally to recoup losses or even become financial successes.[13][14] Films may also recover money through international distribution, sales to television syndication, and distribution outside of cinemas (download, DVD, pay-per-view).[15] Other films have succeeded long after cinema release by becoming cult films or being re-evaluated over time. High-profile films fitting this description include Blade Runner and The Shawshank Redemption, which both lost money at the box office, but have since become highly popular.[16]
Studios pushed into financial trouble [ edit ]
In extreme cases, a single film's lackluster performance can push a studio into financial losses, bankruptcy or closure. Examples of this include: United Artists (Heaven's Gate)[17] and Carolco Pictures (Cutthroat Island).[18] The underperformance of The Golden Compass was seen as a significant factor in influencing Warner Bros.' decision to take direct control of New Line Cinema.[19]
In 2011, Mars Needs Moms was the last film released by ImageMovers Digital before it got absorbed by ImageMovers to a loss of nearly $140 million—the largest box-office bomb of all time in nominal dollar terms. Despite this loss, the decision to close the production company had been made a year prior to the film's release.[20]
Independent films [ edit ]
The 2006 independent movie Zyzzyx Road made just $30 at the US box office. The film, with a budget of $1.2 million and starring Tom Sizemore and Katherine Heigl, owes its tiny revenue to its limited box-office release — just six days in a single theater in Dallas for the purpose of meeting SAG requirements — rather than its ability to attract viewers.[21][22] According to co-star Leo Grillo, it sold six tickets, two of which were to cast members.[23]
Previously, the British film Offending Angels had become notorious for taking in less than £100 (~$150[24]) at the box office.[25] It had a £70,000 (~$105,000[24]) budget but was panned by critics including the BBC, who called it a "truly awful pile of garbage",[26] and Total Film, who called it "irredeemable".[27]
In 2011, the film The Worst Movie Ever! opened to just $11 at the US box office. It played in only one theater.[28]
See also [ edit ]The US government thinks its position on outsourcing to India is fine. It isn’t.
There’s clearly some disconnect on outsourcing between the US government and Indian companies. Unfortunately, the United States is underestimating the anger and dismay that’s being generated in India by some of its recent actions.
US President Barack Obama’s chief technology officer, Aneesh Chopra, said during a recent visit to India that the US ‘will surely listen if there are any concerns. But my sense is that companies in both countries are happy (with the current environment)’.
But Indian IT big hitters like Infosys, TCS and Wipro would beg to differ. Their top US customers are postponing new contracts given the blistering political rhetoric against IT outsourcing — especially to India — as the US heads into its mid-term congressional elections.
Infosys’ chief executive S. Gopalakrishnan told a business newspaper that ‘What we see from customers is that they are committing short term; they also reserve the right to cancel. So clearly, everybody is playing the short-term game at this point.’
This point has been underscored by John C.McCarthy, vice-president and principal analyst at the US-based Forrester Research. ‘Customers,’ he is reported to have said, ‘are not pulling any trigger yet on big contracts and, unfortunately, the November election is making them even more cautious.’
With a clouded future for India’s $50 billion outsourcing industry, Obama’s November state visit to the country could be marred by anger that will be inflamed by US protectionist measures such as the steeply hiked H1-B visa fee, a move that would hurt US onsite operations of Infosys and other firms.
How will his administration respond?A member of President Obama's Cabinet took a shot at President-elect Donald Trump in a late-Christmas-weekend message on social media while alluding to Democratic retribution in the 2018 midterms.
In a pair of tweets Monday, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro suggested that the president-elect is lucky to have both houses of Congress under Republican control, or else he might face the wrath of the Democrats and fail to advance his agenda.
Trump is so corrupt that if Democrats controlled even one chamber of Congress, he'd be done before he even got started. #2018 — Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) December 27, 2016
"Trump is so corrupt that if Democrats controlled even one chamber of Congress, he'd be done before he even got started. #2018," Castro wrote.
Castro added that Trump is the "shadiest, most corrupt guy to take the Oval Office," and that he "will have no strong federal checks and balances."
So Trump-- the shadiest, most corrupt guy to take the Oval Office, will have no strong federal checks and balances. Has to change. #2018 — Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) December 27, 2016
The comments come after Obama argued in an interview this weekend that if he could have run for a third term against Trump, he would have won.
Trump has promised to "drain the swamp" once he takes office on Jan. 20, a reference to cleaning up the ethics of the executive branch. However, Trump's critics have accused the Republican of stacking his incoming administration with insiders and lobbyists and possessing potential financial and familial conflicts of interests with his business empire — issues which Trump has made moves to address.
Castro, a rising Hispanic politician in the Democratic Party, was once rumored to be in consideration to be Hillary Clinton's running mate. He served as mayor of San Antonio before joining the Obama administration in 2014. His identical twin brother Joaquin serves as a member of Congress from Texas.
Castro will be succeeded at HUD by former neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who ran against Trump for the Republican presidential nomination.One of the greatest lies the so-called "pro-life" movement ever perpetuated is that every woman seeking an abortion is doing it solely because she doesn't want a baby. It's a vicious fiction that ignores the emotional, financial and medical complexities of women's lives – and often puts them and the fetuses they carry at grave risk. But a new lawsuit announced Monday by the American Civil Liberties union hopes to change the narrative, and expose the grim hypocrisy of letting religion guide women's medical treatment.
The ACLU's suit against the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is on behalf of Tamesha Means, a Michigan woman who says three years ago she was denied appropriate medical care at Mercy Health Partners. Means' odyssey began when she went to the hospital after her water broke when she was only 18 weeks pregnant. And there, as the ACLU explains, "Based on the bishops’ religious directives, the hospital sent her home twice even though Means was in excruciating pain; there was virtually no chance that her pregnancy could survive, and continuing the pregnancy posed significant risks to her health. Because of its Catholic affiliation and binding directives, the hospital told Means that there was nothing it could do and did not tell Means that terminating her pregnancy was an option and the safest course for her condition." The suit says that it was only when she returned to the hospital again and began actively miscarrying on the premises that they treated her. "They never offered me any options," she says. "They didn’t tell me what was happening to my body." Speaking with the Washington Post Tuesday, Means added, "The pain was unbearable. I told them, 'I need you guys to help me.' They told me there was nothing they could do."
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The ACLU says Catholic hospitals like Mercy are required by the church to follow the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, which bans a pregnancy termination under any circumstances, "even when there is little or no chance that the fetus will survive, and the life or health of a pregnant woman is at risk." This is an extreme stance, even by Catholic standards -- there is ongoing debate in the Church over whether its famed "double-effect" teaching of allowing one "wrong" to avoid a greater one would permit intervention to save the life of a mother. And the Ethical and Religious Directives state that "Operations, treatments, and medications that have as their direct purpose the cure of a proportionately serious pathological condition of a pregnant woman are permitted when they cannot be safely postponed until the unborn child is viable, even if they will result in the death of the unborn child."
Yet time and again, we see harrowing outcomes when Catholic facilities refuse to step in for pregnant women in dire conditions. Means and her attorneys contend she "suffered unnecessarily" even after it became clear her pregnancy was doomed and "the medically appropriate treatment option of terminating her pregnancy" should have been offered. The ACLU says it has other stories of "patients being denied information and appropriate care at hospitals bound by the bishops’ directives" as well. They're likely not hard to find. In 2010, Arizona's St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center lost it Catholic affiliation after terminating a pregnancy that hospital administrators said was necessary to save a woman's life. And Means' tale has echoes of the headline-making death of Savita Halappanavar and her baby last year in a Galway hospital, and the terrible human toll that nonintervention on religious grounds takes.
The sticky moral issues of being true to the directives of a religion while running a business that caters to the general public are not always easy to put into practice. What happens when the teachings of a faith conflict with the needs of a community? The American Catholic church has in recent years found itself awkwardly shutting down its adoption services rather than permit gay men and women to become parents, and petulantly fighting to block basic reproductive health care coverage for women. These are complex, high stakes issues that challenge long-standing and deeply engrained attitudes and policies. But they must be addressed and they must be changed.
Now, as we find ourselves in the midst of what the Washington Post calls "a wave of high-profile mergers between Catholic hospitals and secular systems," for the safety of mothers and children everywhere, we need to get our priorities locked down very clearly. The barbaric policies of Catholic Health Care Services are not, as so much of the adorable baby imagery of the anti-choice lobby wants you to believe, about saving "innocent" lives. They are about selfishly disregarding the medical realities of pregnant women and their babies – not all of whom are healthy and viable. Earlier this year, the wise and deeply thought provoking "After Tiller" took on the realities of abortion, and showed that sometimes, as Doctor Susan Robinson says, "You have choices. They all suck." But having sucky choices is better than none at all. It's hard enough to endure losing a baby when you have a compassionate team of doctors and nurses to help you through it. It's monstrous to be forced to suffer through it and have that help refused. And religious ideology has no place in medical treatment, period.Introduction Sexual minority college students (i.e., those not identifying as heterosexual, or those reporting same-sex sexual activity) may be at increased risk of poor mental health, given factors such as minority stress, stigma, and discrimination. Such disparities could have important implications for students’ academic achievement, future health, and social functioning. This study compares reports of mental disorder diagnoses, stressful life events, and frequent mental distress across five gender-stratified sexual orientation categories.
Methods Data were from the 2007–2011 College Student Health Survey, which surveyed a random sample of college students (N=34,324) at 40 Minnesota institutions. Data analysis was conducted in 2013–2014. The prevalence of mental disorder diagnoses, frequent mental distress, and stressful life events were calculated for heterosexual, discordant heterosexual, gay or lesbian, bisexual, and unsure students. Logistic regression models were fit to estimate the association between sexual orientation and mental health outcomes.
Results Lesbian, gay, and bisexual students were more likely to report any mental health disorder diagnosis than were heterosexual students (p<0.05). Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and unsure students were significantly more likely to report frequent mental distress compared to heterosexual students (OR range, 1.6–2.7). All sexual minority groups, with the exception of unsure men, had significantly greater odds of experiencing two or more stressful life events (OR range, 1.3–2.8).Spinner dolphins in the lagoon at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. (Andy Collins/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
The Trump administration’s effort to weaken environmental protections continued Monday as the Commerce Department solicited public comment for a review that could lead to the reduction in size of 11 marine sanctuaries and monuments.
Commerce quietly published a notice in the Federal Register as part of President Trump’s America-First Offshore Energy Strategy, an executive order signed in April. Among the monuments and sanctuaries designated and expanded in the past decade by former presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush that could be reduced and opened to oil and gas exploration are the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument off Hawaii, Rose Atoll Marine National Monument off American Samoa, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary off California and the Thunder Bay Marine Sanctuary off Michigan.
Written comments must be submitted by July 26. They can also be sent electronically.
Commercial fishing was banned from more than 582,500 square miles of the Pacific Ocean with former president Barack Obama’s expansion of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument off the coast of Hawaii. (NOAA)
“The Secretary of Commerce will use the review to inform the preparation of a report” as called for by the executive order, the notice said.
Four of the marine monuments and sanctuaries were designated or expanded during the Bush administration. The rest were protected by the Obama administration.
The notice specified that “the area of the original designations for the five listed National Marine Sanctuaries and Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument are not subject to this review, rather only their respective expansion areas completed in the past 10 years.” Of the six sanctuary expansions, two — Channel Islands and Monterey Bay off California — were under the Bush administration. Obama expanded four: the Cordell Bank and Greater Farallones in California, Thunder Bay in Michigan and the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa.
The Pearl and Hermes Atoll, about 1,200 miles northwest of Oahu in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.
Trump’s order to review marine conservation sites is part of a larger effort that could lead to the reduction of |
, synagogues and churches and other venues on both coasts of Florida. The ensemble is a popular Klezmer presence in South Florida and is in residence at Florida Atlantic University.
Presently, he is a member of the faculties of the Hotchkiss School in Connecticut and the Berkshire Music School in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, where he teaches clarinet performance and chamber music. From 1992 to 2007, he was a faculty member of the Lynn University Conservatory of Music in Boca Raton. From 1996-2011 he was a member of the Florida International University faculty, and from 1998 to 2013 he was a faculty member of Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. He is a founding member of the Florida Woodwind Quintet, in residence at Florida Atlantic University, and a member of the NODUS Ensemble, a contemporary music group in residence at Florida International University. He served as First Clarinetist of the Florida Grand Opera Orchestra and currently serves as the Atlantic Classical Orchestra. He is active in the chamber music scenes in South Florida and New England.
Recent activities include performances with the Austin Chamber Music Festival, and the Castle Hill Music Festival, the founding of “A Summer Celebration of Jewish Music” taking place in the Berkshires each June, and solo appearances with the Alhambra Orchestra and the Florida Atlantic University Wind Ensemble, as well as performances at the “Watch and Play” program for children at Tanglewood and master classes at Boston University’s Tanglewood Institue.
As a noted pedagogue, Green has developed a course in Klezmer music, which he has taught at Florida Atlantic University, Florida International University and Williams College. His activity as a jazz clarinetist in South Florida includes engagements at the Lotz Music Series, Miami’s Jazz in the Gables and the Jazz Summit in Fort Lauderdale. Jazz appearances in New England have included the Music and More festival in New Marlborough, Made in the Berkshires in Pittsfield and the Green Street Café in Northampton, all in Massachusetts.
Green’s interest in jazz and Jewish music has inspired him to create his own arrangements of Jewish Jazz fusion. Intrigued by the rigors of jazz harmony and the power of Jewish melody, he waves the best of both genres together in a compelling mix that allow audiences to experience music in fresh new ways.
Green is also active on the lecture circuit. Called the “go-to guy for Jewish music,” he regularly engages audiences with his lecture-demonstrations on a variety of topics related to Jewish music, as well as jazz and other themes. He is regularly called to present his Jewish music lectures in Florida and New England.It may be a four-day work week for many, but the continuing weather—with temperatures dipping into single-digit territory—could make the next three days seem lengthy.
On Tuesday night, temperatures in the Lower Hudson Valley sank to 9 degrees, prompting meteorologists to declare the cold front the worst in recent years.
Students at Nanuet High School were evacuated for about 10 minutes Tuesday morning due to a fire alarm, but didn't take to the outdoor sports fields as usual.
Instead, children and teachers waited out the alarm indoors at the nearby middle school due to the gelid weather, according to Cheryl Tully, Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent.
The freezing weather dovetails with a particularly strong flu season, which has some local pharmacies in Rockland stocking up and some are running out. The Rockland County Department of Health has also been hosting clinics and offering flu vaccinations.
Further south, authorities in Yonkers Tuesday closed Nepperhan Avenue mid-day for icicle removal.
A dusting of snow is expected Wednesday morning and early afternoon with a high of 20-degrees. Wednesday night, the temperature plunging down to ten, but wind chill factors may make it feel -2, according to the National Weather Service.
The warmest weather this week is expected to come Saturday afternoon, with a peak of about 25 degree—still a ways below freezing.
For tips on combating the cold and winterizing your home, click here.WE DID IT!!! We are so grateful and humbled for every donation, every share, every ‘like’ that has brought us to crossing our goal of $180,000 in just 25 days! With 5 days left for our record-breaking campaign, we are excited to announce what is referred to on Kickstarter as a Stretch Goal. Our campaign goal of $180,000 will cover all of the costs of Filming the documentary - Crew, Equipment, Sound, and Transportation. Whatever we are lucky enough to raise beyond this until June 1st will go towards the Post-Production of the film including Editing the film, Original Music by incredible GRAMMY Nominated Artists (who are ready to go - amazing!), and Distribution efforts including Film Festival Submissions and getting this film In Theaters Worldwide so Team Lizzie can see what we did together!
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In 1989, a young girl named Elizabeth “Lizzie” Velasquez was born to two excited first time parents, Rita and Lupe. Doctors soon discovered that Lizzie was one of only three people in the entire world who possess an extremely rare, unnamed syndrome, which prevents her from gaining weight. Lizzie’s parents were told not to expect much physical or mental advancement from their daughter. Now, at 25 years old, 58 pounds, and with more accomplishments than most achieve in a lifetime, she is ready to share her full story.
At 17, Lizzie found a video on YouTube calling her “The Ugliest Woman in the World.” The video, made by an online bully, also attracted some of the cruelest comments anyone could ever imagine; the very first of which said she should “do everyone a favor and just kill herself.” Lizzie decided shortly thereafter that she was not going to let someone who had never met her, bully her – much less, define her.
Lizzie had dreams of graduating college, becoming a motivational speaker and publishing a book. With hard work and a wildly resilient spirit, Lizzie accomplished her goals and is a graduate of Texas State University, one of the most sought after speakers in the world (her TEDxAustinWomen talk has garnered over 9 million views to date) and is about to publish her third book in the Fall of 2014. Now, Lizzie has a bigger dream to accomplish: to make the online community a more positive place than when she found it. Or, rather, when it found her.
This summer, we set forth to make a documentary about Lizzie’s extraordinary life and her story of adversity and proud survival. We follow her on an incredible journey to address online bullying and inspire a trending movement to change it for the better.
If nearly 10 million people have become her champions from 13 minutes, imagine what 90 minutes can do.
Check out Lizzie's Interviews since we launched our campaign!
We believe that we can’t ask of you what we wouldn’t ask of ourselves. We’ve already invested our own money and are looking for your help in securing the rest of the budget to get the film made and distributed to as wide of an audience as possible. For those new to Kickstarter, if we fall short of our goal by our 30-day deadline, we will lose all of the money raised and the opportunity to make this film.
Our goal is this: to raise $180k to fund the crew, lighting, sound, transportation and many other aspects that are necessary to complete physical production and shooting of the movie over the course of 10 weeks.
We don’t want to presume that we can raise ALL of the funds necessary for shooting the film all the way through to distribution, and we are very aware that few documentaries and films that have set a goal in our range end up raising the full amount. We are honored to be a part of the Kickstarter community and sincerely value each and every person that has viewed this page, and are grateful for however close we can get to our end goal of raising enough for our entire production and post-production.
Kickstarter is the best example of what can be accomplished when a community comes together. We thank you for your time, your donations and your shared belief with ours that -- as as a unified community -- there's nothing we can't do.Eduardo Rivera, 18, is charged with possession of a stolen motor vehicle. View Full Caption DNAinfo; Chicago Police Department
COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — A Belmont Cragin teen stole a car Wednesday because "it was too damn cold to wait at the bus stop," prosecutors said.
According to authorities, 18-year-old Eduardo Rivera spotted a 1999 Chevy Suburban parked on the street shortly after he left his home in the 2300 block of North Austin Avenue early Wednesday.
The car was running, the keys were in the ignition, and the driver's side door was unlocked, according to an arrest report.
Police noticed Rivera driving the vehicle shortly before 10 a.m. Wednesday when he made a turn without using a signal, court records show. Rivera wasn't wearing a seatbelt, and officers ran the license plate.
That's when police realized the SUV was recently reported stolen, court records show.
Officers stopped Rivera and his two passengers in the 4800 block of West Belmont Avenue, where Rivera reportedly told police he took the SUV because "it was too damn cold to wait at the bus stop," Assistant State's Attorney Lorraine Scaduto said during a bond hearing Thursday.
According to prosecutors, Rivera has no prior criminal history. He is listed as a high school student in court records.
Rivera now faces a charge of possession of a stolen motor vehicle.
Cook County Judge Laura Sullivan on Thursday said Rivera could be released on his own recognizance while he waits for his trial.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here.The Qassam rocket (Arabic: صاروخ القسام Ṣārūkh al-Qassām; also Kassam) is a simple, steel artillery rocket developed and deployed by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military arm of Hamas. These rockets cannot be fired to target specific military objectives in or near civilian areas, and are "indiscriminate when used against targets in population centers."[4]
Three models have been produced and used, the first being introduced in 2001. More generally, all types of Palestinian rockets fired into southern Israel, for example the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Al Quds rockets, are called Qassams by the Israeli media, and often by foreign media.[5]
The international community considers indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian structures that do not discriminate between civilians and military targets as illegal under international law.[4][6]
History of the Qassam
Origin
Qassam rockets are named after the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed branch of Hamas, itself named for Izz ad-Din al-Qassam, a Syrian Muslim preacher whose death during a guerrilla raid against British Mandatory authorities in 1935 was one of the catalysts for the 1936–39 Arab revolt in Palestine.[7][8]
Rocket launches
The production of Qassams began in September 2001 following the outbreak of the Second Intifada. The first Qassam to be launched was the Qassam-1, fired on October 2001, with a maximum range of 3 kilometers (1.9 mi) to 4.5 kilometers (2.8 mi).[7] The first time Palestinians launched rockets into Israel, rather than at an Israeli settlement in the Gaza Strip, occurred on February 10, 2002. One of the rockets landed in Kibbutz Saad.[9] Two Qassam rockets landed in the southern Israeli city of Sderot, the first city hit, on March 5, 2002. Some rockets have hit as far as the edge of Ashkelon. By the end of December 2008, a total of 15 people had been killed by Palestinian rockets since attacks began in 2001.[10] Since 2000, Palestinian rockets, which include the Qassam, alongside others such as the Grad rocket, have been used to kill 22 Israeli citizens and one Thai national (as of January 9, 2009).[11][12]
Rocket, design and cost
The rocket
Rockets being exhibited
The Qassam rocket is the best-known type of rocket deployed by Palestinian militants, mainly against Israeli civilians, but also some military targets during the Second Intifada of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.[13][14] According to Human Rights Watch, Qassam rockets are too inaccurate and prone to malfunction to be used against specific military targets in or near civilian areas, and are mainly launched for the purpose of "harming civilians."[14]
Design
The aim of the Qassam rocket design is assumed to be ease and speed of manufacture, using common tools and components. To this end, the rockets are propelled by a solid mixture of sugar and potassium nitrate, a common fertilizer. The warhead is filled with smuggled or scavenged TNT and urea nitrate, another common fertilizer. This is similar to the civilian explosive ammonite.[15]
The rocket consists of a steel cylinder, containing a rectangular block of the propellant. A steel plate which forms and supports the nozzles is then spot-welded to the base of the cylinder. The warhead consists of a simple metal shell surrounding the explosives, and is triggered by a fuse constructed using a simple firearm cartridge, a spring and a nail.[15]
While early designs used a single nozzle which screwed into the base, later rockets use a seven-nozzle design, with the nozzles drilled directly into the rocket baseplate. This alteration both increases the tolerance of the rocket to small nozzle design defects, and makes manufacture easier by allowing the use of a drill rather than a lathe during manufacture due to the smaller nozzle size. However, due to the cone shape of each of the 7 nozzles, the interior of each nozzle requires the use of a lathe, as it would otherwise be cylindrical rather than conical (see rocket engine nozzle). Unlike many other rockets, the nozzles are not canted, which means the rocket does not spin about its longitudinal axis during flight. While this results in a significant decrease in accuracy, it greatly simplifies rocket manufacture and the launch systems required.[15]
Cost
The cost of the materials used for manufacturing each Qassam is up to $800 or €500 (in 2008/9) per rocket.[16][17]
Reaction
Israeli reaction
A Qassam rocket is displayed in Sderot town hall against a background of pictures of residents killed in rocket attacks
The introduction of the Qassam rocket was unexpected by Israeli politicians and military experts,[18] and reactions have been mixed.[19] In 2006, the Israeli Ministry of Defense viewed the Qassams as "more a psychological than physical threat."[20] A 2008 study found that over half of Sderot's residents have been hurt, either physically or psychologically by the use of Qassams.[21] The Israel Defense Forces has reacted to the deployment of the Qassam rockets by deploying the Red Color early warning system in Sderot, Ashkelon and other potential targets placed at risk. The system consists of an advanced radar that detects rockets as they are being launched, and loudspeakers warn civilians to take cover between 15 and 45 seconds before impact[22] in an attempt to minimize the threat posed by the rockets. A system called Iron Dome, designed to intercept[23] the rockets before they can hit their targets, has been in use since March 2011. A system based on lasers (Nautilios) was researched in a joint Israeli-American project in the early 2000s, but was discontinued.
Palestinian reaction
The Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas stated "There is no justification for rockets from Gaza or anywhere else," He later added "Rockets attacks are in vain because they do not bring peace any closer."[24]
Ibrahim Khreisheh, the Palestinian envoy to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), stated in an PA TV interview on July 9, 2014 (translated by MEMRI) that indiscriminate Hamas rockets from densely populated residential areas are "crimes against humanity", while Israeli strikes are legal responses.[25][26]
From others
According to a public document issued in July 2014, Amnesty International "has documented that Palestinian armed groups have stored munitions in and fired indiscriminate rockets from residential areas in the Gaza Strip, and available evidence indicates that they continue to do both during the current hostilities, in violation of international humanitarian law (..) Under international humanitarian law, (..) Parties to the conflict must also take necessary precautions to protect civilians in their power from the effects of attack. This includes avoiding, to the maximum extent feasible, co-locating military objectives in the vicinity of densely populated civilian neighbourhoods. This means the parties should avoid endangering civilians by storing ammunition in, and launching attacks from, populated civilian areas."[27][6]
Human Rights Watch issued an analysis, stating, that "such weapons are therefore indiscriminate when used against targets in population centers. The absence of Israeli military forces in the areas where rockets have hit, as well as statements by leaders of Palestinian armed groups that population centers were being targeted, indicate that the armed groups deliberately attacked Israeli civilians and civilian objects."[4] Furthermore, the public document by Human Rights Watch stated, that "Hamas, the ruling authority in Gaza, is obligated to uphold the laws of war and should appropriately punish those responsible for serious violations".[14] The international community considers indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian structures that do not discriminate between civilians and military targets as illegal under international law.[6][4]
An online clock timer,[28] developed by Aaron Friedman and Yehonatan Tsirolnik, that automatically resets when Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel occur, uses information from the IDF Home Front Command system and counts time up from the last Palestinian rocket attack on Israel. It displays how long Israel has been rocket free and shows the summed up total numbers of Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel.[28][29] "Israel has been under non stop rocket attacks for years (..) Whenever a rocket is fired, it restarts. Sadly, this counter never really gets above an hour", Friedman said on July 18, 2014 during the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict.[30][31] An amateur YouTube video, showing the Israeli iron dome defense system at a military checkpoint near a crossing into Gaza taking out multiple Qassam rockets in less than a minute, got viral in just one day since being uploaded, the online newspaper Arutz Sheva reported on August 27, 2014.[23][32]
Similar Palestinian rockets
Other Palestinian militant groups have also developed home-made rockets. The media generally refer to all Palestinian high-trajectory rockets as "Qassam rockets" or "Qassam missiles", while they call most rockets fired from Lebanon "Katyushas", as a Katyusha is not a specific model but rather a generic class of rocket.
The Israeli Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center estimated that in 2007[33] the proportions of rockets fired were:
The Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center reports that the number of Palestinian rockets fired per year[33] were:
2001: 4 2002: 35 2003: 155 2004: 281 2005: 179 2006: 946 2007: 896 2008: 2,048[34]
See alsoThe coaches have had their say. Now it’s time for the Pac-12 blog’s all-conference team. Voting was done through stringent and tireless debate. As in, I got the assignment so this is essentially my team. A couple of changes from what the coaches picked. Also, I’m going with a 34-front to reflect the vast majority of the league. I’m sure we’ll all be onboard and there will be no complaints whatsoever. But if there are, send them here, or here, or here, or here. Send compliments and avalanches of appreciation here.
OFFENSE
QB: Luke Falk, Washington State: With 36 touchdown passes and 4,266 yards, Falk not only showed he’s a product of a system (which isn’t a bad thing, mind you) but he rewrote the system’s records. And he completed better than 70 percent of his throws.
RB: Christian McCaffrey, Stanford: The all-purpose prodigy rushed, caught and returned (and even threw) his way to New York.
RB: Royce Freeman, Oregon: Speed, power and productivity (1,706 yards, 14 touchdowns). He’s everything you look for in an every-down back.
WR: Gabe Marks, Washington State: With 99 catches and 14 touchdowns, Marks helped out Falk as much as Falk helped out Marks.
WR: JuJu Smith-Schuster, USC: Caught 85 balls for a league-high 1,389 yards and 10 touchdowns. And a quarter of the season he did it with only one good hand.
WR: Nelson Spruce, Colorado: One of the most durable and reliable receivers to ever come through the conference -- regardless of team success.
TE: Austin Hooper, Stanford: The Mackey Award finalist was a prototype for Stanford’s offense. And he played the role to perfection.
OL: Zach Banner, USC: Versatile big man switched between tackle spots as USC’s line incurred multiple injuries.
OL: Joe Dahl, Washington State: When you consider how much WSU passes, allowing just three sacks from his position is impressive.
OL: Joshua Garnett, Stanford: When McCaffrey busts a run or Remound Wright needs a yard, this is the guy they run behind.
OL: Tyler Johnstone, Oregon: Bounced back from missing 2014 with an outstanding season. Better blocking for the guys carrying the ball than carrying it himself.
OL: Kyle Murphy, Stanford: Anchored one of the top scoring, rushing and pass protection offenses in the league. One of the nation’s elite.
DEFENSE
DL: DeForest Buckner, Oregon: Dominant player on an under-performing defense.
DL: Destiny Vaeao, Washington State: Posted 11 tackles for a loss in WSU's outstanding defensive turnaround that not many people have touched on.
DL: Kenny Clark, UCLA: Entire offenses scheme around this guy. Good numbers for an interior defensive lineman (nine TFLs) but it’s the unquantifiable that makes him special.
LB: Gionni Paul, Utah: Athletic, versatile and productive in all three defensive zones: in the backfield, at the line of scrimmage and in the secondary. One of the most complete linebackers in the conference.
LB: Su’a Cravens, USC: If Paul is one of the most complete, Cravens is the most complete. Whatever the all-purpose award is for defense, Cravens would win it.
LB: Blake Martinez, Stanford: Pure run-stopper who led the conference, by a huge margin, with 132 tackles.
LB: That one ASU guy... what’s his name?: Antonio Longino, a bit of a late bloomer to the conversation, used a second-half surge to propel him to the league leader in sacks (10) and tackles for a loss (19.5).
DB: Adoree’ Jackson, USC: He’s pure athlete.
DB: Sidney Jones, Washington: He forced three fumbles and had four interceptions. If Washington’s defense had a turnover, chances are Jones was involved.
DB: Kareem Orr, ASU: The freshman quietly put together one of the best rookie campaigns in school history. Tied for the league lead in interceptions (five).
DB: Marcus Williams, Utah: Matched Orr with five picks on the year and was among the league leaders in passes defended.
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK: Aidan Schneider, Oregon: The only Pac-12 player to convert more than 90 percent of his field goals (20 of 22). That’s good.
P: Tom Hackett, Utah: Best in the country. Again.
RS: Christian McCaffrey, Stanford: Averaged 28.9 yards per return with a touchdown. Fantastic feel for the return game.
AP: Charles Nelson, Oregon: Another outstanding athlete who was a major contributor in all three phases.A Chicago Sun-Times editorial board member made the inflammatory and false suggestion that sex workers cannot be victims of rape.
In a September 12 column, the Sun-Times' Mary Mitchell wrote about criminal charges against an Illinois man who is accused of raping a sex worker at gunpoint, claiming that the case "is making a mockery of rape victims" and arguing that "it's tough to see this unidentified prostitute as a victim."
Mitchell contended that the case is "actually more like theft of services" rather than sexual assault to push the false suggestion that sex workers cannot be raped.
There is no legal loophole that exempts rapists from criminal charges if their victim was a sex worker.
Furthermore, sex workers have a dramatically higher-than-average chance (45 to 75 percent) of experiencing sexual violence at some point during their careers, and the homicide rate for female prostitutes "constitutes a higher occupational mortality rate than any other group of women ever studied," according to a 2012 report from anti-human trafficking group Fondation Scelles.
In her column, Mitchell also engaged in victim blaming, writing that "when you agree to meet a strange man in a strange place for the purpose of having strange sex for money, you are putting yourself at risk for harm." Mitchell even asserted that she is "grateful" that the man charged with aggravated criminal sexual assault in the case "isn't being accused of snatching an innocent woman off the street," absurdly implying the victim had a hand in bringing on her own assault. From Mitchell's column (emphasis added):
A recent case involving a prostitute and a john is making a mockery of rape victims. Authorities say Roy Akins went to Backpage.com and agreed to pay a prostitute $180 for sex. When the unidentified woman showed up at his Austin home for the transaction, Akins allegedly took her to the bedroom and, instead of handing over the cash, pulled a gun. [...] I don't have one iota of sympathy for Akins' plight. But I'm grateful he isn't being accused of snatching an innocent woman off the street. [...] But when you agree to meet a strange man in a strange place for the purpose of having strange sex for money, you are putting yourself at risk for harm. It's tough to see this unidentified prostitute as a victim. And because this incident is being charged as a criminal sexual assault -- when it's actually more like theft of services -- it minimizes the act of rape. Earlier this month, we saw what a rape victim looks like. Melissa Schuster, 26, of Willowbrook, was stabbed 17 times and suffered a fractured nose, broken bones and eye injuries when she was raped by a man who broke into her home after demanding cash.
As Jezebel's Stassa Edwards accurately noted, Mitchell's assertion that "real rape victims... are women who have been beaten, bruised and assaulted despite doing 'nothing to bring about this terrible, terrible ordeal'" implies that sex workers are less than human, and consequently suggests -- incomprehensibly -- that "being raped at gunpoint is hardly a crime."IDEAS Grawert is a counsel in the Justice Program and the John L. Neu Justice Counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice, and co-author of "Crime in 2016: Updated Analysis."
As the Senate Judiciary Committee considers the nomination of Senator Jeff Sessions for Attorney General, it is tempting to see the differences in opinion of the Alabama Republican as typical partisanship. But instead, take the subject of criminal justice. It is a matter central to the role Sen. Sessions would assume—and one on which his colleagues from both parties actually agree there is a dire need for change. And yet here, Sen. Sessions has planted himself firmly, dangerously on the fringe.
We’ve come to understand that the nation incarcerates too many people without a public safety rationale. The United States has less than five percent of the world’s population, but nearly 25 percent of its prisoners. A bipartisan movement for reform has come together, and a key breakthrough seemed within reach last year with the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act, a bill sponsored by Sens. Chuck Grassley and Mike Lee, Republicans of Iowa and Utah respectively, as well as a broad coalition that included many Democrats and the support of House Speaker Paul Ryan. In a carefully negotiated compromise, the bill would have reduced prison sentences for some lower-level drug offenders, while leaving mandatory minimums for violent crimes intact.
At a time when Democrats and Republicans agree on so few matters, why didn’t this bill even make it to the floor for debate? The short answer is Jeff Sessions and the shadow cast by Donald Trump’s “law and order” campaign.
As Attorney General, Sessions could continue to pare back what halting progress has been made toward reducing the numbers of Americans unnecessarily incarcerated—a goal conservatives, progressives and law enforcement have come to embrace.
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Sessions made blocking Grassley’s sentencing reform bill a personal crusade. He falsely branded it a “criminal leniency bill” and claimed any reduction in the prison population would cause crime rates to spiral out of control. Sessions argued it would be “wrong to weaken criminal law in the middle of a crime wave.” But the evidence shows that crime remains at record lows, despite local increases in cities like Chicago, with the nation’s overall crime rate falling for the fourteenth year in a row, according to FBI data. And Sessions made these specious arguments despite assurances from leading police chiefs and prosecutors that the bill wouldn’t increase crime. Twenty-seven states have proved him wrong, simultaneously cutting their prison populations and their crime rates over the last decade.
Rather than dividing the party, GOP leadership let the bill founder. Grassley plans to revive the bill in 2017. But the fact that Sessions torpedoed a modest reform backed by his own party should give all Americans pause.
Sessions’ supporters are quick to claim that this isn’t the whole story—that he has been a friend to criminal justice reform in the past. There is some limited truth to this. In 2010, Sessions co-sponsored the Fair Sentencing Act, which reduced the disparity between sentences for crack and powder cocaine. He also supported the Second Chance Act, which funded reentry programs for former prisoners; but Sessions’ support came late in the game, after he had already stalled the bill for weeks. More recently, he’s been quick to criticize President Obama for commuting the sentences of prisoners serving time under outdated drug laws, arguing the president is playing a “dangerous game” that will “inflict long-term harm on the nation.”
This is a troubling record—and it’s also why we have confirmation hearings.
As Attorney General, Sessions would oversee where and how federal prosecutors use their considerable discretion, helping decide which crimes prosecutors prioritize. He would oversee the federal prison system, and speak with the voice of the nation’s top law enforcement official, giving him a major say in any future reform legislation. With that in mind, Sessions’ Senate colleagues should come to his January 10 hearing prepared to ask tough questions about how he will run his Justice Department. When Sen. Grassley reintroduces his sentencing bill, will Sessions oppose it as Attorney General? Does he plan to reverse former Attorney General Eric Holder’s directives, which asked U.S. Attorneys to reduce unnecessary incarceration when possible? Will he curtail reentry and education programs in prison? Will he halt investigations into troubled police departments, accused of misusing force against communities of color? More than 82% of African American voters believe the criminal justice system treats them unfairly, according to an NBC News exit poll. How does he plan to address this?
Even if confirmed, Sessions isn’t the only person in Washington with influence in this area. Conservatives and law enforcement groups have been working to convince Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence that the criminal justice system is “just another failed big government program.” They should redouble their efforts. For all his campaign rhetoric, Trump once supported legalizing marijuana, saying in 1990 “you have to legalize drugs to win that war.” In 2015, Trump told MSNBC that small-time drug use shouldn’t lead to prison. And as governor, Pence championed reforms to improve his state’s criminal justice system, saying that Indiana should be “the best place, once you’ve done your time, to get a second chance.”
If Sessions is confirmed, it won’t break the campaign to end mass incarceration. Efforts can continue at the state and local level, where Republicans and Democrats have worked together on justice reform for a decade. But national leaders set the tone, and backward federal policies rooted in fear-mongering rhetoric rather than evidence will certainly slow the pace of reform.
Sessions criticized Republican leaders for supporting a modest sentencing reform bill. Those same leaders, who now plan to revive the bill, have now all but promised him an easy confirmation as the nation’s next top law enforcement officer. They should reconsider. Sessions’ extremist record on criminal justice is reason enough for the American public and rational politicians to ask tough questions during his hearing next week.
Contact us at [email protected].(Reuters Health) - Babies begin to learn words and what they mean well before they begin talking, and researchers are beginning to understand how they do it.
"I think it's especially intriguing that we find evidence that for infants, even their early words aren't 'islands': even with a very small vocabulary they seem to have a sense that some words and concepts are more'similar' than others,” Dr. Elika Bergelson from Duke University, Durham, North Carolina told Reuters Health by email. “While they still have a lot to learn before they show adult-like or even toddler-like levels of comprehension, this gives us a peek into how those early words and concepts are organized.”
True word learning requires making connections between speech and the world around us and learning how different words relate to each other.
Bergelson's team studied 6-month-old babies to see whether they recognized these connections, as opposed to merely recognizing words in isolation.
Using eye tracking, the researchers found that infants looked significantly more at pictures of named objects (“car,” for example) when the objects were paired with unrelated objects (like a picture of a car with a picture of juice) than when the objects were paired with related objects (like a picture of a car with a picture of a stroller).
Infants, the authors suggest, “may know enough about a word’s meaning to tell it apart from the unrelated referent but not the related one.... That is, perhaps infants know ‘car’ cannot refer to juice, but not whether stroller is in the ‘car’ category.”
Using home video recordings, the researchers also observed that the infants learned to recognize words better when they could see the objects as the words were being used (for example, when they were told, "here's your spoon," when the spoon was actually present).
How often the word was used in the presence of the object seemed to have a greater impact on the development of understanding than who did the speaking, according to the November 20 online report in PNAS.
“I think before figuring out how to enhance vocabulary development, we need to better understand how it proceeds 'typically' - this paper is a first step in that direction,” Bergelson said. “That said, I think one thing suggested by our work is that talking more with young babies, and focusing in on what they're looking at and caring about certainly won't hurt - and it might even help - with early language development.”
“Treat your baby like a real conversational partner,” she said. “Even young infants are listening and learning about words and the world around them before they start talking themselves, and their caregivers make that possible.”
Dr. Dana Suskind from the University of Chicago, who has studied ways to help parents enrich infant language development but who wasn’t involved in this research, told Reuters Health by email, "From my standpoint, this work continues to reaffirm the critical importance of early and intentional parent language and interaction from day one and that learning doesn't start on the first day of school but the first day of life!”With prices dropping — and some sets available for around $1,000 — Ultra HD or 4K TV is gradually grabbing a foothold in consumers’ homes. Yet there is still little native content available for these sets. That may change soon with Amazon confirming it will begin offering 4K video to Amazon Prime customers before the year is out, and it won’t charge extra.
The online giant tells the Wall Street Journal that 4K content will be streaming on Amazon by the end of this year, and that Prime subscribers will still pay the same $99/year for access.
This is in contrast to Netflix, which charges $12/month (three dollars more than the regular monthly rate) to customers wishing to access the small but growing 4K library.
Amazon says the first slate of content available in 4K will include a number of the retailer’s original shows, including Alpha House and Transparent.
Another big concern with 4K streaming involves consumers’ Internet connections. In general, you need a broadband connection of around 15Mbps downstream in order to enjoy the full image quality of a streamed 4K movie. Otherwise, you might as well just be watching a video on any other HD TV.To best understand the Republican mentality on Capitol Hill — specifically, their disgraceful refusal to probe the Trump-Russia national security scandal with even a scintilla of the energy they devoted to Benghazi — you need only read what Senator Rand Paul said Tuesday on Fox News Radio.
“I just don’t think it’s useful to be doing investigation after investigation, particularly of your own party,” Paul said. “We’ll never even get started with doing the things we need to do like repealing Obamacare if we’re spending our whole time having Republicans investigate Republicans.”
There you have it, folks. Permit me to translate: “If we fully probe deeply for anti-American treason, we won’t have time to strip Americans of their health care.”
Remember when Republicans wrapped themselves in the flag and fancied themselves to be our truest patriots? That was their brand for decades. But these days, the Trump armband is wound so tight that it’s cutting off oxygen to their brains.
Republicans have their priorities. The party, and its dream of shredding the safety net, totally comes first. The country, despite ever-mounting evidence that Team Trump was in bed with a foreign adversary, decidedly comes second.
The latest news — and I know, it’s tough to keep up — is that Trump campaign officials and Trump associates had “repeated contacts” with Russia in 2016, during the same time frame that Russia was actively working to get Trump elected.
There’s no evidence in this new report that Trump’s people participated in the anti-Hillary hacking or that they were apprised of Putin’s cyber-invasion. But it’s suspicious that in December, on the same day President Obama punished Russia with sanctions, Michael Flynn called Russia five times in an attempt to undermine America |
stigma. They’re not opening up at the time when they should be opening up the most.”
She said K’Bro can help bridge this gap. She bills K’Bro as “the emotional resiliency app that knows you better than you know yourself.”
The app functions as a platform game, a la Super Mario Bros., in which the user navigates a squirrel through obstacles to collect acorns to move up levels. It’s geared for boys between the ages of 12 and 19. In a sense, the game is a way to get boys comfortable with the other aspects of the app.
It also contains a tool for boys to assess their emotions, log and store private diary entries, share positive thoughts about themselves and discuss problems they’re having at home or school anonymously with peers. K’Bro, now in beta testing, is specifically aimed at boys undergoing challenges that may lead to depressive or even suicidal thoughts. According to a 2013 Centers for Disease Control report titled “Mental Health Surveillance Among Children,” between 13 and 20 percent of U.S. children experience a mental disorder in a given year and suicide was the second leading cause of death among kids aged 12-17 in 2010.
“Research has proven that the first time that kids are thinking suicidal thoughts is when they should take an assessment,” said Mack, adding that assessing emotions and sharing problems with peers qualifies as an intervention.
Mack said about 100 boys are using the beta version, which is helping her and her team refine the data before it goes live on the Google Play and iTunes App stores in March. By that time, parents of boys using the app will be able to purchase subscriptions allowing them to receive alerts when there is cause for concern, along with tips on how to talk with their child.
“Parents pretty much stop reading child-rearing books when kids start to talk, but we know from research that the teen brain is very different from the adult brain,” Mack said. “Parents still need help parenting teenagers.”
The idea is that the more boys that use the app, the better the AI-based data model — which Mack said works similar to Siri — will be at predicting emotional well-being, according to Cailin Currie, K’Bro’s clinical trials director.
The assessment tool, called “Am I OK?”, asks boys to assess how they’re feeling about school, their parents and “other stuff” using six good and six bad emotions chosen with the help of an early focus group made up of Mack’s son and his friends. This group of boys also came up with the idea of sharing their negative emotions with anonymous peers who could provide feedback that can then be rated up or down by other peers, something Mack describes as an “anti” social network.
“They liked that there was a safe place to share things anonymously, where their parents wouldn’t see what they wrote,” Mack said, adding that the boys thought the alerts would give their parents “peace of mind without checking in on them all the time.” K’Bro eventually will allow users to report bullying and other “bad behavior” and block other users.
K’Bro could also give parents “more specificity on where to probe” with their child. Eventually, K’Bro will also have the ability to involve family psychologists, therapists, schools, coaches and juvenile detention centers.
The app is expected to eventually carry a feature allowing youths going through especially difficult periods to connect immediately “with a coach who has expertise in adolescent issues,” according to a video on its website.
One psychologist specializing in suicidal prevention in teens and young adults said K’Bro is a compelling app that could normalize emotional assessment in boys.
“Kids are playing games on their phones, kids are texting one another … and it’s taking something they don’t want to talk about but they’re experiencing on one level or another and putting that into something that’s entirely ordinary and everyday,” said Shane Owens, who runs a private practice in Long Island, New York.
Owens cautioned that K’Bro — and social media in general — should not replace face-to-face communication. He also said the alerts should be robust enough that parents don’t consider the app to be a “throw-away tool.”
“This app, in my mind, is only useful if it makes the connections between children and parents, children and schools, children and their peers and children and their counselors stronger,” Owens said, “though, clearly, the path between the child and help needs to be smooth, and this could do it.”
Help One Child, a Los Altos-based organization that works with at-risk youths, particularly those in the foster system, announced this past weekend it would engage 100 of its foster children in a one-year pilot of K’Bro to test its benefits and help refine the app’s data model.
“We see this as a huge benefit, because it puts much more control into the hands of the youth,” said Susan Herman, executive director for Help One Child, adding that many of the children suffer from reactive attachment disorder. “Communication skills are difficult for children with attachment disorder. … What her app does is it gives the child the ability to do that in privacy with other peers … but it also helps the parents then with a communication starter.”
Mack said she is hoping to raise between $500,000 and $1 million to get K’Bro fully built out, with security features, a platform connecting adolescents with professionals and a social media sharing site for parents dealing with troubled teens.
Anyone interested in joining the app’s beta test can do so at the K’Bro website (kbro.io). Anyone interested in becoming an early angel investor can email [email protected] 32 victims survived April's attack at Taixing's Zhongxin Kindergarten A court in eastern China has sentenced a man to death for knifing 29 children and three teachers in an attack on a kindergarten, state media reports. Xu Yuyuan was found guilty of attempted murder after a half-day trial at Taixing Intermediate Court in Jiangsu province, Xinhua reported. Xu reportedly said his motive was to vent his rage against society. It was not clear whether he would appeal. All 32 victims survived April's attack at Taixing's Zhongxin Kindergarten. China has been rocked by a string of school attacks in the past two months, in which dozens have been killed or wounded. China's Premier Wen Jiabao has said the attacks show the country has "social tensions" which must be addressed. The education ministry has ordered all schools to upgrade their security facilities, teach students about safety and ensure that young children were escorted home. Some local police authorities have distributed steel pitchforks and pepper spray to security guards in schools but such measures are considered expensive and their effectiveness is unproven. But Mr Wen told a Hong Kong television channel on Thursday that as well as boosting the security presence, China needed to "handle social problems, resolve disputes and strengthen mediation at the grassroots level". Discourage copycats? On Wednesday, seven children thought to be under the age of six and two adults were hacked to death at a kindergarten near Hanzhong city in Shaanxi province. The attacker later killed himself, Xinhua reported. In March, a man stabbed to death eight pupils at a school in Fujian province. He was executed soon afterwards. THIS YEAR'S ATTACKS 12 May: Seven children killed and 20 hurt in Hanzhong, Shaanxi province 30 April: Five children hurt in hammer attack in Weifang, Shandong 29 April: Three adults and 29 children injured in Taixing, Jiangsu 28 April: At least 15 children and one teacher injured in Leizhou, Guangdong 24 March: Eight children killed in Nanping, Fujian
China concern over school attacks China has in the past had a comparatively low rate of violent crime, meaning the recent violence has been all the more shocking. There has been much speculation on the cause of the attacks, with some blaming inadequate provision for people with mental health issues. Others have suggested the attacks are a form of revenge on society by individuals with no outlet for their anger in a political environment heavily controlled by the ruling Communist Party. Reports in official media have generally played down any wider causes for the school attacks, portraying them as isolated incidents perpetrated by disturbed individuals.
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StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable versionTen compounds were isolated and purified from the peels of gold-red apple (Malus domestica) for the 1st time. The identified compounds are 3β, 20β-dihydroxyursan-28-oic acid (1), 2α-hydroxyoleanolic acid (2), euscaphic acid (3), 3-O-p-coumaroyl tormentic acid (4), ursolic acid (5), 2α-hydroxyursolic acid (6), oleanolic acid (7), betulinic acid (8), linolic acid (9), and α-linolenic acid (10). Their structures were determined by interpreting their nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry (MS) spectra, and by comparison with literature data. Compound 1 is new, and compound 2 is herein reported for the 1st time for the genus Malus. α-Glucosidase inhibition assay revealed 6 of the triterpenoid isolates as remarkable α-glucosidase inhibitors, with betulinic acid showing the strongest inhibition (IC50 = 15.19 μM). Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization MS analysis of the fruit peels, pomace, flesh, and juice revealed that the peels and pomace contained high levels of triterpenes, suggesting that wastes from the fruit juice industry could serve as rich sources of bioactive triterpenes.
© 2014 Institute of Food Technologists®Kimble v. Marvel Entertainment poses a serious legal and policy question about the ability of patent holders to extract license fees after the expiration of the underlying patent that led to the fees. But it also has to do with Spider-Man merchandise, so Justice Kagan, who wrote the opinion, apparently couldn't restrain herself from cracking a series of comic book jokes:
" The parties set no end date for royalties, apparently contemplating that they would continue for as long as kids want to imitate Spider-Man (by doing whatever a spider can)."
The parties set no end date for royalties, apparently contemplating that they would continue for as long as kids want to imitate Spider-Man (by doing whatever a spider can)." "Patents endow their holders with certain superpowers, but only for a limited time."
"To the contrary, the decision's close relation to a whole web of precedents means that reversing it could threaten others."
"What we can decide, we can undecide. But stare decisis teaches that we should exercise that authority sparingly. Cf. S. Lee and S. Ditko, Amazing Fantasy No. 15: "SpiderMan," p. 13 (1962) ("[I]n this world, with great power there must also come — great responsibility")."
According to Supreme Court Review, Kagan is an "avid comic book fan" and must have been delighted to score the opportunity to write this decision. That last joke is actually the essence of the case. The Supreme Court is being asked to overturn an earlier precedent, and Kagan is saying that overturning precedents isn't something the Court should do without a very compelling reason. They have a responsibility to provide the country with a predictable, publicly understood code of laws, and that means being restrained in their use of the authority to change things up.Moe Aboulkheir
Introduction
There’s a lot to cover, and my reserves of pomposity are dwindling - let’s forego our tradition of the expansive, AI-baiting introduction, and get into it.
We’re going to use Clojure to build a simple, ephemeral and anonymous chat application, which’ll somehow transmit messages between web browsers via Amazon’s push notification service, SNS.
Targeting Elastic Beanstalk via Docker, we’ll make it easy for our application’s resources to be scaled upwards in response to user demand.
Demo
Each iframe shows the four most recent messages delivered after page render time. There will be delays/discrepant orderings, due to notifications reaching subscribed endpoints at different times.
Aside from communicating with yourself, you’re communicating with anyone else unfortunate enough to be reading this article.
Platform
Mostly we’re treating Elastic Beanstalk as a black box, accepting a Docker image and returning a load balancer, behind which it will place a dynamically-sized pool of instances running our image.
As for Docker, for our purposes it’s a black box which takes a small file and turns it into a giant one, allowing us to ignore all of the details of operating systems which aren’t relevant to our application.
Approach
We’re aiming for a single Clojure process which’ll perform small amount of bookkeeping at startup, before exposing two HTTP endpoints via httpkit:
POST /topic/events (SNS-facing)
(SNS-facing) GET /topic/events (user-facing, accepts websocket connections only)
SNS
At launch time, each instance of our process will subscribe its own /topic/events endpoint to notifications from SNS, on some pre-agreed topic. Each time we receive a POST from SNS, we’ll place its contents on an asynchronous channel in memory.
Users
Incoming websocket clients will be fed messages as they’re received from SNS and placed on the incoming channel. We’ll also accept messages from users, publishing them to the application’s topic via the SNS API.
Load
The pushes from SNS will be addressed to all nodes individually, whereas the requests from users will be handed off by the Elastic Load Balancer created by Beanstalk: all nodes receive all messages, and share the work of distributing them to end users.
Code
The code is available as sns-beanstalk-chat on Github, though we’ll be going through it in detail below.
Deployment
The project uses a Leiningen plugin called uberimage, which builds an uberjar and generates a Docker image which’ll run its entrypoint.
As we’re not doing anything too compromising, the built Docker image can be pushed publicly to Docker Hub, from where Elastic Beanstalk can be instructed to retrieve it. An example Dockerrun.aws.json (urgh) file is included in the repository, which does just that - specify the image, and request a port be mapped.
$ lein uberimage $ docker push nervoussystems/sns-web-chat
The static portions of our application (the HTML/JS from the above demo) are just hanging out in an S3 bucket, far away from all of this - Elastic Beanstalk is only hosting the two dynamic endpoints.
On Startup
(All excerpts below are from handler.clj)
We’ll be using Fink-Nottle to talk to SNS (covered in detail last week), as well as leaning on some instance metadata-retrieval functionality from Eulalie, the underlying AWS communication library.
While all of the HTTP endpoints and post-startup I/O are asynchronous (one bang! ), most of the initialization code is blocking (double-bang!! ).
Retrieving IAM Credentials
We don’t want to have to pass root-level credentials into our application. When setting up our Beanstalk environment, we asked that an IAM role - having suitable permissions for accessing SNS - be associated with its instances.
There is a wacky, within-EC2 API for retrieving that kind of stuff over HTTP, which is exposed in Eulalie:
( ns sns-beanstalk-chat.handler ( :require [ eulalie.instance-data :as instance-data ] [ eulalie.creds :as creds ])) ( defn get-creds!! [] ( let [ iam-role ( instance-data/default-iam-role!! ) current ( atom ( instance-data/iam-credentials!! iam-role ))] ( creds/periodically-refresh! current iam-role ) { :eulalie/type :refresh :current current }))
A typical credentials map would be {:access-key... :secret-key...}, however our IAM credentials ( :token, :expiration ) are time-delimited, and we don’t really want the rest of our application to have to care about that.
We start an asynchronous process ( periodically-refresh! ), which will quietly re-retrieve the credentials prior to expiry, and update our atom. Internally, Eulalie and Fink-Nottle will deref the atom whenever an AWS request is made.
Subscription
Before we dive into the web stuff, let’s look at the SNS subscription step, which, by necessity, happens after the HTTP server is started (when we subscribe our endpoint, SNS will immediately ask it for confirmation - we ought to be listening).
First, we create a couple of core.async channels we’ll share with the HTTP handlers, and retrieve some more instance metadata:
( let [ topic :sns-demo-events creds ( get-creds!! ) sns-incoming ( async/chan ) sns-outgoing ( async/chan ) region ( instance-data/identity-key!! :region ) hostname ( instance-data/meta-data!! :public-hostname )] ;; HTTP server initialization goes here ( let [{ :keys [ topic-arn ]} ( subscribe-sns!! creds hostname topic )] ( sns-publish! creds topic-arn sns-outgoing ))
We’re subscribing to a named SNS topic, and then starting a long-running, asynchronous process ( sns-publish! ) which will read messages from sns-outgoing, and send them out into the world:
( ns... ( :require [ fink-nottle.sns :as sns ]... )) ( defn subscribe-sns!! [ creds this-address topic-name ] ( let [ topic-arn ( sns/create-topic!! creds topic-name ) endpoint ( str "http://" this-address "/topic/events" )] { :topic-arn topic-arn :subscription-arn ( sns/subscribe!! creds topic-arn :http endpoint )})) ( defn sns-publish! [ creds topic-arn msg-chan ] ( async/go-loop [] ( when-let [ message ( <! msg-chan )] ( <! ( sns/publish-topic! creds topic-arn message )) ( recur ))))
Note that the create-topic will have no effect if the topic already exists, other than retrieving its identifier.
HTTP Handlers
( ns... ( :require [ compojure.core :as cj ] [ org.httpkit.server :as http ]... )) ( defn make-app [ config state ] ( cj/routes ( cj/POST "/topic/events" [] ( make-post-handler config state )) ( cj/GET "/topic/events" [] ( make-get-handler config state )))) ( defn -main [] ;; Redacted: initialization from previous section ( http/run-server ( make-app { :topic topic :region region } { :creds creds :sns-incoming-mult ( async/mult sns-incoming ) :sns-incoming sns-incoming :sns-outgoing sns-outgoing }) { :port 8080 }))
We’re trying to make our handler dependencies as explicit as possible - rather than stashing them in requests, or trying to define the handler bodies within make-app, we’re closing over the bits of the config and state we require:
POST Handler
( ns... ( :require [ fink-nottle.sns.consume :as sns.consume ] [ org.httpkit.client :as http.client ]... )) ( defn make-post-handler [{ region :region } { chan :sns-incoming }] ( fn [{ :keys [ body ] :as req }] ( go ( let [{ :keys [ type ] :as m } ( sns.consume/stream->message body )] ( when ( <! ( sns.consume/verify-message! m region )) ( case type :subscription-confirmation ( http.client/get ( :subscribe-url m )) :notification ( async/put! chan ( :message m )))))) nil ))
We receive messages from SNS, and respond immediately with an empty body. In one case, we visit the subscription confirmation URL (recall above, the invocation of subscribe-sns!!, which’ll trigger a confirmation request), otherwise we put the string message body on the sns-incoming channel.
Backpressure Naively exerting backpressure in the above handler (i.e. delaying our [empty] response until our put! is accepted) wouldn’t be meaningful from the perspective of SNS - it’s going to send us messages as fast as it can.
Under different circumstances, we could use the HTTP response code to signal inability to accept a message, combining this with a custom retry policy to similar overall effect. We’re also free to set a maximum delivery rate, either per topic, or per subscription, with messages in excess being subject to the retry policy.
Websocket Handler
The final function:
( defn make-get-handler [ _ { mult :sns-incoming-mult out-chan :sns-outgoing }] ( fn [ req ] ( let [ to-client ( async/chan )] ( async/tap mult to-client ) ( http/with-channel req handle ( http/on-receive handle ( fn [ message ] ( let [[ tag body ] ( json/decode message )] ( if ( = tag "message" ) ( async/put! out-chan body ))))) ( async/go-loop [] ( when-let [ value ( <! to-client )] ( if ( http/send! handle value ) ( recur ) ( async/close! to-client ))))))))
We’re using a multiple of the sns-incoming channel to get multicast behaviour - a write to sns-incoming (by the POST handler, above) will be translated into a write on each tap of the mult. Each time a client connects, we create a tap channel and siphon its contents into the websocket.
Our on-receive callback place messages from the client onto the channel being consumed by sns-publish!.
Compromises
You’ll notice that there isn’t any code to try and unsubscribe nodes which have been removed from circulation. The only practical downside of failing to do this seems to be that (depending on volume) you may be paying for failed delivery attempts.
A fairly simple approach would be to have all nodes subscribe to an SQS queue which receives autoscale notifications, with a view to locating and removing the subscriptions of outgoing peers. Maybe this’ll be covered in a follow-up post.
Exposing The SNS-Facing Endpoint
It would seem natural to bind the POST endpoint to the instance’s internal/EC2 interface, and use that address when subscribing with SNS - however, SNS rejects internal endpoint subscriptions, citing a permission error, regardless of the topic permissions.
It’s also impractical to exclude requests to the message notification endpoint based on source address, as there’s a long and occasionally-changing list of potential sources.
Keeping the endpoint public, while verifying message signatures, seems like the healthiest approach.
ELB/Heartbeating
The websocket handler ignores all input which isn’t tagged as “message” (i.e. ["message" "body"] ) - this is to allow the client to make noise as a means of keeping the connection alive.
In HTTP mode, Elastic Load Balancer doesn’t work with websockets at all - this demo application requires the Beanstalk load balancer be running in TCP mode.
That said, in TCP mode, an idle timeout still applies, and its value can’t be changed via Elastic Beanstalk’s LB configuration - the generated load balancer must be adjusted directly.Henley Royal Regatta 2015 – Prediction Results
332 of the greatest minds in rowing put their heads together and came up with the following predictions for this year’s regatta.
Coxed and coxless fours look like they’re going to provide us with some EPIC racing, in particular the Visitors’ which looks incredibly close with four crews between 13% and 27% – no overwhelming favourite!
The bar charts below only show those crews with over 5% of the vote, but if you scroll right to the bottom of the page you’ll find a full breakdown
ENJOY!
Grand Challenge Cup
1 Leander Club and Molesey Boat Club - 83.81%
3 Ruder Club Hansa von 1898 e.V. Dortmund, Germany - 15.56%
Ladies Challenge Plate
4 Leander Club - 14.66%
9 University of Washington, U.S.A. - 73.29%
10 Yale University, U.S.A. - 5.21%
Thames Challenge Cup
32 Leander Club - 12.5%
36 Mercantile Rowing Club, Australia - 12.5%
45 Thames Rowing Club A - 54.28%
Temple Challenge Cup
96 Oxford Brookes University A - 79.61%
100 Princeton University, U.S.A. - 5.59%
Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup
124 Abingdon School - 6.03%
133 Eton College - 12.7%
153 St. Pauls School - 6.98%
166 Westminster School - 60.95%
Remenham Challenge Cup
170 Brown University, U.S.A. - 7.02%
175 Leander Club - 8.03%
176 Leander Club and Imperial College London - 33.78%
179 Oxford Brookes University - 5.02%
180 Oxford University Womens Boat Club and Radcliffe Crew, Harvard University, U.S.A. - 13.38%
186 Western Rowing Club, Canada - 21.4%
Stewards Challenge Cup
187 Leander Club and University of London - 94.97%
Visitors Challenge Cup
193 Harvard University A, U.S.A. - 23.75%
195 Newcastle University - 26.76%
202 University of California, Berkeley, U.S.A. - 13.38%
203 University of Washington, U.S.A. - 21.74%
Wyfold Challenge Cup
223 London Rowing Club A - 5.07%
227 Molesey Boat Club A - 34.12%
245 Sydney Rowing Club, Australia - 6.08%
249 The Tideway Scullers School - 9.8%
253 Tyrian Club A - 6.76%
255 Upper Thames Rowing Club A - 14.86%
Queen Mother Challenge Cup
260 Leander Club and Agecroft Rowing Club - 89.66%
261 Rostocker Ruder-Club and Potsdamer Ruder-Gesellschaft e.V., Germany - 10.34%
Prince of Wales Challenge Cup
272 Imperial College London and Agecroft Rowing Club - 5.61%
273 Leander Club - 42.81%
274 Leander Club and Oxford Brookes University - 29.82%
Fawley Challenge Cup
315 Leander Club A - 11.95%
338 Sir William Borlases Grammar School A - 55.63%
Princess Grace Challenge Cup
360 Brown University, U.S.A. - 10.84%
362 Imperial College London and Tees Rowing Club - 40.56%
363 Leander Club - 27.97%
371 Stanford University, U.S.A. - 6.29%
Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup
379 Gloucester Rowing Club A - 42.11%
381 Headington School A - 13.68%
383 Henley Rowing Club - 8.07%
390 Marlow Rowing Club A - 9.12%
Britannia Challenge Cup
411 Lea Rowing Club - 6.92%
412 Molesey Boat Club - 13.15%
420 Sydney Rowing Club, Australia - 40.14%
421 Thames Rowing Club - 10.03%
424 Upper Thames Rowing Club - 12.11%
Prince Albert Challenge Cup
442 Harvard University A, U.S.A. - 20.07%
455 Newcastle University A - 6.23%
457 Oxford Brookes University A - 9.34%
474 University of Washington, U.S.A. - 34.95%
Silver Goblets and Nickalls Challenge Cup
480 J.C. Foad & M.K. Langridge - Molesey Boat Club and Leander Club - 75.35%
482 S.G. Innes & O.R.G. Cook - Leander Club and University of London - 5.9%
486 M.T. Tarrant & C.S. McBrierty - Leander Club and Oxford Brookes University - 5.21%
Double Sculls Challenge Cup
490 J.E. Collins & J.F.L. Walton - Leander Club - 63.29%
491 H.C.J. Goodier & J.G. Bugajski - Oxford University and Keble College, Oxford - 5.24%
492 P.F. Graves & T.H. Graves - Craftsbury Sculling Center, U.S.A. - 8.39%
495 C.B. Kuyt & B.D. Lukkes - Delftsche Studenten Roeivereeniging Laga and Delftsche Studenten Roeivereeniging Proteus-Eretes, Holland - 5.59%
498 J.M. Thompson & J.E. Smith - University of Pretoria, South Africa - 10.84%
Diamond Challenge Sculls
499 A.W. Campbell - The Tideway Scullers School - 5.54%
504 A.M.O. Drysdale - West End Rowing Club, New Zealand - 85.81%
Princess Royal Challenge Cup
520 M. Knapkova - V.K. Slavia Praha, Czech Republic - 66.67%
523 P.A.M. Swann - Leander Club - 20.62%
Grand Challenge Cup
Ranking Crew Percentage of Votes 1 1 Leander Club and Molesey Boat Club 83.81% 3 2 National Training Centre, Australia 0.63% 2 3 Ruder Club Hansa von 1898 e.V. Dortmund, Germany 15.56%
Ladies Challenge Plate
Ranking Crew Percentage of Votes 2 4 Leander Club 14.66% 4 5 Melbourne University, Australia 2.61% 6 6 Princeton University A, U.S.A. 1.95% 7 7 Princeton University B, U.S.A. 0% 5 8 Ruderclub Germania Düsseldorf von 1904, Germany 2.28% 1 9 University of Washington, U.S.A. 73.29% 3 10 Yale University, U.S.A. 5.21%
Thames Challenge Cup
Ranking Crew Percentage of Votes 12 11 Agecroft Rowing Club 0.66% 25 12 Auriol Kensington Rowing Club 0% 25 13 Broxbourne Rowing Club 0% 8 14 Cambridge 99 Rowing Club 1.32% 25 15 Cantabrigian Rowing Club 0% 18 16 City of Bristol Rowing Club A 0.33% 25 17 City of Bristol Rowing Club B 0% 18 18 City of Cambridge Rowing Club 0.33% 18 19 City of Oxford Rowing Club 0.33% 25 20 Colet Boat Club 0% 25 21 Curlew Rowing Club 0% 25 22 Dart Totnes Amateur Rowing Club 0% 25 23 Derby Rowing Club 0% 12 24 Eastbourne Rowing Club 0.66% 18 25 Exeter Rowing Club 0.33% 12 26 Green Lake Crew A, U.S.A. 0.66% 25 27 Green Lake Crew B, U.S.A. 0% 18 28 Grosvenor Rowing Club 0.33% 18 29 Kingston Rowing Club 0.33% 25 30 Lea Rowing Club A 0% 25 31 Lea Rowing Club B 0% 2 32 Leander Club 12.5% 5 33 London Rowing Club A 2.63% 25 34 London Rowing Club B 0% 12 35 Marlow Rowing Club 0.66% 2 36 Mercantile Rowing Club, Australia 12.5% 7 37 Molesey Boat Club 1.64% 25 38 Nonesuch Boat Club 0% 25 39 Putney Town Rowing Club 0% 25 40 Reading Rowing Club 0% 8 527 Rennrudergemeinschaft Mülheim/Ruhr, Germany 1.32% 12 41 Royal Chester Rowing Club 0.66% 10 42 Rudern, Tennis und Hockey Club Bayer Leverkusen, Germany 0.99% 25 43 Sabrina Rowing Club 0% 4 44 Sport Imperial Boat Club 3.29% 1 45 Thames Rowing Club A 54.28% 25 46 Thames Rowing Club B 0% 25 47 Thames Rowing Club C 0% 25 48 Thames Rowing Club D 0% 10 49 The Tideway Scullers School A 0.99% 25 50 The Tideway Scullers School B 0% 18 51 University Barge Club, U.S.A. 0.33% 6 52 Upper Thames Rowing Club 2.3% 25 53 Ursus Boat Club 0% 25 54 Vesta Rowing Club 0% 25 55 Walton Rowing Club 0% 12 56 Worcester Rowing Club A 0.66% 25 57 Worcester Rowing Club B 0%
Temple Challenge Cup
Ranking Crew Percentage of Votes 12 58 Abingdon School A 0.33% 20 59 Abingdon School B 0% 20 60 Algemene Amsterdamsche Studenten Roeivereniging Skøll, Holland 0% 4 61 Amsterdamsche Studenten Roeivereeniging Nereus, Holland 1.32% 12 62 Bedford Modern School 0.33% 20 63 Bedford School 0% 20 64 Bournemouth University A 0% 20 65 Bournemouth University B 0% 20 66 Cardiff University A 0% 20 67 Cardiff University B 0% 20 68 Churchill College, Cambridge and Girton College, Cambridge 0% 12 69 Columbia University, U.S.A. 0.33% 3 70 Cornell University, U.S.A. 4.61% 6 71 Delftsche Studenten Roeivereeniging Laga, Holland 0.99% 20 72 Durham University A 0% 20 73 Durham University B 0% 20 74 Edinburgh University 0% 9 75 Eton College A 0.66% 20 76 Eton College B 0% 20 77 Eton College C 0% 20 78 Exeter University A 0% 20 79 Exeter University B 0% 20 80 Hampton School 0% 12 81 Hobart College, U.S.A. 0.33% 9 82 Imperial College London A 0.66% 20 83 Imperial College London B 0% 20 84 Kent School, U.S.A. 0% 20 85 Kings College School, Wimbledon 0% 12 86 Kings College, Queensland, Australia 0.33% 20 87 Lady Margaret Boat Club, Cambridge 0% 20 88 Lawrenceville School, U.S.A. 0% 20 89 Leeds University 0% 20 90 Liverpool University 0% 20 91 Manchester University 0% 20 92 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, U.S.A. 0% 12 93 Nephthys Boat Club 0.33% 12 94 Newcastle University 0.33% 9 95 Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration, Norway 0.66% 1 96 Oxford Brookes University A 79.61% 20 97 Oxford Brookes University B 0% 20 98 Oxford Brookes University C 0% 20 99 Pembroke College, Cambridge and Caius Boat Club, Cambridge 0% 2 100 Princeton University, U.S.A. 5.59% 20 101 Queens College, Cambridge 0% 20 102 Reading Blue Coat School 0% 20 103 St. Hild & St. Bede College, Durham and St. Cuthberts Society, Durham 0% 20 104 St. Pauls School A 0% 20 105 St. Pauls School B 0% 20 106 Sheffield University 0% 20 107 Shiplake College 0% 20 108 Shrewsbury School 0% 20 109 Swansea University 0% 20 110 The Kings School, Chester 0% 12 111 Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland 0.33% 20 112 Université de Lyon, France 0% 20 113 University College London A 0% 20 114 University College London B 0% 20 115 University of Bristol 0% 6 116 University of London A 0.99% 20 117 University of London B 0% 20 118 University of London C 0% 20 119 University of the West of England 0% 6 120 University of Virginia, U.S.A. 0.99% 20 121 University of Warwick 0% 20 122 University of York 0% 4 123 Westminster School 1.32%
Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup
Ranking Crew Percentage of Votes 4 124 Abingdon School 6.03% 25 125 Bedford Modern School 0% 25 126 Bedford School 0% 25 127 Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, U.S.A. 0% 7 128 Boston College High School, U.S.A. 0.95% 25 129 Canford School 0% 25 130 Cheltenham College 0% 25 131 Claires Court School 0% 25 132 Dulwich College 0% 2 133 Eton College 12.7% 25 134 George Watsons College 0% 7 135 Gonzaga College High School, U.S.A. 0.95% 25 136 Great Marlow School 0% 10 137 Hampton School 0.63% 18 138 Kings College School, Wimbledon 0.32% 25 139 Kingston Grammar School 0% 10 140 Latymer Upper School 0.63% 25 141 Lawrenceville School, U.S.A. 0% 25 142 Millfield School 0% 25 143 Monmouth School 0% 25 144 Norwich School 0% 18 145 Pangbourne College 0.32% 18 146 Phillips Academy, Andover, U.S.A. 0. |
Yakub Memon Executed: Karnataka students give Rs 10,000 to hangman, here's why
India
oi-Nairita
Mangaluru, Aug 6: A group of students of a pre-university college in Puttur, Mangaluru rewarded the hangman who executed 1993 blasts convict Yakub Memon on July 30.
The students of Ambika Padavi Poorva Vidyalaya collected Rs 10,000 and sent the money to the Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP). The students wanted to honour the hangman as he executed one of the men who had killed 257 people and injured many during the serial bomb blasts on Mar 12, 1993.
[Yakub Memon Hanged: What were his last words, revealed]
Memon was the sole convict who was given capital punishment (death penalty). However, the main conspirator Tiger Memon escaped to Pakistan and is still on run.
[No death penalty even for terrorists, says Shashi Tharoor]
Days after Yakub's execution at Nasik jail, the students of the college expressed their wish to donate money to the hangman. Hence, they urged the college authority to help to collect money.
A group of students asked all students of the college to donate for the cause. Even college staffs gave money and the group managed to collect Rs 10,000.
Now, a cheque of Rs 10,000 has already been sent to the Maharashtra DGP on Monday, Aug 3. A small covering letter too was sent along with the cheque.
In the letter, the students wrote, "We would like to express our respect to the officials who played a great role in this. We are so proud to say that we will be greatful to you if you give us an opportunity to uphold our patriotism."
OneIndia NewsA Castlegar restaurant owner who shot an intruder who broke into his restaurant won't be facing any charges.
Castlegar RCMP Sgt. Laurel Mathew says the incident took place on Sept. 3 at around 4:40 a.m. PT. The owner of Chameleon restaurant was sleeping in his living space above the restaurant when he heard smashing and glass breaking.
He went to investigate, she explained, taking his.22 revolver to protect himself.
"He went downstairs and was confronted by an intruder who bear sprayed him in the face, incapacitating him," she said.
As he was being sprayed, the owner fired his gun. The suspect managed to run away and the owner called police.
A few days later, after receiving a number of tips from the public, police were able to nab a suspect, 35-year-old Brandon Malkinson of Nelson.
Malkinson had been wounded by the gunshot but stayed four days in the Kootenays without going to a doctor or hospital.
"[After his arrest] he was taken to the doctor by the police, checked over and found to be fit for incarceration," Mathew said, adding he did not have serious injuries.
30 months in jail for intruder
Malkinson was charged with numerous offences including breaking and entering and breaching a probation order.
He was found guilty, Sept. 11. Two days later, he was sentenced to 30 months in jail.
Mathew says police will not be charging the owner.
"We considered all the facts and circumstances," she explained.
"He took a significant blast of bear spray to the face which incapacitated him. At that point, he's protecting himself from who knows what at that point... His use of force was reasonable under these circumstances."
With files from Daybreak SouthI hate the term ‘Mixed Signals’ or ‘Mixed Messages’. “I dunno man, she sending me mixed messages” is a common refrain among many a Blue Pill man.
More often than not there’s nothing ‘Mixed’ being communicated, rather it’s a failure (willful or not) to read what a woman is communicating to a man. The average guy tends to ‘get’ exactly what a woman has implied with her words, but it takes practice to read her behavior and then more practice in self-control to apply it to his own interpretation.
When a woman goes from hot to cold and back again, THIS IS the message — she’s got buyers remorse, you’re not her first priority, she’s deliberating between you and what she perceives is a better Hypergamous prospect, you were better looking when she was drunk, etc. — the message isn’t the ‘what ifs’, the message IS her own hesitation and how her behavior manifests it. 10 dates before sex? This IS the message. Canceling dates? Flaking? strong interest to weak interest? This IS the message.
Women with high interest level (IL) wont confuse you. When a woman wants to fuck you she’ll find a way to fuck you. If she’s fluctuating between being into you and then not, put her away for a while and spin other plates. If she sorts it out for herself and pursues you, then you are still playing in your frame and you maintain the value of your attention to her. It’s when you patiently while away your time wondering what the magic formula is that’ll bring her around, that’s when you lean over into her frame. You need her more than she needs you and she will dictate the terms of her attentions.
What most guys think are ‘mixed messages’ or confusing behavior coming from a woman is simply due to their inability (or refusal) to make an accurate interpretation of why she’s behaving in such a manner. Usually this boils down to a guy getting so wrapped up in a girl that he’d rather make concessions for her behavior than see it for what it really is. In other words, it’s far easier to call it ‘mixed messages’ or fall back on the old chestnut of how fickle and random women are, when in fact it’s simply a rationale to keep themselves on the hook, so to speak, because they lack any real, viable, options with other women in their lives. A woman that has a high IL in a guy has no need (and less motivation) to engage in behaviors that would compromise her status with him. Women of all ILs will test a man’s fitness (i.e. shit test), and men will pass or fail accordingly, but a test is more easily recognizable when you consider the context in which they’re delivered.
More often than not women tell the complete truth with their mannerisms and behaviors, they just communicate it in a fashion that men can’t or wont understand. As a behaviorist, I’m a firm believer in the psychological principal that the only way to determine genuine motivation and/or intent is to observe the behavior of an individual. All one need do is compare behavior and the results of it to correlate intent.
A woman will communicate vast wealths of information and truths to a man if he’s only willing to accept her behavior, not exclusively her words, as the benchmark. He must also understand that the truth she betrays in her behavior is often not what he wants to accept.
We get frustrated because women communicate differently than we do. Women communicate covertly, men communicate overtly. Men convey information, women convey feeling. Men prioritize content and information, women prioritize context and feeling when they communicate. One of the great obfuscations fostered by feminization in the last quarter-century is this expectation that women are every bit as rational and inclined to analytical problem solving as men. It’s the result of an equalist mentality that misguides men into believing that women communicate no differently than men. That’s not to discount women learning to be problem solvers in their own right, but it flies in the face how women set about a specifically feminine form of communication. Scientific study after study illustrating the natural capacity women have for exceptionally complex forms of communication (to the point of proving their neural pathways are wired differently) are proudly waved in by a feminized media as proof of women’s innate merits. Yet as men, we’re expected to accept that she “means what she says, and she says what she means.”
More than a few women like to wear this as a badge of some kind of superiority, however it doesn’t necessarily mean that what they communicate is more important, or how they communicate it is more efficient, just that they have a greater capacity to understand nuances of communication better than do men. One of the easiest illustrations of this generational gender switch is to observe the communication methods of the “strong” women the media portray in popular fiction today. How do we know she’s a strong woman? The first cue is she communicates in an overt, information centered, masculine manner.
You don’t need to be psychic to understand women’s covert communication, you need to be observant. This often requires a patience that most men simply don’t have, so they write women off as duplicitous, fickle or conniving if the name fits. Even to the Men that are observant enough, and take the needed mental notes to really see it going on around them, it seems very inefficient and irrational. And why wouldn’t it? We’re Men. Our communications are (generally) information based, deductive and rational, that’s Men’s overt communication. Blunt, to the point, solve the problem and move on to the next. Feminine communication seems insane, it is a highly dysfunctional form of communication….,to be more specific, it’s a childish form of communication. This is what children do! They say one thing and do another. they throw temper tantrums. They react emotionally to everything. Yes, they do. And more often than not, they get what they’re really after — attention. Women are crazy, but it’s a calculated crazy.
Covert communication frustrates us every bit as much as overt communication frustrates women. Our language has no art to it for them, that’s why we seem dumb or simple at best to women. We filter for information to work from, not the subtle details that make communication enjoyable for women. This is the same reason we think of feminine communication as being obfuscating, confusing, even random. The difference is that our confusion and frustration is put to their ultimate use. So long as women remain unknowable, random, irrational creatures that men can’t hope to understand (but can always excuse), they can operate unhindered towards their goals. “Silly boy, you’ll never understand women, just give up” is exactly the M.O. Once you accept this, she’s earned a lifetime of get-out-of-jail-free cards. The myth of the ‘Feminine Mystique’ and a woman’s prerogative (to change her mind) is entirely dependent upon this covert communication.
Now as Men we’ll say, “Evil, immoral, manipulative woman! Shape up and do the right thing, saying one thing then doing another makes you a hypocrite!” and of course this is our rational nature overtly making itself heard and exposing a woman’s covert communication. An appeal to morality, that’ll get her, but,..it doesn’t.
This is because women instinctively know that their sexuality is their first, best agency, and covert communication is the best method to utilize it. Appeals to morality only work in her favor, because all she need do is agree with a Man’s overt assessment of her and suddenly he thinks he’s ‘getting through to her’. As Men, we have become so conditioned by the Feminine Mystique to expect a woman to be duplicitous with us that when she suddenly leans into masculine communication forms and resorts to our own, overt communication method and agrees with us, it seems she’s had an epiphany, or a moment of clarity. “Wow, this one’s really special, ‘high quality’, and seems to get it.” That is, so long as it suits her conditions to do so. When it doesn’t, the Feminine Mystique is there to explain it all away.
Have you ever been in a social setting, maybe a party or something, with a girlfriend or even a woman you may be dating and seemingly out of the blue she says to you privately, “ooh, did you see the dirty look that bitch just gave me?!” You were right there in her physical presence, saw the girl she was talking about, yet didn’t register a thing. Women’s natural preference for covert communication is recognizable by as early as five years old. They prefer to fight in the psychological, whereas boys fight in the physical.
Within their own peer group, little girls fight for dominance with the threat of ostracization from the group. “I wont be your friend anymore if,..” is just as much a threat to a girl as “I’m gonna punch you in the face if,..” is to a boy. This dynamic becomes much more complex as girls enter puberty, adolescence and adulthood, yet they still use the same psychological mode of combat as adults. Their covert way of communicating this using innuendo, body language, appearance, sub-communications, gestures, etc. conveys far more information than our overt, all on the table, way of communicating does. It may seem more efficient to us as Men, but our method doesn’t satisfy the same purpose.
Women enjoy the communication more than the information being transferred. It’s not a problem to be solved, it’s the communication that’s primary. When a chump supplies her with everything all at once we think, yeah, the mystery is gone, he’s not a challenge anymore, why would she be interested? This is true, but the reason that intrigue is gone is because there’s no more potential for stimulating that need for communication or her imagination. Too many men buy into the lie that ‘open communication’ is the key to a good relationship and do an ‘information dump’ believing their wives or girlfriends will appreciate it. In doing so a man denies his woman the satisfaction of communicating in teasing out the information.
Nothing is more self-satisfying for a woman than for her to believe she’s figured a man out by using her mythical ‘feminine intuition’. This intuition is really just a name given to her preferred form of communication.
Lastly, I should add that women are not above using overt communication when it serves their purposes. When a woman comes out and says something in such a fashion so as to leave no margin for misinterpretation, you can bet she’s been pushed to that point out of either fear or sheer exasperation when her covert methods wont work.
“Can’t we just be friends?” is a covert rejection, “Get away from me you creep!!” is an overt rejection. When a woman opts for the overt, rest assured, she’s out of covert ideas and knows she must use men’s form of communication. This is an easy example of this, but when a woman cries on you, screams at you, or issues an ultimatum to you she is self-acknowledging that she is powerless to the point of having to come over to your way of communicating.
Likewise, men can and do master the art of covert communications as well. Great politicians, military generals, businessmen, salesmen to be sure, and of course master pickup artists all use covert communications to achieve their goals. It’s incorrect to think of covert communication as inherently dishonest or amoral, or even in a moral context. It’s a means to an end, just as overt communication is a means to an end, and that end whether decided by men or women is what’s ethical or unethical. The medium is the message.
Like this: Like Loading...Image copyright PA
Surging sales of salmon helped the UK to export a record amount of food and drink in the first quarter of 2017, the Food and Drink Federation has said.
The industry group said sales of the fish leapt more than 50% by value - to £186.7m - and 13% by volume.
British food and drink exports as a whole grew by 8.3% year-on-year to £4.9bn - the largest first quarter figure on record.
FDF credited better promotion of UK goods abroad, and the weaker pound.
Sterling has fallen by about 16% against the dollar since Britain voted to leave the EU last June, making UK produce more competitive overseas.
Chocolate and cheese
Quoting UK government figures, the group said whisky had remained the top food and drink export during the period, with sales of £895.9m.
This was followed by Scottish salmon and chocolate.
Analysis: Emma Simpson, BBC Business Correspondent
2016, as a whole, was a record-breaking year for food and drink exports. That momentum appears to be continuing in 2017.
This is good news for the industry and the government as it seeks new markets for British goods.
Exports to non-EU countries have been growing at a faster rate than those to the EU for the last couple of years.
A growth rate of 40% in South Korea is pretty impressive. But that still only amounts to some £50m worth of business.
Compare that to Ireland, where we generated some £854m worth of exports in the first three months of this year.
Ireland remains our most important trading partner by far when it comes to food and drink. Today's figures are yet more evidence that protecting this relationship post-Brexit will be key.
The rise in the value of UK salmon sales is thanks in part to rising global demand for the fish, that has been hard to meet due to widespread lice infestations that have hampered production.
That has led to higher prices for salmon across the board.
The weakness of sterling has also helped to make Scottish salmon less expensive than salmon from Chile and Norway.
British wine exports saw the greatest growth by volume, climbing 13.8%, while the value of the UK's cheese exports jumped 29.1% to £145.3m, thanks in part to a spike in sales to France.
Rising deficit
However, while the weaker pound benefited UK exporters, the FDF said it had also pushed up costs for British businesses that bring food into the UK from abroad.
As a result, the UK's food and drink trade deficit - the difference between how much the UK imports and exports - actually widened 19% to £6.2bn in the quarter.
Image copyright AFP
UK's top 10 food and drink exports
Whisky £895m
Salmon £186m
Chocolate £155m
Cheese £145m
Beer £139m
Wine £133m
Pork £109m
Gin £108m
Beef £106m
Vegetables £97m
Source H&M Customs and Excise
The UK exports significantly more to the neighbouring European Union than it does further afield. However at 9.4%, growth in exports to non-EU countries outpaced those to the EU, which climbed 7.4%.
Ian Wright, Director General of FDF, said it was "pleasing to see non-EU exports performing beyond expectations".
Food and drink sales to South Korea rose 40%, driven by beer sales, while exports to South Africa grew 31% thanks to animal feed.
However, Elsa Fairbanks, director of the Food & Drink Exporters Association, another trade organisation, said: "Ease of access to EU markets will continue to be vital to our industry in future as many food and drink products are not suited to export to distant markets.
"Although we recognise the need to explore new opportunities, leaving the EU should not mean ignoring those we already have."Uguisu no fun (Japanese: 鶯の糞, also called the "Geisha Facial"[1]), which literally means "nightingale feces" in Japanese, refers to the excrement (fun) produced by a particular nightingale called the Japanese bush warbler (Cettia diphone) (uguisu).[1] The droppings have been used in facials since ancient Japanese times.[1] Recently, the product has appeared in the Western world.[1] The facial is said to whiten the skin and balance skin tone, as well as treat skin affected by hyperpigmentation such as in the case of acne or sun damage.[2]
History [ edit ]
uguisu no fun to remove their heavy makeup, and to whiten and condition their skin. Geishas historically usedto remove their heavy makeup, and to whiten and condition their skin.
The use of nightingale excrement dates back to the Heian period (AD 794–1185) when it was introduced to the Japanese by the Koreans.[1][3] Koreans used the guano to remove dye from kimono fabric, allowing them to make intricate designs on the clothing.[1][3] The Japanese used the bird droppings to remove stains from silk garments such as kimonos.[4][5] Then, during the Edo period (AD 1603–1868), the Japanese expanded its use by using it as a beauty treatment.[3] Some sources, however, report that as early as the third century Japanese women used bags of rice bran and supplies of nightingale droppings to whiten their skin.[6][7] Geishas and kabuki actors used heavy white makeup that contained zinc and lead, which likely caused many issues such as skin diseases.[1][8] Uguisu no fun was used to thoroughly remove this makeup and to whiten and balance skin tone.[1][4] Also, Buddhist monks used the droppings to polish and clean their bald scalps.[1][3]
The first modern written mention of the use of uguisu no fun is in a book entitled Shunkin-sho (Portrait of Lady Shunkin), published in 1933 by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, set in Japan's Meiji period (1868–1912).
Currently, Hyakusuke is the last place in Tokyo to have the government-approved uguisu no fun.[9] This two-hundred-year-old cosmetic shop carries the powder along with other cosmetic products.[9][10]
The modern-day revival of uguisu no fun in Japan may be attributed to a respect for ancestral traditions as well as to the innovative culture of Japan.[11]
Processing [ edit ]
Uguisu no fun is harvested in nightingale farms in Japan.[1] Though wild nightingales eat insects and berries, the diet of the caged birds consists of organic seeds.[1][12] Some nightingales feed on caterpillars that eat from plum trees.[5] The guano is scraped from the cages, and an ultraviolet light is often used to kill the bacteria to sanitize it.[1][12] The droppings are then usually dried with a dehydrator.[1] Some are sun-dried for over two weeks while simultaneously being UV sterilized.[13] Next, it is ground into a fine white powder, and it is sold in this form.[1] The droppings are turned into powder in a special container that rotates for 18 hours with a ceramic ball.[13]
Facial [ edit ]
Rice bran is sometimes added to the guano for the purpose of exfoliation.[1] The powder is mixed with water yielding a paste.[1] The paste is massaged into the skin for a few minutes and then it is rinsed off.[1] The facial is usually rather odorless and sanitized.[1][5] The added rice bran can also neutralize the slight musky odor.[14]
In one New York spa that offers the Geisha Facial, the process takes about one hour and costs $180.[8]
Mechanism of facial [ edit ]
The way the facial works is not entirely clear.[4] The guano from the nightingale has a high concentration of urea and guanine.[1] Because birds excrete a fecal and urine waste from a single opening, called the cloaca, the fecal-urine combination gives the droppings a high concentration of urea.[1][4] Urea is sometimes found in cosmetics because it locks moisture into the skin.[1][4] The guanine may produce shimmery, iridescent effects on the skin.[1][8] It is claimed that because of the short intestine of the nightingale, the droppings have protein, a fat-degrading enzyme, and a whitening enzyme that acts on fat and scurf to whiten skin and even out blemishes.[13]
Numerous sources comment that "the amino acid guanine" gives uguisu no fun its cosmetic properties, though guanine is a nucleotide base, not an amino acid.[1][3][14]
In popular culture [ edit ]
Victoria Beckham, who has long suffered with acne, used uguisu no fun to improve her skin.[15] It was reported that Victoria Beckham admired the clarity of the skin of Japanese women and subsequently learned about the droppings.[12] David Beckham has been said to use the product as well.[15]
In the novel Memoirs of a Geisha, Chiyo repays Hatsumomo’s cruelty by mixing pigeon droppings with her face cream that contained unguent of nightingale droppings.[16]
In the 2012 movie Mirror Mirror, which is based on the fairytale Snow White, the evil queen, played by Julia Roberts, undergoes extreme beauty treatments in order to woo a prince. The treatment begins with an application of bird droppings to her face.
Citations [ edit ]
References [ edit ]Hurricane Isabelle
Technological civilizations are dissipative structures. They only exist in form to speed the degradation of energy and dissipation of heat. Modern industrial civilization exists to convert vast stores of fossil energy to waste heat. Although the form of the hurricane and the infrastructure of civilization seem vastly different they are the same. When the energy gradient becomes too small, they cease to exist. Instead of a column of swirling air reaching from the ocean’s surface to 50,000 feet in the atmosphere, humans have created numerous factories, homes, cars and other machines to release the energy into the lower atmosphere. The seemingly ordered motions of the technological metabolism, always growing and “making progress” are no different than the swirling air of the hurricane. The imagined complexity and progress of civilization are secondary to the primary physical phenomenon of degrading energy.
When the source of energy is gone the dissipative structure will disappear. It seems that industrial civilization is beginning to make landfall and growth in size and intensity is no longer possible. As it moves over the rough terrain it will gradually lose all recognizable form as it is cut-off from its fossil fuels, until what was once a powerful force of nature is no more.
Dissipative structures in all of their wonderful complexity exist in their orderliness to obtain energy and degrade it, thereby obtaining the energy necessary to maintain themselves. These conduits exist only where they can feed upon higher grade energy and dump low grade energy into the environment. The type and concentration of the energy will determine the forms of the conduits. In ecosystems, captured energy in the form of bodies are devoured to supply other conduits with energy. A proportion of energy obtained is stored in the conduit infrastructure while the rest keeps the metabolism in motion.
Man’s industrial civilization will last only as long as it can siphon energy from fossil fuels to build its infrastructure. Eventually all of the complexity and conduits will be lost, including the human RNA pounding away in their factories making tools. There must always be enough net energy to build more infrastructure or repair existing infrastructure. Once that is no longer the case, the conduit will fall apart and the processing of fossil fuels will cease. Everything that seems a permanent part of our existences will be lost through attrition, obsolescence, and decay.
Just as organic life evolved into its role in capturing sunlight, the humans evolved to use stored and finite energy like megafauna populations, soils, wood, oil, coal and natural gas. Only these dense, vast resource stores were sufficient to enable the emergence of industrial technological civilization. Technological civilization is nothing more than a collection of human scale conduits (collectively one big hurricane) for energy dissipation which we can always find new ways to accomplish. This process won’t last long as the amount of energy is finite, the technological growth is enormous and each nation seems to be racing each other to the finish line.
I’m not even sure further study is needed at this point, the population seems immune to edification on their thermodynamically determined journey of energy degradation. Humans are an integral part of the process and naturally are going with the flow – until landfall.Good Morning, Swarajya Readers!
Here’s what you need to know today.
At the 19th Boundary talks held between NSA Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi, it was agreed to adhere to “peaceful negotiations” to settle the vexed border issue and reach a “fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution”. The issue of China blocking India’s bid at the UN to ban Jaish Chief Masood Azhar was also discussed.
Governing council of TERI has decided to bid goodbye to its disgraced former director RK Pachauri for good. Pachauri is facing sexual harassment charges. TERI has decided not to renew his term on the council. His employment contract which expires in 2017 has been cancelled. TERI had created the post of Executive Vice Chairman for Pachauri in February this year but since the post is co-terminus with his membership of the council, his role as EVC has also come to an end.
Centre is planning to link Jan Dhan accounts with its insurance scheme which was announced in the budget this year. Its implementation will start next month. Any BPL person going to a hospital will be able to identify himself by his Aadhar number and get medical treatment of upto Rs 1 lakh through his Jan Dhan account.
A Hyderabad court on Wednesday convicted Vijay Mallya in connection with the alleged dishonour of cheques amounting to Rs 50 lakh to GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL). This is the second non-bailable warrant issued against him in last three days. A Mumbai court on Monday had also issued a non-bailable warrant against him in a money laundering case.
Navy has also decided to grant permanent commission to its woman officers inducted as Short Service Commission (SSC) officers in the education and naval cadre in 2008-2009. It will allow woman officers to join as pilots of maritime patrol aircraft from next year, however, no decision has been taken regarding allowing them on board sea-faring warships.
MHRD is mooting a proposal to back India’s upcoming Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) platform, Swayam, with Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) to ensure exclusivity and to make the platform a global brand. To ensure top notch material and faculties on the platform, the centre has decided to incentivise contributing faculties heavily, a remuneration of Rs 1 lakh per course has been recommended. About 330 courses have already been prepared with a 100 coming from the central universities through the University Grants Commission and near 120 from the IITs.
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump registered resounding wins in their home state of New York and inched significantly closer to their party’s nomination. Trump with 60% of the votes clinched state’s 89 of the 95 delegates while Clinton with 58% of the votes got 139 of the 247 delegates. (Both parties have different no of delegates for every state). Trump’s delegate count now stands at 847 (with 1237 needed to win the party’s nomination) and Clinton’s at 1443 (with 2383 needed to win).
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We hope you enjoyed reading our morning brief. Have a great day ahead!A service engineer was sacked by a plant-hire business after making a single-fingered gesture at his boss for waking him in the middle of a work meeting – and then going back to sleep.
An adjudication hearing of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) heard the firm’s technical manager noticed that the service engineer had fallen asleep during a meeting in June 2016.
He said “Wakey wakey” in an effort to rouse the employee, who responded by opening his eyes and giving him “the finger” before closing his eyes again. There was shock and silence in the room following the gesture, it was claimed.
The service engineer was subsequently dismissed for gross misconduct as a result of the incident. The branch manager told the hearing that not dismissing the employee would have led to “chaos with no discipline”.
The sacked worker brought a complaint to the WRC for unfair dismissal. In evidence, he said that the branch manager had spoken over him at the meeting and he had felt disrespected.
He closed his eyes and lowered his head in response to this slight, but he had not been asleep and was still listening, he claimed. He admitted making a rude gesture but had not seen this as a serious matter and said the company’s response had been disproportionate.
The complainant had previously raised concerns about the payment of overtime, and contended that these concerns had constituted a verbal protected disclosure to his employer in May 2016.
Reacted angrily He claimed that the branch manager had reacted angrily to the disclosure and that this had been the reason for his dismissal. The company denied there had been a protected disclosure and that the complainant’s concerns were merely “grievances”, which had no bearing on the dismissal.
WRC adjudication officer Kevin Baneham explained that the complainant had worked for the business for less than the 12 months typically required in order to advance a complaint of unfair dismissal.
However, a complaint under the legislation was still possible in the event that the dismissal was “wholly or mainly” due to the fact that the ex-employee had made a protected disclosure.
In his decision, Mr Baneham found that the issues raised by the complainant in relation to overtime did not amount to a protected disclosure within the meaning of the Act.
He was therefore precluded from advancing the complaint as a result of having less than the requisite 12 months’ service, and the claim under the Unfair Dismissals Act did not succeed.Emergencies come in all shapes and sizes. In Quebec, unpredictable weather is a fact of life that can have devastating effects on people and property. Then there are the man-made ones such as gas leaks, chemical spills, terror attacks and child abductions.
You’re either prepared for emergencies or you’re not. Simply put, we are not. At least, not as well as we could be.
Canadians currently receive emergency warnings through every major medium except cellphones. That might seem like a small piece of the puzzle, but cellphone alerts have become increasingly necessary to emergency preparedness in an age when so many people are cutting the cords of traditional media.
Today, 85 per cent of Canadian households have mobile phones while just under a third have cable subscriptions. Even without those figures, all you have to do is spend some time on a bus or in a coffee shop and you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone not glued to their phone, tablet or laptop.
This points to the necessity of expanding public alerts to include cellphones, particularly with unpredictable weather patterns and natural disasters on the rise. Emergency management officials always point to early warning systems (EWS) as the best way to prevent loss of life. It’s not difficult to imagine how an alert on your cellphone in a time of emergency could save you, your family and friends or even total strangers.
It’s worth noting that Canada is not alone on this. At a May 24 meeting in Mexico, the United Nations Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction focused on the need to shift from managing disasters to managing the risks of disaster. That included not only making EWS more effective and efficient but also coordinating government and telecom efforts to ensure alerts are universal.
In April, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission announced it was giving telecom companies “approximately 12 months” to implement cellphone emergency alerting systems. My initial thoughts were: “It’s about time and I’ll believe it when I see it.” You see, we’ve been down this road before with the CRTC.
In 2004, the Senate Committee on National Security and Defence issued what was to be the first of many recommendations to establish a national public alerting system. In 2007, the committee adduced evidence from the CRTC’s Scott Hutton that a system featuring interruptive television alerts would be in place by 2009. He repeatedly undertook that if an alert system was not in place on a voluntary basis by 2009, the CRTC would take the necessary steps to put one in place.
But that deadline passed and Canadians had to wait another six years before the CRTC compelled broadcasters to create a national alert system. Even then, some broadcasters dragged their feet on meeting the deadline, and Bell Canada and others were still not fully compliant for several months.
Hence my skepticism about the CRTC’s latest pronouncement. Littered with the seeds of delay and obfuscation, it began with a supposedly firm deadline of next April 6, but then goes on to say that a number of kinks would need to be worked out before emergency alerts can begin. Then it ends by stating that “the Commission expects that this new capability will be available in approximately 12 months.”
Talk about a soft deadline.
The thing is, this isn’t exactly new technology. Smartphones have been in widespread use for more than a decade. The U.S. has had a cellphone alert system in place since 2013 as part of a matrix of alerting technology (cellphones, sirens, TV, radio).
I commend the CRTC for finally calling on telecom providers to get on board with cellphone alerts, but I’d sleep a little better if Canadian Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly put the full weight of her office behind the initiative too. Canadians lives may well depend on it.
Colin Kenny is former chair of the Senate Committee on National Security and Defence.
[email protected] assets went to shit? Whodathunkit
Who'd have ever thought selling mods which include other people's work would be a bad idea? It turns out the very first paid Skyrim mod on the Steam Workshop has been removed after accusations that it contained work from other people's free mods. Oh boy I absolutely never ever saw this coming.
The fishing mod was developed by veteran modders Chesko and aqqh, but used assets from Fore’s New Idles in Skyrim without developer Fore's permission. After that, Chesko and aqqh took the scorched earth approach and took everything off of the workshop page, including Fore's comments. But, as we all know, you can never remove anything from the internet. Screenshots of the whole thing exist.
Gee |
and announced his retirement from international football in 1991, making his final Italy appearance under Arrigo Sacchi.[12][15][14]
Style of play [ edit ]
A world-class player, Ancelotti was a creative, cautious, and efficient midfielder who was known for his leadership, skill, composure on the ball, and organisational ability; he is regarded as one of the best Italian midfielders of his generation.[11][12][13] Although he lacked pace, as well as notable physical and athletic characteristics, he was a highly talented, yet hard-working, combative, and tenacious team-player, who was competent defensively, but who above all possessed excellent technical ability, tactical intelligence, vision and passing range, as well as a powerful and accurate shot from outside the area; his wide range of skills enabled him to contribute to his team's offensive play with goals and assists. A versatile midfielder, he was capable of being deployed in several positions: while he was usually deployed as a playmaker in the centre of the pitch during his time with Milan under Arrigo Sacchi, he often played on the wings during his time with Roma, and was also capable of playing as an attacking midfielder, or even in a box-to-box role; in his youth, he was often deployed in a more advanced role as a forward, usually as a second striker.[12][15][20] As with Milan he was often deployed in front of the back-line, as a central or defensive midfielder, a position which allowed him to set the tempo of his team's play after winning back possession, he is regarded as having been the mentor and predecessor of Demetrio Albertini and Andrea Pirlo in the deep-lying playmaking role at the club. Despite his ability, his career was affected by several injuries, which limited his playing time, and forced him into retirement in 1992.[12][20][14][21][22][23]
Managerial career [ edit ]
1992–2001: Early years [ edit ]
Reggiana [ edit ]
Ancelotti undertook his coaching studies at Coverciano, where he penned a research article entitled "Il Futuro del Calcio: Più Dinamicità"[24] (English: "The Future of Football: More Dynamism"). After serving as an assistant manager with the Italy national team under his former Milan coach Arrigo Sacchi between 1992 and 1995, and reaching the 1994 World Cup final,[11][13][15] Ancelotti began his managerial career with Serie B side Reggiana in 1995,[25] where he immediately aided the team in achieving promotion to Serie A;[15] he left after the 1995–96 Serie B season,[25] finishing with a record of 17 wins, 14 draws, and 10 losses in his only season with the club.[26]
Parma [ edit ]
"I said, ‘No, you have to play striker.’ Baggio went to another club. That year Baggio scored 25 [actually 22] goals – for Bologna! I lost 25 goals! Big mistake." —Carlo Ancelotti talking to Simon Kuper of the Financial Times in 2014, reminiscing his regret on choosing a system over Roberto Baggio during his time as Parma's manager.[27][28]
Ancelotti joined Parma the following season,[29] a team which had recently enjoyed several years of domestic and European success under the previous manager Nevio Scala, and which contained several promising young players, including future Italy stars Gianluigi Buffon and Fabio Cannavaro.[30] Ancelotti made his debut in the Coppa Italia in a 3–1 loss to Pescara.[31] Ancelotti made several changes at the club, implementing a rigorous Sacchi-inspired 4–4–2 formation, and initially deploying creative forward Gianfranco Zola out of position on the left wing in order to accommodate Hristo Stoichkov up-front, although both players were later eventually sold by the club after lack of playing time due to struggling to perform in this system.[32] With the new attacking partnership of Enrico Chiesa and Hernán Crespo, Parma finished second in Serie A during the 1996–97 season under Ancelotti, which guaranteed them a place in the next edition of the UEFA Champions League.[30][33] The following season, the club had agreed to sign another Italian creative forward, Roberto Baggio, but Ancelotti impeded the transfer as he once again did not feel that a player like Baggio would fit into his tactical plans.[30][32][34] Ancelotti later stated that he regretted this decision, stating that at the time he believed that the 4–4–2 was the ideal formation for success, and that offensive playmakers were not compatible with this system.[35] After suffering a first round elimination in the 1997–98 Champions League, and a semi–final appearance in the Coppa Italia,[36] Ancelotti was only able to guide Parma to a sixth-place finish in Serie A during the 1997–98 season, and was sacked at the end of the season, despite qualifying the team for next season's UEFA Cup.[29][30][37]
Juventus [ edit ]
In February 1999, Ancelotti was appointed Juventus manager, where he both succeeded and preceded Marcello Lippi, who returned to the club when Ancelotti left.[38][39] With Juventus, Ancelotti became less rigorous with the team's formation, abandoning his favoured 4–4–2 in order to accommodate star French playmaker Zinedine Zidane in his preferred free role behind the forwards in the team's starting line-up.[32] His first full season at Juventus began promisingly, as he immediately won the Intertoto Cup with the club by beating Rennes 4–2 on aggregate,[40] although Juventus suffered a round of 16 elimination in the UEFA Cup, and lost the league title to Lazio by a single point on the final match-day of the season; this was after surrendering a five-point lead with three games remaining, which drew strong criticism from the fans and the board of directors.[15][37] The following season, Ancelotti went trophyless, finishing runner-up in Serie A yet again, to Roma, and he was sacked by Juventus.[15][18] Ancelotti's dismissal was announced by Juventus at half-time in the final league game of the season at home against Atalanta, on 17 June 2001, even though they were still within a chance of winning the title; Juventus won the match 2–1, although the result was not enough to prevent them from finishing behind Roma in the league.[37][41] Ancelotti finished his tenure with Juventus with a record of 63 wins, 33 draws and 18 losses.[42]
2001–2009: Milan [ edit ]
2001–02 season [ edit ]
Ancelotti was appointed Milan manager on 5 November 2001, after Fatih Terim was sacked due to poor results.[11][13][15][43] He was inheriting another recently trophyless team in Milan, as the Rossoneri had floundered domestically and in Europe since their last Scudetto victory in 1999. In the 2001–02 season, Ancelotti led Milan to qualify for the Champions League once again, as the team managed a fourth-place finish in Serie A,[44] and also reached semi-finals of the UEFA Cup, their best ever finish in the competition, losing out to Borussia Dortmund,[45][46] and also suffered a semi-final elimination in the Coppa Italia to Juventus.[45]
The following season, Ancelotti - who was heavily criticised by club owner Silvio Berlusconi due to his supposedly defensive tactics - was able to adopt a creative play in Milan while making several changes to the team's squad. He made Dida - still maligned for his 2000–01 Champions League howler against Leeds United - his new starting goalkeeper barely a month into the season, while converting budding attacking midfielder Andrea Pirlo to a defensive midfielder, playing him behind the number 10 (either Rui Costa or Rivaldo) in front of the team's back-line as a deep-lying playmaker in a 4–3–1–2 or 4–1–2–1–2 formation.[14][47][48][49] At the same time, Filippo Inzaghi and Andriy Shevchenko proved to be dominant and dynamic strikers, who were prolific in front of goal.[50]
Milan won the 2003 Champions League final,[51] beating Juventus 3–2 on penalties at Old Trafford,[52] and also won the 2003 Coppa Italia Final over Roma.[11] It was a sweet revenge for him as Juventus had brutally sacked him and to add insult, Marcello Lippi was re-hired for a second tenure and won back-to-back Serie A titles.[32] The following season, with the addition of Brazilian attacking midfielder Kaká, and Ancelotti's formidable four-man back-line of Cafu, Costacurta, Alessandro Nesta and Maldini, Milan took home the UEFA Super Cup in 2003 over Porto,[53] followed by the Scudetto in 2004 with an Italian record of 82 points from 34 games,[54] while Shevchenko finished the season as the league's top-scorer.[11][55][56] The Rossoneri, however, suffered penalty-shootout defeats to Juventus in the 2003 Supercoppa Italiana,[57] and to Boca Juniors in the 2003 Intercontinental Cup.[58] They were also knocked out by Deportivo de La Coruña in the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League.[59]
Under Ancelotti's reign, Milan also won the 2004 Supercoppa Italiana,[60] and were also back-to-back Serie A runners-up to Juventus in 2004–05[61] and 2005–06[62] (both Scudetti were later wiped from the record books of Juventus due to the club's involvement in the Calciopoli scandal). During the 2004–05 season, Ancelotti also led Milan to the 2005 Champions League final, where they lost out to Liverpool 2–3 on penalties after a 3–3 draw in normal time.[18][63] In the Coppa Italia, the team was unable to get past the quarter finals.[64] The following season, Milan once again faced disappointment as they lost out to Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals,[65] and only reached the quarterfinals of the Coppa Italia.[66]
Ancelotti with Milan in 2007
After the departure of striker Andriy Shevchenko at the beginning of the 2006–07 season, Ancelotti was forced to redesign Milan's line-up once again, devising a 4–3–2–1 system that would later be known as his "Christmas Tree" formation. Milan's line-up used Inzaghi as a lone striker, supported by attacking midfielders Clarence Seedorf and Kaká, in front of a three-man midfield which featured Andrea Pirlo as a creative playmaker, supported by hard-working defensive midfielders Gennaro Gattuso and Massimo Ambrosini.[67] Milan received an eight-point deduction during the 2006–07 Serie A season for their role in the Calciopoli scandal,[68] which virtually put the team out of the title race, and instead led Ancelotti to focus on winning the Champions League.[69] On 23 May 2007, Milan avenged their defeat to Liverpool two years earlier with a 2–1 win at the Olympic Stadium in Athens in the 2007 Champions League final,[70] leading to Ancelotti's second Champions League trophy as Milan coach and his fourth title overall, having also won it twice as a Milan player in 1989 and 1990.[18] During the 2006–07 season, Milan also finished fourth in Serie A,[71] and lost out to eventual champions Roma in the Coppa Italia semi-final.[72] The next season, Ancelotti also won the 2007 UEFA Super Cup,[73] as well as the club's first ever FIFA Club World Cup in 2007, becoming the first manager to do so with a European side.[11] After finishing the league in fifth place,[74] Milan missed out on Champions League qualification,[75] and also suffered round of 16 eliminations in the Champions League[76] and Coppa Italia (to Arsenal and Catania respectively).[77]
In Ancelotti's final season at the club, Milan managed a third-place finish in Serie A behind Juventus and cross-city rivals Inter, sealing a place in the next season's Champions League,[78] while they were eliminated in the round of 32 of the UEFA Cup,[76] and the round of 16 of the Coppa Italia.[79] After previously denying rumours that he would be leaving the club, on 31 May 2009 Ancelotti announced his resignation from Milan - less than an hour after their 2–0 victory over Fiorentina in the final match of the season.[18][78] In total, Ancelotti led Milan for 423 games; only Nereo Rocco has been in charge of the club for more matches.[11]
2009–2011: Chelsea [ edit ]
On 1 June 2009, Ancelotti succeeded interim manager Guus Hiddink when he was confirmed as the new Chelsea manager after agreeing to a three-year contract, and formally assumed his duties on 1 July.[80] His salary at Chelsea was initially reported to be more than £5 million per year.[81] Ancelotti became the club's fourth permanent manager in 21 months, following José Mourinho, Avram Grant and Luiz Felipe Scolari. He was also the third Italian to manage Chelsea, after Gianluca Vialli and Claudio Ranieri.
On 9 August 2009, Ancelotti won his first trophy as Chelsea manager, the Community Shield, beating Manchester United on penalties, following a 2–2 draw. His first Premier League game in charge of the Blues ended in a 2–1 home victory over Hull City on 15 August 2009.[82] Chelsea lost their first match under Ancelotti at the DW Stadium away to Wigan Athletic on 26 September, losing 1–3. They were eliminated from the League Cup on 2 December, reaching the quarter-finals stage, after a penalty shootout defeat to Blackburn Rovers after a 3–3 draw at Ewood Park.
In the Champions League, Ancelotti returned to the San Siro for the first time since his departure from Milan, when his team faced Inter Milan, who was at the time coached by ex-Chelsea manager José Mourinho, at the Round of 16 stage. Ancelotti and Mourinho had a tense relationship from the previous season, as managers of Milan and Inter respectively.[83] Chelsea was eliminated from the Champions League on 16 March 2010 after a 1–3 aggregate loss to Inter, having lost 1–2 away and 0–1 at Stamford Bridge.[84][85]
On 9 May 2010, Ancelotti led Chelsea to the Premier League title, beating Manchester United by one point[86] and setting scoring records. The team finished the campaign with 103 goals, becoming the first team in the Premier League to score more than 100 goals in a season, and the first since Tottenham Hotspur in the 1962–63 season.[87] Chelsea secured the title with an 8–0 victory over Wigan at Stamford Bridge.[88] Ancelotti also became the first Italian manager to win the Premier League[89] and only the fifth manager overall in the League's 18 seasons. On 15 May 2010, Ancelotti led Chelsea to victory in the 2009–10 FA Cup, beating Portsmouth 1–0 in the final at Wembley Stadium; Chelsea's third victory in the FA Cup in four years, equaling a record set by Arsenal between 2002 and 2005. The FA Cup win secured Chelsea's first ever domestic double.
The following season, after having lost to Manchester United in the 2010 FA Community Shield in August, Ancelotti led Chelsea to the top of the table on the first weekend of the season thanks to a 6–0 rout of newly promoted West Bromwich Albion. Chelsea followed up this result with another 6–0 win, this time over Wigan, while Stoke City were beaten 2–0 in the next match. Chelsea had a good start to the season, winning their first five matches. Chelsea then lost 3–4 against Newcastle United on 23 September 2010 in the League Cup.[90] They then went on to lose against Manchester City in the Premier League 0–1 after a cleverly-taken strike by City captain Carlos Tevez. Chelsea made a good start in Europe by beating MŠK Žilina and Marseille 4–1 and 2–0, respectively, in the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League. Chelsea then defeated fourth-placed Arsenal 2–0 on 3 October 2010, courtesy of a goal from Didier Drogba and a free-kick by defender Alex.
Chelsea's next defeat of the season came against Liverpool at Anfield on 7 November 2010, where they lost 0–2 with both goals coming from Fernando Torres. A week later, Chelsea suffered their second Premier League defeat in three matches with a remarkable 0–3 home defeat to Sunderland. In their following five league games, they lost two and drew three games, culminating in a 1–3 loss to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. On 5 January 2011, Chelsea suffered a shock 0–1 defeat at struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers, leaving them fifth in the League and in real danger of missing out on a Champions League place for the first time since 2002.[91] This result led to Ancelotti ruling out Chelsea's chances of retaining the title, insisting that he did not fear that he would be sacked.[92] But after this match, however, Chelsea's form began to improve. First with a 7–0 thrashing of Ipswich Town in the FA Cup at Stamford Bridge and then a 2–0 victory over Blackburn, followed by emphatic away wins against Bolton Wanderers and Sunderland, putting them in fourth position in the league, though still ten points behind leaders Manchester United.
On 31 January 2011, Chelsea signed Liverpool striker Fernando Torres for a British record £50 million and Benfica defender David Luiz for £22 million. Chelsea lost 0–1 to Liverpool at Stamford Bridge but beat league leaders Manchester United on 1 March in a 2–1 comeback win that saw David Luiz net his first goal for Chelsea, which was followed by a 3–1 win away to Blackpool. Chelsea were later defeated by Manchester United at home and away (aggregate of 1–3) in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Following their defeat in the Champions League, Chelsea made a remarkable comeback in the league, defeating Wigan 1–0 at home, West Brom 3–1 away, Birmingham City 3–1, West Ham United 3–0 and Tottenham 2–1 at home. Chelsea, who at one point were fifth and 15 points behind leaders Manchester United, vaulted into the second position the league, just three points behind them with three games left of the season.
On 8 May, however, Chelsea lost 1–2 against Manchester United at Old Trafford to stay second in the league, now six points behind the leaders with just two more games to play.[93]
Ancelotti was sacked less than two hours after a 0–1 away defeat against Everton on 22 May 2011, Chelsea's last Premier League match of the season.[94] They had finished the 2010–11 Premier League in second place.[95] He was earning £6.5 million per year at Chelsea just before his departure from the club.[96] He reportedly received a severance payment of £6 million from Chelsea.[97] Ancelotti finished with a record of 67 wins, 20 draws and 22 losses in 109 matches.[98] Ancelotti's win percentage at Chelsea is the third-highest in Premier League history, behind only José Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson.[99]
2011–2013: Paris Saint-Germain [ edit ]
Ancelotti during a press conference with Paris Saint-Germain in 2012
On 30 December 2011, with Paris Saint-Germain at the top of the Ligue 1 with three points down to Montpellier, Ancelotti was appointed as the new manager of the club on the same day as their previous manager, Antoine Kombouaré, was released from his contract.[100] His salary at PSG was reported to be €6 million per year.[97] On 21 March 2012, Ancelotti experienced his first defeat in charge of PSG as the club fell to a 1–3 defeat at the hands of Lyon in a Coupe de France quarter-final match.[101] Ten days later, PSG suffered their first Ligue 1 defeat under Ancelotti when they lost 1–2 away to Nancy.[102] PSG ended up as runners-up in Ligue 1 in Ancelotti's first season in charge, three points behind winners Montpellier.[103] He also took PSG to the Coupe de France quarter-finals.[104] The club were eliminated from the Coupe de la Ligue and UEFA Europa League prior to Ancelotti's appointment.[104]
During Ancelotti's first full season at the club, PSG entered the winter break at the top of the Ligue 1 table ahead of Lyon and Marseille on goal difference. They clinched the Ligue 1 title on 12 May 2013 with two matches to spare.[105][106][107] The club reached the quarter-final of the Champions League, where they lost to Barcelona on the away goals rule (3–3 on aggregate), the quarter–final of the Coupe de France and the quarter–final of the Coupe de la Ligue.[108] On 19 May 2013, Ancelotti asked to leave the club, then joined Real Madrid.[109]
2013–2015: Real Madrid [ edit ]
On 25 June 2013, Ancelotti became the manager of Real Madrid as the replacement for the departing José Mourinho, signing a three-year deal.[110][111] He was introduced at a press conference at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, where it was also announced that Zinedine Zidane and Paul Clement would be his assistant coaches. Shortly following his arrival, Real Madrid confirmed the signing of Isco for a fee of €24 million which was followed by the signing of Asier Illarramendi for €32 million. Argentinean striker Gonzalo Higuaín left the club for €40 million to Napoli. This, along with the sale of Mesut Özil to Arsenal, paved way for new world record signing Gareth Bale for £86 million (€105M) from Tottenham Hotspur.[112] In Ancelotti's first league game in charge, on 18 August 2013, Real Madrid won 2–1 at home against Real Betis.[113] At Real Madrid, Ancelotti eventually deviated from the 4–2–3–1 formation which had been deployed by his predecessor, switching instead to a 4–3–3 formation to great effect, in which Argentine winger Ángel Di María particularly excelled as a left-sided central midfielder, and played a key role in the club's successes.[114] On 16 April 2014, Ancelotti won his first major trophy as Real Madrid manager after they defeated Barcelona 2–1 in the Copa del Rey final held at the Mestalla Stadium.[115] On 29 April, Real Madrid defeated Bayern Munich in the semi-finals of the Champions League by an aggregate score of 5–0 (1–0 in Madrid and 0–4 in Munich), with Los Blancos reaching their first final since they last won the competition in 2002.[116] On 24 May, Real Madrid won their tenth Champions League trophy after defeating Atlético Madrid in the final 4–1 in extra time.[117] He became only the second manager after Liverpool's Bob Paisley to win the competition on three occasions and the first man to win the Champions League/European Cup twice as a player and three times as a manager to this day. In addition to winning the Champions League, they finished third in La Liga,[118] losing the tiebreaker for second place against Barcelona,[118] and winning Copa del Rey.[119]
On 12 August, Ancelotti won another European trophy, leading Real Madrid to a 2–0 victory over Sevilla in the 2014 UEFA Super Cup. In the last four months of 2014, his team set a Spanish record of 22 consecutive match victories in all competitions that began on 16 September and culminated with Real Madrid's first FIFA Club World Cup title in December 2014, finishing the year 2014 with four trophies.[120] By securing only a third-place finish for the 2013–14 La Liga season, he became the first Real Madrid manager to finish outside the top two of La Liga since the 2003–04 season, and also the first Real Madrid manager to finish behind city rivals Atlético since the 1995–96 season. On 1 December 2014, Ancelotti was nominated as one of the three finalists for the 2014 FIFA World Coach of the Year Award.[121] On 19 January 2015, Ancelotti was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame[122] and on 20 January 2015, he won the IFFHS 2014 Award as The World's Best Club Coach.[123] Real Madrid finished the 2014–15 league season in second place, scoring 118 goals in the process.[124] They were eliminated in the round of 16 in the Copa del Rey.[125] On 25 May 2015, Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez announced that the club's board had taken "a very difficult decision" to relieve Ancelotti of his duties with immediate effect. Pérez stated that Ancelotti had won the hearts of both the board and fans, and would always have a place in the club's history because he was the coach that led them to the Décima. "However at this club the demands are huge and we need a new impulse in order to win trophies and be at our best," he added.[126][127][128]
After leaving Madrid, Ancelotti held talks about a return to Milan, which he rejected, saying, "It was hard to say no to such a beloved club to me, but I need some rest. I wish them the best." He stated that he wanted to take a year off and undergo an operation for his spinal stenosis.[129] He later relocated to Vancouver, Canada.[130]
2016–2017: Bayern Munich [ edit ]
Ancelotti during the traning session with Bayern Munich in 2017
On 20 December 2015, Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge confirmed that Ancelotti would replace Pep Guardiola as manager for the 2016–17 season, signing a three-year contract.[131] His contract started on 1 July 2016.[132] His first training session was on 11 July 2016[133] and his first match was a pre–season win against SV Lippstadt 08.[134] His first match at Allianz Arena was a 1–0 pre–season win over his predecessor Guardiolas's Manchester City.[135] Bayern participated in the International Champions Cup.[136] In the first match, Bayern lost to Milan in a shootout.[137] In the second match, Bayern defeated Inter Milan.[138] In the final match, Bayern lost to Real Madrid.[139] On 14 August 2016, Bayern defeated Borussia Dortmund 2–0 in the German Super Cup.[140] This was his first trophy as Bayern's manager.[141] On 26 August 2016, in his Bundesliga debut, Bayern defeated Werder Bremen 6–0.[142] In addition to defeating Borussia Dortmund,[141] Carl Zeiss Jena,[143] and Werder Bremen,[142] they defeated Schalke 04,[144] Rostov,[144] Ingolstadt 04,[144] Hertha BSC,[144] and Hamburger SV[144] to win his first eight matches as head coach before losing to Atlético Madrid.[145] They continued their winless streak against 1. FC Köln and Eintracht Frankfurt before defeating PSV Eindhoven.[144] After the win against Eindhoven, Bayern went on a three match winless streak.[144] Bayern drew against 1899 Hoffenheim and lost against Borussia Dortmund and Rostov before defeating Bayer Leverkusen.[144] On 29 April, Ancelotti led Bayern to their fifth consecutive Bundesliga title and their 27th overall following a 6–0 away win over Wolfsburg.[146] However, Bayern were eliminated in the Champions League in a controversial quarter-final clash against Ancelotti's former team Real Madrid.[147] They also lost 3–2 to Borussia Dortmund in the DFB-Pokal semi-finals.[148]
On 5 August 2017, Ancelotti started the 2017–18 season with Bayern Munich by retaining the DFL-Supercup, beating out Borussia Dortmund 5–4 on penalties, following a 2–2 draw after 90 minutes; this was the sixth time that Bayern had managed to win the title.[149] However, on 28 September 2017, Ancelotti was sacked as manager of Bayern Munich, following a 3–0 away loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the club's second group match of the 2017–18 Champions League the night before.[150] After the Paris Saint-Germain match, reports surfaced that Ancelotti had lost the dressing room. It was reported that five senior players wanted Ancelotti out as manager which Bayern's president Uli Hoeneß later confirmed. Questions were also raised about Ancelotti's tactical setup and team selection against Paris Saint-Germain when he left several key players on the bench and one was left to watch the match from the stands.[151]
2018: Napoli [ edit ]
On 23 May 2018, Ancelotti was appointed as coach of Napoli, signing a three-year contract, replacing Maurizio Sarri in the role.[152][153] On 19 August, he made his return to the Serie A and won his first game in charge with a 2–1 away victory over Lazio.[154] On 3 September, Ancelotti suffered his first defeat as Napoli manager as his side lost 3–0 to U.C. Sampdoria.[155]
Style of management [ edit ]
Ancelotti coaching his players from the technical area in November 2012.
Towards the beginning of his coaching career, and during his time with Parma, Ancelotti preferred to use a rigorous 4–4–2 formation, which made use of heavy pressing, and drew influence from that of his Milan and Italy coach Arrigo Sacchi, and which he believed to be the most successful system for his team; however, this system did not allow for more creative forwards, such as Gianfranco Zola, Hristo Stoichkov and Roberto Baggio, to play in their preferred positions, and ultimately led to Zola and Stoichkov's departure from the club, while Baggio's transfer to Parma in 1997 was impeded by Ancelotti. Ancelotti later stated that he regretted his intransigence, and when he joined Juventus, he abandoned his favoured 4–4–2 in order to accommodate Zinedine Zidane in his preferred advanced playmaking role behind the forwards.[14][27][30][35][32][34][156] In addition to Sacchi, Ancelotti has also cited his former Roma manager Nils Liedholm, and his youth coach Bruno Mora as major influences.[157][158]
Despite his initial reputation as a tactically inflexible coach, with Milan Ancelotti later drew praise for his ability to find systems which would best suit his players, and which allowed several talented and creative players to co-exist; under Ancelotti's management, the club enjoyed one of its most fruitful spells in its history. Carlo Ancelotti's Milan sides usually almost always used a strong four-man back-line, a main striker and an attacking midfielder. In his first seasons with the club, although he was initially criticised by the club's president Berlusconi, due to his supposedly defensive tactics, Ancelotti was able to implement a more creative playing style based on possession when he notably adopted a 4–3–1–2, 4–1–2–1–2 or 4–4–2 diamond formation. While still preserving the team's strong defensive line, Ancelotti converted attacking midfielder Andrea Pirlo to a deep-lying playmaker, which saw him play in a seemingly defensive midfield role in front of the back-line, and behind the team's advanced playmaker, either Rui Costa or Rivaldo, giving the Italian more time on the ball to orchestrate the team's attacking moves from deeper areas, or to create goalscoring opportunities for the team's prolific strikers with his accurate long passing ability; the team's two playmakers were supported defensively by box-to-box midfielders on either side of them in the midfield diamond. Due to competition from Alessandro Nesta, Paolo Maldini, Roque Júnior, Dario Šimić, and later Jaap Stam in defence, he also converted former centre-back Alessandro Costacurta to a defensive left-back, alternating him with Kakha Kaladze or Giuseppe Pancaro, while, due to the club's narrow midfield, the club's attacking right-back, Cafu, was given license to attack and provide width to the team; due to Cafu's offensive capabilities, Ancelotti occasionally fielded a 4–4–1–1 or 3–4–1–2 formation, which saw Cafu used as an outright winger, along with Serginho or Marek Jankulovski on the left.[14][47][48][49][50][156][157][159][160][161][162][163][164][165] After the departure of one of the club's main strikers at the beginning of the 2006–07 season, Andriy Shevchenko, Ancelotti redesigned Milan's line-up, devising a 4–3–2–1 system, later known as his "Christmas Tree" formation. Milan's line-up used either Filippo Inzaghi or Alberto Gilardino as a lone striker, supported by two attacking midfielders, Clarence Seedorf and Kaká, in front of a three-man midfield which once again featured Andrea Pirlo as a deep-lying playmaker, supported by two hard-working defensive midfielders, such as Gennaro Gattuso, Massimo Ambrosini, or Cristian Brocchi.[14][67]
At Real Madrid, Ancelotti similarly drew praise for his versatility; he modified the team's 4–2–3–1 formation, which had been used under José Mourinho, to a 4–4–2 formation, before settling on a 4–3–3 formation, in which Argentine former winger Ángel Di María was converted to a left-sided central midfielder, while Cristiano Ronaldo was played in his preferred free role on the left wing. Di María particularly excelled in this new role and played a key role in the club's successes.[114][166][167]
In addition to his tactical prowess and adaptability, Ancelotti has also drawn praise for his kindness, good humour, and his calm, balanced approach as a manager, as well as his ability to motivate his players and cultivate a good relationship with them, and foster a united, winning team environment, although he has also been known to lose his temper at times.[14][157][166][167][168][169][170] During Ancelotti's first season with Bayern Munich, Spanish midfielder Thiago praised Ancelotti for the freedom he gave the players to express themselves and for the confidence with which he instilled them; Ancelotti commented on the tactical changes he implemented at Bayern Munich, stating "[t]he main change is we press a bit more intermittently and we try to play more directly, more vertically," also adding that "if you're organised even an ordinary player can do very well because he'll have options and he'll know where they are and how to find them. But when you get to the final third, everything changes. That's where you need creativity and freedom because without it you only have sterile possession. Especially if your opponent's defence is organised and has been paying attention."[156][171]
Personal life [ edit ]
Ancelotti has two children: a daughter, Katia; and a son, Davide, who also played in the Milan youth team and later joined Borgomanero in June 2008.[172] In 2008, Ancelotti confirmed in an interview that he had broken up with his wife of 25 years, Luisa Gibellini.[172][173] Then he dated Marina Cretu. In 2011, it was announced he was dating Canadian businesswoman Mariann Barrena McClay.[174] Ancelotti and Barrena McClay married in Vancouver in July 2014.[175]
In May 2009, Ancelotti's autobiography, Preferisco la Coppa ("I Prefer the Cup", with a word-play by Ancelotti on the Italian word "coppa" that stands both for "cup" and a type of cured cold pork meat cut, which is produced in Ancelotti's native region of Emilia-Romagna), was published, with all proceeds from sales of the book going to the Fondazione Stefano Borgonovo for the funding of research on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.[176]
In his last season with Chelsea, Ancelotti had to travel back to Italy on a regular basis to visit his 87-year-old father who was in poor health with diabetes and other issues. On the issue, he said, "I don't have a problem managing the team for this reason. It's difficult, emotionally, when it's your father... but this is life. I have to do my best to stay close to him, but this is the life."[177] His father died on 29 September 2010, aged 87.[178]
On 31 January |
has been on the receiving end of that sentence a few times, although he isn't the type to brag about it.
Mike Trucco tells me that the highest praise a firefighter can offer is to say of a colleague, � He�s a fireman.�
I�m guessing he has been on the receiving end of that sentence a few times, although he isn�t the type to brag about it.
Trucco, 57, retired recently after serving 35 years � the same length of service as his father, Ray.
For the first time since 1953, the Columbus Division of Fire is without a Trucco on the roster.
Ray, who retired as a battalion chief in 1988, was listening when I asked Mike whether he ever had any close calls in his 35 years.
�Yeah, a few,� he said.
When I pressed him for details, he acknowledged that he had once crawled into a collapsed building to rescue two young sisters trapped by a gas explosion.
�It wasn�t just me,� he quickly added. �It was a lot of people involved who made that a successful outcome.�
Ray, a proud father, filled in a relevant piece of information: His son and another firefighter won national awards for heroism after spending three hours amid precariously suspended wreckage to save the lives of the sisters, ages 15 and 11, in the 1989 incident.
�Mike never talked about it,� said Ray, 82.
The Truccos� 60-year string of service began in 1953 when Ray came home from Army duty looking for a stable job with good retirement benefits. He found it in the Fire Division.
One early morning in 1966, a warehouse caught fire on the South Side. Mike, then 11, and his brother happened to be out delivering newspapers in the neighborhood when it erupted. They approached a pump operator on the scene and asked whether Ray Trucco was on the crew trying to extinguish the inferno.
The firefighter pointed to the blazing warehouse and said, �He�s in there somewhere.�
�We were a little concerned about him, I would say,� Mike recalled. �But it was also exciting."
Mike joined the division in 1977. After a few years, his father began advising him to seek a promotion, but he didn�t want to leave his colleagues at Station 8. (They were firemen, he explained.) Eventually, he rose to the rank of lieutenant.
Father and son never served in the same station and only rarely found themselves working the same fire before Ray�s retirement.
Mike�s last day on the job was a Friday in late January. His colleagues planned to send him off with a fish dinner (a Friday tradition in city firehouses), but, of course, they got a fire call when the food was almost ready to serve. So the farewell dinner was served 21/2 hours late.
Since retiring, Mike has been spending a lot of time in his garage wood-turning shop. It has lathes and saws but no conspicuous firefighter memorabilia except one thing: Mike�s helmet.
No plaque or sign explains what it is. But it�s scorched in many places and smells from the smoke of a hundred fires. That probably says it all.
Joe Blundo is a Dispatch columnist.
[email protected] Pratt and Anna Faris have nothing but love for each other.
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Faris, 40, opens up about her relationship with Pratt, 38, since their split, in this week’s PEOPLE issue. “We’ll always have each other and be incredible friends,” says the Mom star.
“There is still so much laughter in our lives together, and he is so proud of me, still,” she adds. “We watched each other grow, and he still cracks me up all the time. And I think I crack him up — unless he’s a really good actor and great at faking laughter.”
The pair announced their decision to separate after eight years of marriage in August. The two share 5-year-old son, Jack.
“It’s understandable that people seemed so invested in our happiness together,” Faris says of the public’s reaction to their split. “All I can say about that is, it’s all true, that we truly adore each other, and we love each other, I think it still comes through.”
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Faris’ new book Unqualified (out later this month) includes details of how the former couple fell in love making their movie Take Me Home Tonight, their spur-of-the-moment marriage in Bali and the birth of their son.
RELATED: In Their Own Words: Chris Pratt & Anna Faris On The Highs & Lows Of Their Relationship
“At first I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, this is crazy timing,'” she says of the book coming out just months after the split. “Now it sort of feels like maybe in a way everything that’s happened helps bring it full circle.”
Pratt even penned the foreword of the book.
Along with singing her praises, the Jurassic World star writes in the book that he and Faris will be “just fine” and plan to move forward by continuing to “amicably co-parent a human” together.
“I am so grateful that he contributed to the book,” says Faris. “Chris and I are really great friends, and I think that we always will be.”
Unqualified hits shelves Oct. 24.Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2015 December 11
The Brightest Spot on Ceres
Image Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, UCLA, MPS/DLR/IDA
Explanation: Dwarf planet Ceres is the largest object in the Solar System's main asteroid belt with a diameter of about 950 kilometers. Exploring Ceres from orbit since March, the Dawn spacecraft's camera has revealed about 130 or so mysterious bright spots, mostly associated with impact craters scattered around the small world's otherwise dark surface. The brightest one is near the center of the 90 kilometer wide Occator Crater, seen in this dramatic false color view combining near-infrared and visible light image data. A study now finds the bright spot's reflected light properties are probably most consistent with a type of magnesium sulfate called hexahydrite. Of course, magnesium sulfate is also known to Earth dwellers as epsom salt. Haze reported inside Occator also suggests the salty material could be left over as a mix of salt and water-ice sublimates on the surface. Since impacts would have exposed the material, Ceres' numerous and widely scattered bright spots may indicate the presence of a subsurface shell of ice-salt mix. In mid-December, Dawn will begin taking observations from its closest Ceres mapping orbit.What do you need at DHS12?
News > Esport > Dota 2: Groups and schedule
This summer some of the very best Dota 2 teams in the world will face each other in DreamHack Vengeance Dota 2 Cup. 12 teams are already ready to fight, four more slots are up for grabs in the BYOC qualifier at location, register your team today and fight for the glory and 200 000 SEK at stake.
Today we present the groups and the full schedule. Be sure to come to the Dota Stage in Hall C and experience the matches casted by the one and only Toby ‘TobiWanKenobi’ Dawson from JoinDota.com. If you cant be on location the best matches will be available on www.dreamhack.tv in a HD stream by Twitch.TV for free.
Reminder: All participants with BYOC ticket can grab a Dota 2 beta key by logging in to bokning.dreamhack.se, more information here!
Teams
Note: Moscow 5 & Wolves could not make it to DHS12 and have been replaced by ‘The Tough Bananas & Team Infused
Natus Vincere
Counter Logic Gaming
Absolute Legends
Quantic Gaming
The Tough Bananas
Infused
Mortal Team Work
Evil Geniuses
mousesports
Darer
Virtus.Pro
Keita-Gaming
BYOC TEAM 1
BYOC TEAM 2
BYOC TEAM 3
BYOC TEAM 4
BYOC Qualifier at DreamHack Summer 2012
- June 16, 2012
- 256 teams
- Best of 1 Single elimination
- Top 4 goes to the play off stage
REGISTER FOR THE BYOC QUALIFIER HERE!
Note: This is a LAN tournament on DreamHack Summer 2012 – 5 BYOC tickets and confirmation on location is mandatory
Find all Information for the main tournament here
GROUPS
GROUP A
mousesports
The Tough Bananas
Darer
Keita-Gaming
GROUP B
Infused
Absolute Legends
Quantic Gaming
Virtus.Pro
GROUP C
Natus Vincere
Counter Logic Gaming
BYOC 1
BYOC 2
GROUP D
Evil Geniuses
Mortal Team Work
BYOC 3
BYOC 4
Follow Corsair:
Web: www.corsair.com
Twitter: @CorsairMemory
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Corsair
Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/CorsairMemoryInc
Follow Dota 2:
Twitter: @DOTA2
Web: www.dota2.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com
Follow DreamHack:
Twitter: @DreamHack
Facebook: Facebook.com/DreamHackFestival
Youtube: www.youtube.com/dreamhackmedia
Web: www.dreamhack.se
Quakenet: #DreamHack
Flickr: www.flickr.com/dreamhack
Contact DreamHack Dota 2 administration
Mail: [email protected]
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Representative Maxine Waters, the California Democrat who is the ranking member on the House Committee on Financial Services, has been pushing since March to connect dots that could link Donald Trump, his associates, Germany’s Deutsche Bank, and Russian oligarchs. Now it appears she’s getting some help from Robert Mueller, the Russiagate special counsel, whose office has issued a subpoena to Deutsche Bank over accounts linked to various associates of the president. Ad Policy
The twin efforts could determine whether or not various members of Trump’s inner circle benefited from the flow of money-laundered funds from Russian oligarchs, through Germany and Cyprus, to Trump-linked businesses and people in Trump’s inner circle, including Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law.
To understand why this might be important, consider two facts: First, Deutsche Bank was caught red-handed in a money-laundering scheme that involved $10 billion in dirty money from Russian oligarchs, and in 2017 it was forced to pay fines totaling $671 million to New York’s Department of Financial Services, Britain’s Financial Conduct Authority, and the US Federal Reserve. Second, since the 1990s the German financial colossus has been Donald Trump’s personal go-to piggybank, which has supplied Trump and his companies with a staggering $3.5 billion in loans and loan-guarantee agreements since 1998. Did Trump, Kushner, and their partners, along with others in Trump World, benefit from illegal Russian money that flowed through Deutsche Bank?
For Waters, and perhaps for Mueller, too, the question is: Are these two things related? Did Trump, Kushner, and their partners—along with others in Trump World, including Paul Manafort, Gen. Michael Flynn, and Wilbur Ross, the billionaire who serves as Trump’s commerce secretary—benefit from illegal Russian money that flowed through Deutsche Bank? If so, does President Trump have a hidden obligation to Russia or to Russian oligarchs? And why did the official US investigation of Deutsche Bank’s illegal transactions, conducted under the auspices of Jeff Sessions’s Justice Department, go “dormant” earlier this year? Russiagate Cornered and Facing ‘Existential’ Crisis, Will Trump Fire Mueller? Bob Dreyfuss Flynn Pleads Guilty: Is He Singing on Trump-Russia? Bob Dreyfuss Was the Trump Campaign Working With WikiLeaks and the Russians to Undermine the Clinton Campaign? Bob Dreyfuss As the Russiagate Investigation Builds Momentum, Trump’s Allies Attack the CIA Bob Dreyfuss
Those questions are especially relevant because of two major recent transactions between Deutsche Bank, Trump, and Kushner. In the first, the bank loaned Donald Trump $300 million—money that the president still owes the bank—to get him out of a sticky debt situation. And, second, Jared Kushner secured a $285 million loan from Deutsche Bank on the eve of last year’s election, in a transaction that, The Nation reported in August, involved a cast of characters tied to the infamous June 6, 2016, Trump Tower meeting between Kushner, Manafort, Donald Trump Jr., and an assortment of Russians who’d promised to supply the campaign with “dirt” on Hillary Clinton.
Since March, Waters has been relentless is demanding that both DOJ and the Republican-controlled committee investigate ties between Deutsche Bank and Trump. In her March 10 letter to Representative Jeb Hensarling, the chairman of the Committee on Financial Services, she and four other Democrats wrote:
The potential magnitude of Deutsche Bank’s Russian money-laundering scheme should not be downplayed in the same manner in which this Administration has attempted to downplay its Kremlin connections. The threat to our democracy that could result from the seemingly endless, complex web of business dealings woven among Trump, his advisors, and Russia should not be ignored. It is incumbent upon this Committee to conduct a thorough, objective investigation into the Deutsche Bank money-laundering scheme given the Bank’s atrocious history of lax compliance and, more importantly, the mounting evidence surrounding the new Administration’s ties to Russia. Current Issue View our current issue
Getting no response, Waters dispatched a series of follow-up letters. In an August 11 letter, she demanded a wide range of documents relevant to the issue, adding: “These concerns are not merely theoretical. Rather, they are supported by the fact that the President’s campaign is under a criminal investigation related to its potential collusion with the Russian government to influence the outcome of last year’s presidential election.… these facts underscore the need for a bipartisan investigation into the Bank’s Russian money laundering activity and its review of its unusual loans to the President, his family and his associates.”
Finally, exasperated, and concerned over reports that the Justice Department had let the Deutsche Bank inquiry go cold, in a December 1 letter Waters wrote to Rod Rosenstein, the deputy US attorney general, asking Rosenstein why DOJ had not moved forward with the investigation. “Not only is the President a client of Deutsche Bank, but so too are his daughter, Ivanka Trump, his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Kushner’s mother, Seryl Kushner. In fact, the Bank lent Jared Kushner’s real estate company more than $280 million only one month prior to the 2016 election, which was not properly disclosed,” she wrote. And Waters asked a series of very pointed questions about Deutsche Bank’s “mirror trading” scheme, the laundering mechanism it used in turning the oligarchs’ rubles into dollars—indeed, the very same questions that Mueller’s office might itself be asking right now:
(1) Is the investigation into Deutsche Bank’s role in a $10 billion Russian mirror trading scheme still ongoing? If not, what is its present status? (2) What has Attorney General Sessions’ involvement been with the investigation since his appointment? (3) Has President Trump, or his immediate family or any other campaign or White House official inquired about or sought to influence the investigation of Deutsche Bank in any way, including any other potential investigations into the Bank? (4) Is the Department committed to determining who participated in and who may have benefited from the Deutsche Bank Russian mirror trading scheme? (5) Should there be any nexus between Deutsche Bank, the Russian mirror trading scheme and the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 Presidential election, will the information be provided to Special Counsel Robert Mueller?
Mueller, who’s methodically examining the question of Trump-Russia collusion, has now entered the Deutsche Bank picture, and he—unlike Waters, who’s been unable to get her committee chairman to demand documents—has subpoena power. According to reporting by Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal, Mueller has demanded that Deutsche Bank hand over information about transactions involving “people or entities affiliated with President Donald Trump.” Two subsequent reports from the Journal added that among the records sought by Mueller are those linked to Michael Flynn and Paul Manafort. (Manafort, who served as Trump’s 2016 campaign manager, has already been indicted by Mueller over charges tied to money-laundering, and Flynn, Trump’s former national-security adviser, signed a plea agreement with Mueller and is cooperating with the Russiagate investigation.)
So far—and contrary to some initial reports, which claimed that Mueller’s Deutsche Bank subpoenas were aimed at Trump directly—the subpoena from Mueller apparently involves only people in Trump’s orbit, but not the president himself. That could change, however, as Mueller’s inquiry moves forward. As Reuters reported earlier this month:
A U.S. official with knowledge of Mueller’s probe said one reason for the subpoenas was to find out whether Deutsche Bank may have sold some of Trump’s mortgage or other loans to Russian state development bank VEB or other Russian banks that now are under U.S. and European Union sanctions.… Holding Trump debt, particularly if some of it was or is coming due, could potentially give Russian banks some leverage over Trump, especially if they are state-owned, said a second U.S. official familiar with Russian intelligence methods.
Mueller is well aware that since last summer Trump has been warning that any effort to investigate his or his family’s finances would cross a “red line,” as Trump told The New York Times in an interview in July, and that crossing that line could lead the president to fire Mueller. Indeed, there is growing concern that Trump is actively considering ousting the special prosecutor, despite the fact that doing so could trigger a political Armageddon. Over the weekend, Representative Jackie Speier, who serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, echoed worries that Trump will fire Mueller just before Christmas. Trump himself has denied that he intends to do so.“There aren’t many businesses that can survive a 20 to 30 percent drop,” said Mr. Streur, 68. “Closing was the last thing in the world I wanted. But reality sets in.”
It was an abrupt decision that surprised even his 300 full- and part-time employees; a few said that at least some of the stores — especially those that catered to tourists — seemed to be holding their own. Book World had opened a store in Jefferson City, Mo., just a few weeks before.
But a search for buyers for the chain or even some of the stores came up short. The chain swung from a profit in 2014 to break-even in 2015 to a loss in 2016, although Mr. Streur declined to provide numbers.
“There was nobody interested in buying us,” he said.
A walk around some of Book World’s stores in its home state, Wisconsin, underlines the tough retail environment. The store in Mequon is in a strip mall with at least eight empty storefronts. In Oshkosh, the store is on the main street, but at 10 a.m. there was no foot traffic. The stores in Fond du Lac and Manitowoc were almost as bleak.
These streets look as if an overpowering recession had hit, but the unemployment rate in Wisconsin fell this year to a 17-year low. Mequon is especially affluent: Its household income is double the national average. This is Amazon Prime territory, its shoppers drawn to the fast-shipping membership program that some analysts say half the households in the country have joined.
Since Amazon dominates online book sales even more than it dominates other online retail, its coffers will likely get a boost from Book World’s demise.
Glenn Butts, a flight instructor and pastor browsing among the bargains in West Bend, said he bought books “50 percent in person, 50 percent online.” In the future, he said, “it will probably be all online.”On the resource end of things, Clockwork Empires is largely a game about production – What resources can you get? How many? How quickly? Progression through the game is largely governed by a flat rate of what modules you can afford to build. Our module design, however, centers around an increasing economy of scale – this calls for the player to be using commodities constantly, not merely when they want to build something new.
A long while back, as a sort of nod to this philosophy we implemented a repair system where modules break after a certain amount of uses and must be repaired. This wasn’t ever made a focus, however – it had no real dedicated UI and what items were necessary to repair modules was not explained. However, as economy balance begins to come more into focus we decided it was time to revisit the repair/breakage system. So, coming in the next experimental: Upkeep!
Buildings will require weekly upkeep in order to keep functioning. Each module has an upkeep type and cost associated with it, and these add together to create a Building Upkeep that must be paid weekly. (Note that all figures here are subject to change as we get feedback on this feature). How do you pay this upkeep? Must you keep tons of spare building materials laying around? No! Instead you will use… Repair Trunks:
Repair trunks are crafted similarly to Bric-a-brac, in that they can be made from various source materials depending on what you have available. They come in four categories of increasing expense, with the highest category saved for high-end modules like the Power Saw or Steam Oven. This material versatility should allow players of any biome to keep their modules up and running while imposing a continuing production requirement that will keep your carpentry, ceramics, et al workshops busy over the long term.
Upkeep required will be displayed in each workshop, as a total of the upkeep of all modules within (Currently this UI is being worked on). When the time comes, workers in that building will automatically perform repairs as necessary using the required repair trunks – failing to meet the weekly upkeep for a building, on the other hand, will result in the workshop shutting down! You may ask yourself: ‘Won’t this make it harder for me to keep my huge colony running?’ Yes! You’ll have to worry about supply lines, maintaining resources, and not overbuilding – GAMEPLAY! These numbers are all still to be tuned, and I have some plans in mind as regards module and building construction costs, as well as military upkeep but we’ll talk about those later.
For now; Be vigilant! Maintain your modules! Your colony may yet survive to see another day.Fabio Fognini was in effect kicked out of the US Open on Saturday, accused of shouting obscenities at a female umpire during his defeat by his fellow Italian Stefano Travaglia, a qualifier who bagled the 22nd seed in the last of four sets in the first round.
Fognini, whose legendary volatility had dimmed since his marriage to the retired US Open champion Flavia Pennetta last year, then the birth of their first child in May, exploded three times during the match.
Louise Engzelle, the Swedish umpire, reported Fognini after he called her, in Italian, “troia” and “bocchinara” – which translate as “whore” and “cocksucker”. He received three fines from the International Tennis Federation of $4,000, $15,000 and $5,000, to which he responded, according to the Italian tennis website Ubitennis: “Today they’re all moralists.”
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal move closer to US Open semi-final meeting Read more
The Grand Slam Board announced on Saturday that Fognini was “provisionally suspended from further participation in the US Open pending a final determination”, but that takes him out of the doubles tournament, where he and his compatriot Simon Bolelli had advanced to the third round. They were due to play the American Nicholas Monroe and the Australian John‑Patrick Smith, and might have gone on to meet the defending champions, Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares, in the quarter-finals.
Alexandr Dolgopolov, who came under investigation after claims of suspicious betting patterns in a pre‑tournament match in which he lost in straight sets to the Brazilian underdog, Thiago Monteiro, at the Winston-Salem Open last week, is in the fourth round after a blistering 6-1, 6-0, 6-4 demolition of Viktor Troicki in an hour and 21 minutes.
Elsewhere, there was mayhem of a different sort. After six days, the women’s draw – as with the men’s – seemed to have run out of surprises. Shocks no longer seemed so shocking. Upsets were glibly disregarded, as one result after another made a mockery of the seedings. Seven of the top 16 seeds had already gone.
The world No1, Karolina Pliskova, came desperately close to becoming the eighth elite casualty, against 28‑year‑old Zhang Shuai, who is 25 places adrift of her in the world rankings. Pliskova said she had “a really big problem with my arm but hopefully nothing serious and I’ll be ready for my next match”.
Last year Pliskova lost to Angelique Kerber in the final. This year, Kerber went out in the first round. On Saturday, Pliskova had to save match point in the second set after an hour and 18 minutes before battling back to win 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 in two hours and 20 minutes.
Zhang came to New York with five career wins against top 10 opponents, built on a solid, all-round game that made her at least worthy of respect among the leading contenders. She proved more than that in a rousing start. Her lithe movement gave Pliskova nightmares as she scuttled about the court like a racket-wielding crab, winning seven of nine visits to the net and hunting down one lost cause after another. What she lacked in power, she made up for in experience, commitment and nous. Pliskova had won all their four matches – 6-2, 6-0 in Doha in their most recent meeting – but that looked irrelevant as Zhang served out the first set.
This was meant to be the tournament in which Pliskova finally delivered on her big serve – the biggest outside that of Serena Williams – and her all-round class. She had emerged from the shadows quickly, but then seemed blinded by the attention. This was her moment, many said, if the outright favourite, Garbiñe Muguruza, faltered.
Zhang had break point in the second set but could not take it. Pliskova found a superb winner down the line for deuce, her best shot of the match. Zhang served her fifth double fault to hand Pliskova set point, which she grabbed gleefully to take it to a decider. There was little in it all the way to the end, before Pliskova found one last awesome backhand to close it out, 3-6, 7-5, 6-4.BlackBerry has lost the battle for the consumer heart of America.
The Mall of America announced today that its employees are ditching their BlackBerry phones in favor of the Nokia Lumia 920 because of the Lumia’s “tight integration with Microsoft services.”
With 11,000 year-round employees (and 13,000 during the holidays), Mall of America’s headcount is a drop in the bucket in the big scheme of things. But its move to Nokia holds the kind of symbolic weight that should horrify BlackBerry, which is quickly losing its status as the go-to device for businesses.
The news comes a week after Home Depot decided that BlackBerry wasn’t good enough for it either. The company is replacing 10,000 employee BlackBerrys with iPhones. Something tells me that a lot more companies will soon follow suit.
The trend is especially troubling for BlackBerry because it clearly shows the company is having a hard time hanging onto its business customers, which are essentially all it has left. With nonexistent consumer interest, BlackBerry is trying as hard as it can to hold onto the businessman.
The problem is, the businessman is eyeing the iPhone, not the BlackBerry Z10.
Photo: Flickr/Mark GstohlIt’s no secret that Rosie O’Donnell has had a long history of public insults directed at Donald Trump, but she finally just took it too far!
Even before Trump won, Rosie seemed to be unraveling at the thought of a Potential Trump Presidency. After one of the debates, Rosie wrote a poem about how “depressed” she had become: “…since the debate — i have been sleeping a lot — depression clings to me — it’s hard to walk — to try –to care,” Rosie wrote.
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Now that Trump won, she has is completely crossing the line! Early this morning, Rosie tweeted out a video spreading an online rumor about Barron Trump having autism.
She tries to say it would be good to raise “awareness” about Autism, but this is just a sneaky way to spread a baseless internet rumor that Barron Trump is autistic..
This woman is despicable, and she knows what she’s doing! Just a few months ago, she called Trump a “bloviated orange shit-stain.”
Now that i’ve seen Rosie has sunk to this level, I see why Donald Trump always hated her this much. In 2006, Trump said, “Rosie is a very unattractive person, both inside and out.”
After seeing what she did today, I totally agree with him!
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SHARE this on Facebook because the mainstream media refuses to defend Trump or his family against these VILE, personal attacks!
==NEXT PAGE==>Loktionov reassigned to Manchester by Staff Writer / Los Angeles Kings
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Kings have assigned forward The Los Angeles Kings have assigned forward Andrei Loktionov to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi announced today.
Loktionov, 20, has played in 19 games with the Kings this season and has seven points (4-3=7) and two penalty minutes. He has also played in 31 games with the Monarchs this season, recording 31 points (8-23=31), a plus-15 rating and six penalty minutes.
The Kings next play at Anaheim this Wednesday at 7 p.m. to conclude a stretch of 10 consecutive games on the road. The Kings then play at home on Thursday against Minnesota at 7:30 p.m. to begin a six-game homestand
View LessCLEVELAND, Ohio – One of the key figures in convincing voters to narrowly approve Cuyahoga County's original sin tax in 1990 now is working to engineer the tax's defeat in May.
Alan Glazen, a retired advertising agency owner whose firm promoted the sin tax's creation in 1990 to fund the Gateway complex, as well as the renewal in 1995, now calls the campaigns "deceptive." He has started a Facebook group called “IT’S A SIN, CLEVELAND," which had more than 600 members as of publication time.
Glazen said during a Monday interview that in retrospect, he provided the community with false information in his sin tax ads. Specifically, he said, the issue’s backers “lied” in promising 28,000 “good-paying” jobs, when the real number has fallen short.
“We were hired to be the people sending that message out, and that message was not honest,” Glazen said.
Since retiring from advertising, Glazen has started a second career as an entrepreneur, investing in bars and other businesses. Among his portfolio: a coffee shop in the East Fourth Street development, which sin-tax backers hold up as exhibit A of Gateway’s positive impact on downtown development.
The Gateway development, “did generally provide great growth opportunity for Cleveland,” he said. “There’s no question these structures [Progressive Field and Quicken Loans Arena] have contributed to the part of town I love the most. But on the other hand, we were deceived because the most prominent civic leaders were just throwing out numbers.”
Glazen also said city and county leaders have failed to aggressively negotiate terms before sending the latest sin tax request forward. He said his strategy is to attempt to defeat the measure in May, forcing the teams and government officials back to the table.
“There is no doubt this thing is going to go down in defeat. I’d just like it to go down in a big enough defeat that the citizens can say: ‘We were able to stop it. Now talk to us,’” he said.
Tom Yablonsky, executive vice-president of the Downtown Cleveland Alliance, acknowledged during an appearance on radio program "The Sound of Ideas" on Monday that the number of new jobs has fallen short of what was originally promised.
But, he said: “We’ve come much more close to that number than the rhetoric would suggest.”
Yablonsky said in an interview with Northeast Ohio Media Group the actual jobs created could be 24,000 jobs -- a combination of 12,000 temporary construction jobs, plus “as many as” 12,000 permanent downtown jobs that he believes were created, but couldn't immediately document. He also said there has been $700 million in investment in the area adjacent to the Gateway complex.
Specific job creation numbers aside, pro-renewal campaign spokesman Nancy Lesic said the Gateway complex has generated $400 million in local taxes, plus a bevy of other benefits.
“We know that the teams have generated more than $4 billion in economic activity with more than 75 million visitors to just the Gateway facilities since they opened,” Lesic said. “This has inarguably had a tremendously positive impact on downtown Cleveland and job creation and retention.”
Besides the nascent social media campaign, there is not yet any organized opposition to the sin tax renewal, which Cuyahoga County Council unanimously voted last month to send to the May ballot.
But the tax renewal’s backers – the business community, the professional sports teams and the Cleveland Building Trades Council, among others -- have ground to make up. An internal poll performed in November showed voters rejecting the measure by a nearly 10-point margin, issue backers told Northeast Ohio Media Group last month.
Based on collections over the past several years, a 20-year extension of the sin tax would raise at least $260 million. The Cavs and Indians have shared $135 million worth of stadium work they expect to need within the next 10 years, including $24 million in scoreboard upgrades.
The county's sin tax is assessed at 4.5 cents per pack of cigarettes, 1.5 cents per 12-ounce bottle of beer, 6 cents per 750-milliliter bottle of wine, 32 cents per gallon of mixed beverages, 24 cents per gallon of cider and $3 per gallon of hard liquor.My Girlfriend Is a Nine-Tailed Fox (Hangul: 내 여자친구는 구미호; Hanja: 내 女子親舊는 九尾狐; RR: Nae Yeojachinguneun Gumiho; also known as My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho) is a 2010 South Korean romantic comedy television series starring Lee Seung-gi and Shin Min-ah.[1] It aired on SBS from August 11 to September 30, 2010 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 22:00 for 16 episodes.[2][3]
Synopsis [ edit ]
Cha Dae-woong (Lee Seung-gi) is a normal college student, with ambitions of becoming an action star. Until one day, he accidentally releases a gumiho (Shin Min-ah), a legendary fox with nine tails who was sealed inside a painting by Samshin Grandmother (三神). Fleeing the scene, Dae-woong suffers a life-threatening fall and is only saved by the gumiho giving him her "fox bead" (여우 구슬). When Dae-woong awakes and meets a mysterious and very beautiful girl, he initially treats her as eccentric or mentally ill, before finally understanding that she is a gumiho in human form. According to myth, gumihos eat men's livers, so Dae-woong is scared out of his wits, and the gumiho takes advantage of his fear by sticking by his side. He names her "Mi-ho," and keeps her happy by buying her beef and hiding her true identity. Mi-ho wants nothing more than to become human, so they strike a deal: she'll lend him her mystical fox bead so that with his increased speed and strength, he'll be able to do difficult stunts, and in exchange he'll help her become human. As time passes, they get to know each other better and Dae-woong is charmed by how Mi-ho looks at the world with childlike wonder.
Enter Park Dong-joo (No Min-woo), a half-human, half-supernatural being, whose cover identity is as a working veterinarian. Dong-joo tells Mi-ho that she'll be able to turn human if she follows these instructions: She must drink Dong-joo's blood then place her fox bead inside a human's body for 100 days. Once she does this, her supernatural self will start to die, gradually. Her gumiho energy will slowly empty away while her bead will live in the human for 100 days and take in his energy. And when she reclaims her bead, she will become |
the system, the whole thing." Michael was born in Beaconsfield Street, one of six, to a father from Liverpool of west African, Antiguan and Irish descent and a Scouse-Irish mother. His father worked as an electro-plater for Triumph and Ford where the chemicals he handled preparing chrome badly damaged his health. For the boys in the family, says Michael, "harassment by the police was a daily thing, especially for the boys older than me. My older brother, our Brian, was forever being beaten up by the police; not even arrested sometimes – just beaten up. One time he was accused of robbing lead from a roof, and my mum had to go down the street and jump on top of him so he wouldn't get battered, and she got arrested too."
Michael Simon's mother, Mary, has been rehoused now to a new home in the heart of Toxteth. The homestead is all coming and going of a morning, Mary's daughter Karen making tea in her hospital staff tunic before Michael and his brother swing round.
"Although I was younger and had paler skin than Brian," says Michael, "I still got picked on. I remember one time I was getting on the bus at Lodge Lane after school, with my brown leather sports bag. A car had been robbed and the police pulled up in a van and grabbed me off the bus and started going through my bag. And I thought: 'If a car's been robbed, what's that got to do with my bag?'" After the riots, however, "in the immediate aftermath, we'd lifted the fear. We'd established a no-go area. We were too powerful even for the police." The insurgency, he says, had erupted from "a new confidence in our identity; we had nothing to apologise for".
Like the anniversary of any tumultuous occasion, that of the Toxteth riots has many, often conflicting, voices and histories, and tomorrow a book is published – Liverpool '81: Remembering the Riots – that seeks, says one of its editors, Richard Phillips, "to hear some of the unheard voices" (of which Michael is one). The book coincides with the opening of an exhibition this weekend at Liverpool's Museum of Slavery, at which a collection of unseen pictures of the riots will be shown, taken by unknown photographers and donated to a law centre that opened in their wake (now closed). It is curated by the Merseyside Black History Initiative and Sonia Bassey Williams, who herself grew up, she says, "in a street where you couldn't stand outside your own home without the police threatening to arrest you for soliciting. I was 15, and had to go and look up what'soliciting' meant."
From the establishment's point of view, the riots were an alarm call said to have changed the face of policing in Britain and led to what national and local authorities have since called the "regeneration" of the inner cities. But as Michael Simon and I walked down Beaconsfield Street last week, we did so through an urban graveyard: the home from which he was wrenched by the police in 1981 boarded up and condemned, like almost all the others, for 18 years. What politicians since the riots have called "regeneration", Michael and his one-time, now scattered, neighbours call "degeneration"; plans with names such as "New Heartlands" are known here locally as "New Heartbreak". Even the riots themselves have two names: as with the names "Londonderry" and "Derry", you declare yourself. "People say 'Toxteth riots' or 'Liverpool 8 uprising' depending on their politics," says Michael. The label locating "Toxteth" rather than "Liverpool 8" was that of the national media at the time, he says, because of a sign on Princes Avenue, opposite a drive-in bank and what was the Rialto furniture store, both famously targeted and gutted by fire in 1981.
The summer riots of that year – during which CS gas was used for the first time in the UK outside Northern Ireland – were the latest in a series of insurgencies, beginning in St Pauls, Bristol, during 1980. The following year, between 10 and 12 April in Brixton, south London, black youths fought the police and burned buildings, and in early July there were violent clashes between Asian youths and racist skinheads in Southall, west London. Within days of the uprising in Toxteth, a police station was attacked in Moss Side, Manchester and between 11 and 12 July, disturbances and riots were reported from 20 places, including Leeds, Hull and elsewhere.
Underpinning these outbreaks were the themes of discrimination against black people in an increasingly precarious economy, bitter hostility in the inner cities to the government of Margaret Thatcher and several years of assaults on black and Asian communities by the National Front, which had in turn provoked the formation of the Anti-Nazi League, street-fighting by anti-fascists and, in 1977, the "Battle of Lewisham" in London. The 1976 Notting Hill carnival had ended with running battles between the police and black youths chanting: "Soweto, Soweto", after the uprising there and repressions in apartheid South Africa earlier in the year. Strong cultural currents flowed through the period, including the influence of American ghetto soul music, and arrival of songs by Bob Marley. "It's easy to look back through rose-tinted spectacles," says Michael now, "but in the 1970s, there was a real confidence within the culture that something could be done."
But the overt reason for the serial disturbances was the ubiquitously appalling treatment of black youths by the police. Harassment, intimidation and wanton arrest were integral to the fabric of young black life, invariably applied by flagrant abuse of the so-called suspected persons, or "sus" law, a section of the 1824 Vagrancy Act that permitted police officers to arrest anyone loitering "with intent to commit an arrestable offence" – which in Britain's ghettoes had come to mean almost anyone between the ages of 13 and 30.
"David" – not his real name – is a community activist who was born in the predominantly white Park Road area of Toxteth, the second youngest child of a father who had been a sailor from Guyana and retrained as a toolmaker, while his mother was Welsh/Irish, from Liverpool. With such quintessential Scouse lineage, David says: "I'm mixed race but I don't refer to myself that way. I'm comfortable with describing myself as black British." He recalls: "Growing up in the 70s, there were black gangs that used to fight the white gangs, but we lived in a white area. My mum was white and my dad was black so you would be caught in the middle. And I went to a black school, stuck in the middle of it all. So I did not know what this fighting was about, but slowly became aware of what racism was when people from time to time would call me a nigger, coon, wog… the list went on."
However, says David: "I'd constantly be stopped because I lived in a white area, generally on the basis of 'What are you doing here?' I remember an incident regarding my brother. It was back in the late 70s, and we were all pigeon mad. It was a craze like the Rubik's Cube, skateboards and BMX bikes: pigeon pens, and pigeons. I remember my brother had gone out one morning with two of his white friends looking for pigeons. When I eventually got to speak to him and asked him what had happened and how he came to be arrested, he told me that when the police first ran after them they were shouting to others that joined the chase to grab 'the black one'. They caught all three of them and then proceeded to let the two white lads go."
David recalls: "We soon learned that the only place where there was any visible racial equality in Britain was either in the job centres or in prison, and there were as many whites rioting in 1981 as there were blacks, because having the postcode L8 could stop you getting a job even if you were white. There were white people being subjected to the treatment being dished up to us. When these race wars back in the 70s were over, the community – although fragmented – started to mix, and people would get to know each other."
Although the uprising in Liverpool shared many underlying causes with those elsewhere, there were crucial, deep-rooted singularities, to do with the city and its history, and the unique make-up and origins of its black community.
Michael Simon says: "There was a kind of hybrid pride in being a Liverpool-born black. The identity was black, but it was 'Liverpool-born black'. I don't remember thinking that we were taking up what was happening in London – in fact, people came up from Brixton, and I remember one man saying it was 'full of red men' up here, meaning mixed-race people, like he didn't think we were proper black people."
The conversation shifts, as it invariably does – and importantly – in Liverpool 8, back to the history of the city and its black community, the key to understanding why Toxteth was the most violent of the insurgencies of 1981, and, over the long term of 30 years, the most thoroughly punished. "I mean, it was obvious, even to me at the age of 13," says Michael, "that if it's all about cohesion and integration, then Liverpool 8 should have been a shining example, par excellence. But it wasn't – the discrimination was worse here than Manchester or anywhere else. Why wasn't it the shining example? Well, it's what [sociologist] Paul Gilroy writes, isn't it? That complex: mixed-race kids remind the greater part of a racist society about the union of black and white, and they just can't handle it."
All riots and urban insurgencies have far deeper roots than newspaper headlines afford them, and those in Liverpool 8 stretch further into history (and geography) than most. There is first the singular history of Liverpool itself, and what the city's leading historian, John Belchem‚ pro-vice chancellor of the university, calls the "exceptionalism" that marks Liverpool out from the rest of Britain, stitching its narrative to the Atlantic Ocean more than that of the land on which Liverpool turns its back. This identity is precious to the sage of Liverpool and most immediately recognisable voice of the city's people, Jimmy McGovern, known for his work on Brookside, Cracker, Hillsborough, The Street and the rest. "When you are a port city," says McGovern, "you look out, not back inland over your shoulder. Only when you are at sea are you looking towards the land, as my own family did when they came here from County Fermanagh; probably heading for America but presumably alighting with a certain fecklessness: 'This'll do.' And in Toxteth, you have the Harlem of Europe. When we had the capital of culture here in 2008, the slogan was 'The World In One City', but that was only really true of Liverpool 8: black people called Riley and Williams, Irish women bearing children to West African sailors, and all of them, in some way, children of the sea."
Then there are the origins of what are called "Liverpool-born blacks", of which Michael Simon's and David's rich lineage is typical. It is an epic narrative in its own right and one that belongs to – as the title of a famous book by Paul Gilroy calls it – "the Black Atlantic", and all its shores from which slaves, migrants and seamen sailed: African, American, British, Caribbean – and even, in the case of Liverpool, Irish and Welsh. It is a narrative that led American academic Jacqueline Nassy Brown to conclude after an exhaustive survey of so-called "LBBs" that reference to a "black community" in Liverpool does not always mean black people, and it explains why Michael was often called "that blond Afro kid".
"If you were black, you went to sea," says part-time university lecturer Mike Boyle, sipping a pint with others who were – like him – laid off at some point from Merseyside's factories and shipyards. Boyle progressed from the streets of Liverpool 8, via work at Plessey, to become a historian of this singular community, and thereby the deep roots of the 1981 riots. He traces his ancestry to west Africa, the slave plantations of Barbados and Ireland, but grew up in Liverpool 8, a truly fine citizen of this black/green/Scouse Atlantic. "My great-grandmother was a Fenian in Dublin," he says, "and Grandfather Boyle moved to 135th Street in Harlem." Back in Liverpool, however: "My great-grandfather on my mother's side was a qualified ship's captain, but was never allowed to sail out of Liverpool as such, because the crews would not take orders from a black captain. My father was an engine-room foreman – a 'donkey-man' – in the merchant marine, but when he applied for a job with Cunard, he was told: 'We have to consider our American passengers', and that was it, no work, even though he pointed out to them that the 'American passengers' would never see him. He had sailed to Brazil and Argentina; he was a man of the world, but his was the last great seafaring generation of the city."
Liverpool 8 never has been the poorest part of the city. That would be the north side, and hinterland behind the docks, economically savaged by the gradual closure of Liverpool's mighty port, despite serial resistance by one of the most stalwart movements in British labour history. The dockside was mainly white work, though the crews were black, and both suffered as seafaring ceased to be Liverpool's pride and grind. As work at sea declined, blacks like whites sought other work, Mike Boyle too. Liverpool 8 lives cheek-by-jowl not only with the sea but with the city-centre shops, where young Mike tried to find work as a window-dresser, and was given a job, only to be told when his boss returned from headquarters: "'I'm sorry, but when you are in the window, you represent the company.' I was 17 years old."
"Yes," says David, "I was in the riots. I remember thinking at the time that these bizzies or pigs, as we referred to them then, only patrol our community – but we live here. The police had started a war, and we as a community were going to fight that war. There they were, thugs dressed up in riot gear, shields and truncheons. They did not look like they do now – like Robocop – but they were spoiling for this confrontation and confrontation is what they brought upon themselves. All it would have taken was a simple radio message to control asking for a registration check and a major riot would have been prevented: their suspicion was that a black man they had stopped on a motorbike – his motorbike – was not the owner and instead of performing that simple task, they wanted to take him away. From this failure to make that radio call, a scuffle ensued – a couple of bricks were thrown and it escalated into a full-blown riot. And once we'd decided to fight, we walloped 'em … They'd been putting us down and oppressing us for a long time and I certainly don't remember the word mercy appearing in the police handbook when dealing with us people in Toxteth. This was payback, this was our turn…
"It always amazes me when I look back that more people were not killed on both sides. And look at the one who died, David Moore, disabled and run down – and no justice for that lad."
Michael was a witness to that single death: "The police were getting a lot more violent, a lot more equipped. They were calling it dispersal at the time; it was basically ramming people. I always remember this guy running because we are all running and he was hobbling and I thought he'd hurt his leg … We were running to the fence, thinking they couldn't get past this bollard, and this guy just went that way and, well, the [police vehicle] just flattened him, and went right over him. I think he died there and then, and he was disabled so apparently he couldn't get out of the way."
The official aftershock and aftermath of the riots is well recorded. In London, Lord Scarman would conclude – after the Brixton riots – that moves towards positive discrimination favouring black people in society would be a "price worth paying". Lord Gifford, tasked to report on Liverpool, found that racial discrimination had been "uniquely horrific" in the city. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher famously dispatched Michael Heseltine to be minister for Merseyside and launch a garden festival site, which is now a wasteland.
Thirty years on from the riots, one walks up Prince's Avenue, past what was the incinerated Rialto and the sign into Toxteth, and yet another sign promising imminent arrival into the "Regeneration Zone", and showing pictures of a perfect cereal-packet multiracial family, pristine modern houses and beautifully refurbished original stock – beneath which is the inevitable crass slogan that accompanies every corporate or political effort these days, always beginning with a pretentious gerund, in this case: "Creating neighbourhoods for the future". When you turn left into that future, and along Granby Street, once the spinal cord of Toxteth, you walk into what feels like a tomb.
The eerie streets are all but deserted, Victorian terraced houses of good solid stock condemned, abandoned and empty for 18 years now, their windows either bricked up or covered in steel sheeting, as though to obliterate any family or human life – any memory of Christmas, love, argument or sex the household may once have held. Each violent metal sheet bears the logo of Liverpool City Council on a sticker, sometimes accompanied by that of a partner such as "IPS security for the community", with all the grotesque irony of that particular slogan. Along other funereal, destitute streets – people's former homes arranged like mausoleums in a cemetery – activists against Liverpool's city-wide demolition psychosis have painted bright curtains on the concrete or steel, and flowers in pots sitting on imaginary window sills, an attempt to simultaneously mock the authorities, and compensate for their vandalism. Doubling back further up Granby Street, one reaches some of the appalling "regenerative" modern housing that has replaced the terraced streets already fallen to Liverpool's random wrecking ball: some of them – ersatz Lego bricks of the cheapest materials – are already dilapidated, while others almost new are managing to last a few years, like Michael Simon's mother's new house on Cawdor Street. Michael explains: "Mum was told to leave Beaconsfield Street while they repaired the house. They put her into temporary accommodation in Kingsley Road and while she was there, they told her that her home was beyond repair, and would have to be demolished. Then, just as she was settling in, they told her that the temporary house was due for demolition too, so she would have to move to a new house."
Michael makes instant coffee in the kitchen of the new house, surrounded by wasteland. Of the devastation outside the front door, Mary Simon's daughter Karen says: "At that time, up to 1981, they wanted the black community in the same place, in the ghetto. But after the riots, they needed to disperse the community, to break it up, so it'd never happen again. Only thing is, they broke up the shops, they broke up the identity, they broke up where we grew up." Michael continues: "It's been a long campaign by the council and the housing associations that have carved up Liverpool to get people out of their homes, because someone has worked out that there's no quick profit in refurbishment of the good old, existing stock."
We head out for a walk, over the garbage-strewn urban prairie on which terraced houses once stood and the riots once flared, to what is left of the top of Granby Street. "On that block, they started with the grocery," says Michael, pointing at the faded, painted sign, "Granby Green", and the steel shutters that are all that remain of its once-bright facade. "But that was the centre of our lives," Michael adds with more than a little yearning, pointing to the condemned Frontline Video Store on the corner, "the Rasta place where we listened to reggae records. The last to go was Javi, the Pakistani store there; he held out for God knows how long. Once, this place may have been a shit-hole, but it was teeming, hopping, crowded" – and we squelch our way past Desolation Row to a little corner of Cairns Street where the resolute people remain.
Local property developers do exist, ready and willing to fight to preserve the existing stock, renovate it and let local people remain, and their number includes none other than the Amoo brothers, Eddy and Chris, of the Real Thing, Liverpool 8's most celebrated band and composers of the hits "You to Me Are Everything", "Can't Get By Without You" and – more importantly – the anthem of, and soundtrack to, the riots, "Children of the Ghetto". The brothers and Eddy's wife Sylvia now run a property company called ECAM (the brothers' initials), which Eddy Amoo calls "my retirement plan" along with proceeds from the myriad silver discs climbing up his sitting room wall. "We like to bring buildings back to what they were," he says. "Obviously, it's got to be done commercially, but we don't want to knock things down. We're against the hidden agenda that will see Granby Street disappear, or that lovely church on Princes Avenue, where someone is just waiting until it is so dilapidated it'll fall down. And we're against ruining landmarks: look at the Rialto, where we learned what we know about music. Have you seen it? They've turned it into offices, a piece of junk."
Liverpool's fixation with the wrecking ball is not party-political – it was passed from a Labour council to the Lib Dems and now back to Labour – nor is it unique to Toxteth. Swathes of structurally sound Victorian terraced housing in Anfield around Liverpool FC's ground are feeling the Toxteth bricked-up window "regeneration" effect, as did Smithdown Road and – in a recent controversy – the flattened Edge Lane and Kensington area to which many people from Toxteth were "rehoused", as the polite term has it, after the riots.
Once again, Liverpool's sage and jester, Jimmy McGovern, is the voice of the people (for him, the destruction of Edge Lane, ostensibly for a road-widening of a matter of inches, was the last straw). Five years ago, I walked with McGovern around the "Granby triangle" riot zone, which, he explained, "I wouldn't visit often as a white working-class lad, unless it was to buy all that fantastic fruit, mangoes and stuff, which – if my memory doesn't play tricks – were sold off wooden draymen's carts." McGovern was fuming with rage: "If this is regeneration, what's vandalism?" he spat. "If this is the capital of culture, what's a philistine? These are decent houses, left to rack and ruin. I mean what is their problem? We've been through all this in the 1960s; we know what a disaster it is – don't they learn anything?"
Now, we meet in what is quite simply one of the best bars in the world: the Casa on Hope Street at the edge of Liverpool 8, which in my day on Merseyside was an estimably sleazy dive called the Casablanca. The Casablanca has since closed, and McGovern contributed the proceeds of his film Dockers – about the strike from 1995 to 1998 – to retrain laid-off dockers as sparks and carpenters, fit up the Casa and open it as a bar, social club, "initiative factory" and activist advice centre. In practice, it is a hive lined with union plaques for political discourse and football talk, such as Jimmy and I are engaging in of a Wednesday lunchtime.
"I'm starting to hope that it is corruption," McGovern says of the demolitions in Toxteth and beyond. "At least that would make sense, it would mean someone is getting something dodgy out of it. Because if it isn't corruption, it's real madness. At least corruption would provide a motive. What would be really scary would be if they really are that crap."
But of course there's the possibility, McGovern continues, "that this is managed decline. Any fool can see that in Kensington, the bit they'regenerated' went to seed, while the bit they left alone just got on with its life. People come in from out of town, have their'regeneration scheme' and fuck off with the money to spend it somewhere else. The idea is that these areas will only succeed when the people who live here can no longer afford to live here. It all makes sense if you detach the argument from the people – but what about the people? What are you going to do with them? Well, you knock their houses down and ship 'em out."
"People from round here are all over the place now," says David, after lentil soup and a discussion of the night in 1981 that he chased the police, when the Victorian terraces still stood – and burned. David says of his own block, on the borderline where the ambitions of two universities to house more students meet the old community that has lived there for at least two generations: "With rents controlled, the housing associations raise the service charges to stupid levels they know we can't afford: up 43% in 2005, and 245% in 2006. And then mess around with parent companies that don't have charitable status buying up subsidiaries that do. They bring money to the city, but who gets that money? People from outside. Even if we do get jobs, they're the lowest-paid work there is. All that crap about getting on your bike – they're not offering local people apprenticeships or opportunities. It is nepotism, jobs for the boys if your face fits – and black ones usually don't. They call it regeneration, but it's a white lie, it's a farce, an even bigger farce if you're black. These people go to Europe demanding money and using our community and the racial diversity that exists within our community to draw down money because this community ticks all the right boxes. And when they get that money, do they create jobs, employ people from that community? Do they fuck!"
It's raining hard now, in high June, and David makes his last point through the damp night air: "First, there was deindustrialisation, now there's recession, and you hear people worried about losing their jobs and how they will now in all probability have to work longer for their pensions. It makes some of us quite jealous, because at least you had jobs consistently enough to enable you to build a pension in the first place. I look at these people now and think to myself: 'Welcome to our world. Welcome back to 1981.'"
Liverpool '81: Remembering The Riots, edited by Diane Frost and Richard Phillips, is published tomorrow by Liverpool University Press. The exhibition Toxteth '81 opens this weekend at the Museum of Slavery, LiverpoolOriginally published May 17, 2014 ____________________________________
They were sitting on one of Montreal’s famous outdoor patios one lazy summer afternoon, two friends enjoying a beer and looking toward the future.
It was the early 2000s — Jean Chretien was prime minister — and as they sipped their drinks, a young Justin Trudeau laid out for Terry DiMonte how he thought the federal political landscape was going to play out.
A newly resurgent Conservative party would come to power, predicted Trudeau. The Liberals, riven by infighting, would churn through a leader or two before seeking new blood.
During this period, Trudeau — already known by Canadians, particularly after the eulogy to his father, Pierre, in 2000 — would enter politics as a backbencher, learning the ins and outs of Parliament. Eventually he would run for the Liberal leadership.
DiMonte, a rock radio deejay who had known Trudeau since the latter was in high school, was wary. “How are you going to avoid the pitfalls of office?” he asked.
“What do you mean?” said Trudeau.
“When you get to that level, you’ve got a hairstylist and poll numbers, people telling you which way to look at the camera and which eyebrow to raise,” DiMonte said. “The thing that people are attracted to and that people relate to, the team sweeps in and they take it away. How are you going to avoid that?”
Trudeau looked at his friend squarely. “Gerry,” he replied, “won’t let that happen.”
***
Most Canadians have never heard of Gerald Butts. Most wouldn’t recognize him if they saw him. Bearded, bespectacled, sometimes even a little scruffy, he melts away from the spotlight. Yet the 42-year-old Cape Bretoner has been on the other end of the phone or at the back of the room for all of the big moments in Justin Trudeau’s political life.
Many leaders have close confidants they met before politics, whose advice and political instincts count more than anyone else’s. Stephen Harper had John Weissenberger. Chretien had Jean Pelletier. Brian Mulroney had Bernard Roy. And almost from the moment they met more than 20 years ago, two university students from very different backgrounds, Gerald Butts has played a central role in Justin Trudeau’s political career.
Some think he is the puppet-master pulling the strings of a young politician “in over his head.” Others dismiss this suggestion outright. But it’s clear Butts plays a key role in the Liberal leader’s plans.
Butts was there when Justin Trudeau wrote his famous eulogy to Pierre. They were in each other’s wedding parties. Butts’s fingerprints are evident on a range of Trudeau policies, from Senate reform and marijuana legalization to the Northern Gateway pipeline.
If the Liberals were to win the 2015 election, Gerald Butts could become one of the most powerful people in Canada. So who is he?
From The Maritimes to McGill
Justin Trudeau and Gerald Butts were both born in 1971. But while Trudeau was instantly famous as the first son of a colourful and controversial prime minister, Butts grew up the youngest of five children to a coal miner and a nurse in Glace Bay, a town of about 20,000 on Cape Breton island.
It was a tough environment. When Butts was just seven, an explosion at one of the mines killed 12 workers; five of his classmates lost their fathers. His own father might have been among them if he hadn’t retired three years earlier.
“(Gerald) knew, given a different set of circumstances, that could have been him,” says retired high school English teacher Kenneth Gillis, who remains close to his former student. “I think he grew up with a real sense of social justice.” The mines also left a permanent blight on the landscape, which Butts would credit years later for his active interest in the environment.
He was fortunate, however, to also have a litany of role models. His parents pushed the importance of hard work, education and discipline. His older siblings went to university, pursuing successful careers in law, child psychology, chemical engineering and medicine.
And his Aunt Peggy, a Catholic nun, earned several degrees, taught political science at Cape Breton University, served on provincial task forces, and was even named to the Senate in 1999.
Peggy Butts impressed upon her youngest nephew the idea not merely of wanting to be something, but of wanting to do something with his life. He took that advice to heart, earning a scholarship to study at Montreal’s McGill University.
A mutual friend, Jonathan Ablett, introduced Trudeau, then 19, and Butts, 20, early in their studies at McGill. Not much is publicly known about the initial meeting: all three declined interviews.
But shortly after their meeting, Butts invited Trudeau to join the McGill Debating Union, where Butts was a rising star. In fact, by the time he graduated in 1995, Butts had won the national debating championships two years in a row, served as president of the Canadian university debating association, and sat on the McGill club’s board for several years.
“He loves the debate,” recalls Pablo Navarro, who served on the McGill debating team executive with Butts. “I mean, he really loves the debate. He loves to engage in it for the sake of it, let alone for something that actually matters. He likes competition.”
He was also politically aware. Julie Dzerowicz, currently seeking the Liberal nomination in the Toronto riding of Davenport, signed Butts up as a federal Liberal while she was selling memberships in support of Chretien during the party’s 1990 leadership contest. Both were first-year students.
“Whether it was on tuition fees or whether there were things happening in Quebec politics or more nationally,” says Dzerowicz, “I remember him always being engaged and always in conversation about the key issues of the day.”
In an interview with the Huffington Post last year, Butts said Justin Trudeau didn’t want to talk politics when they were in university together. He described his early relationship with Trudeau as typical of young male university students: discussions centred on girls, sports, books and, in their case, debating. They did discuss Trudeau one day becoming prime minister, but “we talked about it like I’d like to be goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens,” Butts recalled.
Still, Trudeau was already an outspoken defender of Confederation: videos and photos show him speaking out against Quebec sovereignty in 1990. He escorted his father, Pierre, when the latter delivered a high-profile speech opposing the Meech Lake Accord at a Chinese restaurant in Montreal in October, 1992, an event Butts attended too.
The early bond between the two students was obvious.
“I would venture they both had a sort of deep feeling or instinct or drive to make an impact, to have a significant impact on the world,” says Navarro. “I think they recognized that in each other, and they respected that in each other.”
Some initially wondered whether Butts was simply trying to capitalize on the fame of Pierre Trudeau’s eldest son.
“As a friend from a long time ago, we were always concerned about those people who were befriending (Trudeau) for ulterior motives or just because it was Justin and it was kind of cool to say you met Justin,” says Mathieu Walker, who first met Trudeau when they were grade eight students at Montreal’s private College Jean-de-Brebeuf in the mid-1980s. Now a cardiologist, Walker remains part of a tight-knit group to whom Trudeau turns when he needs an escape from political life. Walker admits he was, at first, skeptical of Butts’s entry on the scene.
Yet 20 years later, he says he has no doubt the friendship between Butts and Trudeau is deep and sincere. “But it’s evolved into more than a friendship,” Walker says. “It is now a mission.
“Justin trusted Gerry to be real and someone he could count on, and he was right about that. And now Gerry is there and providing him with support.”
Political polishing
Trudeau and Butts went in different directions after McGill. While everyone had expected Trudeau, with his rock-star glamour and high-profile family name, to immediately jump into politics, he instead left for Vancouver to teach.
Butts went the political route, joining Ontario Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty’s office as policy director in 1999 after brief stints on Parliament Hill with Liberal senator Allan MacEachen, and at Queens’ Park with Ontario Liberal MPP George Smitherman.
McGuinty, like Trudeau, was a young leader from a political family contending with an entrenched Conservative government and facing questions about his depth, ability and judgment. Butts largely wrote the platform McGuinty successfully campaigned on during the 2003 Ontario election.
It contained more than 100 promises, including pledges to cancel proposed tax cuts and increase social spending. It was also heavy on environmental protection: McGuinty promised incentives for renewable energy, and to phase out Ontario’s coal-fired power plants.
Butts – the onetime debating champion — also made several public appearances during the 2003 campaign, touting the Liberal platform. The Progressive Conservatives replied with a scathing press release that asked: “Who the heck is Gerald Butts?
“Evidently, Mr. Butts is the real leader of the Liberal Party of Ontario. Why else would they put this anonymous, un-elected, backroom spin doctor out front to talk about Liberal policy, day after day?”
But Butts didn’t overstep his role, says McGuinty’s chief of staff at the time, Phil Dewan. “As much as he developed a great reputation from (working with McGuinty), and could certainly use that as a stepping stone, he absolutely did whatever Dalton needed in order to get where he was going.
“It wasn’t just all about Gerald’s career. It was very much about serving in that role,” Dewan says.
McGuinty’s early premiership wasn’t without problems, and Butts wears them, to some degree. For example, the Ontario Liberal leader promised during the 2003 election that he wouldn’t raise or lower taxes. Butts repeated this, telling reporters early in the campaign: “Under a McGuinty Liberal government, Ontarians will pay the same amount of taxes as they do today. Your taxes are not going up and they’re not going down.”
Months later, McGuinty introduced a health tax of up to $900 per person. The Liberals blamed the Ernie Eves government for lying about the size of the deficit, which the Progressive Conservatives denied.
A decade later, federally, Trudeau has also pledged not to raise or lower taxes.
McGuinty’s record on transparency and accountability were also criticized, and Butts wore some of that, too. “Ministers have long been accustomed to clearing the timing and substance of their announcements with ‘the Centre,’” Globe and Mail columnist Murray Campbell wrote in January 2008, as McGuinty was starting his second term as premier.
“They are now finding that their staff has to be hired through Mr. McGuinty’s office and that they are the Premier’s employees, not theirs. Mr. McGuinty’s principal secretary, Gerald Butts, has been placed in charge of the government’s communications effort.”
To some degree, centralization is also a |
Platonism’, though one could begin to translate between these outlooks.
Pages: 1 2You’re dead set on running away and backpacking the world. You’ve found the courage, you’ve saved up enough money, and maybe your bag is already packed.
The only thing left to do now…decide where you’re going to go first.
The beauty about this predicament is that you can literally go anywhere you want. On the other hand, you have over 200 countries to choose from.
In the following guide, you will learn how to pick a good first country and find a list of the best countries for beginner backpackers.
Where To Begin Your Backpacking Adventure
The best country for beginner backpackers is one that is different but not too different. If you hop right into a country as intense as India, chances are you will get debilitating travelers diarrhea and never want to go backpacking again.
It’s also a good idea to choose a country that you know very little about. If you have no pre-conceived notions of a place, you can neither be too surprised nor too disappointed. You can look upon your first destination without illusion and with unbiased eyes.
Relatively cheap countries are never a bad idea to begin in as well. It’s hard not to appreciate a 1$ box of Pad Thai. It will also help you maintain your budget and keep you backpacking longer.
Finally, you want to pick a country that is in a good region of the world. This way if you get sick of it or just want to move on, you can easily do so.
With these criteria in mind, below are 3 awesome countries for beginner backpackers.
The Best Countries To Begin Backpacking In
El Salvador
El Salvador, like much of Central America, was strongly influenced by Spanish culture. From Christianity to Latin food and music, the culture is very western and familiar yet exciting and foreign at the same time. It gives one the perfect dose of culture shock.
What little people have heard about El Salvador is usually that of a country plagued by civil war and crime. Ironically El Salvador has a lower crime rate than developed Costa Rica. The people are proud, friendly, and will always help you get where you want to go.
El Salvador is also one of the cheapest countries in Central America. Busses around the country generally won’t cost more than a few quarters. Delicious street food such as Papusas and sandwiches can be bought for around 1$. And since they use the US dollar, it’s easy to calculate the exchange or keep track of your budget.
Finally, when you’re ready to move on, you could either head north to Antigua, Guatemala or South to Leon, Nicaragua. Both neighboring countries are cheap and a lot of fun for backpackers. For more on El Salvador check out 5 Things To Do In El Salvador On A Budget.
Malaysia
While Thailand gets all the glory, few people know of the tropical and multicultural paradise that is Malaysia. With a mix of Indian, Chinese, Malay and Western people, the culture is very similar to that of a western metropolis. And no matter what ethnicity you are, you will feel at home in the Malaysian mélange.
Although Malaysia is not as cheap as it’s neighbors, it is still a lot cheaper than home. Busses across the country range between 20 to 30$. Wonton soup at the Penang night market is just around 2$. And a night in a hostel goes for about 15$.
When you are ready to move on, you can easily catch a boat down to Indonesia or a mini bus / train up to the islands of Thailand. Both countries are excellent to continue your backpacking journey in. For more info on Malaysia be sure to read Why Everyone Should Visit Malaysia.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria isn’t really known for much other than being another oddly named Eastern European country. However, Bulgaria is one of the most intriguing and cheapest countries in Eastern Europe. If prostitutes are your thing you can pick one up at any mile maker on the highway. And for just 50 cents you can buy a delicious Burek breakfast pastry.
When you get tired of the girls at the nude beaches of Varna, you can easily travel to Romania or Greece for more cheap good times. For more info on just how cheap it is, check out The Cheapest Countries In The World.
Conclusion
Although you could go anywhere on your first trip, the former countries are some of the cheapest, easiest to travel in, and most fun. They are some of my favorite countries to visit and I highly recommend them. If you want more info or advice for your first backpacking trip, you can connect with me through Facebook, The Runaway Guide.While loading up on running backs early in your fantasy draft is typically a good idea, don't forget about the backs in the middle rounds.
Fantasy owners are shying away from early-round running backs due to the high bust rate at the position. While these bust rates are true, what many folks fail to realize is that, after Round 5 or 6 of a standard fantasy draft, the bust rates of running backs become exponentially worse.
This, however, doesn't mean that you shouldn't draft running backs in the middle rounds of your fantasy draft. In fact, the numberFire football crew thinks there's still a ton of value to be had at the position throughout Rounds 6 to 12 this season. Take a look.
Terrance West, Cleveland Browns
By Tony DelSignore
Sitting at number two on the Browns running back depth chart, Terrance West presents an interesting value on draft day. Backfield mate Ben Tate is being taken nearly three full rounds higher than West in fantasy drafts, and while Tate clearly has the talent to be a lead runner in Cleveland, he hasn't proven to show sustained periods of good health.
In four seasons, Tate's missed an entire campaign due to an ankle injury, three games with a hamstring injury, and was put on injured reserve again at the end of last season with a rib injury. I highly doubt Tate will be able to hold up under the workload of a full-time starter in the NFL.
Currently being taken as the 34th running back off the board at the beginning of Round 8 according to Fantasy Football Calculator, Terrance West has the talent and explosiveness to break out as a rookie even if doesn’t immediately get the starting role in Cleveland. And if things go West's way and he does see 250-touch volume, I like him as a true breakout candidate with RB2 upside in 2014.
Steven Jackson, Atlanta Falcons
By JJ Zachariason
A season ago, Steven Jackson was a second-round fantasy selection. After 12 games and 537 rushing yards with his new Falcons team, Jackson finds himself at the end of Round 6 in fantasy drafts according to FantasyFootballCalculator.com.
Steal.
While many would consider Steven Jackson a geriatric running back with little upside at age 31, I see him as a geriatric running back with an easy shot at 250-plus carries. And any running back in a high-powered passing offense will have ample opportunity to score, which is what Jackson did last year - seven total touchdowns in 12 games, the most he's had since 2008 - despite the Falcons seeing such poor game scripts.
You may be scared off by injury, but when Jackson returned back to reasonable health last year, he competed. And he competed well. From Weeks 12 through 16 (five games), Jackson finished with four top-24 running back performances. He scored 16.9 PPR fantasy points or more in three of those games (top 10 games), with the fourth coming in at 12.9 points. It wasn't so much that he was overly effective - his Rushing Net Expected Points (NEP) per rush was a bottom-tiered -0.08 - but he scored. And let's be honest, Jackson's never been a running back you love for efficiency. At least now, in Atlanta, his opportunity to score should be plentiful.
Fred Jackson, Buffalo Bills
By Leo Howell
Fred Jackson has improved with age, something you can't say about most running backs in today's NFL.
Almost any time fantasy football analysts talk about running backs, they're bringing up the young up-and-comer with "potential" and "opportunity." Which is why a proven producer like Fred Jackson is falling into the 9th and 10th rounds of fantasy drafts.
He'll not receive every carry that the Bills have to offer, because C.J. Spiller is the lead back (for good reason). But he's carved out a role as a top choice to get rushing attempts in a run-heavy offense in Buffalo.
The Bills had a pass-to-run ratio of 1.04 last year, which was the third-most run-heavy in the NFL. Only the Seahawks and 49ers ran the ball more often than the Bills. That's because E.J. Manuel isn't going to be a 40 pass attempts per game kind of quarterback, and the Buffalo stable of running backs is more than impressive.
That includes Jackson, who finished fifth among the 22 running backs with 200 or more carries using our Net Expected Points (NEP) metric last season. He's reliable and efficient, something that can't be said about most other backs available in the middle rounds of fantasy drafts.
Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints
By Joth Bhullar
Last year, Pierre Thomas finished with over 1,000 yards from scrimmage with 5 touchdowns and 77 receptions. In standard scoring leagues, he ended inside the top 25 at the position, and in PPR leagues, he finished even higher.
With the Darren Sproles and Lance Moore out of the picture, it’s reasonable to expect Thomas’ numbers to spike. While rookie Brandin Cooks may replace some of what Sproles and Moore did last year, there will be plenty leftover in both the passing and running game for Pierre to once again be a productive fantasy player.
Sproles and Moore had 108 receptions between them last year for a total of 1,061 yards, and if Thomas can even capture 10 percent of that production, he'll easily finish in the top 20 at the position, with potential for much more. Sean Payton’s distribution of carries tend to be muddled, but fellow running backs Khiry Robinson and Mark Ingram pose little threat to Thomas’ third-down receiving duties. Thomas is being drafted as the 31st running back off the board according to FantasyFootballCalculator.com, but I'm fine with believing he can be a top 20 back.
Jeremy Hill, Cincinnati Bengals
By Jordan Hoover
Mining for mid-round value at running back can be a difficult venture. Most options in this range are not clear-cut starters and/or are accompanied by question marks regarding age, health or ability. But a name that stands out to me is Bengals rookie Jeremy Hill.
Giovani Bernard is the first option in Cincinnati, and for good reason. He's an explosive talent capable of ripping off huge gains at any time. And while Bernard has been hyped as a “300-plus total touch†guy by beat writers this off-season, the team spent real draft equity to acquire Hill in the second round of this year’s draft. He’s going to play a role.
Hill’s college production was extremely impressive. In his two seasons at LSU, Hill averaged 6.2 yards per carry and had 28 rushing touchdowns playing the majority of his games against SEC defenses.
Hill is currently the RB42 in 12-team PPR leagues, and the 9.11 pick overall according to Fantasy Football Calculator. If Hill does indeed see 200-plus carries this season he should easily outperform his ADP and provide substantial value for fantasy owners.
Danny Woodhead, San Diego Chargers
By Jason Schandl
It’s almost cliché at this point to call Danny Woodhead underrated and overlooked, and yet here we are with Woodhead going as the 39th running back off the board in standard scoring leagues. This, of course, is happening despite finishing last season 19th in fantasy points among running backs in standard scoring, and 12th in PPR leagues.
Looking more closely at the stats, these numbers don’t come as much of a surprise. Woodhead is quietly one of the most utilized red zone receiving threats in the league, giving him big touchdown potential. His 23 targets in the red zone last year have him tied for seventh in the NFL (across all positions), and only three targets below league leaders Jimmy Graham and Calvin Johnson.
Woodhead also saw plenty of volume last year, posting a career-high 106 carries (despite starter Ryan Mathews playing in all 16 games) and ranking fourth among running backs in targets with 87.
When you combine that kind of touchdown potential and volume with Woodhead’s efficiency (ranked second among running backs in 2013 in Reception Net Expected Points per target, and first in the same category in 2012), you get a player ready for another big year.
Lamar Miller, Miami Dolphins
By Brandon Gdula
I'm throwing the "s" word around too frequently these days, but I think there's merit in the post-hype type of sleeper. One of my favorites this year is Lamar Miller. I talked about Miller in detail a few weeks ago, and found plenty of reasons to like him.
The Dolphins have a completely revamped offensive line, which will be a year removed from tons of drama and horrid play. And don't forget that Miller's athletic ability vaulted him into the third round last season. You can get him this year in the seventh.
Last year, Miller finished with a Rushing NEP of -17.55, dreadful by all standards. However, the presence of Bill Lazor as the new offensive coordinator suggests the Dolphins should run more like the 2013 Eagles than the 2013 Dolphins.
People will be scared off based on last year and the incoming of Knowshon Moreno, but Moreno is already facing knee problems, is overweight, and may not be ready for the start of the season. Whether you love Miller's style or not, starting running backs are always welcome at just a seventh-round price tag.
Stevan Ridley, New England Patriots
By Sean Wirth
Let me preface my section with this: Everything I’m about to say and argue for is with the hope Stevan Ridley somehow fixes his fumbling problems, even just slightly. Like, maybe, two fumbles. You think you can handle that, Stevan?
Two years removed from a top five rushing season, Stevan Ridley enters Patriots camp as the lead rushing back…again. We all remember Ridley’s breakout 2012 campaign that saw him achieve a total Rushing NEP of 11.25, good for fifth among eligible backs, and a Success Rate of 49.66%, which ranked second. We also remember his downtrodden 2013 year.
But just how bad was Ridley’s 2013 season? From our numbers, it actually wasn’t as miserable as one might think. Ridley had a -0.07 Rushing NEP per rush, which may sound frightening, but that was good for 24th among eligible backs last year (low-end RB2 territory). He also had the fourth-highest Success Rate of 43.63%.
With LeGarrette Blount gone to Pittsburgh, and Brandon Bolden barely clinging to a roster spot, there are 558 offensive snaps, or 46.5% of all offensive snaps by a Patriot running back, up for grabs. Those snaps will more than likely be split between Ridley and Shane Vereen, in Ridley’s favor. With an average draft position as the 29th running back, Ridley is a very low-risk, high-reward player. He’s got the perfect opportunity to replicate his 2012 season, and allow many fantasy football owners to cash in on their mid-round lottery ticket.
Jonathan Stewart, Carolina Panthers
By Joe Redemann
Normally we advise avoiding muddy situations for your fantasy running backs, but in this case, the Carolina Panthers' confusion is your clarity. Oft-injured punchline Jonathan Stewart is – reportedly – healthy for the first time in years, and will step back into a team where the most legitimate pass-catcher is likely veteran tight end Greg Olsen. It’s not hard to imagine a scenario in which the Panthers go very run-heavy, maximizing Stewart and aging teammate DeAngelo Williams (who put together a paltry -6.52 Rushing Net Expected Points in 2013) as their primary driving forces on offense.
There's almost certainly a prominent role waiting for Stewart, but we shouldn’t be concerned about him needing massive volume to be useful. Over his first four (relatively) healthy years in the NFL, he averaged only 181 rushes, but 6.10 Rushing NEP per season, which would have been good for a 10th-place ranking among running backs with 150 or more carries in 2013. Add into this Stewart’s well above-average pass-catching ability, which has achieved him an average of 11.57 Reception NEP per season (17th among 2013 running backs), and you have a dangerous, multi-talented weapon for quarterback Cam Newton and head coach Ron Rivera to utilize.
The question on Stewart has never been talent; it’s always been durability. If he can stay healthy this season, his current late 12th-round cost is a steal. Being drafted outside the top 50 at running back, he has top 20 upside.
Editor's Note: You may notice that there are only nine RBs listed. We removed David Wilson from the list, given his career-ending injury.E-learning lets people learn at their own pace, but that's not a guarantee for engaging courses. Because let’s face it, no matter which industry you’re in, there is some pretty boring stuff out there that has to make it into a lot of brains. Here are some tips on how to succeed in doing so.
Have a User-Friendly platform If it takes too much time and effort to learn how to work with the software that is supposed to help you learn, well… that’s a problem. There’s no use in creating elaborate and well thought-out courses if they’re too hard to reach or illogical to navigate through. Either they won’t be reached at all or the user will start and go through the courses with a fair dose of frustration. You will want to avoid that. Starting off with a good amount of motivation and determination is crucial for the learning process, so make sure the software you use is top notch.
Grab the Attention “Please open your handbooks at page 1” is not how you get people to ride an informative rollercoaster. Not then, not now. Give the users some incentive as to why they’d better pay attention. Start off with a couple of cool facts or tell a captivating story. During the history of mankind, stories have always been a crucial part when it comes to passing down knowledge. So we’re pretty much “programmed” to listen to them.
Another way of triggering interest is starting off with a demanding test or posing some challenging questions. When you’re writing a course, imagine you’re the user and what kind of questions you would have. Promise (and deliver) an answer for those if the user stays on board for the whole ride. Don’t give up the punchline of your joke right away, so to speak.
Communicate as a Normal Human Being Speaking of jokes, it never hurts to put one or two in your courses. We’re not talking about the most clever puns in the world here, but just something that reminds the users that they’re dealing with a helpful colleague rather than an authoritative instructor.
Think about your favourite teachers back in school, and how they brought across their point. They would always talk to you as their equal, making sure that the vocabulary and terminology they used was clear and understandable. Read it aloud to yourself once you’re done and see if it comes off naturally. Sometimes there’s no way around a couple of technical terms or a little bit of jargon, but present them well and they’ll stick around longer.
Motivate Instead of Dictate One area where that good kind of communication comes in very handy is when dealing with the objectives of the course. Stating your expectations in a formal bullet list can lead to a bit of unwanted pressure to deliver on those. Not to say you can’t have objectives, but if the users feel they have to know these things by the end of the course, it can trigger an “I have to make sure I’ll pass this exam or else” kind of feeling. Which is a huge turn-off. So you might want to consider a more motivational approach.
Once again put yourself in the user’s shoes and figure out what they want. Try to rephrase your objectives so that they turn into subjects which the users genuinely care about. They will be much more motivated to get answers to their questions, rather than “meeting your demands”.
For example, turn this:
1. Identify the main problems of the customer
2. Offer valuable solutions to those problems
3. Do so in many different situations
into this:
1. You’ll be able to ask the right questions to analyse your customer’s situation
2. Without hesitation, you’ll have the appropriate responses ready
3. Even if the customer is upset, you’ll have the tools to remain stress-free and calm him down
Use the Right Kind of Fancy Pictures A picture is worth a thousand words, but only the right picture is. Pick images that reinforce your words (and vice versa). It’s so easy to think that some random picture will flare up your content instantly but why bother if it doesn’t have an actual purpose? Too much visual input can distract or confuse the user if it has nothing to do with the rest of the content.
Also refrain from using those same old stock images again and again because that generic feeling of those pictures may translate into a generic impression of your courses, damaging their credibility. Be authentic. It almost goes without saying that a beautifully designed course makes your content much more attractive, pleasing both the eye and brain of the beholder. Below you’ll find an example of a visually appealing course design vs. …well let’s call it “a generic one”. Not exactly the prettiest
Don't Just Show and Tell, Interact Don’t solely rely on the narrative and attractive visuals. Include the user in the learning process as much as you can. There are a lot of people who have trouble with listening and watching for long periods of time, so be sure to mix it up with some interaction. Ask some questions after certain topics or create scenarios in which the user has to make some decisions to continue with the course. Let different answers have different outcomes and use them for feedback. This kind of gamification not only keeps e-learning challenging and somewhat entertaining but simulates real life situations too. You’re trying to create a knowledgeable problem solver, rather than just a walking encyclopedia.Reuters/Gleb Garanich It’s as good as gold. In fact, it’s much better this week.
The prospect of outright war between Russia and Ukraine seemed a real possibility this week (though the tensions have eased a bit), and that made for some interesting dynamics in the markets.
Ukraine is a substantial supplier of the grain, and wheat prices surged to the top of Quartz’s weekly look at how different asset classes fared. Russia’s OAO Norilsk Nickel is the world’s largest producer of that basic ingredient for stainless steel. And prices for that raw material also surged during the week. Nickel prices hit 14-month highs this week (paywall) amid concern that Russian producers could face sanctions that disrupt supplies.
Of course, Russia wasn’t the only market mover. Japan’s Nikkei rose as the yen weakened against the US dollar. The US S&P 500 posted its best week since July on solid outlooks from companies reporting earnings, including GE. The Nasdaq Composite gained as the recent tech selloff seemed to run out of steam. Italy’s FTSE MIB gained thanks to an ongoing rally among its once-beleaguered banks.Celebrating the one year anniversary of the Netflix TV show, which has become a huge phenomenon, Lakeshore Records is releasing a Collector’s Edition set for each soundtrack volume With new artwork, character cards, liner notes from the show’s creators (the Duffer Brothers) and soundtrack composers (Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein of S U R V I V E), fold-out poster, and more.
STRANGER THINGS is the breakout Netflix original series set in 1983 Indiana where a young boy vanishes into thin air. As friends, family and local police search for answers, they are drawn into an extraordinary mystery involving top-secret government experiments, terrifying supernatural forces and one very strange little girl. A love letter to the ’80s supernatural classics that captivated a generation, STRANGER THINGS stars Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Matthew Modine, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton. The series is now streaming on Netflix globally.The folks maintaining the CHESS Synchrotron at Cornell University are using an Oculus Prime ROV to inspect the equipment in the 768 meter CESR tunnel.
The radiation emitted during operation is dangerous for humans, so a reliable ROV like Oculus Prime is the way to go. It has been equipped with a radiation badge and a dosimeter, and a couple extra charging docks have been placed in the tunnel to optimize the inspection schedule. The unit’s overlapping wifi network auto-switching capability supplies uninterrupted connectivity throughout the entire 1/2-mile stretch.
The X-ray radiation is expected to degrade Oculus Prime’s unshielded electronics over time, but so far so good after a few months. Battery charging within the tunnel was initially throwing errors; possibly because of the massive nearby magnets, throwing off current sensing in the power PCB. We released a firmware update to increase the allowable current calibration tolerance, and that seems to have done the trick.
UPDATE 2016-4-30: The guys at Cornell provided this great shot of Oculus Prime at work in the synchrotron tunnelMac DeMarco has put four test pressings of his 2012 EP Rock and Roll Night Club up for sale, and the money is going toward a worthy cause. Available on Discogs via Captured Tracks, the records are raising funds for people still reeling from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. All proceeds from the test pressings will go toward the Caribbean hurricane relief initiative Waves for Water; Captured Tracks will also match the Discogs donation with $250 per record. Each pressing is unique, featuring different doodles and signatures by DeMarco himself. His message to Puerto Rico: “Love you P.R., keep your chin up!” The test pressings go on sale today at 12 p.m. Eastern; find them here.
“We recently repressed Rock and Roll Night Club and Pam Garavano-Coolbaugh, our Head Project Manager at Captured Tracks, asked what we should do with the tests,” Captured Track’s founder Mike Sniper said in a statement. “This conversation happened only a few days after Maria hit and it seemed like a no-brainer to help in any little way we could. Politics aside, these people need more help than they are currently getting.”
DeMarco joins the ranks of artists like Lin-Manuel Miranda and Beyoncé who have used their platforms to support Puerto Rico. Last week, Miranada released an all-star single called “Almost Like Praying” that raised funds for the Hispanic Federation UNIDOS Disaster Relief Fund. Beyoncé also released a track to benefit those affected by natural disasters—she remixed J Balvin and Willy Williams’ “Mi Gente,” donating the proceeds to aid victims across the Caribbean.
Watch Mac DeMarco on Pitchfork’s “Over/Under”:While biking to work this morning, I saw something happen that’s all too common in Boston: A driver opened her car door into the bike lane without looking. As you might’ve guessed, a biker in front of me, unable to avoid the door in the split second after its opening, slammed into the door, flipped over, and landed very hard on her shoulder.
Now, I had never been close enough to really call myself a witness — maybe just a passerby who saw only the impact, but never enough to see who was at fault. This time, however, I saw it all. And there were a few things I saw that really irked me.
First, the way the driver behaved after the accident was unacceptable. And it really suggests only one thing: an honest lack of understanding of the law regarding motorists’ responsibility to bikers and bike lanes. So, to be clear, this is what the law states, from Chapter 90, Section 14 of the Massachusetts General Laws regarding Motor Vehicles and Aircraft:
No person shall open a door on a motor vehicle unless it is reasonably safe to do so without interfering with the movement of other traffic, including bicyclists and pedestrians.
It’s really that simple. And the police officers who arrived on the scene agreed. The opening of the driver’s door caused the accident. The driver is at fault, which I’m sure will be good news to the victim since she said she's a massage therapist who relies on the use of her hands and arms to make a living — and thus could likely be out of work for a while.
So to the woman who was “doored” on her bike near St. Paul Street and Commonwealth Avenue, rest assured: You are not at fault. I made a statement to the police assuring them that you were not at fault in the slightest.
And that brings me to my next point.
Of the four bikers who saw the accident, only a guy named Will and myself stayed until the ambulance came. Soon after it arrived, however, Will had to leave, admitting he hadn’t seen the accident well enough to feel it would help if he stuck around. Otherwise, not one of the other witnesses stayed to help. In fact, one of them — the biker who rode directly behind the victim when the accident happened — didn’t even get off of his bike before saying, “Which one of you guys is going to take care of her?” Mind you, the woman was still lying in the street, crying, and writhing in pain.
And while his question was bad enough, the silence after the question was even worse. Almost no one bothered to swing their leg over their bike frame and help. Almost no one stayed until the ambulance came and no one else stayed to give a police report.
I understand we live in a city and we’re trying to get from point A to point B with as few obstacles as possible. But there are obstacles and then there are people. People who actually need your help and might be saved a lot of grief if you just stuck around for 15 minutes. As I said, the woman who was hit is a massage therapist. She makes her living on the ability to move her shoulders, arms and hands. If no one had been there to back up the biker, the driver — who tried to leave after suggesting she just leave her name and number — would have taken off without making a statement to the police, stiffing the biker with the cost of an ambulance and other costs incurred as a result of the accident.
I think the lessons learned from this experience are two-fold, and this goes to both motorists and bicyclists alike: Familiarize yourself with Massachusetts law regarding bikes, bike lanes and motorist responsibilities, and for goodness sake don’t avoid doing what’s right just because it’s inconvenient. Be a Good Samaritan when you get the chance. It’s often more important than you think."Your doll can only bite so many rednecks' dicks off before you have to do something about it."
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The Holiest of Holes Sexual Pleasure Device Company has announced a recall on one of its most popular sex aides, the Tammy Lahren Sex Doll. In a press release, the company that caters to Christian conservatives who also have a penchant for masturbatory activities, Holiest of Holes says they are “regretfully but dutifully” pulling the Lahren sex doll off the market because of an “avalanche of customer complaints and more than fifteen dozen reported emergency room trips.”
“Unfortunately, The Holiest of Holes Sexual Pleasure Device Company of Rochester New York must announce at this time that we are recalling every Tammy Lahren Sex Doll we have ever sold,” the press release states, “and will be offering customers a full refund for the price they paid for their sex doll.”
According to the press release, the issue with the Lahren line of dolls rests within the motor that runs the mouth hole. The Lahren was designed with “realistic mouth movement” features that the Holiest of Holes says was supposed to “give the customer a very realistic oral experience.” However, within days of release, it was obvious that something was wrong with the servos and motors in the mouth region of the doll’s components.
“As it turns out, the Lahren Doll’s mouth never, ever stops flapping, like at all,” Holiest of Holes CEO Glen Lenman told investors during a conference call, “and while we initially thought programming it to run a constant spew of dog whistle racism and truly, outright stupid things like comparing Black Lives Matters to the KKK would be an additional turn on for our customers, the simple truth is that a lot of them have gotten their dicks caught in the doll’s mouth, and it just keeps smashing and smashing and smashing their penises.”
By volume, Lenman says it’s “not a lot of bruised dick meat we’re talking about here.” But despite the average penis length of a Lahren fan being on the small side, Lenman says he knows his company could not “turn a blind eye” to the penile carnage.
James' newest satirical compilation is out now and available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and soon at WalMart.com.
“We realized, this isn’t a mass shooting, people will actually care about stopping this from happening again,” Lenman stated. “When one or two people get penis injuries it’s one thing, but your doll can only bite so many rednecks’ dicks off before you have to do something about it.”
This story is developing.
Some more satire:Stuttgart, Germany–based engineering company Cikoni has developed an additive manufacturing technology dubbed AdditiveCARBON that allows the realization of hybrid structures by means of a fully automated manufacturing approach in which the carbon fiber reinforcement directly follows the load paths and the additive base structure serves as support for compressive loading. Composites play to their strengths when the load acts preferentially along the fiber direction.
The AdditiveCARBON process for 3D printing of carbon fiber-reinforced composites is targeting application in aerospace and medical technology, among other areas.
While conventional additive manufacturing processes permit almost unlimited freedom of design, material properties are so far not comparable to the high load-bearing capacities of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic composites (CFRPs). Cikoni aims to overcome this drawback with the AdditiveCARBON process.
Cikoni notes that traditionally in additive manufacturing, a larger building volume leads to higher production costs and longer production times. On the other hand, in conventional composites production, tooling costs, inefficient material utilization and waste lead to high overall costs.
“AdditiveCARBON is here to eliminate the limitations of both technologies by means of a targeted hybridization: the carbon fiber reinforcement reduces the necessary building volume of the 3D printing part and the additively manufactured base structure makes a separate tool unnecessary for the robot-supported 3D-winding process; a symbiosis, which has a positive impact not least on the cost side, note the firm.
The approach is particularly interesting where lightweight design requirements are combined with limited component production runs. Cikoni envisages application of the AdditiveCARBON to fabricate customized prostheses and ultralight aircraft structures, with potential also having been identified in handling systems.
To ensure that the process can also be applied in cost-sensitive areas, Cikoni engineers have also developed a modular system combining hybridized injection-molded and metal components, from which larger structures can be quickly configured from modules. “The holistic approach has already convinced numerous customers to rethink their view on lightweight design,” it notes.
Cikoni is an engineering partner for lightweight design specializing on composites materials The company was founded in 2015 by former employees of Mercedes-Benz, Audi and the German Aerospace Center in Stuttgart.About
If this looks extremely familiar it's because this is a virtual clone of my Sega 32X collector for Android. I know, seems awful uninspired and stuff. The UI on that worked just fine so I didn't feel a need to change anything. If I ever do a system with a larger library, like the NES, then I'll have to revamp the UI considerably. It's either that I just keep making collecting applications for small systems. So if anyone wants a Virtual Boy or RDI Halcyon collector you know where to find me.
Instructions
The application starts off with a view of all Sega CD games. This list includes all Sega CD games released in the US, including the 32X ones. It doesn't support Japanese or European exclusive games but could if enough people asked for it. The little icons underneath the title are a quick reference for what you have in your collection. The checkmark is whether you have the game, the B is for the box (for the first games that came in cardboard boxes), C for case, the paper-looking icon for instructions, and the heart for whether you're tracking it on the Wish List.
The drop-down menu in the top corner switches which games are displayed.
There are two ways to edit your collection entries. Either tap on a game to open the edit dialog or tap & hold (AKA long press) then select "edit" from the pop-up menu.
Tap & hold (AKA long press) a game then select "Search ebay" from the pop-up menu to browse ebay listings for a game. The auctions are sorted by date, newest on top.
Clicking on a row in the ebay list brings up the auction detail. Click on the blue link to launch ebay in your browser if you want to bid on an item. It sure would be cool (and time-consuming) to figure out how to launch the ebay mobile app instead. This is another feature I'd consider adding if anyone asks for it. And a disclaimer of course: the author of this program is not responsible for anything that happens on ebay.
From the menu on main screen there are options to import and export your collection. These options allow you to copy your collection to another device. On the import screen you can select the name of the export file and the format of the export file. For now there's only one option for the file format. There may be more in the future (maybe even export to a Google Docs spreadsheet). Press the Export button to complete the export. Press the BACK button or Cancel to return to the main menu.
The import screen will show a list of all exported collections found on your device. This screen only scans the root of the SD card and the /Sega CD Collector |
of skill set in the MLS environment is to me top of the heap in our league.
"So: yes and yes. We're speaking with Sigi at this point and very enthusiastic and encouraged about the prospect of retaining him for more years."
Speaking to Sounder at Heart for an interview that will air on Wednesday's Nos Audietis, Schmid suggested he's hopeful that this will actually be his final coaching job. The 61-year-old has now been with the Sounders six years -- longer than anywhere he's been since leaving UCLA in 1999 -- and any contract extension would probably keep him here at least another three or four years.
"I'd like to end my coaching career here," Schmid said. "I don't know if that's possible, but that's what I'd love to do. I'd like to be connected with this club even after my coaching ends, whether that's scouting or helping somewhere -- maybe I'll go back to my business days -- whatever I could do.
"There's part of me that says I should pass it on, but I love being with the team, I love being on the field. I love the challenge of the week to week and trying to fix things. It's still exciting and exhilerating and fun. If they'll have me, I'll stay, but they need to want to have me."
All indications are that the Sounders do, but both sides are likely waiting to finalize anything until after the MLS Cup playoffs. If the Sounders go on to win MLS Cup, they'll be the first MLS team to accomplish the treble. As it is, they are one of only eight teams to win at least two parts of that honorIn July of 2015, a cyclist died and several other people were injured in a horrific crash involving three vehicles near Barclays Center. The cyclist’s mangled bicycle was in pieces, with part of the front of the bike stuck in the SUV’s wheel. Eagle file photo by Andy Katz
On Aug. 7, 2014, Dulcie Canton, 39, was biking from her friend’s apartment in Bushwick to her home in Bedford-Stuvesant when she was struck from behind by a speeding driver. “I heard an engine revving up behind me, and next thing I know, I’m flying up in the air. I fell down on the street and blacked out,” she said.
Canton, a lifetime resident of New York City who says she had been biking nearly every day since 2011, was rushed to the hospital after sustaining a broken right shoulder, a broken left wrist and a possible brain hemorrhage.
Steve Vaccaro, a lawyer who represents seriously injured cyclists and pedestrians, met Canton at the hospital, where her condition had stabilized. He then headed over to the crime scene at the intersection of Bleecker Street and Wilson Avenue in Bushwick, where neighbors who witnessed the crash recovered a rear-view mirror that was sheared from the vehicle after colliding with Canton. Vaccaro also obtained video footage from a superintendent of an apartment near the intersection, whose surveillance cameras caught the hit and run on tape. View the surveillance footage of the crash here: https://vimeo.com/105250259.
Along with the serial number from the mirror, they were able to positively identify the Chevy Camaro that hit Canton.
But the driver was never prosecuted. Canton’s friend, who was with her at the time of the crash and lives in the neighborhood, says he sees the same Camaro speeding through the same narrow residential streets today.
This lack of prosecution is actually not unusual. “Hit and runs happen so frequently,” said Vaccaro, “that it would be a tremendous amount of work to prosecute them all. So unless it’s a case of fatality or near-fatality, neither the NYPD nor the district attorney is willing to prosecute.”
This points to a major problem in enforcing speed violations in the city — there is simply not enough manpower to issue the number of tickets that would substantially reduce speeding. But new legislation might change that.
Assemblymember Deborah Glick recently introduced the Every School Speed Safety Camera Act (Assembly Bill 9861), which would allow the installation of speed cameras in every city school district and keep them running for 24 hours. Currently, Albany limits speed cameras to 140 in NYC, and they are only allowed to function during school hours, rendering them useless after dark and over the weekend. If the new bill is passed, permission to install cameras will be transferred from Albany to City Hall, which can potentially install a speed camera at each of NYC’s 2,000 schools.
Mayor Bill de Blasio’s proposed budget already includes funding to install the cameras.
According to a data news report by WNYC, the existing 140 cameras have issued 471,625 speeding tickets in 2014, compared to 117,767 speeding tickets issued by officers. According to the same report, more than $23.5 million was issued in fines, and crashes with injuries near cameras declined by 13.5 percent.
Caroline Samponaro, deputy director of Transportation Alternatives, which will advocate for the passage of the bill at a City Hall rally this Thursday, stresses that speed cameras are not about making money for the city. “You’ll see some initial revenue, but then it drops off, and you want it to go away because that means you’re changing drivers’ behavior,” she said.
Currently, drivers caught speeding on camera have to pay a $50 fine, but do not incur infraction points on their license. This will remain the same if the new bill is passed.
The installation of speed cameras near schools makes sense because speeding is the No. 1 cause of preventable death among children. But safety advocates argue that while schoolchildren are among the most vulnerable, they are not the only ones who need protection from speeding drivers.
There were 269 traffic-related fatalities in NYC in 2014, with a decrease to 242 fatalities in 2015. Roughly half of those who died in traffic-related accidents were pedestrians. Cyclists represent a smaller percentage of deaths, yet the danger posed by speeding vehicles remains.
Dulcie Canton was out of work for a month due to her injuries, and by the time she was able to return to her job at a bike shop, they had gone out of business. Because the driver didn’t stop to exchange insurance information, she ran into major complications with her insurance provider, and as the medical bills piled on, Canton struggled to pay rent. She narrowly avoided eviction by creating a Go Fund Me account, which was shared on social media by community cycling groups. Canton underwent physical therapy three times a week and met with a social worker to help cope with the PTSD she experienced each time she stepped onto the streets. “I never imagined anything like this could happen to me,” she said. “I could have died.”
Others have. On April 15, Lauren Davis, 34, was killed cycling down Classon Avenue in Clinton Hill, and less than a week later, cyclist James Gregg, 33, was fatally struck by an 18-wheeler in Park Slope. It is unclear whether speeding played a role in these incidents, but each of them took place on a residential street in Brooklyn where traffic enforcement can be problematic.
“Very few police officers joined the force because they wanted to write traffic tickets,” said Vaccaro, who pointed out that many residential streets are too narrow for cops to set up speed enforcement operations. Today, most speeding violations occur on or near highways, where it’s safer and easier set up speed traps. With the passage of Glick’s bill, many of the outer borough streets that are difficult to enforce would become subject to speed camera installation.
“If the police don’t want to do it, why not use cameras in residential neighborhoods? This is really a win-win for everyone, except people who want to speed,” Vaccaro said.
But some of those who want to speed have been able to challenge the legality of automated camera enforcement based on the grounds that it violates the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution. While speed cameras have been increasingly implemented in cities across the U.S., there are a handful of cases in which they’ve been outlawed. In 2013, an Ohio judge ruled that traffic cameras were unconstitutional, commenting that, “It’s a scam the motorist cannot win.” Similar challenges to traffic cameras arose in Missouri, and Tennessee banned them outright in 2015.
Some who challenge the legality of speed cameras claim that they presume guilt, while others are reacting to a perceived invasion of privacy by the government, claiming that this is another way for Big Brother to keep tabs on civilians.
On this point, safety advocates side with the 1916 Supreme Court decision that “driving is a privilege, not a right,” and that safety outweighs privacy concerns.
“Hundreds of thousands of children are put in harm’s way each morning and afternoon due to dangerous driver behavior near schools,” said City Council Transportation Committee Chairman Ydanis Rodriguez. “With speed cameras placed near every school, we can do more than ever before to account for the safety of our most precious New Yorkers. This is necessary and overdue; it will save lives and change driver behavior for the better. I call on my colleagues in Albany to do the right thing and pass this needed law.”
The Transportation Alternatives rally in support of Assembly Bill 9861 will take place on the steps of City Hall on Thursday, June 9, at 9 a.m. “The rally is our way of standing with our coalition of support to send a message to Albany legislators that we need to act,” said Caroline Samponaro, deputy director of Transportation Alternatives.
Dulcie Canton says she’ll be there. She plans to ride her bike.Hours - 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
Admission Cost - (including 13% HST)
Adult - $17.00
Youth (Age 6-15) - $5.00
Children 5 and Under - FREE
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Location - 14939 Concession 3-4 Rd, Finch, Ontario K0C 1K0.
See Google Maps.
Follow signs to parking when you get close.
Daily Shuttle Bus
Leave the Cornwall Civic Complex at 9:30 am return trip back to Cornwall leaves at 4:30 pm the same day.
A maximum of 48 seats are available each day.
NO PETS ALLOWED ON SITE
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Accommodations - Book now for best choice. Rooms - RV Park
For General Information Please Contact: 613-984-9066 or 613-984-9097
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BMO Kids Day Saturday, September 26, 2015
FREE admission for children under 16 and one accompanying adult*
FREE Pancake breakfast in the BMO tent from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.**
FREE shows on the main stage
FREE BMO Kids’ Day activities in the BMO tent
*Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
**Free breakfast for kids and one adult per kid. While supplies last.MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Ontario’s police watchdog says an officer who Tasered an 80-year-old woman in Mississauga twice didn’t break the law, but could have waited longer before opting to use the stun gun.
The Special Investigations Unit says officers ordered Iole Pasquale to drop the eight-inch-blade knife she was holding while walking on the road around 3:30 a.m. on Aug. 28, but that she kept wandering and made incoherent noises.
The SIU says a supervisor officer equipped with the Taser then arrived and decided to apprehend her under the Mental Health Act because he thought she was suffering from a mental disorder and could harm herself or others.
It says he considered other use-of-force options including a baton and wrestling Pasquale to the ground, but dismissed these due to the risk she and the officers could be injured.
The SIU says that while one officer successfully ordered Pasquale to extend her arms to reduce the risk of her falling on the knife, the supervisor Tasered her once, then again after she had fallen and broken her hip because she still held the knife.
Director Ian Scott says that while in hindsight the supervisor could have waited longer and tried to convince her to drop it, the use of the stun gun wasn’t legally unreasonable, especially since he had her extend her arms to reduce harm.
“The subject officer can be criticized for not waiting longer and perhaps he should have,” Scott said in a release Wednesday.
Though it was “unfortunate” Pasquale’s hip was fractured in the fall, the Peel regional police officer couldn’t have seen the injury coming, he added.
Scott said the officers “had no reason to believe” Pasquale would become co-operative in the short term, and had no way of identifying her so as to find a family member to speak to her.
The subject officer can be criticized for not waiting longer and perhaps he should have
“Coupled with these issues was the fact that she appeared to be suffering from a mental disorder and could have harmed herself with the knife,” he said.
“This decision does not mean that it was the preferred option, particularly in light of Peel Police’s internal directive that CEWs are to be avoided on elderly persons where possible; it simply means that the decision to use a CEW in these circumstances should not engage the criminal law,” Scott said.
The SIU is an arm’s length agency that investigates reports involving police where there has been death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault.(MoneyWatch) A quarter of all working-class renters now spend the lion's share of their pay to keep a roof over their heads, according to a new study.
More than 26 percent of working-class Americans who rent apartments spent over 50 percent of their income on housing in 2011, up from just 22.8 percent in 2008, according to a new report. And that number would likely have been even higher if so many households hadn't stopped earning enough to qualify as working-class.
The study by the Center for Housing Policy found median housing costs of working renters rose nearly 6 percent between 2008 and 2011, while their median incomes fell more than 3 percent. The study defines working-class households as those in which someone works at least 20 hours a week and earns no more than 120 percent of the median income for their area. Working-class renters account for nearly 60 percent of all renter-occupied homes.
The number of people paying more than 50 percent of income on housing would likely have been higher if so many families hadn't fallen below the income and work levels used to define working class.
The increase might have been even greater if not for the transition of a large number of working households to unemployment or underemployment (working less than 20 hours per week). From 2008 to 2011 the number of working households shrank by approximately 2.7 million. At the same time, the number of households earning less than 120 percent of the area median income and working less than 20 hours per week grew by about 2.8 million.
"This suggests that the decline in working households came from the lower end of the income range and included many households vulnerable to severe housing cost burden," says Janet Viveiros, one of the study's authors.
Those at lower income levels are even more burdened by housing costs. Eight in 10 households that didn't earn enough to qualify as working class had to spend at least 50 percent of their income on housing, a much higher share than for other income groups.
Vivieros also says rents in many areas may continue to rise because demand is increasing while supply is staying relatively flat. Although developers have begun to build more rental properties, these buildings take longer to complete than single family homes.Jordan (Picture: Getty Images/Metro.co.uk/Myles Goode)
When you think of adventure holidays, Jordan may not be the first country to come to mind.
But in the heart of the Middle East, Jordan, or as it is officially known The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country filled with wonders waiting to be explored.
Whether you decide to go via a tour group or hire a car and make the trip as an intrepid traveller, there are a number of treasures to be discovered – and there’s one heck of a beach experience waiting for you at the end.
So here are 13 reasons why Jordan should be your next adventure trip – and it can all be done in one week.
1. Petra
Named one of the new seven wonders of the world, Petra is an ancient city famed for its rock-cut architecture and an impressive water conduit system.
It’s hard to believe quite how vast the site is until you get there; it can take up to two weeks to explore the entire site so give yourself at least one full day to wander down and back through one of the main routes.
The Facade of the Treasury (Picture: Jordan Tourism Board)
Petra is a four-hour road trip from the capital city of Amman, where all flights arrive.
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If it looks familiar it’s because Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade was filmed here.
But it’s more than just spotting where Indy rode out his horses – just wait until you get about about an hour’s walk into the site.
You’ll discover the Facade of the Treasury, the first main port of call for visitors.
It’s a stunning ruin, carved into the sandstone, that sits at the end of a narrow gorge.
As it comes into view it is breathtaking.
The Urn tomb, part of the Royal tombs (Picture: Getty)
The face of the structure is marked by hundreds of bullet holes made by the local tribes that hoped to dislodge riches that were once rumored to be hidden within.
Qasr al-Bint temple (Picture: Getty)
Further on in to the site, there are plenty of archaeological digs still being undertaken as historians try to understand more about the site and how it was used by the Bedouin tribe, who once upon a time lived in the caves.
A group of camels stand in front of the ancient carvings in Petra
Although they have now been moved off the site, the Bedouin still live and work in the area, and many of the young boys and men will attempt to charm you into buying their wares.
But do speak to Marguerite van Geldermalsen, a New Zealand backpacker who in the 1970s met Mohammed Abdullah, a Bedouin in Petra and fell in love, settling down in the caves of Petra and raising a family.
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It’s an incredible story. Five decades on she remains living with the tribe.
2. Star gaze in the desert
Nothing beats sitting under the stars with friends and loved ones.
Down in Wadi Rum – it’s English translation is Valley Of The Moon – there are numerous camp sites offering all kinds of accommodation from the basic to your luxury, and it offers some of the best night sky views I’ve ever seen.
Just make sure you pack a warm jacket as it gets chilly out in the middle of nowhere. #mum
The stars at Wadi Rum (Picture: Getty)
Wadi Rum is about an hour’s drive south of Petra and Captain Camp also offer camel rides as well as exhilarating jeep trips across the dunes.
And you do not want to miss their entertainment.
3. Camel racing
You read that right. It’s one of the craziest things you may ever see – grown men in trucks screaming at herds of camels who are racing for their lives around a track – but it’s also absolutely brilliant.
Camels really aren’t all that elegant.
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Alternatively, you could always just take a camel ride to watch the sunset.
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4. Amman
The capital city of Jordan, all flights land in Amman so you may as well kick off your trip with a visit to one of the most stunning spots in the city – the Citadel.
With great views across the city, it is also the perfect spot to watch the sun rise or set, and to sit and listen to the city-wide call to prayer.
The view of Amman from the Citadel (Picture: Getty)
This area is thought to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world, with the Roman, Byzantine, and Umayyad periods all leaving their trace on the place.
Make sure you visit the Temple of Hercules, a Byzantine church, and the Umayyad Palace.
Temple Of Hercules (Picture: Getty)
5. The Dead Sea
The infamous Dead Sea is bordered by Jordan and Israel and it has to be experienced to be believed.
You really do float and it really does sting if you have any cuts.
The Dead Sea in Jordan (Picture: Getty)
A place of refuge for King David in the Bible and one of the world’s first health resorts for King Herod, it is the lowest elevation point of Earth.
It’s also the deepest hypersaline lake in the world with a salinity of 34.2% – it is 9.6 times as salty as the ocean.
The Dead Sea (Picture: Getty)
This is also where you can cover yourself in mud to your heart’s content – and it’s really good for you.
Because of the high content of salts and minerals in the mud, several studies have claimed there are health benefits for the skin.
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It’s also just really, really fun.
Dead Sea (Picture: Getty)
It’s best to save the Dead Sea for the end if your trip.
Not only is it positioned about an hour outside of Amman but with spa hotels dotting the coast and making the most of the local mud, it’s the ideal place to relax around the pool after a week of the dusty desert.
6. The people
You don’t know kindness until a complete stranger spends 15 minutes chasing a harmless lizard around a tent for you because you’re too scared to sleep with it in your room.
As we traveled across the country we encountered nothing but kindness, and locals who love to introduce visitors to their customs and traditions.
Never was this made clearer than when our tour guide decided it would be a good idea for us to gatecrash a group of Bedouin men setting up for a wedding celebration.
Bedouin elders preparing for a wedding (Picture: Aine O’Connor)
As the young boys spoke, eager to show off their English skills, the elders sat silent as Mohammed our guide translated our questions with regards to the celebrations – where was the groom? (Being groomed in the salon (this may have been a joke), where were the women? (In another tent – the men and women remain separate until the groom visits the bride later in the evening.)
Then there were the tribesmen in Wadi Rum who put on an evening of traditional music and dancing for us to enjoy, and then revealed the secrets of how they cook their lamb to perfection.
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Under the sand is the key.
Arabic coffee Coffee is always offered to guests as soon as you enter someone’s home or event, and it is rude to turn it down. Sorry tea drinkers. Although black, it is sweet and offered in such small quantities that it remains manageable and you just need to shake the cup to indicate that you would not like more.
7. The houmous
The houmous, oh the houmous.
You haven’t tried houmous until you’ve eaten it in Jordan.
Houmous (Picture: Getty)
From restaurants in the capital of Amman to dishes of the spread on a buffet table in the desert, the houmous is freshly-made and deliciously creamy, and when paired with any of the numerous breads also on offer, it can easily be too late before you’ve realised you don’t have any room left for the main course.
Jordanian food is very similar to other Levantine food, so you can expect lots of olives, tabbouleh, and baba ghanoush, all of which is readily available for every meal.
Including breakfast.
Fattoush (Picture: Getty)
Fattoush, a bread salad made from fried pieces of pitta combined with mixed greens and veggies such as radishes and tomatoes, is another firm favourite, along with of course kebab, shawarma, and falafel.
Traditional Jordanian lentil soup recipe At Petra Kitchen you can learn how to make local dishes including fried tomatoes and lentil soup. Ingredients 6 cups water 1 onion, finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon of cumin A dash of pepper 61 cup of brown lentils 1/2 teaspoon of salt 1/4 cup of olive oil or ghee 1/2 cup chopped parsley Croutons to garnish Method Rinse the lentils and drain before placing in a saucepan over a medium heat. Bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 30 minutes before removing the pan from the hob and straining the lentils. Return the pureed lentils to the pan and add cumin, salt and pepper – cook over a medium heat. Brown the onion in your oil or ghee, and then add to the pan, cooking the lentils and onions for a further five minutes. Sprinkle your soup with parsley and croutons.
8. The shisha
Alcohol is rarely drunk in Jordan but EVERYONE smokes the shisha – or the hubbly bubbly as many of them like to call it.
Shisha lounge in Amman (Picture: Getty)
Shisha lounges can be found 10 to the dozen in Amman – visit Rainbow Street for the best shisha nightlife – but even out in the desert it is widely available.
Try the Two Apples.
9. This view from inside Petra
The view from inside Petra (Picture: Rebecca Lewis)
10. This view of the Holy Lands
A view of the Holy Land from Mount Nebo.
Taken from Mount Nebo where the prophet Moses was apparently given his first view of the promised land.
11. And this one of Wadi Rum
Wadi Rum (Picture: Jordan Tourism Board)
12. And look at this one of the old town of Amman
Old Amman (Picture: Jordan Tourism Board)
13. There is a high threat from terrorism, but I felt as safe as I do in London
Yes, Jordan is bordered with Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Israel, but it prides itself on basically being the Switzerland of the Middle East.
You are not allowed to get any closer than 3km from the Syrian border (but why would you want to anyway?), all the big hotels have security check points for people and luggage before you can even enter the lobby, and there are security police at all major landmarks.
London, Paris, Brussels, Orlando, Istanbul – all have been affected by terrorism in recent years but we shouldn’t let terrorists win by scaring us away from some of the most gorgeous and fun places on Earth.
Jordan is one of those places.
British Foreign Office advice The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise against all but essential travel to within 3km of the entire Syrian border. This is due to the risk of small arms fire, stray mortars, or other attacks in the area. There is a high threat from terrorism. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by foreigners like large hotels, shopping malls and supermarkets. There is considered to be a heightened threat of terrorist attack globally against UK interests and British nationals, from groups or individuals motivated by the conflict in Iraq and Syria. You should be vigilant at this time.
Jordan dos and donts Do stand when greeting others Do accept Arabic coffee when it is offered to you Do round up your taxi bill to the nearest tenth and tip your waiter 10% gratuity Do haggle when shopping in the markets Do dress conservatively when exploring Jordan – keep your shoulders covered and men and women should both wear trousers, shorts or skirts longer than the knee Do feel free to drink alcohol – but not in public outdoor places Don’t interrupt or pass in front of a Muslim who may be praying in public Don’t feel uncomfortable about the outrageous amount of food that may be offered to you – Arabs tradtionally view food as a symbol of hospitality and generosity. Don’t feel like you must tip a taxi driver although it is always appreciated
How to get there
British Airways and Virgin both fly to Jordan, however Royal Jordanian flies daily from London Heathrow to Queen Alia International Airport, Amman.
Return fares start from £501pp inclusive of taxes.
Where to stay
In Amman – double rooms at the Grand Hyatt Amman start from £224.00 per night
In Petra – double rooms at Movenpick Hotel & Resort start from £45.00 per night
In the Dead Sea – large double rooms at Crowne Plaza Dead Sea start from £85.00 per night
In Wadi Rum – a private tent at Captain Camp starts from £98.00 per night
Guided tours
Cox & Kings offer group tours starting from £1,475 per person including return flights from the UK.
The tour includes Mount Nebo, Wadi Rum, Petra and other highlights including Aqaba.
Abercrombie & Kent offer group tours starting from £1,495 per person including return flights from the UK.
The tour includes the above highlights as well as the well-preserved city of Jerash, Madaba and Kerak’s Crusader castle.
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MORE: Not LA or Hollywood: Silicon Valley, Santa Cruz, Monterey and the other California you need to seeSenior neurologists have suggested that a spate of mysterious ailments among US diplomats in Cuba – which has caused a diplomat rift between the two countries – could have been caused by a form of “mass hysteria” rather than sonic attacks.
The unexplained incidents have prompted the US to withdraw most of its embassy staff from Havana and expel the majority of Cuban diplomats from Washington.
The neurologists who talked to the Guardian cautioned that no proper diagnosis is possible without far more information and access to the 22 US victims, who have suffered a range of symptoms including hearing loss, tinnitus, headaches and dizziness.
Mystery of sonic weapon attacks at US embassy in Cuba deepens Read more
The state department has described the incidents as “attacks”, saying they began at the end of last year with the last recorded incident in August.
But US and Cuban investigations have produced no evidence of any weapon, and the neurologists argue that the possibility of “functional disorder” due to a problem in the functioning of nervous system – rather than a disease – should be considered.
“From an objective point of view it’s more like mass hysteria than anything else,” said Mark Hallett, the head of the human motor control section of the US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
“Mass hysteria” is the popular term for outbreaks among groups of people which are partly or wholly psychosomatic, but Hallett stressed there should be no blame attached to them.
“Psychosomatic disease is a disease like anything else. It shouldn’t be stigmatised,” said Hallett, who is also president of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. “It’s important to point out that symptoms like this are not voluntary. They are not a sign of weakness in an individual’s personality.”
Hallett said it was more common for such disorders to affect smaller groups of people, often in families, but he added that it was feasible for larger numbers of individuals to be affected, especially when they were working closely together in a tense and hostile environment.
“There are a very large number of individuals that have relatively vague complaints as far as I can see,” Hallett said. “There has been an exploration of possible causes for this and nothing has been found and the notion of some sonic beam is relatively nonsensical.
“If it is mass hysteria that would clarify all the mystery – and presumably normalise US-Cuban relations again,” said Hallett. “These people are all clustered together in a somewhat anxious environment and that is exactly the situation that precipitates something like this. Anxiety may be one of the critical factors.”
The Associated Press reported on Thursday that it had been provided audio tapes of high-pitched whining noises which some US embassy workers said they heard in Havana, but it is unclear whether the sounds were linked to the health complaints. The report noted that not all the Americans injured in Cuba heard sounds, and of those who did, it is not unclear if they heard the same thing.
Alan Carson, a consultant neuropsychiatrist and former president of the British Neuropsychiatry Association told the Guardian: “Typically what one gets in a functional disorder is some trigger. It is often relatively mild and non-specific, it can be a minor physical injury. But then a combination of a degree of anxiety and also belief and expectation distort that feeling.”
“If there is a strong enough expectation that something is going to happen, that will distort in an entirely real way the incoming information,” Carson said. “In certain circumstances that can be transmitted from person to person... If one person has that experience strongly enough and sets off that train of thought in somebody’s else’s mind, that can happen too.”
Many acoustics experts have said that it is highly unlikely that the range of symptoms reported could have been caused by any kind of sonic weapons.
Another theory was that the health complaints were caused by a surveillance operation that had gone wrong – but that has also met with scepticism from experts and a dearth of evidence.
The US has not directly blamed the Cuban government but said Havana had failed in its obligation to protect foreign diplomats on its territory. The Cuban government has denied conducting any form of attack and has offered its cooperation in discovering the cause of the symptoms.
“I don’t think the Cuban government is behind it,” said Ben Rhodes, Barack Obama’s foreign policy adviser, who was involved in negotiating the previous administration’s rapprochement with Havana.
“First, these things apparently started in December … At the same time the attacks were starting the Cuban government was frantically concluding agreements with us, signing business deals … in other words trying to preserve the relationship. So the notion that at the same time as doing that, they would initiate something that is so obviously designed to blow up the relationship doesn’t make any sense.”
US orders 15 Cuban diplomats to leave Washington embassy over sonic 'attacks' Read more
Asked about the possibility of functional disorders, a state department spokesperson said: “We have no definitive answers on the cause or the source of the attacks on US diplomats in Cuba, and an aggressive investigation continues. We do not want to get ahead of that investigation.”
Donald Trump has struck a markedly more hostile tone towards Cuba than his predecessor, and in June announced a partial rollback of Obama’s rapprochement, tightening travel and trade rules with the island.
Jon Stone, a University of Edinburgh neurologist and the co-editor of a book on functional neurologic disorders, said that such disorders were very common, and the second commonest reason to see a neurologist.
“There is a misconception that only people who are weak-willed, people who are neurotic, get these symptoms. It isn’t true,” Stone said. “We are talking about genuine symptoms that people have of dizziness, of headaches, of hearing problems, which they are not faking.”
He added that the outbreak could have started with one or two people falling ill with headaches or hearing problems, and those spread in a high-stress atmosphere and then amid talk of a “sonic attack”.
“None of this makes sense until you consider the psychogenic explanation,” said Robert Bartholomew, a medical sociologist and the author of series of books on outbreaks of mass hysteria.
“American intelligence agencies are the most sophisticated in the world, and they reportedly don’t have a clue as to what’s causing the symptoms. I will bet my house that there are agents in the intelligence community who have also concluded that this is a psychogenic event – but their analysis is either being repressed or ignored by the Trump administration because it doesn’t fit their narrative. Mass psychogenic illness is by far the most plausible explanation.”While we await what will be unveiled at the official site (the static has been updating to new versions throughout the day), Kellogg’s has unveiled a new promotion for Man of Steel that includes this new photo of Henry Cavill as Superman!
Kellogg’s says to “look for codes inside specially marked Cheez-It®, Keebler®, Kelloggs® and Pop-Tarts® products for your chance to become the MAN OF STEEL. Each time you enter a code, you could WIN INSTANTLY! (Subject to verification).” You can win his power of flight (airline tickets for a year), strength (personal trainer for a year), speed (2013 Ford Mustang) and vision (movie tickets for a year).
Director Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, co-starring Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Antje Traue, Ayelet Zurer, Christopher Meloni, Russell Crowe, Michael Kelly, Harry Lennix and Richard Schiff, hits 3D, 2D and IMAX theaters on June 14.
Thanks to ‘ConnorKon-El’ and ‘Excel’ for the heads up.A former facility for bodily evacuation may soon be one for bodily ingestion, with proposed plans to turn a long-abandoned Lower East Side bathhouse into a cafe. Community Board 3's Parks & Rec committee discussed plans to turn the Allen Street bathhouse in the pedestrian mall at Delancey Street into some kind of cafe or takeout establishment, reports Bedford and Bowery. The landmarked building, which hasn't been used since the '50s, would need a $4 million renovation to reopen as a bathroom; the cost for refurbishing and renovation for another use has not yet been determind.
The NYC Parks won't issue the RFP until March, so there aren't any vendors lined up yet, but the committee was explicit in two things: the vendor must be reasonably-priced and must offer some kind of healthful products. Still, some are wondering why bother with another food option at all, pointing to businesses like a bike repair or rental shop that would service the community in a different way.
Either way, the meeting was missing the most important question of all: will we be able to pee there now?
The post has been updated to clarify NYC Parks involvement with the project, as well as the figures associated with renovating the building.Gillian Thomas | Because of Sex: One Law, Ten Cases, and Fifty Years That Changed American Women’s Lives at Work | St. Martin’s Press | March 2016 | 20 minutes (5,287 words)
The excerpt below is adapted from Because of Sex, by Gillian Thomas. This story is recommended by Longreads contributing editor Dana Snitzky.
* * *
If there had been any necessity to point out that women were a second-class sex, the laughter would have proved it.
On |
pro leagues and the NWSL, the 33-year-old Sinclair has been the longtime captain of the Canadian national team. She has scored 167 international goals, second only to Abby Wambach, who finished her career with 184. Sinclair passed Mia Hamm on the career list early last year.
The past three years have been a whirlwind for Sinclair. There was a lot of attention placed on her in the run-up to the 2015 Women's World Cup, which Canada hosted. The Canadians did not reach the podium, but the team continued its upward trajectory on the international stage, building on a surprise bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics. Canada repeated last year in Brazil, beating the hosts 2-1. Sinclair scored on a free kick.
Now Sinclair has turned her attention to the Thorns. The team went 12-3-5 last season, finishing with the league's best record but losing in the semifinals of the playoffs at home to the Western New York Flash. The Flash went on to win the league championship before moving to North Carolina in the off-season.
Big aspirations
Last weekend, Sinclair accepted the NWSL Shield for the top record.
"Sinc is an important player on the field and a great leader off the field," Thorns coach Marc Parsons said. "She's integral to our attack and how we defend from the front. It's what she brings as a player, the quality she brings."
Portland sure looks poised for success. In addition to Sinclair, the team includes U.S. national team players Tobin Heath, Meghan Klingenberg, Allie Long, Lindsey Horan and Emily Sonnett, as well as France's Amandine Henry.
With a win over the Pride in the opener, the Thorns visit the North Carolina Courage in a rematch of the championship on Saturday.
No other domestic pro women's league has lasted more than three seasons. But the NWSL appears healthy, with a new television deal.
Sinclair said she feels the league is doing things right.
"I think the game is growing here in North America, more and more fans are coming to the games. But I also think the league was set up right. They didn't go too big too early: I think that was the fault of the previous leagues, salaries were pretty high at the get-go and the revenue wasn't there. I think this league started small and is growing every year," she said.
Always humble, Sinclair seems uncomfortable talking about her goals as a player. But she's not shy about her aspirations for the Thorns this season.
"I'm not the type of person to set goals. And if I do they're mine and mine only," she said. "But I think it's fair to say this team is going after the championship and the shield this year, and anything less than that will be a disappointment."WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Banks that are big enough to destabilize markets should be subjected to tighter regulatory oversight, and some rules ought to be internationally agreed, White House economic adviser Paul Volcker said on Thursday.
Paul Volcker, former chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank and current chairman of the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board, speaks at the "Emerging from the Financial Crisis" annual conference at Columbia University in New York, February 20, 2009. REUTERS/Chip East
In testimony to the congressional Joint Economic Committee, Volcker added his name to the growing list of U.S. officials saying full nationalization of struggling banks was unlikely. Instead, he said banks will probably need more government help to purge bad assets from their books, and the private sector may end up owning a bigger stake in some firms.
The former Federal Reserve chairman and close adviser to President Barack Obama faulted regulators for missing warning signs that financial firms were assuming too much risk, and called for “substantial changes” in oversight.
“We must not again leave the markets so vulnerable that a breakdown will again threaten the national and world economies,” said Volcker, the former Federal Reserve chairman who now heads up President Barack Obama’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board.
His suggestions for regulatory reform included subjecting large banks to “particularly high” international standards for safety and soundness.
Trading and transaction-oriented firms that operate primarily in capital markets could be less intensively regulated. However, for those firms that are big and complex enough to be systemically important, capital, leverage and liquidity requirements should be imposed.
“Implicit in this approach is the need for strong cooperation and coordination among national authorities and regulators,” he said.
“Some approaches — accounting standards, capital and liquidity requirements, and registration and reporting procedures — should be internationally agreed and consistent,” he added.
NO FULL NATIONALIZATION
Volcker said banks probably need government help to rid themselves of money-losing loans that are difficult to value or sell. He raised the possibility of a publicly funded “bad bank” to house the bad assets, an idea that has been widely discussed but was not part of the bank rescue plan that Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner sketched out earlier this month.
Geithner instead proposed a public-private partnership to buy up bad assets. Volcker, when asked whether he thought Geithner’s approach was correct, said what Geithner laid out was “so general” that he could not make a judgment.
That has been a common complaint of Geithner’s plan, which envisions buying up as much as $1 trillion in bad assets but does not spell out exactly how it would work, or what portion of the money would come from taxpayers.
Volcker said the current financial crisis grew out of serious and unsustainable imbalances in the U.S. and world economy, and economic policy going forward must take “appropriate measures” to deal with that problem.
He said risk management failed on Wall Street, and “lapses in financial regulation and supervision... permitted institutional weaknesses to fester.”How oral cultures memorise so much information
By Duane W. Hamacher |
How an ancient Aboriginal memory technique may uncover the meaning behind archaeological sites across the globe are revealed in a new book, The Memory Code. Share this story Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
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ANCIENT CELTIC BARDS were famous for the sheer quantity of information they could memorise. This included thousands of songs, stories, chants and poems that could take hours to recite in full.
Today we are pretty spoiled. Practically the whole of human knowledge is conveniently available at our fingertips. Why worry about memorising something when we can simply Google it?
The answer seems pretty evident when we go into a panic after losing our smartphones!
Long before the ancient Celts, Aboriginal Australians were recording vast scores of knowledge to memory and passing it to successive generations.
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Aboriginal people demonstrate that their oral traditions are not only highly detailed and complex, but they can survive – accurately – for thousands, even tens of thousands, of years.
Yet I struggle to remember what I did last Tuesday. So how did they do it?
Researcher Lynne Kelly was drawn to this question while investigating Aboriginal knowledge about animals for her PhD.
It was evident to Kelly that Aboriginal people catalogued huge scores of information about animals – including species types, physical features, behaviour, links to food and plants – and wondered how they do it.
A memorable thing
Aboriginal elders explained to her how they encode knowledge in song, dance, story and place. This led to a theory that may revolutionise archaeology.
It has long been known that the human brain has evolved to associate memory with place, referred to as the method of loci. This means that we associate memory with a location. How often do memories come flooding back to us when we visit our childhood haunt?
Loci (Latin for “place”), can refer to landscape features, ceremonial sites, abstract designs – anything with distinct features where information can be linked to memory.
Stonehenge evolved from a simpler structure to the complex megalith we see today over the course of thousands of years. Was it an evolving memory space? (Source: Duane Hamacher, Author provided)
Kelly developed this into a framework that may explain the purpose of famous sites such as Stonehenge, the Nasca lines and the Moai of Easter Island.
The meanings of these sites have been a topic of controversy for decades. What Kelly proposes in her new book The Memory Code is that sites such as Stonehenge and the Nasca lines are actually memory spaces.
Knowledge is power
In oral cultures, knowledge is power. It is imperative that the most important knowledge be maintained and preserved by a few select custodians who have proven their worth.
In Indigenous cultures, elders who have passed the highest levels of initiation hold the deepest levels of knowledge.
This is reflected in ceremonial sites where knowledge is passed down. Aboriginal initiation sites include a secret area where the most sacred knowledge is discussed.
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We also see this at Stonehenge, where the perimeter of standing stones shields the centre of the ring, where the most important aspects knowledge are passed on through ceremony.
These sites include features that are unique in shape and form. At Uluru, the Anangu elders associate every crevice, bump, and notch around the perimeter of the mountain with knowledge that is stored to memory.
Uluru close up reveals a very textured environment. (Source: Shutterstock/Peter Zurek)
Star maps and memory
But loci is not only linked to places you can touch or visit. Indigenous people also use the stars as memory spaces.
For example, groups of stars can represent features on the landscape. Aboriginal Law Man Ghillar Michael Anderson explains how the Euahlayi people were able to travel long distances for trade and ceremony.
The Euahlayi would memorise star maps at night and learn the songs that talk about their relationship to the land. Each star was associated with a landscape feature, such as a waterhole.
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Later in the year, they would sing the song as they travelled across country by day. These songline routes became the foundation of some of our highway networks that criss-cross the country.
Rather than navigating by the stars, the stars themselves serve as a memory space.
Landscape features and songlines represented by stars in the Milky Way also correspond to modern highways. (Source: Robert Fuller and Google Maps, Author provided)
In The Memory Code, Kelly provides new insights into how oral societies are able to store vast quantities of knowledge to memory without it degrading over time.
It may explain how Aboriginal memories of land that existed before it was flooded by rising sea levels during the last Ice Age survived in oral tradition for more than 7,000 years.
To test it herself, Kelly used the technique to memorise all of the world’s countries in order of population by linking them with features around her neighbourhood, including buildings and gardens – making up her own stories for each one. And she can now recite them flawlessly.
You might be surprised how easy it is to do yourself.
Duane W. Hamacher, Senior ARC Discovery Early Career Research Fellow, Monash University
This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.(NaturalNews) Researchers from Mass General Hospital for Children in Boston gathered data about US children with health problems. They looked at conditions that limited activities and/or schooling, required medication and/or specialized equipment and health services, and that lasted for at least a year. The results of this study, just published in the February issue of(the Journal of the American Medical Association), show an alarming trend.Over the six year study period, Jeanne Van Cleave, M.D., and her research team estimated changes in prevalence, incidence, and rates of remission in four categories: obesity (defined as a body mass index at or above the 95th percentile for age), asthma, learning or behavior problems, and other physical conditions such as diabetes and heart conditions. They compiled data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-Child Cohort, specifically looking at three groups of children who were between the ages of two through eight at the beginning of each study period. These groups were followed for three periods of six years each -- from 1988 to 1994, 1994 to 2000 and 2000 to 2006.The results showed that the prevalence of chronic conditions, including obesity, increased with each subsequent group. Male, Hispanic, and black youth were found to be at the highest risk.There seems little doubt that the increasing rate of obesity among children and teens, most likely fueled by junk food and lack of exercise, is one important explanation for the increase in children's health problems. But in an editorial accompanying thestudy, Neal Halfon, M.D., M.P.H., of the University of California at Los Angeles, and Paul W. Newacheck, Dr.P.H., of the University of California at San Francisco, pointed out that other factors must be at work, too."The obesity epidemic seemed to develop at a time when many indicators suggested that children's health was generally improving. The data presented by Van Cleave et al suggest that the prevalence of other chronic health conditions is also increasing among U.S. children and that obesity is not the only clinical time bomb ticking away in children. There is an urgent need to better understand why this is the case and what can be done about it," they stated. "Addressing the increasing incidence and prevalence of chronic conditions in children will ultimately require major reforms in the child health system. The child health system needs to do a better job preventing childhood chronic illness. The possibilities for such changes are substantial, as are the implications of not acting."NaturalNews has previously covered a host of environmental contaminants and toxins that could well be contributing to an increase in children's health problems. For example the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) is used in many hard plastics and can leach from toys and baby bottles. Widely found in the environment, BPA has been linked to health problems in fetuses, babies and children, including attention deficit disorder and neurological symptoms. ( https://www.naturalnews.com/024000_bisphenol_...Sorry it's taken me so long to log this gift, but, well...
http://qkme.me/35ruyr
My Secret Santa person was really thoughtful. I received a package with a lot of rattling inside. When I opened it up there were a bunch of health pot energy drinks inside and a cute little Jawa plushie. My dog, of course, thought this was a new chew toy for him, but I've been keeping this little guy safe on a shelf. So cute! But there was also a note inside, handwritten in orange highlighter, "Help me, KeyLimePi, you're my only hope!" And also another sheet with a drawing of a holocron with some sort of link at the bottom of the page. I didn't go to the web link immediately since I just got home from work and I was kind of tired. I set it aside to look at a little later. This was all very cute and I really loved my geeky presents.
A few days later I received ANOTHER box from my Secret Santa. With freaking Star Wars: The Old Republic inside! Seriously?! I checked the tinyurl.com link and my Santa even got me some game time! Amazing. I wasn't expecting this much. I was expecting to receive a college-kid budget kind of geeky item. I was totally overwhelmed.
To make up for taking so long to log this present, here's a fan service pic of me in my panda jammies enjoying my presents.
Thank you very much! :D This was a lot of fun!General Motors and Lyft are ready to take their two-month-old relationship to the next level, jointly announcing the launch of a short-term vehicle rental for people who want to drive for the ride-hail service but lack the wheels to do so. But this is not your typical car rental program: the more trips drivers complete for Lyft, the less they pay in rental fees. And those who finish 65 trips or more per week will pay for nothing but gas. The program, called "Express Drive," will be available first in Chicago, and then in Baltimore, Boston, and Washington, DC.
In Chicago, 125 Chevy Equinoxes will be made available for the initial roll-out. Vehicles can be rented weekly, but must be returned after eight weeks. Rental fees will correspond to the number of trips completed. Drivers who do less than 40 rides per week will pay $99, plus 20 cents per mile. Those who complete 40 or more rides a week pay $99, but no additional mileage costs. Once they reach 65 trips in a week, drivers are absolved of all rental, maintenance, and insurance fees, said John Zimmer, president and co-founder of Lyft.
"we've now made car ownership optional on both sides of the two-sided market"
GM says Express Drive will be operated under its Maven car-sharing service, which it launched in Ann Arbor, Michigan last January. Maven will pay for the upkeep and maintenance of the rental cars involved in Express Drive, while GM works with Lyft to determine which insurance to use to cover the drivers. The program is the first joint program by GM and Lyft since the two companies announced their plan to join forces to develop a fleet of on-demand, driverless cars. GM invested $500 million in Lyft as part of the deal, which provided the ride-hail service a much needed boost in its ongoing battle with Uber.
In the four cities where Express Drive will be initially available, 150,000 people applied to be Lyft drivers but were rejected, either because their vehicle didn't qualify or because they didn't own one to begin with, Zimmer said. This program is intended to rectify that problem.
"I think one thing that's pretty incredible that's happened here is that we've now made car ownership optional on both sides of the two-sided market," he said. "Historically — at Lyft we've talked about this for a long time — we want to make car ownership optional on the passenger side. But if you look now on the driver side with this program, you also don't need to own a vehicle to earn money on the platform and give rides to passengers."
"We're looking at a different future going forward"
Zimmer said this program was further proof that Lyft treats its drivers "better than everyone else." Both Uber and Lyft face respective class action lawsuits from drivers challenging their classification as independent contractors. Lyft recently settled its lawsuit for $12.25 million, while Uber's will go to trial this June.
Julia Steyn, GM's vice president for urban mobility, said Express Drive will be the foundation on which her company and Lyft will build its autonomous vehicle network down the road. "We're looking at a different future going forward," she said. "But still the vehicles need to be there, they need to be managed, they need to have an infrastructure associated with that."
This is not the first time Lyft has dipped its toe in the rental car world. Last October, the company announced it was renting out SUVs at discounted rates from Hertz for its drivers. Uber has its own rental pilot with Enterprise-Rent-A-Car underway in Denver. Meanwhile, GM recently bought failed ride-share company Sidecar, which was seen as another hedge by the automaker to ensure its business survives in the new sharing economy.Steve “Dick Cheney. Darth Vader. Satan” Bannon will be vacating his position as White House chief strategist shortly, according to The New York Times. The “hows” and “whys” of Bannon’s departure are unclear at the moment, with the NYT reporting that President Trump informed senior aides that he intends to fire Bannon. Meanwhile, a source close to Bannon says that he submitted his resignation on August 7, only to have its announcement interrupted by the racist violence in Charlottesville last weekend. Perhaps that’s what Trump meant when he said, “we’ll see what happens with Mr. Bannon,” at his disastrous press conference on Tuesday?
Anyway, point is, Bannon’s leaving the White House to spend more time filling hot tubs with acid, writing hip-hop musicals, calling reporters and ranting on the record, and, of course, trying to suck his own cock. But while Bannon was an especially insidious influence on Trump, there are unfortunately many more white supremacist snakes in that particular patch of flaming grass.About
IGNITING THE URBAN RESTAURANT SCENE
Blue Hill Bar & Grille is the Urban restaurant model! There was a time when Blue Hill Ave in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood boasted restaurants, bars, jazz clubs and may other businesses that attracted people from all over the city. Since then, the neighborhood experienced some tough times and a tougher reputation from the media. However, over the past decade, with help from legendary Mayor Thomas Menino, Blue Hill ave (Roxbury) is transforming! There are local businesses thriving and the neighborhood is booming with new housing developments. People who desire to be closer to the city are moving in. The neighborhood is diversifying and growing. The residents and new businesses deserve a place to enjoy their neighbors, celebrate their neighborhood and enjoy amazing food and drink.
The U.S. in general has been moving away from the unhealthy, fast food model for more than a decade. Conversely, urban neighborhoods are still littered with fried chicken joints, MSG laden Chinese and pizza shops as typically the only options for food. Plus, its always on the go. Blue Hill Bar & Grille begs to differ and challenge the status quo of the urban culinary scene. There is a stark difference between "cheap" and "value". We offer the latter. We believe in sourcing locally, and offering a healthier option. Lets face it; you go to a pizza shop or a Chinese restaurant and your going to spend $30. On what? Deep fried flavorlessness? Our passion stems from wanting something better for our money and not wanting to eat from a paper bag all the time. Blue Hill Bar & Grille brings great food to Roxbury at prices the neighborhood can afford. You will leave feeling satisfied and proud.
Buying products locally is big part of who Blue Hill Bar & Grille is. Sustainability is very important to the owners. It not only helps the local economy; it allows the most fresh and healthy fanfare to be offered to the guests. Buying local and fresh is not outrageously expensive as the average consumer thinks. And we plan to show them. Blue Hill Bar & Grille is also big on service. There is no second chance at a first impression. Blue Hill Bar & Grille will treat every guest as a VIP. These practices will set Blue Hill Bar & Grille apart from the competition and will be embraced by its patrons. Blue Hill Bar & Grilles aims to make the customer feel like they’re family; and just coming over for dinner.
This will be the model for Urban neighborhoods throughout the state. Its rustic, good food that everyone enjoys, prepared healthier, at a value.It’s going to happen one of these days: A friend, family member, co-worker, drug dealer, or some other kind of acquaintance of yours is going to die unexpectedly. But unlike previous generations, whose deaths would generally be memorialized by a small faction of immediate family members and friends, people dying today have a place that mere acquaintances can express their grief: Facebook pages. When a “friend” of yours – the term being used loosely here as someone that you have befriended on the social network, not necessarily someone who you would actually consider your friend – you will feel obligated to write on their Wall, which has now become an impromptu online memorial to them. Follow these simple rules and you won’t look like an asshole. Rule Number 1: Don’t “Like” anything. In a physical memorial service, if someone goes to the podium and says a few heartfelt words about their lost friend, the correct thing to do is sit quietly and nod your head in quiet acknowledgement while you contemplate the friend you have lost. The correct thing to do is not stand up and give that person a giant thumbs up. There’s really nothing to “like” about this whole thing. If you have nothing to say, just shut up and move on.
Rule Number 2: Leave your religion out of it. Think your friend is going to end up in heaven singing with a choir of angels while God grins in a downward boastful jest while the devil smacks his red forehead, self-imposed punishment over another soul he lost? Awesome. Problem is, there’s most likely a good percentage of people who are going to be visiting their Facebook page that don’t feel this way. It would be like an atheist friend commenting: “He lived a truly full life before finally succumbing to the quiet and complete nothingness that we all inevitably face.” I have a feeling any religious folks wouldn’t take too kindly to that sentiment. Oh, and don’t try that “they’re in a better place” bullshit either. We all know that’s just code for “heaven”. Rule Number 3: Why not run it through Spellcheck one more time? This is going to be on their page for quite some time, so while we’re at it, let’s go ahead and leave out all of the shortened slang the kids these days are using. No LOLs or JKs or pluralizing words by throwing a “Z” on the end of it. And especially don’t use any TTYLs. Because you won’t. Ever.
Rule Number 4: Leave their family member’s Wall alone. If a friend of yours has a relative or close fried who died – someone you personally know yourself, death by two degrees – the temptation will be to tell your friend how sorry you are. This is a fine thing to do and shows that you’re a good friend. However, doing this on your friend’s Wall, where anyone else can see, all you’re really trying to do is show everyone how much pain you’re feeling and what a swell person you are. In other words, this is all about you and you’re just throwing a lure out there to try and catch a pity fuck. You are an awful human being. How about you offer your condolences in person, over the phone, or hell, even through a personal message? Any of those are completely acceptable. Rule Number 5: Don’t touch their MySpace page. No one’s going to read that anyway.One Marvel Actress Really Wants To Be A Marvel Director By Corey Chichizola Random Article Blend Quickly coming up on a decade of production, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is an ever expanding place. As such, plenty of A-list actors and directors have signed on to play a role in the OG shared universe. Female characters are finally getting their moment in the sun toward the end of Phase Three, with Ant-Man and The Wasp bringing Evangeline Lilly's hero into fray, Captain Marvel's intergalactic solo movie, as well a ton of female characters appearing in the next two Avengers films. And now one female actress has also expressed her interest in directing an MCU installment: Academy Award Winner Brie Larson. Brie Larson recently made her directorial debut with Unicorn Store, which just premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. While doing press for the project, Larson was asked if she had any interest in directing an MCU blockbuster, to which she said: Oh yeah, that's my plan. Why not? My new life philosophy is I'm not going to tell myself no. I'm just going to do stuff until someone else tells me no. Well, that was pretty easy. While Brie Larson's directorial career is just kicking off, she's already eager to helm a major blockbuster like a Marvel movie. Ambitious? Yes. But this prospect is also pretty damn exciting. Brie Larson's flippant comments to Huffington Post were probably a half-joke, but there has long been the cry for a female director in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The franchise's narrative has been exclusively told through the male gaze, which resulted in a lack of female-led films, as well as a lack of female directors. But we're in a post-Wonder Woman world now, and anything seems possible. Indeed, Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman was a game changer for the superhero genre, as well as the world of Hollywood film production. The film was the DCEU's first critical darling, while also making a ton of money at the box office. This proved that female-led superhero movies could appeal to a large audience, and made waves by having Jenkins as the first female director for a film of its size and notoriety. While the Marvel Cinematic Universe is generally considered superior to the DCEU (after all, they've had years more practice), this is one instance where DC is a step ahead of its competitor. While female led movies (one of which is led by Brie Larson) are coming down the pipeline, there hasn't been any female directors announced for future projects. Part of this may be because Phase Four is still a giant mystery, but the push to have more women represented in the film industry is being felt. Brie Larson is currently set to make her debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Captain Marvel on March 6, 2019, but many believe she may show up in either of the next two Avengers films. In the meantime, check out our 2017 release list to plan your next trip to the movies. Captain Marvel Interviews (Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Jude Law & More) Blended From Around The Web Facebook
Back to topWhile Saturn is far away from us, scientists have just found a way to make the journey there easier. A new technique pinpointed the position of the ringed gas giant to within just two miles (four kilometers).
It’s an impressive technological feat that will improve spacecraft navigation and also help us better understand the orbits of the outer planets, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) said.
It’s remarkable how much there is to learn about Saturn’s position given that the ancients discovered it, and it’s easily visible with the naked eye. That said, the new measurements with the Cassini spacecraft and the Very Long Baseline Array radio telescope array are 50 times more precise than previous measurements with telescopes on the ground.
“This work is a great step toward tying together our understanding of the orbits of the outer planets of our solar system and those of the inner planets,” stated study leader Dayton Jones of JPL.
What’s even more interesting is scientists have been using the better information as it comes in. Cassini began using the improved method in 2013 to improve its precision when it fires its engines.
This, in the long term, leads to fuel savings — allowing the spacecraft a better chance of surviving through the end of its latest mission extension, which currently is 2017. (It’s been orbiting Saturn since 2004.)
The technique is so successful that NASA plans to use the same method for the Juno spacecraft, which is en route to Jupiter for a 2016 arrival.
Scientists are excited about Cassini’s mission right now because it is allowing them to observe the planet and its moons as it reaches the summer solstice of its 29-year orbit.
This could, for example, provide information on how the climate of the moon Titan changes — particularly with regard to its atmosphere and ethane/methane-riddled seas, both believed to be huge influencers for the moon’s temperature.
Beyond the practical applications, the improved measurements of Saturn and Cassini’s position are also giving scientists more insight into Albert Einstein’s theory of general relatively, JPL stated. They are taking the same techniques and applying them to observing quasars — black-hole powered galaxies — when Saturn passes in front of them from the viewpoint of Earth.
Source: Jet Propulsion LaboratoryHe's a dandy guy in space! Space Dandy will premiering on Toonami this Saturday night (Jan. 4th) at 10:30pm CT--IN ENGLISH! That's right! This is the first time that Toonami will be airing the English dub of a series on the same day as the broadcast in Japan!
Come join us for this historic event. You never know, a few of the English cast and crew might also show up to watch too.
For more information about Space Dandy, please visit: http://facebook.com/SpaceDandyAnime
Special thanks to Twin Peaks for being awesome enough to let us have our party there! Here's a link to their website: http://www.twinpeaksrestaurant.com/locations/lewisville/
Space Dandy synopsis:
Space Dandy is a dandy guy in space! This dreamy adventurer with a to-die-for pompadour travels across the galaxy in search of aliens no one has ever laid eyes on. Each new species he discovers earns him a hefty reward, but this dandy has to be quick on his feet because it’s first come – first served! Accompanied by his sidekicks, a rundown robot named QT and Meow the cat-looking space alien, Dandy bravely explores unknown worlds inhabited by a variety aliens. Join the best dressed alien hunter in all of space and time as he embarks on an adventure that ends at the edge of the universe!The violence we’re seeing at the hands of ISIS is disgustingly barbaric. If mass beheadings, taking people into slavery, and throwing gay people off the tops of buildings wasn’t enough, they’ve now of course taken to burning people alive. First, it was a single pilot, but now they are parading 17 Kurds in cages with the promise that they’ll be burned alive too.
Burning people alive isn’t anything new, and certainly isn’t unique to ISIS– as Christians we have a long history with this practice as well. Many of the early Anabaptists faced this same fate for the “sin” of baptizing adults, as well as people who had the crazy idea that the Bible should be translated into common language for everyone to read for themselves. Heck, even Calvinism was founded by someone (John Calvin) who had a theological enemy burned alive for disagreeing with his theology (okay, in fairness to Calvin, he tried to do him a favor and get him beheaded instead).
Nonetheless, it’s 2015. Civilized culture has grown beyond the days of burning people alive, recognizing the practice as something that is completely offensive to any rational person. And, not just offensive- we consider it morally repulsive to the degree that many Christians want the perpetrators wiped off the face of the earth.
I must say, those instincts are correct– torturing people by burning them alive is morally repulsive. And so, we pray to God that he would intervene on behalf of these people who are suffering such unimaginable barbarism.
But here’s the irony of it all: while we find burning people alive morally repulsive when ISIS does it, most Christians seem to have no moral qualms about believing in a God they think will do precisely that. In fact, the traditional doctrine on hell paints God in a far worse light than ISIS– instead of just burning people to kill them, this doctrine believes that the people will never die– but will be tortured by the pain of the flames for all eternity. And somehow, they believe God will pronounce this as being good.
The doctrine of “eternal, conscious torment” can get even sicker depending how far one wants to take it: instead of people like Hitler being eternally tortured ISIS style, many would believe that folks like indigenous tribes living in the jungle who have never met a missionary or seen a Bible will all be tortured in the flames too. In fact, some areas of Christianity, such as extreme Calvinism, actually believe that God created most of humanity for the express purpose of torturing them in flames and that they have no right to complain or object– because God has every right to create things for whatever purpose he has in mind, including ISIS style torture.
I’d hope that if we could all detach from our individual Christian tradition for a moment and step back, we’d be able to see that this is actually sick.
As a follower of Jesus, I believe that we were all created in the image and likeness of God, and that God has planted in our hearts a sense of justice and morality. When we see hostages paraded in orange jump suits, caged up and about to be tortured, we feel moral outrage– and I believe this moral outrage comes from the spirit of God within us, reminding our consciences that it’s never okay to torture a fellow image bearer.
That same moral outrage at images of hostages about to be burned alive (such as the image above) should also cause us to pause for a moment and rethink what we actually believe about God and his character. Is God perfectly moral in all his ways? Is God altogether good? Is he altogether lovely? Does God look exactly like Jesus– the one who said “I desire mercy, not sacrifice”?
If God is– and I believe he is— this alone should cause us to be willing to rethink and reexamine the traditional doctrine on hell as “eternal, conscious torment.” Because if we don’t, we’re saying that burning people to torture them is sick and twisted when ISIS does it, but that it’s good and wonderful when God does it.
I’m tired of the canned statements designed to stifle actually using the hearts and minds God planted inside of us.
“But you don’t understand God’s justice.”
“You have no right to question God.”
“Being tortured is what we all deserve.”
“What is moral for God is different than what is moral for us.”
And you know what, I call BS on all of it.
It’s time to question. It’s time to rethink.
Is it possible that our views on hell have been more shaped by medieval barbarians who practically burned their enemies for the sport of it than the actual words of Scripture and the nature and character of Jesus?
Is it possible that we have taken these concepts given to us by people who enjoyed burning their enemies and then read them into the pages of scripture?
Is it possible that God is actually Jesus on the cross dying for his enemies and not an ISIS terrorist torturing his enemies?
I believe a solid case can be made from scripture that hell as a place where God eternally tortures people because they grew up in a jungle without Christian missionaries, is actually unbiblical (you can find the archive of my hell articles, here). But even before we get to the biblical arguments, our moral outrage at ISIS burning people alive presents a completely good and valid reason to begin questioning and rethinking this doctrine. God gave us a conscience that bears witness to his– let’s use it.
Because I am convinced that if we rethink, reexamine, and attempt to rediscover, we might just see that God is not like an ISIS terrorist burning his enemies– but God is actually Jesus on the cross dying for his.
…
(and if you’d like to read a book on this topic, I recommend Rethinking Hell: Readings in Evangelical Conditionalism.The CBOs long term budget outlook is out. They always provide projections based on the continuation of current law (called their Extended Baseline Scenario-solid blue line). They also produce what they call the Alternative Fiscal Scenario (dashed blue line), which is basically a worst case, or at least a really bad set of assumptions.
The scary thing about the Alternative Fiscal Scenario is how politically plausible are the big picture assumptions that define this scenario that shows our cumulative debt being over 175% of the GDP in 2035. Essentially, the alternative fiscal Scenario assumes
extension of the current tax rates so that tax revenue remains around 18% of |
, in Ferguson, Missouri. Photo by Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images
Early in the Ferguson protests, the Pew Research Center polled reactions to the Michael Brown shooting nationally. For blacks, it confirmed their mistrust of the police; 65 percent said police had gone too far in their response to the protests. Whites were more reticent, with 32 percent who said the response was “about right” and 35 percent who “didn’t know.”
That told us quite a bit about opinions nationwide, but it said little about views in St. Louis County, where Ferguson is located.
Now, thanks to a new survey from the Remington Research Group—based in Kansas City, Missouri—we know. The firm polled 604 residents of St. Louis County on aspects of the controversy, from the shooting of Brown to the police response to protesters. And on most questions, they found a stark racial divide.
When asked if “the shooting of an African American teen by law enforcement in Ferguson, Missouri” was justified, 62 percent of whites said it was, along with 35 percent of blacks. The “noes” were a mirror image: 65 percent of blacks—and 38 percent of whites—said it wasn’t justified.
This, more than any result in the survey, is astonishing. Remember, we know little on the circumstances that led to Brown’s death. At most, we have witness reports, which say Brown had surrendered when he was killed, and the testimony of Officer Darren Wilson, who says he was attacked by the teenager. It’s impossible to say anything for certain, but my hunch is that this divide has a good deal to do with implicit racial bias and the divergent views of law enforcement among whites and blacks.
In addition, we can’t dismiss perceptions of the protests in trying to explain why so many white St. Louis County residents think Brown’s shooting was justified. Two things are worth noting. First, a recent paper from political scientists Christian Davenport, David Armstrong, and Sarah Soule found a strong connection between the race of protesters and the depth and aggression of a police response. In particular, “African American protesters are more likely to draw police presence and that once police are present they are more likely to make arrests, use force and violence, and use force and violence in combination with arrests at African American protest events.”
At the same time, according to similar research from Armstrong and political scientist Rose McDermott, race affects how blacks and whites perceive protests. When protesters are black and police are white, they find, “African Americans are much less likely to blame the black protestors for what transpires,” and “whites are less likely to blame the white police.” (It’s worth noting that when both police and protesters are black, blacks still tend to side with the protesters.)
Even in the best circumstances—where police were calm and protesters, orderly—there’s a good chance whites would have sided with law enforcement and its version of events. Given the reality, where police were heavily militarized and the protests had elements of disorder, white support for the police was inevitable.
Larger than the divide on the shooting of Brown was the divide on the role of race. Just 23 percent of whites agreed that Brown was targeted because of his color, compared with 64 percent of black Americans. By contrast, a whopping 77 percent of whites said race had nothing to do with the shooting. And a similar number (72 percent) don’t think the police officer should be arrested and charged with a crime. Again, the number is reversed for blacks; there, 71 percent say he should be charged with a crime.
Blacks and whites in St. Louis County disagree on nearly everything around Ferguson and Brown’s shooting. Just 39 percent of whites, for example, believe black Americans are “unfairly targeted by law enforcement” (compared with 70 percent of blacks), and the large majority of whites (71 percent) see county prosecutor Bob McCulloch as a fair and impartial actor in the proceedings, despite his personal connections to St. Louis police and his long-standing deference to the force when it comes to police shootings.
Insofar that white and black St. Louisians share anything, it’s their disdain for the media (81 percent of whites and 50 percent of blacks said media made the situation in Ferguson worse) and for Gov. Jay Nixon’s handling of the unrest (62 percent of whites and 70 percent of blacks give the beleaguered Democrat an “unfavorable” rating).
While in Ferguson, I wrote on the sharp divide between white and black residents in the suburb. Whites saw the protests as an unpleasant distraction—an unfair mark against a pleasant community. Blacks, on the other hand, saw them as necessary: a resounding response to police harassment and political disenfranchisement.
If this poll shows anything, it’s the extent to which those divides define the entire area. Thanks to decades of white flight, segregation, and deep racial tension, blacks and whites in St. Louis County don’t just live in different neighborhoods—they reside on different planets.Mustang Wheels and Mustang Rims
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These Mustang wheels fit: 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 Mustangs.Mumbai: Maharashtra government on Saturday announced a draft of defence and aerospace manufacturing policy to attract investment of $5 billion over a period of five years. The highlight of the policy is creation of a fund of Rs1,000 crore to support defence manufacturers, especially the medium and small manufacturing enterprises.
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said Maharashtra was the first state to declare such a policy that would be finalised after incorporating suggestions made by the industry and the defence ministry. Defence minister Manohar Parrikar who was present said the fund being created to supplement defence manufacturers “would be a game changer."
Maharashtra’s industry department held a seminar with domestic and global defence manufacturers to fine tune the policy and put in place measures to develop an “ecosystem that helped global as well as domestic defence companies leverage Maharashtra’s strong economic fundamentals, existing defence establishments and knowledge pool" according to Fadnavis. The policy aimed at creating 1 lakh jobs, he added.
Parrikar said one of the factors that would help Maharashtra get investment commitments in defence sector was that “the law and order in Maharashtra was good". “Maharashtra has got a good knowledge base. There is enough talent in places like Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad where defence establishments are located," Parrikar said. Maharashtra has 11 ordnance factories.
The policy offers incentives and flexibility to manufactures. Fadnavis said he would not like to spell out the inventive. Asked about the concerns and issues the defence manufacturers had raised, the chief minister said the industry expected a flexible policy framework and the status of an essential services industry given the safety and security aspects exclusive to the industry. The industry also wants ease of doing business which the policy supports, he said.
He said the fund was being created to provide small and medium defence manufacturers who “may not have the same financial capacities as the giant companies". “Defence is a special industry where manufacturers do not get much fiscal space as compared to their counterparts in other sectors. Getting long-term finance is difficult for defence manufacturers as compared to others. So we are creating this fund so that it helps these manufacturers get the critical fiscal space. After all it is the MSMEs in defence sector who make the ecosystem. They can leverage this fund to enter the sector," Fadnavis said. Maharashtra government’s Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation is talking to SBI Capital and IDBI to set up this fund, he said.
Parrikar said the fund addressed a key problem in the defence manufacturing sector, that of initial availability of small finance. “In the defence sector, since the government is the only buyer, suppliers and manufacturers have to fulfil certain conditions before payment can be made out to them. In many cases especially involving small manufacturers, problem comes if they have to deposit upfront even a small amount with the government. The manufacturer feels his money will get stuck. This fund would be useful in solving such payment chain problems," Parrikar said.I frequently criticize Brian Lehrer because he is an intelligent/progressive/influential public-radio host in New York City and also a reflexive defender of Israel. He’s what I’m up against in liberal Jewish establishment opinion.
Well, the other day Lehrer interviewed neoconservative Elliott Abrams (who is due to speak at Brooklyn College’s Political Science Department soon) and– impelled by the Saturday Night Live skit that never made it to air about Would you fellate a donkey for Israel?— Lehrer repeatedly questioned Abrams about the countries’ different interests: Why Americans should care about Israel, what does Israel do for America, etc.
And then in questioning Abrams about his smear of Chuck Hagel as an anti-Semite, Lehrer went on to assert that there’s a difference between anti-Semitism and anti-Israeli-ism, or anti-Israel-lobbyism.
Notwithstanding the fact that Lehrer said that Palestinians rejected a generous offer at Camp David in 2000, it was a superb interview. Extended excerpts follow, with my comments. (Thanks to Phil Shea).
Abrams: The one sentence summary of [the peace process] is that the most that Israel is willing to offer right now is less than the least that Palestinians are able to accept right now. I think that’s still true.
This is a pithy, helpful statement. One-staters on the left surely agree with one-staters on the right in this regard; though the former understand why Palestinians don’t accept the deals, and recommend democracy; while the latter seem to regard Palestinians as clannish primitives unfit ever to determine their future, and seek to consolidate apartheid.
After that, Lehrer launches on his skepticism about Israel being in the American interest. “Why by the way is Israel an important ally of the United States?” What about all our client states and military bases in Arab countries?
Abrams has a weak answer. Because it’s a “democratic state” and “a firm US ally.” We are not dependent on “a straw man or dictator or king, whose views can change,” but can count on the people of the country there to stand by us.
But, Lehrer persists, “Some Americans think the United States does and does for Israel… Maybe you heard about that Saturday Night Live routine that didn’t make it to air.” And though it may be “politically necessary to support Israel” — Lehrer is daring to address the Israel lobby, which in the SNL skit asks a politician to fellate a donkey — but what does it do for us?
Abrams has more weak answers. That it has contributed to the stability of Jordan and Egypt, that it eliminated the Syrian nuclear weapons program, which was “quite a boon for us.” Lehrer responds that Egypt had stability under a dictator. A heck of a price to pay. And this kind of support often comes back to haunt the U.S. Abrams responds that the U.S. had “other military, security, financial, trade interests” with Egypt even under a dictator.
(A counterfeit conversation. Lehrer should have asked Abrams about his reasons for supporting Israel: he’s a Zionist, he believes in the need for a Jewish state. Then these two empowered Americans could discuss the wisdom of that position.)
Lehrer than battens on to Abrams for seeing “so few shortcomings on the Israeli right. [In your new book] you repeatedly dismiss the expansion of settlements.”
Excellent question. Abrams goes on about Yair Lapid’s centrist surge, praising it, but won’t say a word against settlements. Lehrer: Will you say anything critical of Netanyahu policy in the occupied territories? Abrams refuses to say a word against settlements, though he deprecates checkpoints, suspensions of international payments, “too many raids” in the West Bank.
On to Chuck Hagel. Lehrer quotes Abrams’s smear on public radio of Hagel as an anti-Semite.
Lehrer: “Do you wish you had chosen different words in characterizing Chuck Hagel?” Abrams: “No. I think the problem here is that the organized pressure of the organized Jewish community in support of Israel is either legitimate or not fully legitimate, and his words over many years have given I think the strong impression that he views that organized community pressure as not legitimate, and I think that’s terrible.”
Ah, so it’s about the Israel lobby. Hagel had criticized the Israel lobby for intimidating legislators, and called it the Jewish lobby.
Lehrer asks, where do you get the impression that he sees organized Jewish pressure as illegitimate– “as opposed to [his] saying… they have too much influence, or they’re wrong on the issues… to say that he feels that fundamentally the idea of a pro-Israel lobby is an illegitimate thing.”
Abrams fumbles and bumbles. Because in the end, his view that Hagel is an anti-Semite is based on impressions. So he cites Hagel’s “famous” statement that he was a US senator, not an Israeli senator. Then cites criticisms from Nebraska Jews of Hagel. And the fact that Hagel never criticized the “organized efforts” of the Greek, Cuban, or Armenian communities.
“It seems to be this one group, and I think that’s very unfortunate.”
Lehrer then cites reporting by Ali Gharib and Nathan Guttman undermining the Nebraska claim. “Does that refute your argument about Nebraska?”
Abrams: No, it refutes the argument that there is no rabbi or single Jew in Nebraska who doesn’t likes Chuck Hagel. but this is not a question about individual Jews or about Judaism, it’s about the organized Jewish community… [Then this vagueness:] Look, I think everyone understands there’s a problem here, in the relationship between Senator Hagel and the Jewish community. It’s very unfortunate.
The interview ends with a bang. Lehrer permits criticism of the Israel lobby, Abrams accuses Lehrer of leveling an “accusation” against the beloved AIPAC.
Lehrer: If he’s criticizing AIPAC or the organized rightwing Jewish community, that’s different than being anti-Semitic? Abrams: Of course it is. First of all, I reject your accusation which I think you just made that that AIPAC is rightwing. AIPAC is the largest pro-Israel lobby in the American Jewish community, and it is firmly bipartisan, and it has said nothing about the Hagel nomination. So first of all, that’s unfair to AIPAC. This is not about whether you think policy a or policy b is the correct policy. It’s about whether this kind of organized lobbying activity is fully legitimate, I think that’s the question.
Great interview by Lehrer; and it leads to an inevitable sequel. Why is Abrams so passionate about the need for American Jews to protect Israel? Why shouldn’t American Jews be pushing for democracy that protects minority rights over there, like the system we have flourished under here? It’s time for Lehrer to discuss Zionism. He knows that’s what’s at the heart of this, an assessment of Jewish safety in the west, and the resultant error, Jewish nationalism.
P.S. Abrams’s critique of Hagel re the lobby is, I believe, the reason that people like Michael Walzer and Leon Wieseltier refused to debate Mearsheimer and Walt: they regarded Mearsheimer and Walt as anti-Semites for daring to criticized organized Jewish community efforts. And in staking out a position tolerating such criticism, Lehrer implicitly and repeatedly echoed Mearsheimer and Walt– whose views, like that SNL skit, were initially suppressed in the US.Well, this is kind of familiar but awkward.
After 12 weeks of using terms like "regression," "injuries," and "the rule of three in comedy is imperative," the Seattle Seahawks defense is back to where they were last season. Kind of.
Following their 19-3 win over the Cardinals on Sunday, allowing only 204 total yards -- the fewest Arizona has ever had under Bruce Arians -- Seattle has now allowed fewer yards than any team in the NFL. And that's even more important now that it's Week 12 and every team has played 11 games and had their bye week. Of course there are four teams that have yet to play this week -- Jets, Bills, Saints, and Ravens -- but New York or Buffalo would have to allow like less than 50 yards to keep ahead of the Seahawks.
(Yes, pause for a moment and consider if a Michael Vick or Kyle Orton offense could post negative yards tonight. Pause for several moments.)
In all of the likelihood that resides in logic, Seattle is going to be "the number one defense" heading into their Thursday night matchup against the 49ers. Now, "total defense" is an archaic way to measure a defense -- I believe the Texans had the number one defense for awhile last season on their way to 2-14 -- but it doesn't mean that it can't be an indicator that your defense is really good, possibly great.
Is the Seahawks defense "great" again? Let's weigh the positives and negatives:
Poz - Number one total defense
It's what I've been talking about for literally this entire article so far. How did you get to this point without seeing that? What're ya, some kinda post-jumper that thinks you can jump into the middle of a post?!
Seattle hasn't played a creampuff schedule of offenses either: Packers, Chargers, Broncos, Cowboys are the big ones, but the Giants and Chiefs have some talented players on offense as well. It's entirely possible for a defense to go a whole year without facing elite offenses, but the Seahawks have gone against three of the top six scoring teams in the league and not backed down.
Neh - But then again: Drew Stanton
I won't say that Seattle hasn't caught a few breaks, as well. The Cards had no Carson Palmer and no Larry Fitzgerald. They're also a terrible running team averaging an NFL-worst 3.1 yards per carry. The Seahawks also had the homefield advantage of playing on their home field.
It continued a run of six straight games not allowing more than 350 total yards to the opposing team. Those quarterbacks faced are: Austin Davis, Cam Newton, Derek Carr, Eli Manning, Alex Smith, and Stanton. They have QB ratings ranging from 76.7 on the low end (Carr) to 92.7 on the high end (Smith) and another that got benched for Shaun Hill.
Depending on your opinion of Colin Kaepernick, Seattle doesn't really get challenged again for the rest of the year: Kap, Sanchez, Kap, Stanton, Hill.
The Seahawks could finish with the number one passing defense (currently third) but that won't matter if they make the playoffs and go from facing Drew Stanton to... Drew Stanton -- actually this is working out perfectly.
Poz - We know the players are good
I care about talent a whole hell of a lot more than I care about stats and I absolutely fucking love stats, so you know I'm serious.
Seattle has Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman, and Kam Chancellor. There are a lot of good players on this defense, but those are three of the best players in the NFL at any position. Chancellor missed games against the Raiders and Giants but is right back in the swing of things: He has 15 tackles in the last two weeks, second-most among NFL safeties over that period of time.
Thomas and Sherman's tackling skills have also been on display this season in a way I can't recall ever seeing from there before. "Total tackles" is a misleading stat but just watching them play, you know that these are legit, masculine, manly, I'll-never-get-a-wife-because-she-watches-richard-sherman-and-knows-im-not-a-man kind of tackles.
Thomas won't win Defensive Player of the Year because JJ Watt exists and because QBs will never give him an opportunity to get the 8 or 9 interceptions he needs to get noticed around the NFL more but he could still be the most valuable player on any defense. And Sherman ain't no slouch, so don't make the mistake of assuming I don't think Sherman may also be the defensive MVP.
Those are only three players on a defense that includes Bobby Wagner, KJ Wright, Bruce Irvin, Malcolm Smith, Cliff Avril, Michael Bennett, Byron Maxwell, and Tharold Simon.
Yes, it's still very, very talented. Maybe the most talented in the league even after the loss of Brandon Mebane.
Neh - DVOA says "Nay"
Well, to be fair, DVOA (Football Outsiders' advanced stat measuring efficiency on a play-to-play basis) says it's just "Okay." Compared to last season though, it's a significant dropoff from first in the NFL by a wide margin to ninth going into yesterday's game.
Including 18th against the pass.
I don't know how much that's going to improve after shutting down one of the league's worst passing offenses, especially when you consider the personnel they were using. Stanton, Michael Floyd, John Brown, JARON Brown, Andre Ellington, John Carlson, and Stepfan Taylor doesn't have the same ring to it as "Peyton Manning, et al." (Possibly improper usage of 'et al' but idgaf.)
They did do very well against Manning and Aaron Rodgers earlier in the season, but there haven't been many tests lately as to just how good this secondary really is and the DVOA people clearly don't like them that much.
Poz - Who really gives a fuck what anyone things anyway? This is clearly a good defense
You can only play the schedule you're given, so how can we necessarily hold that against them? Now, here's the rebuttal I can already see coming:
- This is the same kinda bullshit excuse we used against teams like the Chiefs and Broncos and Colts last year when it comes to "schedule" and "weak opponents" but let me clarify and say that the Seahawks defense has mostly-dominated their weak opponents and fairly-dominated the good ones. My point is that we don't have a definitive answer to whether or not they're great, like we did in 2013, now we're kind of left with a "Bitch, I might be" answer.
With the exception of Philip Rivers and Tony Romo, Seattle has done pretty much what we expected them to do going into the year. Are they still great?
"Bitch, I might be."
The Seahawks are one of three teams to not allow more than 300 total passing yards in a game. They are one of three teams to not allow more than 30 points in a game. They have forced 10 turnovers in the last five games. They are allowing 5.0 yards per play, tied with San Francisco for fourth-lowest in the NFL. They are allowing a passer rating of 89.9, which would fall between Joe Flacco and Eli Manning if it belonged to a different overpaid quarterback.
The stats don't quite jump out at you like they did a year ago. They've dropped some interceptions, missed the right bounce on a few fumbles. It's not like, "Damn!" But then again, two years ago it took a phenomenal run by the Seahawks to go from 6-5 in November to 11-5 following a December to remember.
There's still a chance for them to keep forcing turnovers and maybe all of a sudden, "Holy shit these guys are good" will jump on us out of nowhere, just like them being the number one total defense did today. Even if the schedule is pretty damn difficult, the offenses they are facing aren't quite that impressive. The number one defense?
They just might be. Bitch.
Writers note: Now realizing that maybe not everyone has seen the "Bitch, I might be" reference. It's what Gucci Mane told a judge once in regards to his guilt.Marvelous is working with Nintendo to include Mario costumes in Story of Seasons: Good Friends of Three Villages. However, that’s not the only collaboration planned for the game. This week’s Famitsu also reveals that a Hamtaro collaboration will be added to the game.
Story of Seasons: Good Friends of Three Villages will feature Hamtaro as one of the available pets. Kurumi Mamiya, the character’s voice actress, will reprise her role. Creator Ritsuko Kawai also signed off on the collaboration.
Aside from that, Famitsu confirms that Dessie and Witchie are being brought back for the game. We also know that a new fairy will appear.
We’ll have the new Story of Seasons: Good Friends of Three Villages scans tomorrow. For now, here’s a sneak peek of Famitsu’s coverage:
Source 1, Source 2
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PocketBritish statesman; Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
"Prime Minister MacDonald" redirects here. For the first Prime Minister of Canada, see John A. Macdonald
James Ramsay MacDonald FRS (né James McDonald Ramsay; 12 October 1866 – 9 November 1937) was a British statesman who served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, firstly for nine months in 1924 and then again between 1929 and 1935. He was the first Labour Party politician to become Prime Minister, leading minority Labour governments in 1924 and in 1929–31. He headed a National Government from 1931 to 1935, dominated by the Conservative Party and supported by only a few Labour members. MacDonald was later vehemently denounced by and expelled from the party he had helped to found.
MacDonald, along with Keir Hardie and Arthur Henderson, was one of the three principal founders of the Labour Party. He was chairman of the Labour MPs before 1914 and, after an eclipse in his career caused by his opposition to the First World War he was Leader of the Labour Party from 1922. The second Labour Government (1929–31) was dominated by the Great Depression. He formed the National Government to carry out spending cuts to defend the gold standard; the gold standard had to be abandoned after the Invergordon Mutiny and he called a general election in 1931 seeking a "doctor's mandate" to fix the economy. The National coalition won an overwhelming landslide and the Labour Party was reduced to a rump of around 50 seats in the House of Commons. His health deteriorated and he stood down as Prime Minister in 1935 and remained as Lord President of the Council until retiring in 1937. He died later that year.
MacDonald's speeches, pamphlets and books made him an important theoretician. Historian John Shepherd states that, "MacDonald's natural gifts of an imposing presence, handsome features and a persuasive oratory delivered with an arresting Highlands accent made him the iconic Labour leader." After 1931 MacDonald was repeatedly and bitterly denounced by the Labour movement as a traitor to their cause. Since the 1960s historians have defended his reputation, emphasising his earlier role in building up the Labour Party, dealing with the Great Depression, and as a forerunner of the political realignments of the 1990s and 2000s.[1]
Early life [ edit ]
Lossiemouth [ edit ]
MacDonald was born at Gregory Place, Lossiemouth, Morayshire, Scotland, the illegitimate son of John MacDonald, a farm labourer, and Anne Ramsay, a housemaid.[2] Registered at birth as James McDonald (sic) Ramsay, he was known as Jaimie MacDonald. Illegitimacy could be a serious handicap in 19th century Presbyterian Scotland, but in the north and northeast farming communities, this was less of a problem; in 1868, a report of the Royal Commission on the Employment of Children, Young Persons and Women in Agriculture noted that the illegitimacy rate was around 15%, meaning that nearly every sixth person was born out of wedlock.[3] MacDonald's mother had worked as a domestic servant at Claydale farm, near Alves, where his father was also employed. They were to have been married, but the wedding never took place, either because the couple quarrelled and chose not to marry, or because Anne's mother, Isabella Ramsay, stepped in to prevent her daughter from marrying a man she deemed unsuitable.[4]
Bloody Sunday.
Ramsay MacDonald received an elementary education at the Free Church of Scotland school in Lossiemouth from 1872 to 1875, and then at Drainie parish school. He left school at the end of the summer term in 1881, at the age of 15, and began work on a nearby farm. In December 1881, he was appointed a pupil teacher at Drainie parish school.[5] In 1885, he left to take up a position as an assistant to Mordaunt Crofton, a clergyman in Bristol who was attempting to establish a Boys' and Young Men's Guild at St Stephen's Church.[6] It was in Bristol that Ramsay MacDonald joined the Democratic Federation, a Radical organisation. This federation changed its name a few months later to the Social Democratic Federation (SDF).[7][8] He remained in the group when it left the SDF to become the Bristol Socialist Society. In early 1886 he moved to London.[9]
Young semi-socialist in London [ edit ]
Following a short period of work addressing envelopes at the National Cyclists' Union in Fleet Street, he found himself unemployed and forced to live on the small amount of money he had saved from his time in Bristol. MacDonald eventually found employment as an invoice clerk in the warehouse of Cooper, Box and Co.[10] During this time he was deepening his socialist credentials, and engaged himself energetically in C. L. Fitzgerald's Socialist Union which, unlike the SDF, aimed to progress socialist ideals through the parliamentary system.[11] MacDonald witnessed the Bloody Sunday of 13 November 1887 in Trafalgar Square, and in response, had a pamphlet published by the Pall Mall Gazette, entitled Remember Trafalgar Square: Tory Terrorism in 1887.[12]
MacDonald retained an interest in Scottish politics. Gladstone's first Irish Home Rule Bill inspired the setting-up of a Scottish Home Rule Association in Edinburgh. On 6 March 1888, MacDonald took part in a meeting of London-based Scots, who, upon his motion, formed the London General Committee of the Scottish Home Rule Association.[13] For a while he supported home rule for Scotland, but found little support among London's Scots.[14] However, MacDonald never lost his interest in Scottish politics and home rule, and in Socialism: critical and constructive, published in 1921, he wrote: "The Anglification of Scotland has been proceeding apace to the damage of its education, its music, its literature, its genius, and the generation that is growing up under this influence is uprooted from its past."[15]
Politics in the 1880s was still of less importance to MacDonald than furthering his education. He took evening classes in science, botany, agriculture, mathematics, and physics at the Birkbeck Literary and Scientific Institution but his health suddenly failed him due to exhaustion one week before his examinations. This put an end to any thought of a scientific career.[16] In 1888, MacDonald took employment as private secretary to Thomas Lough who was a tea merchant and a Radical politician.[17] Lough was elected as the Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) for West Islington, in 1892. Many doors now opened to MacDonald: he had access to the National Liberal Club as well as the editorial offices of Liberal and Radical newspapers; he made himself known to various London Radical clubs among Radical and labour politicians. MacDonald gained valuable experience in the workings of electioneering. At the same time he left Lough's employment to branch out as a freelance journalist. Elsewhere as a member of the Fabian Society for some time, MacDonald toured and lectured on its behalf at the London School of Economics and elsewhere.[18]
Active politics [ edit ]
The Trades Union Congress had created the Labour Electoral Association (LEA) and entered into an unsatisfactory alliance with the Liberal Party in 1886.[19] In 1892, MacDonald was in Dover to give support to the candidate for the LEA in the General Election who was well beaten. MacDonald impressed the local press[20] and the Association and was adopted as its candidate, announcing that his candidature would be under a Labour Party banner.[21] He denied the Labour Party was a wing of the Liberal Party but saw merit in a working political relationship. In May 1894, the local Southampton Liberal Association was trying to find a labour-minded candidate for the constituency. Two others joined MacDonald to address the Liberal Council: one was offered but turned down the invitation, while MacDonald failed to secure the nomination despite strong support among Liberals.[22]
In 1893, Keir Hardie had formed the Independent Labour Party (ILP) which had established itself as a mass movement. In May 1894 MacDonald applied for membership, and was accepted. He was officially adopted as the ILP candidate for one of the Southampton seats on 17 July 1894[23] but was heavily defeated at the election of 1895. MacDonald stood for Parliament again in 1900 for one of the two Leicester seats and although he lost was generously accused of splitting the Liberal vote to allow the Conservative candidate to win.[24] That same year he became Secretary of the Labour Representation Committee (LRC), the forerunner of the Labour Party, allegedly in part because many delegates confused him with prominent London trade unionist Jimmie MacDonald when they voted for "Mr. James R. MacDonald".[25] MacDonald retained membership of the ILP; while it was not a Marxist organisation it was more rigorously socialist than the once and future Labour Party in which the ILP members would operate as a "ginger group" for many years.
As Party Secretary, MacDonald negotiated an agreement with the leading Liberal politician Herbert Gladstone (son of the late Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone), which allowed Labour to contest a number of working class seats without Liberal opposition,[27] thus giving Labour its first breakthrough into the House of Commons. He married Margaret Ethel Gladstone, who was unrelated to the Gladstones of the Liberal Party, in 1896. Although not wealthy, Margaret MacDonald was comfortably off,[28] and this allowed them to indulge in foreign travel, visiting Canada and the United States in 1897, South Africa in 1902, Australia and New Zealand in 1906 and India several times.
It was during this period that MacDonald and his wife began a long friendship with the social investigator and reforming civil servant Clara Collet[29][30] with whom he discussed women's issues. She was an influence on MacDonald and other politicians in their attitudes towards women's rights. In 1901, he was elected to the London County Council for Finsbury Central as a joint Labour–Progressive Party candidate, but he was disqualified from the register in 1904 due to his absences abroad.
Macdonald (third from left) in 1906, with other leading figures in the party
In 1906, the LRC changed its name to the "Labour Party", amalgamating with the ILP.[32] In that same year, MacDonald was elected MP for Leicester along with 28 others,[33] and became one of the leaders of the Parliamentary Labour Party. These Labour MPs undoubtedly owed their election to the 'Progressive Alliance' between the Liberals and Labour, a minor party supporting the Liberal governments of Henry Campbell-Bannerman and H. H. Asquith. MacDonald became the leader of the left wing of the party, arguing that Labour must seek to displace the Liberals as the main party of the left.
Party leader [ edit ]
Hoist with this own petard.
Mr. Ramsay MacDonald (Champion of Independent Labour). "Of course I'm all for peaceful picketing—on principle. But it must be applied to the proper parties."
Cartoon from Punch 20 June 1917 Mr. Ramsay MacDonald (). "Of course I'm all for peaceful picketing—on principle. But it must be applied to the proper parties."Cartoon from20 June 1917
In 1911 MacDonald became Party Leader (formally "Chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party"). He was the chief intellectual leader of the party, paying little attention to class warfare and much more to the emergence of a powerful state as it exemplified the Darwinian evolution of an ever more complex society. He was an Orthodox Edwardian progressive, keen on intellectual discussion, and adverse to agitation.[35]
Within a short period his wife became ill with blood poisoning and died. This deeply and permanently affected MacDonald.[36]
MacDonald had always taken a keen interest in foreign affairs and knew from his visit to South Africa, just after the Boer War had ended, what the effects of modern conflict would be. Although the Parliamentary Labour Party generally held an anti-war opinion, when war was declared in August 1914, patriotism came to the fore.[37] After the Foreign Secretary, Sir Edward Grey, warned the House of Commons on 3 August that war with Germany was likely, MacDonald responded by declaring that "this country ought to have remained neutral".[38][39] In the Labour Leader he claimed that the real cause of the war was the "policy of the balance of power through alliance".[40]
The Party supported the government in its request for £100,000,000 of war credits and, as MacDonald could not, he resigned the party Chairmanship. Arthur Henderson became the new leader while MacDonald took the party Treasurer's post.[41] Despite his opposition to the war, MacDonald visited the Western Front in December 1914 with the approval of Lord Kitchener. MacDonald and |
Base sprites (c) Nintendo
Final result (c) ZedKalEiosThis guide is about prep clothing & preppy style. It’s not exclusive to those who attend or are alumnus of Ivy League schools and preparatory academies in the Northeast United States — it’s for everybody interested in this (life)style.
Prep Style Video
What Does Prep Mean Traditionally? Old Ivy League Money!
Traditionally the terms “prep,” “preppy,” “prepster” or any other variation was historically used to describe a subculture of upper class youth born into old money in the Northeastern United States. They, as their fathers before them, would attend the family alma mater, typically one of the eight schools classified as “Ivy League:” Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University.
Can You Be Preppy Without Having Been To Ivy League Schools Today? Yes!
Today, the term “preppy” is far looser and is a term regularly used in high schools across North America and parts of Europe. It still describes a subculture, but that of a social circle of well brought up men and women who have adopted a manner of speech, vocabulary, dress, manners and etiquette that becomes an integral part of their lifestyle, which is reflective of the traditions adopted from those historic upper-class Northeastern families.
Of course, the prep culture or coastal culture is still very predominant in those regions, but it has spread into other areas and is often referred to as southern culture and now classic American culture, adopted by men and women in all of the fifty states, as well as abroad.
The Official Preppy Handbook Started Out As a Parody
One way to explain the culture is to compare it to dandyism. If you haven’t read Lisa Birnbach’s books The Official Preppy Handbook or True Prep, buy them today as they’re the primers you’ll need on what it means to be a prep. What is interesting, however, is that when Birnbach wrote the book, she intended it as a way to poke fun at the privileged East Coast college students she grew up with, but it ironically ended up glamorizing the prep culture —which was really the beginning of spreading it throughout the United States and into other countries.
Prep Style Explained
One relatively tell tale sign of a prep is the sense of the style adopted by the average preppy. Almost like a school uniform, the culture has adopted a very nautical, clean cut image synonymous with brands like Brooks Brothers, J.Crew, LL Bean, Ralph Lauren and other various brands. Just as Christians go to Church, executives go to the boardroom and astronauts enjoy going to space; we as preps will forever enjoy the breeze on the boardwalk, the gin and tonic in the backyard and soaking up the sun in the summer.
At Gentleman’s Gazette, many readers define themselves as well-dressed whereas other readers will agree they fit into the subculture of being a true prep.
An Introduction to Prep Style
Before you go assuming that we’re different from other subcultures, stop and think. As bikers wear leather and tattoos, rockers wear tight leather and band shirts, and cheerleaders wear pink, we as preps enjoy a certain style all our own. It defines us and gives us the ability to showcase the things we’re passionate about, in unobtrusive ways but while being able to say “Hey, I’m a prep and I’m proud of it!”
Taking inspiration from the Ivy League styles of the past and the nautical flair of many East Coast villages, prep style has evolved but stayed much the same since the mid eighties. We’re more than just bow ties, boat shoes and madras. We’re about passionately showcasing the styles of some of America’s most established and iconic haberdasheries.
History of Preppy Style
The initial preppy style actually started around 1910-1912 before becoming popularly known as Ivy Style in the mid-1940s. One of the first and most iconic preppy brands, J. Press, began to develop fashions that were sold exclusively to the various Northeastern collegiate and many believe that it was that J.Press that helped to shape the preppy subculture we know today. By the mid-twentieth century, the two most iconic preppy haberdasheries had developed storefronts on campus at Harvard, Princeton, and Yale. It was Brooks Brothers and J.Press that started the trends, giving affluent Ivy League students onsite shopping, which resulted in much of the campus wearing their clothing.
With the popularity of traditional New England activities such as sailing, fencing, rowing, tennis, golf, and polo, many of the fashions that were designed for sale on campus were reflective of these leisurely pastimes. Since much of the clothing sold were influenced by these activities, it stood to reason that students on campus began wearing the clothing to those respective events, matches and games. Since students often spent much of their off-campus time together, many of them traveled with their families to Palm Beach, Florida, which really became the quintessential preppy vacation hotspot. It was here that many of the companies outfitting these Ivy Leaguers were inspired to begin using the bright colors found in Palm Beach in their clothing, a contributing factor to why preps are so well known today for wearing such brightly colored attire. By the 1980s, preppy style was in a class of its own with dozens of companies opening up shop to cater to a wealthy clientele who treated clothes with a passion hardly seen in America before.
Top designers in the mid 1980s began to catch on to this trend and started designing professional wear for women in New York who as students developed a love for the prep subculture. Classic attire such as tailored skirts, suits and dresses began to adopt nautical and equestrian elements with pops of pastel colors. Hollywood was in a boom and some of its leading ladies were the most well known preps of the time including Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn and Jacqueline Kennedy. It’s due to their vested interest and subsequent advertising of the prep culture that many credit with the bold and colorful clothing well known for being worn throughout much of the 1980s.
Today, there are entire companies dedicated solely to creating prep fashions for men and women. Read further for the list of my favorite designers.
Prep Clothing – What To Wear
There are many items we enjoy as a whole. Often some of the best items are handed down, and many are found in little antique shops and thrift stores.
In the following list, Sven Raphael Schneider & J.A. Shapira discuss some of the most popular preppy wardrobe items:
Anchor Bracelets
Anchor bracelets are exactly what they sound like. Bracelets made of a variety of fabric and materials, usually rope, leathers or sail cloth and fastened with a small metal or plastic anchor that operates similarly to a hook. This jewelry is very popular in prep culture both with men and women and is about as nautical as it gets.
Argyle Sweaters
The argyle sweater is predominantly seen in golf apparel, which is why it has become so ingrained in the prep culture. Since golf has long been a favorite pastime of preppies, Argyle has become a pattern fashionable amongst both men and women. The pattern itself can simply be characterized as being made up of diamonds or lozenges. Typically they will overlap in a motif which can add a sense of multiple dimensions and texture. In most cases, it’s used as an overlay of intercrossing diagonal lines on solid diamonds.
While you can find these patterns in solid blacks and grays, what’s most popular are the bright colors including blues, greens, and pinks.
Barbour Wax Jacket
Barbour wax jackets are extremely popular with Prep’s, and they have been for years. Most people choose between the Beaufort, which was designed for shooting (hunting for all Americans) with an extra game pocket and the Bedale, which was made for horseback riding. To go over all pros and cons of each model, will be worth an article on its own, especially considering the option of different waxes, cuts, aging and submodels. However, we think the classic Beaufort in olive green will work for most men.
Belts
Colorful belts with motifs and stripes are an integral part of a preppy wardrobe. Often combined with brown leather and a brass buckle, these more or less flexible cloth belts are combined with chinos, Madras or seersucker pants to create a bold look.
D-ring or Ribbon Belts
D ring belts have been around since the mid 1960s when introduced by J.Press. They provide a casual and fun flair to a normally conservative look. Some say that in order to wear them you either need a sense of humor or a small budget, since many D-ring belts are reversible offering two-in-one belts.
Traditionally called a “Ribbon Belt,” the newly-coined term “D-ring” is believed to have been made up by Vineyard Vines, one of my favorite companies catering to the preppy lifestyle. In the sixties, during the height of hippies, privileged and traditionally conservative East Coast preps used the colored ribbon belts as a way to add some more personality to their dress. There’s nothing exclusive or luxurious about ribbon belts. They’re just a lot of fun with various patterns. From the iconic tri-stripe belts and the five-stripe versions from Ralph Lauren to ones with embroidered lobsters and sail boats lining them, the belts, although traditionally made of polyester, rayon and nylon, now come in a variety of fabric and materials from sailing cloth to fine cordovan leathers.
Boat Shoes
Like many staples in prep style, you either love boat shoes or hate them. Personally, I adore them. In fact, as I sit in my office writing this article, I am wearing a pair of boat shoes by Brooks Brothers. While many credit Sperry Topsider with the initial introduction, and most people consider them the quintessential boat shoe, there are many companies today that make them. Boat shoes are pretty much exactly what they sound like. They were created as a non-slip shoe for sailing and are generally are made of leather and sometimes suede or other materials. They are worn exclusively without socks and as a casual shoe that is tied using leather boat shoe laces. For more information, check out this great primer on boat shoes by my colleague Sven Raphael Schneider.
Cable Knit Sweaters
Cable knit sweaters are classic and will never go out of style. No matter whether they are made of cotton, wool or cashmere, with sleeves or without, they are a staple of a preppy wardrobe. If you wear bow ties, a crew neck is the way to go, while ties look great with V-neck sweaters. For a soft, casual outfit, look for a melange two tone yarn which lends the sweater a mottled, gentle look. Of course, just like with any other sweater quality is paramount but we will write an article just about that, so stay tuned.
Tennis & Cricket Sweaters
Tennis or Cricket sweaters are a must-have in a preppy wardrobe. Take a look at our dedicated Tennis sweater article here.
Chinos
Chinos are trousers made from chino which is a twill fabric, originally made of 100% cotton. While they can be found in synthetic blends now, the best are still made of cotton. Brooks Brothers offers a superior selection of them as do many other fine clothiers. Today, they come in many colors, but the most common is khaki which is still very popular in coastal culture.
Madras
Madras is also a cotton fabric that is generally very lightweight and features a textured plaid design. For details, see our Madras Guide. Aside from pants, you can also find many shorts and even mens jackets made of it. The Madras pattern is available in regular cotton, seersucker as well as patchwork madras which consists of cutting the madras fabric into strips and then sewing them back together to form a mixture of patterns that criss cross. This is very popular in the prep culture and something widely used by Brooks Brothers, among other fine mens haberdashers that focus on prep style.
GTH (Go To Hell) Pants
Some love them, others hate them, and there is little in between.
GTH pants take some serious getting used to. This is a style of its own and one that will surely net you looks of disdain and nods of approval as you walk around in them. These are bright pants with sometimes bold embroideries on them of sailboats, anchors, lobsters, crabs, frogs and a variety of other icons. They are obnoxious but so much fun to wear! Brooks Brothers once said that it’s like playing a game of chicken with your friends except no one goes off a cliff. Instead, the winner is viewed as the most daring dresser around. Just use some caution with what you pair with them.
For more details, please check out our go to hell pants guide.
Loafers
Loafers, like boat shoes, are synonymous with coastal culture. There are a variety of loafers on the market from the most casual forms to semi dress shoes. They are typically categorized as being a low, lace-less shoe that you slip on and wear out, rather than as a slipper indoors. Traditionally, loafers are a casual shoe, but recently many preps have begun wearing them with lounge suits or to work at offices with a more relaxed dress code. They come in a variety of styles, colors and materials and occasionally will feature tassels or decorations on the front of the shoe. For a detailed discussion of loafers in all their varieties, read the Ultimate Loafer Guide.
L.L. Bean Boots
Founded in 1912 by Leon Leonwood Bean, and quickly known for their boots. Originally, they were hunting boots made of rubber and organically treated full grain cowhide to resist water. The characteristic look was achieved by a crepe rubber sole and contrasting brown or tan uppers. While most boots today are lined with Gore-Tex, back then a simple wool lining was the norm. Many would give an arm and a leg to find new old stock boots in their size, but even the current version of their boots is so popular that the annual sales of the company are north of 1.5 billion. Of course, they now sell all kinds of other outdoor-related items, but the Bean boots in different heights and variations are still a favorite with preps.
Nantucket Reds
Corn dogs are to carnivals what Nantucket Reds are to prep culture. The red pants, shorts, shirts, hats, and various other articles were originally distributed by Murray’s Toggery Shop in Nantucket and are “guaranteed to fade” to an almost rosy pink. They are traditionally pants, but today consist of an entire selection of clothing and accessories that are incredibly popular to the point of being legendary in Martha’s Vineyard, Cape Cod and their birthplace of Nantucket.
Classic Navy Blazer
This is perhaps the most iconic piece of menswear worn and designed to be worn by preps. Although available in a variety of styles, the standard is a navy single breasted jacket with notched lapels and three brass buttons, often with an icon or logo that is nautical in nature or represents the brand. Of course, many companies make these blazers but the most popular today seem to be from Ralph Lauren and Brooks Brothers. Since it is such a classic you must read the Blazer Guide.
Oxford Button Down Shirts
Button-down collars were initially introduced by Brooks Brothers in 1896 and have remained popular as a way of dressing down the dress shirt. Using buttons that fasten down the collar points on the front of the shirt, they were almost exclusively worn as sport shirts until the mid 1950s. Still considered a sports shirt in most circles, or as a way to give casual flair to elegant attire, these shirts are extremely popular in prep culture and are often paired with the iconic navy blazer and a repp tie.
Polo Shirts
Polo shirts, which are often referred to as a golf or tennis shirt, are a well-known staple in prep style. A casual and soft shirt with a collar, a placket, and usually two or three buttons, it can often feature a breast pocket as well. Made from knitted piqué cotton, it can also be found in silk, merino wool, or various synthetic materials. These shirts are often worn with a pair of shorts or trousers but can also be paired with a blazer or sports jacket. Make sure not to miss the Ultimate Polo Shirt Guide with 6 videos.
Quilted Jackets
Just like wax jackets, quilted jackets are a popular staple in a prep’s outerwear collection. To learn more about them, read out Quilted Jacket Guide.
Rugby Shirts
Although Rugby is quintessentially British, many preps like to wear rugby shirts probably because the aesthetic of bold colorful stripes and a white collar is very much in line with other preppy clothing items.
Seersucker
Seersucker is another iconic fabric used in prep style. For details check out our seersucker guide. As a thin, cotton fabric that’s usually striped or checkered, it’s predominantly used to make summer clothing such as suits, shorts, pants and other men’s and women’s clothing. Originating from India, the word seersucker literally translates to “rice pudding and sugar” which is pretty well what it resembles. Because of the way it’s woven, the threads often bunch together which gives it a wrinkled appearance. It’s because of this bunching that the fabric sits away from the skin when it’s worn which helps to keep the body cool, since it enhances circulation and dissipation of the heat. In other words, it’s bloody fantastic to wear in the hot summer months – especially if you need to wear suits at work.
Sport specific leisurewear such as golf, tennis, cricket, rugby, sailing and equestrian apparel.
This particular area is quite vast, from cricket sweaters and vests to rugby shirts and shorts, virtually any item of clothing you see being worn at a predominantly preppy sport can be considered an integral part of prep culture and fashion.
Ties & Bowties
Not exclusive to prep style, we’ve managed to adopt our own style however with various old boys club style repp ties and bow ties of the same design or wackier icons including sea critters or sports icons. We wear them loud, and we wear them proud.
Tweed
During fall winter, a true prep can rarely be seen without any form of tweed. Instead of giving you all kinds of tweed advice here, head over to our ultimate tweed guide and enjoy.
Vests
Contrasting vests in madras or moleskin in more or less intense colors are an excellent way to polish your preppy outfit. You can find all you need to know about vests & waistcoats in our vest guide.
White Shoes
White buckskin shoes aka white bucks are a popular preppy companion to seersucker pants or cocktail parties, horse races or anything else related to summer. Paired with linen, chinos or seersucker they provide the wearer with a debonair, seasonally appropriate look. Buckskin leather is technically from the male deer but today often cowhide is used instead because it is less expensive and more widely available. In the U.S. most buckskin shoes show the backside of the leather, which has a texture similar to suede, but we think the front side of buckskin leather is very nice as well. Many white bucks come with a lightweight, red rubber sole although we prefer the classic leather sole goodyear construction.
Make sure to check out our Men’s Summer Shoe Guide for more details.
Preppy Style Brands
* Denotes a personal favorite and recommended brand of J.A. Shapira
Anchored Style
Atlantic Drift
Bird Dog Bay*
Boast
Bourbon & Bow ties
Brackish Bow Ties
Brooks Brothers*
Castaway Clothing*
Chubbies Shorts*
Coast
Collared Greens*
Criquet
Daniel Wellington (classic preppy watches)
Dapper Classics (preppy dress socks)
Dogwood Black
Frat Collection
Frank Clegg (leather goods)
Fripp & Folly
Gameday Blazers
Harding-Lane
Hatley
High Cotton
Hudson Sutler
J. Crew*
J. Press*
J. Riley
Jack Donnelly Khakis
Kiel James Patrick*
Knot Clothing Co.*
Krass & Co.*
L.L. Bean*Lazyjack Press
Lemon & Line*
Lilly Pulitzer* (can’t not be mentioned, despite focusing on women’s wear)
Murray’s Toggery Shop (home of the Nantucket Reds)
Old Try*Onward Reserve North River Outfitters Over Under Clothing
Pendleton Woolen Mills
Ralph Lauren
Red’s Outfitters (sunglasses)
Rowdy Gentleman
Saint James
Salmon CoveSebago
Sloane Ranger
Smathers & Branson*
Social Primer*
Southern Frock
Southern Point Co.
Southern Proper*
Southern Shirt Co.
Sperry Top-Sider*
Starboard Clothing Co.*
Vineyard Vines*
More Preppy Resources
Take Ivy, the book about Ivy League Prep Style from the 1960’s.
True Prep and The Official Preppy Handbook
IvyStyle.com – Online blog all about prep culture and Ivy style.
RedClaySoul.com – Online blog all about prep culture.
UnabashedlyPrep.com – One of the best of its kind, a great blog about preppy culture.
FivePointFox.com – A blog all about classic prep culture.
ClassyGirlsWearPearls.com – Despite being geared to women, it remains one of my favorite blogs about prep culture.
Ivy League Style – Pictures of Ivy League Style
The Daily Prep – the name says it all
Conclusion
Preppy style is more than just fashion, it’s a lifestyle and an entire subculture. It’s widely adopted in America and other parts of the world and the information available on it is so vast it has managed to fill entire books. We’re going to continue this series in an effort to talk about the entirety of the culture, including reviewing specific products and companies that have become synonymous with the culture itself. If you are interested in learning more about it, I wholeheartedly recommend the “bible” being the books True Prep and The Official Preppy Handbook, both of which are written by the famous and incredible author Lisa Birnbach. They are very tongue-in-cheek, but offer a great glimpse into the “old new world” as she calls it. Stay tuned for our next article in this series where we’ll talk a little about the cultural side of being a prep.
Did we miss anything – a clothing item, a brand etc.? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!NASA Develops Super-Black Material That Absorbs Light Across Multiple Wavelength Bands
This close-up view (only about 0.03 inches wide) shows the internal structure of a carbon-nanotube coating that absorbs about 99 percent of the ultraviolet, visible, infrared, and far-infrared light that strikes it. A section of the coating, which was grown on smooth silicon, was purposely removed to show the tubes' vertical alignment. (Credit: Stephanie Getty, NASA Goddard)
› Larger image
This high-magnification image, taken with an electron microscope, shows an even closer view of the hollow carbon nanotubes. A coating made of this material is seen as black by the human eye and sensitive detectors because the tiny gaps between the tubes collect and trap light, preventing reflection. (Credit: Stephanie Getty, NASA Goddard)
› Larger image
NASA engineers have produced a material that absorbs on average more than 99 percent of the ultraviolet, visible, infrared, and far-infrared light that hits it -- a development that promises to open new frontiers in space technology.The team of engineers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., reported their findings recently at the SPIE Optics and Photonics conference, the largest interdisciplinary technical meeting in this discipline. The team has since reconfirmed the material's absorption capabilities in additional testing, said John Hagopian, who is leading the effort involving 10 Goddard technologists."The reflectance tests showed that our team had extended by 50 times the range of the material’s absorption capabilities. Though other researchers are reporting near-perfect absorption levels mainly in the ultraviolet and visible, our material is darn near perfect across multiple wavelength bands, from the ultraviolet to the far infrared," Hagopian said. "No one else has achieved this milestone yet."The nanotech-based coating is a thin layer of multi-walled carbon nanotubes, tiny hollow tubes made of pure carbon about 10,000 times thinner than a strand of human hair. They are positioned vertically on various substrate materials much like a shag rug. The team has grown the nanotubes on silicon, silicon nitride, titanium, and stainless steel, materials commonly used in space-based scientific instruments. (To grow carbon nanotubes, Goddard technologist Stephanie Getty applies a catalyst layer of iron to an underlayer on silicon, titanium, and other materials. She then heats the material in an oven to about 1,382 degrees Fahrenheit. While heating, the material is bathed in carbon-containing feedstock gas.)The tests indicate that the nanotube material is especially useful for a variety of spaceflight applications where observing in multiple wavelength bands is important to scientific discovery. One such application is stray-light suppression. The tiny gaps between the tubes collect and trap background light to prevent it from reflecting off surfaces and interfering with the light that scientists actually want to measure. Because only a small fraction of light reflects off the coating, the human eye and sensitive detectors see the material as black.In particular, the team found that the material absorbs 99.5 percent of the light in the ultraviolet and visible, dipping to 98 percent in the longer or far-infrared bands. "The advantage over other materials is that our material is from 10 to 100 times more absorbent, depending on the specific wavelength band," Hagopian said."We were a little surprised by the results," said Goddard engineer Manuel Quijada, who co-authored the SPIE paper and carried out the reflectance tests. "We knew it was absorbent. We just didn't think it would be this absorbent from the ultraviolet to the far infrared."If used in detectors and other instrument components, the technology would allow scientists to gather hard-to-obtain measurements of objects so distant in the universe that astronomers no longer can see them in visible light or those in high-contrast areas, including planets in orbit around other stars, Hagopian said. Earth scientists studying the oceans and atmosphere also would benefit. More than 90 percent of the light Earth-monitoring instruments gather comes from the atmosphere, overwhelming the faint signal they are trying to retrieve.Currently, instrument developers apply black paint to baffles and other components to help prevent stray light from ricocheting off surfaces. However, black paints absorb only 90 percent of the light that strikes it. The effect of multiple bounces makes the coating’s overall advantage even larger, potentially resulting in hundreds of times less stray light.In addition, black paints do not remain black when exposed to cryogenic temperatures. They take on a shiny, slightly silver quality, said Goddard scientist Ed Wollack, who is evaluating the carbon-nanotube material for use as a calibrator on far-infrared-sensing instruments that must operate in super-cold conditions to gather faint far-infrared signals emanating from objects in the very distant universe. If these instruments are not cold, thermal heat generated by the instrument and observatory, will swamp the faint infrared they are designed to collect.Black materials also serve another important function on spacecraft instruments, particularly infrared-sensing instruments, added Goddard engineer Jim Tuttle. The blacker the material, the more heat it radiates away. In other words, super-black materials, like the carbon nanotube coating, can be used on devices that remove heat from instruments and radiate it away to deep space. This cools the instruments to lower temperatures, where they are more sensitive to faint signals.To prevent the black paints from losing their absorption and radiative properties at long wavelengths, instrument developers currently use epoxies loaded with conductive metals to create a black coating. However, the mixture adds weight, always a concern for instrument developers. With the carbon-nanotube coating, however, the material is less dense and remains black without additives, and therefore is effective at absorbing light and removing heat. "This is a very promising material," Wollack said. "It's robust, lightweight, and extremely black. It is better than black paint by a long shot."Freedom of the press in the United States is legally protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. This amendment is generally understood to prevent the government from interfering with the distribution of information and opinions.
Nevertheless, freedom of the press In the United States is subject to certain restrictions, such as defamation law, a lack of protection for whistleblowers, barriers to information access and constraints caused by public hostility to journalists.
International agencies rank the United States behind most other Western nations for press freedom, but ahead of most Asian, African and South American countries.
History [ edit ]
Thirteen Colonies [ edit ]
In the Thirteen Colonies before the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the media was subject to a series of regulations. British authorities attempted to prohibit the publication and circulation of information of which they did not approve.
One of the earliest cases concerning freedom of the press occurred in 1734. In a libel case against The New York Weekly Journal publisher John Peter Zenger by British governor William Cosby, Zenger was acquitted and the publication continued until 1751. At that time, there were only two newspapers in New York City and the second was not critical of Cosby's government.
U.S. Constitution [ edit ]
The First Amendment permits information, ideas and opinions without interference, constraint or prosecution by the government.[1][2] It was adopted on December 15, 1791, as one of the ten amendments that constitute the Bill of Rights.
20th century [ edit ]
Near v. Minnesota [ edit ]
The 1931 U.S. Supreme Court decision Near v. Minnesota recognized freedom of the press by roundly rejecting prior restraints on publication, a principle that applied to free speech generally in subsequent jurisprudence. The court ruled that a Minnesota law targeting publishers of malicious or scandalous newspapers violated the First Amendment (as applied through the Fourteenth Amendment).
Branzburg v. Hayes [ edit ]
Freedom of the press was described in Branzburg v. Hayes as "a fundamental personal right", not confined to newspapers and periodicals.[3] In Lovell v. City of Griffin (1938),[4] Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes defined the press as "every sort of publication which affords a vehicle of information and opinion."[5] This right has been extended to newspapers, books, plays, movies, and video games.[6]
Associated Press v. United States [ edit ]
Associated Press v. United States (1945) dealt with media cooperation[7] and consolidation. The court held that the AP violated the Sherman Antitrust Act by prohibiting the sale or proliferation of news to nonmember organizations and keeping nonmembers from joining; the AP bylaws constituted restraint of trade, and the fact that AP had not achieved a monopoly was irrelevant. The First Amendment did not excuse newspapers from the Sherman Antitrust Act. News, traded between states, counts as interstate commerce and is subject to the act. Freedom of the press from governmental interference under the First Amendment does not sanction repression of that freedom by private interests (326 U.S. 20[clarification needed]). Justice Hugo Black wrote, "The First Amendment... rests on the assumption that the widest possible dissemination of information from diverse and antagonistic sources is essential to the welfare of the public... Freedom to publish is guaranteed by the Constitution, but freedom to combine to keep others from publishing is not".[8]
New York Times Co. v. Sullivan [ edit ]
In New York Times Co. v. Sullivan (1964), the Supreme Court ruled that when a publication involves a public figure, to support a suit for libel the plaintiff bears the burden of proving that the publisher acted with actual malice: knew of the inaccuracy of the statement or acted with reckless disregard of its truth.
Greenbelt Cooperative Publishing Association, Inc. v. Bresler [ edit ]
In 1970, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a news organization couldn't be sued over the use of "rhetorical hyperbole". The usage in question was when quoting eyewitnesses, but the court ruled that, even if it hadn't, to call it libel "would subvert the most fundamental meaning of a free press".
New York Times Co. v. United States [ edit ]
In 1971, the Supreme Court upheld the publication of the Pentagon Papers.
21st century [ edit ]
Although it had been uncertain whether people who blog or use other social media are journalists entitled to protection by media shield laws,[9] they are protected by the Free Speech and Free Press Clauses (neither of which differentiates between media businesses and nonprofessional speakers).[1][2][10] This is further supported by the Supreme Court, which has refused to grant increased First Amendment protection to institutional media over other speakers;[11][12][13] In a case involving campaign finance laws, the court rejected the "suggestion that communication by corporate members of the institutional press is entitled to greater constitutional protection than the same communication by" non-institutional-press businesses.[14]
Stop Online Piracy Act [ edit ]
On October 26, 2011 the Stop Online Piracy Act, which opponents said would threaten free speech and censor the Internet, was introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said that President Obama "[would] not support legislation that reduces freedom of expression."[15] The bill was shelved in 2012 after widespread protests.[16]
Obsidian Finance Group, LLC v. Cox [ edit ]
On 2014, blogger Crystal Cox accused Obsidian and Kevin D. Padrick of corrupt and fraudulent conduct. Although the court dismissed most of Cox's blog posts as opinion, it found one post to be more factual in its assertions (and, therefore, defamatory).
It was ruled for the first time,[17][18] by the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit,[19] that a blogger is entitled to the same free speech protection as a journalist and cannot be liable for defamation unless the blogger acted negligently.[20] In the decision, journalists and bloggers are equally protected under the First Amendment[17] because the "protections of the First Amendment do not turn on whether the defendant was a trained journalist, formally affiliated with traditional news entities, engaged in conflict-of-interest disclosure, went beyond just assembling others' writings, or tried to get both sides of a story."[19]:11–12[21]
Ranking of United States press freedom [ edit ]
In 2018, the U.S. ranked 45th in the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index.[22] This is an overall measure of freedom available to the press, including a range of factors including government censorship, control over journalistic access, and whistleblower protections. The U.S.'s ranking fell from 20th in 2010 to 49th in 2015, before recovering to 41st in 2016. It fell in 2018 with an increasing hostility to journalists associated with rhetoric by President Donald Trump.[23][24]
According to Reporters Without Borders the United States ranks behind most other Western nations for press freedom, but ahead of most Asian, African and South American countries.
Freedom House, a US-based independent watchdog organization, ranked the United States 30th out of 197 countries in press freedom in 2014.[25] Its report praised the constitutional protections given American journalists and criticized authorities for placing undue limits on investigative reporting in the name of national security. Freedom House gives countries a score out of 100, with 0 the most free and 100 the least free. The score is broken down into three separately-weighted categories: legal (out of 30), political (out of 40) and economic (out of 30). The United States scored 6, 10, and 5, respectively, that year for a cumulative score of 21.[26]
Historical constraints on press freedom [ edit ]
In 1798, shortly after the adoption of the Constitution, the governing Federalist Party attempted to stifle criticism with the Alien and Sedition Acts. According to the Sedition Act, criticism of Congress or the president (but not the vice-president) was a crime; Thomas Jefferson—a non-Federalist—was vice-president when the act was passed. These restrictions on the press were very unpopular, leading to the party's eventual demise. Jefferson, who vehemently opposed the acts, was elected president in 1800 and pardoned most of those convicted under them. In his March 4, 1801 inaugural address, he reiterated his longstanding commitment to freedom of speech and of the press: "If there be any among us who would wish to dissolve this Union or to change its republican form, let them stand undisturbed as monuments of the safety with which error of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it."[27]
In mid-August 1861, four New York City newspapers (the New York Daily News, The Journal of Commerce, the Day Book and the New York Freeman’s Journal) were given a presentment by a U.S. Circuit Court grand jury for "frequently encouraging the rebels by expressions of sympathy and agreement". This began a series of federal prosecutions during the Civil War of northern U.S. newspapers which expressed sympathy for Southern causes or criticized the Lincoln administration. Lists of "peace newspapers", published in protest by the New York Daily News, were used to plan retributions. The Bangor Democrat in Maine, was one of these newspapers; assailants believed part of a covert Federal raid destroyed the press and set the building ablaze.[28] These actions followed executive orders issued by President Abraham Lincoln; his August 7, 1861 order made it illegal (punishable by death) to conduct "correspondence with" or give "intelligence to the enemy, either directly or indirectly".[29]
The Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition Act of 1918, which amended it, imposed restrictions on the press during wartime. The acts imposed a fine of $10,000 and up to 20 years' imprisonment for those publishing "... disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language about the form of government of the United States, or the Constitution of the United States, or the military or naval forces of the United States, or the flag..."[30] In Schenck v. United States (1919) the Supreme Court upheld the laws, setting the "clear and present danger" standard. Congress repealed both laws in 1921, and Brandenburg v. Ohio (1969) revised the clear-and-present-danger test to |
, but right now it looks like SegWit is coming.What is the perfect driver length?
There is no doubt about it, the average golfer lives and dies by his/her driver game. The ability to get off the tee and into play can be the difference between having a great day out or wanting to break all of your clubs into tiny pieces. We've all been there and had both of these days. Working in a golf shop has taught me that the average golfer struggles with accuracy off the tee. So, how would you like to get more consistent off the tee with the driver?
The answer might be easier than you think. Instead of me saying that you need to buy a new driver, or go and get fitted for a new driver, or spend a fortune getting lessons or whatever! How about I just tell you a story of a professional golfer named Rickie Fowler.
As you all know, American Rickie Fowler is a very good golfer. He is also quite a small golfer in height. This has not stopped him from ranking inside the top 40 for driving distance on the PGA Tour. Yes, he has a quick swing speed and most of you reading this cannot get as fast as him, but that is not what this story is about. This story is about how he is now hitting more fairways and as a result, is now leading the PGA Tour in scoring.
Although Rickie was doing very well in scoring last year (70.118 - 14th), he now leads all professionals at 69.322. The difference may not be all that great, but in the world of the pro golfer, this small difference could equal millions of dollars. Fowler has gone from 113th in driving accuracy to 20th and all the time, he has not lost a great amount of distance. His 2016 driving distance average was 275.78 meters, compared to this years 272.94. that is a difference of just 2.84 meters! His driving accuracy percentages have gone from 58.69(113th) to a massive 67.53(20th).
Who among us would not want to hit the fairway 67 percent of the time, instead of 58 percent? So what is the huge difference in Folwer's game? He cut his driver down to 43.5 inches. That's it! He cut his driver length down from 45 to 43.5 inches. He cut 1.5 inches off his driver length and as a result hits lots more fairways and leads all pros in scoring. This small tweek has resulted in great gains on the PGA Tour, but it can mean a lot more to you and I playing club golf.
The reason you hit a wedge far straighter than you hit a 5 iron is because the shaft is shorter and it gives you more control. Obviously there is a comparison between distance and length as well, but the difference when it comes to the long clubs is less than in the shorter ones. Cutting any club down will make it go straighter, but cutting it too much will ruin not only the club, but you wallet as well. The driver, at 45 inches (on average) is the longest and hardest club to keep straight. Nearly every club golfer will benefit from cutting just 1 inch off. Yes, you may lose 5 meters, but you will hit so many more fairways and be in better position to hit many more greens in the process.
This process will cost you about $10 at any pro shop or golf shop that do repairs. As I said before, not a lot of money for a very good result. What do you have to lose? If it doesn't work for you, a club extension of 1 inch will cost you about $15 to put it back to how it was. I have tried it and I can tell you, it works. Good Luck!
"Gunga galunga"Jack Wilshere: Reports suggest the midfielder's new deal will be for four years
The 20-year-old, who missed last season through injury, has been in talks with the club and his new deal at Emirates Stadium is reported to be set for four years.
And Wilshere's commitment would dismiss any speculation he wants to leave the club amid their current on and off-field struggles.
"I am talking to the club and I probably will be committing my future to the club in the next couple of weeks," he said.
"I know the team are going through a bad stage at the moment but that is like any team."
To read an in-depth Q&A with Jack Wilshere on his future, Arsenal's struggles and his backing for Arsene Wenger, click here.The author with his daughter
For nearly 18 months, I woke up at 4 a.m. with my all-too-alert toddler son. Three hours later, when my Swedish wife left for the day, I would set out a second breakfast and then dress the boy and his 4-year-old sister and walk them to her state-subsidized preschool. Then my boy and I would go build sand castles in one of five nearby neighborhood parks. I packed snack bags, changed diapers, and pretended to be a grumpy old troll. I sang “Itsy Bitsy Spider” more times than I want to think about.
I am not unemployed, and I am not a stay-at-home dad. I’ve got a “real” job; I just haven’t gone to the office since last December. In total, I’ve spent 18 of the past 36 months on paternity leave here in Sweden, my adopted country, “off” work to care for my two kids. And, yes, I still get paid.
Over the past 15 years, the streets of Stockholm have filled up with men pushing strollers. In 1995, dads took only 6 percent of Sweden’s allotted 480 days of parental leave per child. Then the Swedish government set aside 30 leave days for fathers only. In 2002 the state doubled the “daddy only” days to 60 and later added an “equality bonus” for couples that split their leave. Now more than 80 percent of fathers take some leave, adding up to almost a quarter of all leave days. So in the middle of, say, a Monday afternoon in March, the daddies and their strollers come at you both singly and in waves, the men usually either striding fast and stone-faced or pushing the stroller nonchalantly with one hand, cell phone glued to their ear.
In my part of greater Stockholm, these dads are often on their way to the open preschools, especially through the dreary Swedish winter. These are municipal-run play-places, complete with cheap coffee, helpful teachers, and lots of balls and blocks. On some days, the open preschools are crammed with groups of too-cool dudes lounging on the floor in trucker hats, designer T-shirts, and capri-length pants. Then there are the mousey guys alone in the corner—the equivalent of shy moms, I suppose—and usually a tattooed man or two in the kitchen smushing a bit of banana onto a spoon for his baby.
But here is the funny part: The dads act exactly like the moms. They talk about poop, whether their babies sleep, how tired they are, when their kid started crawling or walking or throwing a ball or whatever.
“So how old is your child?”
“Nine months. She just started crawling yesterday.”
“Yes, Oscar started at eight months. But now he is not sleeping well. His teeth are coming in. Oscar, you have to share that toy. Oscar, I said give the toy back.”
“How long are you going to be on paternity leave?”
“Three more months. Isn’t open preschool great? Now, Oscar …”
No sports. No politics. No cars. And no questions about your job. Think about that. When in America—outside of maybe a sports bar during a really huge game—will any group of men gather and never ask the question, “So, what do you do?”
I had expected great physical comedy in Daddyland—fathers covered with diaper leakage, babies covered with motor oil, men forcing resentful toddlers into soccer matches. I realize now how insensitive to my Swedish brothers this was. Swedish dads of my generation and younger have been raised to feel competent at child-rearing. They simply expect to do it, just as their wives and partners expect it of them (even though women still do far more child-related work in general). It’s eye-opening in a really boring way.
The working world has adjusted accordingly. Most companies seem to fill parental-leave vacancies with short-term contracts, and these seem to function as good tryouts for permanent employment. It all feels pretty organic in a globalized world of flat organizations and gender equality, of employees who are not locked into one assignment or skill set.
But there are deeper societal processes at work here, a shift of the very notion of Swedish masculinity. In a 2008 article in the journal Fathering, Anna-Lena Almqvist wrote that Swedish men have developed a “child-oriented masculinity.” Almqvist compared the attitudes of a selection of Swedish fathers with their French counterparts and found that, among couples with similar incomes, Swedish men emphasized the importance of parental leave and helping to raise their children. They also negotiated explicitly with their partners on child care issues. The French men did neither of these things.
This means that, according to Almqvist, the rise in Swedish paternity leave can be seen as a “modest change” to Sweden’s “hegemonic masculinity,” which is an overarching masculine ideal that most men once aspired to—think physical prowess, the big job, and lots of women. What this ideal has not traditionally encompassed is the concept of the nurturing, involved father. Or much flexibility for the role of women. But also think of the way women fit into this system. “In hegemonic masculinity, fathers do not have the capacity or the skill or the need to care for children, especially for babies and infants, while the relationship between female parents and young children is seen as crucial,” wrote Mike Donaldson of the University of Wollongong in Australia in a 1993 article in Theory and Society. “Nurturant and care-giving behaviour is simply not manly.” This kind of attitude seems to be melting away in Sweden 2010.
If you had asked me in, say, 2001, if I would ever take a long paternity leave, I would have answered, “Yeah, sure,” because I was a liberal guy—but then ignored my own answer because I was also an ambitious, career-driven type. Then I married a Swede, and we moved to a small town outside New York City that was close to no family or friends. Out of necessity, and my wife’s Swedish expectations, I got deeply involved in our upcoming baby’s life, though probably still no more than many American dads-to-be. We had a rough ride. My wife had bad doctors and a bad back, and we lived in a house covered with lead paint and infested with bats, rats, and bedbugs. It all began to seem overwhelming. In the end, almost more than my wife, I pushed for the move to Sweden, to the promise of parental leave, shorter work days, five weeks of vacation, and unlimited paid sick days if your kid falls ill.
Still, the prospect of telling my boss I wanted to take paternity leave paralyzed me for weeks. Surely I would get fired for taking six months off. Or I would return to a job cleaning the bathrooms with pencil erasers. I think I chickened out completely and just sent an e-mail. But my supervisors took my leave as a matter of course. I have small children; hence, I was likely to take paternity leave of some sort.
Even deep into my leave, I am not always so confident in my “child-oriented masculinity.” When I talk about my leave with non-Swedes, I often play up the midday naps and the freedom to blog. I don’t really let on that I sometimes sit on the kitchen floor near tears feeding melting frozen blueberries to a grumpy baby—and ruining his clothes—in a last-ditch effort to get him to stop crying.
But that doesn’t mean I consider myself a visitor to some mysterious feminine domain. My first rush of empowerment came on my very first day of my leave. We all got up, ate breakfast and my wife left for her first day of work. Then I sat there facing a 10-hour day alone in a still foreign country with my then-19-month-old daughter. And I felt, well, normal. It was almost a letdown.
But I truly owned my masculine parenting skills only after I had mastered the snack bag. Before my paternity leave, I had fed, co-slept, and worn slings, but never packed the snack bag. It turns out, though, that I have a knack for it. The bag might be a jumble. There might be crumbs littered on the bottom. But I can always pull out just the right snack to keep a kid’s blood sugar up—whether it’s hummus, an apple, or sunflower seeds. And I’m not ashamed to brag about it.
In fact, I have come to the conclusion that there is not enough macho bragging done by moms and dads alike. Now when I want to impress, I hold forth about pushing a three-wheeled stroller through a slushy snowstorm with one arm, with a screaming baby in the other arm and a crying toddler trying to climb out of the stroller. In fact, I now challenge all comers in the ultimate tests of parenting skill—the cross-town two-child bus trip after an all-day outing, the negotiations with a tired toddler who does not want to wear shoes in a snowstorm, and the race to soothe a crying baby to sleep in a crowded mall before the drowsiness disappears.
But it is precisely those moments that make my paternity leave so meaningful. Or, more precisely, it is the accumulation of those moments. This seems obvious when I type it—and it must be obvious to most mothers—but the chance to build that bond with my children is revolutionary to me as a working dad. I can’t quantify how I am closer to my children—and I would never claim that I’m closer to my kids than men who work. But there is a different quality to it—a nurturing one, perhaps. I can feel it when my son gets shy in public, and he climbs in my arms and molds his body around mine. And I can really feel it now that I have to send him to daycare.
Daddyland is not forever, and I must now return to the office just like so many American moms do. The thought of leaving my baby at daycare is sapping my spirit, even as I happily anticipate the challenges of my new position at work. I find myself thinking exactly what the moms think: My 18 months in Daddyland have simply not been all that long. Hopefully, this time will echo through my kids’ childhoods, as studies show that dads that take paternity leave stay more connected to their children. And I am not going to work full time, in order to cut the kids’ daycare time short. But right now I can only mourn the last days of naps and sandboxes, of crying over chewed crayons and bouncing to the Delta blues—and thank the Swedish welfare state for this chance to visit Daddyland.Seagate on Monday announced that it has sold more than 1 million drives using a new recording technology that will offer consumers 5TB hard drives next year and possibly 20TB drives by 2020.
The technology Seagate is touting -- shingled magnetic recording (SMR) - is needed more than ever.
Just as NAND flash is running up against a miniaturization wall, where the circuitry has little room to continue to shrink in size, hard drives face a similar density dilemma. The data tracks on a 1TB hard-drive platter cannot afford to shrink much more, according to Seagate.
The theoretical limit of magnetic storage, called the superparamagnetic limit -- about 1Tbit per square inch of storage density -- is fast approaching. Increasing the density beyond that will lead to data corruption issues. Currently, Seagate's drives store data at up to 625Gbits per square inch of storage areal density.
SMR is only one of several technology advancements pushing the limits of hard drive capacity. Heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) is expected to take disk drives to 5Tbits per square inch. Seagate rival Western Digital is expected to release helium filled disk drives later this year. The helium provides less resistance than air and so will allow more platters to be stacked closer together.
"With SMR technology, Seagate is on track to improve areal density by up to 25% or 1.25TB per disk, delivering hard drives with the lowest cost per gigabyte and reaching capacities of 5TB and beyond," Mark Re, Seagate's chief technology officer, said in a statement.
Seagate would not disclose which of its drive models today use SMR. It would only say that system makers that use them know they're using them.
How tracks are typically spaced using perpendicular magnetic recording.
The principle behind SMR is simple. With the technology, the tracks of a drive basically overlap like the shingles on a roof, thereby allowing Seagate to squeeze more tracks together.
The density problem came about when Seagate and other drive manufacturers pressed the limits of how close they could squeeze tracks together on a drive platter. For a mental picture of platter tracks, think of an LP vinyl record, except on a microscopic level.
The closer the tracks of a drive platter are squeezed together, the more data can fit in a disk drive. But, the closer together the tracks get squeezed, the greater risk of data corruption and read errors -- that is, the read/write head of a hard disk drive cannot discern the difference between tracks. In between the tracks are buffer areas to help the read/write heads track accurately.
Like stacking pancakes, more platters can be added to a drive, but that adds to the height of the drive.
Hard drive density
Hard drives today typically use perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR), a method of laying down data on a platter that creates tracks that are about 75 nanometers wide, which is smaller than a flu virus. Seagate introduced its first PMR drive in 2007. The drive, the Barracuda, held 250GB of data per platter. That grew to 1TB per platter by this year.Wealthy Russians stand to lose billions of euros in Cypriot banks under draconian terms being hammered out on Sunday night in Brussels to prevent the Mediterranean tax haven becoming the first country forced out of the single currency.
Negotiations got underway amid a hardening of the stance held by the International Monetary Fund and Germany, who insisted that depositors must take the hit for bailing out the eurozone's latest crisis economy.
There were signs of panic in Cyprus as a €100 (£85) limit was imposed on ATM withdrawals, with more stringent capital controls to follow if a deal is reached.
The European Central Bank has threatened to cut off funds propping up Cypriot banks on Monday, precipitating the island's exit from the euro if agreement was not reached on Sunday night at the emergency meeting between eurozone finance ministers, the president of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades, and the bailout troika of the IMF, European Commission and the ECB.
The Europeans, with the Germans and the IMF taking a particularly hard line, demanded the winding up of Cyprus Popular Bank, the country's second biggest, and the restructuring of Bank of Cyprus, the biggest financial institution.
The parties considered new proposals that had emerged over the weekend with European officials speaking of a levy of up to 25% on Bank of Cyprus depositors with accounts holding more than €100,000, plus a further levy of up to 5% on similar deposits in other banks.
"The numbers have not changed. If anything they've got worse," said Wolfgang Schäuble, Germany's finance minister. He said that last week's agreement to raise €5.8bn had to be achieved. This time, however, savers with less than €100,000 would be spared, meaning the burden would fall much more heavily on the wealthy than the 9.9% levy proposed for their accounts last week.
Berlin is determined that the island deflates a bloated financial sector that exceeds the size of the Cypriot economy by a factor of seven. "It is well-known that I won't allow myself to be blackmailed, by no one or nothing," said Schäuble. "I'm aware of my responsibility for the stability of the euro. If we take the wrong decisions, we'll be doing the euro a great misservice," he told a German Sunday newspaper.
Russians are estimated to hold more than €20bn of the €68bn deposited in Cypriot banks. Some €38bn of the total is in accounts liable for the levy, suggesting that Russians could forfeit around €3bn. If the Cypriot government balked at the bank levy, the IMF and German officials were likely to demand even stiffer terms, including a "bail-in" arrangement whereby account holders with more €100,000 would forfeit up to 40% of their savings in return for shares in restructured banks.
Anastasiades held meetings with EU officials in Brussels before the main summit with the euro group – the 17 finance ministers of the single currency area – which included troika representatives Christine Lagarde, head of the IMF, Mario Draghi, president of the ECB, and Olli Rehn, European commissioner for economic and monetary affairs.
Little progress was reported from the earlier meetings on Sunday on resolving the stalemate over how to structure a €17bn bailout, with creditors unwilling to offer more than €10bn while expressing dissatisfaction over Cypriot proposals to supply the remainder.
Over the weekend, Nicosia moved on legislation to wind up Cyprus Popular Bank and to introduce capital controls to try to prevent a bank run and flight of money out of the country.
If an agreement is found, the proposed deal would still need to pass the Cypriot parliament probably by Monday at the latest. It was clear that whether Cyprus accepted or rejected the bailout terms, its economy and banking sector faced maximum disruption and turmoil. "There are only hard choices left," said Rehn.FROM: Project Lead
TO: Arma 3 Users
INFO: Adapt, HDAO, MP optimizations
PRECEDENCE: Flash
SITUATION
The time has come to resume normal operations... welcome to Arma 3's 2014! The team has rapidly geared back up for 'Adapt' release prep, and next Tuesday it's go-time. We would like to stage the episode on devbranch later in the week, but let's see how things go as we are currently testing under data lock. Then we have an exciting multiplayer announcement dropping in February, and we'll be wrapping up the campaign with development on its final episode. Plans beyond that are being outlined with plenty of awesome stuff coming to everyone. Good times ahead!
INTELLIGENCE
A new and splendid HDAO post-process effect has been implemented based on a technique by AMD engineer Layla Mah (thanks!). The effect is DirectX 11 only and brings improved visuals and an interesting potential performance boost (1-12% based on settings). Find it on devbranch in the video settings, under AA && PP (AO drop-down). Another example of continued cooperation with various hardware partners for optimizations and new tech, are recent performance improvements to stencil shadows via Intel.
Designer Bořivoj "Druid" Hlava has posted documentation on the so-called Advanced Hints (used in the Field Manual e.g.).
The main website's Community Focus was updated with two new videos, a police modifcation and a tools installation guide.
OPERATIONS
There finally is some solid movement on the multiplayer optimization front. Over the past weeks our programmers, David "Dwarden" Foltyn, and several community admins tested the new build quite a bit. They are already reporting significant performance increases, as well as better load-balancing on CPU cores. There has also been a fix to make (dedicated) headless clients function again on passworded servers. These improvements are set to arrive with the next update (version 1.10 - both the main game and servers).
In December we released the first version of the Arma 3 Server for Linux (as well as Windows). Our programmers would like your feedback on using the Linux server specifically in this forums thread. Thanks!
LOGISTICS
In case you are experiencing difficulties running the Arma 3 Server tool, please try the following two steps:
Make sure the steam_appid.txt in the installation folder contains value 107410. Unfortunately the Steam client currently automatically changes this to 233780 with every update of the app. We're trying to solve this with Valve. Add -mod= to your shortcut for running arma3server.exe (to ensure it will load the correct add-ons, i.e. not those from the main game installation).
To also repeat a general tip that may help performance for any Arma 3 player: run file verification in the Steam client for Arma 3, and defragment non-SSD storage.The University of Queensland in Australia is taking legal action to block the release of data used by one of its scientists to come up with the oft-quoted statistic that 97 percent of climate scientists agree that mankind is causing global warming.
Since coming out with this figure last year, climate scientist John Cook of the University of Queensland’s Global Change Institute has been under fire for the methodology he used.
“Our analysis indicates that the number of papers rejecting the consensus on [anthropogenic global warming] is a vanishingly small proportion of the published research,’’ Cook and his fellow authors wrote in their study which was published in the journal Environmental Research Letters last year.
The university has told climate skeptic blogger Brandon Schollenberger that the data on the study he possesses was illegally obtained and they would take legal action against him if he published it.
“UQ has therefore published all data relating to the paper that is of any scientific value to the wider community,” said Queensland’s acting pro-vice-chancellor Alastair McEwan.
“UQ withheld only data that could identify research participants who took part in the research on condition of anonymity,” McEwan added. “Such conditions are not uncommon in academic research, and any breach of confidentiality could deter people from participating in valuable research in the future.”
McEwan said that all the data Cook used to come up with his “97 percent” consensus was published on his blog SkepticalScience.com. The school says it wants to protect the privacy of those surveyed in Cook’s research.
“That’s right. The University of Queensland sent me a threatening letter which threatens me further if I show anyone that letter,” Schollenberger wrote on his blog Thursday. “Confusing, no? It gets stranger. Along with its threats, the University of Queensland included demands.”
“According to it, I’m not just prevented from disclosing any of the ‘intellectual property’ (IP) I’ve gained access to,” Schollenberger added. “I’m prevented from even doing anything which involves using the data. That means I can’t discuss the data. I can’t perform analyses on it. I can’t share anything about it with you.”
“Apparently I badgered Cook too much. I tried too hard to get him to do his duty and try to protect his subjects’ privacy. The University of Queensland needs me to stop. If I don’t, they’ll sue me,” he said.
Cook’s paper has been touted by environmentalists and the Obama administration as evidence that virtually all scientists agree that global warming is a man-made threat.
“Ninety-seven percent of scientists, including, by the way, some who originally disputed the data, have now put that to rest,” President Obama said last year announcing his climate plan. “They’ve acknowledged the planet is warming and human activity is contributing to it.”
But Cook’s 97 percent consensus claim was rebutted in subsequent analyses of his study. A paper by five leading climatologists published in the journal Science and Education last year found that Cook’s study misrepresented the views of most consensus scientists.
The definition Cook used to get his consensus was weak, the climatologists said. Only 41 out of the 11,944 published climate studies examined by Cook explicitly stated that mankind caused most of the warming since 1950 — meaning the actual consensus is 0.3 percent.
“It is astonishing that any journal could have published a paper claiming a 97% climate consensus when on the authors’ own analysis the true consensus was well below 1%,” said Dr. David Legates, a geology professor at the University of Delaware and the study’s lead author.
Queensland’s legal fight with Schollenberger comes while UK news outlets are reporting that one of the world’s top scientific journals rejected a study from five climate scientists for political reasons.
The UK Times reported that a reviewer with the journal Environmental Research Letters rejected the study because it was “harmful” to the climate cause because it “opens the door for oversimplified claims of ‘errors’ and worse from the climate skeptics media side.”
“The problem we now have in the climate community is that some scientists are mixing up their scientific role with that of a climate activist,” Lennart Bengtsson, a research fellow at the University of Reading, told the Times.
Bengtsson was one of the study’s authors and recently joined the camp of scientists skeptical of global warming.
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Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected] dynamic programming table only has 2 rows. I finally figured out what it looked like thanks to this fantastic example on wikipedia here (don't read the code). The gif towards the end is a perfect depiction of the table.
The way it looks is actually very simple and can be summed up at this: For each state (such as ill or healthy in the linked example) you only care about which previous state is the most probable. If you're picking a state that isn't the same as your current state then you have to multiply it by the odds of changing state.
For a quick example imaging you know all the probabilities for how feeling "dizzy, cold, and good" all map to "healthy or sick". Then a patient comes in one day as good, and the next as dizzy. The table would first look at the first day and fill in the probability for both the "healthy" row, and the "sick" row. The healthy row would have a much higher probability. Then the table would go to the next day and fill in each row.
For the healthy row the table would say to itself "hm, on the previous day healthy was much more likely than sick, and if I pick sick I have to further reduce the odds by multiplying by the the odds of transitioning, so I'll pick healthy". And for the sick row it would say "well, the odds of healthy yesterday outweigh the odds of sick, even after I multiply it by the transitioning odds, so I'll pick that.".
And That's all there is to it! Here's what that would look like in table form:
Healthy row: [day1: high chance of healthy because patient felt good], [day2: patient felt dizzy, low chance of healthy. Previous day was probably healthy, and no transition was made]
Sick row: [day1: low chance of sick, because patient felt good], [day2: high chance of sick, previous day was probably healthy, even though we have to factor in odds of transitioning]
And so the most probable case is healthy day1, sick day2.Women have fought for decades to be treated as men's equals. Yet today's girls are being told that female empowerment simply comes from being'sexy', according to a new book by the managing editor of the Harvard Law Review.
In Prude: How The Sex-Obsessed Culture Damages Girls, Carol Platt Liebau says popular culture is undermining girls' sense of worth in their most vulnerable, formative years and glorifying destructive behaviour.
'The overwhelming lesson teenagers are now learning from the world around them is that being "sexy" is the ultimate accolade, trumping intelligence, character and all other accomplishments at every stage of a woman's life,' said Liebau, a political analyst and the review's first female managing editor. 'The new female imperative is that it is only through promiscuity and sexual aggression that girls can achieve admiration and recognition.' She cites films such as Cruel Intentions and Mean Girls, the music and videos of Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Lil' Kim, and advertisements such as the dominatrix-themed campaign for the teenage fashion house bebe, featuring Mischa Barton. 'In a culture that celebrates Paris Hilton, thong underwear and songs like "My Humps" - where the female singer expounds the sexual magnetism of her breasts and buttocks - there's scant recognition or respect for female modesty or achievement that isn't coupled with sex appeal,' she adds.
'Girls are being led to believe they're in control when it comes to sexual relationships,' she continues. 'But they're actually living in a profoundly anti-feminist landscape where girls compete for attention on the basis of how much they are sexually willing to do for the boys.' Liebau's book has won support from feminists, including Ariel Levy, whose book Female Chauvinist Pigs denounced what Levy termed a 'raunch culture' that, she said, compels young women to 'compete to look like slags and sluts'. Although Levy was writing about women older than those concerning Liebau, she agrees that the age at which girls are being influenced by the raunch culture is falling. 'Even young girls are the willing, active and conscious participants in a tawdry, tarty, cartoon-like version of female sexuality,' she says.
In Prude, to be published in Britain by Centre Street Books this month, Liebau questions how society has created a climate in which being raunchy is believed to make girls look cool and in which being called a'slut' is considered preferable to being labelled a 'prude'. 'By most measures, young women have never had it better. Given the breathtaking opportunities before them and the magnificent advantages they enjoy, it seems Western society has treated young girls with enormous generosity. And in many ways, it has. But not all the changes have been to the good,' she adds. 'Today girls are forced to navigate a minefield more challenging, difficult and pressure-filled than ever before when it comes to sex. Somehow, as society has been revelling the ubiquity of sex, the very real psychological, emotional and physical impact on young girls of giving too much, too soon, has been discounted,' she said.
Michele Elliott, director of the children's charity Kidscape, agrees. She has launched a campaign against the toy makers responsible for items including a junior pole-dancing kit, thongs for young girls emblazoned with the phrase 'Eye candy' and stationery sets stamped with the bunny logo of Hugh Hefner's Playboy empire.
In her book, Liebau charts how the same 'creeping sexualising' of young girls is endemic across a mass media which, she says, constitutes the main source of information about sex for 13 to 15-year-olds. 'Over the last few decades, the West has experienced an incremental but aggressive sexualising of its culture,' she says. 'Today there exists a status quo in which almost everything seems focused on what's going on "below the waist".'
Although her book has yet to be published in Britain, Liebau is keen to deflect any accusations of prudishness. 'This is about far more than short-term sexual mores,' she says. 'Living in an overly sexualised culture takes a toll on girls. The emphasis on sexiness, revealing fashions and the overvaluing of physical appeal creates pressure to measure up to bone-slim models or celebrities and leads to unrealistic expectations among young women about how their own bodies should actually look.'UPDATE: Tarantino revealed that one character in The Hateful Eight is related to someone in another of his films. We worked out who it is.
Fans have speculated for years over the hyper-violent universe that Quentin Tarantino’s characters inhabit. After all, we know that Reservoir Dog’s Vic Vega and Pulp Fiction’s Vincent Vega are brothers, and that True Romance’s Lee Donowitz is the son of Inglorious Basterd’s Donnie Donowitz. We also know that they all smoke that same fictitious brand of “Red Apple” cigarettes.
But now, Tarantino himself has finally weighed in on these theories. Speaking to The Project on Monday night, the Hateful Eight director confirmed that his special movie universe is indeed real – and that there’s not only one, but two.
“There is actually two separate universes,” he explained. “There is the realer than real universe, alright, and all the characters inhabit that one. But then there's this movie universe. So From Dusk Till Dawn, Kill Bill, they all take place in this special movie universe. So when all the characters of Reservoir Dogs or Pulp Fiction, when they go to the movies, Kill Bill is what they go to see. From Dusk Till Dawn is what they see.”
Take Pulp Fiction’s Mia Wallace, when she was describing her pilot episode of Fox Force Five. The description she gives to Vincent Vega is basically exactly the same as Kill Bill – which means that this pilot she filmed probably went on to be a film, and that Mia secured the leading role. Make sense?Group bought five Dumbo properties from Witnesses in 2013 for $375M
A group of investors led by Jared Kushner and Aby Rosen are reportedly set to lay out $700 million for two of the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ coveted Brooklyn properties.
Kushner Companies, RFR Realty and LIVWRK are in advanced talks to buy the group’s 733,000-square-foot headquarters at 25-30 Columbia Heights in Downtown Brooklyn, known as the Watchtower, and a 135,000-square-foot right site at 85 Jay Street in Dumbo with 1.1 million square feet of as-of development rights, the New York Post reported.
The same joint venture bought a five-building, 1.2 million-square-foot Dumbo portfolio from the Witnesses in 2013, paying $373 million.
The Witnesses are leaving Brooklyn after a century in the borough, with plans to set up a new headquarters in Warwick, NY.
The group is also shopping a seven-story apartment building at 124 Columbia Heights. Cushman & Wakefield’s Bob Knakal is marketing the properties on the Witnesses’ behalf. [NYP] – Ariel StulbergWhen people think of the animals affected by the oil spill, tragic images of |
, bandwidth usage can become an issue.
Earlier this summer, HubSpot cited issues with Fat JARs as a deployment technique experiencing problems with the maven-shade-plugin, and efficiency problems when packaging 100,000 tiny files as a JAR. They also mentioned a large duplication of dependency JARs stemming from their 1,000 plus applications constantly building and deploying.
They experimented with the maven-dependency-plugin to reduce the bloat, but their efforts didn't reduce the size of the generated build artifacts.
To cure their fat JAR pain, HubSpot created the SlimFast plugin for Maven, which creates a build artifact containing only the specific projects classes. It piggybacks on the deploy phase and uploads all of the application's dependencies to Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) individually. Using this plugin HubSpot reportedly realized 60% faster build times and a 99% increase in storage capacity.
The graph below shows how much faster builds have been for them after using SlimFast.
To learn more about HubSpot's fat JAR issues, InfoQ interviewed Staff Software Engineer Jonathan Haber.
InfoQ: Are the fat JAR problems you experienced mostly due to continuous integration and deployment?
Jonathan Haber: Yes, I think the issues we ran into are largely caused by our style of development. We have lots of small teams pushing code, building, and deploying hundreds of times per day. Because of our small units of build, it would often take longer to create and upload the fat JAR than to actually compile and test the code. On the other hand, if you have a monolith that takes 20+ minutes to build, then the overhead of a fat JAR probably isn't very noticeable. But I think more companies are moving to this faster, lighter style of development and may run into the same challenges.
InfoQ: Do you think alternate packaging techniques like SlimFast provides should be native to frameworks like Spring Boot and Dropwizard?
Haber: Because this approach requires integration with the build and deploy system, my feeling is that it's too opinionated to include in something like Spring Boot or Dropwizard. However, one way to handle this would be to put the SlimFast plugin in a Maven profile activated by an environment variable. That way the build system could indicate that it supports this feature, otherwise it falls back to using a fat JAR.
InfoQ: If cloud providers (e.g. Heroku, CloudFoundry, etc.) adopted a similar technique to reduce duplication of JARs among applications, could they save a lot of money on bandwidth?
Haber: I'm not sure what savings are achievable, but I think it would be possible to use a similar strategy. However, we have the advantage of all of our apps using the same versions for 3rd party libraries and having a huge amount of overlap in terms of libraries used. For cloud providers, their users will depend on a much wider array of libraries across all different versions, so if you wanted to cache dependencies on the application servers it would take up a huge amount of space. But if you didn't, you'd lose out on a lot of the speed/bandwidth savings. That's not to say there aren't savings to be had, I just think the implementation would need to be more sophisticated than our approach. Another issue you run into is that usually these cloud providers are just running Maven with the POM supplied by the user so they don't have much control over the build lifecycle to add these types of optimizations.
InfoQ: Are there any additional improvements you'd like to see in fat JAR applications?On Media Blog Archives Select Date… December, 2015 November, 2015 October, 2015 September, 2015 August, 2015 July, 2015 June, 2015 May, 2015 April, 2015 March, 2015 February, 2015 January, 2015
Time Magazine suspends Fareed Zakaria
Time Magazine has announced that it will suspend columnist Fareed Zakaria following his admission of plagiarism earlier this afternoon.
"TIME accepts Fareed's apology, but what he did violates our own standards for our columnists, which is that their work must not only be factual but original; their views must not only be their own but their words as well," Ali Zelenko, Time's SVP of Communications, said in a statement. "As a result, we are suspending Fareed's column for a month, pending further review."
CNN, where Zakaria hosts a show, has yet to respond to a request for comment regarding Zakaria's admission of plagiarism. (UPDATE: CNN suspends Fareed Zakaria for plagiarism)
(Also on POLITICO: 10 journos caught fabricating)
Earlier this afternoon, Zakaria released a statement in which he admitted to palgiarizing a New Yorker article about the National Rifle Association for his own column about gun laws in the latest issue of Time Magazine. (Full details here.)
"Media reporters have pointed out that paragraphs in my Time column this week bear close similarities to paragraphs in Jill Lepore's essay in the April 22nd issue of The New Yorker. They are right," Zakaria said. "I made a terrible mistake. It is a serious lapse and one that is entirely my fault. I apologize unreservedly to her, to my editors at Time, and to my readers."
The plagiarism charge was first leveled by conservative media watchdog organization Newsbusters, which received the tip from NRANews.com.
UPDATE: CNN has also suspended Fareed Zakaria. The network sends the following statement:
We have reviewed Fareed Zakaria’s TIME column, for which he has apologized. He wrote a shorter blog post on CNN.com on the same issue which included similar unattributed excerpts. That blog post has been removed and CNN has suspended Fareed Zakaria while this matter is under review.Fallout faction overhaul project This article is within the scope of the Fallout faction overhaul project. This project is dedicated to organizing and improving the quality of the various faction pages. If you want to participate, please check the project page
The Tunnel Snakes are the gang of greasers in Vault 101, from 2268—2277.
They wear Grease-style brown leather jackets over their vault suits and have recognizable 1950s haircuts (In game their hair style is called "Tunnel Snake"). The members of the gang are Butch DeLoria, Wally Mack, and Paul Hannon Jr.. The leadership of the gang shifts consistently between Butch and Wally, with Paul following whomever is in charge at the moment. One other Vault resident, Freddie Gomez, desires membership in the "Tunnel Snakes" gang and the gang members approve of Freddie's bullying of his peers. Freddie's father, Officer Gomez, disapproves of his son's association with the gang.
In the late 2260s, the young Butch is actively organizing the gang and recruiting new members. During the Lone Wanderer's tenth birthday, Butch holds an open panel for possible gang names. Wally suggests "Mackers" and "Hell's Overseers"; whereas, Paul suggests "Grease Weasels", "Vaultikins", and "Vault Dwellers". Butch suggests "Vault Rats" and "Vault Snakes". The name "Vault Snakes" was eventually accepted by the gang, and changed to "Tunnel Snakes". A carefully drawn and designed snake is sewn onto the leather surface of the jackets' backs. The snake's body forms the letter 'S'.
6 years later, on August 3, 2274, the gang members are harassing Amata Almodovar near the classroom. They are chiding her for being a daddy's girl and a daughter of the Overseer. Amata is offended and frustrated by the unwanted harassment of the gang members. In this situation, a player's character could chose one of three possible paths. The paths could involve a player's character helping Amata for good karma, helping the "Tunnel Snakes" for bad karma, or simply ignoring it and forcing Amata to resolve the situation herself.
It is later discovered by the Lone Wanderer while accessing the Overseer's computer that the Overseer has used them to harass people in secret in situations where having his security force do so would be undesirable. ("Escape!")
The gang pretty much ended in 2277 when Paul died, Wally left and Butch was the only member left.
The Tunnel Snakes appear in Fallout 3 and are mentioned in Fallout 4.[1]
Behind the scenes [ edit | edit source ]
When Butch DeLoria, Wally Mack and Paul Hannon Jr. discuss the gang´s name during the Lone Wanderer's birthday party, one of the names proposed is "Vault Dwellers", which may be a reference to the main character of Fallout. Also, Butch negatively responds to the name, claiming it to be ridiculous.
Butch and his gang are modeled after 1950s-style juvenile delinquents known as "Greasers", seen in movies like West Side Story, The Wild One, Rebel Without a Cause, as well as later "retro" movies and TV programs that hearken back to the same era.Nostalgic Yankees fans can travel to the post-season games via this blast from the past: The MTA is rolling out its Lo-V (low-voltage) train cars for a trip to Yankee Stadium tomorrow night.
The MTA says that the four-car nostalgia train is "scheduled to leave 42 Street-Grand Central at approximately 7 p.m., arriving at 161 Street-Yankee Stadium about 30 minutes later. The cars, originally operated by the Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT) system, entered service in 1917 and worked into the early 1960s. The train will operate non-stop to 161 St."
You can pick up the train on the northbound express track of the Lexington Avenue line at 42 Street-Grand Central. Unfortunately, Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia won't be at the stadium—he just checked into an alcohol rehabilitation facility. He said in a statement:
Today I am checking myself into an alcohol rehabilitation center to receive the professional care and assistance needed to treat my disease. I love baseball and I love my teammates like brothers, and I am also fully aware that I am leaving at a time when we should all be coming together for one last push toward the World Series. It hurts me deeply to do this now, but I owe it to myself and to my family to get myself right. I want to take control of my disease, and I want to be a better man, father and player. I want to thank the New York Yankees organization for their encouragement and understanding. Their support gives me great strength and has allowed me to move forward with this decision with a clear mind.
The Yankees will host the Houston Astros tomorrow night. Masahiro Tanaka is pitching.Posted 08 December 2014 - 06:09 PM
Loyalty Point Clarification
Player has aligned to House Kurita for 14 days. This mean they will receive a 15% contract length bonus.
The player will use a Phoenix 'Mech with the Kurita LP Medallion equipped. This means they will get a 10% bonus (for the 'Mech) and 2.5% bonus for the Kurita LP Medallion.
The player has Premium Time enabled.
Loyalty Point Rewards
There was some confusion over how LP calculations were summed and bonuses applied. I'll try to clear that up a little.First we need a case study so let's assume the following:There are 2 areas where LP are rewarded. There is the Match Contract Reward... and the In-Game Performance Rewards.Prior to launching into a match... all players will be informed of how many LP they will gain from their faction if they win the match. No rewards are given at this point... players are just notified of potential earnings.During the match, activity kickers will reward players with LP. Things like Kills and Assists will give LP rewards per occurrence. The table of kickers was in my last CW update.At the end of the match, the total LP provided by these kickers is sub-totaled and the bonuses are then applied to this sub-total one at a time.The image below should make it much clearer on what his happening:Due to some issues that have arisen, we will be scaling back the LP rewards at the launch of CW Phase 2. This is a temporary setback as the issues will be addressed in Q1 2015. The problem lies in our ability to award packages of multiple items on a single redemption call to the database.What this means is that when you unlock a rank in Community Warfare Phase 2 with Loyalty Points, you will get an achievement and a representative amount of C-Bills. There are more rewards that we want to give you but we cannot get this functionality into the build while trying to harden the current CW build of the game. The reward table includes C-Bills, Titles, GXP, Mech Bays, Cockpit Items and even MC.When we address the above mentioned issue, we will retroactively inject your rewards directly into your account. I will include the PDF of the current reward table here.The fix required for this also allows us to add more depth and freedoms as to what can be awarded including some long standing ideas such as Faction discounts on 'Mechs or equipment, Faction decals or perhaps some 'Mechs as well. Basically what I'm trying to say here is that the LP reward table will not be the end target for LP rewards.Time Play SJ DET 0:00 Start of 1st period 0:00 Mike Modano won faceoff against Patrick Marleau in neutral zone 0:12 Tomas Holmstrom credited with hit on Marc-Edouard Vlasic in offensive zone 0:17 Patrick Marleau shot blocked by Ruslan Salei 0:19 Torrey Mitchell credited with hit on Mike Modano in offensive zone 0:28 Pavel Datsyuk credited with hit on Jason Demers in offensive zone 0:49 Shot on goal by Logan Couture saved by Jimmy Howard(Wristshot 34 ft) 0 0 0:55 Stoppage - Icing 0:55 Kyle Wellwood won faceoff against Henrik Zetterberg in offensive zone 1:03 Shot missed by Joe Pavelski, Wide of Net(Backhand 20 ft) 0 0 1:04 Douglas Murray credited with hit on Dan Cleary in offensive zone 1:31 Justin Abdelkader credited with hit on Niclas Wallin in offensive zone 1:37 Takeaway by Jiri Hudler in neutral zone 1:47 Niclas Wallin credited with hit on Valtteri Filppula in defensive zone 1:56 Shot on goal by Valtteri Filppula saved by Antti Niemi(Wristshot 11 ft) 0 0 2:03 Takeaway by Brian Rafalski in neutral zone 2:19 Stoppage - Icing 2:19 Patrick Marleau won faceoff against Mike Modano in defensive zone 2:33 Patrick Marleau credited with hit on Mike Modano in defensive zone 3:21 Takeaway by Henrik Zetterberg in neutral zone 3:27 Devin Setoguchi credited with hit on Todd Bertuzzi in offensive zone 3:40 Devin Setoguchi credited with hit on Todd Bertuzzi in defensive zone 3:45 Douglas Murray credited with hit on Dan Cleary in defensive zone 3:59 penalty to Dan Boyle 2 minutes for Holding Todd Bertuzzi 3:59 Patrick Marleau won faceoff against Henrik Zetterberg in defensive zone 4:27 Niclas Wallin credited with hit on Henrik Zetterberg in defensive zone 4:31 Giveaway by Nicklas Lidstrom in offensive zone 4:57 Shot on goal by Nicklas Lidstrom saved by Antti Niemi(Slapshot 56 ft) 0 0 4:58 Shot on goal by Henrik Zetterberg saved by Antti Niemi(Wristshot 11 ft) 0 0 5:08 Henrik Zetterberg shot blocked by Patrick Marleau 5:13 Stoppage - Puck in Crowd 5:13 Joe Pavelski won faceoff against Valtteri Filppula in defensive zone 5:41 Mike Modano shot blocked by Joe Pavelski 5:53 Shot on goal by Dan Cleary saved by Antti Niemi(Wristshot 12 ft) 0 0 5:54 Shot on goal by Dan Cleary saved by Antti Niemi(Wristshot 9 ft) 0 0 5:59 Shot on goal by Mike Modano saved by Antti Niemi(Slapshot 57 ft) 0 0 6:19 Giveaway by Douglas Murray in offensive zone 6:35 Darren Helm shot blocked by Dan Boyle 6:38 Douglas Murray credited with hit on Patrick Eaves in defensive zone 6:56 Shot on goal by Drew Miller saved by Antti Niemi(Wristshot 23 ft) 0 0 6:58 Shot on goal by Drew Miller saved by Antti Niemi(Wristshot 14 ft) 0 0 6:59 Stoppage - Goalie Stopped; TV timeout 6:59 Henrik Zetterberg won faceoff against Joe Thornton in offensive zone 7:32 Joe Thornton credited with hit on Dan Cleary in offensive zone 8:02 Mike Modano credited with hit on Dany Heatley in offensive zone 8:14 Shot on goal by Mike Modano saved by Antti Niemi(Wristshot 35 ft) 0 0 8:53 Shot on goal by Valtteri Filppula saved by Antti Niemi(Tip-In 14 ft) 0 0 9:04 Shot missed by Brian Rafalski, Wide of Net(Wristshot 62 ft) 0 0 9:12 Valtteri Filppula shot blocked by Joe Pavelski 9:27 Takeaway by Ben Eager in defensive zone 9:38 Shot missed by Patrick Eaves, Over Net(Snap 38 ft) 0 0 9:58 Shot on goal by Darren Helm saved by Antti Niemi(Wristshot 21 ft) 0 0 10:07 Shot on goal by Ben Eager saved by Jimmy Howard(Slapshot 54 ft) 0 0 10:07 Stoppage - Goalie Stopped; TV timeout 10:07 Henrik Zetterberg won faceoff against Joe Thornton in defensive zone 10:24 Shot on goal by Todd Bertuzzi saved by Antti Niemi(Wristshot 35 ft) 0 0 10:25 Stoppage - Goalie Stopped 10:25 Pavel Datsyuk won faceoff against Joe Pavelski in offensive zone 10:42 Shot on goal by Benn Ferriero saved by Jimmy Howard(Wristshot 10 ft) 0 0 10:42 Stoppage - Goalie Stopped 10:42 Joe Pavelski won faceoff against Valtteri Filppula in offensive zone 10:55 Jason Demers credited with hit on Justin Abdelkader in defensive zone 11:13 penalty to Jiri Hudler 2 minutes for Holding Jason Demers 11:13 penalty to Jason Demers 2 minutes for Elbowing Jiri Hudler 11:13 Valtteri Filppula won faceoff against Patrick Marleau in neutral zone 11:34 Shot on goal by Niklas Kronwall saved by Antti Niemi(Backhand 9 ft) 0 0 11:54 Ruslan Salei credited with hit on Patrick Marleau in defensive zone 12:07 Takeaway by Pavel Datsyuk in defensive zone 12:18 Dan Cleary credited with hit on Dan Boyle in offensive zone 12:26 Shot on goal by Logan Couture saved by Jimmy Howard(Tip-In 9 ft) 0 0 12:31 Logan Couture credited with hit on Dan Cleary in offensive zone 12:40 Shot on goal by Dan Cleary saved by Antti Niemi(Wristshot 9 ft) 0 0 13:07 Todd Bertuzzi shot blocked by Dan Boyle 13:18 Joe Pavelski shot blocked by Brian Rafalski 13:31 Niclas Wallin credited with hit on Darren Helm in defensive zone 13:41 Stoppage - Puck Frozen 13:41 Scott Nichol won faceoff against Valtteri Filppula in defensive zone 13:50 Valtteri Filppula credited with hit on Scott Nichol in defensive zone 14:19 penalty to Niklas Kronwall 2 minutes for Holding Dany Heatley 14:19 Stoppage - ; TV timeout 14:19 Joe Thornton won faceoff against Henrik Zetterberg in offensive zone 14:51 penalty to Devin Setoguchi 2 minutes for Hooking Brad Stuart 14:51 Joe Thornton won faceoff against Pavel Datsyuk in defensive zone 15:05 Pavel Datsyuk credited with hit on Joe Thornton in defensive zone 15:29 Joe Thornton credited with hit on Dan Cleary in defensive zone 15:45 Jonathan Ericsson credited with hit on Dany Heatley in defensive zone 15:48 Shot on goal by Ian White saved by Jimmy Howard(Slapshot 56 ft) 0 0 15:56 Jonathan Ericsson credited with hit on Dany Heatley in defensive zone 16:08 Shot missed by Todd Bertuzzi, Goalpost(Slapshot 59 ft) 0 0 16:30 Shot on goal by Tomas Holmstrom saved by Antti Niemi(Snap 33 ft) 0 0 16:32 Shot on goal by Brian Rafalski saved by Antti Niemi(Slapshot 50 ft) 0 0 16:33 Stoppage - Goalie Stopped 16:33 Henrik Zetterberg won faceoff against Patrick Marleau in offensive zone 17:01 Takeaway by Pavel Datsyuk in neutral zone 17:21 Drew Miller credited with hit on Kyle Wellwood in offensive zone 17:38 Shot on goal by Patrick Eaves saved by Antti Niemi(Snap 42 ft) 0 0 17:45 Ruslan Salei shot blocked by Douglas Murray 17:48 Darren Helm credited with hit on Benn Ferriero in offensive zone 18:05 Jonathan Ericsson credited with hit on Ben Eager in defensive zone 18:07 Shot missed by Jamie McGinn, Wide of Net(Snap 42 ft) 0 0 18:14 Giveaway by Ruslan Salei in defensive zone 18:37 Stoppage - Icing 18:37 Joe Thornton won faceoff against Dan Cleary in offensive zone 18:50 Todd Bertuzzi credited with hit on Joe Thornton in neutral zone 19:02 Brad Stuart credited with hit on Logan Couture in defensive zone 19:09 Stoppage - Icing 19:09 Henrik Zetterberg won faceoff against Joe Pavelski in defensive zone 19:19 Shot on goal by Jonathan Ericsson saved by Antti Niemi(Slapshot 86 ft) 0 0 19:20 Stoppage - Puck in Netting 19:20 Mike Modano won faceoff against Joe Pavelski in offensive zone 19:48 Shot on goal by Douglas Murray saved by Jimmy Howard(Snap 61 ft) 0 0 20:00 End of 1st periodNear the end of Monday’s presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, Trump stood by his oft-contested claim that he opposed invading Iraq in 2003, despite a tape-recorded interview with Howard Stern in 2002 to the contrary. This time, however, he suggested a new source to back up his assertion. “I had numerous conversations with Sean Hannity at Fox,” he told the audience. “He and I used to have arguments about the war. I said it’s a terrible, stupid thing; it’s going to destabilize the Middle East. And that’s exactly what it’s done.” He added: “Nobody wants to call him. Nobody calls Sean Hannity.”
As it happens, I met with Hannity the week before in the office of his radio studio in Midtown Manhattan in the course of reporting a coming article. Hannity told me then what he reiterated in an interview with Trump immediately following the debate — that such conversations did, in fact, occur. “He would watch the TV show and call me, and he and I would go at it over the Iraq war,” Hannity said. “I remember these conversations vividly. I remember saying to him, ‘I agree with you, take the oil! But this is why we need to go into Iraq.’ ”
Given that Hannity was and is a fierce advocate of the Iraq war, and that Trump had no particular political or foreign-policy expertise, I asked him: “Didn’t you ever think to yourself, Why am I spending all this air time having conversations about Iraq with this guy?”
“No, because we kind of hit it off from the beginning,” replied Hannity, who had known Trump for about a decade before the Iraq invasion occurred. He added: “He’s kind of the opposite of a politician who spends a lot of time hiding their flaws. He’s just the opposite. What you see is what you get, and there’s nothing beneath that.”Dear College Student,
There is no such thing as an SEO degree. You can Google it and see some mostly shady results, but — as far as I know — nobody is walking around with a B.A. in SEO.
That doesn’t mean that you can’t go to college and study SEO, though. You just have to get a little creative. My degree reads “B.A. Communication Arts with a focus in journalism,” but I studied and learned Internet marketing during my 4 years in school.
How did I do it? I hustled. I was curious. I tried a bunch of different things and usually failed spectacularly. But I learned a ton.
It’s been a few years since I graduated school and the SEO/Internet marketing fields are bigger than ever. If you want to study SEO in college, this is my advice to you.
Sure, you can read books and learn some about marketing offline, but the web is its own world and you’ve got to master the territory if you want to become a great online marketer. Sitting around on Facebook or simply spending time online isn’t enough, though. You have to become a power user of the web. How? Participate in forums, join Reddit or HN, actively comment on blogs, subscribe to online newspapers, meet photographers on Flickr, beta test new websites, play WoW or Minecraft and be an early adopter of everything. The more stuff you consume online, the better you understand how the web works. You learn how people interact with each other and what drives people to do certain things.
Without even knowing it, you’ll learn a bunch of key SEO and Internet marketing principles by becoming a power user. You’ll witness and help create viral content. You’ll pick up on new trends and see the future of the web before anybody else. You’ll see how bloggers encourage engagement and attract readers. All of these things will give you a huge advantage once you enter the SEO world.
SEO is a huge industry, and it changes rapidly. In order for the online SEO communities to discuss these changes and stay up to date on industry specifics, SEO experts share their thoughts and knowledge on their personal or company blogs. Subscribe to as many as you can and be knowledgeable about what is going on in the world of online marketing.
Know the difference between a 301 and a 404 status code. Knowing the technical jargon used in website optimization can make the transition from student to professional much easier. If nothing else, try to learn a few new SEO terms each week. If you learn enough of them, you can even amp up your resume with select terms when you apply for internships or a job.
It’s important to do more than consume though…you’ve got to create. If you really want to learn how to study SEO in school, start your own websites (yes, that is plural). Definitely start at least one blog because you will have to know how to write for the web if you want to be a great SEO someday. Write about something you are passionate about and see how much traffic you can drive to the blog. Install Google Analytics and monitor how much traffic is generated by referrals, search engines, etc. Be sure to email and interact with other bloggers in your niche. Let them know how much you loved one of their recent posts or that they were an inspiration to you.
I emailed the author of the first blog I ever read way back in 2006 when I decided to start blogging on my own. It’s funny to look back on it now and realize that is what got me started down this career path. I started three sports blogs, one tech blog and one photography blog when I was in college. All but one failed miserably. The one that survived, though, helped me build connections and get links from major newspapers, appear on TV and radio shows, meet a bunch of awesome people and even made enough money for me to afford NFL Sunday Ticket every year. Definitely start a blog!
While you are setting up your blog(s), you would be wise to learn how to code at least a little bit too. I learned a bit of MySQL and PHP while I was in school, but not a day has gone by since I graduated where I haven’t wished I knew more code. Take several CS classes while you are in school. The more code you know, the better. This will give you a huge advantage and make you standout when you are applying for jobs. SEOs who know code are much more well-rounded than those who are clueless when talking with developers. Don’t make the same mistakes that I did.
While many people view social networking sites as resources that exist for entertainment purposes only, it’s important to understand that these sites are highly-useful SEO tools as well. By learning the mechanics of websites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Reddit, StumbleUpon, Digg and Pinterest, you can turn yourself into an encyclopedia of SEO content generation techniques. Social sites can be very helpful in creating brand awareness and promoting a company’s products or services. Never underestimate the power of social media.
Read this, this and this.
Most importantly, don’t let your classes get in the way of your learning. Your professors will hate me for saying it, but if you are going to a liberal arts school, there’s a good chance that you will forget what you ‘learned’ in many of your non-major classes anyway. I had classes in British literature, foreign language, calculus and religion. I remember very little of what I learned in any of them. I thoroughly enjoyed and learned lifelong lessons in my communication and business classes, though, because that is where my passion lied. I spent more than a few nights slacking off on my liberal arts classes while I was blogging, attempting to code or reading new things online. As I’ve written before, I probably learned more in college from anonymous strangers online than I did from many of my tenured professors.
If you are lucky enough to have a few classes at your school about SEO or online marketing, take them. My school’s computer science department is about 10 years behind the curve, but I was fortunate to have a brilliant professor in the business department who taught both an eCommerce and eMarketing class. In eCommerce, we had a competition to see who could rank their page the highest for a made-up keyword. I got my butt kicked. We talked about what makes one eBay listing superior from another. Without even knowing it, I had done my first conversion analysis study.
Speaking of conversion analysis, you’ve got to take at least one design class too. I was and still am incompetent when it comes to design, but CSS knowledge and the psychological impact of design is great for an SEO to have in their toolbox. Also, sign up for several marketing and advertising classes. Everything you learn in those classes ties back into SEO.
And hey, if you do find that you have a knack for designing, great! While keyword research and web traffic analysis plays a huge role in successful SEO, design is a key player as well. Infographics can be a great way to educate online communities about your industry statistics or promote your business’s website, but they have to look incredibly professional and interesting. That’s where design comes in. Designers also have a huge role in making a company’s website user-friendly, a trait that can earn the website more visitors. When potential customers use a site that is easy to navigate and looks nice and clean, they want to come back to it.
And don’t limit your SEO learning to the college semester only. Instead of mowing grass or relaxing over the summer, get an internship. Remember those cool companies you stumbled across while you were browsing the web for hours on end? Apply for an internship at all of them. Email the CEO directly. Stand out. Hustle. I spent two summers doing a couple of unglamorous internships: managing the website for a local radio station and writing for a newspaper. Both were awesome experiences though. I learned a couple new CMSs, saw the (lack of) value many decision makers placed in the web and got to see how small businesses operated from the ground floor.
Regardless of whether or not your passion is in SEO, follow where it leads you. If you love staying up all night just to hack together an awful piece of PHP code, and it makes you sleep through a British literature lecture at 8 a.m., do it. The skills you are passionate about enough to explore and learn by yourself are going to be the same ones you pursue and excel at during your career–not the ones that higher education forces you to study.
If you want to learn SEO in college, stay curious. Don’t let a college curriculum dictate what you can and can’t learn during your years at school. Fail often, learn often. Hustle.
Your friend,
-Trevin
Updated: 8/27/2013 – Added in a few new resources that better reflect the current state of SEO and the Internet marketing indsutry -ts
photo by david gandyVegNews News News Chipotle’s Vegan Sofritas Now Served in All of CA Following the success of the tofu-based option in Northern California, Chipotle patrons in the southern part of the Golden State will also be able to indulge in sofritas. Share this
The fast food Mexican chain Chipotle recently announced that its Southern California locations will serve the new tofu sofritas filling in burritos, tacos, and salads. The sofritas—which are made with organic tofu from Oakland-based company Hodo Soy Beanery, chiles, roasted poblanos, and spices—were first served at Bay Area Chipotle locations earlier this year. The unprecedented popularity of the plant-based option prompted the restaurant to expand sofritas availability to all of Northern California within a few months. “Sofritas is a very different kind of menu item, not just for Chipotle but for any fast food or fast casual restaurant,” says founder and co-CEO, Steve Ells. “It was conceived with vegetarians and vegans in mind, but it’s so delicious that we think it will have crossover appeal as well.” Photo credit: fresnobeehive.com Want more of today’s best plant-based news, recipes, and lifestyle?
Get our award-winning magazine! SubscribeA former New York Times reporter assailed for her incorrect reports about Iraq’s purported weapons of mass destruction is criticizing Julian Assange for being a “bad journalist.”
Judith Miller took on the WikiLeaks founder during an appearance on Fox News Watch Saturday, arguing that Assange was a bad journalist “because he didn’t care at all about attempting to verify the information that he was putting out, or determine whether or not it hurt anyone.”
For many critics of the war in Iraq, that claim is likely to set off irony alarms. Miller has become famous for being the author of a 2002 New York Times article — now debunked — suggesting that Saddam Hussein had an active nuclear weapons program.
“Mr. Hussein’s dogged insistence on pursuing his nuclear ambitions, along with what defectors described in interviews as Iraq’s push to improve and expand Baghdad’s chemical and biological arsenals, have brought Iraq and the United States to the brink of war,” Miller wrote.
Senior Bush administration officials would soon use the article to argue for an invasion of Iraq.
In an article published last week, Salon.com’s Alex Pareene argued that Miller simply parroted what Iraqi exile Ahmed Chalabi had told her.
Lying exile grifter Ahmad Chalabi fed her the worst of the nonsense designed to push America into toppling Saddam Hussein (and giving Iraq to him), and she pushed that nonsense into the newspaper of record. She got everything wrong, and for some insane reason, she remained employed at the Times until 2005, when she negotiated her separation from her longtime professional home.
As the Crooks and Liars blog points out, Miller once defended her reporting with the argument that it is not a journalist’s job to verify — only to report inform readers of what they had been told.
“[M]y job isn’t to assess the government’s information and be an independent intelligence analyst myself. My job is to tell readers of the New York Times what the government thought about Iraq’s arsenal,” she said.
Miller’s career trajectory since leaving the Times in 2005 has had a distinctly rightward bent. She became a contributor for Fox News, before recently joining the conservative magazine Newsmax. Her first article appears in the January, 2011, issue.
Miller made her comment about Assange while arguing that organizations like WikiLeaks are part of the “new journalism” of the digital age.
“This is part of the new journalism,” she said. “Everybody’s just got to get used to it. If you have that much information, most of which is over-classified — if the waste basket in the office is classified, someone’s going to leak it,” she said.
The following video, broadcast on Fox News Jan. 1, 2011, was uploaded to the web by Crooks and Liars.In a move that has stunned the flannel capital of the Southwest, Barley & Board baron Jason Lee purchased the entire municipality of Denton in a move characterized by city council members as “very un-Dave like.” Moreover, the self-crowned Emperor of Harvest House announced that he planned for the entire town to be the set of the fifth Alvin and the Chipmunks movie, Alvin and the Chipmunks: Theo’s Reckoning, with residents contractually obligated to appear as extras at some point. Locals shared their reactions to the unprecedented purchase.
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“God, I knew he was thinking about it, but I didn’t think he’d actually do it,” said Denton Skate Supply employee Melvin Wheels. “One night last week, he burst in right before closing, like he always does, completely trashed and trying to do a front-side grind on the sales counter and falling on his ass, like he ALWAYS does. But this night, after he fell a few times and threw |
. Anonymous was never anyone's personal army, and never stayed on any one topic for very long.
It took Tom Cruise to change all that and give Anonymous a political consciousness. Specifically, Tom Cruise as cringe-worthy Scientologist.
Birth of the 'Moralfags' ————————
A video of a disturbingly manic Cruise leaked out of Scientology in January 2008, and the notably litigious church tried to force hosting services and Gawker to take it down with legal nastygrams.
But the video contained some truly epic lulz, and Anonymous wouldn't let it die. The church's effort to kill it off so enraged Anons they decided to destroy the church itself. By enraged, I mean a pissy kind of laughing and spitting at once. For Anonymous being mad meant wanting to troll the church very hard, but it was never to get serious, because getting serious for Anons meant losing.
To accomplish this op (short for operation), Anons created Project Chanology, which arguably marked both the birth of political consciousness for Anonymous, and the development of its methods of taking mass action.
Destroying the church was going to be aggro funny, as well as require a lot of dancing. Many have wondered since then, were they serious about destroying the church, or was it all a joke?
The answer is yes, and understanding that is vital to understanding Anonymous.
There's no proof that the people that started Project Chanology had any personal beefs against the Church of Scientology beyond their secondhand annoyance at the Church's litigious history and attempted suppression of speech. But probably most importantly, the Church was rampantly guilty of feeding the trolls. (Rule 14)
But Project Chanology was the perfect way for the people who did have a history with Scientology to jump under the wing of the haughty and lulzy collective. Scientology had pursued its detractors with mean spirited ruthlessness, delving into critic's personal lives, following them with investigators and ruining their reputations.
Anonymous didn't care. Call them rapists, and they'd laughingly tell you they were child rapists. Accuse them of any crime, and they could point to worse on /b/. Anonymity and the 'words will never hurt me' ethic that arose out of the aesthetic of extremes on 4chan made them immune to the Church's arsenal.
But some existing Anons, and the ones that came in from the community of Scientology detractors, really cared about winning this one. They wanted to be the good guys and Scientology to play the bad guys. The Church, they reasoned, hurt people, took their money, and lied to them under the guise of being caretakers and teachers.
Anonymous claimed to do all those bad things too, but didn't really, and would never promise to take care of you and teach you, but sometimes did anyway.
As Coleman put it in her study, they were the perfect nemeses. But Anons caring about doing the right thing is about morality, and morality, at least straight morality, is not the lulz. Many veterans saw this as a corruption of the purity of Anonymous – the cancer that was killing /b/.
On February 10, 2008, the "moralfags" took the whole thing to a new level. They set up meeting times and places in cities around the world, bought masks and made signs.
Anons left the internet by the thousands and showed up in front of church locations and Scientology centers around the world, many wearing their new Guy Fawkes masks, V for Vendetta movie merchandise sold by Warner Brothers, to obscure their identities.
They played music and walked around with signs that both accused Scientology of crimes and referenced obscure internet memes. They met each other in meat space for the first time. They partied with their own in front of aghast Scientologists in more than 90 cities.
For the first time, the internet had shown up on the real street, en masse.
And yes, they brought Long Cat.
Coming soon: Part Two: Three Years of Epic Trolling the Church of Scientology, the LOIC, and OpPayback
This post is part of a special series from Quinn Norton, who is embedding with Occupy protestors and going beyond the headlines with Anonymous for Wired.com. For an introduction to the series, read Quinn's description of the project.Eight years of pro-illegal immigrant advocacy by the Obama administration proved to embolden those in the United States illegally.
…to their own detriment, now that there’s a new sheriff in town.
A former University of Connecticut student who calls himself an illegal immigrant has been arrested and charged with 103 counts of criminal mischief after vandalizing several buildings on campus with anti-Trump graffiti, the Hartford Courant reported.
Former UConn student faces 103 charges of vandalism for anti-Trump graffiti https://t.co/6V8k2akztj pic.twitter.com/RZ8cuAHVXQ — Hartford Courant (@hartfordcourant) May 20, 2017
Eric Cruz-Lopez, 22, who signed his defacements under the name “Pest,” confessed to the crime.
“I did the graffiti,” he wrote in his police statement, according to the newspaper. “I am open to entering into a conversation about restitution.”
Cruz-Lopez is an activist with CT Students for a Dream, a left-wing organization that advocates on behalf of illegal immigrants.
Eric Cruz Lopez "We are going to continue organizing and fighting back. We are unapologetic and #heretostay" #undocumentedunafraid pic.twitter.com/ngAJhJUeE8 — C4D #AffordToDream (@CT4aDREAM) March 7, 2017
More from the Courant:
The university spent $4,255 to remove the graffiti and restore each site to its original state, UConn spokeswoman Stephanie Reitz said. Cruz-Lopez was arrested on the charges May 7 and released without having to post bail. UConn police were able to ID Cruz-Lopez through use of surveillance cameras and his UConn swipe card, according to the warrant. Police also installed extra cameras to help them find the vandal.
Police were familiar with Cruz-Lopez because of previous anti-Trump protests he took part in.
One this is certain, he’s not afraid of getting in front of a camera… or two.
Eric Cruz Lopez of Bridgeport, undocumented UConn student,calls for public officials,citizens to "fight" #ctpolitics pic.twitter.com/JOdejFy0yi — Ken Dixon (@KenDixonCT) January 27, 2017
Eric Cruz Lopez – We just got kick out from the Trump Tower. Donald Trump = Racist. He will never change. pic.twitter.com/vJD3svm5oD — United We Dream (@UNITEDWEDREAM) August 25, 2016Israel's education minister has banned a group of anti-war veterans from engaging with schools, accusing them of spreading "lies and incitement".
Naftali Bennett on Tuesday ordered that his ministry's guidelines be updated to prevent "organisations that incite against Israeli soldiers, such as Breaking the Silence," to hold activities within the educational system.
"Our children are sent to the educational system where mutual responsibility is encouraged in them, not harming Israeli soldiers," Bennett said in a statement.
"Breaking the Silence's actions cause Israel to be tarnished in the world, their goal being to harm their brothers, who protect us," he said. "Lies and incitement won't be accepted in our schools."
Breaking the Silence members publicise abuses they have seen or taken part in during their military service in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Critics say its focus on audiences outside of Israel and the foreign funding it receives show it strives to impose external intervention on Israeli society, rather than to work for a change from within.
Bennett said Breaking the Silence caused Israel to be shunned abroad (AFP)
Breaking the Silence recently made headlines after President Reuven Rivlin came under fire for speaking at a panel including a member of the group.
Rivlin later said he "never meant to participate in a Breaking the Silence conference," stressing that the army was "the most moral army in the world".
On Sunday, Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon announced he was barring Breaking the Silence from any activities with soldiers.
The organisation said on Monday it was "under attack through a pre-meditated campaign" by "members of the extreme right-wing, including Israeli parliamentarians and elected officials, along with public figures and right-wing organisations" seeking "to silence both us".
Meanwhile, a right-wing NGO launched a campaign on Tuesday against Breaking the Silence and other groups critical of Israel or supportive of Palestinians that receive funding from foreign governments.
Im Tirzu posted a video accusing members of four groups who receive funding from Germany, Norway, the Netherlands and the EU of being "foreign agents," attempting to garner public support for legislation that would outlaw the NGOs.
A bill proposed by Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked of Bennett's far-right Jewish Home party would force NGOs receiving funding from foreign governments to declare it as well as mark all documents when presenting them to parliamentarians, and wear identification badges in parliament.
Shaked saying its goal was to increase "transparency" in the light of the "blatant interference in internal Israeli affairs by foreign governments".Share. NIS’ famous strategy-RPG franchise is jumping to next-gen. NIS’ famous strategy-RPG franchise is jumping to next-gen.
At Sony’s pre-TGS press conference today, Disgaea 5 was revealed. It will be coming to PlayStation 4 in 2015.
Unfortunately, little else is known about Disgaea 5 at the present time. The game was confirmed to be in development as far back as early 2012, and many assumed it would ultimately be a PlayStation 3 or PlayStation Vita game, with NIS noting that it intended to continue focusing on those platforms.
Exit Theatre Mode
Disgaea 5 will be the first game in the core Disgaea series since Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten launched on PS3 in 2011, a game we really enjoyed. It recently migrated to PlayStation Vita in the form of Disgaea 4: A Promise Revisited; we hope to have a review of that up soon.
In the meantime, we'll keep you updated with any further developments on Disgaea 5, including confirmation that it will eventually launch in the west.
Colin Moriarty is IGN’s Senior Editor. You can follow him on Twitter.From the entry-level NEX-3 to the pro-level NEX-7, Sony's made a name for itself cramming big sensors into small camera bodies. The company's doing it again this week, but with a slightly different tack: it's fused the body of a DSLR with the sensor, control setup, and lens options of a mirrorless camera. The new Alpha A3000 comes with a 20.1-megapixel APS-C sensor, an electronic viewfinder, 1080p video shooting at 60 or 24 frames per second, and a dozen or so picture filters and effects, and an E-mount. So far, so NEX.
The body of a DSLR, the innards of a NEX
But the A3000 looks much more like a shrunken DSLR, with a roomy grip for your right hand, a mode dial on top, a hotshoe, and buttons and dials everywhere. It's smaller than most DSLRs but obviously still larger than most mirrorless cameras, and it's quite comfortable; I found it easier to hold in one hand than any NEX camera I've used. This camera is Sony's attempt to blur the line between mirrorless camera and DSLR, and do it at a price that'll make any DSLR shopper look twice: $399.99 with a black 18-55mm kit lens. It's very much an entry-level camera, with few bells or whistles to speak of, but thanks to its E-mount compatibility it offers some growing power — and a cheap way to look like a pro holding a DSLR.
Sony's not ignoring the traditional NEX lineup, though: it's introduced the new NEX-5T, which is all about bells and whistles. The $699 camera isn't fundamentally that different from the NEX-5R, but it adds NFC: that allows one-touch connection between the NEX-5T and your smartphone or your computer. Given our past experience with Sony's camera Wi-Fi, that may not be a frequently-used feature, though we've liked the ability to use your phone as a remote viewfinder and shutter button. The 5T keeps the same sensor, same fast hybrid autofocus, and even most of the same fit and finish as the last model — but since it comes with Sony's new, smaller power zoom 16-50mm kit lens, it's a noticeably smaller footprint. We liked the NEX-5R, and though the 5T doesn't reinvent the wheel it's a nice upgrade.
Both cameras will be available in late September, along with three new E-mount lenses. They probably won't upstage the NEX-6 as our favorite of Sony's mirrorless cameras, but at far cheaper prices they probably don't need to.As the official overseeing the U.S. government’s efforts to track terrorist and illicit money flows, I’m often asked about the novel or obscure ways that criminals or terrorists move money. In the years after the 9/11 attacks, questions often focused on hawala transfers. Today, people ask me about virtual currencies like bitcoin and the dark net.
But there is a money laundering method that is less exotic yet every bit as dangerous: shell companies incorporated in the United States.
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It does not need to be this way. Congress could close this loophole by passing a simple, two-page law requiring the beneficial owner of a company to be identified whenever a U.S. company is formed. Treasury submitted a legislative proposal to Congress last month that provides a framework for closing this loophole once and for all.
With every threat that we track, be it foreign terrorists, narcotics cartels, sanctioned regimes or cyber hackers, our investigators encounter American shell companies used to hide and move money. Consider the notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout, the alleged model for the movie “Lord of War,” who sold weapons to butchers and terrorists from Africa to the Balkans. Bout didn’t move his arms here, but this Soviet arms merchant moved his blood money through companies established in Florida, Texas and Delaware. A loophole in our financial system allowed for this secrecy, and it took years to uncover the full money trail.
Delaware is well-known for its incorporation businesses, but it’s no worse than any other state in this regard. With about $100 and 20 minutes, you can go to a U.S. state’s website and form a company without disclosing the name of the person who will own or control it. Professional incorporation agents set up hundreds or even thousands of these companies and then sell them, in some cases to those looking to move money surreptitiously. Criminals have learned that American companies have an easier time obtaining bank accounts, and so they incorporate here in large numbers. The result is that our financial investigators often come across U.S. shell companies in their money hunts — and that may be where the trail ends.
Anonymity isn’t sold by a back-alley check casher or hawaladar in these cases; it’s provided in the open by state incorporation offices. This gives U.S. shell companies the dubious distinction of being the only money laundering method where secrecy is provided by a government entity.
Stopping terrorist financing and money laundering are bipartisan issues, and Congress’s support for the work of my office is broad and deep. But when legislators have tried over the years to pass laws similar to the one recently proposed by Treasury, interested stakeholders have defeated the bills every time. This is simply unacceptable.
In the meantime, to mitigate the threat, the Treasury Department issued a rule that will require U.S. banks opening accounts for a company to obtain and verify the identity of the company’s beneficial owner. That will help with companies that choose to bank here, but it won’t stop criminals who use U.S. front and shell companies to open bank accounts abroad. And the burden for disclosing the true owners of companies should fall primarily on those incorporating the companies in the first place. To set this right will take an act of Congress.
In most respects, the U.S. is the envy of the world when it comes to our anti-money laundering system. By fixing our shell company problem, Congress would close a loophole that has allowed billions of dollars to flow with anonymity and safeguard the reputation of the United States as the best and safest place to do business on Earth.
Szubin is acting undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence at the Department of the Treasury.Seeing all the negativity on twitter, on Facebook and all over the internet about how the Vancouver Canucks are done as dinner. It may be a truth, but it is not yet so. Until it’s final that the Vancouver Canucks are no longer part of the playoff race, I choose to remain faithful and believe in them. I decided to make my own hockey prayer of the Apostles’ Creed and call it the Canucks Creed.
Canucks Creed
I believe in hockey gods,Lord Stanley almighty,
Creator of the cherished cup,and in Captain Hank,
our only voice, our leaderwho was conceived with a twin spirit, Danielborn of the Swedish viking,
suffered under Dustin Brown’s hit|
was knocked down; winded and weary;
he descended to the ice;
in the same period he rose again from the hit;
he then ascended into a 3:20 minute shift,
I believe Cory or Luongo, neither will falter,
although it is 0-3 is how the Kings have led
I believe in the hockey spirit,the shot of Sami Salo,
the determination of Kelser,the speed of Jannik Hansen,
the resurrection of my team,
and the cup dream everlasting.
Amen
The boys are yet to be eliminated. It could be tonight, it could be next week, or maybe it could be never this season. I refuse to concede defeat when the last battle has not yet to take place. I ask you all to join me in ‘prayer’ and keep the faith. It may be a last ditch effort, but it is our duty as Canucks fans to believe, keep faith, and hope for the dream to stay alive.
GO CANUCKS GO!
Justine Galo
twitter: @Aviewfromabroad
Be social and share!
89 Google+ 0 Tumblr 0 Linkedin StumbleUpon 0 Reddit 5 email PrintHome Daily News Supreme Court overturns 9th Circuit 'provocation…
U.S. Supreme Court
Supreme Court overturns 9th Circuit 'provocation rule' that expanded police liability
The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned a “provocation rule” developed by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that gave victims of police shootings an additional route to sue for alleged excessive force.
Justice Samuel Anthony Alito Jr. wrote the opinion (PDF) for a unanimous court. Justice Neil M. Gorsuch didn’t participate in the case.
The rule had held that police who use force not deemed excessive may be liable nonetheless because they provoked the victims to respond in a way that makes officers reasonably fear for their safety. Under the rule, the provocation had to be a separate Fourth Amendment violation.
The rule “provides a novel and unsupported path to liability” and is incompatible with the court’s excessive force jurisprudence, Alito wrote. “The rule’s fundamental flaw is that it uses another constitutional violation to manufacture an excessive force claim where one would not otherwise exist.” Instead, Alito said, such cases should be resolved using a proximate cause analysis.
Alito ruled in a case brought against Los Angeles County and two of its deputies. The two plaintiffs had been living in a shack when they were shot by police who raided the structure—without a warrant and without knocking—while looking for a wanted parolee.
Angel Mendez had a BB gun to kill rats, and he was holding it when the officers entered. Both officers opened fire, seriously wounding Mendez and his pregnant companion, a woman he later married. Mendez and his wife were awarded $4 million in damages.
Alito noted that the provocation rule may be motivated by the notion that it is important to hold police officers liable for the foreseeable consequences of their constitutional torts.
“However, there is no need to distort the excessive force inquiry in order to accomplish this objective,” Alito said. “To the contrary, both parties accept the principle that plaintiffs can—subject to qualified immunity—generally recover damages that are proximately caused by any Fourth Amendment violation.”
If the plaintiffs in the case before the court can’t recover on their excessive force claim, they still might be able to recover for injuries proximately caused by the warrantless entry, Alito said.
Alito said the issue should be revisited on remand.
The case is Los Angeles County v. Mendez.
Related article:
ABAJournal.com: “Supreme Court accepts police shooting case involving 9th Circuit’s ‘provocation’ rule”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
Nearly £3m will be spent on flood alleviation in Barry, the Welsh Government has announced, which will work to reduce risks for residents in 205 homes and three schools.
The £2.9m scheme, which is expected to save an estimated £50m of damages, will work to help houses in Barry that have a history of flooding problems around the Coldcrook watercourse and drainage systems.
In July 2007, more than 100 properties in the area were affected by intense rainfall, which the drainage systems in place were unable to cope with.
While £2.1m of the funding is coming from the Welsh Government, the European Regional Development is contributing £113,000, and £302,000 will come from Natural Resources Wales. The remainder of the £2.9m will be paid by the Vale of Glamorgan council.
(Image: Malcolm Morgan)
Funds to be spent on variety of jobs
The watercourse in question begins in Colcot and flows through Gibbonsdown, Cadoxton and Palmerston before discharging into the Bigis Moors drainage system.
The funds will be spent on jobs including repairing damaged sections, widening channels, clearing debris and creating a flood storage area to hold back the peak of a flood.
Related: Rhoose Point housing scheme given go-ahead despite opponents' flooding fears
Carl Sargeant, natural resources minister, said: “I am delighted to announce this funding to protect people, homes, schools and communities in Barry, which forms part of more than £24m Welsh Government capital grant aid available in 2015/16 to support flood and coastal risk management improvement schemes and projects.
“Over the lifetime of this Government we are investing over £245m in flood and coastal risk management. This has been supported by almost £50m from the European regional development fund. We are continuously working to further improve our preparedness, resilience and response to events such as flooding.”
Darren Walsh, flood risk manager for Natural Resources Wales, said: “We can’t always prevent flooding from happening, but where we can, we’ll take action to reduce the risk to people’s homes and businesses. This scheme is an excellent example of how various flood authorities can work together to come up with effective solutions to managing flood risk. We hope the scheme continues to provide peace of mind for the people who live and work in the Barry area.”Leaving out that aspect of the issue is partly why, when it comes to jobs and pay, the Democrats’ new ideas go off the rails. When news of the agenda leaked late last week, the slogan for the whole package was “Better Skills, Better Jobs, Better Wages.” Echoes of Papa John’s aside, the prioritizing of skills as the key to unlocking opportunity stands in opposition to how Democrats are describing the economy.
In Monday’s document, “better skills” was dropped in favor of “Better Jobs, Better Wages, Better Future.” Yet the idea that Americans need to level up to get ahead hasn’t been scratched out. Schumer promised that Democrats are “going to provide workers with the tools they need for the 21st-century economy,” which implies that workers are struggling because they don’t have the right tools. “It’s far too common that Americans who are eager to work hard and earn a good living are left behind because they don’t have the skills needed to compete in a changing economy,” the Democrats’ document states, arguing that a “decline in skills development has resulted in job insecurity for workers and a lack of qualified labor for American businesses.”
Democrats put much of the onus on workers themselves, not on the system that isn’t working in their favor.
To address this, Democrats are calling for a doubling of federal spending on apprenticeship programs and a new tax credit for employers to train and then hire workers at a good wage. They are also encouraging businesses to partner with high schools and community colleges to improve recent graduates’ access to employer networks.
Thus Democrats put much of the onus on workers themselves, not on the system that isn’t working in their favor. If the whole game is rigged, as Schumer says it is, why should Americans get better at swinging the bat or kicking the ball? Corporations will still ensure that the final score is skewed in their favor: lower pay for workers and a bigger slice of profits for shareholders. Not to mention that there is limited, if any, evidence that the reason companies aren’t hiring more workers is because there aren’t enough people with the necessary skills.
Americans know that they need to keep improving their own skills to keep up with their jobs. But they don’t want the government to prioritize helping them with it. Perhaps it’s because they realize it’s not an answer to the systemic issues they face. Government should be focused on creating an equitable system so everyone has a real chance.
In a different section, the Democrats’ agenda makes a bold promise to create 15 million good paying jobs through an infrastructure program, as well as to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour so that people are paid better in the work they already have. Cracking down on bosses who have grabbed so much economic power that they don’t have to raise wages or create jobs, and then pledging to increase jobs and wages directly, go a long way toward directly addressing the economic pain Americans have been feeling for decades. It’s too bad Democrats had to muddy this message with concern trolling about a lack of skills.In recent years, social change has made its way mainstream. No longer are only a select few dedicated people or groups shining necessary lights on worldwide issues of injustice and inequality, but rather a heightened sense of social consciousness has taken hold of populations on a global scale. Plain and simple, positive social change is becoming increasingly inherent to both the way we think and the way we choose to live our lives.
In order to better understand this growing movement, Walden University focused its 2014 Social Change Impact Report on people’s perceptions of the impact of their engagement in positive social change, surveying adults across Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, India, Jordan, Mexico, and the United States.
While the study finds that the younger generation is widely believed to be more passionate about social change, it also shows that young adults look to their older counterparts to share their knowledge and experience within that sphere. Joshua Neuman, GOOD’s editorial director and curator of the annual GOOD 100, a globetrotting list of impressive individuals enacting social change on both local and global levels, points out that action is being taken by people from a diverse array of ages. “Though a millennial spirit seems to infuse this social movement, its demographics are actually multi-generational,” he says. Overall, in 2014, most adults (82 percent, on average, of all individuals polled) reported having participated in some sort of positive action toward social change in the past six months, whether it be utilizing digital technology to spread messages or donating goods, money or their services. Yet, it’s the case in several countries—like Brazil, China, Germany and the United States—where young millennials (18- to 24-year-olds) view their elders as less open to trying new ideas, and their younger peers as being more passionate about enacting change. Countries with younger populations—like India, Jordan, China, Brazil and Mexico—tend to lean more heavily on the belief that young adults’ involvement in positive social change is on the rise. In particular, this younger generation has zeroed in on the environment as one of the causes they champion the most, citing that action on this issue in other parts of the world will certainly have ramifications in their own respective countries.
The gap between ‘acting’ and ‘thinking’ has closed. We now experience a global dimension to our local actions.
Beyond environmental issues, though, social change agents around the world view their actions as interconnected and impactful on a global scale, with previous Social Change Impact Report studies showing that adults believe their efforts have some sort of ripple effect. “In the ‘90s, there was a phrase, ‘Act Local, Think Global,’ which summed up the social impact impulse of the day,” says Neuman. “But, for a millennial generation raised on the internet, the gap between ‘acting’ and ‘thinking’ has closed. We now experience a global dimension to our local actions.”
According to the study, half of adults think their efforts on behalf of local and global issues are having substantial impact, in regards to improving the lives of individuals in their communities as well as contributing towards the larger goal of creating a better world for the global population. Additionally, people also report believing they’re helping to influence the attitudes and actions of others in regards to improving people’s lives.
“At Walden University, we believe that knowledge is most powerful when put to use for the greater good,” says Dr. Baum. “It’s a guiding principle that we take seriously and have since our founding in 1970, because higher education institutions should play an important role in fostering and sustaining positive social change by preparing change agents with the skills and knowledge to make a difference in their communities and around the world.”
In this age of increased connectivity and inclusivity, we are now—more than ever before—part of a global citizenry, where individual efforts can truly be felt on a global scale. Each and every one of us can do more; choose to look ahead, and have a hand in creating a better world for future generations. We can choose to influence our neighbors and peers to dive in and do their part, any part, knowing that each voice matters, each action contributes to a larger, collective effort. We can each have a hand in pushing our world forward together.German leader Angela Merkel was hit by a tomato thrown by a protester attending a pre-election tally in Heidelberg on Tuesday.
The 63-year-old Chancellor came under literal and actual fire from hundreds of protesters voicing their upset over her 'open doors' policy during the 2015 migrant crisis.
Police said two tomatoes were thrown during different parts of the Chancellor's speech with one striking her left hip.
Scroll down for video
At least she's wearing red! German Chancellor Angela Merkel looks at a stain on her jacket after being hit by a tomato during a campaign event at the University Square in Heidelberg
One of her aides was also hit by the flying fruit as the words 'liar' and 'hypocrite' rang in her ears.
The noisy demonstration was fresh evidence that not all votes are guaranteed at the general election on September 24 when she seeks a fourth term in power.
Some 3,000 people were at the rally and those who demonstrated against her were angry at her refugee policies which have seen over a million unvetted immigrants enter the country in the last two years.
'If we made a mistake, then it wasn't in taking in people,'Mrs. Merkel said in defence of her decision to open the doors to migrants in 2015.
'But rather that we didn't pay attention to the fact that people in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Syria didn't have enough to eat, weren't getting an education and put themselves into the hands of people smugglers.'
Brushing it off: Mrs Merkel can be seen wiping off some of the tomato stains on her jacket
Under attack: One of the fruits thrown by a protester hidden in the crowd
Anger: The 63-year-old Chancellor came under fire from hundreds of protesters voicing their upset over her 'open doors' policy during the 2015 migrant crisis
Police spokesman David Faulhaber said today that they are now investigating against persons unknown on suspicion of attempted bodily harm and attempted property damage.
Mrs. Merkel appeared later in the day at a Stuttgart campaign event wearing the same red jacket.
Mrs. Merkel has been heckled during several campaign events, mostly by supporters of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party which has attracted many of her CDU party supporters into its ranks.
Although widely tipped to be returned to power, the AfD is expected to win big in the election and send MPs into the national parliament for the first time. It is already represented in state assemblies.The Associated Press
HONG KONG -- The captain of a Hong Kong commuter ferry that collided with another boat in 2012, killing 39 people, was found guilty of manslaughter on Saturday, local media reported.
A nine-member jury also found Lai Sai-ming guilty of endangering the safety of others at sea, in what was Hong Kong's biggest maritime tragedy in decades, the South China Morning Post newspaper and Radio Television Hong Kong said.
The same jury found the captain of the other, smaller boat, Chow Chi-wai, innocent of manslaughter but guilty of endangering the safety of others at sea. All of those killed, including eight children, and most of the nearly 100 injured in the collision were aboard his boat.
The two captains had blamed each other for the Oct. 1, 2012, collision, which left this highly organized and overwhelmingly safe southern Chinese city traumatized.
The verdicts came down after a 60-day trial and four days of deliberations.
The manslaughter charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, while endangering safety at sea carries a maximum of four years and a fine of 200,000 Hong Kong dollars ($25,000).
The verdicts were not posted online and Hong Kong High Court clerks could not immediately be reached for comment.
The ferry was heading from Hong Kong Island to the outlying island of Lamma when the collision occurred. The smaller boat, owned by the Hong Kong Electric Co., was taking employees of the company on a harbour excursion to watch the Chinese National Day fireworks display.
Fleets of ferries form the backbone of the city's transportation network, running frequently to outlying islands, the Chinese mainland and the gambling enclave of Macau.
The South China Morning Post quoted the judge in the case, Andrew Bruce, as saying that both captains had been "grossly negligent" in failing to keep a proper lookout and not responding effectively to avoid the collision.Poor behavior by Newton at a news conference is hardly new. He infamously pouted through his interview session after Carolina lost badly to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50.
But this particular incident comes as women are being given bigger roles on sports broadcasts. And Rodrigue, who has been covering the Panthers for The Observer for more than a year, is one of dozens of female beat reporters and columnists currently covering the N.F.L.
Newton, who is returning from off-season shoulder surgery, has led the Panthers to a 3-1 record and is coming off his best game of the season, in which he threw for 316 yards and three touchdowns in a 33-30 victory over the New England Patriots.
In that game, Newton joined in the recent leaguewide protests by raising his left fist after a touchdown, echoing a gesture made famous by civil rights activists in the 1960s.
“It was to signify black power,” Newton told reporters after the game, “but more important, I pray every night for God to give me a pinnacle to give people hope.”
Newton has yet to publicly comment on Wednesday’s incident.Q: Hi, Ira. I have been waiting for the new CBA negotiations to end to ask you this question. I know everybody is talking about trading Goran Dragic, even the fans keep saying that, which doesn't make sense. Why would Pat Riley even consider trading Dragic, when he is earning far less than any player of his caliber? -- Gago, Los Angeles.
A: That is a point I've been making since we found out exactly where these maximum salaries are going, which is to a stratosphere double where Goran stands with his $17 million salary next season. But that also could come down to whether the Heat find a value contract at point guard in the draft, or even better value in free agency (which certainly appears unlikely). That's the thing, it's one thing to talk about an upgrade, but how much of an upgrade is actually out there, and how many upgrades would be at a price point similar to Goran's? Of course, if the Heat believe that Tyler Johnson and Josh Richardson can handle the position over the long run, then addressing other areas would make sense. I don't see that immediate possibility with either Johnson or Richardson. As it is, performances like Friday's from Dragic show that he can put you in position to win against elite talent.
Q: The Heat should have rested players Friday against the Clippers, with winnable games upcoming against the Celtics, Magic and Lakers. Pat Riley should have said something to Erik Spoelstra. -- Matt.
A: Only you don't do that when you're in the Heat's position and not when you have a day off before and a day off after. But that's where the Heat stand these days, with a roster largely incapable of beating the NBA's true elite, be it the Spurs, Cavaliers and now Clippers. It is why giving away those other home games was so painful. But you are correct that there should be greater hope over the final three games of this homestand against the Celtics, Magic and Lakers And if there is to be any realistic playoff hope, this is a homestand that requires a 5-1 record. So you move beyond Friday's game, hope Tyler Johnson is not ill on Sunday against the Celtics, hope Wayne Ellington can make it back with his hamstring (unlikely) and try to maximize the longest homestand of the season.
Q: How can Hassan Whiteside saying the DeAndre Jordan "just catches lobs" not be seen as insulting? -- Lauren.
A: Context. He was saying that's all that DeAndre has to do in a lineup that also features Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and J.J. Redick. In fact, I believe Hassan would it find it anything but insulting if he had to go back to a similar role, with a roster stocked to the point it was when the Heat had Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. And, you know what, pretty much all DeAndre Jordan does is catch lobs. With the re-emergence of the center position, it would not be shocking to see Jordan go from first-team All-NBA to off all three of those teams. Chalk |
and other resources all parliamentary parties are entitled to. And make no mistake: The AfD is a far-right party, whose leaders regularly make openly racist and Islamophobic statements and minimize Nazi crimes and who continually claim they will “take their country back” from its purported enemies.
Here is the problem: A far-right party has achieved substantial support even in Germany, a country with a history that serves as a warning of what the far right can do in power, and a political establishment that has long paid attention to confronting the right. Germany furthermore lacks many of the characteristics commonly associated with far-right populism — the economy is in good shape, the unemployment rate is low, and Germany’s power and prestige are at a historic high. All this says that citizens are more disaffected and populism has greater appeal than many analysts have recognized.
This has wide-reaching consequences
The most worrying trend of all is that beneath the continuity seemingly offered by Merkel’s unprecedented fourth electoral victory, deeply destabilizing forces are reshaping Germany and the rest of Europe. Many within Merkel’s party dislike her pragmatic centrism but lack the power to topple her or move the party to the right. If the election results or an ineffectual post-election coalition weaken Merkel or she decides at some point to step down (she is on track to become Germany’s longest-serving chancellor since Bismarck), divisions between centrists and conservatives in the CDU/CSU might very well explode. This is especially true because she has not cultivated a successor, let alone one with the political skills necessary to keep the CDU/CSU united around a center-right line.
However, it is not just divisions within the CDU/CSU that Merkel’s personal power and popularity might be masking. Distressing attitudinal shifts also have occurred within German society. During the campaign, surveys revealed that up to 40 percent of German voters agreed with the AfD on issues such as immigration and how to deal with Germany’s past. The AfD is really Germany’s only opposition party on these issues, because all the other parties — the CDU/CSU, the SPD, the FDP, the Greens and even Die Linke — agree (with relatively minor variations) on these questions. Many voters who disagree with the CDU/CSU on these issues have stuck with the party anyway because they trust Merkel to safeguard stability and security. But if her popularity diminishes or she should step down, many of these voters might go for far-right (or left) parties, and political instability in the most powerful country in Europe would have immense consequences for the European Union, other European countries and other liberal democracies.
Sheri Berman is a professor of political science at Barnard CollegeCLOSE Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana allows Indianapolis residents to share anonymous tips with law enforcement. Here are a few things Crime Stoppers wants you to know before you call. Wochit
Heaven Henderson and her boyfriend, Jeremy Danowski, were last seen on Dec. 17, 2017. (Photo: Provided by Lapel Police Department)
Authorities in Madison County are searching for a young couple reported missing earlier this week that were last seen in Indianapolis.
Heaven Henderson, 21, and her boyfriend, Jeremy Danowski, 23, were last seen on Dec. 17 by Danowski's mother, according to a news release from the Madison County Sheriff's Department.
Later that day Lapel police found the couple's car parked and locked.
The next day Danowski's father contacted Lapel police, saying his son's phone had last been used near Lapel. Police later searched the car, finding nothing that suggested any foul play, according to the release.
Investigators said Danowski bought a handgun from a gun shop in Indianapolis on Dec. 14.
"Lapel PD and MCSD are exhausting all avenues to locate the couple," the sheriff's department said in the release.
Heaven Henderson and her boyfriend, Jeremy Danowski, were last seen on Dec. 17, 2017. (Photo: Provided by Lapel Police Department)
Police ask that anyone with information regarding the couple's whereabouts call MCSD at (765) 646-9281 or contact Crime Stoppers at (765) 649-8310. Information shared with Crime Stoppers should be considered anonymous.
Call IndyStar reporter Holly Hays at (317) 444-6156. Follow her on Twitter: @hollyvhays.
Read or Share this story: http://indy.st/2Bf2zFNImage copyright Getty Images
With South Korea's biggest shipping company filing for bankruptcy protection, the vessels, sailors and cargo of Hanjin Shipping are stuck in limbo, stranded at sea.
Ports, fearing they will not get paid, refuse to let them dock or unload.
That means the ships are forced to wait for Hanjin, its creditors or partners to find a solution.
It's a case of unprecedented scale, with experts expecting the deadlock to last for weeks, if not months.
"[It is] a major disaster for the shipping companies and for the companies that own the goods in those containers," Greg Knowler, maritime and trade analyst with IHS Markit, told the BBC from Hong Kong.
Read more: Shipping giant Hanjin to enter receivership
Peak season
Not only are ships not allowed to unload, containers waiting to be picked up are also being held back by the ports as collateral over unpaid bills.
And even if the ports did allow them in, Hanjin would probably not as the vessels could expect to be immediately repossessed by the firm's creditors.
Beyond the ships and containers, there is of course the cargo within those containers - in many cases part of a tight chain of supply and delivery.
By September, the global shipping industry is already into what is its busiest time of the year ahead of the Christmas season.
"Just imagine, there are some 540,000 containers with cargo caught up at sea," explains Lars Jensen, chief executive of Sea Intelligence Consulting in Copenhagen.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The cranes are ready but the Christmas merchandise is stuck at sea
That means that a lot of the goods en route to the US are geared at the busy year-end holidays and any disruption will be a major headache for the companies that have entrusted their products into the hauls of the Hanjin freighters.
Who owns what?
Let's break down the somewhat confusing ownership structure at play here.
Hanjin operates partly with its own ships, and partly with vessels it leases from others. So some of the vessels stuck at sea are owned by other companies who now can't get them back and on top of that have to assume they won't get paid for leasing them in the first place.
The containers on board the ships are also not all Hanjin's own. As the company is part of an alliance with five other cargo firms, there will be a mix of containers on each vessel - some belonging to Hanjin, the rest to the other four partners.
And lastly, there are the firms who own the content of the containers, for instance an Asian electronics firm sending its goods to the US market.
Hanjin's bankruptcy is the largest ever to hit the shipping industry so there's no roadmap as to what will happen now, no precedent of comparable scale.
Stuck in ports
There are the containers stuck at ports.
Image copyright Reuters Image caption Countless containers are stuck in ports around the globe
Let's take a container brought from, say, the Philippines to Hong Kong, to then be picked up from there and taken to the US.
Berthing and handling of that cargo at the Hong Kong port costs money. If Hanjin can't pay that, the port will hold on to those containers as collateral until someone will be willing to pay.
A possible solution would be that the companies who own the contents of those containers ask other shipping companies to step in and pick up where Hanjin left off. The cost of this would be immense, and would come on top of anything they had already paid to Hanjin beforehand. Part of it might be covered by insurance but it would still be an extremely costly endeavour.
Stuck at sea
The containers stuck on board the ships are the next problem. While at sea, there is no way to get the cargo off board.
Ships that are only leased by Hanjin could see their actual owner take back control and bring them into a harbour. They would still need to be cleared of their cargo but could then be leased to other companies.
Given that the owners of any leased vessels would probably not want to foot the bill themselves they may try to draft in the four partner lines that have containers on the ship or maybe even the companies whose cargo is inside those containers.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Hanjin's bankruptcy is the largest ever to hit the shipping industry
The ships owned by Hanjin itself would most likely have to be sold before anyone would bring in the money to get them into a port and cleared. The fact that they would have to be sold as is, i.e. at sea, and with a load of overdue containers on board would probably weigh down the price of the vessels.
Stranded sailors
Each stranded ship has about 15 to 25 crew on board. Unable to call at any port, they will have to depend on the supplies they have with them until a solution can be found. While food should last long enough, they will eventually need fuel.
In a worst-case scenario, should they find themselves unable to pay for fuel being delivered by a shuttle, they would risk running into serious trouble. In that case though, nearby ports would likely be forced to accept them.
Aside from the prospect of being stuck for weeks at sea, the sailors will also face uncertainly over their wages. Most of them are not actually hired by Hanjin but by crewing agencies. Those agencies are unlikely to get paid by Hanjin and therefore won't be able to pay the crews.
"Unless someone steps in very quickly - and there is no sign of that - this will last a very long time," according to Mr Jensen.
Ships, cargo and crew might find themselves stuck for weeks, if not months, without knowing when and where their current voyage will end.Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders asked the Department of Justice Tuesday to investigate ExxonMobil for sowing doubt about climate change after the company's own scientists had confirmed and accepted the role of fossil fuels in global warming.
"We are writing concerning a potential instance of corporate fraud—behavior that may ultimately qualify as a violation of federal law," said Sanders' letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch.
The letter cites an ongoing investigative series by InsideClimate News, which has revealed that Exxon scientists conducted rigorous climate research from the late-1970s to mid-1980s and warned top company executives about how global warming posed a threat to Exxon's core business. ICN's reporting also revealed that the company later curtailed its research program and instead led a long campaign to create doubt about climate science.
"Based on available public information, it appears that Exxon knew its product was causing harm to the public, and spent millions of dollars to obfuscate the facts in the public discourse," Sanders' letter said. "The information that has come to light about Exxon's past activities raises potentially serious concerns that should be investigated."
Sanders asked the DOJ to create a task force by Dec. 19 "to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to launch an official inquiry."
Two California congressmen—Democratic representatives Mark DeSaulnier and Ted Lieu—made a similar request last week. Their letter to the attorney general cited the ICN story and a separate investigation by the Los Angeles Times, which showed that Exxon studied how global warming could affect its Arctic operations.
"We request the DOJ investigate whether ExxonMobil violated RICO, consumer protection, truth in advertising, public health, shareholder protection or other laws," the congressmen's letter said, referring to the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations law, which was how federal officials prosecuted tobacco companies in the 1990s.
Both Sanders and the California congressmen drew parallels between Exxon and the tobacco industry. Sanders' letter said the Exxon revelations "raise serious allegations of a misinformation campaign that may have caused public harm similar to the tobacco industry's actions—conduct that led to federal racketeering convictions."
A former DOJ attorney who helped prosecute the tobacco industry, Sharon Eubanks, told ThinkProgress that RICO action against fossil fuel companies is "plausible and should be considered."
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat from Rhode Island who has endorsed the use of RICO against fossil fuel industries since May, made a similar argument in his weekly climate speech, delivered Tuesday on the Senate floor. He said there are "whole sections" of the tobacco court decision where "you can remove the word 'tobacco' and put in the word 'carbon,' and remove the word 'health' and put in the word 'climate,' and the parallel with the fossil fuel industry climate denial campaign is virtually perfect."
Martin O'Malley, another Democratic candidate for president, has also indicated his support for investigating Exxon. After the California congressmen wrote to the DOJ last week, O'Malley tweeted, "We held tobacco companies responsible for lying about cancer. Let's do the same for oil companies & climate change."
Hillary Clinton's campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
Click here to read the full letter.By Cosmic Spore on Wednesday, 12 March 2014, hits: 11274
Cannabis is one of the most thoroughly studied, yet misunderstood, medicinal psychedelic plants. Owing mainly to the propaganda of the "War on [Some People Who Use Certain] Drugs," Cannabis' potential for self-development, exploration, and therapy is largely ignored, discounted, and stigmatized. On the DMT-Nexus, Cosmic Spore has been compiling and organizing published scientific literature on this fascinating plant.
The thread can be viewed here: Cannabinoid & Cannabis Studies, Documentaries & the like
“If cannabis were discovered in an Amazon rainforests today, people would be clambering to make as much use as they could out of the potential benefits of the plant"…."Unfortunately, it carries with it a long and not so long history of being a persecuted plant." Donald L. Abrams, MD
There are very interesting papers, videos, and external resources within the thread, and some misunderstood topics are addressed (Note: you need to be logged in to see the hundreds of attached studies in.pdf format). Some noteworthy topics the thread includes:
1.) The documented effects of Cannabinoids
2.) The difference between decriminalization and legalization [post #47]
3.) Cannabis doesn't cause schizophrenia [post #45]
4.) Nixonian origin of the Cannabis-prohibitionist ideology [post #43]
5.) Marijuana Policy Hearings [post #49]
6.) Cannabis Micropropagation information [posts #55, #56, #57]
7.) The Biotechnology of Cannabis Sativa [1st & 2nd editions] are within the Compressed Files of the Studies and Research So Far
In addition, the thread features a compressed file, available for download, of the research that Cosmic Spore has collected so far, including some evidence that's rarely mentioned in the mainstream media including: [direct] cancer treatment, anti-tumor effects, apoptosis, anti-proliferative effects, or anti-metastatic effects.
What follows is post #27 of the thread, which contains a brief summary of what we currently know, experimental limits, and further research needed:
Summary of What We Know
* Although cannabis in plant form contains some level of carcinogenic substances, it displays antioxidant activity, and the cannabinoids THC and CBD have demonstrated antitumor/apoptotic/anticancer effects in multiple cancer cell types using petri dishes and in mice; those anticancer effects are not limited to apoptosis, and include (but aren't limited to): Anti-metastatic effects and inhibition of angiogenesis.
(apoptosis: disintegration of cells into membrane-bound particles that are then eliminated by phagocytosis or by shedding; AKA "programmed cell death" AKA "cell suicide")
* (Harm Reduction Journal: Melamede, 2005 Cannabis and tobacco smoke are not equally carcinogenic) Furthermore, compounds found in cannabis have been shown to kill numerous cancer types including: lung cancer, breast and prostate, leukemia and lymphoma, glioma, skin cancer, and pheochromocytoma. The effects of cannabinoids are complex and sometimes contradicting, often exhibiting biphasic responses. For example, in contrast to the tumor killing properties mentioned above, low doses of THC may stimulate the growth of lung cancer cells in vitro.
* Cannabinoids promote tumor regression in rodents and inhibit pro-angiogenic factors. In fact, clinical trials to treat human glioma with THC have resulted in decreased levels of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF).
(Harm Reduction Journal: Melamede, 2005 Cannabis and tobacco smoke are not equally carcinogenic).
* CBD has been proven useful in the treatment of human seizures, epilepsy, convulsions, and also destroys tumor cells; CBD has neuroprotective properties & can inhibit certain types of inflammation.
* CBC & CBG and their synthetic analogues demonstrate antibacterial & antimicrobial activity.
* Cannabinoids markedly decrease signaling in specific neural pathways that transmit messages about pain.
* THC/CBD ratios can play a role in the subjective effects of cannabis.
* The endogenous cannabinoid system plays a role in numerous varying cell functions.
* During brain development & maturation, high doses of cannabis/cannabinoids may be harmful later in life to mental health.
* Some synthetic cannabinoids aren't as safe as phytocannabinoids, and some synthetic cannabinoids can cause seizures.
Limits of experiments done
* Techniques used in experimentation include (but aren't limited to): using a catheter to inject cannabinoids to the location of the tumor cells directly
* Human cancer patients have not been treated with cannabinoids alone in huge concentrations of varying cannabinoids using double-blind methodology.
Areas that need further research
* Those anticancer effects need phase 3 clinical trials.
* Effects of tolerance (or lack of tolerance) on performing skills and critical thinking under the influence.
* Experiments testing for how non-CBD cannabinoids modulate the experience and/or beneficial effects; the same for the terpenes.
* Various cannabinoid beneficial effects with various dosages, treatment schedules, and methods of administration.
* Is there any level+duration of cannabinoids that will cause people to defecate their tumors (if so, which type cancer cells)?
* Rick Simpson's statements and directions need to be independently verified [.pdf attached to post]Canada Wants To Cut Price Of 'World's Most Expensive Drug'; US Manufacturer Sues To Stop It
from the that's-gratitude? dept
The Turing Pharma case has received widespread coverage, but as Techdirt readers know, it's hardly a unique example of the pharmaceutical industry taking advantage of a flawed system. In fact, over in Canada, there's another interesting example of the industry's sense of entitlement, reported here by CBC News: A U.S. drug company is taking the Canadian government to court for its attempt to lower the price of what has been called the world's most expensive drug.
Alexion Pharmaceuticals has filed a motion in Federal Court, arguing that Canada's drug price watchdog has no authority to force the company to lower its price for Soliris. According to the article, a 12-month course of Soliris costs about $520,000 in Canada at today's exchange rates, and a mere $500,000 in the US. While Soliris is not a cure, it can stop the assault [by two rare blood diseases] on the body's tissues and organs. Since patients typically need to take the medication indefinitely, it can cost tens of millions of dollars over a lifetime. Understandably, some Canadian regions are struggling to provide the drug for all the people who need it: Due to the high cost, some patients in Canada can't get the drug. Only some provinces will cover the cost of treatment and there are different criteria to qualify for coverage in various jurisdictions. The pharmaceutical industry likes to argue that, though high, such prices are necessary in order for companies to recoup the research and development costs of new drugs. According to the CBC article, Soliris has already brought Alexion around $4.5 billion in revenues, which ought to be enough to cover any such outlay, not least because of the following important fact: In case of Soliris, most of the research and development was done by university researchers working in academic laboratories supported by public funds.
"I think the public science is well over 80 or 90 per cent of the work," said Sachdev Sidhu, a University of Toronto scientist who is also in the business of drug development. That means that Alexion had to spend less than usual to develop and bring the drug to market. It also means that, once more, a pharma company gets to build on the work funded by the public, but without any sense of obligation to pay that back in the form of lower prices -- on the contrary. Perhaps most damagingly, the lawsuit brought by Alexion to defend its exorbitant pricing could have very serious negative consequences for everyone in Canada: A University of Ottawa professor who specializes in health law said he was shocked that Alexion would challenge Canada's authority to regulate drug prices. If Alexion's case is successful, it could end Ottawa's ability to control the cost of patented drugs, Amir Attaran told CBC News.
"This is the single greatest threat to pricing of drugs in Canada ever," he said Thursday. In the pursuit of high profit margins, the world's dysfunctional drug industry continues to ride roughshod over everything in its path, whether a patient trying to survive a rare chronic disease, or an entire nation trying to provide decent medical treatment to as many of its population as possible.
Follow me @glynmoody on Twitter or identi.ca, and +glynmoody on Google+
Filed Under: canada, drug prices, soliris
Companies: alexionBOSTON (Reuters) - Joint prison visits to accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev by his sisters and attorneys should not be treated as confidential lawyer-client meetings, U.S. prosecutors argued in court papers filed Friday.
Family members of Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev leave the federal courthouse following the arraignment of accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in Boston, Massachusetts July 10, 2013 file photo. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
Responding to an October request by defense attorneys to loosen restrictions on their communication with the 20-year-old Tsarnaev, prosecutors argued they have the right for an FBI agent to be present at meetings between the defendant and social visitors - to insure that neither party was “soliciting or encouraging acts of violence or other crimes.”
Tsarnaev is accused of placing, along with his older brother, two homemade pressure-cooker bombs at the finish line of the April 15 Boston Marathon last year. The blasts killed three people, including an 8-year-old boy, and injured 264 at the famed sporting event. He faces the possibility of execution, if convicted.
Visits from Tsarnaev’s sisters to the prison west of Boston, where he is being held awaiting trial, are not entitled to the same guarantees of confidentiality as those from his attorneys, even if his attorneys are present, prosecutors argued in the filing in U.S. District Court in Boston.
“The fact that the defense may wish to exploit these social visits and encourage a particular relationship does not... transform the social visit into a legal one,” prosecutors said.
During his sisters’ second visit, Tsarnaev complained about the conditions of his confinement, prosecutors said.
“Tsarnaev, despite the presence of an FBI agent and an employee of the Federal Public Defender, was unable to temper his remarks and made a statement to his detriment which was overheard by the agent,” prosecutors argued.
Tsarnaev was arrested four days after the bombing attack, when he and his brother Tamerlan, 26, tried to escape from Boston. The two killed a university police officer in an attempt to steal his gun, officials charge, and engaged in a late-night gun battle with police that left Tamerlan dead.
The Tsarnaev family emigrated to the United States from Russia’s restive Chechnya republic a decade ago and settled in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where the parents and their four children lived in a small apartment.
After the bombings, sisters Bella and Ailina issued a statement saying they were “devastated” by the attack, which they described as “such a callous act.”Dem snub for mayor rouses Asians
The Asian media and some leaders in the Chinese community have not taken kindly to the San Francisco Democrats spurning all of the Asian American candidates for mayor - and are calling it a wake-up call that claiming Room 200 for the first time isn't a given.
The Democratic County Central Committee - a group of 32 whose endorsements carry a lot of weight among voters - recently endorsed Supervisor John Avalos as its first choice, City Attorney Dennis Herrera as second choice and opted to name nobody as third choice.
That meant no love for interim Mayor Ed Lee, state Sen. Leland Yee, Supervisor David Chiu, Public Defender Jeff Adachi or Assessor-Recorder Phil Ting. (Of the 11 serious candidates for mayor, nine are registered Democrats and could score an endorsement. That means more than half who were eligible are Asian.)
"Out of five candidates, not even one of them deserved an endorsement?" asked Steven Lee, a prominent elder in Chinatown who is backing the mayor. "That sounds like they don't like the Chinese, that there are some racial tendencies."
Steven Lee spoke out against the vote in the World Journal, a Chinese-language newspaper. Asian Week also wrote about the vote, noting the eight Asian members of the DCCC voted all over the map.
"The eight APA (Asian Pacific Islander Americans) county committee members could not provide a solid base to support any APA candidate," Samson Wong wrote in Asian Week. "If that foreshadows the APA vote this November, San Francisco will not have its first elected APA mayor."
More than a third of San Franciscans are Chinese, but only 18 percent of registered voters are, said David Lee, head of the Chinese American Voters Education Committee.
His organization is newly determined to register more Chinese voters and educate them about ranked-choice voting.
"Community leaders are calling for the community to work together, to set aside their differences," David Lee said. "There seems to be a sense of urgency that history may be slipping through the fingers of the community."
The Asian American candidates themselves, though, seem to be giving the DCCC endorsements a collective shrug.
Jim Stearns, campaign manager for Yee, said, "I think the DCCC was pretty straight up in voting based on their preferences on the issues."
He said it's ironic that Chinese leaders are calling for unity now after some of them, namely Chinatown power broker Rose Pak, had been vocal in their hatred of Yee for months.
"They're calling for it now because it would benefit Ed Lee," Stearns said. "When Chiu and Yee and Ting were the three Asian candidates in the race, there was no call for a community coalition from any of the people who are calling for it today."
Tony Winnicker, spokesman for Ed Lee's campaign, dismissed the DCCC's endorsement process as a sideshow.
"Our view is that as Democrats, we really ought to be focusing on re-electing President Obamanext year and returning Nancy Pelosito speaker of the House instead of ranking nine shades of blue for the local election," he said.
When asked why the DCCC didn't endorse a single Asian candidate, chairman Aaron Peskin said, "You'd have to ask 32 different people that question."
Peskin pointed out, though, that the committee has endorsed plenty of Asians in the past three years including three sitting supervisors, the assessor, the public defender and a host of school board and community college board members.
He added that the committee endorsed Avalos and Herrera at a time when Latinos, along with Asians, make up the fastest-growing community in San Francisco.
And that San Francisco hasn't had a Latino mayor since the 1800s, when they were called alcaldes.
By the numbers
21 Bayview residents hired to work at the neighborhood's new Fresh & Easy grocery store.
8 Panes of glass on the front of City Hall smashed by a drunk.
5 Ranking of San Francisco on OkCupid's list of the nation's top 10 most promiscuous cities.
Quote of the week
"This game was like no other that I can remember, and I've been a Niner fan my whole life. Nobody could have been prepared for what happened on Saturday night."
Police Chief Greg Suhr, on the violence and mayhem at the Battle of the BayFrom Breaking Convention edited by Cameron Adams, David Luke, Anna Waldstein, Ben Sessa and David King, published by North Atlantic Books, copyright © 2014. Reprinted by permission of publisher.
At the beginning of the 1950s the developed world began in earnest its psychedelic research era. Since then these profoundly mind-altering substances have been inextricably associated with paranormal experiences—such as telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition and out-of-body experiences—by many of the researchers who have studied their effects. Currently however, virtually no research is being conducted in this area despite the recent revival of research into the potential therapeutic benefit of psychedelics in humans. This paper briefly discusses some of the author’s research to date in this field: a review of the literature on parapsychology (the psychological study of apparently paranormal processes) and psychedelics, a survey of paranormal experiences associated with different psychoactive substances, and correlation of self-reports of the number of consumed psychedelics with performance on a precognition task.
The word psychedelic, meaning ‘mind-manifesting,’ was created by Dr. Humphry Osmond in correspondence with Aldous Huxley in 1956. Four years earlier Osmond had published an article in the Hibbert Journal with his colleague John Smythies in which they proposed that a new theory of mind was needed that could account for both mescaline experiences and what they considered to be the scientifically-proven fact of extra-sensory perception (ESP). Huxley read this article and requested that Osmond, who like Huxley hailed from Surrey in England but lived in North America, should visit Huxley and give him mescaline.
Huxley then catalysed the popularisation of psychedelics with the publication of The Doors of Perception in 1954. In the book, not only did Huxley eloquently describe his experience of mescaline, disappearing beautifully into the mystical folds in his trousers, but he also proposed a nascent neurochemical model of ESP. He suggested that the French philosopher Henri Bergson was right to propose that the brain’s primary function was to filter out all the excess sensory data that we do not attend to. Otherwise, this information would overwhelm the conscious mind with a mass of information that was ordinarily irrelevant for the organism’s survival.
However, building on Bergson’s notion, Huxley added that substances such as mescaline serve to override the brain’s ‘reducing valve’ that filters out this sensory data. Under such psychedelic disinhibition of the brain’s inhibiting function, the mind is thereby capable of potentially remembering anything it has ever experienced and sensing everything within its immediate environment. Furthermore, it is also able to access the entirety of information available in the universe, even forwards and backwards in time. Such mystical or paranormal feats are known as clairvoyance, precognition and telepathy, and are collectively termed extra- sensory perception (ESP), or, more recently, ‘psi.’
To illustrate this psychic psychedelic process, Huxley took the title of his book from a quote by the English mystic, William Blake—“If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite.” Elsewhere in the USA, just prior to the publication of The Doors of Perception in 1954, Gordon Wasson was recently back from his first trip to Mexico where he discovered both an active mushroom cult and the identity of their sacrament as Psilocybe mexicana. The Mazatec shaman, Don Aurelio, (who Wasson worked with before meeting the more famous Maria Sabina) held a mushroom ceremony for him and told him two important facts about his son in the US that neither of them could otherwise have known. Both were ultimately true, although one was still yet to happen, thereby demonstrating Don Aurelio’s accurate clairvoyance and precognition under the influence of psilocybin. Yet, as far as scientific evidence goes, this is far from conclusive.
Similarly, it was in the mid-1950’s that LSD began doing the rounds. About 10 years earlier Albert Hofmann had discovered the exceptional psychological effects of LSD and had the first-ever LSD-induced out-of-body experience when he found himself hovering above his body and assumed that he had died. But these two tales of exceptional human experience from our foremost psychedelic pioneers are just the opening of the rabbit hole.
Anthropology, particularly from the New World, has long informed us that the people who traditionally use psychedelic plants and potions do so specifically for ‘magical’ purposes, such as ESP, psychic diagnosis and healing.
More compelling yet, there is an abundance of stories of anthropologists either witnessing or experiencing first-hand the occurrence of apparently paranormal phenomena with the use of psychoactive plants and fungi: peyote among the Huichol indians, psilocybin-containing mushrooms with the Mazatec, fly agaric mushrooms with the Ojibwa, datura in India, pituri in Australia, and practically all known psychedelic plants in all regions of the world.
Of particular importance in this equation is ayahuasca, which is so often accompanied by reports of psychic ability that when one of its psychoactive constituents, harmine, was isolated at the beginning of the 20th century it was named ‘telepathine.’ It is also interesting to note that, conversely, there is a serious lack of similar paranormal reports with the non-visionary psychoactive plants that have also been in use for centuries, such as coffee, coca, and cacao.
These numerous reports collected by anthropologists and from the early psychedelic explorers soon began surfacing among psychotherapists as well once these substances started seeping out of the labs and into the clinics. As just one example, Stan Grof, who we can probably credit as being the leading expert on psychedelic psychotherapy, reported observing past-life recall, out-of-body experiences, and ESP on a daily basis.
Thinking there might be something magical about these medicines that has been largely overlooked I conducted a comparison of spontaneous ESP phenomena occurring, with good supporting evidence in the therapy room, either with or without psychedelics. Reports of spontaneous ESP occurring within ordinary psychotherapy were fairly rare, although definitely evident, but they were seemingly more frequently reported by psychedelic psychotherapists during the 1960s. Substantiating these anecdotal reports a number of surveys have been conducted that have consistently found a positive relationship between the reporting of having had a paranormal experience and the use of psychedelics, with heavier users having more experiences. What the surveys also show is that between 18–83% (depending on the type of experience) of those using cannabis and/or psychedelics also reported ESP experiences occurring whilst actually under the influence. There is very good reason to believe that these substances can induce paranormal experiences, regardless of whether these experiences are genuine or not.
A survey conducted by myself and my colleague, Dr. Marios Kittenis, extended this research and explored the taxonomy of these phenomena to try and identify which drugs related to which experiences in particular. While psychedelics in general were as- sociated with a range of phenomena, we found that particular substances were more readily associated with certain experiences than others. For instance, entity encounter experiences were very common under DMT, telepathy was common under cannabis and DXM, out-of-body experiences typified ketamine, and plant spirit encounters occurred particularly with psilocybin but also with a host of other psychedelic flora.
Since the prohibition of psychedelics in the late 1960s most of this field of research, which I like to call ‘parapsychopharmacology,’ has been conducted through surveys. Yet these provide very little evidential value for the genuine occurrence of psi. Fortunately, the notion of using psychedelics to investigate parapsychology was considered a viable method just prior to prohibition and about a dozen or more controlled experiments were conducted. Walter Pahnke, for instance, who conducted the original Good Friday experiment some 50 years ago and published his findings in the International Journal of Parapsychology, also conducted an ESP experiment with LSD. The results of this experiment were not significant overall. However, Stanislav Grof was one of the par- ticipants and had a string of increasingly improbable direct hits on the target symbol, determining a randomly selected target beyond the expectation of chance probability. Grof, explained that:
When I got the third correct answer in a row, the feelings [of a universe where no laws of time and space exist] were so powerful that I could not continue. The reason for discontinuation of the ESP experiment was a strange mixture of a conviction that it was absurd to test the obvious and, on the other hand, a metaphysical fear of confusion that would follow if I had to give up the usual concept of time and space and with it all the related reference points we feel so secure with.
Overall, the catalogue of ‘pharma-psi’ experiments from the sixties had some promising findings, which were in direct proportion to the sophistication of the methodology. Studies that used boring experimental procedures (such as massively iterative card-guessing tasks, sometimes for hours on end) and psychedelically-inexperienced participants returned poor results, while those that used engaging tasks and experienced trippers got the best outcomes. However, most of these experiments lacked the stringent degree of control expected by today’s standards and so also have limited evidential value.
What is needed is a series of well-controlled and methodologically-advanced experiments to more fully explore the capability of psychedelics to induce psi. I suggest that this research is now both timely, given the growing renaissance in psychedelic research, and extremely worthwhile. For instance, my own research into precognition, using a methodologically-rigorous design with 100 participants, found that precognitive ability correlated positively with the reported number of psychedelics consumed by the individuals in the sample (rs =.27, p =.008, two-tailed). Although indirect, this adds further support for the notion of psi-inducing psychedelics.
Given the enormous difficulties still evident in attempting to get funding and approval to conduct research administrating psychedelics directly, let alone when parapsychology is involved, researchers in the past have considered various alternatives. One proposal is to conduct basic ESP research, inviting participants who have just partaken of mind-expanding substances, along with those who haven’t, and testing their abilities. The parapsychologist Charles Tart proposed conducting such ‘drop-out drop-in’ experiments shortly after prohibition to circumvent the difficulties in getting legal and ethical approval for such work.
Such research techniques are now evident in non-parapsychological psychedelic research, but have yet to be used in parapsychology. Alternatively, it would be preferable to conduct direct psi experimentation through the administration of |
to be approved by Congress — now controlled by Republicans — so it is unlikely to happen in time to benefit Clinton in the 2016 election if she is the Democratic nominee.
“None of them will come easily,” she acknowledged in her speech.
[Hillary Clinton calls for at least 20 days of early voting nationwide]
Clinton also alleged that Republican efforts to limit voter registration have a disproportionate impact on “people of color, poor people and young people from one end of our country to the other.”
Under universal voter registration, every citizen would be automatically registered to vote on their 18th birthdays, unless they actively opt out.
About 71 percent of eligible adults nationwide are registered to vote, according to census figures, and a lower percentage actually show up at the polls. Registration and turnout tend to be higher among older and relatively affluent white voters, who are also more likely to vote Republican.
The requirement for in-person early voting that Clinton seeks would also mandate that polling places have weekend and evening hours.
Although early voting has become fairly common in the past decade, many Republicans say it increases the opportunity for fraudulent voting. Republicans have raised similar objections to same-day registration and other efforts — many of them led by Democrats — to make voting easier or more convenient. Clinton dismissed such complaints as unfounded.
Election analysts generally agree that voter fraud is rare, although there have been a handful of well-publicized examples of fraudulent names being added to the rolls.
Clinton’s address comes as Democrats are pursuing legal challenges to voting rule changes approved by Republican legislatures in several states.
“This is, I think, a moment when we should be expanding the franchise,” Clinton’s campaign chairman, John Podesta, said in an interview Wednesday. “What we see in state after state is this effort by conservatives to restrict the right to vote.”
Attorneys involved in the lawsuits in Ohio and Wisconsin over voter access have similar views.
“This lawsuit concerns the most fundamental of rights guaranteed citizens in our representative democracy — the right to vote,” the attorneys wrote in a federal complaint filed Friday in Wisconsin.
[Clinton rivals pounce as her ratings fall]
Walker spokeswoman Kirsten Kukowski said voter-access restrictions make it “easier to vote and harder to cheat” and added, “This is a bipartisan issue, and Hillary Clinton and the Democrats are on the wrong side.”
Since the 2010 Republican wave, 21 states have implemented new laws restricting voting access, some cutting back on early voting hours and others limiting the number of documents considered valid identification to vote, according to a new analysis from the Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan think tank at the New York University School of Law. For 14 of those states, the 2016 contest will be the first presidential election with the new restrictions in place.
Some limits also flowed from the 2013 Supreme Court decision that invalidated some parts of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The day that decision came down, Perry praised it as a “clear victory for federalism and the states” and vowed to proceed with the implementation of a strict photo ID requirement, previously blocked under the law.
That requirement is currently being challenged in court, with a resolution expected as soon as this summer.
About three dozen states and the District offer early voting of some kind, allowing voters to cast ballots before Election Day without an excuse. The average early voting period is roughly 22 days, the bipartisan National Conference of State Legislatures reported earlier this year.
Oregon’s breakthrough “new motor voter” law passed earlier this year is the closest any state has come to the kind of automatic registration endorsed by Clinton. She praised Oregon as a leader in modernizing antiquated voting procedures, including paper registration.
Under the new law, all Oregonians applying for a new or updated driver’s license are automatically added to the voter rolls, unless they opt out. The state has estimated that the law will add about 300,000 voters to the rolls.
Younger voters are the least likely to be registered and have tilted toward Democrats in recent years. In 2012, the Census Bureau reported 57 percent of citizens under 30 were registered to vote, compared with 78 percent of those 55 and older. Voters under 30 supported Barack Obama by a 29 percentage-point margin over Mitt Romney, according to network exit polls (66 percent to 37 percent).
In 2008 and 2012, African American turnout rates surged to match or exceed turnout among whites for the first time, but a central question in 2016 is whether blacks will turn out at similar levels when President Obama is not on the ballot.
Hispanics and Asians — groups Obama won by wide margins as well — vote at far lower rates than whites and African Americans, representing a large untapped pool of Democratic support. Automatic registration among these groups may encourage more voting participation.
Exit polls in 2012 found that Obama racked up a seven-point lead over Republican Mitt Romney among early voters, compared with a one-point edge among those casting ballots on Election Day.
Democrats’ advantage among early voters was less clear according to voter registration data tracked by the U.S. Elections Project. In five of seven states where data are available, Democrats made up about the same percentage of early voters as they did on Election Day.
Chokshi reported from Washington. Scott Clement in Washington contributed to this report.FAKE NEWS: CNN Restarts The Russian Dossier Rumors Despite Having NO PROOF
CNN Continues Smear Campaign Against President Trump
Late on Friday CNN broke out the extra large font and made a special presentation for their latest attack on President Donald Trump or should we say rehashing their Fake News attack on President Trump.
CNN quickly states:
“None of the newly learned information relates to the salacious allegations in the dossier. Rather it relates to conversations between foreign nationals. The dossier details about a dozen conversations between senior Russian officials and other Russian individuals. Sources would not confirm which specific conversations were intercepted or the content of those discussions due to the classified nature of US intelligence collection programs. But the intercepts do confirm that some of the conversations described in the dossier took place between the same individuals on the same days and from the same locations as detailed in the dossier, according to the officials. CNN has not confirmed whether any content relates to then-candidate Trump.”
CNN does not cite any sources for the information and says the information has nothing to do salacious allegations in the dossier and further says they have confirmed nothing as it relates to then candidate Trump.
This is the perfect example of Fake News and how it works. CNN makes a huge bold headline stating “US investigators corroborate some aspects of the Russia dossier,” which immediately leads people to think that the allegations are true. Only once you read deep into the article do you see that they add a sentence in their saying none of this pertains to the rumors about Trump. Then you have to keep reading further to discover that CNN hasn’t confirmed anything before realizing that they have quoted anyone or cited any source for the information. We could make up stories all the time if we wanted to by saying “a source with inside knowledge told us x,y,z…” but we choose not to do that because it’s lousy reporting.
What this does is it influences gullible people who will believe it or who will have their minds swayed without checking all the facts. CNN will issue a retraction or will put an editors note on the article at some point in the future that will eliminate any sort of legal liability for them but they won’t report that they were wrong. No, the damage is done and they get away with it. This is how the Fake News in the mainstream media works.
Follow Ryan Saavedra On Twitter @NewsRevoltRyanBy of the
Madison — Gov. Scott Walker's flagship jobs agency in September 2011 gave an unsecured $500,000 loan from taxpayers to a now-defunct company whose owner had been taken to court a year earlier for not paying taxes.
Building Committee Inc. and its owner William Minahan, a donor to Walker's campaign, indicated in their September 2011 application for the state loan that the company, its owners and officials had not been involved in any lawsuits or civil cases in the previous five years.
But online public records show that Minahan faced legal action by the state Department of Revenue in November 2010 for tax delinquency in the amount of $15,700 and that Building Committee was also sued for thousands of dollars in a money judgment case just over a year before Minahan signed the application. They were the first of many court actions that have been filed against Building Committee.
Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca (D-Kenosha), a member of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. board, said that the loan should have never been made by the agency, given that a cursory search of online court records could have picked up the company's financial problems.
"A simple (Internet) search would have found it was there," Barca said.
Building Committee is now being sued by WEDC for defaulting on the loan without delivering the promised project and the jobs it was supposed to create. So far, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has been unable to reach Minahan or get comment from Joseph Cincotta, a Milwaukee attorney who has represented the firm.
Former WEDC chief executive officer Paul Jadin said Tuesday that he was not aware of the lawsuits and had expected that agency underwriters would have found such problems. He said the award was decreased from the larger amount that was originally being sought by Building Committee and some other Walker administration officials.
"I was advised by underwriting that they qualified for $500,000 and it wasn't until later that I saw how risky even that was," Jadin said.
Walker's top cabinet appointee, then-Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch, urged WEDC officials to provide the loan, and Walker's then-chief of staff, Keith Gilkes, attended an initial meeting on it, according to records provided to the Journal Sentinel by the Walker administration.
Walker and lawmakers created WEDC in July 2011 as a replacement to the Department of Commerce. The governor serves as the chairman of the agency, which sought to improve its financial controls in recent years in reaction to repeated questions about them.
In a brief interview Tuesday with CNN in Washington, D.C., Walker waved off criticism by Democrats as unfounded, saying he was "probably the most scrutinized politician in America" because of his three elections over the past four years.
No record letter received
Also on Tuesday, an attorney for Walker made a formal finding that the governor's office had no record of having received a copy of a Sept. 9, 2011, letter from Jadin to Minahan pledging the loan.
The Journal Sentinel reported about that letter on Monday, raising questions about statements by the GOP governor and likely 2016 White House candidate that he was not aware of the award. In a response to an open records request, Walker's assistant legal counsel David J. Rabe wrote to the newspaper Tuesday that the governor's office has no record of it.
Jadin said in his letter of intent to Minahan that he was writing "on behalf of Governor Scott Walker" and noted "cc: Scott Walker, Governor" at the bottom.
"This was a template carried over from the Department of Commerce and used by WEDC. We were not receiving those letters despite the fact that our office was CC'd on them," Walker spokeswoman Laurel Patrick said Tuesday of Jadin's letter.
Jadin, who left WEDC in the fall of 2012 to become the head of the Madison Regional Economic Partnership, said Tuesday that he believed Patrick and Rabe are correct about the letters.
WEDC officials realized in July 2012 that these award letters to companies listing Walker as a recipient had not been sent to the governor's office, Jadin said. In August 2012, the agency changed its award letters to stop listing Walker as a recipient but didn't go back and send him the letters that he should have gotten, he said.
"There was not any effort to send them a couple boxes of letters," Jadin said of the governor's office.
Changes in 2012
In July 2012, Walker shook up the leadership of WEDC, installing his then deputy chief of staff Ryan Murray as the agency's chief operating officer. Murray said then that WEDC and previously the Department of Commerce had not been fully sharing information with the governor's office.
Patrick did not answer questions about why WEDC would not have provided the governor's office with the missing records.
For his part, Jadin said he couldn't speculate on why Walker would not have known about an award involving his chief of staff and two of his top cabinet appointees.
"I have no knowledge of whether the governor was informed of this," Jadin said.
Walker has promised to hold an "open, thorough, and transparent discussion" of the loan at WEDC's next board meeting.
WEDC troubles
The loan is the latest in a string of troubles facing the state's main jobs agency, which this month received a tough audit saying it had failed to follow state law and its own procedures in its work.
Minahan made a last-minute $10,000 donation to Walker's 2010 gubernatorial campaign on election day of that year. Minahan also made a $10,000 contribution — the maximum allowed — to then-Gov. Jim Doyle, a Democrat, in June 2009.
The 2011 loan, which was first reported by the Wisconsin State Journal, was among several WEDC loans noted by state auditors in their recent report on the agency.
Patrick has said that Building Committee presented the project to the Walker administration as a way to create 150 jobs, draw in larger private investment and help many businesses in the state save money on energy.
Partners moved on
In a status update BCI officials provided to WEDC to explain where the loan money went, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and La Crosse-based Michaels Energy were listed as partners in the venture.
David Waffenschmidt, president of Michaels Energy, said his company was at the time unaware BCI had applied for a WEDC loan, and did not receive much, if any, of the loan money.
Waffenschmidt also said his company helped with consulting on the project at its beginning, but ended its involvement soon afterward.
"It wasn't going anywhere," Waffenschmidt said.
Robert Greenstreet, dean of UW-Milwaukee's School of Architecture and Urban Planning, said the plan was for the university to analyze data from the project at its completion to benefit other construction projects. Since the project did not come to fruition, the university did no work and was not paid.
The university also attempted to secure federal grant money for the project, but the grant did not come through and the university lost contact with Minahan after 2011, Greenstreet said.
"We didn't hear from him for quite a long time, so we just moved on," he said.Bitstamp and TREZOR Partner for Improved Bitcoin Security and User Experience
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Withdrawal funds with TREZOR“What are you doing?”
I didn’t need to think hard of an answer. “I’m writing a novel,” I said, perhaps too quickly, and with just a hint of sarcasm. They didn’t seem to notice. I looked out over the school grounds, still crisp and dewy. It was too early to be here.
“It’s not a novel we need to be writing, Ava. This is due today.” Donna told me as if I didn’t know that.
“Right.” I nodded, pretending that I didn’t.
“You know, you’re running out of ’get-out-of-homework-free cards.” Iris glances at me across the table, testing my reaction. When I kept my pose, she continued. “This year barely has any group assignments, so we won’t be able to cover for you anymore. You know that, right?” I wasn’t sure if the look she gave me was meant to show sympathy or spite.
“I know," I told her. “I’m getting there. Hey, am I the only one who thinks it’s unnecessary to set an assignment for the day we’re back? Isn’t a break supposed to suggest that we actually get a break?”
“Ava, it’s high school.” Came her answer.
I felt my lips involuntarily pout. “So true, no one ever gets a break in here. We just do our work and hope to get out alive,” I told her, slipping two purple tablets into my palm. Take me to Wonderland. I heard her frustration but she didn’t say anything more.
“Do you really still need to be taking those?” Donna asked, looking up at me from her workbook.
“Doctor’s orders.” I shrugged.
“I thought you stopped seeing him two months ago.” Iris couldn’t help challenging me.
“The prescription’s still valid,” I told her, matter-of-factly. The look she gave me told me I’m an addict.
“I only need them for today.” I could feel them working already.
“I don’t see why. It’s only high school.”
Hollow laughter escaped me. “You’ve clearly been here too long.”
Frustration. “You haven’t made any effort to find something to look forward to. I can’t keep living your life for you, Ava.” She seemed to regret her words, but just slightly.
“It’s not like you have a life, anyway. I’m kind of doing you a favour.” I knew as I said it, that it wasn’t true and that I didn’t mean it, but I was no longer in control and I found myself caring a lot less than I should.
“I don’t have a life?” she echoed. “I- you just- ugh. I can’t even deal with you right now.” She gathered her books and stormed off toward the school. I waved her off while she did this.
“You shouldn’t push her, Ava. She’s been doing a lot to keep you from failing.”
I shrugged. “What am I doing? I’m just over here, living my life. And she,” I pointed toward her. “is over there…” She was there. But she wasn't alone. She was with another person. A boy person. “That’s new,” I observed.
“Yeah, while you were all zonked out on pills over the summer,” Donna gestured to the bottle. “Iris and Kevin started dating.”
“Kevin?”
“Yes, Kevin. You know him. Derek’s friend? They’re good together.” She seemed to approve.
“I don’t recall.”
“You’re missing out on a lot, you know.” She told me, quite bluntly.
“I think I’m making progress.”
“Drug dependency is not progress.”
“They’re just for stress. God! It’s not like I’m sniffing Coke.”
“I just thought the break would have helped, that’s all.”
“What if nothing ever helps?” I felt the cold creep over my skin.
“Ava, nothing is ever quite as bad as they seem.” She told me, knowingly.
“And some things are much worse,” I whispered so she couldn’t hear me. And also because I was starting to lose myself and my speech to the medication.
“How was your break anyway?” She asked, in an attempt to lighten the mood. “I can’t believe we didn’t get to see each other. I was just here the whole time and you actually got around.”
“Yeah, it was great, we went to, uh,” I forgot.
“The country right? To clear your head?”
“Right, sorry. Must have cleared too much.” Donna laughed like it was funny.
I looked back at Iris. She wasn’t just dating him. She was already in love. I could see it. I saw it in the way her face lit up when he spoke and in the way her feet didn’t seem to touch the ground. I knew how she felt. I was in love once, too, not that long ago.
“You are happy for her, though, right?”
“Sure, why wouldn’t I be?”
“Maybe you’re not over your happy ending that never happened?”
“Your subtlety is what I love most about you.” I glared at her. She didn’t notice. “Shall we go?”
“We haven’t finished this yet-”
I was already up and halfway to the main building. I felt my surroundings shift in and out of focus. I passed Iris and Kevin in the doorway without acknowledgement and pushed through the crowds of people milling into the school. There was a buzz going around which I knew was slightly different from mine. I blamed that on the new term and didn’t think too much about it further.
I wondered how long the pills would last me and what I’d tell the good doctor when they ran out. I’d probably wasted all the good excuses. I could always just go for an old classic. Maybe I could start cutting, though I didn’t think I could stand the sight of blood this early in the morning. Or ever again.
I let the people lead me down the hallways until I ran into Derek, who took one look at me and tried to run in the opposite direction. The same crowd that brought me to him, was stopping him from going anywhere but forward so he stood there, looking defeated for a moment. I cocked my head to the side. Did I really have the will to ask about it?
“Hey, Ava.” He grinned, sheepishly.
It was too much to use vowels so I looked at him, expectantly.
“I take it you heard?” he said like he was aiding an old woman.
I nodded. “They seem happy and all that.”
He looked confused. “They?”
“He and she. They.”
“Who told you?”
“The dumb one,” I said.
“Donna?” he chuckled. “Why would you-”
“I wouldn’t normally believe her but I saw it myself.”
“You saw him?”
“Sure, I saw them.”
“And you’re okay with it?”
“Yeah, why not? It’s a semi-free country, right?”
“I thought you’d still be torn about it.”
I shrugged. “I’m over my shit. They have my blessing or whatever.”
“Okay, wow. You’re really okay with it. That’s great.”
“I’d love to stay, Derk.” I was starting to slur a little. It felt surprisingly good. “but I have to go not show up for class.”
I tried to slide away gracefully but Donna was right behind me. Sneaky bitch caught up.
“I found you,” I told her, putting my whole weight on her structure. She looked at me like I had issues, which – let’s face it – I did.
“Hey, Donna. Great news, Ava knows and she’s cool with it.” Derek beamed like it meant something. It got very hard to focus after that.
“Ava knows what?” She tried to pull me upright. “Are you okay?” she pulled at my face, though I couldn’t feel that. “You don’t look so good. Here, sit down.” She ushered me to a nearby chair.
“I’m fine… stopping fussing…” I tried to tell her but I wasn’t sure how much I was able to get out.
“What’s going on?” Iris’ voice pushed through the fog.
“She’s not looking too good.” Donna was still pulling at me.
“Well, that’s to be expected. She’s out of her mind.”
“I can hear you,” I told her, trying to get a grip just to prove her wrong. It was difficult.
She turned to look at me. “I hope you can hear me because nothing I’ve said so far has affected.”
“Why are you being so paranoid, Iris? It’s not like I’m dying.” I would know.
“I care, Ava. But I guess that’s too difficult for you to understand. I know you haven’t done that in a while.”
“I care…” I grumble, but it’s too much effort to prove it.
“Is she okay?” Derek piped up. Had he been hovering there this whole time?
“She’s fine.” Iris glared at me. “She’s just having one of her moment.”
“I’d say she’s entitled to one of those. Maybe two.” He grinned.
“What are you talking about?” Iris turned to look at him.
“Yeah, you said something about Ava knows something?” Donna stepped back and I took the chance to breathe. I did not like her aftershave.
“It’s okay, she said she was cool with it.”
“How could she be? Think logically, Derek.”
“She said she was okay with it... well, she said she saw both of them?” That was a question.
“Both of them? Who’s both of them?” Donna pulled her face into a pretzel. I felt like I should know the answer.
“Them.” I pointed at Iris. “Both of them together.”
Donna and Derek both looked at Iris. I was clearly missing something. Why was everything so tense? Why couldn’t I just lie down?
“She doesn’t know.” Iris’ voice was far so far away. Was she moving or was I?
“She said something about giving her blessing. I thought she knew.”
“She’s pretty out of it.” Donna’s voice was equally far. “I’m sure she said a bunch of stuff she doesn’t mean.”
I could see Derek bite back a smile. “Look, we should tell her, she’s going to find out. I’m actually surprised she hasn’t heard yet.”
I haven’t heard yet. Is that me? Why are people floating? Am I in a fishbowl?
“I’m surprised I haven’t heard yet.” Iris huffed. “I can’t believe this. What are we going to do?”
“What can we do?” Donna offered, ever so helpfully from beyond the fishbowl. Their words were becoming clearer. Maybe we were floating closer to each other.
“How okay would she be though? If she found out, would she handle it?” Derek asked the smarter one.
She pointed at me as if I were an attraction. “She’s on tranquilisers, what do you think?”
“I’m right here, you know,” I told her, maybe a bit louder than I should have. It was hard to know how voice travelled in this thing.
“At least she believes it.” Iris looked at me with pity. I embraced it. I deserved her sadness and her misunderstanding. She didn’t know. She’d never understand.
“Who does she think she’s fooling?” She said this to herself, but her whispers echoed in the tank and I heard her like she didn’t hear me. Every syllable resonated and I had a moment of clarity, a moment in which I pieced together the broken conversation of half-meant hints and phrases. There was only one reason my friends would be acting so weird and suddenly I knew that none of my pills were going to help me through this. Not even the prescription kind.Uptown's Shake, Rattle & Read Is Giving Away All Its Records And Books
By Mae Rice in Arts & Entertainment on May 23, 2016 3:24PM
Shake, Rattle & Read's interior circa this past winter (Matt Tuteur/Chicagoist)
Uptown record-book-and-ephemera store Shake, Rattle & Read (4812 N. Broadway) is hosting an epic sale this week, one where everything is marked down... all the way. Every single item in the store will be free on Tuesday and Wednesday, owner Ric Addy announced on Monday.
"I am trying to avoid putting it all in a dumpster!" Addy wrote.
The store phone will be disconnected, and visitors will need to bring their own boxes and bags to transport their finds—but from noon to 6 p.m. on both days, the store will be a paradise for freegans and record lovers alike.
The space is a little disheveled right now, but that's to be expected; the store officially closed on Saturday, Addy wrote on Facebook Monday.
Here's what it currently looks like:
Photo courtesy of Ric Addy
Don't be fooled by the disarray, though. Addy has amassed an incredible collection of relics since he opened the store in 1986, including a Keith Richards autograph (one of the few things he has no plans to give away, he told us back in February). Addy's only giving away the bulk of his stock now because he's retiring to Florida.
“I’d like to leave and not take anything with me, just start fresh,” he told us in February. “I’m taking pictures of the stuff and documenting it, but I mean, how long do you hold onto stuff for?”
Somewhere, Marie Kondo is nodding vigorously.
Read our full feature on Addy and his store here.There are very few wolfs left on the world, and a TON of humans, so what if the excess of wolf souls gets put into humans, who have way to many bodies for the amount of human souls? Just in interesting theory I thought of to explain otherkins and why so many of them are wolfs.
Sorry for the super long no reply :( I used to like that theory very much myself and hey as a first thought theory it isn’t that bad. It might not add up quite as well in action though. If the theory was to hold true why aren’t there more therians with extinct theriotypes? Shouldn’t the same principles apply? There are more humans in the world now than carrier pigeons. Where are all the carrier pigeon therians then?
The abundance of wolf therians might just be because wolves have had such a close history with humans that we have come to hold such staple stereotypes for them as a species, so when someone who may be a therian has those qualities they are quick to identify as a wolfkin, when really there are hundreds of animals with qualities similar to wolves. Just a contrasting theory for you to consider :) Only real self reflection can help someone who identifies as a therian find their theriotype. It just might be that lots of therians are wolves and that’s the end of it. Thank you so much for the message!A wooden door panel intended to guard the house from an unwelcome guest ( Thomas Regnaudin, former Hôtel des Ambassadeurs de Hollande, rue vieille du Temple, Paris c. 1660).
In Ancient Greece, the Gorgoneion (Greek: Γοργόνειον) was a special apotropaic amulet showing the Gorgon head, used most famously by the Olympian deities Athena and Zeus: both are said to have worn the gorgoneion as a protective pendant.[1] It was assumed, among other godlike attributes, as a royal aegis to imply divine birth or protection, by rulers of the Hellenistic age, as shown, for instance, on the Alexander Mosaic and the Gonzaga Cameo.
Origin [ edit ]
According to Marija Gimbutas, gorgoneia represent certain aspects of the Mother Goddess cult associated with "dynamic life energy" and asserts that the images may be related to a cultural continuity persisting since Neolithic examples. She defined the gorgoneion as a quintessentially European image. Jane Ellen Harrison, on the other hand, claims that many primitive cultures use similar ritual masks in order to scare the owner from doing something wrong, or, as she terms it, to make an ugly face at the owner: "The ritual object comes first; then the monster is begotten to account for it; then the hero is supplied to account for the slaying of the monster".[2]
Development [ edit ]
Homer refers to the Gorgon on four occasions, each time alluding to the head alone, as if she had no body.[3] Jane Ellen Harrison notes that "Medusa is a head and nothing more... a mask with a body later appended".[2] Prior to the fifth century BC, she was depicted as particularly ugly, with a protruding tongue, boar tusks, puffy cheeks, her eyeballs staring fixedly on the viewer and the snakes twisting all around her.
The direct frontal stare, "seemingly looking out from its own iconographical context and directly challenging the viewer",[4] was highly unusual in ancient Greek art. (But see the common depiction of the evil eye on 6th century drinking vessels, and particularly, eye-cups, which, like Gorgoneia, are assumed apotropaics.) In some instances what sometimes appears as a beard (probably standing for stylized hair or streaks of blood however) was appended to her chin, making her appear as an orgiastic deity akin to Dionysus.
Gorgoneia that decorate the shields of warriors on mid-fifth century Greek vases are considerably less grotesque and menacing. By that time, the Gorgon had lost her tusks and the snakes were rather stylized.[3] The Hellenistic marble known as the Medusa Rondanini illustrates the Gorgon's eventual transformation into a beautiful woman.[3]
History [ edit ]
Gorgoneion on the Tondo of an Ancient Greek Attic black-figured cup, end of sixth century BC - Cabinet des médailles de la Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris, France.
Gorgoneia appear frequently in Greek art at the turn of the eighth century BC. One of the earliest representations is on an electrum stater discovered during excavations at Parium.[3] Other early eighth-century examples were found at Tiryns. Going further back into history, there is a similar image from the Knossos palace, datable to the fifteenth century BC. Marija Gimbutas even argues that "the Gorgon extends back to at least 6000 BC, as a ceramic mask from the Sesklo culture illustrates",[5] and in her book, Language of the Goddess, she also identifies the prototype of the Gorgoneion in Neolithic art motifs, especially in anthropomorphic vases and terracotta masks inlaid with gold.
In the sixth century, gorgoneia of a canonical "lion mask type" were ubiquitous on Greek temples, especially in and around Corinth. Pedimental gorgoneia were common in Sicily; probably the earliest occurrence being in the Temple of Apollo in Syracuse.[6] Around 500 BC, they ceased to be used for the decoration of monumental buildings, but were still shown on antefixes of smaller structures throughout the next century.[6]
Apart from temples, the Gorgon imagery is present on dress, dishes, weapons, and coins found across the Mediterranean region from Etruria to the Black Sea coast. The Gorgon coins were struck in 37 cities, making her image on coins second in numismatic ubiquity only to several principal Olympian gods.[3] On mosaic floors, the gorgoneion usually was depicted next to the threshold, as if guarding it from hostile intruders. On Attic kilns, the gorgoneion over the kiln door protected from mishaps.[7]
The Gorgon imagery remained popular even in Christian times, especially in the Byzantine Empire,[8] including Kievan Rus, and was revived in the West by the Italian Renaissance artists.
More recently, the gorgoneion was adopted by Gianni Versace as a logo for his fashion company.
Gallery [ edit ]
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]“The idea of changing it now to the Comcast Building,” said Carol H. Krinsky, a New York University art history professor and the author of “Rockefeller Center,” “strikes me the same way that the change to the G.E. Building name did: ‘I’m the new guy on the block and you are nothing anymore.’ ”
As proposed, more modest 12-foot-high light-emitting diode signs that spell Comcast in white uppercase letters would be installed on the broader north and south limestone exteriors, crowned by 10-foot-high NBC peacock logos. A 17-foot-high peacock would appear by itself on the western facade more or less facing Philadelphia. Measured in overall square feet, the new signs would be slightly more compact than the existing G.E. signs.
A new entrance and marquee would also be installed on Avenue of the Americas to promote “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” (Among the other shows produced there is “Saturday Night Live,” one of whose alumni, Senator Al Franken, a Minnesota Democrat, opposes Comcast’s acquisition of Time Warner Cable.)
“Nothing has been finalized yet,” Cameron Blanchard, a spokeswoman for NBCUniversal, said of the proposed renovations.
The new sign and marquee were approved on Thursday by the local community board. The preservation commission scheduled a hearing for Tuesday on Comcast’s request.The son of a Palmer Township couple faces more than 70 criminal charges for a 2013 burglary where he allegedly stole 31 firearms from his parents' home.
Police say Carl John Wolff, 27, no known address, broke into a home in the 100 block of East Applewood Drive sometime between Nov. 21 and Nov. 24, 2013 and stole the |
and Tech explained that he had come up with all of it in five minutes. All of the Exosuits are colored blue. Later, the Exosuit design is recolored red and enhanced to serve as the space suits that the Loonatics get from Zadavia. In "The Fall of Blank, Part I" and "In Search of Tweetums, Part II", the suits' color is changed once more to black, with some parts color-coded according to which Loonatic it belongs to. The suits are also bulkier (enhancing their protective abilities as body armor) in the season two finale.
Guardian Strike Sword (First used: "Loonatics on Ice"): Ace Bunny's collapsible weapon of choice. It was given to him by Zadavia when he first joined the Loonatics. Its name was revealed in the episode "Secrets of the Guardian Strike Sword" in the second season, along with the fact that it has hidden powers of its own.
Atomic Phase Departiculator (First used: "Cape Duck"): Tech made this to take down Stomper; it can phase-shift solid to liquid and liquid to gas. A random beam from this device released Dr. Dare from his petrified state allowing him to terrorize the city once more.
X3000 Weapons System (First used: "It Came From Outer Space"): Tech designed this system so it looks like a video game. Rev and Lexi inadvertently use it to destroy Melvin's space station. This system also makes a cameo in "Apocalypso" in the second season.
Molecular Reconstructor (First used: "It Came From Outer Space" Seen again: "The Family Business"): Tech used this device to grow shrunken parts of Acmetropolis back to normal size. It was later stolen by Rev's brother, Rip, after the latter was dominated by a Biotech Brain Parasite. Rip used it to enlarge toys of Rev's design, turning them into dangerous rampaging machines.
Trojan Horse (First used: "It Came From Outer Space"): The only information shown about this spaceship was that it transported Ace, Duck, Rev, and Slam to Melvin's battleship and it distracted Melvin long enough for Ace and Duck to rescue Lexi.
Tech-Nabber 6000 (First used: "In The Pinkster"): Tech designed this platform to catch Stoney and Bugsy. It can capture any solid object via a net or a robot arm. Pinkster "accidentally" caught Ace and Duck with it.
Tech-Nabber 7000 (First used: "In The Pinkster"): An upgraded version of the Tech-Nabber 6000. It backfired when Stoney and Bugsy caught Tech and Rev with it, causing Rev to wonder aloud if it really was upgraded (until silenced, much to Tech's relief).
Acme Alert 8000 (First used: "In The Pinkster"): This advanced security system was created by Tech to guard the Curium 247 that Stoney and Bugsy were trying to steal. (Actually, the Curium was fake. It was used to lure Stoney and Bugsy.) When Pinkster chased his can into the system's detecting range, it fired weapons, therefore the Acme Alert 8000 must have been based on the X3000 Weapons System.
Principal voice cast [ edit ]
Additional voice cast [ edit ]
Episodes [ edit ]
Season 1 (2005–06) [ edit ]
No.
overall No. in
season Title Directed by Written by Original air date 1 1 "Loonatics on Ice" Dan Fausett Chris Brown September 17, 2005 ( ) In the Loonatics Unleashed series premiere, the citizens of Acmetropolis are living through a heat wave when suddenly, temperatures drastically drop and the planet is in the grip of a sudden cold snap. Zadavia summons the Loonatics to investigate and they find a group of space Vikings are responsible for the deep freeze and must stop the Vikings from making the freeze permanent. The Loonatics are frozen by the Vikings but Slam Tasmanian frees them. 2 2 "Attack of the Fuzz Balls" Curt Walstead Brian Swenlin September 24, 2005 ( ) The planet is in the grip of Fuz-Z mania when a cute little creature becomes one of the most popular pets in Acmetropolis thanks to Professor Zane, who says that he found them shortly after the meteor strike. The pets become so popular that even Lexi gets one for herself. But when an attack occurs involving a mysterious creature, the team suddenly learns the truth that the Fuz-Zs are the attackers and are spurred on by eating chocolate, causing them to grow and attack. The Loonatics enact a two-step plan to get the creatures out of Acmetropolis while stopping Professor Zane. 3 3 "The Cloak of Black Velvet" Kenny Thompkins Mark Hoffmeier and Vinny Montello October 1, 2005 ( ) A series of attacks on Acmetropolis is being perpetrated by felons who work in shadows. Zadavia dispatches the Loonatics and find the culprit is Black Velvet, a woman who was forced to live in darkness after her eyesight was nearly obliterated by the shockwave unleashed by the impact of the meteor. She steals the planet's Doppler weather radar system dish to create a device to shroud the entire planet in permanent darkness. Along with this, Tech is kidnapped and brainwashed by Black Velvet to help her complete her task. The remaining Loonatics must rescue their teammate and stop Black Velvet. Meanwhile, Duck is tired of technology and makes a bet with Tech that he cannot go for one week without technology. 4 4 "Weathering Heights" Dan Fausett Christopher Painter October 8, 2005 ( ) After Paula Hayes, an up-and-coming weather girl and assistant to current (and incredibly mean) weather girl, Misty Breeze, is struck by lightning, she becomes Weathervane, a supervillain with control over all forms of weather. She launches wave after wave of cataclysmic storms and the Loonatics must stop her before Acmetropolis is destroyed. 5 5 "Going Underground" Curt Walstead Jack Monaco October 29, 2005 ( ) Lexi and Duck are out buying lunch when suddenly an earthquake occurs that sinks parts of Acmetropolis into the ground. The team finds that an evil genius named Dr. Dare plans to place the entire planet underground through a series of earthquakes with the help of the Jade Serpent Crystal. The Loonatics must stop him and return Acmetropolis to its original form. 6 6 "The Comet Cometh" Kenny Thompkins Len Uhley November 5, 2005 ( ) The citizens of Acmetropolis are celebrating the Loonatics on the one-year anniversary of the meteor strike, when the sky is suddenly filled with pieces of rock falling from the stars. An investigation by Tech reveals that another meteor is headed straight for Acmetropolis, only this one is 500 times larger than the one that gave the Loonatics their powers one year prior. As the team prepares for the intercept mission, we soon learn about each Loonatics' life and what they were doing before the meteor struck: Ace was a martial arts stunt double, Lexi was a student at Acme University trying out for the cheerleading squad, Duck was a pool boy, Slam was a professional wrestler, Tech was a student at the Acme Tech Institute, and Rev was a delivery boy/inventor. When they fail to destroy the meteor, they land on it to plant explosive charges and destroy it from the inside. Though successful, an unknown figure declares that he will destroy Acmetropolis despite two failures of using meteors. 7 7 "The World is My Circus" Dan Fausett Steven Kriozere November 12, 2005 ( ) A popular intergalactic circus featuring unique creatures from across the galaxy comes to Acmetropolis to entertain the citizens. Unbeknownst to many of its inhabitants, the circus contains creatures that are combinations of human DNA and animal DNA and its host, the Ringmaster, is the one behind the odd creatures' existence. When a child disappears and an investigation shows that the last place he was seen was the circus, the Loonatics follow a strange monkey-cheetah hybrid (who is revealed to be Zadavia after falling victim to the Ringmaster off-screen) to the circus to see what they can dig up. However, when the team gets to the circus they find that they are on the list to join the Ringmaster's menagerie. The team is transformed by the Ringmaster and begin their quest to get back to normal and shut the Ringmaster down. After returning to their original forms, they learn that Otto, the Ringmaster's assistant, is really the one behind everything. And to make matters worse, Otto transforms the Ringmaster himself into a monstrous hybrid. 8 8 "Stop the World, I Want to Get Off" Curt Walstead Christopher Painter November 19, 2005 ( ) A new villain named Massive uses his ability to control gravity (having the ability to make objects and people lighter-than-air or massively heavy) to commit several robberies all over Acmetropolis. His goal is to use the robberies to make as much money as he possibly can. Meanwhile, the citizens and the Loonatics are getting ready for the championship game of a futuristic sport known as "basherball" (which resembles the Harry Potter series' game of Quidditch) at the Acmetropolis World Dome. When Massive plots to steal the basherball championship trophy, the Loonatics head to the game to stop Massive's crime spree. 9 9 "Sypher" Kenny Thompkins Wendell Morris November 26, 2005 ( ) Drake Sypher possesses the power to absorb the abilities of anyone who touches him, and decides he should be the one person getting the fame and glory of being a superhero. He first steals the abilities of a star "basherball" player and scores the winning shot, then steals Ace and Rev's abilities since the two were in attendance at the game. After Zadavia assigns Lexi as the team leader and sends the Loonatics to stop a dam from bursting, Sypher battles the team and adds Lexi and Slam's powers to his. Duck assigns himself as the team leader while Tech creates suits that give the powerless Loonatics simulations of their powers and make them resistant to Sypher. But in the ensuing confrontation, Sypher steals Tech and Duck's powers, resulting in a completely powerless Loonatics team forced to stop Sypher and get their powers back. 10 10 "Time After Time" Curt Walstead Steve Cuden February 11, 2006 ( ) The Loonatics must battle Time Skip, a villain who can control time, and stop him from stealing the Trolbot 9000. However, the Loonatics keep failing while the day resets. 11 11 "The Menace of Mastermind" Dan Fausett Vinny Montello and Mark Hoffmeier February 18, 2006 ( ) Mallory Mastermind, formerly Mallory Casey, is a former university classmate of Tech E. Coyote. She breaks out of prison to get revenge on Tech for ruining her attempt to steal knowledge for the university professors. To make matters worse, Mastermind breaks into their HQ and turns all their technology against them. Tech and the Loonatics must stop Mastermind from inside their own base. 12 12 "Acmegeddon Part I" Kenny Thompkins Len Uhley May 6, 2006 ( ) Massive, Mastermind, Sypher and Weathervane are broken out of prison by Optimatus and join forces to aid their mysterious benefactor in defeating the Loonatics. 13 13 "Acmegeddon Part II" Dan Fausett Story by : Chris Brown
Teleplay by : Len Uhley May 13, 2006 ( ) Zadavia explains the history of herself and Optimatus to the Loonatics. Optimatus betrays Massive, Mastermind, Sypher, and Weathervane, sending them back to Acmetropolis as he activates a wormhole to suck the city-planet up whole. Now knowing the secret of his past and his relation to Zadavia, the Loonatics head for Optimatus' base of operations to defeat him and his "Optiforce(s)" once and for all! Planet Freleng is named after Friz Freleng, who created many of the Looney Tunes characters.
Season 2 (2006–07) [ edit ]
No.
overall No. in
season Title Directed by Written by Original air date Prod.
code 14 1 "Secrets of the Guardian Strike Sword" Andrew Austin Stephen Sustarsic September 23, 2006 ( ) 201 Ace meets a mysterious young man, Deuce, who saves his life when Ophiuchus Sam attempts to rob an inter-dimensional train. Deuce is not whom he appears to be, however, and Ace learns the true origins of his sword. 15 2 "A Creep in the Deep" Andrew Austin Len Uhley September 30, 2006 ( ) 202 The Loonatics encounter Adolpho, a mutated dolphin who uses psychic abilities to brainwash sea creatures and destroy any human-made object at sea. It is up to the Loonatics to stop Adolpho and his gang of killer dolphins from taking revenge on the "surface-dwellers" at their next target: Acmetropolis. 16 3 "I Am Slamacus" Clint Taylor Gordon Bressack October 7, 2006 ( ) 203 Pierre Le Pew convinces Slam and Duck that Slam can become a champion fighter in his private tournament. However, he fails to tell them that the last match is to the death. It is up to the rest of the Loonatics to save Slam before it is too late. 17 4 "The Heir Up There" Dan Fausett Charles M. Howell and Stephen Sustarsic November 4, 2006 ( ) 204 The Loonatics have to transport the Royal Tweetums, the heir to the throne, to his home planet of Blanc to end a war. Little do they know is that they are threatened by a force named Sylth Vester and an unknown figure. Both will stop at nothing to see that the Loonatics do not complete their mission. 18 5 "The Family Business" Clint Taylor Alexx Van Dyne November 11, 2006 ( ) 205 After the Loonatics' mission on stopping Toby the pizza boy possessed by a Bio-Tech Brain Parasite device, Rev Runner's family comes to visit when they want Rev to take over the family business. Rev begs Tech to help him make his father proud. Meanwhile, Rev's father shows so much attention to him that his younger brother Rip, the oddball of the family, shows extreme jealousy towards his brother for being the family favorite as well as a superhero. When Rip finds the confiscated Bio-Tech Brain Parasite, it takes control of him and acts on his dark feelings of rage and jealousy towards Rev, and the Loonatics must stop him. 19 6 "Cape Duck" Dan Fausett Mark Zaslove November 18, 2006 ( ) 206 When one of Tech's weapons goes haywire causing Duck to take out the Sagittarius Stomper, he vows to get revenge on Duck. The citizens consider Duck as the one who did it which make the others jealous. Meanwhile, Dr. Dare is released from his statue prison after being hit by Tech's invention and steals the Shield of Perseus. When Tech is finally given credit, he, along with Duck, are made targets by the Stomper, who is somehow able to drop heavy objects on them while still in jail. 20 7 "The Hunter" Andrew Austin Steve Cuden February 3, 2007 ( ) 207 During a fight against Massive who has escaped from prison, the Loonatics battle the high-tech hunter named Electro J. Fudd who is hunting Ace. However, Massive is actually a robot decoy and soon Electro becomes a target, along with Duck, to be added to someone's collection. 21 8 "It Came From Outer Space" Clint Taylor Kevin Hopps February 10, 2007 ( ) 208 When Rev and Lexi tamper with Tech's X3000 Automated Weapon System mistaking it for a video game, Melvin the Martian comes to Acmetropolis to destroy it after his spacecraft was hit by a missile from Tech's invention. When Melvin threatens to shrink the planet, Lexi admits she tampered with Tech's invention and Melvin orders that Lexi be handed over to him in 24 hours. Can the Loonatics find a way to thwart Melvin before Acmetropolis becomes the only planetary location to be "hard to find on any map"? 22 9 "Apocalypso" Andrew Austin Christopher Painter February 17, 2007 ( ) 209 Landing on the island of Apocalypso, the Loonatics find a colony of beautiful, powerful women called the Apocazons led by Queen Athena. Queen Athena was impressed by Lexi's behavior towards Duck, and invites her to join them in a very special event. However, not all is as it really seems with the Apocazons. 23 10 "In the Pinkster" Dan Fausett Stephen Sustarsic February 24, 2007 ( ) 210 An old friend of Danger Duck, Officer Pinkster Pig, helps the Loonatics in their fight against gangsters Stoney the Stone and Bugsy the Bug. But ever since he has helped out, things have been going bad for the Loonatics. 24 11 "The Music Villain" Andrew Austin Mark Zaslove March 3, 2007 ( ) 211 During the New Year period, the Loonatics face off against Boötes Belinda, a villain and his band who use rock music to terrorize Acmetropolis. When Zadavia is captured, he orders Tech to build a high-tech guitar for him. Now the Loonatics must save Zadavia and defeat this evil band. It turns out that the band are robots led by Rupes Oberon, a man who wrote a national anthem for Zadavia on Freleng, but was shot down since there already was a national anthem: one that had words. He uses the guitar to steal all of Zadavia's powers. 25 12 "Planet Blanc: The Fall of Blanc (Part I)" Clint Taylor Stephen Sustarsic April 28, 2007 ( ) 212 Now that Optimatus is free, he, alongside General Deuce and Rupes Oberon, plan to use the planet Blanc's wormhole generator to take over the universe. Blanc is said to be at the center of the universe, and that every point in the universe can be instantly traveled to with ease from it. The Royal Tweetums contacts the Loonatics for help. It turns out that the Tweetums evaded capture. The Loonatics must find him before Optimatus does, but not without help from an old enemy. Planet Blanc is named after Mel Blanc who voiced acted many of the Looney Tunes Characters. 26 13 "Planet Blanc: In Search of Tweetums (Part II)" Dan Fausett Steve Cuden May 5, 2007 ( ) 213 After receiving a message containing clues on the Tweetums' whereabouts, the Loonatics and Sylth Vester seek out where the Tweetums is. Meanwhile, General Deuce and Optimatus begin their plans to conquer the universe. However, Deuce betrays Optimatus, who joins up with Zadavia and the Loonatics. During the final confrontation between Deuce and Ace, Ace banishes him to another universe. The episode ends with the Loonatics realizing they have graduated from merely protecting Acmetropolis, and are now protectors of the entire universe. The team decides to relocate their headquarters to Blanc, which will allow them to instantly reach any trouble-spot anywhere in space.
Crew [ edit ]
Bootsy Collins - Theme Song Singer (Season Two)
Jamie Simone - Casting and Voice Director
DVD releases [ edit ]
DVD name Release date Ep # Additional information The Complete First Season March 13, 2007 13 Features: Loonatics Unleashed: Villain Invasion. The Complete Second Season August 14, 2007 13 No Additional Features.
Legacy [ edit ]
Ace Bunny reappears in the episode "One Carroter in Search of an Artist" from New Looney Tunes.A billionaire Nigerian businessman and major Clinton Foundation donor banned from entering the U.S. two years ago on terrorism grounds has settled a lawsuit against the U.S. government.
Gilbert Chagoury last year sued the FBI and other government agencies in U.S. District Court in Washington, saying he had been damaged by what he described as improper government leaks to the Los Angeles Times.
The Times reported last year that Chagoury had been denied a visa to travel to the U.S. in 2015 on suspicion that he had provided aid to terrorist groups. One document, citing unverified information from an unnamed source, said that Chagoury – who is of Lebanese heritage – had funneled funds to Hezbollah, the Lebanese militia and political group designated a terrorist organization by the U.S.DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Once expunged from its official history, documents outlining the U.S.-backed 1953 coup in Iran have been quietly published by the State Department, offering a new glimpse at an operation that ultimately pushed the country toward its Islamic Revolution and hostility with the West.
The CIA’s role in the coup, which toppled Prime Minister Mohammed Mosaddegh and cemented the control of the shah, was already well-known by the time the State Department offered its first compendium on the era in 1989. But any trace of American involvement in the putsch had been wiped from the report, causing historians to call it a fraud.
The papers released this month show U.S. fears over the spread of communism, as well as the British desire to regain access to Iran’s oil industry, which had been nationalized by Mosaddegh. Protests supporting the shah, fanned in part by the CIA, led to Mosaddegh’s fall
It exposes “more about what we know about this milestone event in Middle East history and especially U.S.-Iran history. This is still such an important, emotional benchmark for Iranians,” said Malcolm Byrne, who has studied Iran at the non-governmental National Security Archive at George Washington University. “Many people see it as the day that Iranian politics turned away from any hope of democracy.”
The 1,007-page report, comprised of letters and diplomatic cables, shows U.S. officials discussing a coup up to a year before it took place. While America worried about Soviet influence in Iran, the British remained focused on resolving a dispute over the nationalization of the country’s oil refinery at Abadan, at the time one of the world’s largest.
Widespread Iranian anger over the heavy-handed Western intervention lingered for decades and fed into the 1979 revolution, when Iranians seized control of the U.S. Embassy and held those inside captive for 444 days. To this day Iran’s clerical leaders portray the U.S. as a hostile foreign power bent on subverting and overthrowing its government.
Jon Gambrell is an Associated Press writer.This article is over 2 years old
The financier accused of the killings of two Indonesian women admitted only to manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility
A Cambridge-educated British banker has pleaded not guilty to the murder of two young Indonesian women found dead at his luxury Hong Kong home almost two years ago, blaming a “personality disorder” for the killings.
Rurik Jutting, 31, was arrested in the early hours of 1 November 2014 after he called police to his 31st floor flat in Wanchai, a seedy bar district not far from the former colony’s financial centre.
Inside, officers found the bodies of two migrant workers who had frequented the area’s bars, 23-year-old Sumarti Ningsih and 29-year-old Seneng Mujiasih, who was also known as Jesse Lorena.
Ningsih, a mother-of-one, had sustained severe knife wounds to her neck and buttocks while the decomposing body of Mujiasih, thought to have been killed several days earlier, had been stuffed into a suitcase on the apartment’s balcony.
Shortly after his arrest Jutting was transferred to the Siu Lam psychiatric centre, a maximum security facility for prisoners requiring psychiatric care.
As his trial began on Monday morning, Jutting told Hong Kong’s high court he was not guilty of murder. However, he pleaded guilty to the crime of manslaughter for the reason of diminished responsibility.
Tim Owen QC, a British lawyer who is defending Jutting, said his case would be based around the argument that Jutting suffered from a “personality disorder”.
John Reading, the prosecutor, claimed psychopathic behaviour did not provide grounds for Jutting, who had been a highly paid employee of Bank of America Merrill Lynch, to plead diminished responsibility.
The defendant, who studied at the prestigious Winchester College school followed by Peterhouse, Cambridge, also admitted a third charge of preventing the lawful burial of a body.
Jutting had appeared overweight and disheveled at previous court appearances. But Reuters said he looked trim and clean shaven as he appeared in court wearing a dark blue shirt.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Women from Indonesian migrant worker organisations protest outside the court in Hong Kong on Monday. Photograph: Anthony Wallace/AFP/Getty Images
The 2014 murders cast a spotlight on the hardships suffered by more than 330,000 mostly female domestic workers who have migrated to Asia’s main financial hub from places such as Indonesia and the Philippines.
According to a study released earlier this year one in six of such workers are subjected to forced labour, toiling away for 71 hours each week and often suffering severe physical and mental abuse.
In February last year one Hong Kong woman was jailed for subjecting her Indonesian helper to a vicious campaign of torture and violence.
A 2013 Amnesty report claimed Indonesian women who came to Hong Kong seeking work often found themselves trapped in a cycle of exploitation and forced to work in slavery-like conditions.
As Jutting’s trial began on Monday domestic workers and activists gathered outside to protest, carrying placards that read: “Stop violence against women migrants” and “Noone has right to kill”
• This article was amended on 24 October 2016 to correct a reference to Peterhouse, Cambridge.Former Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan features in a list of probable winners of the Nobel Prize in Economics 2017, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The list was brought out by Clarivate Analytics, a company that does academic and scientific research and maintains a list of dozens of possible Nobel Prize winners based on research citations.
Rajan is one of the six economists to make their way to the list this year. He is considered a candidate for his “contributions illuminating the dimensions of decisions in corporate finance”, Clarivate said.
The winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics will be announced on October 9.
Rajan’s three-year term as RBI governor ended on September 4, 2016. He is currently the Katherine Dusak Miller Distinguished Service Professor of Finance at the Booth School of Business, University of Chicago.
At 40, he was the youngest to become the chief economist at the International Monetary Fund. Rajan shot to fame three years after he presented a paper at an annual gathering of economists and bankers in the US in 2005, in which he predicted a financial crisis. He was not taken seriously at the time, but was proved right three years later when the financial crisis hit the US.
Differences with Indian government
Rajan had expected to get a second term as RBI governor, but was not offered an extension. He later revealed that he had differences with the government over several matters, including demonetisation, which he has criticised fiercely.
Demonetisation has hit the nation’s poor the hardest, Rajan said in September. He said he was not party to the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government’s controversial decision.It’s common for pundits to recite ass-covering phrases like “it all comes down to turnout” or “anything could happen” on the eve of a big election. If you’ve been following FiveThirtyEight over the years, you know it’s not our style to do that. Instead, we issue probabilistic forecasts, which can sometimes seem quite confident: We had Barack Obama as a 90.9 percent favorite to beat Mitt Romney on the eve of the 2012 general election, for example.
So let’s get a couple of things straight before the results start trickling in from Iowa tonight:
It all comes down to turnout.
Anything could happen.
All right, not absolutely anything could happen. Martin O’Malley is not going to win the Democratic caucuses. Donald Trump will probably not finish behind Carly Fiorina.
But could Marco Rubio win the Iowa caucuses despite not having led a single poll there? Sure. Rick Santorum did that exact thing four years ago.
Could Trump slip all the way to third place? Entirely plausible. But he could also get upwards of 40 percent of the vote and double his nearest rival’s total.
Ben Carson in second place? Rand Paul in third? The odds are against it — but equally strange things have happened in Iowa before.
We say this for the same reason we can sometimes issue highly confident forecasts just before a general election: It’s what the data tells us. That data tells us that polling in general elections is pretty accurate, at least in the final few weeks before the election. The data also tells us that polling in primaries and caucuses is not very accurate. Historically, the average error of late polls in presidential general elections is about 3.5 percentage points. By contrast, the average polling error associated with presidential primaries is more like 8 percentage points, more than twice as high.
So imagine that we have a forecast showing Trump 4 percentage points ahead of Ted Cruz in some state. If Trump wins by 12 points instead, or Cruz wins by 4, the pollsters would be pilloried, and we’d come in for our share of flak too. But that’s what an 8-point error looks like, and 8-point errors happen fairly often in primaries and caucuses.
What makes polling these elections so difficult? There are a few major factors:
Turnout is much lower in primaries and caucuses, and much harder to predict.
There are often multiple candidates running. Such races increase polling error because of the potential for tactical voting.
There are far more swing voters because most voters like several of their party’s candidates. In the recent Des Moines Register Iowa poll, for example, the average Republican respondent had a favorable impression of four of the Republican candidates. By contrast, only a small fraction of general election voters like both the Democratic and Republican candidates.
A substantial number of voters wait until the last few days of the campaign to make up their minds in primaries and caucuses; by contrast, the vast majority of general election voters have their minds made up well ahead of Election Day.
But if primaries and caucuses are always tough for pollsters, some are even harder than others. This is something we’ve studied extensively too. Historically, the polling error has been higher when:
A state holds a caucus instead of a primary.
It’s early in the nomination calendar rather than later. (Perhaps because pollsters haven’t yet had a chance to learn from their mistakes.)
There are more candidates running. (See above for why this matters.)
You’ll note that the first two circumstances apply in the Democratic caucuses tonight, and all three do for Republicans. Iowa is a caucus state, and it’s the first state to vote. And there are still a huge number of candidates on the GOP side. In our polling average, candidates other than Trump, Cruz and Rubio have a collective 28 percent of the vote, while another 3 percent or 4 percent of voters still say they’re undecided. That’s almost a third of the vote that could easily enough recirculate to one of the front-runners.
Put another way, the uncertainty associated with forecasting tonight’s Iowa Republican caucus is about as high as it gets in a major American election. Even Ann Selzer, the best pollster in the country, could have a rough night.
That doesn’t mean we’re completely in the dark. Our forecast models are designed to account for this uncertainty. Hillary Clinton, for example, leads Bernie Sanders by 4.5 percentage points in our Iowa polling average. In a general election, that would make her a rather heavy favorite, probably upwards of 90 percent. But in the Iowa caucuses, it’s not that much of an edge. Thus, our polls-only forecast still gives Sanders a 28 percent chance of winning, and our polls-plus forecast, which likes Sanders because his Iowa numbers exceed his standing in national polls, puts his chances slightly higher, at 33 percent.
There’s even more uncertainty on the Republican side. Trump leads Cruz in our polling average by about the same margin that Clinton leads Sanders, 4.7 percentage points. But the larger number of candidates involved could make for a wild finish. Here’s each candidate’s chances of finishing in first, second or third, according to our polls-only model:
Iowa: Polls-only forecast as of Monday afternoon CANDIDATE 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH OR WORSE Donald Trump 54% 30% 12% 3% Ted Cruz 33 39 20 8 Marco Rubio 11 24 40 24 Ben Carson 1 5 15 79 Rand Paul <1 <1 4 95 Jeb Bush <1 <1 3 96 Mike Huckabee <1 <1 2 98 Chris Christie <1 <1 1 99 John Kasich <1 <1 1 99 Carly Fiorina <1 <1 <1 99 Rick Santorum <1 <1 <1 >99
Trump has a 54 percent chance to win, according to our polls-only model, compared with Cruz’s 33 percent. But you’ll notice that the model gives Rubio an outside chance too, 11 percent. Surely Rubio will finish in the top three, at least? No, that’s not certain either; the model gives him a 24 percent chance of finishing in fourth place or worse.
Then there are some of the truly wild scenarios I described earlier. Carson is given a 5 percent chance of finishing in second place. How might that happen? I can’t tell you. But by definition, the biggest surprises are the ones no one is prepared for, like Hillary Clinton beating Barack Obama in the 2008 New Hampshire primary.
Our polls-plus forecast also has Trump favored, but only narrowly. Its algorithm gives an extra percentage point or two to Cruz and Rubio because their Iowa polls exceed their standing in national polls — historically a favorable indicator — and the opposite is true for Trump.
Iowa: Polls-plus forecast as of Monday afternoon CANDIDATE 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH OR WORSE Donald Trump 46% 33% 17% 4% Ted Cruz 39 37 19 5 Marco Rubio 14 26 42 18 Ben Carson <1 3 13 83 Rand Paul <1 <1 3 96 Jeb Bush <1 <1 2 98 Mike Huckabee <1 <1 1 98 Chris Christie <1 <1 <1 >99 John Kasich <1 <1 <1 >99 Carly Fiorina <1 <1 <1 >99 Rick Santorum <1 <1 <1 >99
But again, there’s a lot of uncertainty. Polls-plus assigns Trump a 10 percent chance of finishing with 15 percent of the vote or less, which could be a campaign-ending embarrassment. However, it also gives him a 10 percent chance of finishing at 38 percent or higher, in which case he’d look unstoppable.
As primary season wears on, our models won’t be hedging their bets quite so much. Candidates will drop out, and voter preferences may become more stable. As we learn more about who is voting for whom, we may also be able to add demographic information to our forecasts, which can potentially make them quite a bit more accurate.
But for tonight? Keep an open mind about the results. And don’t be shocked if the polls are way off.
Listen to the latest episode of the FiveThirtyEight politics podcast.Finally, Samsung has announced its new flagship phone Samsung Galaxy Note 8. The phone is the successor of Galaxy Note 7 that will be remembered for years for its exploding nature.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 comes with 6.3″ Quad HD+ Super AMOLED display with 2960 x 1440 pixels resolution. This is the first note device to come with edge-to-edge Infinity Display. It comes with Android 7.1.1 Nougat and Oreo update will follow soon.
Discount of Rs. 6,000 HP Core i3 7th gen 14-inch Laptop 4GB/1TB HDD/Windows 10 Discount of Rs. 6,000 HP Core i3 7th gen 14-inch Laptop 4GB/1TB HDD/Windows 10 Click to Grab Deal
It comes with Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 with Adreno 540 GPU or Octa-Core Samsung Exynos 9 Series 8895 processor with Mali-G71 MP20 GPU depending on the region. It has 6GB LPDDR4 RAM. It will be available in 64/128/256GB storage options. It will be available in both Single SIM and Dual SIM model. Both phones will allow storage expansion up to 256GB.
Also see: Samsung Mobiles India List
It has dual camera setup with 2X optical zoom. It features a 12 megapixels telephone camera with 1.0µm pixel size and 1/3.6″ sensor size along with a Dual pixel 12MP wide angle camera with 1.4µm, F1.7 aperture, and 1/2.55″ sensor size. It supports 4K video recording at 30 fps, with 2X optical zoom and 10X digital zoom. It also has 8 megapixels front camera with F1.7 aperture and 80-degree field of view. Both cameras feature optical image stabilization.
It supports 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz),Bluetooth® v 5.0, USB Type-C, NFC GPS, Galileo, Glonass and BeiDou. It offers ultra High-Quality audio playback and supports a wide range of audio format. It also supports dual audio. So, it can connect two Bluetooth devices for music playback simultaneously.
It |
going to be critical.”
Kempf explained that this effort, aimed at helping analysts access all the pertinent information, should include data-tagging to ensure that data can be successfully exchanged both vertically and horizontally across and within networks utilized by DCGS.
“We want an agile development process where we pull in pieces and work within the processes so we can develop technology more quickly,” said Kempf.
Jim Pettigrew, Special Operations Forces Program Manager, Mission Support Systems, emphasized that data-sharing across networks is of particular relevance for their forces, given that they operate in more than 60 countries at any one time.
“We operate on several networks. It is critical that we have the trust to move data between networks to better inform decision makers,” Pettigrew added.
This means using network data-sharing and organizing techniques to implement better filtering processes for operators to give them timely access to the proper intelligence resources.
“Information agility is the key to success, so we are really providing the right information at the right time to the decision maker at all echelons,” said Pettigrew.
Facilitating this effort means developing and acquiring algorithms and computer programs able to “auto-cue” analysts about intelligence they need to know or prioritize, including auto-target recognition, movement sensors and other methods of discerning impactful intelligence.
“A machine can tip me as to what may have been important in a certain area,” said DCGS AF Col. Kristopher Gifford, HQ USAF A2C.
An essential impetus behind cross-domain operations is an effort to help joint military operations improve effectiveness by connecting otherwise disparate information networks and intelligence sources together in a seamless and accessible fashion.
An Air Force drone, for instance, may want to quickly pass targeting information or combat video feeds to a supporting ground unit – a process improved through a system such as DCGS designed to help gather organize and relay information of that kind.Masquerada's world reflects the lives of its developers in a few ways. It comes from Witching Hour Studios, a development company in Singapore, and the world of Ombre is based on Singapore's own mutli-cultural, diverse population. The game is a "pause for tactics" RPG, meaning players can stop in the middle of battle and plan out efficient attacks. The art and mechanics are inspired by Bastion, The Banner Saga and Baldur's Gate, a collection of narrative-driven and innovative tactical titles, all sprinkled with a dash of brilliant neon color.
But, these are the surface aspects of Masquerada. Beneath the gorgeous design lies a deeper message about what it means to be human, shaped by Gregory's dissatisfaction with the portrayal of gay characters in video games.
"I'm tired that gay characters in games are portrayed [as] oversexualized," Gregory says. "While some have depth, they seem to be defined by their sexuality and not enough by their humanity. If we're gonna constantly harp on how different they are just by their bedroom habits, that's all society will latch on to. We'd like to show the perspective of a gay character whose choices and behaviors are profoundly affected by others' conflicting attitudes to their sexual orientation -- and to do so in a way where the conversation isn't about romance."
Basically, Gregory treats Masquerada's characters as full, flawed and talented people first, rather than approaching each one from the view of a single, limiting trait. Gregory's goal is to make his characters relatable and accessible without relying on stereotypes or exaggerated tropes.
"We're going to explore fear, guilt, loss, redemption," he says. "A situation where a player would take on the role of a good friend instead of a lover. Perhaps something more familiar to those of us not of the orientation."
Of course, Masquerada has to be a solid game in order for its characters -- gay or otherwise -- to have any impact on players or society at large. To that end, Gregory says Witching Hour Studios has partnered with Ysbryd Games, a publisher that provides enough funding for the developers to craft an expansive game with rich lore and no compromises. With support from Ysbryd, the full game is due out on PC and unannounced consoles in early 2016, with no need to turn to crowdfunding or other financing options.
"We're unlikely to take this to Kickstarter unless we suddenly have a need for half a million to get Daft Punk involved or something," Gregory says. For what it's worth, a Daft Punk game soundtrack would probably be awesome.
Witching Hour isn't concerned about funding and the studio has a clear idea of who Masquerada's characters are -- that doesn't mean Gregory has zero worries overall.
"If we were worried about anything, it wouldn't be about the resources to make the game, but it'd be about overcoming the hurdles of visibility with our intended audience," he says. "It's not something you can plan for. It would suck to be drowned out by the next cadre of 'I Am Call of Battlefield Creed Roguelike Simulator 2016s' because we 'didn't follow trends' about what's hip these days. Exhibiting at PAX can only do so much."
It may not result in much, but Witching Hour is doing it anyway: Masquerada will be in booth 8236 at PAX East 2015, the game convention held in Boston from March 6 - 8. Fans of Bastion, The Banner Saga or fully formed characters, check it out.
Correction: A previous version of this article suggested Masquerada's main character, Cicero Gavar, was gay. That's his party member, Kalden Azrus, the man in blue in the top image. Apologies for any confusion."ASUS started filling the inventory pipelines this past week for our new Eee Pad Transformer Prime and will continue to do so on an expedited basis for the foreseeable future. We will reach normal inventory levels in January for the North American market based on current orders and forecasts. Based on forecasted supply schedules to our valued partners we expect pre-order allocation fulfillment to occur shortly and online or in-store availability in the very near future. We will continue to work closely with our partners to fill customer orders as quickly as possible."
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
ASUS' Eee Pad Transformer Prime has already suffered a few setbacks on its march to the US market and unfortunately, it looks as if another obstacle may be on the horizon. According to a handful of tips we've received this morning, Best Buy has been sending out emails to users who pre-ordered the new tablet for delivery this week, informing them that shipments have been "back-ordered," and delayed by one to two weeks. This means, of course, that some buyers may not receive the device until after Christmas. In its email, Best Buy gave its customers the option of canceling their orders outright, replacing it with a similar device, or searching the product at a brick and mortar location (a customer service rep told us that the Transformer Prime is not in stock). Some who ordered the slate on Amazon, meanwhile, have received emails informing them that their orders were "inadvertently canceled," and offering them the chance to pre-order it again today, along with a $10 gift card to make up for the inconvenience. We'll be following this story closely, so check this space for any further updates. Here's ASUS's official statement:Supermassive black hole blows molecular gas out of a galaxy at 1 million kilometres per hour
Long-held mystery surrounding the evolution of galaxies solved by academics at the University of Sheffield
Findings deepen our understanding of the future of our own galaxy, which will collide with Andromeda in 5 billion years
New research by academics at the University of Sheffield has solved a long-standing mystery surrounding the evolution of galaxies, deepening our understanding of the future of the Milky Way.
The supermassive black holes in the cores of some galaxies drive massive outflows of molecular hydrogen gas. As a result, most of the cold gas is expelled from the galaxies. Since cold gas is required to form new stars, this directly affects the galaxies’ evolution.
The outflows are now a key ingredient in theoretical models of the evolution of galaxies, but it has long been a mystery as to how they are accelerated.
A study led by researchers in the University's Department of Physics and Astronomy, with partners from the Netherlands Institute of Radio Astronomy and the Center for Astrophysics, Harvard, provides the first direct evidence that the molecular outflows are accelerated by energetic jets of electrons that are moving at close to the speed of light. Such jets are propelled by the central supermassive black holes.
Using the Very Large Telescope of the European Southern Observatory in Chile to observe the nearby galaxy IC5063, researchers found that the molecular hydrogen gas is moving at extraordinary speeds – 1 million kilometers per hour – at the locations in the galaxy where its jets are impacting regions of dense gas.
These findings help us further understand the eventual fate of our own galaxy, the Milky Way, which will collide with neighbouring galaxy Andromeda in about 5 billion years. As a result of this collision, gas will become concentrated at the centre of the system, fuelling its supermassive black hole, and potentially leading to the formation of jets that will then eject the remaining gas from the galaxy – just as we already observe in IC5063.
Professor Clive Tadhunter, from the University's Department of Physics and Astronomy, said: "Much of the gas in the outflows is in the form of molecular hydrogen, which is fragile in the sense that it is destroyed at relatively low energies. It is extraordinary that the molecular gas can survive being accelerated by jets of electrons moving at close to the speed of light."
The results of the study have been published in the journal Nature.
Additional information The University of Sheffield With nearly 25,000 of the brightest students from 117 countries coming to learn alongside 1,209 of the world’s best academics, it is clear why the University of Sheffield is one of the UK’s leading universities. Staff and students at Sheffield are committed to helping discover and understand the causes of things - and propose solutions that have the power to transform the world we live in. A member of the Russell Group, the University of Sheffield has a reputation for world-class teaching and research excellence across a wide range of disciplines. The University of Sheffield has been named University of the Year in the Times Higher Education Awards 2011 for its exceptional performance in research, teaching, access and business performance. In 2014 it was voted number one university in the UK for Student Satisfaction by Times Higher Education and in the last decade has won four Queen’s Anniversary Prizes in recognition of the outstanding contribution to the United Kingdom’s intellectual, economic, cultural and social life. One of the markers of a leading university is the quality of its alumni and Sheffield boasts five Nobel Prize winners among former staff and students. Its alumni have gone on to hold positions of great responsibility and influence all over the world, making significant contributions in their chosen fields. Research partners and clients include Boeing, Rolls-Royce, Unilever, Boots, AstraZeneca, GSK, Siemens, Yorkshire Water and many more household names, as well as UK and overseas government agencies and charitable foundations.Over the last months, I wrote some extensions for the Eclipse IDE that I found were missing and could be implemented with reasonable effort.
The outcome is Extras for Eclipse, a collection of small extensions for the Eclipse IDE, which include a launch dialog, a JUnit status bar, a launch configuration housekeeper, and little helper to accomplish recurring tasks with keyboard shortcuts.
They have been developed and proven useful in daily work over the last months to me, and so I thought they might be useful for others, too. In this post, I will walk through each of the features briefly.
The most noteworthy Extras for Eclipse at a glance:
A JUnit progress meter in the main status bar and a key binding to open the JUnit View
A dialog to quickly start or edit arbitrary launch configurations, think of Open Resource for launch configurations
An option to remove generated launch configurations when they are no longer needed
A key binding for the Open With… menu to choose the editor for the selected file
And yet another key binding to delete the currently edited file
The listed components can be installed separately so that you are free to choose whatever fits your needs.
Installation
Extras for Eclipse is available from the Eclipse Marketplace. If you want to give it a try, just drag the icon to your running Eclipse:
If you prefer, you can also install Extras for Eclipse directly from this software repository:
In the Eclipse main menu, select Help > Install New Software…, then enter the URL above and select Extras for the Eclipse IDE. Expand the item to select only certain features for installation.
Please note that a JRE 8 or later and Eclipse Luna (4.4) or later are required to run this software.
Extras for JUnit
If you are using the JUnit View like Frank does and have it minimized in a fast view, the only progress indicator is the animated view icon. While it basically provides the desired information – progress and failure/success – I found it a little too subtle. But having the JUnit View always open is quite a waste of space.
That brought me to the JUnit Status Bar: a progress meter in the main status bar that mirrors the bar of the JUnit View but saves the space of the entire view that is only useful when diagnosing test failure.
Together with a key binding ( Alt+Shift+Q U ) to open the JUnit View when needed this made running tests even a little more convenient.
If you would like to hide the status bar, go to the Java > JUnit > JUnit Status Bar preference page. Note that due to a bug in Eclipse Mars (4.5) and later you need to resize the workbench window afterwards to make the change appear.
Launching with Keys
When working on Eclipse plug-ins I usually run tests with Ctrl+R or Alt+Shift+D T/P, but from time to time I also launch the application for a reality-check. And then Ctrl+F11/F11 to relaunch the previously launched application often isn’t the right choice. Neither does Launch the selected resource always pick the right one either.
Hence, leave the keyboard and grab the mouse, go to the main toolbar, find the Run/Debug tool item and select the appropriate launch configuration, if it is still among the most recently used ones. Otherwise, open the launch dialog, …
Therefore, I was looking for quicker access and came up with the Start Launch Configuration dialog. It works much the same as Open Type or Open Resource: A filtered list shows all available launch configurations. Favorites and recently used launch configurations are listed first. With Return the selected launch configuration(s) can be debugged. A different launch mode (i.e. run or profile) can be chosen from the drop-down menu next to the filter text.
And most important, there is a key binding: Alt+F11. Or if you prefer Ctrl+3, the command is named Open Launch Dialog.
The screenshot below shows the Start Launch Configuration dialog in action:
If there are launch configurations that have currently running instances, their image is decorated with a running ( ) symbol. And if you need to modify a launch configuration prior to running it, the Edit button gives you quick access to its properties.
Launch Configuration Housekeeping
With launch configurations, there is another annoyance: each test that runs generates a launch configuration, and if you code test driven, you will end up with many launch configurations. So many that they obscure the two or so manually created master test suites that actually matter.
That brought me to the idea to remove launch configurations that were generated when they are no longer needed. The no longer needed is currently reached when another launch configuration is run. This still gives the ability to re-run an application with Ctrl+F11 / F11 but limits the number of launch configurations to those that are relevant.
The term generated applies to all launch configurations that aren’t explicitly created in the launch configuration dialog such as those created through the Run As > JUnit Test or Debug As > Java Application commands for example.
With the Run/Debug > Launching > Clean Up preference page, you can specify which launch configuration types should be considered when cleaning up.
Open With… Key Binding
Sometimes I had the need to open a file with a different editor than the default one.
To work around the broken PDE target definition editor for example, I used to open target definition files with a text editor. While this particular editor has improved since its Mars release, I still have occassional use for Open With….
As an extension of the F3 or Return key that opens the selected file in the respective default editor, there is now Shift+F3 that shows the Open With… menu to choose an alternative editor.
Delete the Currently Edited File
For a while now I realized that I use the Package Explorer less and less. It even is in the way at times and may as well make a good candidate for a fast view.
I find the package explorer – or more generally navigation views – a useful tool to get to know the structure of a software project, but once you are comfortable with it, the view adds less and less value while occupying much screen real estate.
To navigate the sources I mostly use Open Type ( Ctrl+Shift+T ) or Open Declaration ( F3 ) or the Quick Type Hierarchy ( Ctrl+T ) or the editors breadcrumb bar.
But to delete a file I have to go back to a navigation view, select the resource in question and hit the Del key.
This detour can be spared with yet another key binding, Alt+Del, that invokes the regular delete operation so that the behavior is the same as if the edited file was deleted from one of the navigation views.
Concluding Extras for Eclipse
This article describes the features that I found most noteworthy. For a complete list, please visit the project’s homepage.
For some of the extensions introduced here I have opened enhancement requests at Eclipse (see this Bugzilla query). If there are enough interest and support, I will eventually contribute them to the respective Eclipse projects.
I prefer a possibly slim IDE that consists only of those plug-ins that are actually necessary for the task at hand (mostly Java Tools, Plug-in Development Tools, MoreUnit, Maven integration, Git integration, EclEmma and Extras for Eclipse of course) – and in this environment the components have proven stable.
Therefore I would be grateful for hints if an Extras feature collides with plug-ins in a different setup. If you find a bug or would like to propose an enhancement please file an issue here:
Or if you even want to contribute to Extras for Eclipse, please read the Contributing Guidelines that list the few rules to contribute and explain how to set up the development environment.There’s an oft-repeated claim that global warming is on a 15-year hiatus—that since 1998, temperatures have risen more slowly than they were rising before. A new study throws cold—or rather warm—water on that claim.
The study, released this week in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, attempts to correct for the fact that widely cited datasets on global surface temperatures are incomplete. The data gaps exist primarily in the Arctic, where recent summers have a experienced a stark decline in sea ice. Significant data holes also exist in hard-to-reach places like the Amazon, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, Australia, and the Antarctic. Together, those gaps account for about 16% of the Earth’s surface.
The study fills in those gaps using information from satellites, making it the first measurement of large-scale temperature trends that covers 100% of the planet’s surface. The result more than doubles the rate of global warming since 1997, from about 0.05 °C (0.09 °F) per decade in the dataset including the gaps to about 0.12 °C (0.22 °F) per decade with the data gaps filled. That’s the same rate the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported during the period from 1951-2012 (pdf), so it effectively eliminates the recent warming “slowdown”. The result has already been well-received by the scientific community as an innovative answer to a vexing problem.
One of the authors, Kevin Cowtan of the University of York (UK), explains his methods in a video:
A big implication of the study is that previous attempts to explain the apparent “hiatus” in global warming—like enhanced heat take-up by the deep oceans, the cooling effect of smog over China and India, or natural fluctuations like El Nino—are likely still valid. Should any of those conditions flip—say, for example, China cleans up its air quality—then the temperature rise could speed up further.The film is directed by Sergey Mokritskiy and stars Yulia Peresild as Pavlichenko. In addition to Beijing, where Peresild was awarded Best Actress award, the film has also appeared at Cannes Film Festival. [3]
The film opens and closes with post-war scenes from the perspective of Eleanor Roosevelt (Joan Blackham) as she visits the protagonist Lyudmila Pavlichenko (Yulia Peresild) during the former first lady's 1957 trip to the Soviet Union. Pavlichenko's story is told through flashbacks to 1942 when Pavlichenko toured the United States with Roosevelt, and further flashbacks to Pavlichenko's experiences in the Soviet Union. After the German invasion of the USSR, university student Pavlichenko becomes a sniper in the 25th Rifle Division. She fights in the Battle of Odessa and, eventually, the defense of Sevastopol. After 309 confirmed kills, she is sent to the United States to campaign for American support. Eleanor Roosevelt invites her to the White House, and the two become friends.
In 1941, Lyudmila is a student who has just gotten into university; to celebrate, she goes to a shooting range with her friends including a classmate named Masha, doing exceptionally well despite never have shot before. At home, her father shows no pride in her, having desired a son who could become a soldier. In a twist of events, her perfect shooting results at the range eventually result in the military contacting her for a sharpshooting program, as Germany has just invaded the Soviet Union. Though a doctor courting her, Boris, tells her she should stay with him, she rejects what she perceives as cowardice and leaves to fight on the Eastern Front.
During training, Lyudmila is shown as an excellent sniper, and eventually is partnered with a grizzled veteran named Makarov, who she falls in love with. He doesn't return her affections, however, and explains that he had lost his wife and family when the Germans invaded. She is also reunited with Masha, who is now a nurse engaged with a young pilot. During battle defending the city of Odessa, she is injured and Makarov drags her to safety to a local hospital, where Boris has volunteered as a military doctor. After awakening, Lyudmila manages to get Boris to sign her papers so that she can return to the frontlines, but finds out that Makarov has died in battle and the Soviets are retreating to Sevastopol.
She is paired with another superior, Leonid, and begins to show signs of trauma, showing signs of cruelty by shooting enemy soldiers to wound them and watch them suffer, rather than kill them instantly. Thus, their relationship starts off rough, but they eventually develop a close romance. Masha invites them to her wedding, but at the wedding reveals that her fiance had died, leaving her alone. This leads Lyudmila to tell Leonid privately that she wants a son.
While on patrol in a field, Leonid steps on a mine that triggers a flare. Immediately, artillery shells begin to pummel the field, and Leonid shelters her from them with his body. Lyudmila again wakes up in a hospital, where Boris tells her Leonid has died. Though in a broken state, she is ordered to kill a top enemy sniper for propaganda purposes. The duel takes all of a day, and, tired of waiting, Lyudmila steps out of cover, exposing herself completely. She is shot, but manages to pinpoint the enemy sniper's location and kills him.
Boris eventually is able to pull her away from battle. As the city is being evacuated, Boris carries a traumatized Lyudmila to a submarine that is evacuating the city. As panicked civilians attempt to board evacuating ships, Lyudmila realizes that Boris isn't coming with her, as he gave her his ticket. A voiceover by Eleanor Roosevelt reveals that Boris, Masha, and countless civilians and soldiers died defending the city from the Germans.
Roosevelt later visits Lyudmila after the war, where she is now a mother. They attend the opera together, with Lyudmila's son.Getty Images/Flickr Select / Getty Images/Flickr Select
Parents who constantly find themselves wiping food off the high chair, the table, the walls, the ceiling and even the dog after a meal should take heart. A new study suggests that in making all that mess, their child is learning. Researchers from the University of Iowa (UI) studied how 16 month olds learn the words for non-solid objects—things as oatmeal or applesauce or milk—that infants generally take longer to learn and found that those who messed with the substance the most learned the words more quickly. Babies’ brains usually pick up words for more immutable objects such as blocks, apples, or daddy, more easily because they can prod and pinch them and they remain the same, more or less, while non-solid objects are a bit more confusing. Think about applesauce: sometimes it’s shaped like a bowl, sometimes like a spoon and sometimes like a big blob on the floor. Or consider the similarities between glue and milk; if you didn’t touch them, they could seem pretty similar.
More: The War on Pink: GoldieBlox Toys Ignite Debate Over What’s Good For Girls
To test how toddlers learned the names of gloppy, changeable substances, researchers introduced 14 oozy items, mostly things the kids could safely put in their mouths, like applesauce, pudding, juice, or soup. As they offered the kids the items, they gave them made up names, such as “dax” or “kiv.” A short while later they asked the kids if they knew the name of one of the substances, presented in a different size or shape. Kids who could remember the name of the item were obviously relying on more than just what it looked like.
The kids who had really got their hands—and sometimes the walls or floors—dirty, seemed to be the ones who understood the differences in texture or viscosity better. All that fooling around was actually learning. It also helped if they were in a high chair. “It turns out that being in a high chair makes it more likely you’ll get messy, because kids know they can get messy there,” said Larissa Samuelson, associate professor in psychology at UI, who with doctoral student Lynn Perry and others, oversaw the Developmental Science paper. “Playing with these foods there actually helped these children in the lab, and they learned the names better.”
More: Why Videos Aren’t the Best Way for Kids to Learn
That’s supported by other research that found that quick and effective learning involves being open to new and unfamiliar cues — such as those that come from touching and smelling things for the first time. The more receptive the brain is to such information, the faster the child learns about his environment, including things that change their shape or are hard to distinguish from other objects.
That may not mean that the messiest kids are all destined to become geniuses, but maybe some among this group of phenomenally messy kids will credit their less than neat ways with helping them to learn new skills.According to Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star, not even a $40,000 offer from New York Knicks superfan Spike Lee was enough to get one Indiana Pacers supporter to part with his courtside seats for Game 3.
It's great that the world's most famous Knicks fan is devoted enough to shell out big bucks for a prime seat on the road, but Lee should have known that Indiana was the last place he'd get someone to do him a solid.
It's a little-known fact that most post offices in Indiana feature a picture of Lee tacked to the "Most Wanted" bulletin boards behind the counter. In addition, most restaurants lose their licenses if they serve him food.
In other words, if he wanted a favor from a Pacers fan, Lee was barking up the wrong tree.
Besides, we're painfully close to the anniversary of the moment that set Knicks and Pacers fans at each others' throats in the first place.
At least these two guys talk nowadays. It wasn't so long ago that they only communicated with hand gestures.
Perhaps there was some concern that Lee's wardrobe would be a distraction if he sat on the sidelines.
Some of the orange-and-blue getup we've seen during this postseason has raised the bar on gaudy NBA fashion—which is saying something if you've seen some of the gear Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony have sported in postgame press conferences.
Congratulations, Mr. Stewart Reed. You did the right thing.
Lee might be responsible for He Got Game, but he certainly doesn't "got ticket," which is a delightfully ironic development.Imogen Heap To Speak About Music And The Blockchain At Disrupt London
Classically trained composer, multi-instrumentalist and singer Imogen Heap recently made the headlines for releasing her song Tiny Human using blockchain technology. Heap is one of a number of artists exploring the blockchain to launch and distribute music, given its ability to record all transactions and maintain a permanent database to potentially track royalties and plays.
For her music, Heap is known for drawing on sources ranging from cardboard tubes to cheap samplers to all manner of new technology. She has even composed songs from fan-submitted “sound seeds,” or samples of everyday sounds.
She is among our many speakers at TechCrunch Disrupt London next month. You can grab tickets here.
The two-day conference kicks off on December 7 in the Olympic Village’s Copper Box Arena and wraps the following day with the finals of Startup Battlefield where one startup will take home £30,000.
We’ll have Michael Moritz of Sequoia Capital talking to Sir Alex Ferguson. Postmates Bastian Lehmann and Aol boss Tim Armstrong are flying in from the States. And former football star Thierry Henry will speak about his investments in companies trying new approaches to sports broadcasting.
Tavvet Hinrikus of TransferWise will kick off the show followed by a conversation with Danny and Neil Rimer of Index Ventures.
We’ve lined up stellar venture capitalists from both sides of the pond. Alex Depledge of Hassle is set to talk about building startups in Europe, and will be followed by a panel on how drones are changing everything.
And to top it off we have 14 amazing startups in Startup Battlefield who will compete to win the coveted Disrupt Cup. Best of all? You can stream the entire event live on our site and join in the excitement.
We think it would be great if you could join us. You can buy tickets here or you can join our Hackathon for a chance to grab free tickets.Five New Hampshire hospitals received an A in hospital safety, according to new grades released by The Leapfrog Group on Tuesday. The hospital safety grades are released by the nonprofit group twice a year, in the spring and in the fall. The grades released on Tuesday showed that five states — Oregon, Rhode Island, Hawaii, Wisconsin and Idaho — showed significant improvement since the safety grades were first implemented in 2012.
"Errors and infections in hospitals are the third leading cause of death in America, and people deserve to know which of their hospitals are best at preventing them," Leah Binder, president and CEO of Leapfrog, said in a press release.
Medical errors, accidents, injuries and infections are taken into account by Leapfrog when calculating the grades. The goal of the rankings is to determine a patient's risk of further injury or infection if they visit a certain hospital.
Leapfrog assigns A,B,C,D and F letter grades to general acute-care hospitals in the United States. Leapfrog explains that the safety grade includes 27 measures that are taken together to produce a single letter grade representing a hospital's overall performance in keeping patients safe from preventable harm and medical errors. The group uses performance measures from a variety of sources, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Leapfrog Hospital Survey and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (You can read more about the letter grades here.)
Here's the grades New Hampshire hospitals received, according to Leapfrog:
Frisbie Memorial Hospital, Rochester - A Parkland Medical Center, Derry - A Elliot Hospital, Manchester - A Concord Hospital - A Cheshire Medical Center, Keene - A Portsmouth Regional Hospital - B Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, Dover - B Southern New Hampshire Medical Center, Nashua - B Lakes Region General Hospital, Laconia - B Catholic Medical Center, Manchester - C Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon - C St. Joseph Hospital of Nashua - D
Leapfrog notes that of the 2,632 hospitals graded in Tuesday's update, 832 earned an "A," 662 a "B," 964 a "C," 159 a "D" and 15 an "F."
Story by Feroze Dhanoa, Patch National Staff
Image via ShutterstockFour FireEye researchers have found a way to steal fingerprints from Android phones packing biometric sensors such as the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the HTC One Max.
The team found a forehead-slapping flaw in HTC One Max in which fingerprints are stored as an image file (dbgraw.bmp) in a open "world readable" folder.
"Any unprivileged processes or apps can steal user’s fingerprints by reading this file," the team says, adding that the images can be made into clear prints by adding some padding.
It is one of four vulnerability scenarios in which biometric data normally secure in an Android phone's TrustedZone can be pilfered.
One such scenario shows how attackers can have money transfers authenticated by throwing a fake lock screen prompting a victim to scan their fingerprints to unlock a device.
Yulong Zhang, Zhaofeng Chen, Hui Xue, Tao Wei say in the paper Fingerprints On Mobile Devices: Abusing and Leaking [PDF] presented at Black Hat in Las Vegas last week that most device manufacturers fail to use Android's Trust Zone protection to safeguard biometric data.
They say they are likely the first to reveal the threat.
"To make the situation even worse, each time the fingerprint sensor is used for auth operation, the auth framework will refresh that fingerprint bitmap to reflect the latest wiped finger," the team says.
"So the attacker can sit in the background and collect the fingerprint image of every swipe of the victim."
Even worse: kernel access permissions often only restrict to root privilege, not system, meaning modified or 'rooted' Android devices are at risk even if those protections are applied.
The team say attackers with some remote code execution exploits in hand can harvest these fingerprints en masse.
Attackers could in a probably less likely scenario add their fingerprints to a device which they have physical access to by uploading a print image. A disconnect between the number of authorised prints and actual authorised prints means the uploaded biometric could be seen as a "backdoor", the team says.
The researchers point out that this is a very serious mistake by citing research predicting that fingerprint scanners will exist in about half of all phones sold in 2019.
The risk could be considered real enough now however since cashed-up and therefore higher-value owners use high-end biometric phones today.
Users of biometrics-equipped phones will do well to upgrading to a supported and recent ROM, which given the telco and vendor patch bottleneck probably means moving older devices to custom operating systems like CyanogenMod. If that sounds a bit weird or scary, know that the community-coded Android variant claims more users than BlackBerry and Windows Phone combined.®A major factor in Nascar racing is keeping up with the physical demands and challenges of staying cool. Sometimes it doesn't go so well. Last September at the race in Richmond, Virginia, six-time champion Jimmie Johnson felt that first hand.
"The fans that circulate air inside the race car stopped working. I thought I was fine though, but I was climbing out of the car, I felt cramps everywhere." Johnson thought he could manage it by lying down on the ground. He spoke with CNBC on Wednesday.
"That only made it worse, so I tried to stand up, but I got lightheaded—and I saw the tunnel." In his fall, he aimed for a crew member who was still kneeling on the ground, "so I didn't split my face open." After a 15-second blackout, Johnson was taken by a golf cart to the infield care center, where he was treated and released.
Johnson is a triathlete, trains year-round and thought he was fine—and yet he still passed out.Trump’s America: Woman Who Painted ‘Naked Trump’ Beaten By His Goons
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Illma Gore, the Australian-born artist whose interpretation of a naked Donald Trump — complete with a micropenis — went viral last month, says she was attacked and beaten by Trump supporters not far from her home in Los Angeles on Monday. In an Instagram post, Gore told her followers:
Today I was punched in the face by a man who got out of his car and yelled, “Trump 2016!” in Los Angeles, just days after I returned home from London just down the road from my house.
A day later, Gore posted an update on the details of the assault along with a disturbing image of her facial swelling resulting from it:
“Art is the lie that allows us to see the truth.” Pablo Picasso. I am not deterred by this. Thanks for everyone’s support. If anyone saw anything on La Cienega on Friday, please let the local authorities know. Black Honda Civic with a group of people in the car. A photo posted by Illma Gore (@illmagore) on May 2, 2016 at 11:40am PDT
Trump Goons Have Threatened Her Before
This manifestation of violence is just another example of the lack of decency, respect and overall humanity that the Trump crowd has been displaying since the presumptive Republican presidential nominee announced his candidacy. And according to Gore, she was made aware many times that she would be a target of their cowardly actions. Promoting the piece, “Make America Great Again” to the Maddox Gallery in London, Gore said:
“I’ve been overwhelmed by the public reaction to the piece. While it is obviously a great shame that I cannot exhibit it in the USA due to censorship and also threats from Trump supporters to harm both myself and the artwork, I am so excited that it will finally be exhibited in a gallery space where interested parties can come and see it ‘in the flesh’. London has always had such an open-minded attitude towards art and has regularly displayed works of art that push boundaries and cause controversy, it is the perfect place to show ‘Make America Great Again’.”
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The image, banned on many social media platforms after it was viewed over 50 million times, made Gore the latest target of faux outrage from the Trump crowd following the lead of Mexican-Americans to women who choose |
we at The Poly would like to announce the reopening of our website at http://poly.rpi.edu/. The Poly has been hard at work to bring this service back to our readers, as we’ve received many requests for an online version of our weekly publication. We apologize for the long hiatus; over the past few semesters, The Poly has lacked the resources to maintain a proper website. Not only did we have to find the talent necessary to fix the interface, but we also had to build a new server to replace our rapidly deteriorating and obsolete infrastructure. As of now, we have not only managed to bring our website back up, but we have completely redesigned it. Read more...President and CEO of Ford Motor Co. Mark Fields delivers a keynote address at the 2015 International CES at The Venetian Las Vegas on January 6, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo: Ethan Miller / Getty Images)
In an effort to be more innovative and address global transportation concerns, Ford Motor Co. is testing everything from a car-swapping program for its Dearborn employees to an app that finds available parking spaces for London commuters.
In a Tuesday keynote at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show, President and CEO Mark Fields unveiled Ford’s “Smart Mobility Plan,” including a series of 25 experiments around the world meant to test new ideas and address commuting issues in congested places like Los Angeles and India.
“Even as we showcase connected cars and share our plans for autonomous vehicles, we are here at CES with a higher purpose,” Fields said. “We are driving innovation in every part of our business to be both a product and mobility company — and, ultimately, to change the way the world moves just as our founder Henry Ford did 111 years ago.”
The 25 experiments address four global megatrends: explosive population growth, an expanding middle class, air quality and public health concerns, and changing customer attitudes and priorities. Fourteen of the 25 experiments are Ford-led research projects, and 11 are part of the company’s Innovate Mobility Challenge Series, in which it called on innovators and developers around the world to create solutions for specific mobility challenges.
“We see a world where vehicles ‘talk’ to one another, drivers and vehicles communicate with the city infrastructure to relieve congestion and where people routinely share vehicles or multiple forms of transportation for their daily commute,” Fields said.
Among the experiments:
■Ford is working to create an electric vehicle charging station infrastructure in Dearborn so it can use electric vehicles for car-sharing.
■Also in Dearborn, the automaker is testing a car-swap program. Need to haul some lumber on Wednesday? Use an app to request a truck that day. Need something more fuel-efficient for a long trip on Friday? Use the same app to switch out the truck for a hybrid.
■In London, Ford is testing a program that analyzes driver vehicle data and patterns so insurance companies can offer lower individualized rates.
■Also in London, Ford is experimenting with an app that tells drivers where the nearest open parking spot is and even lets them pay for parking meters by mobile phone.
■In Africa, Ford is working with fleets of cars that carry health care workers to patients in need in rural villages, using data to map previously unmapped parts of the country.
Fields said the experiments use a lot of different data, and Ford is committed to keeping it private.
“We believe customers own their data,” he said. “We may ask to use the data, but only with explicit opt-in and full transparency.”
Fields also touched on driverless cars, saying at a Monday night event he expects some automaker to invent a fully autonomous vehicle within five years. But don’t expect that automaker to be Ford.
“To be clear, our priority at Ford is not in making marketing claims or being in a race for the first autonomous car on the road,” Fields said in his Tuesday speech. “Our priority is in making the first Ford autonomous vehicle accessible to the masses and truly enhancing our customers’ lives.”
Read or Share this story: http://detne.ws/1ImeWvzBayesian perspectives on cognitive processing are now very widespread (Shanks 2006). They emphasise a central theme that has long been present even in models that do not explicitly mention Bayes: that of perception as ‘unconscious inference’ (Barlow 1990; Helmholtz 1871/1971). The key insight offered here is that our perception (our experience of the world) is conditional upon what we expect and in turn leads to inferences about the world, which alter future expectations. There are numerous illusions which reflect this simple truth, producing their effects by appealing to prior beliefs such that incoming sensory information is seemingly altered to fit with these. This is the essence of Bayes' Theorem: Incoming information is interpreted in light of our prior expectations.
Critical to understanding such models is the recognition that mismatches between expected and actual inputs, known as prediction errors (Rescorla and Wagner 1972; Schultz and Dickinson 2000), are important in learning and experience. Bayesian treatments of learning and perception represent subjects' beliefs—their predictions about the world—as a probability distribution (Kruschke 2008). A key problem faced by the brain is to infer the causes of sensory events in the environment (Friston 2005a) and to use those causes in cognition and comportment (Mumford 1992). A measure of its success at any time is if the environment is well-predicted, that is, if prediction error (also referred to as ‘free energy’; Friston 2005a) engendered by environmental events is minimised. To meet the challenge of minimising error, new information must be integrated with existing world models, where necessary leading to updating of these models such that recurrence of that particular information can be made predictable.
In terms of David Marr's levels of analysis (Marr 1982), the model offers an explanation of what the brain must achieve: First at the computational level, it predicts its sensory inputs in order to respond adaptively to its environment. Second, at the algorithmic level, it employs a hierarchical Bayesian strategy to make and adapt this prediction. Third, at the level of implementation, we suggest that feedback (NMDA) and feed-forward (AMPA) signalling in the hierarchy are responsible for the specification of the priors (or predictions) and the prediction error respectively and that, furthermore, the impact of a particular prediction error is modulated by various slow, modulatory neurotransmitters (dopamine and acetylcholine).
The same interactive framework has been applied to single neurons, whose behaviour is driven by their inputs as well as their expectancies based on prior experience (Deneve 2008a, b; Fiorillo 2008). In one such model, the inputs are specified by glutamatergic signals incumbent upon the cell. In these finer-grained treatments, priors are specified by the number and functional status of potassium channels in the cell membrane, which modulate the cell's responsivity to stimulation (Fiorillo 2008). We note with interest that individuals with an autoimmune disorder, causing them to raise antibodies to their voltage-gated potassium channels, experience delusional beliefs (Hudson et al. 2008; Parthasarathi et al. 2006). In our framework, impairing potassium channel function would perturb the specification of priors at the single cell level. Furthermore, the slower, modulatory neurotransmitters like dopamine and acetylcholine, which we argue are also involved in the top-down specification of priors, interact with membrane potassium channels and may modulate sensory expectancies in this way (McCormick et al. 1993).
However, the model is hierarchical and, although this may be an efficient approach to neural coding (Friston 2005a), it is vulnerable to disruption particularly through the inconsistent specification of priors. Perhaps the distortion of a sensory message through the system's hierarchy might be analogous to something resembling the children's game ‘Telephone’. In this game, children sit in a circle, and one whispers a story in the ear of their neighbour, who whispers it to their neighbour and so on, until the story passes around the circle. The first and last stories never match, and the more children involved in passing the message, the greater the distortion (Lyons and Kashima 2003). At each level, any ambiguity (noise) in the message is resolved according to priors superimposed at that level—what is known changes the interpretation of the percept (Bartlett 1932; Lyons and Kashima 2003)—the consequence being a marked and increasing departure of the message from its original meaning. Such a departure might explain the perceptions and beliefs of the psychotic state (Fletcher and Frith 2008).
Some theoretical models of psychosis have drawn, both implicitly and explicitly on this framework. Acknowledging the importance of interactions between prior (‘stored’) beliefs and current sensory input, Gray and Hemsley (Gray et al. 1991) speculated that psychosis arises when abnormal matches and mismatches occur, making the world difficult to prioritise, learn about and understand. Such a state is characterised by perceptual changes wherein background stimuli that would normally be considered irrelevant are imbued with inappropriate significance, an experience which demands explanation (Freedman 1974; Kapur 2003; McGhie and Chapman 1961). Hemsley and Garety discussed delusions in terms of deviation from optimal Bayesian interpretation of the world (Hemsley and Garety 1986). More recently, models of psychosis drawing on advances in cognitive neuroscience have taken these ideas further (Kapur 2003) and have appealed directly to hierarchical Bayesian models (Young 2008) in interpreting delusions and hallucinations (Fletcher and Frith 2008; Friston 2005a). Here, we attempt to extend these perspectives by considering this model of processing in terms of underlying neurochemistry.
The key cognitive model here, put simply, is that our beliefs and percepts emerge from the interaction of bottom-up and top-down processes. Strong top-down effects (akin to prior beliefs) change sensory experience, leading perhaps to sensory percept in the absence of a genuine stimulus (a hallucination). Conversely, aberrant bottom-up signals strongly indicate that the current priors are wrong and that beliefs (priors) must be changed to explain the world. Such aberrant changes in beliefs may provide the germ of a delusion and will, moreover if they can account for the aberrant sensory signals, be maintained (Fleminger 1992; Fletcher and Frith 2009; Pally 2005, 2007). One key point about this model is that the distinction between psychopathology that is essentially ‘sensory’ in nature (hallucinations) and that which is related to belief (delusions) is an over-simplification. It would be simplistic to argue that exclusively bottom-up (Maher 1974) or solely top-down (Garety et al. 1994) explanations of psychopathology are sufficient to explain symptoms. Indeed, there are situations in which either direction of processing can be responsible for the aberrations of experience that underlie the positive symptoms of psychosis. We do suggest however that a tendency towards excessive bottom-up signalling can portend the construction of a delusional belief (especially in the context of weakened top-down priors), while a relative imbalance of processing in favour of top-down signalling (often in the face of noisy or unpredictable bottom-up inputs) can lead to hallucinations and the maintenance of delusional beliefs.
Bayesian processing in the brain: possible underlying neurocircuitry
Glutamate and GABA To be successful, we must sustain a set of prior beliefs that are sufficiently robust that we do not react reflexively and chaotically to any incoming sensory stimulus. At the same time, these beliefs (priors) must not be so immutable that responses become fixed, stereotypical and unadaptive to change. The Bayesian hierarchical organisation introduced above may be important in striking this balance. Information progresses from regions more proximal to sensory inputs towards more distal, abstract representations in associational cortices (Mesulam 1998). Within this hierarchy, feed-forward connections transfer information from the bottom upwards and feedback connections mediate the top-down specification of predictions (Friston 2005a). These connections are reciprocal but they are functionally asymmetrical; forward connections have sparse axonal bifurcations and are topographically organised, whereas backward connections are more divergent, having abundant axonal bifurcations and a more diffuse topography (Angelucci et al. 2002a, b). Forward connections are driving and always elicit a response, whereas backward connections are modulatory (Buchel and Friston 1997), that is, they tune the responsiveness to other inputs (Sherman and Guillery 1998). Critically, from the perspective of this paper, in which we speculate on the consequence of neurochemical perturbation, forward connections signal via fast post-synaptic AMPA and GABA A receptors, while modulatory effects are mediated via slower NMDA receptors, suggesting a more enduring role than phasic sensory-evoked responses (Friston 2005a). Thus, in terms of this model, the ‘bottom-up’ information proceeds via forward AMPA signalling and the top-down predictions (the priors which determine the impact of the bottom-up signal) via NMDA receptors. If a small mismatch between expectancy and experience occurs, the top-down aspect of the system is able to cancel the prediction error; however, if the prediction error is larger, then the top-down priors (which represent the estimated world model) should be altered such that the prediction is more appropriate next time around. In this case, learning has occurred (Fig. ). Open in a separate window While this hierarchical Bayesian arrangement fits well with the neurobiology of the visual system (Friston 2005a; Mumford 1992), many cortical systems adhere to similar hierarchical principles (Hilgetag et al. 2000). Importantly, the frontostriatal system that mediates reward learning has been considered similarly hierarchical (Bar-Gad and Bergman 2001; Bar-Gad et al. 2000, 2003). Indeed, the functional anatomy of this learning system (Lorincz 1997) and its behavioural output have been scrutinised within this Bayesian framework (Courville et al. 2006; Kruschke et al. 2005). Frontostriatal prediction error signals are intimately involved in causal learning and reasoning (Corlett et al. 2004; Fletcher et al. 2001; Turner et al. 2004). Recent computational neuroscience models highlight the role of prediction error in perceptual learning and decision making, both in forging associations between sensory representation and in tuning perceptual sensitivity in middle temporal cortex (Law and Gold 2009). Moreover, den Ouden and colleagues recently demonstrated powerful regulatory relationships between sensory cortex responses and frontostriatal prediction error signals when human subjects learned the relationships between visual and auditory stimuli (den Ouden et al. 2009). The link between the proposed Bayesian framework and the traditional reward-prediction error view also receives support from neurochemical and electrophysiological analyses; the prediction error coding midbrain dopamine neurons co-release both dopamine and glutamate at their pre-frontal projections sites (Lavin et al. 2005), and the impact of future prediction error signals is under top-down regulation from pre-frontal cortex through NMDA receptor-based mechanisms (Grace 1991). These relationships support the notion that prediction error processing is a basic mode of brain function (Schultz and Dickinson 2000) and that perception, learning and prediction error are intimately linked (Barlow 1990).
The role of modulatory neurotransmitters We have focussed on glutamatergic signalling in the visual system and its role in prediction error. Within the frontostriatal and sensory systems, other neuromodulators like dopamine, acetylcholine and serotonin may provide valuable additional information for the system. Friston suggests that this is in the form of something akin to a ‘confidence estimate’ on the information being conveyed between regions (Friston 2005a). Put simply, if the unit of information carried between regions or levels of the hierarchy is the prediction error (Fiorillo 2008), this will have both magnitude and uncertainty. Optimal inference requires consideration of both measures. If, as we have suggested, fast glutamate signalling codes the presence and magnitude of mismatch, slower, neuromodulators represent the uncertainty in that inference (Friston 2005a). This uncertainty signalling role has been ascribed to various neuromodulators, including dopamine (Fiorillo et al. 2003) and acetylcholine (Yu and Dayan 2002, 2005). During reward learning, both dopaminergic and cholinergic signals are involved in coding decision uncertainty. In simple appetitive Pavlovian conditioning, during the period between cue offset and reward delivery, Fiorillo and colleagues recorded a gradually ramping dopamine signal, of greatest magnitude when the forthcoming outcome was most uncertain (i.e. when the cue that had just been presented was equally predictive of reward or no reward). Furthermore, corticopetal acetylcholine release occurs in response to prediction errors and serves to sculpt the neural representation of sensory cues associated with prediction error responses (Bao et al. 2001). This modulation of sensory processing by acetylcholine has recently been confirmed in visual cortex by Herrero and colleagues who argue that an interaction between acetylcholine and glutamatergic feedback mediates attentional processing in sensory areas. Increased levels of acetylcholine alter the strengths of the connections in primary visual cortex and the biophysical state of sensory neurons, which may then allow spatially specific glutamatergic feedback to enhance the processing of specific incoming information (Herrero et al. 2008), with a view to learning more about the previously unpredictable stimulus (Pearce and Hall 1980). We have depicted a model of processing involving predictions and outcomes, with mismatches between the two leading to learning and thereby to changes in subsequent predictions. The model relates Bayesian ideas of inference, experience, belief and learning and also highlights principles of reciprocity, which are upheld in brain structure and function. There is also evidence for aligning such a system to particular neurochemical circuitry. It follows that deficits in the system might predict disturbances in perception, learning and inference. In the setting of this simple model, we now consider the main pharmacological models of psychosis—glutamatergic, serotonergic, cannabinoid-based and dopaminergic. We outline for each the psychotic phenomena that they replicate and discuss how each model's putative neurochemistry might relate to the Bayesian model of psychopathology outlined above.
Ketamine and psychotic symptoms Both ketamine and PCP block NMDA receptor transmission in mammalian neurons (Anis et al. 1983). This observation, coupled with the psychopathology induced by ketamine in healthy volunteers (Corlett et al. 2006; Krystal et al. 1994; Oye et al. 1992) and patients with schizophrenia (Malhotra et al. 1997), led to the development of the NMDA hypofunction model of schizophrenia (Javitt and Zukin 1991; Kornhuber 1990). Single doses of ketamine induce a transient psychotic state in healthy volunteers characterised by perceptual aberrations, delusion-like ideas, thought disorder, blunted affect and emotional withdrawal (Bowdle et al. 1998; Corlett et al. 2006; Krystal et al. 1994; Malhotra et al. 1996; Newcomer et al. 1999; Oye et al. 1992; Vollenweider et al. 1997a, b). Particularly relevant to the present model, ketamine affects the intensity and integrity of the sensory experience (Krystal et al. 1994). For both auditory and visual perception, acuity is increased and background stimuli become more salient (Krystal et al. 1994; Oye et al. 1992; Vollenweider et al. 1997a, b). In addition to impairing NMDA transmission, ketamine binds to D 2 dopamine receptors (Kapur and Seeman 2001) and induces striatal dopamine release in healthy volunteers (Smith et al. 1998). The magnitude of this release correlates with the intensity of ketamine-induced psychosis (Breier et al. 1998; Vollenweider et al. 2000). However, haloperidol, an anti-psychotic which affords high D 2 receptor blockade, fails to reverse the psychotomimetic effects of ketamine (Krystal et al. 1999). On the other hand, compounds which reduce pre-synaptic glutamate release do attenuate the psychotic symptoms (Anand et al. 2000) as does blockade of AMPA receptor function in experimental animals (Moghaddam et al. 1997). It appears therefore that these drugs, while blocking NMDA transmission, may actually potentiate post-synaptic AMPA currents (Shi and Zhang 2003). MK801, a congener of ketamine and PCP, decreases burst activity but increases the number of randomly distributed single spikes in pre-frontal neurons of awake rats (Jackson et al. 2004). Jackson and colleagues postulate that the increased random spiking is induced by AMPA receptor stimulation and that decreased burst firing is induced by NMDA receptor blockade (Jackson et al. 2004). The reduction in burst firing may cause a reduction in signal transmission efficiency of pre-frontal cortex neurons (Miller and Cohen 2001; O'Donnell and Grace 1995), impairing the cortical mediation of normal behaviours. At the same time, random spikes may increase cortical noise, thus impairing the filtering of irrelevant information and promoting the transmission of misinformation (Lisman and Grace 2005). In the context of the current model, we relate the random spiking mediated by AMPA receptor stimulation to inappropriate feed-forward information (i.e. prediction error), while the decreased burst firing would represent the impaired specification of prior expectancies. In short, we suggest that AMPA upregulation leads to a disturbance within the model that repeatedly engenders, through aberrant, bottom-up, prediction error, a sense that incidental stimuli or events are associated with a prediction error and are therefore special or ‘salient’, requiring attention and explanation (Fig. b). The world begins to feel different, leading to erroneous explanations and even ideas of reference (Pomarol-Clotet et al. 2006). In support of this, our own data suggest that subjects who experience the most profound perceptual changes experienced under ketamine are more likely to develop transient delusion-like beliefs (Corlett et al. 2006). Moreover, fMRI suggests that the drug does indeed lead to disturbed prediction error firing (Corlett et al. 2006). We contend that this disturbance is mediated by a ketamine-induced augmentation of pre-synaptic glutamate release and consequent post-synaptic AMPA receptor stimulation. If either of these effects is blocked, the psychotomimetic aspects of ketamine administration are attenuated (Anand et al. 2000; Moghaddam and Adams 1998). That the perceptual aberrations and delusion-like ideas are not directly linked to NMDA blockade but involve a more complex additional mechanism is supported by a recent SPECT study showing that NMDA blockade correlates with the severity of negative rather than positive symptoms (Stone et al. 2008). Open in a separate window To put things more simply in the context of the hierarchical Bayesian model, we suggest that ketamine and PCP disturb the feed-forward mechanism (prediction error signal) through AMPA upregulation and the feedback constraint (priors) through NMDA blockade. We believe that the impairment of NMDA function would limit the extent to which priors could exert their effect in explaining the mismatch that is carried by the upregulated AMPA signalling. This would lead to persistence of perceptual aberrations due in part to persistent AMPA signalling and in part to an attenuation of the constraining effect that priors would normally afford on perception. That is, under ketamine, the subject experiences perceptual aberrations (due to AMPA upregulation) and a reduced capacity to accommodate and ignore these aberrations (due to NMDA blockade). We suggest that this combination leads to the powerful changes in experience and inference that characterise glutamatergic model psychoses. In the following sections, we consider the ways that other drugs produce differing types of imbalance in this feed-forward-feedback system, perhaps accounting for differing effects.
Serotonergic drugs LSD and other serotonergic hallucinogens induce profound visual hallucinations, together with altered experiences of time, space and the self (Geyer and Vollenweider 2008). Acute LSD does not appear to induce delusions, at least consistently across subjects (Young 1974), although some subjects do experience a profound paranoia (Cohen 1966). Serotonergic hallucinogens act at 5-HT receptors; however, they also impact upon glutamatergic transmission (Aghajanian and Marek 2000), enhancing glutamatergic responses to sensory stimuli in the locus coeruleus (Rasmussen and Aghajanian 1986). Cortically, 5-HT stimulation enhances excitatory glutamatergic post-synaptic potentials, an effect most pronounced in frontal cortex (Aghajanian and Marek 1997). The effect is blocked by mglur 2/3 agonists (Marek et al. 2000), suggesting that serotonergic hallucinogens induce an increase in pre-synaptic glutamate release in frontal cortex. Intriguingly, although LSD alters glutamatergic function, it does not impair NMDA signalling (Aghajanian and Marek 2000) and may actually enhance it (Lambe and Aghajanian 2006). This observation points towards a potential explanation of the different effects of LSD and ketamine on perception. LSD induces visual and auditory hallucinations, while ketamine tends to alter the salience and/or vividness of real percepts rather than inducing hallucinations per se (Corlett et al. 2006, although see Stone and Pilowsky 2006). Within the framework that we have outlined, excessive AMPA signalling in the absence of NMDA impairment would lead to increased sensory noise in the context of normal priors or expectancies. We speculate that impaired bottom-up processing coupled with preserved top-down processing is exactly the combination of conditions in which one would expect hallucinations to occur since a preserved top-down signal imposes structure upon noisy inputs. Put more simply, the persistence and strength of the sensory signal suggest that there is something to be explained, and the preserved top-down structure posits this explanation in terms of a stimulus that gives rise to it: a stimulus that is not actually present. This, in essence, is a hallucination—a percept without a stimulus. How can we reconcile this account of serotonergic hallucinogens (noisy, unpredictable bottom-up signalling in the context of preserved and perhaps enhanced top-down processing) with the observation that serotonergic hallucinogens do occasionally engender delusion-like ideas? (Cohen 1966) It may be that the delusions engendered by LSD arise from the autoscopic, out of body, experiences that are commonly induced (Salama 1981). That is, under LSD, the hallucination of a double of oneself may lead, for example, to ideas of reference in contrast to ketamine where such ideas emerge from aberrant experiences of external objects events and people (Corlett et al. 2007; Oye et al. 1992). Cohen (1966) suggests this mechanism and there are reported cases that seem to support this, for example, a subject who, on using LSD, perceived himself on television acting as one of the stars (Salama 1981). The experience of a double of oneself also occurs with high frequency during social and sensory deprivation (Mishara 2008) and, with relevance to our model, has been ascribed to an excessively strong top-down expectancy of the presence of others (Hoffman 2007). We shall revisit this theme below when we consider sensory deprivation but conclude this consideration of serotonergic hallucinations and bodily delusions in the Bayesian framework by attributing them to bottom-up noise in the face of enhanced top-down expectancy (Blanke et al. 2004). A relative excess of top-down influence has previously been hypothesised to underlie hallucinatory behaviour. Grossberg, for example, emphasises the role of dopamine-driven motivational processes in the shift towards top-down influences (Grossberg 2000), while Collerton and colleagues suggest that due to cholinergic and dopaminergic dysfunctions, top-down inferences pre-dominate and induce recurrent visual hallucinations (Collerton et al. 2005). Our account encompasses both of these possibilities, but emphasises the role of more fundamental ascending and descending glutamatergic projections.
Cannabinoids There is not a single, elementary manifestation of mental illness that cannot be found in the mental changes induced by hashish. (Moreau 1845/1973) In the 1980s, an endogenous cannabinoid system was identified in the mammalian brain (Devane et al. 1988, 1992). Cannabinoid receptors (Matsuda et al. 1990), endogenous ligands (Devane et al. 1992), second messenger systems (Stella et al. 1997) and cannabinoid receptor antagonists (Rinaldi-Carmona et al. 1994) were identified. Furthermore, synthetic Δ-9-THC was shown to have psychotomimetic effects in healthy volunteers (D'Souza et al. 2004). Like ketamine, Δ-9-THC induces dopamine release in the healthy human striatum; however, across subjects, the elevation in dopamine release does not correlate with the subjective effects of the drug (Bossong et al. 2008). Furthermore, haloperidol does not reverse the psychotomimetic effects of Δ-9-THC in healthy volunteers (D'Souza et al. 2008). Within the current framework, a clue to the action of the Δ-9-THC comes from its impact upon a visual illusion held to depend on the interaction between top-down expectancies and bottom-up experiences: the binocular depth inversion illusion (BDII; Emrich 1989; Koethe et al. 2006). This is a visual illusion wherein an object that is actually concave is seen as convex, e.g. a hollow, concave, face mask will continue to be experienced as convex, an experience which, although objectively wrong, is the expected and more plausible percept. This illusion is thought to occur through a top-down, internal mechanism, which corrects implausible data so they conform to more plausible hypotheses. In chronic cannabis users, individuals with schizophreniform psychosis, those in a prodromal psychotic state and healthy volunteers who administered Δ-9-THC, the BDII is attenuated (Koethe et al. 2006; Semple et al. 2003). This suggests an effect of active psychosis and cannabinoid signalling on top-down correction of perception (Emrich et al. 1991; Schneider et al. 1996). In contrast to THC, ketamine has no effect on the BDII, despite inducing perceptual changes and psychotic symptoms (Passie et al. 2003). This raises the intriguing possibility that the effects on perception of the two drugs are dissociable: Ketamine has a pre-dominant impact on bottom-up AMPA signalling in contrast to the pre-dominant top-down effect THC suggested above. Δ9-THC increases pre-frontal glutamate release (Pistis et al. 2002), like ketamine. However, in the hippocampus, cannabinoids act pre-synaptically to inhibit Ca2+-induced release of glutamate and acetylcholine (Fujiwara and Egashira 2004). We have argued that these two neurotransmitters are intimately involved in the specification of priors, and in the absence of strong priors, one would predict a weaker BDII and a weaker influence of top-down processes (Fig. ). As mentioned above, this weakening of top-down influences would suggest that hallucinations should not pre-dominate under Δ9-THC administration, and this appears to be the case, however, that delusion-like ideas would be predicted, and this is borne out by studies exploring the impact of THC on healthy volunteers (D'Souza et al. 2004).Media playback is not supported on this device Manteo Mitchell continued his leg of the 400m relay despite having broken his leg
American runner Manteo Mitchell has revealed he ran the last 200m of the Olympic men's 4x400m relay heats with a broken left leg.
Mitchell began the race for the United States, who went through to Friday's final as the second fastest team despite Mitchell's injury.
"As soon as I took the first step past the 200m mark, I felt it break." Manteo told the USA Track and Field website.
"I didn't want to let the three guys or the team down, so I just ran on it."
Mitchell still managed to finish the opening lap in 46.1 seconds as the US team, also featuring Joshua Mance, Tony McQuay and Bryshon Nellum, went on to set a qualifying time of two minutes, 58.87 seconds.
"It hurt so bad," the 25-year-old added. "I'm pretty amazed that I still split [close to] 45 seconds on a broken leg."
USA Track and Field chief executive Max Siegel said: "Manteo has become an inspiration and a hero for his team-mates.
"Without his courage and determination to finish, Team USA would not be at the starting line in the final. The team has rallied around him and we are all looking forward to the final days of competition."
The US men's team are the defending champions and have won every 4x400m Olympic title that they have contested.A Philadelphia teenager with cerebral palsy is recovering after a brutal attack in which she was bitten across her back and shoulders. However, from where the bites originated remains a mystery.
16-year-old Ariel Alexander’s condition has confined her to a wheelchair for most of her life, leaving her unable to communicate to authorities about who committed the savage act, MyFoxPhilly.com reported.
Yet the human bite marks across her left shoulder and upper back are clearly visible.
Ariel’s parents reportedly believe that the incident occurred at MLK High School, where Ariel is a student in a special needs classroom. Her parents say that a few days after the attack, which they claim took place on May 1, a male teacher took them to one side and informed them that a fellow student was responsible. The school rejects the notion that it occurred on school property, stating that all teachers interviewed have denied seeing anything.
"It could not have happened at school, and if it could have -- if for some reason something happened-- someone would have seen it," Fernando Gallard, school district spokesman told MyFoxPhilly.com.
The school district has reported Ariel's injuries to Philadelphia's Department of Human Services, which is investigating the incident as a possible case of child abuse.
Randell Alexander, Ariel's father, said the DHS has already interviewed him and his wife about the possibility that the bites were inflicted by Ariel’s 17-year-old sister, who also has special needs.
"They gonna try and pass the buck, say it happened here. No way, impossible," Alexander told MyFoxPhilly.com
Read More at MyFoxPhilly.comAdvertisement Bill seeks to open California health exchange to immigrants Critics: Lawmakers should focus on problems affecting U.S. citizens. Share Shares Copy Link Copy
California's Legislature is considering asking the federal government for permission to sell health insurance through the Covered California exchange to people who can't prove they're legally in the country.The measure, approved Tuesday by Democrats in the Assembly Health Committee, would extend California's recent efforts to integrate people living in the country without authorization, even as the Republican presidential primary has given new voice to critics of illegal immigration.President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, the Affordable Care Act, created insurance exchanges for every state where people can compare insurance plans and find out whether they qualify for subsidies. They're only open to citizens and legal immigrants.Under the proposal by Sen. Ricardo Lara, D-Bell Gardens, California would seek permission from the federal government to offer insurance - but not subsidies - to people who can't prove they're in the country legally.It's unclear how many immigrants could afford the unsubsidized premiums, which can cost hundreds of dollars per month for basic coverage. Immigrants without legal status can buy the health coverage through an insurance agent. The bill's supporters say more would likely sign up through the Covered California website, in part because of the millions of dollars in advertising and enrollment assistance the agency funds each year.Most immigrants living in the U.S. illegally have family members who are citizens or legal residents and would be eligible for coverage from Covered California, Lara said. The bill would be especially beneficial to those "mixed-status" families, who would be able to shop for coverage together online."There's no rational reason, and frankly it's absurd, to deny anybody the opportunity to buy insurance through our state exchange," Lara said in an interview. "It's discriminatory and doesn't reflect our California values."Critics say lawmakers should focus on problems affecting U.S. citizens."It's very disappointing, because there are so many American citizens that need help in our state, and our bills should be focused on our own suffering population of our own citizens - our foster children, our veterans, our homeless," said Robin Hvidston, executive director of We the People Rising, an activist group based in Claremont that opposes illegal immigration.SB10 cleared the Assembly Health Committee in a 10-1 vote, with only Democrats supporting it and most Republicans abstaining. It goes next to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.Lara's bill is progressing as the state prepares to extend Medi-Cal coverage next month to all children up to age 19, regardless of immigration status, if they qualify based on their family's income. Medi-Cal is the publicly funded health insurance plan for the poor. The state will cover the entire cost for people who can't prove legal presence; the federal government pays half the cost for citizens and legal immigrants.A mathematician has created a map in an attempt to show the disparity in the length of school holidays around Europe.
Jakub Marian, a Czech linguist currently living in Germany, said that he noticed there are "huge differences" in the dates and duration of primary school holidays after compiling the data.
"Each country’s government determines the dates and duration of school holidays," he wrote on |
drawn to the womb at the time of conception by the vibrations of the give-and-take account. It has no choice in the matter as it gravitates towards its new family-to-be.
2.2.3 When does the subtle body actually enter into the womb?
At the point in time of conception, as explained earlier, the subtle body knows that a certain zygote has been earmarked for him.
During the first three months of pregnancy, the subtle body is mostly in the subtle region where it came from and may or may not frequent the womb. After the third month however the subtle body is more likely to reside in the womb. The time of entry in the womb may vary from subtle body to subtle body. This time of entry is generally after the third month but can extend right up to the 7th month. The more earthbound the subtle body the sooner it takes its place in the womb.
This whole process is akin to building a house. We are generally present at the time of the start of construction of the house to have a word with the builder. We may from time to time check on the construction of the house. However we finally enter only when the house is ready. The time from conception to the third month is akin to the construction of the house. After the 3rd month, the growth of the foetus is adequate enough to be conducive for the entry of the subtle body; this is akin to the house being ready for taking up residence.
This drawing based on subtle-knowledge above shows the passage of the subtle body from the Nether region into the foetus in the womb. The subtle body is generally attacked by black energy of the departed ancestors or ghosts as it enters the passage from the Nether region to the womb.
2.2.4 Why does the subtle body keep moving in and out of the womb during the first 3-7 months?
After the subtle world, the foetus and womb is a new environment for the subtle body to reside in. This is coupled with the fact that the subtle body thinks of itself in the same size as in its earlier birth even long after it has given up the physical body. Hence the minute size of the zygote around the time of conception is quite frightening to it. Actually this barrier is more of a psychological nature as a subtle body can take any shape and size. By the 3rd month of pregnancy the womb becomes spacious enough for it to enter and stay there. Even so the subtle body may leave and enter the foetus at will going back to the subtle region. These visits to its previous home in the subtle region become more and more infrequent as time passes and after the 7th month it is permanently in the womb. This is because by this time it loses attachment to the earlier subtle region and becomes earthbound.
2.2.5 How does the subtle body enter the the womb?
The subtle body can enter the womb in many ways. 70% of subtle-bodies enter through the skin of the foetus and 30% through its various orifices like the mouth, nostrils etc.
2.2.6 Does the mother-to-be know of the time of entry?
Only mothers-to-be above the spiritual level of 70% are sensitive enough to experience the entry of the subtle-body. Mothers of such high spiritual level usually bear spiritually evolved offspring.
2.2.7 Does the destiny for the baby-to-be start when it enters the mother’s womb or when it is born at 9 months?
The destiny of the baby-to-be starts at the time of conception itself.
3. The period in the womb
3.1 Feelings of fear of the subtle body
Our natural tendency is to fear the unknown. The entire rebirth process and entry into the womb for the subtle body is going from the known (i.e. the subtle world) to the unknown (the womb). As the womb is a completely unknown situation to the subtle body, it experiences varying degrees of fear.
Subtle bodies carry a lingering mental impression of a full grown human body from the earlier birth. Hence it is sheer agony for it to be confined in the womb. In cases where there are deep seated impressions of revenge for the family they are being born to or some intense desire awaiting fulfilment, the subtle bodies may eagerly go through their time prior to birth accepting the discomfort.
3.2 Complete past life consciousness
The subtle body in the womb has complete adult consciousness corresponding to the earlier subtle region it came from. This continues right up to the time of birth. Even at birth there is a momentary consciousness of the previous life in the subtle region and then the veil of the Great Illusion (Māyā) dulls the newborn’s previous-life consciousness. As one gets more involved in this life one slowly forgets about the past life.
The following diagram shows how many of us remember past lives after birth.
4. Complications during pregnancy
About 40% of complications during pregnancy such as excessive and extended morning sickness etc. are caused due to spiritual factors. Physical and psychological causes contribute to 30% each.
Spiritual factors are mainly the destiny of the mother or ancestors aggravating the problems.
5. Miscarriages and stillbirths
Through spiritual research following were found to be on average the reasons for miscarriages and stillbirths.
Miscarriages and stillbirths are mainly due to spiritual causes. Apart from the give-and-take account between the foetus and the mother, ancestors play a sizeable role in causing miscarriages and stillbirths. Miscarriages and stillbirths are usually a case of negative give-and-take account where, by the very act of dying, the foetus has caused unhappiness to the mother-to-be in particular and the family in general. The foetus does not know about this impending event in advance.
Also refer to Section 7 – Influence of departed ancestors/ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies, etc.) on the subtle body in the womb.
5.1 Where do subtle-bodies of stillborns go?
Subtle bodies of stillborn foetuses, as well as in cases of miscarriages and abortion, follow the same path after death as the subtle bodies of adults. Thus their destination in the afterlife will be decided by their spiritual level and merits and demerits from previous births.
6. Spiritual implications of abortion
With every abortion there will invariably be a severe give-and-take account that is either settled or created between the subtle body and the parents. However regardless of the give-and-take account, as abortion means cutting short of a life, it incurs a sin/demerit. This is mainly from the perspective that life on Earth is precious as it is the only plane where spiritual growth can occur towards the final goal of life which is God-realisation.
In terms of the intensity of sin/demerits killing an embryo is less than killing an adult. The following table gives a relative scale of sin incurred by killing various types of people.
Considering the above relative scale, killing a Saint would mean 100 units in terms of the magnitude of sins/demerits. On a relative scale, killing of a potential person through abortion incurs one unit. The main reason for the difference is that the person’s positive effect on society is taken into account.
If we had to look at abortion from the point of view of intention behind the abortion then the following table gives a guideline for relative scale of sin incurred. In this table as a reference point we take killing of a person as 100 units.
The family members and doctors involved in the decision making process of an abortion share the sin/demerit of an abortion.
The only exceptions to this rule are when the mother is forced to get an abortion due to medical reasons to save her life or when it is an obstacle in the furthering of her spiritual practice.
Here we use the term spiritual practice in the context of the six basic principles of spiritual practice where a person gives up motherhood for an even greater goal in life i.e. devoting one’s life completely towards God-realisation and helping others too in the process. One has to be at a minimum of 50% spiritual level to be able to make such an important decision with the right perspective and spiritual maturity. (An average person in current times is at the spiritual level of about 20-25 %.)
If an abortion is done for any reason other than spiritual, then besides the negative give-and-take with the subtle body of the foetus, there is the element of sin involved.
Many times people opt for an abortion when they realise that the baby to be is going to be born with serious deformities. Again if it is the destiny of the mother and the baby to suffer those many units of unhappiness due to the deformities then there is no point in trying to run away from that destiny as it is going to follow them both into another birth.
7. Influence of departed ancestors/ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies, etc.) on the subtle body in the womb
Departed ancestors, especially those with some spiritual power or with the help of powerful ghosts such as subtle-sorcerers (māntrik) can target the subtle body in the womb itself.
Refer to the article on – Why would my departed loved ones and my other ancestors want to give me pain?
This can be to:
Gain the attention of the family to do something for the departed ancestor at a spiritual level
Gain control of the subtle body in the womb itself
Take revenge upon the foetus by tormenting it
Take revenge upon the mother by troubling her during the pregnancy through the medium of the foetus by affecting it. In such cases the mother usually suffers a difficult pregnancy like extended severe morning sickness, high blood pressure etc.
Take revenge upon the parents by troubling the foetus
Implant seeds of addiction in the child to be. Refer to the article on Causes and treatment of addictions – spiritual research and healing measures.
Spiritual research reveals that just as in the case of the general population, about 100% of foetuses are affected and 30% of the foetuses are possessed by departed ancestors or ghosts when in the womb itself. Affecting the foetus is generally easy for an ancestor or a ghost as that is when the person-to-be is at its most vulnerable. Sometimes the spiritual power of the departed ancestor trying to seek revenge is less. However the ancestor may still be seeking revenge.The sheer negative desire of seeking revenge automatically garners spiritual power from higher level powerful ghosts.
8. Role of positive influences from the mother
8.1 Can a woman attract a more advanced and sattvik subtle body in her at the time of conception?
Yes, a woman can attract a more advanced and sattvik subtle body during her pregnancy through her spiritual practice. However her spiritual practice has to be intense enough (i.e. a minimum of 4-5 quality hours per day) so as to increase her spiritual level above 40%. Women above this spiritual level when pregnant are able to attract sattvik subtle bodies into their wombs. This happens automatically, no special prayers or any other efforts are required.
Importantly, the deciding factor is not just any type of spiritual practice or its quantity, but so that resultant spiritual progress achieved. Only when we practice Spirituality according to the six basic laws of spiritual practice does it result in spiritual growth for us. The resultant effect is the progressive increase in spiritual level. A sattvik subtle body is characterised by positive characteristics like a good intellect, good personality traits and more importantly an inclination towards Spirituality.
8.2 What is the effect of mother-to-be’s ongoing spiritual practice on the foetus in the womb?
When the spiritual practice of a mother-to-be results in sustained spiritual growth above the 40% spiritual level she also begins to affect the foetus in her womb positively. This is because a mother-to-be above the spiritual level of 40% radiates sāttviktā (subtle basic Sattva component). It is this sattvikta that positively affects the foetus at a spiritual level.
The mother-to-be’s ongoing spiritual practice of chanting creates an impression of chanting in the subconscious mind of the baby-to-be.
Even if the subtle body is not in the womb as in the first trimester of pregnancy, it still benefits as the womb becomes more sattvik.
This sattvikta obtained from the mother is directed towards the alleviation of problems with regards to the pregnancy and foetus. As stated earlier on an average, 30% of problems in pregnancy are due to physical causes, another 30% due to psychological causes and the remaining 40% are due to spiritual causes. Among the spiritual causes, destiny and the give-and-take account and distress by departed ancestors are the most common. The sattvikta obtained is used to overcome or reduce the spiritual root causes of the problems in pregnancy. It also has a ripple effect on the mind in overcoming psychological problems such as negative thinking etc.
The most important benefit of spiritual practice apart from spiritual growth is that it burns the give-and-take account that can cause major obstacles in pregnancy. Even if obstacles are to happen, parents practicing Spirituality have the inner strength to rise above it and are ultimately minimally affected by it. The spiritual energy generated from spiritual practice may go to alleviate obstacles at a general level or specific level as per the need of the foetus. At a general level it may be used for example to reduce the disability that would otherwise have been caused in an autistic baby born to this mother. Example of application at a specific level would be a reduction in the intensity of the destined blindness of the foetus.
The ongoing spiritual practice of the mother can only help increase the spiritual level of the foetus very marginally (i.e. 0.1%). More importantly the regular spiritual practice of the mother creates an impression of spiritual practice in the foetus’ consciousness. This impression of the need for regular spiritual practice is by far the greatest gift a parent can give a child as it is in complete alignment with the purpose of our birth.
8.3 Does the expectant mother’s activity affect the foetus?
The expectant mother’s activity does affect the foetus. The sum total of the subtle basic component generated from the expectant mother’s activity influences the subtle basic component of the foetus. For example if the mother has predominantly sattvik food (fresh vegetarian food), thoughts and activity (like chanting, reading holy texts etc.) she becomes predominantly sattvik and this sattvikta is imparted to the foetus. Instead if she indulges in Raja-Tama food (stale, frozen, non-vegetarian food), thoughts and activity (excessive TV viewing, excessive talking, smoking and drinking, etc.) then she will impart her predominant Raja-Tama component to the foetus.
An expectant mother can plan her lifestyle within her limitations and circumstances to be as sattvik as possible so that the foetus benefits from it. Refer to the section on sattvik lifestyle.
8.4 What is the effect of the spiritual status of the subtle-body in the womb on the mother?
8.4.1 Spiritually positive foetus
A foetus with positive energy that may be due to its higher spiritual level or the influence of a positive energy on it impacts the mother positively. Such pregnancies are generally problem free and a normal mother experiences better all round health during such a pregnancy.
If however the mother was to have distress due to departed ancestors or ghosts the presence of a spiritually positive foetus acts like a continuous focus of spiritual healing for the mother. In such cases the mother may experience mild to moderate distress. The distress is due to the ongoing subtle battle going on between the negative energy in the mother and the positive energy in the foetus.
This spiritual positivity of the foetus however lasts only as long as it is in the womb. After birth as soon as the subtle ego or ‘I’ develops, the positivity starts declining. This happens when at birth the baby feels suffocation, starts breathing, feels hungry etc.
Subtle bodies above the 50% spiritual level continue their spiritual practice in the womb.
The following drawing based on subtle-knowledge shows how the chanting of the subtle-body in the foetus radiates positive energy which helps increase the positivity of the mother.
8.4.2 Spiritually negative foetus
This is a drawing based on subtle-knowledge of a foetus that has been mildly affected by black energy of departed ancestors or ghosts. This is the subtle view seen in an average pregnancy. We can see that even the umbilical cord is covered by black energy. This is what generally happens when both the mother-to-be and the subtle body in the foetus are not doing spiritual practice.
A foetus that is affected by departed ancestors or ghosts is a source of negative energy and as such is cause for distress to the mother. However, only mothers who are spiritually sensitive will be able to notice the distress. In the present times, considering that 90% of the population is affected, most mothers would have a covering of black energy around them, about 4 cms. wide, that would make them insensitive to a further small increment in distress. Such pregnancies however would be unstable and high in complications.
The subtle body can influence the mother by putting thoughts in her mind. However she does not understand that they are coming from the foetus and acts on them mistaking them for her own. This is one of the ways in which the subtle body in the foetus completes its give-and-take account with its mother-to-be. The thoughts can be positive or negative. A subtle body can only influence its mother-to-be when its spiritual level is some 20% more than hers or when it is provided spiritual energy by ghosts.
9. In SummaryScreen Shot 2017-01-17 at 12.17.55 PM.png
(Screenshot via Facebook/Politico)
Attorney Gloria Allred announced Tuesday that she has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Summer Zervos for defamation against President-elect Donald Trump.
During the election, Zervos, a contestant on Trump's reality show, "Celebrity Apprentice," said Trump made unwanted sexual advances while she was on the show in 2007.
Trump called those accusations, and 13 others, "phony" and threatened to sue the women who accused him of sexual harassment and assault after the election was over. In November, Zervos said in a press conference, that after she came forward she was "threatened, bullied and saw my business targeted."
She teared up at that press conference saying, "I also suffered other repercussions because I chose to speak out and tell the truth."
In a press conference on Tuesday, Allred said the lawsuit they are filing is "the result of Trump's comments."
"It is in the lawsuit what we are seeking for damages," said Allred. "But it's minimal what we're asserting because what we really want is to prove that defamation has taken place."
Allred said Zervos asked Trump to retract his statement two months ago and he has yet to do it.
At the press conference Tuesday, Zervos said, "I want Mr. Trump to know that I will still be willing to dismiss my case against him immediately for no monetary compensation, if he would simply retract his false and defamatory statements about me and acknowledge that I told the truth about him."
When asked why she was filing now, Allred said, "Why not now?"
"It's time to face the consequences," said Allred. "Women are not a footnote to history."
You can watch the full press conference here:
Gloria Allred press conference Gloria Allred holds a press conference to announce that one of her clients is filing a lawsuit against President-elect Donald J. Trump. Posted by POLITICO on Tuesday, January 17, 2017
-- Lizzy Acker
503-221-8052
[email protected], @lizzzyackerTASHKENT (Reuters) - The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a China-led security bloc, refused to initiate Iran’s accession on Thursday despite a request from Russia which backs Tehran’s bid, indicating possible divisions between Beijing and Moscow.
The bloc has served a platform for Moscow and Beijing to project influence in the region. But unlike Russia, China may be reluctant to give it a strong anti-Western flavour.
Iran has long knocked at SCO’s door and Russia has argued that with Western sanctions against Tehran lifted, it could finally become a member of the bloc which also includes four ex-Soviet Central Asian republics.
“The Russian position is clear in its support of initiating the SCO admission process (for Iran) without delays, if possible,” Bakhtiyor Khakimov, a special SCO envoy of Russian President Vladimir Putin, told reporters as leaders of the bloc’s member countries met in Uzbekistan.
“We failed to reach an agreement with our colleagues this time, but the work continues.”
Khakimov said there were no objections to the idea “in principle”, but there were “technical nuances” related to the timing. He did not name the objecting parties.
A Chinese diplomat who also spoke to reporters in Tashkent on Thursday declined to comment on Iran’s bid. But Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, who visited Uzbekistan last month for a lower-level SCO meeting, said Beijing wanted to focus on the ongoing accession of India and Pakistan before moving on.Facebook Was Down – Oh What Did We Do? (A Humorous Take on the Moment)
I’m sure that some of the billions of Facebook users yesterday, (12/10/12), noticed that the power social site was offline for an hour, right?� This came on the tail of a a Google outage.� I’m sure the conspirator head-cases will make something of that, but it was just our digital world, having a tectonic digi-shift… or more to the point, the matrix of Google and Facebook, shifting our exposures to the net!
Facebook took a dive around 2:45pm (CA time), and the apparent issue was that it was making changes to its DNS infrastructure. (That can’t be good.� Whenever they make changes in the background something is always afoot!)
I had posted on my personal FB account when it came back up about an hour later,
“OH My god… it’s back… I was hyper-ventilating with no Facebook!!!”
And it got me to thinking…
When Facebook went down, I started to panic.
I’ll never talk to my friends ever again!� Most of my FB friends aren’t on Twitter or Google Plus… those are very different beasts to regular surfing folk and are somewhat useless!
Oh what will I do???
Am I going to have to start using the U.S. Post Service again?� What???� Snail mail?� OMG, I’ll never have another decent online, anonymous conversation ever again.� I’ll have to learn to write, with a pen, all over again!
Seriously, I tried to actually write a check last month and my hand just stared back at me, looking for a keyboard.
I grabbed a beer and a coffee (ADD, can’t decide) and curled up in a ball, my nerves rattled… waiting… hitting refresh… hitting refresh.� Hitting refresh harder does no good either.� The screen just stares back at you as if you never hit it the previous few dozen times.
Now that my web page error message is cached in my browser, will I ever see Facebook again?
I rushed to my window for air and saw that there were people milling about outside… walking around like zombies, not sure what to do.� Facebook Zombies… Face Zombies…� we had no control of our lives any more!� The world’s society was about to collapse.� I could feel it!
And Mark Zuckerberg was about to become a normal multi-mega zillionaire because he could no longer continue to share our personal data with all his advertisers.
I FELT SO ALONE now that all my personal date wasn’t being rifled through by unknown advertisers and their game apps!� (Oh, wait, I block all the game apps.� Never mind on that point.)� But every other app was still looking, putting out their probing digital fingers reaching for my demographic soul.� I could feel it!
But as the hour was up, my coffee drained in a nervous fit of anxiety, I started to eyeball my beer.� The end was near, I could feel it!� Well, it was.� My coffee had one sip to go.
And suddenly everyone’s favorite FB blue top banner was back and it looked like it had never gone away!� And there was my name, in the upper right corner… ahh.
My online, digital validity had returned.
And I could breathe once again!� Whew!� That was a close one!� For a moment I thought I would have to package all my demographic advertising notes and sell them off, one at a time to all the advertisers!
And so my day is back to normal…� and now I can post this to Facebook.
—
–
Brusimm.com on
Twitter & Facebook & G+ ;
– –BANGOR, Maine — The sale of the 114,448-square-foot former Home Depot building on Longview Drive was finalized earlier this month, according to brokers of the deal.
The building will be the future site of BJ’s Wholesale Club.
The sale price was $3.55 million, according to NAI The Dunham Group and Atlantic Retail, brokers on the deal. The closing announcement was posted in a Mainebiz newsletter and on the brokerage websites.
The sale, which closed Jan. 8, puts the site in the hands of Massachusetts-based Saxon Partners, which formed Longview Development LLC last year to pursue the sale and redevelopment of the site.
Saxon is the preferred developer for BJ’s Wholesale Club, which will be setting up shop at the old Home Depot location after significant renovation efforts are completed.
The original listing price for the site, which has been vacant since 2008, when Home Depot shuttered and moved to a new building off Stillwater Avenue, was $5 million. The brokers were NAI The Dunham Group and Atlantic Retail.
Brian Leahy, director of acquisitions for Saxon Partners, said the $3.5 million final sale price was the result of negotiations with Home Depot real estate officials.
Longview Development officials have said they plan to spend up to $11 million on renovations. A portion of the building will be demolished, but an addition will be built, making the building slightly larger than its current footprint. The renovations will divide the building into two retail spaces, with the BJ’s portion totaling about 94,000 square feet and the smaller space about 28,000 square feet.
The smaller unit is still available to a tenant, according to Leahy.
BJ’s also will operate a gas station in the parking lot, as well as an on-site tire center.
BJ’s already has Maine locations, in Auburn and Portland. The Massachusetts-based company has more than 200 stores in 15 states, mostly along the East Coast.
The chain is similar to Sam’s Club, requiring shoppers to purchase a membership to access benefits including discounts, rewards programs and special coupons.
Officials behind the purchase met with city officials back in November to outline their site development plan. Saxon closed the sale close to its timeline estimate of late December.
Leahy said Saxon is pursuing contractor bids and hopes to start construction in mid-February.
BJ’s Wholesale is scheduled to open in Bangor this fall.
Follow Nick McCrea on Twitter at @nmccrea213.OBESITY in women should be ranked up there with terrorism, natural disasters and influenza pandemics as risks to the nation, the UK’s chief medical officer has warned.
Dame Sally Davies made the extraordinary recommendation that female obesity should be included in “national risk planning” in her annual report to the government overnight.
The government’s top health adviser said action needs to be taken to stop obesity in women and across society “overwhelming” national health resources and reducing productivity.
“We must redouble our efforts to address education and environmental factors, across government, healthcare and wider society, while encouraging a greater degree of personal responsibility,” she said.
The UK government lists war, major terror attacks, droughts, heatwaves, storms and flu pandemics as things to watch in its 2015 national risk register. However Prof Davies said obesity in women is crucial to address as it can affect the outcome of pregnancies and even the health of grandchildren.
“This is a difficult message to convey, as it risks burdening women with guilt and responsibility, but I believe that it can also empower women to take positive steps like eating more healthily and taking more exercise. It is never too late to take action for a healthier lifestyle — for you and your family,” she said.
Obesity crises are threatening nations across the developed world, with estimates that more than 70 per cent of people across Europe could be deemed obese by 2025, according to the National Obesity Forum.
The condition is defined as having a Body Mass Index of more than 30 and is already seen in more than 25 per cent of UK men and women. A healthy weight range is deemed to be having a BMI between 18.5-24.9. In Australia, almost two in three adults are deemed overweight or obese — a major risk factor for cardio vascular disease, muscular conditions and some cancers.
Prof Davies used her fourth report to advocate for women’s health in a number of areas from menopause to incontinence and female genital mutilation. Eating disorders and pre-pregnancy health were also addressed, with a call to end the “myth” of “eating for two” in favour of focusing on a balanced diet filled with fruit and vegetables.
Her comments have been welcomed by obesity advocates, including the National Obesity Forum who said it was a shame it had taken so long for the message to get through. The UCL Institute of Cardiovascular Science’s Nick Finer told The Times he hoped it would address the “laissez faire” attitude to a growing health “catastrophe”.
However some Conservative critics disagreed, saying ranking fat alongside terror was going too far.
The comments follow Public Health England’s recommendation of a “sugar tax” that would see a 10-20 per cent rise on sugary drinks backed by Jamie Oliver. The health body claims sugar makes up 12-15 per cent of UK diets, much of it hidden in sauces, cereals and alcohol.Lying to the southeast of Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa is Bishoftu, home to the Ethiopian Air Force and Lake Arsadii, the site of the Irreecha, the most important cultural festival for the more than 40 million ethnic Oromos. A bustling resort town famous for its crater lakes and picturesque landscape, Bishoftu is striking rather than beautiful. It is too hollow and too sentimental to be beautiful.
The city, in which millions of Oromos gather each year in late September or early October to celebrate the wholeness and deep magnificence of nature and culture, was the scene of the deadliest atrocities (pdf) in the yearlong anti-government protests in which security forces have killed more than 1,000 people.
October 2, 2017 marks the first anniversary of the Irreecha atrocity in which the sacred grounds of Bishoftu desecrated as security forces used tear gas and live bullets against an agitated crowd of about two million assembled on the shore of Lake Arsadi. In the utter chaos and confusion that ensued when the massive crowd began to run, people fell into deep ditches, trampled, suffocated, got shot, and drowned in the nearby lake.
Shortly after the tragic event, the government blamed "anti-peace forces", a common lexicon attached to activists and dissenting voices with fatal consequences, for triggering a deadly stampede. Activists on their part accused the government of perpetrating an "intentional and planned massacre" of innocent civilians gathered to give thanks and celebrate the deep and true beauty and significance of the Irreecha.
OPINION: The Oromo protests have changed Ethiopia
While there is no independent and credible inquiry into the causes and consequences of the tragedy yet, the contestation to control the narrative, the struggle to fix the history and memory of the 2016 Irreecha, began in earnest before victim's bodies identified and properly grieved by their survivors. The government puts the death toll at 55 while the opposition Oromo Federalist Congress Party reported the death of 678.
Although there is no evidence yet that there was a premeditated, programmatic, and purposeful killing of innocent civilians, these deaths are not the result of a fatal flaw or aberrations committed by rogue security forces.
An atrocity
The government resisted calls for an independent and credible inquiry into the causes and consequences of the stampede, but a new report (pdf) published by Human Rights Watch provides a rich account of what transpired at the 2016 Irreecha Festival. Based on interviews with more than 50 individuals who attended the festival and an analysis of dozens of video footage and photos, the report concluded that not only did security forces trigger the stampede; they also used disproportionate force - including live bullets - without any imminent threat to their security.
Although there is no evidence yet that there was a premeditated, programmatic, and purposeful killing of innocent civilians, these deaths are not the result of a fatal flaw or aberrations committed by rogue security forces. Rather, they are a foreseeable consequence of structural forces - prior policy choices, institutional practices, and attitudes - that were central to maintaining and sustaining the prevailing configuration of power. This institutional culture meant that violent actions that are patently illegal and foreseeably lethal become morally excusable and legally defensible when perpetrated by security forces in the name of national security.
The 2016 Irreecha came after a yearlong protest by the Oromos against systemic and structural inequalities at the heart of Ethiopia's multinational federal experiment. Over the last quarter of a century, the government tried to maintain power by concealing the exploitative and abusive arrangements and bureaucratic procedures through the policy of divide and rule and the consolidation of economic and militarised patronage. When the protests sparked, the government quickly framed protesters as "terrorists" and "anti-peace forces", providing a prior justification for its increasingly violent use of force against an already terror-stricken community. In 11 months, security forces killed over 1,000 people and detained tens of thousands.
OPINION: The 'Ethiopia rising' narrative and the Oromo protests
Given the escalating confrontation and the violence preceding the festival, security forces should have known and did know, that firing live ammunition and tear gas, including from a helicopter, into an already terror-stricken and agitated mass, can result in mayhem.
The Irrecha atrocities are the direct consequence of those structural policies and institutional attitudes designed to maintain existing arrangements of power between the ruling elites and their subjects. Academic Brenda K Uekert characterises such killings that occur "when the state, often authoritarian, felt threatened" as political atrocities.
Fixing history and memory
Standing about 2km to the North East of Lake Arsadi is a new cenotaph erected by the Oromia regional government to commemorate those who lost their lives as they gave thanks and celebrated the deep and true beauty of the Irreecha. Echoing the government's attempt to control the narrative and fix the memory and history of Irreecha 2016, an inscription on the monument reads: "Memorial monument for those who lost their lives on Sudden Death during Irrecha Celebration at Hora Harsadi on October 2/2016".
Contrary to the widely accepted view within the Oromo community that this was a deliberate massacre, the government wanted to construct a tale of a "sudden death" caused by a "stampede" triggered by "anti-peace forces", exonerating the government and security forces from moral and legal responsibility. The reference to the deaths as "incidental" erases the fundamentally violent nature of security forces and the institutional culture that made it possible from the historical record. The memorial monument is a vehicle used to transform the government's narrative into a historical fact while simultaneously filtering non-official narratives of the 2016 Irreecha out of public memory and official history.
Memorial monuments are intimately linked to the consolidation or edification of the historical record and the production of collective memory. But the process of producing official historical account is not straightforward. It is not necessarily about remembering every iconic figure or every major event of national significance. It is an exercise in selective archiving, which entails deliberate erasures and convenient silences as a means of constructing politically preferred accounts of politically consequential events.
However, officially sanctioned histories are not particularly powerful instruments of controlling the narrative and the verdict of history. As the great French Philosopher Michel Foucault writes, beneath officially sanctioned history, counter-history operates to unearth "something that has been hidden, and which has been hidden not only because it has been neglected, but because it has been carefully, deliberately, and wickedly misrepresented".
The Ethiopian government must adapt to the changes unfolding beneath its feet. Rather than try to overwrite a narrative that has already taken root with a monument, it must allow an international investigation for an independent and credible determination of the causes and the consequences of the Irreecha Atrocity.
Awol Allo is Lecturer in Law at Keele University, UK.
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial policy.The CDC announced that we're down to our last effective antibiotic.
tonrulkens/Flickr
I just got out of a telebriefing with the CDC. The atmosphere was not a jovial one. The words "gonorrhea epidemic" were thrown around in ominous tones. No one was up for hanging out after.
Did you know gonorrhea can kill you? It can, and it's also tragically effective at making women infertile. According to her journals, my great aunt Mabel was "barren," and my grandmother always told me it was probably from gonorrhea. The only reason we don't hear about these awful complications more often -- and we instead think of it as a little oops of an infection ("Can I still drink on these antibiotics?" "Yes." "Cool.") -- is because we've been able to kill it early with relative ease.
But over the past decades, gonorrhea has been mowing down our antibiotics. If this was the Olympic 400 IM, gonorrhea would be the Ryan Lochte and our antibiotics would be the guy from Moldova.
The list of effective antibiotics has been dwindling as the bacteria became resistant, and now it's down to one. Five years ago, the CDC said fluoroquinolones were no longer effective, but oral cephalosporins were still a common/easy treatment. Now injected ceftriaxone is the only recommended effective drug we have left. And it has to be given along with either azithromycin or doxycycline.Taylor Swift has won vindication after a jury decided in a civil trial that a radio host groped her during a pre-concert photo op four years ago.
After a week-long trial over dueling lawsuits, jurors determined Monday that fired Denver DJ David Mueller assaulted the pop star by grabbing her backside during a backstage meet-and-greet.
Mueller initially sued Swift; her mother, Andrea; and their radio handler, Frank Bell, seeking up to $3m for his ruined career, and the singer-songwriter countersued, saying that he had groped her |
() is an unfiltered, unsweetened apple juice. Most present-day apple juice is pasteurized and filtered ().
Apple cider (also called sweet cider or soft cider or simply cider) is the name used in the United States and parts of Canada for an unfiltered, unsweetened, non-alcoholic beverage made from apples. Though typically referred to simply as "cider" in those areas, it is not to be confused with the alcoholic beverage known as cider throughout most of the world, called hard cider in the US.
It is the liquid extracted from an apple and all its components, that is then boiled to concentration. The liquid can be extracted from the apple itself, the apple core, the trimmings from apples, or apple culls. Once pressed mainly at farmsteads and local mills, apple cider is easy and inexpensive to make.[1] It is typically opaque due to fine apple particles in suspension and generally tangier than commercial filtered apple juice, but this depends on the variety of apples used.[2] Cider is typically pasteurized to kill bacteria and extend its shelf life, but untreated cider is common. In either form, apple cider is seasonally produced in autumn.[3] It is traditionally served on the Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and various New Year's Eve holidays, sometimes heated and mulled.
Nomenclature [ edit ]
A vintage combination apple grinder and press. Moving slatted baskets left to right allows simultaneous two-man production.
A small scale hydraulic apple press. Each load produces about 140 US gallons (530 L)/(31 Imperial gallons)
Although the term cider is used for the fermented alcoholic drink in most of the world, it refers to fresh "apple cider" in the United States and much of Canada; hard cider is used there instead for the alcoholic drink.
While some states specify a difference between apple juice and cider, the distinction is not well established across the U.S.[4] Massachusetts makes an attempt to at least differentiate fresh cider and processed apple juice: according to its Department of Agricultural Resources, "apple juice and apple cider are both fruit beverages made from apples, but there is a difference between the two. Fresh cider is raw apple juice that has not undergone a filtration process to remove coarse particles of pulp or sediment. Apple juice is juice that has been filtered to remove solids and pasteurized so that it will stay fresh longer. Vacuum sealing and additional filtering extend the shelf life of the juice."[5] This still leaves unfiltered apple juice that is no longer raw in a gray area, presumably cider but not labeled as such. The addition of sweeteners or reconstitution from concentrate are left even grayer.
Canada recognizes unfiltered, unsweetened apple juice as cider, fresh or not.[6]
Natural cider [ edit ]
Historically all cider was left in its natural state, unprocessed. In time, airborne yeasts present on apple skins or cider making machinery would start fermentation in the finished cider. Left on its own, alcohol would develop and forestall growth of harmful bacteria. When modern refrigeration emerged, cider and other fruit juices could be kept cold for long periods of time, retarding fermentation. Any interruption of the refrigeration, however, could allow bacterial contamination to grow. Outbreaks of illness resulted in government regulation requiring virtually all commercially produced cider to be treated either with heat or radiation.
As a result, natural raw cider is a specialty seasonal beverage, produced on-site at orchards and small rural mills in apple growing areas and sold there, at farmers markets, and some juice bars. Such traditional cider is typically made from a mixture of several different apples to give a balanced taste. Frequently blends of heirloom varieties such as Winesap, once among the most sought-after cider apples for its tangy flavor, are used. The US government requires that unpasteurized cider and juice have a warning label on the bottle.[7]
Even with refrigeration, raw cider will begin to become slightly carbonated within a week or so and eventually become hard cider as the fermentation process continues. Some producers use this fermentation to make hard cider; others carry it to acetification to create artisanal apple cider vinegar.
Treated cider [ edit ]
Many commercially produced ciders are pasteurized which extends its shelf life; the most common method used is pasteurization,[8] but UV irradiation[7] is also employed.
Pasteurization, which partially cooks the juice, results in some change of the sweetness, body and flavor of the cider;[7] irradiation has less noticeable effects.
Impetus for Federal level regulation began with outbreaks E. coli O157:H7 from unpasteurized apple cider and other illnesses caused by contaminated fruit juices in the late 1990s.[9] The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made proposals in 1998;[10] Canada began to explore regulation in 2000.[11]
The U.S. regulations were finalized in 2001, with the FDA issuing a rule requiring that virtually all juice producers follow Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) controls,[12] using either heat pasteurization, ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI), or other proven methods to achieve a 5-log reduction in pathogens.[13]
Canada, however, relies on a voluntary Code of Practice for manufacturers, voluntary labelling of juice/cider as "Unpasteurized", and an education campaign to inform consumers about the possible health risks associated with the consumption of unpasteurized juice products.[6]
Commercial production [ edit ]
Cidering in a contemporary rural area mill. Custom batches pressed directly to bulk containers on demand.
Modern cider making has come a long way from early forms of production that involved a man- or horse-powered crusher. These consisted of a stone or wood trough with a heavy circulating wheel to crush the fruit, and a large manual screw press to express the juice from the pulp. Straw was commonly used to contain the pulp during pressing, later replaced by coarse cloth. The Palmer Bros. Company, of Cos Cob, CT, made the most popular "modern" rack and cloth press from the mid 1800s to the mid 1900s, when production shifted to OESCO in Massachusetts. As technology advanced, rotary drum "scratters"[clarification needed] came into use. Today, nearly all small pressing operations use electric-hydraulic equipment with press cloths and plastic racks in what is commonly called a "rack and cloth press", and electric hammermill "breakers".
Depending on the varieties of apples and using the optimal extraction methods, it takes about one third of a bushel (10 liters) to make a gallon (3.78 liters) of cider.[5] Apples are washed, cut, and ground into a mash that has the consistency of coarse applesauce. Layers of this mash are then either wrapped in cloth and placed upon wooden or plastic racks where a hydraulic press then squeezes the layers together, or the mash is distributed onto a continuous belt filter press,[14] which squeezes the pulp between two permeable belts fed between a succession of rollers that press the juice out of the pulp in a continuous, highly efficient operation. The resulting juice is then stored in refrigerated tanks, pasteurized to kill bacteria and extend shelf life, and bottled and sold as apple cider. The juice may also be fermented to produce hard cider, which then may be further treated by exposure to acetobacter to produce apple cider vinegar, or distilled to produce apple brandy. The waste left after pressing, known as pomace, is sold for cattle feed.
Variations [ edit ]
Hot mulled cider
Hot mulled cider, similar to "Wassail", is a popular autumn and winter beverage.[15] Cider is heated to a temperature just below boiling, with cinnamon, orange peel, nutmeg, cloves, or other spices added.
Authentic "sparkling cider" is a naturally carbonated beverage made from unfiltered apple cider. "Sparkling apple juice", often confused with it and sometimes even labeled as "sparkling cider", as does the popular Martinelli's brand, is filtered, pasteurized, and mechanically carbonated and thus not true cider.
Rosé apple cider can be obtained using red-fleshed applecrabs.
"Cider doughnuts" traditionally used the yeast in raw cider as a leavener. Today they are sometimes sold at cider mills and roadside stands, though there is no assurance natural cider is used. Visiting apple orchards in the fall for cider, doughnuts, and self-picked apples is a large segment in agritourism.[16][17][18]
Cultural significance [ edit ]
Apple cider is the official beverage of the U.S. state of New Hampshire.[19]
See also [ edit ]With this important difference, however: Even with the worst teacher, the effects are diffused across many years and many kids, and it’s hard for just one teacher to do that much damage to any given student. A bad cop, on the other hand, can leave his victim dead or permanently damaged, and under the right circumstances one cop’s bad call — or a group of cops’ habitual thuggishness — can be the spark that leaves a city like Baltimore in flames.
Last December, my colleague David Brooks noted that police unions are resisting change on every issue where police reform might be contemplated, from body cameras for officers to reversing the militarization of local law enforcement. But after the untimely death of Freddie Gray, no issue looms larger than the need to discipline, suspend and fire police officers who don’t belong on the streets — and the obstacles their unions put up to that all-too-necessary process.
The cases from all over the country where unions and arbitration boards have reinstated abusive cops make for an extraordinary and depressing litany. Baltimore is no exception. Last fall, The Baltimore Sun reported on the police commissioner’s struggle to negotiate enough authority to quickly remove and punish his own cops, and the union’s resistance to swift action and real oversight persists.
What we know so far about the officer who first pursued Mr. Gray (his history of mental health issues, in particular) suggests that he might have benefited from being eased into a different line of work. This issue is particularly pressing if you believe that some of the aggressive police tactics criticized in the wake of Mr. Gray’s death, and Eric Garner’s in Staten Island — the stress on quality-of-life and “broken windows” policing, the focus on misdemeanors and disorderly conduct — have played a significant role in America’s declining crime rate and our much-safer cities.
Some liberals have decided these tactics haven’t made a difference, or that they aren’t needed anymore. I think this view is naïve, and dangerously so. But to sustain this kind of police work, it’s necessary to restrain the excesses associated with it; to restrain those excesses, it’s necessary to hold cops accountable. And that can only happen if we reckon with the ways in which police unions, no less than other interest groups, can align against the public that their members vow to serve.Camille Paglia on Feminism, Men, Date Rape
Camille Paglia (born 1947) is a modern goddess. I don't know about you, but she is to me, in all the glory of that word. In fact, she'd be a sex goddess.
Young chicks are good for porn, but intelligent women turns me on deeply.
Camille Paglia Interview by Playboy
Here's a excerpt of interview by Playboy, 1995 May. The source is from this site: http://privat.ub.uib.no/BUBSY/playboy.htm
PLAYBOY: Do you support the men's movement? PAGLIA: I think it's absolutely necessary. It's no coincidence that Tim Allen's book is vying with the Pope's for the top of the best-seller lists. He is one of the voices of men who are looking to define masculinity in this age. Robert Bly does this, too. We have allowed the sexual debate to be defined by women, and that's not right. Men must speak, and speak in their own voices, not voices coerced by feminist moralists. Warren Farrell, in The Myth of Male Power, points out how much propaganda has infiltrated the culture. For example, he says that the assertion that women earn so much less than men is bullshit. The reason women earn less than men is that women don't want the dirty jobs. They aren't picking up the garbage, taking the janitorial jobs and so on. They aren't taking the sales commission jobs that require you to work all night and on weekends. Most women like clean, safe offices, which is why they are still secretaries. They don't want to get too dirty. Also, women want offices to be nice, happy places. What bullshit. The women's movement is rooted in the belief that we don't even need men. All it will take is one natural disaster to prove how wrong that is. Then, the only thing holding this culture together will be masculine men of the working class. The cultural elite—women and men—will be pleading for the plumbers and the construction workers. We are such a parasitic class. I began to realize this in the Seventies when I thought women could do it on their own. But then something would go wrong with my car and I'd have to go to the men. Men would stop, men would lift up the hood, more men would come with a truck and take the car to a place where there were other men who would call other men who would arrive with parts. I saw how feminism was completely removed from this reality. I also learned something from the men at the garage. At Bennington, I would go to a faculty meeting and be aware that everyone hated me. The men were appalled by a strong, loud woman. But I went to this auto shop and the men there thought I was cute. “Oh, there's that Professor Paglia from the college.” The real men, men who work on cars, find me cute. They are not frightened by me, no matter how loud I am. But the men at the college were terrified because they are eunuchs, and I threatened every goddamned one of them.
PLAYBOY: Do you think that feminism is antisexual? PAGLIA: The problem with America is that there's too little sex, not too much. The more our instincts are repressed, the more we need sex, pornography and all that. The problem is that feminists have taken over with their attempts to inhibit sex. We have a serious testosterone problem in this country.
PLAYBOY: Caused by what? PAGLIA: It's a mess out there. Men are suspicious of women's intentions. Feminism has crippled them. They don't know when to make a pass. If they do make a pass, they don't know if they're going to end up in court.
PLAYBOY: Is that why you've been so critical about the growing number of sexual harassment cases? PAGLIA: Yes, though I believe in moderate sexual harassment guidelines. But you can't the Stalinist situation we have in America right now, where any neurotic woman can make any stupid charge and destroy a man's reputation. If there is evidence of false accusation, the accuser should be expelled. Similarly, a woman who falsely accuses a man of rape should be sent to jail. My definition of sexual harassment is specific. It is only sexual harassment—by a man or a woman—if it is quid pro quo. That is, if someone says, “You must do this or I'm going to do that”—for instance, fire you. And whereas touching is sexual harassment, speech is not. I am militant on this. Words must remain free. The solution to speech is that women must signal the level of their tolerance—women are all different. Some are very bawdy.
PLAYBOY: What, about women who are easily offended and too scared or intimidated to speak up? PAGLIA: Too bad. You must develop the verbal tools to counter offensive language. That's life. Feminism has created a privileged, white middle class of girls who claim they're victims because they want to preserve their bourgeois decorum and passivity.
PLAYBOY: You're expecting girls to stand up for themselves in a culture that discourages them from doing just that? PAGLIA: That's right. We must examine the degree to which we coddle middle-class girls. There is something sick about it. The girls I see on campuses are often innocuous, with completely homogenized personalities, miserable, anorexic and bulimic. The feminist movement teaches them that it's men's fault, but it isn't. These girls go out into the world as heiresses of all the affluence in the universe. They are the most pampered and most affluent girls on the globe. So stop complaining about men. You're getting all the rewards that come with the nice-girl persona you've chosen. When you get into trouble and you're batting your eyes and someone is offending you and you are too nice to deal with it, that's a choice. Assess your persona. Realize the degree to which your niceness may invoke people to say lewd and pornographic things to you—sometimes to violate your niceness. The more you blush, the more people want to do it. Understand your part of it and learn to parry. Sex talk is a game. The girls in the Sixties loved it. If you don't want some professor to call you honey, tell him.
PLAYBOY: What are the trends in the porn movie industry symptomatic of? PAGLIA: Feminist PC bullshit has taken over the industry so the videos, except for the gay male ones, are all boring. There has been a horrible decline in quality. There is just a bunch of professional porn actresses simulating orgasm. The hot movies are from the Russ Meyer period, the late Sixties and early Seventies. I loved that period. And Debbie Does Dallas. Good and lewd. I mean, Deep Throat was a revelation.
PLAYBOY: How so? PAGLIA: Good fellatio is an art form. I know this from gay men; one of them said that they should have federal funding for the development of fellatio skills—it should be underwritten. Well, when I was growing up, good middle class white girls never discussed it. We'd never even heard of it. Women went with their boyfriends to see Deep Throat, and their mouths were hanging open. No one could believe it. Now, after 20 years, we've seen so many demonstrations of it that it has become a part of the culture. I think it's a very good skill.
Camille Paglia Videos
Charlie Rose Interviews Camille Paglia, 1995-01-30
“Charlie Rose: January 30, 1995”, interviews Camille Paglia. Video gone but can be bought on Buy at amazon
Camille Paglia talks about her book Vamps and Tramps 1994 Buy at amazon, interview by the journalist Charlie Rose. (1995-01-30).
She talks extremely fast, with a panache. She's sooo cute!
Politically Incorrect with Camille Paglia
Politically Incorrect with Camille Paglia. At 4:50. Dated ~1994
Bill Maher Interviews Camille Paglia
“Camille Paglia interview by Bill Maher” Brief interview by Bill Maher (comedian). Very funny.
Tom Snyder interviewed Camille Paglia
“Tom Snyder 950502 Seg 2”. Camille Paglia, interviewed by Tom Snyder, about her book “Vamps and Tramps” (1994). (Tom Snyder is a TV personality, 1936 – 2007)
Camille Paglia on Q TV
“Camille Paglia on Q TV”. On religion.
Camille is one of the top 5 favorite authors in my life. The others are:
adsIf a dog has behavior issues such as a tendency to mount other dogs, any form of aggression, an overly pushy play style or poor response to training, some people are sure to claim that “dominance” is the culprit. But are they right?
The ongoing dialogue about dominance in the dog world is more problematic than an unattended puppy in a shoe store but it’s unlikely to go away anytime soon. While some hate the concept so much that they refer to it as the “D-word,” others swear by it, considering it an indispensable guiding principle for all interactions with dogs. Having a civil discussion on the subject, much less reaching a consensus, is a challenge, as debates often become quite heated.
Scientific inquiry offers an opportunity for greater understanding of this topic, though writings on the subject with titles such as “Social dominance: Useful construct or quagmire?,” “Social dominance is not a myth: Wolves, dogs, and other animals” and “Deconstructing the concept of dominance: Should we revive the concept of dominance in dogs?” reflect continued controversy. While dominance, or social dominance as it is often called, has been studied extensively in a number of species, relatively little work has been done in this area on the domestic dog, and more research is badly needed.
Defining Dominance
To further complicate an already contentious debate, “dominance” has multiple meanings. As James O’Heare notes, “Often, researchers argue over social dominance without agreeing on a clear definition, and perhaps have different definitions in mind.” There are a variety of ways to characterize it. In his study “The concept and definition of dominance in animal behaviour,” Carlos Drews reviewed 13 different definitions of dominance and pointed out that criticisms of one are not necessarily applicable to others.
Adding to the frustration and confusion, when it comes to domestic dogs the term is commonly applied to two different types of relationships. The first relates to interactions between dogs. In this usage, dominance is defined as the power to control access to desirable resources and refers to the relative status of two dogs. In the absence of another dog, an individual dog cannot be said to be “dominant” as a personality attribute because dominance refers to the relationship between dogs.
The second, and more controversial, type of dominance relationship relates to interactions between humans and dogs. In this paradigm, humans dominating dogs is considered the path to well-trained dogs. Those who follow this school of thought claim that you have to control your dogs by being dominant over them in order to make them behave and may make suggestions such as not allowing your dog to sleep on your bed or walk through the door ahead of you, or even to spitting in your dog’s food and making a resting dog move rather than walking around him. Today, fewer trainers subscribe to these ideas than in the past.
Dominance Between Dogs
The few scholarly investigations of dominance relationships between dogs have found the concept relevant to their interactions with one another, and scientists who study social relationships aren’t surprised. For example, Marc Bekoff, PhD — ethologist and professor emeritus at the University of Colorado who has had a major influence on the scientific understanding of dogs as well as many other species — observed that “in the real world, dogs are social beings, and social beings form dominance relationships, just as their wild relatives do.”
Becky Trisko, PhD, ethologist and owner of Unleashed in Evanston, Ill., focused her 2011 doctoral dissertation on social interactions within a group of 24 dogs who regularly engaged with one another at daycare. The behaviors she analyzed included aggressive threat and conflict, muzzle lick, crouch, passive submission, retreat, high posture, muzzle bite, mount and chin-over.
Trisko found a dominance hierarchy among the dogs, although only about 30 percent of the pairs had clear dominance relationships. Dominance rank correlated with age (older dogs tended to rank more highly) but not with size. And contrary to popular belief, neither mounting nor performing chinovers were related to status. As a point of interest, not once in 224 hours of observation during this yearlong study did she observe an “alpha roll.”
Muzzle licking was consistently done by subordinate dogs to individuals of higher rank and was highly predictive of relationships between individuals. The clearest signals were those associated with voluntary submission, or deference. Trisko observed that dominance relationships were not about coercion, force or fighting, but rather, about an understanding by both individuals of their relative social status.
In another study exploring dominance relationships between dogs, Simona Cafazzo and three colleagues observed a group of feral dogs in the suburbs of Rome. Their primary finding was that the dogs formed a linear dominance hierarchy, meaning that the individuals in the group could be ranked in order from highest to lowest in status. (Other possible social structures include having one individual who dominates all others who are equally low-ranking or societies in which the relationships are not transitive— e.g. A dominates B, B dominates C, C dominates A). A linear dominance hierarchy indicates that the dogs in this study were capable of forming stable social groups, although many have claimed that feral dogs cannot do so. Additionally, they found that submissive behavior was most predictive of dominance relationships, rank correlated with age, and males within an age class outranked females. Rank order in the linear dominance hierarchy predicted access to food resources, with those of higher rank having priority access.
Dominance has been studied in puppies as well as in adult dogs. John Bradshaw and Helen Nott reported that interactions between littermates were inconsistent over time, and that observations of such interactions did not predict which puppy would come out on top in any competitive situation; “winners” varied from one day to the next. Despite much discussion of choosing (or avoiding) the dominant puppy in a litter, interactions between littermates do not reveal dominance relationships, much less any kind of linear hierarchy.
The Dangers of Misunderstanding Dominance
Conversations about dominance relationships between dogs are often tense, but discussions of the concept within the context of relationships between humans and dogs are sometimes nothing short of explosive. Many of the strongest objections stem from using it to endorse force-based, coercive styles of training. According to Trisko, “Dominance has been wrongly equated with aggression and used to rationalize the use of physical force and intimidation by humans toward dogs. Misunderstandings of the concept of dominance have led to unnecessary physical punishments and abuse of dogs by humans.”
While no studies have thoroughly investigated whether dominance relationships exist between people and dogs, there is evidence that such training styles can create problems. Herron et al. investigated such techniques, often called “dominance reduction training,” and found them to be counterproductive. The confrontational methods associated with training styles that insist that we “get dominance over our dogs” caused aggressive responses in 25 percent of the dogs in their study. Techniques such as grabbing a dog by the jowls and shaking; hitting or kicking; staring; performing alpha rolls (also called “dominance downs”) and physically forcing a dog to release an item were more likely to result in aggressive behavior than were gentler, positive methods. Using such forceful methods can actually create problem behavior as well as increase a dog’s fear and anxiety. Based on what we know about dominance relationships between dogs, this is not surprising. As Trisko notes, “If dominance relationships between dogs and humans are at all similar to dominance relationships between dogs, then dominance does not apply to all relationships and when it does apply, it does not require the use of intimidation or physical force.”
A basic ethological premise is that we must understand the animals we study. In fact, this principle is considered so absolute that it is most often phrased as a commandment: Know thy animal! Understanding how social dominance does and does not apply to dogs is part of knowing who dogs are. Trisko makes this point: “If we really want to understand our dogs’ behavior, especially their relationships with other dogs, ignoring dominance will hinder us.” Bekoff agrees. “That’s who they are, that’s how they behave. They form status relationships, and we have to understand that.”
When it comes to the issue of dominance, common ground is not easy to find. Few would dispute the need for further research, though even the most carefully designed studies may not be enough to bring agreement on this particular subject. As Bekoff has noted, “People get on this kick with dominance. They don’t pay attention to the data.”
Arguments about dominance and its relevance to dogs, their relationships with each other, and our relationships with them are sure to continue. Though I prefer resolution to conflict, I can’t help but see the wisdom in moralist and essayist Joseph Joubert’s remark: “It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it."By: Alehkhs
On: April 23rd, 2014
Indie studio Ctytivo Games has just launched the Kickstarter campaign for their first big project, The Universim.
The Universim certainly aims high, promising to be a god game (presented by Crytivo Games as a “planet-management” game) in which you are tasked with guiding a race from the stone age to the space age. The player will achieve this primarily through indirect action, such as influencing the technological aspirations of the race, deciding where they will found their cities, and even when wars will be fought and for how long (and to what end). Once the player’s race has developed sufficiently, they will take to the stars in search of other planets that they may colonize. Each planet will have different environments and present different challenges to habitation, but the player will continue to guide their race in their efforts to become a universe-spanning empire.
Although the game seems to verge on being a Molyneux-ian pipe dream, the gameplay trailer unveiled today with the Kickstarter campaign shows that they have already completed a significant amount of the game. With Kickstarter, they are now hoping to raise the final funds to complete the game, setting the goal at $320,000. Beyond that, they have laid out potential stretch goals that they hope to be able to implement, such as planet and building editors and a multiplayer mode.
To see more and keep up with The Universim, head on over to the game’s website and TIGForums devlog. If you like what you see and want to help fund the game through to completion, be sure to stop by the game’s Kickstarter page and pledge.Nendoroid No. 408 Kill la Kill: Mankanshoku Mako (Re-run)
Good Smile
Japan Once bought, this item cannot be cancelled or returned. Get informed when this item is in stock by using our Personal Agent from the right.
sold Out of print / Out of stock.
Get informed when this item is in stock by using our Personal Agent from the right. Manufacturer Good Smile Version Japan Japan Once bought, this item cannot be cancelled or returned. Get informed when this item is in stock by using our Personal Agent from the right. sold Out of print / Out of stock
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Nendoroid No. 408 Kill la Kill: Mankanshoku Mako (Re-run)
Click on a thumbnail to see more pictures for
features Non Scale Pre-Painted Articulated Figure
Material: ABS and PVC
Height: approx. 100mm
Sculptor: JUN (E.V.), Nendoron
Limited availability
description "Ryuko-chaaan! Look! I also get to be a Nendoroid!"
From the popular anime series 'KILL la KILL' comes a rerelease of Ryuko's close friend with a rather excitable personality, Nendoroid Mako Mankanshoku! Mako is well known for her creative expressions, and so she comes with four different expression parts including her standard face, a smiling face, a serious face and a sleepy face!
Her comical appearance and personality has been faithfully converted into Nendoroid form, and she even comes with special bendable arms allowing for all the weird and wonderful poses that she takes in the series! The Mankanshoku family's pet dog 'Guts' is also included to display alongside her.
* This product does not balance on its own. Please use the included stand.
* Please note that images shown may differ from the final product.
* Paintwork is done partially by hand and therefore final products may vary.
further info Original Name ねんどろいど 満艦飾マコ Official Release Date Sep 28, 2017 Version Japan PAX-Code PAX0006055264 Catalog No. 443892 Item Code 4571368443892
Box contents Figure + Accessories
Stand
Recommended for you22 Qualities That Make a Great Leader
“People always say I’m a self-made man. But there is no such thing. Leaders aren’t self-made; they are driven. I arrived in America with no money or any belongings besides my gym bag, but I can’t say I came with nothing: Others gave me great inspiration and fantastic advice, and I was fueled by my beliefs and an internal drive and passion. That’s why I’m always willing to offer motivation -- to friends or strangers on Reddit. I know the power of inspiration, and if someone can stand on my shoulders to achieve greatness, I’m more than willing to help them up.”
-- Arnold Schwarzenegger, Former Governor of California
Read This: Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story by Arnold Schwarzenegger | Amazon | Indigo.ca | Barnes & NobleThe European Union’s second highest court annulled on Wednesday the bloc's decision to keep Hamas on a list of terrorist organizations, but temporarily maintained the measures for a period of three months or until an appeal was closed.
The 2001 listing of Hamas was based not on sound legal judgments but on “factual imputations derived from the press and the Internet,” a statement from the General Court of the European Union read.
The court stressed that Wednesday’s decision to remove Hamas was based on technical grounds and does “not imply any substantive assessment of the question of the classification of Hamas as a terrorist group.”
The freeze on Hamas’s funds will also temporarily remain in place for three months pending any appeal by the EU, the Luxembourg-based court said.
Hamas’s military wing was added to the European Union’s first-ever terrorism blacklist drawn up in December 2001 in the wake of the September 11 attacks on the United States.
The EU blacklisted the political wing of Hamas in 2003.
“The General Court finds that the contested measures are based not on acts examined and confirmed in decisions of competent authorities but on factual imputations derived from the press and the Internet,” the court said.
Instead, such an action had to be based on facts previously established by competent authorities. it said.
The lawyer for Hamas, Liliane Glock, told AFP she was “satisfied with the decision”.
Following the announcement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the EU to keep Hamas on its list of terrorist organizations, according to Reuters news agency.
“We expect them to immediately put Hamas back on the list,” Netanyahu said in a statement.
“Hamas is a murderous terrorist organization which in its charter states its goal is to destroy Israel,” he said.
Meanwhile, Hamas hailed the decision describing the move as a “victory”.
“This is a victory for the Palestinian question and for the rights of our people,” Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum told AFP.
“We thank the European court for this positive decision which must be followed by international steps to lift the oppression of the Palestinian people.”
[With AFP and Reuters]
Last Update: Wednesday, 17 December 2014 KSA 16:14 - GMT 13:14Scientists Study 'Plumbing' in Plumes of Enceladus
Media contact: Carolina Martinez/JPL 818-354-9382
Scientists on the Cassini mission have become out-of-this world "plumbers" as they try to piece together what's happening inside the "pipes" feeding the plumes of Saturn's moon Enceladus.Enceladus is jetting out giant geysers three times the size of the moon, and now scientists are beginning to understand how the ice grains are created and how they might have formed. Knowing the process of how the plume forms and the path the water-ice particles have to travel is giving them an insight into what may be a liquid reservoir or lake lying just beneath the surface."Since Cassini discovered the water vapor geysers, we've all wondered where this water vapor and ice are coming from. Is it from an underground water reservoir or are there some other processes at work? Now, after looking at data from multiple instruments, we can say there probably is water beneath the surface of Enceladus," said Juergen Schmidt, team member on Cassini's Cosmic Dust Analyzer at the University of Potsdam, Germany. This study appears in the Feb. 7, 2008, issue of the journal Nature.The large number of ice particles observed spewing from the geysers and the steady rate at which these particles are produced require high temperatures, close to the melting point of ice, possibly resulting in an internal lake. The lake would be similar to Earth's Lake Vostok, beneath Antarctica, where liquid water exists locked in ice. The ice grains then condense in the vapor evaporating from the water, streaming through cracks in the ice crust to the surface.The presence of liquid water inside Enceladus would have major implications for future astrobiology studies on the possibility of life on bodies in the outer solar system.Scientists have studied the plume dynamics since 2005, collecting data from several Cassini remote sensing instruments and those that sample particles directly, like the Cosmic Dust Analyzer. They conclude that an internal lake at a temperature of about 273 Kelvin (32 degrees Fahrenheit) is the best way to account for the material jetting out of the geysers.At these warm temperatures, liquid water, ice and water vapor mingle. The vapor escapes to the vacuum of space through cracks in Enceladus' ice crust. When the gas expands, it cools and the ice grains that make up the visible part of the plumes condense from the vapor. Vapor in the plumes is clocked at roughly the same speed as a supersonic jet, about 300 to 500 meters per second, or about 650 to 1,100 miles per hour. However, most of the condensed ice particles fail to reach Enceladus' escape velocity of 240 meters per second (536 miles per hour).Pinball-like physics account for the slow speed of the particles. Shooting up through crooked cracks in the ice, the particles ricochet off the walls, losing speed, while the water vapor moves unimpeded up the crevasse. The vapor reboosts the frozen particles as they pinball off the walls, carrying them upward. Reaching nozzle-like openings at the surface, the faster-moving water vapor shoots high above Enceladus, becoming entrapped in Saturn's magnetosphere. Most of the particles, which have lost energy through collisions in transit, fail to achieve escape velocity and fall back to Enceladus' surface. Only about |
public area. They wanted to see if the Reactrix — an interactive floor display hooked up to light sensors — would enhance their experience. At VC meetings, male partners frequently spoke over female colleagues or repeated what the women said and took the credit. Women were admonished when they “raised their voices” yet chastised when they couldn’t “own the room.” When I was still relatively new, a male partner made a big show of passing a plate of cookies around the table — but curiously ignored me and the woman next to him. Part of me thought, They’re just cookies. But after everyone left, my co-worker turned to me and shrugged. “It’s like we don’t exist,” she said.
Then, in 2006, I took a fateful business trip. Ajit Nazre, a fellow partner, had asked me to go with him on a tour of German green-tech start-ups. Every time we were alone in the evening, he would tell me that he and his wife had a terrible relationship, that he was desperately lonely, and that he and I would be good together.
Honestly, I might have considered dating him had he been less arrogant and less married. I was awfully lonely too. After our last set of meetings, Ajit asked for my room number. Since he and I were leaving the next morning, I figured he might want to coordinate our departure for the airport. So I told him the number. But I must have subconsciously given him the wrong one. The next morning at checkout, he was livid. It seemed he’d gone to what he thought was my room and I wasn’t there. He stormed off to the airport by himself.
After the trip, I tried to placate Ajit by sending a couple of friendly emails. He slowly became friendlier; then we worked on a project together, and he was actually helpful. I tried to keep the relationship professional, but he soon started saying that he and his wife were having problems again. I kept up my mantra: “You should do counseling.” Until, one day, he said, “I wanted you to know that my wife and I have separated. We’re getting divorced. I want to be with you.” He’d never said anything like that before. I felt a dash of hope that this could be a real thing.
We started seeing each other and had what eventually amounted to a short-lived, sporadic fling. It was fun bonding over work. Ajit told me the history of the firm and gave me the scoop on departed partners, and I felt like I was at last being let in on company secrets. Finally I had someone who was willing to talk about the dysfunction we saw in our workplace, and to be honest about how decisions were really made.
Then one day in a meeting, one of the managing partners, oblivious to my relationship with Ajit, said, “Can you believe my weekend? I was in a suite at the Ritz-Carlton at Half Moon Bay, standing on the balcony in my bathrobe, and who did I see? Ajit and his wife walking across the lawn!” I broke it off with Ajit, but I was hopeful we could move past it personally and professionally.
Women were admonished when they “raised their voices” yet
chastised when
they couldn’t
“own the room.”
As it turned out, I would soon meet and fall in love with the man I would marry, Buddy Fletcher. He was a financial arbitrageur who’d helped fund the first professorship for LGBTQ studies at Harvard. During our first date in New York, he told me during hours of conversation that he had previously been with men, something I never had a problem with but which would later be used in the press as evidence that our marriage was a sham. We got engaged just six weeks after we met.
My newly joyous home life was a liability in one sense, though: It made me recognize how very uncomfortable my work situation had become. Ajit had grown increasingly hostile toward me, excluding me from information and meetings. Even with other managers, I often got ignored or interrupted. At one point, John had a suggestion for how I could get more airtime.
He wanted me to go to school — to learn to be a stand-up comic.
Partners had become so aggressive about pursuing ventures I was working on that CEOs started to point it out. One CEO I had been working with, Mike McCue, called me to relate how John and another managing partner, Bing Gordon, had met with him and asked to invest more money in his start-up Flipboard. Just a few months earlier, I had lobbied hard for the firm to go all in and invest a large amount in Flipboard, but had been pushed to take a smaller investment. “They offered to pay $15 million for another 5 percent,” Mike told me. That price worked out to 20 percent higher than in the latest round. When Mike told them he was done raising, they upped their offer to $25 million for 5 percent. I gasped inwardly. We’d had a chance to buy the same number of shares for only $10 million just a month ago.
“Then,” he continued, “Bing asked for a board seat for himself or John. I said no. You know I don’t want anyone but you on my board right now. What is going on?” Now I understood why they hadn’t invited me to the meeting or even told me about it. I had made the initial investment and was a board member, so standard practice would have been for me to be part of any discussions about Flipboard. After the call, I confronted the two partners with Mike’s account. John seemed sheepish and blamed the gambit on Bing. Bing just looked alarmed. I don’t think he ever expected to fail in his bid or be held accountable for his bad manners. I didn’t get an apology, but the look of shock on his face was almost enough to make me feel better. And I could console myself with the knowledge that at least I had relationships worth trying to steal.
Of the few women I encountered at or above my professional level, almost none had young families. One partner told me that when she happily announced her third pregnancy, a male senior partner responded, “I don’t know any professional working woman who has three kids.”
When I gave birth to my first child, some partners at work treated my taking maternity leave as the equivalent of abandoning a ship in the middle of a typhoon to get a manicure. Juliet de Baubigny, one of the partners who had helped recruit me, had warned me that taking time off would put my companies at risk of being commandeered by another partner. I knew two other women who had board seats taken away during their maternity leaves. Juliet coached me on how to keep at least one company by leading their search for a CEO even though technically I was on leave. I’d arranged to take four months off, but after three I felt pressure to return.
Back at Kleiner, I continued to have a huge problem with Ajit. Not only was he blocking my work, he had been promoted to a position of even greater responsibility and was giving me negative reviews. I started to lodge formal complaints about him. In response, the firm suggested I transfer to the China office.
It wasn’t until the spring of 2011 that I finally told a few colleagues about my harassment by Ajit. One instructed me never to mention it again. But when I told fellow junior partner Trae Vassallo, she grew uncharacteristically quiet. Then she said something I never expected: She had been harassed by Ajit, too. He’d asked her out for drinks to talk shop, and in the course of the evening he started touching her with his leg under the table. Then I said something I still feel bad about. I recommended that she not report it. I had, and had been paying the price ever since.
Fortunately, Trae didn’t take my advice. She reported Ajit’s behavior soon after, when she found out he was about to do her review. She was promised that the firm would keep an eye on it, but no other action was taken.
In that round of summer reviews, Kleiner had six junior partners who had worked there for four or more years. The women had twice as many years at Kleiner, but only the men got promoted.
Around the end of November, Ajit persuaded Trae to go to New York with him for an important work trip. He said they’d be having dinner with a CEO who might be able to help one of Trae’s companies. But when they arrived, Trae saw that the table was set for two. The trip was just her and Ajit, in a hotel together for the weekend. Later that night he came to her room in his bathrobe, asking to be let in. She eventually had to push him out the door. Later, when she told one of the managing partners about the fake trip, he said, “You should feel flattered.”
It was now clear to me that the firm was unwilling to take the difficult actions needed to fix its problems. On January 4, 2012, I sent an email to the managing partners presenting all the facts as clearly as I could and asking for substantive changes and either protection from further ostracism or help with an exit.
After more than a month, the company put Ajit on leave. Two tense months after that, he finally left. When I spoke to the COO, he asked how much I wanted in order to quietly leave. “I want no less than what Ajit gets,” I said — which I suspected was around $10 million. The COO gasped.
Life at Kleiner got progressively worse. At one point I found out the partners had taken some CEOs and founders on an all-male ski trip. They spent $50,000 on the private jet to and from Vail. I was later told that they didn’t invite any women because women probably wouldn’t want to share a condo with men.
Finally, an outside independent investigator looked into Trae’s complaint and the issues I’d raised in my memo. Almost all of the women came to me after their interviews with him and said the same thing: “He really didn’t ask questions. He asked if we had ever seen porn in the office.” He didn’t seem interested in finding out about actual discrimination, bias, or harassment.
In my own interview, when I mentioned that my colleagues had talked about a porn star when we were on a plane together, the investigator asked if it was Sasha Grey. I said no. He pressed the point, saying that Sasha Grey was crossing over into legitimate acting. At another point, the investigator asked, in a “gotcha” tone, “Well, if they look down on women so much, if they block you from opportunities, they don’t include you at their events, why do they even keep you around in the first place?”
I hadn’t thought about it before. I replied slowly as the answer crystallized in my mind: If you had the opportunity to have workers who were overeducated, underpaid, and highly experienced, whom you could dump all the menial tasks you didn’t want to do on, whom you could get to clean up all the problems, and whom you could create a second class out of, wouldn’t you want them to stay?
I noticed he didn’t write that down in his notebook. Among the other things the investigator did not write down: that there was no sexual-harassment training, not even a line in the hiring paperwork saying: Hey, be appropriate. Don’t do things that make people feel uncomfortable. Don’t touch people. Kleiner’s managing partners flouted hiring rules, too, asking inappropriate questions in interviews like: Are you married? Do you have kids? How old are you? Are you thinking about having kids? What does your husband do? What did your ex-husband do? It was noted at some point that such questions created a giant legal risk, and the response was, effectively, Well, who’s going to sue us?
Courtroom drawings from the 2015 Pao v. Kleiner Perkins trial. Clockwise: Pao on the stand; Doerr, Pao’s former boss, testifying before the jury.; Pao hugging her lawyer after the closing arguments.; The court clerk reading the verdict. Illustration: Vicki Behringer
Apparently, me. My claim — 12 pages covering everything that had happened to me over seven years at Kleiner — specified gender discrimination in promotion and pay, and retaliation against me after I reported the harassment. I asked for damages to cover the lost pay and to prevent them from doing it again. Meanwhile, Kleiner had notified me that its investigation was done: The finding was that there had been no retaliation or discrimination.
In response to my suit, Kleiner hired a powerful crisis-management PR firm, Brunswick. On their website, they bragged about having troll farms — “integrated networks of influence,” used in part for “reputation management” — and I believe they enlisted one to defame me online. Dozens, then thousands, of messages a day derided me as bad at my job, crazy, an embarrassment. Repeatedly, Kleiner called me a “poor performer.” A Vanity Fair story implied that Buddy was gay, a fraud, and a fake husband.
My lawyer said my case would be stronger if I continued to work at Kleiner. The general partners sometimes had long meetings to discuss the lawsuit; the ten of them would file into one of the large, windowed conference rooms. I could see them hunched around the table looking annoyed as a team of lawyers blared over the speakerphone. If I walked down the hall, the room would fall silent and their eyes would follow me until I was out of sight.
I tried to stay focused on my personal life. After a lot of trying, I was pregnant with our second child. Still, the negativity wore me down. Then in June 2012, during a regular checkup, my doctor looked at the sonogram and I could tell something was wrong. I’d had a miscarriage.
“When I saw all the horrible things being said about you,” he said, “I was worried about you and the baby. Stress can be a factor.” He was referring to an article in the New York Times in which an expert was quoted saying he was skeptical about my claims because he hadn’t ever heard of mistreatment of women in Silicon Valley. I felt, in that moment, that Kleiner had taken everything from me.
Then I had my summer review. Ted and Matt told me that CEOs had complained about my board performance. When I asked which ones, Matt just said, “All of them.”
A few months later, Matt asked me to leave, claiming I hadn’t improved since my last review. I was told to be out of the office by the end of the day. On the drive home, I wept. Some of it was sorrow. Most of it was relief.
The trial would last five weeks. Lynne Hermle of Orrick, Kleiner’s defense attorney, had once been so intense during another case that she’d made an opponent vomit in the courtroom, and she wasted no time in painting a picture of me as talentless, stupid, and greedy. “She did not have the necessary skills for the job,” she said. “She did not even come close.”
At other times, the trial was almost gratifying. The CFO, who was also still at Kleiner, admitted that until 2012 the company didn’t even have an HR department and didn’t provide employees with an anti-discrimination policy; they hadn’t had one until Trae and I formally raised our concerns. When Hermle tried to show that women did rise at Kleiner, we pointed out that nearly all those promotions had happened since I brought up these issues. At the start of 2012, when Trae and I had lodged our complaint, only one woman in the firm’s 40-year history had ever been promoted to senior partner.
And anomalies in reviews were finally cleared up: It turned out that Ted had set up a process designed to make me look bad. He started with the standard procedure: I was asked to list people I had worked with; our outside consultant asked everyone on my list to review me; she organized their feedback and sent it to Ted. Ted then solicited negative feedback from phantom reviewers — people I had not worked closely with, who were not on my list, and whom he didn’t list as reviewers in the final document. The everyone-hates-you feedback Ted had delivered was in fact from a board-member crony of his and another venture capitalist I had not worked with much at all.
I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a thrill to hear Ted questioned by one of my lawyers, Alan Exelrod, about the positive feedback he’d hidden from me and excluded from my review. Had we not gone to trial, it would never have surfaced.
Alan: He said that “She was very engaged and proactive,” correct? Ted: Yes. Alan: And that “She tries very hard to be helpful”? Ted: Correct. Alan: “100 percent behind the company”? Ted: Yes. Alan: “She is one of the three people I call from the board for her advice”? Ted: Correct.
Such satisfaction was short-lived. The verdict came down on March 27, 2015: I had lost on all four counts.
Before suing, I’d consulted other women who had sued big, powerful companies over harassment and discrimination, and they all gave me pretty much the same advice: “Don’t do it.” One woman told me, “It’s a complete mismatch of resources. They don’t fight fair. Even if you win, it will destroy your reputation.”
Renée Fassbender Amochaev, an investment adviser, told me she’d been miserable from the moment she filed her lawsuit. She became an outcast and a target. Her co-workers started a petition to have her leave. Every morning, she would get to the parking lot and throw up.
“You have to prepare for it to be harder than you can even imagine,” she said. “Do you regret it?” I asked. There was a pause. “No,” she said.
Losing my suit hurt, but I didn’t have regrets either. I could have received millions from Kleiner if I would just have signed a non-disparagement contract; I turned it down so I could finally share my story, which I have been doing by speaking at events across the country and through Project Include — a nonprofit I co-founded to give everyone a fair shot to succeed in tech. I started it with an impressive group of women from the tech industry, many of whom shared similarly painful experiences.
We channeled our frustration with the tepid “diversity solutions” prevalent in the industry, ones focused on PR-oriented initiatives that spend more time outlining the problems than implementing solutions. To become truly inclusive, companies needed solutions that included all people, covered everything a company does, and used detailed metrics to hold leaders accountable. So we decided to give CEOs and start-ups just that. We launched on May 3, 2016, with 87 recommendations. Since then, more than 1,500 people have signed up in support of our efforts, including 100 tech CEOs. Soon after, we partnered with ten start-up CEOs who were far along in their understanding of diversity and inclusion to help them address these issues in their own companies. We’ve had to reassure some of them that we aren’t out to shame them; we just offer a starting point and a supportive community. We’ve also partnered with 16 tech-focused investment firms; through them, we’ll be collecting industrywide diversity data to help set benchmarks across the tech sector.
It was a huge relief to be past the explain-define-and-prove-the-problem-exists conversations my co-founders and I had each gotten dragged into too many times. Over the past year, despite the ongoing public exposure of the ways both the president and tech companies like Uber discourage diversity and inclusion, we’ve seen results that give us hope. More personally, I’ve come out of the experience with great friends and supporters. We’ve changed jobs, started companies, taken time off, moved across the country, and switched careers. I’ve watched as each of us — myself included — has become more vocal, more open, and more courageous in advocating for change in tech.
In the wake of my suit, I often heard people say that my case was a matter of “right issues, wrong plaintiff,” or that the reason I lost was because I wasn’t a “perfect victim.” I’ll grant that only someone a little bit masochistic would sign up for the onslaught of personal attacks that comes with a high-profile case, but I reject the argument that I wasn’t the right person to bring suit. I was one of the only people who had the resources and the position to do so. I believed I had an obligation to speak out about what I’d seen.
Since the trial, I have had time to think of all the things I wished I’d done differently. I might have had better luck with public opinion, for instance, if I’d spent more time with the press and prepared a few pages of talking points every day, like Kleiner had. But Kleiner also had tremendous resources that I couldn’t match, and it made a difference. For example, I didn’t have time to go through all my emails to figure out which ones to give Kleiner, so during the discovery process we gave them practically everything, some 700,000 emails — most of which we could have legally withheld. Kleiner meanwhile handed over just 5,000 emails, claiming they didn’t have the resources to search for anything other than emails that we specifically requested. They did have the resources to pick over my emails, though — I heard they hired a team in India to read and sort through every single one. Their work would show: During depositions, they brought up everything from my nanny’s contract to an exercise I’d done in therapy where I listed resentments. Emails to friends, emails to my husband, emails to other family members, even emails to my lawyers.
In retrospect, the most painful part of the trial was being cross-examined by Kleiner’s lawyer. At one point, she claimed I’d never invested in a woman’s company. “You’ve never done anything for women, have you?” she said snidely. I’d been instructed by my lawyers not to respond to comments like that, because it might open me up to more criticism — jurors could find me difficult or aggressive, the very things Kleiner was trying so hard to portray me as in court. I ended up coming across as distant, even a bit robotic, as I tried to keep my answers noncombative. But it hurt to leave that one unchallenged. It was patently false. At Kleiner, I helped drive investments in six women founders. A few months after I was fired by Kleiner, I invested in ten companies with my own money; five had women CEOs. But I didn’t say any of that. I just sat there.
Before my suit was over, though, other women had begun to sue tech companies with public filings. One of my lawyers represented a Taiwanese woman who sued Facebook for discrimination; her suit alleged that she was given menial tasks like serving drinks to the men on the team. Another lawyer at the firm represented Whitney Wolfe, one of the co-founders at Tinder, who sued for sexual harassment. Both of those suits settled, but others, against Microsoft and Twitter, are ongoing. Some reporters even came up with a name for the phenomenon of women or minorities in tech suing or speaking up. They called it the “Pao effect.”
Excerpted from the book Reset, by Ellen Pao. Copyright © 2017 by Ellen K. Pao. Published by Spiegel & Grau, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.
*This article appears in the August 21, 2017, issue of New York Magazine.Former JPMorgan Chase traders Javier Martin-Artajo and Julien Grout were charged by US federal prosecutors for manipulating bank records and understating losses in the $6.2 billion ‘London Whale’ financial debacle of 2012.
In a blow to Wall Street and America’s largest bank by assets, prosecutors filed charges against Martin-Artajo, 49, a former London-based managing director and trading supervisor, and Grout, 35, an ex-trader at the London office.
The two charged men, whose arrest warrants were issued August 9, haven't been located by authorities. Grout, a French national, is reportedly in France, and Martin-Artajo is reportedly on a planned holiday, according to statements from their respective lawfirms.
“The defendants' alleged lies misled investors, regulators and the public, and they constituted federal crimes,” said Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara at a press conference.
Bharara said, in response to CEO Jamie Dimon’s previous comments, "this was not a tempest in a teapot, but rather a perfect storm of individual misconduct and inadequate internal controls."
The pair “knowingly or recklessly, employed devices, schemes and artifices to defraud and/or engaged in acts, practices and courses of business,” the complaint said.
The two were charged with conspiracy, falsifying books and records, wire fraud, and registering false filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The SEC is pursuing a separate civil complaint, which will likely result in a hefty fine for the bank, with the employees to be barred from working in the financial industry.
Bosses off the hook
Prosecutors announced they will not charge Bruno Iksil, largely known as a “London Whale” for the extent he cooked the banks' books. According to Bharara, he “sounded the alarm more than once”, and as long as he fully cooperates with the FBI and the Manhattan US Attorney’s Office, will face no charges.
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, CIO Ina Drew, and Achilles Macris, who ran the London trading office, and everybody who were part of the ‘London Whale’ have so far not been legally pursued.
False earnings
Due to the improper conduct by these traders, the bank falsely reported quarterly earnings with the FEC on April 13, 2012, as they were “based in part on false and fraudulent information” from the “London Whale” books from March to May 2012. A third, still anonymous co-conspirator also will be investigated on this charge.
The bank was forced to restate its first quarter earnings, which they re-evaluated and slashed by $459 million, after taking into account the fraudulent derivatives losses.
British authorities are conducting their own separate inquiry into the bank's derivative loss cover up.
The bank’s ex-employees allegedly covered up losses when they initially told regulators losses amounted to £8million, when in reality the sum was closer to £4bn. The scandal later became known as the ‘London Whale’, coined after the location and the magnitude of the losses.
The world’s biggest lenders paid over $20 billion to regulators and individuals in 2012 to compensate for breaking rules and finance manipulation during the financial crisis.Note: This story is for the weekly Flash Fiction Challenge posted on the blog of the insanely talented Chuck Wendig. The title is the result of a random title generator.
Wyatt didn’t think very much about magic until the day the faeries tried to kill him. One second he was taking a leisurely soak in his bathtub, and the next he was dodging a toaster. It was the lack of general knowledge about common household appliances that tipped him off. He wouldn’t have suspected the faeries if they had used a hairdryer or a curling iron. Though the curling iron would have been a little hard to explain since he lived alone and didn’t have a girlfriend.
If it weren’t for the attempted murder, he certainly never would have found himself in the office of Basil Alderdice, the local magician for hire, staring at jars labeled “powered cockatrice beak” and “dried manticore lips.”
“A faerie infestation, you say, Mr. Jones?” Alderdice asked, pouring himself some tea.
“Yeah, I think so.” Wyatt replied, refusing the cup Alderdice offered.
Alderdice took a sip of his Earl Grey. “What did you do to provoke them?”
If Wyatt had been drinking tea, he would have spit it out. “Do? I didn’t do anything, I swear. Look, I generally don’t like talking to people in this world. Why would I go looking for friends on another plane of existence? Besides, I didn’t think you had to do anything. I mean, aren’t faeries supposed to be amoral little bastards anyway?”
Alderdice frowned. “Well, that’s a more or less accurate description of some faeries. The Daoine Sidhe, for example, would think no more of killing a human than you or I would of crushing an ant, but it would take a significant event in our world to get their attention.”
“Like what, if I were the Chosen One or something?”
“Um, yes, I suppose that might do it. Or, you know, the last time we had trouble with the Sidhe was when The Guiding Light was cancelled.”
Wyatt let his shoulders slump. “Oh. I see.”
“They didn’t use toasters either. Not their style. Other faeries, maybe, ones that can be provoked by less. Now think. Has anything at all unusual happened in the last month or so? Anything, no matter how insignificant.”
Wyatt closed his eyes and concentrated. It took him a few minutes to come up with something. “I have this pair of pants. There was a hole in one of the pockets, but when I put them on the other day the hole was gone. It didn’t seem weird to me at the time. I just thought maybe I was mistaken about which pair of pants it was.” Suddenly he opened his eyes. “Although…”
Alderdice put down his tea. “Yes, go on.”
“A few days later I noticed all my shirts seemed to be freshly pressed. And then I saw someone had alphabetized my spice rack and even added a few. You wouldn’t happen to know what turmeric is, would you?”
Alderdice peered at Wyatt over the top of his pince-nez. “Really, didn’t you think at the time something supernatural might be going on?”
Wyatt shrugged. “Not exactly. I guess I thought if I ignored it, it might go away.”
“Mr. Jones, you have brownies. They’re upset because they haven’t received payment for the things they’ve done for you.”
“But I didn’t ask them to do any of those things.”
Alderdice shook his head. “That’s beside the point.”
“What can I do about it?” Wyatt asked.
“A saucer of milk and a piece of stale bread left on a window sill will usually suffice.”
“That will get rid of them?”
“Get rid of them, no, but it will satisfy them, as long as you remember to do it every night.”
“What? If I wanted to leave a saucer of milk out every night, I’d get a goddamn cat.” Wyatt paused. “Would that—”
“No, Mr. Jones, it would not. Don’t even think about it.”
“But I really just want them gone. Do you have anything that can do that? A spell or a potion or something?”
Alderdice stroked his beard. “Faeries aren’t terribly fond of cold iron. You can use it to keep them out of your house.”
“That’s it? What if I just went to the hardware store, bought a bunch of nails, and sprinkled them around? Would that work?”
Alderdice laughed. “Is your tetanus vaccination up to date? That could work for the short term, but once the nails start to rust they’ll lose their power.” He picked up a small bag from the table next to him. “This, however, contains iron powder and…a few other ingredients. Sprinkle this around your house, and it will keep the brownies away for much longer.”
“How much do you want for it?”
When Alderdice told him, Wyatt nearly punched the magician in the nose.
“That’s extortion!” He raised up a shoe so Alderdice could see the hole in the sole. “I work two full-time jobs just so my ex-wife can fill her closet with shoes. I can’t even afford to replace my own.”
“We could always work out a payment plan.”
Wyatt stood. “Forget it. I’ll just deal with them myself.”
Alderdice took another sip of tea. “Well, of course that’s entirely up to you. Good luck.”
Wyatt had about as much magic as he could take. He drove straight to the hardware store, bought all the iron nails they had and littered the yard with them when he got home. Inside, he went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. He grabbed the milk and swirled the carton to discover only a little left. He looked around, then tipped up the carton and gulped the milk down. After putting the empty carton back, he walked into the living room, fell into his chair, and turned on the television.
***
A few days later, Alderdice was skimming the newspaper when he came upon a story that caused him to pause. Wyatt Jones, 32, was found dead in his home, the apparent victim of an accidental electrocution. Alderdice raised an eyebrow as he read the details. Cold iron might give the faeries trouble, but a hot iron…Holy… well, moly.
Warner Bros. have cleared the rights to merchandise the 1960s Batman TV series, including the use of Adam West and Burt Ward’s likenesses. The company will be revealing their plans at next week’s Licensing Expo in Las Vegas, and moving ahead to recruit partners that will actually manufacture and sell the dolls, pillowcases, disposable diapers or, I suppose, lunch boxes.
It doesn’t sound, from Variety‘s report, that these deals have cleared the way for the show to come to DVD or, dare I dream, Blu-ray, but it is, at the very least, a step in the right direction.
Here’s Warner Bros. president of Consumer Products, Brad Globe, on the potential of this deal:
For the first time in over 40 years we will be able to offer fans a full merchandise program that captures the classic, kitschy look and feel of the original Batman TV show. This new licensing program allows our partners to take advantage of the characters, gadgets and humor that made the show a smash hit in its day and a perennial favorite decades later.
Put me down for a pair of socks and a novelty birthday card that says Holy something or other when you open it.
Who wants to bet me 100 Bleeding Cool points that Warner get Adam West and Burt Ward to make personal appearances at the show next week?
(Last Updated )
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None foundWASHINGTON — Democratic leaders secured the last two votes to move ahead on historic health care legislation, clearing the way for a Saturday night showdown on President Barack Obama's top domestic initiative.
In long-awaited speeches, centrist Sens. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana said they would stand with their party and vote "yes" on the crucial test vote despite deep reservations with elements of the 2,074-page bill to remake the nation's health care system.
"The truth is this issue is very complex. There is no easy fix and it's imperative that we build on what's already working in health care in America," Lincoln told her Senate colleagues.
Hours earlier, Landrieu had delivered her news. The two represent votes 59 and 60 for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who needs that many in the 100-member Senate to go forward. The Senate's 40 Republicans are unanimously opposed.
"That was the easy part. Now it's only going to get tougher from here on out," Reid's spokesman Jim Manley told The Huffington Post.
"I've decided that there are enough significant reforms and safeguards in this bill to move forward, but much more work needs to be done," Landrieu said, with the 8 p.m. EST vote looming.
Most everyone would be required to purchase insurance under Reid's legislation, and billions in new taxes would be levied on insurers and high-income Americans to help extend coverage to 30 million uninsured. Insurance companies would no longer be allowed to deny coverage to people with medical conditions or drop coverage when someone gets sick.
A largely overlooked provision in the Senate bill would send $100 million to Louisiana to help it cover costs for Medicaid, the federal-state health care program for the poor. In her speech, Landrieu rejected the notion that she was voting to advance the bill simply because of the money.
"I am not going to be defensive about asking for help in this situation," she said, recalling the devastation inflicted on her state by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and her Republican governor's support for the provision. "I'm proud to have asked for it. I'm proud to have fought for it. And I will continue to."
During earlier debate on the bill, Democrats called a revamp of the nation's health care system long overdue.
"The country suffers when there is a failure to act on serious challenges that millions of ordinary Americans face in their daily lives," Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said during the rare weekend session.
United in opposition, Republicans cast the bill as a costly government takeover, built on budget gimmicks.
"Move over, Bernie Madoff. Tip your hat to a trillion-dollar scam," said Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., referring to the mastermind of a multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme.
Most everyone would be required to purchase insurance under Reid's legislation, and billions in new taxes would be levied on insurers and high-income Americans to help extend coverage to 30 million uninsured. Insurance companies would no longer be allowed to deny coverage to people with medical conditions or drop coverage when someone gets sick.
The action in the Senate comes two weeks after the House approved a health overhaul bill of its own on a 220-215 vote. After the vote Saturday night, senators will leave for a Thanksgiving recess. Upon their return, assuming Democrats prevail on the vote, they will launch into weeks or more of unpredictable debate on the health care bill, with numerous amendments expected from both sides of the aisle and more 60-vote hurdles along the way.
Senate leaders hope to pass their bill by the end of the year. If that happens, January would bring work to reconcile the House and Senate versions before a final package could land on Obama's desk.
The bills have many similarities, including the new requirements on insurers and the creation of new purchasing marketplaces called exchanges where self-employed individuals and small businesses could go to shop for and compare coverage plans. One option in the exchanges would be a new government-offered plan, something that's opposed by private insurers and business groups.
Differences include requirements for employers. The House bill would require medium and large businesses to cover their employees, while the Senate bill would not require them to offer coverage but would make them pay a fee if the government ends up subsidizing employees' coverage.BOSTON -- Boston Celtics point guard |
thousand agents, they did it through machine learning, which you know, kept spewing out this stuff over and over again. The algorithms that they developed. So that was the conclusion. And I think it’s fair to ask, how did that actually influence the campaign? And how did they know what messages to deliver?
Swisher: Who told them?
Who told them? Who were they coordinating with, or colluding with? Because the Russians historically in the last couple of decades and then increasingly, you know, are launching cyber attacks, and they are stealing vasts amounts of information, and a lot of the information they’ve stolen they’ve used for internal purposes, to affect markets, to affect the intelligence services, etc. So this is different because they went public, and they were conveying this weaponized information and the content of it, and they were running... You know, there’s all these stories of guys over in Macedonia who are running these fake news sites and I’ve seen them now and you sit there and it looks like a sort of low-level CNN operation...
Mossberg: Or a fake newspaper.
Or a fake newspaper...
Mossberg: Like the Denver Guardian.
Like a fake newspaper, and so the Russians — in my opinion and based on the intel and the counterintel people I’ve talked to — could not have known how best to weaponize that information unless they had been guided.
Mossberg: Guided by Americans.
Guided by Americans and guided by people who had polling and data information.
Swisher: Who is that?
Now let me just finish, because this is the second and third step. So we know that they did that. We understand it. Best example: So within one hour, one hour of the Access Hollywood tapes being leaked, within one hour, the Russians — let’s say WikiLeaks, something — dumped the John Podesta emails. Now, if you’ve ever read the John Podesta emails, they are anodyne to boredom [laughter]. But...
Mossberg: Yeah, we had him here once.
Yeah, [laughter and applause], and forgive him for what he said about you. So, they were run-of-the-mill emails, especially run of the mill for a campaign.
“Should we do this?” “What should she say?” You know, just the stuff that is so common, basic. Within one hour they dumped them, and then they began to weaponize them. And they began to have some of their allies within the internet world, like Infowars, take out pieces and begin to say the most outrageous, outlandish, absurd lies you could imagine. And so they had to be ready for that, and they had to have a plan for that, and they had to be given the go-ahead. “Okay, this could be the end of the Trump campaign, dump it now. And then let’s do everything we can to weaponize it.”
And we know it hurt us. Because as I explain in my book, you know, the Comey letter, which was, now we know, partly based on a false memo from the Russians. It was a classic piece of Russian disinformation — comprimat, they call it. So, for whatever reason, and I speculate, but I can’t look inside the guy’s mind, you know, he dumps that on me on October 28th, and I immediately start falling. But what was really interesting, since the mainstream media covered that, as I say like Pearl Harbor, front pages everywhere, huge type, etc. And all of the Trump people go around screaming, “Lock her up, lock her up,” and all of that. At the same time, the biggest Google searches were not for Comey, because that information was just lying out there, it was for WikiLeaks. And so voters who are being targeted with all of this false information are genuinely trying to make up their minds.
What does it mean? And we know that the Google searches for this stuff were particularly high in places in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
Swisher: So, a couple of questions to this. That was fascinating actually. I was like riveted to that. Who was directing them, from your perspective? And do you blame — and I’m just going to use Facebook, because that’s where a lot of this was done, especially around the fake news, either the Pope was voting for Trump, or there was one particular one I got in an argument with Facebook people about, you being a lizard, that was going around. And they kept arguing about the gray area and this and that, and I remember being in a call saying, “She’s not a lizard!”
Thank you, Kara, thank you [laughter].
Mossberg: That’s actually a kind thing from Kara.
I’m very touched!
Swisher: But... [laughter] do you blame...
I have that on a pillow, “She’s not a lizard.”
Swisher: I don’t know if you’re a lizard or not but... [HRC laughs] I’m guessing you’re not a lizard. But who do you think directed it? And do you blame Facebook, or any of these platforms, for doing nothing? What should they have done and are they culpable?
Let me separate out the questions. First, we’re getting more information about all of the contacts between Trump campaign officials and Trump associates with Russians before, during and after the election. So I hope that we’ll get enough information to be able to answer that question.
Swisher: But you’re leaning Trump.
Yes... yes. I’m leaning Trump. I think it’s pretty hard not to. I think that the marriage of the domestic fake news operations, the domestic RNC Republican allied data, you know, combined with the very affective capabilities that the Russians brought. You know, basically the group running this was the GRU which is the military intelligence arm of the Russian military and they have a very sophisticated cyber operation, in bed with WikiLeaks, in bed with Goosefer, in bed with DC Leaks.
And you know, DC Leaks and Goosefer, which were dropping a lot of this stuff on me, they haven’t done anything since early January. Their job was done. They got their job done. So we’re going to, I hope, be able to connect up a lot of the dots, and it’s really important because when Comey did testify before being fired this last couple of weeks, he was asked, “Are the Russians still involved?” And he goes, “Yes, they are. Look, why wouldn’t they be? It worked for them!” And it is important that Americans, and particularly people in tech and business understand, Putin wants to bring us down. And he is an old KGB agent. I had, obviously, run-ins with him, because that in large measure prompted his animus toward me, and his desire to help Trump. But it is deeper than that, it is way beyond me.
So with respect to the platforms, you know, I am again not exactly sure what conclusions we should draw. But here’s what I believe. I believe that what was happening to me was unprecedented and we were scrambling. We went and told everybody we could find in the middle of the summer, the Russians were messing with the election. And we were basically shooed away, like, “Oh you know, there she goes, vast right-wing conspiracy.” Now it’s a vast Russian conspiracy. Well, turned out we were right. And we saw evidence of it. We could track it. And we couldn’t get... we could not get the press to follow it and we never got confirmation. Remember, Comey was more than happy to talk about my emails, but he wouldn’t talk about the investigation of the Russians. So people went to vote on November 8th having no idea that there was an active counter-intelligence investigation going on of the Trump campaign.
So if I put myself in the position of running a platform like Facebook, first of all, they’ve got to get back to trying to curate it more effectively. Put me out of the equation, they’ve got to help prevent fake news from creating a new reality. That does influence how people think of themselves, see the world, the decisions that they make. I don’t know enough about what they could have done in real time. It’s not like we were not having conversations with them, because a lot of the people on my team were. I also think I was the victim of a very broad assumption I was going to win. “It doesn’t matter what you do to her...”
Swisher: Victim that you were going to win...
Yeah, just you know, everybody.
Mossberg: You’re talking about Nate Silver and the Times. “She has an 88 percent... No she has an 89 percent chance.”
Yeah. And you know, I never believed that, I always thought it was going to be a close election because our elections are always close. And you know, if you have an R next to your name or a D next to your name, you end up often falling in line to vote for your candidate.
So I think a lot of people... “We’ll get to that after the election. We’re not going to worry about it right now.” And that turned out to be a terrible mistake.
Swisher: So a victim that they thought you were going to win... So what’s the difference?
Well, I think that was part of it.
Swisher: What about a financial element? That they made money from this?
Oh I think... Well, look. The networks made more money than they’ve made in years, and we’ve got lots of network executives saying things like, “You know, he may not be good for the country but he’s good for business.” And there was that. And putting him on all the time. Calling in wherever he was from. And here’s a really telling statistic that has been validated. So, I had this old-fashioned idea that it really mattered what I would do as president [laughter]. And so I laid out very specific plans and I costed them out because I also think it’s important to be fiscally responsible.
A number of people in this audience were helpful to me, and I thank you. And we had a really good... we had a great tech program. We had a really good set of policies. Okay. In 2008, which was the last time you had a contested election, not somebody already in the White House, the policies put forth by President Obama, Senator McCain, got 220 minutes of air time, okay? In 2016, despite my best efforts and giving endless speeches and putting out all kinds of stuff, we got 32 minutes. That’s all.
Mossberg: Total?
Total.
Mossberg: Over like two years, or how long was...?
Well, over 18 months. Yeah. That was it. Total.
Swisher: So does that signify that you need to think about campaign... Not you in particular. Are you running again, by the way?
No.
Swisher: Okay. But you need to campaign differently, because you know, you were saying policy doesn’t matter, politics did. And Donald Trump... Look, a lot of people say that he was a great campaigner, a bad president. You were a terrible campaigner, you would have been a great president kind of thing. But you have to win and not...
Look, let’s put the campaigning stuff on the table...
Swisher: But don’t you have to change? Or not?
I won three million more votes than the other guy did [cheers, applause]. And I had a very, very close contest with President Obama. Basically, our votes were neck and neck. He ended up with more delegates and you know, depending on how you counted, I was slightly ahead, slightly behind. So we were absolutely on par when it came to actually getting votes. I won two Senate races in New York. So I never said I was a perfect candidate, and I certainly have never said I ran perfect campaigns, but I don’t know who is or did. And at some point it sort of bleeds into misogyny. And let’s just be honest, you know, people who have... [applause] a set of expectations about who should be president and what a president looks like, you know, they’re going to be much more skeptical and critical of somebody who doesn’t look like and talk like and sound like everybody else who’s been president.
And you know, President Obama broke that racial barrier, but you know, he’s a very attractive, good-looking man with lots of...
Swisher: Well, he’s likable enough.
He’s likable enough, absolutely! [WM laughs] More than, more than. So the campaign... Look, were there things we could have done differently? You can say that about any campaign.
Swisher: But is campaigning going to change in the future?
Mossberg: Yeah, but I want to... I want to follow up on something while we’re on this bleeding over into misogyny thing, and it comes from the recent New York Magazine profile of you, which I thought was fascinating and interesting. But the part of it that just leapt off the page for me as a reader was you and some of your staff, folks were quoted in there as saying, “Okay, Bernie Sanders could get angry at the podium about the fate of the people who are trapped in the globalization/automation thing.” Trump certainly did that, oversimplifying, getting angry.
You couldn’t do that because you’re a woman. And if a woman does that, it just backfires on her. And it made me think, are we never going to be able to have a woman in politics who can use that technique, which is an effective technique, which shows I’m emotionally with you just by oversimplifying and getting angry. Is that true? Do you really feel you couldn’t do that?
Well, let me say this. You know, I have been on many speaking platforms with many men who are in office or running for office. And the crowd gets you going and you get up there and I watch my male counterparts and they beat the podium and they yell and the crowd loves it.
And a few times I’ve tried then and it’s been less than successful, let me just say that [laughter]. And it’s a little maddening because I’m as angry about what’s going on as anybody because I’ve seen us go backwards as I said in the very beginning about so many things. Economic opportunity, advancements in human rights, civils rights, and the rest.
Swisher: Health care.
Health care. I care deeply about this. And I remember when I was doing health care back in the day, ’93, ’94, and we were trying to move an agenda forward and I went to the American Academy of Pediatrics. And I’ve always been particularly concerned about what happens to kids who don’t get the health care they need.
Mossberg: Right.
And I gave a really hot speech, and I got hammered for it, repeatedly. Because I don’t know what the way forward will be for others, Walt, but for me, trying to convey my commitment, my lifelong commitment, and not only that, what I’ve done.
And you know, I’d put up against anybody who ran, or thought of running, what I’ve already accomplished compared to what they have on behalf of people. It just is very difficult to go from intensity, passion, emotion, to anger. So, yeah. Try and stay on the other side of that line.
Swisher: So spinning it forward, what do you think a Democrat... how do you assess the current Democratic scene in terms of tech, and also what will happen with this Russian investigation?
I’m not going to speculate on who might end up running. We have to first win elections in New Jersey and Virginia in 2017, we’ve got to take the House back and keep our incumbents and maybe make progress in the Senate. Everything will change if we win in 2018.
Mossberg: Do you really believe we can?
Yes I do.
Mossberg: I say “we,” I’m retiring soon.
Yeah, we. Yes.
Mossberg: We [laughter] can take the House back? [applause]
Yes.
Mossberg: We’ve got 20-something Senate seats that we have to defend. I mean seriously, come on. You’re really smart about this. Let’s be honest.
Let’s look at the House. We have to flip 24 seats, okay? I won 23 districts that have a Republican Congress member. Seven of them are in California, Darrell Issa being one. If we can flip those, if we can then go deeper into where I did well, where we can get good candidates, I think flipping the House is certainly realistic. It’s a goal that we can set for ourselves.
Mossberg: Is the party organized to do that?
Well, we’re working on it. I’m working on it.
Mossberg: We don’t have a lot of time here.
Well you know, but we’ve got two very good political strategists running the Senate and the House for Democrats, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer. They know how to win elections. They’re incredibly focused, tireless and effective. So honestly, I’m hopeful about the House. And I’m working on it. I have a new organization called Onward Together and I’m helping some of these new groups that have sprouted up online to recruit candidates, run candidates, help candidates go to town halls, expose Republican members for their hypocrisy and the like. So we’re working really hard on this.
Mossberg: What about the Senate?
I think the Senate is hard to make progress, but I think it’s possible to hold our own. All of this depends on what we’re talking about. So if the Republicans continue to make progress as they are in going into the next generation of personalization, message delivery, phony stories... Go to Netflix and say you want to see a political documentary, eight of the top 10 — last time I checked a few weeks ago — were screeds against President Obama or me, or both of us.
Now, I love Netflix. We’re not making the documentaries that we’re going to get onto Netflix.
Mossberg: This is because Hollywood isn’t liberal enough? [laughter]
No, it’s because Democrats aren’t putting their money there. You know, there’s a classic line. Democrats give money to candidates, they want a personal connection. So the classic line is Democrats like to fall in love, Republicans just fall in line. Republicans build institutions, Republicans invest in those institutions, Republicans are much more willing to push and cross the line, and Democrats... I’ve talked to dozens of donors since my election experience and I’ve said, “Look, I’m all for you trying to figure out who you’re going to support in 2020, but what about 2017 and what about 2018 and what about helping the DNC try to leapfrog over its horrible data deficit, and how about supporting some of these new groups and see what they can do to generate some activity?”
We are not good historically at building institutions. And we’ve got to get a lot better. And that includes content. We have a great story to tell. You know, I found when I started the campaign that I had to say in practically everyone of my speeches, “Barack Obama save the economy, and he doesn’t get the credit he deserves.” I had to say that because people had been told differently. They didn’t feel it yet. You know, income didn’t really start inching up until 2015, late 2015.
Mossberg: Right.
So I was swimming against an historic tide. It’s very difficult historically to succeed a two-term president of your own party, because you know, we’re itchy people, we like change in American, and I get it. So there was that, but he had done a good job.
And you know, it was comparable... I obviously think back to what my husband inherited, which at that time seemed to be an exploding deficit and an increasing debt. The debt of the country had been quadrupled the prior 12 years. So he had to do a lot of cleanup work, he paid a huge political price for it, lost the Congress in ’94, had to fight back for getting reelected, and then we all know what happened in the second term which was bloodsport of the worse kind. And then the Supreme Court, despite Al Gore winning 500,000 more votes rules for Bush. So Bush comes in, and I worked closely with him on 9/11, but honestly the financial crisis, the morass in Iraq, and a lot of the other decisions that were made were very damaging. So then we elect President Obama, he comes in, he inherits the worst economy since the Great Depression, and he has to do a lot of things that are not easy to get it back and moving.
And it was like, “Okay, thank you very much, let’s get excited about somebody who’s going to really stir us up as opposed to do the job that needs to be done now.”
Mossberg: Great analysis on the congressional at the national level [applause]. Let’s move down ballot for a second. One of the things that just depresses me all the time is where are the Democrats running... You know, they’re mad at everybody. Every Democrat, every liberal, lots of moderates, even some moderate Republicans, are scared and angry about Trump.
Right, right.
Mossberg: I don’t see him running for school board, I don’t see him running for city council, I don’t see him running for state legislature...
That’s starting to change, Walt. It really is. I’ve got every finger and toe crossed. So among the groups I’m supporting is a group called Run For Something, started by a young woman who worked for me and my campaign.
And they’ve had thousands of people go on the website to try to figure out what does it mean to run and then to put in information, “Here’s what I’m thinking of.” And they’re beginning to win some races. Another group that’s been around for a longer time called Emerge America supports women who run. Their grassroots operations invested in women in Nevada, we flipped both houses. I won Nevada, we won the House and the Senate of Nevada. So they’re playing catch-up and trying to be more progressive and smart about their policies. You’re absolutely right. We used to leave so many races uncontested, and we’re not going to do that anymore.
Swisher: So when you think about that... One of the things that we were also talking about last night is Republicans own local television stations, they own radio, they’re better at the internet, that got that cable going — although there’s some issues they have over there at Fox News these days. What do you do then? Where do you leapfrog?
Because obviously the internet is the best way to leapfrog that. And let’s be honest, you have Hollywood on your side. There’s a progressive media, most people think of the media as progressive. Well you don’t, you think it’s not. Like the New York Times for example.
Mossberg: The false equivalency.
The false equivalency.
Swisher: Right, we try to be fair.
Mossberg: I sense that that’s changing.
I hope so.
Mossberg: That memo has been received.
I hope so. Because what...
Swisher: So where’s the in? Technologically?
This goes back to the institution building. Because the media forces on the Republican side are entrenched and very effective. So you’ve got obviously Fox, but you also now have Sinclair buying 140-plus local stations. And they’re beginning to call the shots on those local stations.
Swisher: Give the example of Montana we talked about.
Yeah, well so you know Montana, those of you who saw the now newly elected member of Congress literally beating up, body slamming, pushing around, a young reporter, you know what happened.
You know that it had a really terrible look to it. The guy should never have been doing that. I don’t know what enraged him so much being asked about health care. Sort of a strange trigger [laughter]. So the NBC affiliate in Montana, can’t remember which city, Missoula or Billings. Anyway, they’ve just been bought by Sinclair. So the NBC mothership in New York calls this station and says, “Can you send us the footage of what happened?” They said, “No, because that reporter was from a liberal paper, and we don’t think it’s a story we want to be part of.” Now, I find that terrifying. Because local news, yeah, there is the internet and how important it is and everybody who gets their news off of the internet, but local TV is still incredibly powerful.
Mossberg: So what are we going to do about it?
Well I’ve been...
Swisher: You and Walt, what are you going to do about it?
Well I mean, we have a few...
Mossberg: I’ve got some time now.
You would be a great adviser to one or more of our tech billionaires who want to buy some media.
Mossberg: Eh, they don’t listen to me.
Well then, we’re going to have to find other people who will compete against what is a considerable advantage on the other side.
Swisher: What do you think about Jeff Bezos owning the Washington Post?
I think that Jeff Bezos saves the Washington Post. I think his purchasing the Washington Post... [applause] Which you know, I think a lot of people, a lot of his peers and friends thought, “Why would you buy this ancient medium called a newspaper?” But newspapers, like the Post, the Journal, the Times, a few others, still drive news. Drives news online, drives news on TV.
And what Bezos has done, from what I’m told, and Walt and I were talking about this backstage, you know, he’s interested in making it a good proposition, but he’s hands off on the editorial and content front and he’s basically said, “Get out there and do investigations,” and they’re doing some of the best investigations about what’s going on with the White House now. So I think that was really a very good use of his financial resources because now we have a very good newspaper again operating in Washington and driving news elsewhere and doing kind of Whitewater-level investigations.
Swisher: So we have to get to questions from the audience, and I don’t think we can get into covfefe right now because it’s a longer thing [WM laughs], but...
I thought it was a hidden message to the Russians [laughter].
Swisher: Oh you did [laughs]. That is perfect, thank you so much for that. That’s going to be on our site in about five seconds [laughter].
So there’s a lot of calls. One of the things that I’m struck by is a lot of some of the articles are like, “You’ve got to stop, you’ve got to move on, you’ve got to sunset yourself and go away.” How do you... I’m offended by it, but what do you think? Because you seem mad as ever, which I love. You know what I mean?
You know, look. I’m not going anywhere [applause]. I have a big stake in what happens in this country. I am very, you know, unbowed and unbroken about what happened, because I don’t want it to happen to anybody else. I don’t want it to happen to the values and the institutions that I care about in America. And I think that we’re at a really pivotal point. And therefore I’m going to keep writing and keep talking and keep supporting people who are on the front lines of the resistance.
Swisher: Terrific. Question for Hillary Clinton.
Mossberg: Why don’t we start over here.
Guy Horowitz: Guy Horowitz, I’m from Israel. So if it’s any comfort, we also had an election decided by an election day weaponized social media case. I don’t know if it’s comforting at all.
Swisher: No it’s not, it’s worse.
Horowitz: That guy also had like a very questionable hairdo. But we survived. So my question to you is... In Israel we look at everything that’s happening outside the U.S. and what Donald Trump is saying and doing from the Paris climate thing and everything else that’s happening. It looks like it’s a clear and present danger to the world. And we’re all talking here, which is good. But I don’t feel like we’re doing enough, maybe in the U.S., definitely in the world...
Swisher: So question... I’m sorry...
Horowitz:... to eliminate this clear and present danger.
Mossberg: And the question?
Horowitz: And the question is, what can we do right now?
Yeah. You know, I’m really glad you asked the question because I do think what he’s doing is very dangerous to our position in the world, our leadership, and the stability of the world. I mean, when you give a blank check to the Russians and the Saudis, and others who are in engaged in authoritarian and dictatorial regimes, you are sending a message, “We don’t care what you do.” And that message will be heard. Now, we weren’t always able to control what others did, but we sure made it clear we didn’t think it was a good idea to engage in invasions and mass murders and other things that we see from the Philippines to the Middle East. When you turn on your allies and you treat them with such disdain and contempt, our democratic NATO allies who have stood with us, who came to our aide after 9/11, you are sending a message that you don’t care about history, or even about the current problems that we face. Now, the only comfort I can get out of having lost in the way that I did and having the Russians play such a role is that Necron was ready and able to rebut that. He said, “I’m the Hillary Clinton of this election.”
And they had certain institutional and media predictions that we don’t have. But he also was really smart about how he dealt with it. And it also has given a lot of good understanding to Angela Merkel and her team as she moves towards her election, okay? And I think that is important because we need to reform democracies, we need to reform economies, we need to deal with some of the issues that are coming at us like artificial intelligence and robotics and what the heck we’re going to do with all these people who are not going to have jobs. There are lots of big questions that the democratic world has to face, including Israel.
But we cannot stand idly by and allow Trump to continue to undermine the very strong foundation based on values that we in democracies share. Politicians come and go, but these values and the role that they play in stabilizing the world after the worst war in humanity, is critically important. You mentioned climate change, apparently they’re debating in the White House whether to pull out of the Paris agreement. There are only two nations in the world that are not signatories to the Paris Agreement: Nicaragua and Syria. For the United States to throw our lot in with the very, very small number of countries that have turned their backs on climate change, is not only a breach of an agreement... Usually when you come into office you can try to reform, maybe tinker with agreements, but part of what keeps us going is that America’s word is good and you stand with your prior administration, whether it was of your party or not.
They’re looking to throw all that out the window. But what’s really stupid about it is they’re throwing out the economic opportunities that being part of the Paris Agreement provide for the United States. That is what I find totally incomprehensible. Now, it is going to be interesting to see where they end up. The president is a very impulsive, reactive personality. So if we all like the Paris Agreement, he may decide to get out of it. Not even understanding one bit about what that means.
Or understanding the economic costs of it. You know, somebody is going to really... probably more than one somebody, will really have the market for clean energy exports. China is moving full speed ahead to be that country. Some of the European countries, particularly when it comes to wind, are already there. Israel I know has some great research being done, particularly on solar. I mean, there’s a huge market that somebody’s going to own, and we’re giving it up. There will be entrepreneurs and businesses, you will do your best to be competitive, but you won’t have the full force and support of your government, and I think that is incredibly foolish.
Swisher: All right. Short questions so we can get to them.
Alexia Bonatsos: Hi Hillary.
Hi.
Bonatsos: I’m Alexia Bonatsos. First off, thank you so much for what you have done for women [applause]. Thank you. So the present administration is very befuddling. This morning Spicer said that only the president and a small group of people knows what covfefe means. [WM and KS laugh] You’ve been a party to a lot of classified information.
Right.
Bonatsos: And you were at Donald Trump’s wedding.
Yeah [WM laughs].
Bonatsos: What do you know about him that we don’t, and how do you explain his bizarre behavior and appeal? [laughter, applause]
Swisher: That’s such a good question!
Ah, the small group explanation. You don’t have a high enough classification to know what covfefe mean [laughter]. You know, look. I was never even a social friend, it was kind of a lark to go to his third wedding [laughter, applause]. But I have to tell you, I sat behind Shaquille O’Neal, so I didn’t see anything [laughter, applause].
But, seriously. The behavior that we are now seeing was always present, but it was sort of subordinated to real estate interests, right? He started attacking Ronald Reagan in 1988. You know, “Our government is a disgrace..." So he’s been an equal opportunity insulter going back many years. Started thinking about running for president in the ’90s. Latched onto the lie of the birther movement about President Obama, rode that as far as he could. But he does have a visceral grasp of America’s political underbelly.
He really understands how to inflame people, how to motivate them, how to bond with them. Over whatever their grievance is. Whatever resentment or point of anger that you may have, if he can get into it, whether it’s race or sex or xenophobia or anti... Islamophobia, whatever it is. And so we’re seeing it on a broader stage. And it is deeply troubling for not only our politics but for our position in the world. And I think the best thing we can do is to continue to stand up, continue to defend the truth. You know, I gave a commencement speech at my alma mater and I quoted my predecessor in the Senate, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, with that famous remark, “Everybody’s entitled to his own opinion but no one is entitled to his own facts.” And that’s why we need the media, we need the tech world, we need the online world.
We need everybody to be calling them out on their outrageous lies and make it clear that we can have a debate about what is the best way to provide health care, we can have a debate about a budget, but when you present a budget with a trillion dollar mathematical error, it’s not like we’re going to ignore it. And I think the more voices that can be pushing back, especially in areas that you know things about, the better. And then I’ll just get back to politics and elections. We got to have your support here in California and across the country to try to take back the House and too, as Walt rightly says, field more people to run. And if you’ve ever been interested... you know, Kara, if you’ve ever been interested in running, now is the time to get in there.
Swisher: I’ve got it.
And because I think people will be hungry for straight talking, common sense, factual information. We don’t want to act like the American public isn’t capable of making informed decisions. We just have to make sure the information we get is founded in evidence and reality. And then we can have a real debate.
Swisher: And you also have to be good with the Twitter. But go ahead.
Fred Davis: Hi, I’m Fred Davis, I live near you in New York. It’s the day before the election, maybe the morning of the election. From everything I’ve read, I hear you think you’re going to win.
Yeah.
Davis: Are those accounts accurate? Is the polling industry as inaccurate as we perceive it? And is there any quick suggestions to this crowd on how to fix it?
Well, Fred, yeah, I did think I was going to win. I spent the night before the election, I started in Philadelphia. We had a 40,000-person rally with Barack and Michelle and the president had been following it closely.
Those of you who know him, he was running his own polling, running his own analytics. And you know, and we thought we were going to win. That’s all I can tell you. We knew, I knew, that I’d taken a tremendous hit after the Comey letter. And then later I understood the role that WikiLeaks played in it. But the Comey letter was measurable. You could see my drop. So you know, I needed a big majority to come out of Philadelphia, which I got. Close to 500,000. And I needed about a 15 to 17 point lead to come out of the Philadelphia suburbs. Before the Comey letter, based on our polling, I had about a 22 point lead in the Philadelphia suburbs. After that letter, my momentum, particularly among women in the suburbs, stopped and dropped. So I won the suburbs, but I only won them by 10.
And that wasn’t enough. I mean, Pennsylvania’s always a tough state and you’ve got to come out of the city and suburbs and Pittsburgh and a few other places. Which I won! I won Pittsburgh, I won the country there, I won Scranton, I won the county there. But I just got killed out in the country and my numbers couldn’t hold me up. So yeah, we did think... I think polling is going to have to undergo some revisions in how they actually measure people. How they reach people. The best assessments as of right now are that the polling was not that inaccurate, but it was predominantly national polling, and I won nationally. What was not as obvious was what was happening in states where I was under a lot of pressure from Comey, WIkiLeaks, voter suppression, fake news, all of that. And that’s kind of what happened.
Swisher: Okay, Rob?
Rob: Secretary Clinton, good to see you.
Hey, Rob.
Rob: As we discussed last night, you were originally on the Senate Watergate committee in the ’70s, so |
); E Bennett (Hall-Johnson 84), Surman (Jacob Murphy 87); Hoolahan (Pilkington 61); Redmond (Josh Murphy 64), Grabban (Loza 56).: Rudd (GK).: Hassen; Genevois, Bodmer, Lloris (c); Puel, Mendy, Amavi; Koziello, Hult; Cvitanich, Puel.: Mr D DeadmanNorth Platte Canteen: Where The Heartland Opened Its Heart In WWII
NPR YouTube
On his darkest days as an infantryman during World War II, Russ Fay found comfort in the memory of a pheasant sandwich.
Fay was fresh out of a Wisconsin high school when he was inducted into the Army in 1944 and boarded a troop train for basic training. En route to California, the train stopped in North Platte, Neb., where several women greeted the soldiers with baskets of sandwiches and bottles of cold milk. Fay devoured a pheasant sandwich with mayonnaise, an experience that lingered with him on Europe's battlefields.
"I can still taste it," Fay told journalist Bob Greene in an interview for the 2002 book Once Upon a Town. "I would say that a majority of the men on the battlefields knew exactly what North Platte was.... They would talk about it like it was a dream. Out of nowhere: 'How'd you like to have some of that food from the North Platte Canteen right about now?'"
The North Platte Canteen was a lunch counter at the Union Pacific Railroad station where volunteers—almost all women—provided food, cigarettes and magazines to soldiers. One of approximately 120 community-based canteens in the United States during World War II, North Platte was by far the largest. From Christmas of 1941 through April 1, 1946, volunteers greeted and fed about 6 million service members. By comparison, the second largest canteen, in Lima, Ohio, served 2.5 million soldiers.
Ray Merrell, a Marine veteran living in Liberty, Missouri, rode a troop train through North Platte in November of 1942. It's been 74 years, but he still has vivid memories of the 10-minute stop.
"The weather was nice that day when we got off the train. There were probably ten women in the railroad depot," Merrell says. "They just opened up the canteen to us, helped us with anything we wanted: sandwiches, deviled eggs, cookies and cake."
Canteens arose with the swell of patriotism that accompanied the United States' entry into the war. Women and children planted victory gardens, collected scrap metal and bought victory stamps and war bonds.
Women's magazines framed domestic labor as a national duty, urging women to soldier on through shortages and expand their caretaking role to all of the nation's sons. The USO Bulletin told women in 1941 that "maintenance of morale can be largely a housekeeping job." About a quarter of U.S. women volunteered with various relief organizations during the war.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of the Lincoln County Historical Society Courtesy of the Lincoln County Historical Society
As a railroad hub in the heart of rural America, North Platte was uniquely situated for a grassroots canteen. Here, sentiments about women's work overlapped with an agricultural brand of patriotism.
"Farmers viewed themselves as part of fighting the war by producing food for troops overseas," says David Vail, an agricultural historian at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Much of the food served in North Platte —meat for sandwiches, hard-boiled eggs, homemade pickles—came from area farms. The entire region took ownership of the endeavor. All told, 125 towns sent an estimated 55,000 volunteers to the North Platte Canteen.
Lorene Huebner was a teenager on a farm near Hershey, Neb., when she accompanied her mother on several trips to the canteen. Huebner, who still lives in Hershey, recalls transporting fried chicken to North Platte in three-pound coffee cans.
"The smell of the chicken when you took those lids off," Huebner says. "Heavenly."
Huebner's mother ground roast beef with a hand grinder for beef salad sandwiches. Canteen volunteers served sandwiches of all varieties, as well as home-baked cookies and doughnuts, deviled eggs and fresh fruit. Soldiers celebrating birthdays received cakes, often angel food made from locally farmed eggs.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of the Lincoln County Historical Society Courtesy of the Lincoln County Historical Society
A 1944 newspaper account quantified a single day's donations from the Nebraska towns of Merna and Anselmo. Caravanning 70 miles in 22 cars and three pick-up trucks, volunteers brought to North Platte: 53 birthday cakes, 127 fried chickens, 58 dozen cookies, 32 dozen cupcakes, 73 pounds of coffee, 163 dozen eggs, 68 dozen doughnuts, 41 quarts of pickles, three crates of oranges, nine pounds of ham, 160 loaves of bread, 40 popcorn balls, 50 pounds of sandwich meat, four cartons of cigarettes, four decks of cards and $600 in cash. Cash donations paid for items like juice and milk, delivered directly to the canteen by refrigerated truck.
The quantity of food donated and the miles traveled were especially remarkable in a time of rationing. The federal Office of Price Administration issued a limited number of vouchers required for the purchase of staple items like sugar, butter, meat, coffee and gasoline.
"They used what they had," says Amber Alexander, a World War II historian at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. "They used duck eggs. They used applesauce. They used molasses in the popcorn balls" in place of sugar and corn syrup.
Some communities added another unconventional ingredient to their popcorn balls: The names and addresses of unmarried young women who were eager to correspond with the soldiers. At least two marriages resulted from popcorn-ball matches.
The women of the canteen gave little thought to how their personal stories intersected with history.
"They didn't grasp that at all at the time," says Nickie Bigley of Wayne, Nebraska. Bigley was a toddler when her mother and aunts served at the canteen while their husbands fought the war. Volunteering was deeply personal, Bigley says, bridging the gap between the women on the home front and the men overseas.
In addition to connecting families, home-front volunteerism connected rural America to the rest of the nation. Rural Midwesterners, viewed as isolated rustics in the decades between the World Wars, became exemplars of patriotism through efforts like the North Platte Canteen and a Nebraska-wide scrap-metal drive that set the standard for other states. The values of home front patriotism—resourcefulness, thrift, generosity—coalesced with an emerging Heartland identity that came to define Middle America in the 1950s.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of the Union Pacific Railroad Museum Courtesy of the Union Pacific Railroad Museum
Canteen volunteers strove to give soldiers a taste of home. Ironically, the same war that gave rise to the canteen irrevocably altered the landscape of home. Wartime production spurred post-war prosperity, geographic mobility and technological innovation. Rural populations declined as farms consolidated. Food processing techniques, developed for the military, transformed the standard American diet.
In 1973, a wrecking ball demolished North Platte's Union Pacific Railroad depot. The transformation was complete. The North Platte Canteen, like the agricultural past it embodied, could not be revisited.
The following recipes are from the North Platte Canteen Cookbook, published by the Lincoln County Historical Museum.
BEEF SALAD SANDWICHES
Ingredients
roast beef, ground up
pickle relish
homemade mayonnaise
Combine roast beef, pickle relish, and homemade mayonnaise and put on two slices of bread.
Homemade Mayonnaise
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vinegar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon mustard powder
cream or Miracle Whip
Directions
Combine all ingredients and cook over a double boiler until thick. Cool. Add cream or Miracle Whip until right consistency.
Angel Food Cake
Ingredients
1 cup sifted cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
12 egg whites (room temperature)
1 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond flavoring
Directions
Sift flour with 3/4 cup of sugar 4 times. Beat whites, cream of tartar, salt, vanilla, and almond until stiff enough to hold up in soft peaks but still moist and glossy. Add remaining 3/4 cup of sugar to whites a little at a time, beating after each addition. Sift about 4 tablespoons of flour over whites. Fold in flour by fourths. Bake in ungreased tube pan at 375° for 35 min. Hang pan to cool.A Palestinian fighter from the Iz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement, gestures inside an underground tunnel in Gaza, August 18, 2014.
Websites affiliated with Fatah have reported over the past two days that a senior member of the Hamas military wing, Bassam Mahmoud Baraka, from Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip, has fled to Israel, and is in possession of a great deal of information about Gaza tunnel operations.
According to the reports, Baraka, who is the son of a Muslim religious judge affiliated with Hamas, told his family that he was going on errands, and hasn't been seen by them since.
Baraka reportedly went to the border fence and gave himself up to soldiers who were waiting for him. According to the reports, he was carrying a laptop.
It was also reported that the Red Cross had informed his family in Gaza that he was in Israeli custody.
In their reports, the Fatah-affiliated websites lambasted Hamas for its men surrendering to Israel, noting that this was not the first time that senior members of the organization, particularly those involved in the Gaza tunnel operations, ended up in Israeli custody.
Last month it was reported that a 17-year-old Hamas member, who was captured by Israel after infiltrating the country, gave investigators information about the group's tunnel activities. The youth told his investigators about the work of Hamas in digging tunnels to allow its fighters to infiltrate Israel, about the routes of tunnels intended for use in case of emergency by members of its elite Nachba unit and information about the location of many tunnel shafts.
The investigation also revealed details about the diggers' work methods, the means they use and operational rules. For example, excavators are required to shower and change out of their work clothes before leaving the tunnels in order to hide their activities.
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The Shin Bet announced the week before that a different Hamas member arrested in April had provided much information about tunnel digging in Gaza. That member was arrested after crossing the fence from Gaza while in possession of two knives. According to his charge sheet, the Hamas operative had participated in tunnel digging, laying explosives and patrolling the fence.DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- A police cruiser in Florida was set on fire and a note referencing the Black Lives Matter movement was found nearby.
According to a statement from Daytona Beach Police, dispatch received a call of a vehicle fire at 2:30 a.m. Sunday. Responding officers found a marked Daytona Beach police car fully engulfed in flames in front of the Islamic Center of Daytona Beach.
The car was being used as a "ghost car" to deter crime in the area.
Fire crews responded and put the fire out. No one was injured.
A note that police in Daytona Beach, Florida say was found near a patrol car that was set on fire on Sunday, July 17, 2016. Daytona Beach Police Department
Investigators found a note that said "Black Lives Matter. A. Sterling P. Castile," and referred to police using an expletive. It's unclear exactly where the note was found.
The incident comes amid rising tension nationwide following the fatal police shootings of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Philando Castile in in suburban St. Paul, Minnesota. Those deaths were followed by two deadly ambushes targeting police officers. Five officers died when a gunman opened fire during a protest in Dallas on July 7. And on Sunday, a gunman shot and killed three law enforcement officers in Baton Rouge.Denise Young Smith, Apple’s diversity chief, is stepping down, reports say.
The move is strange. Young has only been in the job for six months. But reports suggest her departure is linked to “recent controversial remarks about white men.”
Several weeks ago, at the One Young World Summit in Bogotá, Colombia, Young suggested that diversity of thought is important, too.
“I focus on everyone,” Young told the audience. “Diversity is the human experience. I get a little bit frustrated when diversity or the term diversity is tagged to the people of color, or the women, or the LGBT.”
Young continued:
“And I’ve often told people a story– there can be 12 white blue-eyed blonde men in a room and they are going to be diverse too because they’re going to bring a different life experience and life perspective to the conversation.”
Quartz reports that Young’s statement “was met with a round of applause at the session.” Not everyone was pleased, however. Young, who has worked at Apple for two decades, soon felt compelled to walk back her comments, issuing a lengthy apology to staff in an email obtained by TechCrunch.
“My comments were not representative of how I think about diversity or how Apple sees it,” she wrote. “For that, I’m sorry.”
The announcement that Young will be leaving Apple comes a week after the release of the company’s first public “diversity report.” TechCrunch offers a summary:
“Apple is still 32 percent female worldwide. In the U.S., Apple is 54 percent white (down two percentage points from last year), 13 percent Hispanic (up one percentage point), nine percent black (no change), 21 percent Asian (up two percentage points), three percent multiracial (up one percentage point) and one percent other (no change). From July 2016 to July 2017, Apple says half of its new hires in the U.S. were from historically underrepresented groups in tech (women, black, Hispanic, Native American, Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander). Apple’s new hires also reflect more diversity than its current employees. For example, 11 percent of Apple’s new hires were black compared to its current black employee population of nine percent.”
One can see the issue here. Apple, which employs some 130,000 people worldwide, is facing heat to get more diverse. Prominent shareholders have expressed concerns “that low levels of diversity at the Company’s senior management and board level… are a business risk.”
To not be sufficiently diverse is a great shame to corporations, especially those in Silicon Valley. And when the company’s own diversity chief starts talking about “diversity of thought” instead of the numbers, that’s a problem for Apple.
As I wrote before, in 21st century America, diversity is not just a virtue; it is a tenet of faith—“one that must be observed at all times and cannot be questioned.”
Young, a long-time HR exec, questioned the faith. Now she’s out.
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[Image Credit: Youtube/Fortune]When Quincy Acy was cut by the Dallas Mavericks and assigned to their affiliate, the Texas Legends, it was not because he could not hack it in the NBA. At the time, Dallas was strapped for point guards due to injury and needed his roster spot for a floor general.
Sean Marks and Kenny Atkinson of the Brooklyn Nets, earning him a 10-day contract.
After limited playing time in his first 10-day, the Nets decided to sign him to another 10-day and he has been playing incredibly well when given the opportunity. Two of the past three games he has seen the court for 17+ minutes and in that time he has been incredible, averaging 13 points, one assist, seven assists, and one steal while shooting five of eight from deep.
He has showcased again what he does best; hitting three pointers, defending and rebounding, and playing with lots of energy. In his short time with the team he has proven to be valuable to this team, providing all the things that have been missing on this roster.
His rebounding is a gift given how little Brook Lopez contributes and how inconsistent Trevor Booker has been, his defense is a welcome sight given how unsightly the Nets have been, and his three point shooting is what everyone is wishing Booker was doing all along. It is hard to say what is the most valuable thing he brings to this roster, given how his three pointer opens up the offense in new ways but at the same time, he is hands down the best rebounder on the roster.
He didn’t get a lot of playing time last game against the San Antonio Spurs, but against the New Orleans Pelicans and Charlotte Hornets he looked unstoppable from deep. Whether it was in transition, on the pick and roll, or just being left wide open; he made teams pay for giving him space.
#AcyWatch kicking off vs NOP, great vision from LeVert to find Acy on the perimeter for the 3. He is shooting 5/8 from deep over past 2 days pic.twitter.com/hOfXMWUo7y — Nicholas LeTourneau (@nick_lt) January 23, 2017
Acy will make you pay if you don’t rotate over on him. He is hitting this shot with ease, especially since his second 10-day #AcyWatch pic.twitter.com/6rYQ9WDGqq — Nicholas LeTourneau (@nick_lt) January 23, 2017
As I watch plays like this, I cant help but wonder how someone like Acy is routinely left so wide open. He will hit this #AcyWatch pic.twitter.com/UzFmUhjwUm — Nicholas LeTourneau (@nick_lt) January 23, 2017
Killer crossover from LeVert, but this is #AcyWatch. Another prime example of why Acy needs to stay on this roster, hits this shot regularly pic.twitter.com/izM43cCs9X — Nicholas LeTourneau (@nick_lt) January 23, 2017
I cant get over how great Acy has looked from three recently. He looks so comfortable in this role, he *needs* to stick around #AcyWatch pic.twitter.com/SgSotI7dgg — Nicholas LeTourneau (@nick_lt) January 23, 2017
He is long and lanky but has the body to still compete in the post. His ability to consistently hit three point shots may have gotten him on this roster or kept him on it for another 10-day contract, but his rebounding is what will keep him on it. He has proven that he has a nose for the ball and the film proves it.
Cant get over how tenacious Acy is when rebounding. The minute shot goes up, he gets in position, its almost second nature to him #AcyWatch pic.twitter.com/bA8RG97Vkr — Nicholas LeTourneau (@nick_lt) January 23, 2017
Again, he sees the shot go up and immediately starts fighting for position and it pays off with the tip in. Love his fight #AcyWAtch pic.twitter.com/2BlSClkock — Nicholas LeTourneau (@nick_lt) January 23, 2017
#Nets players need to take notice of how Acy does things. He tracks this reb from the perimeter and closes out beautifully #AcyWatch pic.twitter.com/LCpOtuQdVq — Nicholas LeTourneau (@nick_lt) January 23, 2017
Not only does he have the vision and awareness to always be tracking the ball when it leaves the shooter’s hands, but he can instinctively put himself in very good position to usually come away with the rebound. With no true consistent rebounder on the roster, Acy can carve out a role all to himself with his great play.
Acy has looked like the player everyone is waiting Chris McCullough to become and is arguably making a case for some of Booker’s minutes. At this point in the season, no answer is the wrong answer. Acy should get some serious looks and can legitimately contribute to this team, possibly long term too. At only 26 years old, he is just entering his prime. The Nets could get in on the ground floor of someone that is about to blossom.
They shouldn’t let him slip through their fingers. He fits their system perfectly, seems to have great chemistry with the young players, and fills a lot of holes on this roster. This 10-day contract features games versus the Minnesota Timberwolves, Cleveland Cavaliers, and two games against the Miami Heat. Atkinson should play him as much as possible. Chances are Acy would shine, it is abundantly clear he is hungry and wants to stay on this team.Restarting the world’s largest nuclear power plant will likely take “several years,” the governor of Niigata Prefecture said Thursday, highlighting the difficulty of concluding the nuclear disaster reviews sparked by the triple core meltdown of March 2011.
Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc., better known as Tepco, has been trying to reactivate the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant, the world’s largest by generation capacity, to generate much-needed revenue to offset ballooning costs and redress claims stemming from the 2011 nuclear disaster.
“There can be no discussions about a restart without reviewing” factors including the cause of the Fukushima nuclear disaster and evacuation plans for residents, Niigata Gov. Ryuichi Yoneyama said in his first talks with Tepco executives since assuming office in October.
Restarting reactors remains a sensitive issue in Japan following the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, a triple meltdown triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake and ensuing tsunami that wrecked the coast of the Tohoku region in March 2011. Stricter safety standards were introduced after the crisis.
“I expect it will take several years to review” all the factors, Yoneyama told Tepco President Naomi Hirose and Chairman Fumio Sudo at the Niigata Prefectural Government’s offices.
The prefectural government plans to set up independent panels to probe the Fukushima disaster and its health impact, as well as arrangements for evacuating residents in the event of another disaster.
Hirose remained confident, however, that both sides will find common ground, telling reporters after the meeting that he had the impression that Tepco and the prefectural government “can continue to have positive discussions.”
Yoneyama has expressed his intention to visit the plant, as well as the Fukushima No. 1 plant.
Sudo told the governor that the utility will “earnestly address” the concerns of the prefectural government and community. After the meeting, he told reporters that local consent must “take priority.”
“As an operator, we must be prepared,” he said, suggesting that it will take a long time before the plant is restarted.
With total costs related to the 2011 disaster, including for compensation and decommissioning, likely to reach around ¥22 trillion ($189 billion), Tepco is speeding up its turnaround efforts, aiming to reform its nuclear power and electricity transmission businesses.
Yoneyama’s meeting with the Tepco executives was initially scheduled for November but postponed following a strong earthquake off the coast of Fukushima and the detection of bird flu in Niigata.The days of getting the bus to complete the PdS circuit are gone.
It’s been a long long time coming, but it looks like the long-overdue link between the Super-Chatel and Linga areas in the Portes du Soleil will be completed in time for the 14/15 season. SAEM Châtel has already started work on this ambitious project, with a blank-slate of terrain on which to build the 2 chairlifts. The crossing point, “convergence zone” of the route is at Lake Vonnes, above Chatel.
Project features include:
4 seat chairlift link from Vonnes to Linga.
Chairlift link from Vonnes / Super-Châtel
Relocating TKD1 Roosters 1 & 2, and TKD1 Bossons by Super-Châtel
A piste to Vonnes from Super-Châtel
The layout of the convergence zone at Vonnes
Securing the slopes of Super-Châtel against avalanche risk
The total project cost is approximately €8million.
The convergence zone:
This area is located near Lake Vonnes and is accessible by road. This location is ideal as it has road access from both the French and Swiss sides and will offer additional parking which is also hoped to alleviate the often full parking areas at Linga.
The TSF4 Vonnes / Linga:
The four-seater fixed grip chairlift Plaine Dranse is now unnecessary with the construction of the TSD6 Rochassons. As a result, this will be removed, renovated and repurposed as the Vonnes -> Linga : Linga -> Vonnes link. It will operate in both directions as there will be no skiable section from Vonnes to Linga. It will be 960m long with no height difference, starting at the end of the Leiche track which will allow skiers to easily access the Leiche pima.
The TSD4 Vonnes / Super-Châtel:
This is the old TSD4 Proclou from Avoriaz which has been replaced by a new unit, and is being repurposed as the Vonnes -> Super-Châtel link after renovation with an expected 15 year lifespan. It will be 1400m long and rise 265 m. To allow a connection to this lift, the TKD1 Cocks and Bossons will be relocated
Return piste from Super-Châtel:
The 1525m long forest track will be a blue run, equipped with snow cannons, returning to Vonnes from Super-Châtel.
Terminology:
TK = TélésKi : a fixed button lift
TSF = TéléSiège à pince Fixe : a fixed chairlift,i.e. constant speed with no slowing for getting on and off.
TSD = TéléSiège Débrayable : demountable chairlift, i.e. detaches from the cable at the lower and upper stations so making getting on and of easier as they slow.
TKD = TélésKi Débrayable : A button lift which you trigger to go rather than being fixed to the cable.
From: http://www.remontees-mecaniques.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=21305Verizon sought $925 million discount for Yahoo merger, got $350 million The closing of the deal, which Verizon first announced in July for a purchase price of $4.83 billion, had been delayed as the companies assessed the fallout from two data breaches.
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Two members of a Russian intelligence agency have been charged by the US government in connection with the 2014 hacks that compromised about 500 million Yahoo user accounts, the Department of Justice announced Wednesday.Two other people, one Russian and one Canadian, were also charged in connection with the hacks.The DOJ named Dmitry Dokuchaev and Igor Sushchin as the two Russian intelligence officers involved in the hacks.Yahoo didn't disclose the 2014 cyber attacks until last year. Yahoo later disclosed another attack that happened in 2013 that affected about 1 billion users.Yahoo's public disclosures about the attacks threatened to kill Verizon's offer to buy Yahoo. In the end, Verizon and Yahoo agreed to shave $350 million off the acquisition, bringing the cost to $4.48 billion. Verizon originally wanted to reduce the cost of the deal by $925 million, according to a filing by Yahoo. The acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter of this year.The Yahoo hacks were billed as the largest in history, likely affecting the majority of Yahoo accounts. An internal Yahoo investigation into the hacks found that Yahoo executives didn't "properly comprehend or investigate" the situation. Following the investigation, CEO Marissa Mayer gave up her 2016 bonus. Mayer also announced that she was voluntarily giving up her 2017 bonus and equity grants. Yahoo's top lawyer, Ronald S. Bell, resigned as a result of the investigation.Search, relief efforts continue in Wimberley for Central Texas flood victims
People clean up damage from Memorial Day weekend flooding on the Blanco River in Wimberley as seen in a Tuesday May 26, 2015 aerial picture. People clean up damage from Memorial Day weekend flooding on the Blanco River in Wimberley as seen in a Tuesday May 26, 2015 aerial picture. Photo: William Luther, San Antonio Express-News Photo: William Luther, San Antonio Express-News Image 1 of / 150 Caption Close Search, relief efforts continue in Wimberley for Central Texas flood victims 1 / 150 Back to Gallery
Updated 6:31 p.m.
Travis County authorities have identifed the body of a man found in Northeast Travis County, according to KVUE.
The man has been identified as Jonathan Walker, 23, of Houston, the Austin Statesman, reported.
WIMBERLEY - Three people are known dead and 9 are still missing as a result of the historic flooding on the Blanco River — and there’s more rain in the forecast.
“This is not over,” Hays County Judge Bert Cobb told reporters at a briefing earlier today. The river is still high, and the National Weather Services is predicting a 30 percent chance of rain Thursday for the San Marcos area, increasing to 50 percent on Friday.
The second victim was a woman whose body was found in neighboring Caldwell County, but no other information was immediately available. The identity of the first victim and the circumstances surrounding his death still have not been made available.
Earlier, officials said 30 people were unaccounted for, but all have now been located. The number of missing increased from 12 to 13, but there were still no details on the missing provided by law enforcement. Family members have identified eight of the missing as members of two Corpus Christi families who were vacationing in a home that was swept off its very foundation by a “wall of water” and thrust down the Blanco River until it smashed into a bridge.
More than 150 emergency personnel were involved in the search and rescue effort today, officials said, bolstered by scores of volunteers.
“We’re looking in all of the debris piles for any signs of life, or belongings tied to the missing people,” said Kharley Smith, the county’s emergency management coordinator.
A hotline — 512-754-2275 — has been established by Hays County for those wanting to volunteer, offer donations or seek assistance in recovering from the flood.
Meanwhile, President Obama issued a national disaster declaration for Texas. Gov. Abbott issued a state disaster declaration Monday.
The declarations make available state and federal disaster assistance programs to affected counties, as well as to some individuals.
Officials said 70 homes in Hays County were destroyed and an estimated 1,400 were damaged by the fast-rising waters that eclipsed the former record flood on the Blanco River, reaching 3,000 cfs before the gauge measuring the flow was washed away. The former record was set in 1926.
Trees as old as 500 years were felled along the riverbanks here by the water that rose about 14 feet in 30 minutes late Saturday, a surge that also caused extensive downstream flooding in San Marcos and in Caldwell County.
[email protected] savvy as Putin is, his moves reflect greater global trends that challenge our conventional (Western) legal and cultural notions of what constitutes “war” versus “crime,” or other forms of disruptive or aggressive geopolitical behavior. Our separate law enforcement, intelligence, and military bureaucracies have clearly defined roles and missions that align with these rigid constructs. And our national security and international relations architectures — largely forged between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries — bound how we think about and deal with threats to international order. [...]
Putin, as a head of state, can deny he has invaded Crimea, by claiming that the troops occupying buildings, holding territory, taunting Ukrainian soldiers, and intimidating the population could not possibly be under his command because they wear no military insignia on their military-like uniforms and are not, he claims, formally reporting to him up their chain of command. The Chinese play a similar game when they claim that their “civilian” China Marine Surveillance Fleet of coast guard-like ships that harass Japanese and Filipino fishing vessels in the East and South China Seas could not possibly warrant a military response from navies in the region (even though they reportedly coordinate with the Chinese Navy).
In all, these seemingly disparate challenges reflect an understanding by potential adversaries about the limits that Western society and the international community have placed on themselves in conducting warfare and responding to criminal behavior. “Bad guys” will continue to exploit the existing gaps, presenting threats to human, national, and international security in the coming decades if we, as governments and international institutions, do not develop better ways and means to respond.Fact check scorecard: How does Joe Hockey's record of claims and promises stack up?
Updated
ABC Fact Check has been keeping tabs on Joe Hockey's claims since its establishment, shortly before the 2013 election.
As opposition treasury spokesman, Mr Hockey was highly critical of the Labor government's economic management and integrity.
"It's time for Labor to stop the falsehoods and stop the scares," Mr Hockey said in a media release before the election.
Five days after Tony Abbott was deposed as prime minister by Malcolm Turnbull, Mr Hockey announced that he would not seek a place in the new ministry and that he intended to resign from the House of Representatives.
"I will have more to say in due course, but for the sake of my young family - to whom I owe so much - I have decided to bring my parliamentary career to a close," he said.
So now that Mr Hockey's tenure as treasurer is at an end, how do his claims stack up?
The record
Out of the 13 claims made by Mr Hockey that Fact Check tested, one was made in opposition and 12 during his term as treasurer.
Fact Check determined only one (7.69 per cent) to be an "in the green" or positive verdict.
Mr Hockey received negative, or "in the red", verdicts for three claims (23.08 per cent) and "in between" verdicts for nine of them (69.23 per cent).
The only claim for which Mr Hockey was determined to be in the green was related to his treasury portfolio.
Mr Hockey claimed: "Labor left us with the fastest growth in spending of anyone in the world... and they left us with the third highest growth in debt of anyone in the top 17."
When claims not relating to the treasury portfolio are removed from the count, Mr Hockey's record for accuracy slightly improves.
Out of the nine claims Fact Check tested on the subject, Mr Hockey returned two negative verdicts (22.22 per cent) and six in between verdicts (66.67 per cent).
Mr Hockey's one positive verdict made up 11.11 per cent of verdicts in this area.
Compared with his leader
Further interesting comparisons can be made when Mr Hockey's verdict record is stacked up against that of his former leader, Tony Abbott.
Fact Check compiled Mr Abbott's verdict record in September, 2015.
Thirty-four of Mr Abbott's claims were tested over the same period of time.
Mr Hockey returned a lower percentage of positive verdicts than Mr Abbott, who returned four (11.76 per cent) verdicts in the green.
But he also attracted a smaller percentage of negative verdicts than his former leader - Mr Abbott returned 11 (32.25 per cent) in the red.
Like Mr Hockey, the bulk of Mr Abbott's claims returned in between verdicts.
However, Mr Abbott scored a lower percentage of these verdicts than Mr Hockey, with 19 (55.88 per cent) verdicts.
A penchant for exaggeration
As the chief salesman for the Government's economic agenda, Joe Hockey made a number of claims in the public domain which he used to support his arguments for reform.
The vast majority of these claims were found by Fact Check to be in the in between category.
Analysis of these nine verdicts shows that six of these verdicts (66.66 per cent) were given labels that indicated that the claims that Mr Hockey made were exaggerated.
The verdicts used were: "overblown", "over-egged", "overstated" and "exaggerated".
Verdicts using these words made up just under half (46.15 per cent) of all of Mr Hockey's claims that were tested.
Most clicked
Mr Hockey's most popular claim on our website (the one which received the most visitors) was about electricity savings from the abolition of the carbon tax.
He claimed that "electricity prices have come down $550 per household as a result of us abolishing the carbon tax".
Fact Check determined this claim to be wrong.
Click left and right below to explore Mr Hockey's most popular claims online.
A torrent of debate
Mr Hockey's claims are some of our most popular on social media, generating more activity and discussion than Mr Abbott.
On Facebook, his most popular fact check was once again his claim about electricity savings in relation to the abolition of the carbon tax.
It generated much activity on the social network, with 17,840 comments, likes and shares.
This number eclipses MrAbbott's most popular claim on Facebook almost five-fold.
Mr Abbott garnered 3,180 comments, likes and shares for his claim on whether it was an offence to criticise a sitting royal commissioner.
On Twitter, Mr Hockey's most popular fact check was on income tax.
Mr Hockey claimed that Australian workers "spend the first six months of the year working for the |
was able to provide evidence of the harassment in the lawsuit (including the lovely penis photo). It’s not clear what’s more astonishing: the outrageousness of the male Zillow employees or their sheer idiocy in creating a digital paper trail.
Speaking of digital trails, more details about life at Sony may emerge in coming days. But for now, there’s this script for a recruiting video, properly described as “cheesy,” in which an HR executive refers to “how great it is to work at Sony Pictures Entertainment.” A more honest video might add, “but it’s better if you’re a man.”01 - Globular - Lemon (97 BPM)
02 - Radioactive Sandwich - Lengo (97 BPM)
03 - Radioactive Sandwich - Mango (95 BPM)
04 - Globular - Mamon (91 BPM)
Sorbet For The Soul is a collaboration between Globular (U.K.) and Radioactive Sandwich (U.S.A.), two of Omnitropic‘s hottest downtempo and psychedelic dub acts. This project came about from the desire to combine their amazing talents to create a very special conceptual release. Each artist started with the same set of samples and built their tracks around those sounds. Globular cooked up Lemon while Radioactive Sandwich provided the tasty Mango. They then traded tracks and reinterpreted each others original track; Globular created Mamon from Mango and Radioactive Sandwich created Lengo from Lemon. The end result is a four track release that flows and blends seamlessly, every track containing flavors from the others, much like a tasty summer frozen treat. The artwork was provided by the insanely talented Sid Basu. Mastering by Radioactive Sandwich at Slicetwodio.
MP3 Download | FLAC Download | WAV Download · Download count: 19,992.
Released under a Creative Commons licence for noncommercial usage. Direct donations to the artists are very welcome; please visit Bandcamp to show your support for Radioactive Sandwich and/or Globular!
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser. Be sure to activate Flash in your browser; it is usually disabled by default in Chrome and other modern browsers.San Antonio joins fast-food wage protests
Irasema Cavazos is among the labor activists and fast food workers staging a protest calling for a $15 minimum wage and the right of fast food workers to form a union, outside a McDonald's in the 8600 block of Broadway, early Thursday, May 15, 2014 in San Antonio. less Irasema Cavazos is among the labor activists and fast food workers staging a protest calling for a $15 minimum wage and the right of fast food workers to form a union, outside a McDonald's in the 8600 block of... more Photo: J. MICHAEL SHORT, FOR THE EXPRESS-NEWS Photo: J. MICHAEL SHORT, FOR THE EXPRESS-NEWS Image 1 of / 40 Caption Close San Antonio joins fast-food wage protests 1 / 40 Back to Gallery
A handful of protesters gathered near the street at a McDonald's on Broadway on Thursday to protest low wages in the fast-food industry and to advocate for the rights of workers to form a union without retaliation.
Calling for an across-the-board wage hike to $15 an hour, protesters held signs with such slogans as, “Low Wages? I'm not lovin' it.”
The protest, outside a McDonald's near the airport, was supported by members of the Texas Organizing Project, the Service Employees International Union, and “Fight for 15.”
It was the first time that San Antonio had been part of the national campaign by unions to bring attention to the plight of low-wage workers and to get the public behind the idea of a $15-an-hour wage. The protests began in New York City in late 2012. Since then, organizers have steadily intensified actions to keep the issue in the spotlight. Thursday's protests were set to spread to more than 30 countries. Businesses say such a wage would hurt their ability to create jobs.
“I'm out here standing in front of my store because I deserve respect,” said Kimberly Marshall, a 22-year-old who worked at the McDonald's that was the site of the morning rush-hour protest.
“I don't live with my mother, I live with my husband, in my apartment — $625 rent,” she said through a megaphone as about 20 supporters cheered her on. “How's that gonna to pay that? I go to school full time. How am I going to make it? How am I going to pay for my books next semester?”
As cars pulled into drive-through lane to order breakfast, the protesters waved signs and shouted, “What do we want? Fair wages!” and “Can't Survive on $7.25!”
“It's time now to start acknowledging that when you make a $200 billion profit that you pay fair wages,” Texas Organizing Project representative Sandra Forrester said of the fast-food industry.
The campaign for higher fast-food wages comes as President Barack Obama works to raise the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, which translates to about $15,000 a year for a full-time job.
[email protected]
[email protected]
The Associated Press contributed to this report.This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: Tara, I just want to understand—Tara, I just want to understand what you just said. What happened to you on Friday? Where were you? And where were you put?
TARA HOUSKA: Yeah, I was arrested for criminal trespass as I was, you know, leaving a peaceful demonstration and getting into my car on a public road. They arrested us and zip-tied us on the side of the road for two hours. We were then thrown into jail—
AMY GOODMAN: In North Dakota.
TARA HOUSKA: —and put in a dog kennel with—
AMY GOODMAN: And what do you mean, a dog kennel?
TARA HOUSKA: Yeah, it was, you know, a large chainmail dog kennel, for over six hours, while they didn’t even actually charge us with crimes. After that, I was strip-searched and then thrown into jail and, finally, late, late that evening, was charged with a crime.
So, it’s, you know, a situation in which this is happening right now. Native people are being hurt right now. There were people being maced and tased again yesterday. These things are happening. And so, the administration needs to respond. And it needs to say, you know, either no pipeline, which would be ideal—that’s going to be a win for everybody, because clean drinking water is the future, and it’s something that we shouldn’t even be considering putting at risk for an unnecessary and unneeded project—but do an environmental impact statement. If this project is so safe, then do one. You know, the company doesn’t want to do this. It doesn’t want to go through that process, because it knows that this pipeline is unsafe. It knows that it would never meet those standards, and this would never be allowed to happen.
AMY GOODMAN: Tara—Tara Houska, you, you’re an attorney. You’re an indigenous leader. You’ve spent a lot of time at the Standing Rock Sioux resistance camp. You were the indigenous adviser for Bernie Sanders. We just played at the top of the show the speech he gave outside the White House demanding that President Obama deny the permit for the Dakota Access pipeline. Your thoughts on where this movement goes now?
TARA HOUSKA: Working for Bernie Sanders was a great honor and privilege to be in a role in his campaign and to contribute to that, but also to see grassroots mobilization and the power of the people. Millions and millions of people voted for Senator Sanders. And, you know, again, this is a—you know, the Dakota Access pipeline resistance is millions of people around the world coming together and trying to stop this single project, but also to make a stand about the relationship of people to fossil fuels, about indigenous rights, about all these issues. And so, you know, seeing that and these marches against Donald Trump and the power that’s within organizing and the power that’s within, you know, local elections, there were some successes that happened, aside from just Donald Trump’s election. There were several different women of color and people that have never been in represented office before. You know, we have the power to change the conversation, to change the narrative. You know, our social justice, environmental justice, all these different movements coming together and, you know, realizing that we need to stand together—
AMY GOODMAN: Tara—
TARA HOUSKA: —and change the conversation, change the narrative.
AMY GOODMAN: The head—the head of Energy Transfer Partners, Kelcy Warren, has said he’s 100 percent confident that Trump will support the completion of the Dakota Access pipeline. Warren donated more than $100,000 to Trump’s campaign, while Trump has between, oh, half-a-million and a million dollars invested in Energy Transfer Partners. This is Kelcy Warren speaking on CBS.
CBS REPORTER: Once he takes over, January 20th, what are the prospects?
KELCY WARREN: Oh, it’s 100 percent.
CBS REPORTER: A hundred percent that?
KELCY WARREN: That the easement gets granted and the pipeline gets built.
CBS REPORTER: Have you spoken to Donald Trump about the pipeline?
KELCY WARREN: I’ve never met the man.
CBS REPORTER: You’ve never met him?
KELCY WARREN: No.
CBS REPORTER: But he’s invested in you, and you’re invested in him.
KELCY WARREN: Well, I wish him well.
AMY GOODMAN: Your response, Tara Houska, to Kelcy Warren? Kelcy Warren, who runs the Cherokee Creek Music Festival in Texas, great fan of Jackson Browne, who apparently is singing a big event Thanksgiving Day weekend in support of the Standing Rock Sioux on the reservation in North Dakota. Kelcy Warren, the CEO of Energy Transfer Partners.
TARA HOUSKA: I think this is a—you know, that’s a perfect example of the influx and relationship of Big Oil to our current congressional system, to the government, to our elected offices. I mean, these people have never even met, as he said, yet he knows, because of—you know, Kelcy Warren knows, because of Donald Trump’s attitudes and because of the administration that he plans to bring in—you know, his current energy adviser is someone also directly invested in Dakota Access pipeline—that it’s basically just a green light, that they’re just going to go slam these projects through, and it doesn’t matter if the people, the local people, resist, if the local people say no. In their minds, these projects matter more than the people, these profit margins matter more than human beings.
AMY GOODMAN: Tara—
TARA HOUSKA: And so, that’s where we have to come together.
AMY GOODMAN: Tara Houska, I want to bring in—I want to bring in our other guest today. Tara Houska is with Honor the Earth, has spent a long time now at the Standing Rock Reservation in support of the resistance.Just bravado or the truth? President Rodrigo Duterte claims he killed someone as a teenager.
Published 9:40 PM, November 09, 2017
MANILA, Philippines – To prove he's not scared of going to jail, President Rodrigo Duterte claimed on Thursday, November 9, that he stabbed someone to death at the age of 16.
"Kulong? Ay'sus. Kulong, eh noong teenager ako pasok-labas-pasok ako sa kulungan. Rambol dito, rambol – at the age of 16, may pinatay na ako," Duterte told around a hundred Filipinos in Da Nang, Vietnam.
(Jail? Jeez. When I was a teenager, I was in and out of jail. One fight there, another here – at the age of 16, I killed someone.)
"Tao talaga. Rambol. Saksak. Noong 16 years old iyon, nagkatinginan lang (A person. During a fight. Stabbing. I was 16. Just because we looked at each other)," he added.
This is not the first time Duterte admitted to this act. In 2015, before he ran for president, he told Esquire magazine that he "maybe" killed a man by stabbing when he was 17 years old.
Past interviews with family members and family friends indicate that the teenage Duterte was indeed prone to picking fights and hanging out with a "tough" crowd.
Duterte, who is often more casual and prone to cracking jokes in front of a Filipino audience, said that if he can kill as a teenager, what more as a President?
"Eh lalo na ako ngayong presidente na ako. You fuck with my countrymen, 'di kita papalusutin. Bahala na kayong human rights," he said with bravado.
(Even more so as president. You fuck with my countrymen, I won't let you off the hook. Never mind about the human rights advocates.)
The President was in the middle of defending his drug war to the overseas Filipino workers who may have heard of the intense criticism from civil society groups, the Church, opposition politicians, media, or their fellow Filipinos.
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque has yet to respond to media queries seeking clarification on Duterte's claim – if it were made in jest or is a truthful account.
The President has previously made many claims of his own acts of violence.
One of these is that, as a San Beda law student, he shot a "bully" classmate and got sanctioned by school officials for it.
As mayor, he also joined in shoot-outs of police against criminals, usually hostage-takers. Duterte always emphasized that the deadly fight ensued after the criminals had been asked to surrender.
Apart from these, Duterte claims he has not personally killed anyone else. – Rappler.comRE: WhatPulse 2.4.1b2 Quote: Reset new application uploads back from 30 minutes to 15 minutes as it was causing too much confusion about new applications. Thanks a lot for doing this, hopefully it's all it takes for fixing the bug of some new applications not uploading at all. There was no confusion. I've waited literally weeks for some new applications and they never loaded, even after repeated use. I don't really wanna go off topic about it though.
Myself I'm really excited for the realtime keys per second in the geek window, it's exactly what I wanted.
The database pruning is also nice, but if the mouse heatmap is the one causing all that extra memory hog, could you make an option to disable it altogether, without disabling mouse clicks? All of my heatmaps end up looking like this anyway
EDIT: I seem to be having a problem with the Windows download, it's very slow (takes about 10-15 mins), and after downloading it the setup says: "The setup files are corrupted. Please obtain a new copy of the program." It happened on the second download as well. Thanks a lot for doing this, hopefully it's all it takes for fixing the bug of some new applications not uploading at all. There was no confusion. I've waited literally weeks fornew applications and they never loaded, even after repeated use. I don't really wanna go off topic about it though.Myself I'm really excited for the realtime keys per second in the geek window, it's exactly what I wanted.The database pruning is also nice, but if the mouse heatmap is the one causing all that extra memory hog, could you make an option to disable it altogether, without disabling mouse clicks? All of my heatmaps end up looking like this anyway http://i.imgur.com/dutMhxv.png, and I think there's another underlying issue I'm having with some games and the fact that it hooks the mouse location or something like that.EDIT: I seem to be having a problem with the Windows download, it's very slow (takes about 10-15 mins), and after downloading it the setup says: "The setup files are corrupted. Please obtain a new copy of the program." It happened on the second download as well.Texas’ seldom traveled toll road
Hardly anyone drives the southern section Texas 130, yet it’s pocked with persistent pavement problems. It’s supposed promise was the San Antonio-Austin region would benefit from a new section of highway at no up-front cost, private developers would profit from the operation of the road and the state would benefit from toll revenues. less Hardly anyone drives the southern section Texas 130, yet it’s pocked with persistent pavement problems. It’s supposed promise was the San Antonio-Austin region would benefit from a new section of highway at... more Photo: Helen L. Montoya /SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS Photo: Helen L. Montoya /SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Texas’ seldom traveled toll road 1 / 1 Back to Gallery
The irony of Texas 130 is impossible to ignore.
In a fast-growing region in the heart of a fast-growing state that is desperate for more roads, the developers of the southern section of Texas 130 managed to build a toll road that few use. That is some engineering feat.
This 41-mile albatross that technically links San Antonio and Austin, if you are willing to drive out of your way to get there, is a monument to failure. Hardly anyone drives Texas 130, yet it’s pocked with persistent pavement problems. The road has likely contributed to flooding around the town of Lockhart. Its developers are walking away from roughly a half-billion federal loan, and another billion or so in private loans, and yet the same developers, through subsidiaries, benefited from construction contracts to build Texas 130.
All of this comes from former Express-News reporter Katherine Blunt’s recent deep dive into Texas 130’s woes. Blunt, now with our sister paper, the Houston Chronicle, told the story of poor planning and unrealistic expectations that ultimately burned the public.
It’s a complicated story weaving European banks, Australian investors and layers of subsidiaries, but this much is clear: Texas 130, with its 85 mph speed limit, was a product of wishful thinking. It’s supposed promise was the San Antonio-Austin region would benefit from a new section of highway at no upfront cost, private developers would profit from the operation of the road, and the state would benefit from toll revenues.
This was magical thinking when the hard analysis had already been done. SH 130 Concession Co., the joint venture between Zachry Construction Co. and Cintra, a Spanish developer, has never released its traffic projections for the road. But the state had already studied the matter years ago, determining there wouldn’t be enough traffic on the southern section of Texas 130 to make construction of the toll road worthwhile.
Here’s how state Rep. Joe Pickett, D-El Paso, and chairman of the House Transportation Committee, put it: “They didn’t rely on any of the numbers that we put together.”
Texas 130 is 4 years old, but it has never remotely come close to meeting traffic expectations. The growth in traffic is not enough to pay back debt, Moody’s has reported. Toll revenues for the state are well below expectations.
The only benefits we can see from Texas 130 is that it was a source of lucrative construction and design contracts, and it was an asset for private Australian investment funds.
Where the saga of Texas 130 goes from here is unclear. How much is this road really worth? Will federal taxpayers be paid back? Will the flooding concerns in Lockhart be addressed? Who will pay to mitigate the flooding concerns? Will the road ever prove useful for drivers?
Perhaps these questions will be addressed during bankruptcy proceedings.Boston Right-Wing 'Free Speech' Rally Dwarfed By Counterprotesters
Enlarge this image toggle caption Michael Dwyer/AP Michael Dwyer/AP
Updated at 4:53 p.m. ET
A small number of right-wing "Free Speech Rally" demonstrators disbanded early from Boston Common after they were confronted by thousands of counterprotesters shouting anti-Nazi and anti-KKK slogans.
Deborah Becker, a reporter with member station WBUR in Boston, said that "a few dozen" rally attendees were escorted from Parkman Bandstand by police and placed into police vehicles "for their own safety."
"The counterdemonstrators cheered as the group was escorted out of the area in police wagons," reports WGBH's Phillip Martin.
"I didn't realize how unplanned of an event it was going to be," Samson Racioppi, a Libertarian candidate for Congress who was expected to speak at the rally, was quoted by WCVB-TV as saying. "I really think it was supposed to be a good event by the organizers, but it kinda fell apart."
The conservative activists had insisted they have no connection to last week's violent protests in Charlottesville, Va., which drew white nationalists and sparked violent clashes and a deadly vehicle attack. But that did not satisfy those who opposed their message. Many of them handed out stickers showing the face of 32-year-old Heather Heyer, who was killed in Charlottesville when a man who attended the white nationalist rally allegedly rammed his car into a crowd of counterdemonstrators.
Earlier, a speaker who addressed the crowd condemned what many see as President Trump's tepid response to events last week in Charlottesville.
"If you don't condemn it, you condone it," the speaker said. Demonstrators also chanted "black lives matter" and "our streets."
On Saturday afternoon, Trump tweeted his response to the rally, commending law enforcement officers on a job well done and protesters on speaking out against bigotry.
Some at the rally carried signs — among them: "Alt-Right Delete" and "The only thing we hate in Boston is the Yankees."
Martin says: "Boston police waded into the crowd at times before the march began to confiscate sticks and poles that were used to hold placards, one which read: 'death to Nazis, impeach Trump, this land is our land too.' "
Chris Hood, an 18-year-old Boston resident who planned to join the Free Speech rally, was quoted by The Associated Press as saying: "The point of this is to have political speech from across the spectrum, conservative, libertarian, centrist."
"This is not about Nazis. If there were Nazis here, I'd be protesting against them," Hood said.
Some 500 officers, both uniformed and undercover, were to be deployed to maintain order, according to Boston Police Commissioner William Evans. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, a Democrat, both had warned that extremist unrest in the city would not be tolerated.
Speaking with member station WBUR in Boston, an organizer of the self-described free speech rally insisted that the message from the demonstrators "is one that [is] anti-hate and pro-peace."
"I think we've taken pretty much every precaution, not only with [Boston police], but with the other organizers, to make sure our message is clear," John Medler, of the Boston Free Speech Coalition, said ahead of Saturday's rally.
WBUR reported Friday that a "free speech" rally in Boston in May drew not only more mainstream conservative activists, but also some of the same groups that caused violence in Charlottesville:
"On May 13, a group of veterans, ex-police, Tea Party Republicans and young people affiliated with the self-described 'alt-right' — a conservative faction that mixes racism, white nationalism, anti-Semitism and populism — gathered around the Common's historic Parkman Bandstand. "Organizers claimed that they were honoring their First Amendment right to assemble and express radical viewpoints. But the event felt more like a small, right-wing rally than a celebration of the Constitution."
For Saturday's rally, police banned signs on sticks and backpacks, although many were seen among the counterprotesters. The Boston Globe writes:Keynesians like Paul Krugman say that fiscal stimulus will get us out of this economic crash.
Austrian economists say that the Keynesians are wrong, and that they erroneously think that stimulus spending is a “free lunch”.
But – whether you agree with Keynesians or not – the fact is that what the government has actually been doing is spending our money on helping out the big boys, and spending next to nothing on even trying to stimulate the economy. The government is giving trillions to the big banks and financial giants, but almost zero to the working people.
Specifically, the stimulus bill was $787 billion, which is less than a tenth of the money thrown at the financial elites.
The lion’s share of the $787 billion was for pork, not for anything which could actually stimulate the economy.
Of the $787 billion, only about 10% has been spent so far.
The Government Accountability Office says that the $787 billion stimulus package is not being used for stimulus. Instead, the states are in such dire financial straights that the stimulus money is instead being used to “cushion” state budgets, prevent teacher layoffs, make more Medicaid payments and head off other fiscal problems. So even the money which is actually earmarked to help the states stimulate their economies is not being used for that purpose.
Stimulus? Where’s the stimulus?
So when Obama’s economic people say we need another stimulus program, they are pretending that the government has tried – in good faith – to stimulate the economy, but that they’ve underestimated how severe the economic problems are.
In fact, the government has simply undertaken a massive redistribution of wealth from the little guy to the big boys. That is not stimulus. That is robbery.
Don’t believe me?
Okay, but leading economist Dean Baker said the true purpose of the bank rescue plan is “a massive redistribution of wealth to the bank shareholders and their top executives”.
And Nobel economist Joe Stiglitz says the Geithner plan will rob US taxpayers.
And congressman Grayson puts it succinctly when he demands “Stop stealing our money!”
The fact that lobbyists from the financial industry have paid hundreds of millions to Congress and the Obama administration is clearly just a coincidence. See this, this, this, this and this.Communicating early and often about sex is one of the keys to a successful long-term romantic relationship. Indeed, research has consistently found that the more sexual communication couples engage in, the more sexually satisfied they tend to be. However, despite the powerful role that sexual communication plays in our relationships, surprisingly little is known about the way people navigate sexual discussions with their partners.
Studying sexual communication is important because by looking at how people feel about and approach it, we can come to understand why some people avoid sexual communication altogether, but also how struggling couples can facilitate effective communication in their own relationships. Fortunately, a new study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior offers some valuable insight.
In this study, researchers studied the communication patterns of 115 different-sex couples in Canada, all of whom were in long-term relationships (on average, couples had been together approximately 11 years). Participants engaged in two eight-minute conflict discussions that were video-recorded. One of these discussions was based on a sexual problem the couple was currently experiencing, whereas the other was based on a non-sexual relationship problem they were facing. Prior to each discussion, participants rated their current mood state.
Before analyzing the data, a team of research assistants coded the conflict interactions on two dimensions for each partner separately: the amount of warmth-hostility and dominance-submissiveness displayed. Below are the key findings:
· Consistent with the researchers’ predictions, participants displayed more warmth when discussing a sexual conflict than they did when discussing a non-sexual conflict. This suggests that people are more responsive to each other when talking about sex than when discussing other relationship matters.
· Levels of warmth varied more during the sexual discussion than they did during the non-sexual discussion, but only for women. The researchers believe this is because people adjust their warmth more during discussion of sensitive subjects like sex in an attempt to manage their partner’s emotional experience.
· Unexpectedly, levels of dominance did not differ in the sexual and non-sexual conflict scenarios. The researchers had predicted that people would display less dominance during sexual conflicts, but that wasn’t the case.
· Levels of dominance varied less in the sexual discussion than they did in the non-sexual discussion. The researchers believe this is a sign that people are more cautious in the way they approach sexual conversations.
· Participants tended to respond in kind when their partner displayed warmth (i.e., warmth was greeted with warmth); however, this was more likely to occur during sexual rather than non-sexual conflicts.
· Participants tended to respond reciprocally when their partner displayed dominance, meaning that dominance was greeted with submissiveness; however, this pattern was more likely to emerge in non-sexual compared to sexual conflicts.
· Participants reported feeling more anxious prior to discussing a sexual conflict compared to a non-sexual conflict.
These results tell us a lot about the nature of sexual communication and how it compares to non-sexual communication. Overall, the pattern of findings suggests that people see higher stakes when it comes to discussing sexual conflicts. This is probably why a lot of people avoid talking about sex altogether, but also why we seem to approach sexual communication more cautiously than non-sexual communication.
Want to learn more about Sex and Psychology? Click here for previous articles or follow the blog on Facebook (facebook.com/psychologyofsex), Twitter (@JustinLehmiller), or Reddit (reddit.com/r/psychologyofsex) to receive updates.
To learn more about this research, see: Rehman, U. S., Lizdek, I., Fallis, E. E., Sutherland, S., & Goodnight, J. A. (2017). How Is Sexual Communication Different from Nonsexual Communication? A Moment-by-Moment Analysis of Discussions Between Romantic Partners. Archives of Sexual Behavior.
Image Source: 123RF/Dmitriy Shironosov
You Might Also Like:So I was reading Alan Furst’s new novel “The Spies of Warsaw” when I was struck by a particular passage. A typical Furst protagonist, the world-weary French Colonel Mercier, is attending a grand reception in Warsaw with a typical Furst heroine, the luscious and mysterious Anna Szarbeck. It’s 1937, and war is coming. She’s chatting with various strangers:
“So, you’re with the League of Nations.” The woman was in her seventies, Anna thought; her husband, with grand white cavalry mustaches, at least in his eighties. “Such a hopeful notion, my dear, really. A league, of nations! How far we’ve come, in this dreadful world. My husband here, the general, was the late-life son of a colonel in the Hussars. In 1852 that was. A great hero, my husband’s father, he fought in the Battle of Leipzig and was decorated for bravery – we still have the medal.” “At Leipzig, really.” “That’s right, my dear, with Napoleon.”
The Battle of Leipzig was in 1813, and was the largest battle in Europe before WW I, involving 600K troops. If the husband’s father was 21 then, he would have been 60 in 1852, when the general was born. That’s old for a father, but not terribly old. Of every 100,000 births, between 20 to 100 are to men of that age. If the general himself had had a child at 60 in 1912, that child would be 97 today. Again, old, but not unheard of. Adjust those ages a little bit, and a man who had a son at 70 who himself had a child at 70 would have a grandchild who would now be 76.
So a person living today could have a grandfather who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. It only takes three lifetimes to cover the modern era. Three lifetimes to go from sailing ships to robots on Mars. Three lifetimes to cover the Industrial Revolution, the rise of democracy, the 10X explosion in world population.
But then, all of human history is short, maybe 5000 years. My own lifetime covers 1% of that, and I’m just some guy. It would only take 100 lives like mine to cover it all. You too have probably personally experienced a significant percentage of all of history.
How can that be? Maybe because of that population explosion. The total number of people who have ever lived is somewhere around 100 billion. There are almost 7 billion of us right now. If you ever lived, there’s a 7% chance that you’re alive right now.
Update 9/4/17: A case has been found of the above! The site Mental Floss noted in 2012 that President John Tyler has two living grandsons. Tyler was born in 1790, and was president from 1841 to 1845. He was a captain of a militia company in the War of 1812, which counts as a spinoff of the Napoleonic wars, but saw no action. He had a son, Lyon Gardiner Tyler in 1853, at age 63 by his second wife. Lyon then fathered Lyon Gardiner Tyler Jr. in 1924, and Harrison Ruffin Tyler in 1928 when he was 71 and 75, again by a much younger second wife. Both are apparently still alive at ages 93 and 89. Harrison is still in the family home in Virginia. That’s three generations covering 227 years! Neither Lyon Jr or Harrison have second wives, so their family’s extremely long generations stop with them.The U.S. State Department said Saturday that it had seized control of three diplomatic posts vacated by Russia at the request of the U.S. government.
In an email Saturday, a State Department official said the posts were inspected in walk-throughs with Russian officials, and not forcibly searched as implied in a statement by Russia's Foreign Ministry.
The Kremlin has accused Washington of bullying tactics and claimed that FBI officials threatened to break down the door to one of the facilities.
The emailed statement from the U.S. official said the inspections were meant only to "secure and protect the facilities and to confirm that the Russian government had vacated the premises."
The statement was sent to reporters on condition of anonymity.
Earlier Saturday, Russia's Foreign Ministry said it had summoned Anthony Godfrey, a deputy chief at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, over the planned "illegal inspection" of a Russian diplomatic building in Washington.
The Russians called the planned inspection an "unprecedented aggressive action" and said U.S. authorities might use it as an opportunity for "planting compromised items" in the Russian compound.
The compound in Washington was one of three that were shuttered as the U.S. and Russia have engaged in a diplomatic tit-for-tat over the past several months. The other two diplomatic buildings ordered closed are in San Francisco and New York.
A spokeswoman for the ministry, Maria Zakharova, said the searches would "create a direct threat to the security of Russian citizens."
Zakharova said in a statement Friday, "American special services intend on September 2 to carry out a search of the consulate in San Francisco, including of the apartments of employees who live in the building and have [diplomatic] immunity."
Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported that firefighters were called to the site of the consulate, but were not allowed to enter, after black smoke was seen billowing from a chimney. Firefighters determined that the fire was confined to a fireplace somewhere in the building.
A spokeswoman for the San Francisco Fire Department, Mindy Talmadge, told reporters she did not know what people inside the building would be burning on a day when the outdoor temperature was around 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit).
According to a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, the smoke came as part of efforts to "preserve the building" at a time when officials were gearing up to leave.
The move to close the buildings came in response to a demand from Moscow that Washington reduce its diplomatic staff in Russia.
"In the spirit of parity invoked by the Russians, we are requiring the Russian government to close its Consulate General in San Francisco, a chancery annex in Washington, D.C., and a consular annex in New York City," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement Thursday, adding that the deadline for the closures was September 2.click to enlarge CP photo by Maranie Staab
Paul Heckbert stands at the intersection of South Braddock Avenue and Sanders Street.
At 6:33 p.m. on Jan. 17, Davor Wagner was struck by two vehicles at the intersection of South Braddock Avenue and Sanders Street, in Regent Square. The man was hit by one vehicle, and the force propelled him into the path of another vehicle, where he became pinned under a tire.
“It was pretty traumatic. I just heard screaming, and not normal screaming, like a blood-curdling scream,” says Christopher Powell, who provided assistance to Wagner when he was pinned under the car. “I ran over and a woman was screaming, ‘The car’s on top of him, the car’s on top of him.’ To see the tire on his back — he was pinned down — was pretty gruesome.”
But this is far from the first pedestrian accident on this busy stretch of South Braddock Avenue. In 2004, 33-year-old Evelyn Wei was killed while crossing at a different intersection, and in 2012, 72-year-old Sue Clapper was seriously injured while crossing at yet a third intersection.
Two weeks after the Jan. 17 accident, Wagner was out of the hospital and recovering at home. (He communicated with City Paper by email but declined to comment for this story.)
“It’s been a problem for many years,” says Paul Heckbert, who lives eight blocks from the intersection. “I’ve heard reports of car crashes and car-pedestrian accidents for years.”
Regent Square includes portions of the city of Pittsburgh and the boroughs of Edgewood, Swissvale and Wilkinsburg; responsibility for the Sanders Street intersection is shared by Edgewood and Swissvale. Various intersections along South Braddock Avenue have been under a microscope in years past, with municipal officials and traffic experts working together to find solutions to make the roadway safer for pedestrians. Now, concerned residents say it’s time to focus on the intersection at South Braddock and Sanders.
A number of residents have called for a crosswalk there, which they believe will force drivers to slow down. It’s situated in a popular area of Regent Square’s business district — right near D’s Six Pax & Dogz — where pedestrian traffic has been increasing.
“There needs to be something to let people know that pedestrians are crossing, and they have the right of way when they’re crossing,” says Powell, whose chiropractor office is located on South Braddock near Sanders.
But a crosswalk might not be the solution many hope. Wei, the pedestrian killed in 2004 while crossing South Braddock Avenue, was in a crosswalk when she was hit.
Officials from Edgewood and Swissvale |
of a campfire as the sky starts to drizzle. In the fading daylight, dark figures appear on the path at the top of the riverbank. Taylor recognizes them: it’s the Bushies, father and mother of Bradden, a Winnipeg teenager who went missing in 2013. They have spent the summer searching for clues about what happened to their boy, sometimes with Drag the Red, other times on their own. They confer with Taylor, pulling up a photo on their phone to show what they found today: catfish bones.
The rain picks up and the sun is setting. It’s time to head back to the car. Before we leave, Taylor ties an orange plastic ribbon to a branch. It’s a marker of where she left off, to let the others know where to start the search again, next time.Vettel qualified second, 0.186s behind the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton, and just 0.001s of a second ahead of Valtteri Bottas.
The 29-year-old was surprised to be so far off Hamilton, but was happy with his performance during qualifying.
"I enjoyed it a lot, if we could have been a bit quicker at the end I would have enjoyed it more," said Vettel. "The last corner, maybe I lost a little bit and chickened onto the brakes too soon.
"Obviously it was very close with Valtteri, so a good job we just got enough margin to make it to the front row."
Vettel believes the performance in China confirms Ferrari is a little slower than Mercedes in qualifying trim.
But he was 0.082s closer to Hamilton than he was in Australia, and over a longer laptime, and is confident the Ferrari will be stronger in the race.
It's unclear where Mercedes stands on race pace given there was no meaningful running during Friday practice.
"In qualifying, we lack a bit and in the race it is a close match," said Vettel. "In Australia, in the race, Lewis was struggling with tyres and us less.
"No matter what conditions are, the car is working so then we will try to do the fastest race."
Hamilton said the pace of Vettel and Ferrari had impressed him during practice and much of qualifying before he took pole position with a lap that started slowly, possibly because the tyres weren't up to temperature.
"Ferrari have looked so fast in practice this morning and in qualifying we knew it was going to be close, so I needed a perfect lap," said Hamilton.
"The last lap was my best lap, which is always the plan. The lap started off not as good as Q1 but the rest of the lap it got better and better."Announcing letsencrypt-aws
If you haven't heard, Let's Encrypt is a brand new certificate authority offering free, automated, and trusted HTTPS certificates. It's extremely exciting.
Let's Encrypt is built on a protocol called "ACME", which defines a standard HTTP API for a certificate authority. letsencrypt-aws is built on that to easily orchestrate your AWS infrastructure to make sure certificates are automatically issued and kept up to date.
You can grab a copy on Github.
To get started with Let's Encrypt, first you create your account key, and place the private key in account-key.pem :
Now tell it about your ELBs:
export LETSENCRYPT_AWS_CONFIG = '{ "domains": [ { "hosts": ["host.com", "www.host.com"], "elb": { "name": "my-elb" } } ], "acme_account_key": "file:///path/to/account-key.pem" }' python letsencrypt-aws.py update-certificates
You'll need to have your machine set up for your AWS account (using either the standard configuration file, environment variables, or IAM instance role).
And then it should just work!
Installing and updating certificates should be a 0-downtime operation, letsencrypt-aws does not require taking over port 80 or 443.
For full details, checkout the README. Try it out, and don't hesitate to file issues with bugs or feature requests.HuffPost Live, the 8-month-old, online-native video news network from AOL's Huffington Post Media Group, will begin syndicating to cable on May 13. The live network has struck a deal with AXS TV to bring half of HuffPost Live's 12 hours of live weekday programming to the channel, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.
The deal is surprising, not least because HuffPost Live has long insisted that it's not a cable news network, and had no ambitions to become one. As founder Roy Sekoff said at launch, "[We're] not going to become a cable network." He added, "What's the point of doing this if it just becomes the same old thing?"
The addition of HuffPost Live will diversify AXS TV's programming, whose stated mission is to provide live, 24/7 coverage of pop culture, music and fashion. The 9-month-old network is backed by billionaire Mark Cuban, who helped engineer the deal. The channel says it reaches 41 million homes.
Since this is HuffPost Live, there will be "social" elements to the broadcast. Running alongside the live video will be a audience comment stream, "designed to encourage real-time participation from the AXS TV audience," per a press statement. An app for interacting with HuffPost Live on AXS TV is on the way, the companies said.
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, RTimagesNewly elected UKIP leader Diane James told the BBC’s Sunday Politics that her priorities for the party included making “this country great again” and boosting national defence.
The clear reference to the viral campaign slogan of Donald Trump’s campaign to take the United States presidency — ‘Make America Great Again’ — has been adopted by a number of other political movements worldwide and adjusted for local use. Speaking to the BBC’s Andrew Neil today, Mrs. James laid out what she thought of as the direction for UKIP, as she attempted to set out her ambition to make it the main opposition in UK politics.
Speaking this morning, Mrs. James said: “My vision… is global, is positive, is outward looking, is enterprise building, and is going to make this country great again”.
Mrs. James told the BBC interviewer that her political idols were Vladimir Putin, Margaret Thatcher, and Winston Churchill.
Mr. Neil challenged the new leader, remarking that now Britain had voted for Brexit UKIP was a party without purpose. Explaining that UKIP still had to stand for Brexit actually taking place and listing the divisions and weaknesses in Britain’s other political parties for UKIP to exploit, she said:
“We are the only party 100 per cent committed to Brexit. We’ve got a Tory government that’s still split, a Labour party that has no idea which direction it is going in, you’ve got what’s left of the rump of the Liberal Democrats that are now relying on their single voice in Europe to get their message across.
“We’re the only party that is going to stand up for the over 17 million people who want to leave the European Union. Simple.
On the main policy areas UKIP will now pursue in a post Brexit-vote Britain, Mrs. James said there were a number of areas that needed special attention in a post European Union nation. Hitting the areas in which her party has traditionally performed well and outmanoeuvred the mainstream parties, she said: “Certainly the issue of migration and immigration.
“The issue of defence, giving us back the ability to defend this country… this whole aspect of homeland security, that we don’t even have a functioning border force, functioning passport control system. We even have a home secretary threatening, continuing project fear, a visa charge for people going into Europe or coming into the UK. Absolutely bizarre”.
Moving into territory perhaps more traditionally associated with the Labour party, with whom UKIP is competing for votes in the North of England, Mrs. James said: “The major one for me, given my career background, is the state the NHS is in. If we can really show a very clear vision and stand up to what Jeremy Hunt is doing… I will be very happy”.
Breitbart London reported earlier this week on the new apparently unofficial slogan of UKIP, ‘Make Britain Great Again’, with American style trucker-caps being sold at the party conference. Party youth wing chairman Jamie Ross McKenzie told Breitbart the idea had come to him when watchign Nigel Farage on stage with Donald Trump, remarking: “Sometimes the best and boldest ideas are the simplest”.The Assyrian state existed as early as the 25th century BCE, and prevailed in many forms until the 7th century BCE. Kamria/Shutterstock
It was recently reported, to the delight of many, that a 4,000-year-old Assyrian baked clay tablet was likely a marriage contract. This, however, isn’t the only tablet of its kind – there are tens of thousands of others.
Now, as revealed in a new working paper, a careful translation of many of them has revealed something utterly remarkable: The locations of ancient metropolises that have been long lost to the sands of time.
Authored by Harvard University’s senior lecturer on Assyriology, Gojko Barjamovic, and an international team of economists, it has the potential to change how the Assyrian Empire is understood.
These tablets have all been excavated from the ancient city of Kanesh, located in modern-day Turkey. Written in the cuneiform script developed by the Sumerians of Mesopotamia, they are a mishmash of business transactions, accounts, seals, contracts, and so on – yes, even marriage certificates.
The tablets sound rather uninteresting to the layperson, but not to those with a trained eye. Business dealings always mention where they are taking place and perhaps where the trade is heading to or being received from. This means that the names and potentially the locations of cities that have yet to be found, those still buried beneath the Turkish soil, could be found within the texts.
After painstakingly going through 12,000 of these clay tablets, the team think that they’ve identified 26 of them; 15 have been found already, but 11 of them still elude capture.
The precise coordinates of the cities aren’t given though, but thanks to a now-defunct method of trading, the team think they know where most of them are regardless.
A bas relief from the palace of Nimrud. Andrea Izzotti/Shutterstock
Kanesh, once a small trading settlement, became a major trading post for the entire region. The tablets are so detailed that the authors describe the city in their paper as a “flourishing market economy, based on free enterprise and private initiative, profit-seeking and risk-taking merchants, backed by elaborate financial contracts and a well-functioning judicial system.”
It’s this comprehensive record of accounts that revealed that Kanesh traded most with cities closer to it and less with those further away. Taking all this data and properly quantifying it, the team managed to essentially create a system of distance based on the frequency of trade between cities.
This system, which they call a “structural gravity model”, gives robust estimates as to where these lost cities might be. They note that for many of them, their approximations “come remarkably close to the qualitative conjectures produced by historians.”
Although they need to be found to confirm the accuracy of their system, this paper provides a remarkable tool for archaeologists. It’s a gateway to a kingdom that, for all intents and purposes, was the world’s first superpower.
[H/T: Washington Post]Socialist Appeal - British section of the International Marxist Tendency: the Marxist voice of labour and youth.
Recent statistics about falling inflation, decreasing unemployment, and economic growth have been touted by both the Tories and bourgeois economists as a sign that their programme of austerity is working and that, after six years of recession and falling wages, things are starting to get better. But the official figures hide the reality that the vast majority of the population still find themselves struggling to cope with the biggest decline in living standards since Victorian times.
Earlier this week it was announced that the UK inflation rate, as measured by the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), fell to 1.6%. This is the sixth consecutive month that the rate of inflation has fallen, marking the longest consecutive fall since modern records began.
This news has been touted by both the Tories and bourgeois economists as a sign that their programme of austerity is working and that, after six years of recession and falling wages, things are starting to get better.
Yet, as with the much triumphed ‘recovery’ and supposed falling unemployment, working people up and down the country are undoubtedly wondering when things will start to get better for them. This is because - despite the optimism of official economic statistics - the vast majority of the population still find themselves struggling to cope with the biggest decline in living standards since Victorian times.
The real cost of living
The reality is that the official inflation statistics manifestly fail to reflect the real cost of living for the workers and poor. The government’s favoured measure of inflation specifically excludes housing costs, yet working families in the UK spend 40% of their income on housing, making UK housing the third most expensive in Europe. This is a product of our acute housing crisis, with sky rocketing rent and house prices making the roof over our heads increasing unaffordable. This means over a million working families are now reliant on Housing Benefit to pay their rent, an increase of over 50% from 2010. Such is the horrendous cost of housing that the homelessness charity Shelter recently published research that shows 3.8 million families are just one pay cheque away from losing their home.
Alongside housing, energy and food account for the biggest expenditure for workers and poor people. And like housing, food and energy prices are increasing at a far greater rate than the official inflation statistics. UK food prices have risen dramatically since 2007, increasing by over 30%, more than double the EU average. At the same time energy bills have risen by 37% since 2010. This placed hundreds of thousands of families over the winter in the position where they had to choose between eating and heating. Indeed food poverty is back with a vengeance, with 913,000 people reliant on parcels from food banks in the last year, up from 347,000 the year before.
Wages rising or inflation falling?
The news of (officially) falling inflation has been accompanied by headlines that “after six years, wages finally overtake inflation” - that is, official wage growth is finally higher than official figures for inflation. However, this says more about the low rate of inflation - which is itself a sign of the continued depression in the economy, with the enormous excess capacity in production (i.e. overproduction) putting a competitive downward pressure on prices - than it does about the level of wages, which have remained stagnant for many workers since the crisis.
Indeed, the BBC highlights that, “when bonus payments are excluded from the figures, wages rose by 1.4%, still below the rate of inflation”. And who, we might ask, is getting these ‘bonus payments’? Might it be the bankers, who despite being bailed out by taxpayer, continue to reward themselves handsomely for doing nothing but helping to bring about a state of financial ruin.
Futhermore, the BBC goes to mention that, “The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has estimated that real incomes will not return to their 2009-10 levels until 2018 at the earliest.” Note: real incomes are estimated not to return to post-crisis levels, not pre-crisis levels, for another four years. Indeed, the BBC continues by mentioning that, “since the start of the financial crisis, real pay has fallen by a ‘colossal’ 10%...That is said to be the biggest fall in any five-year period since the 1920s.”
What's more, the official figures for wage growth exclude those classed as self-employed - some four million people, who have seen large falls in their real income since the onset of the crisis and in the period before. Some estimates suggest that the incomes of the self-employed have fallen by almost one-third in the past 12 years.
Once again, we see that for all the talk about improving wages, the official figures gloss over a reality of declining living standards and rising inequality, where a tiny elite get richer whilst the rest struggle just to keep their head above the water.
Unemployment: the numbers and the reality
Meanwhile, other recent headlines have pointed to the falling rate of unemployment, which now stands at 6.9% (officially) - a five-year low of 2.24 million. But again, the official statistics say nothing about the reality facing those who are working or looking for work.
The fact is that the relatively low unemployment in Britain - compared to other crisis-ridden countries - is simply the other side of the coin to the short-term and parasitic nature of the British capitalism. Rather than investing in real production - i.e. in technology and machinery to increase productivity and improve living standards - the capitalists in Britain have instead taken advantage of conditions in Britain to keep people in work in low-paid, precarious jobs.
The rise in zero-hour contracts is a sign of this increasingly precarious nature of employment. Another indication is the phenomena of the surge in the number of people now classed as self-employed, with one-in-seven of the workforce now officially in self-employment, an increase of 15% - almost 600,000 in absolute terms - since the beginning of the recession.
Thousands, having lost their secure jobs, are now forced to scrape a living off insecure odd-jobs in self-employment. Thousands more have been taken off permanent, stable employment contracts by their employers and instead forced to do the same work as previously, but now as self-employed sub-contracted workers, thus saving companies the cost of National Insurance and other employment costs (and saving the government on unemployment benefits).
The TUC estimates that nearly half of all jobs “created” since 2010 are those moving into self-employment, with 40% of these being only part-time. As TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady commented:
"There may be perfectly good reasons for being self-employed, but it would be naive to think that all these workers are really budding entrepreneurs. “These figures instead suggest that many employee roles are being replaced by self-employed positions. Bogus self-employment is bad news for staff as they miss out on vital rights at work, such as paid holidays and employer pension contributions, without having the advantage of being their own boss. "Self-employment is normally a very small part of the workforce, so the fact it's been outstripping employee job growth shows that the UK labour market is far weaker than headlines suggest."
In short, the officially falling unemployment figures mask the reality of increasing precariousness and exploitation for workers. Unemployment may officially be falling, but this says nothing about the amount of people who are “underemployed” - that is, in part-time, self-employed, or temporary jobs. No amount of fiddling the figures can convince ordinary working people that their lives are improving when their own experiences tell them otherwise.
So, whatever the Tories may say, the daily struggle to make ends meet in the face of life’s essentials growing ever more expensive means workers know what’s really going on. The growing disconnect between the lies and myths of bourgeois and the reality of life for the working class must eventually lead to an explosion of class struggle.
Things can only get better?
The unfortunate truth is that things are only going to get worse for the working class under capitalism, not better. 60% of the scheduled cuts are still to come and the world economy is in a fragile state. The euro crisis may have temporarily abated but the fundamental problems have not been solved. Meanwhile the slowdown in China and as well explosive events such as the deepening crisis in the Ukraine could serve to plunge the UK economy back into recession at any moment.
The fundamental problems of rising food, housing and energy prices cannot be solved under capitalism. A massive programme to build new homes is necessary to abate the housing crisis. Nationalisation of the means of producing and distributing food and energy combined with a plan of production to meet our growing needs is the only way to make these essentials once again affordable and available for all. These measures are not possible on the basis of system where goods are only produced for profit.
The Labour leadership correctly talks of a ‘Cost of living crisis’, yet while they identify the problem that faces working people they are unable to offer any real solutions. This is because they remain committed to managing a capitalist system which has no room for reforms. If they truly wish to raise living standards to acceptable levels and beyond then they must commit to a fundamental transformation of society along socialist lines.I’m hoping the Reverend Graham Dempster wasn’t listening to question time this week.
I don’t know him but I read his submission to the recently resurrected Senate inquiry into a national integrity commission – effectively a federal Icac.
“I am greatly concerned for the future of parliamentary democracy in Australia, therefore I write, as an individual, and not representing any group or agency, in response to the call for submissions to the above inquiry... My sense is that our political system is close to being irreparably broken,” he wrote.
Senior Labor figures support inquiry into foreign influence on Australian politics Read more
“I believe, as do many people I interact with, that the current ‘self-regulation’ by our parliament is not working... I submit that establishing a federal integrity commission would be a positive step towards addressing these problems as it would help greatly in re-establishing a degree of trust between the parliamentary processes and the general public – something that, in my view, has been almost totally lost.”
As if to prove his point, question time descended into a shout-athon about Chinese business donations to both major parties in which each sought to defend its behaviour by highlighting the misdeeds of the other, a kind of louder version of the schoolyard defence “Yeh miss but he’s worse and he did it first.”
Malcolm Turnbull thundered about Sam Dastyari’s donations and the senator’s subsequent contradiction of Labor’s official position on the South China Sea. Labor countered with former trade minister Andrew Robb’s post-politics part-time job with Chinese company Landbridge, the same company that controversially secured the lease to the Darwin Port. Mixed in, mostly for hilarious effect, were revelations that a Chinese mining magnate set up the “Julie Bishop Glorious Foundation” – apparently a company that had that name for just a few days, without the foreign affairs minister even knowing, and some historic allegations about a Labor frontbencher.
In short, serious questions countered with the usual tactics – when things get hot, find something dubious about the other side to spread the blame and signal that this is a fight of the mutually destructive kind.
The parties had already tried to draw the truce line on this scandal cycle – the prime minister has ordered an inquiry into Australia’s espionage and foreign influence laws and has said he will introduce laws to ban foreign donations in the spring. Labor backs the foreign donations ban and is demanding an inquiry into foreign interference by the powerful joint intelligence and security committee as well.
But while a foreign donations ban is a good idea, it can’t solve the underlying problem. Are foreign donors really the only ones who might seek influence in return for their generosity? Will we ever get to the bottom of the allegations now in the news, or the next lot that surface?
As things stand, no. Like all the previous scandals, this one is likely to blow over – not because the allegations have been clearly disproven but because we don’t have the tools to know anything for sure. Perhaps something serious will end up being swept under the carpet. Perhaps, as the Chinese ambassador said this week, damage to a bilateral relationship will have been done for no good cause.
Good journalism can show donations coinciding with decision-making, or donations coinciding with favours and access, or politicians that may have gained some personal advantage from a decision they played a part in, but without some way to compel donors or recipients or decision-makers to provide answers it is almost always impossible to prove causation, or wrongdoing.
But every coincidence of privileged access and power, every apparent connection between donation and outcome, undermines voters’ already shaky faith in the fairness and integrity of the system.
Corruption or integrity commissions have the power to prove whether things are, in fact, connected. That’s how a series of stories about possible wrongdoing by Eddie Obeid and Ian Macdonald turned into court proceedings that landed both men in jail.
That’s how the voters of New South Wales are now getting to hear the astonishing allegations that the former head of not-for-profit organisations benefiting migrant women, Eman Sharobeem, used taxpayers’ money to pay for everything from diamond necklaces, cars and property to dental work and liposuction, and how they will hear Icac’s verdict on the claims.
That’s how Queenslanders are hearing equally gobsmacking allegations about electoral fundraising by local councils and the favours that might have been done in return.
Australia's political donations system is a joke – it's time parties put people before tribe | Katharine Murphy Read more
In those states, and also in Western Australia and South Australia, voters know there are permanent powerful bodies that can investigate allegations of misconduct and corruption. There is legitimate debate about some of how they operate – whether hearings should be in public or in private or how corruption should be defined – but not about whether they are needed.
But still the federal parliament responds to each new allegation with mutual blaming and minimum procedural change, eroding voters’ trust a little bit more each time.
The Labor leader, Bill Shorten, has said he is open to the idea of an integrity commission and the Greens and Nick Xenophon have campaigned for it for years. The inquiry reports in August.
Something really needs to give this time, because a devastating proportion of Australians agree with Reverend Dempster’s sincere concerns. And more than 80% think a national integrity commission is a great idea.President Abbas,
I was touched that you decided to come to the funeral of President Peres in West Jerusalem. That you chose to be there to honor a man who had, to say the least, a mixed legacy among your people, was honorable. That you should take a political risk to honor this man whose vision for a two-state future hasn’t come to pass is noteworthy. Although symbolically, it felt to me, as I am sure it felt to many Israelis to the left of center, like you were coming to the funeral of the Two-State future for the Holy Land. President Peres was the last Israeli leader of significant sway who talked about a vision of Israelis and Palestinians living as neighbors in peace.
The fact that you chose to honor President Peres’s death is heartwarming, but I would prefer you honor the living instead of the dead. Just a weeks ago, in his General Assembly speech, Prime Minister Netanyahu invited you to address the Knesset. You turned down the invitation. Now, I know you probably have many reasons to turn down the invitation, but I ask you for a moment to reconsider your decision.
The death of President Peres brings to my mind the man’s vision. Looking at the current cadre of Israeli political leaders, it is hard to find one who has any real vision for Israel’s future beyond the status quo. Prime Minister Netanyahu has convinced most Israelis that there is no opportunity for peace in the current situation and that it is better to maintain the status quo for now, rather than take risks for peace. Prime Minister Netanyahu has convinced most Israelis and many people around the world that you Mr. President are not a viable partner for peace. Mr. President, you have convinced Israelis that you are not interested in a negotiated peace, that you are interested in bypassing the Israeli people and getting the international community to impose your parameters on a settlement. I can promise you, that will not be successful. The international community is just as split on the issue of Israel and Palestine as the people of Israel or Palestine are.
Just as the International community and the UN were powerless to implement the Partition Plan in 1947, or an end to the fighting in Syria or Sudan, they are powerless to impose a solution here. Mr. President, if you want peace and a Palestinian State, there is no way to bypass the Israeli people. It doesn’t matter how many peace conferences are hosted by how many different countries until the Israelis and Palestinians come to an agreement between themselves, there will be no end, no settlement, no solution, and the status quo will continue. I can assure you, sir, the status quo is much worse on your people than it is on mine. Mr. President, if you are betting that Israel will be treated like South Africa, I hate to break it to you, but you are sorely mistaken. Especially as long as organs within the PA continue to incite your people toward terrorism and regularly use anti-semitic rhetoric.
There is no way around us, Mr. President, in the short term, or in the long term. The short term is especially important for you though sir. You are 81 years old. Even optimistically, your time as the leader of your people is starting to run short. What do you want to leave for your people Mr. President? What do you want your legacy to be? What will you be remembered for? What accomplishments can you point to since 2005? Are your people any better off than they were when you took office? Your people in Gaza are certainly much worse off today than they were when you took office. Do you want your gift to your people to be another generation of occupation until another leader comes along who maybe can make some change?
Please, Mr. President, reconsider your rejection of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s invitation to address the Knesset. If you can come to West Jerusalem to honor the dead, to pay homage to the wish that President Peres had for peace, then surely you should be able to come to West Jerusalem to speak for your people, and for our shared destiny. What leader wouldn’t take such an opportunity to speak directly to the people of the other side?
Mr. President, were you to show the courage to come and address the Knesset, imagine the pulpit you would have, not only would you be broadcast on every television in Israel and Palestine, but your speech would be carried live around the world. Mr. President, it seems to me that you have been working hard the last few years to show yourself as a legitimate figure on the world stage, but with an opportunity like this, you wouldn’t need to work to be a legitimate figure on the world stage, you would be a legitimate leader on the world stage. This kind of invitation is the thing no real leader would pass up. Any chance to stand and make the case for your people in front of what would be a worldwide audience should be too important to pass up, no matter what the reason.
Mr. President, Israelis and many others around the world are understandably skeptical of your intentions and motives. All of us have seen too much bloodshed in this conflict to take things on faith anymore. Trust needs to be built up because neither side has any right now. What better way to start to build than taking a step. I know you think Prime Minister Netanyahu was not sincere in his invitation. What does that matter? He never believed for a moment you would accept the invitation, so it was a safe bet for him to make. Call his bluff Mr. President, rise above and take this opportunity to lay out your vision of the future for the Israeli people, and the world, lay it out for all to see. In one speech you will become the leader you want to be and begin to secure your legacy as a leader who helped to bring independence and prosperity to his people.
Think to the future Mr. President, while I wish you no harm, we all shuffle off this mortal coil at some point or another, so think into the future to your funeral Mr. President. Where do you want it to be? In Egypt? Ramallah? Or do you want your funeral to be in Jerusalem, on the Noble Sanctuary? Who do you see attending Mr. President? President Peres had Heads of State from all over the world attending, your predecessor had not a Western or Superpower Head of State to be seen. For you Mr. President, I envision a funeral on the Noble Sanctuary, in Palestine, with leaders of all the world’s countries, coming together to honor a man of peace, who took bold steps to secure a prosperous peaceful future for his people.
Sir, speeches are amazingly powerful things. During a speech, you have the chance to paint the picture of a brighter future, or highlight injustice, or reach a hand out in friendship. Think back over the amazing leaders in the world and I think you will find each one of them had a speech, a moment of history that was defining. Kennedy in Berlin, Dr. King on the Mall, Arafat at the U.N. Obama in Cairo. Speeches are history, they are what the future remembers. Mr. President, please take that drive from Ramallah to the West Jerusalem. Define your legacy, and the future of your people for all Israelis and all the world to see.How do the sights, smells, and sounds of a city affect the senses of people with an Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC)? Sandra Beale-Ellis explores the sensory benefits and challenges of cities for people with an ASC and invites readers to understand the different ways in which they can experience a city from a sensory perspective. Sandra, who has been clinically diagnosed as having Asperger's Syndrome, describes how she experiences the city through the lens of ASC, picking up on things that a neurotypical (non-autistic) person might not. As well as introducing the wonders of the city that neurotypical people rarely see, this book also provides readers who have an ASC with solutions to the negative or overwhelming sensory experiences that a city can bring about. The book covers four main areas of city life: travel, eating out, entertainment and living. Read moreSince the early 1960s, Italian coachbuilders have been retrofitting Corvettes. For example, a 1963 Pininfarina Corvette that first appeared at the 1963 Paris Motor Show recently showed up on the auction block from Barret-Jackson, who branded the car as “an American in an Italian suit.” Things haven’t changed so much since the Chevy Corvette is still a favorite to customize with new sheetmetal, performance tuning and interior modifications.
SV Motor Corporation is the latest to celebrate this time-honored tradition by creating the new 9 Competizione based on the C6 Corvette. A cross between an Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione and a Corvette, the SV 9 C dons some new Italian clothes in the form of carbon-fiber bodywork but is still very recognizable as the American workhorse. The biggest change is a revised front end with a large mesh grill and air vents on the hood. The back of the car also gets reworked as the Corvette’s dual taillights on each side are consolidated down to just one and the exhaust pipes are moved from the center to the far left and right.
Performance mods include a new intake and tuned exhaust system that helps add an additional 14 horsepower, thereby pushing the engine output up to 450 hp with 445 lb-ft of torque. These changes, along with a weight reduction of 132 pounds, give the SV 9 C consistent 0-60 mph times in the 4 second range and a 12 second quarter-mile. A new set of alloy wheels wrapped in Pirelli PZero Rosso tires helps facilitate 1.03g of lateral grip and a braking distance of only 107 feet to drop from 60-0 mph.
The SV 9 C can be customized in any way a buyer sees fit. There are 25 exterior colors available with 4 choices of wheels, five interior trim options and 5 colors for brake calipers. It’s the company’s fondest dream that no two cars from its 1000 unit production run are identical (so we’ll keep it a secret that we plan to order ours in Special Edition green with black wheels and red brake calipers for that in your face, “check me out, dawg!” look). Actually, click on the Your SV 9 option selector to deck out your own ride. It’s not a super comprehensive Aston Martin-style configurator but you don’t need to download 23 browser plugins to make it work either. The SV 9 Competizione has a starting price of $99,995, which includes the donor Chevy Corvette C6.
Source: SV Motor CompanyOver the past year or more, across the United States, there has been a groundswell of student activism pressing colleges and universities to divest their holdings in fossil fuel companies from their investment portfolios. On October 3, 2013, after many months of assessment, discussion, and debate, the President of Harvard University, Drew Faust, issued a long, well-reasoned, and – in my view – ultimately sensible statement on “fossil fuel divestment,” in which she explained why she and the Corporation (Harvard’s governing board) do not believe that “university divestment from the fossil fuel industry is warranted or wise.” I urge you to read her statement, and decide for yourself how compelling you find it, and whether and how it may apply to your institution, as well.
About 10 days later, two leaders of the student movement at Harvard responded to President Faust in The Nation. Andrew Revkin, writing at the New York Times Dot Earth blog, highlighted the fact that the students responded in part by saying, “We do not expect divestment to have a financial impact on fossil fuel companies … Divestment is a moral and political strategy to expose the reckless business model of the fossil fuel industry that puts our world at risk.”
I agree with these students that fossil-fuel divestment by the University would not have financial impacts on the industry, and I also agree with their implication that it would be (potentially) of symbolic value only. However, it is precisely because of this that I believe President Faust made the right decision. Let me explain.
The Value of Symbolic Action
If divestment would at best be a symbolic action, without meritorious direct financial impacts, can it not nevertheless be important and of great value? More broadly, can’t symbolic actions be valuable?
One major problem is that symbolic actions often substitute for truly effective actions by allowing us to fool ourselves into thinking we are doing something meaningful about a problem when we are not.
But even if there are such opportunity costs of symbolic actions, can they not still be merited as part of moral crusades (as the students would presumably argue)? The answer is, in my view, yes. The problem, however, is that climate change is fundamentally a scientific, economic, and political challenge. Viewing it as a moral crusade, I fear, will only play into and exacerbate the terrible political polarization that is already paralyzing Washington, a topic about which I have written previously at this blog.
The Climate Impacts of Divestment
Divestment of fossil fuel stocks would hurt, not help efforts to address global climate change. First, natural gas is the crucial transition fuel to address climate change. A major reason for the drop in U.S. CO 2 emissions is the increased use of natural gas to generate electricity, as documented in this recent report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Second |
a></li> <li><a href="http://example.com/~tgreen1">Tom Green</a></li> <li><a href="http://example.com/~bwhite7">Bob White</li> etc..
How do you do this quickly? Perl? Sed? Awk? All of that will require testing and fucking around. Optimistic estimate is that it will take you at least 10-15 minutes to write the script, and maybe another 5 to make sure it works for all the lines.
Me? I can do it in less than five minutes in vim? How? By using macros, and carefully choosing my editing commands to that they are generic and play off the common features on all the lines.
Press q a to record keystrokes and bind them to “a” Hit I to enter insert mode at the start of the line Type in <li><a href=”http://example.com/~ Hit Esc to go to normal mode Hit t, to put the cursor on the comma.
Since you know you are working with a csv, you can expect a comma followed by a space on every line. This will always work, regardless of the length of each username. Hit s to delete the comma and enter insert mode Type in “> Hit Del to remove the extra space to the right Hit Esc to go back to normal mode Hit capital A to skip to the end of the line and enter insert mode Type in: </a></li> Hit Esc Hit q to stop recording
I just taught vim how to do one line. I can now put the cursor on another line and hit:
@ a
This will replay the macro, and boom – the line will be turned into a link. Or better yet, I could type this in normal mode:
: 2, $ norm @ a :2,$ norm @a
This basically tells vim “On lines 2 through $ (where $ means end of file) go to normal mode, and run the macro stored under a”. Wham, bam! We have the entire file done. And all I did was simply re-format the first line and then applied that template to the rest of the file.
Still not impressed? Geez, it’s hard to impress you, isn’t it.
There are plugins. Thousands of them. As I said – vim can be reconfigured quite easily. It is not as much that it has a plugin architecture and limited API (like Eclipse for example), as it has an scripting language (VimL) that lets you automate, redefine and hack everything – including changing standard behavior. Vim Plugin writers have been known to rip out neat functionality from other editors and transplant it into vim whether it makes sense or not. Plugins can make the editor do all kinds of crazy things:
Fugitive – gives you git integration. For example you can do :Gblame from the editor to get a nice in-editor, two pane blame log. Syntastic will run your code through the compiler/interpreter in the background like an IDE SnipMate – gives you TextMate’s code snippets feature
There are many more – these just happen to be some of my favorites. There is a much bigger list in the forum.
Still not impressed? How about this: vi is ubiquitous. Vim is a superset of vi – so if you learn to use it well, you will also learn vi by extension. And vi is installed by default on just about any unix derived system out there. Chances are that one day you will have a web server of your own to maintain – maybe for work, maybe for fun, maybe for your startup that will change the landscape of social networking forever. That server will likely run a stripped down version of Unix, Linux or BSD. Why? Well, you want it to succeed, do you? Running windows on your production server is basically like aiming to fail. No, you will be a professional and you will be running unix-like system like big boys and girls do. Windows servers are what pointy haired MBA degree recipients straight out of school want to use – we are hackers. We are better than that.
Anyways, your unix like server will probably be running headless on some server rack. And you will manage it by ssh-ing to it. And you will likely configure it by editing text files using vi, because that’s what is going to be on the machine. Yes, you could install another editor on there – like Pico for example. But that’s just pathetic. You don’t want to be that guy. Do you know what Pico stands for? It’s an acronym for “Don’t Know How To Use Vi”. Besides, you can’t always rely on having root privileges and ability to install new software. And shared hosting companies will usually not be nice and install Pico for you.
The point is that if you know vi (you don’t have to be a pro at it, just know how to use it enough not to look like you are having a seizure at the keyboard) you can log into any Unix, Linux, BSD or Mac machine and fucking rock that shit like a pro. Your peers will be like “Woha, this guy knows his stuff!” and women will be totally like “I want to have his babies!”…
Ok, that last one was a lie. Vi skillz won’t get you anywhere with the ladies. Unless maybe with really awesome and cool geek ladies that can appreciate that sort of thing but that’s besides the point. The point is that vi is the most ubiquitously installed editor out there, and one most people don’t know how to use. If you do, that makes you more efficient than them. Which, is generally a good thing.
Still not impressed? You are an Emacs user, right? Listen I won’t convert you. Emacs is a whole different animal. I think it was Steve Yegge who said that Emacs is not a text editor. It is a feature full lisp based framework that can be used for text processing or writing text processors – or both at the same time. It is even more mutable and hack friendly than vim, and it’s internal language Elisp is actually more powerful (and more elegant, your stance on lisp parethesisis notwithstanding) than the ugliness that is VimL. If you are using Emacs, keep using it.
Hell, if you are using Java you should probably keep using Eclipse. Similarly you probably shouldn’t ditch Visual Studio and hack your C# code in vim. Emacs and IDE’s are useful – they have tools that will make your life easier. The IDE’s don’t have vim’s raw text manipulation power, but they make up for it by having great integrated debuggers, GUI building tools and etc. But if you are hacking in Perl, Python, PHP, Ruby or something like that, vim is usually a good choice.
Is it the best editor in the world? I don’t know. I guess it depends what you are doing. The bottom line is that you should choose a tool that fits the particular problem you are trying to solve. Not all problems are nails. If you try to apply a hammer to a philipsh-head you are probably gonna screw things up somewhere down the line. But vim is a great editor and you should definitely give it a chance. Especially if you have been discouraged by the steep learning curve before.Berlin on Wednesday to formally began the recreation of a controversial baroque palace that once served as the residence of Prussian kings and German monarchs.
The foundation stone for the 590-million euro ($780 million) project was laid by German President Joachim Gauck on Wednesday afternoon.
The original Hollenzollern palace, the "Stadtschloss", was damaged by Allied bombing in World War II. Its remnants were razed in 1950 by leadership of the-then communist East Germany.
The palace is being rebuilt on an 8,000-square-metre hole in the ground at the eastern end of the city's leafy Unter den Linden boulevard. The rebuild is intended, in part, to give tourists to Berlin an insight into part of Germany's heritage. Construction is to be completed in 2019.
The building was a symbol of the German Empire
While the facade of the palace will be recreated, the interior structure will be a modern design by Italian architect Franco Stella. Displays paying tribute to world cultures are planned as key features – with collections from Berlin's Ethnological Museum and the Museum of Asia Art to go on show.
The cost of the project at a time of financial austerity in Europe has been criticized. The German government and financially-strapped Berlin will stump up most of the bill, alongside 80 million euros to be raised via wealthy donors.
A survey by the research firm Forsa published by the magazine Stern on Wednesday indicated that 65 percent of Germany's population did not support the project. Advocates were in a minority at 30 percent, with 5 percent undecided.
Growing stature, rapid decline
The first sections of the original Hollenzollern palace were built in 1443 by the-then ruler of Brandenburg, Frederick II - also known as "Irontooth." The status of the building grew when it became home to Frederick I, the first king of Prussia.
In 1871 it became the seat of a united Germany, beginning with Kaiser Willhelm I. It remained the symbolic center of the-then German Empire until the abdication of Willhelm II in 1918.
The original complex was severely damaged by Allied bombing during World War II, with the shell that remained being finally destroyed by East German authorities in 1950.
Controversy also linked to ex-GDR
The project has also proved controversial because - as a first step - it entailed the pulling down in 2006 of the Palace of the Republic, the East German parliament building that had been built during the communist era on the site of the former palace.
That building - completed in 1976 and demolished in 2006 – was regarded by some East Berliners as a symbol of their identity while memories of the old royal palace were seen as symbolic of Prussian militarism.
Germany has in recent years reproduced several landmarks destroyed or damaged during WWII, including the Adlon Hotel in Berlin and the Frauenkirche in Dresden.
rc, ipj/ rg (AFP, dpa epd)There are still two episodes left of AMC’s Breaking Bad, but on Sunday night, “Ozymandias” brought some of the show’s major driving conflicts to a head. The result was one of the most incredible hours of television in recent memory — or possibly even, if IMDb users are to be trusted, in all of small-screen history.
Yes, in addition to setting the series record for the most-watched episode of all time, “Ozymandias” has also become the highest-rated episode of any TV show ever on the movie and film database, with a perfect 10/10 score. At least for now. More talk about “Ozymandias” as a series high after the jump.
Among Breaking Bad fans, there’s little debate that “Ozymandias” is one of the show’s best installments ever. Heck, even showrunner Vince Gilligan agrees, calling it “the best episode we ever had or ever will have.” “Ozymandias” was watched by an astonishing 6.4 million people, which handily beats the drama’s previous record (for “Blood Money”) of 5.9 million viewers.
And it seems those millions of folks liked what they saw. Over 20,000 users have voted on “Ozymandias” at IMDb, collectively awarding it ten points out of ten. That likely makes it the single best-reviewed episode of television on the entire website. Even this year’s second buzziest hour, Game of Thrones‘ “The Rains of Castamere” “only” managed to pull in a 9.8 with 14,000+ votes counted.
Granted, as TVOvermind points out, that 10/10 represents a tiny bit of rounding up. At time of writing, 870 people had given “Ozymandias” something other than a perfect score, including 250 naysayers who gave it just 1 point. However, they were evidently no match for the 20,500+ people who thought “Ozymandias” deserved the top rating.
Breaking Bad as a whole is very well loved on the site. The entire series has a rating of 9.4/10, the same as Game of Thrones and The Wire. The only TV shows that rank higher are Planet Earth and Cosmos, both documentaries. Professional critics, too, are deeply enamored with the drama. Season 2-4 each have a 100% Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes’ new TV Tomatometer. (Season 1 was the low point with a 79%, which is still pretty great.)
All of which means that the expectations for the last two episodes of the show, next Sunday’s “Granite State” and the finale “Felina,” are hovering somewhere in the stratosphere. But the show’s given us no reason so far to doubt that it’ll come to a pitch-perfect end. If it turns out that Breaking Bad never gets better than “Ozymandias,” well, I think I can live with that. Click here to listen to our commentary track with director Rian Johnson.Today, Aurora said, attackers are spending weeks, months and years looking for crucial information inside a network. More worryingly, he said, cyber-attackers are focused on not only stealing the data but also altering them without detection. If an attacker can alter a single row or column of data in a database once a month, undetected, in the long run the consequences can be severe because companies would find it hard to distinguish between real and fake. For example, if electronic medical records are altered without the knowledge of doctors and nurses, it could potentially lead to misdiagnoses that could put patients' lives in danger.
"This is the real scare, to not just a particular industry of a particular size, but to everybody. It is a matter of existence," said Aurora.
That's where Darktrace's artificial intelligence system comes in, with the latest technology offering called Antigena. Once a threat is identified, Antigena automatically responds by taking proportionate actions to neutralize it and buy security teams enough time to catch up. In essence, it acts like a digital antibody that can slow down or stop compromised connections or devices within a network without disrupting normal business operations.
"Human beings are still going to be fundamental, but right now, the kind of attacks — you find it very difficult to figure out and they're so quick that if you look at traditional means, by the time human beings get to respond, it's too late," Aurora explained. The technology has been operational for about a year among early adopters and was made available on a large scale earlier this month.
In February, Australian cybersecurity company Nuix put out a report where they surveyed about 70 professional hackers and penetration testers at last year's Defcon — the global hacking and security conference — to understand their perspective on cybersecurity.
In the report, about 88 percent of the respondents said they could break through cybersecurity defenses and into the systems they target within 12 hours, while another 81 percent said they could identify and take valuable data within the same time frame even when the breach may not be detected for nearly 100 days on average.Since my first time entering a craft beer bar I fell in love with the black IPA. All the flavour and aromatics of tropical citrus/stone fruit and pine mixed with a subtle dark chocolate/coffee. An instant favourite winter style for me. I knew I had to brew one as soon as I started home brewing. I did on my old 1 gal system. Now 2 years later I have started to brew them again only with a twist. A black IPA with a NEIPA influence.
After my first successful attempt at a Black NEIPA I am going at it again with a slightly different malt and hop bill. This brew is the final brew for an upcoming IPA competition. This time using Citra, Azacca and Mosaic. Project Black Juice: C.A.M. is ready to be brewed this Sunday.
Project Black Juice: C.A.M.
Water:
Calcium: 115 ppm
Chloride: 135 ppm
Sulfate: 90 ppm
Mash pH: 5.3
Mash Thickness: 1.3 qt/lbs (4.5 gal)
8.7 gal total
Grist:
51% 7lbs Thomas Fawcett Pearl
22% 3 lbs Thomas Fawcett Maris Otter (out of pearl)
14.5% 2 lbs OiO Toasted Flaked Oats
7.5% 1 lbs Weyermann Dehusked Carafa III
3.5% 1/2 lbs Simpsons Golden Naked Oats
2% 1/4 lbs Muttons Roasted Barley
13.75 lbs total
Mash Schedule:
Mashin an hold for 60 min at 154F (4.5 gal)
Raise via induction to 168F and hold for 10 min
Fly Sparge with 4.2 gal distilled water at 168F
Collect 7.125 gal wort
Hot Side Additions:
60 Min boil
15 min add Whirlfloc
15 min add yeast nutrient
5 min add 1/2 oz Citra 13.4% AA
5 min add 1/2 oz Azacca 12% AA
5 min add 1/2 oz Mosaic 11% AA
Flame out and chill to 185F
Whirlpool for 30 min with 1.75 oz Citra 13.4% AA, 1.75 oz Azacca 12% AA and 1.75 oz Mosaic 11% AA
Chill to 68F
Cold Side Additions:
Collect 6 gal leaving as much kettle trub behind as possible
Pitch Vermont ale yeast from Escarpment Labs at a rate of 1 million cells/ml/P
As Krausen falls dry hop with 1.5 oz Citra 13.4% AA, 1.5 oz Azacca 12% AA and 1.5 oz Mosaic 11% AA
4 days prior to packaging Dry hop with 1/4 oz Citra 13.4% AA, 1/4 oz Azacca 12% AA and 1/4 oz Mosaic 11% AA
24 hour prior to packaging Cold crash with gelatin
Bottle condition with 2.3 vols
Targets:
OG: 1.065
FG: 1.014
IBU: 80-90
SRM: 30
BHE: 79%
Last weeks split batch brew went fairly well. No big spills and hit my number right on the head. Only hiccup was I neglected to compensate for the massive amount of hop gunk that decided it wanted to get into my carboys. The wort was Swamp juice green. Click here for a few photos from brew day.
Coming up as well this weekend is a local craft beer fest and then on Monday a brew group meeting. Cannot wait to share some of the most recent creations.
Project Black Juice: C.A.G. Review
Appearance:
Black with some ruby/brown highlights around the edges. Pours a thick tan head that my iPhone failed to capture. Head has good retention and laces the glass after each sip. When held up to the light the beer it moderately hazy.
Aroma:
Smells like a hop farm. Tropical with hints of mango, lychee and pineapple dominate. As it warms more subtle notes of peach, apricot, pine, mixed berries and guava start to showcase themselves. Definitely leaning more towards the fruity side than the pine side. There is a hint of roasty malt with a dark chocolate and coffee like note.
Mouthfeel:
Moderately high carbonation. A warming pleasant alcohol. Smooth on the tongue. It really invites you to take another sip. Body is a bit thin and the finish is a crisp dryness.
Flavour:
Tons of fruit. The dominant ones are mango and pineapple with some fuzzy peaches. These are accompanies by a subtle complimentary dark chocolate and black coffee flavour. Roasted malts are in the background. This chocolaty fruity flavour lingers in the mouth. Not very bitter at all.
Overall Impression:
Pretty happy! Attempt one at a Black NEIPA was a success to my pallet. Very enjoyable to drink for a beverage at 8.4 ABV
Next Time:
I will mash higher to have more body. I think I over carbonated a bit on this so I will tone that back. New hop combo for fun.
Cheers,
MDWho uses negative gearing in Australia? Search the full list by occupation
Updated
Teachers, nurses, surgeons and anaesthetists have all been dragged into the negative gearing debate by our political leaders.
But what occupations are people with rental properties working in? How many people from each profession have claimed rental losses against their wages? And what have been the average losses?
More than 1.25 million taxpayers claimed rental losses, totalling about $11 billion in tax deductions.
Surgeons who used negative gearing reduced their taxable income by an average of nearly $30,000 each in 2013-14 while other medical professionals had some of the highest average losses.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has told 7.30 the fact tax concessions heavily benefit high income earners is "beside the point".
The most recent information is from 2013-14 Australian Tax Office statistics and has been analysed by the ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods.
Sort or search the table to see which occupations are using negative gearing the most:
Occupation Total number of taxpayers Number who claimed rental losses Per cent who claimed rental losses Average rental loss, per claimant ($) Total rental losses claimed ($) General Managers 212,131 41,882 19.74% 11,362 475,890,567 Chief Executives and Managing Directors 153,841 25,690 16.70% 14,079 361,713,317 Accountants 163,461 29,642 18.13% 9,839 291,664,152 Advertising and Sales Managers 166,771 27,363 16.41% 10,222 279,725,325 Registered Nurses 288,326 34,316 11.90% 7,258 249,091,366 General Clerks 362,345 30,525 8.42% 6,315 192,793,420 Secondary School Teachers 139,510 21,065 15.10% 7,679 161,762,337 Office Managers 175,836 20,743 11.80% 7,249 150,370,246 Practice Managers 79,682 14,488 18.18% 10,365 150,179,645 Electricians 100,901 15,937 15.79% 9,307 148,331,979 ICT Managers 60,009 11,917 19.86% 11,701 139,442,997 Contract, Program and Project Administrators 105,977 15,159 14.30% 8,594 130,285,877 Primary School Teachers 148,310 18,014 12.15% 6,709 120,859,504 Police 59,029 13,026 22.07% 9,210 119,977,510 Software and Applications Programmers 71,933 10,148 14.11% 10,622 107,798,319 Drillers, Miners and Shot Firers 51,313 9,420 18.36% 11,187 105,390,826 Construction Managers 53,905 9,867 18.30% 10,488 103,494,622 Sales Representatives 149,746 13,706 9.15% 7,482 102,559,543 Real Estate Sales Agents 60,113 10,673 17.75% 9,234 98,554,783 Civil Engineering Professionals 45,669 8,120 17.78% 11,638 94,501,723 Finance Managers 31,871 7,428 23.31% 12,704 94,370,557 Other Medical Practitioners 28,705 5,687 19.81% 16,171 91,969,734 Truck Drivers 156,385 12,271 7.85% 7,341 90,086,700 Occupation not matched 268,178 9,955 3.71% 8,969 89,291,743 Solicitors 48,670 7,882 16.19% 11,169 88,041,058 Metal Fitters and Machinists 68,112 9,068 13.31% 9,652 87,527,705 Generalist Medical Practitioners 27,713 5,565 20.08% 15,284 85,055,480 Policy and Planning Managers 35,437 7,581 21.39% 10,863 82,357,108 Engineering Managers 26,608 6,110 22.96% 12,946 79,101,081 Bank Workers 71,565 10,291 14.38% 7,460 76,776,653 Accounting Clerks 99,457 11,117 11.18% 6,858 76,250,332 Call or Contact Centre and Customer Service Managers 92,611 9,666 10.44% 7,434 71,865,850 Other Hospitality, Retail and Service Managers 32,051 6,775 21.14% 10,402 70,476,971 Industrial, Mechanical and Production Engineers 38,505 6,398 16.62% 10,944 70,023,593 Other Engineering Professionals 30,758 5,936 19.30% 11,667 69,256,281 University Lecturers and Tutors 57,591 6,573 11.41% 10,320 67,834,573 Motor Mechanics 93,262 8,083 8.67% 7,911 63,948,617 Management and Organisation Analysts 39,006 6,484 16.62% 9,704 62,927,134 Teacher - other school 52,545 8,301 15.80% 7,472 62,030,264 Retail Managers 98,319 8,711 8.86% 6,958 60,618,133 Architectural, Building and Surveying Technicians 42,589 6,491 15.24% 9,185 59,622,685 Structural Steel and Welding Trades Workers 75,040 6,506 8.67% 8,788 57,178,473 Other Building and Engineering Technicians 22,799 4,945 21.69% 11,498 56,861,581 Electrical Engineers 22,944 4,547 19.82% 11,808 53,693,586 Sales Assistants (General) 274,795 10,551 3.84% 4,978 52,524,617 ICT Business and Systems Analysts 27,667 4,881 17.64% 10,623 51,851,013 Air Transport Professionals 14,650 3,539 24.16% 14,618 51,733,872 Purchasing and Supply Logistics Clerks 83,850 6,911 8.24% 7,178 49,613,833 Public servant - administrative service officer - levels 3-4 59,145 6,781 11.47% 7,169 48,615,418 Human Resource Managers 23,604 4,812 20.39% 9,950 47,880,217 Carpenters and Joiners 71,994 6,523 9.06% 7,180 46,840,409 Database and Systems Administrators, and ICT Security Specialists 26,895 4,438 16.50% 10,220 45,358,749 Human Resource Professionals 41,555 5,510 13.26% 7,959 43,858,111 Earthmoving Plant Operators 45,721 4,933 10.79% 8,866 43,738,515 Storepersons 133,594 6,382 4.78% 6,557 41,851,062 Internal Medicine Specialists 7,639 1,956 25.61% 20,904 40,888,249 Receptionists 116,480 7,491 6.43% 5,427 40,657,309 Plumbers 48,782 5,207 10.67% 7,409 38,580,110 Financial Investment Advisers and Managers 19,016 3,320 17.46% 11,587 38,470,843 Computer Network Professionals 23,789 3,709 15.59% 10,149 37,643,714 Production Managers 17,187 3,140 18.27% 11,961 37,557,711 Consultant - management 17,955 2,864 15.95% 12,857 36,823,741 Advertising and Marketing Professionals 38,022 4,099 10.78% 8,904 36,501,209 Technical Sales Representatives 28,369 4,060 14.31% 8,726 35,428,813 Personal Assistants 42,621 5,026 11.79% 6,892 34,643,935 Secretaries 50,053 5,336 10.66% 6,466 34,506,750 Structural Steel Construction Workers 33,607 3,293 9.80% 10,433 34,357,943 Other Miscellaneous Labourers 122,771 4,819 3.93% 7,046 33,959,004 Pharmacists 21,080 3,492 16.57% 9,698 33,867,551 Aged and Disabled Carers 122,560 6,406 5.23% 5,207 33,361,528 Other Specialist Managers 28,128 3,954 14.06% 8,429 33,329,417 Electronics Trades Workers 29,034 3,513 12.10% 9,219 32,389,349 ICT Sales Professionals 16,298 2,737 16.79% 11,792 32,276,026 School Principals 11,422 3,135 27.45% 10,258 32,160,384 Bookkeepers 38,235 4,909 12.84% 6,497 31,896,844 Consultant - IT business analyst 14,000 2,580 18.43% 12,107 31,237,666 Health and Welfare Services Managers 28,378 3,708 13.07% 8,269 30,662,491 Chefs 84,349 4,646 5.51% 6,558 30,472,883 Mining Engineers 9,471 2,127 22.46% 14,245 30,299,595 Surgeons 3,693 1,020 27.62% 29,674 30,268,299 Fire and Emergency Workers 16,558 3,202 19.34% 9,284 29,730,132 SECURITY Officers AND Guards 54,418 3,950 7.26% 7,514 29,682,195 Social Workers 36,507 4,202 11.51% 6,949 29,202,971 Vocational Education Teachers (Aus) / Polytechnic Teachers (NZ) 26,850 3,756 13.99% 7,678 28,840,309 Financial Brokers 13,388 2,442 18.24% 11,694 28,559,087 Dental Practitioners 8,533 1,864 21.84% 15,295 28,510,546 Auditors, Company Secretaries and Corporate Treasurers 16,785 2,721 16.21% 10,475 28,503,666 Other Machine Operators 36,828 3,276 8.90% 8,652 28,347,033 Defence Force Members - Other Ranks 29,157 3,304 11.33% 8,234 27,207,933 Building and Plumbing Labourers 64,835 3,584 5.53% 7,533 26,998,471 Environmental Scientists 25,310 3,379 13.35% 7,855 26,545,121 Welfare Support Workers 71,095 4,647 6.54% 5,681 26,403,198 Education Aides 79,793 5,758 7.22% 4,580 26,372,933 Commissioned Officers (Management) 10,675 2,520 23.61% 10,379 26,155,407 Training and Development Professionals 19,780 3,101 15.68% 8,378 25,981,276 Marine Transport Professionals 10,520 2,055 19.53% 12,514 25,718,116 Cafe and Restaurant Managers 48,617 3,569 7.34% 7,107 25,366,941 Public servant - administrative service officer - levels 1-2 33,774 3,720 11.01% 6,789 25,258,060 Child Carers 112,414 5,356 4.76% 4,651 24,916,024 Train and Tram Drivers 12,268 2,337 19.05% 10,659 24,911,171 Ambulance Officers and Paramedics 14,858 2,769 18.64% 8,922 24,705,401 Transport Services Managers 20,727 2,658 12.82% 9,217 24,499,186 Other Miscellaneous Clerical and Administrative Workers 39,674 3,761 9.48% 6,468 24,326,452 Occupational and Environmental Health Professionals 12,097 2,420 20.00% 9,870 23,887,482 Inspectors and Regulatory Officers 16,448 2,759 16.77% 8,592 23,705,520 ICT Support and Test Engineers 18,679 2,442 13.07% 9,621 23,495,537 Chemical, Gas, Petroleum and Power Generation Plant Operators 12,197 2,124 17.41% 11,006 23,376,951 Supply and Distribution Managers 13,284 2,305 17.35% 10,060 23,189,726 Medical Imaging Professionals 14,761 2,592 17.56% 8,942 23,177,983 Bus and Coach Drivers 37,301 3,390 9.09% 6,822 23,127,189 Insurance, Money Market and Statistical Clerks 24,998 2,908 11.63% 7,739 22,507,021 Architects and Landscape Architects 17,812 2,445 13.73% 9,122 22,304,477 Manufacturers 19,802 2,452 12.38% 8,875 21,762,411 ICT Support Technicians 26,951 2,531 9.39% 8,525 21,578,526 Corporate Services Managers 9,669 1,930 19.96% 11,014 21,257,814 Other Factory Process Workers 58,981 3,107 5.27% 6,818 21,186,038 Aircraft Maintenance Engineers 10,406 1,991 19.13% 10,438 20,782,802 Other Construction and Mining Labourers 19,319 2,100 10.87% 9,883 20,755,568 Anaesthetists 3,105 891 28.70% 22,829 20,341,408 Geologists and Geophysicists 10,987 1,714 15.60% 11,482 19,681,841 Prison Officers 13,296 2,250 16.92% 8,649 19,460,528 Commercial Cleaners 97,986 3,628 3.70% 5,206 18,890,511 Psychologists 17,530 2,427 13.84% 7,773 18,866,993 Travel Attendants 12,214 2,119 17.35% 8,536 18,088,342 Nursing Support and Personal Care Workers 66,332 3,368 5.08% 5,320 17,918,242 Physiotherapists 18,957 2,440 12.87% 7,215 17,605,343 Cartographers and Surveyors 11,463 1,852 16.16% 9,231 17,096,529 Midwives 17,132 2,381 13.90% 7,143 17,008,545 Research and Development Managers 10,903 1,750 16.05% 9,603 16,805,710 Other Stationary Plant Operators 16,199 1,872 11.56% 8,948 16,751,975 Chemical and Materials Engineers 8,032 1,396 17.38% 11,987 16,734,165 Graphic and Web Designers, and Illustrators 32,104 2,556 7.96% 6,507 16,634,334 Electrical Engineering Draftspersons and Technicians 10,438 1,703 16.32% 9,737 16,583 |
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